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SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
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DPRK
Mongolia
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| Foreign Policy |
Trump should be political Batman for US in crisis (Global Times)
2020-05-01
During his interview with Reuters on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said China "will do anything they can" to prevent him from being reelected. How pretentious this president is. In my view, Trump is putting all his bets on winning the election on China. China has offered substantial medical supplies to the US for the latter's fight against COVID-19, to which Trump could brag that the US is the "king of ventilators." China is also the president's biggest stunt to divert Americans' rage toward his administration's own incompetence in fighting the virus. It is believed Trump and his team are aware of how they have failed their jobs in epidemic prevention and control. Only by making Americans hate China can they make sure that the public might overlook the fact that Trump's team is stained with the blood of Americans. If Trump is man enough, he should prioritize protecting American lives over reelection, and be the political Batman when the US is in crisis. Previously, the president predicted that the US death toll from COVID-19 would be 60,000. Yet, US coronavirus deaths have exceeded the figure, and many more could die. As a president, Trump has the ability to save at least some of them, to prevent the coronavirus deaths in the country from topping 100,000, if he has Batman's compassion and willingness to sacrifice something of his own to save Americans' interests. What one fears most is the US president does not have the will, that he would rather see more people die in exchange for his reelection, or that he and his competitors are deceiving Americans, confusing the citizens by a race over who can be tougher on China, making Americans believe it is China which caused the massive infections and deaths in the US. No matter who becomes the next US president, would that person sleep well in the White House, knowing so many people have died? ^ top ^
China firmly supports Czech Republic's fight against COVID-19: Xi (Xinhua)
2020-05-01
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China firmly supports the Czech Republic's fight against COVID-19. Xi told Czech President Milos Zeman in a telephone conversation that China is ready to share coronavirus containment information and experience with the Czech side via bilateral channels and the mechanism for cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs), among others. Xi said that China has made arduous efforts and achieved important strategic achievement in combating the COVID-19 epidemic, noting that it is pushing for a nationwide resumption of work and production while keeping up with the efforts in epidemic prevention and control. Xi recalled that at the critical time when the Chinese people were making an all-out effort to battle the outbreak, President Zeman called on all walks of life in the Czech society to donate money or goods, and dispatched a flight to send anti-epidemic supplies to China, demonstrating true friendship towards the Chinese people. The Chinese leader stressed that the human race is a community with a shared future that goes through thick and thin together, particularly when facing a pandemic, adding that China is willing to work with the Czech Republic and the wider international community to actively implement joint prevention and control measures to contain the spread of the virus, and strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination at the same time, so as to jointly tackle the challenges to the global economy brought by the COVID-19 outbreak, and firmly safeguard international equity and justice as well as the basic norms of international relations. Xi said he believes that with the concerted efforts by the international community, the human kind will eventually defeat the disease. On the bilateral relationship, Xi said its sound development is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples. China attaches great importance to developing its ties with the Czech Republic and is willing to work together with the Czech side to constantly boost their strategic partnership, he added. Xi also said he is looking forward to meeting with Zeman after the COVID-19 pandemic is over to jointly plan for the future of China's relations with the Czech Republic and the CEECs. Zeman, for his part, said that China has successfully brought the novel coronavirus epidemic under control and its economy has shown good prospects for development. While expressing gratitude to China for providing valuable support and assistance to the Czech Republic in fighting the epidemic, he said that the friendship between the two countries is deep-rooted, and the two peoples share friendly feelings towards each other. Zeman said that as a sincere friend of China, he will make great efforts to promote bilateral cooperation to ensure that the relations between the two countries will ward off distractions and keep moving forward. He added that he looks forward to visiting China again soon. ^ top ^
Political bias prevents Westerners from fairly assessing Jack Ma's philanthropic efforts (Global Times)
2020-05-01
The latest weapon by some Western media outlets and observers to politicize China's COVID-19 related donations is to attack Jack Ma. Since February, the philanthropist, who has been committing to charity after retiring as retail giant Alibaba's chairman, has donated a huge amount of essential medical supplies to more than 150 countries, regions and organizations, offering the most-needed help for those grappling with the COVID-19 epidemic. However, some Western observers and media outlets accused Ma of "following Party guidelines" to provide donations, claiming his philanthropic efforts were capitalized by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to "fix China's reputation." This didn't come out of nowhere, given their deeply-rooted prejudice against China and the CPC. Assessing Ma and the philanthropy he is engaging in should be no different from judging Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft. The billionaire philanthropist resigned from the board of Microsoft to focus on philanthropy, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest private charity in the world, with billions of dollars having been spent on public health goals it has identified. It's Ma's dream and ambition to follow the footsteps of Gates. On the eve of his retirement, Ma told Bloomberg that he was inspired by Gates to set up his own charitable foundation. "There's a lot of things I can learn from Bill Gates," he said. Since the spread of the pandemic, Ma provided countries and regions in need with batches of emergency medical supplies, including face masks, protective suits and face shields, to combat the coronavirus, showing that he is striving to realize his ideals and beliefs. What he has done represents human morality and has assisted those who cry for help. This is similar to the charitable efforts of his Western counterparts, such as Gates. But why is Ma's philanthropy viewed through a political lens? Why can't China have Gates-like entrepreneurs and philanthropists? Quite a number of Westerners harbor ingrained prejudice against China. They tend to link whatever Chinese people do and say with the CPC. This has prevented them from grasping the real China. They wrongly believe philanthropists like Gates can only be nurtured in an environment the Western countries have. The fact is as long as they can let go of their prejudice against China and the Western sense of superiority and think out of the box, they will realize that Ma has become China's Bill Gates under the country's market economy environment, proving China's market economy can create outstanding entrepreneurs and philanthropists as well. But it seems too difficult for them to acknowledge that the economic policies implemented by the CPC conform to the laws of market economy. As the pandemic continues to rage on, many Western countries are struggling in the fight to curb the mounting number of infections and deaths, while developing countries face greater risks to their people's lives and economies. At such a tragic moment, the world needs philanthropists like Ma. Each of his donations conveys goodwill and fulfills morality and responsibility to save lives. It deserves fair evaluation without political bias. It's true Ma and what he is doing will inevitably help increase China's influence and reputation. This is a simultaneous result of his philanthropy. China doesn't have to capitalize on or hype it. For those who misinterpret Ma's endeavors with prejudice, hearsay and groundless speculations, they should keep quiet and credit Ma. He deserves it. ^ top ^
Coronavirus: EU rebuffed attempt to water down report critical of China, diplomat says (SCMP)
2020-05-01
China tried to influence European Union efforts to document Beijing's disinformation tactics during the coronavirus pandemic, the bloc's chief diplomat admitted for the first time on Thursday. But Josep Borrell dismissed media accusations that the EU bowed to China's threats and altered its report, describing diplomats' efforts to influence each other to further their own political agenda as commonplace. The EU's overall position on China, he said, remains the same as the three-fold identity first set out by the European Commission last year: a key partner, a competitor and a systemic rival. "Did China put pressure? Look, it's clear and evident that China expressed their concerns when they knew the document that was leaked. They expressed their concerns through the diplomatic channels," Borrell told the European Parliament in Brussels. "I am not going to reveal how it was done because we don't explain publicly this kind of diplomatic context. Yes, [there] was expression of concern by the Chinese diplomacy." Borrell said the published report "very clearly points out state-sponsored disinformation campaigns and very specifically names the actors behind them, including China." "I can assure you that no changes had been introduced to the report published last week to align the concerns of a third party, in this case, China," he added. "There is no watering down of our findings. We have not bowed to anyone." 'Lost faith': EU's top scientist quits over Covid-19 response 8 Apr 2020 Borrell was summoned to a special sitting at the European Parliament, which he attended via teleconferencing, after his team was accused of bowing to Chinese threats and watering down a disinformation report. His appearance was the first by a major member of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's cabinet to address EU-China relations, but several members of the European Parliament said he failed to address their concerns. Markéta Gregorová, a Czech member of the European Parliament, said that either way, the EU's reputation had taken a hit. "The European Union is portrayed as weak and bowing to Chinese influence," she told Borrell. "Whether true or not, the damage to our reputation is done and we inadvertently communicated to our adversaries that harassing and intimidating our diplomats will work and they should continue." Borrell dodged several questions, including one by Reinhard Bütikofer, chair of the parliament's China delegation, who asked if he would support Swedish and German appeals to China to offer greater transparency into the origin of the virus. The EU high representative, who is from Spain, also did not respond to questions about whether the EU would show more support for Taiwan, which had been sidelined by the World Health Organisation amid pressure from China despite the island's success in containing the virus. Beijing has rejected claims that it engaged in any disinformation campaign during the pandemic. It called on other countries to show recognition for its work in curbing the virus and helping others nations. ^ top ^
China shaping up to be central campaign theme for both Donald Trump and Joe Biden (SCMP)
2020-05-01
Election day in the US is on November 3. Although most Americans go to polling places to vote, some will cast mail ballots. Photo: AP China might be the second most important campaign issue in this year's US presidential campaign, but the country is tied so directly to issue No 1 – the devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic – that it might not matter. As President Donald Trump and his presumptive Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, compete to portray themselves as being the toughest on Beijing, the only factor that will prevent a complete diplomatic severance, former government officials and experts said, will be the need to restore economic growth. US media reports on Thursday that the Trump administration was pursuing conspiracy theories about the coronavirus' origins and was formulating a raft of measures to hold China responsible for the pandemic's damage have brought this competition into sharper focus. This presidential campaign "will likely be the most politicised that China has been in the United States since Tiananmen Square" in 1989, said Evan Medeiros, who served as former president Barack Obama's top policy adviser for the Asia-Pacific region. "We're entering a very treacherous period." Former vice-president Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee who will take on US President Donald Trump in November. Photos: AP In a recent campaign ad, Trump said, "for 40 years Joe Biden has been wrong about China", and attacked the Democrat for past comments that China's rise was a positive development. Trump administration mulling how to punish China over coronavirus pandemic 1 May 2020 That line of argument ties Biden to the US trade deficit with China, which rose to a record US$347 billion in 2016, the last full year of the two-term Barack Obama administration, in which Biden served as vice-president. The deficit rose to US$420 billion in 2018, when Trump started a trade war that has kept tariffs of up to 25 per cent on about US$370 billion worth of Chinese imports. A recent Biden campaign ad went after Trump directly for his response to Beijing's statements about the outbreak, using the president's own statements from January and February to do so. The advertisement, released on April 18, accused Trump of accepting Beijing's word in February – as Covid-19 cases began spreading beyond mainland China – that the country's health authorities had the contagion under control, and features Trump's expressions of confidence in Beijing's handling of the outbreak. "Both campaigns are using China's role in the pandemic because it's an external factor that everyone can point to," said Wenchi Yu, a former senior researcher for the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, a US government body that monitors human rights and rule of law developments in the country. "If you look at the past 20 years, every presidential election cycle, the rhetoric around China is always very hard, but this year is different simply because the pandemic has put China into all of our lives; it's no longer limited to, say, jobs lost in Michigan or Ohio," said Yu, who is now a non-resident research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. "This is being felt by everybody; it's in every facet of our society." This flood of disruption into Americans' lives has led Trump to look for ways to put the blame for the pandemic on the Chinese government's doorstep. And just such an effort appears to be under way, according to a New York Times report on Thursday. The Times reported that Trump administration officials have pushed US intelligence for evidence to support allegations that the contagion that has killed more than 60,000 Americans originated in a government laboratory in Wuhan, the mainland Chinese city where the outbreak started in late 2019. The Wuhan Institute of Virology has become the centre of a number of conspiracy theories about the coronavirus. If evidence surfaced proving such a theory, Trump could wield it as a weapon that would deflect attention from his China-friendly comments in January and February. CNN reported on Thursday, citing sources it did not identify, that Trump was preparing "a long-term plan to punish China" that includes sanctions, cancelling US debt obligations and drawing up new trade policies. For the time being, Trump's messaging is mixed. Asked by a reporter in Washington later on Thursday about the origins of the coronavirus, Trump said Chinese government officials "seem to be trying to be somewhat transparent". But when pressed about what punishment he might be considering, Trump dismissed the idea of not honouring US debt obligations as that would undermine the US dollar. "But we can do it in other ways," Trump said. "We can do it with tariffs, we can do it other ways even beyond that." One factor that could limit the candidates' drive to make China a centrepiece of their battle will be the success of efforts to stage a post-pandemic economic recovery. A report last month by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, titled Cascading Impacts of the Covid-19 Outbreak in China, highlighted several industry surveys showing that 76 per cent of small US businesses were being negatively affected by supply disruptions in China, and 84 per cent of US electronics firms expressed concern that these interruptions would hurt them financially. Chinese tourism and spending on US higher education generated US$50 billion in revenue in 2018, according to US government data. These economic realities, along with a desire to keep his phase one trade deal intact, have so far kept Trump restrained in terms of his rhetoric towards Beijing, even as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Republican lawmakers including Senators Rick Scott of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri hammer away at Beijing on multiple fronts. If anything holds Trump back, it is the counsel of business leaders in his circle warning that further damage to relations with Beijing will make the economic damage worse and more difficult to recover from, Medeiros said. Additional agricultural purchases by China as part of the phase one trade deal, for example, will be important to US farmers, a constituency that will be key in the upcoming election, he said. US exports to China supported at least 1 million US jobs in 2018, said Anna Ashton, who is in charge of government affairs at the Washington-based US-China Business Council. "Unfortunately, we are beginning to see that trend take a negative turn" owing to the trade war, Ashton said. She pointed out that annual US exports to China fell 11.4 per cent in 2019 to US$105 billion, marking a continued slide from a high of US$127 billion in 2017. How China responds to the US campaign rhetoric, including demands for more transparency from the US government on the coronavirus' origins, will determine whether the two sides stay engaged. But Beijing's response so far does not bode well for engagement, said Kurt Tong, former US consul general to Hong Kong. In recent weeks, senior Chinese diplomats in France, Sweden, Britain, the Netherlands, Japan, Singapore and Peru made headlines by trading barbs with local media, officials and academics they considered critical of Beijing's handling of the pandemic. "The international reaction to China's rhetoric has been crystal clear and very negative," Tong said. "The message about their ability to bring the virus under control has been squandered, and there hasn't been much of an effort to get their tone more in line with what would be acceptable to other countries," said Tong, who is now a partner at Washington-based business consultancy The Asia Group. "A shrill Chinese response will make it harder, but not impossible, for the two countries to re-engage in 2021." ^ top ^
