Switzerland

• Chinese president receives credentials of 7 ambassadors (Global Times)
• Non-resident ambassadors of European countries present their letters of credence (Montsame)

Foreign Policy

• China puts US soy buying on hold as tariff war escalates (SCMP)
• Taking China-India ties to new heights (China Daily)
• Malaysia's Mahathir backs Huawei, snubbing US blacklist of Chinese telecoms giant (SCMP)
• Xi's upcoming Russia visit to push forward bilateral ties (Xinhua)
• Pressing challenges call for closer cooperation, new perspectives in Asia-Pacific security (Xinhua)
• Stereotypical question reveals Regan's poor understanding of China (Global Times)
• Belt, Road high on China-Niger agenda (China Daily)

Domestic Policy

• Chinese activists detained ahead of 30th anniversary of Tiananmen crackdown (SCMP)
• China should prioritize domestic rare-earth demand, put less stress on exports (Global Times)
• Xi calls for bolstering reform, development (China Daily)
• Chinese researchers use sound waves to detect human movements (Xinhua)
• Regulation issued to improve China's cadre selection, appointment (Xinhua)

Tibet

• US ambassador urges Beijing to open 'substantive dialogue' with Dalai Lama (HKFP)

Xinjiang

Hongkong

• Hong Kong gov't announces new concessions to extradition bill after pressure from pro-Beijing camp (HKFP)
• 'Hong Kong is a persecutor': Family who helped Edward Snowden asks Canada for asylum (HKFP)

Taiwan

• Taiwan question brooks no foreign interference (Xinhua)

Economy

• China's manufacturing index drops into negative territory in May as economic pressures mount (SCMP)
• Foreign businesses remain optimistic of investment in China (Xinhua)

DPRK

• North Korea executed envoy to US and officials after failed Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi (SCMP)

Mongolia

• Speaker addresses International Conference on the Future of Asia (Montsame)
• Collaboration of governments proposed to reduce air pollution (Montsame)
• Possibilities of increasing Mongolian export to the EU market discussed (Montsame)

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Chinese president receives credentials of 7 ambassadors (Global Times)
2019-05-29
Chinese President Xi Jinping received the 9s of seven new ambassadors to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Tuesday. The ambassadors were Bernardino Regazzoni from Switzerland, Luis Monsalve Hoyos from Columbia, Vladimir Tomsik from the Czech Republic, Jang Ha Sung from the Republic of Korea, Signe Brudeset from Norway, Helena Sangeland from Sweden, and Maitine Djoumbe from Chad. Xi welcomed the ambassadors to China and expressed his sincere greetings and good wishes to the leaders and people of their countries. Xi said China attached great importance to developing ties with the countries and was ready to deepen political mutual trust, expand pragmatic cooperation, and jointly promote the Belt and Road Initiative for greater benefit to people of all countries. "The Chinese government will facilitate and support the work of the ambassadors, and hopes that the ambassadors will play an active role in deepening friendship between China and their countries and promoting bilateral ties," he said. The ambassadors conveyed cordial greetings from their state leaders to Xi, and congratulated China for successfully holding the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, expressing their countries' hope to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and expand mutually beneficial cooperation. They told Xi that since it was established 70 years ago and especially after the reform and opening-up 40 years ago, the People's Republic of China had achieved world renowned development and played an increasingly important role in international affairs. They said they felt honored to be ambassadors to China, and pledged to enhance relations with China to a new high and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. ^ top ^

Non-resident ambassadors of European countries present their letters of credence (Montsame)
2019-05-28
Non-resident ambassadors of some European countries to Mongolia presented their letters of credence to President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga on May 27. The latter received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Portuguese Republic to Mongolia, Mr. Jose Augusto Duarte, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Spain to Mongolia, Mr. Rafael Dezcallar de Mazarredo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Swiss Confederation to Mongolia, Mr. Bernardino Regazzoni, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Croatia to Mongolia, Mr. Dario Mihelin, in this regard. President Battulga welcomed the ambassadors to Mongolia and encouraged them to make efforts towards developing economic, social, and people-to-people relations with Mongolia from Beijing. During the one-on-one meetings, President Battulga exchanged views with the ambassadors on ways to fully utilize the opportunities for cooperation in the sectors of food, agriculture, light industries, tourism, and energy. President Battulga also gave brief information on certain projects that are ready for implementation in the above-mentioned sectors and expressed his readiness to connect them with the corresponding officials and support their cooperation with the government. ^ top ^

China puts US soy buying on hold as tariff war escalates (SCMP)
2019-05-31
China, the world's largest soybean buyer, has put purchases of American supplies on hold after the trade war between Washington and Beijing escalated, according to people familiar with the matter. State-grain buyers have not received any further orders to continue with the so-called goodwill buying and do not expect that to happen given the lack of agreement in trade negotiations, said the people, who asked not to be named because the information is private. Still, China currently has no plans to cancel previous purchases of American soybeans, the people said. US President Donald Trump escalated his trade war with China earlier this month, ramping up tariffs on about US$200 billion of Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate with further duties of its own. Trump and his counterpart Xi Jinping are expected to meet again at the end of June for the G20 summit, when some analysts predict a potential resolution. Soybean futures in Chicago slumped to a 10-year low earlier this month as the tensions peaked. Since then, prices have rebounded as a deluge of rain roils US plantings. Government data indicates China bought about 13 million tonnes of American soybeans after the countries agreed to a truce in December, in a move that showed goodwill toward getting the trade dispute resolved. While US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in February that China had pledged to buy an additional 10 million tonnes of American soy, purchases have now stopped. USDA data also showed that China is yet to take delivery of about seven million tonnes of US soybeans that it has committed to buy in the current marketing year. Spokesmen for state-run buyers Cofco and Sinograin had no immediate comment. Clamping down on US soybean purchases is a direct strike at Trump's political base. In the 2016 election, Trump carried eight of the 10 states with the largest soybean production, all of them in the Midwest. Iowa, the country's second-largest soybean producer after Illinois, swung from Democrat to Republican in 2016 and could swing back again in 2020. The trade war with China is compounding the strain of five years of falling commodity prices and losses from spring flooding across the Midwest. Overall, US farm income dropped 16 per cent last year to US$63 billion, about half the level it was as recently as 2013. A soybean plantation in Rio Verde, Brazil, in January. Photo: Reuters The president moved to shore up support in rural America immediately as he escalated the trade dispute earlier this month, announcing on the same day a new round of trade aid for farmers. The US Agriculture Department said the aid package would total US$16 billion. There are signs China is replacing US soybeans with Brazilian supplies. The premium paid for soybeans loading at Paranagua port more than doubled over the past month as the pace of exports has accelerated in the past weeks. "Brazil will supply China almost exclusively from now on," said Pedro Dejneka, a partner at Chicago-based MD Commodities. China is also grappling to contain a deadly swine disease outbreak in its hog herd, curbing demand for livestock feed. Soybeans are a key component of the rations, and Rabobank estimates about 30 per cent of the nation's pork supply has been lost. ^ top ^

