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SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
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DPRK
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Diplomats from 48 countries oppose politicization of COVID-19 origin-tracing (Global Times)
2021-07-16
Geneva - Permanent representatives of 48 countries to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) on Thursday addressed to World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and voiced their support to advance the study of origins of SARS-CoV-2 globally and opposed the politicization of the origin-tracing. The diplomats highlighted that COVID-19 is a common enemy of mankind, and it can only be defeated by solidarity and cooperation of the international community. Cooperation on the study of origins of the SARS-CoV-2 is an important aspect of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, they said in the letter. "As provided in the resolution WHA 73.1 entitled COVID-19 response, the purpose of the origin-tracing is to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts." The diplomats stressed that the study of origins is "a matter of science, and should be conducted around the world by scientists". "Origin-tracing shall not be politicized," they said. "Otherwise the global cooperation on the study of origins will be hindered, and the global anti-pandemic efforts will be jeopardized." The diplomats also welcomed the publication of the Joint Report of the WHO-convened global study of origins of SARS-CoV-2 and appreciated the hard work of the scientists of the joint experts group, stressing that the global study on origin-tracing "should be based on and guided by this scientific report". They called on the WHO Secretariat, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the World Health Assembly (WHA), to cooperate with member states to advance the study of origins around the world, and take effective measures to prevent political factors from interfering with the study process. ^ top ^
Credit Suisse Names New China Chief (Caixin)
2021-07-10
Credit Suisse named Janice Hu as its China chief executive as the Swiss bank steps up expansion in the world's second-largest economy. Hu has more than 25 years of experience in the financial markets in China and held multiple senior positions in Credit Suisse's China operations, including vice chairwoman of Credit Suisse China and head of China investment banking, the bank said Friday in a statement. Hu was appointed chairwoman of Credit Suisse's China securities business last year. In her new role as CEO of China, Hu will continue to drive the bank's onshore business and regulatory activities to further expand its presence, set up a comprehensive platform, and enhance Credit Suisse's position, the bank said. Hu succeeded Tang Zhenyi, who took a job outside financial services. As vice chairwoman of China, Hu played a key role in Credit Suisse's move to become a majority owner of its China securities joint venture last year. The venture was renamed Credit Suisse Securities (China) Ltd. last week. Credit Suisse has geared up its China expansion as the country gradually opens up its financial sectors. Over the past year, the bank has recruited more than 60 professionals across all businesses and corporate functions for its mainland operations. In addition to the securities joint venture, Credit Suisse has an asset management joint venture — ICBC Credit Suisse Asset Management Co. Ltd. — which is among the largest in China with total assets under management of nearly 1.4 trillion yuan as of the end of December 2020. ^ top ^
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President to attend APEC informal leaders' meeting (China Daily)
2021-07-16
Beijing has expressed hope that Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economies can jointly convey a message of unity against COVID-19 and deepen cooperation to promote economic recovery as APEC leaders are set to meet on Friday. President Xi Jinping will attend the informal APEC leaders' meeting from Beijing via video link, at the invitation of Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The APEC Informal Leaders' Retreat on COVID-19, initiated by New Zealand as this year's chair, also marks the first time in APEC's history that the leaders will hold an extraordinary meeting. APEC's traditional Economic Leaders' Meeting is scheduled to take place at the end of the year. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a news briefing on Thursday that the meeting comes at a critical moment, with the pandemic now rebounding globally and the international pandemic response entering a new phase. China attaches great importance to the role of APEC as an important platform for economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, and the nation hopes different sides will uphold the vision of an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future and give strong momentum to the regional and global fight against the pandemic and economic recovery, he said. Su Xiaohui, a researcher of international strategy at the China Institute of International Studies, said China will be the center of attention at the meeting, with the nation now leading regional economic recovery and the pandemic response, especially vaccine assistance. She noted that APEC economies face new opportunities and challenges with the bloc adopting its Putrajaya Vision 2040 last year, which pledges to build an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040. "With the Communist Party of China having just celebrated its 100th founding anniversary, different sides will also look forward to hearing how China will embark on a new course of socialist modernization and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," she said. According to a news release from the New Zealand government, APEC-wide GDP contracted by 1.9 percent in 2020, the biggest fall since World War II, with around 81 million jobs being lost due to the pandemic. ^ top ^
Chinese FM condemns 'fabricated, malicious' report of US company accusing Chinese ships of dumping sewage in South China Sea (Global Times)
2021-07-16
The Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned a so-called report released by a US imagery analysis company that accused Chinese ships of dumping sewage in the South China Sea, saying it was "fabricated" and "malicious." Simularity, a US satellite imagery analysis firm, published a report on Monday, claiming that raw sewage discharged from more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels around the contested Nansha Islands in the South China Sea is causing extensive damage to coral reefs. Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday's routine press conference that this report is a "big joke," saying that the US company was fabricating facts, violating professional ethics, and maliciously spreading rumors against China. China strongly condemned such act, Zhao said. Zhao said China is ready to work with the concerned countries in the region to eliminate interruptions and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. Officials from the Philippines said they are verifying the case but questioned the authenticity of the report. On Tuesday, Delfin Lorenzana, secretary of national defense of the Philippines, belied the report, saying that the photo of a ship seen dumping waste accompanying the report was found to have been taken in the Australian Great Barrier Reef in 2014. Therefore, "this intent to mislead has cast great doubt on the accuracy of the Simularity report," he said in a statement. ^ top ^
China to serve as 'mediator' for regional security on Afghan issue during Wang Yi's visit to Central Asia (Global Times)
2021-07-11
As the Chinese foreign minister is scheduled to visit three Central Asian countries on Monday, all close neighbors of Afghanistan, the timing is optimal as Afghanistan has become a regional hot spot following the withdrawal of US-led troops, Chinese analysts said. The visit will provide a platform for China and the three countries to cooperate on regional security and China may offer financial and technical help for the countries that face challenges in securing border areas, analysts said. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan between July 12 and 16 on the invitation of the foreign ministers of the three countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced on Friday. During the visit, Wang Yi will meet with leaders of the three Central Asian countries and hold talks with their foreign ministers, according to the spokesperson. Against the backdrop of the hasty withdrawal of US and NATO forces and the complicated evolution of the situation in Afghanistan, this meeting is of important significance for properly dealing with the changing situation in post-withdrawal Afghanistan, jointly advancing the peace and reconciliation process, strengthening efforts to fight the three evil forces, namely, terrorist, separatist and extremist forces, and effectively maintaining regional security and stability, Wang said. Yang Jin, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday that the three Central Asian countries are facing the foremost security threats as Afghanistan's neighbors. Yang said that China might offer financial or technical help to the countries as they face challenges in securing the border areas. China's consistent position on the Afghan issue is to respect Afghanistan's historical and current conditions, and to help but not interfere, which is also what separates China from the US and makes China a mediator, or a "guarantor of security" in the region, noted Yang. As the US' "irresponsible and hasty" withdrawal from Afghanistan has given rise to security threats in the country, regional countries are turning to China, hoping it could coordinate a multilateral framework in dealing with the issue, according to analysts. They believe that China's role in helping restore order in Afghanistan fits its image of a responsible power and regional stabilizer. The process of multilateral negotiations on Afghanistan issues requires profound cooperation in various fields such as economic and counter-terrorism cooperation, the analysts said. If stability were achieved in Afghanistan, it would bring great convenience to the flow of cargo between China and Eurasia which is beneficial for cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and helps recovery of the regional economy, they noted. Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said last Wednesday that the organization sees China as a "friend" to Afghanistan and is hoping to talk to Beijing about investing in reconstruction work "as soon as possible." The statement of a Taliban spokesperson on China also reflects that China may have more room to be more flexible in its mediating position in Afghanistan, which is also the basis and condition for Wang Yi's diplomatic coordination with the three countries, Yang said. Not solely focusing on regional security, Wang Yi's visit will help stabilize the neighboring environment and advance relations with surrounding countries, Li Jianmin, academic dean of the Institute of Central Asian Studies at Northwest Normal University, told the Global Times on Sunday. She noted that China may further expand collaboration with the three countries in epidemic prevention and control as the new wave of the epidemic hit Central Asia hard. As the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, during his visit to the Central Asian countries, Wang Yi will also attend multilateral events including the SCO foreign ministers' meeting and have friendly exchanges with foreign ministers of other participating countries. Wang will discuss the situation in Afghanistan with SCO officials. ^ top ^
Chinese, Pakistani FMs exchange views on serious Chinese casualties in Pakistan (Xinhua)
2021-07-15
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi here on Wednesday, exchanging views on the heavy Chinese casualties in Pakistan. The Chinese side was shocked by the incident, hoping that the Pakistani side could quickly find out its cause, conduct rescue and treatment work at all costs, deal with the aftermath in time, and prevent similar incidents from happening again, Wang said. If it is a terrorist attack, the criminals must be immediately arrested and severely punished, he added. Lessons should be learned from the incident, and the security measures for China-Pakistan cooperation projects should be further strengthened to ensure the safe and smooth operation of the projects, Wang said. Qureshi, on behalf of the government and the people of Pakistan, expressed sincere condolences to the Chinese side. Preliminary investigation showed that it was an accident and no background of terrorist attacks has been found, Qureshi said. China is Pakistan's most important friend and most reliable partner, and China's loss is Pakistan's loss, he stressed. Pakistan will spare no effort to treat the wounded, thoroughly investigate the truth of the incident, lose no time in sharing the progress of the investigation with China, and do its utmost to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel in Pakistan, Qureshi added. ^ top ^
China to send more than 400 athletes to Tokyo Olympics (SCMP)
2021-07-14
China is sending its largest delegation to an overseas Olympics, with a team of 777 heading to the Tokyo Games, its sports body said on Wednesday. The team includes 431 athletes who will compete in 225 events across 30 sporting disciplines. Some 298 female athletes qualified for Tokyo, more than double the 133 male competitors. State news agency Xinhua also highlighted the diversity of the Chinese team, with 33 athletes from the Manchu, Mongol, Hui and other ethnic minorities. Gao Zhidan, deputy director of China's State General Administration of Sport, said nearly all of the delegation, 774 people, had been vaccinated against Covid-19. He said the delegation included 30 foreign coaches from 19 countries such as the United States, Germany, Britain and France across 17 sporting disciplines. The country had its biggest delegation of 1,099 people on home soil at the Beijing Games in 2008, where 639 athletes competed. In Tokyo, China expects to win gold medals in sports such as table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, weightlifting, shooting and diving, according to Xinhua. The team includes 138 former Olympians, and 19 are defending champions from the Rio Games in 2016, such as Ma Long in table tennis and Chen Long in badminton. The most experienced – women's shot-putter Gong Lijiao, women's taekwondo athlete Wu Jingyu, men's shooter Pang Wei and men's trampolinist Dong Dong – will all be taking part in their fourth Olympics. At 52, the oldest athlete on the team is male equestrian rider Li Zhenqiang, while the youngest is 14-year-old female diver Quan Hongchan. Several big names are missing, including Lin Dan, the badminton icon who announced his retirement last summer, and Sun Yang, the triple champion swimmer who was banned for four years and three months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last month. Beijing has not yet announced whether a state leader will attend the opening ceremony in Tokyo on July 23. The Tokyo Olympics were delayed by one year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the host city entered a state of emergency on Monday amid a spike in cases after last week deciding to ban spectators from nearly all venues. Some 11,500 athletes are expected to take part in Tokyo 2020, which will run until August 8. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said he expected more than 80 per cent of the athletes to be vaccinated by the opening of the Games. In a meeting with Tokyo Olympic Committee chairwoman Seiko Hashimoto on Monday, China's ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou said Beijing hoped the safety of Chinese athletes would be ensured. Beijing will host the Winter Olympics in February 2022 and its organisers are also closely watching Tokyo's preparations during the pandemic. ^ top ^
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China committed to human rights development path with Chinese characteristics (People's Daily)
2021-07-16
