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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
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DPRK and South
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Mongolia
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Asean+8 meeting key for US role, as tensions over seas dominate (SCMP)
2010-10-11
A bruising three months for China's relations with its neighbours will culminate in an unprecedented security meeting in Hanoi starting today that could determine a continuing role for the United States in East Asia's regional military diplomacy. However, open tensions over the South China and Yellow seas and the disputed Diaoyu Islands look set to dominate the inaugural "Asean Plus Eight" meeting of defence ministers. And Chinese analysts are warning that Beijing will resist any attempt to formally raise specific territorial disputes with its neighbours or use the US to keep a check on China in the region. […] Instead, Chinese officials would seek to make friends and increase what is called "transnational co-operation" rather than making the forum a platform for "collective decisions" on security issues, Zhang said.The gathering - driven and hosted by Vietnam, the Southeast Asian nation most alarmed by China's growing assertiveness - will link the 10 defence chiefs of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations with counterparts from China, the US, Japan, South Korea, Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand. Just a few years ago, any such gathering would have been expected to be an exclusively East Asian affair, given China's growing diplomatic clout. But recent months have highlighted a rising chorus of East Asian concern at China's military rise and a Washington determined to re-engage with a region that felt neglected. Friction broke into the open at an informal security meeting in Singapore in June and by late July US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was leading a diplomatic charge against Foreign Minister Yang Jeichi over South China Sea territorial disputes during an Asean meeting in Hanoi. As a string of East Asian nations voiced concern, Clinton declared it a US "diplomatic priority" to help find a multilateral solution to the disputed waterway - a direct challenge to a Beijing that has insisted on dealing with rival claimants one-to-one. Since then, US President Barack Obama has met Asean leaders in New York and Sino-Japanese tensions have soared over Tokyo's detention and eventual release of a Chinese fishing trawler captain.[…]Officially, at least, diplomacy tops the agenda, with the ministers' formal items for discussion including the search for confidence-building measures and joint efforts such as disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. A range of diplomats say China has already been pushing to limit the role of the body, stressing it should keep to so-called transnational issues, such as terrorism and piracy. A key organiser, Vietnam's Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh, has said he wanted to create a "cosy" atmosphere and did not want the fledgling effort to degenerate into a "war of words". But current tensions are expected to dominate during less scripted discussions and in a host of bilateral side meetings.[…] Defence Minister Liang Guanglie is today due to meet his US and Japanese counterparts, Dr Robert Gates and Toshimi Kitazawa, in separate meetings. The full 18 members meet tomorrow. The Liang-Gates session is the most significant Sino-US meeting since Beijing froze fledgling military exchanges earlier this year following fresh US arms sales to Taiwan. Officials on both sides say they expect the session to help continue the recent thaw.[…] Some observers note an opportunity for China to try to ease some of the recent suspicion and hostility by a return to a more emollient approach. But many note the way China's once-vaunted "smile diplomacy" has left ashes in the mouths of a wary region. […]. ^ top ^
Chinese Middle East envoy discusses regional peace with Jordanian FM (Global Times)
2010-10-13
Chinese Middle East envoy Wu Sike on Tuesday discussed regional peace with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in Amman, stressing the importance of collective efforts of all concerned parties.Wu said China is concerned about the direct Palestinian-Israeli talks which are suspended now, adding China hopes that all parties could proceed from long-term interests and work together to help direct talks to resume and to achieve positive results as soon as possible.He also urged Israel to respond actively to the settlement issue to create the atmosphere for the resumption of direct talks. Judeh highlighted Beijing's role in the Middle East peace process and expressed Jordan's willingness to strengthen cooperation between the two countries to save the peace process.Jordan is the first stop of Wu's Middle East trip, which also includes the Palestinian territories, Israel, Turkey and Egypt. ^ top ^
NASA boss to land in China (Global Times)
2010-10-15
The head of NASA will arrive in China Saturday for unprecedented visits to the country's space program facilities, as part of a five-day trip aimed at tapping potential for bilateral cooperation.According to the US-based Spaceflight Now, seven high-profile officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will accompany Charles Bolden on the trip. But a detailed agenda has not yet been announced.Shunning opposition from some US lawmakers, Bolden is making the trip in response to an agreement reached in November between Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama, who issued a joint communiqué calling for talks on human spaceflight cooperation.Lawmakers including Frank Wolf and John Culberson, both Republicans, warned that space-exploration cooperation with China has not been approved by Congress and that bills authorizing NASA research have placed strict limitations on such cooperation. In response, Bolden said in a letter that his visit is "intended to be introductory in nature and will not include consideration of any specific proposals for human space-flight cooperation or new cooperation in any other areas of NASA's activities." […]"Although it has been impossible for the two sides to work out any substantive agree-ments, the visit could pave the way for possible future cooperation," Hu Yumin, a senior researcher at the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, told the Global Times Thursday.[…]The visit comes after Obama signed into law Monday the 2010 NASA Authorization Act, which adds one extra space shuttle flight before the fleet is retired next year, and extends the life of the International Space Station (ISS) through at least 2020.
