Foreign Policy

• Anti-Chinese protesters arrested as police break up rally in Kyrgyzstan, where fear and anger at Beijing's influence grow (SCMP)
• China urges U.S. to stop damaging China's interests (Xinhua)
• Huawei founder denies accusation of stealing trade secrets (Global Times)
• Chinese dissident's daughter 'detained and bullied' by Beijing airport security staff while en route to Canada (SCMP)
• Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He to hold trade talks in Washington on January 30-31 (SCMP)
• Chinese vice premier meets German counterpart (Xinhua)
• China, Russia to strengthen cooperation in economic and social areas (Xinhua)
• Vietnam frustrated by slow pace of talks on South China Sea code of conduct (SCMP)
• China issues travel alert telling citizens they could be 'arbitrarily detained' in Canada a day after Ottawa issued similar warning (SCMP)
• Donald Trump won't be at Davos, but trade talks could go on without him (SCMP)
• Attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi 'planned in Afghanistan, aided by Indian spy agency' (SCMP)

Domestic Policy

• 'Umbrellas' over criminals to be targeted (China Daily)
• China arrests more than 1 mln suspects in 2018 (Xinhua)
• Xi Jinping tells judiciary and law enforcement agencies to 'scrape away the poison' amid investigation into missing documents for US$56 billion coal mine (SCMP)
• Senior CPC official calls for healthy ideological, cultural environment (SCMP)
• Comic books to be used to popularize Karl Marx in China (Global Times)
• Asia is 'new hotbed of Christian persecution' with situation in China worst since Cultural Revolution, report claims (SCMP)
• Senior political advisors study Xi's speech on Party governance (Xinhua)
• Anti-graft efforts stepped up (China Daily)
• LGBT activists protest sexual orientation therapies in country (Global Times)

Tibet

• Tibet reports sharp decline in illegal entry and exit amid crackdown (Global Times)
• Beijing's foreign tourism push in Tibet seen as economic, not response to political pressure (SCMP)

Xinjiang

• China Focus: Foreign media praise Xinjiang's development, stability (Xinhua)

Hongkong

• Shenzhen's new bankruptcy court could track assets transferred to Hong Kong (SCMP)
• No perceived bias in Leung Chun-ying UGL probe, so no outside legal advice, says Hong Kong justice minister Teresa Cheng (SCMP)
• Approval ratings for Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and justice chief Teresa Cheng hit new lows (SCMP)
• Hong Kong hears appeal from banned pro-independence National Party (HKFP)

Taiwan

• Chinese dissidents in Taiwan airport limbo for 100 days walk asylum tightrope (SCMP)
• Huawei products banned by Taiwanese tech institute as island targets Chinese brands (SCMP)
• China's Xi Jinping has opened the door to war with Taiwan (SCMP)

Economy

• Chinese Premier Li Keqiang invites harsh words on economy from private sector top brass (SCMP)

DPRK

• Top North Korean envoy Kim Yong-chol is in US to plan second summit between leaders, even as diplomacy appears to have stalled (SCMP)
• Xi Jinping set to meet Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang in April, South Korean sources say (SCMP)

Mongolia

• S.Munkhchuluun gets a majority in the Governor's election (Montsame)
• MPs attend 27th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (Montsame)

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Anti-Chinese protesters arrested as police break up rally in Kyrgyzstan, where fear and anger at Beijing's influence grow (SCMP)
2019-01-18
Kyrgyz police detained more than a dozen people on Thursday as they dispersed a hundreds-strong anti-Chinese rally in the capital, Bishkek, the biggest public protest to date in Central Asia against Beijing's growing influence in the region. Angry protesters who gathered on the central square demanded curbs on work permits for Chinese citizens as well as a reduction of Kyrgyzstan's debt to China and called for other measures to reduce the Chinese presence, including a ban on Kyrgyz-Chinese marriages. After the rally ran beyond its allotted time, dozens of protesters started moving towards a building which houses the president and parliament, at which point police started detaining some people and squeezing others out of the square. Police declined to say how many people they had detained. A reporter at the scene saw them lead away more than a dozen. Anti-Chinese sentiment has grown in the former Soviet republic of six million people since an incident at Bishkek's main power plant a year ago caused a five-day blackout following its upgrade carried out by a Chinese firm. The firm has not been officially charged with any wrongdoing. Hostility towards Beijing has also been fuelled by reports of mass detentions of ethnic Kyrgyz – alongside fellow Turkic Muslims including Uygurs and Kazakhs – in China's western province of Xinjiang. Beijing has defended its so-called "vocational education training centres", which it says are part of a de-radicalisation programme in Xinjiang. In 2016, three Chinese embassy staff were injured when a suicide bomber rammed the gates of the building in his car which then exploded. Bishkek blamed the attack on Uygur militants. China is one of the biggest investors in Central Asia and a key trading partner for the region, which Beijing has made a key part of its Belt and Road development project. In a statement, Kyrgyz First Deputy Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov said that protesters had been misled by fearmongering and that the annual net influx of Chinese to Kyrgyzstan had been fewer than 1,000 people in the last two years. ^ top ^

China urges U.S. to stop damaging China's interests (Xinhua)
2019-01-18
China on Thursday urged the United States to stop interfering in China's internal affairs and damaging China's interests, and to do more things that are conducive to mutual trust and cooperation. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a press conference when responding to reports about U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's accusation against China at Global Chiefs of Mission Conference on Jan. 16. Hua said that the United States recently smeared and made groundless accusations against China on issues including debts, trade, the South China Sea, international rules and religious freedom, "yet facts have refuted all those accusations." The United States baldly adopted double standards on the application of international rules, said Hua, adding that the U.S. side is not eligible to wag fingers at China on this issue. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic ties, said Hua, urging certain U.S. people to view China's development and China-U.S. ties from a correct and reasonable perspective, stop interfering in China's internal affairs and impairing China's interests, do more things that are conducive to mutual trust and cooperation, and work with China to maintain the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties. ^ top ^

Huawei founder denies accusation of stealing trade secrets (Global Times)
2019-01-18
Ren Zhengfei, founder of China's Huawei Technologies, who usually keeps a low profile, appeared before journalists Thursday and stressed that his company does not steal trade secrets. But this has not deterred aggressively hostile attitude from the West. The Shenzhen-based company has been facing growing pressure from Western countries, particularly the US, as local politicians consider it an arm of the Chinese government. The few US politicians who make noise do not represent US society. I believe US industries, enterprises and technology sectors firmly support us and seek greater cooperation with us, Ren noted. Commenting on his military background and being a Party member, Ren said don't confuse business model with ideology. He expresse gratitude to the Chinese government for providing consular protection to Chinese citizens. Meng Wanzhou, Ren's daughter, was arrested on December 1, 2018 by Canadian authorities following a US request. She is now facing an extradition through Canadian courts, and US charges may stem from alleged Huawei's violation of US sanctions against Iran. Ren told the Global Times at an interview with multiple Chinese media outlets in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province on Thursday that he calls Meng frequently and tells her jokes to relax. "She is very strong," Ren said. The 75-year-old Chinese entrepreneur also expressed his gratitude toward the Chinese government for providing consular protection to Chinese citizens. "We anticipated the problems that Huawei might encounter a dozen years ago. We are not totally unprepared for the current situation," Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said. On the alleged theft of trade secrets, Ren reiterated that the company absolutely respects intellectual property rights of others. "Huawei now has 87,805 patents, of which 11,152 core patents were granted in the US, and our technology patents are valuable to the information society of the US," he said. Huawei has been heavily investing in research and development (R&D) and making major breakthrough in core technologies. Federal prosecutors are now pursuing a criminal investigation of Huawei for allegedly stealing trade secrets from US business partners, including local carrier T-Mobile, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The investigation stemmed from civil lawsuits against the Chinese company, which is also the largest telecom equipment provider worldwide. The recent move of federal authorities is seen as part of growing pressure being exerted by the US government on Huawei, in line with its aggressive stance to curb the rise of Chinese high-end technology. T-Mobile sued Huawei in 2014, claiming that two employees of the Chinese company in its US affiliate spied on a smartphone-testing robot that the US carrier had in its Bellevue lab, and the lawsuit had been settled in federal court in Seattle in 2017, the Seattle Times reported in May 2017. The jury determined that T-Mobile should be awarded $4.8 million in damages because Huawei had breached a handset supply contract with T-Mobile but it did not award any damages from the trade secret claim, the media report said. The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday urged the US government to stop politicizing multinational litigation and business disputes, which will seriously damage its judicial reputation as neutral and independent. "The dispute between Huawei and T-Mobile is a civil lawsuit that has been properly settled in accordance with US law," Hua Chunying, spokesperson of Foreign Ministry, told a press briefing on Thursday. "We're concerned about US federal prosecutors who are reportedly investigating the case, and we have doubts about their real intentions," she remarked. Politicizing civil lawsuits will not only be inconsistent with the rules of free and fair market competition, but will also violate the spirit of the rule of law, Hua noted. In 2017, Huawei invested 89.7 billion yuan ($13.3 billion) in R&D, or 14.9 percent of its total revenue, according to the company's website. Huawei's profits were about $9 billion in 2018 and the company invested $15-$20 billion into R&D, according to Ren. The Chinese company also ranked fifth in the world's top 50 companies by their R&D investment in 2018, and Huawei was also the only Chinese company listed, according to 2018 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard released in December 2018. Huawei will invest $100 billion in network restructuring in the next five years to make networks highly secure while protecting privacy by following EU General Data Protection Regulations, Ren said. "The latest move of US federal authorities is abnormal, as Huawei had not lost its edge in the previous civil lawsuit," Long Z. Liu, an attorney licensed in California and US federal courts, told the Global Times on Thursday. In patent disputes between technology companies, a court usually awards multimillion-dollar damages, Liu noted. "Based on the relatively small amount T-Mobile was awarded in previous disputes, I would not say Huawei completely lost the lawsuit," he said. Huawei also filed a lawsuit against T-Mobile for mobile patent infringement, following talks between two countries over a licensing agreement for the 4G patents in 2014, media reported in 2016. Chinese officials and analysts also criticized the US government for politicizing normal business disputes, and some see this move as a further crackdown on China's rise in high-tech fields, especially in the 5G technologies. "The US side is likely to be unsatisfied with the ongoing China-US trade negotiations, so it needs to seek different ways of suppressing China," Huo Jianguo, a research fellow at Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Thursday. "Apparently, Huawei has been growing into a tech giant that could challenge other foreign players in the telecoms sector, which motivated the US government to curb its further growth," he said. ^ top ^

