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SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
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DPRK
Mongolia
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Germany, Switzerland, China to be top buyers of Italian exports: expert (Xinhua)
2020-10-06
A mix of traditional trading partners and other markets rising in importance to Italy are likely to be the most important export destinations for Italy in the fall, an expert from the multinational consultancy Prometeia said Monday. Alessandra Lanza, a senior partner with Prometeia, said data compiled from Italy's National Statistics Institute (ISTAT) and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) showed the most fertile markets for Italian-made products over the rest of the year will be Germany, Switzerland, China, South Korea, and Singapore. The first two countries on the list are not a surprise: last year Germany was the top importer of Italian goods while Switzerland was the fourth. But a year ago, China was the ninth biggest importer of Italian goods, while South Korea and Singapore did not appear in the top 15, according to information from the International Trade Center, which based its estimates on data from the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Lanza, an economist, said that the global coronavirus outbreak that has acted as a drag on the world's economy since February, would be more of a determining factor than geopolitical tensions, tariffs, or exchange rates -- traditionally major factors for trade. "As never before, the trade routes will be influenced by a single factor: a country's progress against the pandemic," Lanza said. "Countries that faced the pandemic sooner or more effectively have a head-start in restoring sales channels." ^ top ^
Swiss airport retailer Dufry forms JV with Alibaba to tap into China's duty-free market amid pandemic (Global Times)
2020-10-05
Switzerland-based airport retailer Dufry AG said Monday it will form a strategic joint venture (JV) with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba in China, in a move to grab a piece of cake of China's booming duty-free retail sector at a time when international travel has been severely impacted by the global pandemic. The parties will incorporate a joint venture, with Alibaba Group owning 51 percent and Dufry with 49 percent, according to the statement on Dufry's website. Alibaba will bring in its established network in China and its digital capabilities, and Dufry will contribute to its existing travel retail business in China. The Swiss group will also support the joint venture with its supply chain and strong operational skills, the statement continued. As part of the collaboration, Alibaba plans an equity investment of up to 9.99 percent of Dufry's post-offering share capital. "We expect this collaboration to drive growth in Asia and with Chinese customers worldwide with the support of new digital technologies," Julian Diaz, Dufry Group CEO, was quoted as saying in the statement. The Swiss company's move came as China's duty-free retail sector booms thanks to the implementation of new duty-free shopping policy in South China's Hainan Province to unleash potential consumer spending and the country's new development pattern centered on "internal circulation." In the first half of the year, China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp reported revenue of 19.31 billion yuan (US$2.86 billion), making it the globe's largest duty-free retailer. By contrast, Dufry - the world's No.1 for a couple of years - saw its revenues plunge over 60 percent to CHF 1.59 billion (US$1.73 billion) during the same period. With steady economic recovery, domestic residents' consumption potential was further unleashed during the eight-day Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday season from October 1-8. The amount of daily foot traffic to four duty-free shops in Haikou, Sanya and Qionghai - all on Hainan - exceeded 1 million in the first two days of the holiday. Daily average sales revenues were more than double that of last year, statistics data showed. Given that Chinese spend about $150 billion each year on overseas goods, China's domestic duty-free market of about 50 billion yuan ($7.37 billion) has great growth potential, Dong Shaopeng, a senior research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Monday. "Apart from Hainan, first-tier cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province are expected to come up with policies to boost duty-free sector," Dong said. ^ top ^
'Greening the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor: A visual synthesis' report launched (Montsame)
2020-10-02
The launch of a new report 'Greening the China–Mongolia–Russia economic corridor - A visual synthesis' took place in both virtual and face-to-face format on October 1 at the International Environment House in Geneva, Switzerland. The report, illustrating the Belt and Road developments in Mongolia, was prepared by Zoï Environment Network, with the support of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations in Geneva. The report launch event was attended by L.Purevsuren, Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Martine Rohn, Deputy Head, International Affairs Division, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, Otto Simonett, Director, Zoï Environment Network, Rowan Palmer, Programme Specialist, Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership, representatives of Geneva-based international environmental organizations and Swiss private sector and Chamber of Commerce and Industry and some researchers.. Ambassador L.Purevsuren noted that major infrastructure projects of railroads and roads to be implemented as part of the Trilateral Corridor Program will not only connect Russia and China, but also create the shortest corridor between Europe and Asia. He stressed that these projects are open to third-party involvement and investment and that the Mongolian side is committed to using the most advanced environmentally friendly technologies in the projects implementation in compliance with international standards. "Mongolia launched an initiative aimed at ensuring environmental sustainability in infrastructure projects in 2017 and had a resolution adopted at the UN Environment Assembly in 2019. The initiative has been widely appreciated at the global level," said United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) representative Rowan Palmer, adding that Mongolia was the first country to join UNEP's Partnership for Action on Green Economy. ^ top ^
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Indonesian president's special envoy, Iranian FM, Philippine FM to visit China (Xinhua)
2020-10-08
Indonesian President's special envoy Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who is also the country's Coordinator for Cooperation with China, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin will pay official visits to China from Friday to Saturday. They are visiting at the invitation of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced Thursday. ^ top ^
PLA border troops given assemblable thermal shelters amid standoff with India (Global Times)
2020-10-08
Chinese border troops stationed in plateau areas were recently equipped with assemblable thermal shelters, which guarantee them to get through the chilly winter and support the military's combat readiness in extreme weather. The use of thermal shelters comes amid the ongoing border tension between China and India, with experts saying it will provide the Chinese military with reliable combat-readiness support in a long-term standoff with India during the harsh winter. Developed by the Army Engineering University of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), the shelters - composed of dormitories, canteens, washing rooms, toilets, warehouses, microgrids and heating equipment - can function properly in temperatures as low as -55 C and an altitude of 5,500 meters. The self-powered thermal insulation houses have already been used in a number of outposts in the plateau and alpine areas in the past two years, and border troops in the plateau are now officially equipped with them, according to the PLA Daily, citing the logistics support department of the Central Military Commission. The prolonged standoff in the Chinese-Indian border region is a battle of endurance, logistical support and morale of soldiers, as tensions have shown no signs of easing, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute of Tsinghua University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "This high-profile announcement of the use of the shelters will greatly raise the morale of PLA soldiers staying in the border regions and boost their resolution in the standoff," Qian said. "The deployment of those shelters shows a preparation for all-round military struggle amid the escalating tensions on the China-India border," Song Zhongping, a military expert and commentator, told the Global Times. The equipment is flexible in its application and can be assembled according to the scale of the troops. The deployment of the assemblable thermal shelters enables troops to carry out any missions as it can be put into use at any time, largely reducing reliance on long-distance fuel distribution, according to the PLA Daily. Even without water and electricity, the shelters can be installed normally and its structure and interior space can be adjusted as needed. More than 90 percent of the components can be reused, said the report. The integrated photovoltaic microgrid can achieve energy self-sufficiency. Even with outdoor temperatures at -40 C, the indoor temperature can be maintained at above 15 C. Diesel heaters can ensure emergency heating in the event of long-term rain and snow. To adapt to the extreme weather conditions, PLA soldiers on border patrol have also been equipped with new high-tech clothes, such as cold-proof hoods, warm training clothes and lightweight cold-proof training coats, which can help them better carry out tasks. The weather and terrain in Ladakh are major challenges when it comes to large-scale military operations, which require smooth and quick logistical support and medical supplies. Amid the continuing bilateral talks, the border standoff will likely remain the status quo, Qian noted. India and China are scheduled to hold the 7th military commanders meeting on October 12 in Ladakh. ^ top ^
Coronavirus: WHO waits for China to approve pandemic origins investigators (SCMP)
2020-10-08
