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SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
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Mongolia
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| Switzerland |
Foreign Minister receives Swiss Ambassador (Montsame)
2018-07-11
On July 10, Minister of Foreign Affairs D.Tsogtbaatar received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Swiss Confederation to Mongolia Jean-Jacques de Dardel. During the meeting, two sides exchanged views on bilateral and multilateral cooperation and regional security, especially security issues on the Korean peninsula. Mr Jean-Jacques de Dardel highlighted Swiss development cooperation projects to be further implemented in Mongolia indicates that the Switzerland has been paying special attention to the development of bilateral ties and cooperation. He also expressed hope that the specific issues regarding relations between the two countries will be solved soon. ^ top ^
Credit Suisse pays US$77 million to settle US probes 'after it bribed Chinese officials by offering their families jobs' (SCMP)
2018-07-05
Credit Suisse Group has agreed to pay about US$77 million to settle US criminal and civil probes into its Asia-Pacific hiring practices, including efforts to win banking business by awarding jobs to friends and family of Chinese government officials. The Swiss bank agreed to a US$47.03 million criminal fine and to enter a non-prosecution agreement under a settlement with the US Department of Justice announced on Thursday. Credit Suisse will also pay US$29.82 million to settle related claims by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. US authorities accused Credit Suisse of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, an anti-bribery law, by hiring and promoting people linked to government officials between 2007 and 2013 in an effort to win business. The authorities said the people hired were often less qualified than others who lacked such ties, and that the quid pro quo arrangements bypassed Credit Suisse's normal hiring process. Credit Suisse said it was pleased to settle, and has upgraded its internal compliance procedures and controls. It had disclosed the expected Justice Department settlement last month. ^ top ^
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| Foreign Policy |
China's loans to Africa leave their sovereignty unscathed (Global Times)
2018-07-12
China's investment and loans in African countries are designed to help them improve basic infrastructure, increase productivity and achieve self-reliance, which analysts say differs from years of strings-attached aid from the West. Some Western media and politicians have recently created the phrase "debtbook diplomacy" to accuse China of "miring nations in debt" and "undercutting their sovereignty." According to CNN, a new report presented to the US State Department claims the "Chinese government is leveraging billions of dollars in debt to gain political leverage with developing countries." "This phrase 'debtbook diplomacy' shows the West is nervous of China-Africa cooperation. 'Debtbook diplomacy' is what they did to Africa for decades, but now China is actually helping African nations rid themselves of 'the debt trap' set by the West," said Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China in Beijing. The West left African countries with a heavy debt on projects and failed to support their sustainable development, or to increase productivity and help them realize self-reliance, Wang noted. "Western countries wanted Africa to become their raw materials supplier while maintaining their post-colonial influence over the continent. This prevented African countries from realizing their own industrialization, Wang said. China, on the other hand, is helping the nations move toward self-reliance and industrialization. The West doesn't like that and this is why it is attempting to slander China, Wang added. Xu Weizhong, deputy director of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations' Institute of West Asian and African Studies, said that "Africa needs a lot of investment to build infrastructure, and China's loans, which have increased African countries' debt, are necessary for their development." China's assistance to Africa differs from what the West offers. China has a "crucial principle," which is to respect African countries' will and conditions. China has never forced African countries to accept loans on large infrastructure projects beyond their ability to pay, Wang said. "China and Africa have walked an extraordinary path in developing relations and cooperation, and our peoples have benefited greatly from it," Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong said at the opening ceremony of the Seventh China-Africa Think Tank Forum in Beijing on July 4. "A minority of Westerners are blinded by their 'pride and prejudice' and choose not to see this… maybe that is what they call 'sour grapes'?" Chen said. Data shows that Western countries and West-led organizations are the largest owners of African debt, not China, Shen Shiwei, a research fellow at the Charhar Institute and former government relations and business consultant for Chinese enterprises in Africa, said in an article published on CGTN's website. Research from SAIS and the China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University shows that China has provided loans worth $114.4 billion to Africa from 2000-2016, which accounts for 1.8 percent of Africa's total external debt. "The IMF and World Bank own 36 percent of African debt. These multilateral financial institutions and other giant investors in Europe and the US have far stronger leverage [than China]," Shen noted in his article. "For historical reasons, the West has many interests in Africa. Those that are reasonable should be respected when we cooperate with Africa. But for those that are unreasonable, should China and African countries continue to respect them? Before accusing China, the West should think about this carefully," Xu said. ^ top ^
Chinese president to visit five Arab and African countries, attend BRICS summit (Xinhua)
2018-07-12
Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay state visits to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa from July 19 to 24, attend the 10th BRICS summit from July 25 to 27 in Johannesburg and visit Mauritius during a stopover, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Thursday. Xi is paying the state visits at the invitation of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Senegalese President Macky Sall, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement. Xi will attend the BRICS summit at the invitation of President Ramaphosa, Lu said. BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. On his way home, Xi will also pay a friendly visit to Mauritius during a stopover, Lu added. ^ top ^
Chinese ambassador expects China-Russia partnership to see wider, deeper future development (Xinhua)
2018-07-12
The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has brought new opportunities for bilateral cooperation and will see wider and deeper development in the future, the Chinese ambassador said here Wednesday. "As China-Russia relations continue to witness high-level development, trade cooperation has been accelerated and upgraded," Li Hui told a joint interview with Chinese and Russian media. China has been Russia's largest trade partner for eight consecutive years, with bilateral trade up by 20.8 percent to 84 billion U.S. dollars last year. As the trade volume reached 31.2 billion dollars in the first four months this year, it is expected to exceed 100 billion dollars for the whole year. Li noted that a batch of major strategic projects between the countries have achieved big progress. In the energy sector, the first stage of the Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant has come into operation, and a number of nuclear projects including Unit 7 and 8 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant are about to start operation. The two sides are also actively promoting joint work in new fields like aerospace, digital economy, cross-border e-commerce as well as the development of Russia's Far East and the Arctic region, exploring new growth engine for bilateral trade and economic ties, Li added. Speaking on the sidelines of the fifth China-Russia Expo, Li hailed the prospects of the annual event. "The China-Russia Expo... has become an important platform for implementing top-level design by the leadership of the two countries, promoting comprehensive and pragmatic cooperation, as well as conducting effective coordination of their development strategies," Li said. The expo kicked off Tuesday in Russia's fourth largest city of Yekaterinburg. Themed "New beginning, new opportunities and new future," the annual event has attracted over 200 Russian and Chinese companies this year. "The expo... is dedicated to providing more platforms for exchanges and cooperation for the companies, as well as facilitating deep inter-regional and inter-industrial integration of the two countries," Li said. In particular, he highlighted regional cooperation thriving in recent years, which has "added new impetus" to the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. According to Li, China and Russia have established the "Yangtze River-Volga River" and "China's Northeast-Russia's Far East" regional cooperation mechanisms and signed agreements for 137 pairs of sister cities and provinces/regions. The ambassador suggested the two countries continue to strengthen policy coordination, improve inter-regional connectivity and facilitate people-to-people exchanges, so as to further tap the potential of their regional cooperation. "With the joint promotion of the two governments and unremitting efforts of enterprises of the two countries, I believe China-Russia cooperation will certainly reach a new level," Li said. ^ top ^
China in talks with India to open pharma market (Global Times)
2018-07-12
India's recent discussion with the Chinese government regarding mutual medicine trade was positive, and the country is confident that Indian medicines will be well received in China due to their high quality, the Embassy of India in China said. The Chinese black comedy Dying to Survive, which hit Chinese theaters last Thursday, has triggered heated discussions on inexpensive Indian generic drug imports, and both India and China are eyeing whether the mostly positive reception by viewers signals an opportunity for China to allow more Indian medicines to be imported into the country. We are very happy to note that recently China has taken up many reforms in the pharmaceutical registration process and hopeful to have better access to Indian medicines in China, Sharique Badr, Second Secretary of the Embassy of India in Beijing, told the Global Time via email. "With our best efforts we have been unable to export our pharma products in major quantities to China due to various reasons including difficulties in registration and procurement policies of various public hospitals making Indian pharma's access difficult. Our global exports of medicines are around $17 billion, but exports to China are very small at around $300 million," he said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press conference on Monday that China and India are in sound communication on opening the Chinese market to drugs from India and conducting cooperation between the two sides' pharmaceutical industries. Relevant departments have formulated specific measures on promoting China-India pharmaceutical trade cooperation and granting greater access to drugs from India, said Hua. "India has adopted a different medicine detection system, therefore, it is a complicated procedure for China to test and import Indian medicines," Tian Guangqiang, assistant research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. China has kept a prudent attitude toward generic medicines as India's market is a place of both good and bad products mixed together, said Tian. He added that along with the deepening of bilateral trade on medicine, the two countries could formulate a mutually recognized detection system and encourage the cooperation of their pharmacy enterprises. ^ top ^
PLA air force to send H-6K bombers to Int'l Army Games (Xinhua)
2018-07-12
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force will send H-6K bombers, J-10A fighters, JH-7A fighter-bombers, IL-76 and Y-9 transport aircraft, and a team of airborne troops to Russia to participate in the International Army Games. The International Army Games 2018, initiated by the Russian Ministry of Defense, will start on July 28. It is co-organized by China, Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Iran. It will be the first time that H-6K bombers and Y-9 transport aircraft have gone abroad to take part in military competitions, a spokesperson for the PLA Air Force said at a press conference. The H-6K, a domestically-developed intermediate and long-range bomber, has flown over the Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait and carried out patrols around the East China Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan since it made its debut in March 2015. Participation in the International Army Games is an effective way to improve fighting capabilities under real combat conditions, said the PLA air force spokesperson, adding the troops will strengthen military training and war-preparedness to improve their ability to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. ^ top ^
U.S. accusing China of forced technology transfers, IPR theft unacceptable (Xinhua)
2018-07-12
The United States' accusations of China forcing technology transfers and stealing intellectual property rights (IPR) are disregarding historical facts and totally unacceptable, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday. The integration of China's low-cost labor and international capital and technology has helped facilitate its rapid economic growth and global economic prosperity since the country's reform and opening-up drive, which also has generated rich returns for foreign firms, said MOC Spokesperson Gao Feng, adding that such partnerships are totally voluntary behaviors based on commercial contracts. Foreign firms in China have reaped huge benefits, but the U.S. government has still accused China of forcing technology transfers and stealing IPR, which is distorting China's reform and opening-up and historical facts, as well as disrupting commercial credit and violating contract spirit, Gao said. "Such practices are very dangerous and will shake the institutional foundation for the market economy and free enterprises," Gao added. He also pointed out that the United States' accusation of China's industrial policies distorting the market is untenable. All countries have the right of development and the right to make proper industrial policies to promote development, Gao said, adding that the United States also took specific industrial policies in the 1950s and 1960s. ^ top ^
CPC to discuss development with 40 African political parties (Global Times)
2018-07-12
The Communist Party of China (CPC) will hold a conference with leaders of African political parties and organizations next week to explore issues on peace and development. The Africa conference of the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting will be held from July 17 to 18 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The conference will explore the theory and practice of the road to development that conforms to national conditions, with about 40 leaders of African political parties and organizations participating, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday. "The CPC and African political parties will learn from each other in terms of peace and development," Su Wei, a professor at the CPC Chongqing Committee's Party School, told the Global Times on Thursday. "China is a step ahead when it comes to reform and development, so Africa can learn a lot from China," Su said, adding that China is not exporting a Chinese model, as China follows an independent foreign policy. African political parties are willing to have a conversation with China because China treats every country and political party equally, Su noted. China and countries of Africa all have a history of anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism, so China's road to development is attractive to Africa, he added. The conference follows the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting, held in Beijing in December 2017, and will actively cooperate with the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit, to be held in September. Countries that have not established diplomatic relations with China could also attend such events, which could expand China's cooperation, said experts. ^ top ^
