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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 |
President marks 70 years of ties with nations (China Daily)
2020-09-15
President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China's long-standing friendship with Switzerland and Liechtenstein on Monday as he exchanged congratulatory messages with leaders of the two countries in celebration of the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations with China. In a message exchanged with Simonetta Sommaruga, president of the Swiss Confederation, Xi said that bilateral relations have forged ahead over the past 70 years, with Switzerland being one of the first Western countries to have established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. China and Switzerland have jointly cultivated a cooperative spirit featuring equality, innovation and win-win outcomes over the past 70 years, he said. The two nations have supported each other and consolidated the bilateral friendship during their joint fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, he added. Xi underscored that he attaches great importance to Sino-Swiss relations, and is willing to work with Sommaruga to use the 70th anniversary as an opportunity to advance the bilateral innovative strategic partnership and usher in more benefits for the two nations and peoples. Sommaruga said it was because of the long-term close friendship between the two nations that the countries have managed to jointly overcome difficulties in the face of the pandemic, adding that the Swiss government is willing to further deepen bilateral relations and mutual understanding. In a message exchanged with Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein Alois, Xi said the practice of China-Liechtenstein relations has well illustrated the important concept of international relations that all countries, big or small, are equal. He expressed his willingness to work with Alois to use the 70th anniversary as a new starting point to jointly push for new progress in bilateral relations for the benefit of the two countries and peoples. Alois said the two sides have conducted good cooperation and supported each other in multiple areas over the past 70 years, and the good bilateral friendship is especially precious during this challenging time. ^ top ^
Interview: Switzerland-China ties expected to deepen: Swiss ambassador (People's Daily)
2020-09-14
Switzerland-China relations have withstood the test of time and will be further boosted in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, Swiss Ambassador to China Bernardino Regazzoni told Xinhua. Monday marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Switzerland. In 1950, Switzerland was one of the first Western countries to recognize then newly founded People's Republic of China. The two countries have enjoyed long-term exchanges and cooperation ever since, with remarkable results. "Seventy years ago, it was an entirely different world, and the 70 years of diplomatic relations have been consolidated by great achievement," Regazzoni said in an interview with Xinhua. In 2007, Switzerland was among the first European countries to recognize China's market economy status; in 2013, it became the first continental European country to sign a free trade agreement with China; and in 2015, it became one of the first European members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Openness has not only been key to China's economic success over the past four decades, but has also played a decisive role in pushing forward China-Switzerland ties, said Regazzoni, adding that openness should be reinforced in the two countries' future economic interactions. The bilateral trade volume totaled more than 31.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, up from some 6 million dollars when China and Switzerland established diplomatic relations. China is now Switzerland's third-largest trading partner, third for exports and sixth for imports. "Swiss companies are not just looking for cheap labor forces as they could have done in the past, rather, they are making top-level research in China and for China," Regazzoni said. The innovative strategic partnership between the two countries, established in 2016, is the first of its kind between China and a foreign country. In the Global Innovation Index released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, Switzerland ranked first for 10 consecutive years. The index also showed that China has established itself as an innovation leader as the only middle-income economy in the top 30 for many years. Innovation, which means "having good ideas and creating value out of them," is a key issue for both China and Switzerland, Regazzoni said, stressing that a competitive environment, an educational system with a broad basis for all, and the mobility of talented people are key to his country's innovativeness. The Swiss ambassador expressed his hope that exchanges between people will be resumed as soon as possible, so as to facilitate business exchanges and innovation cooperation. This year, the Chinese people will achieve the goals of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and securing a decisive victory in poverty alleviation, marking the first time for China to eliminate absolute poverty in its history. "I am really impressed by the success China has achieved in the fight against poverty, which is unique in the history of mankind," Regazzoni said. Talking about the realization of the sustainable development goals in the UN framework, the Swiss ambassador emphasized that there are still challenges ahead for the international community. "At present, the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging the resilience of our society, while environmental problems will be even more threatening in the future," said Regazzoni, calling for more attention to sustainable development and more efforts in environmental protection and emission reduction. ^ top ^
Xi says China, Switzerland cultivate cooperation spirit of equality, innovation and win-win (Xinhua)
2020-09-14
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that China and Switzerland have jointly cultivated a cooperation spirit of equality, innovation and win-win over the past 70 years since the establishment of their diplomatic ties. In his congratulatory message sent to President of the Swiss Confederation Simonetta Sommaruga to mark the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries, Xi said the two sides have also set an example of friendly cooperation between countries that are different in social systems, development stages and sizes. Noting that Switzerland was one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, Xi said since the establishment of their diplomatic ties 70 years ago, the relations between the two countries have made great progress. In the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic, Xi said, the two sides have helped each other, deepening the friendship between the two peoples, adding that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Switzerland relations. He also said that he is willing to work with Sommaruga to take the anniversary of ties as an opportunity to push the China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership ever forward so as to benefit the two countries and their peoples, adding that he wishes an everlasting friendship between China and Switzerland. In her congratulatory message, Sommaruga said the exchanges between the two sides enjoy a long history, adding that over the past 70 years, the two countries have always adhered to the principle of openness and mutual respect in developing bilateral relations. She also said that it is precisely because of the long-term close and friendly relations between the two countries that Switzerland and China can tide over the difficulties by joining hands in the face of the outbreak, adding that the Swiss government is ready to push the two countries to further deepen bilateral relations and mutual understanding. ^ top ^
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Chinese, Saudi FMs exchange views on Yemen in phone talks (Xinhua)
2020-09-18
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had an in-depth exchange of views on the situation in Yemen with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Thursday. China pays close attention to the situation in Yemen, firmly supports a political solution and an early ceasefire, Wang said in phone talks with Faisal, adding that Beijing supports the United Nations (UN) in playing its role as a main channel of mediation and the three-point proposal by the UN secretary-general's special envoy. Maintaining communications with all parties involved in the issue of Yemen, China has been incessantly advocating peace and negotiations, and providing humanitarian aid to Yemen through bilateral and multilateral channels, Wang added. China understands and attaches great importance to Saudi Arabia's security concerns, appreciates the country's efforts to solve the Yemeni issue and is ready to help restore stability and order in Yemen with joint efforts of the international community, he said. Faisal said that Saudi Arabia appreciates China's efforts to promote peace and facilitate talks, and attaches importance to China's significant influence. Saudi Arabia hopes that China will continue to play a role in promoting the political settlement of the Yemeni issue, and is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with China in this regard, he said. Wang said that China and Saudi Arabia are good brothers who trust each other and good partners for sincere cooperation. The two heads of state have spoken over phone three times this year, which fully reflects the high level of strategic mutual trust between the two countries, he said. China is willing to take the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-Saudi diplomatic ties as an opportunity to implement a series of important consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote a deep alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative and Saudi Vision 2030, and jointly create a better future for China-Saudi ties, Wang said. Faisal said that Saudi Arabia and China have a profound comprehensive strategic partnership, and the 30th anniversary is a new beginning for bilateral ties. Saudi Arabia is willing to deepen pragmatic cooperation with China, strengthen the alignment of their development strategies, and achieve greater advance of Saudi-China ties, he said. In addition, the two sides exchanged views on the G20 Riyadh Summit, the Palestinian issue and the security in the Middle East. ^ top ^
After Europe and Mideast, Pompeo brings anti-China lobby to Latin America (Global Times)
2020-09-17
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to four Latin American countries this week is another deplorable move aimed at further smearing and containing China, after his anti-China lobby in Europe and the Middle East, analysts said. The US State Department on Wednesday announced Pompeo's tour to Suriname, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia from September 17-21. Immediately after introducing Pompeo's trip, a State Department official attacked China's investment and projects in the area as "predatory loans and vanity projects" which threaten national security and sovereignty in Latin America countries. The department said Pompeo's tour is about economic and security cooperation, and combating COVID-19 in the name of "democracy in the Western Hemisphere." Zhou Zhiwei, an expert on Latin American studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday that the stigmatization against China is groundless and premeditated, and designed to compress China's overseas interests and increase US presence. What the US really expects is to promote its version of frameworks similar to the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, analysts said. Through the US International Development Finance Corporation, Washington has approved funds for projects worth more than $800 million in Latin America in 2020, Reuters reported. Jiang Shixue, director of the Center for Latin American Studies at Shanghai University, told the Global Times that underdeveloped infrastructure caused by lack of investment is the main reason halting Latin America's development. The loans and investment from China help address its funding shortages. Jiang said loans from China involve clauses like repayment and interest rates, which meet international norms and were agreed on by both sides. He added that Latin America's foreign debt surpassed $2 trillion in 2018, but less than seven percent were to China. Colombia and Brazil are the two most important US allies in South America. But a Chinese company closed a subway construction deal in Colombia's capital Bogota in 2019. China is also Brazil's largest trade partner, according to data from China's Ministry of Commerce. Analysts believe China's recent efforts to assist Latin American countries in the fight against COVID-19 have also made the US feel a sense of crisis. Deals cannot be reached only with China's efforts, but also by the other side's will and demand. The US' illogical accusation is contempt of Latin American countries' capacity for independent judgment and development, Zhou said. Some observers said the four destination countries are all close to Venezuela, which further exposed US attempts to create governing problems for Venezuelan authorities and meddle in regional affairs. Zhou said China's main investment destinations in Latin America are Peru, Brazil and Ecuador. But given that Pompeo's visit is more about exploring the possibility of containing and smearing China, Chinese companies need to be aware of the risks of a tighter environment and higher investment costs. ^ top ^