Taking China-India ties to new heights (China Daily)
2019-05-31
Starting his second term in office, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed a second China-India informal summit in Varanasi later this year. Varanasi is not only a culturally important city for Indians and one of the oldest cities in the world but also the constituency that elected Modi to parliament. After being sworn in for the second time as India's prime minister on Thursday, Modi is likely to have his first "structured" talks with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, in June. China has been viewed in India as far more positively inclined to engage with Modi during his second term in office. Even before the full results of the recent elections were declared, the Chinese media welcomed Modi's return to office. In the midst of India's exhausting six-week-long elections, Beijing's diplomatic and strategic moves helped Modi assert his anti-terrorism policy and reinforced memories of the informal summit in Wuhan, Hubei province, in April last year, which showcased the personal chemistry of the two Asian leaders. Keeping with their "Wuhan spirit" and their June 2017"Astana consensus" on "not allowing differences to become disputes", their "strategic guidance" to their armed forces have ensured peace on their borders. This has prompted bilateral trade to finally cross its decade-long volume of $70-75 billion. For this year, China-India trade is set to cross $100 billion. Likewise, China's investments in India have witnessed a sharp upsurge from $688 million in 2016 to $5.6 billion last year. The United States' decision to raise tariffs on Chinese, as well as Indian, products is expected to further strengthen Sino-Indian trade and investment partnership. Critics may describe this as China's tactical move triggered by its intensifying trade dispute with the US. Yet there is no denying that the past two years have seen a marked shift in China-India relations. In hindsight, their 73-day-long border standoff in the summer of 2017 is now seen as a watershed which made both sides ever more pragmatic in building their partnership. This explains why, during his first term as India's prime minister, Modi visited China five times while Xi Jinping visited India twice. The two leaders also met at many multilateral meetings, several of which saw them showcasing joint statesmanship. Since his Shangri-La Dialogue speech in June last year, Modi has propagated engaging China in Indo-Pacific discourses as well as ensured that the "Quad" (the grouping of the US, Japan, Australia and India) does not become a militarized or "exclusive" club of a few. Breaking out of the myopic preoccupation of seeking parity with China in the limited bandwidth of their expanding economic prowess－where China is five times taller than India in terms of economic might－the past two years have seen Modi front-loading India's unique religious, cultural and civilizational links with neighboring countries. This pragmatic approach has not just made the Sino-Indian summits most frequent but hopefully also more productive. Modi has not had as many one-on-one meetings with any other global leader. And since this trend is likely to continue, it could see them jointly responding to the White House's blitzkrieg against friends and foes alike. The fact that Russia still faces serious economic challenges and the US has slipped into confrontations with some countries will provide further traction for Modi and Xi to play larger roles in setting the tone and tenor of multilateral debates and initiatives. Their synergy in tackling regional and global issues will continue to have positive effects on bilateral equations, which remain an essential prerequisite for the two countries' peaceful rise. China and India are already working together to tackle the impending oil crisis and the rising threat of the Islamic State group. China and India are the world's largest and second-largest importers of oil and also the second-and fourth-largest buyers of liquefied natural gas. As such, energy imports are critical to their development. The US' attempts at regime change in Iran and Venezuela－the world's third-and fourth-largest oil suppliers－by imposing stifling sanctions accompanied by a military buildup in the Gulf have raised the specter of the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz. China and India have revived their 2005 proposal and formed a "joint working group on energy" to identify avenues for cooperation including how to rein in rising oil prices. They already have a "joint working group on countering terrorism". As for Modi, apart from his first priority of stressing the advantages of working together to tackle impending oil crisis, he may also seek Xi's endorsement for his anti-terrorism policy, which was Modi's winning narrative during Indian's recently held 17th general elections. ^ top ^

Malaysia's Mahathir backs Huawei, snubbing US blacklist of Chinese telecoms giant (SCMP)
2019-05-31
Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday offered a forceful defence of embattled Chinese tech giant Huawei, suggesting Western nations bent on shutting it down were being hypocritical in their concerns over the company's ties to Chinese cyber espionage. In back-to-back public appearances in Tokyo, the 93-year-old premier dismissed the prospect of his country joining the likes of the United States and its allies – including Japan – in banning government purchases of the Shenzhen-based company's telecommunications products. He said while US President Donald Trump's administration might have grounds for "condemning" Huawei over security concerns, banning it was "not the way to go". Mahathir's comments in support of Huawei are among the strongest yet from an Asian leader, as the company continues to suffer from being caught in the crossfire of the US-China trade war. Washington and its allies believe Huawei has links with the Chinese military and is likely to add "back doors" into network equipment to spy on Beijing's strategic rivals. Huawei has flatly rejected these claims. "I am quite sure for a long time, the CIA have been reporting on everything that is done in Malaysia and China. We did not carry out a boycott of America because of that," Mahathir said at a dialogue session at the Tokyo Foreign Correspondents' Club. He sarcastically suggested that if Huawei did indeed have spying capabilities, countries should let them "do their worst". Mahathir said: "When Israel anticipated attack by rockets by the Palestinians, they had an amazing system of protecting their country from missiles. I am quite sure America does what they like to stop Huawei from stealing their secrets." As for Malaysia, the second-time prime minister, known for his wry humour, said Huawei "can spy as much as they like because we have no secrets". In an earlier keynote speech at the Nikkei Future of Asia Conference, Mahathir said China currently boasted "the best technology in the world", and that the US had to accept the new status quo. "We have to accept that the US cannot forever be the supreme nation [with] the best technology … [The West] must accept that this capability can also be found in the East. But if they want to have a situation where they are always ahead, and if not [they] will ban you, [they] will send warships to your country, that is not competition. That is threatening people." Although Malaysia has not taken any explicit sides in the ongoing trade war, analysts say the Southeast Asian nation has a clear stance on the Huawei issue. "Malaysia's position on Huawei should be read as taking a stand solely on Huawei, a company that produces affordable and high-quality technology and has been working with Malaysia for 20 years," said China-Malaysia expert Ngeow Chow Bing. Ngeow said Malaysia's close working relationship with Huawei meant the country had no reason to turn it away just because the US was "determined to destroy Huawei". "The US government should not expect Malaysia to just follow suit because the Trump administration is taking action," he said. Malaysia's telecoms have so far offered measured comments over their reliance on Huawei, especially in the roll-out of the next-generation 5G technology. Company executives have said they use multiple suppliers, giving them an adequate hedge against Huawei being put out of the running as a vendor. Mahathir's defence of Huawei came just a day after Softbank Corp, the domestic telecoms unit of leading Japanese conglomerate Softbank Group, named Nokia its strategic partner for 5G, excluding Huawei despite the company's participation in earlier trials. Other nations have also issued partial or full boycotts of Huawei technology over fears of links to the Chinese government and the risk of state espionage. New Zealand and Australia have banned Huawei from providing network equipment for their 5G roll-out, while Britain's BT Group announced it would remove Huawei gear from the core of its mobile network. The US has applied particular pressure on Huawei, banning federal agencies from using its equipment over security concerns – a ban that the company has challenged with a lawsuit. This January, a number of US universities also set about getting rid of Huawei equipment to prevent losing federal funding, after Trump signed a law banning recipients of state funds from using equipment, services or components from a host of Chinese companies, including Huawei. The Malaysian government previously announced its enthusiasm to adopt 5G technology – which Huawei is spearheading – although it will carry out its own security checks. During a visit to the Huawei facility in Malaysia, Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Ong Kian Ming said Huawei's continued investment "is something good for the long-term benefit of Malaysia as a country, and shows a very strong and strategic partnership we have with Huawei from an investment perspective". Mahathir's Thursday comments in support of Beijing and Huawei echo his government's cordial stance with China since it came to power last May. On the campaign trail before last May's election, the premier had taken a hardline position on his scandal-haunted predecessor Najib Razak's closeness to China, but has offered a more nuanced view about ties with Beijing since taking office. On Thursday, Chinese ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian in a statement commemorating the 45th anniversary of bilateral ties said he expected the relationship to deepen further with the help of the "great foresight of the leaders of both countries". ^ top ^

