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SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
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Mongolia
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Montreux Jazz Festival expands to China amid tight coronavirus restrictions in its homeland (SCMP)
2021-04-29
It's October 2021. Thousands of jazz fans mingle beside a world-famous lake in a city steeped in history as one of Europe's premier music festivals bursts exuberantly into life after having been silenced by the coronavirus pandemic. The Montreux Jazz Festival is back – although not just in its traditional home, on the shores of Switzerland's Lake Geneva, but also alongside West Lake, in Hangzhou. The famous event, whose past performers have included Nina Simone, BB King and Ella Fitzgerald, is being given a new lease of life in China. In a world turned upside down by Covid-19, the half-century old festival is being held in a reduced, online-offline format in Switzerland in July, with a maximum audience size of 600, after being cancelled altogether in 2020. However, live audiences of up to 6,000 people and an online audience of up to two million are expected for its China debut, from October 4 to 8. Around 20 bands will perform live over the five days in Hangzhou, while foreign bands and musicians will have recorded concerts using 360-degree immersive audio technology that will be shown on stage at the festival. Seventy per cent of the acts performing live will be Chinese, the remaining 30 per cent Western musicians based in China. Acts so far confirmed to appear either live or digitally include Laura Fygi, Lawrence Ku and Luo Ning, as well as Hong Kong (or Hong Kong-born) trio Eugene Pao, Alan Kwan and Teriver Cheung. Organisers hope this will be the first of many Montreux Jazz Festivals to be staged in China and say that, when travel is possible again, the percentage of overseas live performers will be around 70 per cent of the total in what should become an annual event. There have been overseas editions of the Montreux Jazz Festival before – in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Tokyo, Japan, where there were already firmly established jazz cultures – but this autumn's event in Hangzhou is its boldest cultural detour yet. China, after all, is a country where jazz was effectively banned under Mao Zedong, and the genre's associations with free expression, improvisation and civil rights movements might appear to be at odds with an authoritarian, one-party state. But festival CEO Joyce Peng Peng, who has run music bars and championed jazz in Hong Kong for more than 15 years, insists that "music crosses cultural bridges. At the end of the day, it is music – and in China, jazz is more a lifestyle. It is music and it is going out." Asked if the programme has attracted the attention of the censors, she says: "We have not encountered any censorship yet. Our experience with government officials is that they are extremely supportive, extremely positive and they think it is a really cool music culture. We have met only support so far." Peng and her husband, Ernst-Jan Tolen, organised a Jazz-on-the-Lake festival at the Hangzhou International Expo Centre in 2019 that was attended by the head of the Montreux Jazz Festival, which set the ball rolling for an edition of the world-famous festival to be staged in the city. "We invited [chief operating officer] Yohann Mathieu to the Jazz-on-the-Lake Festival," says Tolen. "We were able to convince him and CEO Mathieu Jaton that our team is capable of organising and running an international music festival that meets the very highest standards. "After that, things happened quickly. The first edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival China was already planned for the fall of 2020, but then the pandemic came and brought everything to a standstill in the music events industry worldwide." A press conference to announce the October 2021 event was held on Friday, just days after it was announced that the European edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival had been cancelled for a second year because of the virus. "People say, 'You cannot hold a festival in these times,' and that may be true for the rest of the world, but not for China," says Peng. "Because of the extremely strict and efficient measures, Covid-19 is under control here and life is normal." The Montreux Jazz Festival has for decades given over some of its stage time to non-jazz acts – Frank Zappa, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Deep Purple have all appeared at the Swiss event, as have David Bowie, New Order and Elvis Costello – and the Hangzhou event is keeping up that tradition. Among the live acts will be Beijing-based Inner Mongolian band Hanggai, who perform punk-style folk songs in Mandarin and Mongolian and employ the Mongolian art of throat singing, in which singers deliver two pitches simultaneously. We want to position the Montreux Jazz Festival China as an attraction in Hangzhou in coming years and make it the place to be Live performances will be combined with digital performances at the festival, bringing international artists to the stage both solo and playing with Chinese musicians remotely. "We will merge illusion and reality, and it will offer visitors a unique experience," says Tolen. "These are things we will also do in the future. It's not just that we have a digital strategy this year because of the pandemic; we want to organise a music festival of the future including all these digital and virtual elements." Peng hopes this year's event will be a "small but perfect festival" that will "contribute to a better understanding of China in the West and, conversely, create more understanding about the West in China, and, of course, make Switzerland and Montreux better known in China. "We want to position the Montreux Jazz Festival China as an attraction in Hangzhou in coming years and make it the place to be." US-based musician and academic Eugene Marlow, author of the book Jazz in China (2018), which is being turned into a documentary, says the Hangzhou festival is "yet another step in the East-meets-West evolution of jazz in China". "Jazz in China as music in dance halls has been around since the early 1920s, especially in Shanghai," he says, by email. "When Mao and the Communist Party established the People's Republic in 1949, all things Western were banned, including jazz and the dance halls. "In the late 1970s, however, jazz began to flourish once more. There are now dozens of jazz clubs all over China, in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beishan and Guangzhou." Marlow dismisses the suggestion that jazz is incompatible with modern China, arguing that – with a few exceptions, such as Billie Holiday's song Strange Fruit – gospel music rather than jazz was the soundtrack of the US civil rights movement. In many respects, he suggests, jazz music is in tune with China's pace of development and its "adoption and adaption of Western-style capitalism". "Overall, jazz is a freedom of individual expression genre," he says. "The growth of jazz in China as a mode of individual expression goes hand in hand with the observable evolution of entrepreneurialism in China." "The evidence is bountiful. Go to any jazz club in any major Chinese city or attend any of the several [existing] annual jazz festivals in China and you'll observe young people in their 20s and 30s listening to and enjoying the artistic freedom of jazz." This article has been updated to reflect the fact that this year's Montreux Jazz Festival, in Switzerland, will go ahead mainly online but has not been cancelled, as original stated. ^ top ^
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| Foreign Policy |
WTO chief makes a point: do not target China (Global Times)
2021-04-29
Since Joe Biden took over the White House on January 20, the US has been pushing for what it calls an allied approach against China on trade and other issues. So far, that approach appears to be gaining some traction, as the US and some of its allies, including the EU and Japan, are reportedly mulling harsher trading rules targeting China. Chinese officials have repeatedly registered their displeasure with such an approach of forming small circles or clans among so-called democratic economies to harm other countries' interests. However, China's legitimate concerns have been largely overshadowed by what appears to be a coordinated smearing campaign against China by the West and their media. Not many countries, including developing economies that may also be targeted by the West's "tougher" rules against China, spoke up. Even if some did, their voices are often ignored. But at the EU's trade policy day this week, where EU officials repeated long-standing grievances against China's industrial policies and the state-owned companies, the new head of the WTO offered a very powerful and pragmatic repudiation of the group's approach to gang up on China. "I'll just be very open," said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who made history in March when she became the first woman and first African to head the WTO, as she warned against targeting China. "When China feels it's being targeted and it's only about China, then you get a lot of resistance." In the speech, Okonjo-Iweala went further to warn countries not to "use the WTO or trade as kind of a weapon to solve" political issues. She did not name names, but that is a reference to the plan pushed by the US, the EU and Japan to try to "weaponize the WTO" and international trading rules to serve their ill-willed, selfish political interests in containing China's economic rise. The WTO chief was eloquent and understandably diplomatic in issuing a dire warning against such a dangerous trend in global multilateral trading system. But in case some in the West might need a more straightforward reminder, here is the bottom line: The era when a small group of powers can decide others' fate is long gone. The global multilateral system is no longer a tool that they can deploy at will. Moreover, today's China is no longer the same country that was easily invaded by the so-called Eight-Nation Alliance over a century ago. It is now the world's second-largest economy, the world's largest trading nation, and the biggest contributor to global economic growth. China will not be intimidated and pushed around by a few so-called advanced countries. To put the WTO chief's warning into more blunt terms, China will not sit idle and allow the US and its allies to use the WTO as a weapon against itself. Any such attempt should and will be met with forceful resistance. And that resistance won't just come from China. The US and its allies might being targeting China directly, but whatever reform plans they push forward at the WTO will also hit other developing countries, which have similar economic policies and development plans as China. In fact, while the US and its allies may have put China on the spotlight, their true intention is to pull the WTO and global trading rules further into their favor and away from the developing economies. The WTO, whose operations and authority have been seriously undermined by the US, is in dire need of reform. But any reform plan should be discussed and decided by all of its 150 or so members, not just by the US and its allies. The reforms should make the WTO more balanced to serve not only advanced economies - as it is in many cases - but also developing economies - which make up two-thirds of its membership. ^ top ^
China slams EU report on COVID-19 disinformation (China Daily)
2021-04-29
The Chinese Mission to the European Union (EU) has slammed the European External Action Service (EEAS) for accusing China of disinformation regarding COVID-19. The mission said, "a disinformation report that has no factual basis is in itself an example of disinformation." The remarks on Thursday came after the EEAS released an updated version of the "short assessment of narratives and disinformation around the COVID-19 pandemic." The report accused China and Russia of using state-controlled media to spread disinformation and claimed that "vaccine diplomacy" has replaced "mask diplomacy." ^ top ^
Experts: Biden 'hesitant' to change many of Trump's policies on China (China Daily)
2021-04-29
US President Joe Biden has largely continued many of his predecessor's confrontational policies toward China but also has sought de-escalation, as both countries will benefit by working together or be harmed otherwise, experts said in reviewing the first 100 days of his presidency. The American researchers said that from tariffs to human-to-human exchanges, the Biden administration has yet to initiate any substantive rollbacks, and that among the three aspects — "adversarial, competitive and cooperative" — of US-China relations as described by Biden's top diplomat Antony Blinken, competition is dominant while cooperation has yet to ramp up. "Despite his stated desire to change the US approach toward Beijing, Biden has been hesitant to quickly undo several of his predecessor's China policies," noted Paul Haenle, the Maurice R. Greenberg Director's Chair at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center at Tsinghua University. On matters that Beijing considers its sensitive core interests, the administration has picked up where Donald Trump left off, most recently easing restrictions governing US officials' engagement with Taiwan, Haenle wrote in an article published Wednesday. He noted, however, that the Biden team has sought to improve the overall tenor of the relationship by toning down the "antagonistic and adversarial" rhetoric while maintaining a competitive tone, indicating that the administration wants to avoid continuing further down the road of tit-for-tat escalations while still appearing tough on China. "While no one expected the administration to make drastic changes to the bilateral status quo right away, the danger moving forward is that the Biden administration could fail to meaningfully differentiate its approach from that of the Trump team and may end up with little flexibility to adjust course," Haenle wrote. Norman J. Ornstein, an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute based in Washington, said Biden has declared to undo whatever Trump did, though their worldview is "drastically different". "It is difficult to make a complete turnaround in policy, including foreign policy, and so we've seen caution on the trade front and caution in other areas when it comes to relations with China," Ornstein said at a webinar on Tuesday. David Dollar, senior fellow at the John L. Thornton China Center of the Brookings Institution, also agreed that when it comes to China, Biden is largely continuing Trump's approach but with some "important nuances". While Biden has emphasized rebuilding partnerships with allies attempting to counter China, most of them are not interested in a new Cold War, according to Dollar. The US allies have deeper trade and investment relations with China than the US does, evidenced by the fact that since Biden's election, the EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and ASEAN all have signed new economic agreements with China, Dollar noted. "There is some contradiction between the US confronting China and working multilaterally, so it is likely that over time, Biden's China policy will have to become either less confrontational or more unilateral," Dollar wrote. While some experts commended the Biden team for eliminating the counterproductive containment rhetoric toward Beijing and vowing to enhance cooperation with China on climate change, others said the administration lacks a practical China strategy. Michael Swaine, director of the East Asia program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said that the Biden administration has thus far failed to present a "realistic strategy" toward Beijing that reflects a recognition of the "urgent need" to stress shared leadership and military restraint over primacy and zero-sum rivalry, and prize constructive cooperation over zero-sum economic and technological competition. Rachel Esplin Odell, a research fellow on East Asia at the Washington-based think tank, said that among the "most disappointing" aspects of Biden's China policy so far is his failure to take swift action to revitalize the people-to-people exchanges with China that were gutted in the final year of the Trump administration. "These exchanges are essential for enhancing mutual understanding and preventing conflict," Odell said, adding that Washington also needs to take steps toward reopening the China's consulate in Houston, which was closed in July. Ryan Hass, a senior fellow in the foreign policy program at Brookings, said that the relationship will stay tense for a while, but some things are unfolding on the positive side of the ledger. "We no longer are spending our time analyzing tweets for clues as to the future direction of American policy toward China," because there are "real meaningful, serious conversations" taking place behind closed doors again about the future of the relationship, Hass said. "I expect that this process will intensify when there are new ambassadors that arrive in each of our respective capitals," said Hass, who served as the National Security Council's China director from 2013 to 2017. Whether each side likes the other or not, there is a "fair degree of interdependence" between the two countries, meaning that "both the United States and China will benefit by working together or be harmed if things go south", he said at "Biden's First 100 Days: US-China Relationship at a Crossroads", a webinar sponsored by the US-China Education Trust and AmCham China on Tuesday. "Neither side is really going to be able to make significant progress on many of these global challenges unless both the United States and China are moving in a similar direction, whether it's global economic recovery, climate change, building a global public health surveillance network, any of these things," Hass said. ^ top ^
Xi speaks with Hungarian PM by phone, stresses vaccine, railway cooperation (Global Times)
2021-04-30