Xi congratulates Suga on election as Japanese PM (Xinhua)
2020-09-16
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent a congratulatory message to Yoshihide Suga on his election as Japanese prime minister. In his message, Xi pointed out that China and Japan are friendly neighbors to each other, and are both important countries in Asia and the world. Developing a China-Japan relationship that features long-term stability and friendly cooperation not only serves the fundamental interests of both nations, but also contributes to peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the world, Xi said. He suggested that the two sides hold fast to the principles established in the four political documents between China and Japan as well as the four-point principled agreement, and actively promote the building of a bilateral relationship that meets the needs of the new era, so as to create benefits for both countries and their people and make positive contributions to safeguarding world peace and advancing common development. On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also congratulated Suga on his election as Japanese prime minister. Li said in his congratulatory message that China stands ready to work with Japan to strengthen friendly exchanges and practical cooperation in all fields, and jointly push for new and greater progress in bilateral relations. ^ top ^
Aussie spying on Chinese diplomats' communications 'stupid move' (Global Times)
2020-09-16
Days after it was revealed that Australian police had searched and questioned Chinese journalists and revoked the visas of some Chinese scholars, Australia reportedly accessed the communications of Chinese diplomats using the excuse of foreign political interference. The move was slammed by Chinese experts and officials as "stupid" and serving only the interests of Australia by following the strategic steps of the US. They warned that their delusions of maintaining warm ties in business but frosty ties in politics with China will not last Using the excuse of the so-called foreign political inference, the Australian Federal Police is investigating whether the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney conspired with John Zhang, an adviser of New South Wales Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane, to infiltrate the NSW Labor Party, media reported. Australia has long held a positive and friendly image of China, but that is now being gradually destroyed by Australia itself, and ordinary Chinese residents and scholars no longer have a sense of security in the country. Australia's intention of using China as a lever for its own international presence at any cost is stupid and will backfire, Chinese experts noted. China has expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to certain Australian media outlets' claim of the so-called infiltration by the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at Wednesday's routine media briefing. Some Australians have gone to extremes in stirring up anti-China sentiment by smearing and attacking China to attract attention and poison China-Australia relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang said. China urged Australia to abandon its Cold War mentality and ideological bias, stop politicizing the normal behavior of Chinese embassy and consulates in Australia and not create new trouble for China-Australia relations, Wang said. China pursues an independent and peaceful foreign policy. It has never interfered with or infiltrated other countries, as this is just not China's way of doing things, Wang noted, saying the accusations are "totally baseless and nothing but vicious slander. […] Bao Yinan, an associate professor of international law studies from East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Wednesday that if the search carried out by Australian police involves work-related communications or residence of a Chinese diplomat, Australia is suspected of violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The 1961 convention requires that the receiving state protects the freedom of communication of the diplomats and their personal safety, including their private communications. As for consuls, the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations states that only the communications of consuls for official purposes will be protected, and private communications of consular officials are not included. Bao pointed out if the communications that Australia intercepted involve any official or private communications of Chinese diplomats, Australia would be in violation of the 1961 convention. If the Australian police did this against Chinese consuls in a work-related context, it would be in violation of the 1963 convention. Regarding the search warrant, Bao told the Global Times that Australia can only conduct investigations based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations through non-invasive methods, such as collecting public written information on consulate website and check their entry and exit information. Investigation through any invasive methods such as surveillance should not be allowed. After having searched and questioned journalists, then revoked Chinese scholars' visas for no reason, Australia is now targeting Chinese consuls, examples that once again prove that Australia is following the US strategy of suppression against China, Chen Hong, a professor and director of the Australian Studies Center at East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Wednesday. Some Australian parliamentarians have even proposed closing the Chinese consulate in Adelaide, an option that Chen said cannot be ruled out. "Australia holds both opportunism and adventurism in its policy toward China, and it even goes further than the US on some issues." Previously, the residences of four Chinese journalists from three Chinese media outlets stationed in Australia were raided, and the journalists were questioned by officers from the Australian intelligence agency in late June. Australia's scrutiny of China has also extended to China-Australia academic exchanges, after the visas of at least two Chinese scholars, including Chen Hong's, were revoked by Australia on groundless national security reasons a month ago. They were targeted by Australian intelligence agencies simply because they were in the same WeChat group as Moselmane and Zhang. Chinese observers slammed the raids as a horrendous violation of the basic rights of the Chinese journalists and freedom of the press. The acts are just more of an anti-China witch hunt in line with the delusional "China threat" theory. The accusations made by Australia are obviously absurd, experts noted, asking why Chinese diplomats would use email, such an obvious and easily traceable method, to spy on and influence Australian politics. Australia has been marginalized on the international stage for a long time, and its recent moves aim to challenge China at any cost to highlight its sense of existence and seek a greater voice on the international arena, but this strategy is "very stupid," Chen said. Chen warned that China's core interests cannot be violated, and China will respond to Australia's adventurism. The delusion of a "chill in politics but warmth in economic ties" that Australia expects from its interaction with China will not last, Chen said. When the US intends to decouple with China, Australia is not ready to risk everything as it still needs the Chinese market in the economy. The soured China-Australia ties are expected to last, at least, until the beginning of next year or the end of the Australian fiscal year, Yu Lei, a chief research fellow at the Research Center for Pacific Island Countries at Liaocheng University, told the Global Times on Wednesday. Australia may reassess China-Australia relations and policies on China by then, based on the US policy toward China and Australia's economic conditions, Yu said, adding that Australia has always taken the US as a reference point for their own policy making in which they assume would better safeguard their interests in the Indo-Pacific region. ^ top ^
Xi's remarks on China-EU ties applauded (China Daily)
2020-09-16
Chinese and European leaders are determined to uphold multilateralism and international cooperation when unilateralism, protectionism and a global economic slowdown threaten the world, experts said after a leaders' online meeting. President Xi Jinping held a two-hour video talk with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday. "I feel that today we had a good, open and honest dialogue which should be continued," Merkel told a news conference after the meeting. Michel said the meeting represents another step forward in forging a more balanced relationship with China. "We strive for a relationship that delivers on our mutual commitments that generate concrete results for both sides, results that are also good for the world," he said. Von der Leyen described the talk as "frank and open, and constructive and intense". The meeting covered a wide range of issues from trade and investment, climate change and biodiversity to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and international affairs. Shada Islam, head of the New Horizons Project, a Brussels-based global strategy and advisory firm, said that in language, style and format, this was an important EU-China meeting showing that despite their well-known differences, Beijing and Brussels are determined to keep the channels of communication open and to make the case for multilateralism and international cooperation in the face of a worrying global economic slowdown. "It's no secret that the EU wants a bilateral investment deal with China by the end of the year and is currently linking progress on such an agreement to the conclusion of an EU-China Strategic Agenda for Cooperation 2025, a key Chinese demand," she said. Negotiations for the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, or CAI, first started in 2014, have speeded up this year, with the next round scheduled for Sept 21-25.Chinese and EU business communities have recently both urged an early conclusion of the agreement. "The meeting with China is another illustration of the EU's growing self-confidence in its Asia policy and willingness to stand apart and aside from the US and its increasingly acrimonious relationship with Beijing," Shada told China Daily. Ding Chun, director of the Center for European Studies at Fudan University, said the meeting is of great significance to deepen cooperation and manage and control differences amid the raging pandemic and high tensions between China and the United States. He noted the two sides have voiced their support for multilateralism and free trade and opposition to unilateralism, having reached consensus on cooperation in global governance, expanding bilateral cooperation and taking care of each other's concerns. "The highlight of the meeting is the reiteration to conclude the CAI by the end of the year, the introduction of high-level talks on environment, climate and digital fields, and China's proposal to reduce misunderstanding through dialogue, to resolve difficult issues through development, and to properly manage differences," Ding said. On Monday, China and the EU signed an agreement to protect 100 Chinese "geographical indications", or GIs, in the EU and 100 European GIs in China. The EU said the deal reflected the commitment of both sides to "deliver on their commitment taken at previous EU-China summits and to adhere to international rules as a basis for trade relations". According to the EU, the Chinese market has high-growth potential for European food and drinks exports. In 2019, China was the third destination for EU agri-food products, reaching a value of 14.5 billion euros ($17.2 billion). Fraser Cameron, director of the EU-Asia Center, said leaders welcomed the GIs pact and hoped, as they have for several years now, to conclude the important investment agreement by the end of the year. The meeting "showed the EU was ready, able and willing to defend its interests and values without any prompting from across the Atlantic", he said, referring to the EU's stance that it does not want to be forced to take sides between Beijing and Washington. In a Monday op-ed on Politico, Shada said: "Asian leaders want a Europe that can think and speak for itself, not one that walks in America's shadow." ^ top ^
