SCHWEIZER BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE
Der wöchentliche Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP de Chine
  1.12-7.12.2007, No. 194  
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Table of contents

Foreign Policy

Domestic Policy

Tibet

Economy

Avian flu

Beijing Olympics

DPRK and South Korea

Mongolia

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Foreign Policy

China, Vietnam meet to discuss economic corridor development (China Daily)
2007-12-03
China and Vietnam should focus on improving infrastructure in the two corridors involving two southwestern Chinese cities and four northern Vietnamese localities, Chinese ambassador to Vietnam said here Sunday at an international seminar attended by the Chinese and the Vietnamese representatives. At the seminar, entitled "Measures to develop Vietnam-China two economic corridors and one belt in new contexts", the Chinese ambassador Hu Qianwen proposed that the two sides should regard areas along the roads and railways in the two corridors, and ports and logistics services in the Beibu gulf economic belt as major points for bilateral cooperation on trade and investment. […] At the one-day seminar, representatives from Vietnamese ministries and research institutes stated that the two sides should center on seeking funds and human resources to facilitate the construction of the two corridors and the belt, especially their infrastructure networks. […]. ^ top ^

Energy row clouds end of 'successful' summit with Japan (SCMP)
2007-12-03
Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday hailed a summit with Japan as "another step forward" in warming ties, but the mood was tempered by lingering tension over competing claims to offshore energy fields. […] […] The two sides issued a joint statement calling for continued co-operation on trade, energy and environment issues, but unveiled no new initiatives. Japanese foreign ministry spokesman Mitsuo Sakaba said neither side had intended to reach concrete agreements, but the mere fact the two countries had begun what is expected to become a recurring dialogue was a "positive event". However, during a meeting with Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on Saturday, Mr Komura invited President Hu Jintao to visit Japan next spring in what would be the first visit by a Chinese president in a decade. […]. ^ top ^

China, EU sign joint statement, to jointly face climate change (Xinhua)
2007-12-04
[…] The joint statement of the 10th China-EU Leaders' Meeting said leaders of both sides stressed in their meeting the great importance they attached to the issue of climate change, and their willingness to strengthen cooperation to jointly meet the serious challenge of climate change. […] It said the leaders reviewed the bilateral cooperation under the China-EU Partnership on Climate Change and called for progress to be made, including on research of near-zero emissions of coal power generation technology through carbon capture and storage, as well as development of concrete cooperation projects to strengthen China's participation in the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism. […] The leaders agreed to step up their efforts to further enhance the bilateral cooperation, including their cooperation on technology development and transfer. China and the EU agreed to actively implement the rolling work plan of China-EU Partnership on Climate Change covering the period2008-2009, including cooperation on province-level climate change programs in China, climate change adaptation strategies and public awareness initiatives, said the statement. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol and reiterated, in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, the need for developed countries to continue to take the lead in reducing GHG emissions beyond 2012 and to assist developing countries in enhancing their contributions to addressing climate change. […].^ top ^

U.S. official: U.S., China to sign two import safety agreements (Xinhua)
2007-12-04
The United States and China will sign two agreements to ensure Chinese-made food, feed and medial devices exported to the United States to meet the U.S. standards, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said Monday. […] The United States and China have signed a series of agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation to improve safety of consumer products following the recalls. […] Many Chinese officials noted that some recalled Chinese products could be attributed to real quality and safety problem, but majority of the recalls were due to a large gap in standards between the two countries and design failures. A report released by two Canadian business professors recently also concluded that most of the recalls of toys made in China are because of design errors, not manufacturing problems or the lead paint issue. […]. ^ top ^

Beijing questions UN Iran sanctions (SCMP)
2007-12-05
China's UN ambassador on Tuesday suggested an agreement by six world powers to seek new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme could be called into question by the latest US intelligence assessment. Asked to comment on the US intelligence community's stunning revelation on Monday that Iran halted its nuclear weapons programme in 2003, Ambassador Wang Guangya called it “an important report.” “Certainly I think we will study the contents and also think about the implications for the [UN Security] Council's action here,” he said. Pressed by reporters on whether the assessment might make new sanctions against Iran less likely in the near term, the diplomat said: “I think council members will have to consider that, because... now things have changed.” Representatives of the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany met Saturday in Paris to decide what the next steps will be in their efforts to make Iran to comply with a UN-ordered halt to its uranium enrichment programme. World powers fear that the enriched uranium could be used for nuclear bombs. The six powers said after the meeting they had agreed to start work on a UN Security Council resolution calling for new sanctions against Tehran. On Tuesday, Washington, Paris and London said they were still willing to push ahead with the sanctions plan, despite the US National Intelligence Estimate assessment released one day earlier. […]. ^ top ^