Provoking human civilization must be rejected (Global Times)
2020-04-30
The Daily Telegraph tabloid in Sydney, Australia recently published an article that was accompanied by an illustration that denigrated China's national emblem and maliciously suggested China is the source of the novel coronavirus. A national emblem is the symbol of a sovereign country and is inviolable. By politicizing the pandemic, the newspaper has discarded justice, broken through the bottom line of morality, and gravely hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. Such evil-minded conduct should never be tolerated. The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the world's morality and civilization. As the recorder of history, media should consciously cultivate moral integrity, uphold and defend the basic values of human civilization and keep the bottom line of human civilization. Both national flags and national emblems are important symbols of modern civilization. They express the deep feelings of the people and represent the noble dignity of all countries. By blatantly stigmatizing China for the pandemic and inciting racism, the Australian newspaper goes against modern civilization. Virus tracing is a rigorous and serious scientific procedure that requires professional expertise. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly stressed that the novel coronavirus could have come from just about anywhere in the world. In a research paper published by The Lancet recently, 16 global health law scholars warned that responses that are anchored in fear, misinformation, racism and xenophobia will not save the world from outbreaks like COVID-19. Disregarding the warnings of the WHO and the international health law scholars, and openly violating the International Health Regulations, the Australian newspaper has shamed itself. Media reports should be based on facts and conscience. China has made active contributions in defending human rights to life and health. By always putting people's welfare first, the country has consolidated the sound momentum of epidemic prevention and control at home. China has actively participated in and propelled international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic by adhering to the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and advocating the international humanitarian spirit. Both China's epidemic prevention and control achievements at home and its role in the global anti-pandemic cooperation are undeniable. Instead of reporting facts, the Australian newspaper called white black out of ideological prejudice, revealing its lack of professional integrity. The global war against COVID-19 is a race against death. Any conscientious and responsible media outlet should play a constructive role in promoting global cooperation in fighting the pandemic. The Daily Telegraph newspaper disregarded the negotiations and condemnation of the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney, and repeatedly carried out slanders against China under the excuse of the pandemic. On April 1, the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney sent a letter to the newspaper, refuting its arrogant and prejudiced pandemic-related reports on China. The newspaper later played a similar trick in its reporting and published an article on April 23 saying the illustration of the Chinese national emblem was "excellent," continuing to discredit China and the Chinese people. It seems that the media outlet has chosen to stand on the opposite side of objectivity and fairness. The facts are self-evident and justice naturally inhabits people's heart. British academic journal Nature recently issued an editorial titled "Stop the coronavirus stigma now" on three platforms including in Chinese and English, for three consecutive days. In February, the WHO announced that the disease caused by the novel coronavirus would be called COVID-19, implicitly sending a reminder to those who had erroneously been associating the virus with Wuhan and China in their news coverage - including Nature, the editorial said. "That we did so was an error on our part, for which we take responsibility and apologize," it said. Nature's admission of the error in a timely manner shows its responsibility. In contrast, the Daily Telegraph exposed its narrow-minded thinking and dark intentions. The racist remarks about the novel coronavirus and the subsequent racial discrimination, racial contradictions and racial conflicts are all blatant provocations against modern civilization that should be resisted by the international community. All responsible media in the world should firmly adhere to justice and jointly protect the basic values of human civilization. ^ top ^
Beijing slams Washington over trespass by warship (China Daily)
2020-04-30
China on Tuesday condemned trespassing by a United States warship in China's territorial waters and urged Washington to cease military operations detrimental to regional security, peace and stability. Senior Colonel Li Huamin, spokesman for the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command, said that the destroyer USS Barry illegally entered China's territorial waters off the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea on Tuesday without permission from the Chinese government. The PLA Southern Theater Command deployed air and naval forces to monitor the ship and verify its identity and warned it to leave, Li said. A similar illegal incursion happened last month, when the USS McCampbell sailed into waters off the Xisha Islands on March 10, and the act was labeled by Beijing as hegemonic behavior. The provocative practice of the US violated international law and infringed on China's sovereignty and security interests, Li said, adding that it increased security risks in the region and was prone to cause unexpected incidents. Such moves are incompatible with the international fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and go against the willingness of regional countries to jointly maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea, he said. The PLA Southern Theater Command will resolutely fulfill its mission to safeguard national sovereignty and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, he added. Li urged the US to focus more on curbing the novel coronavirus at the domestic level, and to do more to promote international anti-epidemic work. Also on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry urged US politicians to find ways to control the pandemic as soon as possible instead of shifting blame after US President Donald Trump said that he may seek damages from China over the coronavirus outbreak. Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that some US politicians repeatedly distort the facts, attempting to deflect attention from their insufficient response to the virus at home. "Attempts to shift the blame to China will not wipe out China's efforts in combating the virus," Geng said. Such attempts are not conducive to pandemic prevention work in the US, he said, asking certain US politicians to reflect on their nation's own problems. ^ top ^
China, ASEAN see more opportunities for trade cooperation despite pandemic (People's Daily)
2020-04-30
While deepening their cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which enjoy complementary trade and low logistical costs, have registered strong trade growth. Data from the General Administration of Customs showed that total trade between China and the ASEAN stood at 991.3 billion yuan in the first quarter of 2020, a year-on-year increase of 6.1 percent. The data suggests that the epidemic hasn't had too much of an effect on the economic and trade exchanges between China and the ASEAN, said Tang Zhimin, director of China ASEAN Studies Center, Panyapiwat Institute of Management, adding that the types and scale of bilateral trade have constantly expanded, demonstrating closer relations between the two sides. Trade in integrated circuits and energy has played a major role in bilateral exchanges, while imports and exports of integrated circuits pushed up overall trade growth by 3.3 percentage points, and trade in oil and coal stimulated trade growth by 1.7 percentage points. In addition to traditional goods, Internet-based cross-border e-commerce has become one of the highlights of bilateral trade. With the application of advanced technologies such as 5G and VR and the popularization of smart phones, e-commerce is developing rapidly in Southeast Asia, which will promote cross-border e-commerce trade along with bilateral cooperation in this field, reported the Bangkok Post, an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The upgraded protocol of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, which took effect in October 2019, has further unleashed the benefits of the free trade area and facilitated the trade of agricultural products between the two sides. Meanwhile, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is expected to be signed within the year as planned, which will usher in more opportunities for China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation. ^ top ^
Morrison's adventurism could damage China-Australia relations beyond repair (Global Times)
2020-04-29
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison made a series of phone calls last week to several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, appealing for their support of Australia's "independent" inquiry into "the origin and spread" of the COVID-19 outbreak, with China as the thinly veiled target. The calls were not an impulsive act. They were part of a strategic plan made through thoughtful deliberations. Morrison's proposal and lobbying came after his foreign minister Marise Payne made a similar threat on April 21. A day after that, at a G20 ministerial meeting, Australia's agricultural minister David Littleproud called for international scrutiny of wet markets in China which he claimed were rampant with "live wildlife, exotic wildlife" that are creating "human risk and biosecurity risk." While the rest of the world is actively joining forces and pooling resources to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Morrison administration is spearheading this malicious campaign to frame and incriminate China with groundless conjecture and outlandish fabrications. China has made tremendous human sacrifices and suffered great economic losses during its fight against the epidemic. At the start of the outbreak when the novel coronavirus caught everyone unprepared, China communicated with the WHO and other countries about the virus' genome sequence and other key information about the disease. In a January 29 telephone conversation with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Payne said she appreciated China's open, transparent and timely communication with the international community. Even though the crisis still exits, China has kick-started its manufacturing of medical and personal protective equipment, providing much-needed supplies to 127 countries and four international organizations, and sending teams of experts to 15 countries. It is utterly senseless for Australia to start a blame game that amounts to pointing a finger at the victim. Consequently, Chinese and other Asians in Australia have become a vulnerable target of racial discrimination and hate crimes. Based on unsubstantiated anecdotes and hearsay, Australia has been spreading preposterous lies accusing China of opening wet markets trading in wildlife across the country. Sensational tales, which are far from reality, are being told by media shock jocks and some politicians, who allege that bats are on menus in restaurants in China. This nonsense is stigmatizing the Chinese community and the Chinese way of life. This is an all-out crusade against China and Chinese culture, led by Australia, which has worked hard in the past to become a comprehensive strategic partner of China. This is not the first time that Canberra has attempted to lead a panda-bashing campaign. We still remember that in 2018, Morrison's predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, fired the world's first shot at Huawei by imposing a blanket ban on its 5G equipment, and lobbied a number of Western countries to follow suit. During this global existential crisis, Canberra is exercising despicable opportunism and is deluded in thinking it will result in geopolitical gains. All governments should be following the basic principles of humanitarianism during these dark hours of human history, and rally behind a global fight to end the pandemic, instead of guilefully trying to stab China in the back. Australia prides itself on being in the vanguard of this anti-China crusade, and pretends it's not performing on the whims of the White House. A Sydney commentator congratulates Morrison's reckless ploy as "representing a remarkable moment in Australia's national self-assertion," denoting "a new boldness and independence." It is a most ludicrous and immature illusion for Australia to think it is growing bigger and taller by waging one skirmish after another against China. By placing itself as a chess piece in Washington's Indo-Pacific Strategy, Australia is still playing its part as America's "deputy sheriff." Bilateral relations between China and Australia have hit a record-low over the past three years. For almost 30 years, Australia sustained its economic growth by riding on the coattails of China's monumental development. China is Australia's largest destination of exports, largest source of international tourists and students, and one of the biggest overseas investors. The Morrison government's adventurism to fiddle with this mutually beneficial comprehensive strategic partnership is in defiance of rational thought and common sense. It has seriously ravaged trust, confidence and shared interests, which are the bedrocks of the bilateral relationship. Canberra is treading on a hazardous path that has no prospect for a U-turn during the COVID-19 pandemic, and likely for a long time afterward. ^ top ^
Is Pompeo planning to "make America great again" by bullying? ((People's Daily)
2020-04-29
As the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to rage in the U.S., Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the most aggressive critic of China in the Trump administration, is racking his brains for ways to attack China and the World Health Organization (WHO). Since last March, Pompeo has added the COVID-19 pandemic as a new card to his library of materials with which to attack China. He has frequently accused China of "covering up" facts about the virus and a "lack of transparency" on related data, and even boasted that China will "pay a price for what it did". Politicians like Pompeo have only prejudice, hatred, and private interests in their minds. On April 22, Pompeo launched fresh attacks on the WHO at a U.S. State Department press briefing, revealing his despicable nature once again by accusing the WHO of "not making a legal determination" on China, which he alleged to have breached the International Health Regulations by failing to report the COVID-19 outbreak in a timely manner. Pompeo said that China "still has not shared the virus sample from inside of China with the outside world," "ordered a halt to testing of new samples," and "destroyed existing samples". Are these accusations against China true? In fact, even vaccine development institutes in the U.S. have openly said that they have received COVID-19 samples from China and conducted comparisons and carried out research based on them. Furthermore, nucleic acid tests for the novel coronavirus are carried out every day in China. The WHO has repeated on many occasions that China immediately reported the "pneumonia of unknown cause" to it after the outbreak of the disease and has maintained close communication with WHO experts and related organizations. The international organization has also thanked China for sharing the relevant data with it in a timely manner so that other countries have been able to get first-hand data since the beginning of their epidemic prevention and control efforts. At the critical moment when people in China and the U.S. are in the middle of a deadly fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Pompeo, as the top U.S. diplomat, is sparing no effort to stigmatize China with fabricated stories, hearsay, and conjecture. People with insight into the U.S. can no longer stand such acts from Pompeo. The finance and economics channel NBC cited remarks from China expert Jessica Chen Weiss at Cornell University, who pointed out that Pompeo's blind attacks on China would only "infuriate" the country and sabotage the world's hopes of fighting the pandemic in solidarity. Actually, since he was made Secretary of State, Pompeo has opposed and stirred up trouble for China on every matter related to the country. His political role as a right-wing Republican, inherent superiority complex as an American elite, combined with his political ambitions have formed Pompeo's anti-China political gene. Pompeo's routine tactic of attacking China show the typical hegemonic thinking of right-wing American politicians, whose political ideas can be summarized as follows: First, the U.S. is always right. It always grasps the truth, and can distort and alter facts. Second, the U.S. is the world's leader and can force international organizations and international law to submit to the cognition and understanding of the U.S. Third, the U.S. can say one thing and do another and can withdraw from international organizations and agreements, but other countries MUST obey international rules, as the U.S. overrides all international organizations and sovereignties in the world. Given this context, it is not so surprising that Pompeo sees the WHO, the world's most authoritative and widely representative public health mechanism, as an organ of the U.S. that ought to follow its standards. Pompeo has made people wonder if he believes he can "make America great again" just by bullying and talking nonsense. ^ top ^