Chinese dissident's daughter 'detained and bullied' by Beijing airport security staff while en route to Canada (SCMP)
2019-01-17
A Canadian woman whose father is a dissident jailed in China was briefly detained and "bullied" by security officials while transiting through Beijing's main airport on Wednesday, the Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper said. Ties between China and Canada have been strained since the December arrest in Vancouver of Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, on a US arrest warrant, which was followed by China's detention of two Canadians on suspicion of endangering state security. In the most recent incident, the woman, Ti-Anna Wang, was taken off a plane by six police officers, separated from her husband and detained with her daughter for almost two hours while travelling through Beijing en route to Toronto from Seoul, South Korea, the paper said. "It was a shocking, terrifying and senseless ordeal with no purpose but to bully, punish and intimidate me and my family," Wang was quoted as saying in an email to Irwin Cotler, head of the Montreal-based Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. China has expressed anger over Canada's arrest of Meng, who is alleged by US authorities to have deceived international banks into clearing transactions with Iran in contravention of US sanctions against Tehran. In what many analysts and diplomats believe to be tit-for-tat arrests, China has detained two Canadians and, on Monday, sentenced a third to death on drug smuggling charges after a hasty retrial. The Chinese foreign ministry denied there was a link. The Globe and Mail said Wang was denied use of her phone and computer, and refused access to the Canadian embassy. Chinese officials told her she was not allowed to return to Canada and put her on a flight back to South Korea, it said. Wang's father, Wang Bingzhang, is a pro-democracy campaigner who was abducted in Vietnam in 2002 by Chinese agents before being imprisoned for life in China on charges of espionage and terrorism, the campaign group Human Rights in China said. The Globe and Mail said Ti-Anna Wang was barred from entering China last week when she arrived at Hangzhou airport in Zhejiang province despite having obtained a visa in August to visit her ailing, jailed father. ^ top ^

Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He to hold trade talks in Washington on January 30-31 (SCMP)
2019-01-17
Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He will travel to Washington at the end of the month for the latest round of trade talks with the US, Beijing said on Thursday. Liu will hold two days of meetings on January 30 and 31 with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a press briefing. The announcement confirms a South China Morning Post report published on Tuesday. After Liu's last visit to Washington in May, he told China's state media that the two sides had reached a consensus to "not fight a trade war", but that agreement quickly soured. Chinese and US officials at the vice-ministerial level held three days of talks in Beijing last week which ended on a positive note. The US Trade Representative's office said delegates touched on several key issues, including "forced technology transfers, intellectual property protection, non-tariff barriers, cyber intrusions and cyber theft of trade secrets for commercial purposes, services and agriculture". Wei Zongyou, a professor of American studies at Fudan University, said he expected Liu and his US counterparts to reach consensus in Washington. His visit would help minimise the risk of the trade dispute escalating, he said. ^ top ^

Chinese vice premier meets German counterpart (Xinhua)
2019-01-17
Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng here on Thursday met with German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz. Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expected the two sides to make good use of the bilateral high-level financial dialogue mechanism, implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, and promote new achievements through cooperation in various fields. Han also called on the two sides to jointly safeguard multilateralism and rule-based international order, and to become models and leaders for promoting mutual benefit, win-win cooperation and common development in the global arena. Scholz said Germany is willing to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with China, implement the results reached by the consultations between the German and Chinese governments, jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system and promote the stability and prosperity of the world economy. Scholz is here to co-chair the second China-Germany High Level Financial Dialogue with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Friday. ^ top ^

China, Russia to strengthen cooperation in economic and social areas (Xinhua)
2019-01-17
China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Thursday called for enhanced cooperation between China and Russia in economic and social areas. Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body, made the remarks while meeting with Valerii Fadeev, chairman of the Russian Public Council. Noting that the year 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Russia, Wang said the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is at its best period in history under the strategic guidance of leaders of both countries, becoming a ballast stone of regional and international peace and stability. He called on both countries to make concerted efforts to upgrade bilateral cooperation to a new high, to benefit the two peoples. The CPPCC National Committee will continue to support cooperation between the China Economic and Social Council and the Russian Public Council to deepen bilateral exchanges in the economic and social areas, and promote overall advancement of relations between the two countries, Wang said. Fadeev said the Russian Public Council stands ready to continue to work for the mutual understanding and friendship between Russia and China. ^ top ^

Vietnam frustrated by slow pace of talks on South China Sea code of conduct (SCMP)
2019-01-17
Vietnam has expressed frustration at the slow pace of negotiations towards agreeing a code of conduct for the South China Sea. The country's foreign minister Pham Bình Minh made the comments after China and Vietnam wrapped up their latest talks on their land and maritime borders on Monday with a pledge to maintain maritime stability. He told local media that Hanoi was trying to maintain a balance between the United States and China at a time of growing rivalry between the two powers. "Not only Vietnam, but many other countries, would have to consider how to navigate the situation," Minh told the state-controlled Viet Nam News. Minh also expressed frustration at the slow progress on the code of conduct for the South China Sea, which has yet to materialise despite years of negotiation. In August China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed on a single draft negotiating text, and hope to wrap up talks by 2021, but Minh said the process had been "slower than expected". He said Vietnam must pursue an independent position and help avoid conflicts in the disputed waters, but described it as the "largest hurdle" to better relations between Hanoi and Beijing. Last week the US guided missile destroyer USS McCampbell passed near the disputed Paracel Islands in a freedom of navigation operation that prompted criticism from Beijing. Vietnam said it respected the right to freedom of navigation, but reasserted its claim to the Paracel and Spratly islands, which mainland China and other parties also claim. Following last week's incident, the Vietnamese and Chinese deputy foreign ministers met on Monday for the latest round of border talks. The Vietnamese foreign ministry said it had expressed its concerns about some "complicated recent developments in the South China that are not conducive to peace, stability and cooperation in the region", without elaborating further. China said both nations had made progress in maintaining stability for their land borders, and both sides would step up cooperation on infrastructure. Collin Koh, a research fellow at the Maritime Security Programme at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said China and Vietnam were eager to continue cooperation in less sensitive zones. The two sides fought a brief border war in 1979, in which tens of thousands of people are estimated to have died, and sporadic clashes continued for years afterwards. He said the two sides regarded their resolution of the land border dispute as an "example of how they can manage their problems over sovereignty … but this doesn't necessarily remove the enduring schism because of historical reasons and what China has done in South China Sea in recent years". Koh predicted relations between the two sides would follow a similar pattern of "overt and willing expressions of conciliatory overtures" mixed with "business as usual" in other areas. He said that for China this meant continuing to militarise the South China Sea, while Vietnam would continue to seek a counterbalance by cultivating closer security ties with countries such as India, Japan and the US. ^ top ^

China issues travel alert telling citizens they could be 'arbitrarily detained' in Canada a day after Ottawa issued similar warning (SCMP)
2019-01-16
China issued a travel warning of the risk of travelling to Canada on Tuesday – hours after Ottawa issued a similar alert. A notice by the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Chinese citizens should be aware of the risks of being "arbitrarily detained at the request of a third nation" in Canada, and urged caution when making travel plans. On Tuesday, Canada has warned its citizens of the "risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws" in China after a Canadian citizen, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, was sentenced to death for drug offences in a retrial that further escalated tensions. The two countries have been at loggerheads since the detention last month of Huawei executive Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, whom the US wants to extradite on fraud charges. The Chinese authorities detained two other Canadians, the former diplomat Michael Kovrig and the businessman Michael Spavor, soon after Meng's arrest. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was prepared to intervene on Schellenberg's behalf. "It is of extreme concern to us as a government, as it should be to all our international friends and allies, that China has chosen to begin to arbitrarily apply [the] death penalty … as in this case facing a Canadian," Trudeau said. China defended its judicial system in the face of intensifying criticism on Tuesday. The local court in Dalian, Liaoning Province, which delivered the verdict, said on Tuesday that it had "rigorously enforced" the relevant laws in Schellenberg's case "without any procedural violations". It said the Liaoning Higher Court had ordered a retrial after Schellenberg appealed against his initial 15-year sentence, adding that it "followed the law in accepting the case" and had carried out the necessary processes. Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry, also insisted that the rule of law had been followed in Schellenberg's case, and condemned Trudeau as ignorant of China's laws. "The remarks by the relevant Canadian person lack the most basic awareness of the legal system," Hua told reporters in a daily briefing. "We urge the Canadian side to respect the rule of law, respect China's legal sovereignty, correct its mistakes, and stop making irresponsible remarks." "The Canadian government should remind its citizens not about facing threats in China, but to never come to China to commit serious offences such as smuggling or trafficking drugs," she said. "Those who commit these serious offences in China will definitely face serious consequences." But observers have pointed to irregularities – including the rare order for a speedy retrial, which followed a delay of over two years in delivering the initial verdict – as signs that the harsher sentence may have been retaliatory in nature. Scott McKnight, managing editor of the China Open Research Network at the University of Toronto, said the sudden change and increased coverage in Chinese media was a "clear indication to us that the Chinese government is eager to politicise this specific case in its broader diplomatic spat with Canada". "The Chinese government, in choosing to escalate this stand-off, is showing that it's immune – or simply doesn't care – about the damage it is doing to its reputation, so long as it somehow helps to get Mrs Meng back to China," he said. ^ top ^