China, India sign joint statement, vowing to expand financial co-op (Xinhua)
2007-12-05
China and India signed here on Tuesday a joint statement that pledges to expand financial cooperation between the world's two largest developing countries. In the statement signed at the second China-India Financial Dialogue in Beijing, the two countries vowed to boost exchanges and cooperation on bond markets development, capital markets opening and financial supervision. Both sides agreed to develop bond markets and expand channels for direct financing, gradually open domestic capital markets and boost financial supervision to guard against risks brought about by short-term cross-border capital flows. The two countries also pledged to improve macro-economic controls, promote renewable and clean energy development and usher in more sustainable resources-saving and environment-friendly production and consumption models. Li Yong, Chinese Vice Minister of Finance, and Indian Financial Secretary Dr. D. Subbrarao co-chaired the meeting. […]. ^ top ^

Dispute over port calls by US laid to rest - Military officials agree to put row behind them in Washington talks (SCMP)
2007-12-06
Mainland and American military officials have agreed to put behind them a dispute over Beijing's refusal to allow port calls to Hong Kong by US Navy warships, with the mainland delegation stressing the importance of the Taiwan issue in ties between the two armed forces. Beijing has hinted that its denials of port calls for the USS Kitty Hawk and eight other ships were triggered by the US Congress' decision to honour the Dalai Lama and US arms sales to Taiwan. […]. ^ top ^

Beijing 'will go with the flow' on Iran sanctions (SCMP)
2007-12-07
Contention over Iran's nuclear plans has thrown into sharp relief Beijing's uncertain role in the crisis as a big economic partner of Tehran that is nonetheless reluctant to rile the US. After a US intelligence assessment released on Monday said Iran had probably stopped a nuclear weapons programme four years ago, the central government's stance has been ambiguous. Beijing's ambassador to the United Nations said that after the report "things have changed", suggesting the country might not back fresh sanctions on Iran. Since then, however, mainland diplomats have retreated to stock calls for negotiations, leaving unclear whether Beijing would wield its power as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to veto new sanctions demanding that Iran stop uranium enrichment, which Washington and its allies still want. On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang repeated that message. "We're studying the report and engaging in communication and consultations with all parties," he said. Beijing's tight-lipped leaders appear to be weighing how the Washington announcement feeds into their delicate diplomatic and economic calculations, mainland experts on the Iran dispute said. "We don't want to base our foreign policy on a unilateral US intelligence estimate," said Shen Dingli, a nuclear proliferation scholar at Shanghai's Fudan University. "If we accept the report, we're saying Iran most likely doesn't have a nuclear-weapons programme now, but we're also saying they did have one until about when the Iraq war began and fooled all of us, including China." Analysts agreed that, especially in the wake of the US report, Beijing would at most back a narrow Security Council resolution that did not impede its growing interests in Iran. With oil prices so high, Beijing wanted to ensure ties with Tehran stayed firm, or at least better than those of other contenders for Iranian supplies, said Yin Gang, an expert on the Middle East at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Iran is China's third-biggest supplier of imported crude oil. The mainland's exports to Iran are also booming. "I don't think China has an interest in supporting Iran regardless of what Iran does," Zha Daojiong of Peking University said. "I think China will go with the flow, depending on how Russia positions itself, too.". ^ top ^

China vows to further parliamentary exchanges with Macedonia (Xinhua)
2007-12-07
Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo met with Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski here Thursday, pledging to further strengthen bilateral parliamentary exchanges. Considering Macedonia as an important cooperative partner in southeast Europe, Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), told Crvenkovski China is ready to join hands with the country to further enhance political trust, and facilitate bilateral win-win cooperation in trade, culture, technology and other areas. […] Later Thursday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with Crvenkovski, and both sides agreed to facilitate trade cooperation. Wen applauded the joint statement signed by President Hu Jintao and Crvenkovski Wednesday on deepening mutually beneficial cooperative relations, regarding it as a new milestone in the development of bilateral ties. With regard to trade relations, Wen said China attaches importance to its trade cooperation with Macedonia, encouraging local enterprises to explore cooperation opportunities and expand cooperation. Crvenkovski also encouraged more Chinese companies to invest in Macedonia. […]. ^ top ^

