Foreign Policy

• China and EU Reach Agreement on Investment Pact (Caixin)
• US and EU demand China release citizen reporter Zhang Zhan, locked up for covering Wuhan coronavirus outbreak (SCMP)
• Chinese FM meets Italian counterpart via video (Xinhua)
• India keeps hyping Sinophobia, Modi govt shows no intention to fix ties with China: experts (Global Times)
• Xi eyes unwavering development of China-Russia partnership (People's Daily)
• Eligible personnel from China can enter Japan amid strict new entry ban (Global Times)
• Xi's "cloud diplomacy" helps world emerge from pandemic with enhanced solidarity (Xinhua)

Domestic Policy

• Chinese web users mourn Dr Li Wenliang as 2020 comes to end, rebutting Western sensationalization (Global Times)
• President Xi to give 2021 New Year speech (Xinhua)
• From poverty alleviation to rural vitalization, China ushers in new stage of rural development (People's Daily)
• China to improve regulation of government inspections (Xinhua)
• Top anti-graft body exposes Party frugality violation cases (Xinhua)
• China's 'ghost towns' come to life thanks to urbanization and policies (Global Times)
• China's political advisors discuss AI ethical rules, laws (China Daily)
• China amends national defense law, shows country's sense of global justice (Global Times)
• China resumes 2021 two sessions March schedule (Global Times)

Beijing

• Coronavirus: Beijing goes into emergency mode after five new cases recorded (SCMP)

Shanghai

• New variant from UK found in Shanghai (China Daily)

Guangdong

• Guangzhou Rural Lender Scraps Listing Plan After Corruption Probes (Caixin)
• Shenzhen starts trial for HK detainees' illegal border crossing (Global Times)

Tibet

• Playing the 'Tibet card' reflects Washington's anxiety about China (Global Times)

Xinjiang

• Xinjiang taking measures to cut logistics costs (China Daily)

Hongkong

• 10 Hongkongers jailed for up to 3 years in China after trying to flee city for Taiwan (HKFP)
• Hong Kong Hospital Super-Spreader Cluster Turns Up 19 Cases (Caixin)

Taiwan

• Ministry responds to US provocations on HK, Tibet, Taiwan (China Daily)

Economy

• Skiers hitting slopes this season in record numbers (China Daily)
• Chinese Chipmaker's Shipments Surge 650% on Strong Domestic Demand (Caixin)
• China orders Ant Group to rein in unfettered expansion as regulators put up fences around financial risks (SCMP)

DPRK

• DPRK to hold Party Congress in early January (Xinhua)

Mongolia

• Foreign Minister meets with EU Ambassador online (Montsame)
• Law on Presidential elections adopted (Montsame)
• Law on Administrative, Territorial Units and their Governance revised (Montsame)

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China and EU Reach Agreement on Investment Pact (Caixin)
2020-12-30
Chinese and European Union leaders concluded negotiations on a bilateral investment agreement that will grant European companies expanded access to the world's second-largest economy, officials said Wednesday at a virtual summit. The summit via video link involved Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Charles Michel, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Germany holds the rotating EU presidency. Under the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI), China would open multiple industries to EU businesses, including manufacturing, construction, advertising, air transport, maritime services, telecom and, to some extent, cloud computing, Reuters reported, citing unnamed EU officials. The two sides agreed on a timeline for finalizing the legal text, which will take several months, according to Reuters. Once concluded, the agreement will have to be ratified by all EU member states before it can come into force. In Beijing, Xi said the accord shows China's determination and confidence in advancing high-level opening-up and will make significant contributions to the building of an open world economy, according to the official Xinhua news agency. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China hailed the agreement, saying in a statement that it expected Brussels and Beijing to build on the political agreement and "deliver an enforceable pact." "We eagerly await the release of the details of this political agreement and hope to find a robust and bold conclusion," said Joerg Wuttke, the chamber's president. "A strong agreement would be a powerful statement to show that constructive engagement can produce results." The announcement beat a year-end deadline that the two sides adopted during a September summit. It also arrived ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who vowed to form an alliance with allies in challenging China. On Dec. 22, Jake Sullivan, the incoming U.S. national security adviser, retweeted a news report on the China-EU investment talks and commented that "the Biden-Harris administration would welcome early consultations with our European partners on our common concerns about China's economic practices." However, in Brussels, Von der Leyen said on Twitter that the CAI will "improve the status quo for a fairer treatment of our companies," including transparency on subsidies and discipline on Chinese state-owned enterprises, more market access for EU businesses, and no more forced technology transfers and other distortive practices. According to the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, the agreement will prevent China from backtracking on its offer of market access, eliminate equity caps or joint-venture requirements in a number of sectors, and preserve EU sensitivities, such as in the fields of energy, agriculture, fisheries, audio-visual and public services. In the automobile sector, China agreed to remove and phase out joint-venture requirements. China will commit to market access for new-energy vehicles, the European Commission said. China will also offer new market opening by lifting joint-venture requirements for private hospitals in key Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the commission said. Beijing agreed to lift an investment ban on cloud services, which will now be open to EU investors subject to a 50% equity cap, according to the commission. China will also allow investment in certain land-based auxiliary trade activities, enabling EU companies to invest without restriction in cargo handling, container depots and stations, and maritime agencies, the commission said. Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, director of European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE), told Caixin that there was a "strong consensus" in the European Council and an absolute majority of the 27-country bloc is happy with the market access package in the agreement. "The general view is that we should take China's offer and run," he said. "Europe has been asking for an investment agreement with China for a decade now. For China, it is worthwhile to take the opportunity while Merkel is in charge." A strong supporter of the agreement, Merkel will retire next year. However, he said the agreement itself is so "one-sided" in terms of gains for the EU in China that Beijing would press for concessions from Brussels outside the agreement. "Through this deal, the EU can claim that its companies have gained important new commercial opportunities, including in sectors that have largely been off limits in China," said Wendy Cutler, vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, and James Green, senior advisor at McLarty Associates, in a jointly produced analysis. "For Beijing, the Chinese leadership can tout its commitment to market opening and reform at a time when such claims are increasingly being questioned around the world," they wrote. But the two U.S. experts also expressed concerns that the CAI could complicate U.S.-EU and broader cooperation on China. For instance, the CAI reportedly includes language on forced technology transfer, subsidies, and state-owned enterprises ― which are also key concerns to the U.S. "The CAI language on these and other issues is likely to raise differences with regards to ambition, which could temper European interest in working further with the United States," they wrote. ^ top ^

US and EU demand China release citizen reporter Zhang Zhan, locked up for covering Wuhan coronavirus outbreak (SCMP)
2020-12-30
The United States and European Union both denounced China's court system on Tuesday after a citizen journalist who reported on the early coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan was sentenced to four years in prison. "The United States strongly condemns the People's Republic of China's (PRC) sham prosecution and conviction of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan on December 28," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. "We call on the PRC government to release her immediately and unconditionally." A court in Shanghai found Zhang guilty Monday of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", a broadly defined offence which carries a maximum sentence of five years and is often used by police to stifle dissent. "Her hasty trial, to which foreign observers were denied access, shows how fearful the CCP is of Chinese citizens who speak the truth," Pompeo said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. Separately, an EU foreign policy spokesman, Peter Stano, also condemned the treatment of Zhang, saying that she had reportedly been "subject to torture and ill-treatment during her detention and her health condition has seriously deteriorated". Zhang attended her trial in a wheelchair, her lawyer said on Monday, following reports that she had tried to engage in a hunger strike while in custody. "It is crucial that she receives adequate medical assistance," Stano said. Zhang's sentencing on Monday came on the same day that another trial was held in Shenzhen for 10 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, among a group of 12 who had tried to flee the city via speedboat to Taiwan in August but were detained at sea by Chinese authorities. The EU condemned that trial as well. The court said a ruling would be handed down at a later date. "The defendants' rights to a fair trial and due process – in accordance with international human rights law and as provided by China's Criminal Procedure Law – have not been respected," Stano said in a separate statement. "The European Union calls for the immediate release of these 12 individuals and their swift return to Hong Kong." Both cases demonstrate the difficult position the US and EU find themselves in as they try to balance their trade interests with China while criticising Beijing's human rights record. Even as it condemned the two court cases on Tuesday, the EU was moving to lock down a major new investment deal with Beijing. The bloc continued to move forward on it despite pressure from human rights activists over China's policies in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, and a new insistence from the US, where the incoming Biden administration has described US alliances as vital to countering China. Still, China's relations with Europe and the US have deteriorated this year, in part at least because of China's initial handling of the first outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, during which it censored and arrested people for criticising the government and reporting on the widening outbreak. China was also identified as the No 1 jailer of journalists globally in 2020, the second year in a row, according to an analysis this month by the Committee to Protect Journalists, a press freedom organisation.  ^ top ^