Xinhua Headlines: Xi's upcoming attendance at UN meetings illustrates China's commitment to multilateralism (Xinhua)
2020-09-15
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend high-level meetings of the United Nations via videoconference next week to join world leaders in tackling global challenges. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the 193-nation body, growing from 51 signatories including China at the end of the Second World War. Today the world is at another juncture in human history, and efforts must be doubled to "save succeeding generations" as is enshrined in the UN Charter. The UN Charter "brought rules and hope to a world in ruins," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres while commemorating the organization's birth. It was signed at a time when world leaders felt a strong need for a mechanism that would help bring peace and stop future wars, which was possible only if all nations worked together through a global organization. However, after decades of globalization and integration, the world is facing widening fragmentation in response to salient risks and challenges, due to the return of unilateralism, protectionism, treaty withdrawals and military and economic bullying practices. […] As a founding member of the UN and a permanent member of the Security Council, China has honored its commitments to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and has been defending the UN in responding to global threats and in pursuit of peace and development. In its position paper on the 75th anniversary of the UN, China reaffirmed its commitments to safeguarding the UN-centered global governance system, the basic norms of international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, the authority and stature of the UN, and the central role of the UN in international affairs. China's voice resonates with its partners across the world. In a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen via video link on Monday, Xi reached consensus with the EU leaders on safeguarding multilateralism and jointly addressing global challenges. Merkel, Michel and von der Leyen said it is imperative for Europe and China to strengthen cooperation, jointly safeguard multilateralism and resist unilateralism and protectionism. Commenting on the meeting's outcomes, Christine Bierre, editor-in-chief of France's Nouvelle Solidarite magazine and an expert at the Schiller France Institute, said the leaders sent a positive signal on safeguarding world peace, stability and prosperity, fully demonstrating that multilateral cooperation is the trend of the times. In fulfilling its responsibilities, China always fits its deeds to its words. Beijing has been actively docking its own development goals and plans with the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and has achieved remarkable results in areas like poverty alleviation and climate governance. Moreover, China has also registered an 8,000-strong standby force and a 300-member permanent police squad for UN peacekeeping missions, assisted other developing countries with 180 poverty reduction projects, among other initiatives and measures in support of the UN as Xi announced at the 2015 summit meetings commemorating the organization's 70th anniversary. "China will shoulder its share of responsibility and continue to play its part in this common endeavor," Xi said at the UN headquarters five years ago. "We should renew our commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, build a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation, and create a community of shared future for mankind," Xi said. "My wish is that there is peace and justice." This is one of the 250,000 voices recorded around the world in the UN global dialogue initiative, launched to gather hope, fear and ideas across the world. It is part of the commemoration events of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) with the theme of "The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming Our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism." World leaders are expected to jointly forge solutions for global public health, full equality, climate action, among others, just like 75 years ago when the signatories pledged "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights... to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom." Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, president of the 74th UNGA, said Monday that "the most important thing is to continue to underline the importance of collaboration, the multilateral effort." "This is the way to guarantee not only peace, but also prosperity, which are very important goals of the United Nations from the very beginning," he told Xinhua in an interview. Just as Xi said in his 2015 speech, goals of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom "are far from being achieved." But hope lies in the world's collective response. On the eve of the 21st century, to encourage people around the world to face challenges in the new millennium, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged all countries to stand side by side. "More than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together. And that, my friends, is why we have the United Nations," he said. ^ top ^
China-India border tension could 'extend to winter' (Global Times)
2020-09-15
In a speech before the Indian parliament on Tuesday, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that the border dispute with China remains "unresolved" for now, and blamed China for "violating" the border agreement with India. Chinese experts warned on Tuesday that such a hard-line attitude may see border tensions extend into winter. Chinese analysts noted that Singh is trying to ensure domestic support and defense budgets from parliament, especially amid the unprecedented economic recession, so he won't admit that it was India which took the initiative to violate the agreement and unilaterally change the status quo. But the Indian defense minister on Tuesday also said India is committed to a peaceful resolution of the current border stand-off with China in Ladakh, according to the Times of India. Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "the Indian army is facing great pressure as winter approaches, with the logistical costs potentially being huge, and due to a horrible economic recession, Indian leaders understand that they are unable to launch a war against China." Data released by the National Statistical Office of India on August 31 showed India's GDP in the April-June quarter of 2020-21 slumped 23.9 percent. Among major economies, India's contraction was the sharpest, the Times of India reported. "But in the Indian military, most soldiers are of low caste, so even if they suffer hundreds of non-combat casualties every year in the stand-off with Pakistan due to cold weather, the government can still bear the pressure as the decision-makers don't really care about the lives of low caste individuals," Hu said. New Delhi is likely to let Indian troops do the same in Ladakh, and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) should be prepared for a long-term stand-off with tensions likely extend into winter, Hu noted, adding that although India dares not fight a war, small provocations would happen occasionally. Singh assured members of parliament that Indian troops are "ready to deal with any situation," despite the current situation being very different from what India has had to encounter previously in terms of troops and the number of friction points. He laid the blame of escalation on "China's actions," according to Indian media Business Insider. "Chinese forces have been engaging in violent conduct. They have increased troop numbers and weaponry," said Singh. Highlighting the points of friction - like eastern Ladakh, Gogra, Kongka La, and Pangong Lake's north and south banks - he accused China of violating the 1993 and 1996 agreements the two countries reached. "Singh is telling the parliament that the long-term stand-off would be costly and Indian taxpayers should pay more to support the military, but in fact, it was Indian troops who broke the agreements numerous times, by firing into the air on the border and attacking Chinese soldiers to escalate tension, and the Indian military should be held accountable for the unnecessary spending and casualties," said a Chinese expert who is familiar with the matter but requested anonymity. Liu Zongyi, secretary general of China and South Asia Cooperation Research Center at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that, until today, India has deployed more troops than the Chinese military in the border region, and the 1993 and 1996 agreements between the two countries stated that the two sides are not allowed to use guns on the border, but it was the Indian military who broke the agreement first on September 8. Singh's statement displayed overconfidence originating from an overestimation of the Indian army's capabilities, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday. India believes that it has more frontline troops, and has prepared for a longer period of time, and that it is competent enough to win against the PLA. This is an illusion, Song said, noting that instigation from the US and India's domestic factional struggle will not let India realize its actual situation. Due to this illusionary confidence, India has already provoked China by crossing the LAC into the Chinese side. If it does not leave and all diplomatic attempts fail, the PLA will be left with no other choice but to push them out by force, Song said. The PLA, unlike the Indian army, is not overconfident, but aware that it can deal with the Indian aggression, Song said. The PLA, unlike the Indian army, is not overconfident, but fully aware that it can deal with Indian aggression, Song said. China's military strength, including that in the border region, is far more superior to that of India in key areas including equipment, logistics, tactics and strategies, analysts said. Liu said the Indian defense minister's speech on Tuesday showed that the Modi administration is facing heavy domestic pressure, and now they are suffering from a dilemma. Launching a war against China will see it defeated badly, but withdrawing its troops to end the tension will disappoint domestic nationalists. "This is very similar to the situation before the 1962 China-India border conflict, which is not a good sign for the two sides to solve the issue peacefully," Liu further said. ^ top ^
Deeper Russia ties vowed to face challenges (China Daily)
2020-09-14
