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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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Mongolia
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| Switzerland |
Ambassador L. Purevsuren presents diplomatic credentials to the President of the Swiss Confederation (Montsame)
2018-06-21
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Swiss Confederation L.Purevsuren presented his diplomatic credentials to the President of the Swiss Confederation Alain Berset. President Alain Berset received Ambassador L.Purevsuren after the presentation of credentials. At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. President congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment. He also demonstrated interest in further deepening political, economic and financial cooperation, expressing his delight with the current expansion of bilateral cooperation in many fields. Ambassador L. Purevsuren emphasized that Switzerland has been Mongolia's development model, noting the first visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Swiss Confederation to Mongolia in April as one of the features of the relations between the two countries in 2018. He expressed his willingness to focus on expanding Mongolia-Swiss relations and cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, culture, education and science, espesially Swiss policy on education and technology fields. The sides exchanged views on continuing dialogues at high-level, maintaining frequency of visits, organizing consultative meetings between Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and cooperating at regional and international levels. The Swiss Confederation has never been involved in any armed conflict as being a neutral state over the last 500 years and is the one of the world leaders in competitiveness. Mongolia established diplomatic relations with Swiss Confederation in 1964. Under the development cooperation, projects and programs in three main fields: agriculture and food security; technical professionals training; good governance are being implemented until 2021. Since June 16, 2018, diplomat and official passport holders of the both countries have been traveling without visa for 90 days. Also, the sides agreed on granting three to five year visas to the regular passport holders of Mongolia. ^ top ^
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China, Myanmar agree to maintain border stability (Xinhua)
2018-06-29
China and Myanmar has agreed to maintain peace and security in their border area. The agreement was made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U Kyaw Tint Swe, Myanmar's minister of the office of the State Counselor, during a meeting in Beijing on Thursday. Saying China and Myanmar's comprehensive strategic cooperation has gone increasingly deep, Wang called on the two sides to maintain high-level communication, deepen cooperation, and press ahead with the construction of the China-Myanmar economic corridor. As a supporter of Myanmar's domestic peace process, China will continue to push forward peace talks, the Chinese foreign minister said. China supports Myanmar and Bangladesh to solve the Rakhine State issue through friendly negotiation, Wang said, adding that China will continue to provide necessary help. U Kyaw Tint Swe, who is paying a visit to China, expressed his country's willingness to strengthen strategic communication with China and maintain stability in the border area. ^ top ^
Chinese military to deliver Ebola research center to Sierra Leone (Global Times)
2018-06-28
The People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s first infectious disease prevention and control center in Africa will be delivered in early July, Wu Qian, spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense, said Thursday. The center for the study of tropical infectious diseases will be completed soon and delivered to the government of Sierra Leone, Wu said at a press conference on Thursday. According to Wu, the center will mainly serve the purpose of improving local capabilities in preventing and treating large-scale infectious disease outbreak. For decades, China has been providing aid to African countries, especially in the public health sector as the country's peacekeeping missions include not only combating against terrorism but also improving local standard of living and poor medical standards, analysts said. Sierra Leone has suffered from the Ebola virus, which is a severe, often fatal illness in humans with limited treatment options, according to the World Health Organization. After the largest Ebola outbreak in 2014, China was the first country to make medical donations and send over 1,000 medical staff to the affected countries, treating more than 900 patients and training some 13,000 medical workers in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and other countries, the Xinhua News Agency reported. China is actively taking on international responsibility in global health. In October 2017, The China Food and Drug Administration approved an Ebola vaccine developed by the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and a Tianjin-based company. ^ top ^
Regional countries should be vigilant against interference in South China Sea (Xinhua)
2018-06-28
Regional countries should maintain due vigilance against attempts by outside forces to cause a stir in the South China Sea, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Thursday. The 15th Senior Officials' Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the 24th Joint Working Group meeting on the Implementation of the DOC were held from June 25 to 27 in Changsha in central China's Hunan Province, spokesperson Lu Kang said at a routine news briefing. During the meeting, the parties stated that they would continue to insist on peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea through negotiation, maintain control over differences through a regional regulatory framework, enhance trust and prevent accidents at sea through cooperation, and jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. "From the results of the conference, it can also be seen that the countries in the region cherish the good situation of peace, stability, cooperation and development," Lu Kang said. Lu said starting from their own interests, China and other countries in the region "cherish peace in the South China Sea and freedom of navigation and security more than any other non-regional countries." "We hope that non-regional countries will respect the good situation of countries in this region jointly maintaining regional peace and stability and dedicated to regional cooperation, development and prosperity and refrain from stirring up troubles," he said. ^ top ^
Senior CPC official meets with S. African state security minister on ties (Global Times)
2018-06-29
Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with South African State Security Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba here on Thursday, one day ahead of the 8th meeting of BRICS High Representatives for Security Issues. Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said that as a comprehensive strategic partner with South Africa, China is committed to developing the "comrades and brothers" type of friendly relationship with South Africa. Yang said that since this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, China-South Africa relations face a new and important opportunity for the development. Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 10th BRICS summit next month in South Africa, Yang said, adding that China fully supports South Africa to host the meeting and will promote it to achieve fruitful results. BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world's leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Yang said China will host the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September in Beijing, which will figure out a new plan for the China-Africa comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. China is willing to cooperate closely with South Africa to ensure that the two major events will be successful and inject strong impetus into the development of bilateral relations, Yang said. For her part, Letsatsi-Duba said South Africa and China are not only cooperation partners but also brothers. South Africa appreciates China's support and its important role in dealing with African issues, she said. The minister said South Africa would like to take the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. It is important for the two sides to maintain high-level contacts, she said, adding that South Africa will ensure that both the BRICS summit and the FOCAC Beijing summit will be successful and promote BRICS cooperation to a higher level. ^ top ^
China, ASEAN to hold maritime drill (Xinhua)
2018-06-29
China and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have scheduled a joint maritime exercise to take place later this year, a Chinese ministry spokesperson said Thursday. The purpose of the joint drill is to enhance mutual trust, expand exchange and cooperation, and safeguard regional peace and stability, said Wu Qian, spokesperson with the Ministry of National Defense. The parties are currently working together to arrange the details, he said. Wu also confirmed that lieutenant general Liu Xiaowu, deputy commander of the Western Theater Command, will head a border defense delegation to Pakistan and India in the near future. Liu will meet and hold talks with the two countries' military leaders on topics including theater-level exchange, border management and control, as well as cooperation in border defense. ^ top ^
Militaries should contribute to stability of China-US relations (Xinhua)
2018-06-28
The visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis to China has produced positive and constructive outcomes, said a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense. During his meeting with Chinese Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis has formally invited Wei to visit the U.S. this year. Wei has accepted the invitation. "Defense departments of the two sides maintain close communication on this," said spokesperson Wu Qian. During his visit from Tuesday to Thursday, Mattis exchanged views with the Chinese side about issues of common concern, including international and regional situations, the relations between the two countries and militaries, issues on the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan and maritime security, Wu said. The two sides have reached important understandings about how to improve military exchanges at all levels, enhance mutual trust, advance concrete cooperation and manage risks, he said. "The visit produced positive and constructive outcomes," he said. Although China and the United States have differences on some issues, their common interests outgrow disputes and cooperation opportunities are greater than challenges, Wu said. China would like to work with the United States to expand shared interest, appropriately handle disputes, manage risks, and lead the relations towards mutual respect, cooperation and mutual benefit, he said. ^ top ^
Xi delivers clear message on rights to Mattis (Global Times)
2018-06-27
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting US Defense Secretary James Mattis on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with experts saying that China has delivered a clear message to the US that its legitimate activities in the South China Sea and Taiwan Straits won't be affected by any US move. During the meeting with Mattis, Xi made China's stance clear and firm on issues affecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Xi said that we can't lose even one inch of the territory inherited from our forefathers, and China won't take anything that belongs to others, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday. "There are some issues concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity which have become increasingly tense because of US moves," such as South China Sea issues and the Taiwan question. "So, through the meeting, China is sending a warning to the US by reaffirming its bottom line," Diao Daming, an American studies expert and associate professor at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times. Mattis has heard the most authoritative voice from China on these issues and questions, and this might indicate that China's legitimate activities in regions like the South China Sea and the Taiwan Straits won't be affected by military actions from the US, said Xu Guangyu, a retired PLA major general and senior adviser to the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association. Mattis thanked Xi for meeting him and said that the US highly values the military-to-military ties with China, and the US is willing to strengthen strategic communication, expand win-win cooperation, control and manage differences and risks, and avoid conflict and confrontation with China, CCTV reported. Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe also met with Mattis on Wednesday. Mattis received a welcome ceremony in Beijing before meeting with Wei. Wei and Mattis inspected the honor guard of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), the Chinese Defense Ministry's website said. During the talks, Wei said that Mattis' visit will help facilitate healthy interactions and relations between the two militaries. Mattis also invited Wei Fenghe to visit the US at an appropriate time. "The visit took place after the US showed its tough position to China by withdrawing its invitation to the Rim of the Pacific exercise (RIMPAC), so it shows that the Trump administration is pretty wise on managing tensions with China. They knew that if the communication channels between China and the US don't function, the risk would be too high," Xu said. The Pentagon disinvited China from participating in the RIMPAC on May 23, in response to the alleged "militarization of islands in the South China Sea," Reuters reported. Wei said at the meeting that China insists its peaceful development and Chinese military will firmly safeguard the country's national sovereignty and security and development interests. "China and the US can develop together only when they both agree on no conflicts, no confrontations, mutual respect and win-win cooperation," Wei said. Wei also highlighted China's stance on and concerns over the Taiwan question, South China Sea issues and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue to his US counterpart. Mattis will also visit South Korea and Japan, according to the US Defense Department's website. This is Mattis' first visit to China as Pentagon chief, and also the first visit to Beijing by a US Defense Secretary since 2014. ^ top ^
China to set up new courts to solve B&R disputes (Global Times)
2018-06-27
The Supreme People's Court will set up the first international commercial court in Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province and the second international commercial court in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, to settle cross-border commercial disputes in the Belt and Road (B&R) initiative, China Central Television reported on Wednesday, citing a notice issued by the State Council, China's cabinet. The settlement will follow four principles, including jointly discussing and developing and sharing of the mechanism, handling disputes in a fair, efficient and convenient manner, respecting the autonomy of the will of the parties, as well as diversifying methods of dispute resolution, the report noted. Commenting on the matter, Chen Fengying, an expert at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, noted that these courts represent a new idea that China has never implemented before, showing the country's respect for different legal systems. While the court in Xi'an will focus on settling disputes along the Land Silk Road, the one in Shenzhen could draw on experience from neighboring Hong Kong, where dispute settlement institutions are quite mature, and it will mainly solve disputes in countries along the Maritime Silk Road, experts predicted. "The system would work like the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, inviting judges in foreign nations to discuss and jointly make a judgment," Chen added. But she noted that at the initial stage, the courts would mostly handle Chinese investors' cases involving investment in countries along the B&R routes. The creation of such a mechanism is also in response to rising demands for non-litigation settlement as more domestic investors' projects run into problems with local companies while participating in the initiative, according to Chen. However, "the legal systems in countries and regions along the route are different, as are their concepts and culture," which may pose barriers in exploring a united decision, Chen noted. The plan to establish a mechanism to legally resolve trade and investment disputes arising from issues related to the Belt and Road initiative was approved during the second meeting of the Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in January, the Xinhua News Agency reported. ^ top ^
Xi meets with U.S. Secretary of Defense (Xinhua)
2018-06-28