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China turns a page with two sessions to convene in May (Global Times)
2020-05-01
This year's two sessions, China's most important annual political events, will convene on May 21 and May 22, according to an official announcement made on Wednesday. On the same day, Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei announced they would lower their emergency response to the COVID-19 epidemic from the top level to the second one. Beijing will also remove quarantine requirements for visitors from low-risk parts of the country. The successive announcements are milestones, showing that China has firmly controlled the epidemic and ushers in a new era to fully resume economic and social activities while making prevention and control work normal. The two sessions will finally convene in Beijing after being postponed by more than two months. It means thousands of deputies and representatives from all over the country will gather in the capital city to attend the country's largest legislative and political consultative conferences since the outbreak of the epidemic. This is the best signal that China has brought the epidemic under control and demonstrates the capabilities and confidence of the country with a population of 1.4 billion. Witnessing the earlier outbreak of the coronavirus in the world, China is one of the first few countries to explore ways to tamp down the epidemic as well as to end economic shutdown and resume production. China has made great efforts to reduce the number of infections to zero in strict accordance with the epidemiological requirements, and scored a success. It has also strictly guarded against imported cases and domestic rebounds, which has sustained its anti-epidemic results from the first stage. The outside world lacks knowledge about China's situation. As the pandemic rages on in the US and Europe, people there can't imagine what China has been doing. The number of infections in the US exceeded 1 million hours before China's decision to fix the dates for the two sessions. Globally, there are more than 3 million confirmed cases. Against this backdrop, China's achievements are particularly prominent. Washington, which is shirking its responsibility for its failures in handling the pandemic for political reasons, accused China of covering up infection and death figures. It also claimed China "falsified" its anti-epidemic results. The best answer to the smear is to steadily normalize daily life in China. No country can fabricate the recovery of businesses, the relaunch of tourism and resumption of traffic during rush hours, nor can it falsify people's consumption enthusiasm after the epidemic and the leisure group chats on social media. It's easy to tell whether a city has resumed normal life or if it is still struggling. China has made a solid step from fighting the coronavirus to recovering its economy. Each decision was not impulsively made, but carefully planned. Although there are many ways to curb the epidemic, China's approach will definitely be evaluated by history as one of the most successful. Lies about China's endeavors against the pandemic will eventually be crushed by facts. The pandemic is far from over. The people's fight against the coronavirus is still in the early stage and a graver situation may come next winter in the northern hemisphere. China needs to stay on high alert and cannot and should not lessen its prevention and control work as life returns to normal. It's firmly believed that Chinese people agree on this. China's prevention and control has become a new normal. It is constantly scanning every corner of the society and is ready to cut any new infection chains. Normalizing economic and social life will provide China with abundant capital to handle international affairs. No matter how the pandemic fight changes, China will take the initiative. It will have plenty of opportunities to smash US attacks. No challenge can crush us as long as we continue to properly manage ourselves, maintain one of the highest production resumption rates and prevent the rebound of the epidemic. ^ top ^
Boao Forum for Asia 2020 conference canceled amid COVID-19 pandemic (Global Times)
2020-05-01
The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) said on Thursday that its 2020 annual conference, originally scheduled for March 24-27, has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The forum's Board of Directors said on its website that it has made a difficult decision of not holding this year's conference as the raging COVID-19 pandemic across the world is threatening human health and the global economy. However, despite the disruptive times, the forum will continue preparation for three major thematic conferences scheduled in the latter half of 2020, including the first conference of the International Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation on November 9 in Macao, the first Global Economic Development and Security Forum in September in Zhuhai, both in south China, and the second Conference of Global Health Forum in October in Qingdao, eastern Shandong Province, according to its statement. In addition, under the COVID-19 pandemic, the forum will organize a series of online activities to discuss the impact of the pandemic and explore solutions for recovery. ^ top ^
Update: Xi extends greetings to working people nationwide ahead of Int'l Labor Day (Xinhua)
2020-05-01
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday replied to a letter from the staff of a large private service company, extending greetings to them and other working people across the country ahead of the International Labor Day. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, praised the hard work of Yuanfang Group employees in central China's Henan Province, who remained at their jobs such as cleaners and property managers amid the COVID-19 epidemic, while answering a letter written by the company's head on behalf of the employees. Xi noted that greatness comes from the ordinary. From the frontline medical workers and those who participated in epidemic prevention and control to sanitation workers, deliverymen and workers producing anti-epidemic supplies, a large number of working people have made contributions in their respective posts, gathering strength to prevail over the epidemic. Xi urged all workers to firm up confidence and stay motivated to contribute more to China's epidemic containment and economic and social development. Based in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan, Yuanfang Group is a comprehensive service provider that employs around 60,000 people, of whom more than 500 are members of the CPC. In the letter to Xi, they expressed the determination to take up the responsibilities and tide over the hardship. ^ top ^
GT investigation: A battle to save exports, jobs (Global Time)
2020-04-29
This is part III of a multi-part series of the Global Times' investigation into the severity of unemployment issues in China following COVID-19 and claims from some foreign media that social unrest in China might be imminent. This article focuses on the impact of the pandemic overseas on export-related jobs in China. A worker is busy with producing and packaging zippers at a zipper manufacturer in Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang Province, the country's manufacturing hub. Almost all of the company's more than 200 employees have resumed work amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For China's export sector and its massive workforce, the coronavirus pandemic has dealt two separate blows: the first during the outbreak of the deadly virus across the country, while the second as the virus spreads around the globe - crucial markets for Chinese exporters. Coupled with rising trade tensions and a domestic industrial restructuring process, COVID-19 now poses serious risks to China's exports and millions of related jobs - fueling obsolete yet fear-mongering predictions that mass layoffs are going to occur. However, a Global Times investigation into the impact of COVID-19 in interviews with exporters, front-line employees and trade experts show that while the challenge is real, there is always a way out. Apart from their ability to adapt to a changing global trade tide and resolve that made the country the world's largest trading nation in just three decades, exporters and employers are also getting creative in finding ways to cope - exploring a massive domestic market, new ways of selling products like e-commerce and new markets in emerging economies. They are waging what some call a "tough battle" to save their businesses and livelihoods. A worker is polishing a steel ring for a bicycle at a company in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province on April 13. Plight of export workers For 20-something Duan, Shanghai is the best place he can think of to start a better life. Craving for a taste of the metropolis, home to a free trade zone that serves as a laboratory for China's economic reforms, motivating him to endure frequent job changes over the past year since the junior high school graduate left his hometown in Central China's Henan Province. He felt closer to his dream after securing a temporary job in the city more than 800 kilometers away from his hometown, before the COVID-19 pandemic eventually cost him his job at an electronics contracting factory. Many temporary workers who joined the company this year have had their contracts terminated by the company and the salaries they received were also lower than previously promised, Duan told the Global Times on Tuesday. He was laid off in mid-April. "In such sluggish days, it's not easy to find a job," he said. But even in this environment, Duan stays hopeful and believes that he will be able to manage, as he holds onto his plan to pursue career opportunities in the city however. "Things will get better," he reiterated multiple times, encouraging himself to carve a path through the virus-plagued predicament that has overshadowed the nation's export sector. Future downward pressure on China's labor market mainly stems from the export sector, according to UBS chief China economist Wang Tao. Wang said in a note sent to the Global Times that she expected China's exports to decline by 20 percent year-on-year in the second quarter and that the full-year export contraction would hit 12 percent, factoring in deterioration of the global economy amid mobility restrictions imposed by many countries. The WTO said last week that 80 countries have imposed various types trade restrictions, warning such barriers could contribute to a fall of between 13 percent and 32 percent this year. Shrinking exports and trade could put some 10 million jobs at risk over the next coming quarters, she estimated, suggesting a noticeable part of the nation's export workforce may become jobless, albeit temporarily, as exporters are still hopeful of a rebound to pre-virus levels. Commerce Minister Zhong Shan revealed in September 2019 that China's exports and imports ballooned to $4.6 trillion in 2018 from a mere $1.13 billion in 1950, creating more than 180 million jobs. "One-third of my employees have left, mostly average employees and servicemen," said Wang Hanyu, owner of a small invitation card factory in Yiwu and also Wenzhou, of East China's Zhejiang Province, citing sluggish orders amid the pandemic that have seen many of his peer companies lay off workers or ask them to take unpaid leave. His factories now employ about 30 people manufacturing paper for invitation cards and red envelopes, with exports accounting for about 70 percent of revenue. Invitation cards are exported mostly to Africa and the Middle East, while red envelopes for weddings are destined for mostly people of Chinese origin in Southeast Asia. Workers are seen at a workshop in Longhua science and Technology Park of Foxconn Technology Group in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb 22, 2019. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian) Finding a way out however, the tougher the plight seems, the more courageous those hinging their futures on the nation's export sector have shown themselves to be. The Yiwu market has offered to exempt traders' rent for two months, and there are also social security subsidies as well as lower interest rates on bank loans, Wang said. With the Chinese economy well on track for a reboot, the domestic market offers hope for Wang as the local wedding market is expected to rebound alongside eased restrictions on travel. Some have turned to one of the more in-vogue ways of selling products to domestic consumers - livestreaming. Just in March only, Alibaba 1688, a platform designed for export firms to sell products in the domestic market, saw a 295 percent increase from the previous months and a total of 500,000 exporters will shift towards the domestic market and Alibaba will help them sell 200 billion yuan worth of products this year. Others have also shifted their production line overnight to make products in hot demand - masks, gowns and other anti-viral supplies, accentuating the ability of Chinese exporters and manufacturing firms to adapt quickly to changing markets bolstered by the US' trade war with China and foreign officials constant calls on their companies to shift supply chain. It's true that optimism is yet to be justified, Wang said, noting that "the worst scenario might be a struggle throughout the year, but [my company] could take advantage of the lapse to develop new products." Zhong Wenhui, a manager at Huizhou Deshang Musical Instrument Co, told the Global Times on Tuesday that many factories are scaling down their payrolls as the pandemic kills demand and brings uncertainty. Zhong's companies traditionally export a large number of musical instruments to the US. "Despite the situation, there is always a bright side, and we are increasing our company's flexibility in switching between domestic and overseas markets as demand fluctuates along with the ongoing pandemic," Zhong said. "We are digging in to prepare a 'war of attrition' in the coming months." Zhong said the government has lent strong support to companies, especially in the form of financial lending, which are both low in interest and high in loan sums. "I expect more supportive policies from the government for economic recovery, and I hope for an improved early warning system to keep an eye on the pandemic," Zhong said. Zhong's optimism for a rebound in export orders and preparation for the future is also shared by many other firms, which are using the period to adjust and improve. A downturn in domestic car manufacturing and the COVID-19 fallout in overseas markets have dampened business optimism for the second and third quarters, Liu Jin, head of the general management department at the Ningbo Zhenzhi Machinery and Mould Company, told the Global Times. The auto mould manufacturer, located in an industrial park in the city's Daqi subdistrict, which produces high-end auto parts and mould, has been roaring up production as many orders were secured back in January or even before, Liu said. A gradual decline in new orders for April and May will see reduced activity in the second and third quarters, she went on to say, noting that her company plans to take advantage of the slack to renovate its premises and upgrade its manufacturing equipment in preparation for a massive rebound in orders. As dark clouds drift away to reveal more sunshine - something most anticipated by multitudes of export sector workers - Duan is expecting to find not only a job, but a girlfriend in Shanghai with whom he can fight for the future with that sooner or later sees COVID-19 retreat. ^ top ^
Xi stresses institutional strengths to respond to risks (Global Time)
2020-04-28
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday presided over the 13th meeting of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform. Xi, also Chinese president, chairman of the Central Military Commission, and head of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, stressed efforts to deepen reform, improve institutions, improve the governance system, and make good use of institutional strengths to respond to risks and challenges. ^ top ^
Labor Day holiday to see domestic tourism spike (China Daily)
2020-04-28
Domestic tourism will be on the upswing during the coming Labor Day holiday thanks to the government's effective prevention and control measures against COVID-19 and special offers given by travel agencies. The five-day break is projected to see the year's first travel boom according to a report by Trip.com, an online travel agency headquartered in Shanghai, which said domestic travel will double that of Tomb Sweeping Day in early April. The agency said that due to the coronavirus outbreak, Chinese travelers' visits will be transferred to domestic travel, with short-distance tours within 4 days the most popular type of trip. Data cited from Lvmama, another travel agency in Shanghai, shows travel combos including attraction tickets and two or three stays in a hotel are sought after on its platforms. Also, travelers prefer to choose leisure hotels in the countryside with fewer people but beautiful scenery. Self-guided tours by rental cars have registered the fastest recovery, because of travelers' demands for loose travel schedules, cleanness and privacy. Trip.com said the orders of rental cars on its platform has returned to 70 percent of that in the same period of previous year. Discounted flight tickets is another motivator for travel. According to Qunar, an online travel service provider in Beijing, the prices of some hot domestic airlines are 30 or even 60 percent off during the Labor Day holiday compared to the previous year. For example, the average price of airline from Beijing to Shanghai is 478 yuan ($68) over the break, a decrease of 29.6 percent from 679 yuan in the same period of 2019. Ge Lanxiang, vice president of Qunar, said the prices of domestic flights will be at their lowest during the holiday over the past past five years. ^ top ^
