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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 |
Chinese-speaking tourists attack swan by Swiss lake 'over missed photo' (SCMP)
2018-09-26
A group of Chinese-speaking tourists have caused a stir after they were seen teasing and rough-handling a swan in Switzerland in a video that has been widely circulated online. The footage – shot near the iconic Schwanenplatz, or Swan Square in German, in the scenic lakeside city of Lucerne – begins with the tourists surrounding a large swan. A woman is seen teasing the bird with what appears to be a piece of paper. When the swan snatches the paper from her hand, another woman steps in and grabs the bird around the head and neck, trying to pry the object from its bill. The video first surfaced on Snapchat, Swiss news outlet 20 Minuten reported on Monday. While the news site did not comment on the nationality of the tourists, whose faces were not shown, they could be heard communicating in Chinese. The video was quickly picked up and circulated by Chinese media outlets and social media platforms. Chinese reports suggested that a missed photo opportunity had prompted the woman to grab the swan. Right after the swan gets hold of the paper, a member of the group can be heard in the background exclaiming in Mandarin, "Wait, I haven't got the shot yet", according to Sina News. The English-speaker taking the video can be heard expressing his shock at the animal's treatment. At one point, the camera pans towards a small sign nearby with a photo of a swan that reads "Please don't feed us". Online, the video has also been met with outrage. A comment on 20 Minuten's website that received more than 1,200 likes from other viewers read: "The best tourist is the one who stays where they come from." On Chinese social media, internet users expressed dismay at the tourists' "disgusting" behaviour, referring to it as another case causing "Chinese people to lose face". Others came to the defence of the woman who grabbed the swan, pointing out that she might have been trying to save it from swallowing the paper. "The aunt went out to pick the thing out of the swan's mouth. Can the person filming not just follow foreign media in smearing the Chinese?" one person wrote. "This suspected Chinese aunt acted courageously to save the swan," another said. Several commenters also focused on the tourists' nationality, accusing the media of attempting to smear Chinese. Surrounded by mountains, majestic Lake Lucerne and the luxury watch trade draw more than 9 million visitors to the city each year, and the tourism industry has caused controversy in recent years for its impact on the small population of 80,000. The swan video comes on the heels of a diplomatic incident over the treatment of Chinese tourists in another European country. Earlier this month in Stockholm, a Chinese family was forcibly removed from a hostel lobby after arriving hours ahead of check-in time. Footage of a man screaming at police officers outside the hostel was later posted online. After a Swedish television show mocked Chinese tourists, the Chinese embassy in Sweden issued a statement accusing the programme host of "spreading and advocating racism and xenophobia outright". Chinese travellers also threatened to boycott the country. International tourism accounts for 10 per cent of the European Union's gross domestic product, with some US$438 billion in tourism receipts rung up last year, according to official data. More than 500 million international travellers visited member countries last year. While tourism from China is growing rapidly, Chinese tourists accounted for only 6 million of those visitors to Europe last year, according to Chinese state media. ^ top ^
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China backs WTO reforms, not creating new organization (Xinhua)
2018-09-28
China supports reforms of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that honor the institution's rules but will not create a new organization, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday. "The WTO is not perfect and facing challenges on its authority and effectiveness amid prevailing protectionism and unilateralism," spokesperson Gao Feng told a regular news conference, saying that reforms are necessary to help the multilateral trading system move with the times. "Still, the multilateral trading system, with the WTO as its epitome, has been indispensable in fighting protectionism, promoting trade and advancing sustainable development," he said. Gao said the revamps must not change the basic rules of the WTO, nor should changes be made to reverse trade liberalization. "Reforms must not lead to the creation of a new organization, and China opposes the act of imposing will on others by individual members of the WTO," Gao said. "Reforms should be based on mutual respect, equality and reciprocity, and priority should be given to addressing issues that threaten the existence of the WTO." ^ top ^
China opposes B-52 flyover (Global Times)
2018-09-28
China firmly opposes US provocation in the South China Sea, two Chinese ministries said Thursday after the US sent B-52 strategic bombers into the region. "China's principle and standpoint on the South China Sea are always clear," defense ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said at a regular press conference on Thursday. "China firmly opposes US military aircraft's provocation in the South China Sea, and will take all necessary measures." Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at Thursday's routine press conference that China firmly opposes countries using freedom of navigation and overflight as excuses to harm other countries' sovereignty and security, disturbing regional peace and stability. The remarks came after the US sent B-52 strategic bombers over the South China Sea this week, according to a Thursday Reuters report, quoting Dave Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman. The move was part of regularly scheduled operations designed to enhance US interoperability with its partners and allies in the region, Reuters quoted Eastburn as saying. But Chinese analysts said the US was pressuring China with military action in the hope of gaining an edge in the expanding trade friction between the two countries. Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday the US was playing the military card in the South China Sea as a means to pressure China. US President Donald Trump is preparing for the upcoming midterm elections and he wants to showcase success against China to US voters, Li said. Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the Hainan-based National Institute for the South China Sea, said the US was reassuring regional partners like the Philippines and Vietnam that "it is capable of protecting them." The B-52 was an aggressive weapon that shows off US military power in the Asia-Pacific region, Chen told the Global Times on Thursday. US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Wednesday that the flights were nothing out of the ordinary and then accused China of militarizing the South China Sea, Reuters reported. Chen said that there was no militarization of the South China Sea, only US excuses for their actions. "China only deploys necessary defensive facilities to protect itself," Chen said. This is not the first time this year the US sent B-52s into the South China Sea. In June, two B-52 bombers flew a training mission over the area and entered the vicinity of the Nansha Islands. ^ top ^
Rohingya issue is between Myanmar and Bangladesh, says China diplomat at UN summit meeting (SCMP)
2018-09-28
China's top diplomat has said the Rohingya issue should not be complicated, expanded or "internationalised", as the United Nations prepares to set up a body to prepare evidence of human rights abuses in Myanmar. China, along with the Philippines and Burundi, voted against the Human Rights Council motion on Thursday to establish the panel which will also look into possible genocide in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine. More than 100 countries were in favour. "The Rakhine state issue is in essence an issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh," Councillor Wang Yi told representatives of Bangladesh and Myanmar on the sidelines of the UN summit, at a meeting also attended by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Speaking to Bangladesh foreign minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali and Myanmar's minister of the office of the state counsellor Kyaw Tint Swe, Wang said the Rakhine issue was a complex historical one. He said Beijing hoped the two countries could find a resolution via talks, and that China was willing to continue to help provide a platform communication. "The international community, including the United Nations, can also play a constructive role in this," Wang said. China has close relations with Myanmar and backs what Myanmar officials call a "legitimate counter-insurgency operation" in Rakhine. Beijing has also helped to block a resolution on the crisis at the UN Security Council. Over the past year, more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled the Buddhist-majority country to neighbouring Bangladesh following a military response to attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents. The UN has called Myanmar's actions "ethnic cleansing", a charge Myanmar rejects, blaming Rohingya "terrorists" for most accounts of atrocities. ^ top ^
Silk Road passenger train planned between Antwerp, Shanghai (Xinhua)
2018-09-28
Several organizations and institutions on Thursday signed an ambitious agreement to jointly work to introduce train services between this Belgian port and the Chinese port of Shanghai. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Antwerp among the World Free & Special Economic Zones Federation, Brussels-based magazine Diplomatic World and the Antwerp-based non-profit European Federation of Traditional Chinese Culture (EFTCC). The program, called Diamond Silk Road, aims to connect Antwerp and Shanghai by a passenger train that will run through 10 other cities including Brussels, Moscow, Ulan Bator and Beijing, thus forming the world's largest space for free trade and manufacturing. Currently, there is only freight rail service network linking China and Europe. Since the first China-Europe freight train from Chongqing to Duisburg of Germany was launched in 2011, there have been more than 10,000 trips and the trains continue to serve as a crucial network of the Silk Road Economic Belt. As of June 30 this year, the freight rail services link 48 Chinese cities with 42 European cities. The year 2018 marks the fifth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, a transnational network connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond. Li Jianmin, Minister-Counselor of the Chinese mission to the European Union who attended the signing ceremony, said: "Silk Road is not only a road for the development of economies, trade and industry, but it is also a road for education and culture." "I hope the future train service between Antwerp and Shanghai will play a role for bridging Belgium and China, and all the countries along the way," he said. Ludo Van Campenhout, Antwerp vice mayor who attended the signing ceremony, said: "The old Silk Road transported goods from East to West. Now we want to do the same with the exchange of goods, culture and persons through the development of a new railway. The aim is intercultural exchange from East to West." "Each nation, big or small, benefits from competition. Free trade is the basis for creating wealth but also basis for well-being and peace," he added. ^ top ^
China 'in for more tough American talk' – no matter who wins the November midterm elections (SCMP)
2018-09-27
