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SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
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DPRK
Mongolia
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Top 10 most expensive cities to live in (China Daily)
2021-01-05
The three cities of Zurich, Paris and Hong Kong share the top spot as the world's most expensive city to live in, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2020 Worldwide Cost of Living index. The 30th edition of the World Cost of Living index reports the prices of 138 goods and services in 133 major cities around the world as of September 2020, and shows how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the cost of living in these cities. Of the 10 categories covered by this report, tobacco and recreation (including consumer electronics) have seen the biggest price increases, while clothing prices have seen the steepest decline. ^ top ^
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| Foreign Policy |
US will pay heavy toll for wrongdoing (China Daily)
2021-01-08
China said on Thursday that the United States will pay a heavy price for its wrongdoing, after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington may sanction those involved in the recent Hong Kong arrests and that its UN ambassador would visit Taiwan. Pompeo said in a statement on Wednesday that the 53 people who were arrested on suspicion of committing crimes, including subversion, under the National Security Law for Hong Kong, should be "released immediately and unconditionally". Speaking at a daily news briefing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that Beijing opposes and condemns Pompeo's statement, which interferes in China's internal affairs and judicial sovereignty. "We support the Hong Kong authorities in fighting illegal criminal activities in accordance with the law and firmly oppose any country, organization or individual in any way interfering in Hong Kong affairs and the region's rule of law," she said. Some anti-China politicians in the Trump administration are engaging in a "last minute of madness" and are harming China-US relations to serve their selfish political aims, Hua said, adding that this goes against the will of the two peoples and will be punished by history. She said that Beijing urged Washington to immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs and undermining the country's interests and bilateral relations. China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and security interests, she added. In terms of the upcoming visit to Taiwan by US Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft, Hua stressed that China opposes all forms of official exchanges between the US and Taiwan. Also on Thursday, the US and Taiwan held a so-called political and military dialogue via video-link, over which the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry have both lodged stern representations. The Chinese People's Liberation Army is resolute and able to thwart any form of external interference and attempts to seek "Taiwan independence", and defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. Hua said that China urged the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques so that it won't further undermine cross-Straits peace and stability and bilateral ties. ^ top ^
China-Australia relations: bans on Australian imports 'beginning to bite' as commodity exports fall (SCMP)
2021-01-08
Australia's major commodity exports to China sank in November as Beijing's trade restrictions hit home, although the impact of the slowdown was cushioned by redirected sales to other countries. Australia's overall exports, including those to China, rose slightly in November as a result of an increase in non-volatile gold exports, but iron ore and coal exports to China both fell 2.2 per cent and 3.6 per cent, respectively, compared to October. Despite record iron ore prices in the past few months, the value of iron ore exports fell, indicating the volume of shipments would have decreased. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the quantity of iron ore shipped to China in November fell 7 per cent compared to October. Analysts have indicated inclement weather particularly with Australia going into cyclone season could have affected lower shipments in October and November. Coal exports, which has been unofficially banned by China, fell to their weakest level since 2016, Capital Economics' Australia and New Zealand economist Ben Udy said. "The underperformance of [coal] exports to China underlines that Chinese restrictions on Australian imports are beginning to bite," he said. Total exports to China fell 6.4 per cent compared to a year earlier, while exports to the rest of the world fell 2.6 per cent. The downward pressure on exports in November could continue in coming months, mitigated by continued high iron ore prices and the redirection of coal exports to other countries, analysts added. Iron ore prices – the highest since 2011 – sat at around US$165 a tonne on Thursday afternoon after rising to nearly US$180 a tonne late last year, which was more than double the price at the start of the year. Strong iron ore prices will continue to give Australian miners a profit boost even if export volumes decline. Coal exports felt the impact of China's trade block, but were largely rescued by sales to alternative buyers, said ANZ Research's Australian economists Hayden Dimes and David Plank. "Despite China's import restrictions, coal exports were down only slightly, suggesting Australia has so far been able to find alternative buyers," Dimes and Plank said. China and Australia are in the ninth month of their conflict which has seen Beijing impose trade blocks to some Australian exports, including coal, cotton, lobsters and timber. China also levied anti-dumping duties on Australian wine and barley, making them uncompetitive in the Chinese market, which together have led to slowing trade between the two large trading partners. As of June last year, the two countries enjoyed two-way trade of nearly A$240 billion (US$187 billion), led by iron ore, coal and liquefied natural gas exports. The conflict escalated in April after Australia took the lead in pushing for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, with the government announcing the move without consulting Beijing. The move worsened brewing tensions between the two countries which were damaged in 2018 when Australia banned Huawei Technologies Co. from its domestic 5G network on national security grounds and urged other countries to do the same. Former diplomats and observers had hoped the two countries could reset their relationship with ministerial level dialogue between new Australian trade minister Dan Tehan and a new Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao. But on Thursday, Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne again broached the subject of the coronavirus investigation, saying China should grant World Health Organization (WHO) officials access "without delay". Earlier this week, the head of the WHO expressed disappointment that China had still not authorised the entry of a team of international coronavirus experts. "We look forward to the findings from the international field mission to China," Payne said. Payne had already issued a statement on Wednesday saying the Australian government was concerned by the arrest of more than 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers and activists earlier that day for alleged violations of the national security law by organising and taking part in the primaries for the postponed Legislative Council election last year. "Australia has consistently expressed concern that the national security law is eroding Hong Kong's autonomy, democratic principles and rule of law," Payne said. ^ top ^
China, Botswana sign MoU on BRI cooperation (Xinhua)
2021-01-08