Xi's upcoming Russia visit to push forward bilateral ties (Xinhua)
2019-05-30
With joint efforts from both sides, Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia will be a great success and push bilateral relations into a new era, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui said Thursday. At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Xi will pay a state visit to Russia and attend the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum from June 5 to 7. President Xi and President Putin will comprehensively sum up the experience on the development of bilateral relations in the past 70 years, chart the course for their future development, and upgrade and elevate the ties, Zhang said. At present, the international situation is witnessing unprecedented changes in a century, and the basic norms governing international relations have been seriously impacted by rising unilateralism. Regional hotspot issues are fermenting, and the common threats and challenges facing human society are on the rise, said Zhang at a press briefing on the visit. Under current circumstances, China-Russia relations have become increasingly mature, stable and strong, said Zhang, adding that "the political mutual trust between the two countries is solid and the two sides firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns." According to Zhang, trade between China and Russia hit a record of over 100 billion U.S. dollars last year. Strategic projects in fields of energy, aerospace and interconnectivity have been solidly promoted. Besides, cooperation in emerging fields such as agriculture, finance, science and technology, and e-commerce has developed rapidly. The cooperation between the two countries has demonstrated strong endogenous driving forces and broad development prospects, Zhang added. The two sides jointly held the year of bilateral cooperation and exchanges at local levels in 2018 and 2019, with local exchanges continuing to expand and people-to-people and cultural exchanges continuing to heat up, Zhang said. China and Russia have carried out close and effective coordination in international affairs, firmly upholding an international system with the United Nations as its core and an international order based on the international law, and staunchly safeguarding world peace, stability and international fairness and justice, Zhang said. "The two countries advocate multilateralism and an open world economy, and have played a role as a ballast stone and stabilizer in the changing international situation." "This is Xi's first state visit to Russia since his re-election as Chinese president, which will be of milestone significance in the development of bilateral relations and will surely promote greater development of bilateral ties under the new situation," Zhang said. Noting this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, Zhang said that during his visit, Xi will hold a series of activities with President Putin, jointly attend events such as a gathering celebrating the 70th anniversary of the ties, and sign or witness the signing of some important cooperation documents. On Xi's attendance of the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Zhang said the Chinese president will deliver a speech at the plenary session of the forum, expounding China's ideas on sustainable development, and working with all parties to advocate multilateralism and improve global governance for the common development and prosperity of the global village. "This visit will consolidate the political foundation of Sino-Russian relations, reaffirm their mutual support to each other on issues involving respective core and major concerns, and ensure the ties will not be affected by any change in the international situation," said Zhang, adding that the visit will also open up new prospects for pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and help translate the advantages in high-level political relations into more tangible results. It is believed that with the joint efforts of China and Russia, Xi's visit to Russia will be a complete success, as it will promote bilateral relations to enter a new era and contribute more to the two countries' development, and world peace and stability, Zhang said. ^ top ^

Pressing challenges call for closer cooperation, new perspectives in Asia-Pacific security (Xinhua)
2019-05-30
As the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue kicks off here Friday, defense representatives are expected to present views on pressing security challenges in the Asia-Pacific and call for closer cooperation and new perspectives. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe will be leading a delegation to the event eight years after a Chinese defense minister took part last time. Pressing security challenges have been emerging in the Asia-Pacific region, with the most notable being terror attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand on March 15, which killed 50 people and injured many more, and in Sri Lanka on April 21, which claimed the lives of more than 250 people and injured 500 others. The attacks have shown that terrorists planned their attacks very meticulously and could strike anywhere, especially some "safe and peaceful places," analysts noted. The international community needs to join hands in fighting terrorism in Asia and around the world, and a sharp intelligence base, both domestically and internationally, and intelligence-sharing and a strong will of all countries are required to combat terrorism, Maninderjeet Singh Bitta, a leading anti-terror expert in India told Xinhua. Prof. Greg Barton, a counter-terrorism expert at Deakin University of Australia, emphasized especially the challenge of social media. "The dissemination of information, fake news and conspiracy theory, the formation of identity groups are some main challenges for security agencies to deal with," he said. Meanwhile, other non-traditional challenges such as human and drug trafficking, piracy and armed robbery against ships, and sea pollution are also posing threats to the Asia-Pacific. China always advocates cooperation and has played an important role in maintaining security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe is to deliver a speech on China's security cooperation with the international community, meet heads of foreign delegations and have an exchange of views on a wide range of issues. China has put forward a concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and a path of security featuring wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits in the Asia-Pacific region. This security concept is in tune with globalization and the historical trend of the times featuring peace, development, and mutually beneficial cooperation. Rooted in regional integration, it has gathered the wisdom and consensus of the countries in the region, reflected the urgent need of all parties to cope with security challenges through cooperation, and opened broad prospects for regional security cooperation. In April this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for concerted efforts to safeguard maritime peace and build a maritime community with a shared future. Nations should enhance mutual respect, equal treatment and mutual trust, strengthen maritime dialogue and exchanges, deepen practical naval cooperation, and pursue a mutually beneficial and win-win approach to maritime security, he said. China's security concept aims to break the persistent zero-sum game thinking and highlight win-win cooperation and common development, allowing various parties concerned to take conflicts in new perspectives, ease regional tension, safeguard peace and boost cooperation, analysts have agreed. China has a clear agenda for the peace of the world, Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research told Xinhua. Officially known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has been organized and convened annually by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government since 2002. Senior officials, defense representatives and experts from countries including China, India, the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Japan and Australia will speak at the event. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will deliver the keynote address at the summit Friday. ^ top ^