Chinese President Xi Jinping said China is ready to continue strengthening vaccine cooperation with Hungary, and firmly honors its promise of making vaccines a global public good, in a telephone conversation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday. According to the Xinhua News Agency, Xi said that since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Hungary have supported each other and carried out good cooperation on epidemic prevention and control, resumption of work and production, and achieved important results. In particular, both countries have carried out close cooperation on vaccines, which shows a high level of mutual political trust and makes bilateral relations more resilient and dynamic, Xi noted. China highly appreciates Hungary's firm adherence to its friendly China policy, and its significant contribution to promoting cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC), and safeguarding the interests of China and Europe relations, Xi stressed. Xi said that China is willing to continue strategic communication with Hungary, consolidate mutual political trust, strengthen cooperation in various areas such as on the construction of Budapest-Belgrade Railway, jointly cope with risks and challenges, and push for a new development of the China-Hungary comprehensive strategic partnership to better benefit the peoples of the two countries. Citing the recent China-CEEC Summit which made important plans and guidance for the cooperation mechanism, Xi said China is willing to work with Hungary and other participants to break new ground and push forward China-CEEC cooperation. Orban expressed gratitude for China's support on combating the COVID-19 epidemic, and noted Hungary is ready to work with China to strengthen vaccine cooperation. Orban said Hungary attaches great importance to its relations with China and is glad to see that bilateral trade has grown against the trend despite the impact of the pandemic. Hungary welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in Hungary and will provide a sound business environment to the enterprises, said Orban, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Orban stressed that Hungary will work with China to advance the construction of the Budapest-Belgrade railway and play an active role in promoting cooperation between China and CEECs. ^ top ^
Beijing, Berlin pledge to boost cooperation (China Daily)
2021-04-29
China and Germany reached consensus on Wednesday on the importance of solidarity and cooperation in jointly fighting COVID-19 and promoting the global economic recovery, as leaders from the two sides held talks in the sixth round of intergovernmental consultation. The consultation, co-chaired via video link by Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, also brought together 25 ministerial officials from both sides. In his opening remarks, Li called upon the international community to send a strong message of cooperation and show the strength of unity in the face of the pandemic, saying that only with unity and cooperation can countries defeat the virus confronting humanity. And only with unity and cooperation can the international community boost the recovery and growth of the world economy, he said. Li called upon the two nations to enhance mutual trust, dispel misgivings, narrow differences and focus on cooperation to ensure the long-term healthy and steady growth of bilateral relations. Merkel hailed the expansion of bilateral cooperation in diplomacy, trade and economics, agriculture, sustainable development and the response to climate change. Germany and China both have important roles to play in the global response to COVID-19, and Berlin is willing to work with Beijing in cooperation on vaccine and mutual recognition of vaccinations, she said. The EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment is transparent and reciprocal, and it will provide more guarantees for bilateral trade and economic cooperation, she said. Germany hopes to maintain dialogue and exchanges with China and further enhance mutual understanding, she said. China was the largest trading partner of Germany for the fifth consecutive year in 2020, and became its second-largest export market last year. Bilateral trade grew by 3 percent, according to German statistics authorities, despite the huge impact of the pandemic on global trade. Li said that the robust bilateral trade was a strong indicator of the high level and immense potential of bilateral cooperation. The direct beneficiaries of bilateral cooperation are the people of both countries, and the stability of international industry and supply chains can also be protected during the process, he said, adding that China has been widening its opening-up with a range of new measures, and German companies, as well as other foreign enterprises, have benefited. With the pandemic continuing unabated and protectionism persisting globally, Li highlighted the need for China and Germany to take the lead in conducting open, mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation. Despite the fact that the two countries have different views on some issues, he said both sides need to respect each other's core interests and major concerns, engage in communication and exchanges on the basis of equality and noninterference in each other's internal affairs. ^ top ^
Australia's China debate gets more rancorous with harassment, threats and lawsuits (SCMP)
2021-04-29
Threats of defamation suits against academics and journalists by an Australian federal government worker. Calls for the firing of a prominent China scholar. An online hate campaign against a think tank analyst who has researched alleged forced labour in Xinjiang. Even for a topic known to generate heat, Australia's debate on China is plumbing new depths of rancour. With Sino-Australian relations languishing at their lowest point in decades, those who weigh in on how to manage the country's ties with its largest trading partner are facing blowback ranging from harassment and threats, to the spectre of legal action. "You end up getting a very emotionally-driven discussion," said Dominic Meagher, a visiting fellow at the Australian National University's college of Asia and the Pacific. "It doesn't seem to be a good environment for understanding truth, what really is happening." "If everything is so politicised, it becomes hard to know what's real," he said. Trade 'only one part of the battle' in China-Australia dispute, says legal expert Bryan Mercurio In recent weeks, lawyers for Geoff Wade, a researcher in Canberra's Parliament House Library, have threatened five parties including journalists and a former diplomat with a defamation lawsuit. One of the parties is independent journalist Marcus Reubenstein, who wrote and published a story questioning Wade's intentions for including a publicly-available photo of nine Australian-born schoolchildren aged between seven and eight – some with Chinese ancestry – in a Twitter thread that drew links between a Chinese language teachers' association and the Chinese Communist Party. The children's not-for-profit school, which has denied any links to the teachers' association named by Wade, is partly funded by the Australian Capital Territory government. Besides Reubenstein, Wade's lawyers, a Canberra-based firm that also handles legal matters for the Australian government, sent letters to investigative journalist Michael West and former Australian diplomat John Menadue, who carried the story on their news platforms titled Michael West Media, and Pearls and Irritations, respectively. The letter to West asked that the story be taken down and that Wade be given an apology and damages for defamation. Similar defamation lawsuit letters were sent to the principal of the school Suzie Cong, who was quoted in Reubenstein's story, and researcher James Laurenceson, who is the director of the Australia-China Relations Institute and who shared Reubenstein's story on Twitter. West, who described the debate on China as "out of control", said he had no intention of meeting the letter's demands. "I respect his right to free speech and he should respect our right to free speech," he said, referring to Wade. "We have not defamed him." In a video West published last Saturday, the veteran journalist who specialises in exposing government and corporate fraud said: "In China, they have armies of censors pulling the plug on people's social media feeds. In Australia apparently we have law firms muzzling those who want to air these issues publicly because they are in the public interest." Menadue declined to comment, while Reubenstein said: "This is about free speech and government funded lawyers trying to shut down critics of the Australian government's China policy." Wade, a former fellow at the Australian National University, has published more than 40,000 tweets about China and links between Australians and China since 2014. He did not respond to This Week in Asia's request for comment. Ethnic Chinese and other Australian citizens with business or academic links to China have increasingly pointed to instances of their loyalties being questioned by local media, hawkish commentators and even elected parliamentarians. Jane Golley, director of the Australian Centre on China in the World at ANU, has in the past week had to fend off calls for her sacking after she used an address at the National Press Club last week to highlight an anonymously-authored non-peer reviewed paper that she said "debunked" reports of human rights abuses in westernmost Xinjiang. Golley later acknowledged she should not have said the paper "debunked" reports of rights abuses, but "challenged" certain claims, including the widely-cited estimate that 1 million Uygurs are being detained in reeducation camps. The paper, which was circulated on social media, was subsequently criticised as lacking academic rigour by China researchers including US-based German anthropologist Adrian Zenz, who has alleged that there are widespread human rights abuses of mostly-Muslim Uygurs in the cotton industry in Xinjiang. China has banned Zenz from entering the country or doing business there. Golley said she had highlighted the paper and its anonymous authorship to make a point about the stifling atmosphere that was taking hold and "the chilling effect that it's having, and especially on Chinese-Australians". "It is definitely getting worse and it's getting worse at a rapid rate," Golley said. "I still think trying to understand other perspectives is important, but that doesn't seem to be the mainstream approach to this." Vitriol has come from outside Australia too. Vicky Xu, a researcher with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, funded by the Australian and US governments and weapons manufacturers, found herself the target of an online hate campaign in China this month after publishing research detailing evidence of Uygur forced labour in the supply chains of dozens of well-known international brands. Xu, who has engaged in heated debates on Twitter with those opposing her views, this week deactivated her account. Her name trended on Chinese social media following a deluge of attacks against her, with posts on platforms such as Weibo describing her as a race traitor and "female demon", and spreading lurid fabricated details about her sex life. Some of the attacks against Xu, which have racked up millions of views, were reposted and amplified by Chinese state media. In an appearance on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Q+A this month, Xu described the experience as akin to being "lynched in the Chinese media". She declined to comment for this article. Rowan Callick, a fellow at Griffith University's Asia Institute and former China correspondent, said Beijing was primarily at fault for the "increased emotional tone of discussion" around China. He blamed the "[Chinese Communist Party's] insistence that any criticism of the party or of the People's Republic's political leaders or of its governance more broadly, comprises automatically also a criticism – or worse – of 'China' and of people who are ethnically Chinese." But Laurenceson said some of Beijing's critics in Australia were embracing the party's tactics themselves. He said it had been clear from the beginning that Golley had been attempting to make the justified point that academic freedom was under threat in Australia, not just China. "This includes those who seek to destroy an academic's reputation when they raise questions or espouse views about China that some listeners find offensive, and even pressuring universities to terminate their employment," Laurenceson said. If this trend continues, we won't need to worry about the [Chinese Communist Party] eroding academic freedom in Australia. These local China hawk Red Guards will do so far more effectively James Laurenceson He declined to comment on the defamation lawsuit threat, but referring to the infamous campaign by US Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s to expose supposed Communist sympathisers, said: "We are perilously close to entering a McCarthyist era. "If this trend continues, we won't need to worry about the [Chinese Communist Party] eroding academic freedom in Australia. These local China hawk Red Guards will do so far more effectively." Besides rising geopolitical stakes, social media, and widening ideological divisions, Meagher, the ANU fellow, suggested there was also a more prosaic explanation for the seemingly toxic nature of the debate. Australia, with its heavy reliance on Chinese trade, sizeable China-born and ethnic Chinese population and location in the Asia-Pacific, was simply more focused on China than almost any other country. "It looms large in our economy, it looms large in our society, in our foreign policy," he said. "Everything has been about China for most of the last 10 years." ^ top ^
China seeks stronger ties in South Asia with united Covid-19 front (SCMP)
2021-04-29
As India battles a resurgence in coronavirus cases, China is shoring up ties with South Asia through cooperation on the pandemic. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterparts from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh agreed on Tuesday to set up an emergency supplies reserve and a cooperation centre on poverty alleviation, among other initiatives. India did not take part in the online meeting to discuss ways to counter Covid-19, an absence that observers said reflected the tense relations between China and India over their border stand-off in the Himalayas. But Wang said China would help India to deal with the coronavirus. India has reported more than 300,000 daily new infections for the last week, with the number on Tuesday reaching 320,000. Observers said China felt an urgent need to foster ties with other South Asian nations for fear that the virus would potentially spill over from India. "The reason why China is strengthening its ties with South Asia right now is because China is worried that what happened in India will happen in those countries – severe outbreaks and a shortage of medical supplies," said Lin Minwang, a professor at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University. Liu Zongyi, secretary general of the China and South Asia Cooperation Research Centre at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said it was highly likely that cases would rise in neighbouring countries and the reserve would include supplies such as testing kits. "The reserve for emergency supplies would include materials dealing with Covid-19, like testing kits, vaccines and masks. Given that earthquakes, floods, droughts and hurricanes occur quite often in the region, there may also be tents, food, fuel and other relevant supplies in the reserve centres," he said. "Given China's economic strength, it will provide the largest portion of the materials while South Asian countries will also contribute." India has voiced concern about China's use of pandemic and infrastructure cooperation to influence its neighbours and has been muted in its response to China's offers of help in battling its massive second wave of coronavirus cases. But Madhav Nalapat, a professor of geopolitics at India's Manipal Academy of Higher Education, said China had large trade surpluses with the United States and India, so it was welcome to "spend that surplus on other countries in South Asia, provided that assistance is not in the field of nuclear weapons or missile technology, or on the military". "India has its own historical and societal connections with each of these countries," he said. "These close bonds remain unaffected by efforts by [China] to establish close relationships with them... Unlike some other countries which focus on establishing close ties with elites only, the influence of India is across all social groups, especially in South Asia." Nepal fears its Covid-19 surge is fuelled by mutant strains including from India Mohan Guruswamy, chairman and founder of the Centre for Policy Alternatives in New Delhi, said India would understand if other countries in South Asia sought or accepted aid from China. "India will not be able to spare vaccines or medical supplies till it gets into better shape," he said. "I suppose the neighbors will have no choice but to rely on [China's] Sinovac vaccine, even if it is only 67 per cent effective." Yan Wei, an international relations professor at Northwest University in China, said the outbreak in India had strengthened cooperation between China and South Asia, but that Beijing was not pursuing a zero-sum game with New Delhi. Yan also said the emergency reserve was more likely to be virtual rather than a physical warehouse, with countries exchanging supplies as need arose. ^ top ^
Vietnam says it won't follow others in opposing China; experts note 'US has no chance to use sovereignty issue to divide region' (Global Times)
2021-04-28
