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
  7.10-9.10.2009, No. 289  
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Table of contents

H1N1 flu

DPRK and South Korea

Mongolia

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Foreign Policy

Chinese vice president, EU commission chief meet on bilateral ties (Xinhua)
2009-10-09
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met Thursday with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on bilateral ties, vowing to enhance cooperation between the two sides. Xi, who congratulated Barroso for his reelection, said China appreciated his efforts in the past five years on boosting development of the comprehensive and strategic partnership between China and the European Union. […] Xi said China and the EU, who have formed a pattern of comprehensive, wide-range and multilevel cooperation, have become two important forces to help shape the future international structure into a multipolar world. Xi put forward a three-point proposal to further strengthen bilateral relations between China and the EU. First, to firmly stick to the strategic direction of their bilateral ties […] Second, to always adhere to the belief of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation […] Third, to always adhere to the principle of equality and mutual trust […] Barroso offered congratulations on the success of China's impressive National Day celebrations on October 1 […] Sino-EU relations have seen remarkable achievements, he said, adding that the past five years have witnessed frequent top-level exchanges, fruitful personnel and cultural exchanges, and rapid development of economic and trade cooperation. China and the EU have seen increasing common ground on global issues, including the international financial crisis and climate change, and both sides oppose protectionism and champion a just international order, Barroso said […]. ^ top ^

Economy, security to dominate agenda of Obama's visit (SCMP)
2009-10-09
US President Barack Obama will make his debut visit to China next month for talks on economic issues, trade and global security. It will be his first tour to Asia as president. He will also visit Japan, Singapore and South Korea. It will be the most testing foray yet for Obama into the vital US relationship with China. The two sides have a wide range of issues they need to discuss, such as trade balance, currency, climate change and nuclear negotiations with North Korea and Iran. Obama will visit Beijing and Shanghai between November 15 and 18 and hold talks with President Hu Jintao […] Beijing puts great importance on the visit. The Sino-US bilateral relationship is arguably the most crucial in China's foreign policy. While the two sides share many common interests, they also argue in a lot of areas. The US is concerned about its trade imbalance with China and Beijing's human rights record. Beijing is sensitive to any signs of protectionism in the US and the value of its vast US dollar assets. Washington has warmly praised China for its co-operation in efforts to tighten sanctions against North Korea after its nuclear test in May. But Beijing has yet to fall fully into line with a US drive to frame a crippling range of sanctions against Iran, should it refuse demands from a group of key powers, including China, to end its nuclear programme […] White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama's talks in China would focus on regional and global issues, including security, non-proliferation, energy and climate change […]. ^ top ^

President Hu: China sticks to peaceful development, opening-up strategy (Global Times)
2009-10-09
Hu told the World Media Summit held Friday in Beijing that "China will seek friendly cooperation with all countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence," he said. "We soberly keep in mind that China is still the world's largest developing country, and faces conflicts and problems rarely seen in terms of their scale and complexity," he said. "China still has a long way to go before it can build a well off society that can benefit more than one billion people, and achieve basic modernization and the common prosperity of all its people." He said China will adheres to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics in accordance with national conditions and promote all-round development in the economic, political, cultural, social and ecological arenas, and to go all out to ensure that the development is for the people and by the people and the fruits of development are shared by the people. ^ top ^

Mainland stage for media chiefs to ponder future: Summit a show of 'soft power' (SCMP)
2009-10-09
World media leaders will gather in Beijing today to launch the two-day World Media Summit, an event seen by many analysts as a chance for the central government to show off its "soft power". They include News Corp head Rupert Murdoch, Reuters editor-in-chief David Schlesinger and Associated Press president Thomas Curley. A statement released by Xinhua, the summit organiser, said President Hu Jintao would deliver the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the summit, during which representatives from about 130 media firms from more than 80 counties would discuss the challenges and opportunities brought by the rising popularity of the internet […] Professor Xu Youyu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it was apparent that the central government wanted to take the opportunity to change its image as an oppressor of media freedom. "I think this is the kind of well-planned event for the Chinese government to offer some renewed promises while having its goal to expand its influence internationally heard," he said. On paper, the growth of the mainland's media sector has been impressive. In 1950, it had only 253 newspapers with a circulation of 2.53 million copies a day. The number of papers has since risen to about 2,000, with a circulation of about 200 million. The 65 radio and television stations of 1950 had grown to 2,000 by the end of last year. But the central government has never allowed media freedom. "China's media is now in its darkest moment, for the government has gradually tightened its control over the media... rather than loosened it," Xu said […]. ^ top ^

