Switzerland

• Switzerland to sign belt and road deal during President Ueli Maurer's China trip (SCMP)

Foreign Policy

• European Union must 'play offence' to offset China's rising influence in Africa and Asia, insiders say (SCMP)
• With the power to change the world, here's why the US and China are fighting over our 5G future (SCMP)
• Intellectual property cooperation assists Belt and Road construction (People's Daily)
• Vatican officials on goodwill mission to China to build on bishops deal with Beijing after detention of underground Catholic priest (SCMP)
• Trade deal nears, but tensions are rising over China's inroads into America's backyard (SCMP)
• China asks Japan for concrete measures to improve 'sensitive' and 'fragile' relationship (SCMP)

Domestic Policy

• Xi Focus: Xi calls for greater efforts to win battle against poverty on time (Xinhua)
• Senior CPC official stresses harmony, stability in religious affairs (Xinhua)
• Govt moves to cut chemical plant risks (China Daily)
• China's war on organised crime, corrupt officials sees 79,000 people detained (SCMP)

Guangdong

• China's mass urbanisation projects mean the end for Guangzhou's 1,000 year-old urban villages (SCMP)

Tibet

Xinjiang

• Xinjiang authorities probe officials accused of ties to criminal gangs (Global Times)
• Xinjiang increases opening-up efforts (Global Times)

Hongkong

• Morale is low among democrats after the Umbrella Movement convictions, but the spirit of liberty survives (HKFP)

Macau

Taiwan

• Terry Gou announces election bid (Global Times)
• Taiwan's 2019 economic growth forecast lowered to 2.15 pct (Xinhua)
• Power plant given record fine over pollution in central Taiwan (Xinhua)

Economy

• China economy at more risk from EU recession than US trade war, economist El-Erian says (SCMP)

DPRK

• North Korea's Kim Jong-un oversees test-fire of new tactical guided weapon with 'powerful warhead' (SCMP)
• China to play vital role in third NK-US summit (Global Times)

Mongolia

• Government considered approval of Law on Legal Status of Human Rights Defenders as unnecessary (GoGo Mongolia)

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Switzerland to sign belt and road deal during President Ueli Maurer's China trip (SCMP)
2019-04-16
Switzerland will sign an accord backing China's "Belt and Road Initiative" when President Ueli Maurer visits China this month, cementing ties with a major trading partner as other Western countries view the gargantuan project with scepticism. Chinese President Xi Jinping's New Silk Road initiative has been controversial particularly in Washington, which views it as a way to spread Chinese influence abroad and saddle countries with unsustainable debt, a charge Beijing rejects. Locked in a trade war with China, the US has been particularly critical of Italy's decision to sign up to the plan, the first for a G7 nation. Others in the West are less keen to jump aboard, although many have kept an open mind. Neutral Switzerland sees the belt and road accord to be signed during Maurer's trip as a way to support economic development, especially in central Asia. "The aim of the memorandum is for both parties to intensify cooperation on trade, investment and project financing in third markets along the routes of the 'Belt and Road Initiative'", the finance ministry said on Tuesday without giving more details. Maurer, who is also finance minister, will attend the second belt and road summit next week which is expected to draw around 40 foreign leaders. The first summit for the belt and road – which envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with massive infrastructure spending – was in 2017. Xi has also invited Maurer for a state visit on April 28 and 29, his ministry said. Swiss business and financial leaders will accompany Maurer on his eight-day China trip. Switzerland, one of the first Western states to recognise the People's Republic, was the first country in continental Europe to reach a free-trade agreement with China, its largest trade partner after the European Union and US. Xi made a state visit to Switzerland in 2017. ^ top ^

European Union must 'play offence' to offset China's rising influence in Africa and Asia, insiders say (SCMP)
2019-04-18
The European Union must adopt a more attacking strategy if it wants to compete with China on infrastructure development projects and promote its values in Africa and Asia, according to two of the bloc's leading authorities on Beijing policy. Reinhard Bütikofer, a member of the European Parliament and deputy chairman of its delegation for relations with China, said that after the promises made at last week's EU-China summit the time was ripe for Brussels to push ahead with its global "connectivity strategy". The bloc had been playing "defence" to check China's influence in its own backyard, he said, citing the introduction of anti-dumping measures and a new investment screening mechanism on April 1. "But you will never win a soccer match just by successfully defending your own goal. You have to also play offence," he said. At the end of their meeting in Brussels last week, the EU and China issued a joint statement in which they pledged to "continue to forge synergies" between the connectivity strategy and Beijing's ambitious trade and infrastructure development programme known as the "Belt and Road Initiative". While the EU has said its strategy, which was announced in September, is intended to complement the belt and road plan and others like it, insiders say it is more likely an attempt to challenge China, which it recently labelled a "systemic rival". Bütikofer said that if the EU really wanted to compete with China on infrastructure development projects around the world, it had to make significant funds available for its connectivity strategy and offer host nations practical and competitive alternatives to those proposed by Beijing. "We have made mistakes in the past by allowing China to take advantage of the need for infrastructure development in many countries," he said. "So now, under our own connectivity strategy, we have to learn a lesson that China is teaching us, which is if you ignore the real gaps of globalisation, somebody will fill them for you." Bütikofer cited the China-backed East Coast Rail Link project in Malaysia as an example, which was restarted last week after a months-long suspension over cost concerns. "Why couldn't we as Europeans put together a better deal for [Malaysian Prime Minister] Mahathir and offer to help Malaysia with their connectivity? That's the kind of project that we now have to look at," he said. The EU's budget proposal for the 2021-27 period included €60 billion (US$67.8 billion) for "external action" through the connectivity plan, but with additional funding from the public and private sector that figure could grow to hundreds of billions of euros, Bütikofer said, likening it to the "Juncker Plan" for driving investment within the EU. Jo Leinen, president of the European Parliament's China delegation, is among those who believe the EU's connectivity plan should be extended in response to Beijing's growing influence. "The belt and road is a much bigger elephant in the room, and the EU is looking at ways to connect with other regions, like Africa, Eastern Europe, central Asia and the Middle East," he said. "In Africa, definitely, we are concerned that China is taking over with its method of investing, and Europe is stepping up its Africa plan." Leinen said that if the EU wanted to offset China's rising influence and promote its own values on the global stage it had to start playing a much bigger role in infrastructure investment. "China is exporting its political and economic model to the world, which is not compatible with our model, so the two models compete," he said, adding that Beijing's global influence did not advance the EU's values of democracy, human rights or the free market. "Politically and economically we are not coming nearer, we are drifting apart," he said. ^ top ^