Stereotypical question reveals Regan's poor understanding of China (Global Times)
2019-05-30
During the highly anticipated debate between China Global Television Network's Liu Xin and Fox Business' Trish Regan on Thursday, the American anchorwoman revealed her poor understanding of China by raising an abrupt question: "How do you define state capitalism?" State capitalism - an archaic concept with an overtone of last century's ideological struggles. I keyed in "state capitalism" on Google and the first results popping up were "state capitalism and dictatorship" and "state capitalism and the crisis." See? In the Western discourse system, this concept is inherently linked to these negative notions. When speaking of state capitalism, Westerners are by no means objective, but always take a presupposed standpoint with bias and criticism. It was a concept trap in which Regan expected Liu to fall. But before playing such tricks, can Regan herself figure out the meaning of state capitalism? We highly doubt that. China's economic system in her simplified understanding is "capitalist" but also "state-run." Liu decently pointed out that China's socialist economy with Chinese characteristics was not "just state controlled," but is "quite mixed, very dynamic and very open as well." Regan's perspective may represent that of many Americans'. It's already 2019, but their understanding of China seems stuck in the 1950s. Some pretend to know China well, but all their talks are clichés - they themselves may not even comprehend the meaning. Knowing a few stereotypical concepts such as socialism and state capitalism is far from understanding the real China. We suggest US media stop misleading the American public's judgment on China with outdated stereotypes and conceptualized expressions. Why not come to China and have first-hand experience of socialism with Chinese characteristics? I have to reiterate: It is socialism with Chinese characteristics, not state capitalism. Chinese people are pragmatists who focus on reality rather than bells and whistles. Over the last four decades more than 700 million Chinese escaped poverty. According to the UN, China has contributed to over 70 percent of poverty alleviation across the world. Former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim praised China's poverty reduction effort as "one of the great stories in human history." China's achievements in infrastructure construction are also remarkable. By the end of 2018, the total length of rural roads nationwide reached 4.05 million kilometers, with 99.47 percent of villages having hard-surfaced roads to the outside world. Every Chinese person was able to access electricity by December 2015. Still a developing country, China cannot catch up with the US in terms of average wealth. But unlike the US, China doesn't deploy troops all over the world, but has dedicated itself to promoting the living standards of ordinary people in a down-to-earth manner. In the US, the self-proclaimed world leader, 39.7 million (12.3 percent) of its population is still in poverty, and among them, around 554,000 are even homeless. As for the country's infrastructure, it is "poor to fair condition and mostly below standard," according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. When sending troops all over the world, has the US thought at least a little bit about its thousands of homeless people? We kindly advise Regan to learn more about China. Here is also a tip for the US: Stop playing on words and perform some real deeds for the people. In particular, stop engaging in a trade war that severely affects the two peoples - that matters most now. ^ top ^

Belt, Road high on China-Niger agenda (China Daily)
2019-05-29
China and Niger should enhance Belt and Road cooperation and implement major projects in areas such as infrastructure, energy and agriculture, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday. Xi made the remark while meeting with Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Issoufou is paying a state visit to China from Sunday to Thursday. Witnessed by the two leaders, China and Niger signed a number of cooperation documents after their talks. Xi appreciated Issoufou's efforts in promoting the China-Niger and China-Africa friendship over the past few years. Noting that China and Niger are good friends, partners and brothers, Xi said that the two countries have enhanced mutual political trust and have achieved fruitful outcomes in practical cooperation in several areas. China would like to work with Niger to jointly implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, strengthen strategic cooperation and bring more benefits to the people of both countries. Issoufou attended the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC in September. The two countries should continue to understand, trust and support each other on issues related to core interests and major concerns, Xi said, adding that the two sides should share more experiences on governance and development. Xi called on the two nations to enhance connections under the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative and FOCAC. China will continue to support Niger to fight terrorism and safeguard regional peace and stability, Xi said. China would like to help Niger improve its people's livelihood through such measures as medical assistance and via exchanges in areas including culture, youth, women and think tanks. Mutual understanding between the people of both nations should also be promoted, Xi said. He stressed that as long as all countries stick to the development paths that suit their own national situations, make joint efforts to build the Belt and Road and remain dedicated to fulfilling the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, they will definitely achieve success. Issoufou congratulated Xi on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the great achievements that Chinese people have made under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Noting that China's development has made important contributions to mankind, Issoufou said that China's inclusive economic growth has lifted a huge number of people out of poverty. Niger supports the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and the BRI put forward by Xi will bring benefits for the whole world, he said, adding that Niger would like to proactively participate in the Belt and Road. While meeting with Issoufou on Tuesday, Premier Li Keqiang said that China would like to offer a hand to Niger for the country's economic development and the improvement of people's lives. Talks with Vanuatu PM China seeks no private interests and scope of influence in developing relations with Pacific island countries, and will be good friends and partners trusted by them forever, Xi said on Tuesday. Xi made the remarks while meeting with visiting Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai in Beijing. The China-Vanuatu relationship has become a good example of relations between China and Pacific island countries, Xi said, adding political mutual trust between the two countries keeps deepening and exchanges and cooperation in various fields continue to expand. Xi said the country appreciates Vanuatu resolutely adhering to the one-China policy, and supports it independently choosing the development path that suits its national conditions. Xi called for strengthening the alignment of the development strategy of the Pacific island country with the BRI and tapping potential for bilateral pragmatic cooperation. Salwai highly commended China's achievements in its reform and opening-up drive, and said the country's success has not only brought changes to itself, but also has profound and positive influence on the world. Vanuatu firmly honors the one-China policy and supports the Chinese government in its efforts to realize peaceful national reunification, he added. ^ top ^

