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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 |
Swiss Development Strategy to be implemented until 2024 (Montsame)
2019-11-20
On November 20, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs D.Davaasuren held a meeting with Swiss Ambassador to Mongolia Mr. Bernardino Regazzoni. At the beginning of the meeting, Secretary of State D.Davaasuren, expressing his delight at the meeting with the Ambassador and thanked for the Swiss side for hosting the fifth political consultation between the foreign ministries of Mongolia and Switzerland in Bern city of Switzerland last week. The sides talked about the measures to take following the political consultation, including establishment of financial, taxation and banking information sharing system, the sphere of development assistance to be granted by Switzerland to Mongolia next year as well as climate change, environmental and regional issues of mutual concern. After reporting about the 'Sustainable Artisanal Mining' project being carried out in Mongolia since 2005 and the 'Responsible Mining' meeting held on the same day, Ambassador Bernardino Regazzoni reaffirmed the extension of the Swiss Development Strategy until the end of 2024. ^ top ^
Environment Minister meets Swiss representatives (Montsame)
2019-11-19
Minister of Environment and Tourism N.Tserenbat met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Swiss Confederation to Mongolia Bernardino Regazzoni and Interim Director of Cooperation and Consul General at the Swiss Cooperation Office in Mongolia Franziska Freiburghaus. The sides exchanged views on the projects on artisanal and small scale mining, education for sustainable development, waste collection and transportation management, reduction of health impacts of air pollution, and livestock husbandry and health as well as Swiss Cooperation Agency's activities in Mongolia. During the meeting, the Mongolian side presented the Swiss Ambassador with the Green Passport which was designed for giving environmental education to students. Expressing pleasure that the second phase of the 'Education for Sustainable Development' is to be implemented, Environment Minister N.Tserenbat noted that the Government of Mongolia is paying attention to the development of sustainable mining and that, in the years ahead, it will train artisanal and small-scale miners and adopt a policy to help them move on to other lines of work. "Mongolia's National Committee for Environmental Pollution Reduction is actively cooperating on the project on reduction of health impacts of air pollution. In 2019, a working group of the committee devised a plan for cooperation to improve public awareness and planned actions are being implemented to enhance the awareness through agaar.mn website and provide technical assistance to the working group under the project," he said. "Over the past two years, we have engaged in active discussion with Switzerland about cooperating in tourism. The reciprocal visits of the speakers of the two countries this year emphasized the importance of the sector in expanding bilateral cooperation. Mongolia successfully participated in the FESPO international fair held in January, 2019. Thus, we would like to cooperate in this area by organizing events and implementing projects" The Swiss representatives thanked the Minister for making time for the meeting and voiced their readiness to cooperate. ^ top ^
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US Army conducting TikTok security assessment after senator's warning (SCMP)
2019-11-22
The US Army is undertaking a security assessment of China-owned social media platform TikTok after a Democratic lawmaker raised national security concerns over the app's handling of user data, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters at an event at the American Enterprise Institute think tank, McCarthy said he ordered the assessment after the top Democrat in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, asked him to investigate the possible risks in the military's use of the popular video app for recruiting American teenagers. "National security experts have raised concerns about TikTok's collection and handling of user data, including user content and communications, IP addresses, location-related data, metadata, and other sensitive personal information," Schumer wrote in a November 7 letter to McCarthy. Schumer said he was especially concerned about Chinese laws requiring domestic companies "to support and cooperate with intelligence work controlled by the Chinese Communist Party". The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has launched a national security review of TikTok owner Beijing ByteDance Technology Co's US$1 billion acquisition of US social media app Musical.ly. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has previously emphasised its independence from China but has failed to assuage congressional concerns about the security of the personal data of US citizens who use the platform and whether content on the platform is subject to any censorship from Beijing. In a November 5 blog post, TikTok's US general manager, Vanessa Pappas, said that the company's data centres "are located entirely outside of China". She said US user data is stored in the United States, with backup redundancy in Singapore. ByteDance is one of China's fastest growing start-ups. About 60 per cent of TikTok's 26.5 million monthly active users in the United States are between the ages of 16 and 24, the company said this year. Earlier this year, Schumer also called on the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission to conduct a national security and privacy investigation into FaceApp, a face-editing photo app developed in Russia. The potential for the sharing of army information through the use of apps was highlighted after researchers found in 2018 that fitness-tracking app Strava was inadvertently exposing military posts and other sensitive sites. In 2017, the Army ordered its members to stop using drones made by Chinese manufacturer SZ DJI Technology because of "cyber vulnerabilities" in the products. ^ top ^
Li: Country to further level playing field for all firms (China Daily)
2019-11-22
China will maintain the stability and consistency of its macroeconomic policy next year and continue with a proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy to stabilize market expectations, Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday. Speaking at the Fourth "1+6" Roundtable in Beijing, the premier ruled out the possibility of resorting to a deluge of strong stimulus policies or monetary easing to shore up growth. Instead, he highlighted the importance of making fiscal policies more effective and investments more sustainable and forward-looking. Li pledged to make monetary policy better suited to the development of the real economy, especially small and medium-sized enterprises and microbusinesses — key pillars of the job market. "We must take multiple measures to reduce the actual interest rate and enable the Chinese economy to continue to support relatively full employment," he said in a news briefing after the talks. The discussions were held between Li and heads of six major international economic organizations, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization. The global economic slowdown has inevitably affected China, which is now an open economy, and it is even more difficult to ensure stable economic performance, he said. However, the premier voiced confidence in attaining the economic and social development goals for this year and maintaining major economic indicators within an appropriate range. Li underscored the importance of unleashing the potential of domestic consumption and adopting more steps to open up the manufacturing and service sector. More measures will be adopted to bring the business environment in line with market principles, the rule of law and international standards, and efforts will be made to level the playing field for all businesses registered in China, he said. "We will ensure their equal access to opportunities and resources and that they receive equal legal protection. We will further widen market access, make oversight more impartial and withstand downward pressure through energizing market entities," Li added. He said the economic slowdown has disrupted the global value chain and the division of labor. With significant slowdowns in global economic growth and rising protectionism, no country is immune and joint efforts from all sides are required, Li added. World Bank President David Malpass said that China has adopted structural reforms that can have the potential for big upside gains for its people as they engage more fully in domestic and global markets. However, Malpass cited challenges faced by the Chinese economy such as growing debt and structural constraints that require new drivers of growth, especially during this period of slower global growth and recession in parts of Europe. "To avert a sharper slowdown, it's essential to resolve bilateral trade relationships, and also to improve the quality and transparency of China's lending," he said. Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the IMF, said global economic growth is projected to be only 3 percent in 2019, the slowest rate in a decade. She said the IMF projected China's growth to slow to below 6 percent in 2020, a reflection of the global slowdown and a natural trend as China transitions from high-speed to high-quality growth with the economy evolving from manufacturing and investment-led growth to one driven by consumption and services. ^ top ^
Chinese Vice President vows to uphold multilateralism at forum (Global Times)
2019-11-22
The Chinese economy is in a robust state of health which derives from its unswerving pursuit of reformist goals and peaceful development, which have placed the nation at the forefront of efforts to pull the global economy out of ever-sprawling trade woes, high-ranking officials, top economists and senior business executives said Thursday at a gathering in Beijing. In a keynote speech at the New Economy Forum (NEF), co-hosted by Bloomberg and the China Center for International Economic Exchanges Thursday, Vice President Wang Qishan noted multiple common threats facing mankind, including imbalanced and insufficient development, rising protectionism, unilateralism and populism while recognizing the unprecedented global economic and trade prosperity. Historical experience has proven time and again that only reformers and innovators could survive the difficulties and challenges, he stressed. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have made great achievements and embarked on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics that suits the country and its people, the vice president said. China's institutional advantages have arguably underpinned its reformist drives and boosted the resilience of the economy, Wei Jianguo, a former vice commerce minister, told the Global Times on Thursday. Under the leadership of the Party, the government can effectively coordinate efforts to reform the economy. Moreover, the system has resulted in concerted actions from both the leadership and average folks and from both the government and entrepreneurs, Wei said, adding that the joint moves resulting from the nation's system are set to allow for more progress in reform terms and more importantly, will strengthen China's governing capacity so as to push an open, innovative global economy. The sober-mindedness and reformist mindset that prevails in the world's second-largest economy are believed to have amassed supporters among influential figures from across the globe, including former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, despite the prolonged China-US trade dispute. "The conference is not just about technology. It's about geopolitics, about economy, about some of the social issues that are creating rising populism," Dambisa Moyo, founder and CEO of Mildstorm, a US-based financial and economics firm, told the Global Times on the sidelines of the forum. "In terms of its standing, innovation, economic footprint, trade and foreign direct investment, [China is] a critical trading partner and investment partner globally, so it's not a surprise that people would come here," Moyo said. China is representative of the new economy and its development reflects wider global economic trends, said Wang Huiyao, president of the Beijing-based think tank Center for China and Globalization. That hundreds of multinational firms have chosen to come despite the lingering trade tensions clearly shows the