|
 |
|
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
de Chine |
 |
|
|
| Table of
contents |
|
Mongolia
^ top ^
|
| Switzerland |
Tsingtao Drinks Up Nestle's China Water Business as Swiss Giant Looks to Offload Underperforming Units (Caixin)
2020-08-29
Nestle SA has agreed to sell its water business in China to local beer giant Tsingtao Brewery Group Co. Ltd., as part of the world's largest food company's ongoing effort to offload underperforming brands. The company announced in a Friday statement that the sale includes its "Dashan" and "Yunnan Shan Quan" brands, as well as three water factories located in Shanghai, Tianjin and Kunming, Yunnan province. As part of a licensing agreement, Tsingtao will also produce and market the Nestle "Pure Life" water brand in China, according to the statement. Details of the agreement were not disclosed. China is Nestle's second largest market after the U.S., with sales topping 6.9 billion Swiss francs ($7.6 billion) in 2019, accounting for 7.5% of its global sales. In July, after media reports that the company was looking to offload its China water business, Nestle said it was looking for the best solution for the future of the business, including a possible sale. Offloading its China water business is the latest move in the Swiss multinational's ongoing drive to trim its portfolio of underperforming brands. Its water businesses have remained sluggish over the years, with global sales generated from the category dropping 0.3% last year from the level in 2016. That's compared to 3.5% growth for the company's overall sales recorded during the same period. Nestle said in June it was considering a sale of its mass-market bottled water business in the U.S. and Canada, as part of a shift in focus toward more premium soft drink products. The sale of its North American business, including brands like Pure Life, Poland Spring and Deer Park, is expected to be completed by early 2021, Nestle said at the time. For Tsingtao, acquiring Nestle's water business is part of its strategy to branch out from its core beer business. Currently, the Chinese group's major asset is its Hong Kong and Shanghai-listed beer-making unit Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd., which reported net profit of 1.85 billion yuan ($269 million) on revenue of 27.9 billion yuan in 2019. ^ top ^
|
| Foreign Policy |
China, Spain vow to uphold multilateralism (Xinhua)
2020-09-04
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met here Thursday with senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi, both vowing to uphold multilateralism. During his meeting with Sanchez, Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, recalled Chinese President Xi Jinping's successful visit to Spain in 2018, when Xi and Sanchez drew a new blueprint for China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership. According to Yang, the two countries respect each other's development path and regard each other's development as an opportunity. In the face of COVID-19, he said, the two countries have worked together to fight the epidemic, which fully proves that China and Spain are sincere partners and friends. Yang, who is also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said China is ready to work with Spain to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and develop bilateral relations into a model of mutual respect, exchanges and mutual learning, and mutually beneficial cooperation between countries. He called on the two sides to maintain high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust and continue to support each other's core interests and major concerns. China and Spain need to expand bilateral trade and investment and tap the potential of cooperation in green economy, digital economy and other fields, he said, adding that China is ready to import more Spanish agricultural products. Yang urged the two countries to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, deepen mutual learning among civilizations, promote joint research and development of vaccines and drugs,and build a global community of health for all. China and Spain need to jointly uphold multilateralism, uphold international equity and justice, and improve global governance, he said, expressing the belief that Spain will continue to play a constructive role in promoting the development of China-Europe relations. For his part, Sanchez said Spain attaches great importance to developing relations with China strategically, and President Xi's successful visit to Spain has facilitated an important development in bilateral relations. Spain thanks China for the assistance and support in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanchez said, adding that the fight against COVID-19 has brought all countries closely together and helped strengthen Spain-China relations. Sanchez said Spain is willing to enhance exchanges and cooperation with China to further explore the Chinese market, and welcomes investment from Chinese businesses. Sanchez noted that Spain, the European Union and China all firmly support multilateralism and need to strengthen communication and coordination. There is great potential for EU-China cooperation, and Spain will actively participate in and promote it, he added. Also on Thursday, Yang held talks with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Arancha Gonzalez Laya. ^ top ^
Chinese FM calls for safeguarding stability in South China Sea (Xinhua)
2020-09-03
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called for jointly overcoming challenges and safeguarding stability in the South China Sea. Wang made the remarks in his message sent to a symposium themed "The South China Sea: From the Perspective of Cooperation" which was held in Beijing on Wednesday. Having a common stake in a peaceful and stable South China Sea, China and ASEAN countries are a natural community with a shared future, Wang said in his message entitled "Working Together to Make the South China Sea a Sea of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation." "I am truly happy to see that countries in the region have kept up the momentum of dialogue and cooperation, and made good headway," Wang said. Noting there are still risks and challenges, both sensitive and complex, in the South China Sea, Wang noted that the South China Sea should not become a tool of certain country for China bashing, still less a wrestling ground for major-country competition. "China and ASEAN countries must work together to meet the challenge and fulfill our due responsibility, as host in the region, for peace and stability in the South China Sea," Wang said. "We should continue to let the countries directly concerned resolve their disputes through consultations and negotiations," Wang proposed, adding that efforts should be made to conclude the Code of Conduct (COC) at a faster pace, and to pursue joint development while setting aside disputes. The participants are of the view that, currently the COVID-19 pandemic is widely spread, unilateralism and trade bullying prevail, the United States openly interferes in the South China Sea, and uncertainty is increasing in the region. The participants made proposals that countries in this region to accelerate the process of the COC consultation. They also called on countries outside the region to refrain from creating tensions. The 1.5 track virtual international symposium was jointly held by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. ^ top ^
Chinese FM calls for consultation, coordination, cooperation between China, Germany (Xinhua)
2020-09-02
Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday that as two major independent forces in the world, China and Germany should strengthen strategic consultation, deepen strategic coordination and expand strategic cooperation, in a bid to take on three tasks. Wang made the remarks during talks with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. Wang said the current world is facing three major choices -- multilateralism or unilateralism, openness or closeness, cooperation or confrontation. The first task, Wang said, is to strengthen global anti-epidemic cooperation and revive the world economy. At the time when the prevention and control of COVID-19 have become a regular practice, China is willing to work with Germany to expand the "express channel" for personnel exchanges, and strengthen cooperation in vaccine and medicine development, in a bid to take care of the health of the two peoples and make contributions to global public health security. Wang said that China and Germany should advocate for global solidarity, support the World Health Organization and oppose wrong acts and words stigmatizing global anti-epidemic cooperation. The two sides should also implement the consensus reached at the G20 summit to help Africa and other less-developed regions, in a bid to give more momentum to the world economy, Wang added. The second task is to advance the China-European Union (EU) relations to a higher level, Wang said, adding that developing strategic partnerships with Germany and Europe is China's strategic choice rather than an expedient measure, without any influence from the third party. As partners rather than rivals, China and the EU should accommodate and learn from each other, so as to help stabilize the turbulent world, Wang said. China is willing to work with Germany and the EU to prepare for the major political agenda for the next stage, deepen exchanges and cooperation in trade and economy, climate change, green development and digitalization, and complete the China-EU investment agreement negotiations within this year, Wang said. Wang hoped that Germany will play a constructive role in promoting China-EU mutual trust and cooperation during the current German rotating presidency of EU Council. The third task is to advocate for multilateralism and oppose the "new cold war," Wang said, adding that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Germany in multilateral organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization, so as to safeguard the authority of the UN, advance global governance and build an open world economy. The two sides should take practical acts to maintain the stable operation of industrial and supply chains, opposing "decoupling," deglobalization and other acts in an attempt to reverse the course of history, Wang added. Wang said that China stands ready to work with Germany to strengthen bilateral exchanges in humanities, think tanks, media and research institutions, and hold the second conference of the China-Germany high-level humanities exchange mechanism and the China-Germany cultural exchange year, so as to promote people-to-people understanding between the two countries. For his part, Maas said that Germany highly values Germany-China relations and EU-China relations, and further developing relations with China is a key target of Germany as the current EU Council rotating president, adding that Germany will work with China to promote the success of the important EU-China political agenda in the next phase. "Decoupling" is not in the interest of any party, said Maas, adding that China is a major country with important influence, so that it is impossible to find lasting solutions without China's participation in dealing with major international issues such as tackling climate change. Maas said that Germany hopes to work with China to deepen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, trade and humanities, fight the pandemic, carry out vaccine cooperation, and ensure vaccine accessibility. Germany is willing to conduct candid exchanges with China on issues with different views on the basis of mutual respect, Mass added. The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on international and regional issues of common concern. On Tuesday, Wang also met with German Chancellor's foreign policy adviser Jan Hecker and economic adviser Lars-Hendrik Roeller, and exchanged views with them on the important political agenda of China and the EU in the next phase. ^ top ^