China is ready to work with Russia to make comprehensive preparations for future high-level interactions and plan for further cooperation on a range of areas, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Moscow. Wang made the remarks during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Friday before departing for Kazakhstan. China and Russia later published a joint statement by the two foreign ministers that presents the two countries' common stance on global challenges. It was the last meeting that Wang had with Russian officials on the three-day visit. On Thursday, he participated in a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Foreign Ministers Council in Moscow. On the same day, he met his counterparts: Abdulaziz Kamilov of Uzbekistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi of Pakistan, Sirojiddin Muhriddin of Tajikistan and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar of India. Wang and Lavrov had in-depth discussions on international and regional issues of common concern, and met the media together after the talks. Wang said that China and Russia have firmly backed each other in the international arena, defending both countries' rightful interests, and effectively responding to the attacks and defamation from extremist forces in the United States. Lavrov said Russia is willing to closely interact with China to push forward important events on bilateral and multilateral agendas, and deepen cooperation in various areas to inject new impetus into ties. The US has been taking destructive steps by following a Cold Warstyle "Indo-Pacific strategy" in the Asia-Pacific region, he said. The discord that the US has created among countries in the region has caused rifts and even confrontations, Russia's top diplomat said. Russia stands ready to strengthen strategic coordination with China, and attaches importance to the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in regional cooperation as part of joint efforts to maintain regional peace and stability, Lavrov said. Under the strategic leadership of China's President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, bilateral ties have withstood the tests of the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing international situation this year, Wang said, adding that in both countries, economic and social activities are returning to normal and the governance capacity has grown to a new level. As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations, the two countries have jointly preserved the outcome of the victory in World War II, maintained the core position of the UN, upheld international fairness and justice, and served as a stabilizer in volatile international situations, he said. Both countries should continue their close coordination, better cooperate in epidemic prevention and control, explore new ways of cooperation amid the pandemic, and facilitate the cross-border movement of people and freight, he said. Cybersecurity is an important area of bilateral and international cooperation. Some countries are using their technological advantages to brazenly monitor other countries and steal their information, he said. China recently proposed the Global Initiative on Data Security in response to these common concerns about data security and with an aim to create international rules on digital security with partners, Wang said. The initiative, announced by Wang on September 4, aims to respond to new challenges emerging in the field of data security and contribute to global digital governance. Lavrov said Russia holds positive views on the China-proposed Global Initiative on Data Security. It is conducive to the creation of international rules on data security as well as furthering Russia-China cooperation on international information security. He noted that the backdrop to the initiative was the efforts by some countries to politicize information technology and cybersecurity, seeking to contain other countries under the pretext of safeguarding national security. ^ top ^
Kazakhstan's first president meets with Chinese state councilor on bilateral ties (Xinhua)
2020-09-13
Kazakhstan's First President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Saturday, with both sides reaffirming commitments to strengthening ties and deepening cooperation in the construction of the Belt and Road. During the meeting, Wang conveyed a verbal message from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nazarbayev. Wang said that the achievements of China-Kazakhstan relations today are a result of endeavors and wisdom of Chinese leaders and President Nazarbayev. As the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, the lasting and steady development of China-Kazakhstan ties with rich connotation are closely linked with the future of our two countries and two nations. No matter how the international situation changes, China will always give priority to its relationship with Kazakhstan with regard to its neighbourhood diplomacy. China will not waver in its confidence and resolve to deepen cooperation and friendship with Kazakhstan, Wang said. Wang recalled that when President Xi proposed the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt at the Nazarbayev University seven years ago, President Nazarbayev expressed his support at the scene. China and Kazakhstan have taken the global lead on the joint construction of the Belt and Road. The two nations have aligned their development strategies, started production capacity cooperation, and launched a series of cooperative projects with strategic significance, which generates a guiding and demonstration effect for other countries, Wang said. Wang noted that China and Kazakhstan are both committed to the great cause of realizing prosperity and national rejuvenation. To achieve the end, the two sides should deepen political mutual trust, follow the development path in line with their own situations, and support each other's stability and development. Wang added that President Xi has set out the goal of fostering a dual-cycle development architecture with the domestic cycle as the mainstay and with domestic and international development reinforcing each other. The move will provide Kazakhstan with broader market and more opportunities. China will continue to support Kazakhstan in it fight against COVID-19 and give priority to the needs of Kazakhstan and other neighbors after COVID-19 vaccines are successfully developed, said the state councilor. Nazarbayev, for his part, thanked President Xi for his verbal message and asked Wang to convey his sincere greetings to the Chinese president. Nazarbayev said that he cherishes the friendship with President Xi, adding that he was much touched when Xi awarded him the Friendship Medal during the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing last year. Wang is the first foreign minister to pay a formal visit to Kazakhstan after the outbreak of COVID-19, which shows that China attaches great importance to its relations with Kazakhstan and the high level of political mutual trust between them, Nazarbayev said. Kazakhstan speaks highly of the successful fight against COVID-19 by China, the only major country that has achieved positive economic growth, Nazarbayev said, adding that China's new dual-cycle development model will provide broad opportunities for bilateral cooperation. Nazarbayev expressed the belief that under the leadership of President Xi, China will surely achieve its grand development goals. Kazakhstan firmly supports the domestic and foreign policies put forward by China and appreciates its endeavors in safeguarding multilateralism and preserving international fairness and justice, Nazarbayev said. Kazakhstan will continue to support, as always, the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and push forward the development of the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, he added. ^ top ^
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| Domestic
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Xi inspects Central China's Hunan province (China Daily)
2020-09-17
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Wednesday inspected Central China's Hunan province. In the village of Shazhou, Rucheng County, Xi visited places including a revolution-themed exhibition hall, a village service center, a clinic, a modern agricultural tourism demonstration base, a primary school, and the homes of villagers. Xi learned about education on the history of revolution, poverty relief industries, and progress in consolidating poverty eradication. ^ top ^
Senior official stresses discipline inspection in poverty alleviation (Xinhua)
2020-09-17
A senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official has urged heightened discipline inspection and supervision to secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eradicating poverty. Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, made the call during his inspection tour in southwest China's Guizhou Province from Sunday to Wednesday. Zhao cautioned against corruption, slackness, and dishonesty in work related to poverty alleviation as he visited impoverished households in a village. Party organizations should fulfill their responsibilities to continue consolidating the achievements in poverty reduction and ensure thorough implementation of the Party's policies designed to benefit the locals, Zhao said. Zhao also underscored the adherence to strict political inspection and the improvement to the effectiveness of inspection by conducting earnest rectification. Discipline inspection and supervision commissions at all levels should implement the major decisions and plans of the central authorities while maintaining regular epidemic control, Zhao said. ^ top ^
Competition zone for 2022 Olympic Winter Games goes deep in sports industry (People's Daily)
2020-09-16
Chongli district, as a major competition zone for the snow events of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, is accelerating construction of ski resorts and relevant facilities to develop the sports industry. So far, it has built 7 middle- and large-sized ski resorts, including 169 tracks that total 161.7 kilometers. Wen Chang, is a 56-year-old resident of Chongli, Zhangjiakou of North China's Hebei Province. He now works at the Thaiwoo Ski Resort & Alpine Park in the district. The location of the resort was once Wen's home - Yingcha village. In the past, like other villagers, Wen lived in an adobe house and made a living by growing cabbages. However, due to the lack of water resources, the crop not always harvested. "A hailstorm happened in 2011, which lasted over 20 minutes, ruined all the crops, and I cried in the field," Wen recalled. Later, the ski resort was built in the village. Wen and his family moved away and received compensation for relocation. They bought an apartment in downtown Chongli. Thaiwoo Ski Resort & Alpine Park, starting operation since 2015, has developed from a simple ski resort into a "small town" that gathers relevant snow and ice industries such as hotel, catering, costume and winter sports. The prospering snow and ice industry also created abundant job opportunities for local residents. Yingcha village had 70 households, and the resort has created a job for at least one person from each of them. Wen works at the staff canteen of the resort and earns 4,000 yuan ($586) per month with social insurance. His two daughters, after graduating from college, are also working at a local resort and a tourism investment company, respectively. Ski tracks are common in Thaiwoo Ski Resort & Alpine Park. However, the white tracks in winter are green in summer, winding in the dark green forests on the mountain. Though it's not snow season at present, visitors are still hustling in the resort. According to Tong Haitao, an employee of the Thaiwoo Ski Resort & Alpine Park, an outdoor off-road racing event will be held there several days later, and is expected to attract more tourists. Relying on the opportunity of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and favorable natural scenery, Chongli has steadfastly developed skiing industry in the winter and outdoor activities in the summer, making remarkable performances in both Winter Games preparation and economic development. Since Beijing won the bid to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Chongli has newly planted 48,200 hectares of forests, improving its forest coverage from 52.38 percent in 2015 to 67 percent. The figure stands at 80 percent in core the core zones of the Olympic Games. Since 2017, the district has also seen prosperous tourism industry. The Thaiwoo Ski Resort & Alpine Park alone had received 200,000 visitors last summer, almost the same with those seen in the winter. The thriving tourism created huge development space for local residents. Tong, who worked in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, is one that returned to his hometown after seeing more job opportunities there. He was once an electrician when he just entered the resort, but as summer activities were more and more launched, he was promoted and took up more responsibilities. "My income doubled after I became a department chief," he said. ^ top ^
Chinese to make 3.4 billion domestic trips in 2020, down 43 pct (China Daily)
2020-09-15
Chinese people will make over 3.4 billion domestic trips in 2020, down 43 percent year on year, according to a report released Monday by the China Tourism Academy. The report said that China will gain 2.76 trillion yuan (about $400 billion) of revenue from domestic tourism in 2020, down 52 percent from the previous year due to the COVID-19 epidemic. It also noted that China's tourism sector is in rapid recovery. Over 80 percent of Chinese people expressed their willingness to travel during the third quarter of 2020, 90 percent of the figure for the same period in 2019. Moreover, over 90 percent of China's hotels and scenic spots have resumed business. About 60 percent of travel agencies have resumed work, and among them, some 95 percent expressed their confidence in future development. During the first half of 2020, China saw some 1.17 billion domestic trips, with 640 billion yuan of tourism revenue, dropping by 62 percent and 77 percent year on year, respectively, according to the report. ^ top ^