China is expecting the United States to continue to take a tough stand towards Beijing, no matter which political party has control of the US Congress after November's midterm elections, diplomatic observers said. And regardless of the election results, Beijing will seek to expand international markets as it fights an increasingly bitter trade war with Washington, they added. The assessment came after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused China of seeking to meddle in the November elections in favour of the opposition Democrats. "We found that China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 election, coming up in November, against my administration," Trump said in a speech to the United Nations Security Council. "They do not want me, or us, to win because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade, and we are winning on trade." After the speech, Trump went one step further, casting doubt on whether his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, was still a "friend", a term he used to describe Xi after their first meeting at his Florida resort in April last year. "He may not be a friend of mine any more but I think he probably respects me," Trump said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang denied that Beijing was interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. Geng said the international community was clear which country was responsible for the most interference, and urged the United States to stop damaging relations with China. Trump did not offer direct evidence to support his election interference claim, but in a tweet soon after his UN remarks, he criticised a four-page advertising supplement placed by state-owned China Daily in an Iowa newspaper on Sunday. The supplement was critical of Trump's hard-line approach on trade and promoted the mutual benefits of US-China trade, in contrast with the White House's use of tariffs as a weapon in the trade conflict. Iowa is a major US centre for corn and pig production, goods that are covered by Chinese tariffs introduced in July. It also one of a number of agricultural states that are considered Republican strongholds. Yuan Zhen, a Sino-US affairs specialist from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Beijing's tariffs were aimed at Trump's base but even if the Republicans lost control of the Congress, Washington's tough rhetoric against Beijing would continue. "Both the Democrats and Republicans will get harder on China," Yuan said. "The Democrats may counterbalance Trump and make changes to the US diplomatic agenda, but the overall trend will be the same. "No matter which party wins the midterm elections, Beijing is prepared for an eight-year Trump administration and will try to improve trade ties with countries other than the US." Liu Weidong, also from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Trump's accusation was a tactic to boost domestic support before the midterms. "Trump is playing the China card and want to shore up support for his strong stance against Beijing," Liu said. Although the next presidential election is not until 2020, Democrat control of Congress could present barriers to Trump's agenda. As of Wednesday, opinion poll analysis by the US website FiveThirtyEight gave the Democrats a 79.9 per cent chance of retaking the House of Representatives and a 31.6 per cent chance of winning back the Senate. Both are now controlled by the Republicans. ^ top ^
China embassy rejects insincere apology for offensive Swedish TV show (People's Daily)
2018-09-27
On Sept. 21, Sweden's national broadcaster SVT broadcast the show "Svenska Nyheter," which aired a racist program about tourists from China, depicting Chinese travelers as people who eat dogs and defecate in public, drawing backlash in China and around the world. After the show aired, the Embassy of China in Sweden issued a statement criticizing the racist program and demanding an immediate apology. "We strongly condemn it, and have lodged a strong protest to SVT," the Embassy said. "We urge SVT and the program to immediately give an apology." Afterward, Thomas Hall, the program manager of SVT, made a half-hearted attempt to put out the fire. However, as the Embassy pointed out in a statement on Sept. 25, Hall intentionally dodged the issue of the racial content. The embassy called the statement nothing but an excuse and an attempt to try to sidestep the issue. "We will never accept such an 'apology,'" it said. On Sept. 26, Hall issued another "apology." However, it too was rejected, as the program manager of SVT once again failed to address the anti-China nature of the show and make a sincere apology to China and the Chinese people. Now, the Embassy of China in Sweden is once again urging the Swedish broadcaster to apologize and make sure this never happens again. In a statement published on Sept. 26, the Embassy criticized Hall for failing to reflect on the racist attack on China and the racial discrimination against Chinese. It also pointed out that Hall has still yet to reflect on and apologize for publishing a fake map of China, which portrayed China without the province of Taiwan and parts of Tibet. The "insincere and hypocritical" apology, the statement explained, was merely an attempt to gloss over the program's mistakes and skirt the issue of racism, and the Embassy once again urged SVT and program staff of the "Svenska Nyheter" show to stop making excuses and sincerely apologize to China and the Chinese people and to unequivocally reject racism. ^ top ^
Donald Trump takes aim at China over trade imbalance but hails progress on North Korea during UN address (SCMP)
2018-09-26
US President Donald Trump used the occasion of his second address to the United Nations on Tuesday to amplify his anger about China's trade and economic policies, accusing Beijing of "relentless product dumping" and other unfair practices. Singling out China as a rogue nation in terms of trade while discussing his administration's most pressing foreign policy issues at the 73rd annual UN General Assembly in New York, Trump's move signals further escalation in the bilateral trade war that started in July, and his administration's determination to change the course of the Sino-US relationship, analysts said. "The UN has a special meaning in Chinese political discourse. UN membership and status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council symbolise China being accepted and embraced as a member of the global community of nation-states," said Zhao Ma, an associate professor of Chinese history and culture at Washington University in St. Louis. "To openly criticise China on China's most valued global stage shows the Trump administration's effort to put maximum pressure on China for future trade talks," Zhao said. Trump's comments continue a downward spiral in US-China relations, reflected most recently by Beijing's calling off a new round of high-level trade talks that was meant to convene in Washington this week. Several rounds of trade negotiations since May have failed to end the tariff war. Concessions offered by China, including increased imports of US agricultural products and a timeline for easier market access for foreign banks and insurers, have not convinced Trump to pull back from his strategy of widening the scope of Chinese imports subject to punitive tariffs. Trump is demanding significant changes not only to investment rules that force foreign companies operating in China to transfer proprietary technology to their local joint venture partners, but also to Beijing's industrial policies. "While the United States and many other nations played by the rules, these countries used government-run industrial planning and state-owned enterprises to rig the system in their favour," Trump told the UN. "The United States lost over three million manufacturing jobs, nearly a quarter of all steel jobs, and 60,000 factories after China joined the [World Trade Organisation]. We will no longer tolerate such abuse. We will not allow our workers to be victimised, our companies to be cheated, and our wealth to be plundered and transferred." Relations have also been tested on other fronts in recent days. For example, Beijing summoned the American ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, over the weekend to discuss sanctions the US State Department slapped on Chinese entities for buying Russian military equipment. "Trump re-emphasised the value and the importance of the trade war with China, demonstrating the unlikeliness for him to compromise," said Yun Sun, East Asia Programme senior associate at the Stimson Centre, a Washington think tank. "This hardline position on trade is a reflection of the conviction on the part of the US for the decoupling of the two economies, which has critical political and security implications." Trump's comments contrasted sharply with his UN address last year, when his speech was defined by a threat to "totally destroy North Korea" and featured a mixed tone concerning China. A year ago, Trump avoided naming Beijing as an enabler for Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme, which his administration called the most pressing global security threat at the time, and refrained from attacking Beijing for the trade imbalance that he had highlighted since before he took office in January 2017. Trump mentioned China specifically last year only to thank President Xi Jinping for his cooperation on North Korea. In his address on Tuesday, Trump thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "for his courage and for the steps he has taken" to end the country's nuclear weapons programme. "We have engaged with North Korea to replace the spectre of conflict with a bold and new push for peace," Trump said. During Trump's June summit meeting with Kim in Singapore, "we had highly productive conversations and meetings and we agreed that it was in the interests of both countries for North Korea to denuclearise. "Since that meeting we have already seen a number of encouraging measures that few could have imagined only a short time ago." On Monday, Trump said that a second meeting with Kim is likely to take place "quite soon" and to follow a format similar to that in Singapore. Trump also had some kind words for President Xi. While excoriating China for its industrial policies and trade and investment rules, Trump expressed his "affection" for Xi, using language similar to his kind words for Kim. "I have great respect and affection for my friend President Xi, but I've made clear our trade imbalance is just not acceptable," Trump said. That tactic is a signature move of Trump's in dealing with tough foreign policy issues, said Bonnie Glaser, Asia expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, another Washington think tank. Trump, Glaser said, "sought to insulate his relationship with leaders, including Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un, in the belief that those personal ties may be helpful in addressing problems that arise". China aside, Trump lashed out at other targets including Iran, the International Criminal Court and globalisation in general, re-articulating his administration's disregard for agreements that encumber US foreign policy decisions. "America is governed by Americans," Trump said. "We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism. "Around the world, responsible nations must defend against threats to sovereignty not just from global governance, but also from other, new forms of coercion and domination." ^ top ^
Pope Francis urges Chinese Catholics to overcome divisions for 'new chapter of cooperation' (SCMP)
2018-09-26
Pope Francis urged Chinese Catholics on Wednesday to trust him and make concrete gestures of reconciliation following a landmark deal over bishop appointments that is aimed at ending decades of estrangement between the Vatican and Beijing. In a letter to the Chinese faithful, Francis also called for greater dialogue between local priests and government authorities to ensure that ordinary church activities could be carried out, while encouraging the opening of "a new chapter" in official bilateral cooperation. He said the aim was to "initiate an unprecedented process that we hope will help to heal the wounds of the past, restore full communion among all Chinese Catholics, and lead to a phase of greater fraternal cooperation". The letter follows the deal signed on Saturday governing the naming of bishops in China, an issue that has vexed relations for decades. The agreement regularises the status of seven bishops who had been appointed by Beijing over the years without papal consent, and sets out a process of dialogue to name new ones. Francis said he, not Beijing, would ultimately name new bishops. While the deal addressed a crucial aspect of church governance in China, it did not address more pastoral issues of unifying split communities, which the letter published on Wednesday aims to do. "The Catholic community in China is called to be united, so as to overcome the divisions of the past that have caused, and continue to cause great suffering in the hearts of many pastors and faithful," Francis wrote. "All Christians, none excluded, must now offer gestures of reconciliation and communion." China's estimated 12 million Catholics are split between those belonging to the government-backed Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which is outside the Pope's authority, and an underground church loyal to the Pope. Underground priests and parishioners are frequently detained and harassed. Francis – and before him Pope Benedict XVI and St John Paul II – had tried to unite the two communities, including a letter Benedict penned to the Chinese faithful in 2007. Years of negotiations kicked into high gear over a year ago, culminating in the deal signed Saturday. Unlike Benedict's 2007 letter, which labelled the patriotic association "incompatible" with Catholic doctrine and took a hard line in asserting the exclusive right of the Pope to name bishops, Francis' tone was far more conciliatory and focused on moving past previous differences. He did not even name the patriotic association or insist on his right to name bishops. But has said that after a period of dialogue he would ultimately name new leaders of the church. The letter provided some detail of the process involved, which includes ordinary priests and lay faithful taking part in the nomination process. Lay participation is unknown in the West, where such nominations are put to the Vatican for consideration by the local hierarchy and the local Vatican ambassador. Francis urged the Chinese faithful "to join in seeking good candidates" who are not mere functionaries but are "authentic shepherds... committed to working generously in the service of God's people, especially the poor and the most vulnerable". In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China was sincere about wanting better relations with the Vatican and the bishops agreement was an important step in improving ties. "China is willing to continue to meet the Vatican side halfway and have constructive dialogue, increasing understanding and accumulating mutual trust, to promote the process of continuing to improve relations," Geng said, without elaborating. ^ top ^