importance these multinational firms attach to the Chinese market, Wang told the Global Times. China will always stay committed to the path of peaceful development, said Vice President Wang. He noted that the Chinese people are willing to join the people of the rest of the world in building a community with a shared future for humanity. Wang urged upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core and building a more fair and reasonable global governance system. Nobody wins as a result of protectionism, said Moyo, a former Goldman Sachs research economist. There are many other issues beyond trade that have to be addressed, such as intellectual property and security and foreign exchange, she said, adding that "I'm optimistic that both the US and China understand that there has to be some kind of solution." Zhang Yansheng, chief research fellow at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said he believes that phase one of a China-US trade deal is likely to be signed this year, as US President Trump, who is campaigning for reelection, needs a boost from imports to China. Kissinger said Thursday that he hoped the trade talks between China and the US would succeed. The negotiations are of "a small beginning" which would lead to deeper-level discussions carried out by the two sides in the future, he said, according to the Xinhua News Agency. There is also a call against tech decoupling, one of the most-talked about issues of the trade frictions. Innovation and application are supposedly borderless, former Vice Chinese Premier Zeng Peiyan said at the forum. Tech decoupling and man-made restrictions do not comply with the trend of digital economic development and are set to pointlessly increase the cost of innovation, thereby going against the grain of innovation and benefiting nobody, Zeng stressed. The US government's move to split the technology world includes adding several leading Chinese high-tech companies to its trade blacklist. Technological protectionism has been accelerating in recent years, but it will not obstruct China's development and will not impact the opening-up attitude that China holds, Deng Qiang, secretary of the Party committee of the Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday. ^ top ^
China Focus: China's governance system impresses foreign political parties (Xinhua)
2019-11-22
Over 200 representatives from different political parties around the world gathered in the city of Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province from Wednesday to Thursday to exchange governance experience with the Communist Party of China (CPC). The just-concluded fourth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee reviewed major achievements in various fields and highlighted the notable strengths of China's state and governance systems, which became a major topic among the representatives. "China lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty," said Bjornar Selnes Skjaeran, deputy leader of the Norwegian Labor Party, noting that he was impressed by China's journey from poverty to prosperity during the past decades. "Not only me, I think the whole world has been impressed by how China climbed up the world's economic ladder and became the second-largest economy," said Amirah Kaca Sumarto, vice-chair of the young leaders' sisterhood of Indonesia's Golkar Party. Before visiting China, she had only learned about China's achievements by reading statistics. "Now I can see them with my own eyes." What she saw in China greatly inspired her, she said, especially how China promotes technological innovation, improves people's happiness and fights corruption. China has managed to formulate its own system that suits its history, culture and people, and it has proven to be effective, she said. "China is a different kind of role model compared with Western countries." "Every time African political parties visit China, we ask how China managed to achieve such rapid growth," said Domingos Paulino Dembele, member of the Central Committee and director of the Political Training Center of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola. It is a very difficult mission, but China made it, he said. "I think it's the result of the CPC's discipline, systems, governance capability and consistent efforts." The plenary session also laid out a roadmap to better turn institutional strength into even more effective governance, covering various key fields including Party leadership, rule of law, the economy and the environment, among others. The session is of great significance, said Khamphanh Phommathath, member of the Political Bureau of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, adding that the CPC has been continuously working to improve its governance capacity and system as well as sticking to its commitment to seek happiness for the people. Guided by the session, the CPC will achieve greater progress in governance in the future, he said. "China's development has set an example for us," said Mouddour Ismael, vice-chairman of the youth organization of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism. "We understand that China wants every country to find its own model," he said, adding that he came to China to find what can be learned from China's model. "The Chinese people have always been planning for the future. But this time, China is planning for the next half of the whole century," said Georgios Georgiou, vice-president of the Democratic Rally of Cyprus. "China is heading in the right direction," he added. ^ top ^
US$5 billion opportunity for US hog farmers in China's African swine fever epidemic, hardly taken advantage of due to trade war (SCMP)
2019-11-21
The African swine fever that has devastated China's pig population has created a new US$5 billion market for American pork farmers – but the trade war isn't letting US producers take full advantage of it. Since early this year, the disease-induced hog crisis has wiped out a huge section of China's pork production and led to an unprecedented shortage in the world's biggest pork market. The government has been forced to look elsewhere for sources of the meat, a staple in the Chinese diet, and has in recent months boosted purchases of pork from other countries. China's demand for imports is expected to grow further, according to "Pork 2040", a report published in October by the National Pork Board, an information agency sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Those sales are estimated to nearly triple in the next three years, peaking at more than 3 million tonnes by 2022. That would translate into more than US$5 billion in pork imports annually. "It represents the single largest shake-out ever in the pork chain and heralds a new era in Chinese production and consumption of meat," the report said. The disease entered China in August last year and quickly wiped out a large segment of domestic pork production, as hundreds of millions of hogs either died from the disease or were killed to prevent the spread of the virus. The number of live pigs in China dropped 39 per cent in the 12 months ending in August 2019 after a full year of infections, according to China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Taking advantage of the latest breather in the trade war, US pork farmers have been exporting more to China, with output totalling 5,549 tonnes during the second week of November, the largest amount in a month. African swine fever virus now 'endemic' in Tibet and Xinjiang regions But the prolonged US-China trade war, which began last summer, has seen trade between the two countries hit by a series of tit-for-tat tariff battles. And although China lifted tariffs on pork in September, geopolitical uncertainties still hang over the meat's exporters. "If this dearth in China came at a time when we didn't have the trade war, American hog producers would have been even more excited," said Jacob Burks of the futures division at the Wedbush brokerage firm in New York, which advises investors on pork futures trading. "In that case, it would have been a good guess that purchases from the US would have gone up a lot more." In recent weeks, trade talks seemed to be moving in a more positive direction as the two countries pointed to a possible "phase one" deal. But futures analysts like Burks remain unsure. "There are a lot of empty promises made, nothing is signed yet," he said. "Farmers are almost immune at this point. They will say 'Oh, that's another day of good talk.'" African swine fever "has created a short-term opening," he said. "As far as entering the largest pork market, it is absolutely worthwhile." China's pork prices starting to 'scare' consumers Compared to Germany and Spain, the US has not been a major pork supplier to China. In 2017, American producers sold 166,000 tonnes of pork to China, accounting for 13.6 per cent of China's total imports. Last year, that amount fell to 86,000 tonnes after China imposed an import duty of up to 72 per cent on US pork as the trade war got under way. Meanwhile, pork prices in China are soaring. Official Chinese data published in September showed that prices rose by 46.7 per cent year on year in August, after a 27 per cent increase in July. Now economists expect pork prices in China to double by the year's end and continue to rise early into 2020. Stock prices for the largest US pig producers started rising sharply late last year, as investors realised that the big industry players could take advantage of anticipated shortages and higher pork prices. Shares of JBS, of Greeley, Colorado, nearly tripled to US$15.68 in September from December 2018, while those of Tyson Foods, of Springdale, Arkansas, doubled to US$93 in the same period. China's imports began to soar in April after the severity of the disease became clear. With domestic production dropping sharply, the percentage of consumption supplied by imports could reach 10 to 15 per cent in 2020 and 2021, according to the USDA report. So far, Germany, Spain and Canada are filling the gap. "The EU has been doing the bulk of the business, but the US and Brazil have a better opportunity going forward as the supply of the EU countries is limited," said Norman Bessac, vice-president of international marketing at the National Pork Board. The virus, which does not pose a threat to humans, is deadly for pigs. The fever, which had been spreading through Russia's scattered pig population for almost 10 years, was slowly creeping closer to the Chinese border in 2018. Because the hog industry in China transports live pigs across the country, carrying the virus in pigs that could be infected, the spread of the disease was drastically accelerated. China's small pig farmers are being wiped out by African swine fever China's pig population is expected to fall by 21 per cent by the end of this year, and drop another 10 per cent in 2020, the USDA reported in July. As a result, imports are set to surge to unprecedented levels. In normal times, the Chinese government caps pork imports at about 5 per cent of the total consumption. But confronted by the swine fever epidemic, Beijing is authorising imports from more countries and slaughterhouses, and will ignore or minimise violations by licensed exporters. "The clear signal for US exporters here is to make sure to take advantage of the short-term shortage," Bessac said. China usually limits pork imports to about 5 per cent of its total consumption. Pork from North America is likely to find a way into the China market even if political issues continue to affect US-China trade – though not in the volumes that would flow if and when the issues are settled, the Pork 2040 report said. For US exporters, the surge in China could not be timelier: pork consumption in the US has stalled. "For American consumers, it's not just about the taste," Bessac said. "We want to know more information about where the food comes from, for example." As of Wednesday, lean hog futures were trading at 60.23 cents per pound on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for December contract and at 84.73 cents for the July 2020 contract – an indication that investors expect pork prices to rise next year. "I don't want to say the herds' demise is the exporters' opportunity, but it is," Burks said. "We have a very good opportunity now to get a foot in the door of the Chinese market," he said. "And it might stick." ^ top ^
China watching Donald Trump's response to US Hong Kong bill as it threatens to become new barrier to trade deal (SCMP)
2019-11-21