Chinese FM meets Italian counterpart via video (Xinhua)
2020-12-29
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday met with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio via video link. Wang said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy, and bilateral ties have overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and maintained healthy and stable development. China will advance reform and opening-up at a higher starting point and bring greater opportunities to countries, including Italy, Wang said. "The two sides should tap the potential of cooperation in various fields and further expand and deepen bilateral ties in the post-pandemic era." Di Maio spoke highly of the progress of Italy-China relations and said that the Italian side firmly supports the EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership and supports the conclusion of EU-China comprehensive investment agreement at an early date. Wang and Di Maio also attended the closing ceremony of the 10th joint meeting of the China-Italy Government Committee. ^ top ^

India keeps hyping Sinophobia, Modi govt shows no intention to fix ties with China: experts (Global Times)
2020-12-29
Although China-India border tensions have eased somewhat as the two sides are seeking a solution through negotiations, the anti-China sentiment and related actions within India have not eased but keep simmering with more biased and hostile voices from some Indian scholars and Indian journalists, proving that New Delhi has no intention to control such a dangerous atmosphere and fix bilateral ties, Chinese experts said on Tuesday. The latest move made by the Indian government is "informally telling airlines not to fly Chinese nationals into the country" as "a retaliation" for China's decision to refuse the entry of some Indian nationals into China for epidemic prevention, according to reports from some Indian media outlets on Monday. Unfortunately, such a hostile move of New Delhi against China's reasonable decision was praised by many nationalist Indian web users on social media networks. It's not only nationalist web users who have been voicing aggressive comments online, some Indian politicians, scholars, journalists, NGO activists and religious figures are also embracing the sentiment of Sinopobia, pushing such sentiment into real action in order to harm China-India ties. Chinese analysts said anti-China sentiment or Sinophobia is "political correctness" in India at the moment, and the Indian government has no intention to control it but continues to use it to cover up their failed handling of COVID-19 epidemic situation and poor economic performance this year. In the short term, there is no hope of fixing bilateral ties, they said. Brahma Chellaney, a scholar on geopolitics at the New Delhi-based Center for Policy Research, is a representative among Indian scholars who holds extreme hostile views against China. For instance, he has groundlessly accused China's hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbo River of using data for a "water war against India." He also wrote articles for international media to hype up China threats, accusing China of "exporting" COVID-19 and wooing countries to follow the US' containment of China. There are many scholars or former officials in India who benefit from hyping up anti-China sentiment or the "China threat theory", said Chinese experts, such as Chellaney, former Indian ambassador to China Vijay Gokhale and defense commentator C Raja Mohan, because smearing China or labeling China an enemy will get applause from the US and it serves the interests of Narendra Modi's government, said Chinese experts. Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, said that Indian researchers or commentators' incitement of anti-China sentiment have reached fever pitch in 2020. "The indulgence of the Indian government is behind this anti-China fever pitch with some officials continuing to lash at China to distract domestic attention away from the horrible epidemic situation and sluggish economic performance," Qian told the Global Times. Another reason is the ongoing talks on border issues have been followed with several stand-offs along the border. Lin Minwang, a professor with the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times that India's anti-China "political correctness" renders Indian scholars who hold friendly or at least objective views on China very difficult to speak out because praising China or even saying something to balance the extreme anti-China sentiment will bring them trouble and criticism for being non-patriotic. "Sometimes, Indian scholars are forced to prepare 'two faces' as they would speak positively when talking to Chinese colleagues, but badly smear and accuse China to win applause when conducting exchanges with US scholars or officials," Lin said. However, to what extent Indian scholars and politicians can still please the US in the future remains a profound question, because US President-elect Joe Biden is likely to abandon or at least adjust its so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy" made by Donald Trump's administration, Chinese experts said. In order to curry favor from the Trump administration, the Modi government have done much to offend China, even making Russia unhappy as it moves too close to the US. Once the US adjusts its strategy and shifts US input away from Asia to Europe, or even starts to fix ties with China, those Indian politicians and scholars who are being extremely hostile toward China now will get headaches, said Lin, noting "that's why they are panicking and asking more countries to team up with them to contain China." Hatred in India against China is multidimensional, not only originating just from geopolitical conflicts, but also the COIVD-19 pandemic, affairs related to India's neighbors like Nepal and Pakistan, as well as China's normal business activities in the country. Since June, a political and cultural organization Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) began to call on the Indian government and citizens to boycott Chinese products as a "tribute" to Indian soldiers that died in a clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley. Manch co-convener Ashwani Mahajan told IANS that he is appealing to Indian actors, sportspeople and other celebrities not to promote Chinese products. In an interview with Indian media, Mahajan said that the organization demanded the WHO to rename COVID-19 as the "China virus." Qian noted these moves would erode the foundation of mutual trust between China and India and "hurt people-to-people and trade exchanges, setting up hurdles for solving border issues." When the China-India border tension escalated in June and the Indian government launched boycott campaigns against Chinese products and apps earlier this year, Global Times reporters tried to reach some Indian scholars who disagree with the radical, risky and nationalist practices in the country to share their opinions, but they declined to comment, fearing they could be harassed by anti-China nationalists and face potential isolation in academic circles. When the Modi administration wants to improve China-India ties, New Delhi will make efforts to contain anti-China forces or Tibetan separatists within the country to pave a way for visits by Chinese national leaders and further cooperation, but apparently now, the Modi administration has no intentions of fixing ties with China, Lin noted. "What the Indian government is doing now shows it's immature," and "compared with China, a mature and responsible country, India needs more time to grow up," Qian said. After the border tensions were eased before winter and the two sides seek solutions to the issue through negotiation, coverage of India among Chinese media outlets is reducing, meaning China does not want to hype up anti-India sentiment to retaliate against what India does to China. According to a survey conducted by the Global Times poll center from December 11 to 17, collecting 1,945 questionnaires from respondents aged 18-69 from 16 major Chinese cities across the country, only 6.7 percent of respondents chose India as the country they deemed as most influential in terms of bilateral relations for China. Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that while a provocative India has been covered more in Chinese media, the Chinese people maintain a rational view on it. "To some Chinese, the importance of the relationship with India is less than ties with Southeast Asian countries." Lin said that "India's negative perception towards China originates from its fear of China's strength. Indian media, scholars and society have paid much more attention on China than what we have paid to them. This is due to the gap in national strength between the two countries. China is much more powerful than India, which is a hard fact." The Indian government is overly turning economic issue into security issue, as they have abandoned an opportunity to use China to assist with their own development though they might believe that this is not important compared to using anti-China sentiment to cover up their poor domestic governance, Lin said.  ^ top ^

Xi eyes unwavering development of China-Russia partnership (People's Daily)
2020-12-29
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that China is ready to work with Russia to unswervingly develop the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era between the two countries, realize their respective development and revitalization, and make greater contributions to building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind. Xi made the remarks in a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during which the two heads of state exchanged new year greetings and wished the people in both countries a happy new year. Noting that 2020 is an extraordinary year for China, Russia and the world at large, Xi pointed out that as the COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge to the life and safety of humanity and dealt a heavy blow to the world economy, the world is entering a period of turbulence and transformation. True gold can stand the test of fire, and the difficult period has given more prominence to the unique strength and great value of the China-Russia relationship, he added. The two sides, Xi noted, have supported each other in overcoming the current challenges, and continued to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, which has demonstrated their high-level mutual trust and friendship. He added that the two countries have actively taken the lead in international cooperation against COVID-19, smoothly promoted coordination between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, and jointly celebrated the 75th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations. They have also played an important leading role within such multilateral frameworks as the Group of 20, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, and become the mainstay in safeguarding international fairness and justice and practicing multilateralism, Xi said. He stressed that the idea of ever-lasting friendship and the principle of a new type of international relations established in the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation represent a great innovation in the history of international relations, and their strong vitality and exemplary influence will continue to show up in the current international situation. As the next year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the treaty, Xi suggested the two sides take the anniversary as an opportunity to further expand and deepen bilateral cooperation in a larger scope. China, he said, is actively fostering a new development paradigm and promoting reform and opening-up at a higher starting point, which will provide broader development opportunities for China-Russia cooperation. The two sides should better synergize their development strategies and strengthen new forms and new drivers of cooperation, Xi said, urging them to carry forward the China-Russia Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation program, and push for all-round exchanges and cooperation between their scientific and technological communities and industrial sectors, so as to better boost the high-quality economic development of both countries. Xi stressed that China-Russia ties boast strong endogenous power and independent value, which will not be affected by changes in the international arena or by any other factors. By strengthening strategic cooperation, China and Russia can effectively resist any attempt to suppress and divide the two countries, and meanwhile forge a solid shield to safeguard international fairness and justice, Xi said. For his part, Putin said that Russia-China relations have been developing steadily this year despite the impact of COVID-19, with the two sides supporting each other in the fight against the pandemic, and their cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, energy, and science and technology continuously moving forward. As the two countries are set to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the signing of their Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, that will set an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations, he added. Russia is unswervingly committed to pushing for high-level development of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era between the two countries, he said, adding that he is willing to work with Xi to continuously provide strategic leadership and ensure further development of bilateral ties in the new year. Russia, he said, stands ready to join hands with China to continuously support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, deepen strategic coordination and cooperation in international affairs, and contribute to global strategic stability. The two heads of state also agreed to continue to maintain regular communication in various ways. ^ top ^