Donald Trump won't be at Davos, but trade talks could go on without him (SCMP)
2019-01-12
US President Donald Trump may have missed a chance to meet Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan after he pulled out of the World Economic Forum in Davos, but analysts say trade talks between the two sides remain on track. Trump said in a tweet on Thursday he had cancelled his trip to the forum, citing the "safety of our nation" as the reason amid a partial government shutdown in the United States as he continues to push for funding for a border wall with Mexico. "Because of the Democrats' intransigence on border security and the great importance of safety for our nation, I am respectfully cancelling my very important trip to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum," Trump wrote on Twitter. "My warmest regards and apologies to the @wef!" Chinese and US officials at the vice-ministerial level concluded three days of negotiations in Beijing on Wednesday as the two sides try to iron out their differences on a wide range of trade issues. The South China Morning Post reported earlier that Trump was likely to hold talks at the forum with President Xi Jinping's close ally Wang, who will lead the Chinese delegation. There had also been speculation that potential high-level dialogue could lead to a breakthrough on the trade dispute and even reduce tension over the arrest of Huawei Technologies executive Sabrina Meng Wanzhou. Wang Yong, deputy director of the Centre for New Structural Economics at Peking University, said it was a missed opportunity. "It is a shame Trump won't be attending the Davos forum because it would have been a great occasion for the two men to meet," Wang said. But he did not believe Trump's absence from the annual economic conference would affect the ongoing trade talks. "Even if they were to meet, they would not be discussing the details of the trade negotiations," he said. China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang also played down the cancellation at a regular briefing on Friday. "I am not aware of any arrangement" for a meeting between Wang and Trump at Davos, Lu said. He would not confirm whether the Chinese vice-president would meet any US representatives during his stay in Davos. But Shen Dingli, a China-US relations expert in Shanghai, said progress had been made at this week's trade talks and the prospect of reaching an agreement had improved. "Even though Trump will not attend Davos, there could still be the possibility that China and the US may have exchanges at the forum because resolving the trade conflict is a mutual goal," Shen said. Meanwhile, Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He is expected to visit Washington from January 30 to 31 to continue the trade negotiations, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the plans. Liu – Xi's key economic adviser – is to meet US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin during the trip, according to the reports. The world's two largest economies are now almost halfway through a 90-day trade war truce agreed on December 1 when Trump and Xi met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina. Few details have been provided of the trade talks in Beijing this week. But when asked on Thursday about China's stance on key areas and whether it was confident an agreement could be reached, commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said the two sides had made progress on structural issues. ^ top ^

Attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi 'planned in Afghanistan, aided by Indian spy agency' (SCMP)
2019-01-12
Police in Pakistan alleged that a deadly attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi last year was planned in Afghanistan with the support of India's spy agency – a claim India has denied. Karachi police chief Amir Shaikh also highlighted the grave security risks Beijing is facing over its ambitious investment scheme in the region. Five suspects – all from Pakistani separatist group the Balochistan Liberation Army – have been arrested in Karachi, Hub and Quetta over the attack, Shaikh told media on Friday, according to The Express Tribune. During the attack on November 23, three militants attempted to enter the Chinese consulate in Karachi but were shot dead by police at the checkpoint. Two police officers and two civilians were also killed during the exchange of fire. The BLA claimed responsibility for the attack. Shaikh said it was an attempt to sabotage the Beijing-funded China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – a flagship project under Chinese President Xi Jinping's "Belt and Road Initiative". "They wanted China to believe that Karachi is not safe," Shaikh was quoted as saying. Revealing new details of the attack, the second targeting Chinese nationals in Balochistan, a province at the centre of the CPEC, Karachi police said it had been planned in Afghanistan and was aided by India's intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing. "The attack was planned in Afghanistan. There have been reports that the mastermind, Aslam alias Achu, was killed in Kandahar, but we cannot believe it unless we see the body or other evidence," Shaikh said. New Delhi denied the allegation. "We completely reject these fabricated and scurrilous attempts to levy accusation on India," India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. "Instead of maliciously pointing fingers at others for such terrorist incidents, Pakistan needs to look inwards and undertake credible action against support to terrorism and terror infrastructure in its territories," the statement said. According to Karachi police, weapons used in the attack were shipped from Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, to Karachi's Cantt Station by train, and more weapons – including three Kalashnikov rifles, three hand grenades, two TT pistols, two rocket shells and a huge quantity of explosives – were later confiscated in a joint raid in Karachi. "The trained terrorists had been observing the consulate for four months before the attack," Shaikh said. "They used to sit in the visa section of the consulate to observe when the gates opened and other details." The CPEC is a key part of Beijing's belt and road plan to connect China with more than 60 countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East through trade and infrastructure projects. But it has become increasingly controversial – while Pakistani leaders hope the massive investment in railways, ports, pipelines and roads can revive its ailing economy and create jobs, concern has been growing over its debt burden and security risks in the region. India, which is wary of China's expanding economic influence in South Asia, has long opposed the CPEC, which it says violates its sovereignty because part of the project runs through its disputed areas with Pakistan. Qi Kai, an associate professor with the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said the latest details shed light on the security threat Beijing faces as it seeks to push forward the CPEC. "Security risks in the region are complicated and involve extremism, terrorism and separatism," Qi said. "Beijing will have to be more cautious as it goes ahead with the programme, and take more security measures. But as the relationship between China and Pakistan is stable, this won't affect progress on the project." ^ top ^

'Umbrellas' over criminals to be targeted (China Daily)
2019-01-18
Prosecutors nationwide will attach great importance to investigating corrupt officials who provide so-called protective umbrellas to mafia-like gangs and others, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Thursday. "The biggest obstacle for clearing up the gangs and evil forces is to break their protectors," Zhang Jun, chief prosecutor at the SPP, said at a key meeting on Thursday. "We must consciously investigate them and never relax our efforts." He said that if governmental or judicial officials fail to discover clues during inspections, they will be held accountable for dereliction of duty. If they obtain the clues and don't transfer them to the prosecuting departments, they will be accused of malfeasance, he said. Moreover, prosecuting departments will enhance cooperation with discipline inspection commissions, supervisory commissions and public security departments and will propose effective coordinating mechanisms to collect evidence, exchange information and quickly transfer suspects. "In the coming months, we will tease out some major clues and send them to the National Supervisory Commission for investigation. If prosecutors are involved, we will never tolerate it and will strictly punish them," he said. In recent years, a growing number of cases involving protective umbrellas for organized crime have emerged nationwide. They are deeply interwoven with corruption and have seriously infringed on people's vital interests and welfare, he said. Last year, prosecutors in Hubei province investigated nearly 300 cases involving protective umbrellas for criminals and seriously punished 220 people who were involved. In Henan province, 190 civil servants have been dealt with. And in Guangdong, two cases involving bureau-level officials and 36 involving section-level officials who offered an umbrella of protection for criminals were filed. "In China, citizens have a high expectation of fairness, justice and security, but organized crime and other corrupt forces have had a negative impact on their sense of security and happiness," said Bian Jianlin, law professor at China University of Political Science and Law. "Fighting the protective umbrellas is a fundamental way to eliminate organized crime and corruption. The campaign effectively responds to people's aspirations to live a better life and safeguard lasting peace and stability for the country," he said. Issues concerning people's interests have always been the focus of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Zheng said. "Our top priority is to serve the country's overall development and protect the people's fundamental rights," he said. Apart from combating organized crime, prosecuting departments will also pay attention to food and drug safety and protecting the environment, while dealing more effectively with cases involving crimes committed by minors and harm to minors' rights, including sexual abuse, trafficking and torture. ^ top ^

China arrests more than 1 mln suspects in 2018 (Xinhua)
2019-01-18
China's procuratorate authorities approved and decided on the arrests of more than 1.05 million suspects in 2018, according to a national meeting of procurator-generals on Thursday. Nearly 1.7 million people were indicted in 2018. Among them, 32,078 were charged with crimes of sabotaging financial management or financial fraud, according to sources at the meeting. More than 6,000 were charged with crimes of polluting the environment, the sources said. ^ top ^

Xi Jinping tells judiciary and law enforcement agencies to 'scrape away the poison' amid investigation into missing documents for US$56 billion coal mine (SCMP)
2019-01-17
Chinese President Xi Jinping has told law enforcement and judicial agencies that they must police themselves to eradicate corruption and prevent the abuse of power, as a top-level team continues to investigate the disappearance of legal documents from the country's top court. Speaking on Wednesday at a high-level annual meeting on political and legal affairs, Xi told officials they must "resolutely guard against slack law enforcement, miscarriage of justice, breaking the law while enforcing the law and judicial corruption", Xinhua reported. Law enforcement and judicial agencies must "turn the blade towards themselves, scrape the poison off their bones and resolutely eliminate the black sheep", he said. In the lexicon of the ruling Communist Party, China's political and legal affairs apparatus – which includes the police, secret police, courts and prosecutors – is often referred to as the "knife handle", while the army is known as the "gun barrel". Both are vital to the security of the regime. Xi's attendance at the conference was his first since 2014, when he also vowed to eliminate corruption and weed out the "black sheep" from law enforcement agencies and the judiciary. Under his sweeping anti-corruption campaign a slew of senior officials, including former security tsar Zhou Yongkang, former deputy police chief Li Dongsheng and former justice minister Wu Aiying have been purged from the system. Xi's latest warning came after the party's Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission last week launched a rare joint investigation with the anti-corruption watchdog into the mysterious disappearance of a series of legal documents from the Supreme People's Court (SPC). The documents, which went missing in 2016, related to a long-running contract dispute between a private company and a state-owned enterprise over the ownership of a coal mine in northwest China's Shaanxi province, which reportedly has reserves worth 380 billion yuan (US$56.15 billion). The matter was brought to the public's attention last month by former television host Cui Yongyuan, whose allegations sparked last year's tax evasion scandal involving Chinese actress Fan Bingbing. While the top court initially denied losing the documents, it quickly backtracked and launched an internal investigation amid a public outcry over injustice in the system. In his speech, Xi vowed to uphold the party's "absolute leadership" over political and legal affairs, and urged officials to push for deeper integration of new technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence in their work. The meeting was also attended by the head of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Guo Shengkun, SPC Chief Justice Zhou Qiang and the nation's top prosecutor, Zhang Jun. Later the same day, Zhang held a meeting with his colleagues at the top prosecutor's office where they agreed to step up internal political inspection, Xinhua reported. ^ top ^