China and Botswana on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Botswana counterpart Lemogang Kwape signed the MoU between the two governments after their talks in Gaborone. Wang said the BRI is an important international cooperation initiative and a public product provided by China to the international community. The focus is to help developing countries strengthen infrastructure construction, better realize connectivity and enhance their independent development capabilities, he said. The two countries signed an agreement on jointly building the BRI on Thursday, making Botswana the 46th partner country in Africa in BRI cooperation, said Wang. This year coincides with the 46th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Botswana, which is a beautiful symbol, he said. The joint construction of BRI will provide new opportunities for the two countries to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, expand new fields, open up new prospects, help Botswana's infrastructure construction and national modernization process, and better benefit the two peoples, he said. Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi and Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation Lemogang Kwape both congratulated on the signing of the agreement to jointly build the BRI, stressing that it is new progress in China-Botswana relations and will provide new impetus for the cooperation between the two countries. ^ top ^
European Parliament members say Hong Kong arrests threaten passage of EU-China investment deal (SCMP)
2021-01-07
The EU-China investment deal, tentatively reached just last week, faces a new hurdle as a growing number of European Parliament members expressed concern Wednesday over the mass arrests of pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong. "The situation in Hong Kong is followed closely by parliamentarians," said Bernd Lange, head of the EU parliament's trade committee, which will be responsible for reviewing the deal later this year. "Concerns about political freedom and human rights have played a prominent role in past debates on trade policy and will surely do so in the case of the CAI," he added, referring to the comprehensive agreement on investment. The European Union's executive branch, the European Commission, was still keen to get the deal done, saying that "engagement" with China on other issues like climate change remained crucial. The commission concluded the investment agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping on December 30, but the deal – the full text of which is still not available for public view – must be approved by the European Parliament. The prospect of that approval, however, was complicated by the Hong Kong police's arrest of 53 pro-democracy lawmakers and politicians earlier on Wednesday. The police used the subversion clauses under the national security law, imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing last year, to round up the democracy advocates. The mass arrests, Lange said, "mark a violation of the spirit of the EU-China investment deal's sustainability commitments", which include human rights. "This is clearly not a basis for constructive cooperation." "It is difficult to understand how China and the EU can claim to share and advance common values when we look at the current situation," Lange added. "No one should make the mistake of assuming there are built-in majorities for any deal." Guy Verhofstadt, a prominent EU Parliament member and former Belgian prime minister, went even further, saying the parliament "will never ratify the China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment without commitments and proof that the human rights of Hongkongers, Uygurs and Tibetans improve". Raphael Glucksmann, a parliament member from France, tweeted: "Democracy in Hong Kong is dying before our eyes, and the priority of our dear European leaders is to sell us their investment agreement with Beijing. "How can we be so out of time?" Anna Fotyga, one of five co-chairs of the EU Parliament's Hong Kong Watch group, called on the EU to launch an impact assessment on the EU-China investment deal, analysing the effect the agreement will have on human rights, particularly in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet. The European Commission however, has continued to insist on the need to ratify the deal, which it said could provide European businesses unprecedented access to the Chinese market. It argued that human rights should be treated separately from trade and investment issues. "The agreement on investment itself is not the appropriate instrument to deal with a complex country with which we also therefore have complex and multidimensional relations. So we have a sectoral agreement in the area of investment," Eric Mamer, the commission's chief spokesman, said. "We have a separate line of dialogue with China on the rule of law, democracy," Mamer said. "Clearly, we are working with China in a different way in different areas." Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he added, "has stressed how important it is to work with a country like China in the area of climate change". The European Commission has previously reassured lawmakers that the EU would continue to coordinate with the US on policies regarding China – even though it snubbed a request by President-elect Joe Biden's national security adviser for Europe to consult Biden prior to the December 30 conclusion of its negotiations with China. EU officials above the spokespeople's rank have not addressed the latest situation in Hong Kong. Britain's foreign minister Dominic Raab said that the arrests "demonstrate that the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities deliberately misled the world about the true purpose of the national security law, which is being used to crush dissent and opposing political views". Antony Blinken, Biden's pick for US Secretary of State, decried the arrests as "an assault on those bravely advocating for universal rights. "The Biden-Harris administration will stand with the people of Hong Kong and against Beijing's crackdown on democracy." And Britain's foreign minister Dominic Raab said that the arrests "demonstrate that the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities deliberately misled the world about the true purpose of the national security law, which is being used to crush dissent and opposing political views". Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong and former EU commissioner for external relations, condemned the EU-China investment agreement in light of the events in Hong Kong. "If this deal goes ahead it will make a mockery of Europe's ambitions to be taken seriously as a global political and economic player. "It spits in the face of human rights and shows a delusional view of the CCP's trustworthiness on the international stage," Patten said. Patten also called it "a massive strategic blunder" at a time when Biden would be seeking to assemble an international partnership of liberal democracies to "deal with the bullying loutish behaviour and assault on our international rules by Chinese Communists". ^ top ^
China, Nigeria reach 7 consensuses on deepening bilateral cooperation: Chinese FM (Xinhua)
2021-01-06
Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Tuesday that China and Nigeria have reached seven important consensuses on deepening bilateral cooperation. During a press conference jointly attended by Wang and Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, Wang said that after his talks and in-depth exchange of views with Onyeama, the two countries agreed to continue to strengthen cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and firmly support each other until the pandemic is completely overcome. Wang said the two sides will establish an intergovernmental committee to be led by the two countries' foreign ministers that will coordinate and advance mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields. Meanwhile, the two countries will also advance cooperation in jointly promoting the construction of the Belt and Road by closely aligning China's new development pattern with Nigeria's new national development plan, Wang said. China will vigorously promote the construction of key projects in Nigeria so as to help Nigeria accelerate industrialization and improve its independent development capabilities, he said. Wang said the two countries will continue to expand cooperation into areas including digital economy and green economy so as to achieve diversified development; the two sides will deepen military and security cooperation in efforts to enhance Nigeria's capacity in safeguarding national security. Further, China and Nigeria will also closely coordinate international and regional affairs, practice multilateralism, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Nigeria is the largest economy and the most populous country in Africa. It has important international and regional influences, and it has always been a major strategic partner that China attaches great importance to in Africa, Wang said, adding that the two countries this year will usher in the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Over the past 50 years, no matter how the international situation changes, China and Nigeria have persisted in mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual support, and have embarked on a path of unity and rejuvenation, Wang said. The Chinese official said that in 2019, bilateral trade volume reached 1,900 times that of when the two countries established diplomatic relations. The two sides have also achieved fruitful cooperation in railway construction, free trade parks, local currency swaps, satellite launches and other fields, and they are at the forefront of regional and international cooperation. Wang said that facts have proven that China-Nigeria cooperation serves the common interests of the two countries and their peoples, and has become an important part of China-Africa cooperation and South-South cooperation. In a new historical period, the two sides should inherit and carry forward the tradition of China-Nigeria friendship and welcome more glorious cooperation between the two countries in the next 50 years, Wang said. ^ top ^
Xi calls for closer partnership with Argentina (Xinhua)
2021-01-05
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China stands ready to work with Argentina to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China attaches great importance to bilateral ties, Xi said in a recent exchange of letters with Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, urging concerted efforts to sustain and deepen the development of the China-Argentina comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi noted that since Fernandez took office, they have talked over phone and had multiple exchanges of letters, and have reached important consensuses on deepening bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation in areas such as battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is a severe test for the whole world, Xi said, adding that in the face of the disease, the two nations have stood together and helped each other, and their traditional friendship has been further elevated in the joint battle. China, he said, stands ready to strengthen cooperation with Argentina in research, development and application of COVID-19 vaccines, and will continue to provide as much support and assistance as its capacity allows for Argentina's fight against the pandemic. For his part, Fernandez spoke highly of the development of bilateral relations and China's achievements in containing the pandemic, and thanked China for supporting Argentina's fight against COVID-19. Facing the impact of COVID-19, countries should show solidarity, as well as mutual respect and support, and commit themselves to building a community with a shared future for mankind, a notion put forward by Xi, he said. The Argentine president noted that China has accomplished its poverty alleviation target as scheduled and scored remarkable achievements in science and technology, bringing benefits for the Chinese people and the world at large. He also said that both Argentina and China uphold multilateralism, support inter-state dialogues, and strengthen regional dialogues, so as to achieve harmonious development. The Belt and Road Initiative is conducive to deepening connectivity and mutual understanding between the two countries, Fernandez said, adding that his country stands ready to strengthen cooperation with China in areas including vaccines, and to jointly push for greater development of their comprehensive strategic partnership. ^ top ^
FM kicks off Africa visit in new year for 31 straight years, showcasing the unshakable friendship (Global Times)
2021-01-04
Following a tradition of China's foreign ministers making Africa their first visit of the new year, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi kicked off his official visit to five African countries - Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Botswana and Seychelles - on Monday, showcasing an unshakable China-Africa friendship in the post-COVID era under increasing world turbulence, and marking a new beginning in the next 10 years on the "Promised Land." As the COVID-19 rages globally and Africa recently saw a new virus strain from its south, which scientists said will accelerate the spread of the coronavirus, Wang has remained committed to a diplomatic tradition to visit Africa, which observers believe truly demonstrates what the old Chinese saying "a friend in need is a friend indeed" means. "Among all the powers, only Chinese foreign ministers have chosen Africa as their first destination at the beginning of the each year for 31 years, which shows the great importance China has attached to friendships with African countries," Liu Guijin, former Chinese Government's Special Representative for African Affairs, told the Global Times on Monday. Ovigwe Eguegu, a Nigerian policy advisor at Beijing-based consultancy Development Reimagined and co-founder of think tank Afripolitika, told the Global Times that "there is no other nation in the world that has shown willingness for such consistent diplomatic engagement with Africa… It feeds the perception among Africans that China makes Africa a priority, the way other partners don't." The year 2020 is of special significance in world history and in the history of China-Africa relations. Looking back to 2020, China-Africa cooperation under the pandemic has not stalled, and China-Africa relations have stood the test. Deepening the unity in fighting COVID-19 will be a major focus in Wang's visit to African counties, said analysts. China and African countries worked together since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the most difficult time in China's fight against the coronavirus in 2020, more than 50 African leaders sent their messages to support China. After COVID-19 broke out in Africa, China took the lead in helping Africa - China has so far sent medical teams to 15 countries to aid in their anti-virus fight, signed debt service suspension agreements with 12 African countries, and reduced or waived interest-free loans of 15 African nations due at the end of 2020. He Wenping, a senior research fellow of the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will also be another important topic. "In recent years, China and Africa have suffered a slide in economic cooperation affected by the decline of the price of raw materials in the international market. Wang's visits are expected to provide more initiatives to stabilize policies against the backdrop of increasing global turbulence." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a routine press conference on Monday that Wang's visits demonstrate the long-standing friendship between China and Africa through weal and woe, and also represent China's firm and consistent choice to develop good ties with African countries. Before Wang's African tour, some media gave their understanding of the choices for the five countries. Others suspected that the visit to Seychelles might be related to the reported military base on the Seychelles, although China had already denied such plan in early 2011. Analysts warned some Western media and politicians to stop raking up the past to drive a wedge between China and Africa. Liu Haifang, executive director of the Beijing-based Center for African Studies and associate professor at the School of International Studies of Peking University, believes the five countries are representatives of the five parts of the African continent and choosing them is an extension of China's policies on cooperation with the continent. It has nothing to do with seeking military interests, repairing ties with the selected countries, or giving a snub to others. It is true that some Chinese companies' projects in Africa have faced obstacles with some being suspended or canceled, but the big picture is that China has built more than 1,000 projects for Africa without attaching any political conditions, including over 6,000 kilometers of railways and the same mileage of roads, nearly 20 ports and over 80 large-scale power plants, He Wenping said. "The suspension of the Bagamoyo mega port and special economic zone does not mean the bilateral relations between China and Tanzania are encountering difficulties, but a result of the new president's iron-fisted rule, which has never targeted China only," Liu Haifang told the Global Times on Monday. Different from opinions of some foreign media that hyped Wang's visits to Africa countries as "vaccine diplomacy," Eguegu praised the Chinese Foreign Minister's visits as "timely" after China's approval of its self-developed vaccines since "African countries are in dire need for vaccines in 2021. Otherwise, they would be marginalized globally in tourism, trade and economic recovery." "Every time before a senior Chinese official comes to visit African countries, there will be some Western media judging us with bias and double standards. People in Africa enjoy and know the benefits brought about by China-Africa cooperation, and some small frictions would not alter the historical trend," said Liu Guijin. Unlike the West, who gave no upbeat tones of Africa's development to serve their own purpose, China's attitude toward Africa is consistent and firm - China always sees Africa as the land of hope, promotes trade and people exchanges, and works with African people, Liu noted. An improvement on food and living, a feeling of being respected and a change in mind-set - happiness is created by hard work - these are what China has brought to Africa over the past years in He's eyes through several field investigations. To Liu Haifeng, Africa is also a valuable drill ground for Chinese companies to get familiar with international rules and be more prepared for any fines or sanctions imposed by Western hegemony. "The mutual trust built over the past years offers a precious chance for Chinese companies to grow up fast." "Through security cooperation, China could provide Africa solutions to knotty problems," Liu Haifeng said, "The continent is a platform for China to showcase its responsibility as a big power." Chinese analysts believe that there are great potentials for China and Africa to create more hope in the next decade. Apart from traditional cooperation, China could focus more on new infrastructure construction in Africa. "The industrial parks, or special economic zones, could be a key engine to connect Africa with the world market," Liu Haifeng said. Surveys to many Chinese companies in Africa made Liu believe that investing in industrialization may be a trend as manufacturing shoes and clothes and processing agriculture products have proven to be successful in many African countries. ^ top ^
China's securities regulator responds to U.S. delisting of Chinese companies (Xinhua)
2021-01-04
The delisting of three Chinese companies by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under a U.S. government order disregarded related companies' actual conditions and global investors' legitimate rights and interests and severely disrupted market order, a spokesperson for the China Securities Regulatory Commission said Sunday. The spokesperson made the remarks in response to the NYSE's announcement Thursday to delist China Telecom Corporation Ltd., China Mobile Ltd. and China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. Having issued American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and been listed on the NYSE for nearly or over two decades, the three Chinese firms have complied with the rules and regulations of the U.S. securities market, and are widely acknowledged by investors worldwide, the spokesperson said. The delisting of the Chinese companies on politically-motivated administrative order of the U.S. government seriously breached market rules and order, the spokesperson said. Given the three companies' large user base, stable operation, significant influence on the global telecommunications service industry, as well as the small proportion of ADRs in their total shares, the act of delisting will have very limited impact on their market operation and development, according to the spokesperson. The commission will firmly support the three firms to protect their rights and interests, and believes that they will handle the adverse impact appropriately, said the spokesperson. Some U.S. politicians, at the cost of damaging the global status of their own capital market, have recently made moves to suppress U.S.-listed foreign companies constantly. These moves showed the randomness, arbitrariness and uncertainty of the country's rules and regulations, and were therefore unwise, the spokesperson said. "We hope the U.S. sides will respect the market and the rule of law, and do more to protect the order of the global financial market, safeguard investors' lawful rights and interests and promote the steady development of the world economy," the spokesperson added. ^ top ^
China-EU investment deal: who's the real winner after seven years of negotiations? (SCMP)
2021-01-03
When Jose Manuel Barroso, former president of the European Commission, and Herman Van Rompuy, former European Council president, visited Beijing in November 2013, hopes were high that an investment treaty with China could be reached within 30 months. […] Fast-track to January 2021 and the world is deeply divided and polarised. Both Europe and the United States are battling a pandemic. The World Bank estimated global world output fell 5.2 per cent in 2020 – the worst since World War II – although China managed some growth. Against such a gloomy backdrop, it was no surprise that EU and Chinese leaders were quick to celebrate sealing the landmark deal – officially called the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI). Though according to critics, while it might be a symbolic victory for Beijing there is little in it for Brussels. "President Xi Jinping and European leaders jointly announced completion of the negotiations of the CAI," China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a year-end review published over the weekend. "This not only injects great momentum into Sino-European cooperation but is also great news for the depressed world economy." Pundits generally agree that Beijing has emerged as the bigger winner, but opinions differ on its significance for Western economies and what it means for China's economic recovery after the pandemic and its global ambitions in the face of international resistance. Sourabh Gupta, a senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington, described the agreement as a milestone. "For China, this is the most significant economic agreement, geo-economically, geopolitically as well as from a broad economic perspective, since the signing of its World Trade Organization Accession Protocol in 2001," he said. "It will be remembered in the future as the most economically meaningful instrument signed by China during its second phase of reform and opening up." Wu Xinbo, director of the Centre for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said securing the deal with the EU put China in an "invulnerable position" and help insulate it from America's efforts to exclude it from global trade and investment. "The deal will