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis in Beijing. Xi said the world is undergoing major developments, transformation and adjustment. The trends of world multi-polarization and economic globalization are developing in depth, and countries have become even more interdependent. The Chinese people are building a great modern socialist country, but China will stay on the path of peaceful development, Xi said, adding that China will neither pursue the path of expansionism and colonialism, nor cause chaos to the world. Xi said China-U.S. relations are one of the most important bilateral ties in the world. The history and reality since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties in nearly 40 years have proved that the sound development of China-U.S. ties can benefit peoples of the two countries and the world, which is also conducive to world and regional peace, stability and prosperity, Xi said. China and the United States share common interests in extensive areas and common ground far outweighs differences, Xi said. The Pacific Ocean is vast enough to accommodate China and the United States, as well as other countries, the president said. China and the United States should promote the development of bilateral ties based on the principle of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, Xi said. "When we see common interests between China and the United States, we do not shy away from differences," the president said. "Our stance is steadfast and clear-cut when it comes to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Xi said, adding that "any inch of territory passed down from ancestors can not be lost while we want nothing from others." As an important part of bilateral relations, Xi said military relations have maintained a sound development momentum in recent years. "It has long been known that the real experts on military affairs do not want to employ military means to solve issues," said Xi. Xi noted that enhanced military exchanges and institutional building at various levels are helpful for defusing doubts and preventing misunderstandings, misjudgement and accidents. Xi said he hoped the two militaries will strengthen communication, increase mutual trust, deepen cooperation, manage and control risks and promote military ties to be a stabilizer of bilateral relations. Mattis said the United States attaches great importance to relations between the two countries and the two militaries, and military ties play a vital role in the bilateral relations. Mattis said that guided by consensus reached by heads of state of the two countries, the United States is willing to strengthen strategic communication, expand mutually-beneficial cooperation, manage and control differences and risks, and prevent conflicts and confrontations, so as to enable military relations to be a constructive factor in promoting the development of bilateral ties. Mattis conveyed U.S. President Donald Trump's greetings to Xi while Xi asked Mattis to convey his greetings to Trump. Officials including Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe attended the meeting. ^ top ^
China, Myanmar to increase cooperation (Xinhua)
2018-06-26
Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Tuesday met with Myanmar's Union Parliament Speaker U Mahn Win Khaing Than in Beijing, and both sides expressed hope to enhance cooperation in various fields. "Developing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Myanmar on the basis of carrying forward traditional friendship is in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples, Wang said. He called on the two sides to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, strengthen communication and mutual understanding, consolidate mutual trust and promote cooperation, so as to achieve win-win outcomes. "China supports Myanmar's efforts in maintaining peace and stability and achieving the country's development," Wang said, adding China is willing to advance the China-Myanmar economic corridor construction under the Belt and Road Initiative and strengthen cooperation in areas such as agricultural water conservancy, infrastructure and energy. Hailing the traditional "paukphaw" friendship between the two countries, U Mahn Win Khaing Than expressed gratitude for China's support, and his hope for strengthening the construction of Myanmar-China economic corridor and cooperation in various fields. ^ top ^
PNG PM says visit to China "productive" (Xinhua)
2018-06-26
Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said his week-long visit to China is successful and productive. "We have many shared interests and challenges, and we need to work together," he told PNG media on Monday. "Talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang were very productive, and from this we have agreed on a number of issues that are very positive for PNG." "Very importantly, PNG and China will elevate our formal level of bilateral engagement." Almost four years since the two nations entered into a strategic partnership to boost trade and investment, China and PNG will now look to further strengthen bilateral ties and bolster their economic relationship. "We can develop new initiatives and projects, fast-track significant agreements and facilitate new direct foreign investments at a much higher level," O'Neill said. "A PNG-China Free Trade Agreement has the potential to stimulate a significant increase in trade, business and employment if it is done right." With both parties now undergoing a joint feasibility study to negotiate the deal, O'Neill said PNG has become the first South Pacific nation to formally sign up to China's Belt and Road Initiative, stating that he expected to see immediate gains for his country. "This will open market opportunities for PNG in China, as well further transshipment points around Asia and Europe." Also discussed during a stop at the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, was the commencement of direct flights between Papua New Guinea and Shanghai, which are set to begin in September. O'Neill believed the new flight path will open up even more opportunities for both countries. Some of the areas the PNG government have identified as having massive potential for cooperation are sport, education and the environment. "Climate change is a further issue where we share common interests and we must coordinate our efforts," O'Neill said. "Extreme weather and ecological change brought about by climate change is a real threat." "We have to synchronize our efforts in global forums, including coordination to pursue action on the deliverables identified in the Paris Agreement." After being given a tour of China's rich history of martial arts, the prime minister expressed interest in setting up more comprehensive tertiary education courses in fields like sports medicine and physical training. "This is exactly what our young sports men and women need in PNG," O'Neill said. "Such health promoting facilities and incentives like these may encourage our people to focus more on sports and less on unhealthy lifestyles affecting our communities." With a lot of focus on PNG ahead of the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders' meeting in November, Chinese officials took the opportunity to offer any further assistance in preparation for the summit. "At our meetings on Friday with President Xi and Premier Li, China has offered to provide X-ray security items for APEC and technical support to manage the International Convention Center," O'Neill said. "China is also providing a number of vehicles, including buses, that will be used in APEC motorcades." ^ top ^
New joint patrol starts on Mekong River (Xinhua)
2018-06-26
A new round of joint patrols on the Mekong River with law enforcement personnel from China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand started Tuesday, the 71st mission since 2011, to make the border river safer. Ships set sail from Guanlei Port in Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, with patrols covering a total of 256 kilometers, according to Yunnan border police. The patrols will target drug trafficking along the Mekong River, conducting random inspections of ships in waters near key regions including the Golden Triangle. The joint patrols began in December 2011 to tackle security concerns after a gang hijacked two cargo ships and killed 13 Chinese sailors in Thai waters on Oct. 5, 2011. ^ top ^
China, France pledge pragmatic cooperation (Global Times)
2018-06-26
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held talks with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe in Beijing on Monday. China and France are both permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and major economies in the world, Li said, noting that bilateral cooperation is beneficial to the two peoples, China-Europe ties and global peace, stability and prosperity. Li said China is willing to work with France to consolidate trust, deepen cooperation so as to build stronger and energetic comprehensive strategic partnership. Li said pragmatic cooperation is the booster of bilateral ties, and China is willing to work with France to convert political consensus and cooperative willingness to tangible results. China is ready to work with France to promote the synergy of strategic industries to a new stage, Li said, calling on both sides to promote major projects in nuclear energy and aerospace, support both sides to strengthen innovative cooperation in digital economy, AI and high-end manufacturing. Both sides should enhance the facilitation in trade and investment, Li said, calling for more cooperation in agricultural food, finance, innovation and health care. Li said China hopes the French side to further relax export restrictions on high-tech products to China, and create more transparent business environment for Chinese investors. Li called for the synergy of third-market cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, and urged to promote the cooperation in an open and transparent manner. Li said China is willing to strengthen cooperation with France in the fields of language culture, education, youth and museum. China is willing to work with the European countries, including France, to safeguard the international rules based on the UN Charter, safeguard multilateralism and free trade system, and deal with global issues such as climate change, Li said. Li expressed his hope that France, as an important member of EU, will continue its constructive role in the development of China-EU ties. Philippe said France is willing to work with China to enhance political trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation, deal with the uncertain issues in the current world situation, safeguard multilateralism and free trade system, oppose protectionism and unilateralism. Philippe called on both sides to cooperate more in industry, economy, civilian nuclear energy, aerospace and people-to-people exchanges. Prior to the talks, Li held a welcoming ceremony for Philippe. After the talks, they jointly witnessed the signing of documents concerning bilateral cooperation in energy, technology, agricultural food and health care. They also met the press on Monday afternoon, and both sides spoke highly of their pragmatic cooperation results. China does not pursue a trade surplus, Li said, noting that economic and trade exchanges should mainly be completed by enterprises in line with market rules and business principles. When trade friction occurs, parties concerned should have negotiations based on mutual respect, equality and win-win results, Li said. At present, trade protectionism appears in some countries, Philippe said, calling on France and China to safeguard multilateralism and free trade together. China's top legislator Li Zhanshu also met with Philippe on Monday, calling on the two countries' legislative bodies to enhance exchanges and share governance experience. ^ top ^
China, ASEAN diplomats to meet on South China Sea (Xinhua)
2018-06-22
China on Friday said the 15th Senior Officials' Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) will be convened on June 27 in Changsha in central China's Hunan Province. According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou and senior diplomats from ASEAN countries will attend the meeting. Prior to the meeting, the 24th Joint Working Group meeting on the Implementation of the DOC will be held. China and ASEAN countries will continue to discuss issues including implementation of the DOC, maritime pragmatic cooperation, and negotiation of the code of conduct in the South China Sea (COC), Geng said. Thanks to the joint efforts of China and other countries in the region, the current situation in the South China Sea has been stabilized and maintains positive momentum, said the spokesperson. All parties will continue their efforts in pushing forward dialogue and cooperation, strive for more outcomes and progress, so as to create favorable conditions for consolidating the current sound situation, Geng said. The DOC, signed in 2002 by China and ASEAN countries, outlines the most important principles in the management of disputes on the South China Sea, and consultations for the COC were launched by the two sides in 2013. Both are aimed at safeguarding peace and stability in the region." ^ top ^
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Political advisors push to curb commercialized Buddhist, Taoist activities (Xinhua)
2018-06-28
Chinese national political advisors convened a bi-weekly seminar Thursday to advise on how to curb commercialized Buddhist and Taoist activities. Commercialization of Buddhist and Taoist activities has become a prominent problem in the religious circle, undermining normal religious practices, and compromising the image of the two religions, said Wang Yang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), who presided over the meeting and made a speech. The seminar is important for exposing the harmful impact of this problem, figuring out solutions, and promoting healthy development of Buddhism and Taoism, he said. A total of 15 political advisors and experts put forward their suggestions. Political advisors agreed that previous measures to tackle this problem have achieved some success but more should be done. Some political advisors suggested that local governments should better implement the policies and stop the practice of using religious activities as a means to attract business investment. They also proposed that efforts should be made to help believers develop a healthy understanding of religion and the religious people should be more disciplined. ^ top ^
China turns televisions and mobile phones in villages into surveillance terminals (Global Times)
2018-06-27
A fight was brewing in the streets of Jiantai village, Shifang, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, the result of financial disputes between villagers. Just as a young man was about to pull a knife, the police promptly arrived, stopping what could have become a blood bath. The suspects did not know that their street fight was being watched at home and on phones by their fellow villagers, whose television sets and mobiles were connected to surveillance cameras placed around the rural neighborhood through streaming boxes and apps. A villager who had witnessed the entire incident on his TV reported it to the police simply by pressing a button on his remote control. This case, covered by Xinhua in late 2016, is an example of the capability of China's new mass surveillance network in rural areas, which could eventually turn every television set and mobile phone in the countryside into a security monitoring terminal. Xueliang, or Sharp Eyes, derived its name from the popular Chinese saying "The masses have sharp eyes," which depicts the power of the people. Headed by the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the project is an extension of China's Skynet surveillance network into rural areas, using artificial intelligence (AI), facial recognition and big data. "Every household can become a monitor terminal, and every villager can be a monitor. This is in line with the CPC's 'mass line' tradition, mobilizing people's enthusiasm to boost rural security," Wang Qiang, a specialist in non-war military actions at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army, told the Global Times. For villagers who have installed streaming boxes with the Sharp Eyes system, watching live footage captured by the village's surveillance cameras is just one click away on the remote control. Sichuan's Anxi village, for example, installed 25 surveillance cameras for the Sharp Eyes project and nine Skynet surveillance cameras, all connected to the villager's televisions. A Sichuan Daily reporter visited a resident's home in April 2017 and could see the live footage of all 34 CCTV cameras on his TV. "I watch it in my spare time, and when suspicious things happen I will notify village officials," the resident told Sichuan Daily. Apart from television, villagers can also download apps on their smart phones to see the surveillance. According to Sichuan authorities, by December 2017, 14,087 villages have been connected to the Sharp Eyes project and 41,695 surveillance cameras were installed. 152,855 villagers have installed apps, connecting them to surveillance cameras in their neighborhood. After trials in some provinces, including Sichuan, since September 2015, the Sharp Eyes project was written into the "No 1 central document," a national roadmap for rural vitalization, this February, Xinhua reported. According to the document, the Sharp Eyes project should be promoted nationwide as a way to boost village safety and security. Sharp Eyes was also mentioned as one of the key tasks for 2018 in the government work report of many provinces, including Jilin, Shandong, Hunan, Guizhou and Hainan provinces. So far, construction of the project is in full swing in many areas. Experts say safety in rural areas is the top concern for the project, as the rapid urbanization process in China has left many villages unattended and unguarded. […] Many rural areas are also plagued by security issues, such as mafia-style gangs, which have disturbed rural public affairs, media reports show. […] Tian Feng, a system engineer with Uniview, a Hangzhou-based video surveillance supplier for the Sharp Eyes project, said a surveillance camera network is one solution to these problems. "Although surveillance videos cannot directly solve these problems, they're a powerful civil deterrence that can prevent people from committing crimes," he told the Global Times. […] Tian said the Sharp Eyes project is bringing considerable growth and opportunities to the professional video surveillance industry. Uniview, for example, currently cooperates with local governments in provinces including Guangdong, Xinjiang, Sichuan and Yunnan. […] ^ top ^
