Switzerland

• Foreign execs determined to attend China International Import Expo (China Daily)

Foreign Policy

• China may be quiet on US election but state media is drawing attention to pockets of chaos in America (SCMP)
• Xi calls for advancing China-Italy cooperation (Xinhua)
• Germany eyes unified China policy with Indo-Pacific interest (Global Times)
• Four South American countries join forces to combat illegal fishing by Chinese fleets (SCMP)
• Five-year plan holds promise for Africa (China Daily)
• 'China threat' Japan's excuse to deploy large warship (Global Times)
• Sri Lanka groups slam U.S. disinformation about Sri Lanka-China relations (Xinhua)
• China Says It Granted More Debt Relief, Backs G-20 Coordination (Caixin)

Domestic Policy

• Xi to attend 1st multilateral summit after 5th plenum of 19th CPC Central Committee, joint declaration to be released at SCO (Global Times)
• Chinese premier stresses implementation of key CPC session spirit (Xinhua)
• Top anti-graft body publishes rectifications of inspected units (Xinhua)
• Former Top CNPC Executive Comes Under Graft Probe (Caixin)
• Xi to announce achieving moderately prosperous society in H1 of 2021 (Global Times)
• Jack Ma and Ant Group management summoned by top Chinese financial regulatory authorities (Global Times)
• China 'not headed for second wave' despite new surge around the world (SCMP)
• China begins 7th national population census (Xinhua)

Shanghai

• China to put forward proposals for promoting Shanghai Spirit, deepening cooperation at upcoming SCO summit (People's Daily)
• Shanghai ready for import expo (People's Daily)

Guangdong

• Govt-backed cryptocurrency could become a reality (China Daily)

Tibet

• Tibet sees GDP growth, empowered by emerging sectors (Xinhua)

Xinjiang

• Xinjiang religious freedom fully guaranteed: report (People's Daily)

Hongkong

• HKSAR gov't to implement national security law without fear: HKSAR chief executive (Xinhua)
• HK politicians arrested over LegCo meeting (China Daily)

Macau

• Macao SAR gov't to spend 52.61 mln USD on COVID-19 vaccines (Xinhua)

Taiwan

• Turkey adheres to one-China principle by deleting Erdogan's tweet with 'Taiwan flag' (Global Times)

Economy

• Xi Jinping Says Imports Will Grow Over the Next Decade (Caixin)
• China Reveals More About Its Economic Goals for Next 15 Years (Caixin)
• China seeks 'complete' economic self-reliance (Global Times)

DPRK

• DPRK bans smoking in public places, asks businesses to save resources (Xinhua)

Mongolia

• Mongolia's human rights record under review at UN (Montsame)
• UN resolution on Mongolia's international security and nuclear-weapon-free status adopted (Montsame)
• Extraordinary session of International Parliamentary Union Governing Council taking place (Montsame)

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Foreign execs determined to attend China International Import Expo (China Daily)
2020-11-03
Although it is now possible for foreigners to enter China, international travel now comes with a new set of requirements. For instance, those entering the country must undergo a 14-day quarantine, take their temperature twice a day and undergo multiple nucleic acid tests. For Roy van den Hurk, general manager of products at Milk New Zealand Dairy, traveling to China also means having to endure jet lag while dealing with a packed schedule, waking up at 3 am local time, and missing the rolling farmlands of New Zealand while being cooped up in his Shanghai hotel room. Despite this inconvenience, Van den Hurk has no qualms about adhering to the local pandemic prevention and control measures so he can attend the third China International Import Expo which opens later this week. "I've always had this fundamental belief that any business always revolves around customers. And our focus is on the China market. That's where customers are," he said. "As such, it's very important that I come here in person. Fundamentally, you need to look after your customers, otherwise they won't look after you." To cope with the quarantine, Van den Hurk has devised a plan: stick to a routine, keep busy with work and exercise regularly. Among the highlights of the day, he added, is hearing the knock on his door by service staff who bring him his meals. The CIIE Bureau said that more than 70 percent of the world's Fortune 500 companies and major players from different industries are returning to Shanghai for this year's edition of the expo, and dozens of companies have already signed up for the next three years. The expo will also welcome many newcomers, including US medical device company Abbott, French tire giant Michelin and Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. Flying from Switzerland, IQAir CEO Frank Hammes also needed to undergo the two-week quarantine. To him, "keeping tidy and not overworking" is the key to enduring this period. "You will need to preserve some sense of normalcy because there is no 'nine-to-six' routine, you literally work around the clock. Also, remember to weave exercise into the schedule and try to keep things tidy," he said. One unexpected perk for Hammes is the stunning view of Shanghai's skyline from his hotel room. "Since you are not allowed to leave the hotel room, being able to get connected to the outside through this large window is a luxury," he said. Unlike Milk New Zealand Dairy, which has attended the previous two expos, IQAir is making its debut this year. With China being one of IQAir's fastest-growing markets, Hammes said that his presence at the expo could help the company capitalize on opportunities. "We made the decision last year to participate. When you make a commitment, it's important that we are serious about it," he said. "It's very important for me to be the person at the forefront, and certain things need to be experienced in order for you to learn." […] ^ top ^

China may be quiet on US election but state media is drawing attention to pockets of chaos in America (SCMP)
2020-11-06
While Beijing has tiptoed around the subject of the US election and the ongoing vote count, some Chinese observers and state media have not been shy about speaking their minds. On China's heavily censored internet, much attention has been given to possible chaos in US society after President Donald Trump threatened to ask the Supreme Court to stop vote counting in states where Democratic contender Joe Biden could gain an edge. In a video post, Shen Yi, an international politics professor at Fudan University, said the US had changed so much that its founding fathers would be disappointed. "The founding fathers of the United States certainly did not hope the US would end up as it is today when they set up the system," said Shen in the video posted on nationalistic media outlet guancha.cn. "Is there anything wrong with the operation of the system?" he asked. "Can we just blame Trump or a few politicians for that?" Shen's remarks reflect much of the online discussion in China on the 2020 presidential race. Coverage of the election has been limited in Chinese media, but it has focused heavily on conflict and distress in American society, especially in state media reports. On Thursday, as votes were still being counted in key battleground states including Pennsylvania and Georgia, state broadcaster CCTV reported that there had been a surge on election day in the number of Americans searching the internet for information on how to emigrate to Canada. Citing data from Google trends, the broadcaster reported that searches for "move to Canada" had risen 700 per cent on November 3 because of concerns about racism and political polarisation. Later in the day, CCTV aired footage of attempts by Trump supporters to break into a polling station in Detroit, a Democratic stronghold in the battleground state of Michigan which Biden won. They were heard chanting "stop the count, stop the count" in the footage. A caption on the screen read: "Multiple spots in the US have fallen into chaos." Meanwhile, a commentary published by state-run Shanghai newspaper Xinmin Evening News said the election results would not be known for a while, and the wrangling had only just begun. "There will be huge controversy around the large number of mail-in votes. The election has sown the seeds of conflict in American politics and society," it said. Dramatic episodes in the US election have also gained traction on Weibo, China's version of Twitter. That includes searches for the Trump campaign team requesting a recount of votes in Wisconsin, a swing state Biden successfully flipped, narrowing Trump's path to re-election. The hashtag had racked up more than 1 billion views by Thursday night. Also among the trending topics was the Trump campaign lawsuit to stop vote counting in Pennsylvania, another swing state where Trump may lose his lead as more mail-in ballots are counted. On social media, comments have been polarised and echo partisan debates in the US, with people divided over who to support and whether Chinese should even be following a US election. "A lot of smart, educated people around me have split into two camps [for Trump or Biden]," one Weibo user wrote. "They each see the other side as senseless in supporting the other candidate." A significant number of comments have ridiculed election dramas. "News about the US election should be placed under entertainment," another Weibo user commented, using the hashtag for Trump's lawsuit in Pennsylvania. But for pro-democracy academics such as Xu Zhangrun, a former professor at Tsinghua University and a vocal critic of Beijing, the election is a strong sign of an open society. "It's a reality show on democracy and a modern way of political life. It's both enlightening and educational for people in our country," Xu told the South China Morning Post. "Behind partisanship lies the different ideas to govern, but it's done through a fair and open competition and an invitation for the people to participate." ^ top ^

