Switzerland

• Roche urged to apologize for 'Wuhan Coronavirus' label (Global Times)

Foreign Policy

• Chinese air force's drill 'aimed at signalling deterrent around Taiwan' (SCMP)
• China refutes U.S. officials' accusations of concealing extent of virus (Xinhua)
• How Southeast Asia's Chinese diaspora could play a leading role in defusing Sino-US rivalry (SCMP)
• US plans to close export loophole that allows high tech to be diverted to Chinese military (SCMP)
• Italy 'still proud to be part of EU' amid stronger ties with China and coronavirus pandemic (SCMP)
• China will take countermeasures if Washington imposes chip ban on Huawei: executive (Global Times)
• One-China principle allows no challenge (People's Daily)
• China proposes G20 collaboration to ensure stability in global industrial, supply chains (Xinhua)
• Politicizing China's anti-epidemic aid stems from bias (Global Times)

Domestic Policy

• China to strengthen epidemic control along land border (Xinhua)
• China Bans Export of Uncertified Medical Supplies (Caixin)
• China to hold national day of mourning for COVID-19 victims on April 4 (Global Times)
• Policy support key to service sector recovery (China Daily)
• Foreigners urged to obey anti-virus laws (China Daily)
• Outbreak won't slow poverty elimination goal (Global Daily)
• China launches "Sky Net 2020" to capture fugitive graft suspects (Xinhua)
• Xi inspects work resumption in Zhejiang (Xinhua)

Beijing 

• Intelligent service systems used on Beijing subway (China Daily)

Xinjiang

• Xinjiang completes poverty alert system (Global Times)

Hongkong

• Coronavirus: Hong Kong education officials mulling backup plans for university entrance exams as further delay or cancellation looms (SCMP)
• Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in Hong Kong urges British politicians to stop distorting truth (Xinhua)

Taiwan

• Taiwan military is prepared for any Chinese attack, says defence minister (SCMP)
• US 'stirring up trouble' with new Taiwan law (China Daily)

Economy

• The Big Debate: Should China Ditch GDP Growth Target for 2020? (Caixin)
• China AI start-up 4Paradigm raises 85 mln USD in latest funding round (Xinhua)
• Cargo trains help maintain China-Europe trade momentum (China Daily)
• 152 projects involving 62 billion USD inked in Shanghai (Xinhua)

DPRK

• North Korea insists it has no coronavirus cases, thanks to shutting borders, containment (SCMP)
• DPRK conducts test-firing of super-large multiple rocket launchers (Xinhua)

Mongolia

• Mongolia-U.S. sign formal child protection compact partnership (Montsame)
• Finance Minister shed light on economic relief measures (Montsame)
• National Security Council discusses natural gas pipeline project (Montsame)
• Mongolia disinfecting imported goods (Montsame)

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Roche urged to apologize for 'Wuhan Coronavirus' label (Global Times)
2020-04-03
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche was criticized by Wuhan Chinese scientists on Thursday as a subsidiary in Argentina labeled its test kits with "Coronavirus de Wuhan" instead of COVID-19, a violation of the non-discrimination principle in naming the virus. Although Roche's subsidiary in China posted a statement on its Chinese website apologizing for the mistake and its Argentina subsidiary that showed "Coronavirus de Wuhan" had already been deleted. Chinese scientists said that was not enough and urged Roche to apologize in both Chinese and English on its headquarters' website to send a firm message that opposes discrimination against the region or country where the first confirmed case was discovered. Hong Dengfeng, a professor of the Department of seed science and Engineering at Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, said "the World Health Organization has already named the virus COVID-19, and it is a universally accepted value that the naming of a virus should not involve any discrimination against any region. As a Chinese from Wuhan, I cannot accept this kind of discrimination." "The statement that Roche's subsidiary in China made could only read by Chinese people, but its products are widely used by people in America and Europe, and they can see such mistake as well, so I don't think the apology is enough," he noted, according to Red Star News, a Chinese news website, reported on Thursday. Zhang Qifa, another professor at Huazhong Agricultural University, told the Red Star News that Roche had earned a lot of profit from the Chinese market, so it should learn to respect China and the Chinese and follow the international norm as it is a leading pharmaceutical company worldwide. Currently, Roche's website does not feature the term "Wuhan coronavirus." ^ top ^

Chinese air force's drill 'aimed at signalling deterrent around Taiwan' (SCMP)
2020-04-02
The Chinese military command responsible for patrols around Taiwan stepped up its drills by staging a long-endurance early-warning exercise in March, the official PLA Daily reported on Wednesday. A warplane conducted tactical acrobatics, which were not specified, immediately after taking off, the report said. The move had not been common during previous drills, and was intended to simulate quickly countering enemy planes during wartime, the report quoted the plane's captain Liu Yin as saying. The plane performed reconnaissance, early-warning and surveillance work, tested airborne strikes, and an unspecified number of fighter jets in two groups staged a confrontation in a combat scenario. The drill lasted for about 36 hours, the report said. Zi Kun, an officer from the division's training unit, said the drill was a test for both pilots and equipment because it involved planning and coordination to meet actual combat requirements. The exercise came after the Eastern Theatre Command in early February launched joint drills featuring naval and air forces near Taiwan and a combat-readiness drill in which its warplanes encircled the self-ruled island. It also came after the United States sent EP-3E Aries electronic warfare and reconnaissance aircraft to fly near Kaohsiung, in southern Taiwan, and Hong Kong in late March. Beijing views the self-governed Taiwan as a renegade province that must be united with mainland China by force if necessary. Experts said the drill was designed to enhance China's intelligence-gathering capabilities to better monitor activities at sea and in the air. "The People's Liberation Army's Air Force used to rely only on ground-based early-warning radar. Only in the past two decades, it started to acquire airborne early-warning and control aircraft, which could allow the air force to extend their radar coverage beyond the limits of ground-based radars," said Collin Koh, a research fellow from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. "The problem with ground-based radars is they are often limited by line of sight and Earth curvature, whereas the airborne early-warning assets can help to address these radar gaps and also have a better ability to pick up low-flying targets and those obscured by terrain," Koh said. Zhou Chenming, a Beijing-based military expert, said that China did not have enough early-warning planes to support its expanding military ambitions and needed to maximise its capabilities through various exercises to act as a credible deterrent. The command's ongoing drills in recent months would be intended to send signals to the outside world on two fronts, according to Koh. "The Eastern Theatre Command's primary area of responsibility would cover Taiwan. And by extension, it also means targeting US forces concentrated not just in the nearby bases in Japan but also further afield beyond the First Island Chain, especially Guam," he said. ^ top ^

China refutes U.S. officials' accusations of concealing extent of virus (Xinhua)
2020-04-02
China on Thursday refuted several United States intelligence officials' accusations that China concealed the extent of the coronavirus epidemic and under-reported the number of the COVID-19 cases and deaths, and noted that such remarks were "shameless and immoral." Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the comments at a news briefing when answering a relevant question. "China has been giving open, transparent and timely updates to the world as demonstrated clearly in the details my colleagues and I have elaborated on China's response many times," Hua said. On international public health security, it is the World Health Organization (WHO) and experts on epidemiology and disease control who are entitled to make judgement, rather than several politicians who are habitual liars, Hua said. She said a senior WHO official on Wednesday refuted unjustified accusations against China's epidemic data at a press conference in Geneva. China has always been open, transparent and responsible in all its efforts, Hua said. "The decisive and strong measures taken by the Chinese government ensured to the highest possible extent the life, safety and health of the Chinese people and bought precious time for stemming the global spread of the virus." "We understand that the United States is facing difficulties and some U.S. officials are under pressure, and we feel deeply for the hardship of the American people," Hua said. "Out of humanitarian spirit, we would like to provide help and support within our capability to the United States in the fight against the pandemic." However, Hua said the remarks by these few U.S. politicians are just shameless and immoral. "Slandering, smearing and blaming cannot make up for lost time and more lies will only waste more time and lead to more lives lost." "We advise these politicians that, at this moment, they should put the safety of people's lives and health before politics," Hua said. "It is immoral and inhumane to continue to politicize public health issue, which should be condemned by all people of the world, including people of the United States." ^ top ^