The efforts of the Chinese government to safeguard people's economic, social and cultural rights won praise from participants in the 47th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 21 to July 13. Over 90 countries voiced support for China's stance on human rights issues during the meeting. More and more countries believe that the Communist Party of China (CPC), which celebrates its centenary this year, has embarked on a path for human rights development with Chinese characteristics through combining the universality of human rights with China's specific conditions, and added diversity to the concept of human rights with its own practices. History has witnessed the development and progress of China's human rights cause. After the First Opium War broke out in 1840, China was gradually reduced to a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society and suffered greater ravages than ever before. It is estimated that 80 percent of China's population was constantly haunted by dire hunger or inadequate food supply, and that tens or even hundreds of thousands of people starved to death every year. At such a crucial juncture, the CPC came into being and resolutely took on the noble mission of salvaging the country and saving the Chinese people. Since then, the CPC has pursued a road of human rights protection that belongs to the people, and fundamentally changed the destiny of the Chinese people. Seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation is the original aspiration and mission of Chinese Communists as well as the root of the CPC's stance on human rights. Over the past century, the CPC has unswervingly fulfilled its original aspiration and mission and created a great miracle in respecting and protecting human rights. In 2019, the average life expectancy of Chinese residents rose to 77.3 years, compared with 35 years in 1949. Last year, the per capita disposable income and per capita consumption expenditure of Chinese people were 328 times and 241 times that of 1956, respectively. China has built the world's largest social security system, and continuously expanded its social security coverage and improved relevant services. The country has seen remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation, not only rewriting its history of human rights development, but creating a new miracle in the protection of human rights in the world. China's national rejuvenation represents a process of promoting social fairness and justice, and advancing human rights, according to Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. The Chinese people have gained a stronger sense of gain, happiness, and security, which serves as an important criterion to gauge the progress of China's human rights cause. The Chinese people's overall satisfaction toward the Chinese government led by the CPC exceeds 93 percent, according to a report by the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. In addition, the Law and Order Index released by Gallup, an American analytics and advisory company, suggests that China is one of the safest countries in the world. The CPC's practice of respecting and guaranteeing human rights in the past century has fully proven that there are no ready models to copy in respecting, protecting and developing human rights for China and that the country must proceed from its prevailing realities and go its own way. The CPC has traveled a path of human rights protection that features upholding CPC leadership and the socialist system in promoting human rights, promoting human rights through development, taking a people-centered approach to human rights protection, aiming for people's well-rounded development, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. China's ideas about human rights, including "putting people first" and "the rights to subsistence and development are the primary rights", have been widely echoed around the world. As British scholar Martin Jacques pointed out, the most basic human right is sound economic conditions. There is no end to human rights development and human rights protection is an ongoing cause. China will firmly stick to its human rights development path with Chinese characteristics and continuously contribute to the development and progress of human rights cause in China and around the world. ^ top ^
China puts people's lives and health in first place (People's Daily)
2021-07-16
China called for equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide and stressed the importance of improving the accessibility, affordability, and production of such vaccines in developing countries, including least developed countries, to save lives and end the pandemic as soon as possible. China made the appeal during a recent dialogue on COVID-19 on behalf of 63 countries with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. China's proposal represented the common aspiration of the international society, especially the developing countries, and fully demonstrated its major country responsibility to safeguard the right to life and health of the people around the world. The right to life and health is a fundamental right of every human being. It is what guarantees that people live a life in dignity. The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed severe threats against the right to life and health of the people across the world, and how to protect this right of the people amid the pandemic is testing the value of the philosophies and practices of human rights protection of all countries. The world's anti-pandemic efforts in the past year proved that only by placing people's lives and health in the first place can countries effectively safeguard their right to life and health. Since the outburst of the disease, China has always upheld a people-centered approach in safeguarding people's right to life and health, tried its best to maintain infections and mortality at the lowest level possible, and treated patients and saved lives impartially. From locking down Wuhan, former epicenter of the disease with over 10 million people, and launching the largest medical assistance operation since the founding of the People's Republic of China, to doing everything possible to treat each and every patient, and to giving a total of 1.38 billion doses of vaccines, China has profoundly explained its lofty ideal of putting its people above everything. "If I have COVID-19, I want to be treated in China." The remarks by Bruce Aylward, senior advisor to the Director-General of WHO, are a powerful endorsement for China's efforts to safeguard people's right to life and health. Pandemic prevention is a battle that involves all human beings. To safeguard the health of mankind, China is firmly advancing international cooperation on fighting the disease, and joining hands with all parties concerned to build a global community of health for all. The country gave timely notification to the international community of the onset of a new coronavirus, and shared without reserve its experience in containing the spread of the virus and treating the infected. As of April this year, China has dispatched 37 medical expert teams to 34 countries, and has provided or is providing anti-pandemic assistance for 151 countries and 14 international organizations. By mid-June, the country has provided more than 290 billion masks, 3.5 billion protective suits and 4.5 billion testing kits to the world. So far, it has donated and exported more than 500 million doses of finished and bulk vaccines to the international society. The medical devices, vaccines and technologies offered by China have saved numerous lives, and are considered timely assistance. The people-centered approach in human rights protection of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is well explained by China's efforts to protect people's right to life and health amid the COVID-19 epidemic. The CPC has always maintained the nonprofit nature of medical care, and constantly enhanced its protection over the right to life and health. Since 2012, the CPC Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping at the core has given top priority to improving the people's health, proposed that prosperity for all is impossible without health for all, and made a significant decision to implement the Healthy China initiative. In 2019, the average life expectancy of Chinese residents rose to 77.3 years, and their main health indicators were generally higher than the average level of middle- and high-income countries. Recently, China was granted a malaria-free certification by the WHO, which marked another milestone of its health development. The WHO called it "a notable feat," saying the success was hard-earned and came only after decades of targeted and sustained action. Our fight against COVID-19 is still going on, and the life and dignity of every one of us must be well protected. China will keep on working with the rest of the world and firmly advance anti-pandemic cooperation, so as to jointly build a global community of health for all and safeguard the future of mankind. ^ top ^
China's high-quality development means more opportunities to world (Xinhua)
2021-07-16
Amid high uncertainties of global economic recovery from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, China's resilient, stable and solid growth will pump more confidence and opportunities into the pandemic-ravaged world. Data from China's National Bureau of Statistics showed on Thursday that the country's gross domestic product expanded 12.7 percent year on year in the first half of 2021, while other key economic indicators also demonstrated a steady momentum. The double-digit growth is a powerful reflection of China's economic resilience. Nearly one year and a half into the pandemic, prospects of the global economy remain highly uncertain as new virus mutations and the accumulating death toll continues to raise concerns, and economic recoveries in different sectors and countries across the world are diverging. As the first country to take the pandemic under control, China has made all-out efforts to provide medical supplies and vaccines to the world and stabilize global supply chains, which has greatly boosted heavily-hit manufacturing industries worldwide and international trade. According to official figures, China has offered anti-pandemic supplies to over 200 countries and regions since the onset of the public health crisis. During the 2020 March-December period, China exported a total of 2.51 trillion yuan (390 billion U.S. dollars) of products such as laptops and mobile phones, meeting the enormous global demands when people were staying at home. Helge Berger, the International Monetary Fund's China mission chief and assistant director in the Asia and Pacific Department, said China, as one of the world's largest economies, plays a large role in Asia's recovery and global recovery, not only due to its share in global growth, but also its growth spillovers. What behind those visible products are China's complete industrial chain, fully-equipped infrastructures, advanced manufacturing clusters, as well as the new development philosophy the country adheres to, which features innovation, coordination, greenness, openness and sharing. In its pursuit of quality economic development, China has been committed to working with the rest of the world for a more open and free global economy by promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and creating a more attractive business environment, so as to bring more cooperation opportunities to others and give further impetus to global growth. From setting up free trade zones and ports to joining in free trade agreements, China is forging ahead with steadfast footsteps toward a more open and integrated world, although the international situation is increasingly complex, and economic globalization is riding into protectionist headwinds. With a total of 21 pilot free trade zones so far, China has become a more popular destination for overseas investors. Foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, surged 35.4 percent year on year to 481 billion yuan (74.5 billion dollars) in the first five months of this year, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Compared with the same period of 2019, the volume increased 30.3 percent. In the latest American Business in China White Paper released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, about two-thirds of survey respondents remain optimistic about growth opportunities in China and plan to increase their investments in the Asian country in 2021. China's concrete measures to open up its market wider and expand win-win global cooperation have shown its sincere willingness to share opportunities of growth and development with the whole world. Through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China is sharing its experience in a variety of pillars including trade, infrastructure development and people-to-people exchanges, Kenya-based international relations scholar Cavince Adhere said, noting that these pillars are crucial to the economic modernization of BRI participating countries and overall global well-being. Looking ahead, China will continue to follow the path of high-quality development with its doors opening even wider, and remain actively engaged in international cooperation and common growth of the world. Meanwhile, the global economy will also reap more opportunities and benefits from the country's development. ^ top ^
China to rectify problems discovered in central budget implementation audit (Xinhua)
2021-07-15
China will fix problems discovered in audits on central budget implementation, and other financial revenues and expenditures, according to a State Council executive meeting held on Wednesday. The meeting, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, also specified measures to improve the rural delivery and logistics system to better meet farmers' needs in life and production. The meeting urged related government departments and local authorities to implement solid rectification. Efforts should be made to severely punish major violations of laws and regulations, such as illegal scalping of bulk commodities and tax evasion. Typical cases should be publicly exposed. Governments at all levels should continue to tighten their belts in the interests of the people. Efforts should not be relaxed on reducing spending on official overseas visits, government-procured vehicles, and official receptions. Violations that increase the costs of administrative operations will not be allowed, the meeting decided. More work should be done to fully implement policies and measures benefiting businesses and the people, such as cutting taxes and fees, stabilizing jobs, expanding employment, and providing financial support to the real economy, especially micro and small businesses. The meeting also urged proper management and use of funds for elderly care, education, medical care, and housing and strictly prevent embezzlement. To promote rural vitalization, increase farmers' income, and unleash domestic demand in rural areas, China will speed up rural delivery and logistics services and further facilitate the circulation of agricultural products and consumer goods. The country will better connect urban markets and logistics firms with farms and farmers' cooperatives with the support of the "Internet Plus" approach. China will also develop specialized delivery services and cold-chain storage and processing facilities to promote the sales of agricultural products, the meeting said. Measures will be taken to improve the weak links of rural delivery and logistics infrastructure and make express delivery services available in villages with the support of courier firms and the postal sector. ^ top ^
China Vaccine Panel Clears Fosun-BioNTech mRNA Shot (Caixin)
2021-07-15