Xi calls for advancing China-Italy cooperation (Xinhua)
2020-11-05
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China and Italy should keep exchanges at all levels, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, boost exchanges and dialogue among civilizations, and jointly maintain the healthy development of China-Europe relations. Xi made the remarks in a phone conversation with Italian President Sergio Mattarella to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Xi pointed out that over the past half a century, no matter how the international situation changes, China and Italy have respected and trusted each other, promoted their mutual benefits, as well as helped and learned from one another, adding that the two sides have also built up a comprehensive strategic partnership that has benefitted the two peoples, and set an example for countries with different systems and cultural backgrounds to develop bilateral relations. In the face of the unexpected COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese and Italian peoples have joined hands in the fight against the pandemic, setting an example for the international community to overcome difficulties together, said Xi. The two sides, he said, should review the past, look forward to the future and build on the past to push for greater development of China-Italy relations in the new era. Xi noted that the fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) adopted the CPC Central Committee's proposals for formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, saying that China will adhere to a new development philosophy, build a new development pattern, promote high-quality development and push forward reform and opening-up at a higher starting point. China welcomes active participation by various countries including Italy in its development and construction for mutual benefits and win-win results, Xi said. Stressing that the human race belongs to a community with a shared future, Xi said that peace and development, sticking together through thick and thin, and win-win cooperation are the right path. He also said that China supports Italy's pandemic response that has been carried out based on its own national conditions, adding that China is willing to continue offering assistance to the European country, jointly support the roles of organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), and co-build a community of common health for mankind. China supports Italy to chair the Group of 20 (G20) next year and is willing to work with Italy to promote the G20's important role in improving global governance and promoting global economic recovery, Xi said. Mattarella said he fully agrees with Xi on his assessment of the bilateral relations, adding that the traditional friendship between the two countries enjoys a long history. Over the past 50 years since Italy and China established their diplomatic relations, the president noted, the two sides have maintained friendly relations and continuously deepened bilateral exchanges and cooperation, which the Italian side feels proud of. He said since this year the two peoples have helped and supported each other amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and that China has provided valuable support for Italy when it underwent its most difficult times, adding that the Italy-China friendship has withstood the test and will last forever. Italy is willing to deepen friendship, expand cooperation and promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges with China in the spirit of the comprehensive strategic partnership, the president said, noting that as the two countries are scheduled to host Winter Olympics successively, he called for mutual support between the two sides. Mattarella called for adherence to multilateralism and promotion of international cooperation in the face of such global challenges as the pandemic and climate change. Italy is willing to work with China to support the work of the WHO, strengthen coordination within the G20 and other mechanisms, improve global governance, and make due contributions to world peace and development as two ancient civilizations, he said. China's development will provide huge opportunities for the Europe-China cooperation, and Italy is willing to actively support and participate in the development of Europe-China relations, he said, adding that he cherishes his friendship with Xi and looks forward to visiting China as soon as possible after the pandemic. ^ top ^

Germany eyes unified China policy with Indo-Pacific interest (Global Times)
2020-11-04
German defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald that a German naval presence in the Indo-Pacific region would help safeguard the rules-based international order, and "hopes to be able to deploy next year". In the article, the Australian media outlet also mentioned, "German officers are expected to be deployed with the Australian Navy, and a German frigate will patrol the India Ocean under Berlin's plan to manage China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region." The German government on September 2 released policy guidelines for the Indo-Pacific region. It was the first time Germany endorsed the notion of the "Indo-Pacific." Several factors have led Germany, a country outside the region, to meddle in the Indo-Pacific region. First, Germany hopes to become a great power and guide the EU's Indo-Pacific policy. The guidelines list eight German interests, and seven principles in its policy on the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from open markets and free trade to multilateralism. Second, it also shows Germany is adjusting its policy on Asia, shifting from a China-centric Asia policy to diversifying its relations with more regional countries. Third, Germany has paid close attention to its interests in this region. Many of its prominent trade partners lie in the Indo-Pacific region, where this European country has enormous economic benefits. Fourth, with US engagement, the regional security situation has changed. To safeguard its economic interests, Germany wants a military presence in the region. On the other hand, instead of insisting on its previous Asia policy, Germany embraces the controversial, security-oriented Indo-Pacific policy, showing its intention to cooperate with the US. Washington has been piling pressure on Berlin to coordinate its hard-line policy against China. Germany's rhetoric can be seen as a response to US pressure. Berlin also has its own calculations, such as deepening its relations with Tokyo and New Delhi. It is consistent with Germany's interests to strengthen its investment in security in this region. China should be vigilant toward Germany's potential deployment in the Indo-Pacific region. As the US Indo-Pacific Strategy is directed at China, Germany's intention to deploy in the Indo-Pacific region is clear. The Sydney Morning Herald said that "a German frigate will patrol the India Ocean." This potential move will be less sensitive than patrolling the South China Sea, but still deserves China's attention. Germany's constant emphasis on the Indo-Pacific Strategy includes the adjustment of its China policy. This shows that Germany believes cooperation and confrontation may coexist in its future relations with China. Germany's position toward China - an economic partner, a competitor in technology and an opponent in social system - is basically the same as that of the EU. The call to reduce dependence on China has never stopped in Germany. Cooperation still dominates Germany's China policy, but competition is constantly increasing. How Germany's intervention in the Indo-Pacific issue will affect China-Germany relations depends on the country's further action. If Germany acts provocatively in the military field, it will have a relatively large impact. Kramp-Karrenbauer said in the interview, "What will be crucial, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election, is whether the West can be more unified in its dealings with Beijing." German foreign minister Heiko Maas has also said the future of transatlantic relations will be "determined by the right way of dealing with Beijing." Their similar statements show that Germany is eager to form a unified China policy between the US and EU. This is also worthy of vigilance. The US, regarding China as its main competitor, is now tough on China. As the EU and the US coordinate, Germany and some other European countries are bound to tilt toward the US in their China policy, which may be tougher than before. On the other hand, completely confronting China is noting the interests of Germany or the EU. Thus, these countries may somehow dissuade the US from containing China too hard. It is almost impossible for Germany and the US, or the EU and the US, to form a unified China policy because the basis of their China policy is different. It's hard to tell which side will dominate the process, the US or the EU. Cooperation and disputes coexist in the China policy of the US and the EU, and they may not reach a consensus. Within the EU, Germany has been committed to forming a unified China policy, trying to add greater pressure on China and strive for more negotiation conditions with the strength of 27 EU member states. But this could be hard as well. EU members have huge disputes on many issues. Some countries are tough on China and some are friendly. It is difficult to reach a consensus, but Germany has hoped to work in this direction. ^ top ^

Four South American countries join forces to combat illegal fishing by Chinese fleets (SCMP)
2020-11-05
Four South American countries joined forces on Wednesday in a bid to combat illegal fishing by huge Chinese fleets off their coasts. Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru threatened measures "to prevent, discourage and jointly confront" illegal fishing near their exclusive economic zones in the Pacific. The joint statement made no specific mention of China but environmental groups Greenpeace and Oceana have repeatedly warned of the growing presence of massive Chinese fishing fleets in the area. The South American quartet said they would boost "cooperation and real-time exchange of information" to highlight illegal fishing off their coasts. Ecuador in July complained to China over a massive 300-trawler fishing fleet off Galapagos, saying around half of them had turned off their tracking systems so they could not be located. Beijing in early August banned its vessels from fishing near the Galapagos from September to November this year. The Chinese fleet instead headed south through international waters to fish near the exclusive economic zones of Peru and Chile, according to NGO Oceana. Oceana has accused the Chinese of "pillaging" the waters off the Galapagos, primarily for squid, thereby depriving some species in the waters of the protected archipelago – including fur seals and hammerhead sharks – of their essential diet. ^ top ^

Five-year plan holds promise for Africa (China Daily)
2020-11-03
The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, held last week, laid out a comprehensive guideline for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), which covers major aspects of China's socioeconomic life. The launch of the five-year plan is also a launchpad for China's second centenary goal of becoming a modern socialist economy by 2035. Several components of the five-year plan will have far-reaching effects on Africa, because China is the largest trading partner of the continent by far. One of the widely discussed components of the five-year plan is the reliance on technology, innovation and science as the leading change factor. A focus on technology and innovation offers an opportunity to deepen technological cooperation and skill transfer between the two civilizations. The plenum further made it a priority to share more technological outcomes with the world. This opens up opportunities for collaboration and cooperation with African countries in areas such as manufacturing, transportation, public health, agriculture and communication. China is currently facing unbalanced development, where there is heavy reliance on global market forces. However, it is important to note that China needs the world, but more important, the world needs China. Joint scientific and technology research that is encouraged in the five-year plan will materialize through the dialogue that the CPC will encourage with all countries around technological policies, development planning and other areas related to technological cooperation. This is an opportunity for African countries to benefit from China's advanced technology to solve socioeconomic challenges on the continent. China's focus on innovation will help mutually beneficial economic cooperation and collaboration. The plenum also put heavy emphasis on the "dual circulation" development paradigm to counter backlash against economic globalization. The growth pattern focuses on international economic development and cooperation as well as a strong domestic economic cycle. The thinking behind this is that, despite the fact that the hallmark of a strong economy is a smooth internal economic cycle, China still deeply appreciates the importance and benefits of deep engagement in international economic circulation. As Africa's largest trading partner, a stronger domestic economic circulation within China will create a market for African exports, enhance Sino-African economic cooperation, and counter Western rhetoric about the need for "de-Sinification" of the African economy. The CPC Central Committee resolved to continue opening up the economy and to avoid the unrealistic event of decoupling from the global economy. Opening up the Chinese economy underpins the CPC's commitment to enhance economic cooperation with Africa and solve the issue of trade imbalance by giving the continent more access to the huge Chinese market. China has also renewed its commitment to reduce the impact of climate change. This will be done by stabilizing and eventually reducing its carbon emissions. The technological innovations touching on green energy can be part of the economic and technological cooperation with Africa to fill the energy gap on the continent and provide power to areas and people who are off the grid. This puts China in the position to be a strategic partner that will enable Africa to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals of affordable and clean energy across the entire continent. Cultural development as part of a thriving socialist modern China was given a prominent position in the 14th Five-Year Plan. China will use cultural exchanges as part of its strategy for the mutual benefit of both China and Africa. This will see more Confucius Institutes being set up as avenues of cultural exchanges and channels of cultural diplomacy between China and Africa. ^ top ^