Senior CPC official calls for healthy ideological, cultural environment (SCMP)
2019-01-17
A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Thursday called for more efforts to create a healthy ideological and cultural environment for celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks at a national teleconference on combating illegal publications and online pornography. More responsibility and courage to fight were needed to push the work of combating illegal publications and online pornography to a new level, Huang said. He stressed that the work should target online obscene and illicit content. Huang also asked for further improvement of a comprehensive governance system. Several institutions and individuals were commended for their performance in the area during the teleconference. ^ top ^

Comic books to be used to popularize Karl Marx in China (Global Times)
2019-01-17
From emojis, stage plays and animation to comic book, China is producing various products about Karl Marx, who is regarded as the millennium's greatest thinker, in a bid to popularize the political figure among Chinese teenagers. The first comic book about Marx, Lingfengzhe (The Leader), was recently released and shows his family, love, friendship, theory and struggle. Using Marx's life, the book explains the Marxist theory in a simple and vivid way, according to Hangzhou-based Zhejiang Juvenile and Children's Publishing House, the publisher of the book. Targeting teenagers, the comic book thoroughly relies on biographies, theory books, memoirs and classic books of the same era. It tells young readers that Marx is not only a great thinker as they learned in textbooks, but also a diligent, romantic and rebellious teenager like a normal teenager would behave, Wu Yunqin, the director of the cultural and creative department at the publishing house, also the editor of the comic book, told the Global Times on Thursday. Marx usually appears in a serious way, and his theories are difficult to communicate to the public. The new forms of teaching Marxism can attract people better than empty slogans and texts, Zhong Jun, the leading author of the comic book and research fellow at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday. The Leader production team, which was set up in 2016, tries to popularize Marx through different artistic products among all age groups, ranging from emojis and stage plays, to theme songs and TV shows, Zhuo Sina, the publicity manager of The Leader team, told the Global Times on Thursday. The team is working with different partners, and the character of Marx has been adjusted to be more suitable with the specific genre it represents, Zhuo said. The first issue of the comic book, which depicts the early life of Marx in Berne and Berlin and his fearless love story with his wife Jenny, was released in January. ^ top ^

Asia is 'new hotbed of Christian persecution' with situation in China worst since Cultural Revolution, report claims (SCMP)
2019-01-16
Nearly 140 million Christians suffered high levels of persecution in Asia last year, according to a new report, which described the situation facing the faith in China as the worst since the Cultural Revolution. The annual Open Doors World Watch List, released on Wednesday, said Asia is "the new hotbed of persecution for Christians". […] "The report confirms my impression of what's going on around the world and confirms my knowledge of what has been happening in China," said Yang Fenggang, the founder of the Centre on Religion and Chinese Society at Purdue University in the United States. "Under Xi Jinping, the suppression of Christian churches and other religious organisations is being carried out nationwide with unprecedented determination." Of about 403 million Christians from Afghanistan to the Korean peninsula, an estimated 139 million – or one in three – were found to live under "high persecution", or where "prominent Christians are targeted, churches themselves subject to significant restrictions, and the culture remains largely hostile to a Christian presence". Militant atheism, radical Islamism and nationalism are three basic motives for Christian persecution, said Nina Shea, the director of the Centre for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute, a US think tank. Asia, in her words, is exhibiting all three. "There are different reasons for it in each country. It's baffling that they have all come at once," said Shea, a former head of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. "Intolerance is gaining strength, but these trends are not consistent with each other or any pattern. You certainly can't say it's from one source." Ahmed Shaheed, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion, said he was "very concerned" about the rise of religious intolerance. "Freedom of religion is routinely violated across much of Asia," he said in a speech in Bangkok in August. "In many countries, the civic space is closing and restrictions on expression and other civil liberties are rising. The persecution of religious minorities is increasing, a worrying trend confirmed by the 2019 World Watch List report," Shaheed, a former Maldivian foreign minister, told the South China Morning Post. "Governments need to recognise the close links between respect for freedom of religion or belief, and societal peace and economic prosperity." Open Doors, a Britain-based charity, was founded in 1955. In 1981, the group smuggled 1 million outlawed Chinese Bibles to a beach in southern China. Its yearly watch list compiles field interviews and reports, questionnaires and news reports, scoring countries out of 100 for "persecution points" to determine their rank on the list. The watch list is independently audited by International Institute of Religious Freedom. […] The report's toughest comments were aimed at China, where by some estimates the country's 97 million Christians outnumber the membership of the Communist Party. By Open Doors' reckoning, more than 20 million Christians experienced persecution last year, and it forecasts that number to increase to 50 million in 2019. It cited the country's revised Religious Affairs Regulations, which have governed the practice of all religions since the 1980s; an array of crackdowns and raids; and a wave of church closures such as that of Beijing's Zion Church in September. "In China, our figures indicate persecution is the worst it's been in more than a decade – alarmingly, some church leaders are saying it's the worst since the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976," said Henrietta Blyth, chief executive of Open Doors UK and Ireland, in a statement. Shea, of the Hudson Institute, called the situation in China a turning point. "China had been on the trajectory of being the biggest Christian country in the world in a decade or two. It now seems headed towards forcing its Christians into the North Korean model – weak, small and invisible in the deep underground," Shea said. "Remnants will survive but the community will be vastly diminished and facing an existential threat. The officially tolerated Christianity will conform with the teachings of Xi and the Communist Party." Yang said persecution reached Chinese Christians worshipping in both official and unsanctioned churches – but that it's important to look at the other side. Beijing has also worked to mend relations with Chinese Catholics, as evidenced last month when it recognised two previously excommunicated Chinese bishops. "Is the bottle half empty or half full? Almost half of the estimated 90 million Chinese Protestant Christians did not feel the persecution," Yang said. He also that he believed the intensity of the Chinese crackdown against Christians had reached its peak and was unlikely to be sustained because of its astronomical costs. "It is simply impossible to return to the Cultural Revolution to completely eradicate religions, because there are simply too many Christians today," he said. Pastor Eric Foley is the chief executive of Voice of the Martyrs Korea, the Asian sister mission to Release International – which monitors and reports international persecution of Christians – and a member of the International Christian Association (ICA). The missions of the ICA, called the Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), work with persecuted Christians. For 18 years, VOM Korea has worked with underground Christians in North Korea and China. "For governments and activists, religious freedom is a kind of 'canary in the coal mine' for human rights issues overall," he said. "In wealthy nations, religion is often regarded as simply as a matter of private devotion, and so religious persecution can seem only to affect zealots. But careful studies, like the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea, continue to demonstrate a correlation between failure to protect religious liberty and systematic human rights abuses. "So where Christian persecution occurs and certainly where it is on the upswing, even non-Christians should be motivated to take notice." ^ top ^

Senior political advisors study Xi's speech on Party governance (Xinhua)
2019-01-16
The leading Party members' group of the Chinese People's Political Consultation Conference (CPPCC) National Committee met Wednesday to study a recent speech made by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Party governance. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over the meeting and delivered a speech, according to a statement issued after the meeting. Xi's speech at the third plenary session of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC pointed out the general requirements and major tasks of the Party on the current and next stage, and showed once again the Party's will and determination to continuously improve its conduct and punish corruption, the statement said. Senior political advisors agreed that studying and following the spirit of Xi's speech should be taken as an important political task, to ensure that the CPC Central Committee's decisions and plans on improving the Party's working style and frugality and anti-graft battle are implemented. The leading Party members' group of the CPPCC National Committee should give full play to its significant role as the Party's united front organization, improve its guidance in ideological and political work, and unite a mighty force in pushing forward reform and opening-up as well as economic and social development, said the statement. ^ top ^

Anti-graft efforts stepped up (China Daily)
2019-01-14
China's top anti-graft watchdog will step up supervision efforts this year in larger departments and industries with more funding and resources, according to an official communique. It will also resolutely prevent officials from being enlisted and corrupted by interest groups, it said. The communique was published after the third plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection was concluded in Beijing on Sunday. More importantly, the commission will focus its anti-graft efforts in areas that concern the public the most, such as education, healthcare, environmental protection and food and drug safety. Corrupt officials at the grassroots level will also be targeted, especially those who offer protection for mafia-like gangs and act like village tyrants, the communique said. "China has had great achievements in fighting corruption, which has played an important role in economic development and social stability," said Qi Zhenhong, director of the China Institute of International Studies. Anti-graft authorities need to focus on fighting corruption in project bidding, appointing of officials, law enforcement and administering State-owned assets, Fu Kui, secretary of the CPC Hunan Discipline Inspection Commission, told the China Discipline Inspection and Supervision Newspaper, the official publication of the CCDI. They also need to target officials who are corrupt both financially and politically, Fu said. Anti-corruption efforts in financial fields should be stepped up, particularly in key projects, areas, and positions that concern the country's overall development and security, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said on Friday during the three-day plenary session. Wang Xingning, secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Commission, told the China Discipline Inspection and Supervision Newspaper that the local commission plans to use confessions of corrupt officials and case studies to warn others to avoid such behavior. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Party officials, especially high-ranking officials, have received clear requirements on intra-Party activities as part of the all-out effort to enforce strict Party discipline. This year, the Party vows to firmly fight against formality for formality's sake and bureaucratism. Those who make vague statements, act perfunctorily and are slack at work will be punished, the communique said. The sweeping victory secured so far in the anti-graft campaign must be further consolidated this year so that officials don't dare to, are unable to and have no desire to commit acts of corruption, it said. The nation and Party's oversight system will also be further improved, the communique added. Around 621,000 people were punished for corruption last year, including 51 officials at or above the provincial or ministerial level, according to the CCDI and the National Supervisory Commission, which was set up in 2018 as a part of efforts to reform the State supervisory system. "The reform has helped to consolidate different anti-corruption forces. Now, supervision authorities need to refine the workflow so they can handle cases more efficiently," said Guo Yong, director of Tsinghua University's Center for Integrity and Governance Research. ^ top ^