Chinese drug regulators completed an expert panel review of a Covid-19 mRNA vaccine co-developed by Fosun Pharma with Germany's BioNTech SE, and now the shot is in the administration review stage, according to Fosun. The Shanghai pharmaceutical company is sticking with its previously announced plan to start domestic trial production by the end of August, Fosun Chairman Wu Yifang said Wednesday at a shareholders' meeting. Chinese authorities plan to use the vaccine, with the brand name Comirnaty, as a booster shot for people who have received inactivated-virus forms of vaccines, people close to regulators told Caixin. The booster shot is likely offered free, the person said. China administered more than 1.2 billion vaccine doses as of July 1, according to the National Health Commission. Most received inactivated-virus vaccines made by Sinovac and state-owned Sinopharm Group that have demonstrated lower efficacy than mRNA vaccines. While awaiting regulatory clearance, Fosun Pharma and BioNTech started preparation and equipment procurement for their Shanghai joint venture. Construction of production lines in the Shanghai factory is set to be completed in August, Fosun said in June. Fosun and BioNTech in May announced plans to set up the Shanghai facility to co-produce BioNTech's mRNA vaccine Comirnaty, also known as BNT162b2. The venture is part of a broader partnership formed in early 2020 to bring the vaccine to China. Wu said the Shanghai factory will hit its annual production capacity of 1 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine by the end of this year. With the assistance of Fosun's other facilities, monthly output can expand to 100 million to 200 million doses, Wu said. Fosun sealed a deal to sell 10 million vaccine doses to Taiwan following months of on-again, off-again talks that finally reached a breakthrough after the island experienced a recent Covid-19 outbreak. The University of Hong Kong is studying the effect of mixing shots of BioNTech's Comirnaty and one made by Sinovac Life Sciences Co. Ltd. Fosun and the Chinese government are also conducting vaccine-mixing research. The currently available data suggest optimistic results, Wu said. The efficacy of the Chinese shots ranges from 50% to almost 80% in trials and real-world studies, significantly lower than the mRNA vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech. That has raised concerns they may not be effective in taming the virus's more infectious variants. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines cover all existing variants and can provide a high degree of protection even with reduced effectiveness, said Jin Dongyan, a molecular virologist at the University of Hong Kong. ^ top ^
Mega national project drives China's once poorest corners to promising future (Global Times)
2021-07-14
In late June, Baihetan Hydropower Station, one of China's most important mega-projects, began operations joining the country's power grid, contributing to the country's productivity and prosperity. Set deep in the Daliang Mountains in Southwest China, it surely benefits the local mountain residents more than it does to the rest of country. Last year, Wen Quanwan and hundreds of his fellow villagers became the first to be relocated from dilapidated housing in the project's reservoir area to newly constructed bright and spacious cottages, as part of the Baihetan Hydropower Station project. Through on-site interviews, the Global Times found that the project has proven to be an opportunity for locals to relocate from the mountainous terrain and shake off poverty to embark on a hopeful new life, in step with the whole country. "I am a witness to this history, it is the CPC that has overcome all these difficulties to give us the opportunity to get such new, happy life in the deep mountains," Wen said. Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China's Sichuan Province was once one of the poorest regions in China. It is gratifying that an increasing number of social forces are paying attention to this region and investing more resources to promote its development. At the Baihetan Hydropower Station resettlement site in Dechang county, Liangshan, the couplets posted on each house show the joy of the residents after relocation and their expectations for the future. "Many people moved into new houses during the Spring Festival this year with joyous drumming. Because local authorities and the China Three Gorges Corp (CTG), the main investors and contractors of the Baihetan Hydropower Station, have provided sound relocation and follow-up plans for those relocated, we felt at ease with the new environment," Wen said. Wen noted that in 2019, he was elected as the homeowner representative of 49 families to be relocated in the village. From the selection of the resettlement site to the design and construction of the houses, the soon-to-be relocated had the opportunity to participate in the decision-making and supervision. Through full consultation, the migrants have been able to buy high-quality homes at low prices and received substantial compensation. "What touched us was that the local immigration office and CTG did not pull away after the relocation, but actively put in place a series of employment and industrial assistance programs to help us better integrate into our new environment," Wen said. Wen said that many resettled residents used to grow crops such as navel oranges along the Jinsha River. After the relocation, the government gave each person an extra mu of fertile farmland and organized for local agricultural experts to teach cultivation skills. […] Last year, Zhang Meng, a university graduate from Northeast China's Jilin Province, was selected to become a Chinese teacher at Xixiang Middle School through the CTG's "Candlelight Initiative." "Compared to the developed areas in eastern China, influenced by the old idea of 'studying is useless,' many children here did not develop good study and living habits from an early age and could not adapt to school life, and were even truanted or dropped out of school altogether," Zhang said. Zhang pointed out that the school is now focusing on strengthening the home-school link and focusing on psychological guidance and emotional education for the students. "With dreams, through hard work, we must be able to assume more responsibilities for our families and country." Dishidong, a junior student from the "Three Gorges Inspirational Class" at Liangshan Ethnicity Middle School, wrote on a bilingual questionnaire distributed by the school in both Chinese and Yi. If he hadn't been admitted to the Inspirational Class, Dishidong would have studied in the rolling hills, spending the summer holiday cutting buckwheat, harvesting potatoes, and herding sheep, just as he did in previous years. Now, Dishidong and his classmates are excitedly discussing the location of the summer camp after the final exams. They want to visit the Baihetan Hydropower Station, which has just been put into operation. The dozens of "Three Gorges Inspirational Class" programs in various middle schools in Liangshan are mainly for those resettled from the Baihetan and Xiluodu dam areas, and for ethnic minority and Han students of exemplary academic potential. Rong noted that the Inspirational Class is an upgraded version of the many educational programs they have implemented in recent years. "The number of such 'highly configured' classes is increasing year on year. As China's comprehensive national power increases, our support programs have changed from the previous years' 'orphan classes' and 'girls' classes' to classes that emphasize children's overall development," Rong said. "Large amounts of funding have shifted from ensuring children were well fed and clothed to having more opportunities for better development, and this effort has gradually covered a larger child demographic," he added. ^ top ^
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Countdown to Beijing 2022 | Beijing Winter Olympic Village passes key equipment inspection (Xinhua)
2021-07-14
The Village for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has passed its fire control inspection for the final certification of construction in Beijing's northwestern Yanqing district, sources with the local government said on Wednesday. As one of the three competition zones of Beijing 2022, Yanqing will host Alpine skiing, bobsleigh, and luge competitions during the Winter Games. With a total construction area of around 118,000 square meters, the Village is located in the east of the core area of Yanqing zone, and is characteristic of an old Beijing courtyard. Its residential area will provide 2,338 beds during the Winter Olympics and 1,040 beds during the Paralympics. The acceptance team led by the Yanqing District Housing and Construction Committee, carried out tests for the fire extinguishing system and various linked equipment in the Village, such as the internal electric cabin, distribution room gas fire suppression system, water cabin fire shutter, and fire escape system. With the Village passing the inspection, work in the core area of the Yanqing zone has also entered its final stage, according to Fan Gang, director of the Engineering Quality Supervision Station of the Yanqing District Housing and Construction Committee. "We're now carrying out the completion acceptance work of the programs of Mountain Media Center and Supervision Center, hoping to provide well-qualified infrastructure for the upcoming Games," Fan said. ^ top ^
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| Shanghai |
China issues guideline on high-level reform, opening-up of Shanghai's Pudong (Xinhua)
2021-07-16
China on Thursday issued a guideline to support high-level reform and opening-up of the Pudong New Area in Shanghai. The guideline was jointly released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, and listed measures to build Pudong into a pioneer area for socialist modernization. By 2035, Pudong will see its modernized economy comprehensively established, modern urban districts built, and modernized governance fully realized. Its urban development level and international competitiveness will be at the forefront globally, said the guideline. By 2050, Pudong is expected to become an important urban area which is highly attractive, creative, competitive and influential globally, a global model of urban governance and a "shining pearl" of a great modern socialist country, it said. China will promote high-level reform and opening-up in Pudong to provide an important channel for making better use of domestic and international markets and resources, according to the guideline. Pudong is positioned as a central node of the domestic circulation and a strategic link of China's new development paradigm of "dual circulation," and is expected to play a better role in leading and stimulating the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. The area will be a pioneer in promoting higher-level reform and opening-up. It will expand openness from the factor level to the system level and take the lead in establishing a new system for an open economy that is compatible with prevailing international rules. The country will build economic zones with special functions in Pudong and intensify risk tests on the open economy, said the guideline. A core area for international technological innovation will also be built in Pudong to increase the capabilities regarding independent innovation, strengthen the leading role of high-end industries, and upgrade national industrial chains. China will build international financial, trade and shipping centers in Shanghai through the active allocation of global capital, information, technology and human resources to shore up support for the real economy, and take the lead in setting up a system of high-standard international economic and trade regulations. The guideline plans to support Pudong in leading the domestic consumption upgrade and the trend of consumption and constructing an international consumption center. It also aims at making the area a model of modern urban governance with a more scientific, refined and intelligent administration. ^ top ^
Shanghai unveils 10-year AI plan (China Daily)
2021-07-12
Shanghai announced a municipal artificial intelligence plan on Thursday that will look into rule changes related to digital technology, promote the establishment of technical standards and regulations and form a mechanism for monitoring risks and issuing early warnings. The entire plan, released during the 2021 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in the city, will take a decade to carry out, but results from the first phase are expected in three years. Such efforts will probably prepare for AI-related legislation, the International Innovation Center of Tsinghua University, Shanghai, said. It will execute the plan under the guidance of the Shanghai Municipal Artificial Intelligence Leading Group and the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission. Wang Youqiang, the center's executive director, said the Field Experiment Plan for AI Application in Shanghai will initially cover four application scenarios: assistance for medical diagnosis, expansion of QR code applications, smart service for the elderly and facial recognition. "There has been quite a lot of involvement by enterprises and industries in those realms, but our plan－with AI projects being implemented in those areas and interacting with people's lives－will be a systematic, scientific and neutral attempt to discover common problems and attempt to formulate rules to avoid risks," Wang said. "Through the implementation of those AI projects, we'll focus on major, urgent and frequent issues in the digital transformation of Shanghai and monitor the public's concerns on AI and digital technology." The plan will use scientific measures to regulate the industry so that it produces safe, reliable and controllable products, help government agencies construct management rules and systems and enable users to properly use AI solutions with appropriate levels of self-protection, Wang said. "Such AI governance rules may also be popularized in other regions of the country," he said. "And through the process, we may find model cases of digital transformation in the city with international demonstration effects to contribute Shanghai's wisdom and solutions to the world's AI development." China's AI innovation ranked second in the world last year, behind the United States, and up from third the previous year, according to a report by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China and Peking University that was released on Thursday. The report said China performed well in terms of infrastructure, its innovative environment, scientific and technological research and development, and industry and application, ranking in the top 10 worldwide for all four indicators. One example of industry success is IntelliCloud, an AI startup established in Hefei, Anhui province, in 2018, that provides smart safety solutions for different scenarios and has more than a dozen AI-related software copyrights. At the conference, it exhibited its smart safety management solution at a ski field in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, which integrates software, hardware, the internet of things and an AI sensing system. Zhangjiakou is one of the venues where the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be held. "In a ski field covering 4 square kilometers across the mountains with abundant forests, our smart solution can realize autonomous inspection, leaving no blind zones around the clock to ensure fire prevention, spot illegal entry, guarantee safety on the ski lanes, and discover emergencies and issue first-aid alarms," Wei Hongfeng, IntelliCloud's CEO and chief scientist, said. ^ top ^
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| Guangdong |
Shenzhen building that vibrated deemed safe (China Daily)
2021-07-16
The main structure of the SEG Plaza Building in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, is safe under normal conditions and can continue to be used, according to an official statement released on Thursday. After wobbling for three consecutive days following its first vibration on the afternoon of May 18, the 356-meter skyscraper was sealed off for about 10 days, said Deng Lipeng, who has a small shop in the building. To find out what caused the mysterious shaking, professional organizations closely monitored the building's vibration, tilt and subsidence, and found them to be above standard. Through two months of real-time detection, the expert investigation panel ruled out vibration-causing factors from subways, construction and blasting from nearby projects, as well as air conditioning operations. Focusing on analysis of wind-induced vibration and cumulative structural damage, experts said they believe that the building's shaking was caused by a combination of vortex-induced resonance of the rooftop masts, and changes to the dynamic characteristics of the building. SEG Plaza, completed in 1999 and located in the Huaqiangbei shopping area, is the 18th-tallest building in Shenzhen. On its rooftop are masts that serve as lightning protection and navigation marks. According to investigations, a steady wind lasting for a certain period of time caused the masts to generate a particular frequency that caused the main structure of the building to wobble. Moreover, the change in the dynamic characteristics of the building and masts was the main internal cause of the vibration. Since the skyscraper has been used for more than 20 years, the accumulated damage to the steel plate composite floor slabs on some floors and the mast connection points caused the structural frequency to change, forming a condition for resonance, the investigation results showed. The expert panel said removing the masts could effectively solve the issue of the building's perceived vibration. Related work is being prepared. From 6 pm on Friday, no one will be allowed to go into the building except for construction personnel and staff with passes, according to a notice released by SEG Plaza's property company on Thursday. The removal of the masts will take about 32 days, but extreme weather such as torrential rain, typhoons or high temperatures could lead to the postponement of operations, the notice said. The local government will provide temporary business premises for merchants in the building, who can apply to the building's management office. "We are moving from the building to operate our business in another place," Deng said. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