'China threat' Japan's excuse to deploy large warship (Global Times)
2020-11-02
The so-called missile threats from China and North Korea are only excuses Japan uses in its plan to break its peace constitution, Chinese experts said on Monday, after Japanese reports said the country is planning to develop a large Aegis-equipped warship as an alternative to the scrapped US-made Aegis Ashore missile defense system. None of the current missile defense systems, including the Aegis, can intercept hypersonic missiles, like China's DF-17, analysts said. Japan's Defense Ministry is mulling the use of a 9,000-ton ship, which, if realized, will exceed that of the Maya, the largest Aegis destroyer to date, commissioned in March with a displacement of 8,200 tons, Kyodo News Agency reported Sunday, citing an anonymous government source. The plan is part of Japan's efforts to counter missile threats posed by North Korea and China's growing activities in the East China Sea, after the country in June rolled back plans to deploy the Aegis Ashore anti-missile land complexes, citing the threat of falling rocket boosters to residents, and cost to modify the technology, the report said. Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, slammed the statement as Japan's excuse to develop its military power, while being constrained by its peace constitution. Japan has the technology and money to build large ships. All it needs is an excuse to break through the constitutional limits, which is why they keep hyping threats of neighboring countries like China and North Korea, Zhang explained. "Japan is also working as a chess piece for the US to assist the latter to develop large warships as part of its strategic defense system," Zhang told the Global Times on Monday. Being placed on ships will increase the mobility of the interceptors, Zhang said. Chinese military analysts also pointed out that the planned Japanese warship will not be able to intercept advanced Chinese missiles such as the DF-17. The DF-17 is a short- to medium-range hypersonic missile that was showcased at the National Day military parade on October 1, 2019 in Beijing for the first time. Thanks to its ability to change trajectory in mid-flight at a very high speed, enemies have little chance of intercepting it, experts said. Regions including the South China Sea, the Taiwan Straits and Northeast Asia are all within the DF-17's range, as South Korea and Japan deploy US-made air defense systems, which are security threats to China, experts said. The decision on the Japanese ship plan will be made around the end of the year after the ministry receives an interim report in mid-November from two private firms familiar with the issue, Kyodo News said.  ^ top ^

Sri Lanka groups slam U.S. disinformation about Sri Lanka-China relations (Xinhua)
2020-11-01
Sri Lanka-China friendship groups have condemned U.S. disinformation about Sri Lanka-China relations following a recent visit to the country by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The groups also affirmed their country's independent foreign policy. "In the last few weeks, the U.S. and its allies had been engaged in a massive campaign of misinformation and disinformation about Sri Lanka's relationship with China," said a statement by the Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association (SLCFA). The SLCFA praised the government for pointing out China's assistance in the country's infrastructure building and affirming its non-aligned status. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday told the visiting U.S. secretary of state that Sri Lanka's foreign policy is based on neutrality and he is not ready to compromise the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation in maintaining foreign ties. A statement by the Sri Lanka China Society said, "We categorically affirm that we are not bluntly ready to dance to the U.S. tune and neglect our relationship with our beloved China." Meanwhile, the Association for Sri Lanka-China Social & Cultural Cooperation said in a statement that Pompeo's "invasive and aggressive" acts to change the Sri Lankan people's opinion of China would have no effect. ^ top ^

China Says It Granted More Debt Relief, Backs G-20 Coordination (Caixin)
2020-10-31
China said it has signed more debt-freeze deals with poorer nations and is pushing for closer cooperation between the world's biggest economies in a bid to ease the fiscal burden of countries wrestling with the coronavirus pandemic. "We have signed debt-relief agreements with the majority of countries that have requested it, and are holding consultations with the remaining countries," the Foreign Ministry said on Friday in a written reply to questions. In addition, Chinese non-official lenders have also granted holidays to struggling debtor nations in line with the terms of the Group of 20 leading economies' Debt Service Suspension Initiative, the ministry said. The statement comes two weeks before G-20 finance ministers and central bankers convene for an extraordinary meeting to discuss the next phase of the global debt-relief drive. So far, more than 40 countries have asked to delay $5 billion in official bilateral debt payments, according to the Institute of International Finance. After some opposition, emerging economies led by China, the world's largest official lender, agreed to a common framework to restructure bilateral debt at the last G-20 meeting of ministers this month. The group also extended the debt suspension until at least the first half of 2021. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday that she thought the debt relief should have been extended by a full year, echoing previous comments from World Bank President David Malpass. Six months will be only a temporary respite, and some countries eventually will need to restructure their debt, Georgieva said in an online event hosted by the Center for Global Development, a Washington-based think tank. The new debt framework is a big achievement for aiding poor nations, she said. A common strategy means closer coordination with the Paris Club of creditors in what western governments hope can convince China to increase its role in the debt-relief efforts. The club is a grouping of mostly western creditor governments. In response to questions over its commitment to the new framework, the Foreign Ministry said China "supports all parties to take further common action." It could, however, take time to hammer out the details of that plan, said Mark Bohlund, a senior credit analyst at REDD Intelligence. "They will eventually arrive to a common framework," Bohlund said. "China in principle is not against this, but they are unhappy with the DSSI and they want a multilateral response including increased IMF lending. The feeling is that they are taking too much of a burden." Malpass has said that China has not done enough to ease the debt burden of poor countries, leaving the Chinese Development Bank, a major overseas lender, out of the debt-relief initiative. The Asian nation is owed almost 60% of the bilateral debt that the world's poorest nations would be due to repay this year. China also called on development banks and commercial institutions that are not part of multilateral debt-relief arrangements to "make contributions to alleviating the debt burden of developing countries," according to its statement to Bloomberg. ^ top ^

Xi to attend 1st multilateral summit after 5th plenum of 19th CPC Central Committee, joint declaration to be released at SCO (Global Times)
2020-11-05
The 20th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which will be held on November 10, is the first multilateral summit that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend after the 5th plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and also a major multilateral initiative taken by China in recent years in the Eurasian region, Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said on Thursday. A joint declaration and cooperation agreements in various fields are expected to be announced at the meeting, Le said. Participants of the upcoming SCO meeting will exchange views on the most important tasks for further strengthening SCO cooperation amid the epidemic and major international and regional issues, Le said. As for the possibility of bilateral meetings taking place during the 20th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, Le pointed to the fact that it will be a video summit, and unlike a live conference which is convenient for holding bilateral meetings. "We hope leaders will have an opportunity to meet face to face as soon as the epidemic is over," Le said. Some Indian media have been speculating over whether Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a bilateral engagement during the SCO meeting amid the unresolved tensions in the China-India border region. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Xi will attend the 20th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Beijing on November 10, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting will be hosted via video link by Russia, which holds the rotating SCO presidency this year. The SCO was established in 2001 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017. ^ top ^

Chinese premier stresses implementation of key CPC session spirit (Xinhua)
2020-11-05
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has stressed full implementation of the spirit of the fifth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in central China's Henan Province from Tuesday to Wednesday. Efforts should be made to improve the capabilities of putting into practice the new development philosophy and forming a new development pattern, and to promote high-quality development, Li said. When visiting a field of winter wheat in Donglu Village of Anyang City, Li inspected the soil condition of the field and talked with local farmers and agricultural technicians. Li highlighted the need to improve the varieties and quality of crops while increasing yield, and encouraged local authorities to promote agricultural modernization and develop various forms of scale management in agriculture where conditions permit. In Anxinyuan Community, Li said that strengthening the construction of affordable housing is an important task in promoting new urbanization. He also urged Party committees and local governments to do their best and do what they can to help residents solve problems. During his tour to a robot company and an engineering research center at Zhengzhou University, Li stressed the implementation of the spirit of the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, and boosting innovative development and new industrialization. Noting that Henan Province has a large population, Li urged the province to become a talent-rich province and play a greater role in the rise of the central region of China. In Sanquan Food Co., Ltd., he highlighted giving priority to food safety and quality. Faced with the impact of the epidemic and the world economic recession, China boosted its economy with a package of measures to stimulate the vitality of market entities, and ensured job security, basic living needs and operations of market entities, Li said. Noting that China's economy achieved positive growth in the first three quarters, he called for efforts to achieve positive economic growth throughout the year to lay a solid foundation for future development. ^ top ^

Top anti-graft body publishes rectifications of inspected units (Xinhua)
2020-11-05
China's top anti-graft body on Thursday start publishing rectifications of the central Party and government organs that were examined during its recent round of disciplinary inspections. On the first day, the rectification details of 13 units were published on the website of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission. The fourth round of disciplinary inspection, carried out from September to November in 2019, covered the Party organizations of 37 central Party and state institutions, including the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee. All the 37 examined units will report their rectification progress to the public and subject themselves to supervision by the masses from Thursday. The rectifications were made based on problems discovered in the inspections and the feedback provided by the anti-graft office in January. ^ top ^