It also comes two weeks after China's successful launch of a second lunar probe, the Chang'e-2, part of Beijing's efforts to send men to the moon around 2020.[…]The US will be dependent on Russia for carrying astronauts, and it is said that Moscow will hike the cost for carrying each astronaut from $25 million to $60 million, leading to the US possibly seeking to replace Russia with China as a partner in space.In the 1990s, China and the US collaborated on some space projects, with Changzheng carrier rockets deployed several times to launch US satellites.In 1999, however, the US Congress issued the Cox Report, which accused China of stealing US secrets to enable it to accelerate the design, development and testing of nuclear weapons.The US then issued the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), set to limit space cooperation between the two countries.[…]China and the US "could enjoy closer cooperation in technology with a wider civil-ian use, such as environmental protection and climate monitoring," he added. ^ top ^
Chinese Vice Premier calls for efforts to safeguard China-US relations (Global Times)
2010-10-15
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan on Thursday called for efforts from both sides to safeguard the relations between China and the United States."The two nations should further enhance understanding and mutual trust to avoid politicizing economic and trade issues," Wang said when meeting Madeleine Albright, former US secretary of state.During their meeting at Zhongnanhai in downtown Beijing, Wang said Sino-US relations were "moving forward through difficulties."Economic and trade cooperation between the two sides were expanding and the interaction between Chinese and US enterprises and markets intensifying, Wang said."China will not change its policy of opening-up and the investment environment will also be improved," he said, asking foreign entrepreneurs to be confident and patient.Albright said a sound US-China relationship was critical to the world economy. ^ top ^
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Open letter calls for end to media censorship (SCMP)
2010-10-13
A group of former high-ranking political and cultural officials published a rare, strongly worded open letter to the top legislature calling mainland media censorship unconstitutional and saying it should be abolished. They also demanded that media products and books from Hong Kong and Macau - popular among mainland readers - be made openly available on mainland newsstands and in bookstores. The letter, published online, calls the lack of free speech, which is enshrined in the 1982 constitution, a "scandal of the world history of democracy". It even cites Hong Kong in the colonial era as an example of somewhere that enjoyed freedom of speech and publication. In particular, the group of 23 well-known individuals condemned the Communist Party's central propaganda department as the "black hand" with a clandestine power to censor even Premier Wen Jiabao's repeated calls for political reform and to deprive the people their right to learn about it. For the last few weeks, well-connected professionals in Beijing have been talking about the party propaganda authorities' almost open insult to the premier by deleting his points on political reform the day after he made his speech in Shenzhen. Open letters of this kind rarely lead to any reform, but can land the authors in trouble with the authorities. However, in this case, the high profile of the signatories means they are unlikely to be punished.The open letter coincided with the imprisoned dissident Liu Xiaobo's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. But several initiators of it said the two events were unrelated; rather, the open letter had been initiated earlier than the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize and was directly triggered by the injustice to Xie Chaoping, an investigative reporter. […] The open letter begins by citing article 35 of the Chinese Constitution (the 1982 edition) that all citizens have freedoms of speech, of publication, of assembly, of association and of demonstration. But it points out that for 28 years these constitutional rights have existed only in words but never really in practice. Citing words by President Hu Jintao and Wen in support of freedom of speech, the open letter says the reality in today's China is worse than that of the former British colony of Hong Kong, where mainlanders can find many books on Chinese politics they can't find at home. Sponsors of the open letter seemed most outraged by the fact that even Wen had been censored. They cited examples of his speech in Shenzhen on August 21, a talk with journalists in the US on September 22 and his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 23.Wen talked about political reform on all those occasions, but it was not mentioned in reports by Xinhua. "What right does the Central Propaganda Department have," the open letter asked, "to place itself even above the Communist Party Central Committee, and above the State Council?" Wen, as premier, heads the State Council - the executive branch of the state elected by the National People's Congress. The letter calls on the NPC to enact a new law of news and publication to replace "the countless rules and regulations" that hamper freedoms of speech and publication. Most importantly, it says the media should gain its "relative independence" from direct control by the party or state apparatus. It notes that the mainland's censorship system lags behind Britain by 315 years and France by 129 years. ^ top ^
Mainland media's political reform push gathers steam (SCMP)
2010-10-14
The mainland media's call for political reform is gathering steam, with several national and provincial newspapers joining the campaign.The latest calls for change come ahead of tomorrow's Communist Party plenary session and follow high-profile statements by Premier Wen Jiabao. The Communist Youth League-affiliated China Youth Daily; The Beijing News; Shanghai's Oriental Morning Post; the Changjiang Daily in Wuhan , Hubei ; the Xinhua-affiliated Modern Express in Nanjing , Jiangsu ; the Xiaoxiang Morning Post in Changsha, Hunan ; and the Southern Rural News in Guangzhou have all published articles focusing either on Wen's appearance on the cover of Time magazine's Asia edition or his calls for political reform over the past two weeks. […] Mainland media seem to be seizing the momentum to call for political reform in the run-up to the fifth plenary session of the current Central Committee. During the meeting, to be presided over by party general secretary Hu Jintao, the leadership will study suggestions on the strategically significant 12th Five-Year Programme for national economic and social development. The meeting will focus on major issues hindering sound development. Wen called for political reform seven times in the 43 days between August 22 and October 3, ending with a pledge on CNN to advance democratic reform. "I will not yield until the last day of my life in spite of strong winds and harsh rain," Wen said. Yu Keping , deputy bureau chief of the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau, was cited by Xinhua on Tuesday as saying he expected the party plenary would unveil the third 30-year reform, which would likely focus on social and political reforms. The article also appeared in the Oriental Morning Post yesterday and dozens of websites including China News Service, the second biggest state-owned news agency, and the China Daily, one of two national English-language newspapers. Yu said the party and the government would deliver reform based on democracy and the rule of law. It would be part of efforts to carry out democratic elections, policymaking and management, and to ensure that the people would be informed and be allowed to express themselves and participate in government. All efforts were meant to build "good governance".[…] Hundreds of people across the country have signed the letter in recent days. The document echoed Wen's comment to CNN: "I believe freedom of speech is indispensable for any country, a country in the course of development and a country that has become strong. Freedom of speech has been incorporated into the Chinese constitution." Zhan Jiang , a journalism professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said Yu's remarks in Modern Express and Xinhua should be a reliable indication that political reform would be discussed during the plenary session. "The situation has become more upbeat compared with the first half of the year, when many believed the political environment had gone backwards," Zhan said. "While we anticipate that political reform will be a main discussion subject, we need to be wary that it might be another illusion, like a cycle of history.". ^ top ^
Party meeting opens amid calls for change (SCMP)
2010-10-15
The Communist Party opens its annual meeting today against an intriguing political backdrop as calls for democratic reform have been mounting and speculation heats up on the future party leadership line-up. The official agenda for the four-day party plenum - the most important annual gathering for party leaders - will be agreeing a strategic development blueprint for 2011-15. However, much of the political intrigue will focus on whether Vice-President Xi Jinping , the long-anticipated successor to Hu Jintao as president and party chief, will be inducted into the top military policy-setting body, the Central Military Commission, as expected Hu currently heads the body. Xi didn't get the nod at last year's plenum, which raised a few eyebrows and intensified speculation about party factions fighting.