The World Health Organization is waiting for Beijing to approve the make-up of an international team to be sent to China to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. WHO health emergencies programme executive director Mike Ryan told a special meeting of the organisation's executive board on Monday that the WHO had selected expert candidates from around the world for the mission and it was now up to Beijing to say who would be on the international team and when they would enter China. "A list of candidates has been submitted to the Chinese authorities for their consideration and for next steps in order to deploy that team," Ryan told the advisory group of member state representatives, without saying when the list was sent. The WHO is under pressure to follow through on a request by member states in May to investigate how the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 jumped from animals into humans. In early August, two WHO experts worked with Chinese health officials and scientists to lay the groundwork for the investigation. A bigger mission of international experts had been expected to start its investigation in the central Chinese city of Wuhan – the outbreak's first epicentre – "a matter of weeks" after that, the WHO said in July. At Monday's meeting, representatives from the United States, the European Union, and Australia called on the WHO to send the team and share more details about the mission. "Transparency around this work is critical, we are keen to see further information on the membership of the international team and its programme of work," Australian associate health secretary and WHO executive board member Caroline Edwards said. But observers said the WHO could not send a team into a member state without its permission. "If, therefore, China would condition entry of an expert group on vetting the expert list, then from an international legal perspective, the WHO's hands are bound," said Ayelet Berman, senior research fellow at the Centre for International Law at the National University Singapore. Analysts said the mission's legitimacy would depend on who was involved and how it was run, particularly after criticism that the WHO pandered to China during the early weeks of the outbreak. The United States has blamed the spread of Covid-19 on the WHO's reliance on early information from Beijing, which took several weeks after the disease emerged to confirm human-to-human transmission. China has said it kept in close contact with the agency throughout the pandemic, with representative Zhang Yang of China's National Health Commission on Monday telling the executive board: "China has always been transparent and responsible to fulfil our international obligations." The WHO's lack of authority to force through its list of experts as final means "deference to Chinese authorities is hard-wired into this mission", according to David Fidler, an adjunct senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations in the US. "Given the geopolitics of the pandemic, this back and forth between the WHO and China will refuel criticism of both the WHO and China and darken the cloud already hanging over the organisation and its relationship with the Chinese government," he said. John Lee, a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, said that if the mission was not seen as credible, it could affect the WHO's overall standing. Australia, for example, would want to see that "the investigative experts are acceptable by the majority of nations", said Lee, who is also a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in the US. Earlier this year, Beijing resisted calls from the US and Australia for an inquiry into the origins of the virus, which it saw as an effort to blame China for the pandemic. But Beijing eventually supported a resolution passed by the WHO's governing body calling for the scientific inquiry. Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs and Centre for European Studies at Renmin University, said the expert team should be decided by the WHO "based on professional background" to "depoliticise" the investigation. "There is a Chinese slogan, seek truth from the facts, however some Americans or maybe Western governments want to blame China, want to make the conclusion first and then try to find the facts to match," Wang said. Such concerns could affect the way Beijing looks at the international team, according to Dominic Meagher, a visiting fellow at the Australian National University in Canberra. "They would want to trust the experts were not pursuing a political agenda... that whoever does the investigation is not going to stray outside its terms," said Meagher, who is researching China's response to Covid-19. ^ top ^
China, on behalf of 26 countries, criticizes U.S., other Western countries for violating human rights (Xinhua)
2020-10-06
A Chinese envoy on Monday made a joint statement at the General Debate of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, on behalf of 26 countries, criticizing the United States and Western countries for violating human rights, calling for the complete and immediate lifting of unilateral sanctions, and expressing grave concern on systematic racial discrimination. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the statement on behalf of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palestine, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Sudan, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to severely affect all nations, in particular developing countries. The response to and recovery from COVID-19 requires global solidarity and international cooperation. "However, we continue to witness the application of unilateral coercive measures, which are contrary to the purpose and principles of the UN Charter and international law, multilateralism and the basic norms of international relations," said Zhang. Unilateral coercive measures have an undeniable impact on human rights, as they impede the full realization of social and economic development and hinder the well-being of the population in the affected countries, in particular women, children, including adolescents, the elderly and persons with disabilities, he said. Unilateral coercive measures undermine the right to health, as they encumber access to medicines and medical technologies, equipment, and supplies. "This is particularly relevant in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. UN senior officials and the international community have recognized the heavy, negative impact of these measures," he said. The statement welcomes the UN secretary-general's appeal of March 26, 2020, on the waiving of sanctions that undermine countries' capacity to respond to COVID-19, as well as the statement made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on March 23 on the need to ease or suspend sectoral sanctions in light of their debilitating impact on the health sector and human rights. It also reaffirms the Group of 77 and China's statement calling for urgent and effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries, as well as the Non-Aligned Movement's declaration on condemning unilateral coercive measures and urging their elimination to ensure the effectiveness of national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement also welcomes the recently adopted General Assembly resolution on a comprehensive and coordinated response to COVID-19, which strongly urges states to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. "We take note of the work on this issue of the Special Rapporteur on the Negative Impact of Unilateral Coercive Measures on the Enjoyment of Human Rights, other special procedures of the Human Rights Council and relevant human rights treaty bodies. We look forward to their further elaboration of this subject," said Zhang. "We seize this opportunity to call for the complete and immediate lifting of unilateral coercive measures, in order to ensure the full, effective and efficient response of all members of the international community to COVID-19." Global solidarity and international cooperation are the most powerful weapons in fighting and overcoming COVID-19, he said. Almost 20 years after the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, instances like the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake continue to take place, and vulnerable people continue to suffer or lose their lives to racism and police brutality. Such instances are a reminder that chronic and deep-rooted racial discrimination, police brutality and social inequality still exist. The COVID-19 mortality rate of minorities, in particular people of African descent, is disproportionately high in some countries, said Zhang. "We also express our deep concern over the health situation of migrants at immigration detention centers in certain countries that reflects a contemporary form of racial discrimination," he said. "We welcome the adoption of the Human Rights Council resolution 'The promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers,' and called for its full implementation." The term "unilateral coercive measures" usually refers to economic measures taken by one state to compel a change in the policy of another state. Examples of such measures include trade sanctions in the form of embargoes and the interruption of financial and investment flows between sender and target countries. Unilateral coercive measures are contrary to the purpose and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and severely hamper the economic development and health capacity of affected countries, according to the statement. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the negative influences of unilateral coercive measures have drawn the attention of a large number of UN member states. Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called for the waiving of sanctions that undermine countries' capacity to respond to COVID-19. At the just concluded General Debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, many leaders called for the lifting of unilateral coercive measures, the statement added. ^ top ^
Beijing's Former Envoy to Canberra Denies Ties Are in 'Deep Freeze' (Caixin)
2020-10-07
China's former ambassador to Australia rejected the notion that the bilateral relationship is in a "deep freeze," citing "robust and complementary" trade links and striking a conciliatory tone despite rising tensions. Fu Ying, China's ambassador to Australia from 2003 to 2007, told the Australian Financial Review newspaper in a written interview published on Monday that "China treasures its ties with Australia... We believe that a sound and stable China-Australia relationship is in the interests of both countries." Rejecting some Australian media's characterization of a "deep freeze" between Beijing and Canberra, Fu said that "co-operation between China and Australia has been robust, and the quick recovery in the bilateral trade after the outbreak of the pandemic is a case in point." One of China's top diplomats, Fu is currently vice chairwoman of the foreign affairs committee at China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), and previously served as vice foreign minister from 2009 to 2013. "The trade structure between China and Australia is determined by the complementary needs of the two countries. Australia is a country with rich resources while China has a huge demand for resources," she was quoted as saying. China imports more than 80% of Australian iron ore, 75% of its wool, and 40% of its wine, according to the report. Fu's comments came as the bilateral relationship hit the rocks after Canberra excluded Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE from its 5G networks over security concerns in August 2018, amid Washington's global campaign to get other countries to follow in its footsteps. Since then, tensions have risen further over a series of issues including trade disputes, espionage allegations and the media. In August, China initiated two trade remedy investigations into Australian wines. The same month, it detained an Australian journalist, Cheng Lei, over "criminal activity endangering China's national security," according to Chinese foreign ministry. "I don't believe the international community wants to be forced to take sides in a split world," Fu said. "As a stakeholder, Australia would not want to face this choice either... We also expect Australia to bridge the current divergence, not the opposite." Fu, who remains active in Chinese diplomacy around the globe, called for an end to the two sides' "confrontation and abusive language." She also said that "(both) countries need to show their sincerity and courage to get out of the current dilemma," according to the published interview. These conciliatory comments coincided with similar remarks made by the current Chinese ambassador in Canberra, Cheng Jingye, urging that the two sides should "insist on treating each other's development as an opportunity rather than a threat, abandon the Cold War mentality, and continue to build trust and remove suspicion." Calling for "creating a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from both sides," Cheng said in a statement last week that "(we) hope that the Australian side could work with us to carry forward bilateral relations along the right track on the basis of mutual respect and benefit." ^ top ^