Former Top CNPC Executive Comes Under Graft Probe (Caixin)
2020-11-04
A former top executive of China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) was placed under investigation by the country's top graft buster in another of a series of probes rattling the state oil major. Shen Diancheng, a former deputy general manager of CNPC, is under probe by anti-corruption agencies on suspicion of serious violation of discipline and law, a phrase that often refers to corruption, according to a statement published Wednesday on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and National Supervisory Commission. Shen, 61, was CNPC's vice president since 2011. He left the company in March 2017 to take a post as outside board member of several central government-backed enterprises under a pilot program to promote corporate restructuring of state companies. Shen has since served as board member of China National Aviation Fuel Group, China Huaneng Group Co. Ltd. and China Minmetals Corp., among others. The graft busters didn't elaborate on allegations against Shen. But the probe of the former CNPC executive follows the downfall of three others in the company since the beginning of this year, including Ma Hongliang, a CNPC logistics chief; Zhu Tianshou, a retired chief engineer of CNPC Changqing oil field; and Lin Changhai, a former general manager of CNPC's gas storage unit. The state oil giant has been under the shadow of corruption scandals since the 2013 downfall of former Chairman Jiang Jiemin, which brought to light an extensive graft network among senior executives. Last year, several mid-level managers at CNPC were also investigated for misconduct. Shen is a veteran of China's oil and gas industry and joined CNPC's Daqing oil field in 1997. He later rose to director of the oil field and took leading management roles in several CNPC branches. Shen became vice president of Hong Kong-listed PetroChina in 2007 and was promoted to deputy general manager of the parent company in 2011. In 2013, as a work-safety chief, Shen received administrative punishment for a deadly explosion in CNPC's Dalian subsidiary that killed four people. ^ top ^

Xi to announce achieving moderately prosperous society in H1 of 2021 (Global Times)
2020-11-04
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee released Tuesday the full text of proposals for mapping out a blueprint for China's development in the next 15 years, on which the top leader said the CPC Central Committee will announce the achievement of building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects after a systematic assessment and review in the first half of 2021. The document, the Party leadership's proposals for formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, was adopted at the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee which closed Thursday. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said in an explanation speech published by the Xinhua News Agency that it's completely possible for China to double economic output or per capita income by 2035 after careful research and calculation on China's economic development capabilities and conditions. The CPC Central Committee will assess and review the experience in building a moderately prosperous society in the first half of 2021, and then announce that we have achieved the goal, Xi said. In the explanatory speech on the proposals, Xi said a balance should be struck between building on past achievements and seeking innovations to ensure the smooth connection of the two centenary goals. The government-market relationship should be dealt with well to give better play to China's institutional advantages, Xi said. A balance between opening-up and self-reliance should be maintained for China to better adapt to both domestic and international situations, he said. Xi urged properly handling the relationship between development and security to effectively prevent and deal with systemic risks that may hinder China's march toward modernization. The relationship between strategy and tactics should also be well managed for drafting a set of farsighted and pragmatic proposals, he said. The proposals had made fundamental adjustments as China pursues the second centenary goal to build a modern socialist country by 2049 amid the unstable global structure, Yan Yilong, a research fellow at the Center for China Studies of Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. For example, the proposals stress high-quality development instead of rapid development, and clarify the goal of common prosperity to stress the socialism factor in China's development. The proposals also call for the construction of a "dual cycle" development pattern, with the domestic cycles as the main body and mutual promotion of domestic and international cycles, which are aimed at ensuring stable and high-quality development of China amid high risks and uncertainty brought about by the turbulent global situation, Yan noted. With recent changes in the global political and economic environment, and the trend of anti-globalization, unilateralism and protectionism in some countries, China has to focus on development inside the country and rely more on the domestic market, Xi said. But this does not mean that China will develop in a closed domestic cycle, but rather an open domestic and international double cycle. Promoting the formation of a grand and smooth domestic economic cycle can better attract global resources, Xi said. Security has to be at least as important as development to manage growing risks the society is faced with, Yan said, noting various crises the world is facing such as public health crisis, climate change and the turbulent global environment. Xi said that after "comprehensively considering various factors," the proposed draft adopts a "qualitative expression and a quantitative approach" to the economic development goals by 2035, noting that the mid- and long-term planning goals should pay more attention to the optimization of the economic structure, and guide all parties to focus on improving the quality and efficiency of development. The change of tone in China's economic development target is in line with the country's development situation, as China is in pursuit of high-quality development rather than quantitative growth, Cong Yi, a professor at the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Cong said it's also possible that China will continue to downplay the GDP target in the future, as conducting all work around a specific growth target may lead to trifles and neglect the essentials, adding that structural adjustments and upgrading will be the primary task for China no matter how the external environment evolves. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, China opted for not setting a specific numerical growth target for this year in the Government Work Report at the two sessions in May. Nevertheless, experts said "seeking improvement in stability" does not mean there will be no target at all, but we will set specific targets based on the actual development progress, and better coordinate policies to cope with new challenges while ensuring that long-term goals are met. The proposed goal for doubling 2020's GDP of around 100 trillion yuan in 2035 could mean an annual real growth target of about 3.5 percent, said Tian Yun, vice director of the Beijing Economic Operation Association. "I think those targets are very pragmatic as they reflect our advantages and long-term development goals, as well as the many challenges," Tian told the Global Times. ^ top ^

Jack Ma and Ant Group management summoned by top Chinese financial regulatory authorities (Global Times)
2020-11-03
China's top financial regulatory authorities on Monday summoned Jack Ma Yun, the actual controller of Ant Group, and the chairman and the president of the Chinese fintech behemoth, ahead of its record-breaking dual listing in Shanghai and Hong Kong. The People's Bank of China (PBC), the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange summoned Ma, Ant Group chairman Jing Xiandong and its president Hu Xiaoming for regulatory talks, according to a post on CSRC's website late Monday. The post didn't provide a reason for the summon. Ant Group will continue to uphold "safe innovation, embrace supervision, serve the real economy, openness and win-win," while improving its inclusive financial services, and underpinning economic and livelihood development, the fintech giant said late Monday in response to the summon. The unexpected regulatory summon, however, reminded the market of Ma's controversial remarks at the Bund Summit in Shanghai in late October. Describing traditional banks as operating with a "pawn shop" mentality, the Alibaba founder blasted global financial regulatory authorities for stifling innovation and urged the pursuit of a system in China that accommodates development. The late-night statement came as top market regulators on Monday released proposals for tight regulations for the country's rapidly growing online personal loan sector. Under the proposals released by PBC and CBIRC, loans extended to a single individual cannot exceed 300,000 yuan ($44,850) and loans to an entity cannot exceed 1 million yuan. Companies that seek to conduct online loan businesses must also meet high regulatory requirements, including approval by the State Council's banking regulatory authorities, according to the proposal. The authority is seeking public comment through December 2. On Sunday, a financial newspaper under PBC also published an article discussing "the potential risks and regulation of large internet companies entering the financial sector," written by a veteran scholar. The story said tech firms such as Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu and JD.com, have been growing rapidly and continue to penetrate and develop into the financial field, which has changed the ecology of China's financial service sector and played a positive role in some sectors such as small and retail industries. However, it pointed out that these firms also bring problems such as "monopoly, unfair competition," and their "product and business boundaries are blurred." The story says large internet firms also pose potential systematic risks, noting these firms are "too big to fail." It specifically pointed to Ant Group, saying once a risk exposure occurs, it will cause serious risk infection. It noted that Ant Group has more than 1 billion individual users, and 118 trillion digital payment transactions along with its pending listing that's expected to be shattering IPO records. A big part of the market big internet firms serve are long-tail users who often lack professional financial knowledge and investment decision-making capacities and could be easily influenced by their peers. Massive market swings could therefore cause irrational behavior and evolve into systemic risks, the alarm-sounding article stressed. The cross-sector financial offerings of internet titans also make the case for more alerts to the potential risks associated with their fintech strength, which add to their far-reaching internet coverage, similar business models and algorithms, stoke worries about financial risks being swiftly aggravated into systemic risks. "Accelerating the construction and improvement of the regulatory framework for large-scale Internet companies is imminent," reads the story, adding that China should perfect its regulatory system, strengthen data management and develop regulatory technology to improve risk identification, prevention and disposal capabilities. "It's necessary and timely to launch a new regulatory method to better guide and supervise the development of these high-tech firms," Liu Dingding, an independent tech analyst, told the Global Times on Monday, noting that regulators should find a balance by providing a good environment for their growth, while preventing these firms from developing "out of control." The timing of the summon has some investors worried it could impact Ant Group's forthcoming $34.4 billion dual listings. Its Hong Kong listing is expected to commence on Thursday, while the date for its listing on the STAR Market in Shanghai has yet to be announced. There were high hopes that the offerings, hundreds of times oversubscribed by investors, would result in lucrative premiums on their debut. The summon, nonetheless, prompted some retail investors to fear a worse-case scenario of its shares falling below the IPO price. Ant Group's Shanghai offering is priced at 68.8 yuan apiece. "It's less likely that the summon would hammer the stock debut," an individual investor who was lucky enough to win the online bid for one unit, or 500 shares of Ant Group told the Global Times on Monday. ^ top ^