Chinese activists detained ahead of 30th anniversary of Tiananmen crackdown (SCMP)
2019-05-30
Chinese authorities have detained several activists ahead of the politically explosive 30th anniversary of the June 4 crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing, rights groups said on Thursday. Discussions of the 1989 Tiananmen protests and its military suppression are taboo in China, and authorities have rounded up or warned activists, lawyers and journalists ahead of the anniversary each year. Internet censors also usually go into overdrive, and this year popular live-streaming sites are shutting down around the anniversary for "technical" reasons. But this year's attempts to mute public discourse are harsher than usual because Beijing has become increasingly intolerant of dissenting voices, according to Cao Yaxue, founder of the Washington-based rights group China Change. Among the string of activists detained or "disappeared" are six artists who had put up a painting and performing art exhibition titled "A Conscience Movement" in the eastern city of Nanjing. Liu Lijiao, the wife of the lead artist Zhu Hun, said she had not been able to contact her husband since Tuesday. "Police came from Nanjing and raided my home in Beijing [on Wednesday]," Liu said. The two cities are over 1,000km (600 miles) apart. Calls to the Nanjing Public Security Bureau went unanswered. Zhu Hun was also detained in 2014 for a performance art piece in support of democracy protests in Hong Kong against Beijing's attempts to restrain freedoms in the semi-autonomous city. Dissident writer Shen Liangqing was arrested for "picking quarrels" on May 16 and was being held in a detention centre in Hefei, the provincial capital of Anhui, Shen's lawyer Liu Hao said. "A group of unknown men grabbed Shen while he was walking his dog the night before, and put a black hood over his head, as if it was a kidnap attempt, but later the group showed their police IDs," Liu Hao said. Shen had been campaigning for democratic reforms for over three decades and served an 18-month jail term in 1992 for "inciting subversion". The Hefei city public security bureau referred inquiries to the local government propaganda office, which declined to comment. Rights group China Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) said it had documented the cases of three other individuals who were detained in May for posting photos or comments linked to the Tiananmen crackdown. They include independent filmmaker Deng Chuanbin, who tweeted a photo of a liquor label that showed an illustrated rendition of "Tank Man", the iconic photograph of a man facing down a column of armoured vehicles in 1989. Deng was arrested on May 17 and police warned his family not to hire a lawyer, the rights group said in a statement. The arrest could not be independently confirmed. Four activists in southwestern China were handed prison sentences for selling liquor with the labels, that also read: "Always remember June 4th, 1989". The Communist Party has adopted a heavy-handed approach to dealing with student activists, labour movements and rights lawyers in recent years and since President Xi Jinping took its reins. Asked if the People's Liberation Army planned any commemoration on June 4, defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Thursday: "I do not agree with you for using the word 'suppression'. I think these past 30 years, the stable process of China's reform and development and the achievements that have been made are an answer to this question." ^ top ^

China should prioritize domestic rare-earth demand, put less stress on exports (Global Times)
2019-05-30
Tougher environmental protection efforts have reduced the supply of rare-earth minerals in Ganzhou, a key rare-earth base in East China's Jiangxi Province, where the industry has become more regulated and market-oriented. But as supplies dwindle and prices rise, some affected downstream rare-earth enterprises have urged the central government to prioritize domestic demand over exports, including to the US, to accelerate the development of high-end applications. They believe that high-end products will be a more powerful counter weapon than raw metals in the China-US trade war. "Now, illegal mining of rare earths, which has few environmental controls, has almost disappeared in Ganzhou amid the local government's crackdown partly driven by environmental enforcement," a manager of a large local rare-earth producer told the Global Times on Thursday on condition of anonymity. The rare-earth industrial scale in Ganzhou accounts for one-third of China's total, according to a document released by the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner. The city is also home to 80 percent of the nation's heavy rare earths. In Ganzhou, only several state-owned heavy rare-earth miners with certification, which have passed environmental standard tests, are still in operation, he said, describing the local government's environmental endeavor in helping the industry move to an "orderly and regulated manner." "In the past, illegal mining has squeezed the profitability of China's rare-earth industry, with most manufacturers scrambling for survival. Cheap prices also offered a shortcut to the US' technology and military rise… But now, prices reflect the supply-demand situation and we, as a beneficiary, can begin to make a profit," the manager said. Local regulators are also keeping an eye on another heavily polluted industry chain in the rare-earth sector: extraction. Li Jing, a vice president of state-owned Ganzhou Rare Earth Youli Science and Technology Development, which has a rare-earth extraction business, told the Global Times on Thursday that local environmental authorities have installed cameras and "monitoring bars" that can measure mineral containment near sewage drain outlets of rare-earth companies. "The data is updated in real time and if the containment exceeds the designated amount, the local regulator will be informed," he said. Under the government's environmental push, many companies in Ganzhou are investing in recycling to reduce pollution during the extraction process. In Youli's factory, waste water is being extracted and separated from rare earths, according to Li. The company spent about 5 million yuan ($724,000) to buy equipment to treat the waste water. Yu Xi, general manager of Ganzhou Fortune Electronic Co which makes rare-earth permanent magnets and other items, told the Global Times that the company is working with universities in Beijing and Jiangxi Province to refine technologies to extract rare earths from waste water. Supply shortages mean higher prices for rare-earth oxides. Li noted that the price of praseodymium neodymium oxide has jumped to 320,000 yuan a ton on Thursday from about 200,000 yuan a ton in late April. While upstream suppliers are thrilled by the price surge, some downstream manufacturers said that they feel pressured and hope that the local government can take measures to protect the demand of the domestic industry. China is the world's largest exporter of rare earths. In 2018, the country exported 53,031.4 tons of rare earths with a value of 3.39 billion yuan, up 3.6 percent year-on-year. "If you are still hungry, how can you take care of someone from the outside?" asked Li. Yu said that as heavy rare earths play an "indispensable and irreplaceable" role in the military, new energy and the technology sector, the Chinese government should "give some kind of protection" to its domestic users. For example, while imposing a quota on rare-earth exports to prioritize domestic demand, policymakers should also encourage high-end applications of rare earths, such as in maglev trains, new-energy vehicle parts, robots, drones and some smartphone parts. These are the most profitable and high value-added sectors across the industrial chain. "We really need to speed up the application of rare earths" amid the China-US trade war, Yu said. "Restricting the exports of rare-earth applications, rather than the actual resources or metals, could be a more powerful 'killer card' in dealing with the dispute." ^ top ^