How Southeast Asia's Chinese diaspora could play a leading role in defusing Sino-US rivalry (SCMP)
2020-04-03
The row over The Wall Street Journal's " Sick Man of Asia " headline was the latest in what Beijing has bemoaned as the West's sustained smearing of China's character. But the long Chinese history of indifference towards the outside world is partly to blame for these mischaracterisations. With the exception of Admiral Zheng He's short-lived maritime expeditions during the Ming dynasty, imperial China rarely ventured beyond its borders. The Middle Kingdom, however, was not devoid of foreign contact. Many from the West were drawn to the East; these sojourners, including the fabled Marco Polo, returned home bearing tales of a vibrant yet quaint civilisation. The world outside came to know ancient China through stories penned by foreigners. Imperial China had scant interest in and made little effort to explain itself to the world. This changed in 1978 with Deng Xiaoping's historic epiphany: China could no longer afford to ignore the world. That monumental awakening turned an erstwhile reclusive, detached civilisation into an engaged, globetrotting power. And the Chinese at once encountered not merely an unfamiliar world but one with a cynical perception of China. A history of indifference has finally caught up with the Chinese: failure to make themselves understood has resulted in a portrait, as painted by others that is at best misinformed, if not prejudicial. To rectify this, Beijing has launched a concerted soft-power campaign. But centuries of neglect and lack of experience in inter-civilisational engagement has made this an uphill task. Confucianism, for instance, remains a parochial Han-centric tradition. In contrast, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam have evolved into multi-ethnic, multilinguistic world religions. Until recently, mastery of the Chinese language was the sole way to access the Analects of Confucius. Herein lies a key hurdle in Beijing's outreach. If command of the Chinese language is required, the Sinic civilisation will remain impalpable to many. Rightly, China is adopting multilingualism, especially English, the lingua franca of the day. But weak command of English continues to hamper Beijing's effort to steer international discourse. In the battle to shape global opinion, China faces one major handicap: it has to compete with arch-rival US in the latter's native tongue. And the war to gain control of the world's narrative is heating up. Last month, Washington imposed new restrictions on Chinese state media outlets in the US. Beijing retaliated by expelling the staff of three major US newspapers. Some of the ousted journalists were Chinese Americans, which brings us to a lead character in the "China and the world" story – overseas Chinese. While imperial China chose to stay walled in, the Chinese people were setting sail and settling in faraway lands. Over time, these immigrants cultivated a multilingual, multireligious way of life and acquired a distinctive hyphenated Chinese voice that started to resonate with the rest of the world. In the US, one apt example is the Harvard University-based Confucian philosopher, Tu Weiming. A pioneer in inter-civilisational dialogue, Tu's bilingual scholarship was crucial in making an erstwhile obscure Confucianism accessible to the English-speaking world. More broadly and importantly, the Chinese-American community, in synthesising two distinct civilisational sources, began to function as a cultural conduit between the Confucian East and the Christian West. But with Sino-US rivalry spiralling into deeper hostility, China-related collaboration across US campuses has come under heightened scrutiny: the much-maligned Confucius Institute project was one early casualty. As fear of a return of McCarthyism spreads, any mediation efforts by Chinese-Americans now risks the suspicion of "abetting the enemy". Moreover, for some, the need to act as an intermediary is made redundant by their utter disdain of the Communist Party regime. Indeed, some of the most vocal critics of China today are Americans of Chinese descent. In Southeast Asia, China's rise, though stirring some concerns, is still generally perceived as a positive development. Here, members of the local Chinese community are able to maintain their long-standing role as intermediaries, bringing together their home country with their ancestral homeland. In fact, some Western-educated Southeast Asians had a wider role: bridging the East-West divide. Wang Gungwu, a contemporary of Tu Weiming, is one such scholar. Wang's groundbreaking research on the Chinese migration story, and his lucid English prose, opened another window through which the West could discern the East. But unlike Tu, Wang, based at the National University of Singapore, is less affected by, and has greater latitude to objectively assess, the brewing China-US tension. To be sure, the Southeast Asian states are facing, but have thus far resisted, increasing geopolitical pressures to take sides. Imperial China did not bother to tell China's story to the world and modern China is still struggling to meet President Xi Jinping's call to do so. It was the overseas Chinese who first acquired the acumen for this and who are now providing an alternative Chinese voice, "neither native nor foreign", connecting China with the wider world. Beijing had long recognised the Chinese diaspora's historic role, and has co-opted returnees, such as Zhang Weiwei of Fudan University, to counter Western disinformation with an "authorised version" of the China story. The Chinese state co-option marks a step up in an intensifying media war with the West. And overseas Chinese caught in the crossfire are grappling to stay above the fray. Understandably, Chinese Americans must now, more than ever, affirm their patriotism, sadly at considerable expense to their intermediary efforts. Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, Asean neutrality has secured some space for mediation. Indeed, the Chinese in Southeast Asia are strategically located, geographically and geopolitically, to bridge the East-West gap. If members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations continue to remain impartial, they can play a mitigating role in the Sino-US rivalry. They can use their hyphenated overseas Chinese voice to help turn the page from the prevailing " Thucydides Trap " and " clash of civilisations " narrative to one of "common humanity and harmonious coexistence". ^ top ^

US plans to close export loophole that allows high tech to be diverted to Chinese military (SCMP)
2020-04-02
The Trump administration is tightening rules to prevent China from obtaining advanced US technology for commercial purposes and then diverting it to military use, several sources told Reuters. Three measures agreed to by senior US officials in a meeting last Wednesday, but not finalised, would introduce hurdles that could be used to stop Chinese companies from buying certain optical materials, radar equipment and semiconductors, among other things, from the United States. The moves are advancing as relations between the United States and China, a key customer for US technology, sour over the deadly coronavirus pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, and tit-for-tat expulsions of journalists from each country. They are also a sign of growing nervousness within the US government over China's "civil-military" fusion promoted by President Xi Jinping, which aims to build up its military might and supercharged technological development in tandem. China hardliners within the administration say it is time to update US rules in light of the Chinese policy, since some US shipments abroad are authorised based in large part on whether they will be used for civilian or military applications. Since "the Chinese have said to us, 'anything you give to us for a commercial purpose is going to be given to the military,' what point is there in maintaining a distinction in our export control regulations?" said former White House official Tim Morrison, who was involved in drawing up the changes, which have been in the works since at least last year. It was not clear if President Donald Trump would sign off on them, despite the decision last week to press ahead with their roll-out. Industry fears the new rules, which include withdrawing license exceptions, could drive Chinese consumers into the arms of foreign rivals. "There's a chilling effect when they start taking away the availability of these license exceptions for particular exports," said Washington trade lawyer Eric McClafferty. "It makes people more nervous to export to China." The White House, the Commerce Department, and the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. One change would do away with the civilian or "civ" exemption, which allows for the export of certain US technology without a license, if it is for a non-military entity and use, sources said. The exception, which eases the export of items like field programmable gate array integrated circuits, would be eliminated for Chinese importers and Chinese nationals. FPGA circuits are made by several US companies, including Intel and Xilinx. A Xilinx spokesperson said in a statement: "Xilinx is aware of the proposed increased export restrictions to China and is monitoring the situation closely. We will comply with any new US Department of Commerce rules and regulations if/when they are enacted." Intel declined to comment. Doug Jacobson, another Washington lawyer who specialises in trade, said that several of his clients were concerned about the elimination of the civilian exemption, mainly companies involved with electronics. "It could be significant for certain companies," Jacobson said. "In terms of whether that would lead to (license) denials, who knows? But it would be an additional hurdle to jump through for a US company to sell to commercial end users in China." Another change would stop China's military from obtaining certain items without a license even if they were buying them for civilian use, such as scientific equipment like digital oscilloscopes, aeroplane engines and certain types of computers. If implemented, the measure could block certain shipments to Chinese military importers like the People's Liberation Army, even if they said the item would be used in a hospital, for example. A final change would force foreign companies shipping certain American goods to China to seek approval not only from their own governments but from the US government as well. The Trump administration's concern, one person said, is that a lot of US allies are not as worried about China's civilian and military fusion. Industry has already expressed concern about some of the proposed regulatory changes, which were published last year. At the same meeting last week, senior officials in the Trump administration agreed to new measures to restrict the global supply of chips to China's Huawei Technologies. ^ top ^

Italy 'still proud to be part of EU' amid stronger ties with China and coronavirus pandemic (SCMP)
2020-04-02
In the weeks before Italy joined China's Belt and Road Initiative last year, top foreign ministry officials in Rome made a flurry of calls to US and European ambassadors, trying to persuade them there was nothing to fear from the relationship with Beijing. The coronavirus pandemic has only reinforced the drive for close ties between Italy and China, even as Italy makes European solidarity a top priority, according to Manlio Di Stefano, Italian undersecretary of foreign affairs. "We want to be as close as possible [with China], but we know very well where we are: we are in Europe," Di Stefano told the South China Morning Post on Tuesday. "Everybody knows that Italy is very proud to be one of the EU's founders. We have never looked at the geopolitical strategy we have [with China] as some alternative to the European Union. We believe that multilateralism is fundamental. That's why we always kept very thorough dialogue with China, and we want to keep on doing that." Italy has the highest death toll in the world from the pandemic - more than 105,000 people in the country have contracted the virus, and more than 12,000 have died. Its northern regions – the financial centre and manufacturing heartland of the euro zone's third-largest economy – have been particularly hard hit and economists are forecasting a deep recession. Climbing out of that recession did not mean choosing between Beijing and Brussels, Di Stefano said. "The crisis will be so deep when the situation would be restarted, everyone – every country – will need [more] effort," Di Stefano said. "China will have the same kind of need at the end. The European crisis, the Western crisis will obviously have an impact on the Chinese economy because the Chinese market is the Western market. We have to find a common approach to restart our economies." Concerns are growing in the European Union that China's widely publicised efforts to help struggling countries like Italy might be seen as weakness in the bloc. China has sent face masks and test kits for the virus to a number of European countries, including Italy. But last week, the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said "France and Germany combined have donated to Italy more masks than China". The message was directed, in part, at Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio. Defending his controversial decision to make Italy the first major Western power to join China's belt and road economic programme when he was deputy prime minister last year, Di Maio, from the populist Five Star Movement, said the medical supplies proved the need for a closer relationship with China. "Those who scoffed at our participation in the Belt and Road Initiative now have to admit that investing in that friendship allowed us to save lives in Italy," Di Maio said in an Italian television interview, prompting criticism from members of the Democratic Party, with which the Five Star Movement has formed a fragile coalition government. Di Stefano, who is also from the Five Star Movement, echoed the minister's view. "All the other Western countries were saying we cannot believe in [the] level playing field that China was granting to us, and we say we want to pay this political price, but we want to see the result at the end," he said. With the number of patients with Covid-19 – the disease caused by the coronavirus – as well as infections dropping in Italy, so too was the demand for new medical products. "We thank China for [the supplies]. The doctors who came to Italy to help were also very helpful. I don't think we are looking … at this moment to fulfil some more needs, because luckily the numbers are decreasing in Italy now," Di Stefano said. Apart from China and the EU, the US also pledged to Italy US$100 million worth of what US President Donald Trump referred to as "medical things". Asked about Italy's ability to be on good terms with both the US and China, Di Stefano said it was "by behaviour". "We are very famous for cooperation, not for wars. We are very famous for art and music, not for colonialism – I know this could create some smiles," he said, without referring to former colonies such as Libya and Ethiopia. But Di Stefano refused to be drawn on a complaint from a prominent Italian scientist that Chinese propaganda outlets had twisted his comments to suggest the coronavirus originated in Italy, rather than China, where the first cases of the coronavirus were reported. Giuseppe Remuzzi, director of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan, said last month that a "strange pneumonia" was circulating in northern Italy as long ago as November. The first reported coronavirus cases in China were in December, and Chinese media seized on Remuzzi's comments, highlighting the November reference. Remuzzi described the Chinese reports as propaganda, adding that of course the virus emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. He said his key point was not where the virus came from, but how far it had spread before it was discovered. Asked about the complaint, Di Stefano said: "I have my own opinion, but at this moment, talking about the responsibilities makes no sense. We talk about the solution. Then everyone will look for the responsibility when it will be the time. "But, anyway, it was stated very well by lots of experts that the virus came from wild animals," he said, agreeing that it was not part of the Italian culinary tradition to consume such wildlife. ^ top ^