Chinese defense minister meets Vietnamese ambassador (People's Daily)
2020-09-01
Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Monday met with Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai in Beijing. Noting that bilateral relations have maintained stable development, Wei said China is ready to work with Vietnam to carry forward the special friendship forged by the old revolutionaries of the two Parties and countries. China is prepared to strengthen solidarity and deepen cooperation with Vietnam to handle differences appropriately and jointly oppose hegemonism, interventionism and unilateralism, in order to make contributions to regional and global peace and stability, said Wei. Pham Sao Mai noted that Vietnam is ready for joint efforts with China to promote traditional friendship and in-depth strategic cooperation between the two countries in the face of complex international and regional situations. ^ top ^
China must resolutely counterattack India's opportunist move (People's Daily)
2020-09-01
China's Western Theatre Command said Monday evening that Indian troops once again illegally crossed the Line of Actual Control near the south bank of the Pangong Lake and Reqin mountain pass on Monday, a blatant provocative move that seriously infringed on China's territorial sovereignty, and undermined the peace and stability in the China-India border area. Earlier in the day, India, who first moved to accuse China of carrying out "provocative military movements," said it preempted Chinese military activity. The word "preempt" shows it was the Indian troops that first took destructive actions, and the Indian troops initiated the standoff this time. Twenty Indian soldiers died in the Galwan Valley clash between Chinese and Indian troops in June. In the following two months, anti-China opinion dominated Indian society. India overreached itself by economically sanctioning China and strengthened interaction with the US in order to gain an upper hand over China. Washington almost publicly sided with New Delhi, which further encouraged the latter. The south bank of the Pangong Lake where the latest confrontation took place is under China's control. India is trying to turn it into a new disputed area as a bargaining chip in negotiations. Obviously, India is taking an aggressive approach on border issues rather than prioritizing stability in border regions. India is now burdened with domestic issues, especially the coronavirus situation that has almost spiraled out of control. On Sunday, the number of new infection cases reached as high as 78,000, breaking the world record. The economy has been dragged into a sluggish state. By provoking tensions at the border, New Delhi also aims to shift domestic attention, which is a hooligan behavior externally, and political flimflam internally. But it must be pointed out that New Delhi is facing a powerful China. The PLA has sufficient force to safeguard every inch of the country. Chinese people have shown support to the government which won't seek to provoke India, but does not allow it to encroach on China's territory. China is strategically firm in the southwestern border areas and is also prepared for any circumstance. China welcomes it if India wants to co-exist in peace. If India wants to engage in competition, China has more tools and capability than India. If India would like a military showdown, the PLA is bound to make the Indian army suffer much more severe losses than it did in 1962. India should not have any illusions of Washington's support, nor does it need to embolden itself by strengthening cooperation under the Quad framework. China-India border issues are bound to be solved by the two. The US can only support India verbally. How can it help India grab Chinese territory? What is really in the minds of the Americans is to let India and China consume themselves so that India can become a more useful pawn in the US' China containment strategy. The confrontation in Pangong Lake shows that India did not draw any lessons from the Galwan Valley clash. It is still determined to provoke China. Since the Doklam standoff in 2017 when the Indian army crossed the border to provoke China, the tense situation in the China-India border area continues with the same logic. China-India border frictions are likely to prolong, and various kinds of crises, be they big or small, will become normal. We have to be prepared for this. China needs to prepare to carry out a military struggle in the China-India border area. We should try our best to resolve frictions through peaceful means. But when India recklessly challenges China's bottom line, China must not be soft. It must take military actions when necessary, and ensure it can win. China is several times stronger than India, and India is no match for China. We must smash any Indian illusion that it can deal with China by colluding with other powers, such as the US. The history of Asia and the world has told us that any force keen on opportunism tends to bully the weak while fear the strong. India is a typical opportunist when it comes to the China-India border issue. ^ top ^
China to continue support for ASEAN's central role in regional cooperation (Global Times)
2020-08-31
China will continue to support Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)'s central role in regional cooperation, and deepen trade ties in the China-ASEAN free trade area as part of broad-based efforts against unilateralism and protectionism, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Monday. The move is likely to breathe much-needed hope into a global economy battered by COVID-19 and fragmentation. East Asian economies ought to make joint efforts to rebuild economic and social confidence in the midst of the raging coronavirus pandemic and global trade and investment shockwaves, MOFCOM said in a statement on its website after the just-concluded 19th China-ASEAN (10+1) Economic Ministers' Meeting. They should strive for a speedy recovery and the inclusive and sustainable growth of the world economy, the statement said. The meetings held Thursday and Friday boosted regional countries' confidence in economic development and the integration of the Asian economy. It's universally agreed that actions will be taken to ensure macroeconomic and financial stability to mitigate the economic and social impact of the pandemic and to boost the interconnectedness of supply chains. There's also a consensus on the support for necessary reforms of the WTO and the creation of an open, transparent, non-discriminative, stable and a mutually beneficial trade and investment environment. The pandemic shock is expected to contract the global economy by 5.2 percent this year, while the East Asia and Pacific regional economy growth is estimated to fall to 0.5 percent this year, per the World Bank's projection in June. The Chinese economy, a bulwark for global growth, was still expected to record an expansion of 1 percent in 2020. The commerce ministry also reiterated on Monday that it was pushing for the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) this year, as per the original schedule. RCEP member countries are expected to hold a meeting in October to prepare for the deal's signing this year, the Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday, citing Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh. ^ top ^
China-Aussie ties at all-time low after Canberra extends crackdown on China academe (Global Times)
2020-08-31
Australia on Monday announced an inquiry into "China's infiltration" of its university sector, a move Chinese observers said follows Washington's crackdown on China, which would impede technological and cultural cooperation between Beijing and Canberra and will hurt the latter more, and further plunge already souring ties. The Australian parliament is set to probe alleged foreign interference at public universities, Alan Tudge told Sky News on Monday. The move comes after Canberra announced last week that it would give the federal government powers to scrap any deal that local authorities and public institutions reach or have reached with foreign countries that it believes threatens the national security. It also comes after an investigation by The Australian newspaper last week which alleged that dozens of the country's leading scientists had been recruited by China's secretive "Thousand Talents" research program, which the FBI has described as an economic espionage and national security threat. It shows that Canberra, which is blindly following Washington's move to crack down on China, has expanded its reach to the academe. But given the fact that Australia needs academic cooperation with China more than the US, the Morrison government's decision may hurt its own country more than it hurts China, Chen Hong, a professor and director of the Australian Studies Center at East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Monday. "This criticism of China is politically motivated," Yu Lei, a chief research fellow at the Research Center for Pacific Island Countries at Liaocheng University, told the Global Times, noting that, on the contrary, as China leads on some scientific research, its scientific achievements have constantly been stolen by Western spies." "China is the victim here," he added. Yu said he finds the Australian government's accusation "confusing," as Australia does not have an advantage over China in science and technology, especially militarily. "Why would China give up its own advanced technology to steal from Australia?" According to recent research by the Australia China Relations Institute (ACRI) the University of Technology Sydney published, China will eclipse the US as Australia's top scientific research partner within the year. Local media reported that the inquiry will also look into the extent to which foreign actors threaten free speech at universities, such as Elaine Pearson from the University of New South Wales. Pearson published an article in July denouncing Hong Kong's human rights problem, which agitated Chinese cohorts at that university. This further exposed Australia's real intention to throw mud at China, said Chen, questioning how China could possibly pose a threat to Australian academics. "If someone published inappropriate comments on China, China will rebut through legal and justified channels. As a country that worships freedom of speech, Australia should know the rule better than anyone," Yu said. Chen warned that China-Australia relations are at an all-time low, and urged Canberra to discard its Cold War mentality that politicizes and weaponizes normal academic and scientific activities based on ideological grounds. ^ top ^
