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SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
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DPRK
Mongolia
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| Switzerland |
Switzerland to increase night-train networks with other European countries (Xinhua)
2020-12-09
Transport ministers of Switzerland, Austria, France and Germany on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding to increase cooperation on large-scale cross-border and night-train networks over the next four years. According to a report by the swissinfo.ch, the international service of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, one year later from now, night trains should be up and running on the Vienna-Munich-Paris and Zurich-Cologne-Amsterdam routes. This will probably be followed by connections from Vienna and Berlin to Brussels and Paris by 2023, and then from Zurich to Barcelona by the end of 2024, the report said. According to the report, the dismantling of the Swiss sleeper network began 15 years ago, and since then more and more direct overnight routes have disappeared. However, the Swiss Federal Railways said in a statement earlier in September that demand for international night-train services "significantly increased in 2019 and at the start of 2020 until the coronavirus crisis struck." ^ top ^
Davos event switches to safer Singapore next year (China Daily)
2020-12-09
The World Economic Forum's annual gathering of political and business leaders will move from Switzerland to Singapore next year as the COVID-19 pandemic would make it challenging to host the event safely in Europe, organizers said on Monday. It is only the second time the event, known informally as Davos after the Swiss ski resort where it is usually held every January, will be hosted outside Switzerland since its inception in 1971, and mark its debut in Asia. "The World Economic Forum will convene the Special Annual Meeting 2021 in Singapore from 13-16 May. It will return to Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, for the Annual Meeting 2022," the organizers said in a statement. ^ top ^
Swiss rile neighbors with ski green light (China Daily)
2020-12-05
Switzerland is plowing ahead with preparations for the year-end holiday season despite pressure from neighboring Italy, France and Germany to shut until the latest coronavirus wave passes. Skiing, and more specifically the travel and apres-ski socializing, have been identified as contributors to the initial spread of the virus in Europe earlier this year. Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset has proposed limits on the capacity of ski lifts at Christmas and the New Year, but lift operators and mountain regions that already expect many foreign visitors to stay away during the festive period bristle at added restrictions. Eloi Rossier, mayor of Bagnes below the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, acknowledged feeling the heat from other countries, but said that his town's ski economy was too important to simply call off the season. He cited the measures the resort was taking to keep people safe. He expects up to 45,000 people over Christmas and New Year, fewer than normal due to "a lot of cancellations". "There is an economic aspect that we cannot deny. It is extremely important," Rossier said. France, Germany and Italy have decided to shut their resorts this Christmas, with France hoping to reopen toward the end of January. French Prime Minister Jean Castex has said random border controls will be introduced to stop people traveling to Switzerland to ski this winter. "We've got a problem with the French government which shuts the slopes a month before Christmas while our Swiss neighbors keep theirs open," he told French radio. The President of the Italian Health Council, Franco Locatelli, called the Swiss decision "disappointing" and said if necessary, people returning to Italy from Switzerland may have to be placed in quarantine. This Christmas, Austria will allow skiing to take place but only in limited numbers, and with anyone coming from abroad having to spend time in quarantine. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said he hoped it would be possible "for a large part of our population to go skiing at least for the day". In Verbier in southern Switzerland, lift operator Televerbier was not expecting droves of people, given that foreign visitors who make up as many as half of a typical winter's crowd are unlikely to travel this year. "We lost a big part of our clients... from Asia, the Middle East or the Americas, so we don't think that if the Italians or French remain closed that they will compensate,"Televerbier Chief Executive Laurent Vaucher said. ^ top ^
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China's Commerce Minister honored by Pakistan for improving bilateral friendship (Global Times)
2020-12-11
Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan was awarded the prestigious "Hilal-i-Pakistan" by Pakistan's top diplomat in China on behalf of Pakistani President Arif Alvi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Thursday. The award was presented by Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque to recognize Zhong's "outstanding services to Pakistan and strengthening of Pakistan-China relations". Zhong, who heads China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), was instrumental in promoting the second phase of the Pakistan-China Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect at the start of 2020 and facilitated Pakistan's active participation in significant events, including the China International Import Expo and the 17th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), the ambassador said at the award ceremony. The award is not only a personal honor bestowed by the Pakistani leader, but also a symbol of the trust and confidence Pakistan places in the time-honored all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, Zhong noted. MOFCOM would continue to work on deepening economic and trade ties with Pakistan, he said. At a meeting before the award ceremony, officials from MOFCOM and diplomats from the Pakistani Embassy agreed to further promote Pakistan-China trade and economic relations in line with the consensus reached between leaders of both countries and for the benefit of the two peoples. Pakistan's exports to China increased by 30 percent year-on-year in November, improving the trade balance between the two countries, according to the Thursday edition of the English-language Express Tribune, a Pakistani daily newspaper. In November, Pakistan presented at CAEXPO as a Special Partner Country for the first time. The country will retain this designation at the 18th CAEXPO in 2021. In August, the bilateral import and export volume of goods between China and Pakistan reached $1.4 billion, according to data released by China's General Administration of Customs. ^ top ^
Xi, Macron reach important consensus on China-France cooperation in next stage (Xinhua)
2020-12-10
Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron reached important consensus on China-France cooperation in the next stage during a phone conversation on Wednesday evening. Amid increasing instability and uncertainty, the contemporary world calls for more responsibilities of major countries, Xi pointed out. Calling "independence, mutual understanding, foresight, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes" as the original aspiration of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, Xi noted that it is an important consensus of the two countries to uphold multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and maintain the international order based on international convention. The two countries, he said, should stay true to their original aspiration, adhere to their consensus, firmly hold the steering wheel of China-France relations, strengthen exchanges, deepen cooperation, maintain close communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, so as to push for greater development of the bilateral relations. Xi stressed that China has full confidence in its own path, theory, system and culture, and respects the development path independently chosen by the people of other countries. Countries with different social systems are able to respect each other, coexist peacefully and seek common development, he said. Pointing out that China-EU cooperation is gaining more global and strategic significance under the new circumstances, the Chinese president said no matter how the international situation changes, China is committed to promoting the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations and hopes that the EU will implement a positive policy towards China. He also called for joint efforts to speed up negotiations on a China-EU investment agreement, make the China-EU high-level dialogue on environment and climate as well as digital cooperation a success and take China-EU relations to a new level. For his part, Macron said France and China have conducted sound cooperation in the fight against COVID-19, and promoted exchanges and cooperation in various fields in an all-round way. With independence as its traditional foreign policy virtue, France attaches great importance to developing relations with China, and is ready to work with China to deepen the bilateral cooperation as well as cooperation between the EU and China, he said, adding that he hopes the EU-China investment agreement will be reached as soon as possible. France appreciates China's important contribution to reaching the Paris Agreement on climate change, as well as its key role in developing COVID-19 vaccines and relieving debt, especially its support for developing countries, Macron said. France is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on major global and regional issues such as climate change, public health and cooperation with African countries, Macron said, adding he hopes to visit China again in due course. The two heads of state held discussions on the bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the next stage, reached a number of important consensus and instructed relevant departments of the two countries to step up implementation in: 1. Welcoming the participation of the leaders of the legislative bodies of the two countries in the upcoming 11th meeting of the regular inter-parliamentary exchange mechanism, which will be held via video conference for the first time. 2. Carrying out more cooperation in such fields as biomedicine, biological breeding, moon and Mars exploration and satellite research and development. 3. Enhancing cooperation on customs inspection and quarantine through hotlines at border posts and other mechanisms to ensure the stability of supply chains. 4. Speeding up technical consultations on regional management of African swine fever despite the impacts of COVID-19 in order to achieve substantial results on the cooperation agreement as soon as possible. 5. Taking the opportunity of the Winter Olympic Games Beijing 2022 and the Olympic Games Paris 2024 to increase Olympic and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, so as to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship. 6. Welcoming the upcoming official entry into force of the China-EU agreement on geographical indications at the beginning of 2021 and supporting the introduction of quality and brand-name Chinese and French agri-food products such as tea, wine and cheese into each other's households. 7. Actively participating in the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator Initiative and the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, increasing support for developing countries and ensuring that vaccines are a public good that is effectively accessible and affordable for all people around the world. 8. Jointly upholding multilateralism and tackling climate change, making the Climate Ambition Summit on Dec. 12 and the One Planet Summit in January 2021 a success, mobilizing the international community to participate more actively in the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the 7th International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress, and promoting the aforementioned important international agenda to achieve positive results. The two sides also exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue and Antarctic marine protection. ^ top ^