China will take countermeasures if Washington imposes chip ban on Huawei: executive (Global Times)
2020-03-31
If the US government arbitrarily changes the rules of the market, the Chinese government will not remain idle and just watch Huawei put on the chopping board, as it will have no other choice but to take similar countermeasures against US firms, a Huawei executive told the Global Times on Tuesday. "Why China could not ban US produced 5G chips, smartphones and other smart terminals containing 5G chips in China market based on the same cybersecurity reasons?" asked Huawei Rotating Chairman Eric Xu. Even if the US bans TSMC from supplying Huawei, the Chinese technology company still has many other choices for chip supply - such as companies from South Korea, the island of Taiwan, and companies in the Chinese mainland like Samsung, MediaTek, and Unisoc, Xu added. The comments, which were made during the release of Huawei's annual financial report on Tuesday, also come as the US is mulling new restrictions on the Chinese technology giant. After putting Huawei on a trade blacklist in May last year, Washington is reportedly moving ahead with new restrictions to cut off Chinese telecom equipment provider Huawei's supply chain by requiring foreign companies that use US equipment to obtain a license before shipping their chipsets to the Chinese company. A source in a Reuters report was quoted as saying the rule change is aimed at curbing sales of chips to Huawei by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, which is also the major producer of chips for Huawei's chipset set unit HiSilicon. Brushing off the US' intensified crackdown, the Chinese technology giant Huawei posted strong annual revenue growth of 19.1 percent year-on-year in 2019. Revenue stood at 858.5 billion yuan ($120.7 billion), while net profit rose 5.6 percent year-on-year to 62.7 billion yuan. Moreover, despite lagging overseas sales under the threat of a US ban, its consumer businesses continued to grow, with global shipments achieving growth of 16.8 percent year-on-year for 2019, securing its position as the world's second-largest handset manufacturer with a total of 240 million phone sales. "In the face of the crackdown and mounting pressure from different sides, Huawei has maintained its normal growth rate over the past year, " Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Beijing-based Information Consumption Alliance, told the Global Times on Tuesday, noting that the performance showed the firm's technological strength. The annual report showed that the US impact on it was obvious - as more than 59 percent of its 2019 revenue comes from domestic sales, with an increase of 36.2 percent growth year-on-year, while overseas revenue saw a slower growth, Jiang Junmu, chief writer at telecom industry news website c114.com.cn, told the Global Times on Tuesday. After being included on the US Entity List since May 16 last year, Huawei has stepped up its research and development efforts to "plug holes" and is committed to restructuring the supply chain. The proportion of overseas sales has also dropped, with an estimated loss of about $10 billion, the Huawei executive disclosed. "Huawei was able to reverse the unfavorable situation mainly with its heavy investment in research and development over the past year," Jiang said, noting that these technological innovations gave Huawei products and solutions as well as industry-leading capabilities, allowing overseas operators to continue to choose it even under the pressure of the US government. Huawei invested 15.3 percent of its 2019 revenue - or 131.7 billion yuan - into R&D, up from its R&D input of 101.5 billion yuan in 2018. Its total R&D spending over the past decade exceeded 600 billion yuan. Having gotten over a tough 2019, the firm is still facing another difficult year ahead in 2020, both under the US crackdown and the unexpected blow of the COVID-19 pandemic. "2020 will be the toughest year for Huawei, as we will be on the US Entity List for a whole year, and industry players have also estimated that Huawei has used up its 'reserves' in preparation for a US ban, Xu said, adding that the COVID-19 outbreak is another situation that we hadn't expected, which may bring about a global economic recession and declining demand. "We certainly can't say how the COVID19 pandemic will evolve. If it can't be well controlled, it will lead to a long-term challenge and raise uncertainties about whether Huawei could serve the market," Xu said. Moving forward, Huawei must be well prepared for a possible "technology decoupling" that may be forced on it by hardliners in the US, shoring up Huawei's competitiveness in high-end chipsets as well as pivotal software like the Harmony-OS for smartphones, a close follower of Huawei surnamed Li told the Global Times on Tuesday. "In 2020, we'll strive to survive, and hope we can publish an annual report next year," Xu said. ^ top ^

One-China principle allows no challenge (People's Daily)
2020-04-01
China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition toward the so-called "Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019" which was recently signed by Washington into law. The U.S. practice seriously sabotaged the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, and severely violated the international law and the basic norms governing international relations. It also grossly interfered in China's domestic affairs. The "Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019" is an evil act that allows the U.S. government to enhance or cut economic, security and diplomatic relations with other countries in accordance with the latter's relationship with Taiwan. It is nothing but a hegemonic threat that indulges the wrongdoings challenging the one-China principle. The U.S. made huge hypes over the so-called "international space" of Taiwan when selling the act. However, it shall be solemnly pointed out that Taiwan's "international space" is never something that can be defined by Washington. There's only one China in the world, and adhering to the one-China policy is a recognized code for international relations and a consensus of the international society. A total of 180 countries have established diplomatic relations with China. Even if the U.S. uses its hegemony to stop other sovereignty countries from developing normal international relations with China, the historic trend can not be reversed. The Taiwan question touches upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and involves China's core interests. The Chinese government reiterated that China has an unshakable will in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and no external intervention can change that. The development of China-U.S. relations in the past 40 some years proved that the general stability of bilateral relations can not be achieved without certain political foundation. The Taiwan question has always remained a core and most sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations, and without the one-China principle, the foundation of the relationship will not stand solid. If the U.S. keeps proceeding toward the wrong direction over the Taiwan question and seriously disrupts the general picture of bilateral relations and bilateral cooperation on major fields, it will finally damage its own interests. The U.S. has to take all responsibilities for the results of its practices. Lately, some U.S. politicians have acted in an arrogant and unscrupulous manner on China-U.S. relations, and even challenged the bottom line. At the recent Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers' meeting on COVID-19, U.S. officials pushed to include language that stigmatizes China in the joint statement. Such act blatantly violated the international rules, and was opposed by even traditional allies of the U.S. An European diplomat told the media that what the U.S. suggested was a red line. It proves that a just cause enjoys abundant support while an unjust cause finds little. The international justice can never be defined by the U.S. for its private profits. China and the U.S. are at a critical moment regarding their bilateral relations, and the U.S. should take concrete actions to improve the ties. In terms of the Taiwan question which decides the foundation of China-U.S. relations, the U.S. shall have a clear understanding – following the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, as well as removing obstacles impeding the China-U.S. relations that feature non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. To stabilize China-U.S. relations concerns the interests of both parties. Under the backdrop of the spreading COVID-19 pandemic, both China and the U.S. should conform to the aspiration of the people, and cooperate with each other to overcome the current difficulties. ^ top ^

China proposes G20 collaboration to ensure stability in global industrial, supply chains (Xinhua)
2020-03-31
The Group of 20 (G20) economies should work together to ensure stability in global industrial and supply chains, said Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan Monday. All parties should actively take measures such as reducing or removing tariffs, eliminating trade barriers and facilitating unfettered trade, Zhong said at a video conference on COVID-19 control attended by G20 trade and investment ministers. Zhong suggested the G20 economies should step up international cooperation on disease prevention and control supplies and protect the life and safety of people and medical workers in all countries. All parties should uphold an open environment for global collaboration, Zhong said, suggesting the parties keep their markets open and safeguard the multilateral trading system and oppose protectionism. At the meeting, ministers discussed the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and G20's response. The parties agreed that the pandemic is a tremendous shock to international trade and investment, and that the joint statement of the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit on COVID-19 should be implemented collectively. It was agreed that the parties should enhance coordination and cooperation and adopt open trade policies to reduce the impact on global supply chains, facilitate cross-border flow of goods and services and revive the confidence in growth of international trade. The meeting was chaired by Saudi Arabia, which holds the G20 presidency. After the meeting, the Statement of the Extraordinary G20 Trade and Investment Ministers Virtual Meeting on COVID-19 was issued. ^ top ^