Banners declaring Philippines a 'province of China' appear in Manila on second anniversary of Hague arbitration result (SCMP)
2018-07-12
Banners calling the Philippines a "province of China" mysteriously appeared on bridges in Manila on Thursday, sparking fury on social media on what was the second anniversary of Manila's victory over Beijing in a landmark arbitration case. The terms "province of China" and "South China Sea" trended prominently on Twitter, while news reports of the sudden appearance of the red tarpaulin banners along key thoroughfares generated thousands of shares and comments on Facebook. No group claimed responsibility for the banners, which feature English and Chinese characters and a Chinese flag flanked by dragons. City authorities were seen removing some of them, which were spotted in at least five locations. Emojis denoting anger or surprise dominated comments on social media next to pictures of the signs, which say "Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China". The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled two years ago that China had no historic title over the waters of the South China Sea and that it had breached the Philippines' sovereign rights by blocking its fishermen and building artificial islands in its exclusive economic zone. "NOT FUNNY", former solicitor general and chief lawyer for the Philippine case, Florin Hilbay, posted on his social media accounts. Some users accused the political opposition of making the signs to discredit the government's warming ties with China. Other chided the government for not challenging China's assertiveness in the South China Sea. "This is too much. The country was sold off," one Facebook user said. The two countries have a bitter history of disputes over maritime sovereignty, but under President Rodrigo Duterte, who took office just two weeks before The Hague ruling, Manila has taken a conciliatory approach and seeks China's loans, trade and investments. Duterte frequently praises his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and in February caused a stir when he jokingly offered the Philippines to Beijing as a province of China. The Philippines scored an "own goal" in its failure to press China to implement the arbitration ruling, opposition party Akbayan said. During an event to mark the anniversary of the ruling, Vice-President Leni Robredo, who was elected separately from Duterte, said that Filipinos should peacefully protest against the government's inaction. Duterte's spokesman, Harry Roque, called the banners "absurd" and said that the government's political enemies were likely behind them. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ^ top ^
Chinese state councilor holds talks with foreign ministers of Arab states (Xinhua)
2018-07-12
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Wednesday held talks with foreign ministers of Palestine, Somalia, Mauritania, Tunisia, Yemen and Libya respectively. During the talks with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki, Wang said China will continue to firmly support the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights, and the Palestine issue should not and will not be marginalized. He said Palestine's right to self-determination cannot be traded, nor their pursuit of independent statehood as well as their principles and dignity. Malki said Palestine is ready to deepen pragmatic cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Palestine hopes China will play a greater role in promoting the early resumption of the peace process in the Middle East and the realization of the two-state solution, he said. During the talks with Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Isse Awad, Wang said China will always support Somalia's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and will support the Somali government in advancing the political process, promoting social reconciliation and improving governance ability. China is willing to support Somalia's peaceful reconstruction within its capabilities, Wang said. Awad said Somalia has always firmly adhered to the one-China policy. He said his country actively supports the Belt and Road Initiative and hopes to enhance cooperation with China in areas including infrastructural construction, agriculture, fishery, human resources development and capability-building. During his talks with Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mauritania, Wang said China is willing to enhance the Belt and Road construction so as to upgrade China-Mauritania cooperation. Ahmed said Mauritania attaches great importance to relations with China, adheres to the one-China policy and always supports China's efforts to safeguard its core interests. Mauritania backs the Belt and Road Initiative and would like to make the best use of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to enhance cooperation with China in areas including infrastructural construction, agriculture and fishery, said Ahmed. During his meeting with Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui, Wang called on both sides to implement the results of the CASCF and prepare for the FOCAC Beijing Summit to be held in September. He also encouraged both countries to strengthen cooperation under the Belt and Road framework, dig up both sides' potentials and continue to advance cooperation on major projects. Jhinaoui said Tunisia hopes to become a key pivot of the Belt and Road Initiative in North Africa. The two countries signed a MOU on the Belt and Road Initiative after the talks. During his meeting with Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Yamani, Wang said China supports Yemen's efforts to safeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. China backs Yemen's legitimate government and a political solution to the issue of Yemen, he said, adding that China will continue to provide assistance to Yemen within its capability, especially to help Yemen address the humanitarian crisis. Al-Yamani said Yemen looks forward to seeing China continue to play an important role on the issue of Yemen and welcomes China's active participation in its reconstruction process. During his talks with Mohammed Sayala, Foreign Minister of the Government of National Accord of Libya, Wang said China is willing to keep making efforts to promote the political settlement of the Libya issue, expressing the hope that the North African country will return to the track to peace, stability and rule of law at an early date. Sayala said Libya hopes China will actively participate in the country's reconstruction process and welcomes more Chinese investment in Libya. The two sides also signed a MOU on the Belt and Road Initiative. All the foreign ministers were here to attend the eighth ministerial meeting of CASCF held Tuesday in Beijing. ^ top ^
EU urges China to free activists three years on from 709 crackdown (SCMP)
2018-07-11
The European Union urged China to free dozens of activists during a human rights meeting in Beijing this week, three years after a crackdown that jailed scores of lawyers and activists. The EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, which ended on Tuesday, came at a sensitive time for China, as families and activists marked the detention of hundreds of people in what has become known as the 709 incident on July 9, 2015. Since taking office in 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping has adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards dissent, tightened the party's grip over the legal profession and overseen the jailing of dozens of rights activists. The EU delegation said late on Tuesday it raised nearly 30 cases with their Chinese counterparts, from Muslim minority Uygurs "detained in violation of their fundamental human rights" to Tibetan religious figures jailed for speaking out. Chinese officials tend to bristle at the mention of individual cases and prefer to discuss only the principles of human rights issues, Beijing-based Western diplomats say. Among those singled out by the EU were Gui Minhai, a Swedish national and Hong Kong-based bookseller who was abducted while on holiday in Thailand in 2015, and Wang Quanzhang, a rights lawyer held incommunicado for three years. "The EU also stated its expectation that all detained individuals be allowed to be represented by a lawyer of their choosing … and have allegations of their torture and mistreatment promptly investigated," the EU statement said. China rejects foreign criticism of its human rights record and points to its successes in pulling millions of people out of poverty as proof of human rights progress in China. China asked the EU to view China's rights achievements objectively and raised the issues of immigrant protection and sexual discrimination in the EU, China's foreign ministry said. Yu Wensheng, a rights lawyer who defended colleagues arrested in the crackdown, was also on the EU's list. China rejects foreign criticism of its human rights record and points to its successes in pulling millions of people out of poverty as proof of human rights progress in China. China asked the EU to view China's rights achievements objectively and raised the issues of immigrant protection and sexual discrimination in the EU, China's foreign ministry said. Yu Wensheng, a rights lawyer who defended colleagues arrested in the crackdown, was also on the EU's list. ^ top ^
UN expects more involvement from China's base in Djibouti (Global Times)
2018-07-10
The UN representative in Djibouti has expressed confidence that the Chinese Navy's logistics base in Djibouti could further engage with regional humanitarian efforts, with Chinese experts saying the country's advanced weapons, such as Rainbow drones, could participate in such missions. "It's important for all countries to be prepared in case of disasters, and to ensure that all resources and assets available are mobilized to respond to such disasters in case of need," Barbara Manzi, UN Resident Coordinator of Djibouti, told the Global Times. The UN is looking forward to further engage with China's base in Djibouti to find ways, as responsible members of the international community, to better support the Government to serve such goals, Manzi said. Djibouti is an island of peace, surround by countries which experience many difficulties, and its geographic location makes it an ideal place to support regional humanitarian efforts and cooperation, Manzi said. Though a small country, Djibouti holds a strategically important location facing the Gulf of Aden. The country is home to China's first overseas naval logistics base, which began construction in 2016 and formally opened in August 2017 with a flag raising ceremony in Djibouti at the Horn of Africa. On July 2, over 100 soldiers in the base held a skill competition in the heat of 43 C conditions. The competition, which has lasted nearly a month, has 56 events that include marksmanship and examinations on vehicle explosives, news site people.cn reported. Soldiers trained at the base could get more involved in disaster relief missions and regional efforts to fight against terrorists and pirates, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times. Joint drills with African troops is another option, in which the Chinese Navy bring their advanced weapons, such as light weapons, armed vehicles and China's home-made Rainbow drones, according to Song. With strong capability in detecting targets, the Rainbow drones could also accomplish real-time attack missions with high accuracy, which makes it a useful weapon in anti-terrorist activities, said Song. Medical staffers in the base could also join such missions more frequently and help train local personnel, Song added. The base also provides medical treatment for Chinese business persons in case of emergency, according to staffers from a nearby Chinese company reached by the Global Times. Sitting on the Bad el-Mandeb Strait, a gateway to one of the world's busiest shipping routes, Djibouti is also home to the largest US permanent military base in Africa and one of the largest concentrations of French overseas forces. ^ top ^
China and Germany band together against US on trade, but it's 'tenuous' (SCMP)
2018-07-09
Beijing was keen to portray two export powerhouses standing together against unilateralism and protectionism when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met in Berlin on Monday, but analysts say simmering tensions remain. Li called for a "new starting point" in relations between the two countries when he arrived in Berlin on Sunday for talks with top officials. The meetings on Monday come at a time of heightened tensions with the United States for both China and Germany, and the trade conflict will be high on the agenda. On Friday, China and the US slapped 25 per cent tariffs on US$34 billion of each other's goods in the opening shots of a trade war. Germany, similarly, has protested over US tariffs imposed on European aluminium and steel, and last week Merkel said Trump's threatened duties on cars could trigger a new financial crisis. China's ambassador to the European Union told Handelsblatt newspaper that China and Europe are prepared to do whatever it takes to retaliate and show the US that a policy of escalating the trade conflict would be harmful. "China has tried extensively to stop the trade conflict with the United States escalating into a trade war but it takes two hands to clap," Zhang Ming was quoted as saying, adding that no one would profit from a global trade dispute. "The Chinese are peaceful people and I think the Europeans as well, but we must demonstrate to the trade war's initiator that its action is wrong," he said. Monday's meetings give China and Germany a chance to stand together in their shared frustration with the Trump administration, but analysts say coordinated action against the US will not solve their own deep-rooted grievances. "With the problems in US-German relations and the trade war, it's an opportunity for China and Germany to band together, but this is going to be tenuous," said Garima Mohan of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin. Larger issues in the relationship remain unsolved, like how to address increasing Chinese investment in Germany and Europe, and demands for market access for German companies in China. "These issues may be mentioned in the meetings, but are likely to remain untouched, and they are not going to go away," Mohan added. The meetings, co-chaired by Li and Merkel, are expected to showcase new deals benefiting German businesses in China and deepen cooperation in hi-tech sectors like driverless cars. BMW boss Markus Duesmann announced just ahead of Li and Merkel's meeting on Monday that the carmaker plans to source €4 billion (US$5.5 billion) worth of battery cells from Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) over the next few years. The long-term contract will see €1.5 billion of battery cells supplied to the carmaker by a new CATL plant in the central German city of Erfurt. A contract to build the new plant is due to be signed during Li's visit. In an article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Saturday, Li said German companies would be early beneficiaries of China's commitment to further open and reform its economy. While Trump's trade actions against both China and Europe have pressured Beijing to work more closely with Berlin and the EU, mutual antagonisms have flared up amid the handshaking. On Wednesday last week, the day before Li began his six-day visit to Europe, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he hoped Europe would not "stab China in the back", fearing that a European deal with the US would deflate the base EU-China cooperation. China also fears that Germany is not doing enough to counteract the growing perception of the "China threat", voiced by China's ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde, who greeted Li and met German officials at the airport when he arrived on Sunday. Prior to Merkel's last visit to China in May, the ambassador warned against a "protectionist tendency" in Germany, as the country considers an investment screening mechanism – and pushes for similar measures at the EU level – which may be used against Chinese companies. "China must deepen its opening and reform, expand market access, protection of intellectual property" in order to address Germany's concerns, said Ding Chun, an economics professor at the Centre for European Studies at Fudan University. "Germany, on the other hand, can approach China's economic rise and manufacturing improvements with fair treatment." Merkel and Li have repeatedly called for a return to the World Trade Organisation and multilateral mechanisms to resolve conflicts, criticising unilateral actions taken by the US. "They are both major manufacturing and export countries, and the main targets of Trump in the trade war. Under the background of trade protectionism and reversing globalisation, the two parties are attempting a common stand against these trends," Ding said. ^ top ^