Eligible personnel from China can enter Japan amid strict new entry ban (Global Times)
2020-12-28
Although Japanese media reported that Japan vowed to suspend entry of foreign nationals over the new virus strain, the Global Times found the country has not shut the door to all foreigners, as some, including Chinese businesspeople, are still permitted to enter the country. Nikkei Asia reported on Saturday that the Japanese government, beginning Monday until late January, will ban entry from all countries to prevent the spread of the more contagious strain of the coronavirus first found in the UK. Japan, which had previously introduced entry restrictions from the UK, is now extending the restrictions worldwide. However, the Global Times found on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan that people from 16 countries and regions which have basically brought the epidemic under control, including China, South Korea and Singapore, are allowed to enter Japan for business activities. Business staff do not need to be quarantined for short stays, while those staying long term in Japan need to be quarantined in hotels or their homes for two weeks. This clause under the bilateral "business fast track" policy has not changed and is not affected by the new entry ban, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Those who are eligible to study in Japan will still be allowed to enter the country and will be quarantined for two weeks, except those who have stayed in the UK and South Africa within the last 14 days, said the ministry. Japan will also allow diplomats and other special personnel to enter the country, the Asahi Shimbun reported Saturday. Japanese people stranded abroad are also allowed to return home. If the new strain of the coronavirus is found in their place of departure, they are required to provide a negative nucleic acid test certificate obtained within 72 hours before departure, and must be tested again when entering Japan, according to the ministry. For foreigners from most other countries and regions, Japan will suspend new entries, including short-term business trips and those for other purposes. As of Saturday, seven people who had arrived in the country from the UK were found to be infected with a new variant of the coronavirus, the Japan Times reported Sunday. Analysts said the new measures are aimed at reducing the number of cases as quickly as possible. But as a large number of eligible foreigners still can enter Japan under the new policy, whether the policy will have an effect on the country's epidemic prevention is uncertain, they said. "This move demonstrates the Japanese government's determination to fight the pandemic amid a decline in the approval rate for the current administration," Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. "For Japan at the moment, it is only possible to revive the economy when the epidemic is under control." Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has faced the double challenge of fighting against the epidemic and revitalizing the economy since taking office, and the new policy reflects these goals, Da noted. Exempting China from the entry ban list shows the Japanese government recognizes China's epidemic control. China also has the necessary prerequisites, generally stable epidemic control and normal business activities, to maintain the "fast track" for business personnel exchanges with Japan amid the pandemic, he said. China is unlikely to follow in the steps of Japan to ban the entry of foreign nationals, but the country is also enhancing measures to do things right, Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told the Global Times, noting that besides epidemic control, imports and exports are also in China's consideration. ^ top ^

Xi's "cloud diplomacy" helps world emerge from pandemic with enhanced solidarity (Xinhua)
2020-12-27
In a year shadowed by the onslaught of coronavirus outbreak, the world witnessed glimmers of hope in China's unremitting efforts on rallying global consensus on COVID-19 response and charting the course for future development. In the face of an unprecedented global crisis, Chinese President Xi Jinping engaged in intensive head of state diplomacy, sharing thoughts with world leaders on addressing the fundamental questions of the times, and offering China's proposals to the resolution of global challenges. Throughout the year, Xi had 80 phone calls with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations and attended 22 important diplomatic events in the form of "cloud diplomacy" through the innovative virtual platform. The president's diplomatic engagements have helped build global consensus on COVID-19 and pointed out the way forward for China's foreign policy, said China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to wreak havoc across the world. As of Saturday, the virus has infected more than 79 million people and claimed over 1.7 million lives worldwide, with cases continuing to surge. At this crucial time when the world urgently needed its leading players to rise up to challenges and act with swiftness, Xi proposed his solutions in the form of solidarity and cooperation -- the most powerful weapon for defeating the virus. At various international platforms, including the World Health Assembly, the UN high-level meetings and the G20 Leaders' Summit, Xi called on countries concerned to step up exchanges on epidemic monitoring, scientific research, and disease control and treatment while opposing attempts to politicize the pandemic. With a strong sense of responsibility, China proposed building a community of health for all and launched the largest global humanitarian campaign since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China has provided assistance to over 150 countries and 10 international organizations, sent 36 medical teams to 34 countries in need since the outbreak, and offered other countries more than 200 billion masks, 2 billion protective suits and 800 million testing kits. China has joined COVAX, a global initiative backed by the World Health Organization (WHO), and promised to make the country's COVID-19 vaccines, once available, a "global public good" in a bid to ensure vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries. In the face of the invisible virus, no one is safe until everyone is safe, said Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies, adding that Xi pointed out the right antidote to uprooting the virus and shed light on the future direction for international anti-pandemic efforts. Thanks to China's advocacies and actions, the construction of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters started this year; war-torn Iraq has its most advanced CT scanners for cases confirmation; and Laos was equipped with an advanced laboratory to improve nucleic acid testing capacity in the country. Echoing China's proposal, the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "One thing that we would ask is unity at the national level, and solidarity at the global level. More than ever, the human race should stand together to defeat this virus." Though the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to the world economy and added to the instability and uncertainty, the overwhelming trend for countries to move toward openness and cooperation remains unchanged, Xi said. As the economy gradually reopened, China took innovative approaches to establish "fast tracks" and "green lanes" to ensure a smooth flow of personnel and goods and keep industrial and supply chains stable and open. With containment protocols in place, China also hosted a series of global trade events as scheduled including the 2020 China International Fair For Trade in Services in Beijing, the third China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, and the 17th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, among others. "This demonstrated China's sincere desire to share its market opportunities with the world to tide over difficulties," said Chen Fengying, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. With a population of 1.4 billion and a middle-income group that exceeds 400 million, the huge China market is the most promising one in the world. "Our aim is to turn the Chinese market into a market for the world, a market shared by all, and a market accessible to all. This way, we will be able to bring more positive energy to the global community," Xi said in his keynote speech via video at this year's CIIE opening ceremony. In its latest Economic Outlook report, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicted that China will be the only major economy to record positive performance in 2020 with a growth of 1.8 percent. China is expected to play the role of a "locomotive" powering global recovery in the post-pandemic era, said Rudolf Minsch, chief economist at Swiss national business federation Economiesuisse. Urging a self-revolution for the post-pandemic development, Xi has called for innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development. China aims to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. "People could make full use of the green transition as a new economic driver, which also adds decent jobs and boosts sustainable growth," said Li Zheng, executive vice president of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua University. "The baton of history has been passed to our generation, and we must make the right choice, a choice worthy of the people's trust and of our times," Xi said at the general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September. As the world is caught up in headwinds and setbacks in global governance, Xi made clear China's stance of upholding multilateralism at various international events, sharing China's thoughts on global governance reform and safeguarding world peace and stability. Calling on countries to stay true to multilateralism, Xi said global governance should be based on the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. "To put into practice the principle of multilateralism, we must act, not just talk," Xi said, urging all countries to focus on action. At the UN meetings, Xi announced a series of major initiatives and measures China will take such as providing 50 million U.S. dollars to the China-FAO South-South Cooperation Trust Fund (Phase III), extending the Peace and Development Trust Fund between the UN and China by five years after it expires in 2025, and donating another 10 million dollars to UN Women in the coming five years, among other initiatives. Facing one of the most severe public health challenges in recent history, countries across the globe have come to realize that they share a common future and must join hands in building a community of health for all. Actions to promote Xi's vision of a community with a shared future for humanity have been well underway, and China's proposals for building communities with a shared future in various fields, including cyberspace, ocean and health, have been received warmly. As Foreign Minister Wang Yi envisioned -- if all countries truly come together and forge ahead side by side, the world will emerge from the pandemic more prosperous and humanity will embrace a better future. ^ top ^