ASEAN, China to make excellent bilateral ties: secretary general (Xinhua)
2009-10-09
Secretary General of the Association of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN) Surin Pitsuwan said here that the relationship between ASEAN countries and China has been quite close and will be even better in the future. "I think all 10 countries in ASEAN are quite close to China now. They appreciate the role that China has been playing, for preserving trade stability, for being supportive and sensitive to the feeling of the countries in the region. I think China has played its hands quite effectively in the region" […] He said that ASEAN and China have established various forums and channels to facilitate their ties. He expected that more frequent forums that promote trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two economies should be conducted. Talks aimed at enhancing human resources through education and training programs and transfer of technology have been conducted by ASEAN officials and their Chinese counterparts. "This issue is the essential one to be discussed by ASEAN and Chinese representatives in the upcoming Bangkok summit," he said […] With education, training and transfer of technology, he said that China's high skilled labors with efficient production system would greatly help industries in ASEAN countries. "Although some of the products cannot be finished here in the region, many of the products will be exported to China for final assembly. So we are complimentary to each other," Surin said […]. ^ top ^

Europalia China art festival opens in Brussels (Xinhua)
2009-10-09
Europalia art festival opened here on Thursday, with China as the only guest country to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The opening ceremony of Europalia China was held with the presence of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping at the invitation of Belgian King Albert II […] Before an audience of more than 400, Belgian Foreign Minister Yves Leterme spoke highly of Belgium-China relations and China's increasing importance […] Europalia China, to be lasting till Feb. 14, 2010, will offer the European audience a unique opportunity to get to know all aspects of Chinese culture and lifestyle. In the four months to come, around 50 exhibitions and 300 performances will be presented to audience in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Luxembourg. In total, more than 1,000 artists will take part in the festival. The displays and art performances follow four main themes, namely Immortal China, Contemporary China, Colorful China and China and the World […] Scores of Chinese famous artists in the fields of music, art, architecture, literature will take part in seminars and other events during the festival. The Chinese Lunar New Year (Spring Festival) celebration will close the Europalia China festival on Feb. 14, 2010. ^ top ^

Int'l Ocean Week to be held in China's Xiamen (Xinhua)
2009-10-09
The 2009 Xiamen International Ocean Week will be held in this southeastern seaside city from Nov. 6 to 12, the organizers said Thursday. The protection and sustainable use of islands will be the themes of the event, co-sponsored by the State Oceanic Administration, the United Nations Development Program China Country Office and the Xiamen municipal government. The ocean week will include forums, exhibitions, fishing contests. Representatives of more than 10 international organizations and more than 100 government officials from about 40 countries and regions will attend. The annual event was first started in 2005. ^ top ^

Dissidents tipped to finally collect Nobel Peace Prize in sensitive year (SCMP)
2009-10-08
Chinese dissidents are the favourites for the Nobel Peace Prize this year, the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic.

Speculation on the chances of Chinese dissidents landing the peace prize, which will be announced tomorrow, has been a yearly ritual. But this time there is a stronger current of expectation surrounding critics of the communist regime. Beijing remains deeply sensitive about criticism of its bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing. Awarding dissidents the prize would be a big poke in the eye for the authorities as the nation marks 60 years of Communist Party rule. Contenders this year could be Hu Jia, a human rights activist and outspoken critic of the central government, who was jailed last year for 3-1/2 years for inciting subversion of state power. Another could be Wei Jingsheng, who spent 17 years in mainland prisons for urging reforms to the communist system. He now lives in the United States […]. ^ top ^

Al-Qaeda leader targets China: Terrorist group calls for jihad in Xinjiang (SCMP)
2009-10-08
A leading al-Qaeda figure has urged Uygurs in Xinjiang to launch a holy war against "oppressive" China - the most serious threat yet against Beijing from the terrorist movement. Abu Yahya al-Libi appeared in a video posted on an Islamist website yesterday to warn that China would collapse, just like the former Soviet Union did two decades ago. "The state of atheism is heading to its fall. It will face what befell the Russian bear," he said, accusing China of massacring Uygurs and seeking to dissolve their identity. […] "It is a duty for Muslims today to stand by their wounded and oppressed brothers in East Turkestan... and support them with all they can." […] Libi, like many other al-Qaeda leaders, is a veteran of the Islamic insurgency that battled Soviet forces following the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, helping to force its withdrawal 10 years later. He is now considered the third most powerful figure in the movement, with key operational and inspirational roles. His comments mark the first time core al-Qaeda leaders have shown a willingness to take their fight to China. In the video, Libi said Muslims around the world needed to be made aware of the situation of Xinjiang's Uygurs. […] Uygurs are native to oil- and gas-rich Xinjiang, which Islamists call East Turkestan, and have cultural ties to Turkic peoples in Central Asia. Beijing is expected to take the threat seriously. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the government would check reports but could not yet comment […]. ^ top ^