[…] The plenum begins amid increasing calls for political reform, which have made waves on the internet and in national and provincial newspapers in recent days after Premier Wen Jiabao's high-profile statements over the past two months. Reform discussion then escalated when jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last Friday.Twenty-three former high-ranking officials and media leaders spiced up the atmosphere this week by publishing online an open letter to the top legislature demanding freedom of the press and the abolition of media censorship as a first step towards political reform. The letter has so far collected the signatures of 476 well-connected citizens from all walks of life. […]Analysts expect the issue of political reform to be brought up at the plenum in one way or another, although this plenum is supposed to be about economic planning. Many saw the situation as a crossroads: reform or die. Some criticised Wen as a talker, not a doer, while others remained hopeful of a significant manoeuvre by Wen, widely considered more liberal than Hu.
Qian Hong , a signatory and a researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences' Economics Institute, said political reform wouldn't happen unless all factions stop debating class analysis.”The party plenum would probably "unify thoughts" to pave the way for more significant reform in the 18th Party Congress in 2012, he said. […]"Any leaders like Wen who publicly supported political reform are not truly reformers," Zhu said. "He is simply a man of words flagging up universal values to play up to liberal intellectuals and gain international support for China in the currency war." What Wen said didn't represent his own opinions, he added. ^ top ^
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| Nobel Prize |
Tearful Liu dedicates prize to martyrs (SCMP)
2010-10-10
Jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo said he would dedicate the prestigious award to those who sacrificed their lives to the country's democratic cause in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989.
"The award is first and foremost for the Tiananmen martyrs," a tearful Liu Xiaobo told his wife Liu Xia , who saw him yesterday morning in a brief visit to a prison in Jinzhou, Liaoning province. Liu Xia is currently being detained at her Beijing apartment, according to a close friend and a US-based legal NGO which it says represents Liu Xiaobo. […]Liu Xia also said her husband felt "heavy at heart" and broke down in tears on hearing the news, according to Wang, who is also a rights activist. Freedom Now, a Washington-based non-profit human rights organisation whose legal and rights specialists include renowned China law expert Jerome A. Cohen and Tiananmen dissident Yang Jianli, said in a statement last night that Liu Xia had not been charged with a crime but was no longer allowed to leave her apartment, while friends and media were not allowed to enter her home.[…] Yang went on to call for international media and the Chinese dissident community to surround Liu Xia's apartment compound and demand interviews and access. […]The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Liu for his "long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China". Liu Xia was asked to leave Beijing under police escort on Friday night after the Nobel announcement and calls to her mobile phone have not been answered since then. Shang Baojun , Liu Xiaobo's lawyer, said he had failed to reach Liu Xia all day while trying to confirm that the meeting had occurred. "Yes, we are worried about her because we do not know where she is," Shang said. "So I do not know whether they met or not." In an interview last week, Liu Xia said she had little expectation that her husband would win the prize but said that if he did, she hoped it might prompt the authorities to release him earlier. "As my friends have said, how can they keep a Nobel Peace Prize in Jinzhou Prison?" she said. The Chinese government called the prize for Liu an "obscenity" that went against the aims of the prize and warned that it would hurt relations between China and Norway. The state media blackout on the awarding of the peace prize to the jailed dissident was broken on Sunday, if in a bizarre way, as the Xinhua news agency translated a Russian editorial which criticised the Nobel Prize as increasingly being used as a political tool. It was the first time mainland state media reported that the prize had been granted to Liu Xiaobo. Liu was first jailed in 1989 for joining a hunger strike in support of the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrations for democracy. In December 2008 he was again detained by police for co-authoring the Charter 08 - an open call for democracy in China. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison last December for "inciting subversion of state power".The Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy estimated that, to prevent other prisoners in Jinzhou Prison from learning more about Liu Xiaobo, the jailed dissident might soon be transferred to the secretive Qincheng Prison in Beijing. ^ top ^
China blasts Nobel Peace Prize decision (Xinhua)
2010-10-11
Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to China's Liu Xiaobo desecrated the prize and could harm China-Norway ties, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said Friday. Ma's remarks were issued in a press release after he was asked to comment on the award, which was announced earlier in Oslo, Norway.[…]The Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded to people who contribute to national harmony, country-to-country friendship, to advancing disarmament, and for convening and propagandizing peace conferences, Ma said. He claimed this was the wish of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prizes. Ma said Liu was a criminal sentenced by the Chinese judicial authorities for violating Chinese law[…]The Nobel committee's decision to award the peace prize to such a person ran contrary to and desecrated the prize, he said. China and Norway have enjoyed a sound development of bilateral ties in recent years. Ma said this was conducive to the fundamental interests of the two nations. Liu is the second Chinese national to win the peace award, following the Dalai Lama. Chinese nominated for the prize have included Wei Jingsheng, Hu Jia and Rebiya Kadeer. They share a common characteristics of being opposed to the current Chinese political system. Liu and Hu are currently in prison, and the Dalai Lama and Rebiya Kadeer are in exile. They all attempted to sabotage the long-term guiding principles set out by the Party, and they have not been well received in China. Rather, some say they have distanced themselves from the public view and are deemed outsiders who hinder economic growth.[…] Shi Yinhong, a professor with the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times Friday, "The Nobel committee claims to be independent, but its decision to award the peace prize to Liu strategically caters to anti-China forces.""The decision is aimed at humiliating China.Such a decision will not only draw the ire of the Chinese public, but also damage the reputation of the prize," he said. ^ top ^
Norwegian officials barred from meeting Liu's wife (SCMP)
2010-10-13