China fulfills WTO obligations, provides huge global contributions (Global Times)
2018-06-28
China has not only comprehensively fulfilled its commitments to the World Trade Organization (WTO), but has also provided huge opportunities to its trade partners and made enormous global contributions, according to a white paper on China and the WTO. During the past 17 years, "China has honored its commitments to the WTO, substantially opened its market to the world while pushing itself to go much further to open up," Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen told a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday, during which the white paper, titled "China and the WTO" was issued. The white paper gives a full account of China's fulfillment of its WTO commitments, explains China's principles, stances, policies, and propositions regarding the multilateral trading system, and describes China's vision and actions in advancing higher-level reform and opening-up. It is the first such white paper issued by the Chinese government. Experts said that honoring its WTO obligations is also China's way of showing how a global economic powerhouse has lived up to its responsibilities which a certain country that challenges WTO rules should learn from. In terms of trade, China has fulfilled all of its tariff reduction commitments, lowering the overall tariff level from 15.3 percent in 2001 to the current 9.8 percent, Wang said. And in 2015, China's trade-weighted average tariff was reduced to 4.4 percent, fairly close to the 2.4 percent of the US and 3 percent of the EU, according to the white paper. The country is also taking further measures to reduce import tariffs on some medicine, automobiles, auto parts and daily consumer goods, even if the WTO does not require it to do so. In the services trade sector, China had fulfilled its commitment to open up 100 service sub-sectors by 2007. China also further opened up 120 sub-sectors. Wang quoted Pascal Lamy, former WTO director-general, as saying that China's fulfillment of its WTO commitments "deserves a grade of A+." "China's opening-up door will not be closed and will open even wider," Wang continued. Wang also dismissed claims that China is the only country that has benefitted since joining the WTO while other countries have suffered. "The allegation is far from the truth, and China has become a major stabilizer and driving force for the global economy," he stressed. Tu Xinquan, dean of the China Institute for WTO Studies under the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Thursday that China plays the role of the "world's factory" and "world's market" since becoming a WTO member 17 years ago. "With its cheap production inputs, China's integration into the global production chain ensures the supply of high-quality and inexpensive goods in the world market, which in turn slows down the inflation rate in many of its trade partners," Tu explained. The country's consumption upgrade and transition from an investment-driven to a consumption-led economy also boosts global demand in the high-tech and services sectors, Tu added. Take China's trade with the US. In the past decade, the average growth of goods shipped from the US to China was nearly three times the growth of total US exports and nearly two times the growth of goods exported from China to the US, according to the white paper. In 2001, sales revenue of US firms in China was at merely 36 million yuan, but this rose to $600 billion in 2016, Wang said. In addition to contributing to the world economy, China's respect for the WTO mechanism also sets an example to the world at a time when the WTO multilateral trade system and settlement mechanism are being threatened by rising protectionism and unilateralism, said He Weiwen, senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization. Defying WTO rules could have a detrimental effect on the global economy, experts said. The US unilaterally launched a Section 301 investigation and imposed punitive tariffs on China, which violates WTO rules. It also abuses a security review as an excuse to impose excessive limitations on foreign investments, Tu said. On the contrary, "China is shouldering the responsibility of a major nation and trying to protect the system through greater inclusion," He stressed. For example, last year China made valuable suggestions to the WTO on creating international e-commerce rules based on the country's advanced experience in the sector. The country is also an active player in negotiations for the Information Technology Agreement, Environmental Goods Agreement and other initiatives, according to the white paper. "Its opening-up policy means China welcomes more countries to do business with China, which is in line with the spirit of the WTO," He said. ^ top ^
China's coal heartland to put emissions caps on industry as part of battle against pollution (SCMP)
2018-06-28
The major coal producing province of Shanxi in northern China will impose special emissions restrictions on big industrial sectors by October as part of its bid to curb smog, a local environmental official said. Shanxi, together with neighbouring Shaanxi, is set to be included in China's new three-year action plan to curb air pollution, with emissions in the two provinces second only to the smog-prone Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei industrial region. The province produces more than 900 million tonnes of coal a year, a quarter of China's total, and is also a major gas and petrochemical producer. The new measures will force factories and boilers in the cities of Taiyuan, Yangquan, Changzhi and Jincheng to comply with new restrictions on sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, according to a document circulated by environmental groups. The document's accuracy was confirmed by an official with the province's environmental protection agency. He did not want to give his name. Firms in the thermal power, steel, petrochemical, chemical, non-ferrous metals and cement sectors will be forced to comply with as many as 25 new emissions standards by October. Coking coal producers will be given another year to make the necessary adjustments, the document said. China promised in January to impose "special emissions restrictions" on major industrial sectors in 28 cities in northern China, including the four in Shanxi. It said firms that failed to comply with the deadlines would be fined, ordered to renovate or shut down completely. The 28 cities were all part of a special winter anti-smog campaign that began in October last year and imposed tough restrictions on traffic, coal consumption and industrial output. In its air quality plan for 2018, Shanxi promised to close down 22.4 million tonnes of annual coal capacity and 1.9 million tonnes of steel capacity this year. It will also create "no-coal zones" and convert thousands of coal-fired boilers to cleaner-burning gas. ^ top ^
New rules keep stars' pay down to earth (China Daily)
2018-06-27
Top regulators have issued rules to curb film stars' exorbitant pay and prevent tax evasion, demonstrating the country's determination to anchor the rapidly expanding showbiz industry to a sound development. The notice was jointly released by Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, State Administration of Taxation, State Administration of Radio and Television and the China Film Administration on Wednesday. It reiterated a guideline released in September requiring all performers or celebrities of a production, which could be a movie, TV show, or an audiovisual production tailored for video-streaming sites to not be paid more than 40 percent of the production's total cost. In addition, the leading cast members' pay must not exceed 70 percent of the total payment to the cast. Regulators will tighten scrutiny over contracts signed by television show production companies and the participating celebrities to ensure the stars' pay is reasonable, the notice said. Aside from the effort to fight unhealthy competition of inflating salaries to recruit celebrities, the authorities also will step up punishment against tax cheating and evasion. Government funds and tax-free, nonprofit foundations are forbidden to invest in movies, TV shows or online productions which feature strong entertainment and commercial characteristics, the notice said. Recently, an online controversy broke out when a former TV presenter displayed contracts that purportedly showed that a Chinese A-list actor was concealing income. The actor denied the allegation and the former TV host later apologized and recanted his insinuation. Chinese tax authorities launched a nationwide investigation on tax evasion practices in the film and television industries earlier this month. The exorbitant pay to stars would force a production to cut other costs, such as those for costumes, props and post-production, harming its quality and bringing a bad influence to the entire industry, said Jiang Yong, a Beijing-based industry analyst. Double contracts for the same acting work－with one hidden to promise much higher pay and the smaller copy handed to tax regulators－have existed in the industry for several years, said Zheng Xiaoqiang, a Beijing-based lawyer specializing in the sector. But Zheng added he believes the notice exemplifies the Chinese government's determination to fight the illegal activities and create a better future for the industry. A source who insisted on anonymity said some production companies now give stars more titles than just announcing them as performers, as a way to avoid breaking the rules. The stars can "serve" as executive producers or consultants, with these "jobs" to be paid with extra money not included in pay for acting, the source said. "Giant stars who can bring in a high box office revenue or a high rating are still rare in China, but the market is huge. So it has led production companies or broadcasters to contend for them with high prices," the source said. ^ top ^
China's loose legal supervision leaves private information of 1.3 billion people open for exploitation by data analysts (Global Times)
2018-06-28
During a recent class reunion, Liu Qiang (pseudonym) said something about his job that disturbed his friends. "I can find out what you browse on your mobile phone every day, if I want." No, Liu is not a mind reader, but he is something far more omnipotent - a data analyst. For a country of 1.3 billion people, China will become the headquarters of online data resources by 2020, the National Development and Reform Commission said in 2016. Being a data analyst is, in essence, having the ability to collect, read and analyze anyone's online behavior, even digging out their most secret messages. According to a 2017 Caijing report, the pieces of domestic information leakage in China reached 5.53 billion, which means that four pieces of personal information per person was revealed to someone it should not have been in the country. Phone numbers, home addresses, hobbies, favorite restaurant, secret affairs... Data knows everything, maybe even better than you know about yourself. However, the situation could get even worse if the elite group of coders working behind the scenes at China's most popular apps and social media platforms ever choose to reveal this data to the world. There is currently no specific law in China targeting privacy protection. Moreover, compared to the newly implemented General Data Protection Regulation in the EU, China's legislation is relatively loose in terms of protecting personal privacy. "The boundary between big data and privacy must be clarified as soon as possible," Yu Haibo, CEO of a Beijing-based information security company, suggested during a recent data-related forum, proposing that the government should regulate what kind of data apps can collect, instead of giving the choice to users. Due to the loose legal supervision, many data analysts are subject to following their own fluid set of rules, based merely on self-discipline, according to analysts interviewed by the Global Times. "To read a person's data will not disturb anyone, as long as I check it covertly," Liu, in his 20s and working for one of China's most famous data companies, told the Global Times. In China, 80 percent of all disclosed data was leaked by employees at companies that collect data, while only 20 percent came from hackers, a famous former hacker who is now the leader of a security company in China told Caijing. Zhou Tao, director of Big Data Research Center at University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, said that total protection of privacy is technically impossible. "Our online clicks, photos of us gathered by CCTV cameras while we are walking on the streets, medical and payment histories, are all collected and saved," he said. […] In March 2017, a data engineer at JD.com was caught stealing 5 billion pieces of their users' private data and selling on the black market. In the same year, Guangdong police reported that Apple's Chinese employees were involved in obtaining personal information of Apple customers through unlawful means, selling over 200,000 pieces of data illegally for 10 to 180 yuan per piece. […] The government is mounting their efforts in this regard. The Ministry of Public Security revealed Wednesday that an upgraded cybersecurity regulation is coming, which will update the protection level to individuals and institutions, bringing big data, cloud computing and Internet of Things under supervision and regulation. […]. ^ top ^
Chinese teenager's suicide sparks #MeToo soul-searching, anger at onlookers (HKFP)
2018-06-28
The suicide of a teenager in China whose sexual harassment case was dismissed has triggered a bout of national soul-searching over her treatment and anger at onlookers who encouraged her to jump off a building. Li Yiyi, 19, died last week after throwing herself from the eighth floor of a department store in Qingyang, a city in northwest Gansu province, following previous suicide attempts, police told reporters. A public outcry erupted after videos of the scene circulated online and reports that some bystanders had jeered her and urged the young woman to "jump quickly" while firefighters tried to save her. The police said Monday they had detained two people who had booed, and started investigations into six others for verbally abusive online posts about Li. "The world is getting more and more indifferent. I'm scared. Just how mentally defected are those people who booed her to jump?" questioned one user on Twitter-like Weibo. The case has put a new spotlight on the struggle among Chinese women to get legal help in sexual abuse allegations. The teenager had been upset because prosecutors cleared a high school teacher whom she had accused of forcibly kissing her and trying take her clothes off in September 2016. Li and her father had repeatedly sought charges against him but local prosecutors decided not to try him, declaring that his behaviour was a "slight" offence that did not constitute a crime. She appealed to a higher prosecutor, who also rejected her case. The teacher was briefly detained but kept his job. "She fought for two years. Except for her father, no one including teachers, the school, the court and the prosecutor cared about her pain. Only those firefighters kept trying to save her," a Weibo user wrote. Sexual harassment cases have rocked Chinese university campuses in recent months, fuelling a #MeToo movement that has been more low-key than in other countries due to censorship by the authorities. There is no legal definition of sexual harassment in China and no national regulations on how to handle sexual assault cases in schools and workplaces. Guo Jianmei, a women's rights lawyer in Beijing, said very few sexual assault cases are prosecuted due to lack of evidence and a lack of respect for women has contributed to such cases not being taken seriously in China. […] A 26-year-old Chinese graduate student drew social media praise last month after she tried to sue police for dismissing her rape report — it was believed to be the first such attempt to challenge the authorities on a sexual assault allegation. The burden of proof is high for alleged victims, according to lawyers. In a 2017 survey of more than 6,500 Chinese students, conducted by the Guangzhou Gender and Sexuality Education Centre, 70 percent reported having been sexually harassed and over 40 percent said the cases took place in public areas on campus. But only four percent of women and even fewer men reported campus sexual abuse cases to police, according to a 2015 Sina.com survey. […] ^ top ^
Chinese Coast Guard to be under the command of armed police from July 1 (Xinhua)
2018-06-29