Chinese web users mourn Dr Li Wenliang as 2020 comes to end, rebutting Western sensationalization (Global Times)
2020-12-31
Chinese internet users flooded to Dr Li Wenliang's social media account on Sina Weibo on Wednesday to mourn and wish him a happy new year knowing full well he will never reply. "Doctor Li, 2020 is going to end. We are very safe now. Thank you!" Such messages abounded on Weibo this week as Chinese experts noted such comments drew a sharp contrast with Western media and politicians who, after nearly a year, were sensationalizing the death of Dr Li to attack China's initial handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. They noted that as the Chinese people prepared to say goodbye to 2020, hoping to see the end to such a difficult year of fighting the virus, those who picked the date of Dr Li sounding the alarm in 2019 were using it to launch an online campaign against China. It is said that such an intentional distortion of Dr Li's story reflects a complete ignorance of some Western forces about what the Chinese people have been going through this year. In late December 2019, Dr Li, an eye doctor working in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, shared his concerns about an unknown, SARS-like disease with colleagues in a WeChat social media chat group. On Wednesday, about 320 days after Dr Li died from contracting the coronavirus, thousands of messages flooded the official account of Dr Li on Weibo. Observers said that for Chinese mainland people, Dr Li was not a figure representing an opposition or confrontational force with Chinese authorities as some international politicians and media have reported. Rather, Dr Li was an ordinary hero with the courage to speak out the truth, Chinese observers said. Such an outpouring of gratitude for Dr Li should be interpreted as a comprehensive collective emotion of the Chinese people in 2020, many said, as today there is much praise online for all Chinese medical staff including Dr Li for successfully containing the outbreak. The top post of his Weibo account Dr Li on February 1 said his COVID-19 test finally confirmed he was infected. It had attracted more than 1 million comments as of Thursday night. "2020 is going to end, but you are not going to see the new year... maybe I will not remember you for a long time, but at least I still remember you now, superhero!" posted one internet user. "My wish for 2021 is the epidemic could come to a closure!" said another. As an ophthalmologist and member of the Communist Party of China at Wuhan Central Hospital where he was also treated for the coronavirus infection, Dr Li obtained a patient report suggesting positive SARS-like coronavirus signs on December 30. He shared the information in a group chat, saying there had been seven confirmed cases of a SARS-like disease, according to one of his Weibo posts. On January 3 Wuhan police reprimanded Dr Li for spreading "online rumors" and required him to sign a letter of reprimand. Following Dr Li's death, an investigation team sent by the central authorities on February 7 asked the local supervisory body to supervise the rectification of the matter, hold relevant personnel accountable and announce the results in a timely fashion. On March 19, Wuhan police revoked the reprimand order against Dr Li. Chinese authorities awarded the doctor and 32 other people May 4 Medals to commemorate their sacrifices in the fight against COVID-19. Dr Li's official commendation reads: "As an ophthalmologist, he was not afraid of danger and was not afraid to come into close contact with patients… He stuck to his frontline post and took care of patients in eight beds. "When he became infected with COVID-19 at work, he was always concerned about the frontline and said many times that he would go back to work after recovering." Observers said that while some Western media hyped again the death of Dr Li on Wednesday, Chinese internet users protested against their speculation and sensationalization. It is said the Western media exploited the anniversary of Dr Li's post to attack China's governance flaws and curse the country's efforts to combat the epidemic. Hyping Dr Li's death were media including Agence France-Presse and Newsweek. Joining them were British politicians like Richard Graham, a UK member of parliament, and Benedict Rogers, a member of a vocal China hawk organization the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. To attack Chinese authorities on the one-year anniversary of Dr Li sounding the alarm, they portrayed the Dr Li incident as a geyser for public anger toward the government and tried to link it with an alleged government cover-up of the early stage outbreak. "We don't forget. We never forget," posted one Chinese internet user in response, who opposed the "ill-intentioned tactics of Western media and figures in sensationalizing the story of Li." Many say Chinese people commemorate Dr Li like they commemorate all the medical staff who made sacrifices and devoted themselves to the hard-won national battle against the epidemic. ^ top ^

President Xi to give 2021 New Year speech (Xinhua)
2020-12-30
Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a New Year speech to ring in 2021 at 7 p.m. Thursday. The speech will be broadcast by major TV and radio channels of the China Media Group, and the websites and new media platforms of major state news organizations. ^ top ^

From poverty alleviation to rural vitalization, China ushers in new stage of rural development (People's Daily)
2020-12-30
Building on a major victory in poverty alleviation, China is ready for a new stage in agricultural and rural development. The country is shifting its focus of rural work to all-round rural vitalization. Solving issues related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers is the top priority for the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed. Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the two-day annual central rural work conference, which closed here on Tuesday. Efforts must be made to promote the efficiency and quality of the agricultural sector, make rural areas suitable to live and work in, and ensure that farmers are affluent and well-off, he told the meeting. With China at a historical juncture of marching toward its second centenary goal, the task of consolidating and extending the achievements of poverty alleviation, pushing forward all-round rural vitalization and accelerating the modernization of the agricultural sector and rural areas is a major issue essential to the overall situation that deserves the high attention of the whole Party, Xi noted. Consolidating the foundation for agriculture, rural areas, and work relating to farmers is "the ballast" for the country to tackle the changing situations and open up new prospects, he said. After a victory in poverty alleviation is scored, China should push forward the rural vitalization in an all-round way as "a historic shift" of the focus in its work concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers, Xi stressed. Efforts should be made to ensure food security and strengthen food production year by year, he said, emphasizing that the country must retain a "red line" of 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares) of arable land. Xi underlined better using and conserving black soil and speeding up breakthroughs on core and key agricultural technologies. He also urged promoting the supply-side structural reform in the agricultural sector. Xi stressed the need to strengthen top-level design, adopt more vigorous measures and pool more strength to advance rural vitalization, a task no less challenging than poverty alleviation. To that end, seven measures will apply. They include speeding up rural industry development to bring farmers more benefits, strengthening intellectual and moral standards, preventing and controlling pollutions in rural areas, accelerating reform in key fields in rural areas, prioritizing rural infrastructure facility construction, facilitating integrated urban-rural development to achieve tangible results, and strengthening and improving rural governance. The conference was chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Other Chinese leaders present at the meeting included Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng. Xi's speech elaborated on the importance of promoting rural vitalization and speeding up the modernization of agriculture and rural areas in an all-round way, Premier Li Keqiang said. Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized an effective transition from consolidating poverty alleviation outcomes to achieve rural vitalization. The meeting also discussed a draft document on comprehensively advancing rural vitalization and accelerating the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. ^ top ^

China to improve regulation of government inspections (Xinhua)
2020-12-29
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has signed a State Council decree announcing the issuance of a set of rules on government inspections. The rules will take effect starting from Feb. 1, 2021, according to the decree. Government inspections aim to supervise the implementation of major decisions and plans of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, and check the completion of major tasks assigned by governments at higher and corresponding levels, according to the rules. The rules also make comprehensive stipulations regarding the responsibilities of parties involved in inspections, as well as the procedures and methods of inspection. ^ top ^

Top anti-graft body exposes Party frugality violation cases (Xinhua)
2020-12-28
China's top anti-graft body has made public six typical cases of violations of the Party's eight-point frugality code on improving official conduct. Officials were found to have misused public funds for banquets, accepted gifts and money in violation of regulations, awarded unauthorized allowances or bonuses and misused public vehicles, among other misdeeds, according to a statement released by the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). The officials and Party members involved in these cases have been handed punishments including serious intra-Party warnings, administrative punishments and removal from office, said the top anti-graft body, asking Party members and government officials to draw lessons from these cases and examine their own actions accordingly, particularly during the upcoming holiday season. The CCDI has also demanded continued efforts from discipline inspection and supervision organs at all levels to investigate and deal with the above-mentioned issues during the New Year and Spring Festival holidays, rectify issues of food waste by Party members and government officials at all levels, and publicize typical cases in a timely manner. ^ top ^