With the power to change the world, here's why the US and China are fighting over our 5G future (SCMP)
2019-04-18
You know it must be nothing short of transformational when Washington goes on the offensive over Beijing getting ahead in a telecommunications standard. But what is this new 5G technology and why has it got the world's two biggest economies at each other's throats? Let's just say it's a lot more important than allowing you to download the latest high-definition episode of Game of Thrones on your smartphone in seconds. According to some experts, 5G could change the way we live forever. Simply put, 5G means faster internet connections with huge capacity. 5G wireless networks will provide the connectivity backbone for a host of industrial "Internet of Things" applications that work on big data, such as AI-powered manufacturing and smart city processes and even the traffic infrastructure for a world where driverless cars are the norm. "5G is a real revolution. Connectivity will become a platform and no longer a pipeline … [making it] possible to get everything online all the time and all the applications up into the cloud," said Ken Hu, Huawei's rotating chairman at the company's analyst summit this week. "Eventually the technology will help us to create a brand-new seamless experience between [the] online and offline [worlds]." In China, for example, improved connectivity would enable the quality health care services of urban areas to be better distributed to far-flung rural areas. Moreover, 5G networks will also be able to support a growing number of connected devices in everyday life, from fitness-tracking watches to internet-linked televisions and smart speakers at home. "Data is king. [When companies] digitise their processes and transactions, they can then derive more value from their data," said Wilson Chow, head of global technology, media and telecommunications at PwC. "5G will provide the backbone for the proliferation and development of these digital journeys for many corporations." With so much at stake, maybe it's no surprise that China and the US are now locked in a titanic struggle over leadership of the 5G race, as billions of dollars of economic benefits will accrue to those who can stay ahead of the pack. The US, alarmed by China's early lead in 5G technologies and standards under national champions Huawei and ZTE, has spent recent months urging allies such as the UK and Germany not to employ Chinese technologies in its 5G networks as – according to Washington – this would present a national security risk, while simultaneously fretting over its own competitiveness. Meanwhile China, which has the world's largest mobile market by subscriber and network size, realises that the advent of 5G is its chance to get out in front for the first time in the development of wireless communications technology, an area that has previously been dominated by the US and Europe. 5G has been identified in China's 13th Five-Year Plan as a "new area of growth", and Shenzhen-based Huawei is currently the front runner in the race to supply 5G gear to telecoms companies around the world. The US knows it is lagging behind. A recent paper by the Defence Innovation Board, an independent federal advisory committee of the US Department of Defence, said that "the leader of 5G stands to gain hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue over the next decade, with widespread job creation across the wireless technology sector." "The country that owns 5G will own many of these innovations and set standards for the rest of the world … that country is currently not likely to be the United States," the paper concluded. Broadly speaking, the applications of 5G technology could be endless, turning the most mundane of devices smart and translating everyday occurrences into quantifiable data. For example, with 5G, traffic management systems could become much smarter, with traffic signals changing based on real-time traffic patterns monitored by a variety of cameras and sensors. Smart meters that measure water and electricity usage will become much more widespread thanks to 5G's ability to support thousands of device connections at once. Virtual and augmented reality, technologies long talked about for their potential but which have been held back by the capacity and latency [the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction] of existing wireless networks, may finally have a shot at going mainstream under 5G. It some ways, 5G can be likened to how the advent of electricity enabled industrial productivity on scales never before seen. Except that in the coming revolution, the power behind production will be data, not watts. To be sure, 5G will need to undergo a reality check, and operators will have to work out what services people are prepared to pay for. "We talk about a lot of potential applications, but operators are still not ready for that, there is no clear understanding yet of how to address the opportunities," said Gartner's senior research director, Peter Liu. "Right now there is still an understanding needed about what is hype and what can be reality." Meanwhile, the US and China are also seeking to harness 5G technology to enhance their military prowess. In November last year, China established the 5G Technology Military-Civil Fusion Applications Industry Alliance, including members such as ZTE, China Unicom and the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, which aims to develop both defence and commercial 5G applications in the country. "As a number of Chinese defence academics and engineers have postulated, 5G could improve battlefield communications with faster and more stable information transmission, increasing the timeliness and integration of information," wrote Elsa B. Kania, an adjunct fellow with the technology and national security program at think tank Centre for a New American Security. The US military has also seen the potential advantages 5G can offer in the field of battle. In the paper by the Defence Innovation Board, it is argued that a single 5G network could help the Department of Defence promote "improved situational awareness and decision making" that will strengthen nuclear command and control and communications, while enabling new technologies like hypersonic weapons and hypersonic defences to be deployed. Huawei has found itself at the epicentre of this clash of the titans. According to estimates, Huawei has a 28 per cent share of the world's telecoms market, and data from German firm IPlytics shows that Huawei is the company with the most 5G standard essential patents, at 1,529, followed by Finland's Nokia at 1,397. If China is able to set foundational infrastructure and standards for the world, then future products will also be based off those specifications. Having the benefit of patents in 5G technology and being a leader in standards would translate into the ability to build an ecosystem of network providers, device makers and application developers and create thousands of jobs in the process. China's push into 5G and Huawei's dominance in the global market has made the US uneasy, mostly over fears that Chinese equipment in networks would make them easier to penetrate by China's intelligence agencies. Huawei for its part has repeatedly and vehemently denied that it would acquiesce in any attempt to compromise the security of its network gear to aid spying efforts by China. The Defence Innovation Board noted that if China becomes the global leader in supplying 5G infrastructure, there is risk of security vulnerabilities as the US Department of Defence will probably have to operate on foreign networks overseas that already contain Chinese components. "In the current 5G competition … neither the Department of Defence nor the United States writ large is in a position to dictate the content and integration of the 5G supply chain," it said, adding that there is a possibility that the rest of the world will accept Chinese products as "cheaper and superior". While the jury is still out on who will control the 5G field, experts are mostly united on the technology's transformative potential. "5G is a new platform for innovation, with its massive capacity and removal of latency [delays in data transfer] as barriers," said Julia Gorman, the Asia-Pacific head of GSMA, a trade body that represents mobile network operators worldwide. "We're sitting here looking at 5G through the eyes of someone who has only experienced 4G. But the next time we look at 5G through 5G glasses … it will change the way we interact with each other and with machines." ^ top ^

Intellectual property cooperation assists Belt and Road construction (People's Daily)
2019-04-18
According to recent data released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China filed 48,882 applications under the WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), ranking the second in the world. It indicated that the country is beefing up IP cooperation with its global partners when it steps towards an IP powerhouse. Among the top 15 origins for PCT filings, only China and India are middle-income countries, and China is the only one that recorded double-digit annual growth – filing 13.4 percent more applications from a year before. China has posted double-digit annual growth rates in PCT applications since 2003. In 2017, its export of IP royalties exceeded $4 billion for the first time. China upgraded the protection of intellectual property right (IPR) to a national strategy after it released the National Intellectual Property Strategy in 2008, effectively pushing the country a step closer to a business environment that is more fair, transparent and predicable. In order to optimize management efficiency, the country restructured its intellectual property administration last August to centralize the management of patents, appearance designs, trademarks, geographical indications, and layout designs of integrated circuit. Given the fundamental role IP plays in the process of building Belt and Road, China has devoted proactive efforts on such cooperation when implementing the initiate. A joint initiative to intensify IP cooperation among en-route countries was released by the first High-level Conference on Intellectual Property for Countries along the Belt and Road held in Beijing in July 2016, during which a mechanism on IP cooperation was established as well. During the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) held in 2017, an agreement on enhancing Belt and Road intellectual property cooperation between China and the WIPO was inked, endowing more international significance to IP cooperation along the route. Commissioner Shen Changyu of China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) noted at the second High-level Conference on Intellectual Property for Countries along the Belt and Road last August that all the IP cooperation projects within the framework has been put into implementation under joint efforts. China's rise to the world's second largest source of PCT applications, as well as its high annual growth illustrate that its IP royalties now have more weight in international society. WIPO's director general Francis Gurry, also as signatory of the agreement on enhancing Belt and Road intellectual property cooperation between the WIPO and China, said in a recent interview with Chinese media that different from traditional trade pacts and cooperation models, the Belt and Road is more about strengthening the capacity of the Belt and Road countries in trade and business cooperation, and intellectual property plays a vital role in such capacity building. Chinese leadership lays great emphasis on the role of intellectual property in an innovation-driven contemporary economy, and all other economic spheres, said the WIPO head, who signed the deal when attending the first BRF. The deal also marks the first agreement between the Chinese government and an international organization regarding the IP cooperation among Belt and Road countries. Gurry believes that Chinese experiences also indicated the country's long-term commitment to intellectual property, which is an important reference for other countries. As the chief of the UN institution to protect IP registration and encourage innovation, Gurry also pledged an active engagement of WIPO in the China-proposed BRI. The head, who will soon kick off his journey to Beijing to attend the second BRF, also hoped China can share more of its experiences in intellectual property with the Belt and Road countries, so as to propel intellectual property undertakings and economic prosperity of these countries. ^ top ^