The Chinese Coast Guard will be transferred to the command of armed police from July 1, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday. The coast guard will form a division under the armed police and take charge of law enforcement at the sea, spokesperson Wu Qian said at a press conference. The change of command will not alter the basic duties of the coast guard nor affect China's policies about maritime affairs, he said. China will, as always, continue to address disputes peacefully through negotiations with directly involved countries and enhance law enforcement and security cooperation with other countries, he said. ^ top ^
CPC Central Committee posthumously honors 7 "outstanding members" (Global Times)
2018-06-29
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has decided to posthumously honor seven late "outstanding CPC members." The honor aims to promote model members who are firm in belief, loyal to the Party, and bold in taking on responsibilities and actions in the new era, according to a statement of the CPC central leadership. It will also inspire and guide Party members and officials to strive for more achievements, it said. The honored late members include academics, officials, and a military pilot. Zheng Derong, who was born in 1926 in northeast China's Jilin Province and died this year, was lauded as an important pioneer and founder of the research of sinicization of Marxism. Zheng, who was formerly president of Northeast Normal University and known for his expertise in CPC history, devoted his life to researching and promoting Marxism. Another recipient of the honor was Zhang Chao, who was born in 1986 in central China's Hunan Province and died in 2016 in a flight training. ^ top ^
Chinese premier stresses cutting red tape, improving services (Xinhua)
2018-06-28
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday that the government should make continued efforts to streamline administrative approvals, delegating power to lower levels and improving regulations and services. Li made the remarks during a teleconference presided over by Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. The reform to cut red tape, delegate power and improve regulations and services is "a reform of the government itself like a blade facing inward" and also a strategic move to push forward government function transformation and stimulate market vitality, Li said. Over the past five years, efforts in this respect have promoted entrepreneurship and innovation, and ensured steady economic growth and employment, Li said. In the next five years, such efforts must be continued to raise the efficiency of government services, create a business environment featuring fair competition, and further unleash market vitality and the potential of domestic demand, Li said. To that end, more concrete measures will be taken to cut red tape and improve regulation and services, the premier said. Within five years, the time required for setting up a company will be cut to five working days, and the time for approving construction projects and for foreign trade customs clearance will be halved. Li added that a unified negative list for market access will be implemented across the country, taxation and fees will be further reduced, and effective investment will be raised through bettering the business environment. The government will also take concrete measures to improve supervision in pursuit of fairness and order, and optimize government services for the sake of convenience and service quality, Li said. ^ top ^
Experts urge greater veterans' welfare (Global Times)
2018-06-27
Local governments around China have released new regulations concerning the reemployment and welfare of veterans amid increasing calls for better protection of retired soldiers' interests. On June 21, the Weicheng district government in East China's Shandong Province announced 165 public welfare positions for retired soldiers. Separately, on June 2, the government of Zhaoqing in South China's Guangdong Province released a notice offering retired soldiers a chance for free education at vocational schools for two years. All these policies are part of the central government's efforts to improve veterans' welfare. Chinese experts on Wednesday urged local governments to strictly implement government policies that protect the veterans' welfare. In 2017, a new regulation said that over 80 percent of demobilized soldiers should be assigned jobs in administrative organs, public institutes or State-owned enterprises. As for older veterans, the government launched a project called "Action Zero Clearing" in February, promising to examine the situation of all soldiers who were demobilized after 1978 and who meet the job criteria. Those who failed to get jobs were promised resettlement. In March, the central government released a plan to set up a ministry dedicated to dealing with veterans' affairs. A veteran surnamed Wang from Hebei Province told the Global Times that after retiring in 2012, he was assigned work at a local railway company. He said that his comrades were assigned stable jobs and most were in companies. "Those who stay in the army longer are given priority in choosing a job," Wang said. In May, the provincial government of Jiangxi announced that the province had accepted 1,277 demobilized officers, an increase of 53 percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, the government resettled over 17,000 retired soldiers and trained over 9,300 who chose to accept government subsidy and seek a job on their own. Another retired soldier surnamed Chen, who started a business using government subsidies, said the government also established training centers for them to gain computer and engineering skills. However, due to reforms within State-owned enterprises and the failure of some local governments to implement the policy, many veterans lost their jobs and could not find a new job or receive pensions, said Li Daguang, a professor at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army. Chen added that many of the training centers supported by the government also failed to teach veterans practical skills. In 2014, hundreds of veterans who served in battles or conflicts after the Korean War (1950-53) or in China's nuclear experiments demonstrated in Beijing, asking for better retirement benefits. "After the veterans' affairs ministry is established, the problems will be solved if local governments strictly implement the policy," Li told the Global Times. ^ top ^
Top political advisor stresses importance of poverty relief (Xinhua)
2018-06-27
Top political advisor Wang Yang on Wednesday called for efforts to improve effective poverty relief and succeed in poverty alleviation efforts. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the 13th CPPCC National Committee, made the remarks while addressing the closing meeting of the second session of the Standing Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee. Wang noted that decisive progress has been made in poverty relief since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, which significantly embodies the advantages of China's political and institutional advantages, adding that efforts should be made to give full play to such advantages. Wang said that, prior to the session, members of CPPCC National Committee conducted in-depth research and raised a series of constructive suggestions to provide references for policy-making by the Party and the state. Wang asked political advisors to study more, better fulfill their duties and improve their abilities in giving suggestions. Chinese political advisors raised suggestions for poverty alleviation in areas of deep poverty at the session. ^ top ^
Communist Youth League's 18th national congress kicks off in Beijing (Global Times)
2018-06-26
The Communist Youth League (CYL) of China convened its 18th national congress in Beijing Tuesday, which analysts say could be an important turning point in the organization's history as it is undergoing crucial reforms. The congress will hear and review a report by the 17th CYL Central Committee, amend the CYL constitution and elect the 18th Central Committee, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The CYL's national congress gathers 1,500 representatives from across the country and has been convened every five years since the 1990s. How to carry out the CYL's reform plan, which was put forward by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is expected to be a key issue at the congress, Zhuang Deshui, a professor from Peking University, told the Global Time. The CYL reforms require it to better perform its duty of serving the youth and become a link between the Party and youth, said Zhuang, adding that the league had previously been criticized as overly bureaucratic and inefficient. The general office of the CPC Central Committee published a plan for reform of the CYL Central Committee in August 2016, noting that the staff structure, organization and operation of the leading organ of the CYL Central Committee will be improved, said Xinhua. Another highlight of the congress will be to set Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding principle of the CYL, which was written into the Party Constitution during the 19th National Congress of the CPC, Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Chongqing Committee, told the Global Times. With over 81 million members, the CYL is tasked with organizing activities and bringing forward progressive ideas under the leadership of the CPC. It acts as the assistant and a recruiting source for the CPC. Young people between the ages of 14 and 28 can join the CYL. Both Zhuang and Su said the CYL has made great efforts to improve its images and work style over the past several years, and has become a real "friend" of the Chinese youth. "The CYL is active online, and its social media accounts frequently comment on hot topics and raise sharp opinions which are close to younger people," Su said. The CYL gained popularity among young people after it became active on popular social media channels. The CYL's Weibo account, which was opened in December 2013, had more than 6 million followers as of Tuesday. In early 2017, CYL joined Bilibili, a video-sharing website specializing in anime, comics and games. It also invited members of the popular boy band TFboys to be its ambassadors. Su said the key next step for the CYL is to deepen reform, especially in the reform of its leadership. According to the CYL's reform plan, it will encourage more of its leaders to work only part-time, and include more input from grass-roots CYL organizations and members. "But how to ensure that those part-time leaders could balance their duties with their full-time job is a challenge of the current reform," Su said. "The leaders of CYL should focus on serving, educating and unifying the youth, rather than using their positions to seek personal gain," Zhuang said. Historically, the CYL provides one of the main paths to political development in China. ^ top ^
Activists who investigated abuse at Chinese suppliers for Ivanka Trump's brand released from bail terms (SCMP)
2018-06-27
Three China Labour Watch activists arrested last year while investigating abuses at Chinese suppliers for Ivanka Trump's fashion brand were released from terms of their bail on Tuesday, the New York non-profit group said, but questions remain about their ability to live and work freely in China. "Of course I am happy," said Deng Guilian, the wife of one of the investigators. "It has been a hard year. I hope all the bitterness we had is worth it." Last May, the activists were arrested and detained for a month as they gathered evidence of low pay and excessive overtime, as well as physical and crude verbal abuse at a Huajian Group shoe factory in the southeastern Chinese city of Ganzhou. Huajian has dismissed those allegations as false and said the men were conducting industrial espionage. Police pressured the investigators into signing documents stating that their actions caused the Huajian Group a financial loss – which could give Chinese authorities ongoing leverage, according to China Labour Watch founder Li Qiang. "This is the police plan to give them potential pressure to control them," Li said, adding that police also warned the men not to "make trouble." Though the men have been out of jail for a year, under the terms of their bail they have been subject to travel restrictions and police surveillance – conditions that now should be lifted. Deng's husband, Hua Haifeng, hopes to travel to the United States in July for a four-month stint as a visiting researcher at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, according to a letter of invitation provided by China Labour Watch. The group has undertaken hundreds of undercover inspections of labour practices in the supply chains of companies such as Samsung and Apple. Trump is the oldest daughter of US President Donald Trump. ^ top ^
Chinese police break up military veterans' protest in Zhenjiang (HKFP)
2018-06-26
Police have dispersed military veterans who had demonstrated in an eastern Chinese city to protest the alleged beating of elderly ex-soldiers demanding better pensions, witnesses told AFP on Monday. The demonstrations highlighted the years-long struggle among former soldiers of the world's biggest standing army to get better benefits, posing a headache for the country's Communist leadership. Authorities in China have little tolerance for public dissent but the People's Liberation Army and its veterans are venerated as heroes, and protests continued for days in the city of Zhenjiang before police intervened on Sunday. "Scores of armed police came yesterday along with government officials to force everyone to go home. Some people were detained and we're not sure about their whereabouts," a witness who supported the veterans told AFP. Thousands of army veterans have staged protests in recent years against officials whom they accuse of denying them benefits. Witnesses said hundreds of veterans came to Zhenjiang from across the country after unconfirmed reports that security guards had beaten a group of elderly veterans outside a municipal building earlier this month. "They were very well organised with tents and provisions, and every day, people from Zhenjiang came to join and support them," a local schoolteacher told AFP, also requesting anonymity out of safety concerns. The witness recorded a video showing about 100 protesters outside a hospital where at least one beaten pensioner was believed to be recuperating. Another witness video showed soldiers marching with red banners declaring: "We are Communists, not criminals." Footage from the protests appeared to be censored on China's popular Weibo social media website but unverified clips appeared on Twitter, which is blocked in the country. Several veterans contacted by AFP said they were "unable to speak about the situation". A veteran who was not present at the protests said he has "lost contact" with friends who demonstrated and feared violence may have been used to expel them. The government had prevented other retired soldiers from travelling to Zhenjiang, he added. China's defence ministry had vowed in 2016 to improve living standards for veterans after thousands had demonstrated outside army offices in Beijing. China has laid off more than a million troops since the 1980s and vowed last year to further cut its two-million strong army. Many former soldiers, with little formal education, have found it difficult to re-adjust to normal society and find jobs in the civilian economy. The Ministry of Veteran Affairs opened in April with the aim of streamlining pensions and retirement benefits, which vary widely in the country. ^ top ^
Beijing tries to play down 'Made in China 2025' as Donald Trump escalates trade hostilities (SCMP)
2018-06-26
