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SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
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DPRK
Mongolia
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| Switzerland |
President of the Swiss National Council pays courtesy call on President Kh.Battulga (Montsame)
2019-06-25
At the invitation of Parliament Speaker G.Zandanshatar, President of the National Council of the Swiss Confederation Marina Carobbio Guscetti is paying an official visit to Mongolia on June 23-26.Within the frame of her visit, Mrs. Guscetti paid a courtesy call on President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga on June 24At the beginning of the meeting, Mrs. Guscetti spoke about the broadening development cooperation between the two countries in the spheres of agriculture, food safety, vocational education, and governance, saying that her visit aimed to promote projects and programs within these sectors.During the meeting, the sides concurred that the amount of bilateral trade turnover, which is about USD 16 million, is unsatisfactory and emphasized the importance of stability in political and legal environments in deepening bilateral economic relations. President Battulga expressed his view that among the many spheres that can help augment bilateral economic relations is the tourism industry, and there is an opportunity to adopt new management methods from Switzerland in an effort to fully utilize the tourism potentials of Mongolia. For her part, Mrs. Guscetti relayed the interest of the Switzerland Tourism, the national tourism organization of the Swiss Federation, in working with Mongolia in tourism industry, while adding that she had a bright vision for bilateral tourism cooperation.Furthermore, the sides exchanged their views regarding the projects and initiatives that are being implemented in the renewable energy industry and agreed on the possibility of upgrading bilateral cooperation in this area. At the end of the meeting, President Battulga addressed the matter of the opening of the Swiss Embassy in Mongolia and invited President Ueli Maurer of the Swiss Confederation to visit Mongolia at his convenience ^ top ^
Foreign Minister meets with President of the Swiss National Council (Montsame)
2019-06-25
On June 24, Minister of Foreign Affairs D.Tsogtbaatar met with President of the National Council of the Swiss Confederation Ms. Marina Carobbio Guscetti, who is on official visit to Mongolia at the invitation of Speaker of the Parliament. The sides emphasized that the high-level mutual visits between Mongolia and Switzerland have been regularizing and political talks are activating. They expressed their stances on developing bilateral ties in the spheres of food, agriculture, tourism, road and transport and infrastructure to intensify bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Furthermore, they exchanged views on renewing Double Taxation Agreement established between the two countries, establishing Free Trade Agreement with European Free Trade Association as well as increasing investment of Switzerland in a way of promoting cooperation between private sectors. The FM highlighted that projects and programs running by the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Developing are playing pivotal role in ensuring sustainable social and economic development of Mongolia, diversifying its economy and strengthening democracy, while expressing willingness to maintain this cooperation even further. The parties also agreed to develop bilateral cooperation further to strengthen regional and international peace and security and promote economic ties within the United Nations and other international organizations. ^ top ^
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| Foreign Policy |
Xi, Abe reach 10-point consensus to promote bilateral relations (Xinhua)
2019-06-28
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reached here on Thursday a 10-point consensus to jointly promote the healthy development of bilateral relations, according to a senior Chinese diplomat. The consensus was reached during a meeting between Xi and Abe ahead of a summit of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies slated for Friday and Saturday in the Japanese city of Osaka, Wu Jianghao, director-general of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told reporters. China and Japan have enjoyed a generally good momentum in the development of bilateral relations, Wu said, adding that there are also divergences between the two countries. Both leaders agreed that China and Japan should focus on consensus while managing differences, said Wu. Among the consensus, Xi and Abe spoke highly of the sound momentum in the development of China-Japan relations and agreed that as both countries have entered a new era of development, joint efforts are needed to build bilateral relations that meet the requirements of the new era. While the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, the two leaders saw fresh opportunities for developing bilateral relations as mutual interests and common concerns between the two countries are increasing day by day. Secondly, the two leaders reiterated that their countries will hold fast to various principles stipulated in the four political documents between China and Japan and implement the political consensus that they are cooperative partners who never pose a threat to each other. The two countries will also uphold the spirit of replacing competition with coordination and continue to push forward the China-Japan relations on the right track. Thirdly, Xi and Abe agreed to maintain close communication, strengthen high-level guidance and keep increasing political mutual trust. Abe, on behalf of the Japanese government, invited Xi to pay a state visit to Japan in the spring next year. Xi agreed in principle to the invitation. The two leaders have instructed their respective foreign affairs departments to maintain communication on the timing of the state visit. Fourthly, the two leaders agreed to further deepen the convergence of interests between their countries and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in a wide range of areas such as science and technology innovation, protection of intellectual property rights, trade and investment, finance, medical and health, old-age care, energy saving and environmental protection and tourism. The Japanese side sees the Belt and Road Initiative as a promising idea for linking diverse regions, while China welcomes Japan to actively take part in the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road. The two sides will continue to strive for solid results in third-party market cooperation. China and Japan support their respective enterprises to expand mutual investment and pledge to provide a fair, non-discriminatory, and predictable business environment for the other's enterprises. Fifthly, Xi and Abe stressed that China and Japan, both important contributors to the development of the Asian civilization, should inherit and carry forward the achievements of Asian civilization, and advocate equal dialogue and mutual learning among various civilizations. The two countries should keep strengthening people-to-people exchanges and cooperation based on their profound historical and cultural origins. The two leaders agreed to kickstart within the year a high-level consultation mechanism on people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Sixthly, the two leaders agreed to actively carry out friendly non-governmental exchanges between China and Japan, so as to increase mutual understanding and strengthen the people-to-people bond. The two sides should take the opportunity of the ongoing China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year to actively carry out various exchange activities such as study tours. Seventhly, Xi and Abe reiterated that their countries will adhere to the path of peaceful development and be partners in peaceful development. In this respect, China and Japan should strengthen communication and cooperation in security, actively promote the building of constructive bilateral security relations and gradually set up solid strategic reciprocity and mutual trust. The two leaders agreed to further strengthen dialogue in diplomacy and security. Eighthly, the two leaders agreed to properly handle sensitive issues and manage disputes and differences constructively. The two sides will continue to promote the implementation of the principled consensus on East China Sea issues and make joint efforts to safeguard peace and stability of the East China Sea, so as to turn it into a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship. Ninthly, the two leaders believe that China and Japan, both important Asian countries and major global economies, should jointly safeguard multilateralism and the free trade system, actively steer regional integration, advance the building of an open world economy, and promote the common development of all countries. The two sides agreed to make the G20 play its important role in promoting the steady development of the world economy and improving the global governance system. They also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the China-Japan-South Korea Free Trade Agreement and strive for concluding negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership within the year. Tenthly, Xi and Abe believe that China and Japan should actively fulfill their international responsibilities, face various global challenges shoulder by shoulder, and strengthen communication and coordination on such global affairs as development aid, climate change, arms control and disarmament as well as health care, so as to jointly make contributions to world peace, stability and development. ^ top ^
G20 Osaka: as China, India and Russia draw close, has Trump overplayed his hand? (SCMP)
2019-06-28
The scene in Kyrgyzstan must have been quite an eye-opener for Washington. Sharing a table at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in the landlocked nation this month were the leaders of various countries to have come into the crosshairs of US foreign policy recently: Iranian President Hassan Rowhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping. The next day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi were huddled in a bilateral meeting – the first of three planned gatherings between the pair over the next six months. The response from Washington was swift. A day later, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo invoked Modi's campaign slogan, Modi hai toh Mumkin Hai ("Modi makes it possible") in trying to inject hope into the troubled India-US relationship, after fears of turbulence over trade tensions. On Wednesday this week, Pompeo was in India on a day-long visit, trying to soothe nerves left frayed by recent tensions over a host of issues, including India's imports of Iranian crude oil, its acquisition of S-400 missile systems from Russia and US tariffs. Ahead of a meeting between Modi and US President Donald Trump in Osaka on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit, both sides are working to ensure escalating bilateral tensions do not do permanent damage. That aim wasn't helped by Trump, who just as Pompeo was wrapping up his India trip, tweeted that India's retaliatory tariffs were "unacceptable" and said they "must be withdrawn". Even so, many analysts believe the two countries will be seeking to use the G20 meeting to smooth out their differences. These efforts are likely to be driven by what else is likely to happen on the sidelines of the G20 – a Russia-India-China trilateral summit that comes amid increasing bonhomie between the leaders of the three countries, fresh from their meeting in Kyrgyzstan. Analysts believe the US will not want to overplay its differences with India, a strategic ally, at a time when two of its principal rivals are stepping up their engagement with it. For the Indian establishment, Trump's tweet notwithstanding, Pompeo's visit could be reassuring. Over the past year, the India-US relationship has faced a bumpy ride. Last year, in March, the US imposed tariffs on the import of Indian aluminium and steel products. Last month, the US announced it was withdrawing the preferential trade status that it had granted India, among a host of other developing countries, under its "Generalised System of Preferences" programme. Under this programme, duties are waived on the import of products from beneficiary countries. The timing of the decision raised eyebrows – it came on the same day Modi and his council of ministers were sworn in, having secured a bigger mandate in the country's general elections. Soon after, India announced retaliatory tariffs on 29 US imports. A senior functionary of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who plays a part in articulating the party's foreign policy stances, points to Washington's May 2 deadline for India to stop its oil imports from Iran, failing which India would have faced sanctions. The Indian government had asked for an extension. "But the US did not budge and failed to consider that India was in the middle of its general elections. This reflects poorly on the sensitivity that Washington attaches to India's concerns," said the functionary. Days later, the US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross warned India against imposing retaliatory tariffs in response to the US move to withdraw India's preferential trading status. Some policy watchers believe that India must take heart in the fact that the trade turbulence with the US isn't unique to India. "President Trump has been saying since 2016 that he is going to prioritise American interests and has imposed new norms. India is not alone. Many other countries are facing a similar situation with the US on issues of trade, especially," said C Uday Bhaskar, the director of the Society for Policy Studies, a New Delhi-based independent think tank focusing on public policy and international relations. Bhaskar