Top legislature's standing committee session stresses biosecurity (Global Times)
2020-04-27
The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, started its 17th session on Sunday, during which lawmakers reviewed a series of draft laws and law revisions regarding to the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste, as well as biosecurity. The moves could indicate that relevant discussions will be at the center of the upcoming national "two sessions" as the VOVID-19 pandemic is brought under control in China, observers said on Sunday. The Sunday session deliberated the revisions of the law on solid waste pollution prevention and management, which stresses trash classification and overall management in urban and suburban areas. It also calls for strengthened management of medical waste especially that used to respond to a major epidemic, as well as environmental sanitation in farmers ' markets and agricultural products wholesale markets. The NPC Constitution and Law Committee said that the relevant revision is ready for consideration by the standing committee session for deliberation and approval. The improvement of monitoring, early warnings, and reporting and origin tracking systems for biosecurity risks are also mentioned in the draft. The draft law stipulates that national bio-security coordination mechanisms are composed of relevant government agencies, departments and military organs. To prevent and control infectious diseases as well as animal and plant epidemics, the draft law also made amendments to include monitoring and early warning systems, to demand relevant institutions gather, analyze and report relevant information,to make forecasts on emerging diseases, and epidemic trends. State Council departments and governments above the county-level should issue timely warnings to the public taking appropriate response and control measures. The draft law also regulates bio-security management for laboratories, human genetic resources and biological resources. Also the prevention of bio-terrorism and bio-weapon threats, building of bio-security capacities and other aspects have been included, and related legal responsibilities clarified. The openings of the annual "two sessions" of the NPC and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, are usually held on March 5 and March 3, respectively. The postponement of the key events in the country's political calendar this year is widely seen as part of the effort by top authorities to prioritize the prevention and control of COVID-19. During the Sunday event, the NPC Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee called for definite requirements regarding the approval and quarantine inspection related to the utilization of wild animals except for consumption purposes, and for translating such requirements into legal form in a timely manner. Such topics are not only in line with the requirements of the country's current epidemic fight — they are also relevant to China's development in a sustainable fashion as well as the benefit of the public, Luo Yameng, a Beijing-based urban management expert, told the Global Times. Lawmakers are also deliberating a draft decision to authorize the State Council, China's cabinet, to temporarily adjust relevant laws and regulations in the China (Hainan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, as well as a proposal to submit a draft amendment to the Copyright Law, among others. Zhi Zhenfeng, a legal expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, noted that such topics are likely to be in the spotlight during the national sessions, as they would help inject new impetus into the country's socioeconomic development as the epidemic ebbs. ^ top ^
Xi leads China's search for safest path to growth amid COVID-19 control (Xinhua)
2020-04-27
At a time when the world economy is plagued by the coronavirus pandemic, policymakers across the globe are faced with the same dilemma: how to get the economy back on track amid containment of the virus? With new cases dwindling, China is among the very first countries that are able to explore ways of restarting its economic engine while keeping the virus under control. The trajectory of the Chinese economy toward more steady growth in the long run has not changed, said Chinese President Xi Jinping during an inspection tour from Monday to Thursday in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, urging more efforts to accelerate the transformation of economic growth modes and firm up the real economy, especially the manufacturing sector. Since COVID-19 has been basically contained domestically, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has personally chaired a number of key meetings themed on coordinating epidemic control and business resumption, offering the world insights into when to restart an economy and how. VIRUS-CONTROL AS PRECONDITION After over two months of lockdown, Wuhan, the Chinese city hardest hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak, lifted its outbound travel restrictions on April 8. The decision to lift the lockdown, just like the one imposing it, required both cautious assessment and courage in policymaking. Hubei Province first reported zero increase in confirmed cases on March 18, a milestone for the main battlefield of the anti-virus fight. Previously, new confirmed cases elsewhere in the country had been declining for more than a month. "The economy is a dynamic circulating system that cannot afford a long-term disruption," Xi said during an important speech in Beijing in February. But lifting certain restrictions does not mean the country has eased its epidemic control efforts. Across the country, strict quarantine measures were taken to ensure the hard-won results be maintained. While the positive momentum in China's epidemic prevention and control is being consolidated, the task remains formidable, requiring control measures on a regular basis and strengthened efforts to guard against both imported infections and domestic rebounds, according to a recent meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee chaired by Xi. During his inspection in March to a port in Ningbo of eastern China's Zhejiang Province, Xi said that things could gradually get back to normal amid a positive trend in epidemic control, but also cautioned against a potential comeback of the virus. "Although the vast majority of regions in the country are now at low risk, it is not yet time to think everything is fine. We need to be careful and patient," he said. The country is restarting its economy in a gradual and orderly manner. Factories and grocery stores were among the first to resume operation, followed by restaurants and barbershops. Depending on the risks of different regions, schools are scheduled to reopen, while indoor sports venues will soon receive customers. "With continued epidemic prevention and control as a precondition, we must now actively push forward the resumption of work and production, ensuring not only production tasks but also people's health," Xi said during his inspection in Zhejiang. REGION-SPECIFIC MEASURES In coordinating epidemic control and business resumption, China has avoided a "one-size-fits-all" approach and resorted to more targeted measures to revive different regions. "Region-specific, multi-level targeted approaches to business resumption must be implemented," Xi said in the February speech. According to a national guideline, regions with relatively low risk should focus on preventing imported cases and comprehensively restoring the order of production and life. Medium-risk regions should promote work and production resumption in an orderly manner, while high-risk regions should continue to be fully committed to epidemic prevention and control. Local authorities have been on high alert to adjust epidemic response measures according to dynamic changes in risk levels. Wuhan has shifted its focus to business resumption as the city is now categorized into a low-risk region. Chaoyang District of Beijing, on the other hand, was categorized into a high-risk region for clustered infections reported in the past week and is required to take stringent virus control measures. The Chinese health authority has also scaled up testing and treatment for COVID-19 infections in border areas as the country faces a rising risk of imported cases. PRECISE SUPPORT Xi has paid special attention to those vulnerable groups impacted by COVID-19. The country's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), contributing an increasing share to the economy, were among the hardest hit by the virus as strict quarantine measures dampened demand and strained cash flows. Right after the basic containment of the virus, Xi paid a visit to Zhejiang Province, where SMEs account for a major part of the local economy. Stressing that the CPC Central Committee has kept SMEs and private firms in mind when making policies, Xi said that more targeted measures will be introduced to help them tide over difficulties. "We will prevent the SMEs from being fundamentally weakened, help them recover to a good state and have new development as soon as possible," Xi said. Large state-owned enterprises should lead enterprises in both upstream and downstream sectors as well as SMEs to fully resume production and work with regular epidemic control measures in place, Xi said Wednesday while inspecting work resumption and economic recovery in Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi. Rather than initiating a "flood-like" stimulus to shore up the economy, the country has resorted to targeted cuts in reserve requirement ratios for small banks to channel funds into SMEs and stepped up fiscal support, reducing taxes and fees for these firms. As of mid-April, about 84 percent of SMEs have resumed businesses, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed. Special care was also given to low-income groups, who are faced with mounting pressure as COVID-19 deprived many jobs and posed new challenges to the country's poverty relief work. During his inspection tour to Shaanxi, Xi sat down with local residents who were relocated from poverty-stricken areas and stressed the importance of securing employment for relocated people to settle down in their new homes, make more money and not fall back into poverty. "Being lifted out of poverty is not an end in itself but the starting point of a new life and a new pursuit," he said. Like the remarks he made while inspecting Zhejiang Province, Xi once again stressed the importance of turning crises into opportunities. "We must stay good at seizing and creating opportunities from the current crises and challenges and continue to develop new models, forms of business, technologies and products, so as to create new and greater achievements and reach new heights," he said. ^ top ^
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| Beijing |
China sets for normalcy after Beijing lowers emergency response level, lifts restrictions (Global Times)
2020-04-30
China's top epidemiologist said China is returning to normal after Beijing Municipality downgraded its emergency response from Level I to Level II from Thursday. Following Beijing's lead, the neighboring Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province announced the same decision. Beijing's decision was announced during a press conference in the city on Wednesday on epidemic control and prevention. During the press conference, Beijing officials also said that all arrivals to Beijing from low-risk areas in China do not have to stay in quarantine for 14 days. The policy does not apply to international visitors, or people from Hubei Province, and the cities of Harbin and Suifenhe in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Beijing also lifted its requirement for all arrivals to provide a negative nucleic acid test report before checking in to hotels. Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Global Times on Wednesday that Beijing's move shows China's achievement in COVID-19 prevention and control, which is also a signal of the return to normalcy. Beijing has reported zero cases for 13 consecutive days. Officials announced Beijing to raise maximum passenger capacity of buses to 75 percent from the current 50 percent; metro up to 65 percent from 50 percent. Long-haul coaches in and out of the capital city will be gradually resumed. "China has largely overcome the chance of a second wave of infections and imported cases are under control, and we are confident we can control sporadic cases even though they might occur," Zeng noted. As the capital of China, Beijing is always careful in defending people's health and conservative in lifting epidemic control measures, Zeng said. Bookings for outbound flights from Beijing jumped 15 times in just half an hour after Beijing announced to lower emergency response level and lifted several travel restrictions on Wednesday, travel platform Qunar.com said. Online travel platform Lvmama said searches for tourism services for destinations in Beijing rose 200 percent after the announcement. "It's safe to travel during the holidays with the strict control, as there no source of infection has been detected for a long time," Zeng said. "I've decided to take my new baby to see my parents in Hebei Province during the May Day holiday. Things are getting better and I trust the government's decision. There is nothing to worry about," an employee surnamed Liu with a Beijing-based company told the Global Times on Wednesday. Mao Shoulong, a professor of public administration at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Wednesday that work will resume completely in Beijing after the May Day holiday. According to Mao, China has passed the stage of mass prevention and control at enormous economic costs. Considering the use of advanced technology and big data networks, China's epidemiological tracing and testing capability can prevent a second mass outbreak. On Wednesday, China announced the rescheduled dates of its most important annual political events, the "two sessions" in late May, which usually take place in March. This is a signal that the COVID-19 epidemic situation in China is under control, analysts said. ^ top ^
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| Tibet |
Tibet stays alert on imported COVID-19 cases with closed ports and strict administration (Global Times)
2020-04-29
Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has been applying strict measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have reached the most remote areas in the country. The medical authority in China also has sent experts to Tibet to enhance border administration and avoid imported cases from neighbor countries. "Now most of the herdsmen in our village know they should wear a face mask when they go to the county town for shopping," Tsering Tarchin, an official at Yuduo village, Ali prefecture, told the Global Times on Monday. "Villagers would come to the village committee to take their temperature and record it before they enter town." The village committee has been constantly promoting the importance of virus prevention. When the epidemic was severe in Hubei Province, the committee shared written and audio materials in Tibetan language through WeChat. When the situation improved, they visited the herdsman families scattered in Ali's valleys, to give out medicines and share information. Tibet only reported one confirmed case of the coronavirus, who is a tourist from Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province. He was discharged from the hospital in Lhasa on February 12. India's confirmed cases of the COVID-19 is approaching 30,000 as of press time. The number in Nepal is 52. "Usually the Pulan port opens in April or May, but it seems this year it is not very likely [to open] due to the pandemic," Li Xiuwen, a hotel owner in Pulan county, Ali, where the port connects India and Nepal, told the Global Times on Tuesday. He said that the seasonal port closed in October last year. According to notices on April 12, Pulan and Gyirong, China-Nepal border ports in Xigaze prefecture in Tibet, would continue to be closed for people to pass. Li is worried about his business. Usually 80 percent of rooms in his hotel could be booked by domestic and foreign tourists or merchants, but recently he only received several tourists who drove to the destination. The Mount Kangrinboqe and Lake Mapham Yutso in Pulan are considered holy for many Indians. Each year, thousands of Indians would cross the border for pilgrimage from June. Li noted that Tibet is reopening to domestic tourists. "If you have the green health code, and apply for a 'border defense document' in your city, you could come to visit," he said. The National Health Commission has sent 16 experts to provincial regions in Southwest China, including Yunnan, the Tibet and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous regions. The experts will help each border port to make a unique strategy to decrease the risk of imported cases, according to a State Council press conference on Monday. To maintain the entry and exit order at border regions, the National Immigration Administration applied a joint prevention and control system with strengthening police forces and using equipment like drones and surveillance. Border residents are also told not to guide, transfer or host those illegally crossing the border. Reporting illegal border crossings could be rewarded. ^ top ^
Rare Tibetan classics go digital (China Daily)
2020-04-28