EU must correct China economic ties before it's too late: Josep Borrell (SCMP)
2020-08-30
The European Union's top diplomat has labelled China as a "new empire" on a par with Russia, calling on the bloc's members to "correct" economic imbalances with Beijing before it is "too late". Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, made the assessment in two opinion pieces in French and Spanish publications on the weekend, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in France on his European tour. The remarks also come just a fortnight before Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend a summit hosted by EU leaders and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "Russia, China and Turkey share three common characteristics: they are sovereignists on the outside and authoritarian on the inside," Borrell said in an article in newspaper Le Journal de Dimanche. "After 30 years where the European vision seemed to gain ground, the sovereignist vision has regained the upper hand with these new empires." In recent weeks, the EU has criticised China for introducing the national security law in Hong Kong; Russia for offering military support to Belarus to curb protests; and Turkey for military activities against EU member states Greece and Cyprus. But this is the first time the EU has officially referred to China as a "new empire", a step further than the "systemic rival" it first used last year. "Unlike the principle of sovereignty which is based on the popular will, sovereignty puts forward the sole sovereignty of the state, which is a completely different matter," Borrell said. "Some European countries have also been empires. Fortunately, they returned from this imperial temptation by creating Europe. "But in order to be able to peacefully negotiate and settle conflicts [with] these new empires, built on values other than our own, we too must necessarily learn to speak what I have called the language of power." In another article in journal Politica Exterior, Borrell said there had been "a substantive change in the attitude of the current Chinese leaders" since the launch of Made in China 2025, the country's plan to upgrade its hi-tech industries. "The 'China Dream' proposed by President Xi would be the way to achieve this [Made in China 2025]. This ambition for leadership is the main difference from times past," he said. China has repeatedly sought to assure Europe about its peaceful rise and promoted itself as the EU's partner for multilateralism. It has also dismissed the EU's view of it as a rival. But Borrell pointed to imbalances in the EU's relationship with China, particularly the lack of market access for European businesses in China. "Our relationship is excessively asymmetric for the current level of Chinese development. And that must be corrected," he said. "If we don't do it now, in a few years it will be too late. Chinese products will continue to move up the value chain and our economic and technological dependence will increase." He described China as "assertive", "expansionist" and "authoritarian", echoing US concerns over China while still stopping short of aligning with Washington. "Gone is Chinese foreign policy inspired by Deng Xiaoping's 1974 speech to the UN General Assembly, where he stated that 'China is not a superpower, nor will it ever seek to be'," Borrell said. "[China's] objective is the transformation of the international order towards a selective multilateral system with Chinese characteristics, in which economic and social rights are prioritised over political and civil rights." He criticised China for undermining international norms, including in the South China Sea; by promoting Chinese ideals as a "community of shared destiny"; and by holding high positions in the UN system. He also drew attention to Chinese military development, a topic that is not discussed often in the EU. "The arms sales embargo decreed against China since the Tiananmen events in 1989 is still in force, but China no longer depends on imports of military equipment," he said. "It has developed an arms industry, especially naval and ballistics, of the first order and every year it increases its exports. "Although the capabilities of the Chinese army are still far from those of the US, the distance is much closer than a few decades ago, and in some areas there are hardly any differences. "Within a year, China will have four operational aircraft carriers." ^ top ^
China praises Abe's efforts to promote China-Japan ties, wishes him speedy recovery (China Daily)
2020-08-29
Japan to pick new prime minister on Sept 17, Kyodo News Agency reported Sunday. China on Saturday offered praise for the important efforts made by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to get China-Japan relations back on track and achieve new developments, wishing him a speedy recovery. In recent years, the relationship between China and Japan has improved and achieved new developments. The leaders of the two countries have reached an important consensus on promoting the establishment of bilateral relations that meet the requirements of the new era, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters. "We have a positive assessment of the important efforts made by Prime Minister Abe to achieve these ends and at the same time wish him a speedy recovery," Zhao added. "We are willing to work with the Japanese side to stick to the principles and spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, continue to deepen cooperation in the anti-epidemic fight, as well as economic and social development, and promote the continuous improvement and development of bilateral ties," said the spokesperson. Abe said at a press conference on Friday that he will step down from his post due to health concerns. ^ top ^
|
| Domestic
Policy |
|
Xi Focus: Xi stresses carrying forward great spirit of resisting aggression (Xinhua)
2020-09-04
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday stressed carrying forward in the new era the great spirit of resisting aggression and striving to achieve national rejuvenation. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), delivered an important speech at a symposium commemorating the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Addressing the symposium held by the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the CMC, Xi said the Chinese people demonstrated to the world their patriotism, national character, heroism and a strong will to win during the war. The great spirit of resisting aggression bred during the war is an invaluable source of inspiration, and will always motivate the Chinese people to overcome all difficulties and obstacles and strive to achieve national rejuvenation, said Xi. He said that 75 years ago on Sept. 3, the people of China, together with the rest of humanity, finally won a total victory against fascism through unbreakable will and a brave fight. It was a great victory over the evil, darkness and reaction. That day also marked a great victory for the unyielding Chinese people who had fought tenaciously for 14 years and finally defeated the Japanese militarist aggressors, said Xi. He added that the war is the Chinese people's longest and largest fight against foreign aggression in modern times, which came with the greatest sacrifice but led to Chinese people's first complete victory in national liberation. The great victory was a historic turning point at which the Chinese nation rose from severe crisis in modern times and embarked on a journey toward great rejuvenation, Xi said, adding that it was also an integral part of the world's triumph over fascism. The victory belonged to the Chinese people, and also to people across the world, he said, adding it will go down in the history of the Chinese nation as well as in the history of humanity's fight for justice. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, the National People's Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the CMC, Xi saluted veterans and patriots who fought in the war, as well as Chinese people at home and abroad who made contributions to the final victory. He expressed heartfelt appreciation to foreign governments and friends around the world for their support and help for China in the war against Japanese aggression. He also offered deep condolences to martyrs who laid down their lives for the final victory, and to victims who were brutally slaughtered by aggressors. Stressing the importance of winning the war, Xi called it a great victory of the national spirit with patriotism at its core, a great victory achieved with the CPC fighting as the central pillar, a great victory fought by the whole nation through solidarity and bravery, and a great victory for the Chinese people, anti-fascist allies and people around the world who fought shoulder-to-shoulder. China and Japan are close neighbors, and maintaining long-lasting peaceful and friendly relations between the two countries is in accordance with the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and is essential to maintaining peace and stability in Asia and the world, Xi noted. The purpose of the commemoration is to draw a lesson from history, look to the future, and jointly cherish and safeguard peace, Xi said, calling for efforts to promote everlasting friendship between the two peoples of China and Japan and contribute to peace around the world. Since victory was won 75 years ago, significant changes have taken place in China, with the CPC rallying the Chinese people and leading them in embarking on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said. As socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and with the victory over poverty and the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects in sight, a bright future of national rejuvenation awaits, Xi said. In order to realize national rejuvenation, it is necessary to uphold the leadership of the CPC, to forge ahead on the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, to continue committing to a people-centered philosophy, to carry forward the fighting spirit, and to firmly stay on the path of peaceful development, Xi said, underscoring five "never-allow" scenarios. The Chinese people will never allow any individual or any force to distort the history of the CPC or smear the Party's nature and mission. The Chinese people will never allow any individual or any force to distort and alter the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, or deny and vilify the great achievements the Chinese people have made in building socialism. The Chinese people will never allow any individual or any force to separate the CPC from the Chinese people or counterpose the Party to the Chinese people. The Chinese people will never allow any individual or any force to impose their will on China through bullying, change China's direction of progress, or obstruct the Chinese people's efforts to create a better life. The Chinese people will never allow any individual or any force to jeopardize their peaceful life and right to development, obstruct their exchanges and cooperation with other peoples, or undermine the noble cause of peace and development for humanity. Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu and Wang Yang, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium, which was presided over by Wang Huning, also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The symposium was also attended by representatives from all walks of life, including representatives from the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, the CMC, as well as veterans who took part in the war, relatives of military officers and martyrs who fought in the war, relatives of foreign friends who contributed to the victory, and young students. ^ top ^