Vietnam has made positive comments on its ties with China during Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe's visit to the country, stressing that Vietnam will never follow other countries to oppose China. Chinese experts said on Tuesday that Hanoi is becoming increasingly mature and it has noted the US-proposed Indo-Pacific Strategy will undermine regional integration, unity and peace, as it uses the divergences between regional countries to hype up and escalate tensions, and Hanoi doesn't want to be made use of. Wei met General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday during his trip to Vietnam, the Xinhua News Agency reported Monday. Extending congratulations on China's success in fighting COVID-19 and achieving economic development, Trong called on the two countries to maintain and promote their traditional friendship, and advance the relationship between the two militaries of the two countries. Regarding the issue of the South China Sea, Trong said the two countries should properly handle the issue based on mutual trust and respect, and prevent any related negative effect on bilateral relations. Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "the relationship between the Communist Party of China [CPC] and the CPV has always guided and led the direction of China-Vietnam ties' development. Through a series of tests in past decades, the CPC-CVP relationship is becoming a ballast stone that stabilizes tensions and seeks solutions based on mutual respect when the two sides have differences." China and Vietnam are both socialist countries, they share common interests in ideology and political security, and they are more integrated in terms of economy, said Chinese analysts. The CPV general secretary also said that the two Parties and countries will make greater efforts in maintaining a peaceful and cooperative environment on the basis of respecting legitimate rights of each other and their friendship, for peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world, according to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA). Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Vietnamese president, said Vietnam supports China to thrive and make increasingly active and practical contributions to peace, stability and development in the region and the world, VNA reported. Phuc said Vietnam firmly upholds the one-China principle and opposes any forces' interference in China's internal affairs. Vietnam will never follow some other countries to oppose China, Xinhua reported. This is not just a friendly expression toward China, but also a clear signal to the US and other Western countries outside the region that Vietnam will not be used by any external forces, Xu said, noting that in the past, the US has made efforts to lure Vietnam to serve its strategic purpose of containing China, but such attempts will fail due to the independent and mature political stance of Hanoi. After experiencing a series of frictions and tensions in past few years, Vietnam and many other regional countries have learned that the US intervention in the South China Sea issue, as well as the latest Indo-Pacific Strategy proposed by Washington, are intended to divide the region, to undermine regional integration, and to make use of divergences and disputes between regional countries to hype and create tensions, said Chinese experts on foreign affairs. Gu Xiaosong, an expert on Southeast Asian studies at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday that China continues to be Vietnam's biggest trade partner despite the negative impact brought about by the severe COVID-19 pandemic, which reflected how these two countries value their relationship and help each other, especially in times of hardship. China-Vietnam trade reached over 133 billion dollars in 2020, up 13.8 percent year-on-year, according to data on the Chinese Ministry of Commerce website. Gu predicted that Hanoi's Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line, the country's first which is being built by China Railway Sixth Group Co and expected to be handed over to the city authorities for commercial cooperation in May, will serve as a flagship project for China's local investment, and further enhance friendly ties. The presence of both the General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and the Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in receiving Wei also demonstrated the high importance the Southeast Asian attached to its relations with China, observers said. The exchange by the CPC-CPV leaders is a unique and crucial characteristic of the development of China-Vietnam ties, which also guarantees that such development is always on the right track despite their differences over the South China Sea issue, Gu said. Earlier on Sunday, Wei met and held talks with Vietnamese defense chief Phan Van Giang and the two witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on strengthening international military cooperation between the national defense ministries of China and Vietnam. ^ top ^
US opens to Chinese students and academics in easing of Covid-19 travel bans (SCMP)
2021-04-28
The United States has announced an easing in some coronavirus-related travel bans, allowing entry of students, academics and journalists from various countries, including China. Journalists, students and academics covered by exchange visitor programmes and travellers from Brazil, Britain, China, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area and South Africa who "provide vital support for critical infrastructure" may now qualify for a "national interest exception", which would allow entry to the US. The US Department of State said students with valid visas could enter the United States 30 days before school started in August and did not need an individual national interest exception to travel. The announcement comes more than a year after the US suspended entry for people who were in mainland China 14 days before arrival. US citizens, permanent residents and immediate family members arriving from Hubei province – the initial epicentre of the pandemic – also had to be quarantined for 14 days, while those travelling from other parts of China were subject to "proactive entry screening" and self-quarantine. In the announcement on Monday, the State Department said it "continues to grant NIEs for qualified travellers seeking to enter the United States for purposes related to humanitarian travel, public health response, and national security". Students wanting to apply for new visas should check the status of visa services at the nearest embassy or consulate, the statement added. In China, the US' embassy and consulates "remain unable to resume routine nonimmigrant visa operations" due to the pandemic, according to the embassy's website. Vicki, a Chinese student who is doing her first year of a master's programme online in Beijing through the University of Pennsylvania, said she was considering deferring her studies for a year because she did not have a valid student visa. "The US consulates in China are not yet open and I do not have my F-1 student visa yet," the 25-year-old said. China relaxes visa rules for foreigners inoculated with Chinese-made vaccines China relaxes visa rules for foreigners inoculated with Chinese-made vaccines The student in counselling and mental health services, who has been taking virtual classes since September, said she was also worried that on-campus teaching would not resume in the second half of the year. "I won't be able to go through with it if the Covid-19 situation is not under control in the US and we have to continue to take online classes," she said. "Whenever I think about taking online courses I feel exhausted. I can't see my classmates and it's hard to interact with others and focus." She said continuing to take online classes from China was not a viable option either, especially given the time difference. "I can't take part in workshops held in the afternoon US time. My body can't stand pulling all-nighters." ^ top ^
Japan's diplomatic bluebook mentions China 273 times as it plays up 'China threat' theory, but leaves room for 'two-pronged strategy' (Global Times)
2021-04-28
Though mentioning China 273 times as "one of its most important diplomatic ties" in the 2021 edition of the Diplomatic Bluebook, the Japanese government played up the "China threat theory" and clearly announced the strategy of cooperating with the US to contain China. Chinese experts interpreted such move as revealing Tokyo's deepening confrontation mentality. The bluebook, released Tuesday, also says that China's military build-up and activities in the East China Sea and South China Sea "have become a serious security concern," while criticizing China's Coast Guard Law. It claims Chinese police vessels around the Diaoyu Islands entered "Japanese territorial waters" which "violates international law." Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, responded on Tuesday saying China hopes what Japan calls "one of Japan's most important bilateral relationships" will be translated into action rather than being just words. The bluebook also mentioned Hong Kong- and Xinjiang-related affairs and expressed "concerns." In addition, for the first time, the 2021 edition includes China-US relations as a separate section. It clearly stated the strategy of cooperation with the US in order to contain China's "military expansion." "Japan's new diplomatic bluebook plays up the so-called 'China threat,' viciously attacks and smears China, and unjustifiably interferes in China's internal affairs. China is firmly opposed to this and has lodged solemn representations with Japan through diplomatic channels," Wang said. The Global Times found that the 322-page bluebook mentions China 273 times. The annual Diplomatic Bluebook, compiled by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlights Japan's diplomatic stance. Lü Yaodong, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Japanese Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that Japan's bluebook in recent years has increasingly referred to issues related to China, and its tone of playing up the "China threat theory" has become tougher. The bluebook, a "barometer" of Japan's foreign policy, shows Japan has taken a posture of cooperating with the US against China, and its negative impact will gradually emerge, not only in the diplomatic field, but also in the security and economic fields, and in industry chains, Da Zhigang, director and research fellow of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. Such negative impact adds uncertainty to the future of China-Japan relations, indicating that the Suga administration's confrontational mindset is intensifying, Da said. As for the rhetoric involving "one of Japan's most important bilateral relationships" in the bluebook, experts said that is based on the reality of China-Japan trade. China has been Japan's largest trading partner for at least 12 years. Japan's expression leaves room for negotiations in line with its interests in the future, Da said. The 2021 bluebook describes the island of Taiwan as an "extremely crucial partner and an important friend, with which it shares fundamental values." Before 2012, Japan designated the island of Taiwan as an "important region," while in 2013, the designation was changed to an "important partner." Starting 2015, the phrases "shares fundamental values" and "important friends" were added to the bluebooks. Chang Ya-chung, a Taipei-based political scientist and member of the Kuomintang (KMT), told the Global Times on Tuesday that Japan is limited in what it can do between China and the US when it comes to the Taiwan question, but it is always calculating what benefits it can gain from it. So the bluebook has other aims - showing the US that Japan is obedient in the anti-China order, and showing its support to the Taiwan island, said Chang. Citing US support for Japan's decision to dump Fukushima wastewater and US-Japan cooperation on the semiconductor industry chain, and the Taiwan island's possible imports of Japanese food from areas affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Chang said Japan has actually obtained benefits from its anti-China moves. On April 16, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga released a joint statement after their meeting at the White House, highlighting the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits. Although Japanese politicians remain hostile to China, Japanese government does not dare to go out of its way over the Taiwan question. Facing its powerful ally in Washington, the Suga administration can hardly refuse the request of playing the Taiwan card, said Chang. "So, the bluebook shows Japan's two-pronged strategy." ^ top ^
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China pushes forward with high-quality development of IPR protection (People's Daily)
2021-04-30
In the past five years, China continuously pushed forward cracking down on infringements and counterfeiting, achieving solid progress in protecting intellectual property rights (IPR) and creating a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment. Shen Changyu, head of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), recently said that China's export volume of intellectual property (IP) royalties enjoyed double-digit growth over the past five years and reached $8.68 billion in 2020, recording an annual growth rate of 51.6 percent on average. During the same period, the total amount of the country's patent and trademark pledge financing rose from 84.85 billion yuan (about $13.08 billion) to 218 billion yuan, according to Shen. In recent years, many Chinese companies have encountered trademark squatting overseas. When people talk about "Yema" (which means "mustang" in Chinese) automobile, the first thing that comes to the minds of many people would probably be Mustang, a high-performance sports car brand under American automaker Ford Motor Company. However, Chinese automobile manufacturer Sichuan Yema Automobile Co., Ltd. based in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, already successfully registered the trademark "Yema" in 1986. In 2018, the Intermediate People's Court of Chengdu issued a judgment of first instance over the case, and ordered Ford China Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company in China, to stop infringement of the exclusive right of Sichuan Yema Automobile Co., Ltd. to use the trademark of "Yema" and pay the latter one million yuan in compensation for economic loss, according to media reports. In 2019, China's National Overseas International Property Disputes Response and Guidance Center was established under the guidance of the CNIPA. After that, the CNIPA approved the establishment of 10 local sub-centers across the country to offer guidance to Chinese entities on resolving overseas IP disputes. Besides, the CNIPA has set up a coordination mechanism for major cases to help enterprises actively cope with them, and continuously optimized worldip.cn, a national information service platform established to provide such information as foreign laws, regulations, and international treaties on IP. At present, the website offers 1,339 IP laws and regulations in 189 countries and regions and international treaties as well as more than 40 guides to overseas IP practice. In addition, the administration has made efforts to strengthen overseas IPR risk prevention and control mechanism, compile and publish guide for safeguarding IPR to address the problem of overseas trademark squatting for Chinese enterprises, and intensify training for IP professionals. So far, such training sessions provided by the CNIPA have benefited a total of 45,000 people. In China's latest medium and long-term economic and social development blueprint, the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, the country made clear arrangements for the efforts to enhance IPR protection in the next five years, according to Shen. The amount of content on IPR protection in the national plan is the largest among all the country's five-year plans, which has fully proven that IPR protection is playing a more prominent role in the country's economic and social development, Shen said. According to Shen, the CNIPA is going to make solid efforts to do a good job in IPR protection in accordance with relevant arrangements in the national plan. The CNIPA will enhance the top-level design of IPR protection, and ensure good planning and earnest implementation for the national IP strategy to accelerate the construction of an IP power country and the IPR protection and application plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Efforts will also be made to perfect relevant systems and mechanisms. Centering around carrying out a strict IPR protection system, the administration will concentrate on sound implementation of the punitive compensation system, improving relevant laws and regulations, accelerating the legislation for IPR in new fields and new business forms like artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, as well as perfecting administrative law enforcement and guidance mechanism as well as the systems for arbitration, mediation, and aid for safeguarding IPR. Besides, the CNIPA is going to continue deepening the reform of IPR protection mechanisms and systems, especially patent subsidy and reward policies as well as examination and evaluation mechanisms, so as to better protect and encourage high-value patents and expand patent-intensive industries. Infrastructure construction will be further enhanced to better protect IPR. The CNIPA will strengthen the construction of IPR-related information and intelligent infrastructure facilities, speed up the building of the national big data center for IP, and build a public service platform for the protection and application of IPR. ^ top ^
China appoints new minister of emergency management (People's Daily)
2021-04-30
Huang Ming was appointed minister of emergency management by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Thursday. ^ top ^
Xi congratulates success of space station core module launch (People's Daily)
2021-04-30
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday congratulated the successful launch of the core module of China's space station. On behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission (CMC), Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CMC, extended warm congratulations and sincere greetings to all members who have participated in the mission in a congratulatory message. Xi said in the message the successful launch of the core module Tianhe marks that China's space station construction has entered the full implementation stage, which lays a solid foundation for the follow-up tasks. ^ top ^
Rural vitalization indispensable to China's modernization (Xinhua)
2021-04-30
After lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over the past decades, China is aligning efforts to consolidate the achievements in poverty alleviation with promoting rural vitalization, an indispensable and vital part of modernization. During his inspection tour in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from Sunday to Tuesday, President Xi Jinping underlined efforts to pursue rural vitalization based on local specialty industries and make better use of science and technology in promoting the agricultural sector. It, once again, highlights the persistent high attention that the central authorities have paid to the development of agriculture and rural areas with policies and measures. With absolute poverty eliminated in rural areas, the country has solved its major weak link in the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and created a miracle for mankind. This year, the nation is embarking on a new journey of fully building a modernized socialist country with agriculture and rural areas being an important part of the cause. In the new development phase, rural areas remain a priority and an arduous task due to the imbalanced development, weak areas in public services and the environment as well as financing difficulties for private rural firms. Therefore, substantial efforts are needed to attract talent and continue improving infrastructure, public services, and the environment. In advancing rural vitalization, technologies and reform are required to strengthen the capacity and competitiveness of agriculture to drive the modernization of the primary sector. The strategy will help ensure the country's food security and the supply of high-quality agricultural goods. As life continues to improve, the Chinese people have new aspirations for a better life. The increasing urban population has higher requirements for the agricultural sector, such as quality farm products and rural tourism, bringing new opportunities for rural development. The implementation of a rural vitalization strategy would contribute to the sustainable development of rural areas where some industries are still in their initial development stage, and foster new momentum in the national economy. It also means rural residents will enjoy a more beautiful and comfortable living environment while having better access to quality services and goods from home and abroad. Agriculture is the foundation of the national economy. Advancing rural vitalization would support the country's comprehensive modernization drive which will benefit all. ^ top ^
Update: China's population grew in 2020, statistics authority says, contrary to FT report (Global Times)
2021-04-30
China's population continued to grow in 2020, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday. The statement came after an earlier Financial Times report claiming the country's population began to shrink. Specific data will be released in the bulletin of seventh national census, the bureau said. However, the release date for the result of the seventh national census remains unknown, Chinese media Yicai reported, quoting the National Bureau of Statistics China's population is likely to start to decline as early as 2022, ending a five-decade trend of growth, and China may adopt major policy adjustments such as fully lifting birth restrictions and encouraging more births at that point, Chinese demographers said, ahead of the release of results from the once-a-decade national census. Their comments refuted a story published in the Financial Times (FT) on Tuesday, which claimed that China's population census is expected to show the country's first population decline since 1949. The FT altered its headline on Wednesday, saying it would be the first decline "in five decades" instead of the previous wording of "since 1949." That, however, was still not agreed to by Chinese demographers, who said that the results of the seventh national population census -- which covered the total population up to 2020 -- is extremely unlikely to indicate that the population began to shrink last year. Huang Wenzheng, a demography expert and senior researcher from the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Wednesday that "the FT's headline was incorrect" as there was no evidence that China's population started to decline in 2020. Even if some experts estimated that China's population at the end of 2020 was less than 1.4 billion, the total population recorded at the end of 2019, it did not mean China's population had started to decline but more likely was a statistical error. The population statistics reported annually by the National Bureau of Statistics are based on a very small sample, but the once-a-decade population census is conducted door-to-door, meaning the results of the national census are more reliable than the annual statistics, Huang said. China on November 1, 2020, started its seventh national population count, with about 7 million census takers going door-to-door to document demographic changes in the world's most populous country. Huang and several other Chinese demographers said that although China's actual population probably didn't start falling last year, the population growth rate has been falling for years, and so China's population may actually reach a peak within a year or two before starting to decline. He Yafu, an independent demographer, told the Global Times that the gap between the number of deaths and newborns in recent years had become smaller, and deaths may outnumber births starting in 2022, which would mean that the population would shrink from that point. In any case, China experienced population declines in 1960 and 1961, so any decline in a year or two would not be "first decline since 1949," as the FT reported on Tuesday, experts said. China is bound to see a decline in its total population in the coming years, but based on previously released birth rate data, it is highly unlikely that the just-completed seventh census will show a decline in the total population, Lu Jiehua, a professor of demographics at Peking University, told the Global Times on Wednesday. However, Chinese analysts said that the results of the seventh census, which will be released amid the grim assumption that the country's population is about to start falling as early as next year, will serve as an important reference for China's population policy adjustment, which may come in the next year or two. He Yafu said that China's policy-makers may make major changes and fully lift birth restrictions and encourage births as early as 2022. A decline in the population would lead to a drop in the labor force and a reduction in innovation ability, and yields from investment would fall, increasing the financial pressure for retirees. All of this would eventually cause a longer-term economic downturn, experts said. Internationally, Japan is dubbed as the "grayest nation," as nearly 30 percent of its people are over 65, and the country's population began to decline 10 years ago. Japan's economic growth has been hovering around 1 percent for years. Fully lifting birth restrictions will not be enough to avert a fall in China's total population, or prevent China from becoming another Japan, Huang said. Instead, China should come up with more measures to encourage births, such as subsidizing couples who choose to have more than one baby. ^ top ^
Xi Focus: Xi shines light on CPC's commitments, spirit through Party history stories (Xinhua)
2021-04-29
In his recent remarks during an inspection trip, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated strengthening belief via the learning of the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC). As the CPC marks its centenary in 2021, the Party looks back at its history and recounts the shining moments in it. Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has on multiple occasions shared stories about the CPC and the spirit manifested within. TRANSLATOR WHO TOOK INK FOR SUGAR When speaking of the first Chinese version of the Communist Manifesto, Xi often shares the quote "the taste of truth is so sweet," which originates from the deeds of translator Chen Wangdao. In 1920, young Chen Wangdao started translating the manifesto in his home village in east China's Zhejiang Province. One day, Chen's mother made him sticky rice dumplings and suggested he dip them in brown sugar water. "I did, and they were very sweet," he responded. However, he was so absorbed in his work, and did not realize his mouth was stained black as he had dipped the dumplings in ink instead. It was with such dedication that Chen finished the translation and introduced the principles of Marxism into China. Chen's work paved the way for the birth of the CPC. Over the years, the CPC has inherited the ideas and combined the fundamental principles of Marxism with China's reality during the country's revolution, construction and reform. To this day, Chinese leaders have attached great importance to studying the Communist Manifesto. In the new era, the principles and spirit of Marxism continue to lead the way for the CPC. SOLDIERS WHO CUT UP THEIR QUILT Members of the CPC always bear in mind the interests and needs of the people. In September 2020, when visiting the city of Chenzhou, central China's Hunan Province, Xi cited a revolutionary story that took place there in 1934. In the middle of the arduous Long March, Xu Jiexiu, an impoverished mother living in the local village of Shazhou, received three female Red Army soldiers at her home. Shocked that Xu had only hay for mattresses and some torn-up cotton wool for quilts, the soldiers shared their only quilt with her and her son during their stay. As they were leaving, they insisted that she keep it for the winter, which Xu refused. To settle the dispute, a soldier cut the quilt and left Xu half of it. Deeply touched, Xu never forgot about the soldiers or their acts of kindness for the rest of her life. Lacking food and clothing, even facing life-or-death situations, the Red Army still kept the people's well-being in mind, Xi said, noting that the story shows the CPC's original aspiration and character. Today, nearly a century from when Xu sheltered the three soldiers, the spirit manifested in the story of "half a quilt" still shines on. As China embarks on a Long March of the new era, Xi has reassured the public of the CPC's people-oriented attribute, stressing that the Party remains committed to serving the people, which is not only a slogan, but also an action of persistence. Achieving a complete victory in China's fight against poverty, which saw the final 98.99 million impoverished rural residents lifted out of poverty over the past eight years, the Party is moving on toward its goal of building a modern socialist China and common prosperity for all. "BEGGAR" WITH GOLD BARS ON HIS BACK It is the CPC's uncompromising requirement for its members to remain incorruptible. When inspecting east China's Jiangxi Province in 2019, Xi spoke of the deeds of Liu Qiyao, a faithful and uncorrupted Party member. As the leader of the Communist authority in Jiangxi, Liu was once trusted with the activity funds of the local Party organization, including 13 gold bars. In the 1930s, after losing connection with his comrades in a battle, Liu packed up the hidden funds, embarked on a journey to find them during which he once even lived a beggar's life. After finally getting in touch with other Party members, Liu submitted the funds. To everyone's surprise, none of the valuables were missing. Even in his most desperate days, Liu did not use any of the funds for himself. "Only if we remain clean and upright in governance can we win public trust," Xi noted. Despite historic achievements made over the past years on fighting corruption, it remains the biggest risk to the Party's governance, as Xi has pointed out. The self-improvement of the CPC, a ruling political party with more than 91 million members, has a major bearing on the future of a country of over 1.4 billion people. Just as Xi once put it, "The governance over the Party must always be strict, so that the CPC can lead and ensure the smooth sailing of the great ship of socialism with Chinese characteristics." ^ top ^
Innovation key to growth (China Daily)
2021-04-28
President Xi Jinping has urged the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to make greater efforts to support and encourage enterprises to produce innovations to contribute to the country's high-quality development. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark during his three-day inspection tour in the region that concluded on Tuesday. While visiting Guangxi Liugong Machinery Co in Liuzhou on Monday, Xi said that only innovation can help the equipment manufacturing industry become stronger and a front-runner. He said that high-quality development is the route that the Chinese economy must take during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, and high-quality development of the equipment manufacturing industry is the top priority. The manufacturing industry is indispensable for building a modern socialist country and for developing a strong real economy, Xi said, requesting efforts to promote the sector's improvement and upgrading. He said that China must unwaveringly forge ahead on the path of independent innovation and make persistent efforts to achieve greater progress. Later on Monday, he visited a food-processing zone for a local specialty, luosifen rice noodles. Xi said that it is not an easy task to develop the small rice noodle business into a large industry, and China encourages the development of private businesses. When they encounter difficulties, the Party and the State give them support, and when confusion arises, guidance is offered, he said, expressing his hope that private enterprises will develop boldly and with confidence. During a meeting with local officials on Tuesday in Nanning, Guangxi's capital, Xi urged greater efforts to promote the aggregation of various innovation elements in enterprises to stimulate their innovation vitality and promote their commercialization of scientific and technological achievements. Xi said the region should explore its comparative advantages in terms of fostering the new development paradigm and embarking on a path of high-quality development fit for its own situation. Efforts should be made to promote the high-end, intelligent and environmentally friendly development of traditional industries, upgrade full-scale industrial chains and actively cultivate emerging industries, he said. Since Guangxi has the largest population of China's ethnic minorities, Xi underlined the importance of ethnic solidarity during his inspection trip. On Tuesday morning, he visited a cultural exhibition of the Zhuang ethnic group at an ethnography museum in Nanning. Xi said Guangxi is a national demonstration area for ethnic unity and the region should continue to give play to its exemplary and leading role. The life, strength and hope of the Chinese nation lie in ethnic solidarity and progress as well as prosperous development of all ethnic groups, he said, noting that no ethnic group should be left behind as the country is embarking on a journey to fully become a modern socialist country. Xi said people of all ethnic groups should be united and make progress hand in hand to create a bright future for the Chinese nation and benefit from national rejuvenation. ^ top ^
Intellectual property key for innovation (China Daily)
2021-04-28
China will take new steps to reform government functions regarding intellectual property to facilitate entrepreneurial activity and innovation and boost innovation by market entities, the State Council's Executive Meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Tuesday. "Protecting intellectual property is protecting innovation," Li said. "This is a key part of our effort in fostering a world-class, market-oriented business climate governed by a sound legal framework. It will also help keep the industrial and supply chains stable, and make China a robust market for attracting foreign investment, a market of fair competition and win-win cooperation." The period required for reviewing trademarks and patents will be further reduced. By the end of this year, the time needed for general trademark registration will be cut from eight to seven months. Online processing of prioritized patent review and application for electronic registration of pledges will be advanced. Electronic trademark registration certificates and patent certificates will be promoted. The review period will be significantly shortened for the alteration and extension of patents for inventions and for trademarks whose applications are made electronically. The approach of pre-commitment compliance will be applied in approving the registration of trademark or patent pledges and licenses for special agencies. The quality of intellectual property will be prioritized over the simple pursuit of quantity. The quantity of patent applications and licensing will not be the main criterion when deciding on rewards or making qualification assessments. Financial assistance and incentives during trademark and patent application will be called off across the board. These measures are designed to foster an enabling environment for researchers to focus on their areas of work, and produce more basic and original research outcomes. "While shortening the patent review period, we must pay special attention to improving the quality of intellectual property. Basic and original research outcomes are still limited in our country. We must recognize the gap and enhance basic research with steady and solid steps," Li said. While ensuring data security, basic data on intellectual property will be made public to catalyze corporate R&D and innovation. The protection of intellectual property will be intensified every step of the way, and unlawful agencies, as well as malicious trademark registration and irregular patent applications, will be cracked down on in accordance with the law. "We will continue to strengthen IPR protection, and any infringement which is identified shall be seriously dealt with," Li said. ^ top ^
Xi Jinping seeks to channel Chinese Communist Party's revolutionary past as he tells members to prepare for tough days ahead (SCMP)
2021-04-28