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act could become another obstacle to a trade deal between the US and China, sources and diplomatic observers said on Thursday, with Beijing closely watching developments. While US President Donald Trump is not expected to veto the bill, which enjoys broad bipartisan support, even the symbolic aspects may carry an extra significance – with a high-profile signing ceremony likely to further anger the Chinese government. "The Hong Kong issue has the potential to influence the process of the trade talks. China will have to respond … if Trump signs it into law," said one person who is familiar with the trade talks. Some sources said that in a worst-case scenario, China was willing to "fight and talk alternatively". Negotiators from both sides have yet to finalise a date and venue for the US president and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to meet to sign an interim deal after an initial plan to finalise arrangements at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Chile fell through when the event was cancelled. This delay has left a range of issues, from tariff reduction to intellectual property protection, still hanging in the air. While the negotiation teams remain in contact, the Hong Kong bill has become a fresh source of tension after it passed both houses of Congress and was sent to the White House for Trump to sign. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the proposed legislation was US interference in China's internal affairs and that it had shaken trust between the two nations. "Right now, the China-US relationship has reached a critical crossroads," Wang said in a meeting with William Cohen, a former US defence secretary, in Beijing on Thursday. "But we regret to see that some politicians in the United States are now smearing, attacking, slandering China to a level close to madness." On Wednesday China lodged a protest over the bill with William Klein, the US diplomat responsible for political affairs at the embassy in Beijing, while Hanscom Smith, the US consul general in Hong Kong, was also summoned to a meeting with the Chinese foreign ministry commissioner Xie Feng. The legislation requires the US government to make an annual assessment about whether Hong Kong enjoys a sufficient degree of autonomy from the mainland to justify its special economic status, for example its protection from tariffs on Chinese goods. The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce has warned that the legislation would undermine business confidence and have a negative impact on the city. Even though its passage into law would not necessarily mean US policy towards Hong Kong changes immediately, it still threatens to become another complication in the trade negotiations. Scott Kennedy, a China specialist at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the two nations were already dealing with a number of areas of contention, ranging from economics and politics to social issues. He said Trump would definitely sign the law, adding: "The content of the new law wouldn't cause any immediate changes of policy toward Hong Kong. President Trump will still have some flexibility." But speaking on the sidelines of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Beijing, Kennedy warned: "A game-changer will be if there is a massive use of force by Chinese authorities in Hong Kong with a mounting loss of lives." Fred Hu, founder of Primavera Capital Group, said at the same forum that US politicians were using Hong Kong as "a pawn in the epic geopolitical rivalry" with China and warned that the bill could hinder the trade talks. "It is a sheer self-serving politics on the part of the US. I don't think they really care about what is happening in Hong Kong, partly they hope Hong Kong's turmoil will continue," Hu said. But former US trade representative Charlene Barshefsky told the event that she did not think Hong Kong was relevant one way or another with respect to the trade disputes between China and the US. Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng said that communication between the trade negotiators was continuing, and that China was willing to work with the US on the basis of equality and mutual respect. On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that China had invited US negotiators for face-to-face talks in Beijing, citing unnamed sources. US officials have indicated they would be willing to meet in person but have not committed to a date, the report said, and they would be reluctant to travel for talks unless China makes it clear it will make commitments on intellectual property protection, forced technology transfers and agricultural purchases. Sources said the main point of contention was that both sides had yet to agree on how many tariffs should be removed on each other's products and the conditions for doing so. A key concern for the US is how many tariffs on agricultural products will be removed, while one of China's key demands is the removal of tariffs imposed in September this year. It is widely expected that the US will – if not remove – at least postpone the imposition of further tariffs scheduled to take effect on December 15. But expectations for how far any initial deal will go have been scaled back, with both sides needing more time for detailed negotiations on thorny issues such as China's technology transfers, industrial subsidies and reform of state-owned enterprises. Speaking at the Bloomberg forum, Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state, said a mutual understanding of the history and cultural differences between China and the US was necessary to address the conflicts between the two sides, including Hong Kong. "Hong Kong is bound to be a highly emotional issue in China, being the first colony or territory that was extracted from China in the period of colonialism, so its return to China has a highly symbolic quality," said Kissinger, who played a key role in the establishment of relations between the US and the People's Republic. "We had problems with China, we had disagreements, but they were not part of a global struggle. This new situation is partly an impact of tech, partly the impact of different political systems, but we have lived through those before," he said. ^ top ^
680 Chinese held in Malaysia over online scam targeting WeChat Pay users (SCMP)
2019-11-21
Nearly 700 Chinese nationals have been detained in Malaysia after the Immigration Department raided the call centre of a suspected online scam syndicate based in the science park town of Cyberjaya. National news agency Bernama described the raid, carried out on Wednesday, as the largest this year. In addition to the 680 Chinese detained, a further 100 people escaped as immigration officers approached the six-storey building thought to house the call centre. The office had security guards, CCTV cameras and an access card system. A video online showed people dressed in dark-coloured clothing crawling out of an office window on the first storey and jumping to a grassy patch below. Another video showed a swarm of people running away from the building and dashing across major roads. Cyberjaya is about 26km from the capital Kuala Lumpur "During the operation, 680 nationals from China comprising 603 men and 77 women … aged between 19 and 35 were detained when a six-storey building was raided," Malaysia Immigration Department director general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said on Thursday. "Some of them attempted to attack immigration officers … around 100 people managed to escape." Those detained had broken immigration rules, having entered the country on social visit passes and overstayed. They also failed to produce their passports, Khairul said. The syndicate is believed to be headquartered in China and its scam has been operating for around six months, according to the Immigration Department. The scammers are thought to have targeted victims in China by offering fast returns through transactions carried out via WeChat Pay or Chinese banks. On its Facebook page, the department posted a photo showing scores of men in T-shirts crouched on the floor with their heads bowed, as uniformed officers stood over them. Officers also seized 8,230 handphones, 174 laptops and 787 computers. The raid involved 150 immigration officers and was the result of a month's worth of surveillance following complaints from the public, said Khairul. He said the Chinese embassy had been notified that its citizens had been arrested. This month, the Chinese embassy posted a notice on its website reminding Chinese citizens to obey the law in Malaysia. It said the embassy had received calls from Chinese citizens reporting that they had lost touch with friends and relatives who told them they were working in the tech industry or finance in Malaysia. Police believe many of these people had become involved in either telecommunications fraud or online gambling gangs, and some had been arrested, the embassy said. The notice made five points, including urging Chinese citizens to understand the nature of any job offered to them before arriving in Malaysia. "Do not believe in the promise of 'you will get help to find a job after arriving in Malaysia'", the statement said, urging anyone who had inadvertently become involved in telecom fraud or with an online gambling syndicate to call the police. In September 2018, police arrested 93 Chinese nationals and six locals in Kuala Lumpur for operating an investment scam in which victims in China were offered shares in publicly listed companies and promised handsome returns. Last month, police in the East Malaysian state of Sabah arrested 80 Chinese nationals in a series of raids at almost a dozen luxury condominiums. They were operating what is known as a "Macau scam", in which the caller impersonates an authority figure, such as a police or court officer, and seeks payment from the victim to avoid trouble. The same month, police in the northern state of Penang caught 79 Chinese nationals operating a share market investment scam out of two mansions. ^ top ^
Chinese top political advisor visits Laos to promote bilateral cooperation, boost ties (Xinhua)
2019-11-20
Chinese top political advisor Wang Yang paid an official visit to Laos from Nov. 16 to 19, calling for implementation of consensus reached by leaders of the two parties and two countries to further enhance bilateral relations. During his four-day stay in the southeastern Asian country, Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), met with General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, President of the National Assembly Pany Yathotou, and held talks with President of the Lao Front for National Construction Xaysomphone Phomvihane. When meeting with Bounnhang, Wang said top leaders of the two parties and two countries inked an action plan in April on building a community with a shared future for China and Laos, providing important guidance for the future development of bilateral relations. He said China is ready to work with Laos to enhance strategic communication on major bilateral issues, promote the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Laos' strategy to transform from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub, promote the construction of the China-Laos Economic Corridor, and carry out comprehensive and institutionalized dialogue and exchanges at various levels. Wang also briefed Bounnhang on the fourth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, saying that China is willing to work with Laos to enhance experience exchanges in governance and jointly develop their socialist causes featuring different characteristics. For his part, Bounnhang expressed his heartfelt congratulations to China on its great achievements made in the past 70 years. Hailing the traditional friendly relations between Laos and China, Bounnhang said Laos stands ready to work with China to jointly implement the action plan on building a community with a shared future for China and Laos, frequent exchanges on party construction and cadres at different levels, enhance mutual support on issues regarding each other's major concerns, coordinate on major international and regional issues to promote a more comprehensive and higher quality development of bilateral relations. When holding talks with Xaysomphone, Wang said the China-Laos relationship has ushered in a new era under the leadership of top leaders of the two parties and two countries. China is ready to work with Laos to frequent high-level exchanges, deepen political mutual trust, implement major industrial capacity, economic and trade cooperation projects, and take the China-Laos tourism year as an opportunity to expand tourism cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, said Wang, adding that the CPPCC is willing