China expects more agricultural imports from Europe (Global Times)
2018-07-09
China is expanding trade ties with Europe by increasing imports of agriculture goods in a move that experts say won't completely offset pressures from the trade war with the US but could deliver a message that China is continuing to further open its economy. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday wrapped up his trip to Bulgaria with a clear message; China will further consolidate relations with European countries and safeguard the multilateral trade regime. During his visit to Bulgaria's capital Sofia, Li attended the seventh leaders' meeting of China and 16 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs), and held bilateral meetings with CEEC leaders, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Li told CEEC leaders that China will increase imports of high quality agriculture goods from CEECs, including meat, dairy products, honey and wine, to serve the increasingly diversified demands of Chinese consumers, the General Administration of Customs said on its Weibo account on Monday. Even if there were not a trade war with the US, China would surely promote trade in agricultural products with CEECs, Bai Ming, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Monday. China has to increase agricultural imports due to its large population, limited arable land and the need to protect the environment, said Bai. The China-Europe Railway carries many Chinese goods to Europe but often returns to China with few products, noted Bai. He predicts the trains will soon be making the return trip filled with agriculture products. The Chinese premier and his CEEC counterparts agreed to further boost bilateral and 16+1 cooperation and, in the face of gathering protectionist clouds, reiterated their shared commitment to building an open world economy and making economic globalization more dynamic, inclusive and sustainable, Xinhua reported. However, expanding ties with CEECs cannot completely offset the negative impact of the trade war with the US, said Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China. "Agricultural products from CEECs are plentiful, but they cannot replace soybean imports from the US, and CEECs' market is too small to replace the amount of Chinese goods usually sold in the US." Promoting trade ties with CEECs is mainly symbolic, said Wang, noting that it is designed "to deliver a message that China will keep its promise to reduce its trade surplus with other partners and boost opening-up." After his meetings in Sofia, the Chinese Premier arrived in Berlin Sunday for the fifth round of China-Germany intergovernmental consultations and an official visit to the European country. Upon his arrival, Li noted that he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who visited China in May, have held exchange visits less than half a year after the two countries' new cabinets took office in March, Xinhua reported. A practical measure to overcome trade war pressures is to cooperate with Germany on infrastructure projects in CEECs, Wang noted. "CEECs' infrastructure projects once heavily relied on the EU, but due to the shortage of financial support and the long durations of those projects, the CEECs really want China to participate." But laws and regulations in the EU make it difficult for Chinese companies during the tendering process, so China can invite the participation of Germany to effectively solve the problem, Wang said. Against the backdrop of complex and changing international circumstances, the two new governments should use their first comprehensive meeting to build consensus, deepen cooperation and pursue development, Li said upon his arrival in Germany, Xinhua reported. Germany and the EU are also facing pressure from the trade war. The EU has already hit US products with retaliatory tariffs worth €2.8 billion ($3.3 billion) in response to Donald Trump's restrictions on steel and aluminum imports, and is drawing up an €18b hit list in response to the US president's threat to target the auto sector, Financial Times reported. ^ top ^
China launches WTO complaint on US Section 301 tariffs (Global Times)
2018-07-07
China lodged an additional complaint with the World Trade Organization Friday over tariffs formally implemented by the United States based on a trade investigation against China under Section 301, the Ministry of Commerce said in an online statement. ^ top ^
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Xi asks central, state organs to uphold central leadership (Xinhua)
2018-07-12
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, told the central and state organs to take the lead in safeguarding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, told the central and state organs to "be model institutions that reassure the CPC Central Committee and satisfy the people," in an instruction to a meeting about political building in these institutions held in Beijing Thursday. Xi urged Party committees and their members in the central and state organs to stay in line with the CPC Central Committee and fully carry out its decisions and policies. The working committee of the central and state organs should show political responsibility in enhancing centralized leadership, prioritize political building and fully enforce strict governance of the Party, he said. Xi's instruction was read at the meeting by Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and secretary of the working committee for central and state organs. According to a statement issued after the meeting, central and state organs are asked to thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress. They should take the lead in resolutely safeguarding Xi's core status and the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized and unified leadership, it said. They should stick to the right political direction, strictly observe the Party's political discipline and rules, take intra-Party political life seriously, and fully implement the CPC Central Committee's decisions and plans, it noted. ^ top ^
China may reward families with more children next year (Global Times)
2018-07-12
China may reward families with a second child or more next year to arrest its dropping fertility rate, and the family planning policy will undergo fundamental changes, Chinese demographers said. Their remarks came after reports that China's National Health Commission (NHC) is studying the possibility of rewarding families with more children. The NHC has put together a group of experts to calculate the effect of incentives to improving fertility, with the study likely to be completed by the end of the year, news site thepaper.cn reported Wednesday. Although not immediately confirmed by the NHC as of press time, demographers interviewed by the Global Times on Thursday said that they believe China may introduce incentives to families the next year, if not sooner, considering the drop in new births. Demographer He Yafu told the Global Times that the NHC's study was said to only target families having a second child and not those with three or more children, and it's very likely that China will officially introduce the policy next year. However, experts noted that even if China further relaxes the family planning policy, the result would be limited in the short term because of the younger generation's reluctance to have a second child. Liang Jianzhang, an applied economics professor at Peking University, told the Global Times on Thursday that China needs to introduce stronger incentives to families to have more children. "Even if China abandons its family planning policy next year, it won't help improve China's low fertility rate," Liang said, citing the high cost of raising children. China fertility rate was 1.7 in 2016, and the China Statistical Yearbook 2017 issued by the National Bureau of Statistics failed to disclose the fertility rate. "The fundamental policy is direct subsidy and lower taxes, and China should use at least 2 to 5 percent of its GDP to reward families so that their fertility may rise to a relatively better level," Liang said. China's GDP was 80 trillion yuan ($11.9 trillion) in 2017, the Xinhua News Agency reported. And 5 percent means each of the country's around 200 million children could get an average of 10,000 yuan a year, Liang explained. Northeast China's Liaoning Province is the first province to introduce incentives to have two children. The population development plan (2016-30) it issued last week said that the provincial government will improve policies on personal taxes, education, social welfare and housing to provide more incentives to a family of four in order to lighten the load of raising children. Experts noted that Liaoning's policy is likely to be adopted across the country, but with even stronger incentives. ^ top ^
Public schools hire foreign coaches to make nation a world soccer power by 2050 (Global Times)
2018-07-12
Primary and high schools in China have been on a hiring spree for foreign soccer coaches as the country tries to create fertile ground for the sport. The ultimate aim is for China to become a world soccer force by 2050. To achieve that goal, China's top education authority initiated a project to recruit more overseas soccer coaches three years ago. Young players are applauding the foreign coaches, who have brought new ideas to soccer training. At the same time, experts are also calling on China and overseas countries to ensure the quality of the coaches. Soccer coaches from the Czech Republic have been selecting young players from among 600 first and second grade applicants at Meili Primary School in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, the Jiaxing Daily reported on July 5. After several rounds of tests, a total of 40 boy and girl students will be trained by the Czech coaches over the summer holiday. On June 21, the Culture and Sport Bureau of Xiuzhou district, Jiaxing and the Football Association of Czech Republic signed a cooperation agreement. Under the deal, Czech coaches will work in local schools with young players every summer, and the association will train Chinese coaches. In March 2017, the Ministry of Education (MOE) renewed a project for supporting foreign soccer coaches at public schools, which was initiated in 2015, according to a statement on the MOE website. Even though the MOE said in the statement it would only sponsor two or three coaches in each Chinese provincial region each year, local authorities have employed many more foreign coaches by themselves. German coaches will work in 10 schools in Mentougou district of Beijing in the following months, the Beijing Youth Daily reported in April. There have also been coaches hired from top professional soccer clubs. Nanjing of East China's Jiangsu Province welcomed two coaches from Italy's Inter Milan in November 2015, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The Liverpool FC from the UK signed an agreement to help staff soccer coaches in 10 schools in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province. […] ^ top ^
China red cross sends supplies to disaster-hit areas (Xinhua)
2018-07-12
Supplies worth over 1.8 million yuan (270,000 U.S. dollars) have been sent to typhoon-stricken east China's Fujian Province and storm-hit southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) and the Chinese Red Cross Foundation (CRCF). The Fujian Branch of RCSC has sent 3,000 family supply packages, 3,000 blankets and 700 jackets to areas affected by Typhoon Maria which made landfall on Wednesday. In response to landslides and floods caused by a strong storm which hit Sichuan on Monday, the RCSC's disaster relief center in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, has offered 5,000 jackets and 100 tents to flooded areas, and the CRCF's diaster relief center in Meishan city of Sichuan has provided 2,000 family supply packages and deployed a working group for disaster relief. ^ top ^
Former provincial official sentenced to 15 years in prison for bribery (Xinhua)
2018-07-12
A former senior official of north China's Hebei Province was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 5 million yuan for taking bribes by a court in east China's Jiangsu Province on Thursday. Zhang Yue, a former member of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and former secretary of the CPC's Hebei provincial committee for political and legal affairs, was convicted of accepting bribes of 156.9 million yuan (23.53 million U.S. dollars) personally or through persons of interest, said the Intermediate People's Court of Changzhou City. The court found that from 2008 to 2016, Zhang took the advantage of his positions to seek profits from organizations and individuals involved in land development projects, projects contracting, handlding of relevant cases, and personal promotions. Although he took a huge amount of bribes and "caused severe damages to the interest of the state and people," Zhang turned himself in, fully confessed, provided leads on other criminal cases, and returned the majority of the bribes, which constituted mitigation of sentence, the court said. Zhang decided not to appeal. ^ top ^
More online soccer gambling cases busted in China (Xinhua)
2018-07-12
In a crackdown on soccer gambling during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, police from central China's Hunan Province caught nine suspects in their latest raid, seizing mobile phones, computers, and bank cards, local authorities said Thursday. More than 150 soccer fans and 10 million yuan (around 1.5 million U.S. dollars) were involved, police from Yiyang City said. The suspects operated the gambling on software installed on mobile phones, organized gambling groups via China's social network app WeChat, and benefited from the enormous amount of cash flow. Further investigation is underway. Three other gambling gangs have been busted in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province, during the World Cup. Sixteen suspects have been caught, according to local police. The police warned the public that any gambling activity on online platforms is illegal, and those involved will receive criminal sanctions. ^ top ^
Companies, individuals blacklisted (China Daily)
2018-07-13