Beijing is attempting to play down "Made in China 2025" by ordering state media to minimise their coverage of the industrial modernisation programme, as US President Donald Trump makes it a focus of his trade battle with China. Three separate mainland media sources briefed about the directive told the South China Morning Post that the government has instructed Chinese state media agencies to avoid mentioning Made in China 2025 in their reports. A reporter with a state-owned newspaper told the Post that an official affiliated with the Communist Youth League in Beijing recently made him aware of the demand. Another source traced the clampdown back to early May, when an American delegation headed by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin flew to Beijing to begin trade negotiations with a Chinese team led by vice-premier Liu He. The sources declined to be named because instructions from Chinese censors often are regarded as confidential information. Made in China 2025, an ambitious plan to give China a leading edge on several hi-tech fronts, has become a thorny issue between China and its trading partners, including the US and the EU. The plan aims to make China a tech superpower by calling for a dramatic increase in domestically-made products in 10 sectors – from robotics to biopharmaceuticals – that the government hopes will accelerate an industrial upgrade as economic growth slows. It seeks to advance the development of industries that in addition to semiconductors includes artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals and electric vehicles. The US$50 billion of Chinese goods on which Trump plans to slap 25 per cent tariffs, starting on July 6, include items related to Made in China 2025, according to the White House. Trump also is attempting to impede Beijing's progress in its industrial development by blocking Chinese companies from investing in US tech firms, The Wall Street Journal reported. While US media have boosted their efforts to explain the facts behind Made in China 2025 as the looming all-out trade war focuses attention on it, voices promoting the initiative in China's official rhetoric have grown significantly fainter. Mentions of the programme on the website of China's Ministry of Commerce have sharply fallen. In the past 12 months, the ministry published close to 190 Made in China 2025 articles on its site, ranging from government documents that established national demonstration areas for the project, to promotional materials that lauded its benefits to the southern African country of Zambia. But in the last three months, the number of articles published on the site plunged to nine, with just two in the last 30 days. The most recent piece, published on June 19, recirculated an April document from the State Council, China's cabinet, praising 14 Chinese cities for carrying out the programme effectively last year. A quick search on the website of People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, turned up references to dozens of Made in China 2025 articles that were published or shared this month, but the sources were mainly local governments, rather than Beijing. For instance, an article published by Changzhou Daily last week said that Changzhou, an industrial centre in eastern China's Jiangsu province, took part in Made in China 2025 by speeding up its development of intelligent manufacturing – generally understood to mean deploying industrial robotics to enhance competitiveness. Zhong Wei, a Beijing Normal University professor, has said that Beijing could play down the importance of Made in China 2025 if it wanted to ease other nations' growing concerns about China's global ambitions. In an article published on his personal social media account this month, Zhong said Beijing should stop touting Made in China 2025 as a development strategy, which the US and Europe see as indisputable evidence of China's aim to dominate hi-tech sectors via state-sponsored activities. The EU's business lobby, for example, has warned that China could use the plan to discriminate against foreign firms in favour of Chinese competitors. Instead, Zhong said, Beijing should present the programme as a simple guideline for upgrading its manufacturing sector. "There is no evidence that Beijing has made any concrete arrangements for Made in China 2025 in terms of personnel, budgets or resource allocation," Zhong wrote. "It is a visionary and guiding document, and is completely different from China's five-year plans on economic and social development." ^ top ^
Prosecutors to get tougher with financial, environmental, poverty-relief crime (Xinhua)
2018-06-25
Over the next three years, Chinese prosecutors will get tougher on financial and environmental crime as well as crime in poverty-relief efforts, especially corruption, Deputy Procurator-General Tong Jianming said Monday at a news briefing. Tong said the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) has issued a circular to provide judicial support for the country's "three tough battles," namely to forestall and defuse major risks, carry out targeted poverty alleviation, and control pollution. Financial crime, illegal fund-raising, fraud, online pyramid schemes and campus loans, among others, will be targeted. Financial personnel who engage in insider trading, abuse power for profits, and "big crocodiles" who pull strings in the market will be severely punished. Crime occurring in poverty relief cases will be targeted, including all forms of embezzlement and theft of relief funds. Village gangs and their protectors will be dealt with. Prosecutors will also focus on pollution crime, including illegal disposal of toxic materials, excessive emissions. and negligence of duty. Tong asked the prosecutors to study the boundaries of the law to separate economic disputes from economic crimes, financial innovations from financial crimes, and legitimate financing from illegal fund-raising. The principles of the Constitution and laws should be upheld and applied equally to all forms of economic ownership, Tong said, adding the rights and interests of companies should be protected. ^ top ^
Nation plans to mark 40th year of reform, opening-up (Global Times)
2018-06-25
China will launch promotional and educational activities across the country to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its reform and opening-up policies. With the theme "Carrying the reform and opening-up to the end," the activities will focus on "telling the stories of reform and opening-up," according to a circular released by nine departments, including the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission. The activities will include tours of cities and rural areas, listening to reports on the reform and opening-up made by Party and government officials, citizens' accounts of how their lives have been changed, contests, songs, and photo and video presentations on reform and opening-up, the circular said. "The activities will demonstrate the splendid path, great accomplishments and precious practices of the 40 years of reform and opening-up," the circular added. They will also show the historic achievements the Party has made in reform and opening-up and socialist modernization since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, and the historic shifts in the cause of the Party and the country, it said. ^ top ^
Chinese military veterans' rally for better welfare ends as armed police move in (SCMP)
2018-06-24
A five-day protest in eastern China by thousands of military veterans demanding better welfare rights and an end to violence against them was brought to a close on Sunday after armed police were sent in to disperse the crowd. The mass gathering in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, was held following a number of violent attacks on campaigning veterans in other parts of the country. Several people who took part in the protest told the South China Morning Post that it ended when the Jiangsu government sent in hundreds of armed police. Officials from other provinces and cities also arrived in Zhenjiang to "convince" people to go home, they said. China's 57 million ex-military personnel have been fighting for years for a better deal in retirement. After several large-scale protests last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to tackle the issue, and in April, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs opened for business in Beijing. A former military man from southern China's Guizhou province said he was upset at how the latest protest had ended. "We had to make a compromise … but we are still very angry," he said. "Assaults on veterans is a public humiliation of China's military, but it's just the tip of the iceberg on the issue." The veteran, who gave his surname as Liu, said that retired servicemen and women from across the country had joined the demonstration in Zhenjiang after hearing about and witnessing violent attacks against their former colleagues as they campaigned for better treatment. He said that since May there had been multiple assaults by "gangsters and thugs" hired by local officials to "maintain stability" in Guangdong, Sichuan, Hunan, Hainan, Henan, Anhui and Liaoning, among other places. Another veteran, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that several protesters in Zhenjiang needed hospital treatment after the armed police were sent in, and that others had been detained. He was unable to provide details of those injured or held, and neither the municipal government nor police were prepared to comment on the matter. On May 22, more than 1,000 retired People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers gathered in a square in Luoding, southern China's Guangdong province, to protest against the treatment of a fellow veteran. Five days earlier, 60-year-old Liu Tianrong had required hospital treatment for cuts to his nose and forehead after being beaten by unidentified assailants for trying to petition Beijing – along with eight others – for better treatment for veterans. The witness to the alleged attacks in Zhenjiang said: "We veterans realised that we have to join together to fight for our dignity, because even though the central government set up the veterans ministry several months ago nothing has been done." The new agency is intended to consolidate a range of functions previously distributed across the civil affairs and human resources ministries, and the political works and logistics support departments of the Central Military Commission. Professor Zeng Zhiping, a military law expert at Nanchang Institute of Technology in Jiangxi province, said miscommunication between the PLA and local governments, as well as a lack of transparency within the PLA was to blame for the long-standing veterans issue, and the knotty relations between ex-military personnel and local governments. "In China, there is not a channel for local governments to ask the PLA to provide the help and information they need [to identify veterans] … so local officials often regard [protesting] veterans as troublemakers," he said. "The central government should give local authorities the legal right to demand that information from the PLA." ^ top ^
China unveils guideline to win battle against pollution (Xinhua)
2018-06-24
China has unveiled a guideline to comprehensively enhance ecological and environmental protection and win the battle against pollution of air, water and soil. The guideline, published Sunday by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, specified pollution prevention and control targets the country expects to achieve by 2020 and beyond. China will develop and implement a three-year plan to fight air pollution, with much focus on regions like the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its neighbouring areas, and the Yangtze River Delta. Efforts will be made to improve the region's industry, energy, transport and land use structures. By 2020, cities with low air quality standards should see their density of PM 2.5, a key indicator of air pollution, fall at least 18 percent from 2015 levels, while cities at prefecture level and above should see the number of good-air days reach over 80 percent annually. Emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides should drop at least 15 percent from 2015 levels, while chemical oxygen demand and emission of ammonia nitrogen should decrease by over 10 percent, according to the plan. For water quality improvement, the country will continue to implement the action plan on fighting water pollution as well as the systems of river and lake chiefs. China aims to see over 70 percent of its surface water to be drinkable by 2020, while the share of polluted surface water should be controlled within five percent. Meanwhile, about 70 percent of the country's offshore area water should be of good quality. To address soil pollution, China will comprehensively implement the action plan with specific measures taken to control soil pollution and restore polluted soil, promote classified disposal of waste and enhance prevention and control of solid waste pollution. By 2020, about 90 percent of the polluted farmland can be utilized safely while over 90 percent of the contaminated land will be able to be used safely, according to the guideline. ^ top ^
Xi urges breaking new ground in major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics (Xinhua)
2018-06-23
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to break new ground in major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, with the guidance of the thought on diplomacy of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era. In an address at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs held in Beijing on Friday and Saturday, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the Central Military Commission, underscored the importance of keeping in mind both internal and international imperatives, focusing on realizing Chinese nation's rejuvenation and promoting human progress, and making contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. He also urged the efforts to firmly safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, take an active part in leading the reform of the global governance system, and build a more complete network of global partnerships, so that new advances will be made in major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics to create a favorable environment for, and make due contributions to, building a moderately prosperous society and a great modern socialist country in all aspects. The conference was presided over by Li Keqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council. Attending the conference were: Li Zhanshu, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress; Wang Yang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee; Zhao Leji, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC Central Committee; Han Zheng, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council; and Vice President Wang Qishan. Xi said since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, facing with the vicissitudes of the international situation, China has overcome difficulties to push forward major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in a groundbreaking way under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, having withstood various challenges, cracked hard nuts and made achievements of historic significance. Through these practices, China has accumulated useful experience and came to the conclusion that conducting external work requires taking into account both domestic and international situations, maintaining strategic confidence and resolve, putting forward innovations in diplomatic theory and practice, promoting strategic planning, advancing diplomatic agenda globally, safeguarding China's core and major interests, upholding win-win cooperation and justice while pursuing shared interests, and thinking about worst-case scenarios and risks. "We have kept a firm hold of the development trend of China and the world in the new era since the 18th CPC National Congress and made a series of important innovations on external work in theories and practices, thus forming the thought on diplomacy of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era," said Xi. […] ^ top ^
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| Tibet |
PLA holds high-altitude drill on plateau in Tibet (Global Times)
2018-06-28
Soldiers of the People's Liberation Army stationed in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region carried out a military drill on Tuesday to test their logistics and armament support capabilities. Analysts hailed the drill, which cooperated with local companies and government, as an important move toward military-civilian integration, a strategy to realize the country's goal of building a strong military in the new era. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has an adverse climate and complex topography. Over a long period of time, it is very difficult to provide soldiers with logistics and armament support. To solve the difficulties in personnel survival, delivery, material supply, rescue, emergency maintenance and road safety, the military has adopted a military-civilian integration strategy and constantly advanced logistics support capabilities, Zhang Wenlong, head of the command logistics support department, told the Xinhua News Agency. Zhang said that this drill aimed to explore a new mode of military-civilian integration in the plateau command following the reshuffle of the military system. The Xinhua report said that during the drill, a local petroleum company supplied fuel immediately when the armored unit ran out of fuel and the city government of Lhasa delivered a steady flow of food to soldiers after a day of mock battle. "The biggest challenge of battle at the high altitude is to provide sustainable logistics and armament support. In the 1962 China-India border conflict, China failed to protect its fruits of victory due to poor logistics support. Although local Tibetan residents provided soldiers with temporary support, it was not sustainable," Song Zhongping, a military expert, told the Global Times. "The drill showed that military-civilian integration is a feasible strategy and could help form stronger combat power," he added. PLA soldiers have conducted a series of drills to test their combat readiness. In August, PLA troops in the Tibet Military Command conducted a 13-hour drill at an elevation of 4,600 meters, China Central Television reported. The training was targeted at specific issues revealed in a high-altitude drill conducted in July. ^ top ^
Court hears public interest case against poachers (Xinhua)
2018-06-29
A court in China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday heard the region's first public interest litigation against poachers. Prosecutors in Qonggyai county filed the case against four people found hunting Alpine musk deer, a Class-A protected animal in China, on May 16. The four defendants illegally sold the musk obtained from the deer. The regional forestry department evaluated the poachers had caused economic losses of 240,000 yuan (around 36,2500 U.S. dollars). "The case is expected to offer legal remedies for the loss and show Tibet's determination to protect wildlife," said Shen Xiaoding, a member of the regional procuratorate. The verdict will be passed at a later date. China's top legislature passed amendments to the civil and administrative procedure laws to allow prosecutors to institute public interest litigation in June 2017. The move aims to better protect the interests of the nation and the public, especially concerning environment and resource protection and food safety. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
Xinjiang to train 1,500 medical workers to help rural residents (Xinhua)
2018-06-28