China's 'ghost towns' come to life thanks to urbanization and policies (Global Times)
2020-12-28
High-rise apartment blocks, lakes, parks and long, straight roads but no people: These were typical post-apocalyptic Chinese "ghost towns" described by some Western media, but they could be the start of new cities and development miracles. In a recent example, a subway station of Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, which was mocked by CNN in 2017 as being built "in the middle of nowhere," and "with exits hidden among overgrown weeds," has made a fascinating turn. The Caojiawan subway station shot to fame again recently after two online photos of the station to show how the facility started and how it is changing. An exit buried in overgrown weeds in one photo formed a sharp contrast with busy people and wide roads at the same exit. The tweet by the netizen, Carl Zha, gained more than 23,000 likes as of press time, prompting some netizens to tweet other comparison photos of construction sites worldwide. One netizen tweeted comparison photos of California's high-speed bullet train, showing passengers waiting to get on in one photo, and an abandoned bridge leading nowhere in the other. Netizens reposted Zha's photos on Chinese social media, commenting that many of the "Chinese ghost towns" described by Western media have come to life. Kangbashi district of Ordos in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which is another famous "ghost town" widely reported on by many major Western media outlets including the Wall Street Journal and CNN since 2012, has bid farewell to the nickname with its growing GDP, rising housing prices and long-term development plan. Yang, a local resident of Kangbashi, told the Global Times on Monday that the district's average housing price rose by around 1,500 yuan ($230) per square meter this year to around 8,000 yuan, and more people from outside Ordos have settled in the city. "Our place is not a ghost town anymore," Yang said. The Kangbashi district, built on a vast wasteland in 2004, is now home to 150,000 permanent residents. Per capita GDP reached 173,000 yuan in 2019, compared with 70,800 yuan nationwide, the Economic Daily reported. The city is exploring other means of economic growth, and Yang said he has seen many tourists visiting deserts and watching traditional performances involving Mongolian ethnicity in recent years. In 2019, more than 2.8 million tourists visited Kangbashi, filling nearly all the hotel rooms, around 3,500 in the district, during the travel season, the Xinhua News Agency reported. It is not just Kangbashi. Western media listed several Chinese towns or cities as ghost towns, claiming such developments were largely funded by ballooning debt, and "it's only a matter of time before it will burst." Cong Yi, a professor at the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Monday that there was a period in second- and third-tier cities when rapid construction accelerated the development of the population and public services, but in the long run, small and medium-sized cities will embrace a balance as overcrowded megacities will drive some people to these smaller cities. "This process will digest the majority of the previously built buildings, although it will take time," Cong said. China has a huge property destocking ability. Compared with Western countries such as the US, China is only at the middle stage of urbanization and has a huge population, Cong said, noting that the bubble is unlikely to burst. But in the short term, some cities still face difficulty in destocking properties. Cities like Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu Province have offered preferential policies since last year to attract young talent, and it also came up with policies to encourage talents to buy properties three times in 2019.  ^ top ^

China's political advisors discuss AI ethical rules, laws (China Daily)
2020-12-28
Chinese political advisors discussed and offered suggestions on artificial intelligence (AI)-related ethical and legal issues at a bi-weekly seminar on Wednesday. The seminar, held by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, was presided over by Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee. Stressing taking advantage of AI to build China's strength in science, Wang called for treating the ethical and legal issues related to AI development from a dialectical, historical and comprehensive perspective. Wang urged efforts to explore building an AI management framework that suits China's national reality to safeguard people's interests and national security. Eleven political advisors put forward their suggestions at the seminar, while nearly 60 others voiced their opinions via an online platform. They suggested paying attention to the potential ethical and legal risks that arise with AI technology, formulating relevant laws in areas such as face recognition, speech synthesis and autonomous driving, and strengthening the research on data property rights. The political advisors also called for strengthening the responsibilities of enterprises in protecting individual information and privacy, and promoting international cooperation in formulating universal AI ethical rules. ^ top ^

China amends national defense law, shows country's sense of global justice (Global Times)
2020-12-28
After the approval of China's new amendment to the country's national defense law, China is expected to make itself heard more on global justice in addition to its own, and will play a unique role in safeguarding world peace at a time when evil forces are ravaging it, Chinese experts said on Sunday. China's newly amended national defense law will come into effect on the first day of 2021 after it was approved at a session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, on Saturday, the Xinhua News Agency reported the same day. When introducing the latest law revision, an official at the legislative bureau under China's Central Military Commission (CMC) stressed that it shows the sense of justice of China's national defense by explicitly stating that China follows a national defense policy that is defensive in nature and that will actively push for international military exchanges and cooperation. It safeguards world peace and opposes acts of invasion and expansion, Xinhua reported. This reflects China's consistent belief that it loves peace and opposes war, the unnamed official said. The new amendment puts stress on embodying the sense of justice of China's national defense, which indicates that China will make itself heard in terms of global justice, particularly in opposing acts of invasion and expansion by regional and global hegemonies, in addition to safeguarding China's own sovereignty, security and development interests, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday. With the egoistic hegemonies conspiring and making actions and an increased existence of terrorism, secessionism and nationalism, today's world is not peaceful and needs China to play a unique role in making sound justice, Song said. It has become necessary for China to boost its national defense capabilities, including the capabilities to use them overseas for just causes, Song said, noting that this will enable China to shoulder its necessary responsibility in regional and global security. The revised national defense law also embodies the concept that everyone should be involved in national defense, the CMC official said. All national organizations, armed forces, political parties, civil groups, enterprises, social organizations and other organizations should support and take part in the development of national defense, fulfill national defense duties and carry out national defense missions according to the law, the official said, noting that all citizens should enhance their ideas in national defense and improve their national defense skills. Other changes to the law include adjustments to the function and power of national organizations, enrichment of missions and the development goals of armed forces, designation of defense policies in major security fields based on the needs of activities and interests in new security fields, and additions to policies in foreign military relations, Xinhua reported. ^ top ^

China resumes 2021 two sessions March schedule (Global Times)
2020-12-27
National People's Congress (NPC) approved Saturday that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th NPC and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, namely the two sessions, will convene starting from March 5 and 4 respectively in Beijing. ^ top ^

Coronavirus: Beijing goes into emergency mode after five new cases recorded (SCMP)
2020-12-28
Beijing has gone into "emergency response mode" after five more Covid-19 cases were confirmed in the Chinese capital on Saturday. A further positive case has yet to be officially confirmed because the patient has not yet shown symptoms. The latest cases all came from the north of the city, in Nanfaxin township in the city's Shunyi district, near Beijing International Capital Airport. In total, thirteen infections have been detected in Beijing since the first local infection in 152 days was reported on December 18. "There have been many sporadic outbreaks. The epidemic control situation is very severe," a spokesman for the Beijing government said on Sunday. "All districts, all agencies and units must enter a state of emergency response and fight … with more resolution and stricter rules to prevent the spread of the coronavirus." The city is stepping up its response with stricter implementation of the rules on health declarations, mask wearing and temperature checks in public places, while schools have told parents to prepare for a possible earlier winter holiday. Villages and residential areas in the Shunyi and Chaoyang districts where Covid-19 cases have been found were closed, with strict controls on access. The authorities have also started mass tests in those areas. In Chaoyang, 234,413 people were tested on Saturday, with all results proving negative so far. A resident wearing a mask to protect from the coronavirus waits at a bus stop near rainbow decorations on the streets of Beijing. Photo: AP A resident wearing a mask to protect from the coronavirus waits at a bus stop near rainbow decorations on the streets of Beijing. Photo: AP Shunyi district collected samples from 838,270 people, with nearly 390,000 proving negative so far. Residents have been advised not to leave the city unless absolutely necessary during the upcoming New Year and Spring Festival holidays. The city is also imposing restrictions on entertainment venues and tourism to avoid gatherings during the holidays. Beijing Happy Valley, a theme park in southern Beijing, said in a statement that all night sessions would be cancelled from Monday and a live New Year's Eve concert has also been called off. Beijing travel agencies have also been banned from offering flight and hotel packages or group tours to cities where there have been recent Covid-19 cases. International travel is also banned. "Whoever organises tours will be responsible for managing and implementing the epidemic control rules. Travel agencies need or control the size of group tours leaving and entering Beijing, carry out risk assessment and draft all emergency response protocols," Zhou said. He said all parks, scenic spots, entertainment venues and indoor public places can only operate at a maximum of 75 per cent capacity. Staff at attractions that do not require tickets have also been told to prevent people gathering in groups. Elsewhere new 10 infections were reported in two cities in the northeastern province of Liaoning, in Shenyang and Dalian, as the two cities continue to battle outbreaks linked to imported cases. ^ top ^

New variant from UK found in Shanghai (China Daily)
2020-12-31
The Chinese mainland has reported its first COVID-19 case caused by the new, significantly more infectious variant of the novel coronavirus that is found in the recent outbreak in the United Kingdom, according to research published on Wednesday. A report on the research was published online by the China CDC Weekly, an academic platform set up by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The variant poses a great potential threat to epidemic prevention and control in China. ^ top ^

Guangzhou Rural Lender Scraps Listing Plan After Corruption Probes (Caixin)
2020-12-30
Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank, a scandal-plagued mid-sized lender, withdrew its listing application for the Shenzhen stock market one day before a scheduled regulatory review, the bank said Tuesday. The bank shelved the listing plan due to strategic adjustment and based on prudent studies, it said. The Guangzhou lender announced the plan in March to sell 1.6 billion shares, or 14% of its equity, to supplement core capital. Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank, which listed in 2017 in Hong Kong, said its business has remained sound and the suspension would not affect its operations. The bank said it would re-launch the share sale at proper time. Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank has been rattled by a series of graft probes of the senior management team, following a corruption investigation of its former Chairman and President Wang Jikang. Wang, who initiated the Shenzhen listing plan, was placed under corruption probe in August 2019, one month after he resigned from the bank. Wang was indicted in March this year on bribery charges along with three other senior bank executives. In October, Li Fangjin, a former nonexecutive director of the bank, was also investigated. Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank recorded a loan impairment loss of 5 billion yuan ($765 million) in the first half this year, up 40% from a year ago, according to its financial report. The bank had 10.1 billion yuan of nonperforming loans as of the end of June, 62% more than the same time last year. ^ top ^