LGBT activists protest sexual orientation therapies in country (Global Times)
2019-01-14
Three slogan-bearing trucks are going from Shanghai to Nanjing as part of a campaign run by three gay rights promoters to protest alleged sexual orientation conversion therapies in China. Chinese artist Wu Laobai and Lin He, a gay policeman, and Zheng Hongbin, organizers of the campaign called Lovers, hired three slogan-bearing trucks which passed through downtown areas in Shanghai and arrived in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province on Sunday, which is designed to raise public awareness of the liberty and equality of sexual orientation. The Chinese Classification and Diagnostic Criteria of Mental Disorders-3rd edition (CCMD-3) released by the Chinese Medical Association's psychiatric branch, a non-government medical organization, removed homosexuality for the first time in the country in 2001, which was hailed by the Chinese LGBT community, including Zheng, as a milestone. ''To cure a 'disease' that does not exist?' says the first one. "'The diagnostic criteria for mental disorders in China still retain 'Sexual Orientation Disorder' says another. 'It's been 19 years, why?' says the final one, referring to the 2001 regulation, according to photos published on Wu's Sina Weibo account. Aside from the three trucks, the campaign also includes reaching out to doctors, Zheng told Global Times on Sunday. "We picked conversion therapy centers in hospitals and clinics from a 'heat map' and have successfully communicated with doctors in Shanghai," Zheng said. The "heat map" includes 96 confirmed conversion therapy centers across China, which was updated in December 2018 in their WeChat account also named "Lovers." "Patients seeking help should follow the voluntary principle, but some are forced by their parents. That's why we try to discuss with doctors and advise them to find out if the patients went there voluntarily or not," Zheng said. Whether the campaign will move to other cities depends on public participation, Zheng added. The campaign, supported by crowd-funding on its WeChat account and the organizers' Sina Weibo account, has raised from 9,666.6 yuan ($1,430.) before the Shanghai tour to more than 15,000 yuan since then. ^ top ^

Tibet reports sharp decline in illegal entry and exit amid crackdown (Global Times)
2019-01-17
Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region launched a drive to crack down on illegal entry to and exit from the region in July, leading to a 79-percent decrease in the number of cases compared with the first half of the year in 2018, according to Tibet's border control authorities. In response to an increase of illegal exits and entries along the border of China's Tibet during the first half of 2018, the Tibet departure and entry inspection station launched the drive and strengthened cooperation with the People's Liberation Army stationed along the border, xzxw.com reported on Thursday. "As the main department to manage exit and entry in Tibet, we are responsible and obliged to severely crack down on illegal exit and entry and to offer better services for domestic and foreign tourists," said Yuan Bin, head of the Tibet exit and entry inspection station. The departure and entry inspection station focuses on preventing terrorists or criminals from entering China via Tibet and strengthening management of entry and exit information. A total of 100,000 vehicles and 500,000 passengers have been inspected. Nearly 1,000 people were refused entry to Tibet from the border for not completing entry and exit formalities, according to the report. More than 16,000 police officers have been motivated to visit 21,000 households along the border areas and to register 48,000 people coming from other provinces or regions. Seven residents were awarded a total of 84,000 yuan for their contributions in safeguarding border security. ^ top ^

Beijing's foreign tourism push in Tibet seen as economic, not response to political pressure (SCMP)
2019-01-12
Beijing's decision to slash waiting times for foreign tourists applying to visit Tibet reflects the authorities' confidence and was likely motivated by economic considerations rather than political pressure from Washington, analysts said. Qizhala, the chairman of the autonomous region, said the government planned to increase tourist numbers to more than 40 million this year and halve waiting times for foreign travel permits, the official Tibet Daily reported on Friday. Foreign access to the remote, mountainous western region is highly restricted for journalists, diplomats and researchers working on sensitive topics. Non-Chinese tourists need special permits and are only allowed to enter as part of an approved group tour. In December, US President Donald Trump signed into law the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act in a bid to press China to allow more access to Tibet. The new law authorises the US to identify Chinese officials responsible for blocking entry of American citizens to Tibet and ban those officials from entering the United States. Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute at King's College London, said Beijing's move was a "calculated risk" which "makes economic sense" for the largely deprived region that is rich in natural scenery. "It's also a testament to the fact that the central government in Beijing thinks they have pacified the area and the issues in the past have been made manageable. It shows a lot of confidence that they're able to relax these long-standing restrictions," Brown said. "It's serendipitous that it happened to seem like China was doing something the Americans asked, because they can then use that in US negotiations," he added. Yuan Zheng, a US affairs specialist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, also believed the decision was not a response to foreign pressure. "The question of Tibet is an internal matter for China. Any foreign organisations or governments have no power to intervene – this is a matter of principle [to the Chinese government]," Yuan said. "Tibet is open to foreigners and not completely closed. While following the demands of reform and opening to the outside world, the Chinese government will obviously consider international concerns, but I do not believe US pressure is responsible for this decision." Travel agencies in Tibet welcomed the news. "Before, we normally needed to apply for a permit a month in advance, but it will only take 15 days now," said Penpa Tsering from Easy Tibet Tours in Lhasa. "Our business is definitely going to benefit in the future. For us it's very good news, not only for the tourism market but for travellers around the world." Tenzin, a travel agent with Tibet Songshan Travel, was also happy about the easier access. "It depends on your itinerary. If you are going to go to a remote area, it may take about 20 days [now] to process a travel permit," he said. Human rights activists and researchers have long criticised the Chinese government for its repressive controls in Tibet. In June, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said conditions in the region were "fast deteriorating". Maya Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that despite the move, the Chinese government was "unlikely to improve its treatment of Tibetans". "Genuine efforts to improve human rights in Tibet would mean greater freedoms for Tibetans, such as the rights to free expression and to religion," Wang said. Joshua Rosenzweig, deputy regional director of research for Amnesty International Hong Kong, also rejected suggestions that the streamlined procedures would mean greater openness in Tibet to foreigners. "I anticipate that most, if not all, tourists will only be able to see what the authorities want them to see and will have limited freedom to venture out and interact with ordinary Tibetans throughout the region," Rosenzweig said. "It seems unlikely that journalists, diplomats or researchers will get access to investigate issues related to religious freedom, economic rights or other areas of contention." ^ top ^

China Focus: Foreign media praise Xinjiang's development, stability (Xinhua)
2019-01-16
A media group consisting of people from six countries praised the development and stability of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region after visiting the area. The Silk Road Celebrity China Tour was held from Jan. 9 to 16 in Xinjiang, with 12 media representatives from Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka visiting Xinjiang locals as well as a vocational training center. The media group said that the Chinese government's successful experience in governing Xinjiang deserves praise. The group visited a transportation hub where China-Europe freight trains converge in Urumqi, the regional capital, and conducted live coverage of the trains. Shiabur Rahman, an editor with Bangladesh's Daily Sun, said that the China-Europe freight trains brought Xinjiang closer to the rest of the world. As the front gate of China's opening-up westward, Xinjiang's economic development will become increasingly better. Abdul Matin Amiri, with a weekly publication from Afghanistan, said the display of unity and joy from the locals is completely different from what some media in the West describe, adding that Xinjiang is developing well under the leadership of the Chinese government -- cities in the region are thriving and people are living prosperous lives. The reporters also visited the once poverty-stricken residents who have relocated from the mountains and are living modern lives in newly-built houses. Erdal Kurucay, with Turkey's ATV, said the happiness exuded from the once poor residents showed Xinjiang's rapid economic development and the success of China's targeted measures in its anti-poverty campaign. The media group also enjoyed an ethnic minority music performance by a Xinjiang folk music orchestra. Misket Dikmen, president of the Izmir Journalists Association of Turkey, said that Xinjiang has done a good job of protecting and promoting minority cultures. They also visited the Id Kah Mosque, one of the most renowned mosques in Central Asia. Shiabur Rahman, the Daily Sun editor, said that before he came to Xinjiang, he heard that the Chinese government did not allow Muslims to worship, but after his visit, he found that the government does not intervene in normal religious activities and religious freedom of the Xinjiang Muslims has been effectively protected. The group also attended an exhibition of major cases related to violence and terrorism in Xinjiang. Xinjiang has effectively prevented the incidents of violence and terrorism and safeguarded people's lives and property in the region through taking effective measures, said Shiabur Rahman, adding that the Chinese government is a very responsible one. After visiting a vocational education and training center in the city of Kashgar, Turkish ATV reporter Tugcenur Yilmaz said that trainees are learning laws, Mandarin and skills in the center, which plays an important role in de-extremism. Shiabur Rahman said those people were once affected by extremism and religious fanaticism. He said that such training has made a great contribution to the non-occurrence of violence and terrorism in Xinjiang in the long term. Bangladesh has been impacted by extremism as well, and that he would bring the experience back to his country, Shiabur Rahman said. ^ top ^