Politicizing China's anti-epidemic aid stems from bias (Global Times)
2020-03-29
The Chinese government has offered over 80 countries and international organizations emergency assistance to fight the coronavirus pandemic, sent seven teams of medical experts to five badly-hit countries including Iran and Italy, and held dozens of video conferences with various countries to share experiences as of Thursday. On the one hand, China has always born in mind the timely help it received from the international community at its most difficult times. China's foreign assistance demonstrates the country's willingness to give the goodwill back. On the other, as the virus has a foothold across the entire globe, China is well aware that all countries must tide over the difficulties together and is ready to contribute to the global fight against the virus. In particular, as a global manufacturing power, China has started to play its vital role, stepping up production of much-needed medical supplies. Any country with international morality and responsibility would make the same choice if it were in China's position. However, China's foreign assistance has again touched a raw nerve of some people. Some in the West are once again politicizing the assistance China provided, making it another weapon to slander China. They claim that China's acts are with murky motives and geopolitical intent. The efforts of the Chinese government to help others are seen by them as an attempt to vie for global influence and cozy up to recipients, drawing them over to China's camp. Some even claim that China should be held accountable for the global pandemic and ask China to compensate. Thus China's assistance is only a gesture of atonement and should be taken for granted. Such remarks are utter nonsense. It seems that some people will never drop their extremely biased concept toward China. No matter what China does, they always find fault and seize on pretexts to attack China. Believe it or not, if China offered little assistance to epidemic-hit countries, they would seek more excuses to throw mud at China. Such nonsense also stems from these people's deep sense of anxiety. Through the virus battle, the superiority of China's domestic governance has been fully displayed, and through China's timely assistance to others, the country's international influence has been greatly enhanced. In sharp contrast, with some Western countries becoming the new epicenter of the pandemic, certain underlying problems of their governance systems have been exposed, and inter-country relations within the Western camp have also experienced turbulence. Thus, some in the West are impatient to seek some targets to discredit China and shift people's attention, so as to cover up their own failure. It appears that slandering China has already become the West's customary tactic. At this critical time, they really should focus more on curbing the virus and protecting their own people's lives. Actions will certainly speak louder than rhetoric. And for the well-being of all people, China is willing to offer help if any country is in need, but for those who keep smearing China's foreign assistance, they had better not use any China-provided supplies. ^ top ^

China to strengthen epidemic control along land border (Xinhua)
2020-04-03
Chinese authorities Thursday demanded further strengthening epidemic control efforts along its land border to prevent the importation of COVID-19 infections. The demand was made at a meeting of the leading group of China's COVID-19 epidemic response, which was chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Noting the rapid spread of the pandemic overseas, the meeting urged authorities of border provinces and regions to improve their prevention and control plans in light of the local situation. The meeting also called for cutting unnecessary cross-border travel and stressed cooperation with neighboring countries in epidemic prevention. The meeting underscored the need to step up the management of asymptomatic infections and release daily and timely information. Epidemiological surveys on asymptomatic infections should be conducted in places including Hubei Province and its capital city of Wuhan, and the reports should be made public to provide more scientific support for epidemic control, said the meeting. The meeting also called for coordinated efforts for epidemic control and economic and social development. Whilst implementing safety measures, the full restoration of work and living order should be promoted in low-risk areas, according to the meeting. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy head of the leading group, attended the meeting. ^ top ^

China Bans Export of Uncertified Medical Supplies (Caixin)
2020-04-02
China has banned the export of coronavirus test kits and other medical supplies that do not meet the country's own standards. The decision follows controversies in several virus-stricken nations over the poor quality of some tests and medical supplies exported from China. China's Ministry of Commerce, General Administration of Customs, and National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) announced in a joint statement this week that from Wednesday, Chinese customs will only allow the export of medical supplies which are certified by the NMPA. Customs previously allowed the export of medical supplies that had been certified by medical regulators in other countries, but not by the NMPA. The order includes all exported tests, masks, personal protective equipment, ventilators, and infrared thermometers. Authorities took the step to ensure the quality and safety of exported medical supplies, the statement said. Exporters will also be required to declare to customs that their goods meet the quality standards of the importing country or region. The clampdown came after the Dutch health ministry told hospitals to hand back 600,000 defective face masks imported from China, and Slovakian and Turkish officials questioned the effectiveness of Chinese tests they had purchased. But the greatest backlash has been in Spain, which has recorded a fifth of the world's Covid-19 deaths. Chinese authorities last week distanced themselves from a coronavirus antigen test produced by Shenzhen Bioeasy Technology Co. Ltd. that was used in Spain, after Spanish microbiologists found it only had a "sensitivity" of 30%. That means the test only correctly identifies 30% of people who actually have the virus, rendering it less reliable than flipping a coin. The allegations were revealed by Spanish newspaper El País, which reported that the Spanish government had returned 58,000 tests to Bioeasy. The news came amid an escalating Covid-19 crisis in the country, which has been reporting around 8,000 new cases of coronavirus each day for the past week and had more than 104,000 total as of Thursday, with 9,300 deaths. The Chinese Embassy in Spain said Bioeasy was not on a list of qualified suppliers that China's Ministry of Commerce had given to Spain. In an explanatory note to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Bioeasy representatives said the tests had obtained European Union CE certification authorizing their sale, and alleged that Spanish health workers may be using the kits incorrectly. The company said the products were not sold in China because they had not been approved by the NMPA. While the advent of bedside testing for coronavirus would help combat the pandemic, reliable rapid antigen tests have not yet emerged. There are three main types of Covid-19 tests with different uses. Nucleic acid tests (NATs), which identify genetic traces of the virus, are considered the gold standard when it comes to accuracy, but must be done in a lab. Antibody tests look for the substances the body's immune system creates to fight the disease, and can be done quickly at the bedside, but are only useful later in the course of someone's infection or to identify those who have recovered from the disease. Antigen tests detect the virus's proteins and can also be done quickly at the bedside, but are generally less sensitive. Efforts to develop effective antigen tests for Covid-19 have so far proved disappointing, said one industry veteran who pointed out that none have yet been approved by China's regulator. To skirt China's long approval process, the NMPA has granted emergency approval to 23 coronavirus tests, including 15 nucleic acid tests and eight antibody tests. But with so many tests now available in China, the regulator has slowed down emergency test approvals, according to industry sources who Caixin chose not to identify because they were describing internal government deliberations. With Europe in the depths of a coronavirus crisis it was an obvious market for manufacturers of tests not approved in China, regardless of how well their products worked. When Bioeasy was questioned about its tests, it pointed to the fact they had obtained a European Union CE mark authorizing their use in the jurisdiction. But in that jurisdiction, unlike implantable medical devices, most medical tests only require a pledge from the manufacturer that they work. A person in charge of one test-maker in East China's Shandong province told Caixin the company had entrusted a European distributor to apply for a CE mark on its behalf. They said it took about 40 days, and cost them about $14,000. He said that in China, without the emergency channel, it would have taken about two years to get certification, and up to around $420,000 for expenses including trials. ^ top ^

China to hold national day of mourning for COVID-19 victims on April 4 (Global Times)
2020-04-03
China will hold a national day of mourning on Saturday for the victims of the COVID-19 outbreak, during which time flags will fly at half-mast nationwide and at Chinese embassies around the world and public recreational activities will be suspended, China's State Council announced on Friday. A three-minute period of silence will be observed nationwide at 10 am, while air raid sirens and the horns of cars, trains and boats will be sounded. The national mourning day will be held to express the nation's deep sorrow for the deaths of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives fighting the COVID-19 and people who died because of the outbreak. As of Thursday, China reported a total of 3,318 deaths and 81,589 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Saturday also marks China's Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day. It is a tradition for the Chinese people to pay respect to their ancestors, deceased family members and national heroes and martyrs on the day of the festival. China held its last national day of mourning in May 2008 for the victims of the Wenchuan Earthquake in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, which killed more than 69,000 people. Fourteen frontline workers in Central China's Hubei Province, including "whistleblower" doctor Li Wenliang, were identified as martyrs on Thursday for sacrificing their lives in combating the COVID-19 outbreak. The first group of martyrs includes 12 medics, one police officer and one community worker who fought on the frontlines. According to the list, eight martyrs were members of the Communist Party of China. The oldest hero was 73 years old while the youngest was 30 years old. Li Wenliang, 34, was one of the eight "whistleblowers" who tried to warn other medical workers of the novel coronavirus outbreak but were reprimanded by local police. He died on February 7 after contracting COVID-19. ^ top ^

Policy support key to service sector recovery (China Daily)
2020-04-02
The novel coronavirus outbreak has had a huge impact on China's economy, but now that it has largely been contained, the country is promoting orderly resumption of work and industrial production. However, the service sector has suffered the most, with canceled or reduced orders for some export-oriented enterprises casting an unemployment cloud on migrant workers. That underscores why the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security recently issued a joint statement providing policy support and guidance services for employing migrant workers. The policy can help migrant workers get jobs and a certain income, at a time employers are cutting jobs citing uncertainties arising out of the epidemic. Given that most migrant workers lack entrepreneurial skills and capital, the government must divert capital to investment projects in the countryside, thus creating jobs for migrant workers who return because of reduced opportunities in the cities. The government should also restore the urban service sector, for example, by building infrastructure in urban areas to absorb some migrant workers. City governments could encourage urbanization and agricultural modernization by first giving migrant workers hukou (household registration) so that they become urban residents and then turning them into professional farmers through proper training. If migrant workers can easily settle down in the cities where they work, they can benefit from unemployment insurance and other assistance their urban counterparts get when they lose jobs. The government should also focus on improving social security for migrant workers and give them the power to completely dispose of their rural land to protect their legitimate rights and interests. Another way the government can help farmers is by hastening land reform in rural areas to allow farmers' zhaijidi (land alloted to farmers to build houses), now owned by the village, to enter the land market. This way farmers can enjoy property rights over their zhaijidi, which is tantamount to granting them a huge amount of overdue wealth that can serve as a solid foundation cushioning them against the impacts of unemployment as migrant workers in the cities. In fact, the Communist Party of China vowed to expedite rural land reform at its 18th National Congress in 2012. But neither the lawmakers nor the government has yet pushed the envelop on their respective fronts to revise relevant laws or roll out policies to translate that pledge into action. The pandemic's pressure on employment should spur them to do it. ^ top ^