Vatican officials on goodwill mission to China to build on bishops deal with Beijing after detention of underground Catholic priest (SCMP)
2019-04-18
Senior Vatican officials will visit Beijing this month to attend a horticultural exhibition as China and the Holy See press ahead with efforts to improve ties. The Vatican confirmed on Tuesday that Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and council secretary Paul Tighe would inaugurate the Holy See Pavilion at the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition on April 29. The confirmation comes just days after a third priest from an underground Catholic diocese in northern China was detained without explanation. Catholics in China are split between an official, government-controlled church whose bishops are chosen by the state, and an underground church loyal to the Vatican. Relations between Beijing and the Vatican have improved in the last year, with the signing in September of a provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops. Confirming the invitation for the Vatican officials, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Wednesday that both sides had continued to talk since the signing and were working hard to improve relations. In the Xuanhua diocese in Hebei province, three underground priests have been detained without explanation in the last month. Father Peter Zhang Guangjun was taken away by plain-clothes officials in Zhangjiakou on Sunday, following the detention of Bishop Augustine Cui Tai and Father Zhang Jianlin, according to the Hong Kong-based Union of Catholic Asian News. Anthony Lam Sui-ki, from the Hong Kong-based Holy Spirit Study Centre, said the detentions reflected serious abuses of power by local officials. "Extreme measures are often deployed against local religious groups to ensure stability, but this will only breed further rebellion," Lam said. "It is a good start that China is willing to invite Vatican officials for visits but it does not mean we should stop raising the persecution faced by the church in China. "We are happy to see cooperation but we do not wish to see grass-roots churches bullied and persecuted." According to the Holy See, talks on the Vatican's involvement in the exhibition have been under way since 2017. The Holy See Pavilion at the "Live Green, Live Better" expo will cover about 200 square metres and display documents from the Vatican Apostolic Library on the medicinal properties of herbs and plants. A reproduction of the painting Adam and Eve in the Earthly Paradise by Wenzel Peter will also be on show. ^ top ^

Trade deal nears, but tensions are rising over China's inroads into America's backyard (SCMP)
2019-04-15
While China and the United States are edging closer to a trade deal to end their protracted tariff war, the mutual distrust and geopolitical rivalry between the world's top two economies appears to be escalating. Squabbles over China's growing influence in Latin America and the Caribbean broke out again after Beijing last week secured Jamaica's official endorsement of its vast "Belt and Road Initiative" Jamaica joined President Xi Jinping's signature infrastructure and trade push on Thursday by signing a memorandum of understanding, making it the latest Caribbean country to join the initiative after Barbados, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Beijing's political and economic inroads into countries deemed to be America's backyard have apparently unnerved Washington, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ramping up his criticism of China in the past few days. During a four-nation tour of Latin America, the top US diplomat focused heavily on China's role in Venezuela and growing economic reach in the region, accusing Beijing of injecting predatory, corrosive capital to buy off corrupt leaders and playing a long game against Washington's interests. Analysts said Pompeo's remarks on China showed that the progress reportedly achieved on the trade dispute would not extend to other tensions in bilateral ties, and the two countries remained on a collision course in the long run. "With China's continuous rise and its desire to reclaim its greatness on the world stage, the competition and even confrontation with the US are almost inevitable, with Latin America becoming the latest battleground," said Huang Jing, a professor at Beijing Language and Culture University's Institute of International and Regional Studies. During his stop in Santiago on Friday, Pompeo said the Chilean authorities shared the same concerns with Washington about China's influence. "China's trade activities often are deeply connected to their national security mission, their technological goals, their desire to steal intellectual property, to have forced technology transfer, to engage in activity that is not economic," he said. He reiterated his concerns on Saturday in Peru. "Too often we see China's predatory lending and debt diplomacy reverse positive advances in this area," he said. "Our shared goal would be to resist Chinese overtures and promote transparency." Pompeo continued to rap China during his trip to Paraguay, when he became the first US secretary of state to visit the former dictatorship since 1965. "If China shows up to compete on a commercial basis, that seems perfectly reasonable," he said in an interview with the Voice of America while in Paraguay, the only South American country that does not have diplomatic ties with Beijing, on Saturday. "When they show up with malign intent, to give money with strings attached, which will destroy the sovereignty of a South American nation, that is not good for the people in that country, and the US is prepared to help those countries recognise that threat and to offer alternatives to it," he said. "We don't want China to show up with bags full of money and bribe officials. We don't want China to show up and put Huawei or Chinese technology into the infrastructure of these countries so that the citizens, the citizens of Chile or the citizens of Paraguay, have their information, their private information, stolen by the Chinese government. We don't want corrupt activity," he said. Describing Beijing as a pretend friend of Latin America, Pompeo also criticised China's role in propping up Venezuela's embattled leader Nicolas Maduro during the trip. "China's bankrolling of the Maduro regime helped precipitate and prolong the crisis in that country," Pompeo said on Friday, adding that China had invested over US$60 billion through oil-for-loan deals in the past decade. His remarks came as Washington has become increasingly sensitive about Beijing's inroads into the region amid US President Donald Trump's trade war with China and escalating rivalry over technological supremacy among other geopolitical tensions. Countering China's global ambitions also topped the agenda of Brazil's right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro's White House meeting with Trump last month. "Based on my observations of the triangular relations between China, the US and Latin America in the past decade, Washington's wariness of China's expanding presence is on a rapid rise," said Jiang Shixue, director of the Centre for Latin American Studies at Shanghai University. Dong Jingsheng, deputy director of Peking University's Latin America Research Centre, also noted Pompeo's remarks were in line with the growing antagonism and hostility towards China in Washington. While Beijing had insisted it did not intend to displace Washington's dominance around the globe, he said it was understandable the US felt unsettled by a rising China, which is now the largest trading partner and investor for many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. "With China-US relations sinking to a historical low and tensions spiralling beyond trade rifts, it is natural to see the ratcheting up of 'China threat' narratives in the US and other regions," Dong said. Both Dong and Huang also noted that – like most official dialogue channels between China and the US – their formal consultation mechanism on Latin American affairs had been suspended under Trump. Huang said there was an acute sense of insecurity among political elites in Washington over China's rise, which had led to efforts to forge an alliance to confront Beijing amid America's perceived decline and withdrawal from its global leadership role under Trump's "America First" policy. "Unlike Trump, Pompeo represented the majority view of the Republican establishment and his hawkish and sometimes rather emotional remarks on China have to be taken seriously," he said. Experts also cautioned that China's investments and political ties with Latin American countries could be affected by Washington's diplomatic efforts targeting Beijing. "With the US entering another cycle of its presidential elections soon, it is very likely that both countries will continue to wrangle over a litany of bilateral and geopolitical issues, with bilateral ties in limbo for a long time," Huang said. ^ top ^

China asks Japan for concrete measures to improve 'sensitive' and 'fragile' relationship (SCMP)
2019-04-15
Japan has been urged to take "concrete action" to help improve ties with China by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who warned that elements of their relationship remained "sensitive and fragile". At a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono in Beijing on Monday, Wang urged Japan to help transform their relationship from one of rivalry to cooperation after years of tension caused by their maritime and historical disputes. The meeting was part of Kono's two-day trip to Beijing to prepare for a potential visit by President Xi Jinping in June and to discuss market access and Japanese concerns over intellectual property protections, forced technology transfer and industrial subsidies for Chinese businesses. Kono also had a courtesy meeting with Premier Li Keqiang, during which Li called for the two countries to "deepen economic cooperation and cultivate third-country markets for the benefit of not only our two countries but also to ensure a stable recovery of the global economy". An official who was present at the talks admitted that while the meetings saw "very friendly exchanges" between the two countries' top officials, there had been little concrete progress on trade – in particular Japan's demands for China to lift a sweeping import ban on food from 10 Japanese prefectures imposed in the wake of the 2011 Fukashima nuclear disaster. "Except for the lifting of the ban on rice imports from Niigata prefecture, which was announced [in November] right after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Beijing last October … That's a positive gesture, but other than that, I don't know if there was any concrete progress related to trade issues," said Japanese foreign ministry spokesman Takeshi Osuga during a press briefing on Monday. Officials from the two countries agreed on Sunday to sign a quarantine pact that would be a precondition for Beijing to lift a ban on Japanese imports imposed after an outbreak of BSE. Japan had hoped that China's ongoing trade dispute with the US would make Beijing more willing to offer concessions as it courted other powers. Japan, along with the European Union, does not support US President Donald Trump's protectionist approach, but shares Washington's concerns about issues such as market access in China. But despite repeated appeals from Tokyo, no progress has been made towards lifting other food import bans. Beijing aired its own grievances during the two-day meetings, and Osuga said that Chinese officials had expressed their concern that the Chinese tech giant Huawei's operations in the country would be hampered. Japan recently introduced a 5G policy that would effectively prevent companies using equipment from Huwei or ZTE. Osuga said that while the two countries did not go into specifics about their ongoing maritime dispute, Kono called for "positive action" from Beijing in the East China Sea to "truly stabilise" the relations between the two countries. In late March the Chinese air force flew four long-range bombers and fighter jets through the Miyako Strait, causing Japan to scrambles fighter jets to intercept the Chinese bombers over the East China Sea. Kono also call for efforts to resume discussions over joint exploration of resources in the disputed waters. Xi is widely expected to travel to Osaka later this year for the G20 summit, which would allow him to seek support for Beijing's calls for reform the World Trade Organisation. Japan would also see Xi's visit, which would be the first by a Chinese president since 2008, as an important step towards resuming high-level dialogues. However, the visit has yet to be announced by the Chinese government and it has not yet been confirmed in private, according to an official familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity. China is also seeking Japanese support for Xi's Belt and Road Initiative and Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, will be attending the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing later this month. ^ top ^