The wife of jailed Chinese Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo said on Wednesday she was prevented from meeting with Norwegian diplomats as authorities kept her under tight house arrest.Liu Xia has been largely confined to her home since Friday when the Nobel Committee in Oslo awarded this year's prize to her dissident husband for advocating political reform and respect for human rights in China.“Yesterday, Norwegian diplomats came to offer support for me and were barred outside the main gates,” she said on her Twitter account. Liu Xia said Tuesday she hoped to travel to Norway to accept the award for her husband, who was sentenced last December to 11 years in jail on subversion charges after co-authoring “Charter 08”, which calls for bold political reform.The Norwegian embassy confirmed that two diplomats had gone to visit her, but did not gain access to her apartment.[…]Liu Xia has been communicating with the outside world via Twitter after her mobile phone was cut off earlier in the week.[…] Liu Xia has sent a handful of messages via her Twitter account Liuxia64 with brief updates on her situation since Friday. She has been under house arrest since the award was announced, except for a weekend trip under police escort to the prison in northeastern China where her husband is jailed. The controls on her are apparently aimed at preventing her from talking to reporters as part of a huge campaign by the government – which is furious over the award – to stifle news of the prize in China's media and on the internet. On Tuesday, Shang said Liu Xia wanted to ask a higher court for a retrial of her husband. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman refused to comment on her case when asked about it at a regular news briefing on Tuesday. The United States, one of many countries that has called for Liu Xiaobo's immediate release, on Tuesday expressed concern about Liu Xia. “Her rights should be respected, and she should be allowed to move freely without harassment,” a spokesman for the US embassy in Beijing said. ^ top ^
China cancels meetings with official over Nobel row (Global Times)
2010-10-13
Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to the Global Times Tuesday that China has canceled two meetings with Norwegian Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, as analysts say this is sign of Beijing's protest against the Nobel Peace Committee's decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese prisoner.[…]China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu is disrespectful to the country's judicial system, also noting that it would not influence the direction of China's political system."We already made our position clear. Since the reform and opening up, China has made remarkable progress," said Ma Zhaoxu, spokesman for China's foreign ministry. "By giving a convicted person the Nobel Peace Prize, they show no respect for China's judicial system.""We regret the decision of the cancellation the meetings," Ragnhild Imerslund, a spokeswoman of the Norwegian foreign ministry, told the Global Times. "Cooperation in the sector of fisheries is important for both countries."Berg-Hansen, who arrived in Shanghai on Monday to visit the World Expo, was scheduled to meet with the Chinese vice minister of fisheries Tuesday and then with officials of China's Ad-ministration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine today in Beijing. "China's cancellation of the meetings is to express its protest and discontent to Norway since the peace committee's decision hurt relations between China and Norway," said Yang Mian, a professor of international communications at the Communication University of China.China had warned that awarding the prize to Liu would damage ties between Beijing and Oslo, as it violates the principles of the prize and discredits it."If it is the case that the cancellations of the meetings is a reaction to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee's decision, this is unnecessary, as the committee is independent," Imerslund said. Although Norway has insisted that the Peace Prize Committee operates independently of the government, five members of the committee have been appointed by the Norwegian Parliament for six-year terms. Norway's government also congratulated Liu on Friday for winning this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
Imerslund said China's decision to cancel meetings with the Norwegian official shouldn't affect relations between the two countries. Norway has a lot at stake if the bilateral ties sour. It is targeting increasing sales of salmon to China by 62 percent to 30,000 tons in 2012, Bloomberg reported. ^ top ^
Big mistake to award Nobel Peace Prize to noncontributor to peace: interview (Global Times)
2010-10-14
It was a big mistake to grant this year's Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo, as the Chinese receiver made no contribution to peace or conflict reduction, a Norwegian professor said Tuesday."Liu Xiaobo has, as far as I know, never contributed in any conflict-reducing activity or taken part in peace-related activities," Professor Arnulf Kolstad of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology told Xinhua."I therefore cannot see that the peace-prize winner fulfills the most important criteria in Nobel's testament. Therefore, it is a mistake," added the professor of social psychology and a China expert himself.His idea reflected criticism of the Nobel Committee's decision, as Liu is a convicted criminal for agitation aimed at subverting the government, who was sentenced to 11 years in jail in late 2009.The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday blasted the awarding as showing "no respect for China's judicial system," saying that Beijing questions the "true intention" behind the selection.The Nobel Committee "wants to promote Western values all over the world even if the way it is done is not very relevant and even contradictory to the purpose," Kolstad said.
The professor explicitly rejected the Norwegian body's argument that Liu's struggle for human rights, especially freedom of speech, and a Western parliamentary democratic system in China is a prerequisite to world peace. Many countries that have long followed the Western political system, such as the United States, Britain and Norway, have been among the most aggressive military powers in the last 50 years, occupying and starting wars in other countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan, Kolstad noted. Ironically, Kolstad said, many in the West still believe that their system is the best in the world and has to be exported to all other countries, "in some countries by force and wars, and in other countries by supporting those who are believed to represent these values and ideas." […]China has made remarkable progress in human rights, such as plugging starvation, curbing crimes and promoting food safety, which are "important not only for a developing and still poor country like China, but for developed countries as well," Kolstad said. "In this way, the Western world can learn human rights from China." Meanwhile, China carries a "relational" culture where people seek relationships and harmony and are less inclined to stay out as independent and autonomous human beings than those in Western societies, Kolstad said.It is also simply unfair to label China as an undemocratic country, he stressed, explaining that China adopts "another kind of relationship between those in power and the people." […].Lurking underneath the West's uneasiness and faultfinding with China, Kolstad pointed out, is that many in the West do not like to see a big and in many ways successful country like China having another political system, based on other cultural values than what are accepted in the West. "I look at China as a peaceful, not aggressive, country compared with most developed countries in the world. China does not take part in wars; it tries to solve international problems with dialogue," he said. "I therefore think it is unfair to give a Peace Prize to the opposition and dissidents in China instead of giving it to the president, as in the US.". ^ top ^
The endless ideological wars against (People's Daily Online)
2010-10-14
The sum of $1.4 million is a fairly good price for the West to start an ideological war against China when it awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo. This was bound to happen.If Liu were not selected, some other Chinese on the shortlist, including Rebia Kadeer, Hu Jia and Wei Jingshen, would have been the recipient.The West will continue to target China in its ideological war. It seems the Western way has to be the only way and people around the globe should adopt the Western attitudes. In the minds of some Westerners, even if China grows and develops to an advanced level, it still needs to surrender to Western ideologically.