Foreigners urged to obey anti-virus laws (China Daily)
2020-04-03
Chinese authorities have urged foreigners in China to obey Chinese laws and regulations to prevent and control COVID-19 as several cases involving foreigners have recently raised concerns. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said foreigners who refuse to carry out epidemic prevention measures, disrupt epidemic control orders and endanger public health and security in China will be held accountable. Speaking at a news conference in Beijing on Thursday, Hua said all people in China, both Chinese and foreign citizens, are treated equally in terms of epidemic control measures and regulations. "The regulations aim to safeguard the life and health of every individual in China, as well as maintain public safety," she said. Laws and regulations, including the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, should be strictly observed by all foreigners in China, she added. Police in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, are investigating a case involving a foreign COVID-19 patient who beat a female nurse at a hospital designated for treating novel coronavirus patients. According to a statement released by the Guangzhou City Bureau of Public Security on Thursday, police immediately arrived at the scene and helped put Okonkwonwoye Chika Patrick, a Nigerian citizen, under control on Wednesday morning. Patrick, 47, reportedly pushed the nurse to the ground in the hospital's isolation ward when she arrived to help collect his blood sample, the statement said. The man then beat and bit her face. Forensic examinations showed the nurse's face, neck and waist were injured, the statement said. Patrick entered Guangzhou from abroad on March 20 and was transferred to Guangzhou No 8 People's Hospital after his nucleic acid test came back positive on March 23. In Beijing, authorities announced they had given an administrative penalty to a Tanzanian and ordered him to leave the country for refusing to obey laws and regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control. In Qingdao, Shandong province, three foreigners who jumped the queue and quarreled with locals while having nucleic acid tests in a center of disease prevention and control have apologized. In Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, a foreigner who was given an administrative penalty and ordered to leave China last week left the mainland for home on Tuesday. He had not worn a mask, had beaten local medical staff and had thrown his mobile phone at a passerby, local police said. ^ top ^

Outbreak won't slow poverty elimination goal (Global Daily)
2020-04-02
China can achieve its goal of pulling all people out of poverty by the end of this year as the novel coronavirus outbreak only has limited impact on impoverished regions, a senior poverty alleviation official said on Wednesday. Only one poverty-stricken county belongs to a middle-risk area of the epidemic and all other 831 poverty-stricken counties belong to low-risk areas, said Wang Chunyan, an official with the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development. A total of 828 impoverished people have contracted COVID-19. Among them 772 have recovered, 36 have died and the remaining 20 confirmed cases are all in Hubei province, she said at a news conference. In response to concerns that the epidemic would influence the income of people who have recently risen up out of poverty, she said that the number of people returning to poverty each year has declined steadily from 684,000 in 2016 to 5,400 last year, showing that the quality of poverty alleviation work improves and people's capacity to resist risks is enhancing. But she admitted that the epidemic has hindered many migrant workers in poor families from leaving home to find jobs in cities, and caused losses to poor farmers who cannot transport their products for sale and get materials needed for production. The epidemic also stalled the progress of many poverty-alleviation projects that offered jobs to local poor populations, she said, adding that the office will establish a support mechanism to prevent people returning to poverty. Wu Hua, deputy director of the office's Department of Development Guidance, said two-thirds of impoverished families have migrant workers, who contributed two-thirds of their family income. The authorities have arranged point-to-point chartered buses and trains to help 1.38 million migrant workers return to work as of Monday and more than 20 million migrant workers in 25 provinces have returned to their job, Wu said. There are still more than 5 million migrant workers who have not returned to work, and the office will continue to offer them help, he said. Meanwhile, 220,000 poverty-alleviation projects in 22 provinces and regions have resumed operation, accounting for more than 60 percent of the total, and the percentage will continue to rise, he said. The office also will help poor farmers find buyers and provide financial support, he added. ^ top ^

China launches "Sky Net 2020" to capture fugitive graft suspects (Xinhua)
2020-03-31
China on Monday launched this year's global anti-corruption manhunt operation. Codenamed "Sky Net 2020," the operation is aimed at capturing suspects of duty-related crimes who have fled abroad and preventing suspects from fleeing. The operation will be carried out by several organs, with the National Supervisory Commission in charge of hunting down fugitives and recovering illicit assets, the Supreme People's Court pursuing illicit assets of hidden or dead suspects and defendants, and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) hunting for suspects of economic crimes. The People's Bank of China and the MPS are responsible for preventing and cracking down on the transfer of illicit money to overseas accounts, and the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the MPS and other departments deal with the suspects' illegal acquisition of travel documents. The first 11 months of 2019 saw 1,841 fugitives repatriated to China from abroad under the "Sky Net 2019" operation, with more than 4 billion yuan (560 million U.S. dollars) of illicit money recovered. ^ top ^

Xi inspects work resumption in Zhejiang (Xinhua)
2020-03-29
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Sunday inspected the resumption of work and production in east China's Zhejiang Province. Xi visited the Chuanshan port area of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, one of the world's top container ports, which handled about 1.12 billion tonnes of cargo in 2019. Xi also went to an industrial park in Ningbo, which produces high-end auto parts and molds. Zhejiang is one of China's major foreign trade provinces. Businesses are fast resuming operations. ^ top ^

Intelligent service systems used on Beijing subway (China Daily)
2020-04-02
Subway trains on Line 6 in Beijing are testing a smart service system that includes inspection cameras and LED windows showing useful transport information to passengers. The system, called Intelligent Passenger Service System, provides convenience and care services for passengers, according to its developer. As part of the system, some high-definition cameras are installed in train carriages, used to capture passengers' unusual conditions, such as whether they are wearing face masks or if somebody falls in a faint or waves for help, Li Yujie, deputy head of Beijing Subway's Technical Department, said in a video report by the Beijing News. High-definition screens also can be seen from areas over the train's doors, showing different information, including lines and the degree of crowding in neighboring carriages, the report said. Also, the train's windows, combined with LED panels, can dynamically show current locations, subway routes and maps of incoming stations. "For example, passengers can see where toilets, elevators and exits are at the next station, and also what commercial facilities the station is close to," Li said. The windows are called "magical windows" by passengers who have experienced the train. The smart systems and functions will be further improved in the future, he said. ^ top ^

Xinjiang completes poverty alert system (Global Times)
2020-03-31
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region completed a four-level early warning system based on its big data platform to quickly spot problems in poverty alleviation work and to avoid a slide back to poverty. The system classifies residents who have been registered as "poverty-stricken" into four levels with four different colors - green, yellow, orange and red, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday. Green represents households that have more than 5,000 yuan （$705.47 ） of yearly income, have no worries about food and clothing and have access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing; yellow represents those with a yearly income of 4,500 to 5,000 yuan. Governments at different levels would help find solutions to increase their income. Working groups stationed in villages in Xinjiang give more attention to people marked with orange and red, grassroot public servants in southern Xinjiang, which have many poverty-stricken villages in the region, told the Global Times. Orange represents households that suffered from unemployment or business failures and have an annual income of 4,000 to 4,500 yuan. The county and village would give a thorough study on reasons for declining incomes and offer targeted assistance policies, including arranging employment or public welfare positions with the individual's consent, Ma Ying, an official from the poverty alleviation office of Xinjiang, was quoted by Xinhua as saying. Poverty-stricken households that have been marked with red usually face severe problems, including suffering from natural disasters or have family members with critical illness. The income of the whole family is less than 4,000 yuan, Wang Xin, head of a working team stationed in Yusitunke Ayikul village of Aksu Prefecture in Xinjiang, told the Global Times. The early warning system would help find problems that may cause a return to poverty and introduce timely assistance, which will ensure the poverty alleviation work, Wang said. Starting January, Xinjiang has implemented targeted policies in 10 deep poverty-stricken villages to make sure 165,800 people could get rid of poverty at the end of 2020, Xinjiang Daily reported. Xinjiang is among the first regions in China to resume work since the spread of the coronavirus has been put under control. The region has tried to help employees within the region and those who need to go to other provinces for work to get back to work, which could ensure their incomes, a source from the regional government told the Global Times. ^ top ^