More than 50 volumes of ancient books in the Tibet autonomous region have been converted into e-books for public reading through the efforts of the Library of Tibet, Xinhua News agency reported. The books and documents have been available since Saturday, marking the entry of ancient Tibetan texts into the digital age. The content of the books and documents includes biographies of ancient scholars, Tibetan history, the Buddhist history of various Tibetan places. Most of the works were created by ancient Tibetan scholars and Buddhist masters. Digital publication promotes the protection and utility of the ancient books, said Penpa Tsering, deputy head of the region's center for ancient document protection. More books are expected to be added in the future to serve the public. Tibet has made a substantial effort in recent years to preserve and publish ancient books through digital conversion. Currently, the region has registered more than 18,000 volumes of ancient Tibetan books and documents, along with 3,000 pages of endangered documents. Some 291 book volumes from Tibet have been listed in the Catalogue of National Rare Ancient Books. ^ top ^
Exiled Tibetans eye return to China for fear of virus (Global Times)
2020-04-28
As confirmed cases of the COVID-19 is reaching almost 28,000 in India, the condition of overseas Tibetans is concerned, especially those in Dharamsala, which lacks proper medical facilities. Some overseas Tibetans recognized the measures taken in the past months in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region and even expressed the wish to return to China. The virus has reportedly infected 27,892 people in India by Monday, killing more than 800. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a conference on Monday to discuss the extension of the national lockdown on Monday. A total of 41 confirmed coronavirus cases in Himachal Pradesh, where Dharamsala locates, have been reported, among whom 13 are under treatment, the PTI reported Sun-day. Dharamsala, where thousands of Tibetan exiles settle, has been under lockdown since late March, after a 69-year old Tibetan man named Tenzin Choephel died from the virus in the region on March 23, media reported. The man arrived in New Delhi from the US on March 15. On March 31, more than 40 foreign tourists stuck in the lockdown in Dharamsala were sent to New Delhi, India's Economic Times reported. Dharamsala's healthcare capability is in doubt. Its main medical institute is the Tibetan Medical and Astro-science Institute, which is related to Dalai Lama and aims to promote Tibetan medicine. "There are some small clinics in Dharamsala with limited medical facilities," Liu Yinghua, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Tibetan Hospital of China Tibetology Research Center, told the Global Times. Liu studied Tibetan medicines in India and is familiar with the healthcare conditions of Tibetans there. Dharamsala also has a Western hospital with about 20 to 30 beds and can hardly handle urgent or severe patients, he said. "We saw two small clinics in Dharamsala, both quite shabby," a tourist who visited Dharamsala last year, who asked for anonymity, told the Global Times. "People there do not have a habit of hygiene yet." Liu said Tibetan communities were spread at several locations in northern and southern India under India's arrangement. But the regions Tibetans gather are usually unstable and the local government often neglects the exiles. Some Tibetan communities may have a clinic with a doctor dispatched from Dharamsala, Liu said, noting the medical capability is very low. In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled China in the wake of a failed coup to resist the slave abolition reform along with about 13,000 Tibetans and went into exile in Dharamsala, India, where he set up a state apparatus called the "Tibetan government-in-exile." More Tibetans crossed the board in the following years to enter India, Nepal and Bhutan, becoming "Tibetans in exile." Overseas Tibetans living in Nepal, India's neighbor, expressed similar concerns over the COVID-19 out-break which they fear may eventually spiral out of control, given the limited medical supply re-sources and prevention capacities in both countries. Yangzm, who smuggled herself to Nepal via the Himalayas mountains a decade ago, now struggles in locally enforced quarantine at home with daily worries of how long she can survive from a grim life with no income in the city lockdown. "New coronavirus cases continue to break out in cities along the border with India, posing a risk to Nepal's fragile health system. Tibetans here, like the locals, still lack confidence in the government's ability to prevent and detect disease. But now we have no better way than to lock down the city," Yangzm told the Global Times. Nepal shares a 1,800-kilometer open border with India, connected with 37 accessible land entry points with India, while with China, it has four such entry points, which have all sealed by the Nepali government over the fears of cross-border movement. "Every time I called my parents in the Tibet Autonomous Region to alert them about the coronavirus, they said I should be the one to worry about the virus as the outbreak in their region has been well-controlled and they enjoy many conveniences and high-tech services during their quarantine as they can order commodities online or ask the community volunteers to help out with procurement, unlike people living here who can only flock to the streets for buying necessities for limited period of time," said Yangzm. "It is the time I most desire to go back to Tibet and also the moment I feel most helpless as an expatriate in another country, especially facing a threat to my life or health," she told the Global Times. Tibet Autonomous Region has been conducting powerful virus-prevention measures in the past months. For instance, all arrivals are demanded to be quarantined for 14 days. Materials are translated into the Tibetan language to promote knowledge and policies about the epidemic. The region only reported one case of the coronavirus, a tourist from Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province. He discharged from the hospital in Lhasa on February 12. There is no layered epidemic prevention web from community level to national departments in Nepal, leaving many breaking the rules to stroll on the streets, she said, adding that the loopholes in local prevention bring her much concern. Most Tibetans have been hit hard by the disrupted tourism and souvenir sales that they depend on for their livelihoods. There are no local economic support measures, unlike in China, leaving some Tibetans, particularly monks, with no relief but to pray for the abating of the epidemic. Yangzm said she likes to close her eyes and picture herself going back to her hometown in China and sitting around the bonfire with her family without concerns over the risk of the infection and her economically collapsed venture. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
Xinjiang denies report about passports for Uygurs (China Daily)
2020-04-30
Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region officials on Wednesday denied a report that China is refusing to renew passports as a weapon to force overseas Uygurs to return to China for extrajudicial detention or imprisonment. "Most passport renewal or reissuance requests by applicants from Xinjiang have been accepted and approved by Chinese embassies and consulates. A few were refused because their applications failed to qualify under Chinese laws or they were suspected of being involved in terrorism-related activities," Yalkun Yakup, deputy head of the regional public security department, said at a news conference on Wednesday. According to Yalkun, the report was published by a website called the Uygur Human Rights Project, which is supported by some US nongovernmental organizations. It has carried out a "human rights investigation" and fabricated a "human rights report" to attack and smear China's policy on Xinjiang, Yalkun said. "The report is in the guise of 'academic research', which aims to promote a so-called Uygur human rights movement and engage in anti-China separatist activities," he added. Yalkun said the website slandered China's passport management measures and provoked Xinjiang-native overseas Chinese to misunderstand and question China's policy concerning Xinjiang through despicable means with malicious intention. Meanwhile, officials said a recent documentary called China Undercover by the Public Broadcasting System in the United States is inundated with lies and fallacies. The documentary attacked the vocational education and training centers in the region as well as its religious policies. It alleged that Xinjiang suppressed ethnic Muslims such as Uygurs by DNA and "facial recognition" programs. Ilijan Anayt, a spokesman for the Xinjiang government, said during the conference that "in order to catch eyes and blacken Xinjiang, they (the filmmakers) invited some 'actors' and heaped lies, and they used groundless and distorted footage of interviews pieced together to churn out 'stories', which had already been debunked." According to Ilijan, the government installed surveillance cameras on main roads of the cities, transportation junctions and other public areas in Xinjiang in accordance with the law in an effort to improve its social governance and effectively prevent crimes. The effort was never meant to target people from certain ethnic groups. "According to my knowledge, improving social governance through modern technological products and big data has been a common practice of the international community," he said. Ilijan said the documentary absolutely disregards the truth by saying the trainees were still being monitored or transferred to do forced labor after they graduated. "They enjoy free will to choose the places and varieties of their jobs," he said. Xinjiang has set up vocational and training centers in accordance with the law to provide courses on Mandarin, laws, vocational skills and deradicalization programs for people influenced by religious extremism and terrorism. According to the regional government, all the trainees in the centers graduated in December 2019. ^ top ^
Xinjiang has more than 427,000 ethnic officials (Xinhua)
2020-04-29
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region had more than 427,000 officials with ethnic minority backgrounds by the end of 2019, according to the regional government. The officials play an important part in Xinjiang's administrative management, economy, education, science and technology, health and culture, said Iljan Anagyit, spokesperson of the information office of the regional people's government. China has always paid attention to selecting, training and employing ethnic officials and talents with professional skills. Through training, grassroots practice, exchange programs and rotation of positions, China has cultivated a lot of excellent ethnic officials, providing support for Xinjiang's development, Iljan Anagyit said. Starting in 1954, China launched classes to train Xinjiang's ethnic officials, creating 4,635 officials on the county level and above. Of them, 2,771 were ethnic officials, accounting for 60 percent of the total. In recent years, Xinjiang sent 1,483 officials to various state organs and to developed areas to accumulate experience, including 758 ethnic officials, or 51.1 percent of the total. By the end of 2019, China had cultivated more than 5,900 mid- and high-level ethnic talents with professional skills that Xinjiang urgently needed. ^ top ^
Malicious report aims to deprive Uygur workers of job opportunities: research (Global Times)
2020-04-29
After releasing a report in February claiming at least 80,000 Uygurs were being forced to work in factories in other cities in China, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) hyped the "forced labor" topic by releasing another interview with the authors of the report on April 24. However, the Xinjiang Development Research Center conducted a survey by visiting and talking to more than 50 Uygurs working in inland cities, including in Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, and found that the ASPI report was made up of groundless stories to support the West in pressuring China. Its purposes are to deprive the working right of workers from Xinjiang, to affect the confidence of foreign companies in China and to contain China. Esa Yunus "We really want to see many inland cities" Esa Yunus is a villager from Lop county of Hotan Prefecture and had never left his village. But in 2018, after seeing an advertisement in a local talent market, he decided to go to work in a technology company in Nanchang of Jiangxi Province. "My hometown is good, and I grew up there. But it is too small. I want to see the big world," Esa told the Global Times. When the Global Times reporters reached him, he was busy working on the production line processing digital screens for cell phones for his company. "Compared with inland cities, Hotan has fewer enterprises and jobs for young people like me and the salary here is higher," he said. By working for the company, Esa not only achieves his own goals but also improves the livelihood of his family - he bought a washing machine and electric-powered cart for the family; and supports his brother and sister to go to school. Ebibra Mamut from a poverty-stricken family in Ayikule town of Aksu Prefecture had a similar experience to Esa. He went to work for an electrical appliances company in Hangzhou of East China's Zhejiang Province in 2018. He gradually became a skilled worker and helped his family get out of poverty within one year. According to data from authorities in Xinjiang, about 151,000 people from poverty-stricken families in southern Xinjiang have been working in inland cities since 2018. They got their jobs through introductions by their countrymen, relatives or through local job markets. Most of them work in fields such as electrical appliance companies, food production, garment and shoe factories, and the catering industry. The average yearly income is above 45,000 yuan ($6,358), which is higher than their income as farmers. Abulmit Metkurban "Can forced labor be as free as us?" Abulmit Metkurban and his wife Arzgu from Ayimak Village of Moyu County in Hotan is working for an electrical appliance company in Guangdong Province in 2017. They can earn more than 8,000 yuan ($1,130) a month. The Global Times reporters saw the couple in the plant. In response to questions on whether they were forced to work here, Abulmit laughed. "How can this be possible? How can forced labor be so free? Do not listen to some foreigners' nonsense," he said. Abulmit told the Global Times that they would learn more about a city before deciding to go to work there, including the weather, the job, accommodation conditions and the pay. Arzgu Arzgu said that "many people in our village want to have jobs in inland cities and those who said we are forced to work here must have some purpose." Many people from southern Xinjiang working in inland cities ask to extend their contracts and some introduce friends or relatives to the same companies. Pashagul Kermu from the Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture began to work in Dongguan of Guangdong Province several years ago. She not only works to help get her family out of poverty, but also leads more than 500 people from the prefecture to work in Guangdong. She also has won many awards for helping these people get rid of poverty in 2018. Nurmangul Abudsad and her roommates "I get the feeling of being at home" Nurmangul Abudsad is a villager from Aketao county of the Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture. Together with 11 friends, she began to work for an electrical appliance company in Ningbo of Zhejiang Province in January 2019. She now lives in a four-person-dormitory, where they have a TV, washing machine, air-conditioner and other living facilities. "Before leaving my hometown for a job here, I was worried that I may not adapt to life here since it was the first time that I had left my family. But after coming here, I found I was worried unnecessarily," she said. Nurmangul said that the company held a welcoming ceremony for the new employees and signed labor contracts on site. The company also pays for some health insurance for them. In order to help newcomers become familiar with the environment quickly, the company arranges "pals" from the same place for them. "Leaders of the company would also celebrate some festivals, including the Eid ul-Fitr and the Corban Festival with us. The company would also send birthday cakes for us and organize parties and we would dress in our ethnic clothes and sing and dance happily. I feel like I'm at home," she said. Nurmangul said they also have a halal canteen, which serves dishes from Xinjiang. In order to protect the legal interests of migrant workers from Xinjiang, the labor union in Xinjiang has started working mechanisms with provinces and cities where these workers live to deal with their problems in daily life. "We firmly oppose such report!" All these people's stories show the opposite to what the ASPI report claimed. And interviewees expressed their anger toward such lies and malicious slander. They said everyone has the right to pursue a happy life no matter which ethnic group he or she is from or where they live. The ASPI report, which seemed to "defend" Uygur migrant workers, actually hurt them and deprived them of jobs. "Without working, how do we make a living? Without working, how could we get rid of poverty? Without working outside, how can we know the outside world is developed? We firmly oppose the report," they said. A report by The Grayzone, a US-based news outlet, revealed that ASPI has long received money from the US government and arms industry and spreads rumors to slander China. To cooperate with its backers, the institute compiled a biased and groundless report to smear China's policies in Xinjiang. It purposely distorted Xinjiang people's working in inland cities as "forced labor" to pressure Chinese companies, affect foreign companies' confidence in China and to achieve their malicious conspiracy, experts said. ^ top ^
Industries creating work in southern Xinjiang (China Daily)
2020-04-28