All people of Xinjiang to enjoy happier, more prosperous lives (People's Daily)
2021-07-16
The State Council Information Office Wednesday issued a white paper detailing the country's progress in protecting the rights of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, including civil rights, political rights, economic rights, cultural rights, social rights, rights of women and children and freedom of religious belief. The white paper, titled Respecting and Protecting the Rights of All Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang, proves with abundant facts and statistics that for more than 70 years since 1949, the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government have upheld a people-centered approach to human rights protection, treating the rights to subsistence and development as the primary human rights. Integrating the principle of universal human rights with the country's realities, China has enriched its strategy for the governance of Xinjiang to guarantee the people's equal rights to participation and development. Thanks to these efforts, human rights have made steady progress in Xinjiang. Xinjiang was once a victim of terrorist activities. Terrorist forces at home and abroad claiming to represent "East Turkistan" have colluded with each other, and plotted and carried out thousands of terrorist acts. These acts have seriously endangered the lives of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Xinjiang has promulgated a series of local regulations to strike hard at terrorist activities that infringe upon human rights and endanger public security, and at illegal and criminal activities that make use of extremism to undermine the law. Xinjiang attaches importance to preventing terrorism at its source. By improving livelihood and carrying out publicity and education campaigns on the rule of law, it follows an approach of preventive counter-terrorism to protect basic rights. For more than four years since the end of 2016 there has been no terrorist incident in Xinjiang. The right to life of people of all ethnic groups has been fully protected. In May, senior diplomats from 19 Latin American and Caribbean countries made field visits to Xinjiang. They said they fully understand and support the efforts of the Chinese government in combating terrorism and de-radicalization in Xinjiang. Xinjiang pursues rapid economic and social development. More effort and investment have been made to improve the people's wellbeing. All ethnic groups enjoy equal opportunities and economic rights. From 1955 to 2020, Xinjiang's GDP soared 160.3 times, and its per capita GDP 30.3 times. By the end of 2020, more than 2.7 million rural people in Xinjiang living below the current poverty line had emerged from poverty, and 3,666 villages and 32 counties were no longer classified as poor. Xinjiang people are having an increasingly enhanced sense of gain, happiness and security. Sergey Sanakoev, president of the Asia-Pacific Region Research Center, noted that Xinjiang's development fully indicates the Chinese government's respect for the rights of ethnic minority groups. Respect for and protection of freedom of religious belief is a basic and long-term national policy of the Chinese government. Subject to the principles of protecting lawful practices, proscribing illegal activities, containing extremism, resisting infiltration, and punishing crime, the local government of Xinjiang fully applies the policy, protecting legitimate religious activities and ensuring the public's freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law. William Jones, Washington Bureau Chief of the Executive Intelligence Review News Service once visited Xinjiang and witnessed the rapid development of the autonomous region and the happiness of local residents from all ethnic groups. He said the allegations on Xinjiang violating human rights are indeed lies fabricated by those with vicious intentions. Facts speak louder than words. Currently, rumors, distortions, and complete fabrications are being spread by some foreign media and politicians. This has aroused indignation among the people in Xinjiang and the rest of China, and is condemned by those in the international community who seek to uphold justice. Recently, more than 90 countries expressed their support and understanding of China's stance at the 47th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, clearly opposing interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. A joint research by three Italian think tanks also recognized the effective results achieved by the Chinese government's counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures in Xinjiang. Co-author of the research, Fabio Massimo Parenti, an Italian scholar of international relations, said he witnessed the freedom of religious belief enjoyed by Uygur people and people of other ethnic groups during his visit to Xinjiang, and there was no trace of the so-called forced labor and genocide. The accusation against Xinjiang is totally groundless, he added. Xinjiang is now a stable and orderly society, where the local ethnic groups live in mutual harmony and peace. It is experiencing an optimal period of development. China has achieved moderate prosperity in all respects and embarked on a new journey of building itself into a modern socialist country. This will better ensure ethnic equality, and all the people of Xinjiang will enjoy a happier and more prosperous life. Any attempt to undermine Xinjiang's stability and prosperity, interfere in China's domestic affairs with Xinjiang-related issues, and contain China's development is doomed to fail. ^ top ^
China Focus: Italian economist shares views on real Xinjiang (Xinhua)
2021-07-16
Italian economist Michele Geraci, who visited northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in May, shared views on a real Xinjiang at an online seminar held Wednesday. "What I've seen is indeed very different from what the general understanding of the Western society about what is happening there," said Geraci, also former undersecretary of state at the Italian Ministry of Economic Development. At the seminar, Geraci showed photos and videos taken during his trip to Xinjiang. He said he went to factories, visited farmers and had in-depth exchanges with tourists, local religious people and residents of different ethnic groups. "I did (in Xinjiang) what I normally do around China: get on a train by myself and travel around the region. I was completely free to go and do whatever I wanted, just like what I do in Shanghai or in any part of China," he said. "I do see a situation which is pretty much normal and similar to the rest of China." "I have seen a lot of positive measures by the Chinese government to stimulate the economy," said the economist. According to Geraci, with the help of technology and live-streaming online sales, the markets of traditional local products in the autonomous region, such as naan, are now reaching the rest of China. "I did meet young ladies and boys making up to even 20,000 yuan (about 3,098 U.S. dollars) a month, which is a lot of money even in big cities like Shanghai," he said. ^ top ^
China issues white paper on protecting rights of Xinjiang's ethnic groups (Xinjiang)
2021-07-14
China's State Council Information Office Wednesday issued a white paper detailing the country's progress in protecting the rights of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The white paper, titled "Respecting and Protecting the Rights of All Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang," said the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government have upheld a people-centered approach to human rights protection and Xinjiang has made steady progress in this regard over the past 70-plus years. "China has given priority to securing and improving people's wellbeing, advanced various undertakings in Xinjiang, and shared the fruits of reform and development with people of all ethnic groups, so as to guarantee their equal rights to participation and development," said the document. ^ top ^
US says companies doing business in Xinjiang may run 'high risk of breaking the law' (SCMP)
2021-07-14
The Biden administration on Tuesday escalated its rhetoric against American companies doing business in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, calling US investments a potential threat and warning American firms that they may wind up breaking the law if they don't leave the region. The new US advisory includes pages of details describing the legal and reputational risks for American firms operating in Xinjiang, and warns them to brace for serious consequences if they stay there and continue with business as usual. "Given the severity and extent of these abuses", it said, citing forced labour, intrusive surveillance, and a continuing genocide and crimes against humanity against the region's Uygur population, "businesses and individuals that do not exit supply chains, ventures and/or investments connected to Xinjiang could run a high risk of violating US law". The US State Department – working with the departments of Commerce, Treasury, Labour, Homeland Security and the Office of the US Trade Representative – issued the new guidance "to highlight the heightened risks for businesses with supply chain and investment links to Xinjiang, given the entities complicit in forced labour and other human rights abuses there and throughout China". Canada leads call by more than 40 countries for China to give UN access to Xinjiang The updated guidance, which revises a warning issued a year ago that focused primarily on supply chains that might involve forced labour, also expanded a list of specific products in which "labour abuses may be taking place". That list included cotton, tomato products, human hair wigs and polysilicon, a key ingredient in solar panels. Tuesday's update adds viscose, the third most common raw material used in clothing. In March, reporting by the Post showed that viscose is produced in huge volumes in Xinjiang and that factories used to make it are located within miles of suspected detention camps. The Chinese government vehemently denies the use of forced labour or any tactics that could be defined as genocide. Starting in the Trump administration, Washington has already imposed financial sanctions on numerous Chinese officials associated with Beijing's policies in Xinjiang; banned all Xinjiang cotton and tomato products from entering the US; and blocked American firms from selling equipment to a slew of Chinese hi-tech and solar power companies operating in Xinjiang. The updated advisory directs its warnings not only to businesses with supply chains in Xinjiang, but also to consultants, academic institutions, research service providers and investors. Olga Torres, managing member of Torres Law, a firm which specialises in trade and national security, said that the advisory should be taken "very seriously" and that the administration may want to "make examples out of companies that do not clean up their supply chain". "We continue to expect the various executive agencies to actively scrutinise imports, exports and activities including investments into the region," she said. She added that supply chain audits in Xinjiang were unlikely to help either "because as the report notes, the auditors are harassed or lied to. So this advisory implicitly tells companies to leave the region." Investors in particular have begun attracting more attention from the White House and Congress over the last year. The Biden administration in June expanded a Trump-era executive order that banned Americans from investing in dozens of companies linked to China's state security apparatus. But a report by the Post last month found that the three biggest US mutual funds – Vanguard, State Street and BlackRock – have bought millions of shares in Xinjiang companies in recent years, and have used their voting power as shareholders to approve deals, promote board members and sign off on corporate reports with details about the companies' activities in the region. The advisory said all businesses should be carefully attuned to the warning signs of forced labour, which the administration said can include any mention of re-education coupled with poverty alleviation efforts; factories operating near re-education camps and prisons in the region; and any links to the quasi-military Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), which dominates much of the region's economy. The US targeted the XPCC with sanctions last year under the Global Magnitsky Act. In windfall for Xinjiang, US mutual funds invest millions in its companies 25 Jun 2021 In March, the US, EU, Britain and Canada banded together to sanction Chinese officials over suspected human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which prompted Beijing to pass an anti-sanctions law that paves the way for retaliation against any individuals, their families and organisations responsible for imposing foreign sanctions against China. The EU and Washington appeared to align again on Tuesday on the forced labour issue. The State Department's Xinjiang business advisory was announced just hours after the European Commission published guidance "on due diligence to help EU companies to address the risk of forced labour in their operations and supply chains", which did not reference China, Xinjiang or any specific jurisdictions. "There is no room in the world for forced labour," said EU Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis. "The commission is committed to wiping this blight out as part of our broader work to defend human rights." "With today's guidance, we are supporting EU companies in these efforts," he added. "We will ramp up our due diligence work with our upcoming legislation on sustainable corporate governance." As the EU released its non-binding advisory, European lawmakers indicated on Tuesday that they were pushing for a more aggressive response that would bar goods suspected of being made with forced labour in Xinjiang from entering the EU market. "There is one measure that Europe has to take – and we are working on it – [and that's] the ban of products of slavery from entering into our markets," Raphael Glucksmann, a French member of the European Parliament, said at a Tuesday event hosted by conservative think tank Hudson Institute. "On this, the parliament is ready to move," said Glucksmann. "But the big question will be for the member states and for the European Commission," he said, referring to the bloc's executive branch. Such a move would resemble the Uygur Forced Labor Prevention Act, a bill under consideration in the US Congress that would bar the import of all goods sourced from Xinjiang, said Reinhard Butikofer, a German member of the European Parliament who chairs the legislature's China delegation. Butikofer said there was a "very good chance" that a European equivalent could be enacted some time within the next year and a half. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in HKSAR urges U.S. side to stop misleading political theater (China Daily)
2021-07-14