Central government urges better protection of arable land (Xinhua)
2020-09-15
Governments at all levels should implement the strictest arable land protection policies and clamp down on activities that encroach on arable land, according to a circular posted on Tuesday on the website of the central government. To feed the 1.4 billion people in China, governments across the country must take effective measures to protect arable land, said the circular issued by the General Office of the State Council. In recent years, China has put in place a slew of policies and measures to protect arable land, but there are still illegal occupations of arable land in some localities. Authorities should strictly prohibit the illegal occupation of cultivated land for afforestation, landscaping, and non-agricultural construction. Governments should also crack down on the illegal occupation of arable land and other illegal land use such as building wide green belts and expanding nature reserves at the expense of arable land, the circular said. ^ top ^
Schools take measures to combat virus (China Daily)
2020-09-14
Schools in China have taken a range of containment measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as more students return to campuses for the fall semester. The Ministry of Education and the National Health Commission issued guidelines last month that included the specific requirements schools need to meet to reopen their campuses and anti-pandemic measures they should follow strictly for the new semester. Having temperatures and health codes checked, reporting their health conditions every day and frequent disinfection of public areas have become routine for students. Although the national guidelines do not require students to wear masks in school, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission still requires students in the capital to wear masks in class. Chen Lihua, principal of Beijing Chaoyang Experimental Primary School, said primary school students, unlike older students, need more time to get used to wearing masks, so the school has tried its best to make sure students can go outside and take off their masks as often as possible. It has moved music, painting and science classes outdoors and redesigned the class schedule so that each 40-minute indoor class is followed by at least a 20-minute break and an outdoor class, she said. "As it gets colder in wintertime, it will be less uncomfortable to wear masks, and possibly the pandemic will be further contained in the country so that students do not need to wear masks anymore," Chen said. Liu Ziyi, a fourth-grade student in Beijing who returned to campus on Sept 7, said the pandemic control measures her school had taken made her feel very safe. Two of her classmates had high temperatures during class on Tuesday, and teachers rushed to send them to hospital, she said. The other students moved to a backup classroom and were allowed to return to their regular room after it was thoroughly sterilized and ventilated, Ziyi said. "I think teachers are paying more attention to students' health. We are told constantly to wash our hands and form good sanitary habits," she said. Zhang Yong, deputy head of the general service office at Peking University, said although the pandemic has largely waned in China, the university has implemented strict anti-pandemic measures to safeguard the health of students and teachers. "We are always on high alert, and we also need to be prepared for a possible resurgence of infections in the winter," he said. The university disinfects and sanitizes all dormitories, class buildings and canteens every day, and they are equipped with infrared temperature scanners to check people entering, he said. Students and faculty members should wear masks in indoor areas, and they are being encouraged not to leave the campus for nonessential travel, he said. "They can still apply to leave campus after gaining approval," Zhang said. "The school has developed a special online system to handle the applications effectively and quickly." The containment measures for educational institutions should be stricter than for other places given the large concentrations of people, and most students and teachers were supportive of the measures, he said. Wang Feng, a second-year postgraduate student at Shandong University in Jinan, Shandong's provincial capital, said students have to take nucleic acid tests before returning to campus. Apart from having their temperatures checked, students also need to scan QR codes to register their previous whereabouts when they enter school buildings. Students can only leave campus after gaining approval from student counselors, she said. Although not being able to leave campus freely was inconvenient, Wang said it made her feel safer. ^ top ^
Vice-premier stresses roles of leading agricultural enterprises in modernization (China Daily)
2020-09-12
Chinese Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua on Thursday called for efforts to give better play to the roles of leading agricultural enterprises in facilitating the development of modern agriculture and bringing faster progress in raising the level of agricultural modernization. Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while presiding over a symposium in Harbin, capital city of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province. It is necessary to give better play to the enterprises' demonstration role in the development of modern agricultural production, Hu said, urging them to take the lead in carrying out standardized production, improve the quality control system, use modern facilities and equipment, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of production and management. Hu also said the leading firms should strengthen capacity for innovation, promote the transformation of scientific research achievements, and help farmers apply new varieties and technologies. After the symposium, Hu inspected the progress in the research and development of African swine fever vaccine at a veterinary research institute in Harbin, where he stressed efforts to actively advance the process while ensuring the vaccine will be safe and effective, so as to contribute to the healthy development of the hog industry. ^ top ^
Xi Focus: Xi stresses development of science, technology to meet significant national needs (Xinhua)
2020-09-12
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed continuing to advance the development of science and technology to a deeper and broader level. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the comments at a symposium attended by scientists in Beijing. Xi said the scientific and technological development must target the global science frontiers, serve the main economic battlefield, strive to fulfill the significant needs of the country and benefit people's lives and health. Xi chaired the symposium to solicit opinions on China's scientific and technological development for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). Highlighting innovation as the "primary driving force," Xi said China needs scientific and technological solutions, more than ever, to boost economic and social development as well as improve people's living standards. He said Chinese scientists and scientific professionals have the confidence, determination and capability to scale the heights of science. Xi exchanged ideas with each of the scientists who spoke at the symposium. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has made historic achievements and transformations in science and technology, Xi said, adding that China has seen major innovations emerge in large numbers and the country is now leading or co-leading the world in some frontier areas. China's scientific professionals have made major contributions to the fight against COVID-19 with their research in treating patients, developing vaccines, containing the epidemic, and other important areas, Xi said. Noting that China boasts a great number of scientific professionals and hefty R&D spending, Xi stressed improving the ecosystem for sci-tech innovation and building platforms for scientists and scientific professionals to put their talent to good use, so as to make sci-tech innovations mushroom in a steady flow. Stressing leveraging the strength of China's socialist system to mobilize resources for major undertakings, Xi called for building national laboratories, forming China's laboratory system and giving full play to the role of universities to advance research on core technologies in important areas. Xi called for persistence in strengthening basic research by providing more resources and policies to create a favorable atmosphere for basic research. More efforts were also urged to improve education in basic subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, and cultivate students' innovation spirit and capability. Xi spoke of the need to energize sci-tech innovation through reform and unleash the great potential of innovation by deepening the reform of the sci-tech system. He also called for strengthened international sci-tech cooperation and pledged more efforts to integrate into the global innovation network and to enhance China's sci-tech innovation capability through open cooperation. Xi called on scientists to integrate their scientific pursuits into the great cause of building a modern socialist China. He challenged scientists to propose new theories, open up new fields and explore new paths, as well as to produce more high-level and original achievements. Xi also said interest in science should be guided and nurtured from a young age. Party committees, governments and officials at all levels should respect knowledge, talent and creation, follow the law of scientific development, and push for sci-tech innovations and their transformation into productive forces, Xi said. Officials should study new scientific knowledge and pay attention to global sci-tech trends, he added. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium. ^ top ^
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| Beijing |
Beijing high-tech expo to be held in mid-September (People's Daily)
2020-09-13
The 23rd China Beijing International High-Tech Expo will be held in Beijing from Sept. 17 to 20, showcasing the latest technological achievements, the expo's organizer said on Saturday. This year's expo will have an exhibition area of 30,000 square meters in its main venue, and will hold nine promotional events and two forums, according to the Beijing sub-council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, and seven other international organizations, as well as more than 800 tech firms from home and abroad, have confirmed their participation. ^ top ^
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| Shanghai |
China International Industry Fair kicks off in Shanghai (Xinhua)
2020-09-16
Photo taken on Sept. 15, 2020 shows the model of the Mars probe Tianwen-1 at the 22nd China International Industry Fair (CIIF) in east China's Shanghai. The 22nd CIIF kicked off at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) on Tuesday. Covering a total display area of 245,000 square meters, this year's CIIF has attracted more than 2,000 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions. ^ top ^
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| Tibet |
Top political advisor stresses importance of implementing guiding principles from Tibet work meeting (Xinhua)
2020-09-15
China's top political advisor Wang Yang has stressed the importance of efforts to grasp the guiding principles from a key meeting on work related to Tibet and putting the policies into action. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, made the comments during an inspection tour in northwest China's Qinghai Province from Monday to Tuesday. Wang called for efforts toward a profound understanding of the CPC's policies on governing Tibet for a new era, for people to be aware of the new situation and tasks facing work related to Tibet, and for the promotion of long-term peace and stability in Tibetan-inhabited areas. Various activities should be carried out to communicate the guiding principles from the seventh Central Symposium on Tibet Work, he noted. More efforts are also needed to handle deep-seated issues that have a bearing on enduring peace and stability, Wang said, adding that Tibetan Buddhism should be guided in adapting to the socialist society. Effective social governance measures should be summarized to form a modern governance system that conforms to actual local circumstances, he noted. Stressing high-quality development, Wang said that ecological protection should be put first when boosting agriculture, economy and tourism in Tibetan areas. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