The democracy that the West is trying to export to other countries advocates freedom of choice. Why is it then that the West avidly heralds individual freedoms, but it prohibits political diversity among different countries?It seems the West does not care about the individuality of other societies when it is trying to expand its political systems to other areas of the world. It only seems to want total compliance and unconditional support from other nations with different viewpoints. In some situations, based on pure interest, the West would support authoritarian governments. China has adopted much Western wisdom since its opening-up. But it refuses to be westernized. The rejuvenation of the Chinese civilization is its dream. The more China learns from the West, the more confident it becomes in its own culture. A rising China with different fundamental principles disturbs the West, which is beleaguered in deep economic woes. Discrediting China is a way to maintain the moral superiority of the developed world, and consequently keep the privilege of the West, which helps maximize the interests of the developed countries. The Nobel Peace Prize is not a lone voice. Actually, it is part of a concerto supplemented by various NGOs, economic identities and international organizations orchestrated by the developed countries. They hope to harass China's growth, and press China to surrender more economic interests. They even hope that China will one day collapse under the West's ideological crusade. From Google threatening to withdraw from China earlier this year, to the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to a Chinese criminal, the ideological war against China is far from over. ^ top ^
Beijing tightens grip as more detained (SCMP)
2010-10-14
Beijing has tightened its choke hold on dissidents nationwide. Democracy activists - including the wife of jailed Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo , his close allies, and campaigners - have been placed under house arrest and interrogated by police. Liu's wife, Liu Xia , criticised authorities yesterday for disconnecting her new mobile phone number for the second time in less than 24 hours. Now with a Twitter account as her only link to the outside world, she called her situation "very hard to take". Police shut off her previous mobile number last week.
Worrying the police would take her out of Beijing, Liu Xia said she decided to stay at home all day yesterday. Previously, the only reason she was allowed to go out was to buy groceries under police escort. […] A spokesman for Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the central government yesterday to free Liu Xia from house arrest and end the restrictions on her freedom.Sichuan blogger and rights activist Ran Yunfei said he and many dissidents had been detained, harassed or questioned by the police after Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. He said several forums and chat rooms that advocated democracy and human rights had been shut down and their webmasters placed under house arrest. […]Several dissidents including Wang Lihong , Zhao Changqing and a blogger called "Butcher" online were detained by police after gathering together to celebrate Liu's award at a Beijing restaurant.An internet user complained she was also harassed by the police after she had presented flowers to Norwegian staff in the country's pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai. She said police visited the hotel where she was staying and questioned her. Dissidents and human rights advocates in different provinces also said on Twitter that they had been placed under close scrutiny by local authorities and some were questioned by the police.Mo Shaoping , a lawyer and friend of Liu Xiaobo, expected authorities would decide their next step after understanding the situation by interrogating dissidents and activists nationwide. Mo said the keyholes of his apartment were believed to have been blocked by Beijing police twice on Monday and Tuesday night, forcing his family to move away for fear of continued harassment.The central government expressed its anger by forcing a touring Norwegian musical play off the stage in Beijing and in Wuhan , Hubei province. Composer Thomas Stanghelle confirmed authorities had also cancelled performances of a musical scheduled for next month by Eurovision Song Contest winner, Norwegian Alexander Rybak. ^ top ^
Western governments have 'no right to interfere' in China's affairs: FM spokesman (Global Times)
2010-10-15
China in Beijing Thursday questioned the intentions of foreign governments who supported the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize going to Liu Xiaobo, saying those governments had no right to interfere in China's internal affairs."What is the true intention of those foreign political figures and governments who support the granting of the Nobel Peace Prize to Mr. Liu Xiaobo? Is it because they resent China's development path and hate China's political system?" Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu questioned.Ma said at a regular news briefing that whether China had chosen the best way to more forward, both politically and socially, was best judged by the development reality in China, and the 1.3 billion Chinese people had the biggest say."China's affairs should be left to Chinese people themselves," Ma said, adding that the few biased individuals with the Norwegian Nobel Committee had no right to judge China, and western governments had no right to interfere in China's internal affairs."We never interfere in other's internal affairs, and will not allow others to interfere in ours, " said Ma.The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo on Oct. 8th in Oslo, Norway. Liu was sentenced to 11 years in jail on Dec. 25, 2009 after a local court in Beijing convicted him of agitation aimed at subverting the government. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
Ma in vow over human rights (SCMP)
2010-10-11
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has vowed to safeguard human rights and the island's security in the face of a missile threat from the mainland. In his address yesterday on the Double Tenth holiday - which Taiwan celebrates as its national day - Ma declared he would set up a human rights committee under his office to oversee such issues. […] The committee would comprise public officials and private citizens, who would develop human rights policies and release reports regularly to improve human rights in Taiwan. Ma's comments came a day after he urged Beijing to free jailed human rights activist Liu Xiaobo , the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, as soon as possible. Ma congratulated Liu on Friday, soon after the prize was announced. But he did not immediately call for his release. Opposition and pro-independence groups in Taiwan later criticised Ma for failing to call for Liu's release. They said it proved Ma had abandoned his commitments to safeguard democratic values in order to please Beijing, which had slammed the peace-prize decision. That criticism led Ma - long challenged by the pro-independence camp over his friendly attitude towards the mainland - to appeal on Saturday for Liu's release. Addressing pro-independence fears that he might weaken defensive capabilities, despite persistent mainland military threats, Ma yesterday called on Beijing to remove more than 1,000 missiles aimed at the island. "Mainland authorities have mentioned the possibility of the removal of missiles," Ma said. "We feel this has a positive significance for cross-strait relations and hope it becomes a reality as soon as possible." […] Bitter enemies after splitting at the end of a civil war in 1949, the two sides have improved relations steadily since Ma became president in 2008 with a policy of engaging Beijing. Yet Ma said yesterday Taiwan's security could not rest solely on improvements in cross-strait relations. "Thus, it is our necessary and unchanging policy to develop our independent military capabilities while continuing to import weapons of a defensive nature that we cannot manufacture ourselves," he said. Dr Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, said Ma raised his voice on human rights and defence because "his Kuomintang party is under pressure ahead of the mayoral elections in the five local municipalities" on November 27. ^ top ^
Taiwan wary of military talks offer (SCMP)
2010-10-14