Xi Focus: Xi calls for greater efforts to win battle against poverty on time (Xinhua)
2019-04-17
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for greater efforts to win the battle against poverty on time and realize the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects as scheduled. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the statement during an inspection tour to southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from Monday to Wednesday. During the inspection, Xi also presided over and delivered a speech at a symposium to address the problems concerning the basic living needs of rural poor populations and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing. After arriving in Chongqing, the president took an over-three-hour trip, by train and then by road, to a mountainous village in Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County on Monday. When visiting a primary school there, Xi promised to ensure children in poor mountainous regions go to school and have a happy childhood. Stopping by the house of Tan Dengzhou, an impoverished villager, Xi learned that Tan and his wife were unable to work due to illness and thus faced financial difficulties. People who still live under the poverty line or slip back into poverty due to illness should be the priority of poverty alleviation projects, Xi said, adding that they should receive support such as minimum-living allowances, medical insurance and medical aid. At the home of Ma Peiqing, a veteran CPC member who has shaken off poverty, Xi sat in the yard, chatting with the villagers, primary-level officials and village doctors. "Not a single person should be left behind in the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects," Xi said. "Socialism means development. Development must serve the common prosperity for everyone." He told the CPC members and cadres to work on the frontline in fighting poverty. At the symposium Tuesday afternoon, Xi said that the basic requirement and key indicator for the poverty alleviation goal by 2020 are that rural poor people have no worry about food and clothing and have access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing. At the crucial stage in winning the battle against poverty, heads of Party committees and governments at the provincial level should take up their responsibilities, he said. Efforts should be made to work out detailed and concrete measures, target genuinely poor households, and prevent the reoccurrence of poverty to those who had been lifted out, according to Xi. In addition to deepening the campaign against corruption and improper conduct in poverty alleviation, Xi also called for timely compensation and long-term support to families of officials who have sacrificed their lives to the cause. After hearing the work reports from Chongqing's Party and government officials Wednesday morning, Xi hoped that Chongqing will act as a major drive in boosting the development of China's western region in the new era, play a leading role in promoting the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and become a model in advancing green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Xi asked Chongqing to take the lead in the western region to firmly promote the reform and opening-up and meticulously prepare for and carry out the events celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The officials were told to address issues closely related to people's lives, such as education, employment, social security, healthcare, housing, environmental protection, and public security. They were also instructed to foster high-caliber officials that are loyal, clean and responsible, and crack down on the practice of formalities for formalities' sake and bureaucratism. ^ top ^

Senior CPC official stresses harmony, stability in religious affairs (Xinhua)
2019-04-17
Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) leader Wang Yang has called for better work to unite religious figures and believers around the Party and the government. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks during an inspection and research tour to central China's Henan Province. The three-day tour ended on Wednesday. Highlighting the special significance of religious work to the overall development of the Party and the country, Wang urged CPC committees at various levels to comprehensively enhance the political and service functions of primary-level Party organizations. He called for greater efforts to help the public solve practical difficulties, enrich their spiritual and cultural life, guide them to view religious beliefs in a rational way and enable them to consciously resist all kinds of illegal activities under the guise of religions. It is also necessary to actively explore effective ways of localizing religions and guide religions to better adapt to China's social system, morality and culture, said Wang, adding that various measures should be taken to support the healthy and orderly development of religions. During the tour, he also stressed efforts in winning the battle against poverty. ^ top ^

Govt moves to cut chemical plant risks (China Daily)
2019-04-16
Special expert to be assigned, factories to be moved away from residential areas Authorities said special experts will be designated to help govern the hazardous chemical industry in key areas, while ramping up efforts to move plants out of densely populated areas. The move comes as an investigation into a deadly explosion at a chemical plant in Jiangsu province continues. Counties listed as key ones for concentrations of chemical factories will be assigned at least two experts as special consultants to offer technical support to local authorities' supervision work, according to a guideline from the State Council's Work Safety Committee. The document, published on Monday by the Ministry of Emergency Management, said the experts will be chosen based on each of the counties' needs and in light of possible differences in their major types of chemical plants. It said the experts will also contribute to emergency rescue and safety training work. While assisting enterprises in their construction of safety infrastructure, they are also expected to help enhance grassroots law enforcement capabilities. "The facilities and technologies in the hazardous chemical industry are complicated by their variety, and they also involve many flammable and combustible materials with huge potential safety hazards," the document said, adding that with the industry's rapid development, new facilities and technologies continue to emerge, making supervision work increasingly demanding. It has been an increasing challenge that officers lack the expertise needed for proper supervision, which has been "a bottleneck that hinders further improvement of safe production", it said. The document was made public as the probe into the deadly blast at a chemical plant continues in Xiangshui county of Yancheng, Jiangsu province. On Monday, police detained another 17 people for their roles in the blast at Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Co that claimed the lives of 78 and injured more than 600 on March 21. The publicity department of Yancheng said the 17 people were from Tianjiayi and organizations suspected of providing fake evaluations of the company's operations. So far 26 people have been criminally detained. No conclusion has yet been made about the case, but multiple sources have suggested that the company's casual handling of its hazardous chemical waste could have contributed. Local authorities will shut down the chemical industrial park where Tianjiayi is located. Before the guideline's release, Wang Jiangping, vice-minister of industry and information technology, vowed to promote the relocation of hazardous chemical enterprises from densely populated areas by enhancing coordination in key areas and projects, according to a media release on Monday. Wang made the comment during a conference of a special work group for the relocation work on Friday. The group has members from various central government bodies. Wang, who is also head of the group, said his team will make efforts to promote local governments' awareness of the urgency of the relocations and intensify safety and environmental monitoring as the work moves forward. According to a circular released by the General Office of the State Council in September 2017, China plans to correct, move or shut down all hazardous chemical enterprises located too close to residential areas by the end of 2025. The minimum distance for different types of hazardous chemicals from residential areas vary in China's national standard, but many are set beyond 500 meters. The country's top environmental watchdog has also pledged to enhance its management over chemicals. Qiu Qiwen, head of solid waste and chemicals management at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said during a news conference late in March that the ministry would promote the draft of a special law or regulation regarding the assessment and control of environmental risks posed by chemicals. ^ top ^