to work with the Lao Front for National Construction to enhance exchanges at all levels and mutual learning to rich the connotation of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. Xaysomphone said the success of socialism with Chinese characteristics is solid proof of the CPC's strategic vision and governance capacity. Noting that Laos and China are enjoying their best relations ever in history, Xaysomphone said his country firmly supports the BRI, and is ready to work with China to deepen experience exchanges in governance and enhance all-round mutually beneficial cooperation. During his meetings with Thongloun and Pany, Wang said the China-Laos relationship not only has solid political foundation, but also has economic complementary advantages. China appreciates the policy and legal support provided by the Lao government and the National Assembly to promote bilateral cooperation, Wang said. He called on the two sides to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two parties and two countries, guarantee that the construction of the China-Laos railway will complete as scheduled, promote more social welfare projects aid to consolidate the foundation of public opinions of the friendship between the two countries. The Lao side said that the great achievements China has made in the past 70 years are solid proof of the superiority of the socialist system. They expressed the appreciation of China's active role in international and regional affairs and voiced support for measures China has taken to safeguard its core interests and national security. Laos is wiling to provide more convenience to welcome investment from Chinese enterprises and more Chinese tourists, they said. During his stay in Laos, Wang also met with Khamkhanh Chanthavisouk, secretary of the Luang Prabang Party Committee and governor of the Lao province, inspected the construction of the China-Laos railway, attended a meeting with representatives of overseas Chinese in Laos and activities of the China-Laos tourism year, and laid a wreath to the statue of former Lao President Kaysone Phomvihane. ^ top ^
China gets rolling on military vehicle delivery to Thailand (SCMP)
2019-11-19
China will deliver US$76 million worth of military vehicles to Thailand next week, one of three orders to be filled over the next few years as the two countries forge closer military ties. The delivery would comprise 34 VN-1 armoured personnel vehicles, 10 VT-4 tanks and five other supporting vehicles, the Bangkok Business News reported on Monday. The second batch of 34 vehicles and third batch of 39 would be delivered in the next two to three years, the report said. The VN-1, designed by China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) for the international market, is used to transport army and marine corps. It is one of a number of armoured personnel vehicles China has exported, including to Argentina and Venezuela. Authorities in Caracas deployed VN-4 "Rhinoceros" armoured personnel carriers – also made by Norinco – against protesters calling for the downfall of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in May. The VT-4 is a third-generation Norinco-built tank – 28 of which were delivered to the Royal Thai Army in October 2017. Thailand used to buy most of its most of its weapons from the United States but started looking to China after a military coup in Thailand in 2014 sent a chill through ties with the US. China and Thailand have strengthened diplomatic and military ties in the years since, with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister Wei Fenghe meeting on Sunday. During the meeting, the Thai leader pledged to adhere to the one-China policy and play an active part in the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing's trade initiative to link economies into a China-centred trading network. Prayut also said he hoped the two countries would further strengthen cooperation on military equipment and technology, joint exercises and joint training, as well as multilateral security. Besides the armoured personnel vehicles and tanks, Thailand has made several major arms acquisitions from China in recent years, including anti-ship missiles and rockets. It has also ordered a submarine from China which is due to be in service by 2023 and cost US$390 million, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. ^ top ^
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China's state-owned enterprises help protect economy from foreign pressure and risks, says Communist Party economist (SCMP)
2019-11-21
China relies on its state-owned enterprises to help counter "international pressure and risks", according to a leading Communist Party economist. Wang Xiaoguang, deputy director of the economics department at the Central Committee's Party School, argued that the businesses – which attract frequent complaints from the United States and Europe about unfair competition – are a valuable way of protecting the country's economy at a time when the US is seeking to do down China. "China has been emphasising the quality and influence of SOEs in recent years," Wang told a seminar in Beijing on Wednesday. "The new requirement is that SOEs should have strong capabilities in innovation and in withstanding risks. China relies on SOEs to buffer risks from home and abroad and stand guard for the economy." He also said it should be "achievable" for China's gross domestic product to grow by 6 per cent next year "because China has a huge market and there is the capacity to increase investment". Wang told the seminar that SOEs were not only a tool for Beijing to use when the economy was overheating or stagnating, they also took on important social responsibilities. "As far as I know, a state-owned steel company I investigated a couple of years ago paid 6 billion yuan (US$853 million) in heating fees for their employees a year," Wang said. Wang was speaking a seminar discussing the conclusions of the Central Committee's fourth plenum, which finished at the end of last month. In the communique released after the closed door policy meeting, Beijing reaffirmed its commitment to the state-led economy, while simultaneously promising a level playing field for international business. Following the release of the communique, Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the General Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, told a press conference that China's state companies are "normal market players" that "follow market rules and take part in competition on an equal basis with others" after four decades of reforms. Han also said the state economy would get "stronger, better and bigger', while public ownership would remain the primary vehicle for economic growth. There has been growing criticism from China's biggest trade partners – the US and European Union – that China's subsidies for state firms are distorting markets. Critics are concerned that Beijing has not committed to reforming the state sector in a way that would give the private sector a bigger role in the economy and foreign companies access to some industries dominated by state-owned firms. The role of the companies has proved a sticking point in the protracted trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing. The EU Chamber of Commerce in China has also called for "defensive measures" against state-owned enterprises, saying in a report released in September that Beijing's failure to reform the sector had seen it grow more bloated and inefficient. However, Wang's comments suggest China will continue to support the state sector with favourable policies, subsidies and relatively easy access to funding rather than bowing to pressure to the US. While Beijing has cut the total number of companies under central government control, the assets of state firms are growing through consolidation, with profits hitting record highs. Assets held by China's state enterprises reached 58.2 trillion yuan (US$8.2 trillion) last year, up from 54.5 trillion yuan in 2017 The net profits of those companies meanwhile jumped 15.7 per cent from 2017 to 1.2 trillion yuan last year. The contribution of state-owned firms to China's GDP was estimated to be between 23 and 28 per cent and their share in employment was anywhere between 5 per cent and 16 per cent in 2017, according to a World Bank report released in July this year. Chen Fengying, former head of the World Economy Institute at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, echoed Wang's arguments, saying China was unlikely to agree to the US's requests to effectively weaken state-owned firms because of this social role and their use as policy tools. ^ top ^
New Chinese cybersecurity rules could delay release of threat alerts to business and public, tech specialists warn (SCMP)
2019-11-21
China's proposed cybersecurity regulations could delay alerts to the public and business about critical threats, specialists have warned. The draft rules issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Wednesday would require police and government regulators to be notified before any information is made public. They also prohibit the public sharing of technical information such as malicious source codes or security loopholes. The proposed rules, open for public consultation until December 19, would cover media reports, online discussions, public forums and messages from security apps. The cyberspace administration said the new rules were designed to strengthen cybersecurity, prevent profiteering and stop illegal exploitation of online security. It also said the enforced delay would give police and regulators time to mitigate any damage. But one cybersecurity expert – who wished to be identified only by the alias MDrights – said the proposed rules could limit sharing of knowledge among specialists and impair their ability to fix these security flaws. "This [technical] information needs to be communicated to the industry. We need to know how the attacks happen so we know how to protect against them, and everyone can learn and improve together," he said. The regulations would also significantly affect the way the Chinese media could cover cybersecurity threats, Wang Boyuan, a Chinese technology writer, warned. "There is basically nothing left to write about. The rules ban many things relating to cybersecurity incidents from being disclosed," Wang said. "Chinese media will need to notify authorities before they report on cybersecurity incidents." However, the watchdog insisted the media could continue "normal reporting" of cybersecurity news, as long as they complied with the notification requirement and did not disclose any data leaked due to cyberattacks. It added that once the cybersecurity threat was reported to the authorities, the source did not need government approval for releasing the information to the public. In a Q&A posted on the administrator's website, it also complained that some cybersecurity firms had been exaggerating some threats for marketing purposes. Some industry specialists said the new rules could help to check malicious hackers and simplify the process of reporting threats. Maxime Oliva, chief executive of cybersecurity firm TekID, said that currently people could report attacks to the police, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or other regulators. "Now we have a very clear, identified process of how to report," he said. Taiger Zhao, a lawyer from Dentons' Shanghai Office, said he did not think the new rules would have a great impact on the flow of information and media reporting of cybersecurity threats although it would increase the workload involved in the process. The new guidelines are the latest in a series of measures designed to enforce a cybersecurity law, introduced in 2017, which was described as a way to improve national security, safeguard internet sovereignty and the public interest. The year before the law's introduction Wooyun, one of the leading platforms for "white hats" – or ethical hackers who look for flaws in security systems to warn people of the risks – was shut down after several managers were reportedly detained. The platform had faced numerous complaints after exposing security flaws in large companies' websites although it was not clear whether anyone ever faced criminal charges. However, the Wooyun archive had survived online until Wednesday's announcement about the new rules. It has since been taken down and replaced with a message that says: "Due to rules four, eight and 12 on the disclosure of cybersecurity threats, our website will be closed. Reopening to be determined." ^ top ^
China to establish multi-pronged mechanism for financial dispute resolution (Xinhua)
2019-11-21