Coronavirus: Hong Kong education officials mulling backup plans for university entrance exams as further delay or cancellation looms (SCMP)
2020-04-03
Education officials in Hong Kong are mulling contingency plans for the city's university entrance examinations following a one-month postponement caused by the coronavirus pandemic, as further delays or even cancellations loom. The Post has learned the government has consulted publicly funded universities over the likely impact of pushing back again, or calling off entirely, the Diploma of Secondary Education assessments. And some university leaders have agreed that if the exams had to be delayed to July, the start of the new school term should be postponed to October, according to a government source. Secondary school principals who spoke to the Post said candidates should still receive a final grade for university admission in case the DSE exams were eventually cancelled. The score could be calculated from students' internal assessment and mock exam results. Hong Kong's DSE exams, which were originally expected to begin from March 27, had been postponed until April 24 following a surge of Covid-19 cases in the city, affecting some 52,000 candidates. International exams such as the International Baccalaureate and IGCSE were cancelled worldwide last month. A government source on Thursday told the Post that the Education Bureau and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) were considering possible contingency plans in case any changes were made. Teddy Tang Chun-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, said that although a more ideal scenario would be for exams to continue, education officials should come up with alternative plans in advance. "Under the circumstances that students' and teachers' health can be guaranteed, the education sector believes it's important to complete this year's DSE exams, or at least part of the exams," Tang said. "And if all or some of the exams were to be cancelled, students should still receive a final result." Tang also suggested that if the DSE exams were dropped, students' final grades could come from items such as their internal test results, mock exam performances, as well as previous school-based assessments. He added that grades calculated this way should also be based on past cohorts' performances within each school – as internal tests varied across schools – to ensure fair results across the board. "The [process] has to be open and transparent … and different stakeholders should be consulted, including secondary schools, universities, parents and students," he said, as he urged the government to discuss the matter with the sector as soon as possible. James Lam Yat-fung, principal of Lions College and former chairman of the Subsidised Secondary Schools Council, also said education authorities should come up with alternative plans which would be widely accepted by students and parents. He pointed out, however, that some schools had not completed their mock exams this year following a citywide suspension of classes since early February. "If the [DSE] exams can proceed, it would be best to ensure fairness for all students," said Lam. "But if the exams really need to be cancelled, an alternative formula to come up with a final grade should [at least] be generally accepted by students. If students and parents do not agree on such a formula, it's probably going to bring up [other issues]. "The DSE results have an impact not only on students' university admissions, but would also be considered by their future employers." But DSE candidate Mickey Leung, 17, who is from a secondary school in Tuen Mun, said some students already felt pressured after a one-month postponement of the exams. "If the daily surge in cases continues this month, I think it might be better to cancel the exams. Because if they are further postponed, it would make students more anxious … We would have to adjust our preparations again," she said. The HKEAA, while reiterating in a reply on Thursday that the DSE exams would not be "hastily cancelled", said it had been keeping in close contact with the Education Bureau, health authorities, as well as the secondary and tertiary education sector on suitable contingency plans. The bureau said it would follow the pandemic closely and make an announcement early if the need for special arrangements arose. Meanwhile, the administration was also assessing the possibility of resuming classes, but medical experts agreed that without a fall in the number of new infections, schools should remain closed until summer, according to two sources. Primary and secondary school heads also told the Post they hoped classes could resume before the summer break, so teachers would have a chance to follow-up on the learning progress of students. Some 900,000 kindergarten, primary and secondary school students have not returned to school for more than eight weeks, with most of them turning to online learning. Education officials had earlier said classes would be suspended until further notice. Lin Chun-pong, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, said secondary school heads still hoped students could make up for lost time, as some schools were prepared to shorten the summer break by one to three weeks. Cheung Yung-pong, honorary chairman of the Aided Primary School Heads Association, said teachers could better assess students' progress if face-to-face classes could resume before the summer. ^ top ^

Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in Hong Kong urges British politicians to stop distorting truth (Xinhua)
2020-04-03
The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Thursday expressed strong disapproval of and firm opposition to the irresponsible remarks about China's countermeasures against U.S. restrictions on Chinese media agencies by an anti-China activist and a British politician. Benedict Rogers, a die-hard anti-China activist anxious to sow trouble in Hong Kong and founder of Hong Kong Watch, and a certain British politician made such remarks in their letters recently. The spokesperson of the office pointed out that the announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China that the relevant journalists of U.S. citizenship will not be allowed to continue working as journalists in China, including its Hong Kong and Macao SARs, is a necessary and reciprocal countermeasure China is compelled to take in response to the U.S. oppression of Chinese media organizations there. The decision falls within the Chinese central government's purview over foreign affairs in accordance with the "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law, and is completely legitimate, fair and reasonable, the spokesperson said. By turning a blind eye to the discrimination, unwarranted restrictions and exclusion Chinese media agencies and journalists are subject to in the United States, and instead distorting the truth and accusing China of undermining the freedom of the press and the high level of autonomy in Hong Kong, the British politicians have again revealed their hypocrisy and double standards, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson reiterated that Hong Kong is part of China and urged the British politicians to respect the facts, correct their mistakes, and immediately stop meddling with Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs at large under any pretext and in any way. ^ top ^

Taiwan military is prepared for any Chinese attack, says defence minister (SCMP)
2020-03-30
A senior Taiwanese defence official said on Monday that the island's military is well prepared in the event of any attack from Beijing during the Covid-19 outbreak. "At the height of outbreak of the pandemic worldwide, if the Chinese Communists attempted to make any military adventure leading to regional conflict, they would be condemned by the world, and regardless of what would happen, we are all ready and have made the best preparation for this," said Taiwan's vice defence minister Chang Guan-chung. He was speaking during a legislative session when lawmakers asked him how the defence ministry viewed recent activities by mainland China and the United States in and around the Taiwan Strait. Last month three separate groups of People's Liberation Army warplanes approached the island while taking part in long-distance training exercises in the western Pacific. This month another group of planes approached Taiwan in an exercise that analysts said was intended to show off their night navigation and all-weather capabilities. Taiwan's air force scrambled fighter jets to shadow, intercept and disperse the PLA warplanes through radio warnings during each approach by the mainland's planes, according to the ministry. Those actions also prompted the US to send two B-52 bombers on southbound flights off Taiwan's east coast, while a transport plane flew over the Taiwan Strait, the military said. The US Navy also announced on March 19 that it had carried out live-fire missile tests in the Philippine Sea, in what analysts said was a message that it was up to the challenge of the Chinese military's new systems. Wang Ting-yu, a legislator with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said the PLA's recent activities in the Taiwan Strait could threaten peace and stability in the region. In response, Chang said the military always closely monitored the PLA's activities and the situation in the region with the aid of intelligence obtained by the military and through cooperation with other governments. "The public can rest assured of our ability to uphold national security," he stressed. Major general Chen Kuo-hua told the same legislature session that the PLA's activities in the region were routine exercises and the number of warplanes dispatched by the PLA for drills in the South China Sea "still falls within the normal realm". Chang's comments came two days after Beijing condemned US President Donald Trump for signing into law an act designed to bolster Taiwan's diplomatic standing. "China expresses its strong indignation and firmly opposes the bill," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday. The legislation, he said, "blatantly obstructs other sovereignties from developing legitimate diplomatic relations with China, which is an act of hegemony" adding that it also "seriously violated the one-China principle … [and] brutally interferes in Chinese domestic affairs". Trump signed the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (Taipei) Act on Thursday, just hours before speaking to Chinese President Xi Jinping over the telephone to discuss how the two countries could work together to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. ^ top ^

US 'stirring up trouble' with new Taiwan law (China Daily)
2020-03-30
The recent signing of the TAIPEI Act into law by the president of the United States amid the global fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia pandemic－with the aim of helping Taiwan improve its international presence－has been strongly condemned by Chinese authorities and experts. "While the world is under the pressure of a global public health crisis and the spirit of globalization and cooperation is needed, the US is stirring up trouble on the Taiwan issue, showing declining leadership and lack of responsibility," said Tian Feilong, a legal scholar with the Law Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits. China's top legislature expressed firm opposition on Friday after US President Donald Trump signed the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act of 2019, which requires the US administration to help Taiwan improve its international presence and participate in international organizations. The act ignores the one-China principle as a general international consensus and the fact that the US established formal diplomatic ties with China 41 years ago, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress said in a statement. The signing of the act violates the one-China principle long held by the US government since the establishment of China-US diplomatic ties and the important consensus between the heads of the two countries, the committee said. The act also seriously disrupts China-US relations and cooperation in major fields and will eventually hurt the interests of the US itself, it added. "The act calls for blocking other sovereign states from developing normal state-to-state relations with China, which is the logic of flagrant hegemonism," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday. "We strongly urge the US to correct its mistake and refrain from implementing the act. Otherwise, it will be met with resolute countermeasures from the Chinese side." The State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office said on Saturday that no force can stop China's national reunification and the separatists' goal of "Taiwan independence" will never be achieved. The TAIPEI Act is one of the bills passed by the US supporting Taiwan in recent years. Another being the Taiwan Travel Act of 2018, Tian said. "The US is gradually building its legal system regarding Taiwan as its political ally and protected object," he said. "Such legislation is totally illegal in terms of international jurisprudence. It involves the designation of Taiwan as a 'nation' and directly undermines China's sovereignty and interests. "It harms the peaceful reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits and the long-term development and people's well-being of Taiwan." Tian said the effects of the act will depend on the US administration. "It's normal that such bills turn out to be ineffective because it stems from the fact that the US is neither sincere in international politics nor has absolute power to undermine everything," he said. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan, under political manipulation of the US and its goal of "independence", had abandoned the vision of peaceful reunification with the mainland in the direction of the one-China principle, leading itself into danger and uncertainty, he added. ^ top ^