President Xi Jinping wrapped up his visit to Guangxi in southern China by evoking Communist Party history and urging the party's rank-and-file to uphold the revolutionary spirit of the past when preparing for tough days ahead. While the president made no mention of the specific challenges the country faced, analysts said Xi was telling local members to have faith in the party by remembering events such as the Long March in the run up to its centenary celebrations on July 1. According to state media reports, Xi spent his first day of the tour visiting a memorial park dedicated to the Battle of Xiangjiang in 1934 clash, where the Red Army suffered heavy casualties breaking through an encirclement by Nationalist troops. Hailing the battle as "an important historical event that determined the life or death of the Chinese revolution", Xi said the secret of success was revolutionary ideals that "soar above the clouds", according to state news agency Xinhua. "[The Red Army] persevered in the most difficult times, so as to continuously achieve miraculous victories. We should have such belief in achieving the goals of the second hundred years and turning our national rejuvenation into reality," Xi said. "In the face of even greater difficulty, think about the Long March and the Battle of Xiangjiang." Almost immediately after Xi's visit to the memorial park, Xinhua published a commentary on the battle, which is said it showed that the Communist Party's governance of the country was "hard-earned" and built on "solid foundations". The commentary said conflict had"tested the will, courage and strength" of the Communist Party and "highlighted its resilience in overcoming major challenges". It said that "to fully build a modern socialist country by the mid-century will be no walk in the park. It will take more than beating drums and banging gongs to get there". "Reviewing the history, the spirit of tenacity and perseverance in overcoming challenges will be a valuable source of strength, empowering the party to lead the Chinese people to make new remarkable achievements," it continued. While the Covid-19 pandemic has reduced the number of overseas visits made by the Chinese leadership, but Xi has been travelling around China at the rate of almost one province a month since he visited Wuhan, the ground-zero of the outbreak, in March last year to send a message the outbreak had been overcome. Other tours have included pilgrimages to sites with revolutionary historical significance– including a visit in May 2019 to a monument in Jiangxi marking the start of the Long March, just after the collapse of trade talks with the US. Xi also used the visit to Guangxi to call for high-quality development in border regions. In Nanning, the region's capital, he visited a cultural exhibition dedicated to the Zhuang people and called for ethnic solidarity. He also toured the Lijiang on Monday and called for better environmental protections, praising the river as the only treasure of its kind in China and saying it "should never be damaged". Observers said Xi would probably visit more important revolutionary sites in the run-up to the centenary celebrations. Xie Maosong, a professor at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said Xi wanted to remind rank-and-file members "where we came from" so he can better show them "where we are going". "I believe Xi will visit two more symbolic sites in the party's revolutionary history before July … It is very important in Chinese culture to pay homage to the ancestors in major celebrations," Xie said. Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said Xi was telling party members to be prepared for "tougher days ahead". "Xi has no illusions about Sino-US relations. He is telling the party that as we won in the tough battle with the formidable Nationalist troops more than 80 years ago, we can win again in the new struggle [with the US]." ^ top ^
Xi inspects South China's Guangxi (China Daily)
2021-04-26
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Sunday inspected South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. In the morning, Xi went to Caiwan, a town in Quanzhou County in the city of Guilin. Xi visited a memorial park dedicated to the Battle of the Xiangjiang River during the Long March in the 1930s, and laid a flower basket in homage to Red Army soldiers who died in the battle. He also visited a memorial hall in the park to pay respect to revolutionary martyrs. Xi then went to the village of Maozhushan, where he inspected progress in promoting rural vitalization and grassroots-level governance. In the afternoon, Xi visited a section of the Lijiang River, where he learned about local efforts in the ecological conservation of the river. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
Xinjiang secessionists, Western anti-China forces, collude in attacking China (Global Times)
2021-04-29
The notorious World Uyghur Congress (WUC), a self-proclaimed "grassroots human rights organization advocating for the Uygurs in China," which is actually a US-funded and directed separatist network, has recently been found to be in close contact with the separatists on the island of Taiwan. On the evening of April 25, WUC hosted a so-called "Uygur-Han international online video seminar," inviting several Taiwan separatists. As the media reported, their discussion mainly focused on their stand against the governance of the Communist Party of China in order to undermine the unity of all ethnic groups in China under the guise of "human rights." Dolkun Isa, head of WUC, also delivered a pre-recorded video message to the foundation event of "Taiwan Parliament Group for Uyghur" on April 23, which was founded by a member of Taiwan's legislative authorities Freddy Lim, joined by a group of 30 members from the legislative authorities in the Taiwan region. In the video, Dolkun Isa said he expected to "visit Taiwan again in the near future." In Turkey, a court caused public anger among Chinese people for refusing China's extradition request for Abudukadir Yapuquan, a prominent terrorist from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and further removing judicial control measures and outbound restrictions on him, the Xinhua News Agency reported on April 13. The ETIM is a terrorist organization listed by the UN Security Council and is recognized as such by Turkey, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson?Zhao?Lijian said at a press briefing in April. Abudukadir Yapuquan, who has plotted terrorist attacks on Chinese territory many times, is one of the initiators of the ETIM, Zhao noted. Apart from the WUC and ETIM, many Xinjiang-related separatist and terrorist groups, under the guise of "protecting human rights" and "safeguarding the interests of the Uygur people," get financial or political support from some countries and regions who have common political interests with the anti-China politicians, said Xu Jianying, a research fellow at Chinese Borderland Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The recent barrage of attacks on China's Xinjiang region in the Western world, for instance, is the result of collusion between Xinjiang separatists and Western anti-China forces in an attempt to defame China, observers pointed out. ^ top ^
Beijing takes foreign media to Xinjiang in bid to dispel suspicion (SCMP)
2021-04-28
China organised a trip to Xinjiang for foreign media last week to defend its policies in the region following mounting international criticism of alleged human rights abuses. About 10 foreign media including Associated Press (AP) and TV Tokyo were invited to the region in the country's far west, the South China Morning Post has learned. According to a report by AP, Xu Guixiang, deputy head of the Communist Party's publicity department in Xinjiang, met the media group in the city of Turpan, outside a location that had been identified previously by an unnamed Australian think tank as a re-education centre. AP said the Chinese government asserted that the building housed a veterans affairs bureau and other offices, but did not state whether visiting media were shown inside. AP quoted Xu as saying that a motion passed by the British parliament – declaring that Uygurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang were suffering crimes against humanity and genocide – was "totally groundless", and that "hard-won stability" was bringing growing prosperity to the region. TV Tokyo was the only Japanese outlet to join the media tour. Its reporter visited a textile company with 5,000 employees that was sanctioned by the United States over the alleged use of forced labour. The company claimed that there was no forced labour, saying that sanctions had affected transactions with American and Japanese firms. In addition, TV Tokyo visited a cotton cultivation site. "Both the government and farmers emphasised the progress of automation and emphasised that forced labour does not exist here either," TV Tokyo's report said. Many people who were asked about alleged human rights abuses did not respond, but some said that "Han Chinese and ethnic minorities are one family", TV Tokyo said. Leaked state documents describe repressive operations at China's detention camps in This was not the first time Chinese authorities had invited foreign media to Xinjiang. In January 2019, a group of foreign media outlets, including Reuters and Russian state-run news agency TASS, visited camps in Xinjiang. Foreign governments, the United Nations and researchers have said an estimated 1 million people or more have been confined in such camps, described by Beijing as "vocational training" centres. Beijing has cited visits by NBC in 2019 and the BBC in 2020 as evidence that it does not bar foreign media from Xinjiang. However, the BBC reported that during its visit, its staff were prevented from filming, questioned and followed. China labelled its coverage "fake news". "I encourage you to see more of the region and present the image of the real Xinjiang to the world," Le Yucheng, China's foreign vice-minister, told AP on April 16, before the media trip. More than 1,200 people from over 100 countries and regions, including officials from international organisations, diplomats, journalists and religious leaders, have visited Xinjiang since the end of 2018, according to official statistics. Le told AP there was a condition that people should travel to Xinjiang as visitors, not investigators. "We have invited Western diplomats to Xinjiang, but they are still reluctant to accept our invitation," Le was quoted by AP as saying. "I wonder what are they afraid of? We welcome them to come and visit Xinjiang, and they should come as visitors, not as investigators. "We welcome friends to visit us. But if they come into the house as if this is their own place and search up and down for the so-called evidence of crimes, then of course they won't be welcomed. Nor do they have the right to behave like that, do they?" Inviting diplomats and foreign media is seen by Beijing as a way to dispel suspicion and counter what it says are groundless reports by some Western media. "Beijing believes that organising this kind of journalist delegation is effective, but I don't think so," Wu Qiang, a political analyst in Beijing, said. "I believe many things are concealed, including the removal of some facilities. I don't think the visiting group can get what they want to see, or be satisfied with what they could see. "No one believes the truth can be obtained through an officially organised visit. It seems Beijing has a very naive propaganda-based approach to coverage of Xinjiang." ^ top ^
Xinjiang cotton: why it is so hard to find out the truth about forced labour claims (SCMP)
2021-04-27
China has become increasingly forceful in its defence of what state media calls the "pure, white and flawless" cotton produced in its far western region of Xinjiang amid a growing international storm about forced labour. It is the latest in a series of alleged human rights abuses against Uygurs and other Muslim minority groups in the region – charges Beijing has vehemently denied, insisting they are lies manufactured by anti-China forces. The issue has become yet another flashpoint between China and the United States and on Saturday President Joe Biden urged the other Group of Seven countries to put more pressure on Beijing over the issue. China has defended its policies as helping to develop the region's economy and highlighted what it says are flaws and inconsistencies in the testimonies given by former Xinjiang residents. It has also hit back against the Better Cotton Initiative, an industry certification group, after it emerged that it had stopped all field-level activities in Xinjiang last year, citing "sustained allegations of forced labour and other human rights abuses" that had "contributed to an increasingly untenable operating environment". Although the group deleted all references to forced labour from its website in the ensuing backlash, Beijing has challenged the Geneva-based group to prove its allegations. But forced labour is notoriously challenging to document, and specialists in the field warn that the political dimensions to the case make it less likely that Beijing will heed calls for greater transparency. Investigators with the International Labour Organization said unfettered on-the-ground access to sites and workers who could speak without fear of punishment was essential to verify such allegations. Jenny Chan, an academic at Hong Kong Polytechnic University who has previously documented the struggles of Chinese migrant workers and mistreatment of student interns at Foxconn plants in mainland China, said: "In the absence of authoritative fact-finding investigations, the agenda on Xinjiang's forced labour has become so polarised that there is little room for rational discussion. "But ensuring supply chain transparency and social and labour responsibility is critical." Jeroen Beirnaert, director of human and trade union rights with the Brussels-based International Trade Union Confederation, said there was a "hopeless deadlock" over Xinjiang. "The language being used by both sides shows minimal trust, nor is there any willingness for the Chinese government to engage with [the international community] for a solution," Beirnaert said. "We fear measures from both sides will not help to solve the problems Uygur workers face in the region. I hope there will be positive changes to move things forward but I have seen no sign of hope so far, at least not in the short term." The International Labour Organization defines forced labour as "work or service that is performed involuntarily and under the menace of any penalty". One of its two core conventions, No 105, deals with forced labour imposed by the state and prohibits its use as a means of political coercion, as a way of mobilising workers for the purposes of economic development, as means of labour discipline, as a punishment for going on strike or as a means of discrimination on grounds such as race and religion. The ILO has recently investigated some high-profile claims of forced labour, including those involving migrant workers building stadiums for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, after which they reached an agreement with Qatar to align its laws with international standards. But specialists in the field said the case of Xinjiang presented an "unprecedented" political challenge for investigators, citing severe levels of surveillance and repression in the region. Jason Judd, the former head of the ILO Ship to Shore Rights Project that investigated the Thai fishing industry, said the political risks and the difficulty of getting workers to speak without fear would be his biggest concerns if he was asked to investigate Xinjiang. "It's practically impossible if you are not face-to-face with the workers, especially when the coercion and involuntariness is more subtle," Judd, who now teaches at Cornell University, said. "It's not just a matter of conversation, sometimes workers won't share with you what's happening without trust or feeling safe to give answers. And that's why state-sponsored allegations are much harder to work on." He said one of the biggest challenges when investigating accusations of forced labour in the Thai fishing industry came in finding a safe place to speak to workers who were isolated for days, if not weeks, at sea. "Without meaningful unfettered access to workers, I don't know how you'd do it. How do you find a worker who is not feeling the pressure and willing to talk about what is really happening there? "It's like finding a potential juror who hasn't heard about the George Floyd case," Judd said citing the murder of the 46-year-old African-American by Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin last May. Independent investigators have repeatedly urged China to allow them unfettered access to the region to investigate the accusations. Meanwhile, the United Nations working group on business and human rights, which first asked to visit China in October 2017, has yet to receive a positive response. Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights, has also failed to get permission to visit China, and requests by the European Union to give its ambassadors unrestricted access to Xinjiang have not succeeded. Without direct access, researchers in the West have used open-sourced and non-public Chinese government documents, academic sources, state media reports, and satellite images as well as interviews with former detainees in the so-called re-education camps to build up a case that Uygurs and other minority groups are being mistreated. Last year, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute published a report that calculated more than 80,000 Uygurs, some straight out of detention camps, had been transferred to work in factories elsewhere in China between 2017-2019. China has strongly denied the claims. This month Xinjiang government spokesman Xu Guixiang told reporters that 90 per cent of the 380 structures in Xinjiang identified by the Canberra-based ASPI research institute as internment facilities were incorrectly labelled. State media has also promoted the narrative that the cotton industry, which employs around 1.6 million rural labourers in Xinjiang, is a vital source of income for some of the country's poorest households. In December, a report on the state-run news website Tianshannet said that in one southern prefecture, Aksu, 130,000 low-income rural residents were being "coordinated and distributed" to pick cotton as part of efforts to improve residents' livelihoods and cover labour shortages. It also said that in another county, Awat, workers had been provided with food, lodging and transport to the fields, while "ideological education has been stepped up" to better understand their well-being and family situation. China produces 22 per cent of the world's cotton, 84 per cent of which comes from Xinjiang, according to a report by the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies. In the wake of the Better Cotton Initiative row, a number of international fashion brands have announced they will no longer use cotton from the region, and the US has banned the import of raw cotton and said importers must prove their products were not tainted by forced labour. The measures triggered a furious backlash in China, including online campaigns to boycott the brands involved and a number of celebrities publicly cutting their ties with Western firms. Meanwhile, the Chinese government responded to sanctions on officials accused of human rights abuses in the region with retaliatory measures targeting politicians, academics, government bodies and think tanks. However, some observers fear that sanctions on Xinjiang cotton products will only end up harming rural labourers. Surya Deva, associate professor of law at City University of Hong Kong and vice-chairman of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, reiterated the pleas for China to allow independent experts to go on a fact-finding trip, but also called for an end to the politicisation of the issue. "There's no end to these competing narratives and people will continue to suffer on the ground. All parties agree that there should be no forced labour. So this is a question of fact. There are ILO indicators to determine what amounts to forced labour and that can be investigated by independent experts who can be trusted by all sides," Deva said. "There's nothing political for us. We accept that different countries may do things differently when pursuing a development pathway, and we understand these nuances. But when it comes to international human rights, there are commonly accepted standards that must be respected by all states." Aidan McQuade, a former director of Anti-Slavery International and now an independent consultant on slavery and forced labour matters, said China should ratify the 2014 ILO protocol that strengthened existing mechanisms to tackle the problem and introduced greater international scrutiny of how well countries were responding. He said investigations were "never straightforward", and were "much more difficult when you're talking about state-sponsored accusations", but greater transparency from China would help its international reputation and ability to trade freely in the global market. "Given the level of allegations coming from credible sources, anybody who is sourcing commercially from Xinjiang is going to have not just moral but commercial concerns," McQuade said. "I don't think that the level of independent scrutiny and response to the issue from the Chinese state is sufficient to reassure anybody." ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
National development offers great opportunities to Hong Kong's young people: HK youths (People's Daily)
2021-04-28
The national development offers great opportunities and a broad room for the young people in Hong Kong to stretch their wings, representatives of Hong Kong youth said Tuesday at a seminar hosted by the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). With the implementation of the "patriots administering Hong Kong" principle, young people can give full play to their talent, Qiu Hong, deputy director of the liaison office said during the seminar. Qiu cited the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a major platform for Hong Kong youth to realize their ambitions through participating in the development of the country. Tan Tieniu, another deputy director of the liaison office, said the country is the strongest support for Hong Kong and the central authorities have always cared for the young people here. Hong Kong's young people embrace a new era to pursue their careers and make their dreams come true, Tan said, encouraging them to make contributions to the country and Hong Kong. More than 20 young people from different walks of life in Hong Kong, including college students and news media representatives, among others, shared their views about how to seize opportunities in the mainland and promote patriotic education in Hong Kong at the seminar. Man Sze-wing, principal of Hong Kong's Po Leung Kuk Lam Man Chan English Primary School, said that after the social unrest in 2019, Hong Kong people longed for peace and stability and it is high time to improve patriotic education and realize national identity. Jo Nip, principal of the primary school of G.T. (Ellen Yeung) College, said the school has adopted multiple methods to help students learn about the country's development and history, including launching the sister school scheme and organizing students to study in mainland cities. Attendees also said Hong Kong's young people should visit the mainland more often and see the country's rapid development with their own eyes. As some Hong Kong youths have achieved success in mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area, their stories will inspire more young people to take action and seize opportunities in the area, Joephy Chan Wing-yan, a community organizer of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, said. ^ top ^
Beijing's top office in Hong Kong ratchets up attack on Bar Association chief Paul Harris, denouncing him as an 'anti-China politician' (SCMP)
2021-04-26
Beijing's top office in Hong Kong has ratcheted up its attack on the Bar Association chairman, denouncing him as an "anti-China politician" whose continuing tenure it warned would make a mockery of the legal body. "How could such an anti-China politician as Paul Harris who has close connections with foreign countries fulfil the principles of safeguarding Hong Kong's rule of law and the Basic Law and support the one country, two systems principle as previously stated by the Bar Association?" a spokesman for Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong said on Sunday. "It makes a mockery of the Bar Association by condoning Paul Harris to continue chairing the group." The strongly worded statement targeted Harris' latest remarks defending the right to peaceful protests after 10 people, including newspaper mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, were convicted for their roles in illegal assemblies on August 18 and 31 in 2019. But the statement by the liaison office spokesman went further to question Harris' loyalty to Hong Kong given his association with foreign organisations – a charge the senior barrister vigorously denied – and asked the Bar Association whether it wanted Harris to continue as chairman, urging it not to walk further down the path of politicisation or it risked going down an "abyss". The spokesman noted that the Bar Association was not only a professional body but also held statutory powers. These include the issuance of annual practising certificates to barristers and sitting on a committee that recommends judicial appointments. Given such statutory powers, its chairman should therefore uphold the principle of "patriots ruling Hong Kong", the spokesman said. The liaison office attack was prompted by an interview Harris gave to news website Stand News last week when he had noted the convictions over the August 18 and 31 protests marked the first time a Hong Kong court had imposed prison terms for illegal assembly, arguing that peaceful demonstrations were a legal and valuable channel for people to express their emotions and grievances. Otherwise, they could turn to more destructive action, he warned. The liaison office spokesman accused Harris of ignoring the repeated violence during large-scale protests over the now-withdrawn extradition bill. Harris used the phrase "peaceful demonstrations" to "conceal and whitewash their illegal nature, openly excuse the offenders, unreasonably accuse the court" and attacked the Hong Kong government and police for trying to impose law and order, he said. Sunday's statement was not the first the liaison office had issued against Harris, a long-time human rights barrister who began practising in the city in 1993. Soon after he was elected chairman of the Bar Association in January 2021, succeeding Philip Dykes, Harris said he wanted to explore the possibility of "getting the Hong Kong government to agree to some modifications" to the Beijing-imposed national security law. He cited specific provisions he characterised as being at odds with rights guaranteed under the Basic Law, the city's mini-constitution. His remarks then sparked fierce criticism from the liaison office and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, along with the pro-Beijing camp, and calls for his resignation soon followed. Noting how he had insisted on changes to the law, the liaison office on Sunday described his attempt as effectively challenging the authority of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, the country's top legislative body, by showing "resistance to Hong Kong's rule of law and constitutional order". "Only by firmly safeguarding the constitutional order as established under the constitution and the Basic Law, implementing the national security law and the principle of patriots governing Hong Kong could Hong Kong's rule of law be safeguarded and overall interest of society be protected," the spokesman said. "Any acts that would do harm to the rule of law and justice, or the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, would be counter-attacked forcefully. "We ask that the Bar Association not to walk farther and farther down the road of politicisation. Otherwise, it will only step into an abyss it cannot get out of." The statement also highlighted Harris' membership of Britain's Liberal Democrats party, and his role in founding Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor which, according to a media expose, received donations from the National Endowment for Democracy, an entity funded by the United States government. In a reply to the Post, Harris made it clear he was "absolutely not an anti-China politician", adding he was sorry if the liaison office had been misinformed and he would welcome the opportunity for a face-to-face meeting to clarify matters. "Through my career I have supported 'one country, two systems' and the Basic Law and opposed violence. Nothing in my recent statements deviates from that in any way," he said. "I have never been a professional politician. I served as an unpaid volunteer local councillor when I lived in Oxford and was at that time a member of the Liberal Democrats party from which I have since resigned. Since I stopped being a councillor I have not been involved in politics either in the United Kingdom or in Hong Kong." He added: "Nor am I anti-China. I have taken a continuing interest in China since I first visited the mainland in 1986. I have visited all but two provinces, and have had four very enjoyable and educational visits there as part of Hong Kong Bar delegations." Harris said he would discuss the statement with the Bar Association at its next meeting. He said that as he was British he necessarily had close connections with Britain, but he was also a Hong Kong permanent resident, a Hong Kong taxpayer since 1995, and a member of the Hong Kong Bar since 1993. "Most importantly, I am dedicated to doing the best I can for the Hong Kong Bar and for the Hong Kong community. I believe that should be the right test for whether someone is suitable to be chairman of the bar," he said. Pro-Beijing heavyweights warned the Bar Association not to underestimate the office's criticisms. Tam Yiu-chung, the city's sole delegate to the NPC standing committee, said the liaison office was fed up with Harris, and dissatisfied with the Bar Association, which had become "politically biased". "This is not just a statement, and the central government might really take actions in the near future if the Bar does not listen after repeated warnings," Tam, who is currently in Beijing, told the Post. "We will have to see what happens next, but for any organisations that have 'deteriorated' or threatened national security, the Hong Kong government may consider ways to suppress them." Lau Siu-kai, a vice-president of semi-official think tank the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said: "It is a very serious warning to the Bar, on whether it is willing to separate itself from Harris. If the Bar failed to handle the matter by themselves, Beijing would just see the Bar as a political entity that might threaten national security, just like Harris. "The Bar now enjoys a lot of privileges, it can self-regulate and also has power over licencing, as the government will consult them over any appointment of barristers. These privileges can also be taken away and further bans might be imposed." Executive Council member Ronny Tong Ka-wah, the Bar Association's chairman from 1999 to 2001, said although he did not support Harris as chief, he also hoped the "patriots ruling Hong Kong" principle would not be applied to the body. "I agree that Harris is not suitable to work as the chairman, as he has been serving like a politician and always commented on political issues which is not fair to the Bar," he said. "Yet, as an independent statutory body that upholds the rule of law, the Bar should not have to carry any political background either, thus the 'patriots' requirements should not be added to the body." As a statutory body, Tong said, the Bar Association had a lot of duties in different government-led committees, such as the influential Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, which nominates judges. While noting that he had not read the full statement, Dykes, Harris' predecessor as Bar Association chief, questioned the logic of the liaison office's remarks. With the office implying that a foreign barrister such as Harris was not able to maintain the rule of law and uphold the Basic Law, the statement seemed to suggest that no foreign passport holders should be on the Bar and Law Society councils, he said. "It seems to be at odds with [the Basic Law] which requires the HKSAR government to 'continue to recognise' pre-1997 professions and professional organisations," he said. "Perhaps the liaison office spokesperson could be asked to reconcile the statement with the Basic Law." Ahead of the Sunday statement, former chief executive Leung Chun-ying, had also weighed in on Harris, criticising his interview as showing "how out of touch the Bar chairman is with the constitutional and political realities of Hong Kong". Earlier, soon after his election as Bar Association chairman, state-run media hit out at Harris, accusing him of having "lost professionalism and rationality" over his remarks suggesting he would seek changes to the national security law. In February, Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office head Xia Baolong also stressed: "Key posts under every circumstances must not be taken up by anyone who goes against China and disrupts Hong Kong." Xia was referring to posts in the executive, legislative and judicial bodies, as well as appointments to important statutory bodies. "Those who stand in opposition to patriots are destroyers of the one country, two systems principle and they should not be allowed to take a share of [Hong Kong's] political power. Not now, not ever," Xia said. Xia did not specify the statutory bodies. But in Sunday's statement, the liaison office said the "patriots governing Hong Kong" principle should also apply to the chairman of the Bar Association because the body had a number of statutory powers. The Bar Association, founded in 1949, is the professional organisation for barristers in Hong Kong and is registered under the Societies Ordinance. Its objectives are generally to consider and take proper action on all matters affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice. The Bar Association also has a seat on the Election Committee, newly empowered with far-reaching influence after a Beijing-imposed revamp of the city's electoral system. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
Mainland strives for peaceful reunification, will never allow secession: Taiwan Affairs Office (Global Times)
2021-04-29
The Chinese mainland is willing to strive for peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity, but it will never tolerate Taiwan separatist forces and will never allow the tragedy of national secession to be repeated, said a spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday, in response to a poll on the island showing that nearly 40 percent of the respondents agreed that "a war is inevitable" to solve the Taiwan question. According to a recent poll on the island, nearly 40 percent of the respondents in Taiwan agreed with the statement that "a military war will inevitably occur if the long-accumulated cross-Straits disputes are to be resolved," while 54 percent disagreed. "We do not comment on specific poll results on the island of Taiwan, for the results of polls differ according to various designs of the polls," Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday. Ma emphasized that Taiwan belongs to China. It was precisely based on the above-mentioned legal principle and reality that the two sides of the Straits reached the 1992 Consensus, which laid the political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. The root of the current tension and turbulence in cross-Straits relations lies in the provocation of "secession" by the Taiwan secessionist forces and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, Ma noted. "Taiwan secessionist forces divide national sovereignty and territory, harm the common cross-Straits interests, and harm the fundamental interests of China," Ma said. At an event held by a separatist group on Sunday, Yao Jiawen, one of the co-convenors of the so-called "constitution group" of the DPP, reportedly claimed that Taiwan's new "constitution" should re-name the island as the "Republic of Taiwan." Ma remarked that China firmly oppose any form of separatist actions on the island through "amending constitution seeking secession", and will take all necessary countermeasures. "Don't say that we didn't warn you," said Ma on Wednesday. ^ top ^