Chinese vice president embarks on trip to five European nations (Xinhua)
2009-10-07
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Wednesday departed for tours to five European nations. The fortnight visit will take Xi to Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. During his stay in Belgium, Xi will attend a "Europalia-China" art festival. He will also be present at China's guest of honor events at 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair when he visits Germany. Xi is making the visit at the invitations of Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bulgarian Vice President Angel Marin, Hungarian President Solyom Laszlo and Romanian President Traian Basescu. ^ top ^

China "dissatisfied" with EU's duty imposition on Chinese steel pipes (Xinhua)
2009-10-07
China was "dissatisfied" with the European Union (EU)'s final ruling of imposing anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese seamless steel pipes, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Tuesday. The five-year duties, ranging from 17.7 percent to 39.2 percent, was imposed on the accusation that the Chinese imports might cause material injury or threat, according to the EU. […] MOC official said the EU failed to honor its commitment of opposing protectionism and the Chinese enterprises would resolutely safeguard their interests. ^ top ^

 

Domestic Policy

Beijing to build large destroyers (SCMP)
2009-10-09
Beijing plans to build a new generation of large destroyers as part of its effort to develop a modern blue- water navy, a report from an official ship-building institute shows. The new generation of destroyers is important to China's long-term goal of building and operating aircraft carriers. The destroyers will displace more than 10,000 tonnes, according to the report by the China Shipbuilding Information Centre […] The report said the new destroyers would be another "trump card" for the PLA Navy. They would exceed the largest mainland-made destroyers in service by almost 4,000 tonnes, indicating an overall improvement in combat potential. The planned ship is even larger than the four 8,000-tonne Sovremenny class destroyers that Russia has sold to China […] The warship would also carry a large number of weapons systems and sensors, as well as sophisticated electronic warfare and defence equipment, the report said. The most important of these was a new, supersonic anti-warship missile with a striking range of 500 kilometres. The report said the PLA hoped the new destroyers could close the gap in combat capability between the Chinese and Western navies. On December 23 last year, defence ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said Beijing was "seriously considering" building a carrier to protect its national interests, ending a decade of speculation by overseas observers. ^ top ^

One-child policy gives birth to a selfish generation (SCMP)
2009-10-08
Thirty years after the mainland began forbidding some families from having more than one child, in order to solve a dizzying population crisis, the country's psychiatrists say the result has been a self-centred generation that, having grown up without siblings has never learned to share. Now, as the children from one-child families enter child-bearing age themselves, mainland authorities have decided to intervene to prevent similar problems occurring. In Beijing and Guangzhou, health authorities are co-operating with counselling centres for adolescents and mental hospitals to launch special schemes to help thousands of "little emperors" […] To psychiatrists, the policy has produced a generation of self- centred loners, prone to exaggerated feelings of superiority and also liable to have trouble building close relationships […] Dr Cui Yonghua, a psychiatrist at Beijing Anding Hospital, said young patients' records from the past 15 years suggested there were irremediable character defects among the new no-sibling generation. He has joined a charitable family education programme, sponsored by Renmin University, which helps parents and children in one-child families […] "Beijing health authorities have noticed this problem since 1993, and we did a large-scale survey across the country between 1993 and '99. But intervention programmes for the generation of one-child families weren't started until last year." […]. ^ top ^

President Hu calls for patriotism, national spirit to serve socialist construction (Xinhua)
2009-10-07
Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for patriotism and national spirit inherited from the grand celebrations of the 60th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China to better serve the country's all-round construction. Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks here on Tuesday afternoon in meeting delegates of organizers and performers of the celebrations held on Oct. 1. […] President Hu stressed that the successful National Day celebration had left a precious spiritual wealth to the Chinese people and the patriotism and national spirit spurted out in the celebrations should better serve the efforts to promote scientific development and social harmony. […]. ^ top ^