Xi calls for bolstering reform, development (China Daily)
2019-05-30
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called on Wednesday for further efforts to prevent and eliminate major problems in the nation's reform and development against the backdrop that uncertainties and instabilities are on the rise. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while presiding over a key meeting of the Central Committee for Deepening Overall Reform. He is the director of the committee. Saying China is facing profound changes in its reform and development against the backdrop of increasing external uncertain and unstable factors, Xi said the country must maintain a strategic focus. Substantial and resolute efforts must be made to prevent major contradictions and outstanding problems through coordinated planning and targeted measures to make reform better serve the country's economic and social development, Xi said. The meeting reviewed and approved a series of official documents including a guideline on innovation and improving macro-regulation, as well as a guideline on strengthening opening-up and cooperation in innovation capacity. The meeting called for taking the supply-side structural reform as the main task, making coordinated efforts to stabilize economic growth, promoting reforms, readjusting the economic structure, improving people's livelihoods, preventing risks, and ensuring social stability, according to a statement issued after the meeting. The strategic guiding role of national development planning should be leveraged to improve coordination mechanisms for economic policies such as finance, currency, employment, industry, and regional development to ensure the nation's economic development stays within a reasonable range, the statement said. The meeting highlighted the importance of strengthening innovative capabilities as well as opening-up and cooperation in this regard, and called for improving the services and environment for opening-up and cooperation so that development is promoted through opening-up, innovation is advanced through reforms and win-win results are achieved through cooperation, it said. Tough and newly emerging problems should be resolved through deepening reforms, the statement said, adding that the capability of dealing with challenges and preventing risks should be intensified. The meeting required Shanxi province, a coal-abundant area in North China, to conduct pilot reforms in its energy industry and take the lead in the whole country in areas such as promoting clean and low-carbon energy use and enhancing innovation in energy technologies, it said. Efforts should be stepped up to build a higher-level, higher-quality food security system that is more efficient and more sustainable to guarantee the nation's grain reserves, the statement said. ^ top ^

Chinese researchers use sound waves to detect human movements (Xinhua)
2019-05-29
Chinese scientists have developed an AI-enabled method to identify human movements using sound waves. The researchers from Wuhan University of Technology used a two-dimensional acoustic array and convolutional neural networks to detect and analyze the sounds of human activity and identify those activities, according to a study published on Tuesday in the journal Applied Physics Letters. The acoustic array has 256 receivers and four ultrasonic transmitters, allowing the researchers to gather data related to four different human activities -- sitting, standing, walking and falling. They managed to identify them by an artificial intelligence algorithm. They used a 40-kilohertz signal to bypass any potential contamination from ordinary room noise and distinguish it from the identifying sounds. Guo Xinhua, associate professor of mechanical and electronic engineering at Wuhan University of Technology told Xinhua that it can be used in a medical alarm system which could be activated if a person falls at home. The acoustic systems are a better detection device than vision-based systems because of privacy issues posed by camera. Meanwhile, low lighting or smoke can also hamper vision recognition, but sound waves are not affected by those special environmental situations, according to Guo. ^ top ^

Regulation issued to improve China's cadre selection, appointment (Xinhua)
2019-05-28
A new regulation to improve China's cadre selection and appointment has been released by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. The regulation, made public Monday, aims to strengthen political supervision, exert strict punishments on officials selection and appointment that violate the rules, and enforce accountability on dereliction of duty and negligence in this procedure. The document clarified that its rules will be applied to a wide range of organs and entities, including organs of the Party, administrative, legislative, supervisory, judicial and procuratorial authorities, and political advisory bodies at all levels, as well as public service institutions and state-owned enterprises. The regulation demonstrates the key points of the official selection and appointment inspections, mandates to build a working mechanism of supervision and inspection, and orders a pre-service report of certain issues on cadre selection and appointment. All Party committees should annually report on the selection and appointment of officials, according to the regulation. The regulation stipulates the Party secretary at the city and county levels must take an examination from a superior organization during their term of service before they leave the position or are appointed to another position. The regulation stresses serious investigation of problems and misconduct in this regard as well as punishment for violators or those held responsible. The regulation took effect on May 13, 2019. ^ top ^

US ambassador urges Beijing to open 'substantive dialogue' with Dalai Lama (HKFP)
2019-05-25
The US ambassador to China has called on Beijing to open a "substantive dialogue" with the Dalai Lama in remarks made this week during a rare visit to Tibet, his embassy said Saturday. Terry Branstad visited northwest China's Qinghai province — home to many Tibetans — as well as the Tibet Autonomous Region, where access is restricted for diplomats and journalists. "He encouraged the Chinese government to engage in substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives, without preconditions, to seek a settlement that resolves differences," an embassy spokesman told AFP via email. China is accused by human rights groups of repressing Tibet's religion and culture, and cracking down on separatism. Beijing says it protects religious freedom and has invested heavily to modernise the region and raise living standards. Since fleeing to India in 1959 following a failed uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, the Dalai Lama has been trying to reach a compromise with the Chinese government over the fate of his people. Having initially called for Tibet's independence, the Buddhist leader is now campaigning for greater autonomy. But negotiations with Beijing have stalled since 2010. Observers accuse China of running down the clock until the death of the 83-year-old religious leader. During his visit to Lhasa, Branstad visited the Potala Palace — the former residence of the Dalai Lama — as well as Tibetan Buddhism's holiest temple, the more than 1,300-year-old Jokhang. He met with senior Tibetan religious and cultural leaders. "He also expressed concerns regarding the Chinese government's interference in Tibetan Buddhists' freedom to organise and practice their religion," the embassy spokeswoman said. "The Ambassador raised our long-standing concerns about lack of consistent access to the Tibetan Autonomous Region," she added. In order to visit Tibet, foreigners require a special permit. For tourists it is usually relative easy to obtain, but for diplomats and in particular journalists it is more difficult. ^ top ^