Promoting industries and recruiting poor farmers and local graduates to work for them has become an important way for the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to achieve stable employment and increase incomes in its southern prefectures. Home to millions of people from different ethnic groups, the prefectures of Kashgar, Hotan, Aksu and Kezilesu Kirgiz in Xinjiang's southern desert area are among the most poverty-stricken in China. Since China launched its poverty alleviation campaign in 2015, various measures have been taken by the central and regional governments to eradicate absolute poverty in southern Xinjiang, with the establishment of industrial clusters in Kashgar and Hotan prefectures achieving initial success in promoting economic development and delivering more jobs for locals. Moyu, the most populous county in Hotan, built a 26.8-square-kilometer agricultural demonstration park in 2017. The value of output by the more than 30 agricultural enterprises set up in the park has topped 120 million yuan ($17 million), and they employ nearly 10,000 local people. Zhou Dapeng, an entrepreneur from Gansu province who invested in a rabbit-breeding business in the park, said he had never thought of doing business in Moyu until he was convinced by a local official who was also a friend. "Apart from the preferential policies launched by the local government for doing business here, I found the climate is suitable for raising rabbits after I visited Moyu," he said. "Besides, my company could contribute to local poverty alleviation." After two years of development, Zhou's company has two breeding bases in the park that are now raising more than 100,000 rabbits. More than 400 local people work at the bases. Farmer Mehmetabdula Rozmehmet, a 38-year-old member of the Uygur ethnic group in Moyu, did not have a stable income before he began working for Zhou's company two years ago. He is now deputy manager of a factory in one of the breeding bases. "I did not have a stable income because I did not have a stable job," Mehmetabdula said. "I used to work for places that needed short-term hired labor. In August 2018, an official in my village introduced me to Zhou, and then I started to work for him." Mehmetabdula said he could earn no more than 1,000 yuan before. Now, with a performance bonus, he can earn nearly 4,000 yuan a month. "He quickly learned how to raise rabbits and became one of the best workers in our company, so we promoted him to deputy manager," Zhou said. "I think that as an essential worker in our company, he sets a very good example for many workers." Chen Haicheng, director of Moyu's publicity department, said: "Zhou's company is one of the companies that took root and sprouted in Moyu. They not only benefit from the park, but are also making great contributions to the local community. I hope there will be more investment and more job opportunities created for locals." According to the local government, the park is expected to introduce another 20 or more enterprises by 2025, taking its annual output value to 800 million yuan and employing another 15,000 locals. After the first National Symposium on Work in Xinjiang in 2010, the central government set up an economic development zone in Kashgar. After 10 years of development, 18 billion yuan has been invested in infrastructure for the zone. More than 2,600 companies are registered there, offering 12,000 jobs for the poor and young graduates. A company based in Qingdao, Shandong province, that manufactures household appliances has set up a factory in the bonded area of the zone that employs over 100 local graduates. "Our factory went into operation in December 2019. We have temporarily transferred a few skilled workers from Qingdao to train new employees, and now most of them are able to work independently," said Xue Yanming, the factory's general manager. Xue said all the new employees were Uygurs, and the factory was willing to recruit local graduates as they were good at Mandarin and could quickly acquire the skills. Rozgul Akbar, a 22-year-old who just graduated from a junior college in Kashgar, applied for a job at the factory online in December and passed a subsequent interview. "They trained me for a couple of weeks, taught me how to assemble a refrigerator, and after that, because of the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak, we closed for a month in February. Then, at end of the March, I signed a contract with the factory for three years," Rozgul said. She said she can earn 3,000 yuan a month and the factory provides her with free food and accommodation. "I am very satisfied with my job here, and I hope that with my hard work, I can get promoted and earn more money in the future," Rozgul said. Yunus Dawut, a 19-year-old graduate from a small village in Kashgar, is now a good friend of Chen Zhengxin, a 23-year-old skilled worker from Qingdao. Chen has been teaching Yunus how to make metal plates since January. "He is really clever and made rapid progress in work," Chen said. "On weekends, we often hang out together. I think he is my first Uygur friend and my best friend in Xinjiang. I hope some day he can visit my hometown in Qingdao." Yunus said he is delighted to work in the factory, not only because he can earn more than 3,000 yuan a month, which is a great relief to his poor family, but he can also have a friend and teacher like Chen. Xue said, "We will offer more opportunities for young local people to work in our company, especially Uygur graduates, because I think it is one of our responsibilities to bring benefits to the community." ^ top ^
Xinjiang opens first IPR court (Xinhua)
2020-04-27
China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region opened its first intellectual property rights (IPR) court in the regional capital city of Urumqi on Sunday. The IPR court, established in the Urumqi Intermediate People's Court, will hear civil and administrative cases of first instance from Urumqi involving trademark rights, copyright, unfair competition and disputes over technology contracts. It will also deal with civil and administrative intellectual property cases of first instance throughout Xinjiang regarding patents, new plant species, designs of integrated circuits, technical secrets, computer software, identification of well-known trademarks and monopoly disputes. "The establishment of the IPR court will benefit local technology innovation and help to attract talent and more foreign capital," said Bahargul Semat, head of the Urumqi Intermediate People's Court. Thanks to intensified crackdowns on IPR infringements in recent years, China moved up three slots in the World Intellectual Property Organization's global innovation index ranking of 2019 to claim the 14th position. It ranked first in the upper-middle-income group. China's business environment is also improving. In 2019, China saw its ease of doing business ranking ascend to 31 from 46 a year ago as one of the top 10 most improved economies, according to a World Bank report. ^ top ^
Xinjiang allocates 6.51 bln yuan to fund students with difficulties in Q1 (People's Daily)
2020-04-26
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region allocated a total of 6.51 billion yuan (919.3 million U.S. dollars) to fund students who were in need in the first quarter of the year. The fund has benefited about 5.56 million students in the region, according to the regional education department Sunday. Students in need, including those from the registered poverty-stricken households, those who are disabled, and those who were impacted by the epidemic, have been given timely aid. For students who have graduated and are in the repayment period of state-subsidized student loans, if they cannot normally repay the principal and interest due to the impact during the epidemic prevention and control period, the repayment period shall be reasonably postponed according to relevant regulations. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in HKSAR condemns U.S. congressmen for interfering in Hong Kong affairs (China Daily)
2020-04-30
The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday condemned some US congressmen for interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs at large. A spokesperson of the office said in a statement that those congressmen made unwarranted remarks on Hong Kong affairs in an open letter, distorting the Basic Law, condoning anti-China forces and undermining the rule of law in Hong Kong, and even calling for implementing the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. The spokesperson said their remarks were blatant interference in Hong Kong affairs, which are purely China's internal affairs. The congressmen turned a blind eye to the illegal assembly of Jimmy Lai, Martin Lee and their ilk, and mentioned nothing about Hong Kong opposition lawmakers' abuses of power to paralyze the Legislative Council with a "burn with us" mentality, the spokesperson said. On the contrary, they openly endorsed anti-China forces, distorted the Basic Law in a bid to deny the Chinese central government's overall jurisdiction, and even accused the central government of eroding the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong and violating the Basic Law, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said the motive of the US congressmen is to turn Hong Kong into an independent or semi-independent political entity, and play Hong Kong as a card to impede China's development, stressing that some external forces, including some US politicians, are the fundamental threat to the well-being of Hong Kong people, the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, and China's sovereignty and security. In meddling with other countries' internal affairs by using domestic law such as the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and threatening sanctions, the anti-China forces in the United States have trampled international law and basic norms governing international relations, and seriously hurt the vital interests of all Hong Kong people, as well as the interests of international stakeholders in Hong Kong, the spokesperson said. The Chinese government is firmly committed to upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests, to implementing the "one country, two systems" policy, and to opposing any external interference in Hong Kong affairs. Should the United States insist on meddling with Hong Kong affairs and undermining Hong Kong's prosperity and stability by implementing the relevant act, China will definitely take resolute countermeasures, the spokesperson added. ^ top ^
Hong Kong to extend mandatory quarantine for inbound travelers from Chinese mainland for another month (Global Times)
2020-04-30
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will extend mandatory quarantine for all inbound travelers from the Chinese mainland that will expire on May 7 for another one month to June 7 amid the COVID-19 epidemic. At a press conference held on Tuesday afternoon, HKSAR government Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan announced the extension, saying that persons such as cross-boundary students including students at kindergartens, primary and secondary schools or relevant staff working for students, and those who benefit Hong Kong's economy, or provide professional services will be exempted from the mandatory quarantine. Starting from Feb 8, Hong Kong has been requiring all travelers entering Hong Kong from the Chinese mainland, including both Hong Kong residents and non-Hong Kong residents, to undergo a mandatory quarantine for 14 days. Persons such as drivers of cross-boundary goods delivery vehicles, crew members of arriving passenger and cargo planes, and crew members of cargo ships and fishing boats, have been exempted from the mandatory quarantine. Chan said the mainland has flattened the curve on the COVID-19 epidemic, but Hong Kong needs to prevent the spread of a possible second round of infection caused by cross-boundary traffic and imported cases from overseas. If the epidemic is controlled well, the HKSAR government will announce as of whether to cancel the quarantine for arrivals from the mainland and China's Macao Special Administrative Region after discussion, Chan said. ^ top ^
Hong Kong protesters plan mini 'golden week' hijack to boost yellow businesses as city reels from economic impact of coronavirus (SCMP)
2020-04-30
Hong Kong's anti-government protesters have vowed to hijack mainland China's mini "golden week" holiday by supporting local businesses with the same political views. For the first time in 16 years, the city's tourism and retail industries are bracing for a grim outlook for the five-day break, which begins on Friday, and is predicted to be far quieter with visitors across the border expected to stay away. Restrictions in place because of the coronavirus pandemic mean that almost anyone entering the city is required to be quarantined for 14 days. An online campaign called "Hongkonger's 5.1 Golden Week" to be launched on Thursday is bringing a new twist to the traditional peak time, with at least 1,500 shops including restaurants, leather crafters, beauty and wedding businesses, slashing prices to drum up customers. Some companies have advertised that when customers raise five fingers on a hand, and one finger on the other, symbolising the prominent protest slogan "five demands, not one less", they can enjoy special prices, such as a 10 per cent discount. "We plan to make 'five one' a taboo phrase [in mainland China] through linking 'five demands, not one less' with '5.1 golden week'", said the campaign spokesman. The event was part of an ongoing movement called the "yellow economic circle", supporters of which advocate spending money in stores that support the protests, and shunning those that do not. Store that support the establishment and the police are deemed to be blue. Noting a lot of yellow businesses were in danger of closing, organisers hope the four-day event could help them survive during the rest of the pandemic, which has taken a heavy toll on Hong Kong's economy. "Because Hongkongers still have a weak consumer sentiment, we hope to offer incentives for them to spend money by having lots of yellow shops offering discounts," the spokesman said. A regular supporter of the circle, Mike Yim, 25, from the banking sector, called the idea creative and said he would join the campaign to keep the social movement's momentum going. He said he planned to spend HK$200 per meal each day in restaurants supporting the protests during the event. "I quite like the idea, in a sense that you take back the ownership of this public holiday, which was used to be a public holiday occupied by mainlanders," he said. "I have a feeling that I am taking back a place that belongs to me." So far, more than 1,100 businesses have signed up for the campaign and organisers hope between 1,500 and 2,000 eventually take part. Milky Wong, 26, owner of vegetarian restaurant hkveganshop in Wan Chai, is one of them. Wong said sales at her outlet dropped at least 30 per cent after Covid-19 hit the city in late January, compared with normal times, because many employees worked from home. She hopes the campaign would promote independent businesses. Young entrepreneur Mandy Lee, 23, believes it could be an opportunity to gain visibility for her new business. Lee recently started an online shop selling cosmetic and skincare products from a Taiwanese brand. "Due to the pandemic, maybe there are less chances to consume in the yellow economic circle, so maybe this activity can ignite everyone's passion," she said. Despite the growing sentiment online, business experts said the campaign could only offer limited help to the whole local retail industry. Simon Lee Siu-po, co-director of the international business and Chinese enterprise programme at Chinese University (CUHK), said if the firms had fine products or high levels of service, the campaign could make their brands more well known. But Lee said the activities could hardly compensate for the spending of mainland Chinese tourists, who came in large numbers and tended to buy luxury products such as designer bags, jewellery and cosmetics. Last year, nearly 1 million mainland Chinese arrivals flooded into the city between May 1 and May 4. Mainland Chinese visitors were the largest group of visitors, accounting for about 80 per cent of the city's tourist arrivals last year. "The business figure [drawn by the campaign] is too small to bring a recovery to the retail market," Lee said. Mainland Chinese tourists started to visit the city after the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) in 2003. At that time, Beijing encouraged them to spend in Hong Kong to boost the sagging economy. Previously, they could either come in tour groups or with a business visa. CUHK economist Terence Chong Tai-leung agreed. He said local residents had a shorter break compared with mainlanders, because of the difference in holidays between the two places. "The traffic flow and the amount of money spent are different. For a mainland Chinese tourist, they may spend HK$3,000 to HK$4,000 in the city. But how can an ordinary local resident spend HK$3,000 to HK$4,000 a day?" he said. Tourism lawmaker Yiu Si-wing said the shopping event might undermine the government's bid to avoid new infections. "There also should not be any further splits in society by differentiating between 'yellow' or 'blue' shops," he added. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
Coronavirus: US 'supports Taiwan joining WHO events' in ministerial phone call (SCMP)
2020-04-29