Brazil Joins Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank as Founding Member (Caixin)
2020-12-10
Brazil became a founding member Tuesday of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the China-led multilateral bank that began operating in 2015 with a mandate to finance development projects around the world. The AIIB can support projects only in member countries. Brazil's joining means the lender will be able to finance Brazilian projects and Brazil will participate in governance of the bank, the Brazilian Embassy in China said in a social media post. Brazil signed the agreement to join the AIIB as the only South American founding member in 2015, but it needed to go through a formal process for joining the institution, including making payments for its stake in the AIIB. Headquartered in Beijing, the AIIB has 103 member countries worldwide and has approved investments in 106 projects totaling nearly $22 billion, according to data on its website. The AIIB complements China's flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), one of the pillars of President Xi Jinping's geostrategic ambition to catapult China into the position of a world-leading superpower by 2050. The bank has set aside a total of $13 billion to support member governments during the Covid-19 pandemic, of which more than $6 billion has already been invested. ^ top ^
India eager to drive a wedge between China, Myanmar (Global Times)
2020-12-08
According media reports, Indian officials, who asked not to be identified, said China is assisting rebel groups that have escalated attacks on its border with Myanmar in recent months. New Delhi has suspected that China has assisted and funded insurgent groups in India's northeastern states, but without any evidence. China, as a responsible great power, respects India's sovereign and territorial integrity. It spares no effort to maintain regional stability and implements a policy of neutrality in other countries' internal affairs. Indian officials groundlessly said China provided weapons to insurgent groups in India's northeastern states. As a matter of fact, China does not sell arms to any non-state actor. Rebel groups could acquire the weapons made in China through smuggling. But they could not be bought lawfully from China whatsoever. It is inaccurate for Indian media or politicians to conclude that China supplied weapons to these groups. The message from anonymous Indian officials also indicates the unreliability of such sources. If the Indian government had strong proof, it would engage in official negotiations with China and publicly protest against China's move. Bloomberg reported on Monday that it made calls and sent messages to the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs requesting comment - they went unanswered. As of press time, there has been no official response from the Indian government in regards to these unsubstantiated allegations. These anonymous officials also said armed groups in Myanmar, including the United Wa State Army and the Arakan Army, are acting as Beijing's proxies by supplying weapons and providing hideouts to insurgent groups in India's northeastern states, according to media reports. As a response, the United Wa State Army has also denied a role in providing any aid or support to Indian rebel groups on China's behalf. In recent years, under the Act East Policy, India has promoted its bilateral ties with Myanmar. Against this backdrop, India's accusations that China is supporting armed groups in Myanmar are meant to drive a wedge between China and Myanmar. However, Naypyidaw has always maintained solid relations with Beijing. Successive governments of Myanmar have highly trusted China. India's tricks will not impact China-Myanmar relations. Furthermore, India gave Myanmar a submarine in October. Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla along with country's army chief General M.M. Naravane paid a visit to Myanmar in the same month. Clearly, New Delhi is striving to intensify its relations with Naypyidaw, particularly with its Act East policy. It wants to use Myanmar to connect with ASEAN and suppress separatist forces in the northeast. This is understandable. China-Myanmar and India-Myanmar relations can develop without disturbing each other. For Myanmar, stable bilateral relations with China are important, whether in terms of economic development or national stability. India is also a large country, and it is normal for Myanmar to develop friendly relations with both China and India. However, India cannot drive a wedge between China and Myanmar. Nor can it change Myanmar's foreign policy. This is because Myanmar is different from India's neighboring countries. Myanmar is a member of ASEAN and is independent in foreign policies. It is hard for India to heavily influence Myanmar or affect its diplomatic policy. In addition to spreading rumors about China-Myanmar relations, India has also hyped up normal activities between China and South Asian countries, expressing its concerns about them. For example, India has accused China of arming India's neighbors, building villages in the "tri-junction between India, Bhutan and China," and even "invading" Nepal. This shows New Delhi is actually worried about China's close relationships with India's neighbors. India has always had a victimized mind-set, worrying that its interests will be hurt by China. This is an unhealthy mentality. New Delhi regards South Asia as its own backyard. It does not respect regional countries' independent rights at all. India has hyped these countries' relations with China because it worries that they will not respect India anymore. It is not necessary to adopt such a confrontational posture to deal with China. This will neither benefit India, nor China-India relations. ^ top ^
8,848.86 meters -- China, Nepal jointly announce new height of Mt. Qomolangma (People's Daily)
2020-12-08
The new height of Mount Qomolangma, the world's highest peak, is 8,848.86 meters, according to a joint announcement by China and Nepal on Tuesday. The figure, including the height of the snowcap, was confirmed by surveyors from the two countries, which reached a consensus last year to jointly declare the remeasured height of the peak and conduct scientific research on it. Chinese President Xi Jinping, exchanging letters with his Nepali counterpart Bidya Devi Bhandari on Tuesday, called Mount Qomolangma "an important symbol of the China-Nepal traditional friendship." For more than a year, the two countries' survey teams have overcome all kinds of difficulties, solidly carried out their work, and finally reached a conclusion on the snow height based on the International Height Reference System, he said. A Chinese survey team reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 27 and remeasured the peak height. The team members remained at the summit for two and a half hours, a new record for Chinese climbers. Nepali surveyors reached the top of the mountain in May 2019. The joint announcement of the new peak height is of great significance in carrying forward the undertakings of the predecessors to the future and showcasing the high level of the continuous development of China-Nepal relations, Xi noted. Khim Lal Gautam, who had scaled Mount Qomolangma in May 2019 for the Nepali measurement, said he is extremely happy to see both the countries endorsing the new height together. "The technical teams from both sides sat together sharing their data and information before reaching a conclusion," he told Xinhua. "This is an example of technical collaboration between the two countries." He said it is a good move that the two countries linked by mountains have joined hand in hand to have an uniformity in the height of Mount Qomolangma, which attracts the world's attention. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nepal. Hailing the joint efforts, Xi said both sides have enhanced mutual political trust, steadily advanced the building of the Belt and Road Initiative, and are turning the vision of a cross-Himalaya connectivity network into a reality. He called on China and Nepal to push forward their strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity, and work together to build a closer community of shared future benefitting both countries and peoples. In her letter, Bhandari said Nepal and China have always been good neighbors, friends and partners. It is in line with both countries' interests that the two countries conduct cooperation in areas of economic development, connectivity, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, she said. Bhandari said she is more than happy to jointly announce the height with Xi as the mountain is a lasting symbol of the traditional friendship between Nepal and China. Mount Qomolangma straddles the China-Nepal border, with its northern part located in Xigaze in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Chinese surveyors have conducted seven rounds of measurement and scientific research on Mount Qomolangma. The measurement released in 2005 was 8,844.43 meters (rock height). As the movements of the Indian and Eurasian plates continue, regular remeasurement of the peak needs to be updated. Theoretically, this should be done every 10 to 15 years, said Dang Yamin, who is in charge of the coordination of height measurement technologies. The latest measurement was markedly more scientific, reliable, and innovative than the previous one in 2005 thanks to the application of multiple homegrown technologies, including the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. "The collaboration in the announcement of the height jointly depicts the strong bonding between the two countries," Padma Kumari Aryal, Nepali minister for land management, told Xinhua. "As the height has been announced jointly, there would be no confusion from now on. ^ top ^
Will China lead a Middle East alliance as US-Iran tensions escalate? (SCMP)
2020-12-07
On November 28, top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated near Tehran. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for the "definitive punishment " of those who perpetrated this crime, which was apparently the result of a complex operation and is being blamed on both the United States and Mossad, Israel's external security agency. The assassination came amid mounting US-Iran tensions: in the days leading up to the killing, the US sanctioned five Chinese and Russian firms that it said had promoted Iran's missile programme. In a press conference on November 30, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying condemned the killing of Fakhrizadeh, saying it "undermines regional peace and stability". A draft of a 25-year strategic cooperation deal between China and Iran leaked in July, but which Beijing insisted was not a secret, is further evidence that China has a significant economic incentive – and has been quietly preparing itself – to play a larger role in Middle East diplomacy that explicitly rejects US unilateralism abroad. America's escalating of tensions with Iran could give China space to get more directly involved in Tehran's diplomatic affairs. In late October, after meeting his Iranian counterpart Javid Zarif in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for a new China-organised Middle East forum that would defuse tensions and "explore political and diplomatic solutions" to Middle East security issues. The meeting was part of a series of rapid Chinese policy shifts towards diplomatic intervention in the Middle East, implicitly competing with the US' recent moves, such as the Abraham Accords, under which the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalised relations with Israel. After the UN arms embargo was lifted on Iran, the US State and Defence departments have been maintaining unilateral sanctions against Iran without Security Council approval. In contrast, China has pledged in the past to be a steady partner to the Iranian nuclear deal. After meeting Zarif, Yi even suggested that nations taking part in the new Middle East forum would be required to sign onto the deal, which the US withdrew from in 2018. Deepening alliances