Shenzhen's new bankruptcy court could track assets transferred to Hong Kong (SCMP)
2019-01-17
China has created a special bankruptcy court in Shenzhen to handle "cross-border" cases, but experts have said it will not extend the mainland's judicial reach into Hong Kong. However, the Shenzhen Bankruptcy Court will help officials in Guangdong trace the assets of bankrupt businesses in the mainland which have been transferred to Hong Kong, according to those familiar with the sector. Closer economic ties between the mainland and Hong Kong fostered in recent years have led to a growing number of cross-border commercial legal disputes. Meanwhile, as China's growth slows, mainland bankruptcy cases have soared. Chinese courts settled 6,257 bankruptcy cases in 2017, up 73 per cent year on year. According to data from the Supreme People's Court, 6,647 bankruptcy cases were settled in the first 10 months of 2018. Many of the companies involved have subsidiaries and assets overseas, which can be hard for bankruptcy officers to track down, industry sources say. A mainland businessperson, for instance, can transfer assets to subsidiaries in Hong Kong, saddling its mainland entities with the liabilities and subsequently declaring bankruptcy in China. Zhang Lili, a partner at the Goldsun law firm in Guangdong, which handled over 30 enterprise bankruptcy cases last year, said: "Many bankrupt Chinese enterprises often have lot of assets in Hong Kong." "The lack of mutually acceptable rules and cross-border cooperation framework made it difficult for us to get the assets back in many cases. Shenzhen's court will be a really helpful and practical way to improve the settlement of these cases," she said. The Shenzhen Bankruptcy Court will provide "powerful judicial services and guarantees for Greater Bay Area development", according to a statement on the official website. This refers to China's strategy of integrating Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau into one economic bloc. The court will mainly handle bankruptcy filings in Shenzhen. It has also been directed by China's Supreme Court in Beijing to rule on cross-border cases and "other cases that fall into its jurisdiction". It will "show the world China's legal progress and improve the international credibility and influence of Chinese court bankruptcy rulings", according to the statement. However, it would not extend the reach of the mainland judiciary into Hong Kong, which will remain a separate jurisdiction. Since 2006, Hong Kong and mainland China have signed five agreements on mutual help, two of which are concerned with civil and commercial cases. There is no existing framework for both courts to mutually recognise insolvency orders. In July 2018, Hong Kong's justice department said it was launching a public consultation to study such a mechanism. No timeline was mentioned. Even if such an agreement is reached, a mainland judgment would not automatically apply in Hong Kong. It must first be brought before a Hong Kong court. The same situation applies for a Hong Kong judgment in mainland China. For instance, an agreement signed in 2017 means courts in both Hong Kong and China recognise matrimonial orders, but both reserve the right to refuse to honour a particular judgment if it contravenes the legal principles of that jurisdiction. Accountancy lawmaker Kenneth Leung, who is also a lawyer, said the main challenge to cross-border civil matters were never in Hong Kong, but in China's north. "It's easy for mainlanders to bring a judgment and enforce in Hong Kong court," Leung said. "It's very common that a Hong Kong judgment is not enforced by mainland courts." The 21st Century Business Herald, a Chinese business newspaper, reports that the court is also "exploring Hong Kong-mainland cross-border bankruptcy mechanism" and "setting up mutually acceptable rules and review procedures". No details are given on how that alignment would work. Under the "one country, two systems" arrangement, Hong Kong will maintain its judicial independence until 2047. The new bankruptcy court will help to set up a special administrative branch to manage bankruptcy matters, promote the separation of bankruptcy and administration, and set up rules against abusing the bankruptcy procedure It will promote personal bankruptcy protection, applicable to individual plaintiffs, the court's statement said. Although China has 92 bankruptcy courts located in major cities across the country, they tend to reject most liquidation requests under the duress of local governments, which prefer to draw up restructuring plans that would satisfy their own aims. China is lumbered with widespread and deep-rooted financial risks, many of which are linked to heavily indebted state-owned companies. Local governments are often reluctant to see these industrial behemoths go bust, since they are an important source of tax revenue and jobs, which help stifle social unrest. Legal scholars say that an independent bankruptcy court would help kill off China's "zombie firms". Li Shuguang, dean of the graduate school at China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing previously told the South China Morning Post: "We must set up an independent bankruptcy court system, ideally under the existing circuit courts, to prevent local protectionism and defend investors' interests." Meanwhile, a court that would hear personal bankruptcy cases would help protect middle class people who are mired in cash flow problems, Luo Aiping, a Guangzhou-based lawyer. "I receive increasing queries from individuals, many young people trapped or ruined by usurious debts, asking whether they can go bankrupt in the mainland," she said. ^ top ^

No perceived bias in Leung Chun-ying UGL probe, so no outside legal advice, says Hong Kong justice minister Teresa Cheng (SCMP)
2019-01-17
Prosecutors looking into corruption claims against former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying did not need to get outside legal advice because there was no possible perception of bias or conflicting interests, the city's justice minister said on Wednesday. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah's comments came after her department said last month there was not enough evidence to charge Leung, who received undeclared payments from an Australian firm before and after he became chief executive. During a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, Cheng listed scenarios in which the Department of Justice (DOJ) may seek external legal advice. One such scenario would be when there is a possible perception of bias or issues of conflict of interest, Cheng said. "In this case, that does not apply," she added. This was an apparent change in stance for Cheng, who on December 26 said that only when internal staff were being investigated was outside legal advice needed. The minister was responding to a question from Council Front legislator Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, who asked if the minister had deviated from usual practice. Chu noted the department got outside counsel in cases that involved former officials, such as former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and ex-chief secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan, who were jailed for misconduct in separate cases in 2017 and 2014, respectively. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) started investigating Leung in 2014, over his receipt of payments totalling HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) from Australian firm UGL. UGL had bought DTZ, a company of which Leung was a director. In return for UGL's cash, Leung pledged not to join or form a rival firm. He did not declare the payments, received in chunks before and after he became leader, to the judiciary when he took office, as required by Article 47 of the Basic Law, the city's de facto constitution. On Wednesday Cheng went on to say that only when a DOJ officer is involved in a case must the department get outside help. "It is not a must for the DOJ to seek external legal advice when the person involved is a high-ranking official, political figure, or someone with a special background," she added. "Whether the case is sensitive or not, there is never a hard requirement to get external counsel." In the past three years, only once did the DOJ seek legal advice on a case that did not involve one of its officers, she said. She did not detail the case. Cheng also said the DOJ's Prosecution Code says everyone shall be treated equally, and that its decisions shall not be affected by the public's reaction. Speaking after the meeting, Cheng gave reporters the department's definition of perceived bias. "A fair-minded, involved observer, taking all the relevant circumstances into account, would consider that there is a real risk of bias" in those cases, Cheng said. Pan-democrats were dissatisfied with Cheng's answers. Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting said Cheng had failed to maintain consistency in the department's handling of cases. "It makes people feel that Cheng employed different stances in handling Leung's case," Lam, a former ICAC investigator, said. He called for Cheng to resign, noting her popularity had plunged to a new low according to a poll published on Tuesday. Separately, the Democratic Party on Wednesday published the results of a survey on public opinion of the DOJ's handling of Leung's case. Conducted by the University of Hong Kong, the survey interviewed 1,005 adults over the phone earlier this month. It found that 60 per cent thought the DOJ had acted with bias because of Leung's status as former city leader and current vice-chair of the nation's top political advisory body. More than 70 per cent said the DOJ should have got outside counsel, while more than half said the incident had damaged their confidence in Hong Kong's rule of law. ^ top ^

Approval ratings for Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and justice chief Teresa Cheng hit new lows (SCMP)
2019-01-15
Popularity ratings for Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her justice minister Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah have hit record lows, according to the latest edition of a survey by a local university. The chief executive's score on a scale of 1 to 100 dropped 5.5 points to 50.9 in the poll by the University of Hong Kong, which interviewed about 1,000 city residents last week. Lam's rating was close to an all-time worst of 47.6 seen in October last year. Her net approval rating fell 21 percentage points to a new low. Cheng fared even worse with a score of just 30.4, the lowest since she took office a year ago and a 6.7 point drop on last month's rating. A political commentator said the two officials had shown arrogance and their falling ratings could be related to decisions by Cheng and anti-corruption officials not to prosecute Lam's predecessor, Leung Chun-ying. The pair's unpopularity could also be down to Lam's explanation last week of a proposal to raise the age threshold for claiming elderly welfare payments from 60 to 65, Chinese University political scientist Ivan Choy Chi-keung said. Choy and lawmakers urged the leader and minister to better explain their policies and review contentious decisions. Only 37 per cent of those polled said they would support Lam carrying on as chief executive, while 48 per cent said they would not. The figures translated to a net approval rating of minus 11 percentage points, which was 21 percentage points lower than last month and the lowest since Lam took office in July 2017. Just 11 per cent said they would back Cheng, with an overwhelming 59 per cent opposing her as justice chief. Her net approval rating was minus 48 per cent, which was also a record low and the lowest among 17 top officials included in the poll. Choy said: "Both of them were arrogant, and the public could not understand the policy decisions they made. "Lam especially should bear in mind that pro-establishment lawmakers, lower-income families and the elderly are usually loyal supporters of the government... Yet the adjustment to social security policy seems to be hitting them hard." Last month the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said it would end an investigation into a HK$50 million (US$6.38 million) payment to Leung in 2012 and 2013 by Australian engineering firm UGL. The ICAC said it had obtained legal advice on the case from Hong Kong's Department of Justice. On December 26 Cheng broke a two-week silence on the subject by saying the justice department had not sought advice from external legal experts on the payment because that practice only applied in cases involving internal staff. On Thursday last week Lam deflected criticism from lawmakers over the rise in the age at which the elderly can begin claiming social security assistance. She said legislators had already approved the change in last year's budget. ^ top ^

Hong Kong hears appeal from banned pro-independence National Party (HKFP)
2019-01-14
The government's Executive Council (Exco) has begun hearing oral submissions from pro-independence activist Andy Chan, as he appeals the government's move to ban his Hong Kong National Party. The party, which Chan co-founded, was banned by the government last year citing national security concerns under the Societies Ordinance. It was the first party banned using the Ordinance since the 1997 Handover. Chan entered government headquarters for the closed-door meeting on Monday, saying that he had little choice but to represent himself without a lawyer: "The [committee] unreasonably refused to change the meeting time, and my lawyer couldn't come – so I had to come in person." The Exco is the government's top advisory body to the chief executive. According to the Administrative Appeal Rules, the chief executive "may appoint a committee of not less than two members of the Executive Council… to hear any appeal or class of appeals." Three Exco members – Martin Liao Cheung-kong, Chow Chung-kong and Joseph Yam Chi-kwong – had reportedly been chosen to hear the party's appeal. In October last year, Chan requested that eight executive council members recuse themselves as they had commented on his case previously. Last month, Exco member and lawmaker Regina Ip said that she believed the hearing process would be fair and impartial. Under the Societies Ordinance, anyone who manages or assists in the management of an unlawful society may be subject to a HK$100,000 fine and three years in prison. ^ top ^