The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday strongly disapproved and firmly opposed the remarks made by the U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price at a press briefing, which smeared the national security law in the HKSAR and the rule of law of Hong Kong, attacked the business environment of Hong Kong without justification, and grossly interfered in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs at large. "We urge the U.S. side to immediately stop its misleading political theater and immediately stop wrong acts that damage the mutually beneficial economic and trade relations between China and the United States," the spokesperson of the office said. The national security law marks a historic turning point of Hong Kong from chaos to stability and opens a new chapter of sound governance in Hong Kong, and it has effectively safeguarded national security, upheld the rule of law, ensured social stability, and created a strong sense of security for Hong Kong people, the spokesperson said. Under the national security law, the lawful rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents are better protected, and foreign investors in Hong Kong now enjoy a more secure, stable and predictable business environment, the spokesperson said, noting that it serves the fundamental well-being of Hong Kong residents and the common interest of international stakeholders, including U.S. enterprises stationed in Hong Kong. The spokesperson pointed out that the U.S. side confounded black and white by smearing the national security law in the HKSAR and Hong Kong's business environment, and its purpose is to mislead U.S. and other international enterprises in Hong Kong. All this reflected that the sight of a well-developed and sound-governed Hong Kong stings the United States, and it also laid bare the malicious agenda of the United States to contain China's development by playing the "Hong Kong card," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said that no threats, intimidation, or pressure from the United States can shake China's firm resolve to safeguard the national sovereignty, security and development interests, nor can it stop the historical trend of the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems". All Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots, will never be pushed around. "We believe that visionary people around the world will remain clear-eyed, see through the tricks of the U.S. side, and make the right choice," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson stressed Hong Kong belongs to China and that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. "We once again urge the U.S. side to abide by international law and the basic norms governing international relations, abandon its wishful thinking of disrupting Hong Kong and China as a whole, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs at large in any form," the spokesperson said. ^ top ^
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| Macau |
Macao SAR gov't, liaison office of central gov't firmly support Legislative Assembly election commission's decision (People's Daily)
2021-07-14
The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR on Tuesday voiced firm support for Macao's Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election in carrying out its duties in accordance with law and rendering some candidates unqualified to stand for election. The commission announced Tuesday that 20 candidates were rendered unqualified to stand for the direct election of the upcoming Legislative Assembly election for having not upheld the Macao SAR Basic Law, or not pledging allegiance to the Macao SAR. The number of candidate lists for the direct election was reduced by five from 19 to 14. The SAR government said that upholding the Macao SAR Basic Law and pledging allegiance to the Macao SAR are the fundamental standards for members of the Legislative Assembly, noting that it is the responsibilities of the commission to examine the qualifications of candidates in accordance with law so as to safeguard the overall interests of the Macao SAR and the constitutional order as stipulated in China's Constitution and the Macao SAR Basic Law, and implement the principle of "patriots administering Macao." The SAR government stressed that disqualifying certain candidates does not affect the basic rights enjoyed by Macao residents in accordance with law, the freedom of speech they enjoy, or their right to know and supervise the SAR government's work. The SAR government vowed to continue supporting the commission in carrying out its duties in accordance with law to ensure the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems" and maintain the long-term prosperity and stability of Macao. The liaison office said making sure members of the Legislative Assembly uphold the Macao SAR Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the Macao SAR is an inevitable requirement for implementing "one country, two systems" and safeguarding the fundamental interests of the country and Macao. The office stressed that the decision of the commission serves the overall and long-term interests of the Macao SAR and the vital interests of Macao residents, adding that the decision is of profound and lasting significance to maintaining the long-term prosperity and stability of Macao, guaranteeing the livelihood and well-being of Macao compatriots and promoting the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems" with Macao characteristics. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
US, DPP warned as military aircraft lands in Taipei (Global Times)
2021-07-16
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) can expel, fire warning shots or even shoot down foreign military aircraft that trespass upon China's airspace, Chinese military observers warned Thursday, after a second US air force plane landed on the island of Taiwan in less than two months, which also triggered stern responses from the Chinese Defense Ministry and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. China is gravely concerned about a US air force plane landing on the island of Taiwan on Thursday, and any trespass of foreign ships or planes into China's airspace or territorial waters will result in serious consequences, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday, and it warned the US to stop playing with fire. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and any foreign military aircraft landing on Chinese territory must obtain the permission of the Chinese government, ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said. We warned the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities not to misjudge the situation, provoke secessionism by allying with external forces, which will only lead Taiwan into a dangerous situation, Wu said, noting the PLA will stay on high alert, take any necessary measure to crush Taiwan secessionists' conspiracies. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council also made a stern warning to the DPP authorities in a statement on Thursday. The DPP authority, colluding with external forces and seeking secessionism but rejecting national reunification, was leading residents in the island to disaster, which is doomed to fail, read the office's statement. A US C-146A Wolfhound landed at Taipei Songshan Airport on Thursday morning and took off after 34 minutes, local media reported. It's not the first time that US air force planes landed in Taiwan in 2021. On June 6, three US senators arrived on the island of Taiwan by taking a military transport plane, a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, instead of a civilian plane that normally performs such tasks. Analysts said that the US keeps on using such salami-slicing tactics to make further provocations and attempts to make military aircraft landings on the island a routine move. The C-146A is an executive plane that usually does not have combat capability, a Beijing-based military expert who request anonymity told the Global Times on Thursday. He said that the US sent military aircraft to Taiwan to get familiar with Taiwan's airport in order to accumulate experience on possible future military interference, making military aircraft landings regular. The expert believes that the PLA has monitored the whole process of US planes' flights and landings, as the advanced radar system of the PLA's early warning plane could conduct precise identification and risk assessment. Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Thursday that Taiwan is Chinese territory and its airspace is Chinese airspace. Therefore, "we will take corresponding measures." "Depending on the level of the threat, we could take different measures, including expulsion and fire warnings… We have the right to shoot down any foreign military aircraft with combat capability that trespasses upon China's airspace to carry out military missions," Fu said, noting that this conforms with international law and China's security-related laws. On June 23, one Russian vessel fired warning shots at a British destroyer near Crimea in the Black Sea, the New York Times reported. On Thursday, Taiwan's military authority said it had made no contact with the US plane, and it was only after the military airplane's landing that the Taiwan authority became aware of it. The DPP authority was aware of the Chinese mainland's strong will and did not want to escalate the situation, but on the other hand, it showed that the DPP has gradually lost control of the overall situation as the US military acted recklessly without informing the DPP beforehand, analysts said. The Chinese mainland has the ability to prevent US military intervention if a serious cross-Straits crisis happens. The mainland already has the dominant power to decide the ways and the pace to resolve the Taiwan question, analysts said. If the DPP authority violates the Anti-Secession Law, the PLA would resolve the Taiwan question at all costs and fundamentally prevent the US military from getting involved, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and commentator, told the Global Times on Thursday. ^ top ^
China gravely concerned over U.S. military plane landing in Taiwan: defense spokesperson (Xinhua)
2021-07-16
China is gravely concerned about media reports of a U.S. military transport plane landing in Taiwan on Thursday, a Chinese defense ministry spokesperson said. Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. "Landing of any foreign military aircraft on China's territory can be made only with permission from the government of the People's Republic of China. Trespass by foreign ships or planes into China's airspace will cause serious consequences," he said. "We solemnly warn the United States not to play with fire and immediately stop its risky and provocative actions, not to send a wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces and avoid exacerbating tensions in the Taiwan Strait," said the spokesperson. "We warn (Taiwan's) Democratic Progressive Party authority not to misjudge the situation and invite trouble to the island. Making provocations and seeking 'independence' by colluding with external forces will only lead Taiwan into a dangerous situation," he said. The spokesperson said that China must be and will be reunited. No one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chinese military is on high alert and will take all necessary measures to resolutely defeat any attempt toward "Taiwan independence," he added. ^ top ^
DPP authority slammed for 'vaccine blocking' lies (China Daily)
2021-07-15
The attempt by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority to smear and frame the mainland on issues concerning COVID-19 vaccines has once again exposed the authority's heinous political nature, a mainland spokesperson said Wednesday. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks when commenting on the DPP authority's response to a recent vaccine deal between a mainland company and Taiwan enterprises. According to officials with the DPP authority, the deal was "a result of the efforts from the German government and two Taiwan enterprises." They claimed that the mainland "stopped vaccine blocking due to pressures from the vaccine aid of the United States and Japan." Zhu said the mainland has expressed its willingness to try its best to help Taiwan compatriots cope with the epidemic since the outbreak on the island in May. She noted that the Shanghai-based Fosun Pharma, Taiwan's only source of BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, has long made clear its willingness to provide vaccines to Taiwan compatriots. The DPP authority's political calculation and manipulation are the fundamental reason behind Taiwan's vaccine shortage and loss of innocent lives to the epidemic, Zhu noted. "Negotiations on vaccine purchases between two Taiwan enterprises and Fosun were not approved by the DPP authority until late June when the epidemic deteriorated on the island," she said. "The fact is clear to the Taiwan public and cannot be changed, no matter how the DPP authority attempts to shift its responsibility," she added. Reiterating the mainland's willingness to aid Taiwan compatriots in fighting the epidemic, Zhu advised the DPP authority to stop putting its political interests above the lives and health of Taiwan compatriots. ^ top ^
Japan would 'lose badly' if it defends Taiwan secessionists (Global Times)
2021-07-14
Japan is continuing to provoke China on the Taiwan question as its annual defense white paper released on Tuesday mentioned Taiwan stability for the first time. Chinese observers warned that if Tokyo defends Taiwan secessionists or tries to interrupts China's national reunification, it would "lose badly and the consequences would be unbearable." Japan's latest defense paper, whose cover features a warrior on horseback, was criticized by some Japanese netizens. They worried that the contents are "very warlike" and "set back the wheel of history" because the white paper intends to authorize the Japanese government with more rights and excuses to use force, which are against the Article 9 of Japan's constitution. The white paper said that stability in the Taiwan Straits is "more important than ever," and is threatened by "increasing military pressure" from the Chinese mainland, The Kyodo News reported. "Stabilizing the situation surrounding Taiwan is important for Japan's security and the stability of the international community," the white paper said. Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday that Japan is trying to use the Taiwan question to normalize its military deregulation and break its pacifist constitution. Song said that Japan has taken the first step on arms sales to the island of Taiwan by providing the authority on the island support in manufacturing submarines. In the future, it's possible for Japan to provide more arms to the island, which will break China's bottom line, Song said. Since the US-Japan "2+2" talks held on March 16, Tokyo had made a series of provocations against Beijing over the Taiwan question and its provocations are getting increasingly clear, Da Zhigang, director and research fellow of Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences and chief expert at Northeast Asian Strategic Studies Institute, told the Global Times on Tuesday. However, when Japan decides to interfere in the Taiwan question militarily or serves as a military base for the US to interrupt China's national reunification process, it will inevitably be treated as a threat to China, and will be a target of China's military strikes, said experts. Japan relies heavily on the Chinese market, and "China won't allow Japan to earn huge amounts of money from its market and threaten its national security and sovereignty at the same time." Song warned that if Japan still tries to follow the US in containing China and even dares to defend Taiwan secessionist forces, it will lose badly. Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday condemned the Japanese government for repeatedly provoking China, grossly interfering in China's internal affairs, unjustifiably criticizing China's normal national defense buildup and military activities, making irresponsible remarks on China's legitimate maritime activities, and hyping the so-called China threat. "This is extremely wrong and irresponsible," said Zhao. Zhao stressed that Taiwan is China's inalienable territory and the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affairs. China will never allow any country to interfere in the Taiwan question in any way, Zhao noted, saying "China must and will reunify," which is in the best interest of regional peace and stability. A Beijing-based military analyst who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday that as the Chinese mainland's military has increased in recent years, Japan's military capability has fallen far behind that of the Chinese mainland. Even the US could not defeat China militarily in the West Pacific region now, so "what makes Japan believe it's able to challenge China with force?" he asked. He warned that "Japan should understand that the US could run away if it loses, but Japan is too close to China, and there is nowhere it could run." Japan's new defense paper also gives harsher criticism to China's "unilateral attempts to change the status quo by coercion" near the Diaoyu Islands. The paper accused activities of Chinese vessels last year near the islands of "a violation of international law." In response, Zhao said the Diaoyu Islands and the affiliated islets are an inalienable part of Chinese territory and China's patrols in waters off the Diaoyu Islands are legitimate and lawful exercises of its inherent rights. ^ top ^