Li: Step up battle against air pollution (China Daily)
2020-09-03
Premier says research should focus on most acute aspects of control, prevention. China is ready to enhance science-based prevention and control of air pollution with a view to promoting green development, the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Wednesday. The meeting's participants heard a report on progress in scientific research on the causes of heavy air pollution and proposed solutions. They noted the good progress made in air pollution prevention and control in recent years. To address heavy air pollution in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei province and their neighboring areas in autumn and winter, related departments have commissioned special research by experts on the causes of heavy air pollution and possible solutions. This research program has provided an important basis for science-based treatment of pollution. The meeting called for building on the outcomes achieved and intensifying targeted control of the causes of such pollution in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and their neighboring areas. It urged continued efforts to prevent and control air pollution, especially by effectively tackling industrial pollution, promoting clean substitutes for small-scale burning of coal and strengthening the regulation of diesel exhaust emissions and ammonia emissions in agriculture and animal husbandry. "The research findings on the causes of heavy air pollution and proposed solutions should be put to effective use in pollution control," Li said. With growing ozone pollution, scientific research on regionwide air pollution treatment will be taken forward, and PM2.5－minute particles that are harmful to health－and ozone will be treated in a coordinated way. Key regions are required to step up joint prevention and control. The meeting called for structural adjustments within regions in energy, industry and transportation. Clean use of coal will be enhanced. The steel, coking, petrochemical and other industries will be transformed at a faster pace. The railway shipment of commodities in multi-modal transportation and the use of new energy cargo vehicles in urban delivery services will be significantly increased. "We must fully appreciate the significance of air pollution control. It affects our people's quality of life and the quality of the country's development. Research on the issue must be further advanced, with a sharp focus on the most acute aspects of pollution control and prevention," Li said. Eco-friendly industries and the circular economy will be boosted. Specialized services will be strengthened for green technology and equipment, new types of energy-efficient products and energy conservation and emission reduction. International cooperation will be bolstered and new drivers of growth cultivated. These measures are aimed to achieve win-win outcomes in environmental protection and economic growth. ^ top ^
Key meeting emphasizes dual circulation as feature of deeper-level reform (Xinhua)
2020-09-03
China has vowed to deepen its reform to create a new development pattern featuring dual circulation, under which the country will strive to improve the allocation of resources, pursue coordinated regional development and open up the economy further. Presiding over the 15th meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that accelerating the establishment of a new development pattern featuring dual circulation, which takes the domestic market as the mainstay and allows domestic and foreign markets boost each other, is a systematic deep-level reform concerning the overall situation of the country. On top of previous calls for the expansion of domestic demand with supply-side structural reform as a foothold, the meeting covered details on the overall design of the new development pattern. To build a new development pattern, the country needs to accelerate reforms that help increase the efficiency of resource allocation, and reforms that help improve growth quality and efficiency, said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission. Key to keeping the wheels turning in the domestic market is letting the market play a decisive role in the flows of factors including capital, talent, information, technology and land, so that resources can be best allocated, wrote Zhang Xueliang, a professor at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, in a co-authored article. To that end, China in early April unveiled a guideline on improving the market-based allocation mechanism for production factors, outlining specific approaches to maintain the free and orderly flow of each factor. Tuesday's meeting also emphasized the need to link the construction of a new development pattern with the implementation of a strategy for coordinated regional development and the construction of pilot free trade zones (FTZs). Coordinated regional development strategies including western development and the revitalization of northeast China can help remove market barriers to ensure domestic circulation, said Zhang. China's pilot FTZs attracted robust foreign investment and trade in the first seven months of the year despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, playing a positive role in stabilizing foreign trade and investment amid a sluggish international market. The country's six pilot FTZs launched in August 2019 in the regions of Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Hebei, Yunnan and Heilongjiang, as well as Shanghai's Lingang Area, a new section of the Shanghai pilot FTZ, attracted 13.11 billion yuan (about 1.9 billion U.S. dollars) of foreign investment during the January-July period, official data showed Wednesday. The country will continue to pursue the high-quality development of the pilot FTZs and grant them more space to advance reform and opening-up so that they can take the lead in forming the dual circulation, said Tang Wenhong, an official from the Ministry of Commerce. While calls to establish the new development pattern have been high on authorities' agendas since it was first introduced in May, analysts say Tuesday's meeting reaffirmed its critical role in the country's long-term planning. With the meeting emphasizing the new development pattern's importance as both a "strategic decision" and a "systematic deep-level reform," it is foreseeable that dual circulation will feature prominently in the country's blueprints for future development, such as the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), said Liu Yuanchun, vice president of Renmin University of China. ^ top ^
Senior official stresses poverty-alleviation through consumption (Xinhua)
2020-09-02
Hu Chunhua, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Tuesday stressed solid efforts in poverty-alleviation through pro-consumption projects. Hu, also chief of the State Council leading group on poverty alleviation and development, made the remarks while attending a launch ceremony of a pro-consumption campaign. Cooperatives, enterprises, and various online and offline sales platforms were encouraged to support the processing and sales of poverty alleviation products, Hu said. Quality supervision of the products and services should be improved to protect the rights and interests of consumers, according to Hu. The month-long programs have been jointly organized by 11 departments, aiming to boost sales of products from poor areas to promote poverty alleviation. ^ top ^
Accusations of Mass Math Plagiarism Deal Another Blow to Chinese Academia's Dented Reputation (Caixin)
2020-09-02
In the latest blow to China's already severely dented scholarly reputation, allegations that academics sought out the services of a "paper mill" that produced plagiarized math papers have led to the withdrawal of two dozen articles by internationally peer-reviewed journals. For years, China has been plagued by academic misconduct as researchers race to publish, in order to get funding, jobs and promotions. This publish-or-perish culture has driven demand for paper mills which produce faked or plagiarized papers that allow under-pressure researchers to get their name into respectable journals. In mid-June, two independent science journalists, who go by the aliases Smut Clyde and TigerBB8, claimed that 65 papers published by 77 Chinese researchers at 42 institutions were produced by a math paper mill. None of the authors involved have publicly responded and none of their institutions has announced anything related to the accusations. A total of 24 papers have since been removed from journals including the International Journal of Mathematics, published by Singapore's World Scientific, and Boundary Value Problems, which is published by U.S.-based Springer. Caixin also found that at least 20 more of the papers cited in the journalists' report had been removed prior to its publication. The journalists claim that almost half of the Chinese clients came from the less-prestigious Henan University of Economics and Law (HUEL), based in Henan province's capital Zhengzhou. But the mill's services were also allegedly used by senior academics at some of China's top universities, including Harbin Engineering University and Henan University. Many of the academics accused of involvement in the scandal are not mathematics specialists. The plagiarism saga can be traced back to a paper published in 2012 in the U.S.