China, Japan hold political dialogue, pledging to enhance strategic communication (Xinhua)
2018-09-25
China and Japan on Tuesday held the fifth high-level political dialogue, in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, agreeing to enhance strategic communication to develop bilateral ties along a normal track. Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, co-chaired the dialogue with Japanese national security advisor Shotaro Yachi. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan. Yang called on both countries to cherish and maintain the positive momentum of bilateral ties, jointly plan high-level exchanges for the next stage, firmly abide by the principles agreed in the four political documents between China and Japan, to ensure the steady and healthy development of bilateral ties. "Both sides need to firmly bear in mind the general direction of bilateral friendship and cooperation, establish correct recognition of each other and strategic mutual trust and make it clear that China and Japan are partners that will not pose threats to each other," Yang said. He called for exploration of complementary advantages and potential to upgrade economic and trade cooperation, and urged for enhancing people-to-people exchanges. "Both countries need to promote peace, stability and prosperity in Asia, and multilateral cooperation, as well as jointly safeguard free trade and multilateralism to help international order and global governance develop in a fairer and more rational direction," he said. Hailing the improvement of bilateral ties, Yachi said Japan was "ready to grasp the hard-won opportunity together with China on the basis of the four political documents, enhance high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust and cooperation in all areas, and safeguard the existing international order together and jointly address regional and global challenges." The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern. ^ top ^
China remains committed to openness in fast-changing world: Chinese envoy in Geneva (Xinhua)
2018-09-25
In a fast-changing world, China's commitment to openness remains unchanged, the Permanent Representative of China to the UN Office at Geneva Yu Jianhua said, just a week before China's 69th Nation Day. "The door to China will not close. It will only open wider," Yu said at a national day reception held here on Monday night, which as usual drew hundreds of diplomats from every corner of the globe as well as business leaders and the world-wide press corps based in Geneva. Saying that reform and innovation are the two essential for advancement, robustness, and success, Yu told the audience that "Reform and innovation were there when the Chinese people, with diligence and intelligence, impressed the world with the "China miracle". "With much search and struggle, our nation stood on its own feet, achieved prosperity, and grew strong," he said. "China will do well only when the world does well, and vice versa." He also told the audience that China will forge ahead with the Belt and Road Initiative, deepening multilateral and bilateral economic ties and trade, and uphold multilateralism with the UN as the mainstream. It will improve China's foreign investment environment, better coordinate regional plans for country-wide openness, and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, he explained. Jean Musy, President of APES (Foreign Press Association in Switzerland and Liechtenstein), told Xinhua that it is refreshing in the current climate to see China's commitment to multilateralism and he enjoyed exchanging ideas with Chinese people from various walks of life at the function. "China's commitment to infrastructural development through its Belt and Road policy (Initiative) will enhance its global profile if it works for the benefit of developing nations," said Musy. "A commitment to more openness will also benefit China in the long term," he noted. Brij Khindaria, an Indian journalist and member of ACANU (the Association of UN Correspondents in Geneva), also said that the Chinese ambassador's latest speech was important for multilateralism. Speaking in his personal capacity on the Belt and Road Initiative, Khindaria said that when a country recognizes that many developing and middle-level countries need a lot of investment for their infrastructure and is willing to provide that investment without too many strings attacks that is extremely good news. "Because in parts of the world such as Central Asia, and in Africa there will be a boom if this is done right...The important thing is to create trust," he said. ^ top ^
Chinese navy hospital ship docks in Venezuela amid crisis (SCMP)
2018-09-23
A Chinese navy hospital ship docked near Venezuela's capital on Saturday as the OPEC nation's deepening economic crisis garners the attention of the US and other world powers. Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino was on hand to greet the People's Liberation Army Navy's ship, the Peace Ark, on its latest stop as part of the 11-nation "Mission Harmony" tour announced in June. "This is how you undertake diplomacy in the world," Padrino said, "with concrete actions of cooperation and not stoking the false voices of those who beat the drum of war." for a week, amid the severe crisis on the Venezuelan health system. Interest in the goodwill visit has been building since the Pentagon announced in August it was sending its own hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, to neighbouring Colombia to provide free medical treatment for thousands of Venezuelan migrants fleeing their homes amid widespread food and medicine shortages. US Defence Secretary James Mattis, in a visit to Colombia last month, called the ship's deployment a humanitarian mission to deal with the fallout of President Nicolas Maduro's mismanagement of the economy. The United Nations estimates that 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled the crisis-torn country in recent years, mainly to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. But top officials in Venezuela's socialist government saw the Comfort's deployment as a threat, part of an effort by the US to pave the way for a military intervention on humanitarian grounds. Padrino on Saturday said the Chinese boat's visit was part of the government's "strategic defence operation". The Peace Ark's humanitarian tours around the world have become a sign of China's outreach efforts and Beijing's ambitions of gradually expanding its military influence abroad. The ship, which has 300 beds, eight operation rooms and a medical helicopter, has carried out such missions to more than 40 countries provided free medical services for more than 180,000 people since it was commissioned in 2008. Such goodwill visits have been the mainstay of US diplomacy in Latin America for decades. The Chinese ship has twice before visited Latin America, in 2011 and 2015, but never has stopped in Venezuela. It will also visit the Caribbean island of Grenada and Ecuador on its current deployment. Maduro, who came back a week ago from a visit to China where he sought fresh investment and financing from one of Venezuela's top ally, said on Twitter that the boat will stay in Venezuela for about a week. ^ top ^
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China to unswervingly support private sector: Xi (Global Times)
2018-09-28
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China will unswervingly support the development of the private sector and vowed to create a better legal environment for private companies. "We will unswervingly develop the public sector and will unswervingly encourage, support, guide and protect the development of the private sector," Xi said in a visit to China Zhongwang Holdings Limited in Northeast China's Liaoning Province. Xi pointed out that many of the country's reform efforts are aimed at further developing the private economy and urged private companies to have confidence. "We will create a better legal environment and further improve the business environment for private companies," he said. "The Communist Party of China's guiding principles are beneficial to the development of private companies," Xi said. "Private enterprise owners should also spare no efforts in developing more first-rate products." The President's comments come as a debate about the relationship between the country's State-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private firms continues to gain traction on Chinese social media. At a visit to a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation in Liaoning earlier on Thursday, Xi stressed that talks and arguments about getting rid of State-owned enterprises or diminishing SOEs are "wrong and one-sided." "Any thoughts or remarks that doubt and badmouth SOEs are wrong," he said, adding that China will continue its basic economic system with public ownership playing a dominant role and diverse forms of ownership developing side by side. ^ top ^
Four CPC members awarded posthumous honorary title for bravery and sacrifice (Xinhua)
2018-09-28
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has decided to posthumously bestow the title of "national outstanding CPC member" upon four late members. The decision has been made aiming to honor role models who are "firm in belief, loyal to the Party, and bold in taking on responsibilities and actions in the new era," and to encourage other members to perform their duties and and attain outstanding achievements, according to a statement of the CPC Central Committee. Three of the honored CPC members worked for the 760 Research Institute of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, and the other was a militia member who spent 32 years guarding an island post. Huang Qun, born in May 1967, Sun Yuecai, born in January 1957, and Jiang Kaibin, born in December 1956, gave up their lives to protect a national experimental platform against a typhoon on Aug 20. Wang Jicai, who used to be head of the militia post on Kaishan Island in East China's Jiangsu Province and secretary of the Party branch of Kaishan Island village, started working on the island in the Yellow Sea with his wife in 1986. He died of sudden illness while on duty in July at the age of 58. ^ top ^
Warning delivered on holiday excess (China Daily)
2018-09-28