Fourteen companies and six individuals have been blacklisted because they failed to pay wages they owed to migrant workers, China's human resources authority announced on Thursday. As a result, the companies will face restrictions on such things as obtaining financing and will lose tax-reduction benefits. The individuals are prohibited from air travel and from booking first-class seats on bullet trains. "Those 14 companies and six individuals will be punished not only by local human resources departments but also by other authorities," said Qiu Xiaoping, vice-minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The most severe case involves a construction company based in Chongqing municipality that didn't pay 113 migrant workers 5.96 million yuan ($891,000) in wages. Chen Hongwan, director of fiscal and financial affairs for the National Development and Reform Commission, said the default would be penalized in various ways, including a loss of government funds, financing, credit and tax reductions. "For example, they will be barred as suppliers in government procurement, their allowance from governments will be suspended or canceled and related departments will impose restrictive measures when they apply for stock issuance, bank loans or other things," he said. In September, the ministry introduced the blacklist regulation to punish companies or individuals failing to pay, or seriously delaying, migrant workers' salaries. The rule took effect this year. In addition, 30 ministries and organizations, including the NDRC, People's Bank of China and China Railway Corp, agreed to jointly punish those on the blacklist. Under an agreement they reached in November, individuals on the list may not travel by air or purchase upgraded seats on bullet trains. Wang Gangkui, 28, a migrant worker at a construction site in Qujing, Yunnan province, said the blacklist regulation is a good weapon against delays in wage payment. He hasn't received any salary in three months - a total of at least 10,000 yuan. "Actually, the reason many employers illegally delay paying workers' wages is they spend money on their daily lives. It's not a lack of money," he said. "The blacklist, which limits their daily consumption, can cure that." Companies and individuals in serious default on wages - those responsible for delaying one worker's wage of 5,000 to 20,000 yuan for more than three months, or more than 10 workers' wages of 30,000 to 100,000 yuan - will face the toughest restrictions, said Wang Cheng, a labor supervision official in the ministry. "The amount will be decided differently based on local circumstances," he said. "Those responsible for defaults that trigger mass disturbances and extreme events will also be put on the blacklist." If all delayed wages are paid, and if the mistake is not repeated within a year, the restrictions can be removed, Wang said earlier. Defaults in wage payments mainly happen in labor-intensive industries - especially the construction sector - where it's hard to judge a construction workers' workload accurately. Wang, the migrant construction worker, said there's no clear relationship between workload and salary. "We workers have no idea about how much we can earn every month," he said. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development is planning to set up a real-name system for construction workers, aiming to help determine exact workloads and responsibilities, said Wei Ming, a construction industry supervision official at the ministry. ^ top ^
Courts' IP decisions win respect (China Daily)
2018-07-13
China is building up its international image and the credibility of its judicial system through dealing with high-profile foreign-related intellectual property cases, a senior official from China's top court said. "Chinese courts have been upholding equal protections while hearing foreign-related IP disputes no matter where litigants are from," Tao Kaiyuan, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, told China Daily in an recent exclusive interview. Foreign IP cases involving litigants from the United States made up one-third of the total, and they were mainly heard by courts in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangdong and Zhejiang, according to Tao. Most of the plaintiffs in the disputes are from the US, and the money involved in many of the cases was more than 100 million yuan ($15 million), she added. IP cases involving foreign individuals and companies represent 20 percent of the total, according to the top court in an April disclosure. "We fully respect foreign litigants' rights and strictly abide by international IP rules when handling such cases," Tao said. A high-profile lawsuit involved US basketball legend Michael Jordan. In December 2016, the top court ended the four-year-long trademark dispute by issuing a verdict, in which it ruled the registered trademark of Chinese company Qiaodan Sports infringed on Jordan's right to his name and violated provisions of the Trademark Law. "Qiaodan", which is a transliteration of "Jordan" in Chinese characters, has a strong connection to the basketball player, and most Chinese would consider it as Jordan when they see Qiaodan written in Chinese, the ruling said. Tao, as the case's chief judge, ordered the State Administration for Industry and Commerce at that time to revoke the trademark and to issue a new ruling over the use of Chinese characters in the brand name Qiaodan. The ruling not only regulated the trademark registration through the case, but also clarified in which condition trademark rights could be protected, Tao said. "Conclusions of such lawsuits have presented and will continue contributing to China's global image of being a responsible country." After the verdict was announced, the former NBA star responded in a statement that he was happy to see the Chinese top court had recognized the right to protect his name. […] To further improve the quality of foreign-related IP hearings, the top court has communicated with judges and officials from other countries to share and learn about procedures, according to Tao. The top court also invited foreign IP judges and professionals to share hearing experiences with Chinese judges. China has more than 300 IP tribunals across the country with about 3,000 judges specializing in hearing IP lawsuits, the top court said. "We'll keep in touch with the world's IP associations, conduct more research and improve cooperation regarding information sharing, typical case analysis and judicial training," Tao said. ^ top ^
Police bust largest gang that sells cheat device overseas (Global Times)
2018-07-11
Police in Central China's Hubei Province have cracked down on the country's largest gang dealing in wireless examination cheating devices, some of which have been transported to Southeast Asian countries. According to the China Youth Daily report, police officers in Gucheng county, Hubei Province have confiscated over 6,000 components of wireless examination cheating devices including ejectors, acceptors and earphones. Police told the reporter that the devices manufactured by the gang accounted for 60 percent of China's market and have been sold to countries such as Thailand and Myanmar. Investigations found that the cheating devices, which had been used in graduate entrance exams, judicial exams and other vocational certificate tests across the country, were manufactured in an electronics factory in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province. The factory distributed the devices to agents in other provinces, which then sold them to training centers or students. The factory's owner surnamed Li, 47, who used to be a journalist in Tianjin, confessed that he decided to quit his job and start the business after recognizing that the technology of the device was simple but profitable. "An ejector, which costs 1,500 yuan ($225), was sold for 2,200 yuan while an acceptor, which costs 70 yuan, was sold for 150 yuan," police officer Jiang Daomin told the reporter. "They can transmit and accept messages wirelessly within 2 to 3 kilometers." According to the police, Li's factory owned five production lines and could earn 30 million yuan annually. He had been investing more in new technology for his device and the concealed earphone the factory produced was very hard to spot. Li had been sentenced to one year and seven months in jail in 2014 for the crime of illegal sale of special equipment for espionage. Currently, a total of 276 suspects, five manufactures, 58 agents and eight training centers are under investigation in the case, said the police. China's criminal law stipulates that organizing or helping organize exam cheating, providing test questions and answers, as well as surrogating exams for others, are deemed as a crime. ^ top ^
Chinese democracy activist Qin Yongmin sentenced to 13 years for 'subversion' (HKFP)
2018-07-11
A prominent Chinese political campaigner was sentenced to 13 years in jail on Wednesday, a court in central China said. Qin Yongmin was found "guilty of subversion of state power," the Wuhan City Intermediate People's Court said on its official website. According to court records, it appears to be the heftiest sentence handed down in China for "subversion" in the past 15 years. The 64-year-old, first jailed as a "counter-revolutionary" from 1981-1989, has already spent a total of 22 years behind bars. At the time of his arrest in January 2015, Qin was head of the pro-democracy "China Human Rights Watch" group, which circulated online statements denouncing government policies, as well as organised discussion groups. Qin had "refused to cooperate with the court" and remained completely silent during his trial in May, lawyer Lin Qilei previously said. His other lawyer, Liu Zhengqing, told AFP he was in "despair" about the sentencing and "angry at the rogue regime" in China. "[We] will definitely appeal," he announced. The verdict comes a day after Liu Xia, the widow of Chinese Nobel dissident Liu Xiaobo, was allowed to leave China for Germany. Despite facing no charges, the 57-year-old poet had endured heavy restrictions on her movements since 2010 when her husband won the Nobel Peace Prize — an award that infuriated Beijing. Liu Xiaobo, a veteran of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, died last year while serving an 11-year jail sentence, also for "subversion". "It's appalling to see such a heavy sentence imposed on a veteran activist who just exercised his freedom of expression just a day after we see some hope in Liu Xia's case," Amnesty International China researcher Patrick Poon told AFP. "It reminds us that we shouldn't forget the less famous activists who face harsh sentence and harassment," Poon added. According to the indictment, prosecutors cited Qin's writings on democracy as evidence, including a passage where he called on China's youth to fight for human rights protections according to United Nations treaties (six of which China has ratified). The veteran activist was last convicted and sentenced to prison in late 1998 after he and other activists sought to officially register the China Democracy Party. He was released in December 2010. The European Union on Wednesday criticised a "deteriorating situation of civil and political rights in China, which has been accompanied by the detention and conviction of a significant number of Chinese human rights defenders." Following a two-day EU-China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing, the Europeans also noted that Beijing had signed but not ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It was this document that Qin cited as he attempted to found his party in 1998, landing him in jail. Upon his release, Qin said police had told him not to speak with journalists, while several of his supporters who had hoped to meet him have disappeared and are believed to be in police custody. But Qin told AFP at the time that he would continue to advance human rights because "I must do what I must do." In December, Chinese activist Wu Gan was sentenced to eight years after he refused to plead guilty to charges of subverting state power. Frances Eve, researcher at Chinese Human Rights Defenders, said Qin was "prosecuted for his belief in a democratic China as well as his actions in advocating for human rights." "Authorities have been unable to build a case against him despite three years of investigation," Eve said. ^ top ^
Former Chinese securities regulator deputy chief stands trial for bribery, insider trading (Xinhua)
2018-07-11
Yao Gang, former vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), stood trial on Wednesday for taking bribes and insider trading at the Intermediate People's Court of Handan in north China's Hebei Province. Yao is accused of using his positions to seek benefits for certain organizations and in return accepting money and property worth of over 69.61 million yuan (10.46 million U.S. dollars) through his family members between 2006 and 2015. He is also accused of using insider information acquired during his work from January to April 2007 to carry out insider trading and illegally gaining more than 2.1 million yuan, according to prosecutors. Yao's lawyer spoke in his defense. He pled guilty during Wednesday's trial. His relatives, local lawmakers, political advisors, journalists and members of the public witnessed the trial. No verdict was announced Wednesday. ^ top ^
Ex-bank head returns to face trial (China Daily)
2018-07-12
Xu Chaofan, former head of the Kaiping subbranch of Bank of China in Guangdong province, has been returned to China from the United States to face trial on charges of embezzlement and corruption, the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said on Wednesday. It said 2 billion yuan ($300 million) had been recovered. "The successful repatriation is considered an important achievement in Sino-US anti-corruption law enforcement cooperation," the CCDI said in a statement. "He is the first corrupt fugitive repatriated from abroad since the National Supervisory Commission was set up (in March)." Xu was accused of corruption and the embezzlement of $485 million in bank funds. He fled to the US in 2001 and Interpol issued a red notice for his arrest. Xu was detained by US judicial authorities in 2003 and sentenced to 25 years in jail by a court in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2009 for fraud and money laundering. In recent years, a number of corrupt officials from China and directors from State-owned companies have fled to Western destinations, including the US, Canada and New Zealand, to avoid punishment. Meanwhile, they have transferred billions in illicit assets to their foreign accounts through money laundering or underground banks. In April 2015, Interpol disclosed information about the 100 most-wanted corrupt fugitives from China on its red notice list. Since then, 53 have returned from more than 20 countries and regions, including 12 from the US, according to the CCDI. The CCDI will beef up law enforcement cooperation with relevant countries, including the US and Canada, to hunt down fugitives and return their illegal assets. Huang Feng, law professor from Beijing Normal University, said that although China and the US have achieved great progress in nabbing fugitives, the US is still the most popular destination for corrupt fugitives to flee due to the lack of an extradition treaty. "The two sides should put aside political and legal differences and enhance pragmatic judicial cooperation to combat cross-border corruption crimes," he said. Between March 2015 and the end of April, Chinese police brought back more than 4,000 economic fugitives to stand trial and confiscated nearly 10 billion yuan in illicit assets, the CCDI said. ^ top ^
Senior provincial official under investigation (China Daily)
2018-07-11
Zeng Zhiquan, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guangdong Provincial Committee and head of the provincial United Front Work Department, is under investigation by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and National Supervisory Commission for "suspected serious violation of Party disciplinary rules and law," according to a Wednesday CCDI statement. ^ top ^
Media watchdog to provide fund for pro-martyr programs (Global Times)
2018-07-11
China's media watchdog vowed to provide funds to encourage the development of more television programs and dramas that depict the revolutionary martyrs' spirit, as the country steps up efforts to protect their legacy. Analyst said the move will help promote a revolutionary culture and develop the red genes of the Communist Party of China (CPC) among the Chinese public. The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) issued a notice on Tuesday, pledging to provide special fund and give policy preference to television dramas on heroes or martyrs' stories. SAPPRFT said the notice aims to better implement the law on protecting the reputation and honor of heroes and martyrs, which took effect in May. It requires television broadcasters and internet video platforms to air these works on important memorial days and also give special attention to producing shows for minors, strengthen education on patriotism, collectivism and socialism. "Works on heroes and martyrs carry the responsibility of spreading the red culture. It will help the Chinese public better understand why the country chose the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics and why the CPC leadership should be enhanced," Wang Sixin, a professor at Communication University of China, told the Global Times. Some people attempted to spread "historical nihilism," or the denial of China's revolutionary history, to attack the Party leadership. The television works will help expose the public to true stories, Wang added. China has launched a battle against the defamation of war heroes. Douyin, a popular Chinese short video app, and Chinese search engine Sogou were ordered to immediately take down illegal advertisements that insulted "heroic deeds and spirit" and carry out serious rectification. Several bloggers have had their accounts suspended for insulting heroes or spreading controversial values. Wang called for vigilance against producers who swindle the government fund to create vulgar works. ^ top ^