Infertility epidemic stalks the mainland's one-child generation (SCMP)
2009-10-07
In the eyes of her in-laws, Jiao is worse off than the family's sows. At least they can reproduce. The petite migrant worker from Guizhou is afraid to go home because the mounting pressure she faces over her inability to conceive has become unbearable. […] Jiao, 30, was waiting outside a specialist reproductive hospital in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, while her husband queued to register for a consultation. Married for seven years, Jiao is still childless, as her husband cannot produce sufficient sperm. They are one of an estimated 40 million infertile couples on the mainland, where the problem is seen as a serious threat to the nation's population structure and social stability. […] The reproductive challenge faced by couples like Jiao and her husband now poses a challenge for the mainland, which has one of the largest populations of infertile men and women in the world. […] Children born since the one-child policy was introduced in 1979 have reached the age of reproduction, and Wang said their reproductive health had become a concern because the age disparity in the population would widen in the future. […]. ^ top ^

 

Beijing

President Hu calls for further efforts to protect public stability in Beijing (Xinhua)
2009-10-08
Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday called on police in Beijing to continue efforts in protecting public stability in the capital city, especially in areas near the Tiananmen Square. Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with representatives from Beijing's special police forces, traffic police, and armed police who were stationed in the Tiananmen Square. The president noted the police had made outstanding contributions to the success of the country's National Day celebrations, which included a military parade, a grandiose pageant and an evening gala in the Tian'anmen Square, by maintaining public order in Beijing. The police should further improve their working capabilities as well as their equipment in order to better protect public stability in Beijing and in areas near the Tiananmen Square, he said […]. ^ top ^

 

Hongkong

HK to develop city-wide electronic health record sharing system (Xinhua)
2009-10-09
To push ahead with the development of electronic health record (eHR) sharing system in Hong Kong, the city's government Thursday launched the first stage of eHR Engagement Initiative invitation exercise […] Hong Kong's Secretary for Food and Health York Chow said the government planned to have an eHR sharing platform ready by 2013/ 14 for connection with all public and private hospitals, adding that a population-wide eHR system would serve as a fundamental infrastructure in underpinning healthcare transformation. "With the development of eHR, patients' health information can be shared instantaneously which will in turn enable the provision of the appropriate and most timely treatments to our patients.” […] The invitation exercise will be conducted in two stages. Feedback and preliminary proposals from private and non-government healthcare sectors received during the first stage will help formulating appropriate strategy to further promote eHR development and sharing in the private healthcare sector. At the second stage, the government will engage IT professional bodies and private IT vendors to further explore the possible partnerships in developing healthcare IT solutions contributing to the development of eHR sharing. ^ top ^

 

Taiwan

Bronze relic row deepens in Taiwan (SCMP)
2009-10-08
Taiwan's premier, Wu Den-yih, yesterday asked the National Palace Museum in Taipei to rethink whether to accept two imperial Chinese bronze heads after the museum's director ruled out taking the looted relics. "There is a need for the museum to give a further review before a final decision," Wu told legislators. Wu came under fire from lawmakers of both the ruling and opposition parties, who lashed out at the government for being "gutless" in accepting the two bronze heads. "The judicial authorities in France have already ruled that the two bronze heads were not seized objects and if the French collector is willing to give them to Taiwan, why can't we accept them?" asked Huang Wei-che of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party. DPP legislator Chen Ting-fei rapped the government of mainland-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou for rejecting the objects in order to "please China" […]. ^ top ^

 

Tibet

White House denies Dalai Lama snubbed ahead of Beijing visit (SCMP)
2009-10-08
The White House said US President Barack Obama would meet the Dalai Lama later this year, rejecting accusations he "kowtowed" to Beijing by avoiding the exiled Tibetan leader on his current visit. Top congressional leaders offered strong support to the Dalai Lama in a ceremony at the Capitol, where they presented him with a new prize for championing human rights. But despite lawmakers' praise and his sold-out public lectures scheduled this week, the trip will mark the first time since 1991 that the Dalai Lama has come to Washington without meeting the US president. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs denied that Obama, who has championed warmer ties with a growing China, had been trying not to annoy Beijing before his first visit there as president next month […] "We're concerned about the people in Tibet, and we're concerned about the Chinese," he said. He noted that the Dalai Lama's top negotiator, Lodi Gyari, had expressed support for Obama's approach and said that the Tibetans had not pushed for a meeting before Obama's visit to Beijing […] Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of separatism, even though the Tibetan leader says he is only seeking greater rights for his predominantly Buddhist people under Chinese rule. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said Beijing was "resolutely against the Dalai's engagement in activities aimed at splitting China under any capacity, under any name, and in any country". Some US lawmakers and Tibetan activists have voiced outrage over Obama's decision, fearing China could see it as a licence to clamp down in the Himalayan region […]. ^ top ^