As New Zealand votes, Jacinda Ardern's Labour government walks fine line on China ties (SCMP)
2020-10-05
On paper, China should loom large in New Zealand's parliamentary elections later this month. Like its fellow Five Eyes intelligence partner Australia, the country has been shaken by claims of Chinese interference in politics, and it has defied Beijing with its stances on Hong Kong, the Uygurs and the South China Sea. And like its neighbour across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand relies on China more than any other country for its trade, sending it almost one-third of its exports. But in an election that is widely expected to return Jacinda Ardern as prime minister on October 17, China has barely registered a mention – a reflection, in part, of how harmonious Wellington has managed to keep relations with Beijing, compared with its anglophone peers. While Australia and New Zealand's other Five Eyes alliance partners – the Britain, Canada and the United States – wrestle with their most acrimonious relations with China in decades, New Zealand is walking a fine line that has allowed it to largely avoid blowback from its biggest trading partner, even while upholding many of the same policies and positions as its Western allies. "New Zealand is more diplomatic and probably makes much better use of behind-closed-door channels to convey its displeasure over matters in dispute," said Alexander Gillespie, a professor of international law at the University of Waikato. "I would not say New Zealand is afraid, but I would say it is aware of how much is at risk if it pushes too hard." Despite often emulating her Western counterparts on substantive policy, Ardern, whose centre-left Labour Party has been leading the rival National Party by double digits for weeks, has taken a distinct, less confrontational tack towards Beijing. When the US, Australia, Britain and Canada in May released a joint statement condemning Hong Kong's national security law as a threat to rights and freedoms in the city, Ardern's government issued its own separate statement expressing concern. It contained nearly identical wording, but did not refer to Beijing's international obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration that set out the terms of Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty. New Zealand soon after cancelled its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, but did not follow Australia in offering resettlement to Hongkongers who wished to leave the city. On a visit to Beijing last year, Ardern reportedly raised concerns about the treatment of Uygurs in Xinjiang, but only in private, and earlier this year told a business summit that while relations were "in good shape", the sides had "different perspectives" on issues including the "situation of the Uygur people". Although Wellington has avoided strident rhetoric on the South China Sea, its 2018 defence white paper highlighted China's island-building and military build-up in the disputed waters, arguing that Beijing sought to "restore claimed historical levels of influence" and "some actions in pursuit of these aims challenge the existing order". The government has maintained an ambiguous stance on banning Chinese tech giant Huawei since the Government Communications Security Bureau in 2018 described it as a security risk, insisting that any decision would be country-blind and made by security services, not politicians. And while New Zealand has experienced controversies over alleged Chinese interference – including revelations that former National Party MP Jian Yang taught English at a Chinese training facility for spies before emigrating to New Zealand – it has not emulated Australia 's sweeping anti-foreign interference laws that drew Beijing's ire when they were introduced in 2018. Robert Patman, a professor of international relations at the University of Otago, said while there were voices in New Zealand who argued that Beijing's political influence activities had reached a "critical level", that view was "contested, and New Zealand's more nuanced foreign policy probably means it will not be targeted in the same way as Australia, which is seen in Beijing to be much closer to Washington". Although the National Party is sometimes seen as slightly more dovish due to its pro-business stance, Ardern's approach reflects a long-standing bipartisan consensus on outreach to China, whose purchases of New Zealand exports have quadrupled since the signing of a free-trade agreement in 2008. In 1997, New Zealand became the first Western country to support China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WHO). It was also the first Western nation to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and sign up to the Belt and Road Initiative, in 2015 and 2017, respectively. New Zealand, which is home to about 5.7 million people, has a long history of independent foreign policy despite its isolated location and close links to larger Western powers. In the 1980s, then Labour Prime Minister David Lange banned nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed ships from entering New Zealand waters, leading to the country's suspension from the ANZUS Treaty military alliance involving the US and Australia. The ban, which resulted in a three-decade pause in US warships visiting the country, remains in place to this day. New Zealand, unlike Australia, also opposed the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. "New Zealand has maintained an independent foreign policy for the last 35 years," said Paul Clark, a professor of Chinese at the University of Auckland. "We are able to keep our distance from disputations on all sides. I think Beijing respects that and may even find it helpful. New Zealand can be a useful bridge or testing ground for Beijing's policies or behaviours." In the absence of any major disagreement on foreign policy, the contest between Ardern and National Party leader Judith Collins, a former lawyer, has focused on the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and bread-and-butter issues such as housing and health care. "Foreign policy plays very little part in New Zealand parliamentary elections," said Jason Young, director of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre at Victoria University of Wellington. "There is generally a consensus among the major parties about foreign policy and very little difference between the two major parties." Young added: "The major parties have a similar strategy of calling out Chinese behaviour when needed while trying to maintain a working political relationship to facilitate economic relations and cooperation internationally." Although Beijing has verbally lashed out at Wellington, including when Foreign Minister Winston Peters earlier this year expressed support for Taiwan's membership in the WHO, it has not threatened the country's economy. […] Hongzhi Gao, a senior research fellow at the NZ Contemporary China Research Centre at Victoria University of Wellington, said New Zealand could face challenges managing ties in the future as criticism of China inevitably increased in the country. "There will be more and more, and stronger and stronger voices and criticism of China in New Zealand in the coming months and years, depending on whathappens in China," Gao said. "These voices may not be what Beijing wants to hear, but, once again, New Zealand is a democracy, valuing freedom of speech," he said. "As long as the key politicians and key businesses in New Zealand are politically savvy and know how to get the politically natured message across without showing disrespect to China, New Zealand should not become the target." ^ top ^
Xi says ready to bring China-Bangladesh ties to new heights (Global Times)
2020-10-04
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday that he stands ready to work with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Md. Abdul Hamid, to better align the two countries' strategies and jointly promote the construction of the Belt and Road, so as to take the China-Bangladesh strategic partnership of cooperation to new heights. Xi made the remarks in an exchange of congratulatory messages with Hamid to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. In his message, Xi said the China-Bangladesh friendship has a long history and remains ever new over time. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 45 years ago, the two countries have always respected each other and treated each other as equals, enhanced political mutual trust and deepened mutually beneficial cooperation that brings tangible benefits to the two peoples, Xi noted. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Bangladesh have stuck together through thick and thin, helped each other and fought against the pandemic side by side, writing a new chapter of bilateral friendship, Xi said. For his part, Hamid said in the message that the Bangladesh-China relationship is developing rapidly and has covered cooperation in key areas, to which Bangladesh attaches great importance. He expressed his deep appreciation for China's continuous support for Bangladesh in its socio-economic development progress, adding that he believes the close and friendly relationship between the two countries will continue to deepen in the future. Also on Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang exchanged congratulatory messages with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Li said in his message that China is willing to deepen practical cooperation with Bangladesh in various fields and promote the steady and sustainable development of the China-Bangladesh strategic partnership of cooperation to better benefit the two countries and their people. For her part, Hasina said the strategic partnership of cooperation between Bangladesh and China has been developed from the two countries' time-tested friendship and cooperation. The strengthened Bangladesh-China cooperation has unleashed enormous potential in maintaining peace, security and stability in the region and even around the world, Hasina said. ^ top ^
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China science, technology news summary (Xinhua)
2020-10-09