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will train 1,500 medical workers in the next five years to provide better medical treatment for residents and herdsmen in poverty-hit areas, the regional health authority said on Thursday. According to the regional health and family planning commission, 300 people will be trained each year, with the regional government covering their tuition and accommodation fees. Two thirds of the medical workers will be allocated to impoverished counties and villages in Kashgar, Hotan, Kizilsu and Aksu prefectures, after a three-year learning course and a two-year internship, the commission said. Most of the poverty-stricken counties are located in southern Xinjiang, where a poor living environment, insufficient infrastructure and a lack of public services have resulted in considerable poverty. ^ top ^
Xinjiang Muslims attend sinicization training to maintain social stability (Global Times)
2018-06-27
More than 70 religious leaders from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region attended a four-month training in Beijing, vowing to introduce the experience of sinicizing Islam to the region troubled by religious extremists. The session included courses and site visits to cities like Quanzhou in East China's Fujian Province and Qufu in East China's Shandong Province, China News Service (CNS) reported. Fujian is among the first regions in China to introduce Islam, while Qufu is a city known as the birthplace of Confucian culture. By interacting with Muslims from other regions, religious staff in Xinjiang could gain a better understanding of the religion, Turgunjan Tursun, a professor at Zhejiang Normal University, told the Global Times on Wednesday. At a symposium held at the Central Institute of Socialism on Tuesday, Ma Jianzhong, an Imam from Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, said Xinjiang could borrow the experience of sinicizing Islam from eastern cities, CNS reported Tuesday. Remote areas in Xinjiang could also learn from villages in eastern China, such as developing agricultural tourism to boost the local economy, Ma added. The practice of Islam in China was partly derailed as some religious people failed to combine the doctrines with the local situation, Tursun said. Religion must follow local political and cultural practices so that it could enjoy long-term development in the region, Tursun added. Such training has been conducted for several years to maintain social stability in Xinjiang and build a moderately prosperous society. "The interactions could help Xinjiang's Muslims become aware of the government's policy to sinicize Islam without bias," Tursun said. He also noted that "sinicizing Islam meets the demand of the country's administration for religious affairs, promotes harmonious multicultural coexistence and conforms to self-development needs." ^ top ^
Human rights improve in Xinjiang, experts say (China Daily)
2018-06-27
Human rights are seeing rapid improvement in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, according to experts at a United Nations meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. A side-event on developments in Xinjiang at the 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council was sponsored by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and is the first of its kind. Some 60 representatives from government, international groups and nongovernmental organizations, along with experts, scholars and reporters, took part in the event on Monday. Gao Jianlong, president of the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, said that through continuous efforts, Xinjiang has implemented targeted and effective measures to alleviate poverty, thus safeguarding people's rights to subsistence and development. From 2012 to 2017, a total of 1.39 million people in Xinjiang were lifted out of poverty, he said. Since 2017, for the first time, Xinjiang has had an information database for all its residents, laying a solid foundation for further efforts to eradicate poverty. Zuliyati Simayi, deputy dean of the College of Politics and Public Administration of Xinjiang University, said that before the establishment of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, women from ethnic minority groups had little access to education. Now, well-educated women comprise 40.4 percent of employees in the nonprivate sector in Xinjiang's urban areas, and the proportion in the education and health industries is even higher, she added. Women in Xinjiang have become an important force for social development through education, she said. De Quanying, dean of the School of Law of the Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics, said that since ancient times, Xinjiang has been a region with ethnic groups living in harmony. Under the principle of safeguarding national unification, people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are fully exercising their right to autonomy. Aili Wufu Er, director of the Institute of Ethnic Cultures of the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, said that Xinjiang is a multilingual and multicultural region where ethnic minorities' spoken and written languages are extensively used and traditional cultures and relics are well-preserved. Shu Hongshui, deputy dean of the School of Anti-Terrorism Law at the Northwest University of Political Science and Law, said that China's fight against violence and terrorism is to safeguard national security, public security and regional stability. China has also strengthened international counterterrorism cooperation, which contributes to regional stability and promotes development of human rights in a number of countries, Shu said. Zhao Shukun, a professor at the Human Rights Research Institute at Southwest University of Political Science and Law, said that as of the end of 2016, with 60.3 hospital beds and 21.2 doctors serving every 10,000 local people, Xinjiang's medical service capacity was above the national average. In September 2016, Xinjiang launched a medical care program to provide free annual physical examinations for all residents, she added. ^ top ^
Xinjiang officials spread Party policies in rural areas by reading newspapers (Global Times)
2018-06-25
Over 40,000 local officials from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region this year have been sent to farms and villages to promote Party policies and socialist ideas to residents by reading newspapers. The team in Xinjiang's Altay Prefecture is composed of over 40,000 people, called "newspaper readers," and are mostly government officials and company employees, a social media account operated by the united front work department of Xinjiang reported on Sunday. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, preferential Party policies and political commentaries are required to be promoted during the activities, the report said. For the 17,000 Altay residents who work outside the prefecture, the team has sent relevant materials through WeChat. For the 12,000 herdsman, about 785 activities are held in over 200 yurts. "Many Xinjiang residents did not know much about preferential policies on poverty alleviation, while the team in villages help change the situation and better implement such policies," said Turgunjan Tursun, a professor at Zhejiang Normal University. Similar activities to better connect local officials and residents are held in other parts of the region. In December 2017, officials and government employees in Xinjiang were required to live, eat and study with local families whom officials have been told to consider and treat as "relatives." A government employee at a prison in Urumqi who requested anonymity told the Global Times that such policies help residents better understand government policies, and also help remove misunderstandings. The policies help prevent local residents from being fooled by separatists into joining activities that undermine national security, as they would have a clear understanding of such crimes and national policies, said the anonymous employee. The "newspaper readers" also read proses, poems and novels to local residents. Due to the nomadic lifestyle, herdsmen seldom have the chance for cultural activities, and the officials' presence is a good way to satisfy the diverse cultural needs. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
Hong Kong to hold 3rd Belt and Road forum (China Daily)
2018-06-25
Hong Kong will hold the third Belt and Road forum on Thursday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, organizers said on Monday. The forum themed "Collaborate for Success" will be jointly organized by the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). More than 80 speakers from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and countries along the Belt and Road routes will share their insights on business opportunities and cooperation. The HKTDC has been reaching out to various countries and regions along the Belt and Road routes through business missions to explore business opportunities for Hong Kong, said Vincent Lo, chairman of the HKTDC. The forum will present more than 220 investment projects from about 40 countries and regions, including projects in logistics, infrastructure, energy, technology and urban development. One-to-one business matching meetings will be arranged for projects owners, investors and service providers based on their needs. ^ top ^
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| Macau |
Vice premier meets with Macao SAR chief executive (Xinhua)
2018-06-28
Vice Premier Han Zheng met with Chief Executive of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Chui Sai On in Beijing Thursday. Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, listened to Chui's comments and suggestions concerning the master plan to develop the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. He asked for a comprehensive and precise implementation of the principle of "one country, two systems," and the strict adherence to the Constitution and Basic Law of the Macao SAR. Han suggested Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao draw on each other's strengths, seek win-win cooperation and common development in developing the greater bay area, so that the vast majority of the people in the region can share the benefits. He hoped that Macao can seize this valuable opportunity and leverage its advantages to take part in the endeavor. Chui said he believed the greater bay area would bring Macao new development opportunities, and the government the Macao SAR would listen to everyone's suggestions and play an active role in the implementation of the master plan. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
Beijing rejects US request to negotiate on Taiwan reference (Global Times)
2018-06-28
China called on foreign companies to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, after it rejected US requests to negotiate how US airlines companies should refer to the island of Taiwan. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang reiterated Beijing's position at a press conference Thursday that the one-China principle is a precondition for China to develop relations and cooperation with other countries. China's aviation administration has demanded that foreign airline companies refer to Taiwan island as part of China on their websites. A number of foreign airlines, including Air Canada, Lufthansa and British Airways have already made changes to their websites, although several US companies, including Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, sought extensions to the deadline to make the changes, Reuters reported. The final deadline is July 25. ^ top ^
'Fake news' Chinese journalist is refused entry by Taiwan (SCMP)
2018-06-28
Taiwan authorities have barred a reporter for a television network on the mainland from working on the island, accusing him of spreading "fake news" at a time of heightened cross-strait tensions. It is the first time a mainland Chinese reporter has been banned from the island for "creating cross-strait conflict", according to Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), which handles official affairs with the mainland. It said the decision was due to multiple incidents in which Ye Qinglin, from Southeast Television in Fujian province, breached rules governing mainland media in Taiwan. The rules state that mainland press should stick to a pre-approved plan and follow the principles of fair and objective reporting. Ye has regularly been sent to Taiwan on assignments for the past 10 years, but his latest application to re-enter the island was rejected, the MAC said. "The government respects and protects press freedom, but we definitely will not allow Chinese press to spread false information through fake news," it said in a statement. The council's spokesman Chui Chui-cheng told Agence France-Presse that Ye had previously attempted to report at military bases without authorisation. Ye also sparked controversy in February when he accused a Japanese rescue team sent in after a deadly earthquake in Taiwan's Hualien city of refusing to go into a badly damaged building out of fear for their safety. Authorities said at the time that it was untrue, and some social media users blamed Ye for trying to dent Taiwan's relations with Japan, one of its key allies. Ye frequently criticises Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and her policies on his Facebook page, and he supports Beijing's belief that Taiwan belongs to the mainland. His rejection comes as tensions escalate between Taipei and Beijing, with the mainland increasing military and diplomatic pressure on the island, which it sees as part of its territory to be brought back into its fold. In retaliation, Taiwan – which is a self-ruling democracy and sees itself as a sovereign nation – has said it would tighten screening for mainland officials applying to visit the island. Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office said the ban on Ye was a "bad precedent" and that mainland reporters in Taiwan provided "objective and fair reports". Ye said in a Facebook post that he believed he had been blacklisted for his reporting on the February earthquake. "Taiwan authorities can block me physically, but can they block my mouth and my pen?" he wrote. "Increasing cross-strait understanding has always been my pursuit." Cross-strait relations have rapidly deteriorated since Tsai came to power two years ago. She has refused to acknowledge that both sides are part of "one China". Instead, she has called on the international community to "constrain" Communist China from breaching the liberal values shared by Taiwan and other nations. ^ top ^
US names career diplomat Brent Christensen as unofficial envoy to Taiwan (SCMP)
2018-06-27
Washington has appointed a career diplomat as its unofficial envoy to Taiwan in a move analysts say shows it is trying to avoid further antagonising Beijing. Brent Christensen, who has nearly three decades of diplomatic experience and is well versed in Taiwan and mainland affairs, will succeed Kin Moy as director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Washington's de facto embassy in the absence of official ties with the island. "The AIT is pleased to announce the selection of Mr William Brent Christensen as the new director of its Taipei office, succeeding Mr Kin Moy beginning summer 2018," the AIT said in a statement on Wednesday. Christensen has been with the US foreign service for close to 30 years and has extensive experience in senior positions relating to Taiwan and mainland China, the statement said, referring to his stint as AIT deputy director from 2012 to 2015, when Ma Ying-jeou was president. The island's government welcomed the appointment, saying Christensen was familiar with Taiwan-related issues and had made significant contributions to promoting closer ties. "We hope that both sides can continue to advance our many bilateral exchange programmes after Christensen takes office and brings our friendly ties into a new era," Taiwan's presidential office said in a statement. The announcement of Moy's successor has ended months of speculation over who Washington would appoint to replace him amid an escalating trade dispute between the US and mainland China and heightened security tensions over Beijing's military build-up in the disputed South China Sea. "By appointing a career diplomat, it shows that the US doesn't want to further antagonise Beijing but is choosing to deal with US-Taiwan-China relations in line with past practice," said Wang Kung-yi, a political science professor at Chinese Culture University in Taipei. "Unlike a political appointee who would follow the instructions of the leader, a career diplomat will follow the existing systems and practices to do things in a stable and smooth way," Wang said. Beijing – which regards Taiwan as a wayward province subject to eventual union, by force if necessary – has warned the United States and other countries against forging official ties with the island, and any sign of this has triggered tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Although Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, it has continued to support the self-ruled island militarily under the Taiwan Relations Act that was instituted after the change. Kuomintang lawmaker Wang Yu-min said Christensen was well versed in both Taiwan and mainland affairs, and as a career diplomat he was not expected to propose anything that would affect relations between Washington and Beijing. "Christensen is expected to follow what has long been practised by the State Department in terms of US-Taiwan relations," she said. Wang added that Taipei and Washington may develop closer ties under US President Donald Trump, who she said had tried to use the island as a pawn in dealing with Beijing. In June, the AIT launched a new US$255 million office complex in Taipei in a sign of Washington's increasing support as Beijing steps up pressure on Taiwan, including with military exercises around the island, poaching its diplomatic allies and pressuring foreign companies such as airlines to refer to Taiwan as a part of mainland China. Beijing suspended official exchanges with Taipei after Tsai Ing-wen, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, became president in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle that the mainland insists is the basis for any cross-strait dialogue. Li Fei, deputy director of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, said Christensen was seen as a centre-right politician, which would make him a safe choice for the AIT. "The US will continue to play the Taiwan card in dealing with China," Li said. "But it has to play it well or it will force China to resolve the Taiwan issue immediately," he said, adding that this was why Christensen had been chosen for the job. Before his previous role with the AIT, Christensen was director of the Statement Department's Office of Taiwan Coordination, where he was involved in US policymaking on Taiwan. He has also had three assignments at the US embassy in Beijing, most recently working as an environment, science, technology and health counsellor. ^ top ^