China cannot rely on foreign technology for national security purposes (Global Times)
2018-07-11
By the end of June, China has had 1.475 million invention patents, which means for every 10,000 people in China, there are 10.6 invention patents on average, said China's intellectual property authorities. At a press conference of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) on Tuesday, authorities said China is also making greater effort to protecting intellectual property rights. In the first half of 2018, the number of cases related to invention patents has increased by 29.5 percent compared to the same period last year. By the end of June, 13,600 cases about trademark violations have been handled, and the total value involved in these cases reached 210 million yuan ($31 million), according to SIPO. "In the past, when China's industrial development partly relied on technology supplied by the outside world, the motivation for innovation was not as strong as that at present. Due to the trade war with the US, China's intention to strengthen its innovation capability will be even stronger than the past," Bai Ming, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Tuesday. China still needs to redouble its efforts to develop pinnacle technologies such as optics, engine turbines and medical equipment, Bi Nan, director general of the Planning and Development Department of the SIPO, said at the Tuesday conference. "We are still at a disadvantage in core technologies," Bi said. During the first half of this year, the SIPO received 23,000 patent applications based on the Patent Cooperation Treaty, with 21,600 of them coming from domestic industries, signaling a rise of 7.6 percent year on year. Among the 35 sectors classified by the World Intellectual Property Organization, patents granted to domestic inventions outnumbered those to foreign ones in 32 categories. Trade conflicts with the US, especially the ZTE case, have taught a cruel lesson to China, which is that the country cannot count on the outside world in the key areas regarding national security, said Zhao Zhanling, a legal counsel of the Beijing-based Internet Society of China. "In the short term, the US' trade war against China might bring some difficulties and challenges, but in the long term, it will force China to increase investment and make much more efforts to reduce its reliability on core technologies introduced from the outside world," Zhao noted. At the same time, Bi pointed out that Chinese entities were not as competent as their foreign counterparts in view of receiving long-term patents whose validity could extend for more than 10 years. The comparison was especially obvious in 28 of the 35 sectors, including transport facilities and computer science, she said. "We should endeavor to improve the quality of patents, keep mapping out critical inventions in key areas and continue to reinforce the protection and utility of patents in important sectors," she added. ^ top ^
Properly managing dissidents a challenge for China (Global Times)
2018-07-10
Liu Xia, widow of late Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, left China on Tuesday on a flight reportedly heading for Germany. After Liu Xiaobo passed away last year, Western media called for her release claiming that Liu Xia has been under house arrest. But this is not reality. Liu Xia indeed has been within sight of Chinese authorities over the past year, but definitely not under house arrest. She lives normally in a community in Beijing and is free to meet family and friends, go shopping and play badminton in the training court. Liu Xia has also had unblocked communication. Those who have her phone number can call freely and the German Embassy in Beijing has called her quite often. Liao Yiwu, a Chinese dissident writer living in Germany, released an audio recording of his call with Liu Xia months ago, in which she seemed to be in a bad mood. But this showed that she wasn't in isolation from the outside. Chinese authorities have never said "no" to Liu Xia's going abroad. Her departure on Tuesday proved that she is able to choose to leave. It's hoped that the outside world understands China's official attitude from the outcome. Some Western media outlets have hyped Liu Xia's departure, but this doesn't matter much. Since Liu Xiaobo remains a topic that garners attention, Western media will try anything to hype it, but the attraction they can provide is undoubtedly decreasing. China has relatively tighter social governance than Western countries. It is a political subject for China to figure out how to effectively manage, yet show tolerance for the dissidents in this country. What's difficult is to protect their rights, and at the same time, prevent them from exerting too much negative influence on Chinese society. In the internet era, this work meets challenges from all sides, including too much interference of Western forces. Recently dissidents have been somewhat limited in making their voices heard on public platforms, but they enjoy ample personal freedom under most circumstances. This differs completely from what life was like before the reform and opening up. Today, China doesn't want dissidents to hamper national development, but it never means to persecute them. Yet when Western media report on dissidents in China, some dissidents also like to make a show of it. As the widow of the most widely known dissident in China, Liu Xia appears to have no interest in being a typical dissident herself. Certain Western forces must exercise restraint and stop taking advantage of her. The West focuses ardently on dissidents and uses human rights as a geopolitical card, rather than truly caring for China's endeavor to promote human rights. This bias only invites aversion among Chinese people whenever the human rights issue is raised. The West really needs some self-reflection. ^ top ^
Death sentence for 'bullied' attacker convicted over fatal stabbing of nine students at Chinese school (SCMP)
2018-07-10
A Chinese court on Tuesday sentenced to death a man convicted of fatally stabbing nine students in an attack on his old school triggered in part by anger he felt over bullying he suffered there as a child, the court said. The suspect, identified as Zhao Zewei, bought five knives online for his attack on the school in Shaanxi province, to vent his anger and frustration about the circumstances of his life and the bullying he had been subjected to, the Yulin City Intermediate People's Court said in a statement. "The defendant Zhao Zewei's criminal motives were despicable," the court said, adding it had convicted him of intentional homicide. Zhao, who was charged in May, had appealed against the decision, the court said. The court did not give Zhao's age but state media previously reported he was 28. China has strict gun controls and violent crime is rare compared with many other countries. But there has been a series of knife and axe attacks in recent years including one in the capital, Beijing, this year in which a woman was killed and 12 people were wounded by a knife-wielding man in a shopping centre. ^ top ^
Radical lawyers sabotage nation's progress (Global Times)
2018-07-09
Three years ago, some Chinese lawyers were held accountable for zealously fomenting political confrontation by inciting illegal gathering. The West has since been tarnishing China's governance in this respect and meanwhile glorifying the unlawful acts of these people, causing a new frontline for conflicting values between China and the West. Some Western countries' embassies in China recently commented on social networks or even acted in support of the lawyers. Western countries have insistently accused China of infiltration and interference, while at the same time practicing it on China's internal affairs. Many people still remember that after the shooting incident at the Qing'an county railway station in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province in May 2015, a few lawyers instigated locals to create a public disturbance and tried to subvert power of the state, both of which are illegal. In recent years some people in China, obsessed with Western-styled political governance, have preached that China should copy the Western model completely and even put it into practice. They publicized their beliefs on social networks and conducted political mobilization during times of public conflict, going against the basic spirit of the Constitution. Some lawyers attempted to misinterpret the Constitution with Western legal thinking and thus morally justify their activities and boycotts. They have therefore become the loyal allies of some Western forces. Many people instinctively felt such practices cannot work in China since it challenges China's fundamental order, inviting high legal stakes. But these lawyers had a fantasy that they would be protected by the West. They ended up proving that one must pay a price for going too far and sugarcoating illegal actions as struggles for constitutionalism. China's experiences since the reform and opening-up have proven that the country's social development cannot be realized through creating conflicts. China has been staunchly committed to safeguarding the interests of its people, but it's a complicated process to realize the commitment of all Chinese citizens. In terms of methodology, it's easy to follow the West and conduct political confrontation in Chinese society while seeking Western support. This takes just guts and luck. Yet what China needs indeed is to materialize governance under socialism with Chinese characteristics at all levels creatively. We need to prevent Western political governance elements from penetrating into China and in the process refrain from overly controlling society and killing dynamic spirit. It will be a major undertaking for China to keep expanding opportunities for society thus enabling the advancement of talent and wisdom of the Chinese people. China has to make efforts in this direction to neither dilapidate social governance nor stifle internal vitality with simplistic and rigid governance. This heralds an arduous task. A few radical lawyers have seriously disturbed such a proposition by China and pushed society to be more vigilant. They were not promoting China's progress, rather sabotaging it. China's social development must help consolidate unity under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and allow it to formulate an enabling mechanism. This has to be done within the constitutional framework. The whole society must be clearly aware of it. ^ top ^
Beijing orders state media to soften criticism of Donald Trump as the US and China tone down their trade war rhetoric (SCMP)
2018-07-09
With a China-US trade war under way, both parties are adopting a no-insult strategy, choosing to remain muted in their rhetoric about the opposing side's leader. After answering Washington's 25 per cent levy on US$34 billion of Chinese goods with equivalent tariffs on US products, Beijing has directed state media to watch how they report on US President Donald Trump, mainland media sources said. "It's been said that we should not use aggressive language for Trump," said one of two sources who declined to be named because internal directions often are regarded as confidential information. Even though Chinese officials and state media have attacked the trade policies of the Trump administration, so far they have not laid blame on the US president or his officials – a move seen as an attempt to avoid antagonising Trump and further complicating negotiations. While the Beijing directive may not have been issued across the board – two other state media sources said they were not instructed how to write about Trump with regards to trade – it mirrored one of the guidelines on an official propaganda instruction widely circulated on social media. The edict called on media outlets not to make vulgar attacks on Trump to avoid "making this a war of insults". The South China Morning Post reported last month that state media agencies were instructed to play down mentions of Made in China 2025 – a strategic industrial policy aimed at transforming China into a high-tech powerhouse – in their reports. Reporting at state-controlled outlets in the country is strictly overseen by government censors, who often issue instructions to ensure the coverage toes the party line. On the US side, Trump has also avoided flinging insults directly at President Xi Jinping, instead reiterating in person and via Twitter that the two "will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade". In a tweet in April, Trump even said he was "very thankful for President Xi of China's kind words on tariffs and automobile barriers" and exclaimed that the two leaders "will make great progress together!" Sow Keat Tok, a University of Melbourne lecturer on China's foreign relations, said that since Trump's rhetoric has focused on the trade war instead of Xi, the Chinese leader has in turn refrained from making statements about Trump. "[Xi] allowed the Ministry of Commerce to send out messages instead, again framing the trade as a state-to-state interaction," he said. "Restraining the state media is important, lest some enthusiastic reporters mention Trump in their pieces. The message is not to antagonise Trump personally, but [to] keep the affair in the realm of state policy." That approach is a marked contrast from the name-calling in which Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un engaged during frostier times in the relationship between Washington and Pyongyang. At one point, Kim called Trump a "dotard" while the US president referred to the North Korean leader as "little rocket man". "Xi would not allow that to happen to himself," Tok said. "It's not just about face, but also preempting possible responses from the Chinese society, in case such personal animosity gets out of hand." ^ top ^
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| Environment |
Top legislature holds joint inquiry meeting on air pollution control (Xinhua)
2018-07-11
China's top legislature on Tuesday held a joint inquiry into a report on the implementation of the Air Pollution Control Law. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presided over the meeting and delivered a speech. The NPC Standing Committee sent four teams to eight provincial-level regions to check the implementation of the law from May to June. They also entrusted local legislatures in the other 23 provincial-level areas with inspections. During the inquiry, legislators asked questions about measures to prevent and control air pollution, control over emissions discharged by diesel-powered vehicles, industrial structure adjustment, and efforts to raise public awareness of the law, among others. State Councilor Wang Yong and officials from the Ministry of Transport, State Administration for Market Regulation, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Justice, and those in charge of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate answered the questions. Li called for implementation of laws and decisions on ecological and environmental protection to prevent and control pollution. The State Council and departments will uphold a new vision of development, implement the three-year action plan on winning the battle for blue skies, and enhance the work on air pollution control, said Wang. ^ top ^
NPC taking aim at polluting companies (China Daily)
2018-07-10