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China population: workforce to drop by 35 million over next five years as demographic pressure grows (SCMP)
2021-07-16
China's workforce will drop by 35 million over the next five years, according to the government, adding pressure on the state pension system and forcing Beijing to adopt new measures to meet the demographic challenge. Experts have long warned Beijing must take action against a declining labour force and rapidly ageing society, which is expected to weigh on the country's economic progress in the years ahead. China's working age population – or those aged between 16 and 59 – fell by 40 million in the 10 years to 2020 and now accounts for 62.3 per cent of the population, according to the latest census. "As ageing intensifies, there will be more than 40 million new retirees over the next five years and the number of Chinese workers will see a net fall of 35 million," the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said in a five-year plan posted online on Wednesday. The sustainable development of the social security system is under threat Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security "The sustainable development of the social security system is under threat." An estimate by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2019 projected that China's state pension fund would run out of money by 2035. China's national social security fund – including pension assets, unemployment and work insurance – was running a deficit of 740 billion yuan (US$112.9 billion) last year, partly because authorities slashed company contributions to help coronavirus-hit businesses. Beijing has acknowledged the country's demographic challenges and announced in March it would gradually increase the mandatory retirement age from 60 for men and 50 for most women. It also introduced a three-child policy to prevent a long-term decline in annual births. On Wednesday, the labour ministry outlined several new measures to address China's declining workforce. It pledged to lift the size of private annuity plans to more than 4 trillion yuan from around 3 trillion yuan at the end of last year, as part of a push to boost personal investment in pension products. Although the ministry stopped short of announcing a new retirement age, it reiterated it would be delayed in "small adjustments and be flexible in implementation". The minimum contribution period before receiving a pension would be gradually raised from 15 years, the labour ministry said. If the retirement age was extended to 65, the country's workforce would have 73.4 million more people, census figures showed. The central government would also strive to create more jobs and stabilise the unemployment rate, which would help maintain social stability and raise more funds for the pension system, the five-year plan said. The document showed that Beijing aims to create more than 50 million new urban jobs between 2021-2025, significantly lower than the 65.6 million it created over the previous five years. China's State Council, the country's cabinet, has set a target of creating 11 million new urban jobs this year, while keeping the surveyed unemployment rate below 5.5 per cent. ^ top ^
Huawei fat paychecks premiumize tech talent (China Daily)
2021-07-16
Huawei Technologies Co has parted with what industry insiders dubbed astronomical sums to hire two graduates from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, or HUST. The two successful scholars from the Wuhan, Hubei province-based university were picked as part of Huawei's "genius youngsters" hiring program, whose goal is to grow the company's global competitiveness in frontier technologies. Changjiang Daily reported that Liao Minghui from the HUST's School of Electronic Information and Communications is said to receive an annual salary of 1.82 million yuan ($281,000) to 2.01 million yuan. Liao's premium salary tag can be traced to his expertise in scene text detection and recognition, a subject in which he has over 10 scholarly articles to his credit as first or co-first author. They were all published by top conferences and academic journals. The "genius youngsters" program was initiated by Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei in 2019. Its aim is to attract global talent to the company. Huawei said at the time it would hire 20 to 30 top young college graduates from all over the world initially, and scale it up tenfold gradually. Those hired under the program receive annual salaries in three bands: 896,000 yuan to 1.01 million yuan; 1.41 million yuan to 1.57 million yuan; and 1.82 million yuan to 2.01 million yuan. Last year, Zhang Ji, a PhD student at the HUST's Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, was reported to have received 2.01 million yuan in annual compensation, the highest figure so far. But it is in line with the management philosophy of Ren, who said in a speech: "The strength of the United States as a nation is not land, it's the talent. What can we learn from the US? Attract talent. These genius teenagers are like loaches, invigorating and activating our team." In recent years, Chinese tech companies, including Alibaba Group and Baidu Inc, have been accelerating their drive to commercialize cutting-edge technologies. Part of their plan is to hire top talent for the purpose. Industry experts said premiumization of tech talent in China reflects companies' determination to stay ahead of frontier technologies' evolutionary curve, so as to be able to offset adverse impacts of any possible global political and economic uncertainties. According to information provider Tianyancha, Huawei recently set up a super fusion technology firm with registered assets of 727 million yuan, spanning artificial intelligence technology platforms, big data services, software development and integrated circuit design. "For China, to make technological breakthroughs, talent is a must," said Wang Zhihua, a professor at the Institute of Microelectronics of Tsinghua University. "In the integrated circuit or IC industry, for instance, the country's talent is quite insufficient." A white paper on the country's IC talent said that there will likely be a shortage of talent to the extent of 250,000 professionals by 2022. "The chip industry is a technology-intensive industry. China must consider not only 0 to 1 innovation, but also how to become globally competitive. High-level talent training is the key to such innovation," Wang said. ^ top ^
China's economic recovery gains steam as H1 GDP surges by 12.7% (Global Times)
2021-07-16
China's post-COVID-19 comeback continues to gain steam as its economy posted growth in all sectors in the second quarter and GDP expanded 12.7 percent in the first half of the year, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday. This growth is seen by Chinese economists as a "miracle" considering the speed, scope and sustainability of China's transition from the epidemic-hit situation in early 2020 to the current economic state, although they also pointed out the uncertainties China is facing, such as rising commodity prices and external pandemic risks, as signs of growth slowdown have emerged. According to data released by China's National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday, China's GDP grew by 12.7 percent year-on-year in the first half of the year to 53.2 trillion yuan ($8.2 trillion). On a two-year average basis, China's GDP grew 5.3 percent. The economy surged by 7.9 percent in the second quarter, slowing from 18.3 percent in the first three months. In terms of a two-year average, however, the second quarter growth reached 5.5 percent, outpacing the first quarter's 5 percent growth. Former NBS chief economist Yao Jingyuan said at a press briefing of the State Council Information Office on Thursday that the steady growth in the January-June period indicates that China will be able to complete all economic goals set at the beginning of the year. This should be among, or even likely to be, the highest half-year growth that any country could achieve, experts predicted, considering that many countries recorded slower or negative growth for the second quarter. In comparison, the US economy surged by 6.4 percent in the first quarter; it has not disclosed second quarter figures yet. "The growth shows that China's economy has primarily walked out of the impact of coronavirus and has already returned to pre-COVID-19 levels," Dong Dengxin, director of the Finance and Securities Institute of Wuhan University, told the Global Times. China's economy will also provide momentum to the world's post-coronavirus growth. Experts have expected that China could contribute about 1.4 percentage points to the world's GDP growth this year, being the second largest economic driver following the US to the world's economic recovery. China has set a growth target for 2021 at over 6 percent. The country's GDP grew by 2.3 percent in 2020. Balanced and healthy Economists have appraised China's H1 GDP growth as being increasingly balanced, refuting some foreign media's assertion, as the major drivers behind economic growth all reported a double-digit yearly growth and a steady two-year average growth of between 4-7 percent. Consumption and investment, which used to lag behind manufacturing in terms of recovery, are also edging up faster, showing that China's economic imbalance is "narrowing," Wu Chaoming, chief economist at Chasing Securities, told the Global Times. Total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 23 percent in the first half of 2021, at 21.2 trillion yuan. This brought the two-year average growth of China's H1 retail sales to 4.4 percent, up 0.2 percent compared with the first quarter. Fixed-asset investment grew by 12.6 percent from January to June, sending the two-year average growth to 4.4 percent. By comparison, industrial output rose by 15.9 percent on a yearly basis over the first six months this year. Analysts also stressed that China's economic rebound is one of "high-quality" and "healthy," as some low-end, inefficient capacities have been eliminated by this coronavirus crisis and industrial structures being improved further. "Although the government has put a lot of focus on stimulating the economy, it is also making sure that the economy's development has a balanced structure instead of just 'flood like' strong stimulus policies," said Hu Qimu, chief research fellow at the Sinosteel Economic Research Institute, citing the example of China raising its carbon emissions target amid the economic reboot and on the way to build the world's largest carbon trade market, scheduled to starting trading in July. The NBS data also showed that China's high-tech manufacturing added values rose by 22.6 percent in the first half of the year, with production of clean-energy vehicles and industrial robots surging by 205 percent and 69.8 percent, respectively. Rising uncertainties However, experts also cautioned that economic uncertainties are accumulating for the second half of the year, arising from multiple factors including changes in overseas demand and rising commodity prices. Those factors, along with a lesser base effect, should slow China's economic growth in the third and fourth quarters, they said. The slowing trend has already shown some signs in the NBS data. For example, China's industrial output increased 8.3 percent in June from a year earlier, down from 8.8 percent growth in May. Xu Xianchun, a former deputy head of the NBS, told the Global Times on Thursday that China's third-quarter GDP growth will keep growing at a "relatively high" rate partly due to a low-base effect and as more development potentials unfold. But such rate will "certainly" go down from that of the second quarter. "For the whole year, the GDP will taper down gradually as the base effect eases. The second half GDP will drive up the economy about 3 percentage points, underpinning the full-year growth at between 8.5 to 9 percent, a relatively high speed," Xu said. Xu said China's economy will face many uncertainties in the upcoming months. For example, China's exports could wither in the second half, as the resumption of overseas manufacturing - amid global effective control of pandemic - will divert orders originally set to flow to China. Yao said that the biggest difficulty in the first half year was the price hikes of raw materials, which created a burden for manufacturers. "The situation could be eased in the second half as China has vowed to stabilize prices and more measures to aid factories are expected," Yao said. Experts also said that China needs to push forward sweeping reforms to increase residents' income to further spur consumption, as the consumption sector has not yet recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels. "China has a huge domestic market, with about 400 million in the middle-income category — equivalent to the combined population of the US and Japan. Building on a vigorous consumer market in the first six months, it is important to further release such consumption potential in the second half," Yao noted. ^ top ^
China's national carbon market starts online trading (Xinhua)
2021-07-16
China's national carbon market started online trading Friday, a significant step to help the country reduce its carbon footprint and meet emission targets, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. Carbon emissions by over 2,000 power companies covered in the first batch of trading are estimated to exceed more than 4 billion tonnes per year. This means China's carbon trading market would become the world's largest in terms of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions covered. ^ top ^
China's H1 foreign trade hits new high, signs of slower growth in H2 not cause for concern (Global Times)
2021-07-14