British PM, Chinese FM meet over bilateral, int'l issues (People's Daily)
2007-12-07
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Thursday met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi over bilateral and international issues. During their talks, Brown said that he was looking forward to his trip to China, and would work together with Chinese leaders to further strengthen the relationship between Britain and China. He also welcomed China industries to make investment in Britain, and urged the two countries to enhance cooperation on financial service, education, technology, research as well as development and environment. Brown stressed that Britain would adhere to one-China policy, and praised China's constructive role in the international and regional affairs, such as Darfur issue. Yang said that the relations between China and Britain have remained good momentum for development, bilateral cooperation on such areas of trade, culture, education have been further deepened, and Britain remains the biggest investor in China among the European Union members. […] Yang said China hopes that Brown's visit to China in January next year would push forward the development of Sino-British comprehensive strategic partnership relations. On the relations between China and Europe, Yang praised Britain for its efforts in the development between two sides, and hoped that Britain would continue to push forward the development of Sino-European relations. During the meeting, Brown and Yang agreed that the two countries would strengthen consultation and cooperation on international affairs. On Thursday, Yang also had talks with Simon McDonald, head of foreign and defense policy to the prime minister, and British Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, who also chairs the China Task Force. Yang also had a breakfast meeting with All Party Parliamentary China Group. ^ top ^

Hu, Bush talk on ties, nuclear issues (China Daily)
2007-12-07
[…] Bilateral trade and economic relations have developed fast and continuously, and cooperation in other major fields has yielded fruits, the Chinese president said. The two countries have maintained close consultation and coordination on major international and regional issues, he added. […] China would like to make joint efforts with the US side in reaching more consensus and gaining more fruits through the dialogues, making new contributions to the comprehensive development of China-US constructive and cooperative relations, he added. Hu said the appropriate handling of the Taiwan issue is the key to ensuring the steady and healthy development of China-US ties. […] It is in the common strategic interests of both China and the United States to firmly oppose and prevent "Taiwan independence" and maintain peace and stability across the Straits, he added. […] The US side would keep cooperating with China on the Taiwan issue, [Bush] added. On the Iranian nuclear issue, Bush expressed the US willingness to solve the issue through dialogue and other diplomatic measures. He hoped the United Nations could continue the necessary action to urge Iran to stop its uranium enrichment activities. Hu reiterated China's persistent stand to peacefully solve the nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiation, so as to protect regional peace and stability, which will meet the interests of allthe parties concerned. China is willing to continue to play a constructive role to help solve the issue, Hu said. About the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Hu pointed out that the starting action of the relevant joint declaration has been fully implemented, and the second phase of actions has been successfully initiated. Every party should grasp this opportunity and keep on the dialogue, in order to gradually meet the target of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, Hu suggested. Bush agreed that the six-party talks are the best way to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. The United States highly appreciates the important role China has played in this regard, and is willing to cooperate with other parties to push forward the six-party talks, Bush said. ^ top ^

 
Domestic Policy

Top jobs for two presidential allies (SCMP)
2007-12-03
The party boss of Sichuan - a protege of President Hu Jintao - has been appointed to head the party's United Front Work Department, according to a statement issued by the party's Central Committee yesterday. Du Qinglin, 51, will replace Liu Yandong, also a close ally of the president who ascended to the all-powerful Politburo at the party's 17th National Congress in October, said the statement posted on the central government's website. […] Mr Du's vacant post was filled by Liu Qibao, former party head of Guangxi and also an ally of Mr Hu, according to an announcement on Saturday. Mr Du's new post gives him control over the so-called eight democratic parties on the mainland and the party's mass organisations, such as its labour unions and women's groups. […] Mr Du's position suggests he will become one of the key officials overseeing Hong Kong and Macau affairs. Promoting closer ties with Taiwan would also be one of his key priorities. Overseas media reports have widely speculated that Ms Liu, 62, will be appointed a state councillor to succeed retiring Chen Zhili, a close ally of former president Jiang Zemin, to oversee education, family planning and social affairs in the cabinet. A state councillor enjoys the same rank as a vice-premier. A new cabinet will be announced in March when the National People's Congress holds its annual session. […] With her promotion to the Politburo, she is also the highest ranking female official on the mainland and the body's only female member, following the imminent retirement of Vice-Premier Wu Yi, the "Iron Lady" of the central government. […]. ^ top ^