Taiwan to send oxygen concentrators to India this week, official says (SCMP)
2021-04-29
Taiwan will send a batch of oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies to India in the next few days to help it battle a surge in coronavirus cases, a senior government official said on Wednesday. "Our first shipment of the oxygen concentrators and other supplies will leave [on a China Airlines flight] before the end of this week," deputy foreign minister Miguel Tsao said at a legislative session. He did not give a size for the shipment but said it would be the first of several as Taipei had made a long-term commitment to support New Delhi's efforts to tackle the health crisis, which has already claimed the lives of almost 200,000 Indians. He described India as a "like-minded and important international partner". As soon as Taiwan learned of India's plight, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu offered his support – via a deputy – to Gourangalal Das, director general of the India Taipei Association, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said. The ministry then worked with local companies to ensure the speedy delivery of the medical equipment, she said. Although Taiwan and India do not have formal diplomatic relations, they have representative offices in each other's capitals. Wu said on April 7 that Taiwan had worked with other democracies, including India, to provide its diplomatic ally Paraguay with Covid-19 vaccines after Beijing had put pressure on the South American country to ditch Taipei in exchange for shots. Beijing regards Taiwan – which has formal diplomatic ties with just 15 countries – as part of its sovereign territory and has not ruled out the use of force to "reunify" it with the mainland. Wu said India shipped 100,000 doses of an Indian vaccine to Paraguay and a further 100,000 would follow. However, India's Hindustan Times on April 8 quoted a government spokesman as saying Taiwan had played no part in the process and that the vaccines were sent in response to a direct request from Paraguay. The United States, France, Germany, Israel and Pakistan have also promised medical aid – including oxygen, ventilators, test equipment and protective gear – to India as the number of infections there have soared past 350,000 per day. The World Health Organization said public health systems and crematoriums in India were being overwhelmed by the sharp rise in case numbers and fatalities. China's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday that Beijing was working with local manufacturers to provide essential medical equipment, including oxygen concentrators, to India. ^ top ^
Beijing tells Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton to abide by one-China principle after Taiwan warning (SCMP)
2021-04-27
Tensions between China and Australia may escalate further, diplomatic observers have warned, after the Australian defence minister said conflict with Beijing over Taiwan should not be discounted and suggested a Chinese port lease could be terminated. "It is hoped that the Australian side will fully recognise the high sensitivity of the Taiwan issue, abide by the one-China principle, be prudent in words and deeds, refrain from sending any false signals to the separatist forces of 'Taiwan independence', and do more things to benefit the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and Sino-Australian relations," Wang Wenbin, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said on Monday. On Sunday Defence Minister Peter Dutton told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that conflict with Beijing over Taiwan "should not be discounted". He added that while the Australian armed forces maintained high levels of preparedness to meet any threats to its allies, Canberra would work to try to maintain peace. Diplomatic observers in China warned that such comments might further damage relations between the two countries after the federal government cancelled deals the state of Victoria had signed with Beijing. "The defence minister made such remarks at this time just to create an atmosphere in international public opinion," said Yu Nanping, a professor of international relations with East China Normal University. "It does not mean that Australia really wants to intervene in Taiwan Strait affairs, nor does it have the ability and strength to intervene, nor does it have the qualifications." The People's Liberation Army has stepped up its activities around Taiwan in recent months. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this month that the United States was concerned about aggressive actions against Taiwan and warned it would be a "serious mistake" for anyone to try to change the status quo in the Western Pacific by force. In a joint statement by US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, the two leaders made the first explicit reference to "peace and stability in Taiwan Strait" for over 50 years. "Australia just wants to show that it firmly stands with the US, as it relies heavily on US protection … China will not react too much to his remarks, as Australia is not capable of really intervening in the Taiwan Strait issue," Ding Yifan, former deputy director of the Institute of World Development at the State Council's Development Research Centre, said. In recent years, relations between China and Australia have been deteriorating after Huawei Technologies was banned from the country's 5G network and Canberra called for an international inquiry into the origins of Covid-19. Dutton was also asked about the lease on the port of Darwin, and replied: "There are literally thousands of these cases to look at and the foreign affairs minister is working through all of that. "I am not pre-empting or suggesting that she's looking at it. I think it is a question for Marise [Payne] to look at these individual cases. If it is not in our national interests then obviously she will act." The Northern Territory government signed a 99-year lease with the Chinese-owned company Landbridge in 2015, prompting warnings the agreement could undermine Australia's security. Regarding the port, Wang, from the Chinese foreign ministry, said: "It is hoped that the Australian side will treat China-Australia cooperation objectively and rationally and stop interfering with normal exchanges and cooperation between the two countries." Ding said: "It is likely that Australia will tear up the lease of Darwin port, because Australia often conducts military operations with the US military there. Against the background of Sino-US conflict, Australia may worry that commercial cooperation with China there will affect military cooperation with the US. "But from the perspective of commercial activities, if Australia breaks the contract, it needs to pay indemnities to China." ^ top ^
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| Economy |
Chinese regulators summon internet finance firms, a demonstrative move for other players to investigate own issues (Global Times)
2021-04-29
China's financial regulators held talks with representatives of 13 internet firms which have fintech businesses including Tencent, Du Xiaoman Finance owned by Baidu, JD Finance, ByteDance, Meituan Finance and Didi Finance on Thursday on strengthening anti-monopoly supervision and preventing disorderly expansion of capital. The meeting, coming only 17 days after Chinese authorities summoned Ant Financial, owned by Alibaba, shows Chinese policymaker's wariness of risks exposed by a rapidly-growing fintech industry and their determination to root out prominent issues to ensure financial security while also encouraging financial innovation. It could also ring an alarm for other fintech firms, prompting them to carry out their own investigations as financial authorities' strict and fair supervision will carry on this year. Other internet platforms who participated in the meeting include Lu.com, Air Star owned by Xiaomi, 360 Digital Tech owned by Qihoo 360 Technology, Sina Finance, Suning Finance, Gome Finance and Ctrip Finance. Chinese financial regulators have demanded fintech firms to rectify prominent issues, including putting all financial activities under supervision, all financial business must have a certificate, and cutting off the improper linkage between payment tools and other financial products. Also, internet platforms are required to strictly control the expansion of non-banking payment account to public domain, strengthen management on key procedures including the certificate of shareholders, ownership structure, capital, risk isolation and connected transaction. Internet firms should also strengthen the protection mechanism on consumers, including regulating how personal information is collected, marketed and the text of standard contract. Industry observers said that authorities' frequent clampdown on monopoly behavior from internet giants mirrors their determination to return the financial industry to its true substance - serving the real economy, providing services to consumers and preventing financial risks, and properly using new technology to improve the efficiency of finance to serve the real economy, rather than accumulating risks. "Internet platforms have played a vital role in improving efficiency and reducing transaction costs, but they also have persisting issues, such as operating financial business without a license or beyond the boundaries they're permitted, incomplete governing mechanism, regulatory arbitrage, unfair competition, and hurting consumers' legal interests," the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing Chinese financial regulators. The internet firms who participated in the meeting are of comprehensive management, relatively-large scale, have industrial influence, and meanwhile have exposed such typical issues, and they must take the lead in rectifying those problems. "Like the talk with Ant, the regulator hoped that through interviews with these leading companies, it will play a demonstrative role in the standard operation of the entire industry," according to an article posted on the WeChat account of Guoshizhitongche under the China News Service. In other words, other platforms involved in financial business should take action now, by "looking in the mirror, looking for deficiencies, doing self-examinations and rectification," the article said, adding that they should not hold the view that they could be "watching the fire from across the bank" or even "taking advantage of the fire" to grab a share of the market because strict and fair regulation is applied to every firm. Ant Financial is not singled out in the tightened oversight, and the talks with 13 other internet giants show the principle of fairness, the article said. The fintech companies are required to start self-inspection based on financial rules and financial supervision mechanism. For those whose rectification is not enough or those who flagrantly violate the laws, regulators will strictly investigate and prosecute them accordingly. Both Ant's makeover plan and the rectification requirement on the 13 firms are just "the first step of Long March." The key is how to implement the action plan in the future without compromising, the article stressed. For the regulators, they will not stop at just requiring rectification. It is expected that there will be more following moves in reviewing the rectification plan and its effect, and making timely suggestions. Meanwhile, for the platform operators, they should be aware that promoting rectification and reforms on time and means they have started on the right road. Analysts stressed that such supervision is not aimed at slowing down financial innovation, but rather is conducive for the industry's long-term development. "We encourage innovations in fintech, but that should be in the framework of legality and compliance. Only when innovation embraces regulation can we go further and keep pace with the times," an industry observer, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Global Times on Thursday. The Xinhua report also noted that China attaches importance to both development and regulation, and encourages internet platforms to improve financial services, cement and strengthen international competition. All 13 companies summoned on Thursday for violating anti-monopoly regulation pledge to tighten self regulation and adjust their business according to the mandate and continue to serve the real economy and the people. Tencent and Meituan Financial said that, under the guidance of financial management departments, relevant working groups will be established as soon as possible to fully adjust to the financial regulatory requirements and will implement them without compromise. They also pledged to promote the healthy development of the industry, maintain a fair and competitive market environment and protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. ^ top ^
Unprecedented stimulus to fire up May Day holiday spending (Global Times)
2021-04-29
Few things are more beautiful than taking a trip in the springtime, an experience that however has been complicated by the COVID-19 epidemic. For consumers in the world's second-largest economy, the coming five-day May Day holidays, which some say is the first long holiday they can really enjoy outdoor trip in the best season of the year since the virus hit last year, mark the start of an unprecedented consumption stimulus-themed month. Travel-related spending is expected to see a huge rebound, with airline and train tickets for top destinations almost sold out and holiday hotspots fully booked. The catering industry, among the most-battered sectors amid the epidemic, also readies for a boost to pre-epidemic days as push for local cuisines and specialties is now gaining the spotlight, based on the Global Times' interviews with some food service providers in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province where a gourmet event began on Thursday, as part of a month-long national campaign to revitalize consumption. The revenge consumption, however, doesn't go unchecked, with the country taking a more nuanced approach to balancing virus containment and wide-ranging moves to rev up consumption, experts said. A new law on preventing food waste went into effect Thursday, which is vital to ensure national food security. Savor springtime The May Day holidays expect 265 million passenger-trips. On Saturday, the first day of the five-day holidays, some 60 million vehicles are expected to travel on highways, the highest on record, Sun Wenjian, spokesman for the Ministry of Transport, said on Thursday. Based on the holiday booking data from third-party platforms, about 70 percent of users opt to travel across provinces. Car rentals soared compared with 2019, up 126 percent, according to Sun. During this year's May Day holidays, the country will continue to waive toll fees for passenger cars with less than seven seats. The country witnessed 185 million passenger-trips during the May Day holidays in 2019, with 72.7 million on trains, official data shows. The travel rush underlines a national push for consumption - widely known as one of the three bandwagons powering the Chinese economy - to return to pre-virus levels. In the first quarter, retail sales grew 33.9 percent year-on-year, or a rise of 8.5 percent compared with the same period in 2019, official data showed. Still, consumption recovery remains unbalanced, with some sectors, business models, categories and regions in a comparatively slow mode and the demand of the average shopper yet to be fully satisfied, Gao Feng, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said at a press conference in Beijing earlier in April while announcing a slew of activities throughout May to add fuel to consumption. As part of the multi-pronged campaign, a gourmet event began on Thursday near Dongguan street, a historical thoroughfare in the center of Yangzhou where restaurants specializing in Huaiyang cuisine, one of the four great traditions in Chinese cuisine, converge. Chinese landmark food and dishes such as Yangzhou fried rice, and Shaxian snacks originating from East China's Fujian Province were showcased at the event, intended to provide a catalyst for the virus-hit catering sector. Shaxian snacks are among Chinese local specialities that have been endorsed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi has inspected Fujian several times, and his most recent visit was in March when he went to Yubang Village, Shaxian district in Sanming. Xi encouraged the industry of Shaxian snacks to further grow and contribute to the country's urbanization and rural revitalization. On Monday, Xi visited a food-processing zone for luosifen rice noodles during his inspection of Liuzhou in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Xi said that it's not an easy task to develop the small rice noodle business into such a large industry. The country's catering industry revenues jumped 75.8 percent in the first quarter from the prior year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The quarterly reading still posted a 1 percent decline on average over the past two years. "Diners might be seen crammed into the restaurant again during peak hours over the coming holiday, [something] that was quite common before the outbreak but has not often been seen over the past year, as people become wary about restaurant dining," Wan Haiyan, a manager of a local brand-name Huaiyang cuisine restaurant along Dongguan street, told the Global Times on Thursday. Expecting a holiday-fueled revival for the restaurant that could fill up to roughly 200 customers, Wan said there's also an increasing trend toward admonishing diners against food waste. Reasonable advice would be given to customers when they place orders, she added. Chinese lawmakers on Thursday voted to adopt the anti-food waste law which came into force immediately. The law stipulates that customers could be charged a disposal fee if they leave excessive amounts of food, and those promoting food wastes will be fined. "Our store weathered through the virus-battered past year, thanks to local tax reliefs and a three-month rent cut," Wang Ying, a graduate of Yangzhou University who started his own business selling ginger