Shenzhen starts trial for HK detainees' illegal border crossing (Global Times)
2020-12-28
Shenzhen's Yantian District People's Court opened the trial of 10 Hong Kong residents who were detained in August for illegally entering Chinese mainland waters, with the court hearing the public prosecution's opinions as well as the suspects' defense. It will announce the sentencing another day, the court said on Monday. Their cases have been hyped up by anti-government forces in Hong Kong and Western politicians questioning the legitimacy of law enforcement in China. However, the Chinese authorities, without being interfered upon by "external noise," have been pushing forward legal procedures in line with Chinese laws, no matter how hard some countries like the US have tried to interfere with China's judicial sovereignty, according to legal experts. Journalists and relatives of the suspects attended the trial, the court said in a public statement, rebutting some reports claiming the case was conducted "in secret," violating the legitimate rights of the Hong Kong residents in question. The 10 suspects pleaded guilty in court in the hope of getting lesser punishment, Hong Kong-based wenweipo.com reported. The Chinese mainland Coast Guard arrested 12 Hong Kong people suspected of illegally crossing the border in August. Shenzhen prosecutors charged two of the 12 Hong Kong residents with organizing an illegal border crossing and eight others for illegally crossing the border on December 16. As two suspects are under age 18, as minors, their trial will not be open to the public. As the trial began, the US Embassy in China called on the Chinese authorities to immediately release the 12 and permit them to leave, Reuters said, citing a statement the embassy released on Monday. "The US has not stopped pressuring China on Hong Kong-related affairs, trying to tell existing secessionist forces in Hong Kong that they are supported by external forces," Li Xiaobing, an expert on Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan affairs from Nankai University in Tianjin, told the Global Times on Monday. However, no matter how hard the US tries to make a fuss over this matter, such ill-intentioned moves have no impact on the decisive moves from the Chinese government in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, Li noted. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian also slammed remarks from the US Embassy on Monday, saying the embassy is ignoring the facts and confusing right and wrong, "to which China is firmly opposed," the spokesperson said at a routine press conference. In spite of noise made by countries like the US, Chinese authorities have been conducting the case step by step, some experts said, as charges relevant to illegally crossing the border could lead to sentences up to seven years. "China handles a large amount of criminal cases every year, would the US government be able to meddle in them one after another?" Li asked. According to Article 318 of the Criminal Law of China, whoever organizes people to secretly cross the national boundary (border) shall be sentenced to no less than two years and not more than seven years of fixed-term imprisonment and a fine; or not less than seven years of fixed-term imprisonment or life imprisonment, and may, in addition, be sentenced to a fine or confiscation of property. "The US has extended their hands too far, which, however, won't work," Li said.  ^ top ^

Playing the 'Tibet card' reflects Washington's anxiety about China (Global Times)
2020-12-28
The US Congress on December 21 passed the Tibetan Policy and Support Act, a bill that aims to step up US interference with Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. According to media reports, the bill requires China to allow the opening of a US consulate in Lhasa, regional capital city of Tibet, and it will create a US policy that the selection of successors to the Dalai Lama is a decision to be made only by Tibetans, free from the so-called Chinese government interference. In October, the US appointed a so-called special coordinator for Tibetan issues to meddle with China's domestic affairs and undermine Tibet's development and stability. In November, Lobsang Sangay, head of the so-called Tibetan government-in-exile, visited the White House. Merely a month later, Washington passed a bill on Tibet. US political elites remain on the same page to crack down on China, with Tibet being one of the few "cards" it can play. Against this backdrop, it is anticipated the US would occasionally play tricks on Tibet. Washington has posed the idea for many years of setting up a consulate in Lhasa. Generally, the aim of a country opening a consulate includes providing visa services to local people and supplying consular protection to its own citizens. Consulates tend to be established in cities where Chinese and Americans have frequent exchanges, such as Shanghai and Guangzhou. In comparison to other inland cities, it is unnecessary to build a consulate in Tibet. Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, said that Washington obviously has ulterior motives. In terms of the successor to the Dalai Lama, it is clear that Washington harbors a political intent. The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is not a personal decision. It follows certain religious traditions and rituals and must be approved by the Chinese central government since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). But now Washington labels it as "interference." Xin said that some anti-China hawks are considering how to play the "Tibet card." If the selection of the Dalai Lama's successor abides by religious convention and traditional rules, they cannot make big waves on the Tibet question any longer. Even though the "Tibetan government-in-exile" may play some tricks, their influence and appeal are far from those comparable to the Dalai Lama. This signals the anxiety of these US anti-China forces. Issues related to Tibet concern China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. They are China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference. The Chinese government is determined to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. Apart from further damaging overall China-US cooperation and bilateral relations, Washington's tricks on the Tibet question have no other effect. President-elect Joe Biden said in September that he would meet the Dalai Lama if he were elected. The international community is speculating what kind of policy toward Tibet the incoming Biden administration will adopt. Dressing up as the "spiritual leader" of Tibetan Buddhism with anti-China sentiments, the Dalai Lama seems to be well known in the West. Several former US presidents, including Barack Obama, met the Dalai Lama in the White House. But the meetings were low profile in a bid to avoid irritating China. This mirrors Obama's restraint over the Tibet question in comparison to the US incumbent president. We cannot rule out the possibility that Biden will meet the Dalai Lama after assuming office, but it is expected his administration will return to the restraint of Obama's era, and will not engage in many aggressive provocations on the Tibet question. In the face of Washington's tricks on the Tibet question, China should proactively make more narratives in public opinion. China should try to make the international community aware of the facts in Tibet, such as introducing its policy in the region and the tradition of how to confirm the succession of the Dalai Lama. Beijing should encourage those friendly to China to visit Tibet in a bid to see the real image of the region, instead of letting Western society be deceived by the Western media. ^ top ^

Xinjiang taking measures to cut logistics costs (China Daily)
2020-12-29
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has released 31 measures to reduce logistics costs and promote efficiency, according to local authorities. These measures include promoting the construction of logistics infrastructure, fostering an efficient connection of facilities and equipment, strengthening the sharing of information resources and improving the quality and efficiency of the logistics industry. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), the scale of the logistics industry in Xinjiang expanded rapidly, with improving operational efficiency and declining costs. The ratio of total logistics costs to the gross domestic product has dropped below 16 percent, according to the region's development and reform commission. These measures will help the local government continue to build a more efficient logistics network, reduce logistics costs in all aspects and accelerate the development of smart logistics, said Xu Bin, director of the regional development and reform commission. ^ top ^

10 Hongkongers jailed for up to 3 years in China after trying to flee city for Taiwan (HKFP)
2020-12-30
A Chinese court on Wednesday jailed 10 Hong Kong democracy activists for up to three years over a bid by the group to flee the city by speedboat to seek sanctuary in Taiwan. The group were arrested by the Chinese coastguard on August 23 en route to the self-ruled island, which has opened its doors to Hongkongers amid a growing crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong. The Shenzhen Yantian District People's court sentenced Tang Kai-yin to three years in jail and Quinn Moon to two years for organising an illegal border crossing. The eight others were sentenced to seven months behind bars for illegally crossing the border. Officials earlier said that two minors from the so-called "Hong Kong 12" would be returned to Hong Kong after they admitted wrongdoing. The pair arrived back in the city around noon on Wednesday. The 10 adults in the group first appeared before a court in the southern city of Shenzhen on Monday, but the trial — like many in China's opaque legal system — was not open to foreign reporters or diplomats. These 10 were also fined up to 20,000 yuan (US$3,060) in addition to their jail terms. But the Yantian District People's Procuratorate said it would not pursue its case against the two teenagers, surnamed Hoang and Liu. Families of the accused were only notified of the trial date three days before the hearing, while their lawyers were barred from meeting the detainees. The lawyers on Wednesday said the sentences were too heavy and the allegation of organising a border crossing was not substantiated. The United States on Monday called for the immediate release of the group who it said were "fleeing tyranny". "Communist China will stop at nothing to prevent its people from seeking freedom elsewhere," a US embassy spokesperson told AFP. Some of the group were already facing prosecution in Hong Kong, where democracy activists last year led massive protests against Beijing's rule that have since been stamped out by a tough new security law. ^ top ^