China on Tuesday reported a 27.1 percent year-on-year trade growth in the first half of 2021 following 13 consecutive months of growth, shrugging off mounting pressure from a set of challenges, including surging raw material prices, a resurgence of COVID-19 in China's major export hubs and other external hurdles. At an executive meeting of the State Council on Tuesday, Premier Li Keqiang called for policy coordination for the rest of 2021 and next year to keep economic growth at "a reasonable range," vowing stable macroeconomic policies and more support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, just as significant as the better-than-expected figures, Chinese officials and analysts warned of potentially slower growth in the second half of the year due to uncertain and unstable factors, confirming widespread market expectations for slower trade growth for the world's second-largest economy following a world-leading rapid recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Though challenges persist, especially for certain industries and SMEs, a slower growth in the second half is a sign of the Chinese economy returning in a safe manner rather than a sudden loss of momentum, analysts said, noting more policy support is still underway and a "safe landing" is all but guaranteed. China is expected to release second-quarter GDP data on Thursday, with many seeing a sharp slowdown in growth from a record expansion of 18.3 percent in the first quarter to around 8 percent in the second quarter. Still, the full-year growth is expected to be slightly higher than normal. Best figures In the first half of the year, total trade surged 27.1 percent year-on-year to reach 18.07 trillion yuan ($2.8 trillion), with imports increasing 25.9 percent year-on-year and exports growing 28.1 percent, according to data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Tuesday. In June, when the challenges were particularly significant, exports expanded by 32.2 percent, accelerating from a 28 percent growth in May, and beating a forecast of 23 percent, though growth in imports slowed to 36.7 percent from May's record 51 percent. "China's trade grew for 13 consecutive months and reached a record high during the same period," Li Kuiwen, an official at the GAC, told a press briefing. During the period, China also recorded high-speed growth with all major trading partners. Trade with the US rose 34.6 percent, with ASEAN 27.8 percent and the EU 26.7 percent. Despite trade tensions, China's exports to the US rose 31.7 percent, while imports from the US jumped 43.9 percent. US agricultural imports surged 120.8 percent. "Such a result is hard to achieve, considering all the pressures we faced - rising costs, the pandemic, and shifting global trade and economic recoveries," Bai Ming, deputy director of the international market research institute at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Tuesday. In the past several months, skyrocketing prices of major raw materials, including iron ore and metals, exerted huge pressure on Chinese factories, prompting swift action from officials to stabilize prices. "The rise in international bulk commodity prices sporadically lifted up firms' production costs," Li said. In the first half of the year, China's iron ore imports increased 2.6 percent, while corn imports jumped 31.85 percent. Crude oil imports dropped by 3 percent. The resurgence of COVID-19 cases in late May in South China's Guangdong Province, a major manufacturing and export hub, had a great impact on manufacturing and shipping. The challenges and results highlighted China's resilience as the biggest trading country, adding that many trade partners still rely heavily on Chinese trade when they face serious COVID-19 outbreaks and when they embark on a recovery process, Bai said. China's trade with India, which was engulfed in one of the worst outbreaks of the COVID-19, surged 62.7 percent in the first half in dollar terms, the fastest growth in China's trade with other countries during the period, official data showed. Warning signs However, Bai also warned that "the real challenge" is in the second half of the year. Li also warned that trade might slow down in the second half of the year. "At the moment, the COVID-19 epidemic is still spreading in many places around the globe, the trend of the epidemic is complex and trade still faces many uncertain and unstable factors," Li said. Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, other uncertainties include continuously rising commodity prices, the appreciation of the Chinese yuan, and rising external trade risks marked by the US' push for an alliance to contain China's rise, according to Sang Baichuan, director of the Institute of International Business at the University of International Business and Economics. "It's hard to say how much trade will slow in the second half of the year, but [growth] peaked in the first half of the year," Sang told the Global Times on Tuesday. Though many analysts say trade growth is hard to predict for the second half of the year given the uncertainties, overall trade will return to normal for the full year in the worst case scenario. Growth will mostly likely stay above 3.4 percent in 2019 before the pandemic, they said. "As long as there is no major problem in epidemic control and prevention in the second half, there will be no big rollovers in foreign trade," said Bai. A cargo ship unloads imported potassium chloride at a port in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province on Wednesday. As the spring ploughing period comes, fertilizer makers increased the volume of imported potassium chloride to ensure production. Photo: IC A cargo ship unloads imported potassium chloride at a port in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province on Wednesday. As the spring ploughing period comes, fertilizer makers increased the volume of imported potassium chloride to ensure production. Photo: IC 'Safe landing' Still, slower growth could have a serious impact on certain sectors and businesses, as well as overall GDP growth, analysts noted. After leading the global economic recovery from the COVID-19, China is widely expected to report a much slower growth for the second quarter, and even slower growth in the second half of the year. GDP growth could slow to around 8 percent in the second quarter from a record 18.3 percent in the first quarter, and further drop to 5 percent in the second half of the year, according to several market forecasts. Still, analysts argue that even the slowest pace in GDP growth in 2021 would be higher than pre-pandemic levels and the slowdown is a "safe landing" from unsustainably high growth. In its latest forecast released on June 29, the World Bank predicted that China's economic growth could reach 8.5 percent for 2021, which would still be higher than the 6.1 percent growth in 2019. The official warning of slower growth on Tuesday "was to make clear our confidence but also a reminder that we can't take [the risks] lightly," Bai said. Chinese officials are not taking chances. In the past few days, they announced a slew of measures to help stabilize economic recovery, including an unexpected move by the central bank to cut the required reserve ratio, or RRR, for commercial banks starting Thursday to free up 1 trillion yuan in liquidity, and a State Council policy document to boost foreign trade. Indicating further support may be under way, the State Council on Tuesday called for efforts to address fundraising difficulties for SMEs and labor-intensive firms, and push for major projects with special government bonds. With all the measures underway to lift vulnerable sectors and businesses, officials are also striking a confident note for the country's trade and economic development for the year. "For the full year, there is still hope of relatively faster trade growth," Li said, adding that China's economy remains in a stable and upward trend. ^ top ^
China to maintain stability of monetary policy: PBOC (Xinhua)
2021-07-14
China will stick to a normal monetary policy while keeping it stable and independent, a central bank official said Tuesday. The policy aims to improve support for the real economy and create a suitable monetary and financial environment for the country's high-quality development, Sun Guofeng told a press conference. Sun is head of the monetary policy department of the People's Bank of China (PBOC). The central bank will ensure that the growth of money supply and social financing matches nominal economic growth, supports the green development and technological innovation of small and medium-sized enterprises, and keeps social comprehensive financing costs stable with slight declines, Sun said. China's new yuan-denominated loans totaled 12.76 trillion yuan (about 1.97 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first half of this year, up by 667.7 billion yuan from the same period last year, central bank data showed Friday. The shift of the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy has little impact on China's monetary policy and financial market, considering its declining interest rate of 10-year treasury bonds, the two-way fluctuations of the yuan exchange rate, the stable operation of the financial market, and the steady and positive trend of China's economy, Sun said. The PBOC said Friday that the country would cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 50 basis points for eligible financial institutions from July 15 to support the real economy. The RRR cut is a regular operation after the country's monetary policy returned to pre-epidemic status. The direction of the prudent monetary policy has not changed, Sun added. ^ top ^
Digital economy cooperation opens new doors (People's Daily)
2021-07-14
In October, Nguyen, a man in Vietnam who has the inherited blood disorder thalassemia, successfully booked an online appointment with a medical expert in China. The man, who only wanted to be known by his surname, constantly feels tired, is short of breath and appears pale. An online platform enabled him to make an appointment with an expert working at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University in Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Thalassemia is common in Asia, the Mediterranean area and the Middle East. In Asia, it affects mostly people from southern China and countries in the southeast of the continent. People with the disorder produce either no or insufficient hemoglobin, the protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs. Vietnam, a country with a high incidence of the condition, has relatively limited experience and technology in treating it, but China is now offering a helping hand. A cross-border medical cooperation platform was launched in Guangxi in October, providing online services for people in member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The platform was co-developed by the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Microsoft, Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co－a global medical instrumentation developer, manufacturer and marketer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province－and China UnionPay. Through information technology such as artificial intelligence, the one-stop medical and health management services cover every process before, during and after a patient is admitted to the hospital. By accessing the platform through an app, patients from ASEAN countries can register and consult experts from the Guangxi hospital remotely. If necessary, they can also apply for cross-border medical transportation, allowing a patient to travel to China for further treatment. Moreover, this digital platform has 10 different languages for patients to choose from, including all those spoken in ASEAN countries. More linguistic options will be available in the future. Cooperation with China UnionPay enables patients to pay medical bills in their local currency, saving them from exchange transactions. Although Nguyen was unable to travel to Guangxi due to the pandemic, he was diagnosed by a Chinese expert and received treatment at a local partner hospital. Chen Junqiang, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, said cooperation has always been an important part of China-ASEAN relations. "The incidence of some disorders, such as thalassemia, in Southeast Asian countries is about the same as in China, but our overall treatment level is higher than in Southeast Asia," said Chen, who has visited ASEAN countries many times to conduct field research. With the help of the platform's remote cloud service, Chen said the Guangxi hospital can cooperate with those in ASEAN countries in a more specific and in-depth way. "Such cooperation can also provide partners with cross-border functions, including remote consultation, patient referral and learning exchanges, so that we can realize seamless information sharing and integrated patient services among hospitals," Chen said. The Guangxi hospital is also working on establishing a network that will enable partner hospitals to share information and accurate descriptions of a patient's condition in order to provide better treatment. Patients can visit any designated hospital in this "medical ecosystem". After diagnosis, a local doctor will conduct a consultation with physicians in Guangxi through the platform. "When we conduct cross-border medical diagnosis, a doctor's description of a disease is much more accurate than that provided by the patient or a family member," Chen said. In the future, the cross-border platform will use cloud technology, help set up online pathological diagnosis centers, imaging diagnosis centers and intensive care unit monitoring centers, Chen said. This digital cooperation comes as China and ASEAN member states are poised to further tap the potential of digital economy cooperation, especially during the pandemic. According to Miao Wei, then minister of industry and information technology, the digital economy can improve the quality of people's lives and empower economic and social development. From digital infrastructure to ensure the prompt supply of medical supplies, to such technology that can speed diagnosis and make it more accurate, digital applications have met increased demand from the public, Miao said. Chen said that during the fight against COVID-19 last year, the Guangxi hospital organized seven international online conferences, sharing its experience in pandemic prevention and control with ASEAN countries and others. It also produced English-language videos of throat-swab nucleic acid testing and also protection for medical workers, sharing the footage with hospitals in ASEAN countries. More advances In addition to the cross-border medical platform, other developments closely related to health have been witnessed in Southeast Asia. During the pandemic last year, a factory in Malaysia installed new equipment at its entry gate to monitor employees' temperature when they clocked in. The machine combined infrared temperature measurement equipment with a pandemic management and control platform developed by China Information Harbor Co, an information technology company in Nanning. Li Ying, general manager of the company, said, "It can detect people's temperature and conduct facial recognition without the need to remove a face mask or headscarf－the latter being really crucial for many Malaysians." In recent years, the company has devoted itself to collaboration between China and ASEAN on digital and industrial information. As of December, it had built three international communication submarine cables, 12 international terrestrial optical cables and 13 key communications nodes, according to the Guangxi big data development bureau. Speaking of the continued improvement in industrial integration between China and ASEAN, Li said local people's acceptance of various online services is also increasing. In Malaysia, China Information Harbor Co and a local operator jointly launched an app combining communication and life services. In addition to voice calls, SMS and other communication services, users of the E-linking app can pay water, electricity, gas and landline telephone bills. Li said such services make people's lives much easier, especially during lockdowns when they are not allowed to go out. By using the app, Malaysians can make appointments for nucleic acid testing. "This will be a little bit more expensive, but many people are still willing to use the service, as there is no need to line up onsite," Li added. Responding to Malaysians' need to work from home during the pandemic, the platform also introduced online shopping rebates, games, education programs and other virtual services. Last year, the platform's revenue rose from more than 200,000 yuan ($30,920) in January to about 2 million yuan in May, a level the company has maintained. In Indonesia, the Nanning company, in cooperation with local operators, developed a service called Super SMS, which allows the operator to send streaming content to a customer in addition to text and photos. "In the past, text messages only had text content, but then there was MMS (multimedia messaging service), which had pictures along the text," Li said. "Now, Super SMS technology has an additional media stream, which can send 2 gigabytes of content and links as well." Many companies in Indonesia, such as McDonald's and other chains, are using this technology. "Movie theaters are also using it. Through Super-SMS information, you can see movie introductions, stills and even trailers. For traders, it is an effective marketing channel," Li said. She said such messages can also be used to promote pandemic prevention methods, such as teaching people how to wash their hands or wear face masks correctly. Operators in ASEAN countries are facing a problem their Chinese colleagues encountered years ago－customers rarely texting messages when instant messaging apps are free to use, Li said. "How to make full use of the SMS function has become a tough issue for operators, and Super SMS is a solution for them from China," she added. In Laos, China Information Harbor Co has been working on a project since the middle of last year with the Laotian Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications as well as China Telecommunication Technology Labs. The project involves a third-party COVID-19 testing laboratory that can provide a full range of customer services and technical support. Virasac Somphong, the Laotian consul general in Nanning, said although the pandemic has had a certain impact on regional economic and trade cooperation, digital economic cooperation will bring new impetus to the