sweets along Dongguan street, told the Global Times on Thursday. The upcoming holiday tends to be a boost for Wang's business, catapulting store sales to possibly tens of thousands of yuan per day, he said. In Shanghai where a launch for consumption promotion month is scheduled for Saturday, simultaneously with the launch of its May 5 shopping festival--the local spinoff of the national campaign - the promotion scale and the number for brands' participation has surpassed last year, the Global Times learned from several businesses and department stores, who are expecting better second quarter sales compared with 2019. During the second May 5 Shopping Festival in Shanghai, 12 business segments under e-commerce giant Alibaba will participate, with a higher enthusiasm and subsidy investment than that of last year, Dong Benhong, chief marketing officer of Alibaba group, told the Global Times in a statement. Tencent will issue 1 billion yuan worth of digital coupons through the Wechat payment which can be consumed, covering 100 brands and 10,000 stores in Shanghai, the Global Times learned from the company. The Super Brand Mall in Shanghai told the Global Times that it plans to offer discounts worth 1 million yuan and will sell first-line products of more than 20 well-known international brands, half of which are global top 500 companies with regional headquarters in Shanghai. Starting Monday, retail giant Bailian Group will issue digital coupons worth 1.5 billion yuan, 25 percent more compared with 2020, which is expected to reach 300 million consumers, the group confirmed with the Global Times on Thursday. Balanced rebound The multifaceted drive for consumption promotion is envisioned to reenergize the consumption bandwagon, experts said, noting it won't go unchecked amid the nation's regular epidemic containment measures. Second quarter consumption in China will rebound to the 2019 level and even outperform it if there is no COVID-19 resurgence in China, Dong Dengxin, director of the Finance and Securities Institute at the Wuhan University of Science and Technology, told the Global Times on Thursday. "Consumption will be a primary driver of growth this year, taking a larger proportion of GDP this year," Dong said, predicting that China's economic growth will rebound to 7 to 8 percent with a higher growth rate in the first half. In addition to the holiday effect, the consumption potential will be unleashed throughout the year for China's diversified consumption patterns characterized by e-commerce and live-streaming, which will further stabilize the consumption growth in the year, Sun Lijian, director of the Financial Research Center at Fudan University in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Thursday. "The development of the digital economy has improved the consumption capacity of the population in the third and fourth-tier cities. At the same time, Chinese enterprises are catching up with overseas enterprises, meaning that high income groups in coastal cities can now buy high quality domestic products at home, further boosting domestic demand," he said. The uncertainty in the second half of the year lies in the recovery of employment in China as well as potential new COVID-19 outbreaks, observers said. "The new wave of COVID-19 infections in India with a higher number of deaths is a test of China's epidemic prevention work. While boosting consumption in May, we should reduce the aggregation of large numbers of people to prevent the resurgence of COVID-19," according to Dong. Urging attention to personal prevention and protection while traveling, especially for the elderly, during the May Day holidays, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on Thursday warned against the organization of and participation in large gatherings. The country's virus containment is in good shape with no domestically transmitted cases, but it needs to be noted that the pandemic has become even more severe across the globe with some Asian countries seeing an abrupt rebound, Wu told reporters. ^ top ^
Consumer products expo a new window for China's opening-up (Xinhua)
2021-04-29
The China International Consumer Products Expo, to be held from May 7 to 10 in China's island province of Hainan, will become a new window for the country's high-level opening-up drive, the Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday. The expo showcases that China always adheres to its national policy of opening-up, and resolutely promotes globalization, Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Bingnan said, adding that China welcomes all countries to board the "express train" of China's development. The event is the first-ever expo to be held at the national level focusing on quality consumer goods, Wang said at a press conference. It will facilitate the construction of the Hainan free trade port, expand domestic demand, and promote high-quality economic development. It will also help push the new development paradigm of "dual circulation" that allows the domestic and overseas markets to reinforce each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay, said Wang. More than 1,300 brands from 69 countries and regions will participate in the expo, which is expected to attract more than 20,000 buyers and over 200,000 visitors. The expo will cover 80,000 square meters, including 60,000 square meters of international exhibition space featuring watches, cosmetics, jewelry, automobiles, yachts, consumer electronics, liquors, and food and health products of leading brands. From July 2020, the duty-free shopping quota in Hainan was raised to 100,000 yuan per year from the previous 30,000 yuan, while the purchase limitations were significantly cut and more duty-free products were offered. Purchases at the expo will not affect one's annual off-shore duty-free shopping quota, said Wang. China will kick off a month-long campaign promoting consumption in May amid efforts to bolster consumer spending as the country has effectively brought COVID-19 under control. As part of the campaign, duty-free shops in Hainan will introduce a variety of discounts and promotions, Wang said. ^ top ^
China expected to see 8.1% GDP growth in 2021 (China Daily)
2021-04-29
China's economic growth is projected to rebound to 8.1 percent this year, powered by strong exports and a gradual recovery in household consumption, despite uncertainties over the coronavirus pandemic, a report from the Asian Development Bank said on Wednesday. Economists from the bank attributed the economic boom to the improved job market, restored consumer confidence and the release of pent-up household demand. The year-on-year GDP growth rate is projected to be 5.5 percent in 2022. As the economy recovers, consumption will return as a primary driver of growth this year, followed by investment in the manufacturing sector, according to Dominik Peschel, head of the economics unit for the ADB resident mission in China. The bank forecast that consumer inflation is expected to moderate to 1.5 percent this year before it recovers to 2.3 percent in 2022, due to the fall in the pork price. In Asia, the number of new COVID-19 infections surged quickly from the prior week, with a higher number of deaths. This might have cast a shadow on the region's nascent economic recovery, said David Chao, Global Market Strategist, Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) at Invesco. The renewed COVID-19 outbreaks show the pandemic is still a threat, which could be the biggest downside risk weighing on the generally positive outlook in Asia. The region's growth is forecast to rebound to 7.3 percent in 2021,which will moderate to 5.3 percent in 2022, the ADB's report said. In contrast, China continues to experience economic normalization as containment efforts hold and vaccinations ramp up, according to experts. Given the persistent economic recovery and the sound growth momentum, Teh-han Chow, Greater China CEO at Fonterra Co-operative Group, told China Daily that he sees strong consumer demand for dairy products this year, which consolidated the company's strategy to further develop the China market. Alex Wong, China country manager of Silver Fern Farms, a leading red meat processor and market promoter in New Zealand, said the company is committed to promoting exports to China, to meet consumer demand for premium quality red meat products. With the development of China-New Zealand trade and China's rapid economic growth, the nation has gradually become the most important international market for Silver Fern Farms. As the ongoing pandemic-related restrictions in many regions of the world will continually fuel demand for consumer goods, China's merchandise exports are expected to outperform imports in 2021. Meanwhile, the large stimulus plan in the United States will help to boost global demand as well as China's exports, especially for manufacturing products, ADB economist Peschel said. This year, the People's Bank of China, the nation's central bank, will likely guide credit growth mainly through liquidity adjustments, and targeted cuts in the reserve requirement ratio remain an option to provide qualified banks with additional funds for lending, said the ADB report. Financial stability "Monetary policy will likely prioritize financial stability to a larger extent, especially in regard to real estate and shadow banking financing," it added. In terms of fiscal policy, its support for the economy will likely be gradually reduced this year, and fiscal revenue is expected to improve in line with higher economic growth, the bank said. However, potential financial risks should be prevented, especially in the banking sector, Qi Wen, associate economics and statistical analyst of the economics unit for the ADB resident mission in China, said on Wednesday. "The country has not yet seen a notable surge in nonperforming loans, likely because the NPL recognition standards were relaxed in 2020 and the deferment of loan repayments gave banks some leeway to delay recognizing NPLs." The ADB's report suggested that this year, in order to address potential challenges and safeguard financial stability, China's financial regulators may need to improve nonperforming loan management, consolidate the banking sector in an orderly manner and strengthen commercial banks' capitalization as the buffer to absorb shocks. ^ top ^
Beijing's trade with US up 133.4% in Q1: customs (China Daily)
2021-04-27
Trade between China's capital Beijing and the US in the first quarter this year saw a 133.4 percent increase to 81.2 billion yuan ($12.5 billion), accounting for 12 percent of the city's total trade value, data released by Beijing Customs showed on Monday. According to the data, Beijing's total trade value in the first quarter was 677.3 billion yuan, an 8.8 percent rise year-on-year, and 1.9 percent higher than in 2019. It was also the fifth continuous month in which the trade value was higher than 200 million yuan. The rise indicates that Beijing's international trade has become stable, media reports said. According to the data, Beijing's top five trade partners are the EU (not including the UK), the US, ASEAN, Australia and Saudi Aribia. The trade value with the EU reached 91.48 billion yuan, a 27.1 percent increase. Among the trade items, imports of agricultural products saw a dramatic increase, with the value reaching 56.36 billion yuan in the first quarter, an 86.1 percent increase year-on-year. Imports of iron ore reached 40.99 billion yuan, up 53.3 percent. The value of exported cellphones was 19.51 billion – 92 percent higher than one year before. And the value of exported medical goods was 13.27 billion yuan, 15.2 times higher than the year before, according to the data. ^ top ^
China rolls out 28 policies liberalizing trade in Hainan (People's Daily)
2021-04-27
Chinese authorities have released a circular of 28 policies and measures to liberalize and facilitate trade in goods and services at the Hainan free trade port. The circular was jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and 19 other government bodies. In terms of the trade in goods, the country will implement 13 policies, such as allowing certain regions to pilot the easing of controls on the import and export of commodities like crude oil and refined oil. The import of sugar at the Hainan free trade port will also be excluded from tariff rate quota management. Regarding trade in services, the country will adopt 15 measures, including supporting the establishment of national cultural export bases. The MOC, together with relevant government bodies, will put all the policies and tasks into practice, and will advance trade liberalization and facilitation at the Hainan free trade port, said Tang Wenhong, an official with the MOC. ^ top ^
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Mongolia becomes one of the seven Asian countries to have business and human rights programme (Montsame)
2021-04-29
In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to promote responsible business practices with three key pillars including State's duty to protect human rights in business operations, businesses' responsibility to respect human rights, and both to provide remedies when violations occur. Since 2020, Covid-19 pandemic is causing more frequent human rights violations globally including Mongolia in public, social and business spheres requiring timely and urgent solutions. Today, UNDP Mongolia officially launched the "Business and Human Rights in Asia: Enabling Sustainable Economic Growth through the Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework" programme funded by the European Union Partnership Instrument and co-implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia with the support from the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub and Business and Human Rights Asia Programme. The programme will be implemented in the next three years to support the Government of Mongolia to implement the UN Guiding Principles through the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, that began in 2018 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia. The programme will also focus on addressing the capacity gaps and challenges, supporting awareness raising and advocacy among key stakeholders including the relevant government agencies, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders and local chamber of commerces and industries in Mongolia. During the event, UNDP introduced several human rights management tools for businesses including "Human Rights Impact Assessment Guideline" and "Human Rights Due Diligence: Covid-19 Rapid Self-Assessment for Businesses" that will help businesses to further evaluate their human rights impact. As part of the programme, small grant is announced for civil society actors engaged in human rights protection, recognition, and advocacy in Mongolia, in the greater context of defending human rights until 7 May 2021. Mongolian businesses will also benefit substantially not only on human rights perspective but also they will be able to comply with the requirements of the with many of the international economic incentive arrangements for sustainable development and good governance, such as the EU's GSP+, that ask businesses to ratify and implement the core international conventions on human and labour rights. "We are looking forward to working with all our partners and stakeholders to ensure successful adoption of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in Mongolia that focuses on greater access to effective remedy, both judicial and non-judicial, for victims of business-related human rights violations" said Ms. Nashida Sattar, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative. "The European Union has a strong interest to improve implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights worldwide to enhance the level playing field for its companies, ensure a better prevention of abuses connected to business activities and access to remedy when abuses occur. I hope Mongolia will be the next country to launch the National action plans on the implementation of the Guiding Principles. The European Union is ready to share experiences and contribute to the process" said Mr. Marco Ferri, Deputy Head of Mission of the European Union Delegation in Mongolia. ^ top ^
Evidence documents supporting appeal for disbanding MPP forwarded to State Supreme Court (Montsame)
2021-04-29
President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga appealed to the State Supreme Court, April 19th, 2021, to disband the Mongolian People's Party, and requested his appeal to be resolved with reference to Section 23.2, Article 23 of the Law on Political Parties. "The President had intended to personally hand in the appeal and present the evidences to the State Supreme Court at 11:00 am, April 23rd. However, due to a COVID-19 case recorded among the Supreme Court staff, the appeal is being forwarded to the State Supreme Court by post." reports the Office of the President of Mongolia. ^ top ^
Minister for Foreign Affairs participating in 77th session of UNESCAP (Montsame)
2021-04-29
Her Excellency B.Battsetseg, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, participated in the general debate of the 77th session of the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and delivered a statement on the theme topic "Building back better from crises through regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific". Minister for Foreign Affairs B.Battsetseg gave a detailed presentation on the measures taken by the Government of Mongolia to protect the health of the population and ensure access to immunization during the Covid-19 pandemic, and strengthen the social protection of citizens during the crisis. Moreover, she noted that as landlocked developing country Mongolia issues related to regional integration, including improving transport and infrastructure connectivity, remains to be solved, despite efforts by the Government to recover the economy and increase access to social protection in all sectors of society. His Excellency A.Tumur, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the UNESCAP, serves as the Vice-chair of the 77th session of the Commission. ^ top ^
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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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