Chinese authorities have vowed to put in place a multi-pronged mechanism for financial dispute resolution to protect legitimate rights and interests of financial consumers and prevent and defuse financial risks, according to an official directive. Jointly issued by the Supreme People's Court, the People's Bank of China and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the directive aims to promote the sustainable and healthy development of the financial sector. It stipulates that civil and commercial subjects with equal rights can apply for mediation by financial dispute mediation organizations in disputes over contractual and tort liabilities arising from financial business. As per the directive, an agreement between parties to a dispute that is reached through mediation presided over by financial dispute mediators shall have the nature of a civil contract. If a party refuses to fulfill a mediation agreement, of which validity has been affirmed by a people's court, the other party may apply for compulsory execution by a people's court, says the directive. According to authorities, the Supreme People's Court, the People's Bank of China and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission will jointly establish the working group of the multi-pronged mechanism for financial dispute resolution to guide and coordinate work related to mechanism building. ^ top ^
Alibaba's coming Hong Kong listing sends Hang Seng to biggest percentage gain in two weeks (SCMP)
2019-11-20
Hong Kong stocks saw their biggest percentage gain in two weeks, as strong reception for Alibaba's US$13.86 billion initial public offering temporarily muted concerns about the outlook of the protest-ravaged city. China indexes also closed higher, as the market anticipates further easing measures from the central bank to support the slowing economy. The Hang Seng Index rose 1.6 per cent, finishing at 27.093.8. The CSI 300, which tracks blue chips listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses, closed 1 per cent higher, finishing at 3,947.04, while the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.9 per cent, closing at 2,933.99. Both percentage gains were the biggest since November 1. Despite Hong Kong still being rocked by an ongoing tear-gas and firebomb stand-off staged between hard core protesters and police over the past few days, the ongoing marketing of Alibaba Group's IPO lifted the index. Alibaba's secondary listing could raise up to US$13.86 billion and is expected to catapult Hong Kong back to the top global IPO capital ranking. According to a Reuters story citing unnamed sources, Alibaba is closing book earlier than expected from prospective institutional investors due to strong demand. Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post, begins trading in Hong Kong on November 26. Benefiting from the listing excitement, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing rose 2.8 per cent to HK$251.8. Alvin Cheung, an associate director at Prudential Brokerage, observes that generally, the broader market performance improves as the pricing and listing of a new mega-sized IPO approaches. "Generally institutional investors, particularly those involved in the preparation work of IPOs, would be incentivised to avoid selling down a market as a way to create favourable market conditions for the listing," he said. Leading the index higher was social media giant Tencent, which rose 2 per cent to HK$336.6. Banks also did well, with China Construction Bank rising 1.7 per cent to HK$6.42. Meanwhile, insurer AIA rose 1.3 per cent to HK$79.5. Snack and beverage maker Want Want China surged 4.5 per cent to HK$6.68, after it reported that net profit attributable to shareholders for the six months ended September rose 18.4 per cent to 1.6 billion yuan. Cheung however expects the HSI will see upside capped at the 27,800 level this week. In Shanghai, leading the index higher was Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine, which rose 2.9 per cent to 95.63 yuan. Meanwhile, distiller giant Kweichow Moutai rose 0.4 per cent to 1,232.32 yuan, and Industrial and the Commercial Bank of China rose 0.5 per cent to 5.85 yuan. "Market sentiment continues to improve, thanks to the 180 billion yuan liquidity injection by China's central bank as it cut the 7-day reverse repo rate to 2.5 per cent for the first time in four years. That has been taken by the market to expect more supportive monetary measures will follow in the near term," said Cheung. Gains on the Shenzhen Component were even larger, 1.8 per cent, sending the index to 9,889.75. Mobile gaming-related stocks pushed the Index higher in Shenzhen, with many jumping to the 10 per cent daily limit. These include Wuhu Sanqi Interactive Entertainment Network Tech, to 21.49 yuan; Perfect World, to 33.64 yuan; and Hangzhou Shunwang Tech, to 23.31 yuan. As Google launches its cloud gaming service, Stadia, mainland investors are betting that leading Chinese cloud computing giants Alibaba and Tencent will also launch more cloud gaming services, opening more business opportunities for game developers. Tencent has launched its cloud gaming solution this year. ^ top ^
Restoring pig production a political task for China to rein in inflation (Global Times)
2019-11-18
China's southern provinces should make an all-out effort to accelerate the recovery of pig production and consider it a "political task", the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) said. As the mission has been elevated to the status of a political task, it means that stabilizing pork prices has become China's top priority in order to maintain the stability of people's livelihoods, while relevant measures would boost investors and pig farmers' confidence, experts said. "Nine provinces in southern China are traditionally the main pig-producing areas, whose production accounts for nearly half of the pigs supplied across the country. Whether pig production in these provinces can be restored is of significance to maintaining stable pork supplies and prices," the MARA said in a report about a meeting in Nanchang, capital of East China's Jiangxi Province on Saturday to promote pig raising. The report mentioned provinces and cities including East China's Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces. Local governments should take responsibility in implementing policies and measures to support the recovery of pork production, including fiscal and financial support. Prevention and control measures regarding African swine fever (ASF) should be further strengthened, the MARA report said. As soaring pork prices have become a threat to public wellbeing, the government has given top priority to stabilizing pork prices, and the national support will help revive farmers' confidence, especially small farms, Li Guoxiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday. Domestic pork supply has been affected by the spread of ASF in most provinces. Losses caused by ASF have exceeded 100 billion yuan ($14 billion), the People's Daily reported on Monday. The average domestic pork price skyrocketed 101.3 percent year-on-year in October, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed. Soaring pork prices have contributed to rising China's consumer price index (CPI), which rose 3.8 percent year-on-year in October, 0.9 percentage points higher than in September. "Excluding pork, the adjusted CPI increase rate would be down to 1.3 to 1.4 percent. So if the pork price could be further reduced and stabilized, it could dramatically relieve the pressure on the CPI," Liu Xuezhi a senior economist at the Bank of Communications, told the Global Times on Monday. Many consumers have shifted to beef and lamb since pork is expensive. Wang Bin, deputy chief for market operations at the Ministry of Commerce, said on November 7 that domestic consumption of pork has dropped 20 to 30 percent. "Pork is a staple of Chinese people's diet. So if pork prices stabilize, the prices of beef and lamb will accordingly stabilize, which actually ensures people's wellbeing," Liu said. ^ top ^
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Boom in foreign trade brings stability to southern Xinjiang (Global Times)
2019-11-21
With the opening of a local customs clearing center and links to the China-Europe freight train route, Aksu, a trading hub in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, witnessed 18-percent surge in foreign trade volume in the first 10 months of 2019, in particular to Russia and Central Asian countries. While foreign trade now only accounts for less than 1 percent of Aksu's GDP, room for expansion is being unleashed as more policy packages take effect, officials said. The export of agricultural products such as apples and nuts will drive a complete industrial chain, boost local employment and bring stability to southern Xinjiang, a region once hit by terrorism and extremism. "Shipments of our fruit juice to Russia have been growing this year after Aksu got on the China-Europe freight train route. We plan to export 12,000 tons of apple juice to Russia by the end of 2019," Li Judong, general manager of Aksu Hengtong Juice Co, told the Global Times on Thursday. The value of such exports to Russia is about $14 million, compared with the company's total exports of $11 million last year. In past years, Hengtong primarily focused on export markets in Australia, Japan and the US. So far, Hengtong has shipped about 4,000 tons of apple juice to Russia through two cargo trains bound to the European continent. The remaining order is expected to be transported by another four China-Europe freight trains, according to Li. Hengtong is just an example of how improved logistics services in southern Xinjiang are helping local exporters to nurture new business and gain new markets in Russia and Central Asia. In September, the Aksu railway station was approved to link directly to the China-Europe freight train route via a model of consolidated loading and shipping in southern Xinjiang. The trains, which departed from Urumqi Western station, operate two times a week. According to Li, the cost of shipping this way is 30 percent lower than that of inland shipping, not taking into account subsidies that local governments offer to export companies. The transportation time is also slashed by 20 percent. The price edge allows Hengtong, Aksu's largest fruit juice producer, to make forays into Central Asia countries, where Polish fruit once held the largest market share due to geographic proximity. For exporters in southern Xinjiang, customs clearing has dropped to about seven days after a customs post was set up in Aksu in March. Aksu is equidistant to major locations in southern Xinjiang such as Hotan Prefecture, Kashi Prefecture and the city of Korla, with well-developed road connectivity. In the past, goods were usually shipped abroad through Alashankou port or Tianjin port in North China's Tianjin Municipality, and sometimes it could take up to two months for goods to be cleared there. "Local customs will allow manufacturers to respond to clients' demand in a swifter manner," You Jianjun, general manger of Aksu-based Shenghe Logistics, told the Global Times on Wednesday. In the first 10 months, Aksu's foreign trade rose 17.9 percent year-on-year to $285 million. Of this, exports soared 10 percent to $265 million, led by growth in fresh agricultural products such as apples, according to data provided by Aksu's foreign trade bureau. Last year, Aksu exported about 2,000 to 5,000 tons of apples. Developing foreign trade has brought significant benefits to the city in terms of raising local farm households' income and creating more jobs, officials said. For example, through selling fresh fruit to Hengtong, famers can make an extra income of 600 yuan per mu (0.07 hectare) a year compared with selling directly to local markets. Last year, Hengtong paid 65 million yuan to fruit farmers. The company also creates 200 jobs for rural workers and minority groups every year, helping lifting local people out of poverty. Downstream industries including transportation, packaging and warehousing also flourish in Aksu on the heels of booming foreign trade. Foreign trade only represents less than 1 percent of the GDP of Aksu, which is eclipsed by consumption and investment, according to Kahaerjiang Kuerban, an official of Aksu's foreign trade bureau. Last year, foreign trade accounted for 6 percent of Xinjiang's GDP. "We will take more measures to leverage Aksu's geographic advantage in the Belt and Road Initiative into full play. We also encourage textile companies to develop more high value-added products for export," Kuerban told the Global Times on Wednesday. The bureau now provides platforms to organize local companies to join exhibitions in Russia and Kazakhstan. Local players also long for the opening of a port in Aksu. Studies on the feasibility of the port, which would be located 70 kilometers from Wushi county under the administration of Aksu Prefecture, have been in progress for years, but it is not clear when the port will open. "This port, once operating, will be a shortcut to Central Asia. About 90 percent of the cargo originating in southern Xinjiang could be shipped abroad through the port, saving a lot of transportation time," You said. ^ top ^