The Big Debate: Should China Ditch GDP Growth Target for 2020? (Caixin)
2020-04-02
Debate is heating up among economists and Chinese government advisers over whether the country should abandon its annual growth target this year given the huge uncertainties facing both domestic and external demand as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Yu Yongding, one of China's most influential economists and a former central bank adviser, is among the latest to add his voice to the discussion, urging the government to stick with its tradition of issuing a numerical goal for expansion in gross domestic product (GDP), even if it is a low one. The government has not officially released its GDP growth target for 2020. Premier Li Keqiang was due to announce the figure at the annual meeting of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on March 5 but the gathering has been postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic and a new date has not yet been set. Even so, a meeting on Friday of the Politburo central committee, the Communist Party's top decision-making body, urged efforts to "achieve this year's economic and social development goals," which suggests that a GDP target, even a lower one, may not have been abandoned yet. The target is a crucial tool for companies, especially large enterprises, to use as a reference when setting their business plans, Yu told Caixin in an interview on March 31. "If they don't have a GDP target number at all, they can't make their business plans," he said. Policymakers should come up with a "realistic" target based on the impact the coronavirus epidemic has already had on the economy and on expectations for the rest of the year, he said. "If we can make it to 4% that would be very good," he said. The government shouldn't be aiming for 6% GDP growth this year, a figure that was widely expected before the outbreak of the coronavirus in January, because the stimulus needed to achieve it would lead the economy to overheat, Yu said. "At present, the growth rate in the first quarter is likely to be negative," he said. If the government sticks to a 6% target, the remaining three quarters of the year would require growth of 8% to 9%, well beyond the country's potential growth rate, he added, comparing the task to a run by world record sprinter Usain Bolt. Yes, Bolt was able to run 100 meters in 9.6 seconds, but if he took two or three seconds more to complete the first leg, it would be impossible for him to accelerate sharply over the rest of his sprint and still finish in 9.6 seconds. On the opposing side of the growth target debate is Ma Jun, an economist who sits on the People's Bank of China (PBOC) monetary policy committee as an academic member. Ma was previously head of the PBOC's research bureau and is now director of the Center for Finance and Development at Tsinghua University. Ma proposed the government drop the target altogether for 2020 given the damage already done in the first quarter and huge uncertainties facing the economy over the rest of the year. In a speech on Tuesday, he said that maintaining 4% to 5% expansion, let alone 6%, would be extremely difficult. Pursuing an artificially high rate of growth would "kidnap macroeconomic policies and eventually force the use of an all-out stimulus," said Ma, who has been calling for several years for the annual target to be ditched. Most economists are expecting China's GDP to contract in the first quarter of 2020 on a year-on-year basis because of the hit from the coronavirus epidemic that led the government to shut down large swaths of the economy and lock down millions of residents. Economists at Nomura International Ltd. estimate a drop of 9% in the first quarter while UBS AG forecasts a decline of 10%. BofA Securities, part of Bank of America, sees a fall of 6%. For the full year, Nomura estimates the economy will eke out growth of 1.3%, while UBS and BofA Securities project 1.5%. Julian Evans-Pritchard, a senior China economist at research firm Capital Economics Co. Ltd, told Caixin policymakers should drop the GDP target as "any target that would be politically acceptable (i.e. greater than 4%) will be very difficult to achieve." "The truth is that growth this year will depend heavily on factors that are outside of policymakers control such as how the virus spreads globally and the extent of the slump in foreign demand," he said. It would be better for policymakers to accept that growth may be very weak this year and simply focus on minimizing the damage to household and corporate balance sheets, "alongside reforms to address China's structural problems and improve the country's long-run prospects." Wang Tao, chief China economist at UBS, also supports ditching the goal. If the government does set one, it would be better to do so without referring to a specific number, she said. "To target something that is so uncertain is not feasible," Wang said, citing strong headwinds including shrinking global demand and the risk of the outbreak reemerging in China itself. What is important now is to control the spread of the virus, get life and production back to normal and help low-income people. But other economists argue policymakers should not abandon the target because of the signal it sends to local authorities, companies, and society as a whole. Liu Feng, chief economist at China Galaxy Securities Co. Ltd, told Caixin that setting a growth target is "a political issue" and is a key part of the system used by the central government to judge the performance of local authorities and officials. "It isn't feasible for authorities to just abandon the target, because there is no other appraisal standard to replace it," he said. He acknowledged, however, that given that a global recession is inevitable,` any recovery in the China's domestic economy in second half of the year will likely be insufficient to offset the contraction in the first quarter. ^ top ^

China AI start-up 4Paradigm raises 85 mln USD in latest funding round (Xinhua)
2020-04-02
Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up 4Paradigm announced Thursday that it had raised 600 million yuan (about 85 million U.S. dollars) in its latest funding round. The C+ funding round valued the start-up at 2 billion U.S. dollars, the Beijing-based company said in a press release. The new round introduced new strategic investors such as Cisco and Lenovo, laying a more solid foundation for the company to build its AI-based enterprise-level service ecosystem, 4Paradigm said. Other investors include China CITIC Bank, Green Pine Capital Partners and Co-Stone Asset Management. In late 2018, 4Paradigm raised 1 billion yuan in its C funding round with a valuation of 1.2 billion U.S. dollars. The company said it raised a total of 230 million U.S. dollars in the two funding rounds. Founded in 2014, 4Paradigm has more than 8,000 clients in a wide variety of industries, including finance, retail, health care, manufacturing, energy, media, and the internet. The leading machine learning platform is dedicated to deploying AI solutions to solve real-world problems in industry and society to bring about more innovative production, more sustainable consumption, more agile supply chains, more convenient healthcare services, and more efficient allocation of resources in both the private and public sectors. In 2019, 4Paradigm started its globalization by expanding its business to Europe and Southeast Asia. With its latest funding round, the company said it would accelerate the pace and scale of helping global enterprises achieve digital transformation through AI. ^ top ^

Cargo trains help maintain China-Europe trade momentum (China Daily)
2020-04-01
Transcontinental freight train services are becoming increasingly popular with Chinese and European traders as the COVID-19 curbs on shipping and air transport have crimped commercial activities between the two sides, industry experts said on Tuesday. Sinotrans Ltd, a subsidiary of China Merchants Group, is already operating several freight train services to Europe. It has already organized 54 freight train services between Shenyang in Northeast China's Liaoning province and European cities like Hamburg and Duisburg in Germany, Enns in Austria, and Malaszewicze and Warsaw in Poland so far this year. Last week, the company launched cargo train services from Changsha in Central China's Hunan province to Moscow. The first train carried epidemic prevention materials, electromechanical equipment, shoes, toys, garment and plastic products to Moscow. The State-owned firm plans to operate the services once a week and may raise the same to twice a week based on market demand. Thanks to the growing demand, its transcontinental freight service frequency has grown by 38 percent on a yearly basis during the first quarter of this year. Li Jianhong, chairman of China Merchants Group, said epidemic constraints in several countries prompted the company to come out with Plan-B solutions such as raising the operational frequency of transcontinental train services and ocean-rail through services to facilitate domestic exporters' production resumption and exports, as well as ensure the smooth running of the global supply chain. Due to the novel coronavirus, many container ports in Italy, Spain and Portugal have been temporarily shut down or are facing severe curbs on people and vessel movement, the Beijing-based China Chamber of International Commerce said last week. The chamber said container availability is dwindling sharply at major European ports like Hamburg, Rotterdam and Antwerp. This is causing shipment problems for exporters from China and Europe, it said. Apart from service suspensions and flight cuts imposed by European carriers such as British Airways, Lufthansa Group, Air France and KLM during the past two months, China's Civil Aviation Administration has also cut the number of international flights in and out of the country last week to curb contagion via air travel and contain the rising number of imported infections. Because there is not much room for Chinese companies to lease cargo space in the passenger aircraft of domestic and European airlines, China Post Group Corp has started to use the China-Europe freight trains for its postal services to Europe. The centrally administrated State-owned enterprise launched a self-organized train service from Yiwu of East China's Zhejiang province to Poland last week. The train will spend 13 days on the way and deliver over 200,000 items including mail, daily necessities and clothing to customers in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain via local delivery after arriving at Warsaw. Li Qian, deputy general manager of China Post's Yiwu branch, said many manufacturers in Zhejiang will continue to adopt this method to ship their goods to Europe. "After many countries closed their ports and airports, there have been delays in the distribution of medical and goods supplies. The China-Europe railroad is able to ship a large amount of goods and medical materials within 15 days to both sides. It will offer partner economies confidence to resume production and maintain stable trade with China," said Li. Sweden-based automaker Volvo Cars shipped 3,377 vehicles to Europe via 27 China-Europe cargo train services from Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province in Northwest China, in the first quarter of this year. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of its takeover by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Volvo has decided to further support the development of the Belt and Road Initiative through the China-Europe railroad. This will further optimize the layout of local resources worldwide and expand the global appeal of China's high-end manufacturing industry, said Yuan Xiaolin, president and CEO of Volvo Car Asia-Pacific. Yuan said the group's three manufacturing bases have already resumed production and its logistics capabilities to Europe have recovered. Volvo currently exports vehicles manufactured in its China plants to over 80 countries and regions. ^ top ^

152 projects involving 62 billion USD inked in Shanghai (Xinhua)
2020-03-31
A total of 152 major projects involving 441.8 billion yuan (about 62.4 billion U.S. dollars) were inked in Shanghai Tuesday. Among them, 28 major projects involving 161.8 billion yuan were inked on-site while 124 projects worth a total of 280 billion yuan were signed online. The projects are mainly in the sectors of integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, aerospace, intelligent manufacturing, new energy and high-end intelligent equipment, new materials, financial services, commercial retail and business services. The total value of foreign-invested projects was over 16 billion U.S. dollars, including Sam's Club's first flagship outlet in China. The city also launched an investment promotion platform that has information about 400 relevant policies, 200 various industrial parks and 3,000 office buildings. ^ top ^