Extensively applied in various aspects of the national economy and people's lives, China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) currently provides full-scale services in sectors ranging from transportation, public security, disaster relief, and mitigation to agriculture, forestry, and city management. The integration of BDS with emerging technologies, including 5G, mobile communications, and big data will be further promoted to create new business models and growth points, said BDS Spokesperson Ran Chengqi. Chinese researchers have developed a new method to improve the screening of hazardous compounds in agricultural products, providing a new strategy for ensuring food safety, according to the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The method improves the utilization rate of the equipment, avoids repeated data collection, and helps save the screening cost. China's internet and related sectors maintained a double-digit growth in business revenue and research development in the first eight months of this year, official data showed. Major internet companies raked in 796.2 billion yuan (about 116.91 billion U.S. dollars) in the January-August period, up 13.6 percent year on year, which is 1.3 percentage points lower than the growth rate registered in the first seven months, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. ^ top ^
China helps 100 mln people settle in towns, cities ahead of schedule (Xinhua)
2020-10-07
China has accomplished in advance a plan to settle about 100 million people in towns and cities thanks to its fast-paced household registration reform. The proportion of people who have a "hukou," or household registration status, in towns and cities, had reached 44.38 percent by 2019, up from 35.93 percent in 2013, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The country unveiled in 2014 a guideline on the hukou reform, setting a goal to help around 100 million people to obtain hukou in towns and cities by 2020. The hukou reform has put forward a unified residence registration, ending a system that had divided the nation into rural and non-rural populations since the 1950s. Related policies for rural dwellers and other permanent residents to get household registration status in urban areas have been relaxed. Open and transparent household registration system based on the points applicants earn has also been implemented in megacities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Established in the 1950s, the hukou system used to classify China's population into rural and non-rural categories, to control the movement of people between those areas. Household registration is tied to one's place of residence and used to obtain access to basic welfare and public services. ^ top ^
Chinese mainland set to top global box office in 2020: experts (Global Times)
2020-10-07
The Chinese mainland is poised to surpass North America to top the global box office this year amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, after the ongoing National Day holiday was estimated to generate 20 percent of the year's total box office, industry analysts said on Tuesday. The prediction came after data from Chinese ticket platform Maoyan showed that the Chinese mainland's box office (including pre-sales) during the National Day holiday surpassed 3 billion yuan ($440 million) on Tuesday morning. Shi Wenxue, a film critic based in Beijing and a teacher at Beijing Film Academy, told the Global Times on Tuesday that this year's box office has already surpassed 10 billion yuan, and some hit films, including Jingangchuan, based on the Korean War (1950-53), Shock Wave 2, starring Lau Tak-wah, will be released after the National Day holiday. He predicts the box office of 2020's National Day could account for 20 percent of the entire year's box office. With the COVID-19 pandemic still shutting down theaters and delaying films in the US, some Chinese experts are predicting that the Chinese mainland may surpass the North American market as the world's largest film market. As of Monday, the Chinese mainland's 2020 box office had reached 11.5 billion yuan ($1.69 billion), more than half of North America's $1.9 billion, Maoyan and Box Office Mojo reported. "The Chinese mainland box office is likely to surpass that of North America to top the 2020 global box office due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," Xiao Fuqiu, a film critic based in Shanghai, told the Global Times. My People, My Homeland - the anthology movie of My People, My Country, last year's National Day holiday champion in 2019 with 1.96 billion yuan - leads the box office with 1.45 billion yuan, followed by the animated film Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification, and Leap, whose box office reached 1.22 billion yuan and 560 million yuan, respectively. Shi attributed this to rising patriotic sentiment this year due to the COVID-19 epidemic. "The epidemic this year has made people feel more sympathetic and emotional with their hometown and country. And moviegoers could gain a sense of national pride when looking at the rapid changes of their hometown and country over the years through My People, My Homeland." ^ top ^
China Forgets Covid-19 for a Week as Half a Billion Hit the Road (Caixin)
2020-10-06
After staying cooped up at home for much of this year — held back by travel restrictions and personal concerns about catching the virus while traveling — Chinese took the road in droves during this year's weeklong National Day as if scrambling to make up for lost time. The travel surge resulted in familiar scenes of packed tourist attractions, congested highways and expensive hotels — things not seen in such big numbers since last year's Oct. 1 holiday, the last major one before the pandemic struck. While the numbers this year weren't 100% back to normal, they were still fast approaching levels from the past. Domestic venues are benefitting in particular, since two-week quarantines awaiting anyone who returns from abroad are discouraging most overseas tourism. With the Covid-19 pandemic largely under control in China, the Golden Week holiday is putting on display the country's confidence in its economic rebound and its public health measures. Through the first four days of the week-long holiday that started Oct. 1, some 425 million people traveled domestically, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, nearly 80% of last year's throngs. Spending on the first day of the holiday also got off to a healthy start, with tourism-related venues raking in 76.65 billion yuan ($11.3 billion), nearly 70% of last year's level. The ministry-affiliated China Tourism Academy had previously forecast that people would take about 550 million trips during the eight-day holiday, down about 30% from the previous year. The surge of activity stands in stark contrast to the rest of the world — the global tourism industry is expected to lose at least $1.2 trillion in 2020 — and underscores the relative strength of China's economic recovery. As of September, the OECD forecast a 1.8% expansion this year, putting China alone among the Group of 20 on pace to expand. That positive outlook assumes the country can avoid another wave of coronavirus and the aggressive lockdowns China's used to quash it. As millions crisscross the country during the holiday that marks the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, no virus tests or quarantines required, the risks grow. Late last month, China opened its borders to foreign nationals holding valid residence permits. "There is undoubtedly a risk in allowing mass tourism to resume and, in some ways, this is an early exercise in what the rest of the world will have to go through as global travel restarts next year," said Nicholas Thomas, associate professor in health security at the City University of Hong Kong. China hasn't reported any local virus infections since Aug. 15, though it found two asymptomatic cases in late September, and the government has eased almost all of its peak-Covid travel restrictions. The ban on group tours was lifted in the middle of July, every district in every city has been designated 'low-risk,' and coronavirus test results are no longer required for cross-province travel. "We have gone at least six weeks without reporting a single confirmed case domestically, which means the environment accessible by ordinary people is virus free," said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center of Disease Control and Prevention, at a briefing in Beijing last week. "The chance of you running into an asymptomatic person is very very low, almost negligible." Other countries are more reluctant to endorse a return to 2019-style vacationing. South Korea, for example, which has seen daily new cases hover around 100 a day, tightened social distancing rules for two weeks of back-to-back holidays starting in late September. European cities and countries are instituting new restrictions in an effort to fight a new wave of the pandemic sparked by summer travel. In China, tourists seem confident. "I'm not worried about the virus," said 35-year-old Zora Li, who plans to fly Beijing to the southern Chinese province of Guangxi with her two children and her parents, their first trip of 2020. "I don't have a choice. The kids can only travel during vacation." She wasn't the only one ready for a change of scenery. Flight bookings for the holiday were up 11% compared with 2019, according to a report from travel data and analytics agency Cirium. Reservations for domestic hotels began rising near the end of August, and prices soared: As of Sept. 10, the average hotel booking cost around 20% more this year compared with last year, according to data released by travel booking site Qunar.com Inc. Ride-hailing apps Didi and Dida crashed as the holiday period began on Sept. 30, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency. Some 11.7 million passengers traveled by train on Oct. 3, down just 15% from 2019. Tickets at the Badaling section of the Great Wall sold out by mid-morning on Oct. 3, the first time daily tickets have sold out since late March. Popular sites from the Forbidden City in Beijing to the Mogao Grottoes in Gansu province were fully booked before the holiday started. The surge of renewed interest in travel led many sites to report actual increases in searches and bookings. Alibaba Group Holding's Ltd.'s Feizhu travel service reported its hotel booking volume was up 50% this year from a year earlier, while its flight bookings were roughly the same as last year. Rival site Qunar estimated its domestic air travel business would rise 10% from a year earlier to a record high. Popular destinations included many of China's major cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Xi'an. Despite the surge in interest, sites showed that prices still remain depressed below last year's levels. Feizhu showed hotel prices during this year's holiday were about 30% below what they were in 2019. There's also still the potential for fallout from allowing so many people to resume travel all at once under the usual crowded conditions. "We will only know how successful China has been 2-3 weeks after the holidays as we see how many new infections emerge," Thomas said. "If they manage to avoid an upsurge in cases, it will be evidence that China is truly moving into a post-Covid period." ^ top ^
Five Miners Tapped to Create Coal Powerhouse in North China (Caixin)
2020-10-06