Delegation from China's Xinjiang showcases anti-terrorism work in Kuwait (Xinhua)
2019-11-21
A delegation from China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region concluded its two-day visit to Kuwait on Wednesday, where it introduced Xinjiang's achievements in delivering social stability, promoting religious harmony and anti-terrorism and de-radicalization efforts. During the visit, the delegation met with officials of Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accepted interviews with Kuwaiti media, and held discussions with experts and scholars from Kuwait University on counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures, ethnic and religious policies and vocational and educational training work in Xinjiang. During the discussion, the delegation showed short videos on anti-terrorism work in Xinjiang while exposing the serious harm that terrorism has brought to the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. According to the delegation, Xinjiang has adopted effective measures on fighting terrorism and de-radicalization work in recent years, effectively eliminated any breeding ground for violent terrorist activities, and accumulated useful experiences and practices that have won recognition by the international community. Xinjiang's social stability and rapid economic development have resulted in higher living standards across the region. The delegation visited Qatar earlier this week. Kuwait is the second stop on the delegation's tour, which will also take it to Saudi Arabia. ^ top ^
China hits out at New York Times over report on Xinjiang crackdown documents (SCMP)
2019-11-18
China's foreign ministry lashed out at The New York Times on Monday over its release of leaked documents portraying the inner workings of Beijing's campaign to detain more than a million Muslims in re-education camps. Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang accused the newspaper of ignoring the true reasons behind and success of what China terms a campaign to end poverty, separatism and religious extremism. Geng said the fact Xinjiang had not suffered a terrorist attack in three years – about the length of the time the internments have been carried out in earnest – showed the correctness of the policy. He said the article was a "clumsy patchwork" based on "selected interpretation" of the documents. "It is hyping up these so-called internal documents to smear China's efforts in Xinjiang. What is the agenda?" he said. Geng said China would continue "to do a good job" in implementing policies in Xinjiang aimed at expanding development and prosperity. "Xinjiang's continuing prosperity, stability, ethnic unity and social harmony are the strongest refutation to the allegations by certain media and individuals," he said. Geng did not question the validity of the documents, which detail among other things the pivotal role played by President Xi Jinping in demanding a harsh crackdown in Xinjiang. Xi is quoted as warning that economic development alone would not extinguish demands for independence among Xinjiang's Uygurs and other Muslim groups, who are linguistically, culturally and religiously distinct from China's majority Han people and make up about half of the vast, resource-rich region's population of 25 million. Xi is also quoted as endorsing a more forceful indoctrination campaign among Muslims, seen as leading to the establishment of the sprawling network of camps. "There must be effective educational remolding and transformation of criminals," he told officials in southern Xinjiang during a 2014 trip. "And even after these people are released, their education and transformation must continue." China first denied the existence of the camps, then described them as de-radicalisation centres aimed at giving job training to raise living standards and make Muslims less susceptible to religious extremism and separatism. Those released from the camps describe them as virtual prisons where conditions are difficult and punishments harsh. They say they are forced to renounce Islam and Uygur culture as backward and swear loyalty to Xi and the Communist Party in what some call a campaign of cultural genocide. The camp network is the lynchpin of a systematic attack on Muslim culture that has seen families torn apart and forced to host party workers in their homes to spy on them, mosques demolished and young Muslims forced to return from studying abroad. ^ top ^
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Riot police to guard all polling stations in protest-hit Hong Kong for first time – but will maintain 'minimum presence' to avoid sowing fear among voters in district council elections (SCMP)
2019-11-22
As Hong Kong gears up for a key election on Sunday amid the city's ongoing protest crisis, all polling stations will be guarded by armed officers in riot gear for the first time in the history of local polls, the Post has learned. The police force will be on "maximum reserve" mode to thwart any disruptions or violence but maintain a "minimum presence" to avoid sowing fear among voters as they cast their ballots at the more than 600 polling stations for the district council elections. A senior police source said that to enable such tight security, almost all officers in the 31,000-strong force, regardless of which division they are attached to, have to report for duty on election day, with 3,000 riot control officers and crime investigators on standby. "On top of security guards, there are also armed police officers in riot control uniform and gear in every polling station. District officers will patrol their own area and handle any disturbance first," the source said. Another source said plain-clothes officers would be equipped with anti-stab vests and anti-slash neck protectors, in the wake of a series of attacks on police. He stressed, however, that to avoid voters worrying, the force's presence around polling stations would be minimised but with enough officers on standby in the vicinity. Alongside the security preparations, a number of candidates contesting the 452 seats up for grabs are also taking additional precautions such as blurring their supporters' pictures on their social media accounts, not going out too late at night to canvass for support and keeping gatherings low-key. Both camps across the political divide held campaign rallies on Thursday to drum up support for Sunday, with the pro-establishment bloc scaling back its campaign to avoid the attention of anti-government protesters. The polls, held in the midst of the protest crisis now in its sixth month, will effectively be a referendum on the government and its allies and will have knock-on effects on the legislative elections next year, which draw candidates from among successful district councillors. Anger against the government and police could erode the dominance of the pro-establishment side and mean more seats for the pan-democratic camp and galvanise the protest movement further. China's top leadership has urged the government to hold the elections as scheduled despite the ongoing unrest and the uphill battle facing the government's allies, also dubbed the pro-Beijing camp, as the Post earlier reported. On Thursday, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung reiterated the government's determination to hold the elections in a fair and orderly manner The Electoral Affairs Commission also announced earlier this week it would hire extra security guards and move four polling stations away from universities after some of the campuses became intense battlefields between protesters and police. The city's largest pro-establishment party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, which is fielding 179 candidates for the 452 seats, held a campaign rally on Thursday morning, calling for "freedom and reason". Compared to its previous rallies, the event was a more muted gathering of mainly candidates, party veterans and core supporters, but not the bigger group of pro-Beijingers from the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. "It was on a smaller scale, as we are wary of 'attacks' from protesters," a party management official said. "We quickly wrapped it up in 30 minutes as there were messages in the Telegram channels that protesters might come over." But in the half-hour, DAB chief Starry Lee Wai-king and some candidates kicked black soccer balls, to symbolise the throwing out of black-clad protesters. The "black force" needed to be kicked out to rid the city of violence and allow people to express their views freely and to go back to work and school, Lee said. To protect the supporters who attended the rally from being doxxed, some later candidates covered their faces in the photos before posting them on their social media accounts. Lawmaker Michael Luk Chung-hung, of the pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions, said the party turned such a rally into a closed-door event, as an internal gathering to mobilise volunteers amid heightened security fears. The councillor in the Tin Heng constituency of Yuen Long district said many party colleagues had cut back on campaigning in the streets at night and relied more on phone calls to win over voters. He is facing challenges from Wong Pak-yu, Chan Ka-chun and Stanley Chan Chi-shing. With their offices vandalised and supporters harassed, the camp has complained that the elections are unfairly stacked against them. The pro-establishment camp has taken a beating in its support after it was seen as flip-flopping over the now-withdrawn extradition bill which would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to mainland China. It had supported the government on the bill, and then backed down in the face of overwhelming opposition, upsetting its own support base and further alienating other residents it was trying to court. During the protest crisis, politicians on both sides have become targets. Outspoken pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu was attacked by a knife-wielding man when he was campaigning, while several pan-democrats including Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit were assaulted on the streets. Ho is running against Lo Chun-yu and Chiang Ching-man in Tuen Mun, while Sham is up against incumbent Michael Wong Yue-hon in Sha Tin. The pro-democracy camp, which is staging its most ambitious campaign yet by sending candidates to all 452 constituencies, held a joint campaign rally on Thursday, chanting "five demands, let's vote as a referendum" – echoing the "five demands, not one less" slogan used during the ongoing demonstrations by protesters on what they want the government to do. Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai dismissed the complaints raised by the camp's opponents, as he said several pan-democrats had also been assaulted and had their banners vandalised. "We call for restraint from all sides as this election carries enormous significance, as it will demonstrate how the public assesses the government amid the protests," he said. ^ top ^
Hong Kong PolyU management briefly clean squalid canteen at blockaded campus (HKFP)
2019-11-22