The United States has pledged its full support for Taiwan's participation in World Health Organisation events during a rare telephone call between the two sides' health ministers – a move observers said was certain to spark a protest from Beijing and further strain cross-strait and US-China relations. In a 30-minute discussion on Monday, Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung and US counterpart Alex Azar exchanged views on coronavirus strategies and global health issues, according to the island's health ministry. Azar thanked Taiwan for donating masks to the US and praised the self-ruled island's achievements in containing Covid-19 – the disease caused by the coronavirus – while Chen expressed his appreciation of American collaboration with Taiwan on the outbreak and the US' support for Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly and other WHO events, the ministry said. "Secretary Azar reiterated the US pledge of full support for Taiwan to take part in WHO and other global health events, so that Taiwan could share its expertise with the world," the ministry said. The teleconference was the first between ministerial officials from the US and Taiwan since the coronavirus outbreak was first reported in mainland China in late December. Not a WHO member, Taiwan has sought to join the body in the past few decades, but has been prevented by pressure from Beijing, which insists that Taiwan is not a country – a prerequisite for joining. Beijing considers the island a wayward province that must be united with mainland China, by force if necessary. Taiwan has claimed that its exclusion creates a gap in global efforts to contain the pandemic, but Beijing says it could share information for the island. Taipei's health ministry later wrote on Twitter that the meeting had been fruitful, and thanked the US for its support for Taiwan's participation in WHO events. Azar also tweeted about the meeting, saying: "This morning I spoke with Minister Chen of Taiwan regarding the Covid-19 outbreak. I thanked him for Taiwan's efforts to share their best practices and resources with the US. Now, more than ever, global health partnership is crucial and I appreciate Taiwan's contributions." Taiwan has won global recognition for its initial success in containing the coronavirus through a swift response and transparency. It has had no new local transmissions in the past 15 days, and as of Tuesday had recorded 429 confirmed cases during the pandemic, with six deaths and 307 recoveries. Taipei does not have official relations with the US, which recognises Beijing diplomatically. But US-Taiwan relations have reached an all-time high since Trump took office in 2017 and adopted a policy of countering the mainland. Observers said that at a time when Washington and Beijing have been trading accusations about the coronavirus outbreak, Monday's meeting highlighted the cooperation between the US and Taiwan in health and security. "The ministerial meeting is significant in the sense that it highlights not only Taiwan's success in containing the outbreak but also the increasingly close and firm cooperation between Taiwan and the US, which greatly helps to promote Taiwan's international status," said Arthur Wang Zhin-sheng, secretary general of Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association, a private think tank in Taipei. Cooperation between Taiwan and the US has in recent months included fighting disinformation and holding a security dialogue, as well as fighting Covid-19. Late last month, the two sides signed an agreement on pandemic cooperation, which included efforts to develop a vaccine. Wang said Monday's meeting would irk Beijing but was related to US discontent over how Beijing handled the coronavirus when it was discovered in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. "The US wants to tell Beijing that, compared with Taiwan, it has done a bad job in fighting the pandemic, which has resulted in the world suffering," Wang said. US President Donald Trump has accused Beijing of lacking transparency over the true extent of the initial outbreak in China. In response, Beijing has suggested that the virus may have been brought to China by the US Army. At the White House on Monday, Trump promised an investigation into China over Covid-19. "We are doing serious investigation," he said. "We are not happy with China, and we are not happy with the whole situation because we believe it could have been stopped … quickly or it would not have been spread all over the world." So far, more than 3 million infections have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 200,000 deaths. The US alone has reported a third of the cases and 56,000 deaths, becoming the country with the most infections and fatalities. Liu Weidong, a China-US affairs expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the phone conversation was in line with the US' overall China strategy, which is to exert more pressure over Taiwan, trade and South China Sea issues. "But we can see from the phone call that the US made only a gesture to show support to Taiwan, and no concrete steps," he said. "It won't have any real impact on Taiwan's global status, and China does not need to react strongly. If the US and Taiwan did take some actions afterwards, Beijing would probably respond." ^ top ^
Mainland says Taiwan remarks on census 'distorting facts' (China Daily)
2020-04-29
A mainland spokesperson Monday refuted remarks from Taiwan on an upcoming population census on the mainland as an act of "fact-distorting" born from a desire to undermine cross-Straits ties. The statement by Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, came in response to Taiwan media reports that mainlanders with Taiwan spouses are required to provide data on their Taiwan-based family for the census, and ensuing comments by Taiwan's mainland affairs authority that called it an infringement on personal privacy. In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, Zhu said, the State Council has decided to carry out the seventh population census in 2020, which is scheduled to take place at 12 am on Nov 1. Taiwan people residing on the mainland fall within the scope of the census, while Taiwan people living outside of the mainland do not, she said. ^ top ^
Mainland says "Taiwan independence" group's attempt to push for so-called "constitutional referendum" leads to dead-end (Xinhua)
2020-04-28
The attempt by a certain "Taiwan independence" group to push for the so-called "constitutional referendum" in Taiwan goes against the tide of history and will only lead to a dead-end, a mainland spokesperson said on Tuesday. Everyone knows what the purpose of the "Taiwan independence" group's push for the so-called "constitutional referendum" is, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, when asked by the press. Zhu said "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities have seriously damaged the common interests of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and such secessionist activities have seriously threatened peace across the Taiwan Strait and will only push Taiwan into an extremely dangerous abyss and bring profound disaster to the vast number of Taiwan compatriots. "We have resolve, confidence and ability to defeat separatist attempts for 'Taiwan independence' and will never allow anyone, any organization, or any political party, at any time or in any form, to separate any piece of Chinese territory from China," the spokesperson said. ^ top ^
Taiwan economy sinks into sluggishness (Xinhua)
2020-04-27
Taiwan's economy began to show signs of sluggishness in March as indicated by the latest index gauging the business climate, which was released by the island's economic planning department Monday. The composite index of monitoring indicators shifted from the green light in February to the yellow-blue light in March, dropping four points from February to 20 points, suggesting that the economy tended to shift from stable growth to a recession, the department said in a press release. Under Taiwan's five-color system to assess the economy, a blue light (9-16 points) indicates contraction, a yellow-blue light (17-22) means sluggishness, a green light (23-31) signals stable growth, a yellow-red light (32-37) suggests a warming economy and a red light (38-45) points to an overheated economy. The trend-adjusted leading indicator, which is composed of seven sub-indexes to predict changes in the economy, dropped by 1.73 percent to 97.61 in March. Amid the deteriorating novel coronavirus pandemic, the world's leading economies, including the United States, Europe and Japan, are very much likely to suffer economic slowdown, and Taiwan will not be exempted, the statement said. It also warned that the economy might not recover to the level before the pandemic in a short time. The latest survey on consumer confidence in Taiwan, conducted by the Research Center for Taiwan Economic Development, also showed a further weakening index in April. The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) remained in the pessimistic range in April, dropping by 5.12 points to 73.39 points from March, according to the survey report published Monday. A reading between 100 and 200 points suggests optimism, while one below 100 indicates pessimism. The CCI consists of six sub-indexes measuring investment in the stock market, consumer prices, purchases of durable goods, employment opportunities, domestic economic outlook and household economic conditions in the coming six months. All six sub-indexes fell in April and remained below 100 points, the report said. The survey, conducted from April 19 to 23, interviewed 2,847 sampled local consumers aged 20 and above via telephone. ^ top ^
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| Economy |
Foreign failure to contain COVID-19 biggest risk to China's economy (Global Times)
2020-04-30
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, some foreign officials, experts and media outlets have claimed that the virus-stricken Chinese economy could be the biggest threat to regional and global economies, with some even resorting to racist rhetoric like referring to China as the "sick man of Asia." But several months later, as China has effectively contained the virus at home, the failures of many countries from the US to the UK to stem the pandemic have emerged as the biggest risks for the Chinese and global economies. The latest evidence came on Thursday, when official manufacturing data showed that even as factory activity remained in the expansion territory, new overseas orders dropped sharply in all other areas, and some Chinese factories even saw foreign companies begin to cancel existing orders already in production. In April, the headline manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI), a closely-watched gauge of factory activity, dropped by 1.2 percentage points to 50.8 percent, but remained above the 50 percent threshold that divides expansion from contraction, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The sub-indexes for production and new orders were also in the expansion territory. The greatest drop was seen in the sub-index for new export orders. It dropped 12.9 percentage points to 33.5 percent, signaling export orders are deep in the contraction territory. The NBS attributed the sharp decline to the "fast spread" of the coronavirus overseas and noted that China's foreign trade faces a "relatively big challenge." If anything, that was an understatement. In fact, the unabating pandemic in the US, Europe and other major economies has become the biggest threat to China's ongoing economic recovery and the global economy. It highlights what many in China and abroad have been saying for months: the pandemic is a global challenge and no country alone can beat the virus and its economic fallout. Although the contribution of exports to China's economic growth has been declining in recent years, it still accounts for roughly 20 percent of China's GDP growth each year. Globally, trade accounts for a much higher 58 percent of total GDP growth, based on 2017 figures. The WTO has projected that global trade could fall between 13 percent and 32 percent in 2020. But instead of working together to boost trade, more than 80 countries have imposed various types of restrictions, according to the WTO. Rather than striving to contain the virus at home and search for a coordinated global solution, many countries have resorted to finger pointing and political games, with China being the biggest target. For China, the picture painted by PMI data on Thursday is another sobering realization that, while continuing to push for global cooperation to fight the pandemic and restarting trade remain essential, the overall external environment will not improve and could even worsen. We might need to divert more focus to the domestic market and help export businesses explore more options. ^ top ^
Coronavirus: China exports outlook dims as US and EU economies tank in first quarter of 2020 (SCMP)
2020-05-01
A nearly deserted Wall Street and the steps of Federal Hall are seen in lower Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, with the pandemic leading to the biggest American economy shrinkage since 2008. New economic data released by the United States and the European Union this week underscored the challenge facing China's millions of exporters due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its major trading partners. The economies of both the US and the European Union contracted in the first quarter, with the downturns expected to deepen in the second quarter. This is already creating a huge demand shock for Chinese exporters, testing Beijing's policy response to the unprecedented crisis, especially when it is expected to set an annual growth target at the meeting of the National People's Congress on May 22. The US economy contracted at an annualised rate of 4.8 per cent in the first quarter, according to US government data released Wednesday. The US has slipped to the third largest destination for Chinese exports after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the European Union, largely due to the impact of the trade war which began in July 2018. The European Union economy shrank by 2.7 per cent in the first quarter compared to a year earlier, according to Eurostat data released on Thursday. Both the US and European Union bought about one-third of China's total export last year, respectively, despite Beijing's ongoing efforts to diversify its foreign trading partners. US-bound shipments from China plunged 25.2 per cent in the first quarter compared to the year-earlier period, including a 20.8 per cent fall in March. Sales to the EU dropped by 16 per cent in the first three months. Falling orders from developed countries are serving as a second wave demand shock even though China – the world's top exporter, accounting for nearly 13 per cent of the global total – has tried to resume production following the end of its coronavirus lockdown. The pandemic is set to send global merchandise trade tumbling by at least 13 per cent this year, and as much of 32 per cent, the World Trade Organisation predicted earlier this month. Yu Chunhai, deputy dean of Renmin University's school of economics, said the large declines in the European and American economies showed a global recession was drawing near. "The major developed countries are showing inward-looking policymaking to fight the pandemic, all suggesting a far bigger blow to Chinese exporters than the first quarter decline," he said. "China probably needs economic growth of more than 4 per cent this year, mainly through a boost in domestic demand, to defend the bottom line of employment and so people's livelihoods." China International Capital Corp (CICC), a leading investment bank, estimated that the US economy could shrink by 28 per cent in the second quarter as it struggles to balance pandemic controls with rebooting the economy. The market is worrying about the pace of lockdown removal in Europe and the US and whether there will be a second outbreak CICC economists "The market is worrying about the pace of lockdown removal in Europe and the US and whether there will be a second outbreak," CICC economists Zhang Mengyun and Yi Huan wrote in a research note. Shrinking export orders are already putting great pressure on manufacturers in China, many of which have started to lay off workers. The official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) released on Thursday morning showed that export orders contracted at a faster rate in April, falling to 33.5 from 46.4 in March. The employment subindex slipped to 50.2 from 50.9 – still showing new hiring but at a slower pace. CICC estimated that the decline in Chinese exports could accelerate to 20 per cent in April from 6.6 per cent in March, as its global activity tracker plunged more than 60 per cent in the latest month. TS Lombard, a London-based economic research house, sees the decline at 40 per cent, while Japanese bank Nomura is bang in the middle, forecasting a 30 per cent plunge. "Weaker US and EU growth in the second quarter will exert huge downward pressure on Chinese exports, considering major economies largely chose strict isolation and quarantine measures," CICC economist Huan wrote on Thursday. Beijing has taken a variety of steps to reduce corporate burdens, including cutting taxes, social security contributions, financing costs and rents. In the latest push to stabilise the trade sector, the 25-member Politburo has now encouraged exporters try to sell their products domestically. However, the official PMI showed that the current level of domestic orders would not absorb those initially bound for export. The survey's outstanding orders subindex declined by 2.7 points to 43.6, showing orders in hand declined at a faster pace in April. "It will take some time for orders to come back," statistics bureau official Zhao Qinghe said on Thursday. Zhang Jun, chief economist at Morgan Stanley Huaxin Securities, believed authorities should focus on helping exporters to save as many jobs as it can. "Even if the virus was contained and developed economies started to reboot from May, there could be a third round of shocks as emerging markets could also be rippled," he warned. "Given the uncertainties concerning the pandemic development, China needs to expand domestic demand by accelerating both new and traditional infrastructure projects." ^ top ^
Chinese city launches unconditional refund services to boost consumption (Xinhua)
2020-04-29
The city of Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, has released a policy offering a money-back guarantee for offline shoppers to spur consumption that has been hit by the coronavirus outbreak. Starting from May 1, the new policy ensures that offline consumers can receive refunds within 24 hours, which will be supported by a governmental pool of funds, said the municipal government of Suzhou, noting the measure is unprecedented across China. More than 2,600 retailers in the city have already promised to provide such services that exclude refunds for products like bulk food, jewelry and luxury goods, the government said, adding dozens of offline service stations have been deployed. Offline shoppers can also claim for their refunds through an online platform within seven days of their purchase, the government said. As a renowned historical and cultural city in China, Suzhou has also issued a notice that 53 A-level scenic spots will offer a 50-percent discount on ticket prices from May to June this year to boost tourism consumption. The city received more than 133 million domestic tourists in 2019, with tourism revenue totaling around 275 billion yuan (about 38.8 billion U.S. dollars). ^ top ^
Coronavirus: how will China's role in the global economy change when faced with pandemic backlash? (SCMP)
2020-04-28