believes that the American establishment under Trump has articulated, repeatedly, its sentiment that America has been taken for a ride by many countries, including India. Trump himself repeated this claim while talking to reporters at the White House just before taking off for Osaka. Many, though, are convinced that America's emphasis on consolidating its relationship with India, the recent hiccups aside, is part of a continuing post-cold war emphasis on trying to contain China's ascent. Anil Wadhwa, former Indian Ambassador to Italy and a retired secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, said the China factor loomed large over growing India-US ties. "There is no doubt about this. It is very clear that the threat of China is the reason why there is such a major thrust in the priority given to India by the United States," said Wadhwa. Bhaskar agreed. "For the US, having a discordant relationship with both China and India would be strategically imprudent. But, the degree to which the US and India are actually going to arrive at a modus vivendi and stabilise the bilateral [relationship] is unclear." Traditionally, such an approach – of the US backing India as a counterweight to China – worked for New Delhi as well, with its own historical distrust of China, a decades-old border dispute and the baggage from the 1962 conflict with China over competing territorial claims. For years, frosty China-India ties have acted as an impetus for India and the US to shed their own historical baggage and improve relations. This might now be changing in the Trump era. While the US and India continue to call each other strategic partners – Pompeo called India a "great friend" during his India visit – there is a growing feeling in the Indian establishment that Indian interests might not be well-protected under Trump, say experts. This fear is forcing India to build better ties with China, especially on the trade and economic front. "There has been an expectation in New Delhi that the US would be lenient towards it on issues like trade, the import of crude oil from Tehran and on its acquisition of the Russian S-400 missiles. However, these hopes have been dashed multiple times," said a New Delhi-based China watcher, not wishing to be named. The China watcher believes that it is this realisation that is driving India's outreach to China. "India is now safeguarding its interests by embracing closer ties with China. What is crucial to underline is that India's ties with China are purely economic, not geopolitical in nature," the New Delhi-based China expert adds. Modi hinted at India's concerns over protectionist policies under Trump when he hit out at unilateralism and trade protectionism, without naming the US, after having what he termed an "extremely fruitful" bilateral meeting with Xi, who was in the audience during this speech at the SCO summit this month. According to the BJP functionary, the Modi government is trying to balance its leaning towards both China and the US. "We don't want to antagonise China at a time when the US policy towards us is so unpredictable. Hence, for now, the government is keen on trying to optimise its gains from its relationships with both countries." The surest sign of this emerged on Wednesday. The US and India's divergent views on the Indo-Pacific came to the fore. Jaishankar, underlining India's intent at not wanting to be seen as adversarial by China on the issue, said that for India, the Indo-Pacific was not "against somebody". "I made the point that Indo-Pacific is for something, not against somebody and that something is peace, security, stability, and prosperity. We are looking at a landscape where a number of independent players work together for what they believe to be the global good," he said, in the press conference. For now, with both Modi and Trump fashioning themselves as strong leaders, there is unlikely to be a major climbdown by either of them when they meet in Osaka. "Both leaders are very conscious of their public images and both are strong leaders who do not want to be seen as giving in to the other. Policymakers in the US have to decide whether it is strategically prudent for the US to take on both China and India at the same time," said Bhaskar. ^ top ^
Canadian navy ships 'buzzed' by Chinese warplanes (SCMP)
2019-06-28
Two Canadian naval vessels were "buzzed" by Chinese fighter planes when they sailed through the East China Sea this week, the Canadian military said on Thursday. A Canadian navy helicopter was also targeted by a laser detected from a nearby fishing boat, it said in a statement. There were no injuries nor damage, but the revelations come amid heightened tensions between the two nations over Canada's arrest of a senior telecoms executive last December and China's detention of two Canadian nationals in apparent retaliation. Canada's defence ministry said the frigate HMCS Regina and support vessel Asterix were in "international waters in the East China Sea" when two Chinese Su-30 fighter planes "passed the ship at a range of approximately 300 metres (985 feet) and an altitude of approximately 100 feet". The so-called "buzzing" happened on Monday at around 3.30pm local time, it said. The ships had been shadowed by several Chinese vessels and aircraft as they transited through the maritime region. Ottawa described the interactions as "professional and cordial", adding that the Chinese fly-past was "not hazardous, nor unexpected" given the naval operation's proximity to China. Both ships had just come from a visit to Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay and were headed to Northeast Asia to join a multinational effort to prevent smuggling in evasion of UN sanctions against North Korea. Relations between China and Canada deteriorated since December when police in Vancouver detained Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on a US arrest warrant. Days later China arrested two Canadians – former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor – in what is widely seen as a tit-for-tat move. Leaders of the two nations, both in Japan for G20 talks this week, have not spoken since. ^ top ^
G20: Europe tells US and China their trade war is harming global economy (SCMP)
2019-06-28
European Union leaders have warned of the damage caused by the ongoing US-China trade war to the world economy and appealed for rules-based international trade. The strained relations between Washington and Beijing over trade are "difficult" and contributing to a slowdown in the global economy, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told a news conference on Friday in Osaka, as the world's Group of 20 economies began their two-day summit in the western Japanese port city. "We meet at a time when the world economy is encountering uncertainties," said Juncker, adding that all countries would struggle to prosper if others did not play by the rules. "In our talks with both the US and Chinese authorities … I was drawing their attention to the harmful impact this controversial matter is creating." European Council President Donald Tusk called on all countries to adopt a more open and liberal stance. "The global stage cannot become an arena … where egotists would dominate in some regimes and nationalistic emotions would dominate over economic terms," said Tusk, adding that every country had a responsibility for not only its own interests but a fair and safe world order. "We came here to defend and promote liberal democracy. Whoever claims liberal democracy is obsolete also claims freedom is obsolete, the rule of law is obsolete, and human rights are obsolete. But in Europe, these are essential and vibrant values." The two-day G20 summit has been overshadowed by the increasingly bitter trade conflict between China and the US, with all eyes watching whether the two countries could move towards resolving their trade war. The South China Morning Post reported on Thursday that the two sides had tentatively agreed to a truce in the dispute, to resume talks aimed at reaching a deal. A previous 90-day truce had been agreed at December's G20 summit in Buenos Aires. Details of a truce – which could avert the US' threatened next round of tariffs on an additional US$300 billion of Chinese goods – are being examined ahead of a planned meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump, which is expected to take place on Saturday. While trade tensions between the world's two largest economies have escalated over the past few months with barrages of import tariffs being aimed at each other, the US has pursued a series of World Trade Organisation (WTO) rule changes intended to force China to end trading practices perceived by many to be unfair. "We are working closely with the US and Japan, as well as China and others, on reforming the WTO and creating a level playing field," Juncker said. "This can only be done with the G20 as a core group." ^ top ^
China-Africa trade expo to forge closer economic partnership (Xinhua)
2019-06-28
The first China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo opened Thursday in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, in a move to forge closer economic ties between the largest developing country and the largest developing continent. The three-day event has attracted more than 10,000 guests and traders, including those from 53 African countries, according to the organizing committee. Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory letter. The expo, announced at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) last September, was established to provide a platform for deepening economic and trade cooperation between the two sides, he stressed. It is hoped that the two sides will strengthen coordination to better implement the eight major initiatives put forward at the Beijing summit of the FOCAC, actively explore new paths for cooperation, open up new points of growth for collaboration, and promote China-Africa economic and trade cooperation to a new level, Xi said. "Industrial development and free trade amongst ourselves will foster faster growth for our mutual benefit," said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at the opening ceremony. "This Forum should, among others, enable us to devise ways of turning these rays of hope into a reality." Hailing the long-term friendship with Africa, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Qian Keming said at the expo that bilateral trade and economic cooperation should be practical and concrete to meet the development needs of African countries in areas such as infrastructure and talent cultivation. China saw 3 percent year-on-year growth of foreign trade with African countries in the first five months this year, hitting 84.8 billion U.S. dollars. China's direct investment to the continent has increased by 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in the past five months, up 20 percent year on year, according to Qian. According to Assome Aminata Diatta, Senegal's Minister of Trade and SMEs, China is an ideal partner for Africa to improve its capacity building when China is seeking higher-quality growth driven by innovation. Bringing modern production lines to Africa, especially in the special economic zones, will likely provide tens of millions of jobs for Africa, accelerate its industrialization and improve the trade structure between China and Africa, Diatta said. China has set a good example for other developing countries, especially those in Africa which, having a lot in common with China, may benefit from mutual complementarity in the area of development, said Justin Yifu Lin, former senior vice president and chief economist at the World Bank. The experience, wisdom and programs that China will offer are very good reference for African countries that are now eager to work themselves out of poverty and pursue development, Lin said. After the opening ceremony, 13 cooperation projects involving eight African countries were signed, worth a total of more than 2.5 billion U.S. dollars. Conferences, seminars, forums and exhibitions focusing on agriculture, trade, investment and infrastructure construction will be held during the expo, with experts sharing views on closer bilateral exchanges. The expo will feature exhibition areas covering more than 40,000 square meters, including national pavilions and display areas for enterprises that showcase the achievements and opportunities of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. With the theme "Win-Win Cooperation for Closer China-Africa Economic Partnership," the expo, which will become a biennial event, will open a new chapter in the history of bilateral trade. "Nigeria has a lot of non-oil products of high quality and we want China to buy more," Uduak M. Etokowoh, an official with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, told Xinhua. Nigerian gemstones, Namibian oysters, Kenyan coffee and tea as well as South African wine are attracting many Chinese visitors at the expo. "We used to export leather materials to Italy and Spain, who now have a wobbling economy," said Nigerian businessman Mustapha Tijjani Garo. "We are now looking east for the market." China has been the largest trading partner of Africa for ten consecutive years. In 2018, trade volume between China and Africa amounted to 204.2 billion U.S. dollars, up 20 percent year on year. China's imports of non-resource products from Africa have increased significantly. In 2018, China's imports from Africa went up 32 percent year on year, with the imports of agricultural products up 22 percent. "Namibian oysters are selling well in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou," said Rinouzeu Katjingisiua. "We are hoping to find more partners here." For Chinese businessmen, with mounting pressure on labor-intensive industries as cost is surging and industrial upgrading is urgently needed, Africa is a great destination. Wang Lianfang, owner of Qiqihar Quanlian Heavy Forging Company Ltd. based in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, set up an assembling plant in