North Korea insists it has no coronavirus cases, thanks to shutting borders, containment (SCMP)
2020-04-03
North Korea remains totally free of the coronavirus, a senior health official in Pyongyang has insisted, despite mounting scepticism overseas as known cases of infection topped 1 million worldwide. The already isolated, nuclear-armed North quickly shut down its borders after the virus was first detected in neighbouring China, and imposed strict containment measures. Pak Myong Su, director of the anti-epidemic department of the North's Central Emergency Anti-epidemic Headquarters, insisted that the efforts had been completely successful. "Not one single person has been infected with the novel coronavirus in our country so far," Pak said. "We have carried out pre-emptive and scientific measures such as inspections and quarantine for all personnel entering our country and thoroughly disinfecting all goods, as well as closing borders and blocking sea and air lanes." The North's official Korean Central News Agency said on Friday only about 500 people remain under coronavirus quarantine and the country will continue to strengthen its anti-virus campaign. It initially placed 380 foreigners under what it described as medical isolation, but KCNA said last week that only two of them remained quarantined. The North last month arranged a special government flight to fly out dozens of diplomats to Vladivostok, Russia. Nearly every other country has reported coronavirus cases. Aside from China, South Korea endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the virus, reporting on Friday that cases had surpassed the 10,000 mark, with 174 deaths. Recorded cases of infection across 188 countries now exceed 1 million, and these include over 52,000 deaths. Experts have said North Korea is particularly vulnerable to the virus because of its weak health care system, and defectors have accused Pyongyang of covering up an outbreak. The top US military commander in South Korea, General Robert Abrams, said on Thursday that Pyongyang's assertion it had no cases was "untrue". "I can tell you that is an impossible claim based on all of the intel that we have seen," Abrams told VOA News. The North's military was "locked down" for 30 days in February and early March over the epidemic, he said. "They took draconian measures at their border crossings and inside their formations to do exactly what everybody else is doing, which is to stop the spread." Daily NK, a South Korean news organisation, reported last month that Covid-19 was believed to have killed 180 North Korean soldiers in January and February and sent another 3,700 into quarantine. And according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, almost 10,000 North Koreans were quarantined over coronavirus fears. US President Donald Trump said previously North Korea "is going through something" and offered "cooperation in the anti-epidemic work", in a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. And Choi Jung-hun, a former North Korean doctor who fled to the South in 2012, told AFP: "I heard there are many deaths in North Korea but the authorities are not saying that it's caused by the coronavirus." As part of its anti-virus efforts Pyongyang put thousands of its own people and hundreds of foreigners – including diplomats – into isolation and mounted disinfection drives, with state media constantly exhorting citizens to obey health directives. Published images have shown universal face mask use, with the exception of leader Kim, who has never been seen wearing one, even though for several weeks the officers alongside him when he supervised firing exercises donned black coverings. More recently his aides have also been seen without face masks, although defector Choi said that did not signal the North's containment efforts had been widely successful. Pyongyang – which is subject to multiple international sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes – has sought virus-related aid. In February, Russia's foreign ministry said it provided Pyongyang with 1,500 coronavirus diagnostic test kits at its request "due to the persisting risk of the new Covid-19". The United Nations has granted sanctions exemptions to relief groups including Medecins Sans Frontieres and Unicef on items such as diagnostic kits, face masks, protective equipment and disinfectants. Both Medecins Sans Frontieres and Unicef – whose shipments were requested by North Korean authorities – said that their supplies had arrived overland from China. "DPRK has an overall lack of medical supplies and the latest diagnostic equipment," a Medecins Sans Frontieres spokesperson said, using the initials of the country's official name. The World Health Organisation plans to spend US$900,000 to support Pyongyang's coronavirus response activities, according to data posted on the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs website. ^ top ^

DPRK conducts test-firing of super-large multiple rocket launchers (Xinhua)
2020-03-30
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) successfully test-fired super-large multiple rocket launchers on Sunday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Monday morning. The report said the test was conducted by the Academy of Defence Science to verify the tactical and technological specifications of the launch system once again "to be delivered to units of the Korean People's Army." The Republic of Korea military said on Sunday that it observed two short-range missiles were fired from DPRK's eastern coastal city of Wonsan, flying 230 km with a maximum altitude of 30 km. The KCNA said the test-firing was guided by Ri Pyong-chol, member of the Political Bureau and vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, as well as other senior officials. Ri said the operational deployment of the weapon system of super-large multiple rocket launchers was of crucial significance to "realizing a new strategic intention for national defense," according to the report. The DPRK has conducted a series of weapon tests and artillery firing drills so far this year. However, the earlier weapon tests were all guided personally by the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-un. ^ top ^

Mongolia-U.S. sign formal child protection compact partnership (Montsame)
2020-04-02
U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia Michael Klecheski and Senior Mongolian Officials, including Minister of Justice and Home Affairs Ts.Nyamdorj, Minister of Labor and Social Protection S.Chinzorig, and Prosecutor General B.Jargalsaikhan, today signed a historic partnership to combat child sex trafficking and forced child labor in Mongolia. Implementation of this four-year partnership will strengthen the efforts of the Mongolian government, law enforcement and prosecutors, NGOs, and civil society organizations to fight all forms of child trafficking in Mongolia. The Partnership signing comes after several months of high-level discussions between representatives of relevant Mongolian ministries and offices and the U.S. Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office), which is responsible for leading the Department's global engagement to combat human trafficking. With the signing of this CPC Partnership, the TIP Office commits to providing approximately $5 million (nearly 15 billion MNT) in U.S. foreign assistance to nongovernmental and international organizations that will collaborate with members of the Mongolian National Sub-Council on Trafficking in Persons, which leads interagency efforts to combat human trafficking. The Partnership's objectives include improving interagency coordination and collaboration, improving Mongolia's investigation and prosecution of child traffickers, strengthening Mongolian and civil society capacity to provide comprehensive trauma-informed care for child trafficking victims, and expanding community understanding of the risks and indicators of child trafficking as well as how to take appropriate action to prevent child trafficking in all its forms. Mongolian children are especially vulnerable to forced labor in informal sectors of the economy, such as horseracing, herding and animal husbandry. Children left alone at home are also at an elevated risk of sex trafficking and in some cases family members may be complicit in child sex trafficking and forced child labor. The TIP Office will begin selecting implementing partners through a competitive grant process and will soon post a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) soliciting applications for projects that support implementation of the CPC Partnership's objectives. Though unable to attend the signing, United States Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Person John Cotton Richmond expressed his robust support for the Partnership stating, "Because of this agreement and Mongolia's commitment to fight child trafficking, this partnership is poised to have a massive impact on stopping traffickers and holding them accountable in Ulaanbaatar." Recognizing the significance of today's signing, Ambassador Klecheski noted, "I am honored to represent the United States in signing this historic Child Protection Compact Partnership, which came about because of the strong joint commitment our two countries have made to combat child trafficking, and has the potential to make a real and enduring difference in children's lives here in Mongolia." Mongolian ministry officials responsible for anti-trafficking efforts also acknowledged the importance of today's signing. ^ top ^

Finance Minister shed light on economic relief measures (Montsame)
2020-04-02
On April 1, Minister of Finance Ch.Khurelbaatar hosted a press conference to make a detailed clarification on the government economic measures to mitigate the economic downturn and protect those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. At yesterday's meeting, the cabinet decided to submit the bills on the package measures to urgent parliament discussion. The measures include exemptions of social insurance contributions and corporate tax of private companies and entities as well as personal income tax for their employees, monthly incentives for employees of entities affected by the pandemic-related restrictions, low interest loans to cashmere companies, additional child benefit allowances and reduction in fuel price. The exemption of social insurance contributions for 6 months applies to a total of 526,000 insured employees, and the corporate tax relief will benefit 105,000 entities, said the Finance Minister. "All entities are waived from penalties and fees levied on non-payment or late-filing of social insurance contributions and all types of taxes throughout the period of heightened state of alert." said Khurelbaatar. The government will also submit a bill on customs duty and VAT exemptions on coronavirus test kits and medical supplies. Minister Khurelbaatar informed that around 860,000 tax payers will be receiving VAT refunds for their purchases made in the first quarter of 2020 and 2,511,000 individuals and 486 entities will be receiving dividends of shares of the Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi. He further emphasized that the government organizations have suspended all non-essential expenditures and costs since February 19, such as foreign and domestic business travels, conferences and procurements of unimportant goods and services. The Minister again assured that no budget revisions will be made and investments from the public budget will not be cut to avoid leading to job losses. MNT 5.1 trillion, the total cost of the package of measures to support the economy will be made available both from foreign sources and state budget funds despite the fact that the state revenue for the first three quarters of 2020 is falling MNT 97.8 billion short of projections. ^ top ^

National Security Council discusses natural gas pipeline project (Montsame)
2020-03-31
The National Security Council of Mongolia called a meeting today and issued a resolution to set up a working group responsible for providing policy and coordination to the project collaboration to construct a natural gas pipeline that will link the Russian Federation to the Republic of China through the territory of Mongolia. Headed by Deputy Prime Minister U.Enkhtuvshin, the Working Group consists of Secretary of the National Security Council A.Gansukh, Minister of Foreign Affairs D.Tsogtbaatar and Minister of Finance Ch.Khurelbaatar. The head of the working group has been tasked to organize activities of the working group immediately. ^ top ^

Mongolia disinfecting imported goods (Montsame)
2020-03-30
During today's press briefing of the State Emergency Commission on the situation around the COVID-19 pandemic, Deputy Head of the Specialized Inspection Agency G.Sugarbat noted that Mongolian has been paying special attention on safe and uninterrupted imports and transportation of food and other essential products. Food product packages shipped from abroad and all shipping trucks and trains carrying them are undergoing proper disinfection. He noted that 183 drivers, including 35 foreign and 183 Mongolians, entered the country with vehicles carrying 848 tons of food and 435 tons of non-food products and border officials are carefully carrying out disinfection on all of them. While being on the territory of Mongolia, the foreign truck drivers are also required to strictly follow necessary guidelines and are allowed to spend as little time as possible in the country when delivering the imported goods and packages. Moreover, border checkpoints where the coal shipment for exports have resumed, are only allowing drivers with personal protective equipment. ^ top ^

Pascal Wanner
Embassy of Switzerland