Five provinces get new leaders in major reshuffle (People's Daily Online)
2007-12-04
A reshuffle of top personnel was announced over the weekend with the appointment of five provincial Party chiefs and the head of the Party's United Front Work Department. Bo Xilai has been appointed secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), a statement from the CPC Central Committee said on Saturday. […] Another statement from the CPC Central Committee said yesterday that Du Qinglin has been appointed the head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee to replace Liu Yandong. Liu, 62, vice-chairwoman of the 10th CPPCC National Committee, was elected member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in October. […] At the same time, Wang Jinshan, former deputy Party secretary of Anhui Province, has been promoted to be Party secretary of the province, according to the CPC Central Committee. […] Addressing his first meeting in Chongqing at the weekend, Bo Xilai pledged to boost balanced development between urban and rural areas, as well as to fight corruption. […]. ^ top ^

Senior CPC official expounds intra-Party democracy (People's Daily)
2007-12-05
[…] The Party Constitution and the regulations on safeguarding the rights of Party members both stipulate the democratic rights of Party members, such as democratic participation, election, decision-making and oversight. All Party members, whatever their position, equally enjoy all democratic rights. Any organizations and individuals should not infringe upon those rights. […] To expand intra-Party democracy, the transparency of Party affairs should be promoted and a democratic discussion environment should be created. The transparency of Party affairs is a prerequisite of intra-Party democracy, says the article. Important decisions on the Party or the nation's significant affairs should be made after full intra-Party discussions. The leadership body should make resolutions after fully soliciting opinions from grassroots organizations. The grassroots Party organization should make decisions after soliciting opinions from Party members. Therefore, extensive participation and effective supervision of Party members to the Party affairs could be realized, the article says. […] According to the report made by Hu Jintao at the 17th Party national congress, "We will introduce a system of voting for use by local Party committees in discussing and deciding on major issues and appointing cadres to important positions". […]. ^ top ^

Dalai Lama out, bishop in, after talks - Cleric elevated following Sino-Vatican meeting (SCMP)
2007-12-05
The state-sanctioned Catholic church yesterday installed a priest loyal to the Pope as Bishop of Guangzhou following recent high-level Vatican talks in Beijing. The meeting is believed to have been postponed from early November after some Christian newspapers in Europe reported that Pope Benedict would meet the Dalai Lama this month. But shortly after the meeting in Beijing the Vatican announced in late November that the Pope did not have any plans to meet the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. Father Joseph Gan Junqiu, 44, was reportedly approved for the post by the Vatican early this year but was only installed as bishop yesterday morning at Guangzhou's Sacred Heart Cathedral. He received the formal approval of the state-controlled China Catholic Bishops' College on November 21, more than 10 months after applying. The installation comes after Francis Lu Shouwang, 41, was consecrated as the new bishop of Yichang in Hubei province last Friday. An informed source told the South China Morning Post […] the Vatican delegation was invited to Beijing to meet their Chinese counterparts about two weeks ago. The source said the delegation included the Vatican's undersecretary of state Pietro Parolin, described by the source as the highest-ranking Vatican official to visit the mainland. Officials of higher rank had visited before as envoys rather than in an official capacity. […]. ^ top ^

Private sector role urged in arms development (SCMP)
2007-12-05
People's Liberation Army think-tanks want the military to allow private companies to take part in arms development, which experts believe would attract more capital and talent to modernise the defence industry. More than 100 military leaders and analysts from the PLA and various government organs attended a symposium on the "transition of national defence development" in Hunan's Changsha. Those attending agreed the PLA would catch up with developed nations only by "thoroughly merging with the market economy", the China News Services reported. "We need to change our armament development model from one exclusively dominated by the military to one that involves tight co-operation with the civic sectors," the report said. "The development of our national defence industry should integrate into the overall development of our economy, so that we can achieve a new level of synergy." It said civilian sectors could help speed up innovations and build a broad base for the defence industry. […]. ^ top ^

Ex-Shenzhen official gets high Hubei post (SCMP)
2007-12-07
Former Shenzhen party chief Li Hongzhong was appointed deputy and acting governor of Hubei province yesterday, China News Service reported. Mr Li, 51, was appointed at a session of the Hubei People's Congress Standing Committee. He had already been appointed deputy Hubei party chief by the Communist Party Central Committee. Mr Li developed a reputation for administrative efficiency in several Shenzhen development areas, including land reclamation, energy conservation and co-operation between Hong Kong and the city. During his time in Shenzhen, the city saw the biggest increase in property prices in recent years, which was widely blamed for driving up inflation. Mainland media have reported an exodus of migrant workers and skilled professionals from the city because of the high living costs and runaway housing prices. […]. ^ top ^