Senegal two years ago to find new markets amid slump domestic demand on agriculture machinery. "Africa has strong demand," said Wang, who is selling seeders, tractors and harvesters in the west African country. "The output is expected to reach 2 billion yuan (291 million U.S. dollars) within 5 years," said Wang, adding that the company has been working hard for survival in the past three years. The transfer of labor-intensive industries from China can also give a strong push to Africa's industrialization and modernization. It will expedite the economic take-off of Africa in the same way as how the industrial transfer had benefited China, Justin Yifu Lin said. With abundant resources, a large population and a vast market, Africa is still the poorest continent and falls behind in the overall context of development and is battling poverty and hunger. For 11 years, paddy land has been Hu Yuefang's battlefield in Madagascar to fight against poverty. "Madagascar can reach the self-sufficiency in rice as long as 15 percent of its rice planting area belongs to hybrid varieties," Hu Yuefang said, adding that the average yield of hybrid rice produced by Chinese technologies in Africa is two to three times more than that of local ones. Buried in the field all day, the 61-year-old agriculture expert from Yuan Longping High-tech Agriculture Co. Ltd. (LPHT) has been on the frontier of closer agriculture cooperation between the two sides. He said though he could not come to the scene, he expected fruitful results from the inaugural expo to help tackle challenges and bring shared benefits to China and Africa. China took deliberate steps using the agriculture sector to transform its economy by setting up favorable agricultural policies, the experience of which can be learned by us to accelerate our development, according to Ugandan Minister of Agriculture Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja at the expo. "We strongly believe that by working together with our Chinese friends through joint venture businesses, investment arrangements and win-win cooperation, the majority of African countries can quickly eradicate poverty," he said. Hunger has long been bothering African countries. To help relieve the grain shortage, Chinese agricultural enterprises and experts, like Yuan, have been devoted to the continent for years, sharing China's wisdom and experience. "We put red flags on the map to show our steps in promoting hybrid rice in Africa in recent years, which have covered nearly 20 countries in southeastern, western and northern parts of the continent," said Yao Zhenqiu, LPHT's deputy general manager. Guided by Yuan Longping, China's "Father of Hybrid Rice," the LPHT expert team has successfully cultivated five kinds of high-yielding hybrid rice seeds suitable for the local soil and climate. So far, Chinese experts and technicians have carried out more than 300 small-scale projects in nine African countries, promoted 450 agricultural technologies, and trained nearly 30,000 local farmers and technicians, according to Ma Youxiang, an official with China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, at the expo. "We will continue to send high-level agricultural experts and vocational education teachers to African countries, to further expand training in Africa and help cultivate more talent in agriculture," he said. The World Food Programme (WFP), the food assistance branch of the United Nations, is also taking the expo as an opportunity to meet Chinese business society to tackle food problems in Africa. WFP will work with China to help Africa achieve the goal of 'Zero Hunger', said Qu Sixi, WFP China Representative. ^ top ^
Xi, Moon agree to promote win-win cooperation, multilateralism and free trade (Xinhua)
2019-06-27
Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed here Thursday to further elevate bilateral relations with win-win cooperation and together safeguard multilateralism, free trade and an open world economy. The two leaders met ahead of a summit of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies slated for Friday and Saturday in the Japanese city of Osaka. During their meeting, Xi said it is in accordance with the trend of history to enhance China-South Korea friendly cooperation, which also answers to the common calls of the two peoples. China is willing to work with South Korea to stick to treating each other with sincerity, strive to achieve win-win cooperation, push ahead the development of bilateral ties, and make contributions to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region, Xi said. He urged the two sides to maintain communication at all levels and hold firmly the general direction of bilateral relations. China and South Korea should seize the opportunity of jointly building the Belt and Road, accelerate the second-stage negotiations on a China-South Korea free trade agreement, and expand cooperation in such fields as trade, science and technology, finance and economics, as well as environment protection, Xi said. He also encouraged the two sides to actively carry out people-to-people and cultural exchanges so as to consolidate friendship between the two peoples. Noting that China-South Korea cooperation has been completely mutually beneficial with win-win outcomes and should not be affected by external pressure, the Chinese president said he hopes that the South Korean side will continue to attach importance to and properly address relevant issues between the two countries. Xi urged the two sides to boost coordination within multilateral frameworks including the United Nations and the G20, jointly oppose protectionism, support multilateralism and the free trade system, and push for building an open world economy. For his part, Moon hailed the sound momentum of the development of bilateral ties under the leadership of the two presidents. The South Korean side is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with the Chinese side, advance dialogue and cooperation in various fields, complete the second-stage negotiations on a South Korea-China free trade agreement at an early date and lift bilateral relations to a new level, Moon said. South Korea stands ready to jointly build the Belt and Road with China and cooperate in expanding third party markets, he said. Moon also pledged to join hands with China in safeguarding multilateralism, free trade and an open world economy, saying that it concerns South Korea's national interests. The two leaders also exchanged views on Korean Peninsula situation. Xi arrived here Thursday for the 14th G20 summit at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. ^ top ^
Indonesia 'a friend to all' and won't play favourites with US and China, says former foreign minister Marty Natalegawa (SCMP)
2019-06-27
As the United States and China fight for influence in Southeast Asia, with battles over everything from 5G technology to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, Indonesia is attempting a balancing act by refusing to choose sides. Jakarta will not play favourites, the country's former foreign minister Marty Natalegawa told This Week In Asia, and will continue to maintain close ties with both the US and China even as the latter's economic importance expands in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation. "Indonesia is not unique in the sense of having very close and substantive economic relations with China but at the same time having friendly relations, not only economic but also political, security relations with United States," Natalegawa said on the sidelines of the 33rd Asia-Pacific Roundtable in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. "Over the years we have managed to manage this reality in a good way, making sure this can go hand in hand, it's not like an either/or [scenario]." Natalegawa served as Indonesia's foreign minister from 2009 to 2014 and is currently a member of the UN Secretary-General's High Level Advisory Board on Mediation, among other things. China has been Indonesia's largest trading partner since 2017, when it leapfrogged the US. Last year, Indonesia's trade with China totalled US$72.66 billion. China is also one of the biggest foreign investors in Indonesia, spending some US$2.37 billion in 2018 to finance 1,562 projects. Being the largest economy in Southeast Asia with a strategic location, Indonesia has become a priority in Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative to link economies into a China-centred trading network. But Jakarta's ties with Washington remain important – it is a major ally in countering extremism and military links between the two are improving, with acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan meeting his Indonesian counterpart last month to discuss cooperation. Indonesia's current ties with US are being shaped by a growing economic nationalism, which has seen US mining giant Freeport McMoRan hand over majority control of the copper and gold mine it operates in Papua province to a local state-owned firm – the country's biggest ever divestment by a foreign resources company. Indonesia is also pushing to nationalise more of its oil and gas assets as it tries to reduce imports and increase government revenues. In 2021, state-owned Pertamina is set to take over operation of the Rokan oil block, the country's second-largest crude producing field, from current US operator Chevron. Meanwhile, Natalegawa said he expects Indonesia to continue its robust relationship with China in the second and final term of President Joko Widodo. The former foreign minister said he believes that both world powers understand that Indonesia has a long-standing tradition of maintaining friendly relations with all sides. "China is a fact of life. Its economy is thriving, it is a major economy globally," he said. "The narrative we have to build is that … having a healthy, robust relationship with China doesn't mean one loses one's sense of independence and friendship with other countries." Anti-China bias has long dogged Indonesia's relations with its massive neighbour to the north. In 2017, Jakarta's former governor, a Christian of Chinese descent, was drummed out of office in an election that turned on religion and race. Widodo has also been the victim of smear campaigns alleging his grandfather was Chinese and the president is communist. Among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Cambodia and Laos are seen as being more China-friendly than Indonesia and Malaysia is pulling closer, despite Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad suspending several huge China-backed projects after his shock election victory last year. Singapore, like Indonesia, is a traditional ally of the US but is also working to build ties with China. For his part, Natalegawa said that he believes Asean can prosper and "live in the space" created by the US and China's " competitive rivalry ". ^ top ^
Rodrigo Duterte wants a joint Manila-Beijing probe into the South China Sea sinking. Could it be a good idea? (SCMP)
2019-06-25
In the early hours of June 9, a Chinese-registered ship struck the Philippine vessel F/B Gimver 1, sending all 22 Filipino fishermen aboard tumbling into the sea. The boat, from China's southeastern Guangdong province, fled the scene – leaving a passing Vietnamese ship to rescue the men. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he was open to China's suggestion to conduct a joint probe into the affair, even as he dismissed it as a "little maritime incident" where "there was damage but luckily nobody died". Duterte's critics have been frank in their opposition to this stance. Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon, a former head of the country's justice department, said "a joint investigation would derogate our jurisdiction and prejudice our claim in the West Philippine Sea", referring to the portion of the South China Sea claimed as Philippine territory. He also wondered which country's laws would prevail. Senator Francis Pangilinan, president of the opposition Liberal Party, said that a joint inquiry violated the Philippines' Fisheries Code. In a statement, he warned that "it will never be a fair investigation when one is the oppressed and the other is the oppressor". Defence analyst and military historian Jose Antonio Custodio disagreed with Drilon but agreed with Pangilinan. Speaking to the South China Morning Post, he said the probe could be confined to investigating the event, leaving out the issue of territorial claims. However, he predicted that both China and the Philippines would "spin this into an accident". "This would be pictured as an unfortunate incident in which both vessels found themselves," Custodio said. "As a gesture of goodwill it is possible that the Chinese – without recognising the Philippines' exclusive economic rights in that area and not setting aside China's territorial claims in that area – will at most provide some sort of compensation to the victims." He also said the probe would divert public attention from the fact that the Chinese captain left the Filipino fishermen in the sea, possibly to drown: "It would just be a probe on what happened in the accident." According to the Maritime Code of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese captain was obliged to "render assistance" to the Filipino fishermen, according to Lauro Baja, Manila's former envoy to the United Nations who was also a two-time president of the UN Security Council. The only exception to this rule under the code is if the rescue would put the Chinese captain and his ship and crew in "serious danger", Baja said, adding that he thought that section "must have been the reason [behind the Chinese embassy in Manila's statement] that there was a swarm of Filipino vessels which put their ship and their men in danger". The embassy had earlier claimed the Chinese ship, Yuemaobinyu 42212, was "besieged" by Philippine fishing boats, causing it to accidentally hit F/B Gimver while trying to avoid the other ships. Baja, however, said the embassy's version "was debunked by some