PLA conducts island encirclement exercise around Taiwan (Global Times)
2018-06-26
Military actions, including those involving aircraft carriers, are always an option if the island of Taiwan continues to "play with fire," an expert warned Tuesday after the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy conducted real combat exercises around the island involving "Chinese Aegis" class destroyers. A fleet consisting of destroyer Jinan and frigate Huanggang under the PLA Eastern Theater Command has been conducting a high-sea real combat exercise since June 17, the official website of the PLA Navy, navy.81.cn, reported on Monday. The fleet has sailed through straits and waterways including the Bashi Channel and the Taiwan Straits, according to the report. The exercise has successfully examined tactics and training procedures by teaming up with other naval warships, aviation forces and coastal defense forces in multiple sea areas, it said. The PLA Navy and Air Force are increasing the frequency of military exercises around Taiwan, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday. The fleet had entered Taiwan's "air defense identification zone" and stayed for more than a week. This is the PLA Navy's second island encirclement exercise around the island within a month, Taiwan-based media United Daily News reported last week. "It is normal and legitimate for the Chinese mainland to send strong signals like this to the administration of the island," said Song. PLA must be able to deal with not only Taiwan's military, but also potential intervention from the military alliance of the US and Japan, Song stressed. This is also the first time a Type 052C destroyer, namely Jinan, has conducted a training mission like this. Type 052C is called the "Chinese Aegis" because of its phased array radar and air defense missiles, which pose huge threats to Taiwan, noted United Daily News. However, Type 052C is no more than an air defense missile destroyer. Taiwan should expect more military equipment including China's 10,000-ton class missile destroyer Type 055 and aircraft carriers to take part in similar exercises in the future, said Song. Solving the Taiwan question with force is always a choice on the table, and Taiwan should not play with fire, warned Song. ^ top ^
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| Economy |
Chinese firms to stay in Iran despite US threats (Global Times)
2018-06-28
Chinese enterprises will not pull out of Iran after US sanctions kick in, but they may face a tough business environment due to pressure from the US, Chinese analysts said following reports that the US demanded China and other countries cease imports of crude oil from Iran. US officials warned allies that they should prepare to cut oil imports from Iran to zero by November or face US sanctions, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. US officials have traveled in recent weeks to Europe and Asia to try to garner support for the administration's tougher Iran policy, CNN reported. However, China will maintain its normal cooperation with Iran, said experts. "China and Iran are friendly countries to each other. We maintain normal exchanges and cooperation on the basis of fulfilling our obligations under international law, including in the fields of economy, trade and energy. This is beyond reproach," Lu Kang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Wednesday. Hua Liming, a former Chinese ambassador to Iran, told the Global Times that Chinese enterprises in Iran, especially those in energy-related sectors, will face a tough business environment, and their operations will be affected due to the US' sanctions. Currently, there are around 100 Chinese enterprises investing in industries such as energy, infrastructure and automobiles in Iran, according to Hua. The US may cut off remittance routes so that transactions between China and Iran are affected, according to Hua. China is Iran's biggest customer in crude oil. According to the General Administration of Customs, China imported 39 million tons of crude oil in May, and the total amount of crude oil China imported from January to May this year has increased 8.2 percent compared to the same period last year. "However, Chinese companies will not follow European firms in withdrawing their business in Iran," Hua said. Nearly a dozen European firms have canceled or suspended trade and investment deals with Iran after the US pulled out of the nuclear deal in May, Bloomberg reported. Chinese companies have kept normal business operations in Iran since back in 2012 when the Obama administration tightened sanctions against Tehran, and this time, Chinese companies will be more determined to continue their operations in Iran, said Li Shaoxian, head of the Arab Research Institute at Ningxia University. But both Li and Hua warned that Chinese banks and companies have to prepare themselves for possible financial loss. "To avoid possible financial loss in the US market, Chinese companies, especially those that have branches in the US, or are listed in the US stock market, should weigh their interests while operating in Iran," Hua said, urging the firms not to sell US technology to Iran. ^ top ^
China unveils shortened negative list for foreign investment (Global Times)
2018-06-29
China on Thursday unveiled a shortened negative list for foreign investment, with the number of items down to 48 from 63 in the previous version. Jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Commerce, the new negative list will become effective on July 28, 2018. The list, with the official name "Special Administrative Measures on Access to Foreign Investment (Negative List) (2018 Version)," will substitute a catalogue for guiding foreign investment revised in 2017. The new list widens market access for foreign investment in primary, secondary as well as tertiary sectors, detailing 22 opening-up measures in fields including finance, transportation, professional services, infrastructure, energy, resources, and agriculture. The number of items subject to special administrative measures on the new negative list was cut from 63 to 48, further reducing the scope of foreign investment approval, the NDRC said. The new list also detailed a timetable for opening-up in the automobile and finance sectors, the commission said. China marks the 40th anniversary of its reform and opening-up policy this year. Making public the new negative list is an important move to implement the central authorities' arrangement for the opening-up strategy, relax market access to a great extent, and push forward high-level opening up, the NDRC said. "The new round of opening-up will provide new impetus for attracting more foreign investment, promoting market competition and raising innovation capability," the commission said. It will also push ahead high-quality development and deep-level reforms, make new ground in pursuing opening-up on all fronts, and give strong support to the development of economic globalization. In recent years, China has reduced the number of restricted measures on foreign investment by nearly two-thirds, and also significantly reformed the approval system for foreign investment. Under the negative list-based approach, fields not subject to the negative list are now administered by "filing for record" management. "China's economic development is a process of actively integrating with economic globalization and constantly expanding its opening up," the NDRC said, adding that with better industrial, policy and legal environments, China has the foundation for opening up at a higher level. The new opening-up measures will further deepen investment cooperation between China and other countries and regions, and facilitate more extensive capital, technology, management and personnel exchanges. "In response to the trend of the times, China's active opening-up move is conducive to not only itself but also the whole world," the NDRC said. The country hopes to work with other countries to create a more favorable environment for promoting economic globalization, according to the commission. ^ top ^
Accusations of China stealing IPRs, forcing tech transfers groundless (Xinhua)
2018-06-28
Accusations that China steals intellectual property rights (IPRs) and forces technological transfers are sheer fabrications out of nothing and groundless, Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen told a press briefing Thursday. "China is firm on IPR protection and has taken notable measures which have produced recognized results," Wang said. Citing surveys by the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (European Chamber), Wang said IPR protection is far from the most prominent issue for the member enterprises. According to the AmCham China's business climate survey, member enterprises saw IPR as the 12th issue of major concern for their Chinese operations, while a similar survey by European Chamber listed IPR the 11th. "If China had forced technological transfers, failed in IPR protection, or even stolen IPRs, the enterprises would have complained directly," the vice minister said. "The reason enterprises have not complained or listed IPR as their primary concern is because China has done a good job in handling IPR related issues," Wang said. In terms of IPR legislation, China has enacted laws and regulations which are compliant with the WTO rules and increased law enforcement on this front, he said. China has set up three IPR courts in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and special judicial organs in 15 cities to handle cross-regional IPR cases. Moreover, the State Intellectual Property Office has been restructured to strengthen law enforcement. As a result, foreign IPR holders have won 80 percent of the infringement lawsuits they filed in China, Wang said. "China has never stopped promoting IPR protection," Wang said, adding that foreign enterprises have spoken highly of the measures. Since 2001, intellectual property royalties paid by China to foreign rights holders have registered an annual growth of 17 percent, reaching 28.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, according to a white paper titled "China and the World Trade Organization" which was released Thursday. Last year, China's invention patent applications ranked the first in the world for the seventh consecutive year, another example of China's sound protection of IPRs, Wang said. "IPR protection in China is not perfect, but this fact does not lend legitimacy to any accusations that China's defects in IPR protection are the root cause of trade frictions," the vice minister said. "China will continue to work hard in strengthening IPR protection for the interests of not only Chinese but also foreign enterprises," Wang said. ^ top ^
China issues circular on settling business disputes (Xinhua)
2018-06-28
Chinese central authorities Wednesday issued a circular on settling international business disputes during Belt and Road cooperation. The circular, issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, asked all areas and departments to implement it in accordance with their circumstances. The circular called for efforts to actively promote international cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative, settle business disputes in accordance with the law, and protect the legal rights and interests of concerned participants, so as to create an equal and fair environment for doing business. The principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration should be observed when settling related disputes, it said. The principles of fairness, efficiency and convenience should also be maintained while the will of participants is respected, it said. ^ top ^
Chinese firm building Malaysian rail link 'not too worried' about review (SCMP)
2018-06-29
The Chinese state-owned firm building Malaysia's East Coast Rail Link says it is confident the controversial project will get the new administration's backing, after Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad called for it to be reviewed. Liu Qitao, president of China Communications Construction Group, compared concerns about the rail link raised by the Pakatan Harapan administration in Malaysia to what happened to the Colombo Port City project after a new government took office there in 2015. "The new administration [in Sri Lanka] questioned the project when they first came to power ... but after negotiating, they realised the project was good for the economy and livelihoods in Sri Lanka," Liu told the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong on Thursday. "The project in Malaysia is very similar to the [port city] case in Sri Lanka ... it is good for economic growth and people's livelihoods and I believe the new government will consider this ... we are not too worried," he said. Mahathir has said projects like the rail link need to be renegotiated because they are too expensive and too reliant on Chinese financing. The 92-year-old leader is expected to travel to Beijing soon, where he will negotiate with Chinese leaders to cut the cost of the project, which now stands at 55 billion ringgit (US$13.65 billion). Malaysia's new finance minister Lim Guan Eng earlier revealed that a 20 billion ringgit payment had already been made for the 620km rail link that will connect the rural east coast to the seaport of Klang in the wealthy western state of Selangor. Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Liu said if there was any renegotiation of the project, it would be between the governments. But he said China Communications Construction was open to negotiation with its partners on the contract details. "Based on commercial principles, we can talk ... for example, if the railway is longer, then the price can be higher. If it is shorter, then it is cheaper," Liu said. The rail link is a key project under Chinese President Xi Jinping's "Belt and Road Initiative", an ambitious infrastructure push that is coming under increasing criticism for raising the debt risk of countries involved, the lack of local workers, and over the ultimate sovereignty of the projects. Work began on the line last year after the Chinese company was awarded the contract. The Export-Import Bank of China will provide 85 per cent of the financing through a 20-year soft loan. The Chinese company is also involved in other belt and road projects including a railway linking the cities of Mombasa and Nairobi in Kenya. But Liu rejected criticism that most jobs went to Chinese workers, saying there were more local staff than Chinese working on all of its overseas projects. He said in Kenya, Chinese companies were planning to revive local economies by building industrial parks along the railway line. Chinese workers accounted for 89 per cent of contractors on China-funded transport infrastructure projects in 34 Asian and European countries last year, according to a study by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. Sri Lanka's coalition government in 2015 gave the green light for work to restart on the US$15 billion Colombo Port City real estate development after months of negotiation and changes to the contract. The US$1.4 billion first phase of the special financial zone is being built by a subsidiary of China Communications and Construction, which is also bearing the cost of reclaiming 269 hectares of land for the project. ^ top ^
Trump uses Foxconn groundbreaking to emphasise his hard-line China stance (SCMP)
2018-06-29