China's war on organised crime, corrupt officials sees 79,000 people detained (SCMP)
2019-04-14
When gang leader Chen Xinfu was apprehended in Haikou, capital of south China's island province of Hainan, earlier this month he told his arresting officers: "Guys, take good care of me, for old times' sake." Unlike the hundreds of other mob bosses who have been rounded up in recent months, Chen has a special relationship with the police: before his descent into the criminal underworld, he was deputy head of the public security bureau in the city's Xiuying district. After leaving the force, Chen took up the reins of a local gang in 2006, which according to a statement issued on Wednesday by Haikou police, "terrorised local villagers" and "engaged in illegal mining and drug trafficking" in two villages for more than a decade. The latest sweep of China's criminal fraternity is part of an ongoing crackdown on organised crime launched last year. It mainly focuses on criminal activities such as extortion, underground banking and drugs, all of which are common problems in grass-roots society. The nationwide, three-year campaign is designed to snare not just mob bosses but also the corrupt officials, known as "protective umbrellas", who shield them from the law. As of March, more than 79,000 suspects had been detained as part of the campaign, Xinhua reported. Unlike in most Western countries, where campaigns against organised crime are controlled by police forces, in China they are tightly controlled by senior Communist Party officials. Heading the latest effort is Chen Yixin, secretary general of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, which oversees all law enforcement authorities, including the police. On Tuesday, Chen's leading group announced that the Supreme People's Court, Supreme People's Procuratorate, and the ministries of public security and justice had issued four new documents clarifying the legal definitions and handling of a number of gang-related crimes. The following day, Xinhua reported that a new round of inspections had been launched to assess the effectiveness of the ongoing campaign. "From April 1 to 10, inspection teams were deployed to 11 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps [a unique economic and paramilitary organisation in China's far western region that has administrative authority over several cities] to oversee operations against gangs and organised crime," the news agency said. "Meetings were also held in the 11 regions, calling for thorough investigations of the 'protective umbrellas' behind criminal organisations and the eradication of the gangs' operations." The inspection teams will be stationed in their respective regions for a month, and "hotlines, email addresses and postboxes have been set up to receive tip-offs from the public", the report said. A Peking University professor who spoke on condition of anonymity said the campaign was the latest attempt by the Communist Party to prove its legitimacy and show it was "still in control". Its focus, he said, was on grass-roots leaders, such as village heads and business chiefs, who wield considerable influence over local affairs. "For centuries, Chinese emperors held power in cities and towns, but had little control at the county level and their influence rarely ever permeated to the lowest levels of governance," the person said. "I would say the significance of the latest phase of the crackdown is that it is a way for the country's top leaders to enhance the legitimacy of their government." At a Politburo meeting in December, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that his six-year battle against corruption had achieved a " crushing victory ", fuelling speculation it might be drawing to a close. Yan Huafeng, a lawyer in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang province, said that the primary aim of the current campaign was increasing party control at the local government level. "The purpose is to strengthen social control and maintain stability," he said, adding that party leaders wanted to show they were capable of dealing with ordinary people's grievances regarding organised crime. Key to the success of the campaign was rooting out collusion between law enforcement officials and gang leaders, even though it would be the police conducting much of the investigative work, Yan said. "Cracking down on [corrupt] officers does not undermine the police's authority to do its job." He also cited the changes to the law announced last year that give police officers immunity from legal responsibility for any damage caused to people's property or other interests in the course of their duty. "The changes send a message to the public that the police's power to perform their duty should be respected." Not everyone has confidence in the campaign, however. According to mainland media reports, several lawyers have found themselves facing charges simply for representing clients accused of having links to organised crime. On Thursday, prosecutors in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai province, said in a social media post that they had charged lawyer Lin Xiaoqing with fraud and extortion. Lin was appointed by her firm to provide legal services to a car company in the city, which is suspected of being a front for the activities of a criminal gang. Sixteen people with links to the firm had been charged with blackmail and extortion, the notice said. But while they had all pleaded guilty, Lin denied having any involvement in the gang's activities and said she hoped justice would prevail, Thepaper.cn reported on Saturday. "At this stage, I still believe that the law is fair and just, and I expect a fair trial by the court," she was quoted as saying. ^ top ^

China's mass urbanisation projects mean the end for Guangzhou's 1,000 year-old urban villages (SCMP)
2019-04-16
A doomsday atmosphere has developed in the village of Chentian on the outskirts of Guangzhou, the capital of China's Guangdong province. Red banners urge local residents to leave the village that has stood for over 800 years, small shops are clearing out their inventories, and people who had lived there for decades are nervously debating their uncertain futures. The whole mini world of Chentian – made up of hundreds of low-rise concrete buildings and thousands of small shops and restaurants dotted narrow streets, and supporting the daily routines of an estimated 100,000 residents not far from the city's airport – will begin to disappear in the coming months and years, according to the Guangzhou government plan, to be replaced by a cluster of high-end shopping malls and residential buildings. Chentian is just one of 272 urban villages under threat under Guangzhou's three-year action plan between 2018-2020 as the city rushes to modernise itself to become the hub of the "Greater Bay Area" and to catch up with the other large cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, although it is not clear if they are all under threat within the time frame. The Chentian village development plan, which covers an area of 60 hectares (150 acres) or three times the size of Victoria Park in Hong Kong, is just a small piece of Guangzhou's plan to redevelop 320 sq km of urban villages, or four times the size of Hong Kong Island. The eye-popping urbanisation plan in Guangzhou, in turn, is just one of the dozens, if not hundreds, of Chinese municipal urbanisation plans that will transform the country's landscape and power the country's development but also inflict pain on disadvantaged residents as well as also create huge debts that pose potential risks in the future. In March, Hong Kong-listed developer R&F Properties won the bid from the mainland government for the wholesale redevelopment of Chentian village. Two weeks after the 10.5 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) deal was agreed, R&F Properties signed an agreement with the Chentian village government, now called the Chentian Economic Cooperatives Union, requiring that all residents and merchants must leave by the end of May before demolition begins in June, according to government notices. The Guangzhou government, which increasingly views its urban villages as a sign of weakness, is keen to replace the narrow alleyways and drab buildings with gleaming modern structures. The city has already successfully built Pearl River New Town, which replaced crowded and unplanned urban villages with skyscrapers. Long-time urban village residents, who account for less than a tenth of all current residents in many villages, have traded in the old homes that they often built by themselves for new flats in high-rise buildings along with cash compensation, turning many into multimillionaires overnight. In Chentian, over half of the 10.5 billion yuan redevelopment fund will be used to resettle villagers, along with a promise that a third of the redeveloped area will be handed back to the village government. "It feels good to make a fortune overnight due to the urban renewal project, but also feels bad to see our ancestral properties being sold. We and family friends spanning generations may soon become strangers after we resettle in those high-rise apartment buildings," one Chentian village resident lamented. Villagers will receive new flats that will be about five times the size of their old houses, or cash compensation of around 1,121 yuan (US$167) per square foot, according to local villagers. According to real property agents, the average price of pre-owned flats in the area is around 7,000 yuan (US$1,042) per square foot. But for migrant worker Li Bo, the redevelopment means the end of an era. Li, who is in his early 60s, has lived in Chentian for over a decade, but as with the case with thousands of migrant workers who are not recognised as one of the 7,300 official residents, he has not been consulted about the redevelopment and will not compensated. He is now planning to leave Guangzhou because he will no longer be able to make a living pedalling his flatbed tricycle through the narrow streets selling coal to small eateries and restaurants. A shop selling low-priced pyjamas and underwear displays large signs announcing the clearance of their entire inventory because of the looming demolition. One sign tells shoppers that the owner "will return to my rural home to till my paddy field". While the phrase "urban village" – a village inside a larger town – is often used by the government to identify dirty, overcrowded areas for poorer residents, the areas nevertheless provide affordable housing for migrant workers and form communities that play a particular roles in a city's development. Chentian, for instance, is known as a must-go place to find car parts in Guangzhou. The municipal government of Guangzhou launched its programme to redevelop the city's urban villages and old factory buildings in late 2017. The pace will speed up this year as China falls back on old habits to boost growth by increasing spending on major urban infrastructure and property development. At the same time, the city is aggressively transforming the local economy in line with the goals of the Greater Bay Area initiative, which aims at integrate Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong province into a world-class urban cluster that will rival cities such as San Francisco, New York and Tokyo. "In the last couple of years, the introduction of the Greater Bay Area plan, the marked slowdown in Guangzhou's [gross domestic product] growth, and [Chinese President] Xi Jinping's affirmation of the transformation of Guangzhou's old city during his trip to Guangdong have been the local government's impetus for the transformation and reconstruction of its urban villages." said Peng Peng, vice-president of the Guangdong South non-governmental think tank, who has been a close observer of the city's urban villages. "The transformation of urban villages can drive an infrastructure and real estate boom in the city, especially since current revenues from land sales and economic growth in Guangzhou lag far behind those of Shenzhen. Therefore, the transformation of the villages can enhance the value of land in Guangzhou, bringing a considerable improvement to Guangzhou's revenue from land sales and also improve Guangzhou's competitiveness." Willingly or reluctantly, a large number of residents are moving out of their villages to make way for the planned demolition projects, including more than 1,000 shops trading second-hand car parts in Chentian. "All auto parts shops will be forced to close next month, then the market will be demolished, and there will be no business next month for stores and eateries nearby," Li said. "In the future, it will only become more and more unaffordable here. I'm getting old and might return to my hometown in Hunan when the restaurants close." Given the widespread demolition, "there will be no more cheap rent that migrant workers can afford. Many of people will have to leave Guangzhou and go back to their hometowns," said a resident who did not want to be named but said he made a living as the supervisor of his building. "I came to Chentian Village in 2003, when the auto parts market was just starting to cluster here, and the number of migrants began to increase. At that time, a one bedroom flat only cost 100 yuan (US$15), but it has risen to 500 yuan (US$75) to 600 yuan." There are more than 1,000 stalls in the market, where rent for a 320 sq ft unit costs between 10,000 (US$1,489) and 20,000 a month according to Chen Li, who works for a shop in the car parts market. "No one knows whether or not we will be compensated, how much the developer will pay, or where we will move to. But in any case, the auto parts market is bound to be torn apart," said Chen. "My landlord, a villager in Chentian, told me she and many of other villagers didn't want to see their homesteads be destroyed. But she said the reconstruction of the village was mandated by the government, and the current government is just too powerful [to oppose]." Despite the size of the city's redevelopment project, there has been a lack of public debate over the fate of the villages and the impact of their demolition on local culture and society. "According to what I know, many of villagers and developers are willing to partner with each other to carry out the village renewal projects in Guangzhou since property prices here are much higher than before. The projects will be very profitable and the banks will be friendly to [those projects] that are government-approved," said an official from a village in Guangzhou's Baiyun district, whose refused to give his name. "On the other hand, to be honest, few villagers will take the risk to against the authorities' plan. We all understand well the villages have to be reconstructed since this government is mighty, and it's risky to not agree. "In the past two years, the campaigns of anti-corruption and crackdown on gang-related crimes have reshuffled many local village officials, as well as lowering the resistance of traditional clan forces in the villages … so that the government can now take a strong lead and significantly increase its ability to promote reconstruction projects in urban villages." ^ top ^