satellite images which were brought to light by University of the Philippines law professor Jay Batongbacal", who is also director of the university's Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea. On Facebook, Batongbacal noted that the images showed the two closest vessels being about three to five nautical miles apart. "What [seven to eight vessel] swarm of night-marauding Filipino fishing boats is China talking about?" he wrote. Professor Michael Tsimplis from City University of Hong Kong's Commercial and Maritime Law Centre said there were benefits to conducting a joint probe, adding that Beijing and Manila could determine the scope of the investigation beforehand. He said such inquiries normally focused on the "causation of the accident … not the attribution of personal liability, which is a matter for the flag state", though he said the "normal situation would be to include the aftermath of the collision too". Tsimplis said joint investigations of marine collisions and accidents are an accepted international practice for "establish[ing] what happened and what went wrong, for the purpose of improving the safety of navigation and learning lessons that have to be learned". "First, it establishes a common truth and a common assessment about the facts, therefore removing friction between states and people on what exactly has happened as well as accusations of the report becoming a cover-up," he said. "Second, it removes any argument about using the investigation of a tragic accident as the basis for a jurisdictional claim, and third, it will facilitate the delivering of witness statements from other fishermen and seafarers – which in this case are likely to be polarised – enabling an objective view to be reached." There is no benefit in using such a probe for the countries' competing claims in the South China Sea, according to Tsimplis, who said there was instead "every benefit in drawing a common position on safety of navigation and upholding safe navigational practices". The collision took place near the Reed Bank, which China claims as part of its territory within the Nine-Dash Line, but which the Philippines claims is part of its exclusive economic zone and thus reserved for Filipino fishermen. While emotions have been running high in Manila over Duterte's perceived minimisation of the incident, defence analyst Custodio said he did not think it would dent the Philippines' relationship with China. Yan Yan, a research fellow at China's National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said that China's Maritime Traffic Safety Law emphasised the importance of saving human lives, and under the Provisions of the People's Republic of China on Marine and Maritime Administrative Punishment 2003, "any captain or crew [who] escapes from the duty of rescuing human lives will be punished". "The China-Philippines relationship is now on a healthy track and is perhaps as good as it has ever been," said Yan, who is also a PhD candidate at the University of Hong Kong's law faculty. "There is no reason for a Chinese fishing vessel to intentionally bump into the Philippine fishing vessel to damage bilateral relations." ^ top ^
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China prepares for next round of nationwide inspections in 'war on pollution' (SCMP)
2019-06-27
China will soon begin dispatching teams of inspectors to its provinces and regions in a new nationwide investigation into environmental compliance, with the performance of state-owned firms one of its big priorities, an official said. The first round of inspections saw thousands of government and state enterprise officials held to account, with many given reprimands and a small number subjected to criminal punishment. Zhai Qing, vice-minister of ecology and environment, said on Thursday that preparation work had been completed and they were now waiting for the approval to launch a second round of regional inspections focusing on state-owned enterprises and government ministries. The central government would carry out several rounds of inspections covering all regions of China from this year through 2021, and then in 2022 hold "reviews" into how those violations had been rectified, he said. "No matter what company they are, what size of the company they are, as long as they violate environmental rules, we will strictly investigate and deal with them," he said. The environment ministry last month publicly accused dozens of firms, including subsidiaries of some its biggest state enterprises like China Baowu Steel Group and the Aluminium Corporation of China of exceeding pollution limits. New guidelines published this month have created a standing army of environmental inspectors now responsible for identifying violations nationwide and supervising efforts to rectify them. Premier Li Keqiang launched a " war on pollution " in 2014 to reverse the damage done to the country's skies, water and soil after more than three decades of breakneck industrial growth. President Xi Jinping has also identified the environment as a major political priority, and promised last year to use the full might of the Communist Party to resolve the country's environmental problems. The central government environmental inspection teams were first launched at the end of 2015 with the full authority of the party's top leadership, reflecting concerns that the environment ministry itself was not powerful enough to tackle the problems on its own. Led by retired senior ministers, they were sent out to every province and region, starting in the pollution hotspot of Hebei province, to check how well China's policies and standards were being enforced. They were modelled on China's regional anti-corruption task forces, and were given powers to conduct spot checks anywhere and without warning, and to summon any local government or company official of any rank to explain their record on pollution. "[Environmental inspectors] must confront the hard tasks in earnest and not be afraid of offending people … and never let violators off the hook without resolving the problem," Zhai said. ^ top ^
Submarine-launched missile meets national security needs (Global Times)
2019-06-27
The scheduled test was normal, China's Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday, when asked about the alleged test launch of a JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on June 2. "These tests are not targeted at any country or objective," Defense Ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang said at a routine press conference. Ren was responding to a question from the Global Times on reports that residents claimed to have seen an unidentified flying object (UFO) on June 2. Just as media and netizens speculated on the true nature of the UFO, relating it to a naval exercise that took place in the Bohai Sea and Bohai Straits at the same time, the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force and Navy hinted on June 3 that the "UFOs" could be missiles launched. Chinese and foreign reports then speculated that the missile could be China's new SLBM, the JL-3. During the press conference, Ren did not explain what weapon was used in the test, however, if the information provided in the question was wrong and it was not the JL-3, the spokesperson would have denied it, as in many previous cases, military analysts said. Military experts told the Global Times that the JL-3 is China's latest SLBM under development that is expected to reach targets farther away with higher accuracy and capable of carrying more warheads than China's current SLBMs. The SLBM might have a range of up to 14,000 kilometers and be equipped with 10 independent guided nuclear warheads, Russia's state TV channel Russia Today reported. China always pursues a defensive national defense policy and active defense military strategy, Ren said, noting that developing weapons and equipment meets the basic needs of safeguarding national security of China. ^ top ^
China to deepen market-oriented interest rate reform, lower interest rate for smaller firms' financing (Xinhua)
2019-06-27
China will further cut the real interest rate on loans to micro and small enterprises, pilot reform measures regarding financial services for private, micro and small firms, support more intellectual property pledge financing and credit supply for the manufacturing sector, and promote innovation and the development of the real economy, the State Council's meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided Wednesday. The Chinese government puts great emphasis on financing for micro and small enterprises. Premier Li has repeatedly highlighted the need for taking a multi-pronged approach in lowering the real interest rate so as to meaningfully ease the financing difficulties facing micro and small enterprises. It was pointed out at the Wednesday meeting that financing costs for micro and small businesses have come down over some time, thanks to the combined efforts made by various authorities in implementing the requirements by the Central Economic Work Conference and the Government Work Report. Going forward, liquidity will be kept reasonably sufficient and the lending rate for micro and small businesses will be further lowered. "We will keep the prudent monetary policy neither too tight nor too loose, with anticipatory adjustments and fine-tuning as appropriate, to adapt to the shifting dynamics in the international and domestic markets," Li said. The meeting decided on the following measures. Market-oriented interest rate reform will be deepened to improve commercial banks' Loan Prime Rate mechanism and better harness LPR's role in shaping the real interest rate. Banks will be urged to reduce lending surcharges to lower financing costs for micro and small businesses. Small and medium enterprises will be supported in bond and note financing. Regulatory and evaluation methods for commercial banks regarding their financial services for micro and small firms will be refined. The goal is to enhance the banks' lending capacity to smaller firms. Financial institutions are expected to significantly increase their financial bonds issued for micro and small businesses this year toward the target of no less than 180 billion yuan. The policy incentives for cutting loan guarantee fees on micro and small businesses must be fully implemented. The role of the State Financing Guaranty Fund should be harnessed in reducing re-guarantee fees and incentivizing further cuts in guarantee charges. It was also decided at the meeting that the central government will provide fiscal support, in form of reward rather than subsidy, to the three-year, comprehensive pilot reforms concerning the financial services for private, micro and small firms in some cities. These pilot reforms will explore ways to expand financing for these businesses, make financing easier, lower financing costs, improve the risk compensation mechanism, and support financial innovation to guide more financial resources to smaller companies. "We must use market-oriented reform measures to see that the real interest rate come down, and reform the transmission mechanism. The purpose of these measures is to deliver concrete benefits to all market players, micro and small businesses in particular, and send a positive signal to the market," Li said. To support innovation-driven development, intensify the protection and use of intellectual property rights, and promote employment, the meeting also called for expanding the use of intellectual property pledge financing to widen financing channels for private, micro, small, start-up and innovation businesses and ease their financing difficulties. Banks will be guided to formulate separate lending plans and evaluation mechanisms for intellectual property pledge loans. The non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of such lending that is no more than 3 percentage points above the overall NPL ratio will not be considered a minus factor in government oversight or performance evaluation. Packaged intellectual property pledge will be explored and the scope of collaterals and means of disposal will be expanded. "We must step up the building of an intellectual property information platform. Intellectual property pledge financing may seem a minor business for financial institutions, yet in practice, it is of vital importance as it boosts entrepreneurship and innovation, and helps with the protection of intellectual property rights," Li said. The meeting required improvement of the loan mix and guide more credit issuance for the manufacturing and service sectors. Large banks will be encouraged to refine lending evaluation mechanism and provide targeted rewards to ensure that the balance of total loans, medium and long-term loans and credit loans for the manufacturing sector this year will be notably higher than last year. ^ top ^
Cross-department info platform will complete enterprise credit system (Global Times)
2019-06-26