The country's top anti-graft agency ordered all officials to uphold the Communist Party of China's eight-point frugality code during the coming National Day holiday and to keep the disciplinary rules firmly in mind to avoid violations. As the weeklong holiday starts on Monday, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection listed several examples of violations it has uncovered in the past three years as an alert for officials. According to its website: "Those using public funds for banquets, giving or accepting gifts or money, using official cars without authorization and holding lavish weddings or funerals were frequently found ahead of or during such holidays in recent years." It ordered officials to pay attention to the code while enjoying the holiday. From 2015 to 2017, a total of 989 cases in which officials violated frugality rules were exposed by the CCDI during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays. Of those, most involved unauthorized payments of bonuses, followed by improper giving or receiving gifts or money. Using official cars without authorization was next on the list, the commission said. According to the CCDI, Huang Xinping, head of continuing studies school at Tarim University in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, was found improperly paying out bonuses of 225,000 yuan ($32,720) to employees during the holidays. The seven-day National Day holiday is also taken as a good time for reunions, but the commission said some officials made use of the period over the past three years to deal with private affairs using public money, including holding weddings or visiting friends. Zhang Waisheng, an official from Fenyi county, Jiangxi province, was exposed for organizing a lavish wedding by inviting 39 tables of family members and friends. Sun Yumin, deputy director of justice bureau of Anci district in Langfang, Hebei province, reportedly received improper gifts and money at a banquet for his grandchild. In addition, traveling across the country or overseas using public money was also a serious problem during the holidays, the commission said. "Such holidays are good for allowing officials to have a rest, but discipline must be continuously highlighted during the period," the commission said in its statement, warning officials to avoid being blamed for improperly having a meal or receiving a souvenir. The commission released a report on Wednesday saying that 7,846 officials involved in 5,565 cases had been punished in August for violating the eight-point frugality code. The code was created by the CPC in December 2012 to curb undesirable work practices of Party members and government officials. Of the cases, 1,456 were related to the unauthorized payment of bonuses, 1,070 to giving or accepting gifts or money and 838 to the unauthorized use of official cars. ^ top ^
China eases up on winter smog fight as it battles American trade war headwinds (SCMP)
2018-09-27
China will be less severe with its smog curbs this winter as it grapples with slower economic growth and a trade war with the United States, according to a government plan released on Thursday. Instead of imposing blanket bans on industrial production in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area as it did last winter, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said it would let steel plants continue production as long as their emissions met standards. Targets for overall emissions cuts have also been revised down. In the next six months, 28 cities in northern China are required to cut levels of PM2.5 – the tiny airborne particles that are most harmful to human health – by about 3 per cent from a year ago. That is less than the 5 per cent cut proposed in an initial plan seen by the South China Morning Post last month. Meanwhile, the new plan stipulates that the number of days of severe air pollution should be reduced by about 3 per cent, also revised down from 5 per cent in last month's draft. In addition, the two targets are well below the cuts of "at least 15 per cent" set out in last year's plan. The ministry said the region reported a 25 per cent cut in PM2.5 and a 55 per cent cut in the number of days of heavy pollution last winter thanks to enforced shutdowns of steel mills, construction sites, coking plants and chemical factories. The ministry did not say why it was taking a much softer line in the fight against pollution. But analysts said the Chinese government was reassessing its priorities – giving more attention to growth while putting pollution curbs and debt reduction on the back-burner. Shutting down construction sites – as it did last year – would hamper local government efforts to heed Beijing's call to build more infrastructure and spur economic activity to cushion the country from trade war blows. Lu Ting, chief China economist at Nomura International in Hong Kong, said in a research note that the scale and extent of the anti-smog campaign would likely be less aggressive than last year "given the headwinds from weakening demand and more challenges from rising trade protectionism and the escalation in China-US trade tension". "Beijing has shifted to an outright stimulus stance in recent months, which also implies less aggressive in implementing the anti-smog campaign," Lu said. While some factories in northern China will still scale back output, factories with emission levels "obviously better than peer companies" can continue production. Another big change this winter is the ministry's decision to give local governments control over the production curbs, allowing them to set their own targets "according to local conditions". Last winter Beijing sent legions of teams to check compliance with its orders. Gone, too, are the August proposals for six cities to halve steel production during the coming heating season, and other cities to limit steel output by at least 30 per cent. Analyst Rosealea Yao, from research firm Gavekal Dragonomics, wrote in a note that China's industrial production curbs were fairly successful in reducing air pollution but the campaign had stirred intense public criticism as well, especially when coal heating systems were shut down before gas supplies came online. "Central policymakers will not want to suffer such embarrassment again. They are also likely to be more concerned about the potential impact to growth than they were last year, with infrastructure investment weak and the US ramping up tariffs on Chinese exports," Yao wrote. But Beijing is not giving up on its clearer air campaign, especially with pollution control listed as one of Chinese President Xi Jinping's top three priorities for China through 2020. Michelle Lam, greater China economist at Societe Generale in Hong Kong, said the new plan did not mean "the government is not taking capacity cuts seriously". "What we know now is that Beijing is allowing local companies to adjust their own output accordingly based on the measures of air quality rather than administrative measures," Lam said. ^ top ^
Liu Xia talks about Liu Xiaobo, thanks supporters for their concern at New York human rights event (SCMP)
2018-09-27
Liu Xia, the widow of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, told an audience in New York on Wednesday that even today she is unsure where to start when talking about her late husband, in her first formal appearance since leaving China after eight years of de facto house arrest. Speaking at a panel discussion hosted by the Václav Havel Library Foundation, Liu Xia briefly talked about Liu Xiaobo, who died last July of liver cancer while on medical parole, and thanked supporters for their concern for the couple over the years. Prompted by the moderator, Columbia University Professor Andrew Nathan of the National Endowment for Democracy, to begin the discussion with remarks on her late husband, Liu said: "Regarding Xiaobo, I think even today I still don't know what to say." Looking down, she then shared a conversation she had with Liu Xiaobo in his final days. She told him that she had been contacted while he was in jail after co-authoring the human rights manifesto Charter 08. "I got a message from the Kafka office in Prague," said Liu, who has often likened her situation to the nightmarish bureaucracies of novelist Franz Kafka. "One of the questions they asked was whether one day he would return to the public's sight, and whether he had the power to rally the public … and I told Xiaobo that I don't think I can see [that day]. "Liu Xiaobo smiled after hearing that." She did not elaborate, but offered a series of thanks to the Václav Havel Library Foundation, the attendees, and "all of the people that, over the years, worked so hard for Xiaobo and I". As she fell silent, Liao Yiwu, her friend and a Berlin-based Chinese writer in exile, recounted Liu Xiaobo's last days, as well as Liu Xia's disappearance. "Even during Liu Xiaobo's last minutes, he didn't have hate in his heart," he said, adding, "He wanted Liu Xia to leave [China]." Liu Xia then leaned over to tell Liao, in Chinese, that he should stop speaking about her husband and her experience. Chinese lawyer and dissident Teng Biao was in the audience along with several other signatories of Charter 08 – an open petition advocating for political reform in China. It was Liu Xiaobo's co-authorship of the charter that led to his 11-year jail sentence. "She suffers so much from Liu Xiaobo's death and her house arrest. It's hard to talk about," he said. Her brother, Liu Hui, had to remain in China as a condition of her receiving permission to travel to Germany. Teng described him as being "held hostage" so that Liu Xia would not speak out. The panel was, for the most part, sensitive to Liu's wishes. For the rest of the discussion, titled "The Power of the Powerless in China", Liao instead discussed anecdotes from his books, the influence of Czech writer Václav Havel, and certain opinions on the political and human rights situation in China today, which he described as worse than when Charter 08 was written. Liu Xia and Liao Yiwu are in New York for the Václav Havel Library Foundation's 2018 Disturbing the Peace Award for a Courageous Writer at Risk on Thursday. Liao, this year's winner, is receiving the award in recognition of his vocal resistance to the Chinese Communist Party. Liao was jailed for four years for the public recitation of his poem, "Massacre", which remembered the Tiananmen Square crackdown of June 4, 1989. Liu Xia was also nominated for this year's award. ^ top ^
China's #MeToo movement takes a legal turn as woman applies to counter sue television star Zhu Jun (SCMP)
2018-09-27
When a former intern at China's state broadcaster wrote in July about being groped and forcibly kissed by one of the country's most recognisable television stars, her story ignited a social media firestorm in a country where a backlash against sexual harassment is growing. Now her case is set to go before the Chinese legal system. The 25-year-old said she had been told on Tuesday by a court in Beijing's Haidian district that she was being sued in a civil case for damaging Zhu Jun's reputation and mental well-being. Also named in the suit was Xu Chao, a friend who had been championing the case online. At her request, Reuters is withholding the name of the accuser and identifying her by her online name, Xianzi. Zhu is demanding that the two women apologise online and in a national newspaper, pay compensation of 655,000 yuan (US$95,250) and cover the costs of legal fees for the case, according to a copy of the filing seen by Reuters. Descriptions of Zhu forcibly kissing and groping Xianzi were "pure fiction" and had caused "grave damage" to Zhu's public image and mental health, according to the filing, which was dated September 18 and is not available to the public. In response, Xianzi on Tuesday applied to file her own civil suit against Zhu for "infringement of personality rights", she said. Personality rights is a broad term used within Chinese law to refer to personal dignity rights, but does not specifically mention sexual harassment. "I decided that you have to use the law to prove what you said happened," Xianzi said on Wednesday. Zhu, 54, whose lawyers have publicly denied the allegations, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Zhu's lawyer issued a statement earlier this month saying he had sued the two women. Reached by telephone, Xu confirmed the filing of the lawsuit. China's justice and public security ministries did not respond to requests for comment. China does not have a law that specifically prohibits sexual harassment. However, on August 27 its parliament announced that it was considering adding provisions to a civil code, expected to be passed in 2020, that would allow a victim to file a civil suit against someone who uses words, actions or exploits a subordinate relationship to sexually harass them. The changes would also require employers to take measures to prevent, stop and handle complaints about sexual harassment. In recent months, there have been several allegations of sexual abuse against powerful men, including prominent university professors, the head of China's Buddhist association, and leading figures in the media and at non-governmental organisations, which have reverberated across social media in China. That intensified with the arrest and release by US police last month of Richard Liu, chief executive of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, on a rape allegation. Liu has not been charged and through a lawyer has denied any wrongdoing. Up to now, vague laws, patchy implementation and a lack of understanding among lawyers, judges, police and the public have hampered attempts to handle cases through the courts, and deterred many victims from filing suits, according to activist groups. The lack of a clear definition of sexual harassment, or an agreed upon standard for addressing complaints, entrenches a "culture of silence", according to the Beijing Yuanzhong Gender Development Centre, a non-profit. The group said that while workplace sexual harassment is widespread in China, only 34 specific cases have been logged in the official court case database since 2010. Xianzi was a 21-year-old intern at the state broadcaster CCTV when she said she met Zhu, who is famous across China for hosting an annual Spring Festival extravaganza, one of the country's top-rated programmes. In an interview, Xianzi said she had been alone in a dressing room with Zhu when he asked her if she wanted to work for the channel after her internship, before trying to take her hand on the pretext of reading her fortune. Despite her protests, Xianzi said, Zhu groped her under her skirt before pulling her head and forcibly kissing her, only stopping when interrupted by knocking on the door. CCTV did not respond to requests for comment. Xianzi said she was moved to act after reading accounts of sexual assault and harassment posted on Chinese social media by women emboldened by the country's fledgling #MeToo movement. In July, Xianzi, now a screenwriter, wrote about her own experience on WeChat, sharing it with a small circle of friends. When Xu, her friend, shared the post on Weibo, China's Twitter-like service, it went viral. On Tuesday, Xianzi returned to social media. "Still a bit angry, this is Xianzi, hello everyone, I'm getting ready for a fight," she wrote. ^ top ^