deepen the economic ties between China and the EU, with negotiating a free-trade agreement being the expected next step," he said. "And it will also thwart the US' plan to join hands with Europe and isolate China from the future of globalisation." Ding Chun, director of the European Studies Centre at Fudan University, agreed that the deal was more than just an investment pact. "This will give a comparative advantage for European investment and technology. The CAI will give [European firms] a better chance to enter the Chinese market and increase competition between Chinese and European investors," he said. "It's a comprehensive agreement, restricted not only to the field of investment, but also covering sustainable development, the environment and labour rights. It will give China a push to upgrade and improve its institutional arrangements, and will push it towards more high level, high standard agreements for future FTAs and other deals," he said. But some observers questioned Brussels' wisdom of rushing things through behind closed doors before the end of the year, and just weeks before the inauguration of US president-elect Joe Biden. Some said the deal was premature and could come at the cost of a reboot of the transatlantic alliance Biden has set as a priority in his multilateral approach to countering China. George Magnus, a research associate at Oxford University's China Centre, said the EU appeared to have conceded leverage for seemingly very little in return. The agreement was unlikely to become a platform for the deepening of EU-China relations or even pave the way to a free-trade agreement, but it was a good move for China "without having to make major concessions commercially or any on labour standards and rights, which the EU is normally very robust about", he said. According to Gal Luft, co-director of Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, a think tank in Washington, the EU's move was a deliberate attempt to take advantage of the power vacuum in the US. "Concluding it in the interregnum period ensures that the outgoing administration will have no time to penalise Brussels while the new one will have no chance to weigh in," he said. "This shows that the EU, despite its misgivings about China's behaviour and policies, wants to remain an independent player and is unwilling to be dragged into the US-China power struggle." The deal has apparently irked both the outgoing administration of President Donald Trump and the Biden team. Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser nominee, called for "early consultations with our European partners on our common concerns about China's economic practices", while Trump's deputy national security adviser, Matt Pottinger, lashed out at European leaders for taking Beijing's pledge to honour labour rights at face value, "while it continues to build millions of square feet of factories for forced labour in Xinjiang". He was referring to the internment of ethnic Uygurs and other Muslims in China's far western region, which Beijing has denied. An EU document seen by the South China Morning Post confirmed that European leaders were aware of the deal's possible repercussions on relations with the new US administration. But it insists that the deal "will not affect our commitment to transatlantic cooperation, which will be essential for addressing a number of the challenges created by China". "This agreement achieves more of a balance for the EU with China, and will give them more of a free hand when they negotiate with the United States," Ding said. "The CAI will help give a chance for a 'post-Trump' era of world trade, that's more about cooperation between the big economies of the world." From the EU's perspective, it has its own challenges too. Apart from Brexit and transatlantic discord, it is trying to redefine itself on the global stage, with member states balancing between a desire for strategic autonomy and the need to collectively defend their common interests and values. Gupta said that no matter what deals China worked out with the Europeans, transatlantic cooperation would supersede China's ties with the US or the EU. "Because the former is grounded in values and interests while the latter is grounded primarily in interests," he said. "The EU's statement is a bow to this obvious and, in its view, preferred reality." The EU first proposed the investment pact in 2012 and the two sides officially began talks in January 2014. It will replace 26 existing investment treaties between China and 27 EU member states. According to Justyna Szczudlik, a China specialist and head of the Asia-Pacific programme at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, the talks were largely driven by big EU economies, especially France and Germany that are "overdependent on Chinese market" and would benefit the most from the deal. Smaller European countries that do not have vast economic interests in the Chinese market had largely been left out in the cold, she said. "The process of negotiations was non-transparent and it seems that member states do not exactly know what is inside the deal." Szczudlik described the deal-making as China's diplomatic masterpiece. "The real winner is China, not the EU, even if the commitments/concessions that China promised would be eventually achieved," she said. Both sides, but particularly China and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, had shown unusual enthusiasm in recent weeks to complete the talks before the end of Germany's presidency of the EU on December 31. "Unexpected China-led progress on the CAI that appeared in mid-December had political background, which was to show China's power to undermine EU's recently sharpened policy towards China and avoid transatlantic cooperation on China, bearing in mind upcoming Biden administration which is ready to strengthen ties with the EU," she said. Shi Yinhong, a professor on international relations with Renmin University in Beijing, said it remained to be seen what China would get from the deal or offer the EU. "China has strong demand to access the investment markets of advanced economies amid the Sino-US hi-tech decoupling. Compromises on the demand or a delay to raise the demand would hit its own interests," he said. Under the deal, China has committed to pursue the ratification of international covenants on forced labour, which was reportedly one of the last stumbling blocks in the talks. European officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, however hailed Beijing's promise to "make continued and sustained efforts" to ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO)'s convention on forced labour as a breakthrough and an "unprecedented outcome". China and the US are among the nine of 187 ILO member countries that have yet to ratify the treaty. Luft said the EU-China deal also posed an image problem for the US, when Washington was leading a global campaign against forced labour in Xinjiang and Tibet. "This diminishes US moral authority to lecture Beijing, let alone the rest of the world, about labour practices," he said. Philippe Le Corre, a non-resident fellow in the Europe and Asia programmes at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, was also sceptical about China's promises. "I doubt China will ever comply with ILO conventions but the EU signed a trade deal with countries such as Vietnam where it tried to push them to adopt them. Nothing compulsory there," he said. Luft said against the backdrop of Brexit, Europe was "not exactly a paragon of compliance". While China's record of delivering on its commitments was checkered, "both sides will have to hold each other's feet to the fire and insist on stricter implementation", he said. ^ top ^
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CPC improves election work of local Party organizations via revised rules (Xinhua)
2021-01-07