Beijing offered yesterday to open talks on military issues with Taipei, but it drew a cool reaction from the island. "We advocate conducting contacts and exchanges on military issues, including the cross-strait military deployment issue, in a proper way at a proper time," Yang Yi , a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office, said in Beijing. The possibility of setting up a system to stabilise the cross-strait situation and ease military security worries would be discussed, he added. Taiwanese Premier Wu Den-yih, however, told parliament that the time was not yet right to discuss disarmament because the two sides needed more trust. With elections on the island due this year and in 2012, Taiwanese officials can be reluctant to rush into talks, and risk raising suspicion among voters nervous about the mainland. Military dialogue could raise a recent thaw in relations to a new level following a series of landmark economic deals signed since 2008. Taiwan's stock and currency markets would welcome any reduction of military tension as a sign of long-term stability for growth in trade ties. Military suspicions remain deep on both sides. Taiwan, beginning to lag in the balance of power, has upset Beijing by asking the United States for sales of advanced weapons systems. A government official in Taiwan said yesterday that trade issues would still top Taiwan's agenda in any talks. But analysts say Beijing is getting anxious to discuss political matters, having put them to the side for now to concentrate on less contentious problems. ^ top ^
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War of words erupts over yuan (Global Times)
2010-10-14
A Chinese economist fired back Wednesday at the German Economy Minister, who earlier this week issued a veiled warning to China about igniting a trade war because of its currency policies."The danger of a trade war has appeared on the horizon," German Minister Rainer Bruederle said Tuesday during his two-day trip to China. Bruederle's comments come on the heels of pressure from both the EU and the US on China to appreciate the yuan at last week's G7 meetings.[…] The yuan hit a new high against the US dollar Wednesday at 6.6693 per dollar, according to data released by the China Foreign Exchange Trading System. The currency has risen by about 2.32 percent from the rate that was set before the central bank made the yuan more flexible in June. US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner admitted yesterday China has in recent weeks let the yuan rise at a "pretty significant rate."But critics say the currency could be undervalued by as much as 40 percent. Last week, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said during his visit to Europe that the 20-40 percent appreciation demanded by critics would topple Chinese firms and lead to social upheaval by triggering widespread unemployment. "The Chinese government should not focus on the exchange rate issue," said China Europe International Business School's Liu."Beijing needs to reform its domestic structural problems, such as income inequality, environmental degradation and reduction of foreign exchange reserves."China has the world's largest foreign exchange reserves, which surged to a record $2.454 trillion at the end of June, according to the central bank.The nation's trade surplus narrowed in September to $16.9 billion, the second straight month of substantial declines. ^ top ^
China's trade surplus shrinks in September as exports slow: official data (Global Times)
2010-10-14
China's trade surplus shrank in September as exports and imports slowed sharply, official data showed Wednesday, but the decline was unlikely to ease pressure on Beijing for a stronger currency. The country's trade surplus fell to $16.88 billion in September compared with $20.03 billion in August, and was the lowest surplus in five straight months.The figures come as China set the yuan's central parity rate - the middle of the currency's allowed trading band - at 6.6693 to the dollar, it's strongest since a June pledge for limited currency reform.But the data is unlikely to calm angry US and European lawmakers who are demanding that China let its currency appreciate faster against the dollar."I think the pressure is still going to be there," Brian Jackson, a Hong Kong-based senior strategist at the Royal Bank of Canada, told AFP.China's exports rose by 25.1 percent in September year-on-year to $144.99 billion, compared with an increase of 34.4 percent in August, according to the data.Imports rose 24.1 percent year-on-year in September to a record-high $128.11 billion, but slower than the 35.2 percent growth recorded in August, the report said. ^ top ^
4 trillion yuan to boost key industries (SCMP)
2010-10-15
Beijing will spend more than 4 trillion yuan (HK$4.6 trillion) on several key industries and inland regions as part of the new five-year economic plan, according to two officials involved in its drafting. The central government will also lower the economic growth rate and focus more on structural adjustments in its blueprint for 2011 to 2015. While it appears to duplicate the 4 trillion yuan stimulus package adopted two years ago to cushion the economy from the impact of the global financial crisis, the new programme also aims at achieving what President Hu Jintao recently coined as "inclusive growth" - which essentially refers to a more balanced approach to growth, according to economic planners. Communist Party leaders will meet today for their annual four-day session at the Jingxi Hotel in western Beijing, where debate and formal approval of a draft of the nation's 12th Five-Year Programme is expected to top the agenda.The current five-year plan ends this year and a draft of the next one, which outlines the principles rather than gives specifics, will be considered by more than 350 Central Committee members and alternate members who attend the gathering. The final document will be worked out by the government in the coming months before Premier Wen Jiabao tables it for official endorsement at March's annual session of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature. Both officials said the government would spend more than 4 trillion yuan in the five-year period to provide financial support, including tax cuts and exemptions, to nine key industries - new energy, new materials, information technology, biology and new medicine, energy conservation and environmental protection, aerospace, marine, advanced manufacturing, and hi-tech services industries.[…]The next five-year plan would focus on two categories, industries and regions, which marked a significant shift from the past development strategy of concentrating on growth, Liu said. These areas would be the two main targets of Beijing's investment policy. […] Government economists said Beijing would increase funding for subsidised housing, medical care reform, education and other social welfare.International institutions also said changing the growth model was expected to be the main theme of the coming five-year plan. The International Monetary Fund said the Chinese economy was gearing up to change its growth model from an export-driven economy to one driven by domestic consumption.[…]Goldman Sachs expects the five-year plan to be an extension of major themes in the current plan, with some new focus areas. It identified five top themes: income redistribution and social welfare; improving consumption; industry efficiency and resource conservation; research and development and hi-tech upgrades; and urbanisation and inland migration. […]. ^ top ^
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Top DPRK leader, senior Chinese party official watch 'Arirang' show (Global Times)
2010-10-11
Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and a senior Chinese Communist Party official attended the mass gymnastic and artistic performance, "Arirang", in Pyongyang Saturday night.In a meeting with Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, before the performance, Kim thanked Zhou for congratulatory messages sent by Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, over the delegate conference of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and the 65th anniversary of the WPK.Zhou arrived here Saturday morning for a three-day official goodwill visit to further cement the countries' traditional friendly ties. ^ top ^
Senior Chinese official observes DPRK grand parade (Gobal Times)
2010-10-11
A senior Chinese official on Sunday morning observed the grand military parade of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) held to celebrate the 65th birthday of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, arrived here Saturday morning for a three-day official visit.Zhou was invited to watch the grand parade on the rostrum of Pyongyang's central Kim Il Sung Square together with top leader Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the WPK and chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK.Before the parade, Kim and some other DPRK party and state leaders shook hands with Zhou and had a friendly exchange with him. At the end of the parade, Kim and Zhou waved to the crowds.