Chinese dissidents in Taiwan airport limbo for 100 days walk asylum tightrope (SCMP)
2019-01-16
Mainland Chinese dissident Liu Xinglian marked his 64th birthday on Wednesday at Taiwan's Taoyuan airport, one of two refugees who have been in limbo there for more than 100 days, hoping for asylum overseas. Their case has parallels with that of Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, the Saudi teenager who was given sanctuary in Canada on Saturday after she used social media to shame Thai authorities against forcibly returning her to her family. She had sought refuge in Australia until Canada gave her asylum. Liu and his friend Yan Kefen, 44, applied for asylum in Canada and posted updates on social media from the airport to highlight their situation. "Inside the airport, we cannot breathe fresh air and there's no sunlight," Liu said. The pair have spent much of the last three months in a fluorescent-lit fourth-floor room, subsisting on a diet of boxed meals provided by airlines. "That cannot be too healthy right?" he said. Liu and Yan are hostages of Taiwan's international status and its domestic politics. The self-ruled island is not recognised by most nations and has no United Nations representation, meaning the UN's refugee agency does not operate there. In recent decades, governments have been loathe to allow in those fleeing mainland China, fearful of angering Beijing or encouraging a deluge. Taiwan does not have its own laws to protect refugees. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's government – which takes a more sceptical view of Beijing and pushes its human rights credentials – has so far made no moves to deport Liu and Yan. As a result, they are stuck – blocked from entering Taiwan yet unable to leave the transit area. They did not intend to end up in Taiwan. Both fell foul of mainland Chinese authorities because of their political activism and fled to Thailand. Yan arrived in 2015; Liu two years later. Bangkok does not recognise asylum applications and outsources the determination of refugee status to the UN's UNHCR, which tries to resettle legitimate claimants in a third country. The waiting list is a long one. Both Yan and Liu received refugee status from the UNHCR and were happy to remain in Thailand while they sought asylum. Then, Thai police started paying them frequent visits. "I felt my life was in danger in Bangkok," Yan said. "I was also afraid Thai police would deport me back to China." They had reason to worry. Thailand has moved closer to Beijing since generals seized power in 2014, showing a willingness to forcibly return such dissidents. More than 100 Uygurs and a number of campaigners, some of whom had been granted asylum in Canada, have been sent back by Thailand during the last five years. Bookseller Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen, disappeared from the resort town of Pattaya and resurfaced on mainland Chinese state TV to make a "confession". Liu and Yan decided to leave, landing in Taipei on September 27 last year. "We just wanted to get out of Thailand when we boarded that plane," Yan, who also uses the name Yan Bojun, said. "We did not have any plans except asking for refuge during our stopover." Liu and Yan do not fear deportation and said they had been treated well by Taiwanese officials. "We don't want to create trouble for Taiwan, but we need to go on to Facebook and Twitter so that people will not forget us," Yan said. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, the office that deals with the Chinese mainland, said it recognised "our country's mechanism for dealing with refugee claimants is not yet adequate". It said that it and other government agencies were committed to "upholding human rights and also the safety of these two persons". Canada's consulate in Hong Kong declined to comment, citing privacy rules. At Taoyuan airport, all Yan and Liu can do is wait. "I don't know how much longer I have to stay at this airport," Yan said. "I can only hope I can leave before the Lunar New Year. If I cannot, I cannot. There's nothing I can do." ^ top ^

Huawei products banned by Taiwanese tech institute as island targets Chinese brands (SCMP)
2019-01-15
A Taiwanese government-subsidised institute has blocked Huawei smartphones and computers from accessing its internal network, becoming the first semi-official organisation on the self-ruled island to act on US calls to blacklist the Chinese telecoms giant. The move, effective from noon local time on Tuesday, also came two weeks after Taiwan enacted its Information and Communication Security Management Act, introduced to try to block leaks of confidential information and malicious hacking into the systems of government departments and agencies. In an internal circular on Monday, the Industrial Technology Research Institute announced that "users of Huawei's products will be unable to gain access to the institute's internal network for the sake of information security". The institute, Taiwan's leading applied hi-tech research and development agency, works to advance the island's hi-tech capabilities. The decision was made in line with the Taiwan government's listing of Huawei among the mainland Chinese companies whose use in Taiwanese government systems is restricted, the institute said. In her new year message, President Tsai Ing-wen, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, said Taiwan needed to strengthen its information security shield against possible hacking or disruption by Beijing, which Taipei says has persistently used disinformation to try to undermine Taiwan's internal security. Her message echoed that of US President Donald Trump, who has accused Huawei of selling equipment to companies and bodies in the United States and other parts of the world with "back doors" built in to steal confidential information or hack into the systems of governments and big companies. Washington has convinced several allies to blacklist Huawei's 5G network equipment. Cabinet spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka confirmed on Tuesday that Huawei was one of the brands of Chinese-made telecoms and information products that were banned from use in Taiwanese government systems under its new legislation. "The presidential office, cabinet and other government departments have banned the use of Chinese-brand information products for more than six years, and they include Huawei," she said. Taiwan's defence ministry said on Tuesday that, in addition to banning the use of Huawei and other Chinese-brand information products, it was using an app to safeguard its military against use of mobile phones with cameras to reveal sensitive information. "To ensure information security, all servicemen must install an app designed for the military to make sure no one can use their smartphones to access the internet and take pictures of military facilities," a ministry official said. Apple's iPhones have settings that can disable the app, and have been banned from use in the military since July, the official added. ^ top ^

China's Xi Jinping has opened the door to war with Taiwan (SCMP)
2019-01-13
From war towards peace and peace towards war. This is how relations across the Taiwan Strait have evolved over the past 40 years. Efforts to seek peace have instead culminated in a greater threat of war. Beijing's "Message to compatriots in Taiwan" on January 1, 1979 is seen by many as having ushered in a new era after decades of hostility. The policy statement not only declared an end to Beijing's routine artillery bombardment of Taipei-controlled islands, it marked a shift in its basic approach to Taiwan – from one of "liberation" (which implies the use of force) to one of "peaceful unification". However, a speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping on January 2 to mark the 40th anniversary of that message has been widely interpreted as opening the door to an eventual war. Editorials across the world ran with headlines such as "Will China go to war over Taiwan?" and "Is Taiwan's military really ready to take on China?". In his speech, Xi appeared to redefine the 1992 consensus – an unofficial agreement reached that year between representatives of Beijing and Taipei that there is only "one China", but each side may have its own interpretation of what constitutes "China". He exhorted Taiwan to accept it "must and will be" unified with the mainland under Beijing's concept of "one country, two systems", which is overwhelmingly unpopular in Taiwan. The speech prompted a rarely seen unity in parties across Taiwan's political spectrum. Leaders of the ruling – and independence-leaning – Democratic Progressive Party, including President Tsai Ing-wen, rejected Xi's suggestion, as did the main opposition party – the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang or KMT – and three other opposition parties. The current and former KMT leaders Wu Den-yi and Ma Ying-jeou also took issue with Xi's speech. Ma, who held a historic meeting with Xi in 2015, said in a radio interview there was no market for "one country, two systems" in Taiwan. Ma, during his presidency from 2008 to 2016, implemented a "three nos" policy – no reunification, no independence and no war. A survey, taken between December 27 and 28 last year, found 81.2 per cent of Taiwanese could not accept the 1992 consensus. Another survey published last August by National Chengchi University found the vast majority of Taiwanese wanted to maintain their own identity, with only 3 per cent of respondents wanting unification now. The 1992 consensus laid the political foundation for talks between Beijing and the KMT, which was in power at the time it was agreed. It does this by acknowledging the dispute and by maintaining an ambiguity that allows the two sides to communicate. In redefining it, Xi may have closed the door on talks with the KMT should it be voted back into power in the 2020 presidential elections. Successive Chinese leaders have sought to reunify Taiwan with the mainland but none have been as impatient as Xi, who has described the endeavour as an "inevitable requirement" for his politically ambitious programme of "national rejuvenation". Xi has said the "problem" cannot be put off for another generation and has called on the military to be prepared to fight "bloody battles" for every "single inch" of its territory. Despite increasing exchanges in trade, investment, culture and people, the disagreement over sovereignty threatens an indefinite delay in negotiating the political issue. Xi's speech appears to reflect a loss of faith in Beijing at the prospect of a peaceful resolution. Beijing once assumed the Taiwanese would eventually decide to reunite with the mainland. The Taiwanese, too, may have lost faith – they once widely forecast that communist rule would collapse after the mainland's capitalist market reform, with the KMT insisting reunification would take place only under a democratic system. Neither forecast has come to pass. The mainland's communist regime survived the worldwide collapse of socialism in the early 1990s and seems to have become only more robust under an increasingly authoritarian government. And in Taiwan, separatist sentiments have grown stronger as a result of the island's rush to embrace free democracy. Now Xi has revived a civil war strategy by declaring the inevitability of reunification and threatening that "separatist" sentiments or foreign intervention will be met with force. The reality that 40 years of endeavour have not narrowed the political gap in the 180km-wide strait, but widened it. Indeed, it is now the world's most dangerous flashpoint for conflict. As the door to talks closes, the door to war opens. ^ top ^