-based journal Abstract and Applied Analysis, published by London-based Hindawi Publishing. The authors, including Qiao Lei at HUEL, were all based in Zhengzhou. Two years later, the paper, with its name unchanged and content slightly tweaked, was re-published by two other Zhengzhou-based researchers in the Springer-published Indian journal Proceedings - Mathematical Sciences, without any credit to Qiao's paper. The article, which has yet to be removed from the journal, is almost identical to Qiao's, repeating formulas, calculations, explanations and conclusions, with a few changes to phrasing. It remains unclear whether Qiao was aware of the apparent plagiarism by his colleagues. But the second paper claims to have been supported by two grants administered by Qiao from the state-owned National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). They also praised Qiao's PhD supervisor Deng Guantie for "very useful conversations related to this problem." According to Caixin's research, at least two articles funded by Qiao's NSFC grant contain stolen formulas or arguments. Qiao's papers seem to have been a popular target for those looking to crib material. In January, the journal of Fixed Point Theory and Applications retracted a paper written by one of Qiao's HUEL colleagues in 2015, for "invalid" results and "evidence of both peer review and authorship manipulation." The article shows "significant overlap" with four previously published articles, three of which list Qiao as an author, according to the retraction note. But Qiao is also not beyond suspicion. In late July, the International Journal of Mathematics retracted a paper published in 2013 that listed Qiao as the lead author. He was added as a co-author without approval after the article was accepted, according to the journal's statement. One of the paper's theorems was also found to be mathematically incorrect. Qiao did not respond to Caixin interview requests but his doctoral supervisor Deng, whose articles co-authored with Qiao have been plagiarized several times, told Caixin that he had no idea about what happened, and condemned such actions. The journalists also wrote that the paper mill invented some "European-university-affiliated and western-named fictional co-authors" to make the math papers "seem less Chinese, or more white." For example, in two papers submitted by Zhao Tao, a researcher at HUEL, his supposed co-author Alexander Yamada from the School of Mathematics at Stockholm University acknowledged support from an Academy of Finland grant. But neither Yamada nor the grant exist, the related journals have since announced. In a statement on Aug.17, the International Journal of Mathematics said the author of the retracted paper "listed a false affiliation with a Spanish University at the time of the submission and changed it after acceptance without approval." By creating Western co-authors, the papers could "signal the international reputation and far-flung collaborative capacity" of the authors, said the investigators. Many of the accused have apparently received support from government-backed provincial or national foundations. The NSFC, according to its website, is "directly under the jurisdiction of the State Council," China's cabinet, and has implemented "a rigorous and objective merit-review system" to support basic research, foster talented researchers and develop international cooperation. But "how [the authors] secured that funding without the capability to write the papers expected in return, thus obliging them to call on the services of a paper mill, is a question in itself," wrote Smut Clyde. In China, researchers' performance is evaluated based on the papers they have published, with quantity being an important indicator. They are encouraged, and at times expected, to publish in international journals with a high impact factor. This has led the country to become the world's top paper-publisher in the field of natural sciences. However, China's rise has been accompanied by a slew of academic scandals, including a massive peer-review fraud scandal in 2017 which involved more than 400 researchers. The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology jointly released a document (link in Chinese) in February, which called for an end to the "excessive reliance" on publication in top-tier journals for academic promotions, allocation of research funding and university rankings. Earlier this month, the ministries again issued a notice calling to improve researchers' professional integrity. ^ top ^
Xi presides over meeting on Yellow River basin protection, disciplinary inspections (Xinhua)
2020-09-01
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The meeting reviewed a guideline on the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin, and a report on the fifth round of disciplinary inspections by the 19th CPC Central Committee. The Yellow River is the "mother river" of the Chinese nation, and the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin should be regarded as a long-term project concerning the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, said an official statement issued after the meeting. Coordinated management measures covering mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts are needed to improve the ecological environment, optimize the allocation of water resources, and promote the high-quality development of the whole basin, according to the meeting. Differentiated measures should be adopted to improve the ecological environment of the Yellow River basin and vigorously promote the economical use of its water resources, said the statement. The country will also improve the disaster prevention and reduction system and build up capabilities to respond to various disasters. Effective steps should be taken to promote the high-quality development of the Yellow River basin, build a modern industrial system with special advantages, optimize urban development structures, and promote rural vitalization, said the statement. The meeting also underlined preserving and promoting the Yellow River culture. Provincial-level regions along the Yellow River and relevant departments should strengthen coordination and take main responsibilities to formulate and implement detailed plans to make significant progress during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). The meeting also reviewed the report on the latest round of disciplinary inspections, in which 15 teams were dispatched to inspect 35 central Party and state institutions from May to July this year. According to the results of the Party discipline inspections, leading Party members groups or Party committees of the central and state organs showed a more active attitude to implementing the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee, and positive outcomes had been achieved in ensuring full and strict governance over the Party, the meeting said. In the meantime, the meeting urged concrete and effective moves to address prominent problems and intensify day-to-day supervision. The meeting required the central authorities to ensure the principle and oversight responsibilities for exercising strict governance over the Party are fully assumed. ^ top ^
Coronavirus: students go back to school in China after authorities say pandemic is under control (SCMP)
2020-08-31
Hundreds of millions of students across China have begun returning to the classroom, after education authorities hailed a "decisive victory" against the coronavirus. The Ministry of Education has given the go-ahead for all schools to reopen – except in Xinjiang – from Monday, saying the pandemic is under control and some 280 million students can begin the autumn semester on campus. In Xinjiang, however, students will begin the new school year online. The region has seen a fresh outbreak of cases in recent months, though authorities last week relaxed strict lockdown measures on the capital, Urumqi. Elsewhere in China, most kindergartens, primary and middle schools and universities will begin a staggered reopening for the new semester until the end of September. Some universities would open their doors again at the start of October, the ministry said. Wang Dengfeng, an official in charge of virus prevention at the Ministry of Education, said although the goal was to "resume order in education", local governments should not relax efforts to contain the pandemic. "Officials must not slack off on this, and all prevention measures must be strictly implemented," Wang said at a press briefing on Friday. "Meantime, we should also avoid overreacting on virus prevention." He said China had achieved a "decisive victory" against the virus by stopping large-scale transmission and successfully restarting the economy. Wang noted that some 200 million students had gone back to school in May and June to finish the spring semester as the coronavirus situation improved, and no infections were reported at those campuses. But he said efforts were still needed to prevent both imported and locally transmitted infections. China on Monday had not reported any locally transmitted infections for 15 days. Schools will continue with virus prevention measures introduced in May and June, including checking temperatures at campus entrances, requiring students to wash their hands frequently, opening classroom windows for ventilation, and requiring students to wear masks. Online teaching platforms are also ready to go at many schools in case there is a resurgence of the virus. Students in Shanghai, for example, were told to test the platforms last week to make sure they could access them. Wang also said universities were in touch with students about their health and where they had been ahead of the new academic year. For many students it will be a relief to get back to campus. Sophia Yu, who is about to start her third year at the Beijing Film Academy majoring in directing, said she could not wait to get back to class after being stuck at home in Shanghai for most of the year. "I want to return to my campus as soon as possible," she said, adding that her classes would not start until October 8. Yu said she spent the entire spring semester trying to learn online, but it was difficult because her major involves a lot of practical learning. "The lecturer even told us that he didn't have anything more to teach us in the online classroom," she said. The move to reopen most schools is a clear sign that China believes the pandemic is under control, according to Xi Chen, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health. "It also suggests the Chinese health authorities are confident they have effective measures in place for a possible resurgence of cases in autumn and winter, especially during the coming flu season," he said, adding that testing and tracing would need to continue. Xiong Bingqi, deputy director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute in Shanghai, said it was a positive move for students and it would ease the pressure on parents. "Having to look after children who are studying at home is a headache for working parents," he said. But the challenge for schools now would be to keep up virus prevention measures, Xiong added. "Schools should be raising awareness on hygiene and include this in the students' learning," he said. Chen noted that "cautious steps" were needed. "While both the infection and fatality rates so far are low for children, they are as likely to carry the coronavirus as adults are," Chen said. "And since schools rely on student-adult interactions, if the pandemic is not essentially under control then reopening schools could result in a new wave of community transmission." ^ top ^
China to implement revised law on curbing solid waste pollution (Xinhua)
2020-08-31
A revised law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste is to take effect on Sept. 1, pledging a gradual ban on solid waste imports. In order to push for garbage classification, the central government will formulate general principles and local governments will make regulations based on local conditions, said the revised law. It will place construction, agricultural, as well as hazardous wastes under a stricter management system and impose more stringent penalties on offenders. ^ top ^
Four Chinese COVID-19 vaccines undergoing phase-3 clinical trials (People's Daily)
2020-08-29