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Xinjiang authorities probe officials accused of ties to criminal gangs (Global Times)
2019-04-17
Authorities in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are investigating a number of gang crimes, prosecuting officials alleged to be involved in mafia-style gangs, Xinjiang Daily reported. The public security bureau of Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture is looking into the relationship between law enforcement officers and underworld organizations, and prosecuted a batch of officials accused of receiving bribes from mafia-style gangs on Saturday. He Jianjun, former director of the Yanqi Hui Autonomous County public security bureau, was accused of helping mafia-style gangs evade criminal prosecution by secretly providing them information. The former head of Haerbake township, Luntai county, and some other officials were accused of abusing power for personal gain and colluding with clan forces. They are being investigated for criminal responsibility according to law, Xinjiang Daily reported. A total of 89 people said to be involved in nine mafia-style cases were investigated in Altay Prefecture on March 31. The anti-crime steering group of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China recently established a station in Xinjiang. The supervision period is from April 8 to May 25. They have asked the public to report illegal activities related to criminal gangs in Xinjiang and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. ^ top ^

Xinjiang increases opening-up efforts (Global Times)
2019-04-17
On a highway in Horgos, drivers speaking different languages transport goods in and outside China. Meanwhile, China-Europe trains pass through customs and go directly into Kazakhstan, bringing vitality to the city that once thrived on the ancient Silk Road. Positioned on the forefront of China's western areas, Horgos, a major land pass in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has seen robust increase in foreign trade. A total of 2,055 inbound and outbound China-Europe freight trains passed through Horgos Port last year. Xinjiang borders eight countries and has a host of ports involved in international trade on the ancient Silk Road. The authorities have enhanced opening-up efforts in recent years amid the Belt and Road Initiative. In the first month of this year, Xinjiang's total foreign trade stood at 13.94 billion yuan (about 2 billion US dollars), up 11.7 percent year on year, according to Urumqi Customs. Meanwhile, three comprehensive bonded zones, located in Xinjiang's Alataw Pass, Kashgar, and the regional capital Urumqi, saw their combined foreign trade value rising more than 40 percent year-on-year in January. Last year, imports and exports between Xinjiang and 36 countries along the Belt and Road increased by 13.5 percent year-on-year to about 291.5 billion yuan. Behind all the prosperity is the Belt and Road Initiative, which is gaining steam. An international Belt and Road forum will be held in Beijing later this month, with representatives from over 100 countries, including about 40 government leaders, having confirmed their attendance. The forum is expected to boost people-to-people connectivity among countries participating in the development of the Belt and Road. Over the past few years, China has signed 171 cooperation documents on the Belt and Road Initiative with more than 150 countries and international organizations. In Xinjiang, the Kemen Noodle Manufacturing Co. Ltd., a major foreign trade company located within the comprehensive bonded zone in Urumqi, exported a total of 163 million yuan worth of products last year. "The company will further expand production under the dual advantages of preferential policies and shortened customs clearance time," said the company's deputy general manager Wei Yujun. Benefits of opening up in the region have extended beyond the economic sector. In the past few months, many foreign officials and media delegates visited Xinjiang farmers, artists and people involved in religious affairs, as they got to know the region's opening-up efforts. Senior diplomats from permanent missions of eight countries to the United Nations Office at Geneva visited Xinjiang from Feb. 16 to 19 at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The diplomats from Pakistan, Venezuela, Cuba, Egypt, Cambodia, Russia, Senegal and Belarus spoke with trainees at vocational education and training centers, teaching clerics and other members of the public during their visit. Enhanced communication has also strengthened emotional bonding between people from China and its neighboring countries. In recent years, an increasing number of international students are pursuing education in Xinjiang. In Xinjiang Normal University, Kazakhstani student Irbay Lahat is studying Chinese, calligraphy and martial arts with his classmates from countries such as Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan as a new semester started. "Learning Chinese can help me find a better job in Kazakhstan," he said. "I want to pursue further education in another city in China after graduation." ^ top ^