 

Economy

U.S. steel pipe probes may increase U.S.-China trade tensions (Xinhua)
2009-10-09
The U.S. Department of Commerce on Wednesday launched investigations into China-made seamless steel pipes that could lead to new tariffs and thus escalate the trade disputes between the two countries. The department said it had initiated anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations at the request of the U.S. Steel Corporation, V&M Star LP, TMK IPSCO and the United Steelworkers (USW). The U.S. petitioners requested a 98.37-percent anti-dumping duty against the Chinese imports and additional countervailing duties to offset what they allege are Chinese government subsidies. The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) is scheduled to make its preliminary injury determination on or around Nov. 2 of this year […] U.S. President Barack Obama recently decided to impose tariffs for three years on all car and light truck tires imported from China. The move has been denounced by China as a "serious act of trade protectionism.". ^ top ^

China increasing clout in South America: expert (Global Times)
2009-10-09
China has growing presence in South America as an importer, a strategic investor and economic partner, Argentine economist Dante Sica said Thursday. "Today, China represents 11 percent of the region's trade," Sica said […] China's commitment to the region includes the signing of a 10.2-billion -U.S. dollar currency swap agreement between the People's Bank of China and Argentina's central bank in March. This is the largest financial transaction between China and a Latin American country. According to the agreement, Argentina can pay for its imported products from China in RMB, replacing the U.S. dollar from acting as an intermediary currency between the countries. By doing this, "China has begun to set itself up as a lender of last resort in order to safeguard the resources needed by its internal market and industrial complex," Sica explained. ^ top ^

China's export tax rebate up 8.6% in first eight months (Xinhua)
2009-10-08
China's tax rebate for exporters increased by 8.6 percent in the first eight months, according to the State Administration of Taxation. China rebated 263.35 billion yuan (38.73 billion U.S. dollars) to its exporters in the first 8 months, an increase of 8.6 percent. In August alone, the rebate was 32.9 billion yuan, up 8.5 percent year on year. The government has raised export tax rebates seven times since last August to shore up exports after exports shrank sharply on weakening overseas demand. The latest rebate rise was announced on June 20, covering more than 2,600 items. ^ top ^

China's proactive fiscal policy to continue (China Daily)
2009-10-08
China will continue to implement its proactive fiscal policy and moderately ease the monetary policy to help the still precarious world economy, Finance Minister Xie Xuren said at the conclusion of the annual meetings between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank yesterday. Xie also urged the IMF and the World Bank to speed up reforms that would give developing countries a louder voice to reflect the changing economic weight of their members. The Group of 20 leaders proposed in a summit last month to increase developing countries' voting power and quota in the IMF and the World Bank by at least 5 percent and 3 percent respectively. Xie said the IMF should speed up its quota reform and complete its 14th General Quota Review before January 2011 to realize a significant transfer of quota and voting power to emerging markets and developing countries. He also urged the IMF to set up an automatic adjustment mechanism for its quota in the mid- and long-term to timely reflect the evolving weight of each member in the global economy. China also expects the World Bank to reform toward the ultimate goal of parity voting power between developed and developing members as early as possible, he said […]. ^ top ^

China's non-public sector creates 60% of GDP (Xinhua)
2009-10-07
China's top economic planner said the non-public sector of the economy created 60 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) at present time. In the meantime, private businesses created more than 70 percent of jobs in China's urban areas, according to Zhang Ping, director of China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). […]. ^ top ^

China's export to see slight growth in Q4: ADB report (Xinhua)
2009-10-07
Asian Development Bank (ADB) predicted that China's export was likely to switch from negative to positive growth in the fourth quarter this year. The welcome change was led by the stimulus policies taken by the Chinese government to boost its export in the wake of economic downturn, such as raising export tax rebates and expanding export credit insurance, the bank said. The report said China's export began to suffer sharp declines since last November. Its export value in the first seven months this year dropped 22 percent year on year. China's export fell 23.4 percent in August compared to the same month last year, and the rate of decline was 0.4 percentage point bigger than that of July, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC). The bank forecast China would see its export down 17.5 percent in 2009 year on year, and the export in 2010 could rise 8 percent from 2009. ^ top ^