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang invites harsh words on economy from private sector top brass (SCMP)
2019-01-18
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has asked economists and entrepreneurs to critique his government work report, which is expected to lay out the government's economic policies for 2019. Li invited some of China's most celebrated figures in business and economics to give him feedback that "may hurt the ear or stab the heart", at a time when China's economy continues to face serious headwinds. Those present included Alibaba chairman Jack Ma Yun, China First Heavy Industries' chairman Liu Mingzhong, Tao Dong, senior adviser and economist with Credit Suisse Private Banking Asia-Pacific, and Yu Yongding, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), according to a detailed record published on the Chinese government website. Ma, the founder of Alibaba, told Li that his words might be harsh and unpleasant, but that he was not speaking not on behalf of the 30 million merchants on his company's e-commerce platforms. "We must allow the people and the market players to 'complain', and for the words to be harsh," said Li. "Not only must the government allow everyone to speak, it must listen carefully. If it is the right thing to do, it should adjust its policies. If it isn't right then it needs to be explained why. We can work together to gather the greatest consensus and leverage proactiveness from all sides," he said. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Yu, the CASS economist, told Li that Beijing must try everything possible to arrest a deepening economic slowdown, while Tao from Credit Suisse said the government has to find ways to "boost investment confidence". China's economy is expected to slow even further this year after posting decade-low growth in the third quarter of 2018, as the trade war with the United States started to take a toll on exports and domestic demand. Car sales dropped last year for the first time in almost 30 years, while iPhone maker Apple issued its first revenue warning in nearly 12 years, citing weak Chinese demand. Both exports and imports fell in December, while manufacturing activity contracted for the first time in 19 months, raising questions about Beijing's ability to counter the rapid slowdown. Li warned of a difficult year ahead for the Chinese economy and vowed to increase investment in public services and infrastructure, as well as expand consumption while avoiding a "flood-like" stimulus to counter the downturn. The premier's working report is expected to be delivered in March at the plenary sessions of the National People's Congress, the country's legislature, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In the last few days, Beijing officials have stepped up efforts to reassure the public that they will do whatever is necessary to bring the economic slowdown under control. Nathan Chow, strategist for China and Hong Kong at DBS Research, said the premier's meeting with market practitioners would send a positive message to the markets that the government is committed to stabilising the economy. "There was a panic in the private sector when there were stories about state firms taking over," Chow said. "We've seen the president and the premier coming out to promote their support for private businesses. I think this meeting could be an extension of that." China is due on Monday to report fourth-quarter GDP figures that are expected to show a further slowdown from the 6.5 per cent growth rate posted in the third quarter. A number of Chinese provinces – from coastal Jiangsu to central Henan – have downgraded their economic growth targets for 2019, as the cold reality of the trade war with the US continues to bite. Given the uphill challenge facing the government, Chow said it may also be keen to listen to different ideas, even some "out of the box" suggestions from those who are usually distant from policymaking circles. "[This is because] there are many hurdles this year for the economy, that is in addition to the leftover problems like the massive debt piles from the last downturn," Chow said. "If growth falls below 6 per cent this year, it may trigger a panic." Vice Premiers of the State Council Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua, and Liu He also attended the meeting along with the premier, according to the briefing. ^ top ^

Top North Korean envoy Kim Yong-chol is in US to plan second summit between leaders, even as diplomacy appears to have stalled (SCMP)
2019-01-18
A North Korean envoy arrived in Washington on Thursday for expected talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a possible encounter with President Donald Trump aimed at laying the groundwork for a second US-North Korea summit. The envoy arrived on the same day Trump unveiled a revamped US missile defence strategy that singled out North Korea as an ongoing and "extraordinary threat", seven months after he declared after his first summit with leader Kim Jong-un that the North Korean threat had been eliminated. Kim Yong-chol, Pyongyang's lead negotiator in denuclearisation talks with the US, was due to meet Pompeo and could also go to the White House on Friday, a person familiar with the plan said, a sign of potential movement in a diplomatic effort that has appeared stalled for months. The North Korean visit could yield an announcement of plans for another summit between Trump and Kim Jong-un, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. There has been no indication, however, of any narrowing of differences over US demands that North Korea abandon a nuclear weapons programme that threatens the US or Pyongyang's demand for a lifting of punishing sanctions. Kim Yong-chol, a hardline former spy chief, arrived in Washington on a commercial flight from Beijing, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. Pompeo had planned to meet his North Korean counterpart to discuss a second summit last November, but the meeting was postponed at the last moment. Diplomatic contact was resumed after Kim Jong-un delivered a New Year speech in which he said he was willing to meet Trump "at any time," South Korea's ambassador to the US, Cho Yoon-je, told reporters last week. Kim Yong-chol was last in Washington in June, when he delivered a letter from Kim Jong-un to Trump that opened the way for the June 12 summit in Singapore. That meeting yielded a pledge from the latter to work towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and Trump declared the next day that there was "no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea". There has been little obvious progress since, however, which was underlined by the Missile Defence Review unveiled on Thursday. Introducing the report, acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan noted that North Korean missiles remained a "significant concern". Trump himself only mentioned North Korea in passing at the same event, saying negotiations he had conducted should have been done years ago. US Vice-President Mike Pence acknowledged on Wednesday that efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal had not made headway. "While the president is promising dialogue with Chairman Kim, we still await concrete steps by North Korea to dismantle the nuclear weapons that threaten our people and our allies in the region," Pence said in an address to US ambassadors and other senior American diplomats at the State Department. Trump said on January 2 that he had received a "great" letter from Kim Jong-un and would probably meet him again in the not-too-distant future, but there was no rush. Pyongyang had stopped missile and bomb testing and if it had not been for his administration "you'd be having a nice big fat war in Asia," he said. CNN quoted a source familiar with the US-North Korea talks as saying that Kim Yong-chol would be carrying a new letter from Kim Jong-un to Trump. Kim Yong-chol will be the first top North Korean official to stay overnight in Washington since the late Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok did so ahead of talks with then-president Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in 2000. Communist-ruled Vietnam, which has good relations with both the United States and North Korea, has been widely touted as the most likely venue for a second meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un. The Washington Post quoted people familiar with recent diplomatic activity as saying that if announced soon, the summit would probably take place in March or April, with the coastal city of Da Nang the most likely venue. ^ top ^

Xi Jinping set to meet Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang in April, South Korean sources say (SCMP)
2019-01-14
Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to make his first visit to North Korea in April, and the two sides are agreed on the matter, South Korean parliamentary sources told the South China Morning Post. "Pyongyang and Beijing have reached a general consensus that Xi will visit Pyongyang in April," said one of the sources, who has close ties to the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee in Seoul. North Korea has issued repeated invitations for Xi to visit – including in September to attend its national day celebrations – but in the six years since he was elected president he has yet to accept. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in October that Xi was expected to visit Pyongyang "soon", and after Kim made his fourth visit to China this month, the timing might finally be right. "Xi's visit is more likely this year as it is the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between North Korea and China," the source said. The last Chinese president to visit Pyongyang was Xi's predecessor, Hu Jintao, in 2005. Xi visited North Korea in 2008, but only as a vice-president. The second parliamentary source said Xi's visit may be timed to coincide with the Day of the Sun holiday on April 15, one of the most important dates on the North Korean calendar when people celebrate the birth of Kim Il-sung, the nation's founding father. That date would make sense, as the "North Koreans would want to use Xi's state visit for domestic propaganda, to further praise Kim's diplomatic achievements", the person said. The sources' predictions are in line with comments made by South Korea's former prime minister Lee Hae-chan who said on Friday that Xi was likely to visit South Korea in May after visiting Pyongyang in April. "A summit between China and North Korea, followed by a second US-North Korea summit and the inter-Korean summit will foster peace in northeast Asia," he said. A second meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump has been on the cards for some time, although an exact date has yet to be announced. However, Chinese sources briefed on the arrangement told the Post that the meeting would be held in Vietnam. Kim and Trump met for the first time on June 12 last year in Singapore. Officials from South Korea's foreign affairs ministry were quoted by local media on Thursday as saying that Singapore and Vietnam had been shortlisted to host the second summit. Meanwhile, Trump told reporters at the White House last week that the two sides were "negotiating a location" for the second summit and that a final announcement would be made "in the not too distant future". While the Chinese sources did not offer a likely date for the second Trump-Kim summit, it is possible that the North Korean leader's visit to Beijing was a precursor to it. Kim's second visit to Beijing came about a month before his Singapore meeting with Trump, and observers suggested he used it to maximise his bargaining power in his negotiations with the US president. Kim returned to Beijing a week after the historic talks, probably to debrief Xi. Lee said on Sunday that he expected the second Trump-Kim summit to take place next month. Despite the speculation as to when the meeting might take place, many analysts remain sceptical as to what it can actually achieve. "The summit is supposed to break the deadlock, but it won't be easy," said Zhang Baohui, professor of political science and director of the Centre for Asian-Pacific Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong. "The mistrust between them is so deep that neither is willing to make a unilateral move. They are trapped in a quagmire." Zhang said that Beijing might also try to use Xi's visit to Pyongyang as a way to show Washington how the US and China need to work together on certain international issues. "[China] could use the occasion to demonstrate its continuing relevance in the Korean peninsula issue," he said. "Beijing wants Trump to see China as a useful partner, rather than a strategic competitor." ^ top ^

S.Munkhchuluun gets a majority in the Governor's election (Montsame)
2019-01-17
The 6th meeting of the Citizens' Representative Khural of the capital city to discuss the election of the Governor of the Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar was held on January 16. The election was done by secret ballot between the candidates for Governor of Ulaanbaatar S.Amarsaikhan and S.Munkhchuluun. In total 43 of 45 representatives voted, with S.Amarsaikhan receiving votes from 19 representatives or 44.1 percent and S. Munkhchuluun receiving 24 votes or 55.8 percent. Thus, the proposal to appoint S.Munkhchuluun, a member of Presidium of the Citizens' Representative Khural of the capital city, as Governor will be submitted to the Prime Minister. S.Munkhchuluun pledged to implement the 'Happy Ulaanbaatar' action plan of the Mongolian People's Party at the Citizens' Representative Khural of the capital city. ^ top ^

MPs attend 27th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (Montsame)
2019-01-16
Head of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Policy, Education, Culture and Science, Yo.Baatarbileg, head of Standing Committee on Justice Sh.Radnaased and MP S.Erdene are attending the 27th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, which is taking place in Siem Reap, Cambodia on December 14-17. With the theme "Strengthening parliamentary partnership for peace, security and sustainable development", the parliamentary forum is being attended by about 400 delegates, discussing various topics, such as issues relating to politics, security, trade, economic partnership, sustainable development, gender equality, tourism and cyber security. At the executive committee meeting, MP Yo.Baatarbileg delivered a speech, expressing his gratitude to the Cambodian government for successfully organizing the event and highlighting that the Mongolian parliament would actively participate in the forum and strive to implement the joint decisions to be made during the meeting. MP Sh.Radnaased attended the meeting of Drafting Committee in charge of making draft resolutions working on about 40 proposals and initiatives by member countries. He introduced proposals of Mongolia to reflect in the draft resolutions on parliament's role in taking measures against climate change as well as broadening partnership between parliaments to support cultural diversity and tourism in the Asia-Pacific region, which was approved by the committee. ^ top ^

LEW Mei Yi
Embassy of Switzerland