Zhou Yongkang, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), on Sunday visited the Mangyongdae residence of Kim Il Sung, founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). ^ top ^
Senior CPC official visits Kim Il Sung's former residence (Global Times)
2010-10-11
Zhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, learned the revolutionary career of the late DPRK leader at his former residence on the outskirts of Pyongyang. He described the tour as a profound learning experience of the DPRK revolutionary tradition.He noted that the DPRK was founded after the tough struggle of the DPRK people led by Kim Il Sung, who forged the traditional China-DPRK friendship together with Mao Zedong and other late Chinese leaders.A great friend of the Chinese people and a great leader of the DPRK people, Kim Il Sung lives forever in the hearts of people of the two countries, Zhou said.Zhou wished more success for the DPRK people under the leadership of the Worker's Party of Korea (WPK) with Kim Jong Il as its leader, and hoped the China-DPRK friendship be further developed in the new era.[…]Zhou also went to Mangyongdae Children's Palace, where he was greeted by the DPRK children. He visited classrooms of dance, swimming, accordion, calligraphy and embroidery.In a calligraphy classroom, he watched a DPRK boy writing "the DPRK-China Friendship" in Chinese characters with a brush pen on a scroll, which was presented to him as a gift. Zhou also watched art performances of the DPRK children.Children is the future of a country and the hope of a nation, he said, adding that he hopes the children of the two countries have more exchanges and deepen friendship, so as to carry on the China-DPRK friendship to future generations and jointly create a happier and brighter future.Zhou arrived in Pyongyang Saturday morning for a three-day official visit. ^ top ^
Senior CPC official attends evening gala marking 65th birthday of DPRK's ruling party (Global Times)
2010-10-11
Zhou Yongkang, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), on Sunday visited the Mangyongdae residence of Kim Il Sung, founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Zhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, learned the revolutionary career of the late DPRK leader at his former residence on the outskirts of Pyongyang. He described the tour as a profound learning experience of the DPRK revolutionary tradition.He noted that the DPRK was founded after the tough struggle of the DPRK people led by Kim Il Sung, who forged the traditional China-DPRK friendship together with Mao Zedong and other late Chinese leaders.
A great friend of the Chinese people and a great leader of the DPRK people, Kim Il Sung lives forever in the hearts of people of the two countries, Zhou said. Zhou wished more success for the DPRK people under the leadership of the Worker's Party of Korea (WPK) with Kim Jong Il as its leader, and hoped the China-DPRK friendship be further developed in the new era. […]Children is the future of a country and the hope of a nation, he said, adding that he hopes the children of the two countries have more exchanges and deepen friendship, so as to carry on the China-DPRK friendship to future generations and jointly create a happier and brighter future. Zhou arrived here Saturday morning for a three-day official visit. ^ top ^
Interview: Chinese ambassador lauds extraordinary year of China-DPRK ties (People's Daily Online)
2010-10-12
This year has seen new landmarks in relations between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), giving impetus to further development, Chinese Ambassador Liu Hongcai said Monday. Friendly exchanges between the two nations boast a long history, and bilateral friendship entered a new era around 60 years ago thanks to joint efforts by then leaders and warriors of both countries, Liu told Xinhua. In the new century, leaders of the two sides have built on the past achievements and mapped out a fresh prospect for the friendly and cooperative relations, he added. His remarks came in the wake of a series of high-level exchanges. In the past two weeks, Chinese President Hu Jintao sent two messages to Kim Jong Il, top leader of the DPRK, congratulating him respectively on a historic conference of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and his re-election as general secretary, and on the party's 65th birthday.Meanwhile, at the invitation of the WPK Central Committee, newly formed at the party conference, Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a delegation to Pyongyang for a three-day official visit that ended Monday. […] History and reality have repeatedly proved, he said, that however the international situation changes, friendship between the two neighbors will stand all tests and come out even stronger to the benefit of both countries and peoples.Noting that bilateral cooperation has become increasingly extensive and diverse, Liu said that trade between the two countries has been growing steadily in recent years. Trade volume reached 2.6 billion U.S. dollars last year, seven times higher than that at the beginning of the century.As Pyongyang attaches more importance to developing its economy and improving the livelihood of its people, it is reaching out for more foreign economic cooperation. Such a need provides business opportunities for many Chinese enterprises, he added.Since his arrival in Pyongyang over half a year ago, Liu said, he has held talks with DPRK leaders on different occasions and has frequently visited local schools, factories and mines, from which he felt a deep bond of his hosts with China and the bilateral friendship.Looking into the future, Liu said he is confident that new developments will be accomplished in China-DPRK relations.The confidence roots in the glorious history of the China-DPRK ties, in the profound friendship between the two peoples and in the expanding common interests of the two countries, he said. ^ top ^
China, DPRK laud traditional friendship, pledge further cooperation (Global Times)
2010-10-15