China 'not headed for second wave' despite new surge around the world (SCMP)
2020-11-02
A serious "second wave" of coronavirus infections is not expected in China, the country's top infectious disease expert said on the weekend as parts of Europe braced for a new round of lockdowns and the number of fresh cases for the week soared to a record 2 million around the world. Leading infectious disease specialist Zhong Nanshan told at a medical conference on Saturday that even though China continued to battle sporadic outbreaks, existing controls meant there was unlikely to be a resurgence of widespread transmission "in the tens of thousands". "We have accumulated invaluable experience. The central government has adopted a strategy of blocking the spread from the epicentre, while practising upstream control with mass prevention methods elsewhere," Zhong said. "This is the key to our decisive victory." A day earlier, he told an online pharmaceutical forum that a second wave appeared to have started in other parts of the world. Zhong's comments came as China took sweeping measures to control an outbreak in Kashgar, locking down the city in the western region of Xinjiang and testing roughly 4.75 million people in about three days. As of Sunday morning, Xinjiang had a total of 54 confirmed cases and 219 asymptomatic ones. Another 61 cases of asymptomatic infection were added to that tally on Saturday after a second round of testing, according to regional authorities. The first infection in the outbreak was reported on October 24 but the source of the cases remains unknown. Meanwhile, authorities in the eastern province of Shandong were trying to track a batch of imported frozen pork, after the discovery on Thursday of traces of the coronavirus on the packaging of some of the meat, which was imported from Brazil. Such tracing has become another key strategy in China's disease control, with a government task force for Covid-19 control issuing a guideline to step up infection prevention measures for people handling imported frozen food, citing a possibility of "long-distance, cross-border import with cold-chain food as carrier". By Sunday, more than 8,000 samples from products and packaging, as well as employees who might have handled the goods from Brazil, were tested by authorities in Yantai. The results were all negative, city authorities said on Sunday. Diners at a barbecue restaurant and shoppers at a meat market in nearby Weihai, where the goods were also traced, were asked to report for nucleic acid testing by Saturday evening. State news agency Xinhua reported that customs authorities also suspended imports of aquatic products from the Ecuadorean firm Firexpa after a shipment of frozen Ecuadorean fish tested positive for the coronavirus. Though international scientists have expressed doubts that frozen food could lead to infections, researchers from the Beijing Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences published findings last month linking imported salmon to an outbreak in Beijing in June that involved 335 cases. The findings come as scientists have looked to understand isolated outbreaks in Chinese cities including Beijing, Urumqi, and Qingdao in recent months, after indications that community transmission had been brought under control. In his comments on the weekend, Zhong said China would continue to see such "sporadic" outbreaks and should not relax epidemic prevention measures. "The current environment in China is safe now, but this was hard-won," he said. In Europe, a number of countries are introducing lockdowns or tightening social distancing rules as infections surge. On Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a one-month stay-at-home order from Thursday, with exceptions for schools, universities and essential stores. A number of countries in Europe, including Germany, France, Spain, Austria, Greece and Portugal, have also rolled out or planned partial shutdowns and other measures to stem increasing infections. Meanwhile, the United States neared a record of 100,000 new daily infections. A White House spokesman said the administration would focus on vaccines and therapeutics to address Covid-19, rather than limiting its spread. At a meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee for Covid-19 convened by the World Health Organization last Thursday, health officials and advisers called on countries to "avoid politicisation or complacency with regards to the pandemic response". The group, which declared the Covid-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern back in January, said the pandemic was still an "extraordinary event" requiring international coordination. China has not been alone in the Pacific region when it comes to managing the outbreak to limit widespread community transmission. Health officials have hailed successful, less-stringent strategies, in places like South Korea, New Zealand and Australia. Taiwan on Thursday crossed a milestone of 200 days without any domestically transmitted cases of Covid-19. Hong Kong and Singapore also plan to introduce a travel bubble between the two cities in coming weeks, after each typically reported fewer than 10 coronavirus infections per day. ^ top ^

China begins 7th national population census (Xinhua)
2020-11-01
China on Sunday started its seventh national population count, with about 7 million census takers going door to door to document demographic changes in the world's most populous country. Carrying out the census is critical to understand the population size, structure and distribution, said Ning Jizhe, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, at a video conference to promote the national census. The census collects data including name, ID number, gender, marital status, education and profession of Chinese citizens. Huang Chenglin, a staffer with the census office of Liangqing District in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, came to a community on Sunday morning to help residents use a registration service. Under the guidance of Huang, the whole registration process only takes a few minutes. There are more than 3,000 census takers like Huang in the district, among over 280,000 in the autonomous region. Residents are encouraged to use mobile terminals to report personal and family information. "With just a few clicks on your smartphone, you can fill in all the census information. It's very convenient," said Wei Ziqing, a resident in Liangqing District. China has conducted a national population census every 10 years since the 1990s. The previous census found its population had increased to 1.37 billion. ^ top ^

China to put forward proposals for promoting Shanghai Spirit, deepening cooperation at upcoming SCO summit (People's Daily)
2020-11-06
At the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China will put forward new proposals for promoting the Shanghai Spirit, consolidating solidarity and mutual trust in the SCO and deepening cooperation in various fields, Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said in Beijing on Thursday. Le made the remarks at a news conference where he said that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 20th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Beijing on Nov. 10, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and will deliver an important speech. The meeting will be hosted via video link by Russia, which holds the rotating SCO presidency this year. It is the first multilateral summit that President Xi will attend after the fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and is China's major multilateral diplomatic action in the Eurasian region this year, he said. Le said that all parties will exchange views on priority tasks to further strengthen SCO cooperation under the pandemic and on major international and regional issues. He added that the summit, to be held against the interwoven backdrop of the global pandemic and great changes unseen in a hundred years, indicates all parties attach great importance to the development of the SCO, and that it shows their firm determination to carry forward the Shanghai Spirit, to work together to deal with risks and challenges, and to jointly safeguard national security and development interests of regional countries. Le said Xi and leaders of participating countries will discuss new thoughts and measures to jointly address risks and challenges, and promote security and stability as well as development and revitalization. Xi will also put forward proposals for promoting the Shanghai Spirit, consolidating the solidarity and mutual trust in the SCO, deepening cooperation, strengthening the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative with other countries' development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, supporting multilateralism, and building a community with a shared future for humanity, the vice minister said. The leaders of the member states will issue a statement and approve cooperation documents covering multiple fields. "China expects all sides to use the summit as an opportunity to strengthen the sense of community with a shared future, reach a new consensus on cooperation and formulate new cooperation measures, to inject strong impetus into achieving common development and rejuvenation," Le said. Noting that the SCO has successfully explored a new development path for regional cooperation and development, Le said the SCO has yielded fruitful cooperation results. Member states have supported each other in following a development path that suits their own national conditions, and taking measures to safeguard national security and social stability. SCO member states oppose external forces interfering in their internal affairs under any pretext, resolve disputes and differences through dialogue and consultation, and work together to deal with non-traditional security threats such as the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism, and separatism. He said the SCO countries have maintained closer people-to-people exchanges and promoted in-depth cooperation in the fields of culture, education, science and technology, tourism, health, disaster reduction, and media exchanges. On SCO anti-pandemic cooperation, Le said SCO member states have vigorously supported each other in fighting the pandemic, voiced strong support to international anti-pandemic cooperation, and supported the SCO in its effective collaboration with the World Health Organization. All these actions have effectively protected the lives and health of the people in the region, injected positive energy into global anti-pandemic cooperation and made important contributions to the building of a community of common health for mankind. ^ top ^

Shanghai ready for import expo (People's Daily)
2020-11-04
The 3rd China International Import Expo (CIIE) slated to take place from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10 is expected to welcome 400,000 visitors, marking one of the largest events across the world in 2020. The total exhibition area has been expanded by nearly 30,000 square meters from last year. The average exhibition area for the world's top 500 companies and industry leaders has increased by 14 percent year on year, according to Sun Chenghai, deputy director of the CIIE Bureau. "Companies across the world have expressed their confidence in the Chinese market by actively participating in the CIIE," said Sun, noting that the organizers of the CIIE had implemented online and offline services to better facilitate exhibitors and visitors. SMART CUSTOMS ENTRY Fourteen designated immigration inspection channels have been opened at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport in preparation for the CIIE, according to the airport's border inspection station. In addition, 15 self-service channels equipped with high-sensitivity facial recognition and anti-tailing alarm systems have been launched for airport staff at terminals 1 and 2. Shanghai has 33 designated hospitals as well as five on-site medical centers and 25 temporary medical observation points at the expo for CIIE guests. Nearly 400 medical personnel are on standby. "Besides strict COVID-19 prevention and control measures, we are also paying attention to infectious diseases in autumn and winter," said Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission. The Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism has released a list of 1,151 recommended hotels with a total of 192,000 rooms for CIIE guests. The city has also released a guideline to strengthen hotel sanitation management and epidemic prevention and control measures. Shanghai has taken measures to optimize traffic flows around the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), where the CIIE exhibitions will be held. Temporary parking lots with over 3,200 spaces and shared parking lots with roughly 5,000 spaces are being offered through a smart booking system. The city has also provided travel options for expo guests, covering rail transit, taxis, public buses and customized shuttle buses, to ensure speedy arrivals and departures. A total of 77 restaurants in the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) will offer various cuisines to CIIE guests, according to Hua Yuan, director of the municipal commission of commerce. Temporary dining spots have also been established to meet demand. Over 4,800 people have been prepped as volunteers and have begun their CIIE duties. The majority of volunteers are students from universities in Shanghai, and more than half were born after 2000. This year, organizers have also set up volunteer posts to offer epidemic prevention and control information. Preparatory work has been undertaken by China's telecoms operators to ensure a stable and fast internet network for the CIIE, as more events will be held online with global participants this year. New features such as 5G livestreaming will bring a better experience for expo audiences. The CIIE venue and Shanghai's major landmarks have been decorated with flowers. There will be light shows along the Huangpu River. ^ top ^