Gay teacher gains arbitration after school fires him (Global Times)
2018-09-27
A labor dispute arbitration committee in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province on Thursday accepted a case filed by a teacher who claimed the school expelled him for being homosexual. Ming Jue (pseudonym), 31, who worked as a kindergarten teacher, told the Global Times on Thursday that the local labor dispute arbitration committee sent him a letter confirming that it had accepted his case and scheduled a hearing on November 13. It was reportedly the first labor case filed by a gay teacher in China. Ming said that he has been working as a kindergarten teacher in Qingdao for 10 years and was expelled from the school on August 6 after a parent told one of the school's investors about his homosexual identity. "I was thrilled that the committee accepted the case. I hope it would send a message to those in the education sector that true equality, love and tolerance should be practiced," Ming said. Schools are supposed to teach children to respect others, but now they are discriminating against us, he said. Ming's lawyer surnamed Yu said that the LGBT group often faces discrimination in the workplace, and Ming's move not only protects his personal interests but also represents the group's appeal. A report published by Chinese nonprofit organization Aibai Culture and Education Center said the LGBT community in China still struggles with a social stigma among employers and peers, as many people have yet to accept homosexuality. However, LGBT people are increasingly resorting to legal means to raise social awareness and defending their right to employment and marriage. In the latest example, a transgender man won after being unfairly fired in January 2017. ^ top ^
Abortions in China decreased in past five years (China Daily)
2018-09-25
The number of abortions in China has decreased in the past five years, but the high proportion of young adults and teenagers undergoing the procedure remains a vexing issue. About 9 million abortions take place annually in China, down from 13 million in 2013, according to data released by the National Health Commission on Tuesday, ahead of World Contraception Day on Wednesday. "The group of women younger than 24 years old contributes to 28.5 percent of abortions," said Babatunde Ahonsi, resident representative of United Nations Population Fund in China. The percentage shows no sign of improvement compared with statistics released in 2013 by the commission's Research Institute. "The number of abortions is especially high among teenagers, and that's largely because of a lack of consciousness and improper contraception," said Wang Pei'an, deputy director of the China Family Planning Association. He said more women are facing unplanned pregnancy at a younger age and resorting to abortions, adding that "repetitive abortions, which account for half the total, are now leading to a rising infertility rate". He called for concerted efforts across different sectors of society to promote effective contraception methods. This year, World Contraception Day is focusing on improving awareness of effective and efficient contraception methods. ^ top ^
China's fight against poverty in full swing (People's Daily)
2018-09-24
Forty counties have officially been removed from China's list of 125 impoverished counties in 20 central and western Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, according to a recent announcement by China's poverty relief office. The announcement from the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development means that a total of 68 counties have been lifted out of poverty. Over the past five years, China has made unprecedented achievements from its efforts to eliminate poverty. Its impoverished population in rural areas was reduced to 30.46 million in 2017 from 98.99 million in 2012, down by 68.53 million, or nearly 70 percent. The poverty headcount ratio dropped from 10.2 percent in 2012 to 3.1 percent in 2017. Each year, 13.7 million impoverished people were pulled out of poverty. The battle against poverty, a hard nut laying in front of the whole world, is a task of all mankind. In the 40 years of reform and opening up, China has successfully lifted 800 million people out of poverty, a miracle in mankind's poverty alleviation history. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pointed out that targeted poverty reduction strategies are the only way to reach those farthest behind and achieve the ambitious targets set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, and its experiences can provide valuable lessons to other developing countries, the UN official added. The Chinese government has offered strong capital and policy support in order to win the battle against poverty with flying colors. For instance, more rights have been delegated to county-level governments in the approval of poverty alleviation funds. Data showed that 95 percent of funding was directly accessible by county-level governments in 2017, up from 70 percent in 2014. An accumulated 443.7 billion yuan ($ 64.8 billion) of micro loans were granted to support 11.23 million registered impoverished households for industrial development. Besides, a series of policies on tax and finance, land, transport, water, electricity, and renovation of dilapidated buildings were rolled out in a combined manner. According to statistics, there are still 30 million impoverished people in rural China that need to be lifted out of poverty in the next three years. A large proportion of them are poor because of illness and physical disabilities. To realize precision in poverty reduction, accurate calculation and study is a must-to-do thing. In 2014, China built a national poverty alleviation and development information system based on village-to-village and household-to-household identification across the country that enabled the government to get information on the distribution of impoverished population, causes of impoverishment and their demands for poverty reduction. The registration accuracy of impoverished people has reached 98 percent. China's data on poverty has for the first time covered individual villages, households, and even each person. China's endeavor in targeted poverty alleviation also tries to seek effective remedies and take differentiated policies for different problems. Five supplementary approaches, including fostering distinctive industries, advancing relocation, ecological compensation, strengthening education and improving social welfare system, have been introduced by China to achieve its goal. The country has started pilot e-commerce programs in 428 counties to alleviate poverty and launched tourism-driven poverty alleviation program in 22,600 impoverished villages. Poverty alleviation through developing industries is enjoying a good momentum. In addition, China plans to have 10 million people relocated for poverty reduction between 2016 and 2020. A total of 370,000 registered impoverished residents have been employed as forest protectors. Besides, students from poverty-stricken households have been basically able to receive free vocational and high school education. Improving social security is the final step to effectively combine rural basic living allowances and poverty reduction and development. Through these measures, the country will be able to provide aid and guarantees for all those in need. ^ top ^
Chinese student who could 'never love my country' expelled after two weeks for being unpatriotic (SCMP)
2018-09-23
A Chinese student has been expelled for posting comments on social media deemed "unpatriotic" by his university's Communist Party-run propaganda department in the latest of a series of similar crackdowns in the education sector. Wang Dong, 18, enrolled on an undergraduate programme with the civil engineering department at Hunan City University on September 9. Just 10 days later he became the subject of an investigation after people complained about his "insulting" social media posts, the Party Committee Propaganda Department said in a statement released on Saturday. In one comment on his personal account on Weibo, China's Twitter-like service, Wang wrote that, "loving my country is impossible, I will never love my country", the statement said. In other posts he made "extremely erroneous remarks" that were insulting to the country and had an "extremely bad influence", it said. As a result of his comments, the university, in Yiyang, central China's Hunan province, decided to disqualify him, it said. News of Wang's expulsion sparked a debate on China's social media platforms, with the department's own announcement on Weibo attracting more than 19,000 comments. About half supported the school's decision and half opposed it. "If someone can be punished for being unpatriotic, does it mean people are forced to love their country?" one person wrote. The South China Morning Post was unable to reach Wang for comment and calls to the school went unanswered on Sunday. His Weibo account appeared to have been cleared of all content, including the contentious posts, except for a profile description, which read: "top ten patriotic youth". An earlier version of it used the words: "this account is for criticising China". Wang's case comes amid an apparent rise in censorship at Chinese schools and universities. Just last week the government ordered the removal of all foreign textbooks from junior and middle-school, according to a report by Beijing Youth Daily, while in August, Yang Shaozheng, an economics professor at Guizhou University was expelled after being accused of "spreading politically harmful expressions". Last year, Yin Shanshan, an instructor at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, was sacked after she described Wolf Warrior 2, the highest grossing Chinese film of all time and highly patriotic in nature, as "not worth a cent". Gu Su, a professor of philosophy and law at Nanjing University, said Wang's case was likely to make students nervous about speaking honestly or discussing certain issues. "The punishment [doled out to Wang] seems too harsh," he said. However, he said the decision of Hunan City University did not necessarily reflect a national trend of intolerance. ^ top ^
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| Beijing |
Beijing Normal University establishes Belt and Road School (People's Daily)
2018-09-28
The Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University was established on Wednesday morning, to allow the Chinese university to contribute more to the great cause of co-building the Belt and Road. The university has actively responded to the Belt and Road Initiative, which has produced fruitful results, said Cheng Jianping, Secretary of the university's Party Committee, during his speech at the inaugural meeting of the school. Cheng added that opening the school will help the university better engage in the initiative. During the meeting, Chinese official Gan Zangchun with the Ministry of Justice also expressed his recognition of the university's research and achievements in promoting construction of the Belt and Road. The school is expected to cultivate talents and provide ideological support for building the Belt and Road, Gan added. The Belt and Road School, as a comprehensive teaching and research institute, with disciplinary advantages and a focus on major national development strategies, will endeavor to offer effective decision-making consultation services for relevant departments alongside a new platform to enhance friendship and exchanges between countries along the Belt and Road. ^ top ^
3.95 million visit Beijing for Mid-Autumn Festival (China Daily)
2018-09-25
Beijing received 3.95 million visitors during the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from Sept 22 to 24, according to data released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Tuesday. The number of visitors was up 4.7 percent on the same period last year. Scenic spots in Beijing reaped 127 million yuan ($18.5 million) in revenue during the three days, up 11.5 percent year-on-year. Boosted by the growing number of visitors, Beijing's major commercial service companies saw total retail sales of 2.4 billion yuan, up 5.4 percent year-on-year, the municipal commerce commission said on Monday. Beijing Daoxiangcun, a traditional cake maker that opened for business in 1895, offered 25 types of mooncakes during the holiday and saw sales grow by about 30 percent year-on-year. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
Time for answers: Own up to mass Muslim detentions in Xinjiang, Amnesty International tells China (HKFP)
2018-09-25
China must come clean about the fate of an estimated one million minority Muslims swept up in a "massive crackdown" in its far western region of Xinjiang, Amnesty International said Monday. Beijing has tightened restrictions on Muslim minorities to combat what it calls Islamic extremism and separatist elements in Xinjiang. Critics say the drive risks fuelling resentment towards Beijing and further inflaming separatist sentiment. In a new report, which included testimony from people held in the camps, the international rights group said Beijing had rolled out "an intensifying government campaign of mass internment, intrusive surveillance, political indoctrination and forced cultural assimilation". Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are punished for violating regulations banning beards and burqas, and for the possession of unauthorised Korans, it added. Up to a million people are detained in internment camps, a United Nations panel on racial discrimination reported last month, with many detained for offences as minor as making contact with family members outside the country or sharing Islamic holiday greetings on social media. "Hundreds of thousands of families have been torn apart by this massive crackdown," said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International's East Asia director, in a statement. "They are desperate to know what has happened to their loved ones and it is time the Chinese authorities give them answers." Beijing has denied reports of the camps but evidence is mounting in the form of government documents and escapee testimony. These suggest that Chinese authorities are detaining large groups of people in a network of extrajudicial camps for political and cultural indoctrination on a scale unseen since the Maoist era. Amnesty's report interviewed several former detainees who said they were put in shackles, tortured, and made to sing political songs and learn about the Communist Party. The testimony tallies with evidence gathered by foreign reporters and rights groups in the past year. Amnesty also called on governments around the world to hold Beijing to account for "the nightmare" unfolding in Xinjiang. Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced "awful abuses" of Uighur Muslims detained in re-education camps. "Hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of Uighurs are held against their will in so-called re-education camps where they're forced to endure severe political indoctrination and other awful abuses," Pompeo said in a speech. However Pakistan, China's biggest Muslim ally, quickly denied reports last week that it had criticised Beijing — which is pouring billions in infrastructure investment into the country — over the issue. Religious affairs minister Noorul Haq Qadri told AFP China has agreed to exchange delegations of religious students to help promote "harmony" between Muslims and Chinese authorities. China's top leaders recently called for religious practices to be brought in line with "traditional" Chinese values and culture, sparking concern among rights groups. Earlier this month draft regulations suggested Beijing was considering restrictions on religious content online, such as images of people praying or chanting. State supervision of religion has increased in a bid to "block extremism", and authorities have removed Islamic symbols such as crescents from public spaces in areas with significant Muslim populations. Christians have also been targeted in crackdowns, with a prominent Beijing "underground" church shuttered by authorities earlier this month. Churches in central Henan province have seen their crosses torn down and followers harassed. ^ top ^
China's former Xinjiang governor Nur Bekri facing corruption probe (SCMP)
2018-09-21
China's energy chief and former governor of its far west region of Xinjiang has been placed under investigation, the country's top anti-corruption agency announced on Friday morning. Nur Bekri, director of the National Energy Administration (NEA), was suspected of a "serious violation of discipline and law" – a term that could refer to anything from corruption to political disloyalty – according to a terse statement by the National Supervisory Commission (NSC). Bekri is one of very few ethnic Uygur officials appointed at his level in the Chinese government. He was last seen in public at a meeting this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of a Chinese delegation led by Vice-Premier Han Zheng, according to footage from state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday. Han's visit to Russia concluded on Tuesday before he began another trip to Singapore on Wednesday. Bekri is understood to have been taken away from Beijing airport on his arrival there on Thursday. The 57-year-old became one of the country's youngest ministerial-level officials when he was appointed governor of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the region's second most powerful position, in 2008. A year later, in July 2009, deadly clashes broke out in Urumqi, the region's capital, between ethnic Han and Uygur groups, resulting in 197 deaths, according to official figures. Bekri had directed accusations at Ilham Tohti, a former professor at Beijing's Minzu University who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for "inciting separatism". "He … had long colluded with overseas separatists, extensively preached separation and even advocated subversion," Bekri told reporters in March 2014 while he was still the region's governor. "There is a separatist clan formed around him. The facts are clear and the evidence sound," he said. Accused by Bekri of colluding with overseas forces and preaching separatism, Tohti has since been given and nominated for numerous human rights awards in Europe for his advocacy of non-violent resistance in the region. Bekri was appointed director of the National Energy Administration in 2014, and was at that point still seen as a political rising star, before hitting major political hurdles last year, beginning when he was surprisingly not invited to the National Party Congress of more than 2,000 of the Communist Party elite. Having been one of the 205 full members of the Central Committee, comprising the party's top leaders, between 2012 and 2017, Bekri lost his seat in the five-yearly reshuffle, which was unexpected as he had not reached retirement age or lost his ministerial title. It is unclear what triggered the probe into Bekri and the NSC will not reveal any details until it has completed its investigation. When he took over at the NEA the agency was still reeling from the demise of his predecessor Liu Tienan, who was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to life in prison. Several other senior officials from the agency also fell from disgrace around the same time. Not long after Bekri left his post as governor of Xinjiang, the region in which he had been born and spent the first three decades of his career, it was targeted for a widespread anti-corruption campaign similar to those that had taken place across the country about a year earlier. During the campaign, dozens of senior officials were sacked, including Bekri's chief of staff in the regional government, Alimjan Mehmet Emin, and his deputy land chief Li Jianxin. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
Four years on from failed Occupy protests, what next for Hong Kong's deflated democracy movement? (SCMP)
2018-09-28
Four years after tens of thousands of young people took to Hong Kong streets during the Occupy movement's pro-democracy protests, the fierce calls for universal suffrage have all but died away. Instead, the focus of attention has shifted more recently to calls for Hong Kong independence – a cause supported by only a few, yet controversial enough to draw the ire of Beijing. On Monday, it led to the government taking the unprecedented step of banning the small Hong Kong National Party on the grounds that its calls for independence threatened national security and public order. Many in the pro-democracy bloc appear to be still recovering from the failure of the Occupy protests to move Beijing, despite lasting 79 days and paralysing key areas in the city. "We have exhausted practically every means to fight for democracy as we launched the civil disobedience movement in 2014," said Occupy co-founder Dr Chan Kin-man, a sociologist at Chinese University. He said the rise of pro-independence sentiment was a natural consequence of the Occupy protests. "Some young people now no longer believe China will give the city democracy under the 'one country, two systems' model," he said. "It is therefore only natural for those who do not want to give up on Hong Kong, to look for a new way out – even though fighting for Hong Kong independence will be more difficult than universal suffrage." Younger people also feel a stronger sense of being Hongkongers today than four years ago. A survey by the University of Hong Kong found that in June this year, 70.9 per cent of those aged between 18 and 29 identified themselves as Hongkongers, 11.1 percentage points up from the end of 2014. Only 2.9 per cent of young people said they called themselves Chinese, down from 6.5 per cent four years ago. Occupy student leader Nathan Law Kwun-chung, ex-chairman of the youth-led party Demosisto, said he did not think the movement's ideals had been sidelined, but conceded that many Hongkongers remained hurt and disappointed that the Occupy movement failed to achieve its goal. Agreeing, Democratic Party lawmaker Andrew Wan Siu-kin said democracy supporters had gone in opposite directions since Occupy, with some turning radical and calling for independence, while others dropped out of political activism in frustration. He expected Hongkongers to realise eventually that the notion of independence was a dead-end proposition. Rekindling efforts for political reform might be possible if the pro-democracy bloc worked hard to unite their supporters, he said. But Chan, who specialises in social movements in China, was less optimistic. He saw no hope for restarting political reform during Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's term, which ends in 2022 – or even over the coming decade. "I just cannot see how the item could be put back on the table if Beijing carries on its hardline approach under President Xi Jinping's leadership. We can only look further ahead and wait for political reform to happen in China," he said. He believed Lam was not someone who cared to convince Beijing to grant Hongkongers democracy. "She is only trying to please the public by tackling livelihood issues, and she will not bring trouble – political reform – upon herself," he said. What the pro-democracy camp needed now, he added, was to strengthen civil society, defend the further erosion of the city's core values such as its freedoms and rule of law, and to actively participate in elections. "Each election could be seen as a referendum and every victory could help sustain the spirit of the camp," he said. But Tam Yiu-chung, the city's sole delegate to the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, said political reform would not happen unless pan-democrats accepted the framework handed down by the national legislature four years ago. That blueprint allowed Hongkongers to pick their city's leader via the "one man, one vote" system, but only if they chose from a slate of two or three candidates approved by a 1,200-member nominating committee, likely to be dominated by Beijing loyalists. The pan-democrats disagreed, saying the proposal did not meet international standards of democracy. They demanded democratic elections to choose the city's chief executive last year, and Legislative Council members in 2020. That was what led large numbers of young people to gather outside Hong Kong government headquarters four years ago on September 28, before the protests spilled into other areas over the weeks that followed. "If pan-democrats insist on their old stance and attitude, there's no room for further discussion," Tam said. But for Wan, the issue boiled down to the camp's own unity in pushing for change. And only then "could we have the bargaining power to talk about it with strong public support... And that's better than focusing on the independence talk". ^ top ^