China's top legislature ordered local lawmakers and judicial authorities on Monday to combat air pollution by strengthening the rule of law and urging them to make or revise related regulations and implementing strict punishment against polluters. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top national legislative body, convened a two-day special session on Monday to review its enforcement inspection report on the Air Pollution Control Law and draft a decision on boosting the comprehensive protection of the environment. "Every provincial-level people's congress should release or amend regulations on the air pollution prevention law by the end of this year in line with pollution conditions in their areas," said Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee. He also ordered courts, procuratorates, public security bureaus and justice authorities to cooperate with environmental and ecological departments to improve judicial force against polluters, such as studying evidence collection and clarifying pollution liabilities. Between May and June, 32 NPC deputies and the legislature's officials, led by Li, were divided into four teams and visited eight provinces, including Henan, Hebei and Shanxi, to conduct inspections. It aims to promote implementation of the major decisions and plans of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on environmental protection and pollution control. It will ensure comprehensive, effective law enforcement, solve prominent environmental problems of public concern and strengthen legal protection for making the skies blue again. "What we did was to strengthen our legal inspection, using the law as a weapon to fight pollution and taking the rule of law as the force to protect blue skies," Li added. The legal inspection is a major way the legislature plays its supervision role. It is to figure out problems that affects a law's enforcement and push related departments to solve them by the rule of law, according to a statement from the legislature. In this inspection, the teams exposed six major problems in enforcing the law, including irrational industrial structure, insufficient regulations to support the law, faked pollution data and a lack of supervision. For example, the law asks the State Council to make a rule on how to issue and provide emission permits, but it has not been issued so far, Li said, calling the government to release it by the end of 2019. It also found that although 274 cities have been given the legislation's power, only 14 made regulations to support the law, he said. In addition, six State-controlled data monitoring sites were interfered with intentionally more than 100 times in the year ending in April, the report said. ^ top ^
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| Beijing |
Beijing's life expectancy rises to 82.15 years (Xinhua)
2018-07-12
The average life expectancy of Beijing residents rose to 82.15 years in 2017, more than five years higher than the national average, the Beijing Daily reported Thursday. The premature death rate for major chronic diseases of people aged between 30 to 70 was 10.8 percent in 2017, a decrease of 0.92 percent from 2016, the paper cited a health report of Beijing residents released Wednesday by the Beijing Municipal Government. The main cause of death was chronic non-communicable diseases. Tumors, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease were the top three, accounting for 71.7 percent. In 2017, the mortality rate for Beijing residents with tumors increased to 183.8 cases per 100,000 people, accounting for 26.9 percent of total deaths, up 3.6 percent from 2016. Huang Ruogang, deputy director of Beijing's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said the rise of chronic diseases was attributed to an aging population, and changes in environment and people's lifestyle, such as lack of exercise, unhealthy diets and obesity. The paper also reported progress in establishing a hierarchical medical system, saving 6.74 billion yuan (about one billion U.S. dollars) in medical expenses. This year, the municipal government plans to promote a health assessment service in the city and provide fitness guidance for residents. ^ top ^
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| Shanghai |
Shanghai unveils policies for further opening-up (China Daily)
2018-07-11
The municipal government of Shanghai announced 100 policies on Tuesday to address the central government's call for further opening-up, as the city seeks to speed up the pace of building an open, international economic system. Shanghai's Party Secretary Li Qiang said at a promotional meeting on Tuesday that Shanghai is aiming to enhance its role as an international financial center and improve its modern service industry and advanced manufacturing. The city is also dedicated to protecting intellectual property rights by coordinating legal and administrative rules, he said. The policies also reflect the city's ambition to build itself into an import hub serving the whole country, and its determination to create a convenient international business environment, he added. To implement the policies, Li stressed that government departments should conduct in-depth surveys and seek the true demand of companies. He also called for clear task lists and timetables. "Entering the new era, Shanghai should shoulder the new missions with which it has been entrusted by the central government," he said. "Further opening-up is the path we should take." Shanghai should deepen the construction of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone to lure more foreign investment and exert more influence over the innovations achieved in the zone. The city should make the best of the China International Import Expo, scheduled for early November in the city, to build an import promotion network that covers the whole world. A more efficient trade environment is envisioned to improve Shanghai's international market influence. For the financial sector, overseas investors will be encouraged to have greater participation in the local market, and foreign banks will be allowed to set up branches and subsidiaries in Shanghai. Commercial banks will be able to set up financial asset investment and wealth management companies with no foreign capital limit. Meanwhile, foreign-controlled securities companies, investment funds and futures companies will be allowed to provide brokerage and consulting services. As for the modern service and advanced manufacturing industries, Shanghai will follow the country's opening-up policies in automotive, aircraft and shipbuilding industries so that "made in Shanghai" will become a celebrated signature, Li said. The city will also put more stress on protecting intellectual property rights, especially improving the ability of companies and institutions to protect their rights in overseas markets, he said. Regarding China's Belt and Road Initiative, Li said Shanghai should attach equal importance to outbound Chinese companies and overseas ones interested in the Chinese market. Local companies are encouraged to make global investments. In addition, it will be one of Shanghai's major missions to create an internationally competitive business environment that offers convenience in various procedures, as well as the most relaxed market entry and most complete legal system, Li added. ^ top ^
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| Tibet |
Tibetan county sends underage monks back to public schools (Global Times)
2018-07-12
A Tibetan region in Southwest China's Sichuan Province has removed underage monks from local temples for them to complete compulsory school education. "We have been persuading the children in temples to go back to school to complete the nine-year compulsory education," an employee surnamed Zhu at local internet information office of Shiqu county, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan, told the Global Times on Thursday. Media reported on Wednesday that 200 monks under 15 years old were ordered to leave local temples and go to school. "All children who reach the age of 6 shall enroll in school and receive compulsory education for the prescribed number of years, regardless of sex, nationality or race," China's Education Law states. Zhu said that sending "young monks" to school is part of the prefecture's campaign to bring children, who dropped out for various reasons, back to school. "It's a long process because many Tibetan Buddhist parents want their young children to live in temples," Zhu said. China's Measures for the Administration of Tibetan Buddhism Temples state that minors should not be forced to live in temples. The Garze Daily reported on Monday that Shiqu's education department conducted a special inspection at the end of June. "Those children should not be exempted from compulsory education," Xiong Kunxin, an ethnic studies professor at Tibet University, told the Global Times on Thursday. Tibetan families traditionally send their children to temples. But times have changed, and people should obey the law, he said. "Temple education is limited to religious studies, while in public schools children are fully developed, which gives them greater opportunities in society," Xiong said. The General Office of China's State Council issued a circular in September 2017 calling for efforts to ensure the proper education for school-age children. The circular states that by 2020, the percentage of students who drop out of school during the nine-year compulsory education period will be reduced to less than 5 percent, the Xinhua News Agency reported. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
Xinjiang to invest heavily in drinking water project (Xinhua)
2018-07-10
Hotan Prefecture in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will launch a project with an investment of nearly 2 billion yuan (about 3 billion U.S. dollars) to provide safe drinking water for residents. The project aims to divert or pump water from Yurungkax River and Karakax River in the prefecture, and set up facilities such as pipes and water treatment plants, seeking to improve the quality of drinking water for 1.5 million residents in Hotan city and three other counties, according to local water conservancy bureau. The construction will start in August and finish before the end of 2019. Hotan Prefecture is on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert. Lack of safe drinking water has long been a problem. Some residents in remote villages have to drink river water directly, which may pose a risk to their health. After completion, the project will provide 325,600 cubic meters of water on a daily basis. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
Land reclamation beyond Victoria Harbour unavoidable in the long run, says Chief Exec. Carrie Lam (HKFP)
2018-07-12
Chief Executive Carrie Lam has said that land reclamation beyond Victoria Harbour is unavoidable in the long run. She also said on Thursday that the government can review policies on limiting non-locals from buying properties if necessary. The government's Task Force on Land Supply has been conducting a months-long consultation on the issue of finding land for future use. Land reclamation is one of the dozens of potential choices. Lam was asked by agriculture and fisheries sector lawmaker Steven Ho at a regular Q&A at the legislature how to reduce the effect of land reclamation on those who work on the sea. Lam said that every option with land development attract opposition from certain sectors, and society needs to have a reasonable discussion to reach a wide-ranging consensus. "In the long run, land reclamation outside Victoria Harbour – as I said before and I will repeat today – seems to be unavoidable," she said. "Because we are talking about the long term, not the next five or ten years. In the long term, many developing cities have to adopt this choice, like Singapore." Lam also answered questions from several other lawmakers on housing issues. Lawmaker Gary Fan said the government allows 150 immigrants from mainland China to settle in Hong Kong each day, but land is limited: "Who will pity Hong Kong people?" But Lam said the housing issue was unrelated to population policies. She said, if necessary, the government can review policies on limiting non-locals from buying properties. Lam added that if the "spicy measures" – often used to describe additional stamp duties introduced to control the property market – were no longer useful, the government may consider other methods. Asked by lawmaker Jeremy Tam if she would put a stop to the Small House Policy – which offers indigenous male villagers the right to build a village-style house once in a lifetime – Lam said there was an ongoing legal challenge and it was not appropriate for her to comment. ^ top ^
President of Hong Kong legislature easily survives vote of no confidence (SCMP)
2018-07-13
Legislative Council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen easily survived a vote of no confidence on Thursday as lawmakers split along party lines. Leung was accused by the pro-democracy bloc of unfairly helping the government to pass controversial legislation. The motion was moved by pan-democrat Joseph Lee Kok-long and backed by all 25 pro-democracy lawmakers. It was voted down by the 35 pro-establishment politicians in attendence. Pro-democracy legislators had been angered by Leung's handling of the contentious debate on the co-location bill, which dealt with the joint checkpoint at the West Kowloon terminus of the high-speed rail line linking the city with the mainland. In a series of controversial moves Leung reduced the time allowed for debate, and threw out a host of amendments proposed by pro-democracy lawmakers. He was also accused of lacking in impartiality, which Civic Party leader Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu said had put the integrity of the legislature at stake. But Martin Liao Cheung-kong, the convenor of the pro-establishment camp, dismissed the motion as politically motivated. DAB lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king, the chairwoman of the Legco's House Commitee, held the meeting as Leung was excused to avoid conflict of interest. Seven other lawmakers did not attend. ^ top ^
Hong Kong lawyers and activists hold silent protest 3 years into China's crackdown on human rights lawyers (HKFP)
2018-07-11
A group of lawyers and activists held a silent protest on Monday outside Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal, marking the third anniversary of the Chinese government's large-scale crackdown on human rights lawyers. The China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group (CHRLCG) and a group of lawyers stood for seven minutes and nine seconds, representing the date: July 9, 2015. CHRLCG chairperson and former lawmaker Albert Ho said the move was to support the "imprisoned, detained, tortured" lawyers and to protest the Chinese government's continued suppression. The "709 crackdown" began on July 9, 2015 when around 300 human rights lawyers, legal staff, and activists were arrested across 25 provinces and were detained for months. At the silent protest, participants stood in the rain holding portraits of activists including Wang Quanzhang, Yu Wensheng and Hu Shigen. "It is the duty of lawyers to protect the people's rights and seek justice… but Beijing destroyed the country's institutions, and even those who serve the law cannot be protected," Ho said. Ho added that, since last October 16, lawyers have been targeted, and their own legal representatives have been harassed and had their licenses revoked. In particular, Ho also said the world is "shocked and appalled" by the Chinese government's treatment of lawyer Wang Quanzhang, who "vanished" and has not been heard from since his initial arrest three years ago. Other attendees at the event included political heavyweights in the legal profession such as Margaret Ng, Alan Leong and Audrey Eu. The protest was also supported by the Civic Party, the League of Social Democrats, the Progressive Lawyers Group, and the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. Ho said there was a growing trend of "administrative punishment" where the Chinese government used lawyers' licenses as a tool of control. "This is a change in how the government's strategy, to use arbitrary revocation and invalidation of lawyers' licenses to keep human rights lawyers in check," Ho said. He also described the Chinese government's strategy of targeting the lawyer's immediate family as "feudalistic" – referring to the draconian punishments used by rulers in China's history. "Lawyer Wang Yu recently revealed that she agreed to confess on television only because her son was harassed every day by the police," Ho said, calling it a human rights violation. Other human rights lawyers still under detention include Zhou Shifeng, Jiang Tianyong and Yu Wensheng; and activists Hu Shigen, and Wu Gan, all of whom have been convicted of "subversion of state power" – a common charge used against dissidents. Barrister Alan Leong said that the continued suppression of human rights lawyers shows that China has no rule of law. "These lawyers only wanted what's best for their country," Leong said. "Some people say their suffering is necessary to achieve the 'Chinese Dream'… but this dream, even if it comes true, will do great harm to the nation." ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
Pentagon defends US warships in the Taiwan Strait, shrugs at China's outcry (SCMP)