A joint enterprise information verification system was established by four departments on Wednesday. Experts said that the information system could make China's enterprise credit system more comprehensive and credible. The system, which enables banks to check the tax status, registration information and contact numbers of business representatives of each enterprise, started operations at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and seven other banks nationwide on Wednesday, media reported. "The collaboration of the four departments could make the credit system more comprehensive and credible," Feng Liguo, a research fellow at China Minsheng Bank's research center, told the Global Times on Wednesday. The four departments are the People's Bank of China (PBC, the central bank), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Taxation Administration and the State Administration for Market Regulation. "One of the major challenges against building a credit system is so-called information silos. Different information is stored in different departments," Feng said. The cross-department cooperation solves this problem through network connections and information sharing. A comprehensive credit system on market entities can increase market efficiency and lower the cost of company financing, Feng noted. Building the enterprise information verification system will enable the cancellation of Bank Account Licensing of Enterprises, which is a must-have for enterprises when applying for a bank account for credit check. China conducted pilot programs of licensing cancellation in some regions starting in June 2018. Commercial banks these pilot areas opened 45,600 new accounts by December 2018, of which 26,400 involved small and micro-sized businesses and 19,200 self-employed individuals, according to Fan Yifei, deputy governor of the PBC, who provided the numbers at a press conference of the State Council Information Office in January. "Current financing for companies is expensive because they need to do a lot of work to verify and prove their creditworthiness," Feng said. "If there is a comprehensive company credit system with a standard rating system, much time and money will be saved." Feng also observed difficulties in building a credible, efficient and safe credit system such as the standard of ratings. China has put efforts into building the credit system but still faces some challenges. "One challenge is to decide what information can be made public and what can't be," Feng said. "For example, the publication of personal phone numbers is not likely to be effective, because people can change their numbers easily. It can also lead to problems like unwanted privacy disclosure." ^ top ^
'Hong Kong is a city in China – we have many more': academic Gao Jian defends Beijing's governance at regional conference (SCMP)
2019-06-26
Beijing finds itself under scrutiny as a result of protests in Hong Kong opposing a controversial extradition bill and international criticism of the internment of Uygur Muslims in Xinjiang. However, these developments should not be used to criticise Beijing's model of governance, Chinese academic Gao Jian told a regional conference in Malaysia on Tuesday. Gao, who is secretary general of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, said the protests in Hong Kong should be resolved by Hongkongers and their local government. In the case of Xinjiang, Gao said China's critics should consider the consequences of Beijing becoming unstable should it fail to confront terrorism. He was responding to two audience members who referenced the protests in Hong Kong and the policies in Xinjiang to criticise Beijing's approach to governing. In recent weeks, millions of Hongkongers have taken to the streets to protest a bill that would allow the transfer of fugitives to mainland China and other jurisdictions with which Hong Kong has no extradition deal. The demonstrations have prompted renewed criticism of Beijing's administration of Hong Kong under the constitutional principle of "one country, two systems". Speaking at the 33rd Asia-Pacific Roundtable, a regional conference hosted by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia, Gao said the dispute had little to do with Beijing: "[Hongkongers] happen to protest, so? They have negotiations with the local government, so what? Hong Kong people administrate Hong Kong with a large degree of autonomous rights, so if they have disagreements with the local government, negotiate with them. It's very common issue. To be very frank, Hong Kong is a city in China – and we have many more cities." Authorities in the Chinese province of Xinjiang have been accused of interning and torturing thousands of Uygurs and keeping the population under strict surveillance on the pretext of curbing extremist activities. Gao said no nation in the world would welcome terrorism and asked: "Why [are people] so interested in the Xinjiang issue – concern for the people? I doubt it. Do we want a stable China or a chaotic China?" However, the two panellists alongside Gao on stage suggested hardline tactics from Beijing would heighten anxieties within the region. Bates Gill of Macquarie University's Asia-Pacific Strategic Studies said Chinese President Xi Jinping was predisposed to concentrate power and eschew reform. "For the foreseeable future, it appears as though President Xi has decided the best way forward is to come down even harder on contrary voices, to reinvigorate party discipline, to insist upon an obsequious and non-questioning media, to treat dissent quite harshly and to place the party-state at the centre of China's way forward," Gill said. Aileen Baviera of the Asean-ISIS Network said other governments in Southeast Asia regarded Beijing with apprehension as there was "no escaping it". "Everyone wants China to be a benign power but we don't know that's going to happen," Baviera said. "For China to evolve into such a benign power will take a lot of processes – internal and also how other countries will relate, its neighbours as well as other big players." These tensions are playing out in the run-up to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in October. China is now the world's second-largest economy and a top trading partner for the region but is locked in a trade and tech war with the US while competing for strategic dominance in Asia. Gao also said China had learned about self-reliance the hard way and had developed through toiling, not "colonisation" and "plundering". He insisted China did not have a "model" it wanted others to emulate, and the US simply wanted "western clones" of itself. A similar point was made at dinner hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia on Tuesday night. Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian said China's modus operandi in international relations was to "make the pie bigger" so everyone could have a share. He also said China did not want a trade war but "of course we are not afraid of one … we will fight to the very end if we have to". ^ top ^
China mulls new law on cryptography (Xinhua)
2019-06-25
China's top legislature is considering a new law to promote the steady and sound development of cryptography. The draft cryptography law was submitted for review to the bi-monthly legislative session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, which opened Tuesday. According to the draft, cryptography is classified into core, common and commercial cryptography. Core and common cryptography are used to protect state secrets, and shall be under the strict and unified administration of the cryptography authorities in accordance with the law. Commercial cryptography is used to protect information of citizens, legal persons and other organizations in accordance with the law, the draft said. It stipulates that the state encourages the research, development and application of the commercial cryptography technology and relevant industry. ^ top ^
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US senators urge Donald Trump to end delay and proceed with sanctions over Xinjiang internment camps (SCMP)
2019-06-28
A group of United States senators including three presidential candidates has written to the White House urging the administration to move ahead with stalled human rights sanctions against China over the mass internment of Uygurs in Xinjiang, following a report by the South China Morning Post revealing the hold-up. Shortly before US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet in Japan in a bid to restart trade talks, the seven lawmakers wrote to Trump on Thursday to express "concern about reports that your administration is delaying the imposition of targeted sanctions [ …] in order to allow for the conclusion of bilateral trade negotiations." Among the letter's signatories were Democratic Oval Office contenders Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Kirsten Gillibrand. Upwards of one million Uygurs and other largely Muslim minority groups are reported to be held in detention camps and subject to forced indoctrination in China's northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region (XUAR). Beijing has sternly rejected any criticism of its policies in the region, and has sought to portray the camps as "vocational training institutions" where those inside attend classes on the law and Mandarin Chinese and are subject to "de-extremisation education". Thursday's letter cited a June 21 article by the Post reporting that a package of sanctions targeting Chinese Communist Party officials deemed responsible for the mass internment programmes had garnered inter-agency consensus, but was being held up by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for fear of disrupting trade talks. The punitive action would be brought via the Global Magnitsky Act, a tool introduced during the Obama administration that allows the US government to freeze the US-based assets of foreign individuals and bar their entry onto US soil. Also mentioned in the letter were reports by The New York Times of a move by the Treasury in December to stall deliberations of such sanctions and by Bloomberg indicating that Trump had intervened twice to postpone a speech by Vice-President Mike Pence that was expected to slam Beijing on its repression of human rights and religious freedoms. "If accurate, the press reports are deeply troubling given the gravity of the situation," wrote the senators, who said that failure "to address these egregious human rights violations weakens American moral leadership". "Further, the lack of action by the US government sends a signal to authoritarian governments throughout the region – and beyond – that they can operate with impunity and face no consequences from the United States," the letter, also signed by Democratic Senators Edward Markey, Richard Blumenthal, Sherrod Brown and Robert Casey, continued. "We strongly urge your administration to uphold fundamental human rights by moving expeditiously – and independently – to hold violators accountable," the senators told Trump. Requests to the White House for a response to the letter went unanswered on Thursday. Following the recent release of the State Department's annual report on global religious freedoms, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on June 21 that "those who run roughshod over religious freedom [ …] will be held to account". At a briefing in May, Pompeo said he had raised China's human rights record "multiple times" with his Chinese counterpart and other Chinese officials, but told reporters that the issue was not expected to be brought up during trade talks. Trump, who landed in Osaka, Japan, on Thursday ahead of two days of G20 meetings and a Saturday lunch with Xi, has never publicly addressed Beijing's internment programmes in Xinjiang. Beside Xinjiang, expectations are also low that Trump will raise another pressing human rights issue: public outrage in Hong Kong over a proposed legislative amendment that would allow extradition of suspects to the Chinese mainland. When asked this month about protests in the city over the proposed amendment, Trump refused to take a stand in the matter and said he expected Hong Kong and Beijing would be able to "work it out". A senior Beijing official said on Monday that the matter would not be up for discussion during the G20 meetings in Japan. "We will not allow any country or anybody to meddle in the internal affairs of China by any means," Zhang Jun, assistant minister for foreign affairs, said. The warning was not heeded by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who raised both the Hong Kong extradition bill and the plight of Uygurs in Xinjiang during his meeting with Xi on Thursday ahead of the G20 summit. ^ top ^
Xinjiang official hails regional human rights progress at UN (China Daily)
2019-06-27
China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has made remarkable achievements in protecting human rights and providing vocational training to "educate and save" people influenced by religious extremism, a senior Xinjiang official told a United Nations session in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Arken Tuniyaz, an ethnic Uygur and vice-chairman of the region, spoke to some 500 representatives at the ongoing 41st UN Human Rights Council session. He said that from the 1990s to 2016, ethnic separatism, religious extremism and violent terrorism had been working from bases inside and outside China to plan and carry out incidents of terror and violence in Xinjiang, which caused enormous damage to society. Placing the fundamental interests of the people of all ethnic groups first on its agenda, Xinjiang has cracked down on violent terrorist crimes, taken preventive counterterrorism measures and sought to address the root causes of extremism. "By setting up vocational education and training centers in accordance with the law, we aim to educate and save those who were influenced by religious extremism and committed minor offenses," he said. This will prevent them from becoming victims of terrorism and extremism and protect the basic human rights of the citizens, he added. According to Arken, after more than two years of practice, vocational education and training centers in Xinjiang have scored remarkable achievements. "The trainees have gradually broken away from the spiritual control of terrorism and extremism and got to know what is legal and what is not. They have gained access to modern knowledge and information, learned basic practical skills and secured stable employment," he said. "Now, many trainees have graduated from the centers and live a happy life," he said. China is ready to discuss measures against terrorism and extremism with all parties on the basis of equality and mutual respect, the official said. He also invited UN human rights officials to "make on-the-spot investigations in Xinjiang, and gain a personal experience of a beautiful, true and hospitable Xinjiang." In the past three years, not a single violent terrorist attack has occurred in Xinjiang, he added. ^ top ^
Foreign diplomats to Geneva visit Xinjiang (Xinhua)
2019-06-25