Top executive given delayed death penalty (SCMP)
2007-12-07
The former chairman of a Shanghai-listed A-share company linked to a Heilongjiang corruption scandal has been handed a death sentence suspended for two years in a case involving more than 50 million yuan in illegal transactions. Zhang Xiaoguang, former chairman of the Northeast Expressway Company, was found guilty in Baicheng Intermediate People's Court in Jilin province, of corruption, taking bribes, embezzling public funds, illegally seeking benefits for relatives and being unable to account for the source of large property holdings, according to the Beijing Times. Zhang was stripped of his political rights for life and his personal property was confiscated. His case came to light in January 2005 when Northeast Expressway said 293 million yuan in shareholders' funds deposited with the Bank of China (SEHK: 3988) (BOC) sub-branch in Harbin was missing. Zhang was arrested the same month on charges of misappropriating public funds. The case is believed to be connected with another high-profile case, in which Gao Shan, the former head of the BOC's Hesong Street branch, fled to Canada in December 2004 with an associate, Li Dongzhe, after allegedly making off with bank funds. Public prosecutors said in their indictment that Zhang accepted bribes from Li to deposit funds from his company at the branch, transactions which eventually led to the loss of Northeast Expressway's money. Gao and Li were believed to have illegally siphoned off 1 billion yuan between 2000 and 2004. The Ministry of Public Security has reportedly urged Canada to deport Gao and Li but with little success. Beijing's attempts to extradite its most-wanted fugitive, Lai Changxing, have also been unsuccessful since he fled to Canada in 1999 and claimed refugee status. ^ top ^

Nuclear power plant on drawing board still not approved (SCMP)
2007-12-07
The mainland's environmental watchdog says it is still waiting for an environmental approval application from a multibillion-yuan nuclear power project scheduled to begin construction in two years. In a rare move, the State Environmental Protection Administration (Sepa) announced on its official website yesterday that the Hongshiding nuclear power plant, to be built in a coastal area of Rushan, Shandong, had not filed an application yet. It said the project was required by law to file such an application before construction and the administration would conduct a "scientific and strict check" on whether the site was suitable for building a nuclear plant. Sepa said the Hongshiding nuclear plant's owners should consult the public or have a public hearing before the project was put on the government agenda. […]. ^ top ^

Japanese delegation of "Great Wall" Program arrives (Xinhua)
2007-12-07
The 15th Japanese "Great Wall" Program delegation arrived in Beijing on Thursday for party and people-to-people exchanges with the Chinese side. The 450-strong member delegation, headed by Japan's largest opposition party leader Ozawa Ichiro, comprises 47 Japanese Dietmen of the Democratic Party of Japan, and representatives from various social circles of Japanese society. Former Japanese Prime Minister Hata Tsutomu is with the delegation. During their stay in Beijing, Chinese President Hu Jintao will meet with the delegation. Japanese Dietmen of the Democratic Partyof Japan (DPJ) will also attend a meeting of a regular exchange mechanism between DPJ and the Communist Party of China (CPC). Initiated in 1989, the "Great Wall" Program, a people-to-people exchange scheme, has been participated by more than 200 Japanese Dietmen and 1,500 Japanese people from various social circles through visits to China. ^ top ^

Chinese President appoints new ambassadors to 15 foreign nations (People's Daily)
2007-12-07
[…] Sun Shuzhong has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Rwanda, to replace his predecessor Qi Deen. Xie Xiaoyan has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Iran, to succeed his predecessor Liu Zhentang. Yang Honglin has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to Saudi Arab, toreplace his predecessor Wu Chunhua. Wu Chunhua replaces Wu Sike as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to the Arab Republic of Egypt. Ren Xiaoping has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Namibia, to replace her predecessor Liang Yinzhu. Liu Zengwen has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to Romania, to replace his predecessor Xu Jian. Wu Ken has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Austria, to succeed his predecessor Lu Yonghua. Liu Biwei replaces Zhang Xinsen as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to Ireland. Luo Linquan has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Greece, to replace Tian Xuejun. Wo Ruidi has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Madagascar, to succeed Li Shuli. Meanwhile, Li replaces Wo as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Congo. Wei Wenhua has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Cote d'ivoire, to replace his predecessor Ma Zhixue. Wang Junling has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Albania, to succeed his predecessor Tian Changchun. Li Zhongliang has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. Zhang Wanhai has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotential of the People's Republic of China to Grenada, to succeed his predecessor Qian Hongshan. ^ top ^