Four Chinese COVID-19 vaccine candidates have started international phase-3 clinical trials, according to the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19. Some of the phase-3 trials are expected to complete the first round of vaccinations in early September, with preliminary data expected as early as November. Phase-3 clinical trials usually involve thousands of people to verify the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, which are key to their market approval. As the epidemic has been under control in China, the country no longer has conditions for large-scale clinical trials, so all the phase-3 trials are being carried out overseas. Two inactivated COVID-19 vaccines developed by the China National Biotec Group (CNBG) have been approved for phase-3 clinical trials in several countries in the Middle East and South America, involving more than 30,000 people, according to Yang Xiaoming, president of the CNBG. An inactivated COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech Co., Ltd. is undergoing phase-3 clinical trials in some countries in South America and Southeast Asia, according to Yin Weidong, chairman and CEO of Sinovac. A recombinant COVID-19 vaccine with the modified defective adenovirus as the vector is also undergoing phase-3 trials. According to a guideline for the clinical evaluation of COVID-19 vaccines recently released by the National Medical Products Administration, the vaccine should provide immunity for at least six months, preferably for more than a year. ^ top ^
|
| Beijing |
Beijing to resume direct international flights (Xinhua)
2020-09-02
Beijing will gradually resume direct inbound flights to the city from eight countries, including Cambodia, Greece, Denmark, Thailand, Austria and Canada, starting Thursday. Priority will be given to flights from countries with low risk of cross-border infection, where nucleic acid tests have been conducted, Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government, told a press conference on Wednesday. Negative COVID-19 test results before boarding will be prerequisite for passengers of Beijing-bound flights. ^ top ^
Population cap for Beijing's core area 'possible but challenging' (Global Times)
2020-08-30
The full text of the urban plan for Beijing's core area for 2018-35, which was approved by the central authorities, was published on Sunday. The document emphasizes the city's political role, the protection of its cultural heritages, and the orderly dispersal of non-capital functions, including a population cap of 1.7 million by 2035. The core area, namely Dongcheng and Xicheng districts, covers 92.5 square kilometers with 1.93 million residents as of 2019. It is endowed with the functions of China's political, cultural and international exchange centers, according to the plan. The draft of the plan was published in December 2019 to solicit public comments. The core area will be optimized to serve Beijing's political role while sustaining the historical layout of the ancient capital. Preservation of cultural heritage sites, such as hutong, houses of past celebrities and other old buildings is highlighted. Analysts hailed the plan as of great significance since it is an overall blueprint for the core area, which not only guides the direction of planning but offers specific instructions and standards. To better achieve the core area's role, the plan sets a resident cap for 2035 at 1.7 million and 2050 at 1.55 million by strict control of new residents and encouraging current residents to move to surrounding districts. The population goal is possible but challenging, Niu Fengrui, a research fellow at the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said on Sunday. Some non-capital functions have already been moved out of the area, such as some state-owned enterprises and municipal administrative organs, which helped ease the congestion problem. But Niu noted that it takes time to have employees and officials, and their families move out of the area. It is also very challenging to manage active commercial activities. Niu said that the municipal government may lack the capability to coordinate such a move and the means to pay for it. The core area plan calls for the better living conditions, including upgrading old houses by improving property management and installing elevators, and providing support for education, health and transport services. In order to better promote traditional local culture and tourism, 10 tour routes will be designated across the city to offer visitors a glimpse of Beijing's diverse culture and landscape. The ratio of public space areas will be raised from the current 34.4 percent to 38.9 percent. In 2010, the Chongwen and Xuanwu districts were merged into the Dongcheng and Xicheng districts respectively, under the approval of the State Council. ^ top ^
|
| Shanghai |
Shanghai reports 3 new imported COVID-19 cases (People's Daily)
2020-08-30
Shanghai reported three new imported COVID-19 cases and no increase in domestically-transmitted cases on Saturday, the municipal health commission said Sunday. Among the three cases, two are Russian citizens flying from Russia. The other one is a resident of the Taiwan region. All the cases have been transferred to designated medical institutions for treatment, and 128 close contacts of the patients on the same flights have been put under quarantine. Three cases imported from the Philippines were cured and discharged from a hospital on Saturday. As of Saturday, Shanghai had reported 555 confirmed imported COVID-19 cases and 342 locally transmitted cases. ^ top ^
|
| Guangdong |
Pricey Shenzhen Aims to Put 60% of Its People in Public Housing (Caixin)
2020-09-03
Taking a page from Singapore, China's southern megacity of Shenzhen plans to eventually have 60% of its residents living in government-subsidized housing, a senior city official said. It is rare for a Shenzhen official to make a clear public statement that the city will learn from another country's public housing model. Singapore's policy aims to provide affordable homes to residents who are unable to buy one on the private market. As of 2018, 81% of Singaporean citizens lived in government-subsidized apartments, according to an estimate by Singapore's Housing and Development Board. In a speech Friday, Zhang Xuefan, head of the Shenzhen housing bureau, repeated the words of President Xi Jinping that have become something of mantra among Chinese policymakers — "houses are for living in, not for speculation." Back in July 2018, the Shenzhen government proposed building 1.7 million homes from 2018 to 2035, of which at least 1 million — or about 60% — will be government-subsidized homes for rental or sales. However, it is difficult for Shenzhen to have 60% of its total residents live in these government-subsidized homes in the short run, because such housing makes up only a fraction of the city's total, several industry researchers told Caixin. At the end of 2018, government-subsidized housing accounted for around 6% of the Shenzhen's total housing inventory, said Li Yujia, chief researcher at a housing policy research institution in South China's Guangdong province. Furthermore, even if the 1 million new units of public housing get built in Shenzhen by 2035, it still wouldn't be enough to keep up with the city's population growth, said Dai Xinming, founder of a Shenzhen-based real estate think tank. The main problem is a severe shortage of land available for housing in Shenzhen, said Song Ding, a real estate expert at think tank the China Development Institute. As of 2019, only 22.6% of Shenzhen's total land available for construction was used for residential purposes, much lower than the national minimum standard of between 25% and 40%, according to a report released by the Shenzhen housing bureau in April. To address the issue, Zhang said that Shenzhen will raise the proportion to 30% by 2023. ^ top ^
|
| Tibet |
China sets policy directions for developing Tibet (Xinhua)
2020-08-29
President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to build a new modern socialist Tibet. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the comments at the two-day seventh Central Symposium on Tibet Work, which ended in Beijing Saturday. Xi underlined the need to fully implement the CPC's policies on governing Tibet for a new era. Xi called for efforts to ensure national security and enduring peace and stability, steadily improve people's lives, maintain a good environment, solidify border defense and ensure frontier security. Efforts must be made to build a new modern socialist Tibet that is united, prosperous, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful, Xi said. Since the sixth symposium in 2015, Tibet has made comprehensive progress and historic achievements in its various undertakings, Xi said, noting achieving sustained stability and rapid development in Tibet constitutes a major contribution to the overall work of the Party and the state. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, policies on governing Tibet for a new era have taken shape, Xi said, stressing that the CPC leadership, the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the system of regional ethnic autonomy must be upheld to carry out work related to Tibet. Work related to Tibet must focus on safeguarding national unity and strengthening ethnic solidarity, Xi said. More education and guidance should be provided for the public to mobilize their participation in combating separatist activities, thus forging an ironclad shield to safeguard stability, Xi noted. Xi stressed that patriotism should be incorporated into the whole process of education in all schools. He called for continuous efforts to enhance recognition of the great motherland, the Chinese nation, the Chinese culture, the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics by people of all ethnic groups. Tibetan Buddhism should be guided in adapting to the socialist society and should be developed in the Chinese context, Xi said. While stressing the implementation of the new development philosophy, Xi noted that efforts should be sped up to advance high-quality development. More work, measures and support are needed to consolidate the achievements made in poverty alleviation, Xi said. A number of major infrastructure projects and public service facilities will be completed, including the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, Xi said. Conserving the ecology of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the greatest contribution to the survival and development of the Chinese nation, Xi said, emphasizing that scientific research should be further advanced on the plateau. He also stressed strengthening the building of leadership teams at all levels, cadre teams and primary-level Party organizations in order to improve the capacity to respond to major struggles and prevent major risks. Cadres and workers in Tibet should be cared for and supporting policies regarding their income, housing, medical care and retirement, as well as education for their children, should be further improved and well implemented, Xi noted. Xi stressed a long-term commitment to the CPC Central Committee's policy to ensure Tibet has support from the central authorities and assistance from the whole country. Continued and increasing support will be offered to Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces in their Tibet-related work, Xi said. Other senior Chinese leaders were at the symposium, which was presided over by Li Keqiang. Li Zhanshu, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng were in attendance, while Wang Yang spoke to sum up the event. Xi's speech at the symposium is a guiding document on Tibet-related work in a new era, Li Keqiang said while presiding over the event. In his concluding speech, Wang Yang also called for efforts to study Xi's speech, which laid out fundamental rules for carrying out Tibet-related work in a new era. ^ top ^