2018-07-10
The US Defence Department said on Monday that sending two US warships through the Taiwan Strait this weekend was "legally permissible" after China accused the US of playing the "Taiwan card" as the two countries' trade dispute heated up. Colonel Robert Manning, director of the Pentagon's press operations, said at a briefing that the warships' passage through the strait was in international waters so that "the United States Navy has got the right to transit". Manning declined to comment on the specific timing of the passage. "We can fly, sail and operate where we want," Manning said. "That's legally permissible." Two destroyers, the USS Mustin and the USS Benfold, carried out the "routine transit through the international waters of the Taiwan Strait on July 7-8", according to a statement by the US Pacific Fleet. "The US Navy from time to time will transit from East China Sea to South China Sea through that area for multiple different operational reasons," Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan, a spokesman at the Pentagon, told the South China Morning Post. Logan did not elaborate on what the "operational reasons" for this passage would be. On Sunday, China's top Taiwan affairs official denounced the passage and accused the US of playing the "Taiwan card". Liu Jieyi, director of the mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office and China's former ambassador to the United Nations, said the US had been using this "card" for some time with a clear purpose, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported. "We staunchly oppose any move that harms China's national interest. We won't accept that," Liu was quoted as saying on the sidelines of a forum on cross-strait ties in Hangzhou. "The Taiwanese public should clearly understand the real purpose behind these US moves and not help them to play the 'Taiwan card,'" he said. Tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen in recent months, with China tightening a pressure campaign against the Taiwanese independence movement by conducting military exercises around the island and continually squeezing its diplomatic allies. Beijing regards Taiwan as a wayward province, to be brought under its rule by force if necessary. Washington has no formal ties with the self-ruled island but is bound by US law to help Taiwan defend itself; it is also the island's main source of arms. Reuters reported last month that the US has examined plans for sending an aircraft carrier through the strait, but ultimately did not pursue it because of concerns about upsetting China. The last time an American aircraft carrier made passage through the Taiwan Strait was in 2007, during the administration of US President George W. Bush. US military chief's visit to Beijing did little to soothe tensions "The US sending military ships through the Taiwan Strait is both a demonstration of its continuing support to Taiwan and of its willingness to exercise its maritime rights in China's periphery," said Abraham Denmark, director of the Asia programme at the Wilson Centre. Lien Chan, an ex-chairman of the Taiwan's former ruling Nationalist Party, is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing next week – an effort, Lien's office said, to contribute to peace across the Taiwan Strait. ^ top ^
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| Economy |
China hits back at 'fabricated' US trade claims with scathing criticism (Global Times)
2018-07-12
China on Thursday issued one of the harshest criticisms yet of the US since the world's two largest economies engaged in a trade conflict that further escalated in recent days as the US threatened new tariffs against China, in a clear sign that China would not back down and is ready to defend its core interests. In a lengthy, scathing statement, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) scolded the US for slandering China with baseless accusations of unfair trade practices for its own political needs and single-handedly starting a global trade war that would bring the world economy into dangerous territory. "The US side's slander of China that China has been engaging in unfair trade practices and taking advantage of the US is distorting the facts and is untenable," the statement said, adding that the US government "fabricated" a tale about China-US relations to meet domestic political needs and the need to suppress China's development. In a rare move, the MOFCOM pointed out directly that "deep problems" within the US economy and society are "completely caused by structural problems in the US" rather than China and that the US' trade deficit with China is exaggerated and caused by the US' low savings rate and restrictions on high-tech exports based on a "cold war" mentality. While the statement largely repeated China's longstanding stance on China-US trade disputes, the tone and the language was much "more serious," a sign of China's frustration with constant threats from the US, said Mei Xinyu, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, which is affiliated with the MOFCOM. "In face of the new threats from the US, China is trying to show its will to fight back and defend its national interests," Mei told the Global Times on Thursday. Following earlier tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods, the US government has released an additional list of Chinese goods worth $200 billion on which it plans to impose punitive tariffs. Mei pointed out that China has not released a specific plan to counter the US' latest threat but Thursday night's statement signals that China might have made "concrete progress" on finalizing a plan. "I'm afraid that some parts of the plan might not be appropriate to release in advance, because policymakers have to consider the impact on the already-shaky financial markets, but we definitely have a plan," Mei said. The MOFCOM statement did not mention any countermeasure to the new US threat but instead focused on pushing back the US accusations, rationalizing China's countermeasures against the US' previous tariffs and painting the US as responsible for a trade war with not just China but the entire world. "The US is not just fighting a trade war with China, but is also treating the whole world as an enemy and it will drag the world economy into dangerous territory," the statement read. Mei said that the statement might be aimed at laying the foundation for its planned countermeasures for the US tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods by "making clear that the problem is on the US side." "China is taking the moral high ground… it will try to mobilize a global force against the US," he said. ^ top ^
US-China trade war takes a cultural turn after antiques and artworks are added to Trump's tariffs list (SCMP)
2018-07-13
The US-China trade war, hitherto largely confined to industrial, technological, and agricultural wares, has opened a new front: culture. Towards the end of the 205-page docket issued on Tuesday by the Trump administration announcing new retaliatory tariffs on Chinese imports, antiques – along with paintings, drawings, and pastels – appear on a list of thousands of other items that will be subject to an additional 10 per cent duty upon entry into the US, should the proposed tariffs go into effect at the end of August. Unlike some rather more obscure entries such as "bovine semen" – which, apart from a modest batch in 2016, the US has not imported from China for the last two decades – antiques and paintings account for hundreds of millions of dollars in imports between the two countries every year. According to data from the United States International Trade Commission, imports of "antiques of an age exceeding 100 years" totalled US$107 million in 2017, having reached as much as US$205 million two years earlier. In 2015 and 2016, imports of paintings, drawings, and pastels totalled US$123 and US$125 million respectively. "I would say this new policy from the Trump administration is backward," said Ning Lu, vice-president of the price database at the New York-based art sales website Artnet. By comparison, she noted, China has reduced the tax on artistic imports to encourage the flow of works into the country. The inclusion of such items in the proposed new tariffs has also perplexed observers within China. "I think it's bizarre that [the US administration] would include such cultural products," said Ji Tao, an art expert and researcher at the Auctioneering Institute of the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing. "Once they were done with the industrial products, the technological products, and the agricultural products," said Ji, "they had to get cultural products involved". Yet the decision to include antiques in the new tariffs is unlikely to have much of an impact on their sales to US buyers. Given the sprawling network of auction houses around the world, it would be relatively easy for a Chinese seller to export an item to a non-US country and for the buyer to procure it from there, Lu said. Even if such a workaround were not possible, Chinese sellers are likely to lose little sleep about missing out on the US market. "The majority of the audience for [antiques and artwork] is in mainland China," said Lu. "There's actually not a high necessity to export art and antiques outside mainland China to find a buyer." The increasing spending power of Chinese art and antique collectors combined with stringent regulations on exporting cultural artefacts make sales to the domestic market all the more appealing to dealers. "Anything antique that is dated before 1949 cannot technically leave unless you have particular permits," said Beijing-based antiques dealer and consultant Wang Ge. Despite the high value of Chinese imports recorded in the US year-on-year, she said, the actual number of items may be very low, given that the antiques industry is "one of quality, not quantity." In addition to antiques, paintings are also included in the new tariffs list. This may have more tangible ramifications, given the number of producers in China that churn out non-collectible, hand-painted artworks on an industrial scale. Companies such as Free Cloud Arts, which sells paintings used for house decoration on a wholesale basis to international clients – including businesses from the US – may find themselves in difficulties. A representative for Free Cloud Arts, a firm based in the southern city of Zhuhai, said he was not aware of the existence of the newly proposed tariffs, but the addition of a 10 per cent import duty was likely to have a "very big impact" on the company's business. ^ top ^
Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel meets Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan to save jobs at risk in trade war (SCMP)
2018-07-12
Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, on a mission to salvage business deals threatened by a tariff war, said on Thursday that Chinese officials expressed confidence they could survive the spiralling dispute with Washington. The mayor met Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan and China's commerce minister this week in an effort to lock in a US$1.3 billion deal for a Chinese company to assemble railcars in Chicago. The foreign ministry said on Wednesday that China would take "firm and forceful measures" if US President Donald Trump went ahead with a second round of tariffs on Chinese goods in a dispute over Beijing's technology policy. "They wanted to communicate, obviously, that this is not their preference," Emanuel said. "They would rather work something out, but they're not scared if this is where it goes." After meeting executives from the Chinese railway car manufacturer, Emanuel said he was committed to completing the project. The factory construction would soon be finished and employees from Chicago were due to arrive in China for training, he said. The US-Chinese conflict has rattled businesses that worry trade and investment might be disrupted. The mayor said he hoped to "hermetically seal" off Chicago, a city of 3 million people, from the impact of the dispute, in which the two nations' governments have raised tariffs on billions of dollars of each other's goods. The railway venture is expected to create more than 200 jobs, and cargo from China also contributes to Chicago airport revenues. "We don't want our relationships to be influenced by the winds of where the trade and tariff battles are," Emanuel said. Emanuel said he had not initially expected to meet Wang, an adviser of Chinese President Xi Jinping who is believed to have an outsize influence on foreign policy. On Friday, Washington imposed 25 per cent tariffs on US$34 billion in Chinese products. Beijing responded by imposing similar duties on the same amount of US imports. ^ top ^
US wrong over China's WTO qualification (Global Times)
2018-07-12
The day after the US threatened tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese goods, Dennis Shea, US ambassador to the WTO, on Wednesday questioned China's WTO membership. He demanded a "reckoning" over the membership and some changes to the organization. Washington has just launched the largest ever trade war in history by trampling on WTO rules and is even suspected of intending to withdraw from the WTO. How ridiculous that it question China's qualification. Whether China is a qualified WTO member lies first in whether it has honored the commitment set forth when entering the WTO, in particular, whether it has reduced the average rate of tariffs as promised. The truth is, China had fulfilled all its tariff-reduction promises by 2010, with an overall tariff rate of 9.8 percent, over-fulfilling the WTO requirement for developing countries. It reduced the trade-weighted average tariff rate to 4.4 percent in 2015. Besides, the qualification depends on whether China respects the authority of WTO rulings. Since its accession to the organization in 2001, China has faced 41 suits to the US' 80. China resolutely implements all WTO rulings, such as the one requiring China to remove export restrictions on rare earth resources. In contrast, the US often turns a deaf ear to WTO rulings. China declared in April to further open up. It plans to open up as much as possible while still fulfilling its WTO commitment, catch up with what is needed in China's economic and trade cooperation with the outside world, and promote free and fair international trade. It doesn't want to maximize its interests by taking advantage of the WTO. What the US cares about is not what China has done to fulfill its commitment, but what China should do in accordance with US interests. Hence Washington launched the trade war against China by the excuse of a Section 301 investigation, rather than WTO rules. The US now turns out to be a hefty villain. While withdrawing from multiple international supervisory mechanisms and relinquishing promises, it purports to care for the WTO. It's harder now for the rest of the world to understand Washington. The US' unilateralism and relentless infringement of international rules constitute the biggest challenge to current global order. The world has reached a consensus that Washington is shaking the multilateral trade system with a global trade war. There may be some developed economies that followed US suit in expectation of benefiting from pressuring China, but they won't prevail since the WTO values rules. The US should be aware that history is filled with tragedies where the arrogant and greedy fail. The China-US trade war seems to be a protracted one that hinges on cultural resilience. Chinese have no fear of it. While Washington tries every means to impede the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, it should be humble given its history of less than 300 years. ^ top ^
Trump poised to escalate China trade war by publishing US$200 billion hit list of new tariff targets (SCMP)
2018-07-11