Govt-backed cryptocurrency could become a reality (China Daily)
2020-11-06
They had been around for a while, but it was not until 2017 that cryptocurrencies really gained global attention as the price of a Bitcoin surged to almost $20,000. When Facebook announced Libra, its new cryptocurrency payment system, last year, the conversation hit all levels of society and politics. Early this year, 80 percent of central banks were working on a central bank digital currency (CBDC), 40 percent were experimenting with proofs of concept, and 10 percent, mostly in emerging economies, were running pilot projects. But what happens in China is of key importance. The purchase and sale of cryptocurrencies are still banned in China, but things are moving quickly. The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, started research on a government-backed cryptocurrency way back in 2014. Beyond replacing cash and improving financial inclusion, the PBOC's long-term goal is to improve the efficiency of transactions across the country's financial system through the use of digital currency. Ironically, amid all this, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the rise of CBDC. Indeed, viruses causing some types of common influenza have survived on banknotes for up to 17 days. So, as former Bank of China president Li Lihui said, a digital currency's efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and convenience will make it especially desirable during an epidemic. In April, the Chinese government began testing "e-yuan" for payments in several major cities, including Shenzhen, Suzhou, Chengdu, and Xiong'an New Area, south of Beijing. The government is also expected to expand pilot programs at the venue of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
It seems, driven by several factors, China could become the first major economy to use a CBDC. First, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated an ongoing shift away from cash and toward digital payments among younger populations, particularly in China. By the end of 2018, about 73 percent of internet users in China used online payment services. According to the World Bank, 85 percent of Chinese adults who bought something online also paid for it online. This contrasts with other emerging economies, where 53 percent of adults who made a purchase online in the past 12 months paid for it by cash on delivery. Second, the central cultural question surrounding digital currencies is related to the tension between privacy and convenience. Perspectives on these two poles－privacy versus convenience－vary from culture to culture. Our (Deutsche Bank's) survey shows that only a tenth of the Chinese respondents had concerns about anonymity and traceability, well below Americans (22 percent), British (21 percent), French (29 percent), Germans (42 percent), and Italians (19 percent). Third, young populations are generally more open to adopting new technologies; and China and Southeast Asian countries have significantly younger populations than Europe and the United States. With more than 1.4 billion people, China has the potential to advance CBDC into the mainstream, which would prompt other countries to follow suit and devise their own digital currencies. The next question is what China's e-currency will mean for the yuan's international standing. The relationship between China and the world is changing. China has become one of the world's biggest consumer markets, and it has been the world's largest exporter for some years now. On the other hand, the world has been increasing its exposure to China. Also, China has been making tremendous efforts to internationalize the yuan. From 2000 to 2015, the yuan's share as a settlement currency in China's trade increased from zero to 25 percent. As a settlement currency, the yuan has surpassed the euro, which is now the second-most-used currency in global trade. But in international financial transactions unrelated to trade, the yuan lags far behind other major currencies－the US dollar largely dominates foreign exchange reserves and remains the dominant global payment currency. In the medium term, the US dollar's dominance will continue. In the long run, if the trade deficit between China and the US widens to the extreme extent, we could see a situation in which the dollar, euro and the yuan share the global reserve currency spotlight. In that case, the yuan could eventually dominate other currencies. And the Chinese authorities' efforts to liberalize and develop local capital markets, and develop new, innovative convenient payment apps such as Alipay and WeChat payment, could catalyze greater international use of the yuan. But cryptocurrencies need to overcome three main hurdles to be widely used across economies. To begin with, governments and regulators should consider them legal tender. This means stabilizing prices and bringing advantages to both merchants and consumers, and allowing for global reach in the payment market. To do this, alliances must be forged with key stakeholders－mobile apps such as Alipay, Apple Pay, card providers such as UnionPay, Visa and Mastercard, and retailers, such as Tmall, Amazon and Walmart. But digital currencies could give rise to new challenges. For starters, it would mean basing a robust financial system entirely on electricity consumption. To envision a smooth transmission toward a fully digitalized platform, the financial system needs to be ready to overcome any kind of electricity shutdown or cyberattack. Natural disasters and climate change are also issues to deal with. Natural disasters may be infrequent, but they can be crippling. For example, in 1989, Quebec was plunged into darkness for nine hours because of a solar flare. And cyberattacks remain a constant threat. Yet looking forward, we believe a new digital currency could become mainstream within the next couple of years. ^ top ^

Tibet sees GDP growth, empowered by emerging sectors (Xinhua)
2020-10-31
The gross domestic product (GDP) of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region totaled 130.8 billion yuan (about 19.5 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three quarters of the year, up 6.3 percent year on year, local authorities said. Seven emerging industries empowered the region's economy, including plateau biology, tourism and culture, green industries, clean energy, modern services, border trade logistics, and the high-tech and digital industry, according to the regional bureau of statistics and the Tibet survey office under the National Bureau of Statistics. These industries achieved an added value of 28.9 billion yuan from January to September, with the high-tech and digital industry rising by 37 percent from the same period of last year and the plateau bio-industry up 31.6 percent. The pharmaceutical industry is another pillar in the region's industrial production. In the Jan.-Sept. period, the added value of major industries in Tibet rose by 7.1 percent compared with the first nine months of last year, of which pharmaceuticals posted a surging year-on-year growth of 36.6 percent. The Ningsuan Technology Group is one of the major enterprises that facilitate the development of Tibet's emerging sectors. It is promoting the construction of a cloud computing data center, also as its operator. The data center is located in a high-tech zone of the regional capital city of Lhasa, making it the highest-altitude data center in the world. With a total planned investment of 11.8 billion yuan, the project will provide services in areas such as video rendering, autonomous driving, and distance-learning data backup. The first phase of the project will start operation in 2021. After the completion of three phases, the data center will have 70,000 machine cabinets and annual revenue of 10 billion yuan, said Jiang Ning, president of the company. Jiang said the company has also established an innovation and business start-up platform to actively incubate local science and technology enterprises. With the recovery of the tourism market, the consumer goods market is also picking up. In September, Tibet's reception of tourists increased by 12.1 percent year on year, and the region achieved a total retail sales of consumer goods worth 7.96 billion yuan, up by 11.4 percent year on year, which was also 8.1 percentage points higher than the national growth rate. Data also show that during the first three quarters, the added value of Tibet's primary, secondary, and tertiary industries increased by 1.5 percent, 12.9 percent, and 3.1 percent, respectively, year on year. ^ top ^

Xinjiang religious freedom fully guaranteed: report (People's Daily)
2020-11-04
The Islamic Association of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Tuesday released a report on freedom of religious belief in the northwestern Chinese region. Recently, some anti-China forces from the United States and some other Western countries have been wantonly spreading fallacies that Xinjiang "restricts freedom of religious belief" and "demolishes mosques by force," the report said. Disregarding facts, these groundless claims have severely hurt the feelings of Muslims in Xinjiang and aroused strong indignation and opposition, the Islamic Association of Xinjiang said in the report. The right to freedom of religious belief in Xinjiang is fully guaranteed and normal religious activities are carried out in an orderly way, said the report. Muslims' dietary habits, festivals, wedding and funeral practices, and customs and rituals are also respected in Xinjiang, it said. Thanks to the strong support of the government, the conditions of mosques have been improved across the board, and they have been equipped with running water, electricity, natural gas, heating, and communications facilities. Roads leading to mosques have been improved to make access easier, said the report. In addition, governments at all levels in Xinjiang have taken effective measures to help religious organizations and religious schools improve their working and teaching conditions. The Xinjiang Islamic Institute has built its new campus as well as eight branches across Xinjiang. Since 1996, many Muslims have taken charter flights arranged by the government to make pilgrimages to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Up to now, more than 50,000 Muslims in the region have completed the pilgrimages. Religious personages' right to participate in the deliberation and administration of state affairs is fully guaranteed, the report stated. More than 1,400 religious personages from all ethnic groups in Xinjiang serve as deputies to the people's congresses or members of committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at all levels to exercise the right to participate in the deliberation and administration of state affairs, it said. "Seeing the religious harmony in Xinjiang, some people in the United States became fretful, fabricating and selling a set of lies and fallacies in order to achieve their hidden agendas," the report said. "In fact, the United States itself is plagued with serious religious discrimination." "We urge the U.S. to pay more attention to religious discrimination on its own land, stop politicizing religious issues, let alone desecrate the holy name of religion, because any rumor and slander cannot deny the fact that freedom of religious belief is guaranteed in Xinjiang," the report said. ^ top ^