between some Gulf countries and Israel – and the blaming of Israel for Fakhrizadeh's assassination – amplify Iran's sensitive role in the region. Beyond the assassination, Middle Eastern leadership is increasingly pivoting towards China as a strategic partner. Beijing is already discussing investments to support ambitious infrastructure and technology initiatives in the region, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's widely promoted Vision 2030 and the Assad regime's reconstruction in Syria. In October, Saudi Arabia's National Centre for Artificial Intelligence signed agreements with Chinese companies Huawei Technologies Co. and Alibaba Cloud as a part of its new AI strategy. The US estimates that Beijing already controls or has influence over around a quarter of Israel's multibillion-dollar tech industry. In turn, China's deepening reliance on the Middle East's energy supply – both clean energy and oil – means it is in its best interest to maintain economic and political stability in the region. Furthermore, precedents exist for broad diplomatic engagement between China and the Middle East. A primer meeting for an alliance like the one Wang talked about occurred in June with the online convening of the China-Arab States Political Parties Dialogue. Over 60 leaders from political parties across the Arab states, including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, joined the online dialogue with China. While what was achieved remains unclear, the very fact that such a summit occurred shows China is not shying away from deepening its diplomatic involvement across existing political divisions in the Middle East. The dialogue also revealed important clues about how China might proceed were it to use Fakhrizadeh's assassination as one of many factors to justify leading a larger geostrategic alliance. Targeting both national and party leaders showed Beijing's diplomatic apparatus seeks at least the appearance of neutral political relations with each nation in the region. Moreover, China has led the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation since 2001 as a political, economic and security-focused Eurasia alliance. While the first major international forum of the China-Arab States Political Parties Dialogue did discuss Syria in May 2018, it was more likely to be a way to justify the dialogue's existence than chart tangible multinational strategies on Syria. When one examines these two previous China-Middle East forums, it seems that if China were to form a new alliance, it might be more concerned with appearing diplomatic than actually advancing a political agenda. Regardless of whether such a forum emerges over the next few years, understanding China's complex motivations in the region requires more than just seeing things in investor-interventionist binary terms or viewing the region as a proxy for US-China tensions. At this point, Beijing's energy exports, infrastructure construction, technology investments and even diplomatic exchanges in the Middle East are all motivated by China's long-term economic rise. The country's economic ambitions remain the backbone – rather than an accessory – to its foreign policy decision-making. Its future path in Iran will remain no exception. ^ top ^
China, U.S. to work together to rebuild mutual trust: FM (Xinhua)
2020-12-07
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday urged joint efforts from China and the United States to ensure "a stable transition" of China-U.S. relations against disruptions of all kinds. They should be striving to resume dialogue, bring ties back on track, and rebuild mutual trust for the next stage of bilateral ties, Wang said in Beijing at a meeting with a delegation of the board of directors of the U.S.-China Business Council held via video link. Noting that China and the U.S. share broad common interests and room for cooperation, Wang said the countries, as the two biggest economies and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, should enhance dialogue and cooperation to contribute more to sustained peace and prosperity for humanity. Saying the future of China-U.S. relations hinges on the correct choices made by the U.S. and the joint efforts of the two sides, Wang put forward five proposals for promoting the sound and stable development of China-U.S. ties. First, Wang urged the U.S. to perceive China in a strategically correct way. He stressed that China is committed to a path of rejuvenation that pursues peaceful development and mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries to achieve win-win and all-win results. "We expect and believe the U.S.-China policy can and should return to an objective and rational track sooner or later," Wang said. Second, Wang called on the two countries to have communication and dialogue at all levels. The two sides can work out lists of dialogue, cooperation, and dispute management to provide a clearer picture for the maintaining and developing of bilateral ties, Wang said. He also encouraged sectors of strategic studies and businesses to enhance dialogue to provide intellectual and social support for the sound and stable development of China-U.S. relations. Third, Wang said the two countries should expand mutually beneficial cooperation. He suggested cooperation in COVID-19 pandemic responses, economic recovery, including the resumption of macro-economic policy dialogue and coordination, and responses to climate change. He also proposed coordination in major global challenges and hotspot issues such as poverty reduction, anti-terrorism and nonproliferation, and enhanced cooperation under multilateral frameworks. Fourth, Wang said the two sides should manage disputes and differences. He urged mutual respect toward each other's historical and cultural inheritance, core interests, and major concerns, as well as choices by the two countries' peoples concerning their respective national systems and development paths. "The two sides should manage disputes yet to be solved with a constructive attitude to avoid their escalation in order not to impact the general picture of China-U.S. relations," said Wang. Fifth, Wang proposed increasing public support for bilateral ties, urging the two sides to support enhanced exchanges in fields such as legislative bodies, businesses, media, and the youth. He also called on people of insight in both countries to give more objective and rational information and introduce to the general public the real picture of China's development and China-U.S. cooperation. Calling China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation the "ballast stone" of bilateral ties, Wang expressed the hope the USCBC and the U.S. business sector can play their due role in bringing bilateral relations back on track and make active contributions in the process. For their part, the attending U.S. delegation members, including USCBC's Chairman Tom Linebarger and President Craig Allen, said the council attaches great importance to ties with China, hailing China's return to normalcy in economic development and the impetus injected into a global recovery. They voiced support for enhanced dialogue and rebuilding mutual trust between the two countries, expressing the hope to play a more significant role in China's new development paradigm. They also pledged USCBC's active role in promoting the U.S.-China relations in the right direction. ^ top ^
We're not Wolf Warriors, we're only standing up for China, says senior official (SCMP)
2020-12-05
China's foreign vice-minister Le Yucheng has defended the use of rhetorical "tit-for-tat" after a string of recent controversies, saying it is a way of "solving the problems of being scolded" by other countries. He also attacked the use of the term "Wolf Warrior" to criticise the aggressive rhetoric adopted by some Chinese diplomats, equating it to the "China threat theory" and saying it was designed to stop China from fighting back when criticised. Le told a conference at Renmin University in Beijing on Saturday that it was a "misunderstanding of China's diplomacy", adding: "Now that they are coming to our doorstep, interfering in our family affairs, constantly nagging at us, insulting and discrediting us, we have no choice but to firmly defend our national interests and dignity. "Obviously, 'Wolf Warrior diplomacy' is actually another version of the 'China threat theory', another 'discourse trap' that aims to prevent us from fighting back. I suspect these people [that gave us this label] have not awakened from their dreams 100 years ago," Le added. He said China had succeeded in making technological advances and eliminating poverty and it was time for the country to take on its critics. "As General Secretary Xi Jinping puts it, lagging behind leaves one vulnerable to attacks, poverty makes one suffer hunger and losing discourse gets one scolded. Now that we have solved the first two problems, we must be determined to solve the problem of 'being scolded'," he added. The vice-minister rejected the idea that China is making enemies all over the world, despite the increasing belief that the incoming Biden administration is unlikely to result in a significant thaw in relations with the United States and the growing cracks in Beijing's relations with the EU over issues such as Hong Kong and Huawei. He offered a veiled criticism of the US, without directly naming it, for withdrawing from the World Health Organization and Paris climate agreement, as well as its role in collapsing the World Trade Organization appellate body. Le argued that China was a responsible power that has always been the defender of the international order. He said China is a country that "values rituals and ceremonies", and it has never tried to provoke others or pick fights. "Some superpower is trying to suppress and contain China by coercing other countries to take sides, creating a chilling effect. But even under these circumstances, China's 'friend circle' is getting larger, not smaller," he said. However, the increasingly assertive Wolf Warrior rhetoric – named after a series of nationalistic action movies – has caused increasing alarm in other parts of the world. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has come to be seen as the flag-bearer for the new breed of aggressive diplomats for his aggressive response to criticism on social media. Earlier this year he responded to the use of the term "China virus" by some US politicians by pushing a conspiracy theory that the coronavirus had been brought to Wuhan by American participants in last year's military games. "It might be the US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!" Zhao tweeted in March. In November, Zhao issued a blunt threat that the United States and the other members of the Five Eyes intelligence network risked "having their eyes poked out" after they criticised a ruling by Beijing that led to the immediate ousting of Hong Kong opposition lawmakers. This week Zhao angered Australia by retweeting a drawing that showed an Australian soldier holding a bloody knife to the throat of an Afghan child – a reference to a report that found members of the special forces had committed war crimes. The incident was the latest in an increasingly bitter row and follows the imposition of heavy tariffs on Australian goods after Canberra angered Beijing by criticising its policies towards Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In his lengthy speech, Le said it was "impossible" for China to compromise or silence other countries "insults", but would instead have to launch "a tit-for-tat struggle" against any "unscrupulous suppression and containment". "As General Secretary Xi Jinping said, Chinese people don't provoke trouble, but they do not fear provocations; their legs will not tremble and they will not bow in the face of difficulties and risks. When it comes to defending national interests, China's diplomacy is always backed by dignity without any attempt to yield or to please," he said. Le defended aggressive rhetoric as the solution to "being scolded" and indicated that what China is doing now is "far from enough". He said that in the past China had been stigmatised because it did not know how to defend itself. "Because we could not express ourselves well, others have described us as a 'yellow plague' and the 'sick man of East Asia', and they are still stigmatising and demonising our country to this day. This shows that although we have made great strides in expressing ourselves, it is still far from enough," he said. He also said: "Experts and academics should be brave enough to come out to expose and rebuke and to clarify, to defend the country and the [Communist] party … If the facts are distorted, they have to debate with eloquence." He added China would make "bigger contribution to stability and prosperity in the post-pandemic world" by opening up its market to other countries. ^ top ^