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Hong Kong gov't announces new concessions to extradition bill after pressure from pro-Beijing camp (HKFP)
2019-05-30
Hong Kong's Secretary for Security John Lee has announced three main changes to the government's extradition bill – which hew closely to requests previously made by the pro-Beijing camp. Lee said on Thursday evening that the threshold for extradition will be raised so that it only applies to those accused of crimes punishable by seven years or more in jail. The threshold was previously set at three years. Additionally, Lee said the city will only entertain rendition requests made by top authorities in a jurisdiction, which in China's case will mean the Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate. Lee added that the Hong Kong government will be able to impose conditions as part of any fugitive transfer, such as requiring the presumption of innocence, an open trial and legal representation. The suggestions had been raised by Beijing-friendly political parties, but Lee said that the government decided on the measures after hearing opinions from all sectors. Hong Kong proposed legal amendments in February to allow the city to handle case-by-case extradition requests from jurisdictions with no prior agreements – most notably China and Taiwan. The plan would enable the chief executive and local courts to handle extradition requests without legislative oversight, though lawyers, journalists, foreign politicians and businesses have raised concerns over the risk of residents being extradited to the mainland. In a joint statement issued an hour after Lee's press briefing, Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland urged Hong Kong to ensure the new law was in keeping with the city's autonomy. "We are concerned about the potential effect of these proposals on the large number of UK and Canadian citizens in Hong Kong, on business confidence and on Hong Kong's international reputation. Furthermore, we believe that there is a risk that the proposals could impact negatively on the rights and freedoms set down in the Sino-British Joint Declaration," the statement said. "We urge the Hong Kong Government to engage meaningfully with Hong Kong's broad range of local and international stakeholders in order to ensure their concerns are fully considered. We believe that the Hong Kong Government should allow time to give proper consideration of all alternative options and safeguards." However, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce – which previously criticised the plan – issued a statement in support of Lee's amendments on Thursday night: "We are pleased that the Government has taken on-board our suggestions to enhance the safeguards on its proposed legislative amendments," said Chairman Aron Harilela. "Having a comprehensive safeguard mechanism in place is vital." Hong Kong's legal sector will hold a rare protest next Thursday calling for the withdrawal of the bill, where lawyers are expected to march in silence dressed in black. ^ top ^

'Hong Kong is a persecutor': Family who helped Edward Snowden asks Canada for asylum (HKFP)
2019-05-30
A lawyer for a family who sheltered fugitive former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden asked Canada on Wednesday to take them in as refugees, saying they were being persecuted in Hong Kong. Guillaume Cliche-Rivard of the non-governmental group For the Refugees, which in March sponsored two other Snowden "Guardian Angels" — Vanessa Rodel and her seven-year-old daughter Keana of the Philippines — made the plea on "humanitarian grounds" at a press conference. He noted growing concerns about civil rights abuses since mainland China took control of the former British colonial enclave in 1997. Cliche-Rivard also pointed to the precedent set by Germany in granting asylum to two democracy activists — Ray Wong and Alan Li. "The fact that Germany has granted refugee status to these people shows that Hong Kong is a persecutor within the meaning of the Geneva Convention," he said. Germany's decision "adds a lot of weight and credibility" to the family's amended refugee claim, he said. Originally from Sri Lanka, Supun Kellapatha and Nadeeka Paththini and their two young children are facing deportation after their initial refugee claims in Hong Kong were rejected. Kellapatha is also Keana's father. "My daughter should not be growing up in Canada without her father, and her half-sister and her half-brother," Rodel said. "My family has been divided and I ask Canada to act now to bring the family all together." Sri Lankan army deserter Ajit Kumara is also part of the group that assisted Snowden but is awaiting a decision by Hong Kong on whether he can travel. The group hid Snowden in their tiny Hong Kong apartments in 2013 when he was on the run after stealing a trove of highly classified NSA documents. The documents revealed the existence of global surveillance programs run by the NSA in cooperation with partners Australia, Britain and Canada. Snowden, who now lives in Russia, was charged in June 2013 in the United States with espionage and stealing state secrets. ^ top ^

Taiwan question brooks no foreign interference (Xinhua)
2019-05-31
Taiwan is a part of China and Taiwan question is China's internal affairs that brooks no foreign interference, said Wu Qian, a spokesperson with the Ministry of National Defense, on Thursday. Wu made the remarks in response to the United States' recent frequent provocations on Taiwan-related issues, including the passing of the "Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019" by the U.S. House of Representatives. The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and the important political foundation for the China-U.S. relationship, Wu said. The recent moves by the U.S. side have severely damaged the development of the relationships between the two countries and the two militaries, undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Wu added. The Chinese People's Liberation Army has firm determination, full confidence and sufficient capacity to thwart any separatist activities and safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wu said. ^ top ^