 
Tibet

China reiterates opposition to Dalai Lama's splittist activities (People's Daily)
2007-12-07
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman reiterated on Thursday China's firm opposition to Dalai Lama's splittist activities, and cautioned relevant countries not to provide convenience to such attempts. "Dalai is a political exile cloaked under religion but engaged in splittist and peace-sabotaging attempts," Qin said when answering questions at a regular press conference on Dalai's visit to Italy and plan to meet with Italian political figures. "Wherever Dalai goes, or in what name, the issue is not personal or religious. He represents a clique trying to split the country and seeking Tibetan independence, to which the Chinese government and people are firmly opposed," Qin said. The Tibet issue is not a cultural or religion issue, but an issue concerning fundamental principles that have to do with China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and anti-splittist undertakings, he said. He said relevant countries shall discern Dalai's true motive and nature of splittist activities, and not to provide venues or convenience to such attempts by "taking into account the overall international relations". ^ top ^

 
Economy

China opens key economic policy meeting (China Daily)
2007-12-04
China's top leaders gathered in Beijing Monday to determine economic policies for 2008 amid efforts to prevent the economy from overheating and to curb inflation. […] Despite spectacular economic and social development since the start of the year, on the agenda at the conference is how to cool off booming investment and bank lending, address the soaring trade surplus, and improve the people's livelihood, sources said. The conference will work out specific strategies and resolutions for these problems China is confronted with in its development. […] In a prelude to the conference, the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee convened a meeting last week, saying next year's top macroeconomic priorities would be preventing the economy from overheating and the current price rises from evolving into "evident inflation". […]. ^ top ^

Banks squeeze Iranian traders (SCMP)
2007-12-04
Iranian traders have faced difficulties in the past week in opening letters of credit with mainland banks, restricting a key instrument in trade that could harm business ties, an Iranian official has been quoted as saying. […] Beijing has been resisting moves to penalise Iran further but the US said yesterday that it had agreed with China on the basis for more UN sanctions to push Tehran to halt work the west says is aimed at making atomic bombs. Iran denies this. Iran's ISNA news agency quoted Asadollah Asgaroladi, the head of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce, as saying mainland banks "did not open letters of credit for Iranian traders during the past week". "Chinese banks did not give any reason for the move, and if this trend continues it will harm the two countries' economic co-operation and trade exchange," he said in remarks also carried by Iranian newspapers yesterday. […] Iranian business consultant Saeed Laylaz suggested Chinese banks might be concerned about payments with more sanctions threatened but said he did not see Beijing changing its policy of backing trade with Iran. A delegation had been sent to try to resolve the letter-of-credit issue, Mr Asgaroladi said. ^ top ^

Economy to grow 11.6%, CPI seen at 4.5% (China Daily)
2007-12-05
The economy is expected to grow close to 11 percent next year but inflation will remain a major concern, a top think tank said Tuesday. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth will be an annualized 11.6 percent this year, the fifth consecutive year that the country would have achieved double-digit GDP growth, according to the annual "blue book" on economic forecasts by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), which was released Tuesday. The consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, has risen strongly in recent months, reaching a decade high of 6.5 percent in both October and August. The CASS forecast it may be an annualized 4.5 percent this year and 4 percent next year. […] Import growth will rise to 22.9 percent from 20.3 percent, the CASS forecast. ^ top ^

China to adopt tight monetary policies in 2008 (Xinhua)
2007-12-06
[…]China will maintain a "prudent" fiscal policy for the coming year. Various monetary instruments should be used to regulate liquidity and to strictly control the size of loans and frequency of credit extension, so as to better regulate domestic demand and balance international payments, said the conference. China raised interest rates five times and reserve requirement ratio nine times this year. The conference said that with a prudent fiscal policy and a tight monetary policy, China will be able to achieve "the Two Prevents" in the coming year: to prevent economic growth developing from rapid to overheating, and to prevent price rises evolving from structural to evident inflation. […] The country's consumer price index (CPI) rose a decade-high 6.5 percent in October, well above the government-set alarm level of three percent. Observers here said the major inflation indicator will most likely rise to a new high in November. ^ top ^