The Communist Party of China (CPC) has improved the election work of local Party organizations with newly revised election rules, according to the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee Thursday. Elections to local Party organizations bear significant meaning to enhance the Party's political building and intraparty democracy, the department said. The revised version of the work rules for elections to local Party organizations published by the CPC Central Committee is of great importance to standardizing the election work of CPC's local organizations and strengthening their construction, it added. The revision specifies the four-step election procedure and the proportion of frontline workers and farmers among delegates to local Party congresses, the department explained, underscoring the minimum requirement of 30 percent frontline delegates in provincial-level Party congresses. The number of candidates for members and alternate members of local-level Party committees and candidates for members of the commissions for discipline inspection at the corresponding levels should be at least 10 percent more than the positions to be elected, according to the working rules. The document also has provisions on organizing elections, electoral discipline, and supervision over elections. Any Party organization or member that hinders voters from exercising their democratic rights should receive disciplinary action, and those suspected of crimes should be dealt with in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, said the document. ^ top ^
China's state security ministry publicly reveals recruitment method for first time (Global Times)
2021-01-07
China's national intelligence and anti-espionage authority - the Ministry of State Security (MSS) - has openly introduced its recruitment methods for the first time on Wednesday, four days ahead of the first People's Police Day in China. In July, the State Council approved the decision to set January 10 as the Chinese people's police day. The MSS always keeps a low-profile with very limited public information, but on Wednesday, the Legal Daily, a newspaper under the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, published an interview with the press office of the MSS. In the interview, the MSS openly introduced some information to the public for the first time, including the methods for recruiting MSS police officers. The MSS and state security departments and bureaus across the country will recruit police officers through civil service entrance examinations at the central government level and the provincial level, the MSS said in the interview. During the graduation season every year, the state security authorities will send officers to universities nationwide to publicize and introduce plans and policies related to the recruitment, according to the MSS. Based on the national security situation that the country would face after the reform and opening-up, the CPC Central Committee, in early 1980s, decided to merge the former Investigation Department of the CPC Central Committee and the anti-espionage institutions under the Ministry of Public Security to build a unified and powerful national security authority. The MSS was then established in 1983. The MSS is responsible for anti-espionage missions, and it is also an important authority for intelligence work, as well as safeguarding political security and the security of China's overseas interests, the MSS said in the interview. "The world is experiencing a profound change that has never seen in the past century. The unexpected COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a global crisis. Power politics, the Cold War mentality, unilateralism and protectionism have risen. The development of mankind is facing unprecedented challenges and the international situation has entered a period of turbulent changes," said the MSS. "Our country will likely encounter different risks and conflicts at present and a period of time in the future. The predictable and unpredictable elements that could cause danger for the country are increasing." "The MSS is the loyal defender of the Party and the people," and "will resolutely safeguard the security of the Party's ruling position and the security of the socialist system of our country, and will defend China's national sovereignty, security and development interests and will escort the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," the MSS said. ^ top ^
China Maps Out Rules for Cranking Up National Carbon Market (Caixin)
2021-01-07
China issued overarching rules for carbon trading, laying out the regulatory framework for a long-awaited national market as the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide (CO2) moves to fight the causes of global warming. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the rules Tuesday governing nationwide carbon trading, effective Feb. 1. Under the rules, provincial governments will be allowed for the first time to set pollution caps for big power companies. China is pursuing a goal of decarbonizing the economy by 2060. The new document provides the general framework for the carbon market, which can be expected to start operating in the second quarter, said Chen Zhibin, a senior analyst at SinoCarbon Innovation & Investment Co. More detailed guidelines are to be issued to supplement the general rules, Chen said. A carbon trading system is believed to be an effective tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. The concept involves setting increasingly stringent limits on carbon emissions. Businesses and other enterprises whose emissions fall below the limits can then sell unused carbon credits to emitters that can't meet pollution control requirements. This puts a price on carbon emissions and creates incentives for businesses to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they spew into the atmosphere. China since 2011 started pilot carbon trading in selected cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Shenzhen, but a unified national carbon market is still to develop. Chinese regulators have stepped up efforts to encourage a national carbon market as the country set ambitious goals to cut emissions. President Xi Jinping pledged that China will reach peak CO2 emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. At the December Climate Ambition Summit, Xi made further commitments that the country will lower its CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 65% from the 2005 level in 2030. ^ top ^
Hebei adopts stricter rules amid rising new cases (China Daily)
2021-01-06
Xiaoguozhuang, a village in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, was designated as a high-risk area for COVID-19 on Tuesday, the only such designation on the Chinese mainland, as the province adopted stricter measures to control the virus, including mass testing and suspending classes. Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital, will start citywide testing of all of its 10.39 million residents on Wednesday, Wang Jianfeng, a spokesman for the city government, said at a news conference on Tuesday night. In Nangong, where confirmed cases were also found, the local government started mass testing for its around 500,000 residents on Sunday. Hebei has seen COVID-19 cases surge since it reported the first confirmed case on Sunday in the latest outbreak. The province reported 14 new confirmed cases and 30 new asymptomatic carriers on Tuesday, bringing the total number of recently confirmed cases in the province to 19, according the provincial health commission. The source of the latest COVID-19 outbreak in Hebei is imported from overseas, and is highly likely to be from Europe, Feng Zijian, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview with China Central Television on Tuesday. The cases in Shijiazhuang, Xingtai and Nangong have epidemiological connections, he said, adding that they were likely to have been infected from the same source. Four areas in Shijiazhuang and Xingtai have been designated as medium-risk zones and placed under lockdown since Monday, and the province announced on Tuesday that it has entered a state of war against the virus. Many schools in the province, especially kindergartens, have been suspended as of Tuesday. Hebei University, in Baoding, which is next to Shijiazhuang, began its winter vacation on Tuesday. On Tuesday, Liaoning province reported two new confirmed cases and Beijing reported one, according to the National Health Commission. In Beijing's Shunyi district, all primary and middle school students, except those in the final years of junior and senior high, have moved to online classes to reduce the risk of infection. The district recently reported more than 10 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Beijing will extend its quarantine period from 14 days to 21 days for people who travel from overseas to the capital, Xu Hejian, a city government spokesman, said at a news conference on Tuesday. The city is facing a complicated situation in epidemic control because "some patients tested positive for COVID-19 after a 14-day quarantine", Xu said. ^ top ^