 

H1N1 flu

Measures urged to contain H1N1 virus in China's remote areas (Xinhua)
2009-10-09
Chinese epidemiologists have called for intensified measures to fight A/H1N1 in the country's remote areas in an effort to resist its potential infections of a second wave, China Daily said Thursday. Chinese Health Ministry scientists are still investigating the death of an 18-year-old woman in a hospital in Maizhokunggar county of the Tibet Autonomous Region on Sunday […] The United Nation's senior technical expert on influenza, Dr Julie Hall, told a World Bank meeting that the H1N1 flu pandemic is penetrating into some of the poorest communities in the world. Vivian Tan, press officer of the World Health Organization (WHO) Beijing Office, said Chinese authorities should strengthen epidemic surveillance systems as well as healthcare services and supplies in less developed areas. The Chinese health ministry already sent 200,000 doses of flu vaccine to Lhasa, Tibet's capital, by air on Tuesday, the ministry said. Feng Zijian, head of the CDC's emergency response department, said the A/H1N1 death rate is still low in China, given that the Chinese mainland had reported 21,453 cases by Tuesday […]. ^ top ^

 

DPRK and South Korea
DPRK, US open way to talks (China Daily)
2009-10-09
It is "highly probable" that officials from the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will meet soon, said experts yesterday, potentially triggering the resumption of the Six-Party Talks. But experts on foreign affairs also said bilateral ties between Washington and Pyongyang, which have been improving, are essential for the Six-Party Talks to be effective. "It is highly probable that the two sides will talk as long as such arrangement would help ease the tension. The DPRK's aim is to sign a peace treaty with the US and normalize bilateral ties," said Wang Fan, an expert on international relations at Beijing-based China Foreign Affairs University […] "It can be expected that the first bilateral talks between the DPRK and the US will commence within weeks," said Yang Xiyu, a senior expert on DPRK at the China Institute of International Studies. The act of disarming the DPRK in an exchange for aid, a key topic of former talks, will not suffice, Wang said, adding that the DPRK is hungry for security, not just aid. US officials have said Washington is willing to hold one-on-one talks with Pyongyang so long as it leads to a return to the six-party effort […] Philip Crowley, assistant secretary of the state for public affairs of the US, said "the intent of any meeting that might take place in the coming weeks would be to test whether North Korea is in fact willing to come back to the six-party process." […] Crowley said that DPRK leader Kim Jong-il's latest remarks are "a different statement than" the country has made in recent months. Kim told Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Pyongyang earlier this week that the DPRK is ready to rejoin the Six-Party Talks depending on the outcome of bilateral talks with Washington […]. ^ top ^

 

Mongolia

Investment Agreement on Oyu Tolgoi Deposit Signed (Montsame)
2009-10-09
A ceremony ran October 6, 2009 to sign an investment agreement on exploiting the "Oyu tolgoi" deposit, in the Government House, Ulaanbaatar […] The agreement was signed representing the Mongolia's government […] and representing the investors by P.Meredith, the Ivanhoe's Deputy Chairman; Bret Clayton, the Rio Tinto's CEO for the copper and diamonds group; K.Marshal, director-general of the "Ivanhoe Mines Mongolia Inc" LLC. The same day, a shareholders agreement was signed by B.Enebish, an executive director of the "Erdenes MGL" LLC and J.Foniani, a legal affairs manager of "Ivanhoe Mines Mongolia Inc" LLC. The Minister of Finance S.Bayartsogt signed a contract on prepayment. In accordance with the investment agreement, Mongolia's government will own 34 per cent of Ivanhoe Mines Mongolia, which is the license holder of the Oyu Tolgoi project. The deal is seen as a vital step for Mongolia to begin reaping the economic benefits of its vast mineral wealth. Australia's Rio Tinto and Canada's Ivanhoe, the development partners for the project, will now move forward with the development phase of the mine, which will produce 450 000 t/y of copper and 330 000 oz/y of gold over a 35 year life-of-mine. Rio Tinto said in a statement that production would start in 2013 […] The project may last as long as 30 years and bring in USD 30 billion to USD 50 billion of revenue, President Ts.Elbegdorj said last month […]. ^ top ^

 

Manuel Mühlebach
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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