HKSAR gov't to implement national security law without fear: HKSAR chief executive (Xinhua)
2020-11-03
Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said on Monday that the implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR is both timely and essential. Lam made the remarks in a speech delivered at the opening of the Hong Kong Legal Week 2020. She said that she and the HKSAR government will continue to steadfastly implement the national security law in Hong Kong without fear or worry. Lam said that the violent protests during the social unrest last year has undermined public perception of the rule of law, and exposed the shortcomings in Hong Kong with regard to safeguarding national security, thus the enactment of the national security law in Hong Kong is "both timely and essential." "Since then, law and order and stability in society has been restored and we now have an enhanced system for Hong Kong to accurately and comprehensively implement the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle," she said. Lam once again urged everyone in society, regardless of his or her political stance, to support the rule of law and respect the courts, judges and their rulings. Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, chief justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the HKSAR, said at the opening that the rule of law is essential to Hong Kong's prosperity, and he hoped that the society will cherish and protect it. Ma said that the role and functions of the judiciary are clearly set out in the HKSAR Basic Law and the HKSAR enjoys independent judicial power including that of final adjudication, reflecting the constitutional arrangement under the "one country, two systems". Judges' vows also reflect the independence of the judiciary, judges should uphold the HKSAR Basic Law, perform their duties faithfully and uphold the rule of law fearlessly and selflessly, he said. Teresa Cheng, Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR government, said that the HKSAR government has already started projects that will promote the proper understanding and recognition of the rule of law at various levels in the society, hoping to raise the awareness on the importance of a law-abiding society. The Hong Kong Legal Week is an annual flagship event of the Justice Department of the HKSAR government. In response to the challenges posed by COVID-19, for the first time, a series of webinars will be broadcast live from Nov. 2 to 6. ^ top ^

HK politicians arrested over LegCo meeting (China Daily)
2020-11-02
Seven Hong Kong opposition political figures, including incumbent and former legislators, were arrested on Sunday in connection with havoc that broke out during a Legislative Council meeting on May 8. The arrestees have been granted bail and their cases will be taken up at Eastern Magistrates' Courts in the special administrative region on Thursday. Democratic Party lawmakers Wu Chi-wai, Andrew Wan Siu-kin, Helena Wong Pik-wan, the Labour Party's Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung and Steven Kwok Wing-kin, and former lawmakers Eddie Chu Hoi-dick and Raymond Chan Chi-chuen confirmed their arrests on their social media accounts. In a statement, the police said six men and one woman, aged 33 to 63, were arrested on suspicion of contempt and interference with officers under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance. If convicted, they could face up to 12 months in prison and fines of HK$10,000($1,290). At a media briefing Sunday afternoon, Superintendent Chan Wing-yu of the Hong Kong Island Regional Crime Headquarters said an in-depth investigation was carried out after the force received a report from the LegCo Secretariat on May 8, and the arrests were made after consultation with the Department of Justice. Chan stressed that the arrests had nothing to do with the individuals' social status or political background, but were made in accordance with law and evidence gathered during the investigation. All CCTV footage recorded of the event is being examined and the context of the entire incident taken into account. The police added that the investigation is still underway, and they did not rule out the possibility that more arrests could follow. On May 8, 2020, a special afternoon meeting of the Legislative Council's House Committee descended into mayhem after the opposition lawmakers arrested allegedly engaged in shouting and scuffles and the chairwoman Starry Lee Wai-king ordered them to be thrown out. The meeting was held to end the delay of the committee's chairperson election, which opposition lawmakers had dragged out for seven months, also having put on hold at least 14 bills, including the extension of maternity leave from 10 weeks to 14 weeks. At the meeting, former opposition lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoidick climbed onto the wall behind the podium trying to break through a security cordon, while other opposition lawmakers shouted slogans in the meeting hall and repeatedly stormed a defensive line formed by security guards in front of the chairperson's desk, where Lee was seated. Steven Kwok Wing-kin was seen tossing paper across the chamber from the public galleries. Lee's repeated calls to order went unheeded and the opposition lawmakers did not comply and insisted on disrupting the meeting. One lawmaker and a security guard were injured in the incident. The pandemonium forced Lee to adjourn the meeting. ^ top ^

Macao SAR gov't to spend 52.61 mln USD on COVID-19 vaccines (Xinhua)
2020-11-03
Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government will spend 420 million patacas (about 52.61 million U.S. dollars) to buy COVID-19 vaccines for all Macao residents, the SAR's health chief said on Tuesday. Macao Health Bureau Director Lei Chin Ion told the press that the SAR government had contacted six vaccine producers from the Chinese mainland and abroad for the purchase of 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. He added that the price for each dose was estimated at 300 patacas (about 37.58 dollars), and the government will spend 420 million patacas (about 52.61 million dollars) in total. Lei said so after he had taken part in an opening ceremony of a community health center in the Macao Peninsula. As of Tuesday, Macao never has COVID-19 community transmission, with no confirmed local cases for 219 consecutive days and no imported cases for 130 consecutive days. ^ top ^

Turkey adheres to one-China principle by deleting Erdogan's tweet with 'Taiwan flag' (Global Times)
2020-11-03
Taiwan's "foreign ministry" said groundlessly on Monday that China has pressured the Turkish government to remove Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's tweet which shows Taiwan's "banner" among those who gave a hand to earthquake-struck Turkey. On Saturday, Erdogan posted a series of tweets, which included the flags of aid-givers to Turkey. The country was hit by a magnitude-7 earthquake last week. "Many thanks from the Republic of Turkey to all friendly nations and international organizations for their good wishes and statements of support following the earthquake in Izmir." "Taiwan's flag" was found on the initial version of Erdogan's tweet, which was first found to have been deleted on Sunday. In a new version of the tweet, there was no Taiwan "banner," but voices like "Turkey apparently bowed to China" rose from the secessionists on the island of Taiwan. Some Taiwan secessionists commented under Erdogan's tweet, asking for apologies from Turkey. Ironically, some used the meme of "Taiwan flag" in their remarks but posted the Taiwan secessionists' flag as their image, which led analysts to say the incident shows fragile self-esteem and a chaotic division about the national identity of Taiwan secessionists. "May I ask why Taiwan's flag was removed from the friendly nations list? Please add it back and show some respect," said an internet user from Taiwan. "Because Taiwan is not a country at all," a Twitter user replied. It is a fact recognized by the international community that Taiwan is not a country, and exchanges between the island of Taiwan and Turkey can only be non-governmental, so that's why posting the Taiwan "banner" is serious misconduct, Wang Jianmin, a Taiwan affairs expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday. Turkey has diplomatic ties with China, so deleting the tweet with the "Taiwan flag" shows its adherence to the one-China principle. The attacks from Taiwan secessionists confuse right and wrong, said Wang. "Almost all countries in the world recognize the one-China principle, and those who seek Taiwan independence should have a clear understanding of the international situation and their own conditions," said Wang.  ^ top ^

Xi Jinping Says Imports Will Grow Over the Next Decade (Caixin)
2020-11-05
President Xi Jinping said he expects imports to grow over the next decade and pledged to further open the country's markets, even as the goal of nurturing domestic supply chains plays an increasingly large role in policymaking. Goods imports will likely exceed $22 trillion over the next 10 years, Xi said Wednesday in a video keynote speech played at the opening ceremony of the third China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. "With a population of 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of more than 400 million, China is the world's most promising large market," he said. In China, a typical middle-income household would be a three-member family with an annual income between 100,000 yuan ($15,080) and 500,000 yuan, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Xi's expectation equates to an annual $2.2 trillion in imports, higher than his 2018 estimate of an annual $2 trillion for the following 15 years. The latest forecast implies that the total value of China's goods imports would grow at least 20.9% over the next 10 years compared with 2010 to 2019. Xi's remarks echo policymakers' insistence that China will not close itself off from the rest of the world as it implements its recently touted "dual circulation" strategy, which some analysts say will emphasize the domestic market's role in growth and boosting domestic supply chains, especially in high-tech. The strategy is a core component of the 14th Five-Year Plan, which lays out goals for China's economic and social development from 2021 to 2025. The pace of China's opening-up has accelerated this year despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Xi said. The president also said that "dual circulation" is definitely not a closed domestic cycle, but an open domestic and international dual-cycle. Xi also pledged more measures to boost trade and foreign investment and level the playing field for foreign companies doing business in China. China will cut short the list of technologies that are either restricted or banned from being imported, he said. The country launched the list in the early 2000s. China's imports have been on a downward trend for almost two years amid headwinds including sluggish domestic demand, the U.S.-China trade war and the pandemic. In dollar terms, goods imports dropped 2.7% in 2019 and 3.1% year-on-year in the first three quarters this year. However, imports rebounded sharply in September, rising 13.2% year-on-year. Exports performed better than imports this year, decreasing only 0.8% year-on-year in the first three quarters despite a 13.3% plunge in the first three months when large swaths of the economy were shut down to control the coronavirus outbreak. Some economists attributed the quick recovery partly to shipments of products related to the pandemic, such as medical goods. ^ top ^