Diplomats and representatives based in Geneva from 14 countries and an organization visited Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from June 18 to 21 at the invitation of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. During the trip, the diplomats from countries including Algeria, Laos, Nigeria, Somalia and Tajikistan, as well as a representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), interacted extensively with local residents, farmers, teachers and students in various places across the region. They said Xinjiang had taken a series of effective measures to promote the local economy and maintain social stability. Ouedraogo Wendegoudi Jacqueline, a foreign affairs counselor from Burkina Faso, said she was impressed by the happy and rich life of residents in Urumqi, the regional capital, after dancing with them in a lake square after dinner. Ambassador Zenon Mukongo Ngay from Democratic Republic of the Congo appreciated handmade copperware in a shop at the Grand Bazaar and chatted with the shop owner. He said Xinjiang has developed commerce and adequate infrastructure, and he would bring his family here for sightseeing and a taste of local culture in the future. When strolling in the ancient city of Kashgar, now a popular tourist destination in China, Syed Edwan Anwar, Malaysia's deputy permanent representative in Geneva, said he could feel the happiness of ethnic shop owners, and the efforts Chinese government made to improve local residents' livelihood. They also paid a visit to a mulberry bark paper mill in a village under Moyu County, Hotan Prefecture. Mulberry bark paper making has a history of over 1,300 years, and has been listed as a state intangible cultural heritage. Syed Edwan Anwar said Xinjiang had effectively protected the inheritance of local ethnic cultures, which was worthy of praise. Laotian ambassador Kham-Inh Khitchadeth said he was glad to see ethnic groups in Xinjiang get along with one another and jointly inherit and promote their cultures. Memet Juma, imam of the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, told diplomats that a new library, a bath room and priority seats for the old, weak and disabled had been added to the facility in recent years. The diplomats also attended a trial in Urumqi. The parties involved were Uygurs, so the whole process was conducted in Uygur language. Ousmane Afo Salifou from Togo appreciated the Chinese government's efforts in human rights protection, especially the human rights of ethnic minorities. After an exhibition on major terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, Algerian ambassador Boudjemaa Delmi said terrorism was the common enemy of the world, and international cooperation should be enhanced to wipe out terrorism and bring peace, security and prosperity to the world. The ambassador said Xinjiang's countermeasures against terrorism are effective and worth learning from. At vocational education and training centers in Kashgar and Hotan, diplomats communicated directly with teachers and trainees to know about their courses and teaching methods. Nigerian ambassador Audu Ayinla Kadiri said what he saw was entirely different from some negative media reports on the vocational education and training centers. He said such vocational education and training was a new attempt to deal with terrorism, which was very good. Ambassador Dejan Zlatanovic from Serbia said it was a wise and reasonable measure to establish vocational education and training centers, which help the people who have been influenced by extremist thoughts to return to society with professional skills. ^ top ^
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Hongkongers identifying as 'Chinese' at record low; under 10% of youth 'proud' to be citizens – poll (HKFP)
2019-06-28
The percentage of Hong Kong people identifying as Chinese is at a record low since 1997, according to a regular University of Hong Kong (HKU) survey released on Thursday. The Public Opinion Programme at the University of Hong Kong (HKUPOP) interviewed 1,015 residents by random telephone survey between June 17 and 20, in the wake of a record "two million" person march calling for a complete withdrawal of the city's controversial extradition bill. It will be the last time HKUPOP releases such data before it splits from the university in July. According to the results, the number of people who identify as a "Hongkonger" is at its highest since 1997 whilst those feeling proud of becoming a national citizen of China has dropped from over one-third last year to around one-quarter this year. "All these indicators are at their record lows since the handover," HKUPOP said in a press release. "Director of HKUPOP Robert Chung feels sorry and helpless at the result." In the survey, 53 per cent of the interviewees identified as Hongkongers, while 11 per cent identified as Chinese. 12 per cent identified as "Chinese in Hong Kong", and 23 per cent identified themselves as "Hongkongers in China". When asked if they were proud of being a national citizen of China, 71 per cent said "no" and 27 per cent said "yes." 90 per cent in the age group 18-29 answered "no." Senior Data Analyst of HKUPOP Edward Tai said the survey, conducted after two marches against the extradition bill, "clearly reflects the impact of this incident to Hong Kong citizens' ethnic identity recognition and feelings towards the handover of sovereignty." "If we follow the usual research method of using a dichotomy of 'Hongkonger' versus 'Chinese' identity, the proportions of people identifying as 'Hongkongers' outnumber those of 'Chinese' both in their narrow and broad senses," he wrote. "Similarly, the proportions of people identifying as 'Hongkongers' in narrow or broad senses register all-time record high since 1997, whereas the proportions of people identifying as 'Chinese' in narrow or broad senses register all-time record low since 1997." "In-depth analyses show that the younger the respondents, the less likely they feel proud of becoming a national citizen of China, and also the more negative they are toward the Central Government's policies on Hong Kong," he wrote. The extradition bill would enable the chief executive and local courts to handle case-by-case fugitive transfer requests from jurisdictions with no prior agreements. But critics have raised concerns over the risk of residents being extradited to mainland China, which lacks human rights protections. The bill has been suspended following mass protests, but the government has been reluctant to withdraw it entirely. ^ top ^
Hong Kong anti-extradition law protesters gather outside justice secretary's office demanding dialogue (HKFP)
2019-06-27
Around 200 protesters gathered outside Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng's office in Central on Thursday, demanding she agrees to their demands over the city's controversial extradition bill. They demanded the government withdraw the bill entirely; release all arrested protesters unconditionally; retract the characterisation of the June 12 protest as a"riot," and form an independent investigation into alleged police abuses. They also demanded Cheng come out to speak to them. "No extradition law. Release protesters. We are not rioters. Condemn police violence," they chanted. Many of the protesters were young people wearing black. Thursday's gathering came after a series of demonstrations this week. On Wednesday, anti-extradition law demonstrators visited 19 foreign consulates to submit petition letters ahead of the G20 on Friday in Osaka, Japan. That evening, thousands attended a pro-democracy rally in Central organised by the Civil Human Rights Front. Towards the end of the night, thousands of activists surrounded the Wan Chai police headquarters before dispersing in the early hours of Thursday. At the Department of Justice, Ricky Wong, a first-year student at a local university, told HKFP that he had attended several of the protests over the past week, including the rally on Wednesday night. "I believe our demands will be clearer if we make them outside the Department of Justice," he said. "At least we are making a noise so that the international community will be concerned about the situation." A protester who gave her name as Cheung was holding a sign that read "special amnesty." "Even if some protesters may have gone too far, they should be given amnesty. After all, it was the government who did the wrong thing first," Cheung, who works in the cultural sector, said. She said Hong Kong people should unite and fight untill the government responds to their demands. "If they don't try to achieve something now, we know that the Communist Party will retaliate," she said. Protesters gathered at Cheng's office at 10am on Thursday. However, many were unable to get near to the main entrance as police formed a line to check the identities and search the bags of all protesters wearing masks. At around 10:30am, activist Nathan Law of political group Demosisto led around 70 protesters to walk up to the main entrance, and the police had to let them go as it was not possible to check protesters. The government proposed legal amendments in February that would enable the chief executive and local courts to handle case-by-case fugitive transfer requests from jurisdictions with no prior agreements, most notably China. Critics have raised concerns over the risk of residents being extradited to the mainland, which lacks human rights protections. The bill was suspended after mass protests, but the government has refused to withdraw it entirely, with Chief Executive Carrie Lam last seen in public last Tuesday. ^ top ^
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Taiwan set for pro-mainland fake news deluge before its presidential election (SCMP)
2019-06-27
With a presidential election looming Taiwan is bracing for a deluge of fake news and disinformation – much of it emanating from mainland China and aimed at making sure Beijing's preferred party wins the day, analysts say. Torrential rain did little to put off tens of thousands of people rallying in Taipei on Sunday against what they have dubbed the "red media". The term is used to describe both legitimate news outlets and more opaque online sources that flood the democratic island with either pro-Beijing coverage or outright disinformation. "I don't want to see 'red forces' invading Taiwan to control the media and manipulate what people think, to fool the public," Alan Chang, a 30-year-old businessman attending the rally, said. Taiwan goes to the polls in January and the contest is set to be dominated by relations with the mainland. The island has been self-ruled in charge of its own affairs and borders for the past 70 years. But Beijing maintains that Taiwan is part of its territory and has never given up its threat to retake it, by force if necessary. It has stopped communication with the government of President Tsai Ing-wen, who is seeking a second term, because she refuses to acknowledge the island is part of "one China", while ramping up military drills and poaching Taiwan's dwindling diplomatic allies. Tsai's main challenger is the Kuomintang, which favours much warmer ties with the Chinese mainland and is the party Beijing wants to see back in power. "The stakes for the 2020 elections are high, as they will determine Taiwan's future direction," J Michael Cole, a Taipei-based expert at the University of Nottingham's Taiwan Studies Programme, said, adding that fake news was already at "alarming levels". "So [Beijing] will intensify its influence operations – including fake news – to increase the odds that someone other than Tsai is elected," he said. One particularly egregious example that sparked criticism of the government was a widely shared but patently false report that mainland China rescued Taiwanese tourists stranded in a Japanese airport during a typhoon. Last week Tsai's office also asked police to investigate false claims on social media that her government had given US$32 million to finance huge anti-government rallies in Hong Kong. Hu Yuan-hui, head of the Fact Checking Centre in Taipei, said the viral nature of disinformation was being aided by many Taiwanese people using mainland Chinese social media and messaging services. "They [fake reports] tend to highlight the contrast between Taiwan and China to try to portray a chaotic Taiwan versus a strong China," he said. In November, Tsai's party was hammered in local elections, largely due to a backlash over domestic reforms and a divisive push for gay marriage equality. But analysts said there was also a surge in fake news items ahead of those polls. A study by Wang Tai-li, a journalism professor at National Taiwan University, found 54 per cent of people surveyed were unable to distinguish the fabricated report about mainland China evacuating people during the typhoon, which went viral ahead of the November vote. "Disinformation campaigns were proven effective last year and they will be replicated in larger scale during the upcoming presidential election," Wang said. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the false typhoon evacuation story originated on the Chinese mainland and was picked up by Taiwan's social and traditional media, in a "carefully coordinated and extremely effective disinformation campaign". "Beijing has been targeting Taiwan with disinformation campaigns for decades … However, it is only recently that social networks have enabled these activities to have a viral impact," RSF said. US officials have also said Taiwan is "on the front lines" of Beijing's disinformation campaigns. "There is no question, at least in our minds, that China will try to meddle – they've done it in every previous election," Randall Schriver, US assistant defence secretary for Asian and Pacific security affairs, said last week. ^ top ^
'Our God is China': Pro-Beijing groups step up offensive to win over Taiwan (HKFP)
2019-06-27