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Xi sends congratulatory letter to vocational skills competition (Xinhua)
2020-12-10
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a letter of congratulations to the country's first vocational skills competition in Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong Province. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended sincere greetings to the contestants and all skilled workers in the letter. The vocational skills competition provides a platform for workers to display their skills and learn from each other, and plays a positive role in expanding the skilled workforce and promoting social and economic development, according to the letter. Xi urged efforts to carry forward the spirit of model workers and craftsmanship, stimulate more workers, especially the younger generation, to improve their skills, and foster more highly skilled workers and craftsmen in a bid to achieve the goal of fully building a modern socialist country. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in his instruction that improving vocational skills is a crucial foundation for the country's manufacturing and services industries to move to a medium-to-high level. Li called for efforts to improve the training system for skilled workers, create a favorable environment to allow them to come to the fore, guide young workers to perfect their skills and build a skilled workforce, in a bid to boost employment, entrepreneurship and innovation in the country and ensure high-quality economic growth. Approved by the State Council, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security began holding national vocational skills competitions from this year. The first competition, running from Thursday to Sunday, will see over 2,500 contestants and 2,300 referees in 86 disciplines. ^ top ^
China to refine financial services, promote steady development of personal insurance (People's Daily)
2020-12-10
China will adopt a host of policy steps to promote the scale and quality of the personal insurance sector and facilitate its steady development, to meet people's diverse needs, the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Wednesday. It was agreed at the Wednesday meeting that further improving financial services and promoting the development of personal insurance is conducive to better serving people's essential needs and facilitating economic and social development. China's personal insurance has seen sound and fast development in recent years with commercial personal insurance reaching a considerable coverage nationwide, yet problems such as insufficient supply and low level of protection still exist, said the meeting. "The personal insurance sector in China has made notable progress in recent years, with insurance coverage continuously expanding and public awareness of risks steadily increasing. That said, the sophistication and coverage of China's personal insurance sector remain modest. This also indicates that China is a huge insurance market with enormous potential," Li said. Attendees at the meeting emphasized the need to deepen reform and opening-up of the insurance sector, with a focus on optimizing supply and providing high-quality personal-insurance products, to meet people's needs for health, old-age support and safety protection. The development of commercial insurance shall be stepped up. Commercial medical insurance products that suit the needs and paying capacity of the elderly shall be developed. Insurance companies will be encouraged to incorporate medical expenses, within reasonable range yet outside basic medical insurance catalog, into insurance coverage. "We must focus on key areas, especially the medical insurance or commercial health insurance. More types of insurance targeting critical illnesses shall be supported and aligned with the basic medical insurance system as supplement to enhance critical illness insurance protection for urban and rural residents," the premier said. "Openness shall be extended in an orderly manner, and international cooperation strengthened, to promote the development of health insurance and provide better services. At the current stage, medical insurance remains a top priority to meet people's growing demand for greater health," he said. Commercial endowment insurance, which serves as the third pillar of China's pension system, will be put under unified standards and regulations, and its development will be stepped up. The protection function of commercial endowment insurance shall be intensified. Endowment insurance featuring convenient application, flexible payment and relatively stable earnings shall be supported, and pension annuity insurance products actively developed. The insurance sector is encouraged to participate in a pilot insurance scheme for long-term care. "Commercial endowment insurance shall be vigorously developed. In the past few years, new industries and new business models have emerged as China deepens reform of government functions and encourages entrepreneurial and innovation activities nationwide," Li said. "Suitable supplementary endowment insurance shall be developed to cater to the needs of people working in these businesses, as well as of those in flexible employment, to ensure a more reliable guarantee for the future. It will help sustain existing jobs and create new jobs. This is a major task, and breakthroughs shall be made," he said. The long-term investment capabilities of insurance funds are to be enhanced, while the supervision of assets and liabilities will be strengthened, and risk prevention and control stepped up. Differentiated regulatory ratio shall be adopted for equity assets involving insurance fund investments, up to 45 percent of the company's total assets. Insurance funding will be encouraged to participate in major construction projects, such as infrastructure and new-type urbanization, to better facilitate its role in driving the real economy. Special rectification regarding related-party transactions will be carried out, to resolutely deter illegal acts of misuse, arbitrage or embezzlement of insurance company funds. "Risk prevention and control must be enhanced on an ongoing basis to prevent speculative use of insurance funds. Greater efforts shall be made to address the difficulty in settling insurance claims and draw more people to participate in insurance schemes," Li said. ^ top ^
China launches two satellites for gravitational wave detection (China Daily)
2020-12-10
China sent two satellites for the detection of gravitational waves into planned orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province on Thursday morning. The two satellites, which compose the Gravitational Wave High-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) mission, were launched by a Long March-11 carrier rocket at 4:14 am (Beijing Time), according to the center. Thursday's launch was the 355th mission of the Long March rocket series. The GECAM satellites will be used to monitor high-energy celestial phenomena such as gravitational wave gamma-ray bursts, high-energy radiation of fast radio bursts, special gamma-ray bursts and magnetar bursts, and to study neutron stars, black holes and other compact objects and their merger processes. In addition, they will also detect high-energy radiation phenomena in space, such as solar flares, Earth gamma flashes and Earth electron beams, providing observation data for scientists. The GECAM project is carried out by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Long March-11 rocket is developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. ^ top ^
China to ensure sustainability of macro policies: Premier Li (Xinhua)
2020-12-08
China will ensure the continuity, stability, and sustainability of its macro policies and try to keep the economy running within a reasonable range, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday. That came as Li met Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), via video link in Beijing. Hailing the IMF's significant contribution to promoting free trade and facilitating global economic development, Li expressed the hope that the organization can continue to help forge multilateral consensus and vowed China's due contribution in the process as the biggest developing country. On a briefing about China's current economic situation, Li said: "We are confident that China's economy will register positive growth this year, which is not an easy task to accomplish for a country with a 1.4 billion population." He pointed out that while the global economy is heading towards recovery, the world still faces uncertainties. "We will continue to promote economic and social development while keeping the COVID-19 pandemic under control, ensure the continuity, stability, and sustainability of macro policies, and try to keep the economy operating within a reasonable range," said Li. For her part, Georgieva said the IMF appreciated China's important role in trade, global economic recovery, poverty reduction, promoting low carbon growth, and other areas. She also expressed the IMF's readiness to enhance cooperation with China in upholding multilateralism and reviving global trade to strengthen the momentum of economic recovery globally. ^ top ^
Chengdu confirms new COVID cases (China Daily)
2020-12-08
Chengdu activated its emergency plan on Monday and started epidemiological investigations after confirming new local COVID-19 cases in the capital of Sichuan province for the first time since early this year. One of the patients, a 69-year-old woman surnamed Lu, visited a hospital in the city's Pidu district on Sunday after experiencing symptoms including a cough. She tested positive on Monday and was later diagnosed as a confirmed COVID-19 patient, the provincial health commission said. In response, Chengdu's health authority ordered all people who visited the hospital from 8 am on Sunday to 8 am on Monday to immediately get tested before Tuesday. On Monday evening, Lu's 71-year-old husband was reported as a new confirmed case, according to a news conference held by the Chengdu Municipal People's Government. The risk level in Pidu district's Taiping village was raised from low to medium on Monday as a result of the new cases. A total of 21 teams will conduct epidemiological investigations, carry out nucleic acid testing and disinfect places visited by the patients. Their close contacts have also been placed under medical observation. Chengdu is one of two cities on the Chinese mainland to report local cases on Monday. The other is Manzhouli in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, which reported three new local cases. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, which reported six confirmed cases from Nov 20 to 23, a residential neighborhood in Zhuqiao, Pudong New Area, became the final area of the city to be downgraded from medium-risk to low-risk. The neighborhood has not had any new COVID-19 cases for the past 14 days, according to the Shanghai Health Commission. Shanghai Pudong Hospital, which was locked down on Nov 20 when a nurse was diagnosed with COVID-19, will resume outpatient, emergency, hospitalization and other medical services on Tuesday, said the commission. Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Health Commission, said the city will strengthen measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 entering Shanghai through imported cold-chain food. "All high-risk imported cold-chain food that enters the city's ports or is stored, produced and sold here, will undergo additional external packaging sterilization and nucleic acid testing at designated sites, following customs inspection and sterilization," Wu said on Monday. The city has monitored cold-chain food and related environments in 1,854 locations, including large-scale wholesale markets, supermarkets, and e-commerce companies, he added. A total of 147,000 items of cold-chain food and their environmental samples have been tested for the virus, and all of these have been negative. ^ top ^