China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Thursday lauded traditional friendship and agreed to step up cooperation between the two countries and two armed forces to a higher level."China and the DPRK have respected and helped each other for years," said Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie, citing consolidated and deepened cooperation and precious friendship between the two countries.Liang made the remarks in his meeting with a visiting DPRK military delegation led by Vice Minister of DPRK People's Armed Forces Pyon In Son.Both China and the DPRK are facing tasks of promoting their own development, and safeguarding common interests and the regional peace and stability, Liang said.China would like to work with the DPRK to strengthen exchanges and enhance coordination for the further development of relations between the two countries and two militaries, Liang added.Pyon told Liang that the DPRK side wishes to further its friendly cooperation with China in various fields and lauded the friendship created by the old generations of leaders of both countries.Pyon said his delegation had witnessed achievements China has made in its socialist construction and military development during the trip.The delegation, invited by Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), will also pay a visit to southwest China's Yunnan Province. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
Mongolia, EU Joint Committee Meeting Begins (UB Post)
2010-10-12
The 13th Meeting of Mongolia-European Union Joint Committee is taking place at the Foreign Ministry. Deputy Minister of Mongolia M.Enkhbold heads Mongolian delegation to the meeting and Chairman of Mongolian Division of European Commission's Department of Foreign Relations F.Jessen heads the EU delegation. The agenda includes discussion of current state of bilateral relationships, further perspectives and feasible projects, as well as cooperation in particular fields. The sides will also talk about the introduction of EU standards to Mongolia and initiating particular projects for this purpose, and summerize the process of a partnership and cooperation agreement to be signed between Mongolia and EU. As part of the joint committee meeting, sub-committee of trade, investment and tourism will meet to consider the collaboration in trade, economy and tourism. EU delegation is expected to report on actions and procedures taken by European Commission in order to exclude Mongolian from non-market economies list. In conclusion, the sides will sign a joint statement on the result of the meeting. After the meeting, the EU delegation will held separate meetings with government officials of Mongolia. ^ top ^
3RD Quarter Statistics (Montsame)
2010-10-12
Gross domestic product (at 2005 constant prices) reached 2,646.5 bln.tog in the first 3 quarters of 2010, showed 156.6 bln.tog or 6.3 percent increase against the same period of previous year. It happened mainly due to the increases in value added of industrial, construction and service sector, and taxes on products. The national consumer price index in September of 2010 decreased 0.7 percent compared to the previous month, and increased by 8.3 percent compared to the end of the previous year, and by 10.6 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. The decrease in national index against the previous month was mainly due to a 2.1-percent decrease in food and non-alcoholic beverages.In the first 9 months of 2010, total revenue and grants of the General Government Budget amounted to 2,058.6 bln.tog, and total expenditure and net lending--to 2,078.2 bln.tog, representing a deficit of 19.7 bln.tog in the General Government Budget overall balance, down by 312.8 bln.tog or 16.9 times compared to the same period of the previous year. Current revenue of the General Government amounted to 2,019.6 bln.tog and current expenditure reached 1,524.4 bln.tog in the first 9 months of 2010. Thus, the budget current balance was in profit of 495.2 bln.tog. ^ top ^
No reply to Mongolian demands to release Khurts (News.mn)
2010-10-12
The next hearing at a London court of the case against B.Khurts, Chief of Administration at the National Security Council, has been fixed for November 15. Khurts was arrested at Heathrow Airport on September 17 for violation of human rights in France in May 2003. An unnamed Mongolian lawyer will defend Khurts in the trial. The charge against Khurts relates to the illegal abduction of D.Enkhbat in France and bringing him home through Belgium and Germany. Justice Minister Ts.Nyamdorj has reminded the British Government that Khurts's diplomatic passport gives him immunity and Deputy Prime Minister M.Enkhbold has sent an official demand for his immediate release. However, J.Gankhuyag, Chief of the Consular Section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said there has been no reply to either.The arrest is becoming a political issue and no one is sure who will be blamed for the abduction: Khurts or those who ordered it. Since the Government has not revealed the name of the defending advocate, he could not be asked what the defense would be. The Government of Mongolia has asked a British advocate to defend B.Khurts at the next hearing of his trial as the court will not allow a foreign advocate. It will also bear all expenses for the trial, including hiring a translator. ^ top ^
MPs critical of salary rise for President, Prime Minister, and such high officials (News.mn)
2010-10-13
The 30% rise in salaries has been applied to all who are paid from the budget, and high officials have not been exempt. The President's basic salary now is MNT1million and 424,435 and that of the Prime Minister and all MPs MNT1million and 73,630. Government members and non-MP Ministers will get MNT826,563, the Chief of the Anti-Corruption Authority MNT1million and 66,694, his deputy MNT988,185, all department heads MNT944,034, all Office heads MNT890,000, and all senior officials MNT728,000.
Some members at yesterday's meeting of the Standing Committee on State Structure were critical of this increase. The meeting resolved to send a note to the Prime Minister and also to the Minister of Social Welfare and Labor about this.At the meeting, E.Bat-Uul said Parliament should not fix such salaries. Ch.Saikhanbileg also said it is not wise for MPs to raise their own salary. The Chief of the Office of the Ministry explained that the salary issue is reviewed by Parliament when it discusses next year's draft budget during the Fall session. ^ top ^
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Gabrielle Tschopp
Embassy of Switzerland
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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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