China Focus: China issues white paper on employment, labor rights in Xinjiang (Xinhua)
2020-09-17
China on Thursday published a white paper on the employment and labor rights in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The white paper, titled "Employment and Labor Rights in Xinjiang," was released by the State Council Information Office. China is committed to the people-centered philosophy of development, attaches great importance to job security, gives high priority to employment, and pursues a proactive set of policies on employment, the white paper says. In accordance with the country's major policies on employment and the overall plan for eliminating poverty, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region takes the facilitation of employment as the most fundamental project for ensuring and improving people's wellbeing, it says. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, Xinjiang has vigorously implemented employment projects, enhanced vocational training, and expanded employment channels and capacity, the white paper says. "Through its proactive labor and employment policies, Xinjiang has continuously improved the people's material and cultural lives, and guaranteed and developed their human rights in every field," the white paper says. From 2014 to 2019, the total number of people employed in Xinjiang rose from 11.35 million to 13.3 million, an increase of 17.2 percent, according to the white paper. The income of residents and workers has increased steadily, says the white paper. Workers' job preferences have always served as an important reference for the local government of Xinjiang in designing its employment policies, expanding employment channels, creating jobs, organizing vocational training sessions, and providing placement services, according to the white paper. "This ensures that the people can make their own choices about work and enjoy a happy life," it says. Xinjiang strictly observes relevant laws and regulations of the state, providing information on the law through education campaigns, strengthening the legal awareness of employers and employees, and conducting routine inspections to ensure that labor laws are enforced, it adds. "The goal is to bring the establishment, management, supervision and arbitration of labor relations under legal scrutiny, and take resolute action to prevent or punish any incidents of forced labor," the white paper says. "The Chinese government is committed to respecting citizens' right to work, safeguarding their legitimate labor rights and interests, and ensuring them a decent job," it says. Strictly following the above principles as embodied in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and relevant national laws, Xinjiang has formulated and implemented a series of autonomous regional regulations based on local conditions, providing a solid legal guarantee for citizens in Xinjiang to enjoy equal rights to work, it says. The local government fully respects and guarantees the right of workers of all ethnic groups to freedom of religious belief, and ensures that no organization or individual interferes with this freedom, it says. "While promoting standard spoken and written Chinese in accordance with the law, Xinjiang fully respects and protects the rights of ethnic minority workers to use their own spoken and written languages, and ensures that workers can choose which languages to use for communication," says the white paper. The customs of workers of all ethnic groups are fully respected and guaranteed and efforts are made to create a good working and living environment for them, it adds. Xinjiang implements a proactive employment policy, protects the lawful labor rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups, and strives to provide decent work and a better life for all, it says. "This embodies the common values that are championed by the international community, and contributes to safeguarding social fairness and justice and promoting the all-round development of humanity," the white paper says. "Xinjiang has thus become a successful example of practicing international labor and human rights standards in underdeveloped areas with large populations of ethnic minorities," the white paper says. For years, certain international forces, due to ideological prejudice against China, have been applying double standards in Xinjiang, criticizing "breaches of human rights" while ignoring the tremendous efforts Xinjiang has made to protect human rights. They have fabricated facts to support their false claims of "forced labor" in Xinjiang, and smeared the local government's work on employment and job security, the white paper says. "Their acts amount to a denial of the fact that the local people in Xinjiang enjoy the right to work, aspire to move out of poverty and backwardness and are working towards that goal," it says. "Such groundless allegation would be strongly opposed by everyone who values justice and progress," the white paper says. ^ top ^
China to arrange Xinjiang visit for EU diplomats: FM (Global Times)
2020-09-15
China has agreed to and will arrange for European Union (EU) diplomats in China to visit Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in response to the diplomats' request, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday. Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the ministry, said at a press conference on Tuesday that on Xinjiang issues, China always welcomes friends from other countries, including European countries, to have a look at Xinjiang, and to get to know the real situation on the ground, instead of relying on hearsay or deliberately fabricated lies. He stressed that any investigations over Xinjiang-related issues based on a presumption of guilt are firmly opposed. Wang's remarks were in response to EU officials' request to launch an independent investigation on Xinjiang-related issues. Wang said China issued a detailed press release at a virtual summit of Chinese, German and EU leaders on Monday. On the issue of human rights, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that there was no unified path to development, and that there is no best protection of human rights but only better protection, and all countries should take care of their own matters first. China does not accept a "preacher of human rights" and opposes double standards. Xi also clarified China's stance on Hong Kong and Xinjiang affairs, saying that such affairs are China's right to defend its sovereignty, security and unity, and that China firmly opposes anyone and any force that sows instability, secession and unrest in China, and interferes in China's internal affairs. Wang said China is ready to strengthen exchanges and make common progress with the EU on the principle of mutual respect. Wang said the meeting also discussed human rights issues within the EU, such as the protracted refugee issue, the rise of racism, extremism and ethnic minorities in some EU member states, and frequent anti-Jewish, anti-Muslim and anti-black remarks and vicious incidents. The EU acknowledged its own problems and hopes to have dialogue with China based on the principle of equality and respect, enhance mutual understanding and properly handle differences, Wang said. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
HK secessionists' detention 'a warning' for those with illusions about escape to Taiwan from justice (Global Times)
2020-09-13
Taiwan media reported Sunday that five fleeing Hong Kong sucessionists were detained in the island of Taiwan, and another 12 Hong Kong anti-government rioters who reportedly illegally crossed the border by water in August were announced on Sunday to be under criminal detention. These cases all represented a warning shot to Hong Kong secessionists who still hold illusions of escaping from justice. The five stowaways' current situation in Taiwan was revealed by a Taiwan media worker Edd Jhong on social media on Saturday. Jhong claimed that he had initially helped their escape but "suggested" that Hong Kong rioters "not come to Taiwan anymore" as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is "not as supportive" to them as they had thought. Observers said Jhong's comment may crush the hopes of some Hong Kong rioters that they can flee to Taiwan and get substantial help there. After the enactment of the national security law for Hong Kong, Taiwan seemed to be the first choice for Hong Kong rioters who dreamed to escape from justice. But the situation of the five rioters who were detained by local authorities in the island without outside communications represents a warning shot for other Hong Kong secessionists who have similar plans, Li Xiaobing, an expert on Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan at Nankai University in Tianjin, told the Global Times on Sunday. Meanwhile, 12 Hong Kong residents have been put under criminal detention for illegally crossing the border and trying to escape to the island to seek "political asylum" in August, said police in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province on Sunday, adding that the case is under investigation. Hong Kong secessionists fleeing to Taiwan were likened to "a drowning man who will grasp at a straw," which is an unrealistic illusion. Especially after Taiwan refused the entry to a Hong Kong murder suspect, there have been growing divergences in the political demands of the two sides, Li said. "Any Hong Kong separatists seeking ways to get to Taiwan are doomed to be abandoned as the regional authorities are just being opportunistic over Hong Kong issues and will only use them as political pawns," he said. The five Hong Kong smugglers who arrived in Taiwan in late July were said to be cut off from connection with the outside by Mainland Affairs Council and no one knows their situation, other than a few MAC staff and coast guard members, according to Jhong. "It is not so much that they have been sheltered in Taiwan, as that what they have been experiencing is even worse than other stowaways," read his post. Jhong later emphasized how little the DPP has done to "save" Hong Kong anti-government rioters and how many people in the party actually oppose "saving" Hong Kong. Taiwan media responded on Sunday that the five could meet lawyers and their basic rights are protected. Guangdong provincial maritime police apprehended 12 young Hong Kong residents who tried to escape to Taiwan in a speedboat on August 23. Among them, one is a member of the anti-government group "Hong Kong Story," and the person was once arrested by local police for colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and violating the recently enacted national security law for Hong Kong. On Saturday, the "families" of six of those seized held a press conference, asking assistance from the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to bring the six suspects back to Hong Kong. They claimed that some of those arrested were not well and needed to take medicine. At the press conference, all the family members were masked. The immigration department of the HKSAR government refuted their claims, saying that relatives of 10 suspects have been in close contact with the department for updates. Authorities in Guangdong revealed that the 12 people are all physically well and have hired lawyers from the mainland. The press conference also aroused suspicions from Hong Kong residents, who questioned the real identities of these "families" and raised the possibility that anti-government forces in Hong Kong had hired actors to perform in order to smear the mainland. Anti-government forces in Hong Kong, with the intention of further drawing the attention of the global community — especially the US — on the matter, are trying to pass their bias toward the judicial system of the mainland to the local people and further mislead them, according to experts. "Local authorities process the case in accordance with China's Criminal Law, adhering to the principles of legality such as judgment on the basis of evidence and the presumption of innocence while the criminals' cases are processed on the record," Li said. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
US sends top-level diplomat to Taiwan, Beijing voices 'strong opposition' (HKFP)
2020-09-17