Chang'e 5 set to start journey to Earth (People's Daily)
2020-12-07
Lunar samples collected by China's Chang'e 5 robotic probe will soon start their journey toward Earth, according to the China National Space Administration. The rocks and dust from the moon have been delivered from Chang'e 5's ascender to their final host－the probe's reentry capsule, which will later bring them to Earth. The 400-kilogram ascender docked with the 2.3-metric ton orbiter-reentry capsule combination early on Sunday morning and then transferred a sealed container holding 2 kilograms of lunar samples into the capsule. The operation was the first automated rendezvous and docking of any spacecraft in lunar orbit. The last time two components of a spacecraft docked with each other in lunar orbit was in December 1972 during the final Apollo mission, and that was monitored and controlled by astronauts. One of the most crucial devices during the highly sophisticated docking maneuver on Sunday morning, a microwave radar, which is mounted on the orbiter, worked with its transponder on the ascender to measure the rapidly changing distance and provided communication between the two traveling vehicles to allow them to adjust their position during the docking. Engineers at the 25th Institute of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp Second Academy designed and built the devices. They applied multiple advanced technologies to the apparatus, making them the best of their kind in the world, said Sun Wu, the equipment's chief designer at the institute. Several hours after the docking, the ascender departed from the orbiter-reentry capsule combination around noon, while the combination continued orbiting the moon before its journey back to Earth, the space administration said in a statement on Sunday afternoon. After arriving in Earth orbit, the pair will separate in due course, and the reentry capsule will conduct a series of complicated maneuvers to return to a preset landing site in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region in mid-December. Chang'e 5, China's largest and most sophisticated lunar probe, has four main components－an orbiter, lander, ascender and reentry capsule. The spacecraft was launched by a Long March 5 heavy-lift carrier rocket on Nov 24 at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, setting out on China's most challenging lunar adventure and the world's first mission since 1976 to bring lunar samples to Earth. The probe separated into two parts－the orbiter-reentry capsule combination and the lander-ascender combination－while in lunar orbit on Nov 30. Late on Tuesday, the lander-ascender combination landed on the moon, becoming the world's third spacecraft to touch down on the lunar surface this century after its predecessors－Chang'e 3 and 4.Shortly after the landing, it began to use a drill to obtain samples from 2 meters beneath the lunar surface. It finished the underground operation on Wednesday morning, and then started to use a mechanical arm to recover surface dirt. All collection and packing processes were completed on Wednesday night, much sooner than expected. Samples were packed into a vacuum container inside the ascender. The ascender activated an engine on Thursday night to lift itself into an elliptical lunar orbit to prepare for docking with the reentry capsule, marking the first time a Chinese spacecraft has blasted off from an extraterrestrial body. If this mission is successful, it will make China the third nation to bring samples back from the moon, after the United States and the former Soviet Union. A total of about 382 kilograms of lunar rocks and dust were recovered by the US Apollo mission astronauts and the Soviet Luna robotic landers from 1969 to 1976. ^ top ^
In green milestone, China to end solid waste imports (People's Daily)
2020-12-06
Once the world's biggest recipient of overseas trash, China will institute a sweeping ban on all imports of solid waste starting on the first day of next year, capping off three years of efforts to phase out such imports amid the country's steady push for a green shift. Recycling foreign trash, such as plastics, paper and metals, has supported the growth of China's manufacturing sector and its economic takeoff for nearly four decades. The practice, however, has become increasingly untenable, with the harm caused to the environment and people's health jarring with the country's pursuit of high-quality growth. As of mid-November, China's imports of solid waste this year came in at 7.18 million tonnes, down 41 percent year on year. The plunge is consistent with the downward momentum seen since late 2017 when China tightened curbs on solid-waste imports. The figures for 2017 and 2018 stood at 42.27 million tonnes and 22.63 million tonnes, respectively, while in 2019 the figure dropped to 13.48 million tonnes. The imminent total ban also applies to the dumping, stacking and disposal of solid waste products from overseas on Chinese territory. "The victory of realizing the goal of zero imports of solid waste is in sight," said Qiu Qiwen, director of the department of solid waste and chemicals of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE). He expects the ban to end the Chinese recycling industrialists' addiction to waste dumped by developed countries, bringing the country's focus back to recycling more of the waste produced in the domestic market. "This is good news!" tweeted Erik Solheim, former UN Under-Secretary-General and executive director of UNEP, in his reaction to China's waste imports ban. "This will force developed nations to be more innovative in taking better care of their own waste." China began importing solid waste in the 1980s when its growing manufacturing base amplified the need for raw materials, which were in short supply. The recycling of imported waste helped to fill that gap. From the mid-1990s to 2016, in parallel with China's economic ascent, its annual imports of solid waste grew from about 4 million tonnes to 46.5 million tonnes. Developed countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan have been the main sources. In 2016, China imported more than half of the world's solid waste. Many obscure Chinese towns have been put on the map by their specialization in recycling. Guiyu township in south China's Guangdong Province became known as the world's e-waste capital. Dismantling over 1 million tonnes of imported electronics waste annually has made local people rich. In the city of Taizhou, in east China's Zhejiang Province, 2 million tonnes of scrap metal was imported and recycled in one year at the peak of its recycling operations, creating 200,000 jobs. The recycling business is not all roses, however. What with unbridled expansion, illegal imports of substandard or even poisonous recyclables, inadequate oversight on disposals, and informal workshops that mainly rely on human hands to sort and clean garbage, China's rivers, air and land suffered from pollution and people got sick. Over 90 percent of kids in Guiyu fell prey to heavy metal contamination, with high levels of lead in their blood being the most common in lab test results, according to a report that tracked the health of local children in the years from 2006 to 2013. An investigation conducted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (the MEE's predecessor) in 2017 found that more than 60 percent of inspected recycling facilities in China breached environmental laws. With China now following a maxim illustrated by the slogan "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," blind acceptance of foreign waste proves incongruent with the country's development aspirations, and it has to change. About 10 billion tonnes of solid waste are produced annually in China. This amount of waste, if poorly handled, will be a huge burden on the environment and mean a missed opportunity for putting domestic recyclables to good use. China's ban on waste imports will undoubtedly have knock-on effects that will be widely felt. Already positive changes are being seen in China -- businesses are required to be more environmentally-friendly and people are embracing a more responsible lifestyle. […] Despite the merits and promises of the waste import ban, experts have advised continued support for the waste processing plants to tap into the vast domestic market. The Shenzhen-headquartered Qianzhan Industry Research Institute has underscored the importance of fund support. The majority of the recycling companies in China are small and medium-sized, and so often lack the capital to invest in technologies and attract talent, making it difficult for them to be creative, competitive and grow, Qianzhan said in a report. More collection points near residential communities should be set up to make it easier for the recyclable waste to be collected and utilized, said Ding Guopei, board chairman of Zhejiang Hehe Environmental Resources Co., Ltd. Meanwhile, as bulk smuggling of foreign garbage has diminished amid the country's crackdown efforts, more disguised forms of smuggling, usually in small quantities, are emerging, requiring the authorities to step up their game. For example, items such as display screens and used phones are easy to disassemble and transport separately. It is hard to intercept the sporadic smuggling of such waste, said Zhang Hong, an official with the Shenzhen customs. Faced with new challenges of foreign-waste smuggling, Chinese customs authorities have strengthened oversight, aided by more up-to-date technologies, such as big data. China will not relent its efforts to crack down on smuggling of foreign waste and any violations of the import ban will be severely punished, said Qiu, the MEE official. ^ top ^
Most Covid-19 Patients Could Suffer Long-Term Complications, Expert Warns (Caixin)
2020-12-04
Most hospitalized Covid-19 patients will experience long-term repercussions from the disease after being discharged, including fatigue, muscle weakness and sleep disorders, according to a study by Chinese medical researchers. Cao Bin, director of the center for respiratory diseases at China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, told an online medical conference last week that the new coronavirus could leave recovered patients with long-term after-effects. Cao's team monitored 1,733 patients who were discharged from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital (金银潭医院), one of those designated to treat critical patients in the outbreak epicenter in China from January to May. The research found that more than 70% of the surveyed patients experienced at least one of many complications, such as fatigue, muscle weakness and sleep disorders, plus joint pain, lack of appetite, anxiety, depression and difficulties in walking. Nearly 30% of the patients failed a six-minute walking test, an exercise used to assess aerobic capacity and endurance, and more than 20% reported psychological complications, according to the research. Furthermore, half of the recovered patients tested abnormal on at least one item on their CT scan. The research was published as new Covid-19 cases have been surging rapidly in many countries, with the global tally surpassing 65 million and deaths reaching 1.5 million as of Friday. At the medical conference, Cao called on his colleagues to pay close attention to the long-term after-effects of Covid-19 in an effort to guide medical treatment and the development of vaccines and drugs. Covid-19 can result in body cells dying and the immune system being attacked, which will likely cause further harm, Cao said. In the early stage of the outbreak in Wuhan, most patients in a critical condition displayed signs of multiple organ failure. The research also showed that patients were more likely to be reinfected if their antibodies decreased at a faster rate. Thus, they should be regarded as high-risk people who warrant close monitoring in the future, Cao added. Cao said that his team has been planning to conduct a one-year follow-up experiment with recovered patients. The post-viral effects are not unique to Covid-19. The findings echoed previous research results for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). All three diseases are caused by coronaviruses. Studies have shown that people suffered from physical and mental health problems after recovering from SARS or MERS. After one year in recovery from SARS, about half of the patients still reported breathing problems, a Canadian report said. Only 13% of respondents said they had no symptoms after recovery. Research by the Chinese University of Hong Kong into 86 patients in recovery from SARS over 18 months also showed adverse impacts on lung conditions, athletic ability and life quality. A South Korean study found that 42.9% of patients who recovered from MERS had post-traumatic stress disorder. The study said the disease had long-term effects on people's psychological health. ^ top ^