Top management figures of the besieged Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have helped to clean a canteen inside the campus upon the request of a protester. Dozens of demonstrators have refused to leave the blockaded Hung Hom campus for more than a week following intense clashes with police. Most inside have either escaped or voluntarily left, though some have been arrested by officers stationed outside. Several top PolyU figures including the Chairman of the Council Lam Tai-fai, as well as two Vice-Presidents Ben Young and Alexander Wai, paid a visit to inspect the university at midday on Thursday. As the group reached the Communal Building, they were stopped by a masked protester holding a soup spoon. The protester has become known as the "Chef" after volunteering to cook for protesters at the university's main canteen. "Chef" insisted on speaking with the management and criticised them as arriving too late to help the people inside the campus. "Has anyone been helping me?" he asked. "Have you fulfilled your duties?" Wai said the canteen was dirty. "Chef" replied asking him to help clean it, which Wai agreed to. The group wore gloves as they helped to clean the dining hall for around 30 minutes, however, Lam was not present. Wai said he had heard of protesters becoming sick from living in the squalid conditions and urged everyone to leave. When asked how he could persuade protesters facing rioting charges to leave, Wai said the university could arrange for management figures to accompany them to police stations or hospitals. Wai added he did not know when the school could reopen. "The campus is now being occupied and we have yet to gather the manpower to clean it," he said. Way Kuo, the head of the City University, also paid a visit to the school on Thursday after hearing that two of his students were inside PolyU, though he did not find them. He said hygiene at the campus was deteriorating and urged all to leave. "It's really sad," he said. Catholic and Christian pastors also entered the school in an attempt to speak with those inside. Education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen said protesters inside PolyU did not trust the police and the government. "They are very concerned that they will get beaten up after they leave," he said on a Commercial Radio programme on Thursday. Ip said many of the protesters inside were being psychologically tortured as the sieged dragged on. ^ top ^
Chinese police release Simon Cheng Man-kit 'confession' tape amid accusations of torture (SCMP)
2019-11-21
Police in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen released a video "confession" on Thursday in an apparent attempt to discredit claims by a former British consulate employee in Hong Kong that he was tortured when he was detained in the border city in August. The video, which was released through the Weibo microblogging account of Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily, showed Simon Cheng Man-kit, a Hong Kong resident who previously worked for the British consulate in Hong Kong as a trade and investment officer, "confessing" to his interrogators that he felt ashamed of his wrongdoings and promising not to repeat the mistakes. Another video released by the police purportedly showed Cheng at a club in Luohu district in Shenzhen and later entering a room with a woman. A report with the videos said Cheng visited the club three times over a fortnight from late July during which he had engaged in "prostitution". "From the information provided by Luohu police, [we can see that] this was an ordinary case of patronising prostitution and this was supported by clear facts and conclusive evidence," the report said. "In this case, police have handled the investigation and interrogation in accordance with the law and [they] did not extract evidence [from Cheng] through torture." Cheng, 29, was released by Shenzhen police on August 24 and later returned to Hong Kong. In the "confession" video, Cheng was shown saying that what he did was "shameful" and he was "too ashamed to meet my girlfriend and my family". "I am determined to mend my ways and I will never make the same mistake again," Cheng was shown saying. However, the "confession" did not mention prostitution nor include any footage of the woman involved. In a long statement posted on Facebook on Wednesday, Cheng gave a detailed account of how he was held for 15 days in Shenzhen and tortured. He was also pressed to give information about activists in anti-government protests in Hong Kong and the alleged roles of the British government in the unrest, he said. Asked in an interview with British broadcaster BBC on Wednesday whether he had paid for sex during his visits to Shenzhen, Cheng declined to answer. However, he said in his Facebook statement that he did nothing regrettable. "I did not harm and did nothing I regret to anyone and all the people I love and cherish," Cheng wrote. On Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he summoned the Chinese ambassador in London to express outrage at Cheng's alleged mistreatment. Commenting on Cheng's statement, Raab said: "We were shocked and appalled by the mistreatment he suffered while in Chinese detention, which amounts to torture." In his own statement, Cheng said he was asked by the consulate to resign in November. But sources said he might have left of his own accord. ^ top ^
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Tuvalu rejects Chinese firms' offer to build islands, stands with Taiwan (SCMP)
2019-11-21
Tuvalu has rejected offers from mainland Chinese companies to build artificial islands to help it cope with rising sea levels, an approach viewed as undermining Taiwan's influence in the region, the South Pacific nation said on Thursday. Foreign Minister Simon Kofe expressed support for Taiwan and said his country was working to set up a group to unite the self-ruled island's remaining four allies in the Pacific. "Tuvalu and Taiwan diplomatic ties are the strongest they've ever been," he said in Taipei. "We believe in the power of grouping together and collaborating," he said, referring to the Marshall Islands, Palau and Nauru. "Together with our partners, we will be able to counter the influence from mainland China." The show of support provides some relief for Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who is seeking re-election in January and has seen seven countries drop Taiwan as a diplomatic ally since she took office in 2016. Tuvalu's support comes just two months after fellow Pacific island nations Kiribati and Solomon Islands switched their diplomatic recognition to Beijing. Beijing has in recent months stepped up a campaign to peel away more allies of Taiwan, which Beijing considers its territory and therefore ineligible for state-to-state relations. Taiwan said Kiribati was lured by Beijing with the promise of planes, while the Solomons was offered development funds. Kofe said mainland Chinese companies had recently approached local communities to help support a US$400 million government plan to build artificial islands, saying he believed the companies were backed by the Chinese government. "It's a no from us," Kofe said. "We are hearing a lot of information about debt, China buying our islands and looking at setting up military bases in our part of the world. Those are things that are concerning to us." "We hope those are lessons for other countries to be careful and be conscious of the negative impacts … It's not good for our Pacific fellow brothers and sisters." China's moves to expand its influence in the Pacific have alarmed the United States and its allies, including Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The group has dominated the strategic waters of the small developing nations since World War Two and are pushing back against Beijing. The premier of the Solomon's Malaita province said on Thursday that the US and its regional allies had pledged to develop a deep-sea port and would be invited to patrol its territory, creating a beachhead against increased investment from Beijing. ^ top ^
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| Economy |
Multinationals confident in China's development, eye more opportunities (Xinhua)
2019-11-21
Global business leaders on Thursday gathered at the New Economy Forum held in Beijing and voiced their confidence in the future growth of the Chinese market. Chinese firms are now coming to Europe with larger amounts of investment, and companies from European countries do the same and hope to get more access to the Chinese market, said Sergio Ermotti, group chief executive of Swiss banking giants UBS. "The Belt and Road Initiative is quite transformational and welcomed in Europe because European countries need a lot of infrastructure, so it is very important to capture the growth opportunities," Ermotti added. "I've seen China become much more open toward foreign direct investment," said Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, group CEO and managing director of the Mubadala Investment Company, citing the continuous evolution of the Chinese market. The Abu Dhabi-based investor said that technology, life sciences and transportation, among other areas, are the sectors in China that attract most of his interest from a global investor's perspective. Bill Winters, group chief executive of global financial giant Standard Chartered Bank, is optimistic about the growth prospects of the global economy in 2020, adding that China's economic growth has been stable and geopolitical concerns affecting investment activities have been eased. ^ top ^
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| DPRK |
South Korea desperate to resume tours to Mount Kumgang resort it shares with the North but will US listen? (SCMP)
2019-11-19
South Korea is appealing to the United States to approve the resumption of cross-border tours to North Korea's scenic Mount Kumgang, asserting this would not compromise international sanctions on Pyongyang and in fact improve ties with it. The Mount Kumgang resort is one of two projects – the other being the now-defunct joint industrial park in the North's Kaesong City – seen as symbol of Korean unification, but the North's leader Kim Jong-un recently threatened to dismantle Seoul-funded facilities in the resort. South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul visited Washington earlier this month to urge the US to allow tours to resume, while more than half of the members of South Korea's 300-seat parliament have passed a resolution to that effect and a public campaign to collect 10 million signatures has been launched. In a briefing to foreign journalists on Tuesday, Governor Choi Moon-soon of Gangwon Province near Mount Kumgang said the resumption of tours would ensure "a breakthrough in stalled diplomatic negotiations between the North and the United States as well as break the impasse in inter-Korean ties". Resuming the tours, which the North Korean leader has indicated he is open to, "would help lead the North to the path of reform and openness", said Choi, whose province lies on the border between North and South Korea. Kim Jong-un this week said the resort's buildings resembled those at "construction sites" and that Pyongyang should build "new modern service facilities our own way". Mount Kumgang, on the east coast of the Korean peninsula, is not subject to UN Security Council sanctions on nuclear-armed North Korea, but Washington has previously voiced concerns that Pyongyang was using foreign currency earned there to pay for its weapons arsenal. The resort opened in 1998 as a symbol of cooperation between the two rivals but the South pulled the plug on it in 2008 when a South Korean tourist was shot dead by a North Korean soldier after straying into an off-limits area. Choi said some 1.2 million Chinese tourists reportedly visited the North last year, many of them taking a trip to the Mount Kumgang resort. But South Korea's Unification Ministry said that figure looked exaggerated, citing North Korea's official report putting the number of Chinese tourists in 2018 at 200,000. Attendees at Tuesday's briefing included officials and business leaders who stressed the economic impact of the failure to resume tours, and gave assurances that Pyongyang was not benefiting from tourism dollars. Mayor Lee Kyung-il of Goseong County, the starting point for the tours, said 400 shops had been shut and the 27,000 residents of the county had suffered a cumulative loss of US$330 million over the past 10 years since the tours were stopped. "As the window is closing and time is ticking, we must grab this last chance to resume tours to Mount Kumgang," Lee said. South Korean companies had lost US$1.34 billion from invested assets and licences, according to Korea Culture and Tourism Institute. Shin Yang-soo, who assists South Korean businesses with investment exposure in Kumgang, denied allegations that the South had been "shovelling money" to the North through the tours. "Only one tenth of the money South Koreans spent for the tours dropped into North Korean hands … There was nothing like some bulk cash changing hands," he said. Before the tours were stopped, 1.95 million South Koreans visited Mount Kumgang. They paid between US$30 to 80 per person as an "admission charge" to the North and spent money on buying souvenirs. "There was absolutely nothing else that went to the North," Shin stressed. South Koreans only used hotels and other facilities built there by South Korea's Hyundai Asan at the cost of 780 billion won (US$668 million). Hyundai Asan secured a 50-year right to develop the tours after paying the North US$500 million before the tours started in 1998. All transport costs and other charges for using these facilities went to Hyundai Asan and its South Korean suppliers, Shin said. Regardless of whether the cash earnings for the North were significant or not, the resumption of the tours is highly important as a symbol for inter-Korean cooperation and exchange, said Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "However, I am rather sceptical whether the US accepts Seoul's request in light of Washington's long-held stance that there must not be any laxity in implementing sanctions against the North," he said. Ongoing efforts by the US to reach an agreement with North Korea over its nuclear and missile programmes appear stalled, with Pyongyang on Tuesday rejecting Sweden's proposal to mediate a dialogue next month. Earlier this week, South Korea and the United States decided to shelve a joint air force drill as an incentive for the North, but Pyongyang dismissed the gesture. Yang said Pyongyang was merely "posturing" to gain an upper hand in possible upcoming negotiations. ^ top ^