China Reveals More About Its Economic Goals for Next 15 Years (Caixin)
2020-11-04
China unveiled more details of its plans for the country's economic, social and political development over the next 15 years, fleshing out a broad framework agreed at a key meeting of the ruling Communist Party's top officials last week. The full text of the proposal decided at the fifth plenum of the 19th Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party, mapping out goals for the 2021-2025 Five-Year Plan (FYP) and longer-term targets and priorities through 2035, was released by the Central Committee along with an explanation by President Xi Jinping that highlighted some of the key themes such as high-quality development, the dual circulation strategy, and specific targets the party wants the country to achieve. Uncertainties and risks stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions have prompted China's policymakers to downplay the importance of rapid growth. In his explanation, Xi emphasized a greater focus on perfecting the country's economic structure and the quality of growth in the strategy for medium- and long-term development. The proposal does not give any numerical targets for expansion in GDP for the FYP, an indicator that has been heavily emphasized over the past 20 years, but it does provide some signals about the rate of growth the leadership believes the economy can sustain over the next 15 years. "It is 'completely possible' for China to reach the current standard for high-income countries by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period and to double total economic output or per capita income by 2035," Xi said in his explanation issued by the state-owned Xinhua News Agency. He didn't rule out setting specific targets for the FYP, noting that "when preparing the 'Outline' of the plan, corresponding quantitative targets can be put forward on the basis of careful calculation." The 14th FYP will be presented to the country's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), for approval at its annual meeting that usually takes place in March. Economists at Nomura International (Hong Kong) Ltd. estimate that China's GDP needs to grow by an annual average of 3.9% from 2021 to 2025 to become a "high-income" country at the end of the FYP, and by 4.7% in the 2021-2035 period to double the size of the economy by 2035 compared with 2020. The World Bank's current standard for a high-income economy is one that has a gross national income (GNI) per capita of $12,536 or more. China's per capita GNI in 2019 was $10,410, according to data (link in Chinese) from the National Bureau of Statistics. "We view the 2021-25 goal as fully achievable but the 2035 goal as quite challenging," Nomura's economists wrote in a Wednesday note. In his explanation, Xi highlighted the key role of the new "dual circulation" strategy (双循环) which was unveiled in May and focuses on tapping the potential of the domestic market. Production, distribution and consumption should be more dependent on the domestic market to create a virtuous circle (良性循环) for the national economy, Xi said, pointing out that "international circulation" is weakening due to changes in the global political and economic climate and the rising trend of deglobalization. The proposal outlines measures to promote dual circulation including breaking industry monopolies and local protection, balancing the development of finance, real estate and the real economy, and increasing household consumption. Policymakers and officials have previously emphasized that focusing more on domestic demand does not mean China will close its doors to the world. The proposal reinforces this message and says the country should make full use of both domestic and international markets and resources, promote the coordinated development of domestic and external demand, imports and exports, and foreign and domestic investment. The proposal also offers guidance on technology and innovation, emphasizing the need to modernize industrial chains, fix weak points in supply chains, step up research into key technologies and develop high-tech infrastructure. In his explanation Xi said China should create integrated and complete industrial and supply chains. On the reform front, the proposal pledges that more changes are being planned to make industries such as energy, railways, telecommunication, and public utilities more market-oriented. It also promises to push ahead with the reform of factors of production (要素市场化改革) such as land, labor, capital, technology and data, plans that were first unveiled in April by the Central Committee and State Council, China's cabinet. ^ top ^

China seeks 'complete' economic self-reliance (Global Times)
2020-11-01
Through a series of recent top meetings, official documents and speeches, China's top leadership, including President Xi Jinping, has signaled that the country would focus on boosting the domestic supply chain and homegrown innovation to become completely self-reliant in economy and core technologies, as external risks continue to mount. While the remarkable focus on economic and technological self-reliance is necessary for the world's second-largest economy to cope with the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the US' unhinged crackdown on China in many areas, China will not abandon its opening-up policies and will continue to pursue global cooperation in key areas, industry analysts said on Sunday. In an article published on Sunday by the flagship magazine of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Qiushi Journal, Xi said that China should build a self-developed, controllable, safe and reliable domestic production and supply system in fields concerning national security to ensure self-circulation at critical moments and ensure normal economic operation under extreme conditions. In the article about "major issues" for China's social and economic development strategies in the medium-to-long term, the Chinese president also called for building the "master card" in core technologies, including in high-speed rail, electric power equipment, new energy, telecommunication equipment and other areas. "In order to ensure China's industrial security and national security, we must build a self-developed, controllable, safe and reliable industrial and supply chain. We should strive to have at least one alternative source for important products and supply channels to form a necessary industrial backup system," Xi wrote. The article followed a series of recent meetings, official documents and specific measures that aim to boost China's internal circulation and indigenous innovation to become self-reliant and ensure the country's long-term goal of becoming a modern socialist power by 2050. During the just-concluded fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC, the highest decision-making body, top Party officials elevated the role of the domestic market and homegrown technologies in China's social and economic development. Specifically, the meeting called for the establishment of a "dual circulation" model with a focus on internal demand as well as an innovation-driven core national strategy to combat rising risks and challenges in the next five to 15 years. "I think the emphasis on self-reliance on core technologies could not come at a better time given the US' tech war and will spearhead a flurry of support policies for the research and development of many core technological sectors," Tian Yun, vice director of the Beijing Economic Operation Association, told the Global Times, noting that the new strategies reflect the profound challenges China faces both at home and abroad. Domestically, the world's second-largest economy is going through a deep transition, where downward pressure continues to mount, despite steady progress during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20) and ability to rein in the COVID-19 epidemic. Globally, the world economy continues to be shadowed by the pandemic and the US has launched a technology war with China that has already seen hundreds of Chinese tech firms being hit by sanctions. Most notably, the US has sought to cut chip supplies to Chinese telecom firm Huawei. To resolve what officials and experts call a foreign "chokehold" on China's technological sectors, China has already taken concrete steps to develop homegrown technologies. On Sunday, Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, which was a pioneer of China's decades-long reform and opening-up policies and has been described as China's version of "Silicon Valley plus Wall Street," launched a flurry of policies to boost innovation. Specifically, the policies require investment in basic science research to reach over 30 percent of the overall city government fund for research and development of technologies. Also, to incentivize researchers, no less than 70 percent of results of any scientific project would be given to developers.Also, echoing the central government's pledge to make breakthroughs in key components and technologies, Shanghai's semiconductor and advanced technology cluster Zhangjiang high-tech park is aiming to transform from a manufacturing hub to a tech-driven center to attract more scientists for fundamental research, although the latter requires long-term investment with no returns in the short term. "We hope to attract scientists to bring new ideas, be innovative and think out of the box, which is line with our country's growth target of shifting from speed to quality," Tang Shiqing, director of the science and technology commission of the district government of Pudong, Shanghai, told the Global Times on Sunday. "It's the long-term investment that we must make, despite limited gains from the business perspective," he said. However, just like Shenzhen is a symbol of China's opening-up, China will continue to open up its domestic market to foreign businesses and pursue global cooperation in technological research and development, despite the renewed focus on self-reliance, officials and industry experts said. During the first-ever press briefing of the CPC Central Committee on Friday, Wang Zhigang, Minister of Science and Technology, said China's technological innovation has never adopted a "closed-door" approach, nor would the country close its door to pursue innovation in the future. "China's technological innovation and development is increasingly inseparable from the world; but global technological advancement also needs China more and more," Wang said. Though the country's top authority emphasized self-reliance in the high-tech sector, some representatives from the industry, especially those who supply components to major Chinese semiconductor firms like Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) insisted that the country must uphold an open attitude and cooperative spirit. "Though domestic semiconductor industry faces difficulties now, we need to cooperate with upstream and downstream firms," Wang Shumin, chairperson of Anji Microelectronics Technology Co, which produces key materials for semiconductor manufacturing, told the Global Times. While the Chinese government is now attaching great importance to key technology industries like semiconductor production, for business representatives like Wang, it's also an unprecedented opportunity to work with other firms on making major breakthroughs in key components. "We have to move forward step by step, focusing on concrete projects and being realistic," she said, noting that the difficulties are temporary. ^ top ^

DPRK bans smoking in public places, asks businesses to save resources (Xinhua)
2020-11-05
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has enacted two new laws banning smoking in public places and asking businesses to take on extra land, energy and cost-saving practices, the Korean Central News Agency reported on Thursday. Top members of the DPRK's parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) Presidium, held a meeting on Wednesday and adopted the two laws. The DPRK has high rates of smoking, with 43.9 percent of male population smokers as of 2013, according to the World Health Organization. ^ top ^

Mongolia's human rights record under review at UN (Montsame)
2020-11-05
The 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group is running virtually due to emergency measures introduced in world countries amid the outbreak of the pandemic. Mongolia's human rights record is being discussed at the session for the third time. The delegation of Mongolia is being headed by B.Baasandorj, State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs. Mongolia's first ever report on human rights was reviewed in November 2010, and the second report was discussed in May 2015. Following the discussion of the second report, Mongolia committed itself to 150 recommendations out of 164 recommendations offered by 64 countries. Human rights status of member states of the United Nations is reviewed every 4-5 years at the United Nations Council for Human Rights (UNCHR) and countries commit themselves to fulfill recommendations given from other member states. The UPR Working Group is scheduled to adopt the recommendations made to Mongolia on November 6. ^ top ^

UN resolution on Mongolia's international security and nuclear-weapon-free status adopted (Montsame)
2020-11-04
A draft resolution on Mongolia's International Security and Nuclear-Weapon-Free Status was adopted on November 3 at the meeting of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Since 1998, the resolution has been biennially approved by the UN General Assembly. Mongolia's nuclear-weapon-free status is evidence of its commitments to the global efforts for international peace and security, disarmament, and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. ^ top ^

Extraordinary session of International Parliamentary Union Governing Council taking place (Montsame)
2020-11-02
Extraordinary session of the IPU – International Parliamentary Union Governing Council started virtually yesterday and will run until November 4. The programme of the extraordinary session includes the adoption of the agenda, approval of the summary records of the 205th session of the Governing Council, election of the IPU President and Executive Committee members, etc. Representing the Parliament of Mongolia, Member of the Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, MP B.Saranchimeg, MPs D.Tsogtbaatar and Ch.Undram are taking part in the session. Established in 1889, the IPU is the biggest parliamentary organization with 179 member parliaments. Mongolia has been actively engaging in its activities since joining in 1962. ^ top ^

Embassy of Switzerland