US President Donald Trump used the groundbreaking ceremony for Foxconn's US$10 billion plant in the US state of Wisconsin to emphasise his hard-line stance towards China. "We've helped rebuild China. Someday they'll say thank you. But we don't want to do that anymore," Trump said at one of the first buildings in the new campus. "We want to have a fair and balanced situation." Portraying what will be a 20 million square foot campus as part of a resurgence in hi-tech manufacturing in the US, Trump said the manufacturing of flat-screen LCD display panels at the new factory will eventually help narrow a long-running US trade deficit with China. Foxconn says the plant will employ 13,000 workers when in full production. "I have a lot of respect for China. I think it's great. And President Xi, I think he's great. He's a friend of mine. But we lost [US]$500 billion over the last number of years, we've lost [US]$500 billion a year." Punitive tariffs targeting US$50 billion worth of annual imports from China, primarily electronics and manufacturing equipment, are due to take effect on July 6, the same day that China will levy extra import taxes on the same amount of US goods as a retaliatory measure. Trump has threatened tariffs on an additional US$400 billion worth of Chinese imports if Beijing does not halt its countermeasures. China's trade surplus with the US hit a record US$375 billion last year, according to US government data, which pegs at US$119 billion in the first four months of this year. "We are demanding from foreign countries, friend and foe, fair and reciprocal trade," said Trump. "We have been very much taken advantage of as a country. We've lost our companies. We've lost our jobs. That's why this is so beautiful, because this is as great as it is anywhere in the world, and we'll be doing it in our country." China's rapid development as a large-scale manufacturer of hi-tech consumer products, some of which compete with US producers, has added urgency to efforts to bring manufacturing of such products back to America. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross underscored this point in an editorial published by The Journal Times, a local Wisconsin newspaper. "The Trump administration understands how important it is to rebuild the US consumer electronics manufacturing sector," Ross said. "The United States still leads in the creation of innovative, hi-tech products such as semiconductors, state-of-the art materials and components, parts and software, but it must regain its footing in the large-scale production of consumer electronics." Taiwan-based Foxconn, known formally as Hon Hai Precision Industry, is China's largest private employer with about a million on its payroll while US-headquartered Apple is the source of more than half of the company's revenue. Foxconn's total worldwide revenue rose to US$158.2 billion in 2017, up from US$140.6 billion a year earlier. Several of Foxconn's largest contract assembly plants are in mainland China, where they put together personal computers, laptops, Apple's iPads, iPhones and consumer electronics of all sizes and specifications. ^ top ^
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| DPRK |
Fresh signs of life at Yongbyon, the heart of North Korea's nuclear weapons programme (SCMP)
2018-06-28
North Korea appears to be keeping the heart of its nuclear operations ticking over ahead of talks with the United States on ridding the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons, senior scientists said on Thursday. The assessment followed the release of satellite images of the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Centre by 38 North, a North Korea monitoring group. The images indicate a series of upgrades to the site, North Korea's main nuclear facility, and are dated June 21 – 56 days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met South Korean President Moon Jae-in and nine days after Kim's summit with US President Donald Trump. Kim made pledges to "complete denuclearisation" at both meetings. Trump also suggested there would be a series of negotiations after the summit. According to 38 North, the Yongbyon site, about 100km north of the capital Pyongyang, appears to have a new engineering office, a new small non-industrial building and modifications to the secondary cooling loop of the 5 megawatt electric (5MWe) plutonium reactor. A small amount of cooling water also appeared to have been discharged from the reactor into the Kuryong River but the amount released was less than previously observed when the reactor was fully operational, and there was no visible steam from the generator building, the group said. Seoul National University nuclear engineering professor Suh Kune-yull said the small amount of discharged water could be a sign that the facility was still running but not at full capacity. "While more information must be collected to draw a more accurate conclusion, it seems like North Korea is in the process of extracting plutonium or making tritium … which is usual in nuclear weapons development," Suh said. "North Korea desperately needs to keep extracting [plutonium and tritium] to maintain its weapons in an operational state," he said, adding that a plutonium bomb would not function without the extraction procedure. Lee Chun-geun, a senior research fellow at the Science and Technology Policy Institute in Sejong, said the cooling water discharge meant "they have done something that requires heat", but the satellite images were not enough for the international community to get a full picture of what was happening. "A substantial amount of cooling water must continually be disposed from the facility for it to be fully operational," Lee said. Zhao Tong, a fellow on the nuclear policy programme at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre for Global Policy in Beijing, said Pyongyang had always kept the reactor running and this was likely to remain the case in the short term as it held on to its deterrence card. "I wouldn't call it a reactivation. It's a continuation. The 5MWe reactor has been on and off [over the years] but was never fully stopped," Zhao said. "North Korea is not likely to give up its nuclear deterrence in the near future and so will need to keep the Yongbyon facilities in good condition." Zhao said North Korea had only frozen its nuclear programme and not yet turned to dismantling it. "Denuclearisation is an aspiration in the long run. But it is unlikely to be achieved in a short term. They want to keep their nuclear deterrence capability," he said. ^ top ^
Trade boom expected along China-North Korea border (Global Times)
2018-06-27
Experts and local businesspeople expect a trade boom along the China-North Korea border following recent diplomatic breakthroughs on the Korean Peninsula, although when UN sanctions on North Korea will be lifted remains uncertain. People look forward to trading with North Koreans again, said Wang Xizhe, general manager at a seafood wholesale company in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province. Wang said it is common knowledge among merchants that China and North Korea are enhancing their relationship, and that North Korea is focusing on its economic development. In Dandong, a border city, also in Liaoning, where property prices have skyrocketed since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's first visit to Beijing in March, people are expecting an economic boom. However, the widely expected boom is still on hold, as local people say that no obvious changes or reinstatement of trade have occurred. "Trade with North Korea has not yet been resumed," an agricultural product dealer based in Yanji, Northeast China's Jilin Province, told the Global Times on Wednesday. Yanji is the capital city of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, located just 10 kilometers away from the border between China and North Korea. The same goes for Hunchun Posco Hyundai Logistics International, a South Korean joint venture located on the Chinese side of the China-North Korea border. It bet on warming relations between China and North Korea, but sits mostly idle these days, UK-based media Financial Times quoted the facility's South Korean general manager Oh Jong-soo as saying on Tuesday. The reason behind the stagnation is the UN sanctions on North Korea, which have not yet been lifted even after recent changes, Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday. UN sanctions disallow trade with North Korea. So even if merchants are willing to do so, they cannot, as China has promised to fully and continuously enforce the sanctions, Da noted. But "as long as North Korea remains focused on its economic development and is committed to denuclearization, it is only a matter of time before we see a trade thaw and boom alongside the China-North Korea border," Da said, adding that the UN sanctions are likely to be lifted in a phased process in accordance with North Korea's efforts on denuclearization. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
Ambassador Ts.Jambaldorj meets Chairwoman of Foreign Relation Committee in Chamber of Deputies (Montsame)
2018-06-28
On June 26, Ambassador of Mongolia to Italy Ts.Jambaldorj met with Marta Grande, Chairwoman of Standing Committee on Foreign Relations in Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament. Ambassador Ts.Jambaldorj congratulated Ms.Marta Grande on her appointment as Chairperson of the Standing Committee and requested to render support on establishing Mongolia-Italian parliamentary group in the Italian Parliament. Mongolia has wide opportunity to naturalize Italian leading experience in development of small and medium enterprises engaged in food and agricultural spheres, cited the Ambassador while inviting M.Grande to visit Mongolia. Ms.M.Grande affirmed she will focus attention on expanding trade and economic ties between Mongolia and Italy and on establishing parliamentary group. ^ top ^
IMF Executive Board approves USD 36.91 million funding (Montsame)
2018-06-28
On June 27, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the fourth review of Mongolia's performance under the program supported by a three-year extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Completion of the review enables Mongolia to draw the equivalent of USD 36.91 million. Mongolia's performance under the program remains strong. The combination of strong policy implementation and a supportive external environment has helped the authorities over-perform on all end-March 2018 quantitative targets under the program. Progress has also been made on structural reforms, albeit with some delays. The government's Economic Recovery Program, supported by the IMF, aims to stabilize the economy, reduce the fiscal deficit and debt, rebuild foreign exchange reserves, introduce measures to mitigate the boom-bust cycle and promote sustainable and inclusive growth. Deputy Managing Director of the IMF Tao Zhang said "Reforms to strengthen the financial sector are ongoing with a focus on the follow-up to the asset quality review completed in January. Banks are in the process of raising capital to address any identified shortfalls. In addition, the authorities passed a law outlining when and how public funds can be used to preserve banking sector stability. Notwithstanding this progress, Mongolia remains vulnerable to external and internal shocks. It is therefore critical to take advantage of the current favorable economic environment to continue building fiscal and foreign exchange buffers, strengthen the banking sector, and improve the investment climate. A steadfast implementation of the authorities' reform program is key to build resilience against shocks and ensure continued strong and inclusive growth." ^ top ^
Why Mongolia is showing interest in SCO (Global Times)
2018-06-26
During the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit earlier this month in Qingdao, Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga said that his country is studying the possibility to upgrade the level of its participation in the SCO and a discussion on this matter has been launched in political and social circles in Mongolia. This is the first time that a Mongolia president expressed such a view. Before the SCO, Battulga took part in a meeting on "The prospect of Shanghai Cooperation Organization-Mongolia's participation" in May together with Mongolia's former foreign ministers, security and strategy specialists and experts, foreign relations academics and senior diplomats. Soon after the meeting, Mongolia's leadership discussed the country's participation in the SCO. Such frequent discussion about this issue shows it is being mulled inside the country. As the first observer state of the SCO, Mongolia enjoys stable internal security. Its important geographical position and abundant mineral resources lend it the potential to become the energy and transportation hub of the region. Meanwhile, the country has established good relations with surrounding nations, the UN and international society. Hence, Mongolia is qualified to become a SCO member. If the SCO has Mongolia within its fold, it will expand the organization in Northeast Asia, connecting it with Central and South Asia. This will not only help SCO members plan and link their infrastructure connectivity, but promote members' common development with Ulan Batar's advantages in mineral resources, livestock farming and tourism. Therefore, China and Russia have constantly encouraged Mongolia to elevate its participation in the SCO. However, Mongolia has not applied to become a SCO member, which may be due to three reasons. Strategically, Mongolia follows multi-pillar and "third neighbor" foreign policy. Proactively developing ties with the US, Japan and the EU is an essential part of its diplomatic and security policies and its strategic choice to balance relations with surrounding countries. It still has doubts about the positioning and development of the SCO, worrying about its diplomatic independence and relations with third neighbors after the participation. Besides, Mongolia is not troubled by the three forces of "terrorism, separatism, and extremism." The security topics discussed at the SCO are not urgent for Mongolia. And Mongolia's economy mainly depends on trade ties with Northeast Asia and the Asia-pacific instead of Central Asia. Ideologically, since the 1990s, Mongolia has established and implemented Western constitutionalism, sharing the same values as basis for its ties with the West. For instance, Mongolia has established a so-called democratic trilateralism with the US and Japan. Highlighting the uniqueness of Mongolia's values and ideology, some politicians and scholars inside the country wish it maintain distance from the SCO. In spite of concerns and doubts, reasons attracting Mongolia to the SCO are developing. The SCO's underlying values, including mutual trust, respect, equality, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of shared development have been increasingly clear. The first expansion of membership revealed the organization's openness and inclusiveness over geopolitics. The SCO includes different cultures, religions and development paths and is not dominated by one power. Diversified development and innovativeness will to some extent alleviate Mongolia's concerns that its diplomatic independence and flexibility will be limited if it joins the SCO. With its third neighbor India included in the SCO, Mongolia can communicate and cooperate with surrounding countries and India within the framework of the organization, which will not prevent its multi-pillar diplomacy. Besides, the SCO has grown to be more relevant to Mongolian development. The China-Mongolia-Russia trilateral meeting is built on the SCO and some cooperation agenda discussed in the SCO are related to Mongolia's development. Mongolia's deepening communications with Central Asian countries in recent years are also among the factors that prompt it to seek SCO membership. Like adopting permanent neutrality, joining the SCO is relevant to Mongolia's diplomacy and security. As a landlocked and buffer state, Mongolia insists on maintaining a neutral and balanced foreign policy. Some Mongolian politicians not only worry that joining the SCO will affect the country's independence, but also want the country to keep a distance with neighbors to attract the attention of developed countries like the US, Japan and the EU. Hence, Mongolia is extremely cautious on this issue. Whether Mongolia will join the SCO depends on when the country is able to dispel disputes and misunderstandings about the organization. The SCO's future development, relations with the US and links between Mongolia and Central Asia will affect Ulan Batar's decision. ^ top ^
Mongolia and Germany sign agreements on development cooperation (Montsame)
2018-06-22
The Minister of Finance Ch.Khurelbaatar and Ambassador of Germany to Mongolia Stefan Duppel signed two agreements regarding German-Mongolian Development Cooperation today in the presence of Prof. Dr. Claudia Warning, Director General of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). A grant of EUR 19.5 million is dedicated to preserve Mongolia's outstanding biodiversity. The funds will be used to continue the very successful project 'Biodiversity and Adaptation to Climate Change' that so far has supported 11 protected areas in the North Eastern parts of Mongolia. With the additional funding – putting the total commitment of the German side to EUR 30.5 million so far – protected areas in the Western and South-Western regions will benefit. This is a crucial further step in the very fruitful cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia. A concessional loan agreement on EUR 20.45 million was signed with the aim to improve the Mongolian energy transmission grid. This is also an important basis that renewable energy can be fed in into the Mongolian Energy grid. Both projects are financed by BMZ and are implemented by KfW. The respective financing agreements were signed as well. The Minister of Finance, the German Ambassador, Prof. Warning and Kathrin Oellers from BMZ agreed in a bilateral meeting that German-Mongolian development cooperation is very successful. Germany has been supporting sustainable development in Mongolia for over 25 years and has so far provided over EUR 400 million. ^ top ^
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Selina Morell
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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