The central government plans to create the country's second-largest coal mining conglomerate by merging at least some of the assets of at least five of the seven major coal mining companies in the northern province of Shanxi. The companies to be consolidated include Datong Coal Mine Group Co. Ltd., Jinneng Group Co. Ltd. and Shanxi Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group Co. Ltd. — which had more than 1 trillion yuan ($147 billion) in combined assets as of June 30, according to a statement released by Datong on Sept. 30. The consolidation of the trio would make the new company China's second-largest coal mining company by output, as they produced a total of 316 million tons of the combustible black rock in 2019, according to data from the China National Coal Association. The country's top producer, China Energy Investment Corp. Ltd., produced 510 million tons of coal last year. Caixin has learned that the new conglomerate will be wholly owned by a company affiliated with the provincial branch of the national state-owned assets overseer. Datong Chair Guo Jingang will be the new company's chairman, while the presidents of Jinneng and Jincheng, Li Guobiao and Li Hongshuang, will take vice chairman positions alongside Cui Jianjun, who is currently Datong's general manager, according to the company's statement. The statement did not reveal a timeline for the plan. The new conglomerate will also take on some of the assets of two other major coal mining companies in Shanxi, according to the statement, though it didn't provide details. The China Taiyuan Coal Transaction Center, a major coal exchange, will also be incorporated into the new company. A new Chinese coal giant can increase Shanxi's pull in the industry and make it more competitive, a person working for the province's state asset regulator told Caixin. The central government has also urged the companies to improve their financial health and called for the creation of "world-class energy conglomerates" that can accumulate experience for countrywide energy reform in the future. Of the companies mentioned, Jincheng is in the worst financial shape, with its debt-to-asset ratio at 75.6% as of June 30, according to its 2020 first-half report. Industry experts generally see anything above 70% as dangerous. Jinneng is approaching the threshold with a debt-to-asset ratio of 67.6%, according to its own first-half report. Consolidation has been a favored tactic of the Chinese government looking to shore up its faltering coal industry as the country bets heavy on renewable resources like wind and solar. In May, China's top state-owned asset supervisor required 40 coal plants in five provinces to consolidate to create one leading power generation company for each province, with the aim of reducing their losses by half. ^ top ^
China to advance on great journey in new era (People's Daily)
2020-10-04
China has embraced its 71th anniversary of founding, after winning a series of remarkable fights against the COVID-19 epidemic and floods, which helped it turn crises into opportunities and successfully responded to changes. Withstanding the tests, China is now standing on a new point of history, from which billions of Chinese people, with confidence and pride, will embark on a great journey in the new era. Human history, like a river, runs forever, witnessing both peaceful moments and great disturbances. The heroic Chinese people is never afraid of rains and storms, and will always proceed against challenges. Since this year, facing a severe situation and unprecedented challenges, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has led the Chinese people from all ethnic groups to tackle difficulties, with strong leadership and brilliant governance, nurturing new opportunities in crises, and seeking chances among changes. As a result, China secured stable performance of reform and opening-up, and a successful ending of its 13th Five-Year Plan. It is expected to achieve a final victory over poverty, and finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. In face of the sudden COVID-19 outbreak, billions of Chinese people launched a breathtaking war against the virus under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, withstanding an arduous test of history, achieving major strategic results, making another magnificent feat in the history of human beings' fight against diseases, and building a great spirit of combating the COVID-19 epidemic, which features putting people's lives first, nationwide solidarity, sacrifice, respecting science, and a sense of mission for humanity. China has become the first major economy to return to growth since the COVID-19 pandemic, and is leading the world in both epidemic prevention and economic recovery, which demonstrates the outstanding efficiency of the country's governance system. The indomitable Chinese people once again defeated hardships and left a glorious page in the history. Salute to the great People's Republic of China, and salute to the great Chinese people. Time records history and heralds future direction. In the past, the Chinese people have made numerous struggles and realized incalculable dreams; today, the country is going through a series of remarkable fights with the strong leadership of the CPC and the solidarity of the people. Thanks to long-term and unremitted efforts, the Chinese nation will put an end to absolute poverty, a problem that has bothered it for thousands of years, and finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This is a result of the persevere struggles of the Chinese people, and will inspire the nation to sail for farther goals. The closer the country gets to its goal of national rejuvenation, the more difficulties and challenges it will encounter. At a time when the two centenary goals converge, the country must understand and grasp domestic and international situations in a dialectical manner, enhance the awareness for opportunities and risks, cherish present development results and consolidate development momentum, and pool resources and concentrate on managing its own affairs well, so as to progress courageously on the great journey in the new era. China has the confidence and strength to achieve further development. From a country facing daunting tasks of reconstruction to the second largest economy of the world, China has stood up, grown rich and become strong. After the past 71 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, including the 40 years pf reform and opening-up, especially since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, China, relying on its people, has turned the impossible possible, making miracles of rapid economic development and social stability. Today, the country's powerful comprehensive national strength is its confidence to cope with challenges; its institutional advantages serve as a basic guarantee for it to deal with risks. China will enter a new development phase in the upcoming period of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Though profound and complicated changes are taking place in the exterior environment, the basic trend of steady long-term growth for China's economy remains unchanged; the basic characteristics of China's economy with sufficient potential, great resilience, strong vitality, large space for maneuver and many policy instruments remain changed; and the advantages and conditions of China's development remain unchanged. China will analyze and grasp development situations in a science-based manner, adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, continue to apply the new development philosophy, coordinate development and security, accelerate forming new development patterns, work to make development higher-quality, more efficient, fairer, more sustainable and more secured. The country is destined to overcome all kinds of difficulties and risks, and gain initiative and advantages to win the future. China has the resolution and confidence to achieve future development. The CPC will embrace its 100th anniversary of founding the next year. Over the past century, the Party has never shaken its commitment to bettering the lives of the people. It fought tenaciously when invaded and separated, strived when struggling for basic survival, and is advancing with the time amid development. The CPC and the Chinese people, with their perseverance, dare to rise up to and conquer all difficulties. Under the strong leadership of the CPC, relying on the people and facing challenges with courage, China is bound to create new achievements. Today, the country is closer, more confident, and more capable than ever before of making the goal of national rejuvenation a reality. It shall closely unite around the CPC Central Committee with Xi as the core, bear clearly in mind the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core and keep in alignment, developed greater confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and firmly upheld General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position in both the Party Central Committee and the Party as a whole, and firmly upheld the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. It must stand on the right side of history, stick to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, advance toward the goal of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and continue creating a better life for tis people. No force is able to stop the progress of the Chinese people and Chinese nation. ^ top ^
Senior legislator stresses int'l exchanges, cooperation in law studies (Xinhua)
2020-10-02
Wang Chen, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, on Friday said China is willing to strengthen mutual learning with law scholars from various countries. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while addressing a forum held in Beijing via video link. Wang hoped for more exchanges and cooperation in law education, research and practice, calling for joint studies with foreign law professionals and experience sharing to strengthen the legal protection of public health. He also emphasized reforming the global governance system and training law talent. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has been sticking to the rule of law in coordinating epidemic control with economic and social development, Wang said. The forum was attended by heads of law schools from across the world. ^ top ^
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| Beijing |
Beijing's tech hub reports robust economic rebound (Global Times)
2020-10-07
Beijing's tech hub of Zhongguancun has reported a robust economic rebound, with the total revenue of the area's major high-tech enterprises surging by 9.9 percent year on year to 4 trillion yuan (about 589.2 billion U.S. dollars) in the first eight months of this year. Among the key technical fields, the electronic and information sector saw its total revenue rise 17.5 percent year on year to 1.93 trillion yuan from January to August, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics. Other major sectors that contributed to the rebound include bioengineering and new medicine, which reported total revenue of 158.2 billion yuan, up 7 percent year on year, the bureau said on its website. The total research and development expenditure of the major high-tech enterprises in the area surged nearly a quarter year on year to 182.8 billion yuan during the period. Beijing's Zhongguancun area, dubbed China's Silicon Valley, is home to numerous leading Chinese IT companies as well as new startups. ^ top ^