Morale is low among democrats after the Umbrella Movement convictions, but the spirit of liberty survives (HKFP)
2019-04-13
Room for doubt over the price to be paid for opposing an increasingly authoritarian government has been dispelled following the conviction of nine Occupy movement leaders and supporters this week. This adds to convictions in 293 cases arising out of the Occupy protests. Then there's the expulsion of six members of the legislature – with two more pending, the growing disqualification of those running for election, the banning of a political party, the first ever expulsion of a foreign correspondent, the mobilisation of paid mobs to intimidate democracy activists, the chill winds blowing through universities as pro-democracy academics find their careers blighted and the enactment of new laws that bring people in Hong Kong under the jurisdiction of mainland Communist Party-obeying courts. Next up is legislation, such as the national anthem law, which extends the scope of political offences and transforms the concept of the rule of law into being rule by law. This litany of repression is quite chilling enough but, as is often the case, authoritarian governments tend to be paranoid so they feel compelled to intrude into every aspect of life. Thus, we saw the the cack-handed attempt to deny a mainland writer the right to speak at the Hong Kong Literary Festival last year. No activity, it would appear, is safe from political surveillance. The triumphal response to all this from the enemies of democracy tells you all you need to know about why the juggernaut of repression is set to move even faster. The gleeful anti-democrats shake their heads in mock regret. They claim that if only Hong Kong people had not been so stupid as to participate in the Occupy protests and had been prepared to pocket a so-called political reform that would have allowed elections for the post of Chief Executive to be confined to candidates backed by the Communist Party, none of this would be happening. The reality is that the protests may well have accelerated the juggernaut's progress, but it did no more than head more rapidly in the direction it always intended to reach. The most absurd suggestion is that the whittling away of Hong Kong's freedoms and hope of achieving democracy lies with keeping quiet and not aggravating the bosses up North. This is aggressively stupid and defies everything that has been learned from the history of civil rights movements. What history shows is that all attempts to challenge authoritarian governments are met by heightened repression and that, as the movement grows, the level of repression intensifies. What we also learn is that repression works and that it is perfectly possible to intimidate and demoralise protestors to the extent that they retreat into sullen silence. At this point, the enemies of democracy make the crucial mistake of assuming that silence equates to acquiescence and that they have won the battle. This is more or less where we are now in Hong Kong. The level of street protests is well down, a significant number of people who were active in protest movements have either retreated to the shadows or, in some cases, decided to emigrate. And yet Hong Kong people's tenacious love of liberty, identification with a unique way of life and aspirations for democracy have far from disappeared. We are now in a lull. Only someone with a dodgy crystal ball will confidently predict when this lull will end. But it cannot go on forever because the enemies of freedom are fundamentally on the wrong side of history and the system they wish to sustain is simply unsustainable however strong they appear to be. That's why the Soviet system in Eastern Europe seemed impregnable right up to the point when it crumbled. Apartheid in South Africa seemed to have triumphed because all its significant opponents were either in jail or in exile. And here in Asia, we have seen seemingly triumphant dictatorships such as that of Sukarno in Indonesia and Marcos in the Philippines being exposed as strongman rule with feet of clay. The marvel is how quickly these "impregnable" systems collapse. Right now the system in Hong Kong is a great deal less repressive than this grim litany of dictatorships but it is heading in a very bad direction. And morale in the ranks of the democracy movement is pretty low. But the spirit of liberty has not been crushed for the simple reason that the alternative is so compellingly unattractive. The irony in Hong Kong is that so many defenders of the status quo know in their heart of hearts that it cannot last, that's why they quietly ship their money overseas, send their offspring to be educated in democracies and make sure that at least one family member has right of abode in these democracies. They clearly are not as stupid as they often appear to be. ^ top ^

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Terry Gou announces election bid (Global Times)
2019-04-18
Terry Gou, founder and chairman of Foxconn, announced on Wednesday he would run next year's Taiwan regional leadership election. The news was received with wide-scale support from within the island. Being a businessman and now delving into politics, local people anticipate positive change in the economy with him at the helm. This enthusiasm makes it very evident that the people in the island are eager for a change and want a respite from the worsening cross-Straits situation caused by the pro-secession Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which currently governs the island, experts noted. Gou, the richest man in Taiwan also known as Guo Taiming, announced his decision on Wednesday to run as a candidate of the pro-reunification KMT party. Gou said he decided to run after receiving instructions from Mazu in his dream. Mazu is the Chinese goddess and patroness of the sea who is widely worshiped by people of coastal regions in China. "I had a dream in which the goddess of the sea encouraged me to 'come forward' to support cross-Straits peace and do good things and bring hope to young people," Gou said, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency. The 68-year-old businessman, who now leads Foxconn, the world's largest original equipment manufacturer and a major contractor for US tech giant Apple, has a large business footprint on the Chinese mainland. Gou's decision has sparked hot discussions across the Taiwan Straits. "He is not stepping down [from Foxconn] but switching to a non-leading position, making more room for young people while still focusing on strategic directions," a Foxconn spokesperson told the Global Times Wednesday. Gou also said at a media event that he wasn't thinking about the elections until six months back, but later he began to feel that young people on the island needed a future, Forbes reported on Wednesday. Gou said that "peace, security, economy and the future" should be the key focus while solving the Taiwan question, and promised a bright future to the young generation if he is elected to the position of Taiwan's regional leader. Gou is a renowned business leader who enjoys close ties with the political and business circles both in the Chinese mainland and the island of Taiwan, and is well-known in the international community, Zhu Songling, a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies of Beijing Union University, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "He will help stabilize cross-Straits relations if he becomes the leader of the island," Zhu said. An online survey conducted by Taiwan-based news portal udn.com, where about 27,000 web users participated, showed at press time that more than 80 percent of netizens in Taiwan are in favor of Gou as the leader. A comment on his personal Facebook account said, "Taiwan has been lost for some time now, and it is time to get it back on the right track." As a famous entrepreneur, Gou's popularity shows Taiwan's public opinion has undergone subtle changes since 2016 [when DPP took power]. Now the public is calling for those who can bring peace and development across the Taiwan Straits to become leaders of the Taiwan region, Zhu told the Global Times. Han Kuo-yu, another KMT senior party member and the mayor of Kaohsiung, received more than 5,000 votes in the survey following Gou, and he is also a supporter of the one-China principle. He visited the mainland and met with the mainland officials in March. Gou has benefited from economic exchanges across the Taiwan Straits in the past years, and he is bound to witness cross-Straits relations moving toward a better direction, Wang Jianmin, a fellow researcher from the Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said. Gou founded Hon Hai/Foxconn Technology Group in the Taiwan region in 1974 and opened his first factory in the Chinese mainland in 1988. Gou and Foxconn seized the opportunity of the mainland's opening-up and moved up in the global economic chain. By August 2017, Forbes listed his net worth at $10.6 billion. Hon Hai-related stocks rose elsewhere in the region on Wednesday. Foxconn Industrial Internet Co. climbed by the 10 percent daily limit in Shanghai. FIH Mobile Ltd. jumped 25 percent as of 3:34 pm in Hong Kong, and is all set for the biggest gain since November 2012, reported by Bloomberg on Wednesday. Some raised the question whether Gou, with no previous political experience, can be a successful regional leader. There are also people who compared Gou to US President Donald Trump, who also transitioned to politics from business. Business leaders are more pragmatic and down-to-earth than traditional politicians, and are expected to bring some hope to the pressing economic and livelihood issues in Taiwan, Wang said. "Gou is the chairman of the leading high-tech conglomerate that boasts the global vision and open-minded ideas. His business accomplishments are universally acclaimed in business circles. He can be more flexible in making relevant policies and strategies if he is the one to hold power some day," Zhu said. Tsai Ing-wen, the current leader of Taiwan region, will have a high probability of losing the election if she locks horns with Gou, but the mainland should not pin its hopes on eliminating the risk of Taiwan independence through the election on the island, experts on Taiwan studies from the mainland said. The increase in military deterrence and economic pressure from the mainland are the most important factors to contain secessionists in Taiwan, which is also the foundation of the peace in the Taiwan Straits, so the pressure of the mainland needs to be strong enough to remind Taiwan people that confrontation with the mainland and seeking secession is a dead end, experts noted. ^ top ^

Taiwan's 2019 economic growth forecast lowered to 2.15 pct (Xinhua)
2019-04-17
The Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER), a Taiwan think-tank, on Wednesday cut its forecast for the island's economic growth rate in 2019 to 2.15 percent from the 2.18 percent projected in December. The cut in economic growth forecast was due to a more-than-expected slowdown amid trade disputes between major economies and fluctuations in raw materials prices, the CIER said. The economic growth is forecast to be below 2 percent in the first half but to pick up to exceed 2 percent in the second half amid stronger support from domestic demand, said CIER president Chen Shi-kuan. According to the CIER's latest forecast, Taiwan's economy is expected to reach 1.75 percent in the first quarter, 1.9 percent in the second quarter, 2.31 percent in the third quarter and 2.61 percent in the fourth quarter. Earlier in March, Taiwan's monetary authority also lowered the GDP forecast for 2019 by 0.2 percentage points to 2.13 percent from its previous projection in December 2018, citing lower domestic demand, trade conflicts and restructuring of global supply chains. ^ top ^