|
| Xinjiang |
Birthrate for Uygurs is No 1 in Xinjiang (China Daily)
2020-09-04
The growth rate of the Uygur population in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region from 2010 to 2018 was higher than the rest of the region, including the growth rate of people from the Han ethnic group, according to the latest research that disproves claims in a report published by a German scholar. The report published by Adrian Zenz entitled "Sterilizations, IUDs and Mandatory Birth Control: The (Chinese Communist Party's) Campaign to Suppress Uygur's Birthrates in Xinjiang" states that "Xinjiang is using forced sterilization and coercive family planning against Uygurs and other minorities in Xinjiang in an attempt to limit their populations". However, according to research published on Thursday by the Xinjiang Development Research Center on the development of Xinjiang's population, the birthrate of the Uygur population between 2010 and 2018 was about 12 newborns per 1,000 people, while that of the Han people was about nine per 1,000. Mutalif Roz, director of the region's health commission, said during a news conference on Saturday that China's family planning policy for ethnic minorities was looser than that for Han people, and the country had not formulated any such policy for a single ethnic group. "For some time in the past, suffering from the 'three evil forces' (terrorism, extremism and separatism), the family planning policy could not be fully implemented in southern Xinjiang prefectures like Kashgar and Hotan," he said. "Plus, many were born outside of the state plan and without marriage, which led to a rapid rise of Xinjiang's population." The rapid rise in population has placed enormous pressure on the region's water and land resources. Since implementing the family planning policy in Xinjiang, such pressures have been alleviated, and health conditions of people from various ethnic groups, particularly women and children, have improved, according to the center's research. Zenz's report noted that local government officials in Xinjiang forced women from ethnic groups to have contraceptive ring implantation, tubal ligation or even induced abortion. "In Xinjiang, illegal medical practices like late pregnancy induced labor, compulsory birth control and forced pregnancy tests are banned," Mutalif said. "People of all ethnic groups are free to choose whether or not and how to practice contraception." Over a period of time, there have been increasing cases of voluntary tubal ligation and intrauterine device replacement. Practice has proved that among all kinds of long-term effective contraception measures, tubal ligation and IUD placement are internationally acknowledged as safe while resulting in the fewest side effects and the highest efficiency. Such measures have been widely applied domestically and have garnered voluntary acceptance from childbearing age groups in Xinjiang, reports from the center said. ^ top ^
|
| Hongkong |
Lam's remarks on 'separation of powers' serve as remedial lessons for HK society (Global Times)
2020-09-03
After Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, told the media that there has never been a "separation of powers" in Hong Kong, some legal experts in Hong Kong began debating whether Beijing misunderstood the concept, while experts from the Chinese mainland said Lam's point serves as "remedial lessons" in understanding the constitutional order of the city. Lam told a press conference on Tuesday she agreed with her Education Secretary Kevin Yeung, who called for deleting reference to "separation of powers" from textbooks. The separation of powers is a centuries-old Western construct of government that puts separate powers in the hands of the executive, legislature and courts to ensure that no one branch is more powerful than another. Johannes Chan, a legal scholar with the University of Hong Kong said the Basic Law shows a clear intention to implement the separation of powers and refers only to Hong Kong's legal system itself. This has been misunderstood by the central government, Chan said in a radio interview. A member of the city's Executive Council Ronny Tong Ka-wah, disagreed with the Education Bureau's move to delete the phrase "separation of powers," from text books, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday. "It is precisely because society has a lack of understanding [of this concept] … and many people might have the misconception that Hong Kong is a sovereign state and should therefore have separation of powers," Tong was quoted as saying. "Lam's remarks actually serve as 'remedial lessons' for some Hong Kong people, from lawmakers to civil servants. They all need lessons to increase their understanding of the HKSAR's constitutional system," Li Xiaobing, expert on Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, from Nankai University in Tianjin, told the Global Times on Wednesday. Some problems emerged in Hong Kong because courts and some lawmakers from the opposition groups always emphasize "the rights they have" without fully understanding the rule of law in the HKSAR, and some have too shallow thinking about simply inheriting a British left behind - or blindly worshiping the West, Li noted. "We can't simply compare Hong Kong to a state, the executive, legislature and courts should cooperate with the central government as it's a SAR of the country," Li said. Lam also emphasized on Tuesday that under the Basic Law Hong Kong is an inalienable SAR of China, which is an executive-led system. "Removing text on the separation of powers can also be seen as 'a complete overhaul,' and until there is a clear understanding of that, the meaningless anti-government fight will continue among those who lack of vision and understanding of history," Li said. ^ top ^
14 arrested as hundreds illegally gather around Prince Edward station (Global Times)
2020-09-01
At least 14 had been arrested for suspicion of illegal assembly, disturbing public order and attacking police in Prince Edward, Mong Kok as of 11 pm on Monday, local police said. More than 100 people gathered illegally at the Prince Edward station in Hong Kong Monday night as Monday marked one year since Prince Edward station riot on August 31, 2019. Hong Kong police had asked the crowd to disperse, and warned them that the slogans they shouted could have violated the newly enacted national security law for Hong Kong, local media reported. Ironically, a riot member rumored to have been "killed by police" during the riot on August 31, 2019 at Prince Edward station "came back to life," as the "dead man" said on social media that he is alive and seeking political asylum in the UK. The news shows what the mob would do to smear the police and authorities, legal experts said Monday, warning that those secessionists won't escape from the law, and the police will hunt them down wherever they are. The man, named "Wang Maojun" in Chinese, was rumored to have been killed by Hong Kong police when he was using the alias "Hon Bo-sun" during the "8.31 riot." Mobs had been hyping the rumor to incite riots in Hong Kong. Wang, however, surfaced on YouTube on Saturday, claiming he has been charged with eight criminal offenses by Hong Kong police for last year's riots, and faces several years in prison if convicted. Wang was due to appear in court on July 17, but skipped bail and fled to the UK. Wang was one of 600 people charged by Hong Kong police last year for participating in riots in the city, and among the first batch of people charged for the "8.31 riot." He was charged with two counts of rioting, two counts of criminal damage, one count of illegal assembly, one count of ordinary assault, one count of causing bodily harm, and one count of robbery. The UK has become the choice of hiding places for many Hong Kong secessionists, including Sunny Cheung and high-profile secessionist Nathan Law Kwun-chung. They are reportedly planning to use London as a base for opposition forces from Hong Kong. The little tricks expose mobs to ridicule as they always disregard the law and facts to achieve their goals. It is clear that those mobs try to defame the authority of the police officer and paralyze the social order by smearing the police and authorities, Tian Feilong, a Hong Kong affairs expert at Beihang University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Monday. Since the British government has suspended its extradition treaty with the HKSAR, those secessionists would be difficult for Hong Kong police to arrest. The legal loophole caused by the suspension of the extradition treaty is an indulgence for cross-border crimes, Tian noted. "But no matter where they are, be they in Hong Kong or outside of it, the central government and SAR government have the right to punish them," Tian said. With Britain hosting more Hong Kong secessionists, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming recently warned that harboring a so-called "parliament in exile" in the UK would pose new and severe obstacles to bilateral ties. On August 31 last year, rioters entered Prince Edward Station and changed their shirts in the train compartment of the MTR. After some residents argued with them, police went to the scene to enforce the law and sealed off the station. ^ top ^
|
| Taiwan |
Wang Yi: Anyone who challenges one-China principle will pay 'heavy price' (Global Times)
2020-08-31
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during his visit in Germany on Monday that anyone who challenges the one-China principle will pay a heavy price, referring to the Czech Senate speaker's Taiwan visit. Wang said Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, noting that to challenge the one-China principle over the Taiwan issue is to make an enemy of 1.4 billion Chinese people and is a violation of international trust and conduct. Calling the speaker of the Czech Republic's Senate Milos Vystrcil's visit to Taiwan a provocation, Wang stressed that the Chinese government and Chinese people will not sit idly by when challenged by the anti-China power behind the politician, and will let him pay a heavy price for the short-sighted move and political speculation. Vystrci started his visit to the island of Taiwan from Sunday, a move that has been opposed not only by the Chinese mainland but also by the Czech president's office. Reuters previously reported that Vystrcil is scheduled to travel to the island with "a trade mission" for six days as the head of a delegation of about 90 political and business leaders. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made a similar comment at a press conference on Monday. He warned anti-China forces behind the Czech official, saying their scheme is doomed to failure and anyone who challenges the one-China principle will pay a heavy price. Also, the Chinese Embassy in Czech on Saturday expressed strong opposition to the visit. China has always opposed countries with formal diplomatic ties with the mainland conducting official exchanges with the Taiwan region, said the embassy. The embassy urged the Czech side to abide by the one-China principle - there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China - and take concrete actions to safeguard the overall interests of China-Czech relations. The embassy said Vystrcil has seriously interfered in China's internal affairs and infringed on China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, condemning the Czech Senate speaker for ignoring mainstream Czech public opinion and insisted on visiting Taiwan out of personal political calculations. ^ top ^