Hong Kong Hospital Super-Spreader Cluster Turns Up 19 Cases (Caixin)
2020-12-28
Nineteen people, including patients and medical workers, have tested positive for a novel coronavirus outbreak tied to Hong Kong's first infection cluster at a public hospital, which a prominent local expert blamed on airborne transmission. The "super-spreader" event connected to an 84-year-old patient at Kowloon's United Christian Hospital comes as the city grapples with an upswing of infections since late November. On Sunday, the city reported 70 new Covid-19 cases. On Dec. 15, the female patient began treatment at the hospital's ICU due to potentially life-threatening complications arising from diabetes. She first tested negative for the novel coronavirus but was diagnosed with mild pneumonia following an examination of her lungs. Due to a shortage of internal medicine beds, on Dec. 18 she was transferred from the ICU to a palliative care ward. Three days later, she was sent to an internal medicine ward. Then on Dec. 23, three confirmed Covid-19 cases were discovered at the hospital and contract tracing lead to a further eight patients and seven medical staff testing positive. The cluster was traced back to the diabetes patient, who was found to have a high load of the virus. All the other patients who tested positive were either in the palliative care or internal medicine wards with her. Yuen Kwok-yung, a Hong Kong government adviser and infectious disease expert at the University of Hong Kong, said he suspects that virus was airborne. He said that one of the medical staff, a nurse, may have been infected after washing the 84-year-old's mouth without wearing protective goggles. Patients in the palliative care ward are especially vulnerable to infection, Yuen said because many have difficulty breathing and are often unable to wear face masks. He suggested that the hospital should place additional air purifiers in the affected areas to reduce the risk of further transmission, and that staff should wear goggles when treating unmasked patients. United Christian Hospital has suspended visits to its wards and is neither accepting new patients nor transferring its patients elsewhere. Everyone who has visited the affected wards since Dec. 15 must submit to testing by Wednesday. Other public hospitals in the special autonomous region have also tightened their rules, barring most visits and mandating mask-wearing, Lau Ka-hin, the Hospital Authority's chief manager for quality and standards, said. The city's total number of confirmed cases hit 8,611 on Sunday. The death toll from the pandemic was 137. ^ top ^

Ministry responds to US provocations on HK, Tibet, Taiwan (China Daily)
2020-12-28
China urged the United States to stop using the Hong Kong issue to interfere in its domestic affairs and judicial sovereignty on Monday, after the US embassy in China called for the release of 12 Hong Kong fugitives. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a news briefing China opposes the remarks by the US embassy in Beijing, which showed complete disregard toward facts. Ten people who face charges of illegally crossing the border and two who face additional charges of organizing the attempt went on trial on Monday, according to a statement released by Yantian District People's Court in Shenzhen on Monday. The verdict will be announced at a date yet to be decided. In August, 12 Hong Kong fugitives were detained by mainland coast guards as they tried to flee the city by speedboat to Taiwan. Noting China is a law-based country, Zhao said the law must be observed and those who violate the law must be held accountable. He urged the US to abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations. Also at the briefing, Zhao rejected US President Donald Trump signing into law the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 and the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 over the weekend, which were included in a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package. China urged the US to refrain from implementing clauses of relevant acts targeting China in order to avoid harming Sino-US relations, Zhao said. The Tibet issue and the Taiwan question are China's domestic affairs and concern the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said, adding the US should stop using irrelevant issues to interfere in China's internal affairs. "The determination of the Chinese government to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests is unwavering," he said. ^ top ^

Skiers hitting slopes this season in record numbers (China Daily)
2020-12-30
Operators upgrade products, services as COVID-19 control brightens prospects This winter, ice-and snow-themed travel revenue in China is expected to hit a new high as operators offer products with upgraded services and qualities, thanks to COVID-19 coming under better control in the country. In November, the booking volume of skiing getaways soared 350 percent year-on-year, according to Trip.com, China's largest online travel agency. Skiing enthusiasts who often went to resorts in Europe, the United States, Japan and South Korea in the past few years have shifted their focus to domestic destinations this year, as most countries continue to see rising cases of confirmed infections. This year, ski slopes in Northeast China have upgraded the quality of their products. The Heilongjiang provincial government has provided 48 million yuan ($7.35 million) in subsidies to online travel platforms to attract more visitors to the region, and local operators and sightseeing spots have introduced packages with discounted prices. For instance, Alibaba Group's online travel arm Fliggy has provided subsidies worth 18 million yuan for winter vacation spots in Harbin, Heilongjiang's capital, on its platform. The discounts will cover hotels, admission tickets and packaged tours. A five-day trip from Shanghai to Harbin, Snow Village or Yabuli ski resort－all in Heilongjiang－now costs as little as between 2,000 yuan and 3,000 yuan. In the past few years, such trips usually set travelers back more than 4,000 yuan, said Trip.com. "For those travelers who come from South China and would like to experience snowy vistas and skiing adventures, they should grab the chance to take cost-effective trips this winter. Most group tours available are of small-scale and are linked with stays at high-end hotels," said Wei Bo, product manager of Northeast China at Trip.com. "This winter, the number of visitors who took group tours to Heilongjiang edged up about 10 percent over the same period last year. Most people take trips that last from four to six days," Wei said. Travelers from Beijing are particularly enthusiastic about skiing, and a large number are choosing to go to Changchun, Yanji and Tonghua in Jilin province, said Qunar, a Beijing-based online travel agency. Jilin, along with the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Hebei province, have become popular skiing destinations. Since the second week of November, flights to Changchun and Altay in Xinjiang started to climb, and the daily booking volume has been higher than the same period last year, Qunar said. A price increase of hotel rates also indicates the popularity of skiing this year. Since early November, hotels in Jilin and Altay have seen rates climb 20 percent year-on-year, and most skiers choose to stay at hotel for two days on average, which is one day longer than last year, Qunar found. Skiing venues in China closed during the Spring Festival holiday in late January this year following the outbreak of COVID-19, and the ski season was forced to end prematurely. Economic losses for ski resorts in China for the COVID-19 shortened season could exceed 8 billion yuan, industry researchers observed. In China, the skiing season usually starts in late October and runs until March of the following year, depending on weather conditions in different regions. The Spring Festival of 2021, with Lunar New Year's Day falling on Feb 12, is relatively late compared with previous years. Thus, it has provided a longer sales cycle for ice and snow tours, and the number of people who take trips this year is expected to significantly surpass that of last winter, said Trip.com. Sales of ice and snow tours during the winter of late 2018 and early 2019 reached 386 billion yuan in China. This year, revenue is expected to hit a new high, said the China Tourism Academy. In the run-up to the 2022 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, the two cities are continuing to attract more skiing enthusiasts. High-speed trains now connect Beijing and Zhangjiakou, with the latter located about 200 kilometers northwest of the capital, and with travel time being cut from four hours to about one hour. Jiang Tian, a skiing enthusiast in Beijing, went to a resort in Chongli district, Zhangjiakou, on a weekend last month. He said it was the largest number of skiers at the venue he's seen in quite a while. Fridays and Saturdays have become the most popular days for skiing-related hotel bookings, and hotels adjacent to slopes are the most popular. Travelers also pay attention to parking conditions and catering options within hotels, Trip.com said. The online travel agency also launched a skiing channel on its home page. It introduced more in-depth travel products online, including various transportation options from cities like Beijing to nearby ski resorts, as well as lift ticket packages and skiing lessons. During this year's Nov 11 Singles Day online shopping spree, the booking volumes of admission tickets to ski resorts and related excursions nationwide soared 860 percent year-on-year, according to Trip.com. On Fliggy, as of late November, about 200,000 people reserved hotels near ski resorts in Northeast China this season. About 70 percent of total expected travelers chose to go skiing during the year-end holiday season, and most travelers who would like to go skiing in Northeast China come from Shanghai, Beijing, Zhejiang province's Hangzhou and cities in South China, it found. This year, more than 10 domestic carriers have launched various products offering nearly unlimited flight passes for a set price to encourage passengers to take more flights. Passengers with these passes can usually take flights to a Chinese mainland city with certain restrictions or blackout dates, and they are typically only valid on weekends. In recent weeks, popular skiing destinations such as Jilin and Heilongjiang topped the list of places that people choose to fly to with their special flight passes, according to Fliggy. In addition, a growing number of destinations with warmer temperatures and little snowfall have built indoor ski slopes using artificial snow-making methods. Ski resorts in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Sichuan province's Chengdu, Jiangsu province's Wuxi and Guangdong province's Guangzhou have been quite popular for locals not willing to travel long distances. In the past few weeks, they have seen bookings surge more than 110 percent year-on-year, Fliggy found. ^ top ^