North Korea dismisses drills delay (Global Times)
2019-11-19
The US must end its joint exercises with Seoul "once and for all" to facilitate dialogue with Pyongyang, North Korea said on Tuesday, just days after the allies postponed planned drills. The US and South Korea said on Sunday they would delay annual joint aerial exercises slated for this month in an act of "goodwill" after months of deadlocked nuclear talks. Pyongyang has long protested the joint drills, which it condemns as preparations for invasion, and Seoul and Washington last year canceled several training sessions in the wake of the Singapore summit between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. But Kim Yong-chol, a senior North Korean official who formerly led talks with the US, said the weekend postponement was irrelevant. "We demand that the US quit the drill or stop it once and for all," Kim Yong-chol said in a statement carried by the KCNA news agency. "The suspension of the drill does not mean ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and is not helpful to the diplomatic efforts," he added. North Korea had "no intention" to sit down with the "tricky US" and would not return to talks "before the complete and irrevocable withdrawal of its hostile policy." "From now on, the DPRK will get due compensation for every administrative achievement the US president has talked too much about for over a year," Kim Yong-chol added, referring to North Korea by its official name. Trump has repeatedly pointed to North Korea's moratorium on nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches as foreign policy successes for him. But negotiations have been gridlocked since the Hanoi summit in February broke up in disagreement over sanctions relief, while October's working-level talks rapidly broke down in Sweden. On Tuesday, the US broke off talks on increasing South Korea's share of the cost of hosting a US military contingent after the two sides failed to narrow differences in a row that has raised questions about the US deployment. The breakdown in talks was a rare public disagreement in their 66-year alliance, with each side blaming the other for being unprepared to compromise on sharing the cost of keeping 28,500 US troops in South Korea as a deterrent to North Korea. Trump has insisted that South Korea pay more for the US troops - he has also suggested pulling them out altogether - testing an alliance that has for decades formed a buffer against North Korean aggression. The two Koreas remain in a technical state of war under a truce, not a peace treaty, that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. South Korean lawmakers have said the US is seeking up to $5 billion a year, more than five times the 1.04 trillion won ($890.54 million) South Korea agreed to pay this year. ^ top ^
North Korea says no more talks with US just so Donald Trump can boast (SCMP)
2019-11-19
North Korea said on Monday it was not interested in talks with the United States just so President Donald Trump had something to boast about, urging an end to what it called a "policy of hostility" if the United States wanted dialogue. The comments by senior North Korean official Kim Kye-gwan, a former vice-minister of foreign affairs, came after Trump over the weekend called on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to "act quickly" and hinted at another meeting. Kim, in a statement carried by the state KCNA news agency, said he had seen the Sunday Twitter post by Trump signalling another summit but added that little had improved despite three meetings between the two leaders since June 2018. "We are no longer interested in such talks that bring nothing to us," he said. "As we have got nothing in return, we will no longer gift the US president with something he can boast of, but get compensation for the successes that President Trump is proud of as his administrative achievements," Kim said. Trump and North Korean leader Kim met for the first time in a landmark summit in Singapore in June last year in a bid to push forward negotiations the US hopes will lead to the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes, in exchange for the lifting of punitive international sanctions. The talks have made no significant progress since a second summit between Trump and Kim collapsed in Vietnam in February, even though the two leaders agreed at a third meeting in June to reopen negotiations. In April, Kim set a year-end deadline for the United States to show more flexibility, raising concern that North Korea would resume nuclear and long-range missile testing, which it has suspended since 2017. Kim Kye-gwan said the United States must make a decisive move to abandon its hostile policy if it genuinely sought a dialogue. He did not elaborate. In his Twitter message, Trump urged Kim Jong-un, to "get the deal done", signing off "See you soon!" The message came hours after the United States and South Korea announced they were postponing military exercises to bolster the stalled peace push. North Korea denounces such military exercises as a preparation for invasion. On Sunday, it also said that a recent UN resolution concerning its human rights conditions was an obstacle to new talks with the US. Asked about the North Korean remarks, a senior US defence official said on Monday that Washington had "left the door open" to Pyongyang. "Their attitude so far has not been helpful. Hopefully they'll see that this is a historic opportunity for them," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. US Defence Secretary Mark Esper also discussed North Korea with Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe on Monday in Bangkok and urged Beijing to encourage North Korea to return to the negotiating table "with an attitude of problem solving," the official said. Working-level talks between the two sides in October ended with the North Korean envoy accusing the Americans of coming to the table empty-handed. On Monday, North Korea's Vice-Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui travelled to Russia, a trip that analysts said could be to discuss strategy for the US negotiations. This month, North Korea said it had turned down a US offer for more talks, saying it was not interested if they were aimed at "appeasing us" ahead of the deadline. "For Kim Jong-un, having set a year-end deadline himself, it is most important to meet it," said Cho Han-bum, senior research fellow at Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, South Korea. While North Korea wants the sanctions lifted, the United States has insisted that Kim must dismantle his nuclear weapons programme first. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
Government of Mongolia ordered to improve Oyu Tolgoi agreements (Montsame)
2019-11-21
On November 21, Parliament unanimously approved a draft resolution aimed at protecting the rights and interests of Mongolian people in the exploitation of Oyu Tolgoi deposit. A total of 46 members of the Parliament present at the session voted in favor of the resolution approval. The resolution has eight articles to 'improve agreements regarding the Oyu Tolgoi. Based on the conclusion and proposals by a working group in charge of taking control on the implementation of Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement and other relevant contracts on the exploitation of Oyu Tolgoi deposit in the Umnugobi aimag, a team of Parliament members drafted the resolution, reflecting measures to improve the agreements in line with legislation of Mongolia. The resolution states to take actions to improve the following documents in the scope of the corresponding Parliament resolutions and domestic laws. Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement (October 2009) by Government of Mongolia, Rio Tinto International Holding and Ivanhoe Mines and. Shareholders' Agreement (2011) by Erdenes Mongol, Ivanhoe Oyutolgoi, and Oyutolgoi Netherlands B.V. and Oyu Tolgoi. Oyu Tolgoi Underground Mine Development and Financing Plan (2015) by the Government of Mongolia, Oyu Tolgoi, Resource Limited, THR Oyutolgoi, Oyutolgoi Netherlands and Rio Tinto International Holding. In particular, the resolution rules the government of Mongolia to take complex measures to: study possibilities of resolving investment for 34 percent of shares owned by the Government of Mongolia through mineral production sharing agreement or royalty fees for the purpose of keeping the benefits to be gained by Mongolian side at not less than 53 percent, as reflected in the Investment Agreement; formulate technical and feasibility studies on the mineral reserves of the deposits, renew environmental and water resources assessments, carry out measures to ensure realization of the working group's conclusion and proposals, reinforce the financial and human resource capacity of the Mongolian representation in the project. ^ top ^
Governor of central bank dismissed (Montsame)
2019-11-21
During the plenary meeting of Parliament session on November 21, Governor of the Bank of Mongolia N.Bayartsaikhan was dismissed from his position. In 2017, country started facing a risk to be included in the Financial Action Task Force's 'Grey List', being identified as a jurisdiction with Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism deficiencies and had been in need of fulfilling the intergovernmental organization's recommendations. In June 2019, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economy concluded that the Bank of Mongolia could not satisfy its commitment to the FATF. In addition, the standing committee backed a resolution on the dismissal of the Governor of the Bank of Mongolia on November 5 in accordance with the law on Central Bank. With regard to the situation, the governor of the central bank N.Bayartsaikhan voluntarily submitted a letter requesting for his resignation to the Parliament Speaker on November 18. At the today's session, 57.1 percent of the members present and voting backed the dismissal of the central bank governor. ^ top ^
Chairwoman of Financial Regulatory Commission dismissed (Montsame)
2019-11-21
At its regular plenary meeting held today, November 21, Parliament approved dismissal of Chairwoman of the Financial Regulatory Commission (FRC) S.Davaasuren. It is deemed that the FRC has failed to perform its duties to maintain financial market stability, ensure effective law implementation and protect consumers' interests in a satisfactory manner. A professional union of non-banking financial institutions and savings and credit cooperatives have repeatedly filed complaints to the chair of the FRC. Moreover, a working group of the parliament has given instructions on its activities, which the FRC was unable to fulfill. Parliament Speaker G.Zandanshatar mentioned, during the meeting, that the governance system and functions of the non-banking financial institutions must be reformed. In compliance with the Law on the Legal Status of Financial Regulatory Commission, Chairwoman S.Davaasuren submitted a resignation letter voluntarily concerning the poor performance of the organization, which created conditions leading to an identification by Financial Action Task Force Mongolia as a jurisdiction with Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism deficiencies or so-called 'Grey List'. The Parliament speaker, on November 8, first presented the issue of the dismissal at the Parliament meeting. Today, 60.5 percent of Parliament members present voted in favor of her dismissal. ^ 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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