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| Macau |
Macao's total merchandise export for August reaches USD 12.65 million (Xinhua)
2018-09-28
The total merchandise export for August in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) amounted to 1.02 billion patacas (about 12.65 million U.S. dollars), up by 26.7 percent year-on-year, the SAR's statistics bureau said on Thursday. Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) also indicated that the value of reexports increased by 30.9 percent to 907 million patacas, with that of diamond and diamond jewellery, as well as watches surging by 191.3 percent and 145.4 percent respectively. The total merchandise import rose by 22.5 percent year-on-year to 7.58 billion patacas, of which imports of motor cars and motorcycles, as well as beauty, cosmetic and skincare products expanded by 86.6 percent and 66.7 percent respectively. Merchandise trade deficit in August amounted to 6.56 billion patacas. From January to August 2018, the total value of merchandise export increased by 7.9 percent year-on-year to 8.13 billion patacas. The total value of merchandise import went up by 24.0 percent year-on-year to 58.39 billion patacas. Merchandise trade deficit widened to 50.25 billion patacas for the first eight months of 2018. External merchandise trade totalled 66.52 billion patacas from January to August 2018, up by 21.7 percent compared with 54.64 billion patacas a year earlier. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 8.06 patacas). ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
Beijing denounces exchange limits by Taiwan authority (China Daily)
2018-09-28
Beijing denounced on Thursday the Taiwan authority's revised regulation that further restricts exchanges between the Chinese mainland and the island. Visitors from the Chinese mainland who once served in posts of the Communist Party of China, or the military, can be denied entry, and permits already issued to them can be revoked, under a revised regulation on entry to Taiwan published by the Taiwan authority earlier this month, according to media reports in Taiwan. The regulation also said "sensitive" applicants from the mainland－sensitive because of their identities or travel plans－will be subject to additional scrutiny before being allowed to visit. Applications from Chinese mainland visitors can be rejected if their hosts or tourism agencies have ever provided inaccurate data in applications, and their permits to visit Taiwan can be revoked even after they are granted. An Fengshan, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a statement that expanding and intensifying communication and exchanges across the Taiwan Straits is the will of the peoples on both sides of the Straits, and is a mainstream trend. The move by the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan, made in its own selfish interests and with a despicable political purpose, will further damage the fruits of peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and the interests of compatriots along the Straits－Taiwan residents in particular, he said. An said the Chinese mainland will continue to make efforts to expand and intensify economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan, and promote personnel exchanges across the Straits. The Chinese mainland will continue to improve services for Taiwan compatriots and solve their difficulties, and work in solidarity with them to promote peaceful development of cross-Straits relations for the peaceful reunification of China, he said. ^ top ^
Taiwan must ensure personal safety of mainland students: spokesperson (Xinhua)
2018-09-26
A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday asked Taiwan's relevant agencies to immediately stop any infiltration and sabotage against the national security and earnestly ensure the personal safety of students from the mainland. "For some time, Taiwan's intelligence agencies have wantonly stolen intelligence as well as engaged in infiltration and sabotage activities," said An Fengshan, a spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference. Through a special operation, national security organs have uncovered over 100 intelligence cases by Taiwan, An said. "These illegal activities will for sure receive severe punishments." The Chinese mainland has handled the cases in accordance with Chinese law, to safeguard the national security, regular cross-Strait communication, and the legitimate interests of the compatriots on both sides, An added. "Certain departments of Taiwan have denied the truth and confuse right and wrong, only to show they have a guilty conscience," he said. An stressed the mainland's consistent active support of cross-Strait education exchanges and cooperation, as well as more contacts between young students of both sides. Taiwan's intelligence agencies using mean tricks on young mainland students studying in Taiwan have seriously undermined the interests of mainland students and cross-Strait education exchanges, An said. ^ top ^
China resolutely opposes US arms sales to Taiwan: spokesperson (Xinhua)
2018-09-25
A spokesperson for the Chinese military said Tuesday that it was strongly dissatisfied with and resolutely opposed to planned U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. "The Chinese military lodges solemn representations to the U.S. side over the move," said Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense. Ren's comment came after the U.S. government informed congress of its decision to sell weapons worth about 330 million U.S. dollars to Taiwan on Tuesday. "Taiwan is a part of China and the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-U.S. relationship," Ren said. "The U.S. move has severely violated the one-China principle and regulations of three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiques, interfered with China's domestic affairs and harmed China's sovereignty and security interests, and seriously damaged China-U.S. ties, relations between the two militaries, as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. "The Chinese military's determination and will to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is steadfast and unshakable. "We strongly urge the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and the regulations of the three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiques, immediately revoke arms sales to Taiwan, and stop military contact with Taiwan including arms sales, so as not to further damage the China-U.S. ties, relations between the two militaries, as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." ^ top ^
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| DPRK |
Second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un may be held 'after October' (SCMP)
2018-09-27
A second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is likely to be held "after October", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, as the key players seek to fulfil a commitment to officially end the Korean war before the year is out. But speaking to reporters in New York later that day, Trump said that he had instructed Pompeo not to worry about a timeframe for denuclearisation, saying: "I think we're really going to do something that's going to be very important, but we're not playing the time game. If it takes two years, three years or five months – doesn't matter." "I got all the time in the world [and] don't have to rush it," Trump told the press conference, held at the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly. Pompeo previously said that North Korea has committed to dismantling its nuclear weapons programme by the time Trump's term ends in January 2021. China would be keen to make sure it had a seat at the table for further talks on the peace process – and to avoid the US gaining too much influence in the region, observers said. Anticipation of a declaration to end the war is building after Pompeo made the remarks about the timing of the meeting on Wednesday, saying: "It may happen in October, but more likely sometime after that." "We're working diligently to make sure we get the conditions right so that we can accomplish as much as possible during the summit. But we hope it will be soon," Pompeo said, adding that he was already preparing to set up the next summit. Also on Wednesday, Pompeo met with North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho in New York to discuss arrangements for both the meeting and the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and accepted an invitation to visit Pyongyang for further discussions. Alongside photos of their meeting, Pompeo tweeted on Wednesday morning that the talk had been "very positive" and that "Much work remains but we will continue to move forward." At the UN on Wednesday morning, Trump told reporters that the timing and location of his next summit with Kim would be announced in the "very near future". When asked what North Korea had to do before his next meeting with Kim, Trump said the two had made "a tremendous amount of progress" since last year. "They're denuclearising North Korea. We have a wonderful relationship going between our country and them," he said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday also announced that the two Koreas and the US had "generally formed a consensus" on the issue, fuelling expectations for an inter-Korean reconciliation. Moon and Pompeo's remarks came after the two Koreas agreed during a summit last week that the North would permanently dismantle nuclear facilities in Yongbyon if the US takes corresponding measures – a move that Moon said would be a conciliatory gesture conducive to ending hostile relations and speeding up efforts to end the war. The talks between Trump and Kim would aim to reach agreement on specific denuclearisation steps before moving on to the declaration, observers said. These steps would be essential if international sanctions against Pyongyang are to be lifted, and to open up the economic development opportunities the North is seeking. The Korean war ended in 1953 after an armistice was signed – by China, the United Nations Command and North Korea – but no formal peace agreement was ever reached. Chin Young, a South Korean lawmaker with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said it was in Seoul's interests for the summit to be held soon. "If the conditions are right, Seoul would want to see the second Trump-Kim summit as early as possible," Chin said. "It is in our best interests to pursue an early denuclearisation, and thus further improve inter-Korean relations," Chin said, suggesting that the North needed to denuclearise before major economic projects between the two Koreas could go ahead. A South Korean parliament source also anticipated that the declaration ending the war could be made during Kim's planned visit to Seoul later this year, possibly in November. While the US will have different political motivations for the Trump-Kim summit, holding it sooner would also serve Washington's interests, according to observers. A summit held before the US midterm elections in November "may be a way for President Trump to score more political points with his key Republican voter base", said James Floyd Downes, a lecturer in comparative politics at Chinese University of Hong Kong. "If Trump delivers on the summit, this is likely to go down well with his voter base. However, at the same time, it is also difficult to predict whether such a summit taking place would have an overall positive effect," he added. The Chinese view on the second Trump-Kim summit is complicated, in that Beijing is supportive of the talks but would not want to see Washington gaining more influence in the region, especially as China and the US remain locked in a trade war, analysts say. Trump has hardened his rhetoric against China, saying Beijing is not enthusiastic about denuclearisation. China would also want to be part of further talks on the end-of-war declaration. "It is of paramount importance that China should be involved in the [peace treaty] process … If China is not involved in the process, this will most likely create further polarisation between the United States and China, potentially exacerbating the chances of a full peace treaty negotiation being reached," Downes said. Cheng Xiaohe, an associate professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, also said it was important for China to keep a seat at the table for peace talks. "Whether China agrees or not, the second Trump-Kim summit will take place. So it would be wise for China to continue its engagement and be supportive of the peace process," he said. Zhao Tong, a fellow at Carnegie's Nuclear Policy Programme at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre for Global Policy in Beijing, said China was generally supportive of the summit as it could help to stabilise the situation on the Korean peninsula. "[But Beijing] will make sure it is formally involved in the peace treaty negotiation. China thinks it is an important stakeholder in this process and cannot be excluded," Zhao said. ^ top ^