Power plant given record fine over pollution in central Taiwan (Xinhua)
2019-04-16
Taichung Power Plant, a major electricity supplier in Taiwan, was fined a record of 20 million new Taiwan dollars (about 650,000 U.S. dollars) by the local government on Monday, after its wastewater discharge exceeded the limit for the third time. It was the highest penalty ever given to a public enterprise for violating environmental protection regulations in the island. Taichung City Environmental Protection Bureau ordered the plant, a subsidiary of Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), to pay the fine before May 15 and submit a plan for improvements by the end of the month. The bureau said it took and tested samples of wastewater from the power plant from January to March, and found the plant's nitrate nitrogen level exceeded the limit every time, with the highest exceeding the limit twice-over. Taipower said it respected the decision of the Taichung city government and would submit the improvement plan before the deadline, adding that power output of the four generators at the plant had been cut by half as of April 10. Taipower noted that it would do its best to protect the environment while ensuring a stable electricity supply. ^ top ^

China economy at more risk from EU recession than US trade war, economist El-Erian says (SCMP)
2019-04-15
The "sizeable" chance of a recession in the European Union poses a greater risk to the Chinese economy than the ongoing US-China trade war, according to noted economist Mohamed El-Erian. The EU is China's largest trading partner and, according to El-Erian, chief economic adviser to the Allianz Group, the world's third-largest financial services company by revenue, has "between 50 and 60 per cent" chance of entering recession later this year or early next. This would mean weaker demand for Chinese exports – one of a number of serious headwinds facing policymakers in Beijing, who have been forced to enact a series of stimulus measures and put its economic reform programme on "pause", said El-Erian, who previously served as CEO and co-chief investment officer at fixed-income investment firm PIMCO, owned by Allianz. "The extent to which Europe has slowed has surprised a lot of people," El-Erian said, noting a range of issues facing the bloc, from Brexit, to a major change in German political leadership, long-running protests in France, upcoming elections in Spain and a new Italian government that is just "finding its feet". The International Monetary Fund cut its forecast for Eurozone growth this year to 1.3 per cent, he noted, "and I suspect we will go sub 1 per cent quickly". El-Erian disagreed with European Central Bank president Mario Draghi's assessment last week that the chances of a Eurozone recession in the near-term remain "low". "The trouble is that when you grow at 1 per cent or below you have the heightened risk of what economists call 'stall speed', which is even though you are going forward, you are not going forward fast enough, and therefore you lose altitude," he said, in an interview in Hong Kong. "So I do see that there's a sizeable risk of a recession in Europe by the end of this year and the beginning of next year," he said, adding that structural reforms in the EU's labour markets and fiscal stimulus in Germany and other northern European countries may reduce the risk. China's stimulus programme is starting to show positive results, according to El-Erian, and in the short-term, economic indicators will tend to be more positive. However, he said that "the jury is still out on" how long-lasting China's stimulus measures will be and how they will be balanced with the longer-term reform effort that is necessary for the country to overcome the middle income trap. China needs to resume its deleveraging programme to reduce debt and risky lending, as well as reduce its reliance on short-term monetary stimulus and state-owned enterprises, El-Erian said. "The handoff from the short-term stimulus measures to the longer-term reform effort is going to be critical," he said. While there is a "very high awareness" among Chinese officials of the need for reforms, "it is too soon to say" whether they will take the necessary steps. "Most countries struggle mightily with the trade-off between short-term stimulus and longer-term reforms," he said. "Because one of the issues with most long-term reform measures, especially on the structural side, is that it takes time for the benefits to come, but the costs are up front." El-Erian compared the Chinese economy to an aeroplane, with officials trying to change an old, exhausted engine for a new one mid-flight. "If you do not have a strong tailwind [from the global economy] to push you forward, and, in addition, that tailwind becomes a headwind, you hesitate to turn down the old engine." Therefore, the success of China's reform effort will depend in good part on the future performance of the global economy. El-Erian was also sanguine about the outlook for upcoming trade negotiations between the US and EU, as well as Japan-US talks. A clear pattern has been established for success, he said, with escalation eventually giving way to a defusing of tensions, with concessions on both sides leading to a trade deal. "The Trump administration made the call that [the] cooperative approach to trade does not get results. So it went to an uncooperative approach," he said, referring to the US' use of tariffs as a weapon. While the initial reaction for trading partner nations to the imposition of tariffs is to react negatively, governments are now realising that the US government will double down in response, with the White House "willing to incur damage to the economy as part of the process", El Erian said. The size of the US economy meant this is an "uneven game", with the cost to the US less than the cost to the country on the other side of the trade conflict. "So that is why you saw Mexico go from escalation [of the trade conflict] to defusion, and Canada went through the same cycle and China is going through the same cycle today," El Erian said, predicting that Japan and the EU will go through the same cycle. While there will be "skirmishes here and there" in the upcoming negotiations, he does not expect another trade war. "I think people have realised the appropriate approach" to negotiating with the US. However, it takes time to arrive at such a realisation, El Erian said, which is "a function of what you can sell domestically". "The longer the uncertainty [from the trade conflict] lasts, the bigger the impact on investment," he added, warning that lower investment means "you do not just undermine current growth, you undermine future growth". ^ top ^

China to play vital role in third NK-US summit (Global Times)
2019-04-14
China would step up its mediation and arbitration role for a potential third North Korea-US summit, Chinese observers commented Sunday, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he is open to another bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump if certain conditions were met. Kim made the remarks in his policy speech marking the First Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly on Friday, a day before he was re-elected chairman of the country's State Affairs Commission. "If the US adopts a correct posture and comes forward for the third summit with a certain methodology that can be shared with us, we can think of holding one more talk," Kim said, adding "It is necessary for both sides not to table their unilateral demands but find a constructive solution to meet each other's interests," according to Saturday report from the north's official Korean Central News Agency. Kim said "we will wait for a bold decision from the US with patience till the end of this year." "Peaceful talks and negotiations remain the best way to achieve the goal of Korean Peninsula denuclearization, and the recent exchange of intent to set up another Kim-Trump summit proves again the idea is shared and agreed on by all relevant parties," Lü Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. Korean Peninsula denuclearization is a matter closely related to China's border security, he said. "China, as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, will continue to spare no effort to facilitate communication between North Korea and the US, and if it's likely there will be a third summit between the two leaders, China will also step up to play an arbitrational role, to ensure the results of the talks are durable, practical and favorable to both sides," Lü said. In his speech, Kim accused the US of only considering its own interests during the second North Korea-US Summit in Vietnamese capital Hanoi in February, which has led his country to question Trump's willingness to improve relations with Pyongyang. Lü said that the key to building enough mutual trust between the two to make a third summit possible largely lies in whether the US will send signals that show sufficient sincerity, including seriously considering a phased denuclearization approach, as opposed to its complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement policy, and partially lifting its unilateral economic sanctions imposed on North Korea. Zheng Jiyong, director of the center for Korean studies at the Shanghai-based Fudan University, said although no agreement was reached at the Hanoi summit, the two sides used the opportunity to better understand each others' bottom lines and their most urgent needs. A third meeting, which is only likely to occur after both sides calm down, would likely be oriented toward problem-solving and therefore more efficient and effective, Zheng said. ^ top ^

Government considered approval of Law on Legal Status of Human Rights Defenders as unnecessary (GoGo Mongolia)
2019-04-17
By the government session dated February 27, 2019, Law on the Legal Status of Human Rights Defenders was discussed. The proposal was rejected due to consideration that the issue can be resolved in frame of other valid related laws. In accordance, member organizations of Human Rights Forum have made request of re-discussion to Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh. Mongolia made promise to accept and implement 42, 46 and 62th legal advices which are setting up a legal environment for protecting journalists' information source, creating legal environment of protection to Human rights defenders, operating in favorable legal environment, and having no pressure after expressing their opinions. Thus, members of Human Rights Defenders' NGO have required the government to keep its promise. Globe International center informed "There is no legal environment to protect Human rights defenders and support their operation, and people fighting for environment have been killed and physically threatened in Mongolia. Thus, the government should re-discuss Law on "Legal Status of Human Rights Defenders" due to the government is in charge of providing duty of implementing international agreement, should present to the Parliament and make environment for Human rights defenders to work without any fear and pressure". ^ top ^

Leandra FRANK
Embassy of Switzerland