A top US diplomat will arrive in Taiwan on Thursday, the highest-ranking State Department official to visit in 40 years, in a further sign of Washington's willingness to defy China and its campaign to isolate the self-ruled island. Keith Krach, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, was heading to Taipei to attend a memorial service for late president Lee Teng-hui on Saturday, the US State Department said. The trip, the second high-ranking US visit in as many months, sparked an immediate rebuke from China, which baulks at any recognition of Taiwan and has mounted a decades-long policy of marginalising the democratic island. "China strongly opposes this," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters on Thursday, saying the trip "encourages the arrogant attitude of Taiwan independence separatist forces". Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory, to be absorbed into the mainland — by force if necessary. Washington's increased outreach to Taiwan under US President Donald Trump has become yet another flashpoint between the two powers. "The United States honours President Lee's legacy by continuing our strong bonds with Taiwan and its vibrant democracy through shared political and economic values," spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement announcing Krach's trip. Taiwan's foreign ministry said Krach, accompanied by assistant secretary Robert Destro, would also discuss "how to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation" during his three-day visit. It described him as the highest-ranking State Department official to visit Taiwan since 1979, when Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will host a dinner for the US delegation on Friday. "We look forward to more exchanges and discussions between Taiwan and the US to solidify the foundation for further collaborations, including economic cooperation, through undersecretary Krach's visit," her office said in a statement. Beijing discourages any official exchanges with Taiwan but in recent months Washington has dramatically increased its outreach. Last month, US cabinet member and health chief Alex Azar visited to highlight Taiwan's widely praised efforts to stop Covid-19. On Thursday Taiwan's foreign ministry also confirmed a rare meeting took place the day before between James Lee, its top official in New York, and Washington's ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft. Beijing has ramped up diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taiwan since the 2016 election of Tsai, who rejects its view that the island is part of "one China". In recent weeks, Taiwan has reported a sharp increase in incursions by Chinese jets into its air defence identification zone. On Thursday, Taiwan's defence ministry said two Chinese anti-submarine planes crossed the boundary a day earlier and were warned to leave. Washington remains the leading arms supplier to the island but has historically been cautious in holding official contact with it. Trump has embraced Taiwan more closely as a way to hit back at authoritarian Beijing, especially as he seeks re-election in November. He has also approved some major arms sales, something his recent predecessors were more reluctant to do. But the United States has so far not strayed from the unwritten red line on Taiwan, as it has not sent senior officials whose primary responsibilities are foreign affairs or defence. Lee, who died in July at the age of 97, was a towering figure in Taiwan's history, helping the once authoritarian island transition to a vibrant democracy and later angering China by pushing for it to be recognised as a sovereign country. When news of his death broke, Chinese state media called him "the godfather of Taiwan secessionism". Krach, with his economic focus, will be visiting as Taiwan seeks a trade deal with the United States. Taiwan removed a major hurdle last month by easing safety restrictions on US beef and pork — welcome news for farmers, a key constituency for Trump, as the election approaches. ^ top ^
KMT cancels delegation to Straits Forum (Global Times)
2020-09-15
The Kuomintang (KMT), an opposition party in the island of Taiwan, announced on Monday that it will not send a delegation to attend the Straits Forum that is scheduled to be held in Xiamen, Fujian Province, because it felt "insulted" after a mainland TV news program said the KMT is asking the mainland for peace amid the intense cross-Straits situation. Originally, the KMT planned to send the former vice president of the party - Wang Jin-pyng - to lead the delegation to the forum, which will be held by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on Saturday. However, after the KMT announced its decision, a news program of China Central Television (CCTV) reported the development with a Chinese headline on Thursday saying "Taiwan Straits on the brink of war, this man (Wang) will come to 'ask for peace' (in Chinese: Qiuhe)." The headline had a significant impact on public opinion within the island, as many people considered it an insult. Later, the mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office on Friday said in a statement that it welcomed the KMT's decision, noting that "the two sides of the Taiwan Straits are families, so we should pay joint efforts to safeguard the peace of the Straits and contribute more to boosting mutual understanding and mutual-trust." Li Hong, an anchorwoman of the CCTV news program, also explained that "Qiuhe" means "seeking peace", which was not meant to insult the KMT at all, but the party and the media of the island widely claimed that "Qiuhe" means "begging for peace" and the pro-separatist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), as well as other pro-separatist groups in Taiwan, are using the incident to hype anti-mainland sentiment. But in fact, the news program mainly focuses on interviews with scholars and experts from both Taiwan and the mainland, who analyze news about cross-Straits affairs, so it represents very diverse opinions from both sides. The welcoming attitude held by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the mainland has never changed. Li Fei, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University in East China's Fujian Province, told the Global Times that when the new president of the KMT Chiang Chi-chen was elected in March, he intended to abandon "the 1992 Consensus" and make the KMT more localized and less pro-reunification, so at that time, "the KMT had no foundation to make any formal exchange with the mainland." The Straits Forum in Xiamen is a platform for civilian and people-to-people exchanges, mainly in the business and cultural circles, rather than a political or security forum. It does not not intend to hold any "peace negotiations" at all, but since the KMT wanted to come and has vowed to return to "the 1992 Consensus," the Taiwan Affairs Office expressed its welcome on Friday, the professor noted. Li Xiaobing, an expert on Taiwan affairs at Nankai University in Tianjin, said the KMT is falling into a trap set by the DPP, because the DPP doesn't want any communication with the mainland, so it used the CCTV item and distorted the news headline into an official insult, to hype the anti-mainland sentiment among the public of the island. "Within the KMT, party members have no consensus on sending a delegation, and KMT president Chiang is also reluctant to send a delegation, since he wants the party to stay away from the mainland. So the CCTV case is just an excuse for pro-localization forces within the KMT to force the leader to cancel the visit," Li Xiaobing noted. Chinese mainland analysts said that whether the KMT decides to attend or not, its decision won't affect the cross-Straits situation too much, as the KMT is not a ruling party, and the mainland bears no loss at all. However, the KMT has abandoned a chance to make itself a communicator between the two sides of the Straits amid the intense situation, and it will lose its unique political advantage when competing with the pro-separatist DPP in the future. ^ top ^
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| Economy |
China rolls out new measures to boost reform and development of SOEs and private businesses (Xinhua)
2020-09-18
China will take solid steps in implementing the three-year action plan for SOE reform, and make more efforts to create a level playing field for private firms, the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Thursday. Li stressed that SOEs should focus on their main responsibility and business, develop sound market-oriented operating mechanisms, and increase core competitiveness. At the same time, a level playing field for the private sector shall be created to boost their confidence in development. SOEs need to make continued efforts to achieve higher quality and efficiency, sharpen core competitiveness and strengthen dynamism for sustained growth, to better their role in underpinning the national economy, according to the meeting. "We will continue to unswervingly consolidate and develop the public sector, and unswervingly encourage, support and guide the non-public sector. The SOE reform needs to achieve higher quality and efficiency, help facilitate deeper cooperation in the industrial and supply chains and enhance SOEs' core competitiveness," Li said. Solid steps will be taken in implementing the three-year action plan for SOE reform. The task of relieving SOEs of their obligation in undertaking social programs will be essentially completed this year. Greater efforts will be made in deepening the mixed-ownership reform, strengthening the modern corporate structure, and developing sound market-oriented operating mechanisms. SOEs will be supported in enhancing basic research and innovation, advancing research on critical technologies, and vigorously promoting entrepreneurship and innovation. The SOEs' non-essential business will be spun off at a faster pace, to enable the SOEs to better focus on growing their main business. The meeting also decided on further efforts to create a level-playing field for private firms, to boost employment. Market access will continue to be broadened. Power grid operators will accelerate the spinning off of competitive operations such as equipment manufacturing. Oil and gas infrastructure will be made equally accessible to all businesses regardless of types of ownership. Private companies will be supported in participating in the construction of major railway projects. "We must stabilize the growth of the private sector with every possible means. The private sector has contributed over 90 percent of new jobs. It is remarkable for a country with 1.4 billion people to achieve a fairly full employment," Li said. Key national research infrastructure will be made more accessible to the private sector. The accreditation of national-level technology centers in private companies will be accelerated. The channels for private business employees to get professional qualifications will be unclogged. Small and medium-sized private firms will be allowed to jointly participate in industrial land transaction, including the tendering, auction and listing for sale. Local governments will be encouraged to establish risk sharing mechanisms for loans made to micro, small and medium-sized companies. "We need to increase support for private firms and create broader space for the private sector, so that they will be able to bring into full play their respective strengths," Li said. "A prosperous private sector will in turn support the growth of the SOEs," he said. The meeting also decided on measures that will help provide inter-provincial access to high-demand government services key to the growth of businesses and people's daily lives. Some 58 service items, including market entity registration, pension scheme portability, verification of professional certificates and notarization of diploma and driving license, will be made accessible inter-provincially by the end of this year. Another 74 service items, including industrial production licensing, record-filing of the settlement of medical bills, social security card application and household registration relocation, will be made available across provinces by the end of next year. Online access will be optimized to make inter-provincial services more convenient and user-friendly. Meanwhile, the need of a smaller number of people for on-site access to these government services will also be fully met, the meeting urged. ^ top ^
China's economic recovery gains steam, key indicators further improve (People's Daily)
2020-09-15