economic development of Laos, China and even the entire region in terms of trade, investment and tourism. As information and communication technology plays an ever-increasing role worldwide, people have also witnessed the digital economy becoming a new economic growth engine in China and ASEAN member states, the diplomat added. Zhou Fei, a director at the Guangxi big data development bureau, said China and ASEAN countries have established a mechanism to match scientific and technological needs, prompting construction of a technology transfer center for ASEAN members. By May last year, the center had established inter-governmental bilateral technology transfer mechanisms with nine ASEAN countries, including Thailand and Laos, and formed a joint technology transfer working group with seven ASEAN states, Zhou said. The cooperation also benefits cities in China, as Guangxi has invested in a digital economy industrial park in Laibin, a city in the center of the region. By providing lower taxation, rent and electricity charges, along with other preferential policies, the park has attracted more companies focused on the digital economy. Lei Yingtian, a Party official at Laibin Industrial Park, said, "In this way, the park can help the city transform from traditional energy-intensive industries to more environmentally friendly and sustainable industries." New opportunities The pandemic has had a serious impact on many industries worldwide, but the digital economy is one of the few to find new opportunities. While lockdowns have prevented people-to-people exchanges, they have failed to halt online communication. Song Tienong, president of TusPark (Guangxi) Group, a flagship platform for science and technology investment group TusHoldings, said cross-border e-commerce is becoming a new engine promoting trade and investment. It is also mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on economic activity between China and ASEAN countries, Song said. "The development of cross-border e-commerce in Southeast Asia has made a qualitative leap during this period. The (profit) growth rate for such e-commerce has exceeded 50 percent, and the volume of trade with China has also increased," Song added. In April last year, TusInnovation Cross-border E-commerce Co held a special live broadcast on the Southeast Asian e-commerce platform Lazada, aimed at selling anti-pandemic products such as face masks and goggles. The broadcast was watched by nearly 10,000 people. To meet increased demand, the Lazada Cross-border Eco-Innovation Service Center opened in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, in June last year. Established and supported by TusInnovation and Alibaba, the center aims to help Chinese companies develop a cross-border webcasting economy linked with ASEAN countries. Such an economy could provide services such as live broadcasts and training in cross-border e-commerce. Zhao Hui, assistant general manager of TusInnovation Cross-border E-commerce Co, said that after operating for more than six months, the service center has attracted more than 80 traders and trained over 1,000 cross-border e-commerce hosts. However, Zhao said livestreaming is not that common in ASEAN countries, where it is viewed as an advertising or publicity technique. "Its current returns or profits (in ASEAN counties) cannot be compared with those in China. It is still in the investment stage, but such investment will be meaningful in the long term," she added. ^ top ^
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| DPRK |
Xi, Kim exchange congratulations on 60th anniversary of China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance (People's Daily)
2021-07-12
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, exchanged congratulatory messages on Sunday with Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also chairman of the State Affairs Commission and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the 60th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. In his message, Xi pointed out that in 1961, leaders of the elder generation of China and the DPRK made the far-sighted strategic decision to sign the treaty, which laid important political and legal foundations for consolidating the friendship the two peoples had forged with blood and promoting bilateral friendly cooperation for the long run. Over the past 60 years, Xi said, China and the DPRK, firmly supporting each other and striving hand in hand in the spirit of the treaty, have strengthened the traditional brotherly friendship between the two parties and countries, advanced the development of their respective socialist causes, and safeguarded regional and global peace and stability. Xi recalled that in recent years, he and Kim have met for several times to blueprint the development of relations between the two parties and countries and enrich the China-DPRK friendship in the new era, and reached a series of important consensuses. Stressing that today a major shift in the world landscape unseen in a century is accelerating, Xi said he is ready to work with Kim to strengthen strategic communication, chart the course for the China-DPRK relationship and lift the friendly cooperation between the two countries to new levels so as to bring more benefits to the two countries and their people. China has recently held grand celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the CPC's founding, and the DPRK people are striving all out in unity to implement the decisions and deployments made at the eighth WPK Congress, Xi noted, stressing that China firmly supports the DPRK in developing its economy, improving its people's wellbeing, and vigorously advancing its cause of socialist construction. Xi said he is confident that the WPK and the DPRK people, under the leadership of Kim, will surely make new and greater achievements. Kim, in his message, said the signing of the treaty demonstrated to the world the firm will of the two parties as well as the governments and people of the two countries to promote long-term development of the DPRK-China friendship forged with blood on a solid legal basis. Over the past six decades, the DPRK and China have written a proud history of friendship through mutual support and help, he said. He noted that in recent years, in the face of a complex and ever-changing international landscape, the comradely trust and friendship between the DPRK and China have kept growing deeper, and bilateral relations have advanced to a higher stage. It is the unswerving position of the WPK and the DPRK government to continuously strengthen and develop the DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations, he said. The WPK, the DPRK government and the DPRK people, he added, will attach greater importance to the DPRK-China friendship, a common treasure of both sides, and march forward hand in hand with the CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people in the sacred journey of building socialism and communism. Once again congratulating the CPC on its centenary, he said he wishes the CPC and the Chinese people greater success in building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and achieving the great national rejuvenation. ^ top ^
China-Russia-N.Korea ties reinforced on equal footing (Global Times)
2021-07-11
China and its two neighbors with significant relations - Russia and North Korea - have been strengthening their ties recently, as Chinese analysts said that ties among China, Russia and North Korea are totally different in nature from the US-Japan-South Korea alliance, adding that China, Russia and North Korea will continue to cooperate to safeguard regional peace and stability no matter what pressures and impacts may come from the US. In the future, the US will continue to use its allies in the region to stir up tensions, such as conducting the US-South Korea military drills in August to keep up the pressure on North Korea's security even though Pyongyang has made some denuclearization efforts. China will therefore strengthen security cooperation with North Korea and keep improving existing economic cooperation to support North Korean economy to achieve sustainable development based on self-reliance, experts said. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, exchanged congratulatory messages on Sunday with Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also chairman of the State Affairs Commission and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the 60th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. In his message, Xi pointed out that in 1961, leaders of the elder generation of China and the DPRK made the far-sighted strategic decision to sign the treaty, which laid important political and legal foundations for consolidating the friendship the two peoples had forged with blood and promoting bilateral friendly cooperation for the long run, Xinhua News Agency reported. Kim, in his message, said the signing of the treaty demonstrates to the world the firm will of the two parties as well as the governments and people of the two countries to promote long-term development of the DPRK-China friendship forged with blood on a solid legal basis. Stressing that today a major shift in the world landscape unseen in a century is accelerating, Xi said he is ready to work with Kim to strengthen strategic communication, chart the course for the China-DPRK relationship and lift the friendly cooperation between the two countries to new levels to bring more benefits to the two countries and their people, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Zheng Jiyong, director of the Center for Korean Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Sunday that the words "legal foundation" or "legal basis" mentioned by Xi and Kim confirm that China-North Korea ties will not be interrupted but will keep strengthening, which proves that wishful thinking held by some Western elites and observers who expect China-North Korea ties to split has collapsed. North Korea is still facing a serious security challenge, as the US has not made any moves to reciprocate North Korea's efforts in denuclearization, and refuses to stop hostile annual military exercises with South Korea that target Pyongyang. China, to safeguard regional peace and stability, will promote security cooperation, especially in the field of conventional security, with North Korea, Zheng said. Xi noted that China firmly supports the DPRK in developing its economy, improving its people's wellbeing, and vigorously advancing its cause of socialist construction, according to media reports. Kim noted that in recent years, in the face of a complex and ever-changing international landscape, the comradely trust and friendship between the DPRK and China have kept growing deeper, and bilateral relations have advanced to a higher stage. The WPK, the DPRK government and its people, Kim added, will attach greater importance to friendship with China, a common treasure of both sides, and march forward hand in hand with the CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people in the sacred journey of building socialism and communism. Chinese experts said stressing the common ground in ideology of socialism and communism shows the China-North Korea relationship is special and has a solid foundation. Zheng said that apart from the security area, North Korea needs economic assistance from China to improve its people's livelihood, which is a reasonable demand, so in the future, China will provide its successful experiences and investments to ensure the North Korean economy is sustainable through self-development. On Sunday, the reception for the 20th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation was held at the Diaoyutai Guest House in Beijing. […] Military and military-technical cooperation has gone far ahead," he said. Russian-Chinese cooperation has demonstrated its stability and resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. In China, they say that "real gold doesn't fear the test of fire," said the ambassador. Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday that China's efforts to boost ties with Russia and North Korea are based on its national interests and the common interests shared by countries in the region, and most importantly, in these ties, all countries are equal. "Unlike the US-Japan-South Korea alliance, they are allies bounded by unchallengeable treaties, but their ties are not equal, and as an US ally, South Korea and Japan don't even have complete sovereignty and autonomy in some most significant fields like national defense and diplomacy. So their efforts to build friendly ties with China or engage with North Korea have been interrupted by the US again and again as Washington doesn't want to see its allies to stand too close with its 'strategic competitors' or 'rivals,'" Li said. But China, Russia and North Korea are independent countries with mutual trust and respect, so they can develop their own ties with US allies as well, which is more open, inclusive and civilized, and they can also stand together to deter the provocations from the US and ensure the bullying approaches frequently played by Washington will not work, said experts. The China-Russia-North Korea trilateral relationship is a stabilizer of regional stability and even international peace, Li noted. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
Mongolia-China cooperation amid COVID-19 exemplary -- Mongolian FM (Xinhua)
2021-07-11
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Mongolia and China have maintained active cooperation, setting a real example of how neighboring countries help each other and overcome difficulties together, Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg has said. "Strengthening continuously mutually-beneficial cooperation with China is one of the Mongolian foreign policy priorities," Battsetseg told Xinhua in a recent interview. Describing China as Mongolia's eternal neighbor with a long history of traditional relations, she said it's pleasing to see that the comprehensive strategic partnership with China has been deepening in all areas. Last year, the two countries exchanged high-level visits and held meetings of intergovernmental commissions, maintained trade and economic interactions, and effective cooperation in preventing and curbing the spread of the pandemic, Battsetseg noted. "We are sincerely grateful to the Chinese government and people for donating vaccines and essential medical equipment to Mongolia during this difficult time, as well as for sharing experiences in successfully combating the pandemic," she said, adding that China's vaccine support is very important for Mongolia. Mongolia launched a national vaccination campaign in late February, aiming to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its 3.3 million population. So far, over 55 percent of its population have been fully vaccinated, according to the country's health ministry. "We believe that intensive and wide-ranging immunization will increase economic activity and opportunities for further cooperation with foreign countries, including China," said Battsetseg. In addition, within the framework of long-term and medium-term development policies, Mongolia has set specific goals and started implementing measures to reduce poverty, increase people's incomes, improve quality of life and support business activities, said Battsetseg. China is one of the country's largest trade and investment partners, Battsetseg said, noting that economic cooperation between Mongolia and China plays an important role in achieving the above-mentioned long-term development policy goals. China's willingness to share development experiences and benefits with other countries, import more goods and services from abroad and pursue a policy of common development is a good opportunity for neighboring countries such as Mongolia, she said. Moreover, Mongolia has supported China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from the onset and actively participated in it, Battsetseg said, expressing her willingness to exchange experiences and implement joint projects with China not only in the real-economy sectors, but also in financial and e-service within the BRI framework. Commending China's achievements in poverty alleviation, she said that Mongolia is also interested in exchanging experiences and cooperating with China in artificial intelligence, robotics, innovation, environmentally friendly technologies and tourism. ^ 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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