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| Beijing |
Beijing Daxing Int'l Airport introduces courtesy passages into COVID-19 prevention, control (Xinhua)
2020-12-09
Passengers write down their personal information and sign commitment letters as they pass a temperature checkpoint set up to help control the spread of COVID-19 via a courtesy passage at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 9, 2020. Beijing Daxing International Airport has introduced courtesy passages into its COVID-19 prevention and control mechanism. Elderly passengers, as well as passengers without smartphones, can easily pass the airport's temperature checkpoints by registering with the ground staff and signing a commitment letter, even they don't have access to health-tracking apps on a mobile phone. ^ top ^
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| Guangdong |
Shenzhen sees influx of HK residents fleeing epidemic (Global Times)
2020-12-07
There has been a spike in the number of people from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) entering the Chinese mainland via Shenzhen Bay Port in South China's Guangdong Province, with numbers of up to 3,000 in one day, as the fourth wave of the epidemic engulfs the international financial hub. Long lines of people were seen waiting to make their way through the Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint and be picked up to receive 14 days of quarantine, the Global Times found on Monday. Queuing travelers were provided with chairs and canopy shelters outside the entry hall, as they had to wait for buses to send them to quarantine hotels. Some said they had to wait several hours before completing the quarantine procedures at customs and be sent to hotels. A Hong Kong resident surnamed Tan told the Global Times that she arrived at Shenzhen Bay Port around 2 pm on Sunday and passed customs at 5 pm, and eventually checked in to a hotel at around 11 pm. "Lines of people were waiting. The whole procedure is just too slow," she said. It is the only opening port between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, as other ports in Shenzhen are temporarily closed due to COVID-19 prevention policies. Hong Kong recorded a spike in confirmed cases with 101 new cases found on Saturday and 95 on Sunday. The number of Hong Kong residents entering Shenzhen Bay port reached 2,700 on December 1 and reached its peak of 3,060 on December 2, according to data compiled by the Hong Kong Immigration Department. On Sunday, the number stayed at 1,761, the Global Times found. The normal daily influx of Hong Kong residents into Shenzhen Bay port is usually in the hundreds. In early July when the second wave of the epidemic broke out in Hong Kong, the number of Hong Kong residents entering Shenzhen through Shenzhen Bay Port also saw a rapid increase. Local hotels have been fully registered every day for the last seven days, a staff member at a Vienna Hotel branch, which has been designated as a quarantine hotel, told the Global Times. "As the port has seen increasing passenger numbers coming in, we've been receiving increasing numbers of guests," the staff said. It will take a long time before government officials sort out how to arrange them into hotels for quarantine, as the designated hotels are basically at full capacity, the staff member said. The majority of the cross-border travelers are students, as schools in Hong Kong have ended their semester early due to the epidemic, a medical worker in a protective suit working at the Shenzhen Bay Port told the Global Times on Monday. Tan also said many students together with their parents have been seen crossing the border at the port. Hong Kong is currently experiencing the fourth wave of COVID-19 epidemic, which mostly involves high-income groups and elites. Many local transmission cases are of unknown sources, as elites are reluctant to cooperate in divulging their travel histories, Jin Dongyan, a professor at the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Hong Kong, told the Global Times on Monday. The fourth wave, which saw a peak around November 23, is in a slow downward trend, Jin said, adding that the R0 number in the city currently remains at around 1, meaning the epidemic in the city is controllable. But achieving zero infections will be difficult, as the city has been running normally since the epidemic and borders remain open for international travelers. As Christmas approaches, Jin warned of increasing risks, saying Hong Kong may see its fifth wave of outbreaks if people cannot properly follow anti-epidemic social distancing guidelines. Recent COVID-19 infections from Hong Kong has prompted the border city of Shenzhen to tighten measures, as the mainland city has been focused on preventing the epidemic from flaring up. Observers said Shenzhen will feel pressure but believed it could get through it, given its vast experience in handling imported cases. Shenzhen reported one imported asymptomatic case on Saturday who was a resident of Hong Kong. The man had come to Shenzhen via Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint and was quarantined upon arrival, Shenzhen health authorities said. In early December, a truck driver who commutes between Hong Kong and Shenzhen and one of his close contacts were confirmed to have the coronavirus, which prompted communities in Shenzhen to roll out tests on all related residents who might have had contact with him. In a bid to better manage drivers who commute between the two cities, the Global Times learned that the mainland city has required drivers to register online before crossing the border and scan their health codes when they reach their destination. Besides, they must have obtained a negative nucleic acid test within the last seven days. Drivers had previously tested every three days, but now the test will be conducted daily. Due to the increasing testing frequency, long queues were also seen among drivers waiting to get tested while crossing the ports, staff from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions said. ^ top ^
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| Tibet |
Tibet records nation's top GDP growth rate (China Daily)
2020-12-07
During the first three quarters of this year, the Tibet autonomous region's GDP reached more than 130 billion yuan ($20 billion)-up 6.3 percent year-on-year-placing its growth above all other regions and provinces in China. The growth came despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to ravage the globe. In the first quarter, the region's GDP attained year-on-year growth of 1 percent, making it the only region to see a positive growth in China during the period, according to Xinhua News Agency. For the first half of the year, the region's GDP increased 5.1 percent, the fastest among the 16 Chinese provinces and regions that saw positive economic growth. Tibet's economy strongly relies on projects initiated by the central government and other Chinese provinces. So far this year, the region has received investments of 59.6 billion yuan from the central government. To date, 540 Tibetan aid projects have been implemented in the region, thanks to the financial support. Funds allocated to help Tibet increased 51.3 percent year-on-year. The growth was fueled largely by the bio-economic, tourism, digital and clean energy industries. The digital industry alone saw a year-on-year growth of 37 percent between January and September this year. The Tibet Ningsuan Technology Group, with an investment of more than 11.8 billion yuan, is building the world's highest big data center in Lhasa, the regional capital. "Since we started in 2017, the local government has given us a variety of support, which has largely accelerated the project," Jiang Ning, the company president, was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency. Tourism, the region's traditional pillar industry, capitalized on the momentum. According to a statement from the regional government's website, Tibet received more than 8 million tourists in the first half of the year, ranking No 1 in tourism market recovery in China-up 27 percent year-on-year in May and 37 percent in June-after gaining control of the COVID-19 epidemic. Hu Xiongying, an official of Lunang International Tourism Town in Tibet's Nyingchi city, said during the National Day holiday in October, the town received more than 51,000 tourists, up 66.8 percent year-on-year, and tourism revenue hit more than 5.6 million yuan, up 66.4 percent year-on-year. Nie Chi, the owner of Tibet Torch Culture and Media Co, said his company has seen income rise 35 percent compared with the previous year. "There's a sharp growth in design and creativity services in the region's special traditional industries and green enterprises," he said. "The expansion of the creative industry market space shows Tibet's industries are growing toward refinement and green technology creativity." In the last five years, Tibet's GDP growth led the nation with an average annual rate of 9.3 percent. Thubten Khedrub, a professor from Tibet University, said if the region can maintain the trend, the economic gap between it and the rest of the country will quickly narrow. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
Historic success of eradicating absolute poverty in Xinjiang should hit the headlines (People's Daily)
2020-12-07
Though people from all walks of life expect to know a story exactly how it unfolds, many media outlets are failing them in learning the full truth. People expect the media to remain objective while running news, be it positive or negative, going beyond any sort of partiality and bias. However, the media have a long history of deviating from the canons and principles of journalism, leading to the development of terms like yellow journalism, tabloid journalism, and checkbook journalism over the years. In the age of globalization, they appear to have broken all records of partiality in disseminating news. In this case, Xinjiang is an unambiguous example of how the media is obsessed with negative stories, be it true or false, of a specific region to serve the interests of the parties they have aligned themselves with. In doing so, the media can't even make time to look at pieces of positive news regularly unfolding in Xinjiang under their very nose. Many media are constantly producing negative news about Xinjiang. Never have they told the world that the region is achieving tremendous successes in all sectors including economic, social, environmental, and security, seemingly reluctant to give coverage of the outstanding achievements of the Chinese government in Xinjiang. As is typical, the news of the eradication of abject poverty in Xinjiang has lately failed to draw the media's attention. Though they would undoubtedly have "talked up" the news if it had happened in any other country except for China. Thanks to alternative media, especially social media platforms, the success stories of Xinjiang in poverty eradication is now on everyone's tongue. The world has already learned that Xinjiang has bidden farewell to absolute poverty. The last 10 impoverished counties, including Shache, Moyu and Akto, in the autonomous region have managed to end abject poverty. People in the once-poverty-hit counties now have stable access to education, medical