This is the third in a series of five stories exploring the global backlash that China may face as a result of its actions and rhetoric during the coronavirus pandemic. This story examines the outlook for China's economy as it recovers from the outbreak, including the risk that its place in the global value chain may be fundamentally altered as a result of the pandemic. Consensus is growing in Beijing that the coronavirus pandemic is set to make the world more hostile towards China, undermining the accommodating international environment that underpinned the country's spectacular rise from a closed communist backwater into a global economic powerhouse. The global health crisis, which has killed more than 200,000 people and infected more than 3 million worldwide, has many in China wondering how the nation can continue to thrive amid an international backlash over its handling of the virus, which first appeared in the central city of Wuhan. One of the most pressing challenges facing the central government will be the acceleration of a global value chain realignment, which may hit China's job market in the short term and marginalise the country's long-term role in the global economy, according to Chinese researchers and analysts. While Beijing is politically and ideologically at odds with Western liberal democracies, it is determined to stay embedded within the global market. Whether China can maintain its position in the global economy or ends up isolated after the pandemic is brought under control, will be one the most important questions post-crisis. Huang Qifan, the former mayor of Chongqing, who oversaw an economic boom in the city, said in a speech earlier this month that the traditional "horizontal" distribution of the global value chain was facing an overhaul, as the coronavirus had exposed its weakness. It could be replaced by "vertical" integration in specific regions, Huang said. The future production landscape would be dotted with "production bases" – areas with a radius of 50km to 200km (31 miles to 124 miles) where 70 per cent of a value chain's core parts and semi-finished products would be concentrated, he said. These areas, with easy access to global transport networks and located in favourable business environments, will be the future, the former mayor said. The pandemic has exposed weak links in the old globalisation model … China and other countries must rethink and readjust global industrial layout Huang Qifan China, with its advanced infrastructure and industrial capabilities, has the chance to elevate its role in the global economy as long as it can prove it is sincere about opening up to the outside world, Huang said. "The pandemic has exposed weak links in the old globalisation model … China and other countries must rethink and readjust global industrial layout," Huang said. "However, the adjustment is not total negation of globalisation … such a move would be shooting one's own foot," he said. "The right approach is to open further, instead of taking a 180-degree turn." Huang's view is in line with Beijing's pledge that China will remain investor-friendly and open its market further to foreign businesses. Samsung, for instance, has received special approval to send 200 workers to Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, to complete the expansion of its chip manufacturing plant there. While threats about decoupling and isolating China are grabbing headlines, the nation remains the world's biggest manufacturer and the world's largest consumer market – something that is not lost on multinationals. Tesla had its best month ever in China last month, selling more than 12,000 cars — up 450 per cent from a year earlier and bucking a 40 per cent plunge in China's overall car sales. "Elon Musk danced in public when the first Model 3 was delivered this year – you can see how happy he was," said Chen Fengying, the former director of the World Economy Institute at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. "China remains a market that can't be neglected." Chen said the coronavirus could speed up formation of regional economic blocs, with three likely to emerge in North America, Europe and East Asia. "China will be the centre of gravity in the East Asia bloc … that has been decided by China's industrial system and the vast market size," he said. China has the ability to link Japan and South Korea in the north and Southeast Asia in the south, he added. The shift was already being reflected in China's trade relationships. In the first quarter of this year, the Asean bloc replaced the European Union as China's biggest trade partner. Ding Yifan, a researcher affiliated with the Development Research Centre under the State Council, said China's industrial power was too big to fail. China has proved its international competitiveness in "almost every industrial sector", from telecoms equipment to high-speed railways, he said, and that competence remained amid the pandemic. "China's early days of economic development did rely a lot on foreign investors … and every time Western countries talk about leaving China, China gets really anxious," Ding said. "But in fact, it doesn't matter any more. China has built up its own industrial system." President Xi Jinping has made "protecting a stable supply chain and a value chain" one of six priorities amid the coronavirus fallout, reflecting the president's determination to maintain China's role in the world economy. Beijing is simultaneously strengthening its commitment to its political model. Xi said at the last meeting of the Politburo, the centre of power within the Communist Party, that China must make "ideological and work preparations" to respond to changes in the outside world that could last for a long time to come. The comments were a marked shift from the central leadership's previous view that China was in a historic "period of strategic opportunity", a line of thinking that has been fading from official statements since last year. Beijing's war of words with Washington has added to the perception of growing global hostility towards China and further fanned nationalist sentiment at home. One populist theory circulating on Chinese social media, dubbed "the Manchus breaking into the Great Wall", compares China's role in the world today to that of the Manchu people, who in the 17th century conquered China. China's governance, institutions and culture are looked down upon by the US-led liberal democracies just as the Manchu, a nomadic group outside the Great Wall, were seen as barbarians by the Ming dynasty of 1368-1644. The right option for the Manchu people was not to accept the Ming system, but to develop their own military power to conquer the ruling dynasty. Once the Manchu broke through the Great Wall, their institutions and culture became the standard. The theory follows that China should use its economic and mercantile might to dominate the world and fight for its own moment of "breaking into the Great Wall", snatching centre stage and proving the superiority of Chinese governance and institutions over the West. In a recent article circulated widely on Chinese social media app WeChat, the author Lu Shihan asked: "Why is China always put at a disadvantaged position in global public discourse, why do so many people believe China-bashing information from Western countries and why is no one giving us fair recognition, even [after] we have achieved so much? Why can't we win other people's recognition of our culture, even when we are already the No 2 economy?" Lu said the answer lay in that China was culturally different from the US and Europe. "China is seen as a barbarian country just like the Ming saw the Manchu as barbarians – whatever we do will be seen as wrong," Lu said. China's best chance of prospering was by growing its economic might and helping Chinese companies conquer the world market with Chinese products — just as the Manchu conquered China with their warhorses, the author said. Next, the Post looks at the likelihood of military conflict in flash points such as the South China Sea as international relations sour amid the pandemic. ^ top ^
China's economy has strong resilience, great potential: top banker (Global Times)
2020-04-28
China should maintain sufficient liquidity and promote reasonable credit growth while support key industries and those hit hard by the novel coronavirus as the economy recovers, according to the architect of the nation's monetary policy. The economic impact of the coronavirus will be temporary in China as the country's economy has displayed strong resilience and great potential, and the fundamentals of China's development will not alter, said People's Bank of China Governor Yi Gang in an article published in Economic Research Journal. Yi believes China should keep its leverage ratio as stable as possible to achieve a balance between growth and risk prevention, and leave room for the economy to maintain long-term sustainable growth. Excessive stimulus may exacerbate inflation risks and lead to excessive financial leverage, Yi said. These comments by Yi indicate that the central bank will try to prevent inflation while take a cautious attitude in cutting benchmark interest rates, Zhao Qingming, an expert in finance, told the Global Times on Monday. "It shows that the central bank wants to keep interest rates steady, and it is unlikely to lower the benchmark deposit rate." The People's Bank of China has issued a directive calling for an increase in the re-lending and rediscount quotas for small and medium-sized banks to boost lending to the agriculture sector, small and micro-sized enterprises (SMEs), and private enterprises. The State Council, China's cabinet, will increase the re-lending and rediscount quotas by 1 trillion yuan ($141 billion). "These targeted measures may ease the financial pressure of SMEs and help them resume operations," Zhao said, adding that future policy may still focus on targeted cuts in bank reserve requirement ratios, re-lending and rediscounting operations. In his statement Yi highlighted the need to raise the share of direct and equity financing to combat bank debt and to maintain financing for the real economy while stabilizing the leverage ratio. Yi believes it is necessary to advance reform of the IPO registration system and increase the transparency of the capital market. For the real estate market, Yi advocates risk management and a long-term mechanism to stabilize land prices, housing prices and expectations, and strengthen the overall monitoring of financing sources. Property policies should reflect conditions in individual cities and countercyclical macro-prudential policy should be strengthened, he said. He added that it is necessary to redefine fiscal relationships between the central and local governments, improve local taxation systems, and establish a compliant, regulated, transparent and self-restricted local government debt financing mechanism. ^ top ^
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Donald Trump says he knows how Kim Jong-un is doing, more information likely to come in 'not too distant future' (SCMP)
2020-04-28
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he has a "good idea" about the condition of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whose absence in the country's media recently has sparked speculation about his health. "I do know how he's doing, relatively speaking," Trump said in a regular White House press briefing, without specifying where his information is coming from. "You'll probably be hearing in the not too distant future." Kim's absence from the April 15 celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il-sung, the North's founder – the most important day in the country's political calendar – has sparked conjecture about whether the current leader is incapacitated. Kim has not made a public appearance since presiding over a Workers' Party politburo meeting on April 11. Trump, who has held two summits with Kim since 2018, has bet that his relationship with the leader would convince him to abandon a nuclear weapons programme pursued by Pyongyang. The second summit, held in Hanoi in February 2019, ended without any concrete agreement. China is overreaching in global influence bid amid pandemic, analysts say The US leader has dismissed reports that Kim's health was in danger. "I think the report was incorrect," Trump said at a daily White House briefing last week, adding that he had understood the report to be based on "old documents." Daily NK, a Seoul-based website, reported last week that Kim was recovering after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure on April 12. It cited an anonymous source in North Korea. The state-controlled media in North Korea has been silent on Kim's whereabouts. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is "alive and well", a top security adviser to South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said. "Our government position is firm," said Moon's special adviser on national security Moon Chung-in, in an interview with CNN on Sunday. "Kim Jong-un is alive and well." ^ top ^
DPRK leader Kim Jong-un sends thank-you message to Syria's Al-Assad (China Daily)
2020-04-27
Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), sent a message to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on Wednesday to thank the latter for his note on Kim's grandfather's birth anniversary, KCNA reported. On Wednesday, the DPRK marked the 108 birth anniversary of its founder Kim Il-sung, grandfather of Kim Jong-un. In his message, the DPRK leader said the DPRK-Syria friendly and cooperative ties would grow stronger, adding that he wished the Syrian president good health and greater success. ^ top ^
ROK to launch construction for southern section of inter-Korean railway along east coast (China Daily)
2020-04-27
The Republic of Korea (ROK) has decided to launch the construction of the southern section of the inter-Korean railway along the east coast of the Korean Peninsula. The inter-Korean exchange and cooperation consultative committee was chaired by Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, deciding to start the reconnection of a 110.9-km railway from the eastern coastal city of Gangneung to the border town of Jejin, local media reported Thursday. It will be pursued speedily without a preliminary feasibility study as it was designated as an inter-Korean cooperative project. The Gangneung-Jejin railroad is the ROK's section of the Donghae Bukbu Line, which was built during the 1910-1945 Japanese colonization of the peninsula but was severed during the 1950-1953 Korean War. The Donghae Bukbu Line construction project was pursued since 2000, and ROK's President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), agreed in their first summit on April 27, 2018, to reconnect inter-Korean railways and roads along the eastern and western peninsula. ROK and the DPRK held a groundbreaking ceremony for the inter-Korean railway reconnection project in December 2018, but construction works had been delayed amid the international sanctions toward Pyongyang. The Moon government hoped to re-link the railways across the inter-Korean border, eventually connected to Europe through the Trans-China Railway (TCR) and the Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR). ^ top ^
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Parliament approves resolution to ensure financial and economic stability during COVID-19 (Montsame)
2020-04-30
Yesterday, April 29, the plenary meeting of the Parliament approved a resolution on the measures to ensure financial and economic stability, prevent risks and make the digital transition in public services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution defines the direction of state policy and measures to be taken with a purpose to ensure financial and economic stability, prevent risks, and make the digital transition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, it states to establish a healthy, reliable, transparent, open, publicly controlled, accessible and e-banking system, build a sound banking management system, reduce ownership concentration as well as transfer the bank into an open joint-stock company. It also reflects to improve the legal environment to supervise banks, inspect and take restructuring measures, continue the government's housing mortgage program, provide preferential financing to gold mining companies, and build required financial source with foreign and domestic market deals. There were no MPs to question or speak on the draft resolution. The draft resolution was approved by majority of MPs who attended the plenary session. ^ top ^
COVID-19 prevention law passed (Montsame)
2020-04-30
Plenary meeting of the Parliament adopted yesterday a Law on COVID-19 prevention, fight, and mitigation of its socioeconomic impact, submitted by MPs J.Enkhbayar and Kh.Nyambaatar. The Bill regulates the issues and functions to be resolved by the Government, the State Emergency Commission, and other relevant organizations as well as their collaboration during the period of heightened state of readiness. For instance, it reflects regulations, authorizing the Government to take necessary measures, such as calling quarantine and traffic movement and time limits, as well as approving relevant regimes, procedures, and instructions to be followed during the COVID 19 pandemic. On the COVID-19 pandemic response, the bill includes regulations to enact the government organizations and officials to take necessary measures for the protection of public health only according to the Constitution of Mongolia and international treaties as well as ensure that any decision they make respects the fundamental rights to be free from torture and inhuman, cruel and disrespectful punishments and discrimination. Besides, it clearly states the responsibilities and prohibitions of citizens, business entities and organizations. In particular, it is considered appropriate to regulate the payment of necessary expenses related to evacuation, isolation, treatment, services, sterilization and disinfection by law. There were no MPs to question or speak on the bill. The bill was approved by 97.8 percent of the turnouts at the plenary session. ^ top ^
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Sun Mengqi Eleanore
Embassy of Switzerland
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The Press review is a random selection
of political and social related news gathered from various media
and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by
the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss
Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility
for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally
the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion
of the Embassy.
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