China's manufacturing index drops into negative territory in May as economic pressures mount (SCMP)
2019-05-31
China's manufacturing purchasing managers' index fell further in May, suggesting the economy is continuing to slow amid the escalating trade war with the United States. The manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI), a gauge of sentiment among factory operators, fell to 49.4 in May, a decrease on April's performance of 50.1, and well below the median expectations of a poll of Bloomberg analysts, which had predicted a drop to 49.9. A reading of below 50 means that the activity in the sector is contracting. The 49.4 reading was the lowest since February's 49.2. Non-manufacturing PMI, which covers the services and construction sectors, remained the same as last month at 54.3, in line with the expectations of the Bloomberg poll. "The fall in the headline index was mostly driven by weaker new orders. Export orders dropped back particularly sharply, which suggests that [US President Donald] Trump's latest tariff hike may already be undermining foreign demand," said Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist at Capital Economics. "Stocks of raw materials continued to decline, reversing the build-up of inventories ahead of the 1 April VAT cut that helped to temporarily boost output in March." The composite PMI, which combines both manufacturing and services activity, was 53.3 in May, a slight decrease on 53.4 a month earlier. An index reading above 50 indicates growth, while anything below 50 indicates a contraction. The dip into contractionary territory for China's manufacturing sentiment will be a concern to policymakers in Beijing, as they struggle to contain the effect the trade war is having on both economic mood and investment sentiment. While both composite and non-manufacturing PMIs remained above contraction levels, their stagnation points to continued challenges facing China's economy. The new data, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), combined with weaker economic data readings for April, suggest that Chinese growth slowed in the second quarter after stabilising at 6.4 per cent in the first quarter. Details of the data show that within the manufacturing PMI, new orders were 49.8, down from 51.4 in April. Output also fell to 51.7, from 52.1 last month, while employment fell to 47.0 from 47.2 and new export orders plunged to 46.5 from 49.2. Within the non-manufacturing PMI, the service sector was up to 53.5 from 53.2 in April, which the NBS said showed that "the service industry continued to maintain rapid growth". "China's non-manufacturing business activity index was 54.3 per cent, which was the same as last month, indicating that the non-manufacturing industry continued to develop steadily and rapidly," said the NBS statement. Zhao Qinghe, senior statistician at the Service Industry Research Centre at the NBS, said that "there was some fluctuation in the manufacturing boom" and pointed to slowing demand as the cause of the slump. "In May, the manufacturing PMI fell back. Among the 21 industries surveyed, 13 of the industry's production indices are located in the expansion range, indicating that most industries in the manufacturing industry are relatively stable in production and operation," said Zhao. Zhao added that "the overall production and operation activities of Chinese enterprises have maintained a stable development trend". The deterioration in the PMI sentiment data was expected after the US escalated the trade war on May 10. From Saturday, a higher tariff of 25 per cent – increased from the earlier 10 per cent rate – will apply to US$200 billion of Chinese imports to the US. The US is also processing a tariff of up to 25 per cent on a further US$300 billion of Chinese goods, which would put significant further pressure on the Chinese economy. China has already retaliated by placing variable tariffs on US$60 billion of US imports. Even before the escalation of the trade war, Chinese economic data in April was disappointing. Retail sales growth slowed to 7.2 per cent in April – the lowest rate in 16 years – from 8.7 per cent in March, while industrial production growth slowed markedly to 5.4 per cent from 8.4 per cent. Exports fell 2.7 per cent in April compared with the same period in 2018, a sharp reversal from the 14.2 per cent rise in March. While many private analysts expected the Chinese government to enact further fiscal and monetary stimulus to offset the slowdown in growth, Beijing has so far refused to commit to doing so. In part, the government is counting on already implemented personal and business tax cuts – including the trimming of the value-added tax rate for manufacturing firms – to gradually provide support for the economy. The PMI rounds off a poor week for China's economy after Monday's industrial profits released by the NBS showed the fastest slump in almost three and a half years in April. Industrial profits stood at 515.39 billion yuan (US$74.7 billion) last month, down 3.7 per cent compared to a year earlier, the largest percentage decline since December 2015. With further tariffs about to kick in on Chinese exports, there is significant capacity for the downward trend to continue. Fitch Ratings, in a report earlier this month, said that the escalation could lead to half a per cent being detracted from the Chinese economy this year, which would bring it to the lower limits of Beijing's target growth range of between 6.0 and 6.5 per cent. It is expected that a surge in orders will lead to a bumper month of exports in May and June as US importers and Chinese exporters attempt to front-load their stocks to beat the tariffs. Some exporters are already shipping their stocks earlier, reporting has shown, as they look to manage the risk of the trade tariffs. ^ top ^

Foreign businesses remain optimistic of investment in China (Xinhua)
2019-05-30
The European Business in China Business Confidence Survey 2019 once again demonstrated that, despite the U.S.-imposed tariffs on Chinese products, the enthusiasm of foreign companies to invest in China remains undiminished, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. Spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks at a news briefing when asked for comment about the survey released by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. He noted that 62 percent of the respondents view China as one of the top three destinations for current and future investment, while 56 percent of the respondents plan to increase investment in China, according to the survey. Enterprises always choose their investing countries and cooperating partners based on their own interests and market principles, said Lu, adding that China's door of opening-up will always remain open. "We always welcome foreign enterprises to invest in China and launch mutually beneficial cooperation, and we are committed to providing foreign investors with a fairer, more transparent, stable and predictable investment environment," Lu said. ^ top ^

Speaker addresses International Conference on the Future of Asia (Montsame)
2019-05-31
Speaker of the State Great Khural G.Zandanshatar took part in the 25th international Conference on the Future of Asia, being held by Japan's prestigious financial newspaper 'Nikkei' on May 30-31. As one of the key speakers of the conference, Mr. G.Zandanshatar delivered his address on the issues regarding a new global order and overcoming the chaos as well as Mongolia's current economic situation, government policies, and plan for the future. During his participation in the event, Speaker G.Zandanshatar gave an interview to Nikkei and its English-language business journal, Nikkei Asian Review. Moreover, he met with Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe and Secretary General of the country's Liberal Democratic Party Toshihiro Nikai at an honorary reception, sharing opinions on bilateral cooperation. The conference is involving heads of state and government from the Asia-Pacific region including President of the Republic of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte, Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia Hun Sen, and Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic Thongloun Sisoulith. ^ top ^

Collaboration of governments proposed to reduce air pollution (Montsame)
2019-05-30
On the sidelines of the 75th session of the UNESCAP, the Minister D.Tsogtbaatar met with Ban Ki-moon, head of the National Council on Climate and Air Quality of the Republic of Korea, on May 29 and exchanged views on regional cooperation for reducing air pollution. Stressing that the air pollution is one of pressing issues that have direct negative impact on Mongolia's environment and wellbeing of citizens, Mr. Tsogtbaatar put forward a proposal to continue collaboration of the two governments in the direction to reduce air pollution. Mr. Ban Ki-moon said that sources of air pollution in the Northeast Asian countries are different, however strengthening multilateral cooperation for reducing air pollution will play an important role. He added that healthiness of regional citizens and cross-border environmental issues need to be discussed based on scientific studies and information. ^ top ^

Possibilities of increasing Mongolian export to the EU market discussed (Montsame)
2019-05-30
On May 29, Authorities of the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) held a meeting with Ambassadors of the EU member countries to Mongolia, exchanging views on possibilities of developing trade and economic ties. Mongolia entered to the E.U.Generalized System of Preferences in 2005, and it became eligible to export 7200 types of products tax free to the EU market. However, the country is not fully using its opportunity. Specifically, Mongolia made export of just EUR 74 million to the EU market in 2018 and a few products dominated in the export, including combed cashmere, knitwear, felt, internal organ of livestock, carpet, Mongolian ger, household furniture and semi-finished leather and skin. While, the EU import reached EUR 313 million and of which 88 percent were equipment and devices. Therefore, government and non-government organizations should collaborate for varying types of export goods as well as satisfying EU quality standards and sanitary requirements, MNCCI President O.Amartuvshin stated during the meeting. The Ambassadors expressed to actively work for improving quality of export products of Mongolia, conducting export market research and expanding economic cooperation. The EU has been implementing projects and programs on diversifying Mongolia's economy and trade structure, supporting an increase in non-mining sector exports and encouraging small and medium business. For instance, within the EU-TRAM project, industries of organic beauty products, yak and baby camel wool, seabuckthorn oil and skin and leather processing are being developed. ^ top ^

Jennia JIN
Embassy of Switzerland