care, and other civil amenities. Following the poverty eradication from the last counties, more than 3.08 million registered impoverished residents in Xinjiang have shaken off absolute poverty. It was not an easy task to eradicate abject poverty from the region. Though Xinjiang has beautiful scenery and abundant resources, it had a relatively backward economy. Its southern part has long been one of the contiguous poverty-stricken areas in China, but the tremendous and outstanding historic feats are attributed to the Communist Party of China (CPC). The party has undertaken a series of major decisions and arrangements that have put Xinjiang in a special position to ensure its steady and sound economic development over time. The CPC has initiated the new philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green, and open development for the benefit of all, bringing about a historic change in the overall development of Xinjiang. Under the philosophy, top priority is being given to the needs of the people, allocating over 70 percent of the regional budget expenditure for ensuring and improving people's livelihood in recent years. For the same reason, the party has also promoted major livelihood programs relating to employment, education, healthcare, and social security. The Xinjiang government has mobilized more than 1.12 million civil servants to establish kin-like relations with 1.69 million households of those in poverty. The civil servants have conducted "relative-visit week" activities regularly, in which they have wholeheartedly and effectively helped people solve difficulties in production and life. As a result, from 2014 to 2019, a sound economic momentum was sustained with an average annual GDP growth rate of 7.2 percent in Xinjiang. The living standards of local people have significantly improved with an average annual growth of 9.1 percent in residential per capita disposable income. During this period, affordable housing projects in rural areas had assisted over 675,600 impoverished households, putting an end to the time when poverty-stricken rural residents had to live in dilapidated houses. I have picked Xinjiang to illustrate China's decade-long fight against poverty. The same holds true for every region and province of the country. As a result, China has escaped from absolute poverty one decade before the deadline set by the United Nations for developing countries to get rid of abject poverty, but such a historic and epoch-making success couldn't hit the headlines of the media only because it has been achieved by China. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
Liaison office of central gov't firmly supports HKSAR gov't in strictly enforcing law (Xinhua)
2020-12-08
The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday strongly condemned the illegal and violent act of "bomb intimidation" against the magistrate designated for handling national security crimes as well as his family members. The liaison office said it firmly supports the HKSAR government in strictly enforcing the law and the judges in performing their duties according to the law. According to the national security law in the HKSAR, the chief executive designates certain judges in handling cases concerning offence endangering national security, and the appointed judges conduct fair trials of cases under the jurisdiction of the HKSAR in accordance with the Basic Law and national security law. This is not only the requirement for the HKSAR to fulfil its constitutional responsibility to safeguard national security, but also the need to effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of Hong Kong residents, a spokesperson of the liaison office said. A few radicals tried to influence the decision of certain case by intimidating the appointed magistrate, which not only severely damaged the rule of law in Hong Kong, but also blatantly defied the national security law, the spokesperson said. "We firmly support the HKSAR government and police in resolutely enforcing the law, investigating the case as soon as possible, punishing lawbreakers strictly, so as to protect the personal safety of the magistrate and uphold the rule of law in Hong Kong." The spokesperson stressed that the rule of law is a core value of Hong Kong society, and any act that blatantly challenges the bottom line of law and public order is unpopular and intolerable. It is believed that people from all walks of life will support the HKSAR in performing its duty of safeguarding national security in accordance with the law, maintaining the long-term stability of Hong Kong society, and ensuring the long-term and steady development of "one country, two systems," the spokesperson added. According to local media reports, Chief Magistrate Victor So, one of the judges designated by HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam to handle national security cases, received a phone call threatening to "blow up" his wife and children one day after he denied bail to Jimmy Lai, founder of Next Digital, in a fraud case. So then called the police. The police have followed up the case and launched an investigation. ^ top ^
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| Macau |
Macao holds Global Tourism Economy Forum with focus on tourism recovery (Xinhua)
2020-12-10
The ninth Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) opened in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Wednesday, attracting worldwide tourism leaders from the public and private sectors as well as experts and scholars to share their views on tourism recovery when facing the pandemic. Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and GTEF Chairman Ho Hau Wah, and SAR's Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U who was also the representative of Macao SAR's chief executive, delivered welcome remarks at the opening ceremony. Ho said that we all hold the same determination and desire to work collaboratively in efforts to provide solutions for the recovery of the global tourism economy. The forum is an advanced international exchange and cooperation platform dedicated to fostering the sustainable development of the global tourism economy, he added. Ao Ieong said this year is such an unusual year filled with unprecedented challenges. Confronted by the new prospect and challenges, the tourism industry needs more than ever to unite in restoring confidence in travel. Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC and Chairman of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce Gao Yunlong, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Zurab Pololikashvili, China's Culture and Tourism Minister Hu Heping and other industry leaders presented opening keynotes online. With a theme of "Solidarity and Innovation: Reshaping Tourism in the New Global Economy", the forum invited about 50 government and industry leaders as well as tourism organization and enterprise leaders from China and abroad to share the foresight and visions on tourism recovery and sustainable tourism development. The forum had dialogues covering topics such as public-private partnerships for restarting tourism economy, air travel under the new norm and solidarity to reshape the tourism economy. UNWTO and Global Tourism Economy Research Centre also presented the report Asia Tourism Trends 2020 Edition during the forum. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
Military pressure essential for reunification with Taiwan: experts (Global Times)
2020-12-06
As the tension between the Chinese mainland and the island of Taiwan grows and some foreign media even predicted that the US could make more provocations to escalate the matter, experts from the two sides of the Taiwan Straits said that reunification between the mainland and the island of Taiwan will not be realized without military pressure. They made the remarks at the Global Times annual forum 2020 held in Beijing on Saturday. Wang Zaixi, former deputy director of the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits of the State Council and vice president of the National Society of Taiwan Studies, told the forum that the possibility of peaceful reunification of Taiwan is diminishing. The secessionist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the current ruling party of the island, would crack down on any party that may propose reunification with the mainland, Wang said. Zhu Feng, a professor of international relations at Nanjing University, said at the forum, "We have seen enough political farce within the island and we attach no hope to the political forces within the island to change the status quo and make joint efforts with the mainland to realize reunification." "The key is how the power balance of the geopolitics and strategic situation would change in the West Pacific region. As long as China has enough strength and influence and dominates the situation," reunification will only be a matter of time, Zhu said. Chiu Yi, a Taiwan-based expert on cross-Straits relations and a TV commentator, said at the forum that whether the possibility of peaceful reunification exists or not, it depends on how to define peaceful reunification. "If it means reunification without pressure from the mainland, then peaceful reunification won't happen. If it means peaceful reunification under military pressure, then it would be possible." But Zhu advised not to forget that a peaceful solution is still possible eventually. "The power struggle between China and the US is becoming more balanced. In fact, the US' ability, confidence and strategic space for containing and separating China is declining." "China's determination and willingness to peacefully solve the Taiwan question has never wavered," Zhu said. "As long as the Chinese mainland takes a stable and solid path, it is believed that the possibility of a peaceful reunification will increase." Huang Chih-hsien, a TV commentator from Taiwan and an expert on cross-Straits ties, said at the forum that secessionists in the island should not overestimate their strength. "How tough could Tsai Ing-wen [the head of the DPP and the regional leader of the island] and Su Tseng-chang [head of the island's executive body] be when mainland forces arrive? Or maybe they will make the Five-Starred Red Flag [the national flag of the People's Republic of China] at home to embrace the reunification," she noted. ^ top ^
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| Economy |
RCEP raises hopes of China-Japan-ROK deal (China Daily)
2020-12-10
The 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states and China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand formally signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement on Nov 15, marking the birth of the world's largest free trade area. This has led to speculation about the free trade agreement among China, Japan and the ROK being finally realized. Leaders of the three countries agreed at the trilateral summit in 2012 to start negotiations on the FTA and have held 16 rounds of formal negotiations since March 2013. However, a China-Japan-ROK FTA is yet to emerge. The three countries are not just close neighbors but also close economic and trade partners. For China, Japan is its second largest export destination after the United States and the second-largest source of imports, while the ROK is its third largest export destination and one of the largest import sources. For Japan, China has replaced the US as its largest export destination and has been the largest source of imports since 2007, while the ROK is its third-largest export destination and fourth-largest source of imports. For the ROK, China has been its largest export destination since 2003 and the largest source of imports since 2007, while Japan is its fifth-largest export destination and second-largest source of imports. The three countries have also formed a prominent foreign direct investment partnership. Such close trade and investment ties should have hastened an FTA, but a series of factors are obstructing it. However, the signing of the RCEP and the recent China-US political and economic trends have brought about some changes. First, there will soon be a new administration in the United States, with Joe Biden replacing Donald Trump as US president. Under the Biden administration, US allies such as Japan and the ROK may have more space to make their own strategic choices. Second, despite the trade and high-tech wars the US has waged against it in recent years, China's economic growth rate is still much higher than that of the US, Japan and European countries. Moreover, as China's "dual circulation" development paradigm will focus more on expanding domestic demand, the huge size of its market and new business opportunities will become increasingly important policy variables for strategic policymakers in Japan and the ROK. Therefore, the signing of the RCEP has made a China-Japan-ROK FTA more likely. The signing of an advanced trilateral FTA in the future will certainly encounter obstructions from the US, but Japan and the ROK will encounter less pressure than before the RCEP deal. ^ top ^