US President Donald Trump is preparing to release a list of an additional US$200 billion in Chinese products to be hit with tariffs, according to two people familiar with the matter. The list is likely to be released week according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter isn't public. The publication of the list starts a weeks-long process that includes a public-comment period and hearings. The Trump administration on July 6 imposed 25 per cent duties on US$34 billion in Chinese imports, the first time the president has implemented tariffs directly on Beijing after threatening to do so for months. China immediately retaliated with duties on the same value of US goods, including soybeans and cars. The US is already considering levying duties on a further US$16 billion in Chinese goods, after a public hearing later this month. China has vowed to retaliate dollar-for-dollar to any further US tariffs. The new list would mark the latest escalation of the trade war between the world's two biggest economies. Financial markets have so far shrugged off the first round of tariffs, which were long-telegraphed, with US stocks up since Friday. The press offices for the US Trade Representative's office and White House didn't immediately comment. The International Monetary Fund has warned that a full-blown trade war could undermine the broadest global upswing in years. Trump last month asked the US Trade Representative's office to identify US$200 billion of Chinese goods that could be hit with 10 per cent tariffs. Since then, the president has said his administration could impose duties on virtually all Chinese imports into the US. Industry would be given time to comment on any new levies before they take effect. Trump has been considering tariffs against China since his officials concluded in March that Beijing violates US intellectual-property rights, such as by forcing American firms to hand over technology. ^ top ^
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| DPRK |
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un heads back to China border on economy-first mission (SCMP)
2018-07-10
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a strong signal of better economic ties with China in a visit that risks rattling the United States over Beijing's growing influence on the Korean peninsula. Kim inspected agricultural and construction sites in the northern county of Samjiyon on the border with China, North Korea's KCNA news agency and Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Tuesday. Agriculture and tourism are two key areas of Sino-North Korean cooperation and the trip highlighted Kim's plans to revive his country's economy through closer ties with its northern neighbour, observers said. Kim underscored the county's potential as a tourist hub and offered "field guidance" at Junghung Farm, stressing the need for both variety and efficiency in agriculture, according to KCNA. On his trip to Beijing last month, Kim also visited the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He was accompanied to Samjiyon by senior North Korean officials, including former Korean People's Army vice-marshal Hwang Pyong-so and Jo Yong-won, from the Organisation and Guidance Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, KCNA said. He visited a cosmetics factory in the Sinuiju special economic zone, across the Yalu River from China's port city Dandong, North Korean state media reported earlier this month. Won Hye-young, a South Korean lawmaker with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said Kim's Samjiyon trip could reflect a desire to strengthen economic relations with China via existing platforms. "It's a message directed at both domestic and foreign audiences that North Korea has moved on to an economy-first policy... After all, Pyongyang must attract foreign capital to speed up its economic development," Won said. The visit comes amid concern in Washington about China's influence over its neighbour. In a tweet on Monday, US President Donald Trump said: "I have confidence that Kim Jong-un will honour the contract we signed [and] even more importantly, our handshake. We agreed to the denuclearisation of North Korea. "China, on the other hand, may be exerting negative pressure on a deal because of our posture on Chinese trade – hope not." Late last week, the North Korean foreign ministry said it regretted the US's "gangster-like" demands on denuclearisation during Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Pyongyang. Won said the China factor would affect US-North Korea relations, but that did not mean the impact would be negative. "There are concerns that the Sino-US trade war could have a negative influence on the North Korean issue, but the trade issue is not part of the denuclearisation talks," he said. "China-North Korea relations are not a substitute for US-North Korea relations. Survival of the Kim regime sits at the core of the denuclearisation issue and thus fundamentally it is the US and North Korea that must negotiate at the end of the day." Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday that China's position on North Korea was consistent and it acted in a responsible manner. ^ top ^
North Korea invites Chinese President Xi Jinping to national day celebrations in Pyongyang (SCMP)
2018-07-07
North Korea has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Pyongyang in September for its national day as relations between the two countries gain pace. An unnamed North Korean official told South Korean reporters on Friday that Pyongyang had sent an invitation to Xi to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the country's foundation on September 9. The anniversary is one of the hermit kingdom's most important annual holidays, along with the birthdays of late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. If Xi does go, it will be the first trip to North Korea by a Chinese president since Hu Jintao's visit in October 2005 and since Pyongyang started conducting nuclear and missile tests in 2006. The suspension reflected deteriorating ties between the two countries, with Beijing angered by its neighbour's tests and Pyongyang displeased with China's support for United Nations sanctions against the regime. But conditions have improved this year as the Koreas agreed to strengthen ties and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's unprecedented summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June. Kim has visited China to meet Xi three times since March – the first two times in the lead-up to the summit and the third in June to brief China on the outcome of the talks. Liu Ming, from the Centre for Korea Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said North Korea might be trying to use Xi's presence at the celebrations to suggest the bilateral relationship was back on track. "North Korea would also look weaker if Xi did not visit given that Kim has visited China three times," Liu said, adding that Xi gave his word that he would go when Kim visited in March. "Chinese leaders often made reciprocal visits in Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il's time, but not in Kim Jong-un's. The chance of Xi accepting the invitation is quite high." In Beijing in June, Kim said the two countries supported each other "like a family" and bilateral ties would improve to a "new stage". China has since called for an end to sanctions on North Korea, and the two nations have been discussing economic cooperation. Ku Bon-tae, North Korea's vice-minister of external economic affairs, also visited Beijing last week to discuss cooperation in agriculture, rail and electricity. Cui Zhiying, director of the Korean Peninsula Research Centre at Tongji University in Shanghai, agreed that North Korea might see Xi's visit as its first step to becoming a normal state. "North Korea wishes to gradually integrate into the international community and thus become a normal state one day," Cui said. "The 70th founding anniversary is very important for North Korea... so Pyongyang would think it was the right timing to invite Xi. "If Xi actually visits North Korea, bilateral relations will reach a new stage... of cooperation. China has always opposed chaos on the Korean peninsula and thus wanted the Kim regime to be stable. This will never change." ^ top ^
Pompeo, Pyongyang show different takes on talks (Global Times)
2018-07-08
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to North Korea ended Saturday with two very different accounts of the outcome of the three-day meeting, with Pompeo saying "a great deal of progress" had been made while Pyongyang suggested the talks did not go well and brought the two sides to a "dangerous situation." Chinese experts said that the different statements indicate that disputes remain over the denuclearization talks and China could help the two sides stick to their commitments on denuclearization and security assurances made at the Singapore summit. "These are complicated issues but we made progress on almost all the central issues. Some places, a great deal of progress, other places, there's still more work to be done," Pompeo said briefly before leaving Pyongyang after his visit to North Korea from Thursday to Saturday, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday. However, Korean Central News Agency released a statement from a spokesman of North Korea's Foreign Ministry, saying that "the first DPRK-US high-level talks this time brought us in a dangerous situation where we may be shaken in our unshakable will for denuclearization, rather than consolidating trust between the DPRK and the US." The US only reiterated its unilateral demand for a complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization but didn't address the issue of establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, according to the news agency's release. Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, said that the different messages show a lack of trust on both sides. "The two countries only reached a general agreement during the Singapore summit that North Korea is willing to denuclearize… But no exact time table or roadmap was given…Problems now arise when it comes to the details," Da told the Global Times. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not meet Pompeo during this visit to Pyongyang, which further indicated disputes in the talks, Da said. Pompeo visited Pyongyang in April and May, and met with Kim, Xinhua reported. "Despite North Korea expressing regret over the talks, the doors are still open for the two sides to continue to negotiate," said Da. "China can also make constructive efforts to help the two sides deliver on their commitments made during the Singapore summit, and maintain regional stability and peace around the Korean Peninsula, which is in line with China's strategic security concerns in the region," he added. China has proposed a "dual-track" approach that urges both Washington and Pyongyang to meet each other halfway, reported Xinhua. ^ top ^
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Naadam festivity concludes (Montsame)
2018-07-13
The Naadam festivity commemorating the 2227th anniversary of the Mongolian Statehood, the 812th anniversary of the Great Mongol Empire, the 97th anniversary of the Mongolian People's Revolution and the 29th anniversary of the Democratic Revolution has successfully concluded. On the first day, July 11th, President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga delivered remarks at the opening ceremony, gave an interview to the Mongolian National Broadcaster, and visited the archery field and the ankle bone shooting hall. President Battulga said to reporters, "I have opened the Naadam festivity for the second time. Last year, I didn't shoot a bow and arrow because I was unprepared. For this year's Naadam, I trained three or four times. One of my shots hit the target. I am delighted." On the second day, July 12th, the President went to Khui Doloon Khudag to watch the race of soyolon, 5 year-old horse. Present at the race were, Speaker of the State Great Khural Miyeegombyn Enkhbold, Prime Minister Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Chief of Staff of the Office of the President Z.Enkhbold and members of the Cabinet and the State Great Khural. Then, President Battulga visited the ger of horse trainer B.Battur, whose stallion won the race. On this day, President Battulga gave an interview to Mongol TV, and issued a decree to award the outstanding archers, child jockeys and the wrestlers who won their respective games. The President presented the rank of the State Champion to N.Batsuuri, who upgraded his rank State Lion by winning the wrestling tournament. He defeated State Champion Ch.Sanjaadamba in the final round. Following the award ceremony, President Battulga gave closing remarks of the Naadam festivity. ^ top ^
Lion of State N.Batsuuri wins this year's Naadam wrestling tournament (Montsame)
2018-07-12
On July 12, Lion of State N.Batsuuri from Uvs aimag became the 23rd State Champion,winning the wrestling tournament of the National Naadam Festival, the 2227th anniversary of Foundation of the first Mongolian State, the 812th anniversary of the Great Mongol Empire and the 97th anniversary of the Mongolian People's Revolution. In the 9th round of the wrestling tournament, Lion of State N.Batsuuri defeated State Champion Ch.Sanjaadamba. Previously, State Champion N.Batsuuri won the wrestling tournament of the 93th anniversary of the Mongolian People's Revolution and gained the Lion of State title. This year, 512 wrestlers competed in the wrestling tournament, of whom one State Champion, three Hawk of State and six Falcon of State were born. ^ top ^
Domestic producers see sales increase during national holidays (Montsame)
2018-07-12
According to the numbers, over 90 thousand tourists have arrived in Mongolia to watch the Mongolian National Naadam Festival, which increased by 10 thousand compared to the previous year. As the number of tourists increases, revenue of domestic producers increasing in parallel. Founder of Mayara brand S.Azjargal said that it is possible to say that tourists are interested in history and culture of Mongolia from tourists' buying behavior. On the other hand, they are buying souvenirs for themselves to reminisce about their travel experience in Mongolia. Tourists say that they arrive in Mongolia to rest in tranquility of the Mongolian countryside and learn about Mongolian nomadic lifestyle. So, they mostly buy Mongolian traditional costume,accessories and other products related to Mongolian culture. Moreover, foreign tourists have a keen interest in buying Mongolian cashmere, wool, and leather and felt products. Last year, sales revenue of biggest national cashmere producer 'Gobi' JSC surpassed MNT 80 billion, of which tourists made up more than half of it. During the Naadam Festival days, national producers 'MR', 'Urban Jeans', 'Khuree Collection', 'Exclusive' and others are selling their products to Naadam festival goers at the Central Stadium and Khui Doloon Khudag. ^ top ^
Cabinet sets up task force on Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi shares trading (Gogo)
2018-07-10
As part of Cabinet's plan to accelerate the Tavan Tolgoi project, a task force has been set up to manage the trading of Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi (ETT) shares on local and international stock markets. Minister of Mining, Infrastructure and Heavy Industry D. Sumiyabazar will lead a working group to oversee trading procedures. The task force will undertake preparations for the trading of 30 percent of ETT's shares, resolving pressing matters, monitoring the implementation of the trades, and reporting back to Cabinet about its progress and results. ^ top ^
Fitch Ratings upgrades Mongolia's credit rating to 'B' (Gogo)
2018-07-10
On July 9, Fitch Ratings upgraded Mongolia's Long-Term Foreign Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to "B" from "-B" with an outlook defined as "stable". Key rating drivers were ongoing improvements to fiscal and external indicators and progress in meeting the IMF's EFF program targets. As of May, government revenue rose by 26-percent year-over-year. At the same time, government expenditure saw a modest increase of 6 percent, in line with the 2018 budget target. Fitch projects that the government debt to GDP ratio will fall to 75.3 percent by the end of 2018, down from 81.2 percent in 2017 and 91.4 percent in 2016. Fitch Ratings forecasts that Mongolia's real GDP growth will reach 5.2 percent in 2018 and 6.3 percent in 2019. ^ top ^
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Selina Morell
Embassy of Switzerland
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The Press review is a random selection
of political and social related news gathered from various media
and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by
the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss
Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility
for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally
the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion
of the Embassy.
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