Pyongyang Joint Declaration a challenge despite raising hopes (China Daily)
2018-09-27
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea signed the Pyongyang Joint Declaration of September 2018 at an inter-Korean summit on Sept 19, which covers comprehensive inter-Korean cooperation and further denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The joint declaration marks a step forward in inter-Korean relations that will create opportunities and challenges for Pyongyang and Seoul, as well as Washington to different degrees. The Pyongyang Joint Declaration is the diplomatic outcome of the DPRK's denuclearization efforts and pursuit of peace. In the declaration, Pyongyang has agreed to dismantle the missile engine test site and launching platform in Dongchang-ri in the presence of experts from other countries. If Washington acts in the line with the US-DPRK joint statement of June 12, the DPRK will also shut down the Yongbyon nuclear facility. By allowing experts to observe the dismantling process, Pyongyang has appropriately responded to Washington's criticism that the DPRK has not taken enough denuclearization measures. But to make the DPRK's efforts successful, the US has to take substantial corresponding measures in line with the Panmunjom Declaration of April 27 and the US-DPRK joint statement. The problem for the ROK is that President Moon Jae-in's approval rating is at its lowest because of the poor results of his economic revival policies. But still the Pyongyang declaration is historic achievement for Moon. However, it is difficult for Seoul to realize all the agreements. Cultural, environmental management, public health and medical care exchanges are not a big problem. But without the United Nations lifting the sanctions against Pyongyang, it will be impossible for the two sides to work together to establish railway connectivity, and build the Gaeseong industrial complex, Mount Geumgang tourism project, a west-coast special economic zone and an east-coast special tourism zone. Besides, its alliance with the United States will create problems for the ROK as a mediator between Washington and Pyongyang. During the Pyongyang summit, DPRK leader Kim Jong-un attributed the success of his meeting with US President Donald Trump to Moon's mediation, and thus appreciated Seoul's role as a mediator between Washington and Pyongyang. But since the US insists on comprehensive denuclearization, it may not agree with the DPRK's phased denuclearization plan. Moreover, the ROK is in a dilemma, because it signed the Pyongyang Joint Declaration to cease military hostilities while US Defense Secretary James Mattis said in August that the US has no plans to suspend joint US-ROK military exercises, which may evoke an angry response from the DPRK. Although Trump welcomed the inter-Korean summit via Twitter, the olive branch delivered by the DPRK has created problems for the US before the midterm elections in November. When the US sought the DPRK's timetable for denuclearization, Kim wrote a personal letter to Trump seeking another US-DPRK summit and expressed his willingness to gradually dismantle the nuclear and missile test sites. Pyongyang's substantial denuclearization efforts prompted Washington to reply that it was ready to hold another round of talks. Washington may hold talks with Pyongyang again after the midterm elections and might agree to cancel its joint military drills with the ROK only after ensuring the DPRK has fulfilled its denuclearization promises. Even though the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a long and complicated process, the Pyongyang declaration has further eased the tensions in Northeast Asia and is the right step toward restoring permanent peace on the peninsula. China's proposal that the US stop its joint military drills near the DPRK's waters and, in response, the DPRK take comprehensive denuclearization measures has played an important role in the peace process. Now, more countries should contribute to the peace process, in order to restore permanent peace on and promote the development of the peninsula and the region. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
PM visits New York Stock Exchange and meets US Secretary of Agriculture (Montsame)
2018-09-28
During his official visit to the United States, Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh visited the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on September 26. While seeing its activities, Prime Minister informed about the country's economic situation and government policy and actions and expressed interest to continue cooperation with NYSE. Mr. John Tuttle, Chief operating officer of NYSE, noted its active cooperation with Mongolia over the past decade, expressing hope that the cooperation will expand more at this time that Mongolia's economic situation is improving. Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh also met US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. At the meeting, the PM emphasized the wide potential to develop bilateral cooperation in agriculture sector within Mongolia's objective to become food producer. Mr. Sonny Perdue expressed willing to give all-round support for it. ^ top ^
President delivers message to int'l conference on neuroscience (Montsame)
2018-09-24
Under the auspices of the President of Mongolia, an international scientific conference themed Neuroscience – XXI century was held in Ulaanbaatar on September 23-24, 2018 Message of President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga to the Neuroscience – XXI century conference, recited by Human Development and Social Policy Advisor D.Uuriintuya "An educated, healthy, and hard-working Mongolian is the pillar of development and the source of economic growth of Mongolia. Elevating the knowledge and skills of Mongolians to world level should be supported by government policy. The scholars and knowledge-makers are valuable backbone of national development. Historians say that Mongolians used to listen to the scholars when they were strong, and they were strong when they listened to the scholars. Our country prioritizes sustainable development and strives to transform into a producer country from a consumer country. Therefore, the role of science is unlimited in the conversion of scientific knowledge to product manufacturing and increase of the GDP. In the framework of the Education and Science Support Policy in the 2017-2021 Policy and Action Program of the President of Mongolia, Nobel Laureate Lecture Series & international conference is planned to be held annually under the auspices of the President of Mongolia. The humankind's attempt to uncover the mysteries of the brain is important in terms of interpreting the basic concept of the human brain and civilization, as well as of finding the keys and answers to future unresolved matters in sciences, astronautics, artificial intelligence, and medical sciences. I am delighted that this year's scientific conference is being attended by leading scientists and honorary guests, including Norwegian neuroscientist and 2014 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine Edvard Moser, President of International Brain Research Organization Pierre Magistretti, Executive Director Stephanie de La Rochefoucauld, and Chief Editor of Neuroscience Journal Juan Lerma. I am confident that you will enjoy your stay in our auspicious country and come back again and again to contribute highly to the development of neuroscience in Mongolia. The role of young scientists and researchers is massive in Mongolia's contribution to the scientific development in the world and in building scientific knowledge in our home land. I am sure the presentations delivered by the renowned scholars will help Mongolians scientists, doctors, and specialists who came to the conference expand the scope of their scientific knowledge and gain motivation. Opportunities are open for us to keep pace with the global development, and the efforts of the scientists will determine whether or not we can develop and advance neuroscience in Mongolia," said President in his message. ^ top ^
PM U.Khurelsukh receives US Secretary of State M.Pompeo (Montsame)
2018-09-21
Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh, who is visiting the United States, received the US Secretary of State Michael Richard Pompeo on September 20, exchanging views on bilateral relations and cooperation and mutually interested matters of international and regional relations. Appreciating the elevation of bilateral relations into the expanded comprehensive partnership as a result of the visit, they avowed mutually that the countries are for developing the partnership by enriching it with new economic content. Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh expressed his satisfaction with the mutual commitment to implement the Roadmap between Mongolia and the USA for Expanded Comprehensive Partnership. He requested the USA to be big investor and trade partner of Mongolia and develop mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation. Mr.Khurelsukh also emphasized certain measures being taken by Mongolian government on diversifying its economy. The PM informed that some U.S. Congress members submitted the Mongolia Third Neighbor Trade Act to the Congress, which is an important bill in terms of exporting Mongolian cashmere and other textile garments to the United States duty free, and asked support for it. During the meeting, the sides pointed out the signing of Mongolia's USD350 million Second Compact Agreement by the Government of Mongolia and the Millennium Challenge Corporation of the United States. The Compact Agreement is significant to increase water supply, which is one of pressing issues of Ulaanbaatar city, and to improve social life of Mongolians, emphasized the PM. Mr.Khurelsukh pledged to implement this project successfully, which is a symbol of the lasting friendship between Mongolian and American people, while expressing heartfelt appreciation to the US government and its people. In turn, Mr. Pompeo underlined that the Compact is an evidence of U.S. support for Mongolia's persistent intent for creating good governance and transparency in the country. Underscoring the importance of cultural and educational cooperation, the sides discussed about implementing measures to broaden educational programs through public-private partnerships, increase direct exchanges, promote both commercial and non-commercial cultural exchanges, and enhance collaboration through an increase of Peace Corps volunteers and their activities in Mongolia, as well as to announce 2019 as the 'Mongolia-U.S.Youth Year.' As well, the sides also exchanged views on cooperation in the fields of energy, combating money laundering, fighting against terrorism and digital infrastructure. ^ top ^
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LEW Mei Yi
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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