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| Shanghai |
China to hold import expo on schedule, committed to further opening-up (Xinhua)
2020-10-06
In Shanghai, preparations for the third China International Import Expo (CIIE) are in full swing, as the world's first import-themed national-level expo is only one month away. It has been a bumpy year for many global companies as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world economy. Yet, foreign firms' passion for the upcoming CIIE was not hindered by the pandemic, and the event's business exhibition area will expand to 360,000 square meters from last year's 300,000 square meters to cope with foreign exhibitors' demand, according to Sun Chenghai, vice director of the CIIE Bureau. "The enlarged exhibition demand shows foreign exhibitors' recognition of the strong attraction of the CIIE and the Chinese market," Sun said. As the organizer plans to host the expo on Nov. 5 as scheduled despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a batch of Estee Lauder products from the United States completed customs clearance in Shanghai on Sept. 28, becoming the first exhibits of the import expo to pass through customs. On the same day, a comprehensive drill took place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the venue of the expo. Shang Yuying, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai municipal government, said measures used in the last two editions as well as COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures will be combined to better the experience of exhibitors and visitors at the third CIIE. "I think that the CIIE will be one of the very few, if not the only exhibition in the world not canceled, and that will take place offline, and I think it sends many very strong signals," L'Oreal CEO Jean-Paul Agon said, adding that it shows the COVID-19 epidemic is under control and things are going back to normal in China, which is crucial because other countries continue struggling with their domestic epidemic. It also shows China is reaffirming its opening-up policy, which is especially important nowadays, Agon added. "I'm sure the management of the CIIE will be done with the utmost care. That's important not only for China, but for the rest of the world, that the pandemic can be managed effectively," said Allan Gabor, president of Merck China. The CIIE Bureau has opened the registration for exhibitors seeking to participate in the fourth CIIE in 2021. Dozens of foreign companies including Hyundai Motor Group, Shiseido, Theland and Michelin have signed with the CIIE Bureau to attend the expo in the next three years. "We're very grateful for the opportunities brought by the CIIE," Sheng Wenhao, CEO of Theland Asia Pacific Region. Benefitting from the Shanghai customs' improved clearance service, the New Zealand dairy company can now have its fresh milk with a shelf life of only 15 days land in Shanghai supermarkets in roughly three days, instead of around seven days, after production and bottling in New Zealand. "Our milk has been made available in remote Chinese small cities like Mohe, a border city in northeast Heilongjiang Province, some 3,000 km away from Shanghai, just a few months after the second CIIE was held last year," said Sheng. The dairy company lost over 80 million yuan (about 11.8 million U.S. dollars) due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarter. With the recovery of the Chinese consumer market and the introduction of government policies to promote consumption including participating in a night fair designed to promote CIIE star exhibits in June, Theland's China sales went up by 55 percent year on year in the second quarter. As China steps up the promotion of the fruitful outcomes of the first two CIIEs, global enterprises are looking forward to new opportunities brought by the dynamic of "dual circulation," a new economic development pattern floated by the country's top leadership in May encouraging domestic and overseas markets to reinforce each other while taking the domestic market as the mainstay. […] Liu Min, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, said from Oct. 8 to Nov. 11, Shanghai will introduce a series of consumption promotion events and create more opportunities for CIIE exhibits. Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, grew 18.7 percent year on year to 84.13 billion yuan in August, according to China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC). This marked the fifth consecutive month for the country to witness positive growth in FDI. Building on its effective containment of the COVID-19 epidemic, China has rigorously rolled out a string of measures to stabilize foreign trade and investment. The MOC has pledged to significantly increase items on the industry catalog to encourage foreign investment and help foreign-funded firms benefit from preferential policies. Shanghai's detailed measures to encourage foreign investment will take effect on Nov. 1 to better attract FDI. ^ top ^
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| Tibet |
China Focus: Qinghai-Tibet Railway paves way for enriching plateau (Xinhua)
2020-10-07
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world's highest and longest railway, not only brings convenience for the residents on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to travel but also enormous wealth for them. "Our life changed a lot since we moved to Chaka Township," said Shen Deping, a resident of the township's Bayin Village. Along with other villagers, Shen and her family moved to the township from mountainous areas to shake off poverty in 2016. "Before moving here, I planted wheat, highland barley and other crops to make a living. We lived a hard life," she said. Thanks to the booming tourism brought by the railway, Shen, like many other villagers, now has bid farewell to poverty. Bayin Village is located close to Chaka Salt Lake, a hot tourist attraction in northwest China's Qinghai Province. The local government also encouraged villagers to run hotels and provided subsidies for them. In 2016, China Railway Qinghai-Tibet Group Co. Ltd. launched a tourist train service for the attraction, which has made more than 500,000 trips so far. The hotel business of Shen's family is hot especially on the National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to Oct. 8. "Some customers had booked their orders more than a month in advance," she said. Since the launch of the train service, the family has doubled its income and can earn around 300,000 yuan (about 44,000 U.S. dollars) each year. "I am planning to expand our business and hire more waiters. It is possible for us to double the income again," said Shen. Besides tourism, the railway has also promoted the development of logistics on the plateau. More than 800 households in Sema Village in Lhasa City, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, have shaken off poverty in 2015 thanks to the industry. "There was not even a decent electrical appliance in my house before the railway was open to traffic," said Nyimatserin, a villager in Sema. In 2007, the village established a logistics company with the support of the local government. Starting with 30 minivans, the company now has more than 100 large vans. "The per capita income of villagers increased to 10,000 yuan in 2018 from the original 2,000 yuan," said Nyimatserin. "Our job in logistics is busier than before, but we are also happier than before." ^ top ^
PLA drones support Motuo frontline soldiers in Tibet for first time (Global Times)
2020-10-05
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) ground forces adopted 10 UAVs — or drones — to provide logistic support for the first time to soldiers stationed at the remote Motuo region in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. China Central Television (CCTV) reported that the 10 drones opened air routes to the four frontlines stations of the PLA Tibet Military Command in Motuo region through satellite positioning, automatic take-off and landing, intelligent cruise and fixed-point delivery. The stations, located in dense forests of the high mountains, are often hit by landslides and heavy snow, and the soldiers at the stations are PLA's only frontline troops who relied on manpower on foot to transport food and other supplies. The multirotor drones have a payload capacity of 15 to 25 kilograms, and can fly 20 kilometers under full load. The delivery of the drones ahead of the National Day holiday enabled soldiers to have fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, milk and eggs, and even mooncakes. It used to take 120 soldiers two to three days to transport the supplies to the stations, and soldiers mostly ate dehydrated vegetables and canned food. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
Germany and Western allies call for acceptance of Uygurs as refugees as China is also slammed over Hong Kong law (SCMP)
2020-10-07
In a United Nations speech on Tuesday supported by 38 other countries, Germany criticised China's human rights record and called on the world to accept persecuted Uygur Muslims as refugees. The group of mostly Western countries, represented by Berlin's ambassador to the United Nations, Christoph Heusgen, also expressed "deep concerns" over the national security law Beijing has imposed in Hong Kong, which allows people to be sent to mainland China for trials. Beijing and its UN allies fired back, rejecting what they deemed interference in "China's internal affairs". A million Uygurs are in Chinese detention in the far western region of Xinjiang, according to UN findings. President Xi Jinping, however, has defended the "anti-terror" practice of "vocational training" as "totally correct". "We are gravely concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the recent developments in Hong Kong," Heusgen said in a UN general debate. "In view of our concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, we call on all countries to respect the principle of non-refoulement," he added. The principle of non-refoulement forms an essential protection under international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, according to the UN. It prohibits states from transferring or removing individuals from their jurisdiction when there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be at risk of irreparable harm upon return, including persecution, torture or other serious human rights violations. The German envoy said: "Widespread surveillance disproportionately continues to target Uygurs and other minorities and more reports are emerging of forced labour and forced birth control including sterilisation. "We call on China to allow immediate, meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang for independent observers including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and her office." Germany – and a range of other countries including EU member states, the US and Britain – also expressed worry about the situation in Hong Kong. "We have deep concerns about elements of the national security law that allow for certain cases to be transferred for prosecution to the Chinese mainland," Heusgen said. "We urge the relevant authorities to guarantee the rights which are protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Sino-British Joint Declaration, including freedoms of speech, the press and assembly." China, for its part, lambasted the US for violations of human rights. Its ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, spoke on behalf of 26 other nations, including Belarus, North Korea, Iran, Syria and Venezuela. "The death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake are still happening," Zhang said. "These incidents show the long-standing and deep-seated racism, police brutality and social inequality." Cuba led a group of 45 countries in praising China's actions in Xinjiang. The joint statement "noted with appreciation that China has undertaken a series of measures in response to threats of terrorism and extremism in accordance with the law to safeguard the human rights of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang", according to Chinese state media Xinhua. ^ top ^