|
| Economy |
China stresses keeping prudent monetary policy more flexible, appropriate (Xinhua)
2020-09-03
The State Council, China's cabinet, on Wednesday stressed efforts to pursue a prudent monetary policy in a more flexible and appropriate way in order to promote steady economic and financial operation. It emphasized the need to maintain policy strength and sustainability, refrain from resorting to a deluge of strong stimulus policies, and channel funds into the real economy, according to a statement released after a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang. The State Council also specified rules on the establishment of financial holding companies to better serve the real economy. In terms of air pollution control in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its neighboring areas, the meeting stressed enhancing the clean use of coal and accelerating the transformation and upgrading of the steel, coking, petrochemical and construction materials and other industries. Efforts should be made to develop the eco-friendly industries and circular economy, strengthen international cooperation, and achieve economic growth and environmental protection at the same time, the statement said. Two nuclear-power projects with a total investment of 70 billion yuan (about 10.24 billion U.S. dollars) were approved at the meeting. Pushing ahead with nuclear power projects is an important measure to expand effective investment, enhance energy support and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, the statement said. ^ top ^
Who Will Be Affected by China's New Tech Export Restrictions? (Caixin)
2020-09-02
China's new tech export restriction rules not only add uncertainty to the sale of TikTok's U.S. operations but also could affect exports of broader consumer tech products such as drones and cellphones. The new rules, unveiled Friday by China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology, added 23 items—including personal information push services based on data analysis and voice-recognition technologies commonly used in smartphones, robots and wearable devices—to the restricted list. Technologies on the list can't be exported without a license from the government. The market's first reaction was that TikTok's sale talks could be further complicated as personal information push is the one of the popular short video app's core technologies, meaning the sale of the company to a U.S. buyer would require Chinese government approval. U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a ban on the ByteDance app unless the company sells TikTok's American operations. The inclusion of drone technology on the list could also impact China's DJI Technology, the world's biggest drone manufacturer with an estimated 70% of the global market. Shenzhen-based DJI told Caixin that businesses must unconditionally comply with the Commerce Ministry's decision, and the company is still assessing the specific effects of the list. The chief executive officer of a smart hardware company, whose products are exported to the U.S. and elsewhere, said the rules won't affect the company's product sales but will affect transfer of technology due to changes in ownership or the sale of intellectual property. Its products are still sold overseas as normal, the CEO said. An executive at another robotics company told Caixin that the policy could affect the export of its interactive robots. The list covers licensing and transfer of intellectual property rights as well as the transfer of complete production lines and equipment, but the sale of general tech products will not be affected, a lawyer familiar with the import-export industry said. In addition, foreign investment in domestic technology companies may also fall under the restrictions, the lawyer said. China's exercise of control over technology exports was rare in the past as domestic companies have been more often buyers of foreign technologies from developed countries rather than sellers, the lawyer said. This is the only revision since the list was first published in 2008. With the rapid development of science and technology and the continuous improvement of China's industrial competitiveness, China faces an urgent need to adjust the tech export list in accordance with international practices, the Commerce Ministry said. The revision of the export list shows Chinese policymakers' aim to tighten regulation, said a partner at another law firm specializing in intellectual property. The timing of the revision was clearly a response to the TikTok situation, but the scope and intensity of regulation are expected to expand, and companies like DJI will face similar regulatory scrutiny in the future, the lawyer said. ^ top ^
China to enforce regulations ensuring timely payments to SMEs (People's Daily)
2020-08-31
China will enforce regulations on ensuring timely payments to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) starting from Sept. 1. The State Council announced the regulations in a bid to safeguard legitimate rights and interests of SMEs and improve the business environment. The regulations ban government departments, public institutions and large enterprises from defaulting on payments to SMEs in any disguised form, or forcing unfair payment terms upon SMEs in contracts. To curb unfair practices, China will standardize contract signing and set up mechanisms for payment information disclosure, complaint handling, as well as supervision and evaluation, according to the regulations. ^ top ^
|
| Mongolia |
Trade and economic cooperation with U.S. to be strengthened (Montsame)
2020-09-03
Over 25 thousand Mongolians are currently living in USA. Due to the global pandemic, around 2,000 citizens have made their requests to return home and the State Emergency Commission has been bringing back Mongolian nationals from the U.S. Deputy PM Ya.Sodbaatar stressed that it is important for the countries to join their efforts in the fight against the pandemic and asked the Ambassador to place emphasis on health and safety of Mongolians in the U.S. The sides also exchanged views on further expansion of bilateral relations and the Third Neighbor Trade Act. The U.S. side expressed its readiness to support Mongolia's democracy, sovereignty, and inclusive private-sector driver economic growth more than ever before during the Covid-19 pandemic. ^ top ^
Temporary committee on supporting foreign trades to be established (Montsame)
2020-09-01
On August 31, a group of MPs led by MP G.Amartuvshin presented a draft resolution on establishing a temporary committee on foreign investment and trade to Speaker G.Zandanshatar. The MPs believe that it is necessary to establish a temporary committee, of which duties are to appropriately define foreign trade policy, providing support to foreign investors, conducting studies on stabilizing investment, developing solutions on it and presenting them at parliamentary discussions. As investment is an important factor in development, the Law on Investment was approved by the parliament, and currently in effect since November 1, 2013. The law reflects regulations on improving the legal environment for investment and increasing investment efficiency through support and stabilization of tax environment, providing general legal guarantees for investors, protecting the rights and assets of investors with no discrimination and simplifying state services and registration. As of today, the Government of Mongolia has signed Double Tax Agreements with 29 countries, General Agreements on Trade and Economy with 24 countries, and bilateral agreements on supporting investment and its mutual protection with 42 countries. In correlation with the closure of borders due to the pandemic, air transport was restricted which resulted in a halt in the operations of foreign investors and entities implementing projects and programs with foreign investment. ^ top ^
Extraordinary session of parliament closes (Montsame)
2020-08-31
At the outset of the closing day meeting, Parliament Speaker G.Zandanshatar announced that a lobby group to promote public health was set up at the parliament with a view to eliminate underlying problems facing the healthcare industry of Mongolia and adopt laws and regulations to introduce cutting-edge medical technologies and practices. In the coming 4 years, the lobby group will work toward enhancing the financing system of the medical industry, creating legal environment to keep professional workforce of the healthcare industry separate from politics and to improve early detection and screening of cancer and combat drug-and alcohol-related problems and so on. Also, during the plenary meeting, the parliament held a discussion on the appointment of members of the General Election Commission (GEC), as proposed by the President of Mongolia and Parliamentary Standing Committee on State Structure and voted in favor of the approval of J.Bold, D.Davaa-Ochir, E.Tuvshinjargal, P.Delgernaran as members of the GEC for the next six years. Former members, a chair and secretary of the GEC were released from their positions due to reaching retirement age or departure from their jobs. Further, the parliament approved a parliamentary resolution to appoint chair and secretary of the GEC as the Law on General Election Organization states that the Chair and Secretary of the GEC shall be appointed from members of the GEC on the suggestion of the parliament Speaker. The parliament supported Speaker G.Zandanshatar's suggestion to appoint P.Delgernaran as the Chair and D.Davaa-Ochir as the Secretary of the GEC. The parliament then discussed and approved a draft resolution to reduce loan interest rates with 32 parliament members in attendance out of a total of 76 members. The resolution reflects detailed measures on creating a stable macroeconomic environment, reducing loan risks and costs and reducing the operational costs of bank and financial institutions. After approving the resolution, Parliament Speaker Zandanshatar gave an order to the Bank of Mongolia and the Financial Regulatory Commission to present tangible measures to implement the interest rate loan reduction strategy at the autumn session. Throughout the extraordinary session held between August 17 and 28, the parliament approved 5 separate bills, 23 amendment's to laws and regulations and 11 parliamentary resolutions, including a five-year guideline for the development of Mongolia, the government action plan for 2020-2024, amendments to the State Budget 2020 and accompanying laws, the presidential line-item veto on the Law on the State Great Khural of Mongolia, a resolution on the Approval of strategy to reduce loan interest rates and Agenda to be discussed during the Parliament's autumn session of 2020. ^ top ^
|
|
Karin Andrea Hess
Embassy of Switzerland
|
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.
|
|
|
|