Chinese Chipmaker's Shipments Surge 650% on Strong Domestic Demand (Caixin)
2020-12-30
Tianjin Phytium Information Technology Co. Ltd. reported a 650% surge in 2020 shipments of its home-grown computer processors, driven by rising domestic demand to replace imported chips. Tianjin Phytium, the chipmaking unit of China's state-owned technology conglomerate China Electronics Corp. (CEC), delivered 1.5 million of its Phytium CPUs this year, compared with last year's 200,000 units, the company said Tuesday. About 80% of Phytium's CPU shipments were delivered to government clients as local authorities across China accelerated construction of internet technology systems for public services and urban management. Phytium's sales surge reflected China's broader campaign to boost domestic chipmaking to reduce the country's reliance on overseas technologies. Beijing's call to replace imported chips, operating systems and other IT gear with homemade substitutes is expected to create a market of more than 100 billion yuan ($15.4 billion) for domestic companies. Analysts said Phytium's sales also grew as it took market share from bigger rival Huawei Technologies Co., which is suffering supply cuts to key components under U.S. sanctions. Phytium said the company has been expanding to meet rising domestic demand, increasing employment to 710 people this year from the previous 460. The company plans to invest 700 million yuan in 2021 in research and development, up from this year's 400 million yuan. ^ top ^

China orders Ant Group to rein in unfettered expansion as regulators put up fences around financial risks (SCMP)
2020-12-28
Ant Group, the world's largest fintech company, has been instructed to rein in the influence of technology on its financial services as China's financial regulators ring fence the industry to prevent uncontrolled growth in the industry from leading to financial risks. Ant must return to its origins in online payments and prohibit irregular competition, protect customers' privacy in operating its personal credit rating business, establish a financial holding company to manage its businesses, rectify any irregularities in its insurance, wealth management and credit businesses, and run its asset-backed securities business in accordance with regulations, the People's Bank of China's deputy governor Pan Gongsheng said in a statement on Sunday. Delivered in the form of answers to questions from the media, the statement underlined the fintech giant's failure to meet regulatory requirements and its monopolistic behaviour. It also outlined the requirements that the company must now meet as soon as possible, including the creation of a revamp plan and an implementation timetable. "Ant needs to return to its roots of [electronic] payments," Pan said, laying out the company's first regulatory requirement. He was speaking on behalf of China's major financial regulators, including the People's Bank of China, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. Ant ignored regulatory requirements, engaged in regulatory arbitrage and squeezed peers by using its market-leading status, he added. Ant's highly anticipated dual initial public offering was halted in early November, and Beijing has since stepped up its regulation of the country's internet and technology sectors. This month, the Politburo, the Communist Party's top decision-making body, vowed to step up its antitrust efforts and prevent "disorderly capital expansion". China kicks off antitrust probes into Alibaba over alleged monopolistic practices The ring fence around Ant's fintech business is part of an overall move against the twin pillars of Alibaba Group Holdings' sprawling internet business – Alibaba's e-commerce platform and affiliate Ant's fintech business. Alibaba owns South China Morning Post. China's antitrust regulator, the State Administration of Market Regulation, which began investigations into Alibaba's operations, fined a unit of the company on December 14 for failing to disclose its takeover of department store operator Intime Retail Group between 2014 and 2017. On Sunday, Pan also pointed out the flaws in Ant's corporate management system, and that the company had hurt consumers' legal interests, which had led to complaints being filed. "Ant will establish a rectification working group and fully implement requirements raised at the meeting to bring into line the operation and development of our financial related businesses," the company said in a statement on Sunday. "We will enlarge the scope and magnitude of opening up for win-win collaboration, review and rectify our work in consumer rights protection, and comprehensively improve our business compliance and sense of social responsibility. Ant will make its rectification plan and working timetable in a timely manner and seek regulators' guidance in the process." Ant started out in 2004 as the payments processing arm of Alibaba, China's largest e-commerce platform. Since then it has morphed into a services and technology provider. It made the bulk of its revenue from selling services in wealth management, micro financing and insurance companies in the financial year ended March. Alipay, the payments platform Ant operates, and its partners have amassed 1.3 billion annual active users globally. In China, Alipay has created a duopoly in payments, alongside arch-rival Tencent Holdings that owns social media network WeChat and its integrated payments provider WeChat Pay. WeChat Pay also has around 1 billion users, while Palo Alto-based payments firm PayPal has about 346 million users globally and a market capitalisation of US$226 billion as of Thursday. The latest salvo against Ant could further hinder its IPO. Fang Xinghai, the CSRC's vice-chairman, said last month that the resumption of its listing would depend on how it adapted to Beijing's new rules for fintech. The regulators said on Sunday that they required Ant to enhance the transparency of transactions on its platform, to prevent illegal competition, obtain the necessary permits for its individual credit service, and to protect personal data privacy. They also required that the company establish a financial holding company to ensure it has sufficient capital, and that connected transactions were conducted legally. They said they wanted Ant to revamp its businesses such as loans, insurance and wealth management, and strengthen the management of its securities related institutions. "Ant needs to fully be aware of the seriousness and necessity of the revamp, and as soon as possible, create [a] revamp plan and implementation timetable based on regulatory requirements," Pan said. He added that, at the same time, the company had to function normally to ensure the continuity and quality of its financial services. Beijing will continue to encourage financial technology companies within the bounds of the law, Pan added. He also stressed that the central government will continue to clamp down on illegal behaviour and regulate all financial activities. "We appreciate financial regulators' guidance and help. The rectification is an opportunity for Ant to strengthen the foundation for our business to grow with full compliance, and to continue focusing on innovating for social good and serving small businesses," Ant said on Sunday. ^ top ^

DPRK to hold Party Congress in early January (Xinhua)
2020-12-30
The 8th Party Congress of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will be held in "early January," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Wednesday. The KCNA said the leaders of the country, including top leader Kim Jong Un, gathered at the 22nd meeting of the Political Bureau of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) on Tuesday, where they reviewed lists of delegates who were "elected at the conferences of the Party organizations at all levels" nationwide. The Political Bureau studied the preparations for the 8th Congress of the WPK and adopted a decision on holding the Congress in early January 2021, the report said, without giving the exact date of the meeting. The Political Bureau also made in-depth study and discussion on a series of important issues to be referred to the Party Congress and made relevant decisions, it said. The KCNA reported earlier that the upcoming congress will discuss and endorse a new five-year economic development plan to guide the national economy for the next five year. The 7th Party Congress was held in May 2016. ^ top ^

Foreign Minister meets with EU Ambassador online (Montsame)
2020-12-29
On December 28, Minister of Foreign Affairs N.Enkhtaivan held an online meeting with Ambassador of the European Union to Mongolia Traian Laurentiu Hristea and exchanged views on relations and cooperation between Mongolia and the EU. The sides talked about activities to organize in 2021 following the 20th meeting of Mongolia-European Union Joint Committee and coordinating EU's development investment priorities for 2021-2027 in line with long-term policies of two sides. After highlighting the necessity to vaccinate COVID-19 frontline workers, including healthcare staff and police officers, Minister Enkhtaivan expressed his willingness to continue cooperation with EU and its member states on getting COVID-19 vaccine. ^ top ^

Law on Presidential elections adopted (Montsame)
2020-12-28
On December 24, Mongolian Parliament – State Great Khural approved the Law on Presidential Election as it has been decided to have separate pieces of legislations for Presidential, Parliamentarian and local khural elections instead of previous practice of a single and unified Election Law for all types of elections in order to better regulate them. As a regulation for preparations and organizations of Presidential elections, the law contains provisions on the use of election ink during elections, access to the voters' lists, filing complaints on issues or wrongdoings in the voters' lists, manual recounts of all voted paper ballots at select polling places, installation of cameras to document voting process while avoiding to compromise the secrecy of the voters' ballot. The law also states that person convicted on criminal charges and is serving prison sentences or person who is determined guilty of corrupt practices by a court are disqualified for being nominated as a candidate for the Presidential elections. ^ top ^

Law on Administrative, Territorial Units and their Governance revised (Montsame)
2020-12-28
On December 24, State Great Khural, Mongolian parliament approved the revised Law on Administrative and Territorial Units and their Governance. In November 2019, Mongolia made amendments to its Constitution, which required revisions and amendments to more than 40 law and one of them was the law on Law on Administrative and Territorial Units and their Governance. The revised law provides legal basis for citizens to take part in local governance, directly and through their representatives while offering clearer delineation of functions to be performed by different tiers of administrative units - soum, aimag, district and the capital city. The law is expected to ensure independence of local government bodies and strengthen finance and economic basis of local development. Soums in aimags and districts in Ulaanbaatar city are now regulated to serve as territorial units of local self-government, bestowed with responsibilities and powers to resolve issues concerned local communities and make certain decisions regarding economic and social agenda within their own territories. Core responsibilities of aimags, representation of common interests of soums in their territories, are to implement government policy and decisions and administer matters among soums and ensure and oversee their implementation of Mongolia's laws. To ensure that local self-governing bodies are not subject to political influence, Citizens' Representatives' Khurals will run their operations on the basis of organizational structures of standing and temporary committees and working groups, instead of political groups. As the law states, political parties are not entitled to nominate for elections of soums' local bodies – khural and for other levels of khurals, political parties cannot give any responsibilities to representatives elected from the parties. ^ top ^

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