When Taiwanese businessman Jhang Yun-nan wanted to find buyers for his company's new cleaning products in China, he turned to an unconventional channel: A Taiwanese party that advocates the unification of China with the self-ruled, democratic island. A senior member of the Chinese Unification Promotion Party (CUPP) said the group would "have a word" with officials from Guangdong's Administration for Market Regulation to help Jhang's China-based Yi Yuan Ji Biotechnology Co Ltd – on one condition. The member, Lin Guo-cing, told Jhang in the presence of Reuters that a "correct ideology" was needed to do business in China, touting access to dozens of Chinese officials in Guangdong. "I support peaceful unification across the strait," Lin told Reuters, echoing the view CUPP expects Taiwanese it works with to embrace. China views Taiwan as a wayward province to be brought under Beijing's control, by force if necessary. The defeated Nationalist government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with the Communists. To assist with "reunification," Beijing is cultivating networks of supporters in Taiwan and ramping up campaigns to lure Taiwanese with lucrative business opportunities in exchange for backing Beijing's agenda. They see one key as convincing businessmen like Jhang that accepting that stance is a small price to pay for access to Chinese markets and other assistance. The other is using pro-Beijing networks to build sympathy and support for the mainland; Wen Lung, a CUPP policy adviser, said the organisation plans to hold seminars and rallies across the island to expand its "red troops." The Taiwanese government said such efforts are dangerous – but not illegal. "Only by strengthening our laws can we strengthen our national security system," Chiu Chui-cheng, the deputy minister for Taiwan's Ministry of Mainland Affairs, told Reuters. Chinese state agencies deployed to build support for unification include the Taiwan Affairs Office and the United Front Work Department, whose aim is to unify Taiwan by co-opting local groups and conducting influence operations against overseas campaigns contrary to China's political agenda. Internal documents from the two Chinese groups, reviewed by Reuters, including annual work reports and meeting minutes, show a campaign centred around pro-China organisations in Taiwan, which were described as a "priority focus." "We will continue to enhance our support to pro-unification groups and figures in Taiwan, to reinforce and strengthen the force of 'anti-independence' within the island," reads a passage in the 2016 work report from an arm of Taiwan Affairs Office in Shanghai. In the neighbouring province of Zhejiang, a United Front unit said in a 2016 internal report it had deepened contacts with Taiwan groups through "active invitation" such as economic and cultural programmes on the mainland. During a visit to China in April 2016, the Taipei-based Alliance for the Reunification of China was "greatly praised" by a senior Chinese official for "advancing the great work of motherland reunification," according to minutes from the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, one of the few nominally independent political groups permitted in China. "Which country in the whole world would treat you as nice (as China does)? I would rather be a target of the United Front. At least they care about you, regardless of whether they are sincere or not," said Lin, who in October joined the China Overseas Friendship Association, which is affiliated with the United Front. The documents reviewed by Reuters did not show any funding link between such groups and the Chinese government, but potential ties have raised concerns in Taipei. Two officials working at a Taiwanese state security agency, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the groups were "threats" to Taiwan. A Taiwan security source, who declined to be named as the matter was not made public, said CUPP was at the top of his agency's watch list because of its size – it has 60,000 members – and its ability to mobilise members. "If there's ever a war across the strait, they become a massive uncertainty, which is very terrifying," the source said. Neither China's United Front Work Department nor its Taiwan Affairs Office responded to a request for comment. The home of CUPP leader Chang An-lo and the group's headquarters in Taipei were raided by Taiwan authorities last August for suspected Chinese funding, an accusation they deny. It is illegal in Taiwan for political groups to take money from the Chinese government. No one was charged in connection with the raid. Chang, in an interview with Reuters in Taipei, said he did not take money from China. But he said it was vital for Taiwan to re-unify with the mainland. "Our God is China," Chang said in his office, which has a golden statue of former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. "In spirit, they definitely support us, but not materially." He and other unification advocates said they saw an opportunity to gain influence in the wake of President Tsai Ing-wen's pro-independence ruling party's recent poll defeat amid frustrations over its economic and cross-strait policy. They say they want to steer the vote away from Tsai, who they say is nudging Taiwan toward formal independence, a red line for China. Taiwan's presidential election is in January. Zhang Xiuye, a senior member of Taipei-based Chinese Concentric Patriotism Party, which promotes unification, said its priority this year was to bring to rural areas a message of "one country, two systems," as a model of autonomy for Taiwan, similar to Hong Kong's system. The China-friendly opposition party in Taiwan, Kuomintang (KMT), whose presidential primaries made front-page headlines in April after Foxconn chairman Terry Gou joined the party's highly competitive race, will have the support of CUPP and the Chinese Concentric Patriotism Party. "We will concentrate our firepower to support KMT," CUPP's Wen said, citing KMT's support for the 1992 consensus, an agreement that year by KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides are part of "one China," a cherished principle in Beijing. KMT spokesman Dragon Ou-Yang told Reuters that the party welcomed such support. "There's a reason why pro-unification groups support KMT – we tackle cross-strait issues on an equal and reciprocal basis," Ou-Yang said. Pro-China groups have made a point of promoting business opportunities for Taiwanese youth in the island's south, a demographic labelled a "top priority" in the documents from the Chinese agencies. More than 70 "entrepreneurship bases" aimed at Taiwanese start-ups were set up across China in 2016, according to a Reuters review of work reports from China's Taiwan Affairs Office. They often include perks like cash and tax breaks. One incubator was in Beijing, and an arm of the Taiwan Affairs Office concluded in a 2016 report, seen by Reuters, that the effort had contributed to "closer and dearer ties between the people in Beijing and Taiwan." Wen runs a similar campaign. He's recruiting Taiwan youth for a 5 million yuan ($724,259) project in Guangdong, in which he and several CUPP members won a 10-year contract with state-backed tax breaks to build an "agricultural entrepreneurship base," including farms and hotels. "It's not a problem if they don't support unification," Wen said of Taiwanese joining the project. "We want to earn their trust first and then their identity." For some Taiwanese, who have seen the average wage grow merely 3.5% in the past decade, according to government data, the Chinese market is simply too good to miss. 31-year-old farmer Jhang Hong-si, who was once reluctant to work in China, is now a technology officer for Wen's project, which is gearing up to sell produce to supermarkets in Hong Kong and Macau. "I want to build a brand that belongs to the Chinese. They have the biggest market," Jhang said. "As long as we are ruled by Chinese – either the Chinese Communist Party or the KMT – it makes no difference to me." ^ top ^
Taiwan presidential hopeful Han Kuo-yu left at sea by fiasco over 'shipping route to mainland' (SCMP)
2019-06-26
Han Kuo-yu's Kaohsiung city government has come under fire as he vies to be Taiwan's next president, after it appeared to endorse a new shipping route to mainland China that has no licence to operate. In the latest controversy since Han became mayor of Kaohsiung in December, a member of his city government attended the launch of a shipping route between the southern port and Wenzhou in mainland China. But the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) – the Taiwanese agency responsible for cross-Taiwan Strait policies – said that neither Cijin, in Kaohsiung, nor Dongtou on the mainland side had approval for such a route. It was then discovered by a Kaohsiung city councillor that Shang He Marine Transport, the company claiming to operate the route, had closed down in January and had its operating licence revoked. This was verified by Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang after checks by the relevant agencies. Pan Heng-hsu, appointed by Han as the tourism department director in his government, was among VIPs invited by Shang He to a ceremony on Tuesday marking the launch of the supposed route. Photographs of the ceremony show Pan posing with a dozen people, including some fellow opposition Kuomintang (KMT) politicians and the claimed shipping operator behind a ribbon and a red banner that read: "In celebration of the maiden voyage between Kaohsiung's Cijin and Wenzhou's Dongtou." The photos went viral on various social media networks as the so-called maiden voyage was exposed to scrutiny in the hours afterwards. The transport ministry has said that Shang He would be breaking shipping law if it were found operating again. "It was a big fraud with the purpose of creating the false impression that 'goods can be shipped out, more visitors can come in and citizens can get rich'," the MAC said in a statement on Wednesday. It referenced the slogan used by Han – "Sell goods! Welcome people! Prosperous Kaohsiung!" – to promote his ability to run Kaohsiung during his mayoral campaign last autumn. That slogan had helped to convince voters in Kaohsiung to deliver Han, once a KMT outcast, a landslide victory in a city that had been a pro-independence stronghold for years. Han's popularity even spilled over to other KMT candidates, with his appearances at their rallies helping most of them to win support as the KMT took control of 15 of Taiwan's 22 cities and counties. Pan apologised on Wednesday for failing to check the details before attending the "launch", saying it had nothing to do with Han. Asked about the ceremony by reporters in Kaohsiung on Tuesday, Han said Pan would explain it to the public, and repeated his aim to bring more tourism revenue to Kaohsiung. Shang He vice-president Tsai Kun-lung defended the launch, telling broadcaster SET his company was trying to restructure and intended to reapply for a shipping licence to operate between Cijin and Dongtou. "I hope the government can approve it as it will reduce our operation costs if we can operate such a route," he said. But the incident presents a threat to Han's credibility at a time when he has slipped back in the race to be elected the self-ruled island's president in the election in January. The incumbent, Tsai Ing-wen, suggested Han should pay more attention to his city's affairs. "Something hard to understand has happened in Kaohsiung, and this may be because the mayor is busy doing something else," she said, referring to Han's desire to run for president. Han is competing with four other KMT candidates, including billionaire Foxconn founder Terry Gou Tai-ming and former New Taipei mayor Eric Chu Li-luan, to win the party's ticket in its primaries – a series of public opinion polls to be held between July 8 and 14. In the past month, Han has held four mass rallies around Taiwan, with thousands of supporters turning out to back him to run for president. But various opinion polls have shown his popularity declining sharply, from leading Tsai and other presidential aspirants by a wide margin to trailing Tsai recently. On Monday, the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation released a survey in which Han had 29 per cent support – far below his high of 66 per cent – while Tsai was backed by 37 per cent. "Respondents in Kaohsiung were among those who strongly opposed Han to run for president," the foundation's head, Michael You, said. He said it was understandable that the people of Kaohsiung were unhappy, because Han had promised during his mayoral campaign to stay in office and devote himself to improving the lives of the local population. The shipping route launch is not the only recent source of embarrassment for Han. In the past week, in a series of ceremonies to honour outstanding junior high school graduates in Kaohsiung, at least five students called the mayor a liar or directly asked him not to run for president. Han has also been criticised for failures in running his city, including over control of the spread of dengue fever, the mosquito-borne viral infection. His response to the Hong Kong extradition bill controversy sparked anger in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Han said he did not know anything about the "parade" in Hong Kong on June 9, when a million people marched to protest about the bill. ^ top ^
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G20 Osaka: world leaders offer Australia help in tracking down missing Alek Sigley in North Korea (SCMP)
2019-06-28