Xinjiang receives nearly 100 bln yuan in aid since 2010 (Xinhua)
2020-10-04
A total of 96.4 billion yuan (about 14.2 billion U.S. dollars) has been invested in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region by 19 provinces and municipalities across the country over the past decade, according to the regional economic planner. More than 10,000 aid projects have been implemented in the region since 2010, the regional development and reform commission said. Data shows that more than 70 percent of aid funds were invested in areas related to people's wellbeing, and more than 80 percent in regions at and below the county level. In addition, more than 80,000 professionals from all over the country have devoted themselves to supporting Xinjiang's development in recent years. China has been implementing a "pairing assistance" program in Xinjiang since 1997, channeling financial support to Xinjiang from other regions of the country and sending cadres and professionals to work there. In 2010, a new pairing assistance program was launched, involving central and state organs, centrally administered state-owned enterprises, and 19 provinces and municipalities. The third central symposium on work related to Xinjiang held last month in Beijing proposed that all provinces and municipalities paired with Xinjiang should provide long-term assistance to the region and enhance comprehensive benefits, meaning China regards the pairing assistance program as a long-term strategy. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
Chan Tong-kai: Hong Kong denies existence of Taiwan police liaison channel for murder suspect transfer (HKFP)
2020-10-05
Hong Kong's Security Bureau has denied the existence of a communication channel with Taiwan for the transfer of murder suspect Chan Tong-kai. Taipei earlier said the Criminal Investigation Bureau of Taiwan's National Police Agency had set up a "single window" for liaising with Hong Kong police over the case. Chan has been accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend Amber Poon in Taipei in 2018, when he was aged 19, before returning to Hong Kong. Chan served 18 months in jail for money-laundering over valuables he took from Poon but he could not be charged for murder owing to the absence of an extradition treaty between Hong Kong and Taiwan. His case has been attributed to triggering months of citywide unrest after the government attempted to introduce an extradition bill that would have enabled fugitive transfers to mainland China. In a statement released on Saturday, the Security Bureau said Hong Kong could not liaise with Taiwan on legal assistance matters because the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance did not apply to the island nation. "There are reports quoting that Taiwan has established a so-called 'single window' liaison point with Hong Kong. The HKSAR government must point out that this is merely a unilateral description adopted by Taiwan," it read. "Hong Kong police have not jointly established any so-called 'single window' liaison point with Taiwan and this does not involve any assistance on evidence." The bureau added that police had passed on the contact information of Taiwanese authorities to Chan: "The HKSAR government will provide feasible arrangements to assist Chan in going to Taiwan in accordance with the law." Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council spokesperson refuted the bureau's statement on Sunday and insisted the liaison point was set up in October last year, Stand News reported. They also criticised the Hong Kong government as failing to make any progress for nearly a year and urged for concrete action, as well as communication, as soon as possible. Taiwan Executive Yuan Spokesperson Ting Yi-ming previously said the island had always maintained jurisdiction over Chan's case and wished for mutual legal assistance between Hong Kong and Taiwan – a request the city rejected, according to Apple Daily. Reverend Peter Koon – provincial secretary-general of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui – who has been relaying messages from Chan, earlier cited Covid-19 travel restrictions as the reason for the delaying his transfer. On Friday, Koon released an audio recording from Chan in which he said he still intended to head to Taiwan and apologised to Poon's parents again: "I will ask my lawyer to handle the arrangement for my surrender to Taiwan. Please rest assured," he said. According to local media, Poon's mother said she doubted whether Chan was the speaker in the audio clip and whether he would willingly record it. She said she would rather Chan film himself than record a 23-second-long audio file. "If you intend to turn yourself in, why have you waited until now? Are there any undisclosed facts that have kept you silent? I cannot feel relief over what happened to Amber," Apple Daily quoted her as saying. She added she was willing to book Chan a one-way ticket to Taiwan and arrange for his airport transportation, hence there was no excuse for further delay. "Chan Tong-kai, I hope you will seriously reflect on your actions and own up to your wrongdoings. When you have an exact date for travelling to Taiwan, please inform us immediately." Chan's father responded to an Apple Daily enquiry, saying the recording was authentic and voluntary, adding his son has felt guilt over the case. He said he would accompany his son to Taiwan. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
The more trouble Taiwan creates, the sooner the mainland will teach them a lesson (Global Times)
2020-10-06
The Kuomintang (KMT) group in Taiwan's "Legislative Yuan" proposed two bills, asking the island's authorities to request US assistance in resisting the Communist Party of China and to resume diplomatic ties with the US. The move is widely believed to checkmate the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and put the DPP in a difficult position. But regardless of the intention behind the move, it is believed that the KMT legislators have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. They have gone downhill and become vulgar. They would do anything to just get rid of their political passivity on the island of Taiwan. They are losers. Judging from such a loser mentality of the KMT, it is clear that we must not count on them for future cross-Straits peace and national reunification. On the upside, those politicians' treachery have helped the Chinese mainland see clearly what is happening on the island. We must no longer hold any more illusions. The only way forward is for the mainland to fully prepare itself for war and to give Taiwan secessionist forces a decisive punishment at any time. As the secessionist forces' arrogance continues to swell, the historical turning point is getting closer. It's certain that the current status of the island of Taiwan is only a short period in history that will definitely come to an end. The initiative of ending this period while minimizing losses and maximizing gains toward the rise of China in the process is firmly in the hands of the Chinese mainland. The more trouble Taiwan creates, the sooner the mainland will decide to teach Taiwan independence forces a hard lesson. ^ top ^
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| Economy |
Multinationals step up investment in China (China Daily)
2020-10-08
Foreign multinational companies are stepping up investment activities in China this year, noting its economic resilience reflected by its quick recovery from the impact of COVID-19 and its huge market potential, according to industry insiders. Felix Gutsche, president and CEO of the China branch of Boehringer Ingelheim, said the company will continue to direct investment to China as it is "a market of the present and of the future". Entering China 25 years ago, and as one of the fastest growing multinationals in the country, the company, headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, plans to invest more than 450 million euros ($529 million) in China over the next five years across its main business areas, including pharmaceuticals, animal health, and biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing. Gutsche said the investments will go into production sites, research sites and clinical development. The company has entered a fourth business in China, called healthcare solutions, to provide services with a stroke rehabilitation clinic in Shanghai. "I think we probably all realize that the Chinese economy is projected to be the only economy that will have positive growth at the end of the year, which is a very good news, particularly in times of COVID-19," he said. With all of its clinical programs globally coming to China, Boehringer Ingelheim is continuously investing in research collaborations. In July, it opened in Shanghai the first branch of its digital lab, BI X, outside Germany because it believes China is one of the fastest developing markets for digital solutions. Also in July, Boehringer Ingelheim launched in Shanghai its External Innovation Hub China, which is expected to consolidate the company's innovation capability while tapping into the unique technologies and expertise of partners in multiple fields. The hub will identify new technologies, propel them into the research and development pipeline and leverage venture funds to accelerate transforming results into products that benefit patients. Shi Lichen, founder of Beijing Dingchen Consultancy, said China's pharmaceutical market, second only to that of the United States, has the greatest potential in the world due to the large population and to business opportunities arising from China's ever-deepening reform and opening-up. "The domestic market is restructuring, with a focus on high-quality development and innovation, which is creating room for further cooperation between domestic and foreign companies," he said. As China has been rolling out policy measures to ensure stability in employment, finance, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment and market expectations, it has been sharing markets and opportunities with foreign investors. According to the Ministry of Commerce, foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland grew 18.7 percent year-on-year to $12.3 billion in August, the fifth successive monthly increase. Herbalife Nutrition, of the US, said it will open a Herbalife Nutrition Product Innovation Center by end of the year in Shanghai, its first product innovation center globally, with investments totaling $14.7 million. It has accelerated new product launches in China since the second half of last year and expects to double its new products launched in China within five years, owing to the huge consumer market. Danish biopharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk began its China Essentials program in April, which is aimed at boosting its R&D abilities and accelerating innovative drug registration in China. Christine Zhou, senior vice-president of Novo Nordisk and president of its China arm, said the company is impressed with China's efforts and achievements in containing COVID-19 and the resilience of the Chinese economy. Gutsche, of Boehringer Ingelheim, said China has made huge advances in recent years in innovation and investment climate, and he thinks within three to five years that many innovations will be produced in China, not only for the Chinese, but also potentially for the global market. ^ top ^