Four Party 'Tigers' Punished Ahead of Corruption Watchdog's Key Meeting (Caixin)
2021-01-04
Four former senior officials have been punished and had their cases transferred to prosecutors after being investigated by the Chinese communist party's internal disciplinary watchdog, the authority announced Monday. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said on its website that Deng Huilin (邓恢林), Wen Guodong (文国栋), Luo Jiamang (骆家駹) and Hu Wenming (胡问鸣) have been expelled from the Communist Party and the first three have been fired for serious violations of party discipline and law. Their illegal gains have also been confiscated, the commission said. The punishment came ahead of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's fifth plenary session, which is scheduled to take place from Jan. 22 to Jan. 24. Deng Huilin, the former police chief and deputy mayor of Chongqing, was the first powerful "tiger" snared in China's southwestern megacity by the nationwide anti-corruption campaign by President Xi Jinping. He was denounced for forming cliques in the party to attain political capital and engaging in superstitious activities. He also went to banquets that might affect the impartial execution of his official duties, interfered in promotions, sought benefits for relatives' companies and accepted bribes, the watchdog said in the statement. He was placed under investigation in June last year. Wen Guodong, the former deputy governor of Qinghai, was also accused of losing his faith and being disloyal to the party, putting no emphasis on the party's major decisions and plans. He took advantage of the coal mines under his charge and traded power with illegal private companies for financial gain, helping to maintain the long-standing problem of illegal coal mining in Qinghai, the graft-buster said. He was placed under supervisory investigation in September last year. For Luo Jiamang, the former chief accountant of COFCO Corp., China's largest food group, the commission said he lost his faith and interfered with the inspection work. He was also denounced for acceptance of banquets and gifts, among other misconduct. He was placed under investigation in August last year. Hu Wenming, the former Communist Party chief and chairman of China Shipbuilding Industry Corp., was accused of abuse of power and accepting bribes. The commission said he "illegally played golf, visited private clubs and accepted banquets that might affect the impartial execution of his official duties." He also "accepted gifts and gratuities while arranging for subordinate units to pay expenses that should be paid by him personally." He was placed under investigation in May last year. ^ top ^
Xi signs mobilization order for training of armed forces (Xinhua)
2021-01-04
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday signed a mobilization order for the training of the armed forces, the first order of the Central Military Commission (CMC) in 2021. Signed by Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the CMC, the order stressed strengthening military training in real combat conditions and the ability to win. The order urged the armed forces to enhance training in real combat conditions to ensure combat readiness at all times. It called for efforts to be made for joint operations in combat and training, highlighting training under joint command, as well as training across the fields and services. It also urged efforts to largely improve the use of technology in training and guide the training in accordance with the law. All officers and soldiers of the military should strengthen their willpower to fight, improve their skills, and resolutely accomplish the missions and tasks entrusted by the Party and the people in the new era to welcome the CPC centenary with outstanding achievement, according to the order. ^ top ^
China enters 2021 with full confidence (Global Times)
2021-01-03
The year 2020 is a difficult year for not only China but also the rest of the world due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and a series of knock-on effects on the world. However, confidence and determination of Chinese society remains unshakable as the country has proved that it is capable of handling any "Black Swan" or "Grey Rhino" events, such as the COVID-19 epidemic and an all-out suppression from the US and its close allies. In other words, China experienced a very difficult beginning in 2020, but the country has delivered a most satisfactory result by the end of 2020 with victories in different aspects, including successful control of the epidemic and completing negotiations with the EU on a bilateral investment treaty, said experts. In 2021, China will start its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) with ambitious goals in social development and science and technological development. It is also the first year that the country fully enters a moderately prosperous society in all aspects, and the year that marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The challenges ahead are still tough and unpredictable. Although vaccination has started, experts warned that it is too early to declare a final victory against the pandemic. On geopolitical and strategic issues, Chinese experts hope the power transition in the US could bring some changes to China-US relations, but analysts said to what extent bilateral ties will recover depends on the administration of Joe Biden. Shen Yi, a professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Sunday that facing the threat of COVID-19, China chose to do the right thing and did what a modern country should do to protect its own citizens, unlike the US, a superpower that should have set a good example to the world. Washington not only failed to do so, it also shirked its responsibility and blamed others to cover up its own failures. China was able to handle the pandemic better than the West due to its powerful and efficient political system with strong mobilization capability that enables the country to devote all-out efforts to win the combat and making correct decisions to prioritize people's lives. Some Western governments opted to prioritize "economic activities" or so-called "human rights or freedom" which in fact cause obstacles for epidemic prevention. There exists an undisputed common sense among Chinese people to respect the science and collectivism, as well as mutual trust between the government and the people that allows the whole country to work together, rather than being divided and fighting each other, said experts. With growing confidence, China has held greater responsibility. Chinese national leader has promised the world that China-made COVID-19 vaccines will be public goods, and some countries like Turkey, Indonesia, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have already received shipments of vaccines from China or are cooperating with China to conduct trials of the vaccine. China is expected to play a leading role in helping other countries win the fight against COVID-19 and restore the global economy. This is the right way to realize sustainable development, Shen said. "Completing the negotiations with the EU on the bilateral investment treaty by the end