 
Avian flu

Jiangsu man becomes 17th to die of bird flu - Health authorities confirm latest H5N1 death (SCMP)
2007-12-04
A 24-year-old man in Jiangsu province has died of bird flu, taking the mainland's official human death toll from the disease to 17, the country's health authorities confirmed yesterday. The man, surnamed Lu, died in a hospital on Sunday and tests showed he was infected with H5N1, the Jiangsu Provincial Disease Control and Prevention Centre said, without disclosing the exact location of the case. As a precaution, all 69 people who had had close contact with Lu had been put under strict medical observation, but had so far shown no sign of the disease, it said. The Ministry of Health said on its website that the case had been reported to the World Health Organisation and authorities in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as some foreign governments. Hans Troedsson, the WHO's representative in China, confirmed yesterday it had been told about the case on Sunday. He said the WHO was seeking further information, including an exact location and details of the people who had had close contact with the patient before his death. ^ top ^

Mainland, HK, Macao hold joint exercise on avian flu (China Daily)
2007-12-04
[…] The exercise was to test their cooperation and coordination in mounting an emergency response in the event of a cross-border incident of avian flu involving human cases. […] "The exercise has further bolstered collaboration and communication among the three places in emergency preparedness and response for public health crisis," [the Secretary for Food and Health Dr. York Chow] said, adding "the importance of timely notification and collaboration for the prevention of avian influenza and pandemic influenza was highlighted." The Director of Health, Dr. P Y Lam, said that the Department of Health would strengthen its work with health authorities on the Chinese mainland and in Macao in the prevention of infectious diseases. […]

CSRC chairman underscores direct finance expansion (People's Daily)
2007-12-07
[…] Shang Fulin, chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), vowed to improve the multi-tier capital markets system and gradually develop the futures markets. Shang told a forum in the south-eastern city of Shenzhen that China will gradually develop corporate bonds and financial derivatives to provide investors with effective risk management tools. The CSRC will work to put in place more basic market regulations to better supervise the listed companies, he said. The chairman also called for effective investor risk education and harsh, cooperative clampdowns on illegal transactions to guard against market risks. The potential risks should not be underestimated with the increasing huge number of investors and expanding market scale, he added.

 
Beijing Olympics

Round 2 Olympic tickets to start Dec 10 (China Daily)
2007-12-03
The second batch of Olympic tickets will go back to lottery draw with similar process as the first stage, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) announced at a press conference on Friday. Zhu Yan, the new director of the ticketing center of the committee, said there would be no less than 1.8 million tickets on offer. But Zhu said the exact number of the left tickets is not known because payment for the first round of tickets ended on Friday. People can apply for the second batch of tickets through the official ticketing website of the committee ( www.tickets.beijing2008.cn ) or at the 1,000 Bank of China designated branches, from December 10 to 30. Each individual with proper identification is allowed to fill only one ticket application form to apply for two competition sessions, with no more than four tickets for each session. A person can request a maximum number of eight tickets. […]. ^ top ^

Lenovo not renewing Olympic contract (China Daily)
2007-12-05
Lenovo Group, the only worldwide Olympic partner from China, said Tuesday it will not renew its sponsorship contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The computer giant stated on its website it will focus on a "regional sports marketing strategy" after the Beijing Games instead. It will end its partnership with the IOC in December next year, four months after the closing of the Beijing Games. […] Lenovo officials said the company has achieved its goals in sponsoring the two Games and that it was a rational decision not to renew the contract. […] Looking beyond the Games, Chen said the company will be joining more regional sports events, "such as the NBA and Formula One". ^ top ^

 
DPRK and South Korea

US envoy begins vital North Korea mission (SCMP)
2007-12-04
US negotiator Christopher Hill yesterday began a rare visit to North Korea at the start of a crucial week in international efforts to scrap the state's nuclear programmes. Mr Hill, an assistant secretary of state, flew from a US air base south of Seoul after spending four days in South Korea for consultations. America's chief nuclear negotiator will meet his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye-gwan, to discuss a declaration - expected within days - that should include all North Korea's atomic programmes and plutonium stockpiles plus any weaponry. Mr Hill said he was "looking forward to seeing the declaration soon". The list should also account for a suspected separate programme to build bombs using highly enriched uranium, Mr Hill has said. "We'll continue to have a discussion on that, with the understanding that I think we can resolve this matter by the end of the year," he said in Pyongyang yesterday. North Korea shocked the world by staging a nuclear test in October last year. But four months later it reached a six-nation accord to disable its plutonium-producing plants and make a complete nuclear declaration in return for major energy aid. The six parties later set a year-end deadline. Another six-party round is expected to start in Beijing on Thursday, although there has been no official announcement. ^ top ^