China's Exports Surge in Year-End Rush; Surplus Hits Record (Caixin)
2020-12-07
China's exports jumped in November by the most since early 2018 as year-end demand surged, pushing the trade surplus to a monthly record. Exports rose 21.1% in dollar terms in November from a year earlier, the most since February 2018, while imports gained 4.5%, the customs administration said Monday. That left a trade surplus of $75.4 billion for the month, which was the largest on record in data going back to at least 1990. Economists had forecast that exports would increase by 12% while imports would grow by 7%. China's solid trade figures and the recovery in domestic consumption points to an economic rebound that remained on track in November • Global demand had started recovering before the latest resurgence in virus cases in some of China's biggest markets, including the U.S. and Europe. South Korea's exports, a bellwether for global trade, strengthened in November, while China's latest purchasing managers' index showed a pick-up in new export orders. The new virus waves in Europe, the U.K. and elsewhere may further fuel demand for China's exports of personal protective gear and work-from-home devices, a key driver of export growth so far. "The export boom is one of the biggest economic surprises this year regarding China's outlook," with China benefiting from effective containment of the virus and strong Christmas orders, said Zhou Hao, an economist at Commerzbank AG in Singapore. "Imports are slightly weaker than expected, which shows that the infrastructure spending might need to take a break as the winter is approaching". As the year-end approaches, China needs to ramp up its imports from the U.S. to meet the terms of the phase one trade deal, but the latest data showed that China is nowhere near meeting the target. U.S. president-elect Joe Biden recently said that he wouldn't quickly remove tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and will consult allies before developing a China strategy. China's trade balance with the U.S. reached a new record of $37.4 billion. Exports of medical equipment in the January-November period jumped 42.5% in dollar terms from a year ago, while that of textile yarn, fabric and its products grew by 31%. Imports of iron ore in the first 11 months of this year rose almost 10.9% from the same period in 2019, while soybean purchases from overseas climbed 17.5%. Excluding the volatile lunar New Year period, export growth was the strongest since mid-2011. ^ top ^
Opening-up, tech ties key to dual-circulation (China Daily)
2020-12-07
Further opening up and strengthening international cooperation in technological innovation are essential to China's pursuit of the dual-circulation pattern, a new development paradigm, according to economists from a Chinese government think tank. To build a new development paradigm, it is necessary to improve the system for a higher-standard open economy, said Zhang Qi, director-general of the Research Department of Foreign Economic Relations. The department is part of the Development Research Center, which functions under the aegis of the State Council, China's Cabinet. Floated in May, the dual-circulation development pattern allows the domestic and overseas markets to reinforce each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay. Zhang said China should further advance institutional opening-up, and establish more high-level open platforms including pilot free trade zones and free trade ports, and give them greater autonomy to reform. China rolled out a master plan in June on building the southern island province of Hainan into a globally influential free trade port, and in September opened three new FTZs-one in Beijing, and the other two in Hunan and Anhui provinces, increasing the total number of FTZs in the country to 21. Meantime, efforts should be made to further advance bilateral and multilateral regional cooperation, while upholding the multilateral trading system and improving the global economic governance system, Zhang said. The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, the world's biggest trade pact, marks a new stride toward regional economic integration among Asia-Pacific economies. Zhang believed the RCEP will provide more opportunities for communication and mutual benefit in trade, investment, services and other aspects. Opening-up and international cooperation will also be key drivers for China to improve its capacity for scientific and technological innovation, said Tian Jietang, deputy director-general for the Research Department of Innovation Development of the DRC. "China's international sci-tech cooperation will be conducted on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win results, rather than a matter of importing technologies," Tian said. "We hope that all our partners can benefit from this approach." To enhance economic and technological cooperation with other countries, China has revised the catalog of technologies that are subject to export bans or restrictions. The catalog deleted four items prohibited from export, including microbial fertilizing and caffeine production technologies, while five items subject to export restrictions were removed. Public health and epidemic prevention and control, including drug and vaccine testing, is now a priority in international cooperation, Tian said. To stimulate the innovation of domestic enterprises, the market should play its role in order to lower their opportunity costs, Tian said. Besides the market, the government should help companies lower risks and costs, including by reducing firms' research and development expenditures, and cutting or eliminating taxes for high-tech enterprises, he said. ^ top ^
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| DPRK |
DPRK passes new laws on foreign culture, tech, telecom (Xinhua)
2020-12-05
The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has passed a number of new laws on foreign culture, tech and telecom, the Korean Central News Agency reported on Saturday. At the 12th Plenary Meeting of the 14th Presidium of the SPA on Friday, the members of the SPA Presidium discussed and endorsed a series of laws on "rejecting reactionary ideology and culture," on introduction of sci-tech achievements, on forestry, and on mobile telecommunications, the KCNA report said. The law on rejecting the reactionary ideology and culture specifies the principles to be certainly observed by all the institutions, enterprises, organizations and citizens in further cementing our ideological, revolutionary and class positions by thoroughly preventing the inroads and spread of the anti-socialist ideology and culture and firmly maintaining our idea, spirit and culture, it said. The law on the introduction of sci-tech achievements details the issue of tightening discipline in mapping out, notifying, grasping, controlling and reviewing the plans of introduction of sci-tech achievements, and the issue of ensuring scientific accuracy, objectivity and correctness in deliberating, examining, estimating and confirming the introduction of sci-tech achievements, it added. The law on mobile telecommunications deals with the principal issues arising in mobile telecommunications including the set-up, management and operation of mobile telecommunications facilities, the modern perfection of mobile telecommunications network, the diversification of mobile telecommunications, service and use of mobile telecommunications and registration of mobile telecommunications equipment. According to the report, the Presidium of the SPA also decided that the 4th Session of the 14th SPA will be convened in Pyongyang in late January next year. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
Mongolia, Vietnam hold consultative meeting of foreign ministries (Montsame)
2020-12-09
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia B.Munkhjin and his Vietnamese counterpart Le Hoai Trung held 9th consultative meeting between the foreign ministries today. During the meeting, the sides discussed in detail the deepening of traditionally friendly relations between Mongolia and Vietnam, strengthening political dialogue and mutual understanding, and expanding the scope of cooperation in trade, investment, economic and other fields. The sides expressed satisfaction with the regular high-level visits and talks between Mongolia and Vietnam, and the active development in security and defense cooperation and agreed to hold planned high-level visits and events after COVID-19 pandemic subsides. Deputy Foreign Minister B.Munkhjin noted that Mongolia considers Vietnam as one of the key partners in Southeast Asia and attaches great importance to deepening relations in all fields, while underscoring the importance of further enriching bilateral relations with economic content and expanding cooperation in the fields of transportation, agriculture and light industry. Moreover, the sides exchanged views on expanding cooperation at the international and regional levels. ^ top ^
Resolution on reaffirming the strategic partnership between the US and Mongolia approved (Montsame)
2020-12-08
During its session on December 7, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution on reaffirming the strategic partnership the between the United States and Mongolia. Mongolia established diplomatic relations with the United States of America in 1987. During his visit to the U.S. in July 2019, Mongolia's President Kh.Battulga, together with the U.S. President Donald Trump, declared the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. ^ top ^
Mongolian Ambassador visits Russian biotechnology group (Montsame)
2020-12-07
Mongolian Ambassador to the Russian Federation D.Davaa visited 'ChemRar' Group of Russian pharma and biotechnology on December 3. ChemRar is producing 'Avifavir,' a new anti-coronavirus drug being used in outpatient and clinical treatment. Irina Tyrnova, General Director of ChemRar Research Institute and Dmitry Kravchenko, DSc, General Director of Chemical Diversity Research Institute, Member of the Board of ChemRar Group of Companies, welcomed the Ambassador and provided detailed information about the company's activity and the drug. The meeting was also virtually attended by Vladimir Primak, Director of the Investment Department of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and and introduced the 'Sputnik V' vaccine developed with the Fund's investment and support. The parties exchanged views on the pandemic situation in the two countries and response measures to the COVID-19 and discussed further cooperation. At the end of the meeting, the Ambassador got acquainted with the company's main laboratories and the pharmaceutical production process. The company has formally requested to establish contacts with public and private professional organizations to cooperate in supplying the drug to Mongolia. ^ top ^
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Embassy of Switzerland
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The Press review is a random selection
of political and social related news gathered from various media
and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by
the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss
Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility
for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally
the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion
of the Embassy.
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