Australia's prime minister said he has discussed the disappearance of an Australian student in North Korea with other world leaders attending the Group of 20 summit and accepted offers to find out what has happened to him. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the plight of Alek Sigley had been raised with him by world leaders attending the meetings in Osaka, Japan, including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "We're talking to our partners in that part of the world to get to the bottom of what has occurred here," Morrison told Nine Network television. "It's obviously very concerning. I'm very concerned about it. We've had a lot of sympathy also expressed and willingness to assist by other countries," he added. Morrison, who dined with President Donald Trump on Thursday night, declined to say which government leaders he had discussed the disappearance with and what help had been offered. Australia has diplomatic ties with North Korea but does not have an embassy there. The Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang offers limited consular help to Australians. Sigley, a 29-year-old Pyongyang university student and tour guide, has been out of contact since Tuesday and some media reports say he was detained. Official media in North Korea haven't mentioned an arrest. His Japanese wife Yuka Morinaga, 26, said she usually speaks to him daily by WhatsApp from her home in Tokyo, but had not heard from him since Monday. Morinaga, a software developer who married Sigley in a lavish ceremony in Pyongyang last year, told News Corporation she was "very concerned." "We don't know what's happened," Morinaga said. "We don't even know if he's been detained or not." "Some people might say he's naive because he's very pure and believes in... doing good," she added. Sigley's family sad on Friday they had shuttered his social media accounts "to limit unnecessary speculation and commentary on those channels." "He remains out of digital contact with friends and family, and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade continues to seek clarification as to his whereabouts and welfare," a family statement said. "Alek's family and friends hope to hear from him soon," the family added. Australia advises people to reconsider their need to travel to North Korea due to how its laws apply to foreigners and says foreign visitors have been subject to arbitrary arrests and long-term detentions. North Korea has been accused in the past of detaining Westerners for slight infractions and using foreign detainees as political pawns to gain concessions. As the country pursued diplomacy with the United States last year, it released three American detainees in what the nation's propaganda described as a gesture of goodwill. Leonid Petrov, an Australian National University expert on North Korea and friend of Sigley, suspected that the missing Australian had been "deliberately cut off from means of communications" temporarily because Trump was in the region. "I know Alek well and he has been always on Facebook, on Skype and he is very proactive in the media," Petrov said. "In the context of what is going on on the Korean Peninsula right now — President Trump is in Japan today, going to be in South Korea on Sunday, potentially going to the Demilitarized Zone — I believe tensions and security measures are heightened both in South and North Korea," he said. "I think that North Koreans potentially might have decided to shut down his blog, his Facebook account because the information coming out of North Korea... is unprecedented. Normally North Korea is a closed book," he added. The former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr told Guardian Australia locating Sigley would require some "deft diplomacy". Carr said Australia had to work with "our friends and partners on this case with the objective of getting Alek out of North Korea as soon as possible. "Secondly, we need to send a message to North Korea that we're very focused on his well-being." Carr said the effectiveness of Australia's representations on Sigley's behalf will depend on how well our allies can engage with the North Korean regime. "They are imponderables, they really are imponderables from this distance. It's really going to require a bit of deft diplomacy on Dfat's part," he said. "We're relying on using our relationships with countries that in turn have got some relationship with North Korea, and none of us in Australia can really speculate knowingly about which of our partners might be able to deliver the best result and how effective their representations may be." ^ top ^
Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for US and North Korean leaders to hold third nuclear summit (SCMP)
2019-06-27
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the leaders of the United States and North Korea to have a third summit, and show flexibility in resolving the Korean peninsula nuclear issues, following his unprecedented state visit to Pyongyang last week. In talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Osaka, Japan, ahead of the Group of 20 summit, Xi said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's determination to denuclearise remained solid, and Beijing was still committed to political engagement over the future of the peninsula. The meeting with Moon came about a week after Xi made his first official visit to Pyongyang, where he pledged to support North Korea in its security and development needs. "The trend for resolving the Korean peninsula situation through dialogue has not changed," Xi was quoted by state-run China Central Television as saying on Thursday. "We should extend our efforts to promote dialogue and work together. China supports the leaders of North Korea and the US to have a new round of dialogue. We hope both sides will show flexibility and push for progress for dialogue." Ko Min-jung, spokeswoman for the South Korean Presidential Office, said that during the meeting Xi told Moon that Kim was committed to giving up North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. "[Kim] is trying to promote [North Korea's] economic development and improve living standards through the country's new strategic route. He also hopes to improve the external environment," Ko quoted Xi as saying. China has been the North's biggest security guarantee since the Korean war in the 1950s. The Sino-North Korean Mutual Aid and Cooperation Friendship Treaty, signed in Beijing in 1961, ensures Chinese military intervention if North Korea is "subjected to armed attack by any state or several states jointly and thus being involved in a state of war". Moon said Beijing was playing a "constructive role" in efforts towards the "complete denuclearisation and the settlement of permanent peace" on the peninsula. He said the Xi-Kim summit – along with the recent exchanges of letters between Pyongyang and Washington – had built momentum for the peace process. But Pyongyang also told Seoul on Thursday to "stay away" from its talks with Washington. Kwon Jong-gun, chief of the North Korean foreign ministry's US affairs department, said the North would "never go through" South Korea again in dealing with the US. Boo Seung-chan, an adjunct professor at the Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul, said Seoul would welcome Beijing as a mediator on the peninsula, saying it could help break the deadlock between Washington and Pyongyang. Nuclear talks between the US and North Korea ground to a halt in February with the collapse of the second summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Hanoi. But Zhang Baohui, director of the Centre for Asian Pacific Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, said that in the end there was a limit to what Beijing could do. "No third party can be a meaningful mediator in this case. Whether North Korea will eventually proceed with denuclearisation depends entirely on its bilateral negotiations with the US. The two alone decide outcomes and neither Beijing nor Seoul can make significant differences," Zhang said. "Beijing's ability to shape North Korea's strategic decisions is limited, as proven repeatedly by history. Ultimately, denuclearisation depends on the outcome of trust building between North Korea and the US, [not Beijing and Seoul]." Also at the meeting on Thursday, Xi and Moon agreed to discuss Xi's visit to Seoul via diplomatic channels. But Seoul's deployment of a US-led anti-missile system known as THAAD remained a thorny issue. Xi urged Moon to review ways to resolve the THAAD issue, which Beijing deems as a security threat. But Moon said denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula should come first. ^ top ^
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19th Mongolia-EU Joint Committee meeting takes place (Montsame)
2019-06-28
Mongolia and the European Union held a Joint Committee meeting on June 27 under the Mongolia-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. In 2019, Mongolia and the EU celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The presence of the EU Delegation in Ulaanbaatar since 2017 allows both parties to consolidate, deepen and diversify their relations. In the meeting, both Mongolia and the EU reaffirmed the importance of further enhancing their relations by discussing priority areas of cooperation in the political, economic and human rights spheres. They exchanged views on regional and global issues and discussed opportunities for strengthening cooperation in the framework of the Europe-Asia connectivity strategy. Mongolia and the EU discussed further steps in assisting the Mongolian authorities with a possible budget support operation that will contribute to boost employment creation and improve public finance management. The third Mongolia-EU Human Rights Dialogue was held back-to-back with the Joint Committee. Mongolia and the EU discussed issues related to enhancing cooperation in multilateral fora. While the EU acknowledged the firm basis of the rule of law in Mongolia and the country's good compliance with human rights and fundamental freedoms, recent initiatives in the field of human rights and rule of law risk being contrary to Mongolia's international obligations, such as the independence of the judiciary, the rights of the child and human rights defenders. The EU welcomed the recent statement by the Mongolian Minister of Justice on the country's continued strong commitment to the abolition of the death penalty. As is the case for all human rights dialogues, the EU met with civil society representatives ahead of the Dialogue, which contributes to a regular engagement with such groups. The Subcommittee on Trade and Investment, held prior to the Joint Committee reviewed the state of trade and economic cooperation with a focus on the improvement of the business climate and the diversification of Mongolia's economy. It also reviewed the state of implementation of the EU Trade-Related Assistance to Mongolia (TRAM) project that assists Mongolia in the diversification of its economy and capacity building, as well as support for business intermediaries. The Joint Committee decided to establish a dialogue on sanitary and phytosanitary related issues. Prior to the Joint Committee, dialogues took place in the context of EU's special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance (GSP+). The EU and Mongolia discussed how to make better use of these trade preferences as well as the effective implementation of international conventions on human rights, labour rights, environment and good governance. Agreed follow up actions include the adoption of the revised labour law, enforcing child protection, and ensuring the independence of the judiciary. The Mongolian delegation at the Joint Committee was headed by Mr Tsogtbaatar Damdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The European Union's delegation was headed by Mr Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service. Mongolia and the EU agreed to hold their next Joint Committee meeting in 2020 in Brussels. ^ top ^
Mongolia and Switzerland to cooperate in academic research and tourism (Montsame)
2019-06-24
Speaker of the Parliament G.Zandanshatar held official talks with his Swiss counterpart Mrs. Marina Carobbio Guscetti today at the State House. At the beginning of the meeting, Speaker expressed gratitude to Mrs. Marina Guscetti for accepting his invitation. He also noted that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations and the 15th anniversary of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Mongolia. In return, Mrs. Marina Guscetti expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and noted that she is confident that the agreements made during the Speaker's visit to Switzerland will be confirmed after her visit. She also mentioned that Switzerland has provided CHF 100 million grant to the agriculture sector of Mongolia over the past 10 years, specifically to the improvement of pasture farming and livelihoods of herders. Marking that Switzerland is Mongolia's third neighbor and has been supporting the country since its transition to a market economy, Speaker G.Zandanshatar noted that the projects and programs have made tangible contribution to the improvement of people's livelihoods. It was also requested to continue the projects and reflect it to the 2020-2022 strategy. The parties discussed the development of joint academic research, innovation, cooperation between the universities and broad possibilities of expanding cooperation in tourism as well. The establishment of the Swiss Embassy in Mongolia was also discussed and the sides agreed to explore possibilities to address the issue. At the conclusion, Mrs. Marina Guscetti expressed her appreciation for the expanding cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries and expressed confidence in further exchange of experience and regular high-level visits. During her visit to Mongolia, Mrs. Marina Guscetti will pay courtesy call on President, meet with Foreign Minister and attend the Women's Leadership international conference. ^ top ^
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Jennia Jin
Embassy of Switzerland
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The Press review is a random selection
of political and social related news gathered from various media
and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by
the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss
Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility
for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally
the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion
of the Embassy.
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