September foreign exchange reserves slightly down (Global Times)
2020-10-07
China's foreign exchange reserves edged down slightly in September, ending a five-month rising streak since April, though the country's foreign exchange regulator said that supply/demand dynamics and cross-border capital flow remain stable. China's foreign exchange reserves stood at $3.1426 trillion at the end of September, down from $3.1646 trillion recorded at the end of August, official data showed on Wednesday. The decrease, at $22 billion or 0.7 percent month over month, was due to a rise in the US dollar index and exchange rates and changes in asset prices, as a result of a number of factors including the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic abroad and monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the world's major economies, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said in a statement. However, Wang Chunying, a SAFE spokesperson, said the stable trend of China's foreign exchange reserve remains stable as the favorable conditions enjoyed by the Chinese economy unchanged and its policymakers' toolkit remained ample, despite the still-complex pandemic situation and rising uncertainties in the global economy. Besides, China's gold reserves stood at 62.64 million ounces at the end of September, unchanged compared with that of the previous month, SAFE data showed. ^ top ^
Jack Ma Is Stepping Down From Board of Alibaba (Caixin)
2020-10-02
Alibaba Group Holding's founder Jack Ma is leaving the board of the giant e-commerce company after stepping down as executive chairman a year ago. Ma was not listed in the new board disclosed Wednesday night by Alibaba, though he continues as a life-long member of the Alibaba Partnership, a 36-member group of top executives that has the right to nominate a majority of the board. Filling his seat on the 11-member board will be Alibaba Chief Financial Officer Maggie Wu, 52, who joined Alibaba in 2007. She was previously a partner at KPMG in Beijing. Ma, a former English teacher, founded Alibaba in his apartment in Hangzhou in 1999. Beginning as an 18-person startup offering trading services for businesses, Alibaba expanded into a giant e-commerce conglomerate with businesses sprawling from online retail to financial services to artificial intelligence and generated a fortune of more than $56 billion for Ma. Ma stepped down as Alibaba's CEO in 2013 but remained as chairman, continuing to play a decisive role at the company, including overseeing its record-breaking $25 billion initial public offering (IPO) in New York in 2014. Since stepping down, Ma has turned his focus to philanthropy. Alibaba's board has long consisted of 11 members. The seat of long-time investor SoftBank Chairman Masayoshi Son has been vacant since he resigned from the board in June. SoftBank, which remains Alibaba's biggest shareholder with 24.9%, nominated Kabir Misra, a managing partner at SoftBank Capital, to fill Son's seat. The other directors who will continue on the board are Alibaba Executive Chairman Daniel Zhang, Executive Vice Chairman Joseph C. Tsai, President J. Michael Evans, Ant Group Chairman Jing Xiandong, former Hong Kong Chief Executive Chee Hwa Tung, Motorola Solutions (China) Co. Ltd senior adviser The Ming Kwauk, Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, Ericsson Chief Executive E. Börje Ekholm, and former Nestlé executive Wang Ling Martello. Ma has been selling down his holding in the e-commerce giant since the company launched its secondary listing in Hong Kong in November 2019. Ma reduced his Alibaba stake from 6.1% in November to 4.8% as of July 2, the company's filings showed. He remains Alibaba's second-biggest shareholder. Alibaba Executive Vice Chairman Tsai, the third-largest shareholder, has also been reducing his holdings. As of July 2, he reduced his stake from 2% to 1.6%. ^ top ^
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DPRK holds politburo meeting to prepare for 8th party congress (People's Daily)
2020-10-06
Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Monday presided over a Political Bureau meeting to discuss preparation for celebrating the founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) on Saturday and for the 8th Party congress in January. "Today all the Party members and working people are dynamically waging the final all-out campaign to celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of the Party," the Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday. It also reported the 19th meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the WPK discussed the issue of welcoming the Eighth Congress of the Party by waging a dynamic 80-Day Campaign of the entire Party, the whole country and all the people. The meeting stressed that the remaining days till the Eighth Congress of the Party is the period of year-end struggle and the last phase of carrying out the five-year strategy for national economic development put forth at the Seventh Congress of the Party, so that the entire Party and the whole country should wage another all-out campaign. At the meeting, Ri Pyong Chol, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK and vice chairman of the Central Committee of the WPK, and Pak Jong Chon, chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, were promoted to the Marshal of the army, the report said. ^ top ^
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State Secretary meets Ambassador of Russia (Montsame)
2020-10-08
On October 6, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs N.Ankhbayar received Russian Ambassador to Mongolia I.K. Azizov.The meeting focused on bilateral and multilateral cooperation issues and they also discussed the plan of actions to be implemented in 2021 within the 100th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Russian Federation. Moreover, they exchanged views on preparations for the 23rd meeting of the Mongolia-Russia intergovernmental commission, scheduled in December this year, and conferences of subcommittees and working teams. ^ top ^
Mongolia removed from EU grey list (Montsame)
2020-10-07
Commending Mongolia for fulfilling all its commitments to the EU and ratifying the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the EU made a decision, during its meeting held on October 6, to officially remove Mongolia from the EU grey list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. In 2017, the EU adopted its black list of jurisdictions that do not share information on tax issues, do not ensure transparency, and lack a legal framework against tax evasion and Mongolia was added to the list on December 5, 2017. However, as a result of the joint efforts made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance of Mongolia, the country was removed from the "black list" in January 2018 and moved to the "grey list". In aims to be removed from this list, the Government of Mongolia adopted Resolution No.350 in 2017 to ensure tax transparency, information exchange, and the implementation of international rules to combat tax evasion, as well as joining "Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes" of OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) as a member country. In line with the organization's recommendations, the legal framework for information exchange, transparency, cooperation, and tax evasion has been incorporated into domestic legislation as part of the tax reform package. In addition, within the framework of its obligations to the European Union, the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters was ratified by the Parliament of Mongolia on January 3 and entered into force on June 1 which played an important role in Mongolia's removal from the grey list. It should be noted that this is not a list of countries with strategic deficiencies or so-called 'Grey List' of Financial Action Task Force (FATF). ^ top ^
Japanese Foreign Minister to visit Mongolia (Montsame)
2020-10-06
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Toshimitu Motegi will pay a visit to Mongolia between October 9-10 at the invitation of Mongolian Foreign Minister N.Enkhtaivan. During the visit, Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will pay a courtesy call on President Kh.Battulga and Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh and hold official talks with Foreign Minister N.Enkhtaivan to discuss the issues of maintaining the frequency of high-level talks on strengthening the Mongolia-Japan strategic partnership and deepening bilateral cooperation in all spheres. They also plan to discuss regional issues of mutual interest. This will be the fifth Japanese Foreign Ministerial visit to Mongolia. The country's former Foreign Minister Taro Kono visited Mongolia last year. The visit of the Japanese Foreign Minister to Mongolia one year apart shows that the Japanese Government and Foreign Minister give priority to strengthen the strategic partnership with Mongolia, highlights E.Sarantogos, Director of the Department for Asia and the Pacific of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ^ top ^
Secretariat of Parliament to cooperate with WHO (Montsame)
2020-10-05
Senior Advisor to Speaker of the Parliament D. Lundeejantsan and Director of the Parliamentary Research Institute of the Secretariat of the Parliament T.Bayarmaa met with World Health Organization's Representative in Mongolia Dr. Sergey Diorditsa on October 2. During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the areas of cooperation between the WHO and the Parliamentary Research Institute. D. Lundeejantsan briefly introduced about the laws, passed by the Parliament, on response measures to the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. He also thanked the WHO for its continued support in preventing and fighting the pandemic. Highlighting a significant role of newly established Parliamentary Research Institute in Parliament's making any legislations and resolutions based on scientific research, D. Lundeejantsan emphasized the importance of WHO's recommendations and support for creating a legal environment that aims at providing the health sector system and medical care and services to citizens in a timely and accessible way. WHO Representative in Mongolia Sergey Diorditsa expressed readiness to cooperate with the Secretariat of the Parliament and the Parliamentary Research Institute to improve the legal environment in the health sector and gave detailed information on some projects and programs being implemented by the WHO. ^ 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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