Hill inspects reactor (SCMP)
2007-12-05
The top US nuclear negotiator for North Korea has visited its reactor, an American official announced. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill visited the Yongbyon nuclear complex on Monday, said Max Kwak of the US embassy in Seoul. Yesterday, Mr Hill met North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun, the official Korean Central News Agency reported. He also toured Pyongyang and rode a subway with his delegation, including Sung Kim, the State Department's top Korea expert, according to broadcaster APTN. ^ top ^

'Logistics' blamed for delay in nuclear talks (SCMP)
2007-12-06
A new round of six-nation talks on scrapping North Korea's nuclear programme will not be held this week as expected, the United States said amid reports of stalling by Pyongyang. There had been moves to hold an envoys-level meeting as soon as the end of the week, but "logistically, that's not feasible at this point", said Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman. He allayed concerns that the talks were put off because of a delay by Pyongyang to declare its nuclear inventory as part of its move to disband its atomic programme, in return for energy aid and diplomatic and security guarantees. "I can assure you that, at least my best understanding is, there is no substantive reason for the delay, that it is simply a matter of scheduling and logistics, and I would look for that meeting to take place in the near future," Mr Casey said. US nuclear envoy Christopher Hill, who began a rare visit to Pyongyang on Monday, said last week that he expected North Korea to submit the list of its nuclear programmes to Beijing, the host of the talks, before the end of the week. He has stressed that it must include all material, including a plutonium stockpile and any warheads. Cho Hee-yong, spokesman for South Korea's Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday that he understood the North had not yet handed over the list of its nuclear programmes, which was to have been a key topic of the six-party talks originally expected to start today. "Considering the time needed, it appears it would be difficult to hold a new round of the six-party, head-of-delegation talks this week," Mr Cho said. In Tokyo, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura had said the initial proposal was for talks from today through Saturday. "But I heard difficulties arose and now various arrangements are being made," he said in Tokyo on Tuesday after returning from talks in Beijing with leaders including President Hu Jintao. Mr Casey said Beijing was still trying to work out dates for the meeting. Mr Hill was due to leave Pyongyang for Beijing yesterday and return to Washington tomorrow, he said. […] The US State Department meanwhile said it would maintain nuclear sanctions even if it removed North Korea from a US list of state sponsors of terrorism after it dismantled its atomic programmes. "Even if the designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism were removed, significant legal barriers to nuclear co-operation with North Korea would remain, including several sanctions laws," said Jeffrey Bergner, the assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs. He gave the assurance in a letter to Democratic legislator Edward Markey, a copy of which was released on Tuesday by the lawmaker's office. Mr Markey, co-chairman of the House of Representatives bipartisan taskforce on non-proliferation, had earlier written to the State Department expressing concern that if North Korea were removed from the terror list, the move would reactivate a controversial light-water reactor project and lead to possible nuclear co-operation. ^ top ^

U.S. envoy says draft of DPRK's nuclear declaration could come in weeks (Xinhua)
2007-12-07
Chief U.S. negotiator to the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue Christopher Hill said late Thursday night it is possible to have a good draft of the declaration of nuclear programs from Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in a couple of weeks. […] "We had good discussions in Pyongyang yesterday on the declaration (of nuclear programs), on what elements need to be there, and everyone understands the situation," [Hill] told reporters at hotel. "We can resolve it," said Hill, referring to the differences between the U.S. and DPRK on what should be included in the declaration, "we can have a good draft of declaration in the next couple of weeks," emphasizing it should be "complete and correct". In response to question that the disablement of nuclear facilities at Yongbyon might exceed the dateline of Dec. 31, Hill said "things are moving ahead." "Anyone who has seen the disablement could be impressed with the fact that we are really on schedule, "he said. Hill confirmed that U.S. President George W. Bush has sent letters to the other five parties involved in the nuclear talks, including DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Il, to advance the denuclearization process. […]. ^ top ^

 
Mongolia

Mongolia Signs Agreements with The United Arab Emirates (Ub Post)
2007-11-28
Mongolia signed bilateral agreements on November 25 with the United Arab Emirates on aviation services, and manpower cooperation. This was during the three-day state visit by Mongolian President N.Enkhbayar to Abu Dhabi, at the invitation of his counterpart, President Shaikh Khalifa bin ZayedAl Nahyan. The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in veterinarian quarantine and preservation of wild birds. The two leaders held talks on means of boosting bilateral relations to serve interests of the two sides, particularly in the economic, commercial, investment fields and trade exchange. ^ top ^

 

Novella Bellonia
Embassy of Switzerland
 

The Press review is a random selection of political and social related news gathered from various media and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion of the Embassy.
 
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