China's economic recovery continued to gather steam with major economic indicators further improving last month as the country's efforts to boost growth amid the COVID-19 slowdown gradually paid off. Retail sales of consumer goods, a main gauge of China's consumption, returned to growth for the first time this year, rising 0.5 percent year on year in August, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The measurement of consumption fell 1.1 percent in July. Industrial output increased 5.6 percent year on year in August, accelerating from the rise of 4.8 percent registered in July. In the first eight months, industrial output expanded 0.4 percent from one year earlier, compared with a decline of 0.4 percent in the January-July period, NBS data showed. Fixed-asset investment edged down 0.3 percent year on year in the first eight months, further narrowing from a fall of 1.6 percent posted in the January-July period. Private sector fixed-asset investment, which accounts for more than half of total investment, fell 2.8 percent in the January-August period, compared with a decline of 5.7 percent in the first seven months. Employment remained stable as the surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas stood at 5.6 percent in August, 0.1 percentage points lower than that of July. Meanwhile, the country's exports in August rose at a faster-than-expected pace, increasing 11.6 percent year on year, though imports edged down 0.5 percent from one year earlier. NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui said despite pressures from both the COVID-19 fallout and floods, the country's economy has sustained a steady recovery. The rebound in major indicators in August came as the economy extended its recovery, but Fu said the growth of some indicators still lagged behind their 2019 levels. The country's economic growth is likely to post "an evident acceleration" in the third quarter if recovery momentum continues in September, Fu said. The country's GDP expanded 3.2 percent year on year in the second quarter, reversing from a contraction of 6.8 percent in the first quarter. To shore up the economy against the shock of COVID-19, the government has rolled out a raft of measures, including more fiscal spending, tax relief, and cuts in lending rates and banks' reserve requirements to revive the coronavirus-ravaged economy and support employment. Global credit rating agency Moody's has raised its growth forecast for the Chinese economy this year to 1.9 percent from 1 percent earlier, representing the firm's only upward revision for the 2020 growth of major economies. Looking ahead, Fu warned about challenges from home and abroad, saying current economic recovery remained unbalanced and there were still unstable and uncertain factors from the external environment. Wen Bin, chief analyst at China Minsheng Bank, said in a research note that macro-economic policies should continue to strengthen the recovery, enhancing support to major sectors and weak links. ^ top ^
Update: TikTok to Partner With Oracle, Walmart as Microsoft Deal Collapses (Caixin)
2020-09-14
China's popular music video app TikTok entered a business partnership with Oracle Corp. in hopes of satisfying the Trump administration's national security concerns and avoid a business ban, diverting a plan to sell its U.S. operations as demanded by President Donald Trump. Oracle "will serve as the trusted technology provider" in the deal, the American cloud services giant said Monday in a statement. The partnership is part of a proposal that TikTok owner ByteDance submitted to the Treasury Department over the weekend, Oracle said. TikTok will also partner with retail giant Walmart in e-commerce, Caixin learned from sources close to ByteDance management. It is unclear how the ownership of TikTok will be restructured under the partnerships. Walmart didn't comment. Trump set a mid-September deadline for TikTok to sell its U.S. assets or face a business ban, according to an executive order signed in August. It's not clear whether TikTok's partnership with Oracle would allow it to avoid the ban. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin confirmed Monday that the administration received a proposal over the weekend from TikTok that includes Oracle as the app's "trusted technology partner." The Oracle proposal contains a commitment to make TikTok global a U.S. headquartered company with 20,000 new jobs, Mnuchin said. Mnuchin told CNBC that he would review the proposal this week to see whether it is "secure" and make a recommendation to the president. "We need to make sure that the code is, one, secure, Americans' data is secure, phones are secure, and we'll be looking to have discussions with Oracle over the next few days with our technical team," Mnuchin said. Oracle's stock surged 13% in pre-market trading Monday. A person close to the development said a partnership with Oracle doesn't involve the asset sales ordered by Trump or any transfer of TikTok's key technology that would be subject to Chinese regulatory approval. Oracle will help TikTok localize its data processing and offer security solutions to ensure business compliance, a person close to ByteDance said. The proposal also includes commitments related to job creation, headquarters and taxes, he said. Microsoft, which was working with Walmart Inc. to bid for TikTok assets, said during the weekend that the deal collapsed. Previous reports said the assets pending sale could fetch as much as $20 billion. "ByteDance let us know today they would not be selling TikTok's U.S. operations to Microsoft," Microsoft said in a statement posted Sunday on its blog. "We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok's users while protecting national security interests." Microsoft said that its bid "would have made significant changes to ensure the service met the highest standards for security, privacy, online safety and combatting disinformation." TikTok is one of China's first major successful internet exports, with large audiences in the U.S. and India, among other places. It has been in the news nearly nonstop for much of this year after U.S. politicians expressed concerns that the app's huge pools of data on U.S. users could be given to the Chinese government because of ByteDance's status as a Chinese company. India expressed similar concerns and banned the app there along with more than 50 others from China in late June. ByteDance has taken numerous steps to try to ease those concerns. It repeatedly stated it doesn't allow any government to access its user data, including the Chinese government. It also set up two transparency centers in the U.S. to showcase how it manages user data. But Trump wasn't convinced and in August gave the Chinese company 45 days to finalize a deal to sell TikTok's U.S. operations or risk having the service shut down. That deadline would mean TikTok must announce a sale by Tuesday in the U.S. The turbulence at the company led its CEO and former Disney executive Kevin Mayer to resign in late August, less than three months after he assumed the Any sale could also be complicated by Beijing's recent update to its policy requiring government approval of deals involving the export of Chinese technology. Following that development at the end of last month, many thought ByteDance would need Beijing's approval to sell or license the technology that powers TikTok to a foreigner buyer. The TikTok app at the center of the storm is the international edition of ByteDance's Douyin, which is one of the most popular music apps in China's domestic market. ByteDance acquired the foundation of TikTok when it purchased another lip-syncing app called Musical.ly for around $1 billion in 2017. It later phased out the Musical.ly brand and replaced it with TikTok, which has become wildly popular among U.S. youth. But the U.S. later decided the Musical.ly acquisition should have been submitted for approval to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a group of officials from several government agencies that reviews deals for national security concerns. After determining it had jurisdiction over the earlier deal, CFIUS launched its own review late last year. Its findings were thought to be a driving factor behind Trump's decision to force ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. operations. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
Foreign Minister to visit Russia (Montsame)
2020-09-17
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia N.Enkhtaivan will pay an official visit to the Russian Federation from September 20 to 22. During his first foreign visit, the Minister will hold talks with his Russian counterpart on a wide range of issues concerning bilateral relations and cooperation. Moreover, Mongolian and Russian Foreign Ministers, N.Enkhtaivan and Sergey Lavrov, will put into effect the Treaty on Friendly Relations and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Mongolia and the Russian Federation, signed in 2019, by exchanging letters of ratification. ^ top ^
Mongolian president eyes greater across-the-board cooperation with China (Xinhua)
2020-09-17
Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday, both committing to strengthening bilateral cooperation across the board. During the meeting, Battulga asked Wang to convey his sincere greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mongolia attaches great importance to Mongolia-China relations, and since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the two countries have supported and helped each other to fight the epidemic together, Battulga said. He added that Mongolia is willing to deepen cooperation with China in various fields, continuously scale up trade, increase exports of high-quality agricultural and animal husbandry products to China, strengthen border ports and cross-border transportation cooperation, and continue to inject new connotations into the Mongolia-China comprehensive strategic partnership. Wang conveyed President Xi's best wishes to President Battulga. Wang said that China and Mongolia have helped each other and overcome difficulties together, which vividly demonstrates the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind. China appreciates that Mongolia always regards the development of relations with China as a priority in the country's foreign policy, and Mongolia will always be a priority in China's neighborhood diplomacy, Wang said. He noted that the two neighbors should strengthen cooperation in the normalization of epidemic prevention and control to jointly safeguard the health of the people of the two countries, and step up planning for cooperation in various fields during the post-epidemic era to help each other's economic recovery and development. China and Mongolia are permanent neighbors and should be good friends forever, the Chinese senior official said. "This is the general direction we must adhere to." Wang added that the two sides should strengthen political mutual trust, consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations, and ensure the long-term healthy and stable development of bilateral relations. During his two-day visit on Tuesday and Wednesday, Wang met with Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh. He also held talks with Mongolian Foreign Minister Nyamtseren Enkhtaivan, signed cooperation documents and met the press. The two sides reaffirmed that China and Mongolia will respect each other's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, will not interfere in each other's internal affairs, and will jointly maintain the political foundation of bilateral relations. ^ top ^
Cooperation agreement to be established in the fields of culture and tourism (Montsame)
2020-09-11
Speaker of the Parliament G.Zandanshatar received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kuwait to Mongolia Mohammad Faisal Al-Mutairi yesterday. At the start of the meeting, the Ambassador congratulated the Speaker on his re-election and conveyed greetings of Speaker of National Assembly of Kuwait Marzouq Ali al-Ghanim. Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the sides unanimously expressed satisfaction with the development of cooperation in all spheres of trade, economy and humanitarian field, particularly between the parliaments. Briefing on the results of projects and programs implemented in Mongolia with the assistance of Kuwait, the Ambassador expressed his confidence that further strengthening of existing friendly relations would be in line with the interests of the two countries. Moreover, the two countries have untapped opportunities for cooperation in the fields of trade, economy and tourism, the Ambassador noted. Furthermore, he expressed his expectation on establishment of a cooperation agreement in the fields of culture and tourism and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Mongolian-Kuwaiti research center and Kuwaiti scientific research center. The Speaker stressed the importance of realizing joint projects and programs, expanding trade and economic cooperation and increasing investment and asked the Ambassador to pay attention on increasing and stabilizing export of healthy and high-quality meat of western Mongolia. ^ top ^
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Karin Andrea Hess
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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