of 2020 is a signal to the world that China's determination of reform and opening-up is sincere and unshakable," he noted. China completed an eight-year campaign to eradicate extreme poverty for nearly 100 million people living in outlying or mountainous rural regions in 2020, and will embark on a new journey of implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan, which after being realized, will see China become a modestly affluent country. The year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. In July 2021, the CPC is expected to announce the achievement of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects after a systemic assessment and review. Although vaccines have been produced and vaccination campaigns have been rolled out in multiple countries, the fight against COVID-19 is expected to continue in 2021, Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told the Global Times on Sunday. In the upcoming year, the country's anti-epidemic battle will remain arduous yet bright, said Zhang Wenhong, one of China's leading infectious disease specialists. China is now well-honed to defeat the virus - the nation has the collective steel will to fight against the once-in-a-century pandemic, and the scientific and technological capability to stifle the menace, Zhang noted in his first blog of the New Year on Weibo. Central government health authorities vowed on December 31 that the country will make COVID-19 vaccines affordable for all Chinese residents, and eventually offer them free of charge to the broader public as a premise, which analysts said would be realized in 2021 when China's vaccine production capacity revs up. "If we regard vaccination as a cure to end the epidemic, it would be long-term wish," Zeng said, explaining that as the current schedule shows, developed countries are expected to complete their vaccination schemes as fast as the second half of 2021, that is July or August and developing countries may be slower, probably by the end of 2021. "Vaccines are not our life preservers since we still can't take off our masks even if we are vaccinated. The most basic routine anti-epidemic measures, such as wearing masks are key for us to win the war against the novel coronavirus," Zeng noted. Apart from the leftover problems from 2020, China could also face some new "Black Swan" or "Grey Rhino" incidents in 2021, said Chinese analysts. In the field of geopolitics and security, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator said the challenges potentially could emerge from Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea, though they are unlikely to be escalated as the US knows where the bottom line is and how to gamble with China without increasing risks of a war. Plus, Biden administration will be more mature than the Trump administration. ^ top ^
China's Civil Code takes effect (Xinhua)
2021-01-02
China's Civil Code officially takes effect on Friday, replacing the country's previous standalone civil laws. The Civil Code was passed on May 28, 2020 at the third session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature. In addition to general and supplementary provisions, the Civil Code includes six parts on real rights, contracts, personality rights, marriage and family, inheritance, and tort liabilities. It is the first Chinese law to carry the title "code" since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. ^ top ^
Xi pays tribute to the nation's people in New Year address (China Daily)
2021-01-01
President Xi Jinping delivered a New Year speech on Thursday via China Media Group and the internet. Here are some highlights: China has written an epic in fighting COVID-19 as the country put people and lives first and fought the epidemic with unity and perseverance. Greatness is forged in the ordinary. Heroes come from the people. Every person is remarkable! China's GDP is expected to exceed 100 trillion yuan ($15.38 trillion) in 2020 and China has become the first major economy in the world to register positive growth for the year. China has secured a great historic achievement for fully building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and a decisive victory in poverty eradication. Nearly 100 million rural residents living below the current poverty line have shaken off poverty over the past eight years, and all 832 poor counties have been lifted out of poverty. The country will continue to create a splendid chapter of rural revitalization and March steadily toward the goal of common prosperity. ^ top ^
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| Beijing |
Beijing, Shandong kick off mass vaccination for key groups (Global Times)
2021-01-03
China's capital city Beijing, along with East China's Shandong Province, has started its first round of free mass COVID-19 vaccinations for key groups amid sporadic cases. Beijing has set up 220 vaccination sites where more than 70,000 people have received shots so far. Beijing's vaccinations started on the first day of 2021. Within two days, 73,537 people were vaccinated and no serious adverse reactions were reported, a spokesperson for Beijing Municipal Health Commission said at a news conference on Sunday. The city expects to complete the first round by mid-February, with nine key groups all vaccinated. On Wednesday, Chinese health regulators granted approval to an inactivated vaccine developed by Beijing Biological Products Institute under Sinopharm's subsidiary China National Biotec Group (CNBG). A Global Times reporter visited the largest temporary vaccination site in Beijing's Chaoyang district on Sunday, the third day of operations. It has capacity to vaccinate more than 1,000 people in high-risk groups, who are transported in groups to the site in minibuses. The site is open from 9 am to 3 pm every day. It is busiest in the morning, with people lining up for their first dose. An ambulance is parked outside the vaccination site to be ready to respond in case anyone has a serious adverse reaction. An employee of a state-owned enterprise who came for his first vaccine told the Global Times that his employer had organized all employees who wanted the vaccine to come in a group. "The inoculation site is very comfortable and the whole process is very orderly. The procedure took about 30 minutes, and we were asked to stay for another 30 minutes in case of serious side effects. Everyone was required to wear a mask at all times," said the employee. "Most of us will be sent overseas after we're vaccinated. Many of us are feeling very excited to be offered the vaccine, as we're all pinning our hopes on it so we can get back to our business and go abroad as soon as possible," he told the Global Times. In Beijing's Shunyi district, where more than 20 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in a cluster infection were reported in the past two weeks, bus drivers were the first recipients of the vaccine. On Saturday, 141 bus drivers received their first shot at a local vaccination site, the Beijing Daily reported on Sunday. Daxing district, which is home to China's biggest international airport, has set up 17 vaccination sites. More than 10,000 people have been vaccinated, the Beijing Daily reported. Tancheng county in Shandong Province has also started mass vaccination rollout with key groups. Starting from December 24, the county has given shots to nearly 500 cold chain workers, frontline medical workers and students who are heading abroad, a health services official in charge of COVID-19 epidemic prevention told the Global Times. "Before vaccination, we examined and asked about the condition of the recipients in detail, conduct pre-screening and repeatedly inform them about the risks," the official said. "At present, no adverse reactions have been reported by any person during the post-vaccination observation and follow-up visits." "We have strict preventive measures at the vaccination site, such as social distancing requirements and limiting the number of people admitted per hour," she said. Other provinces are also rolling out mass vaccination programs as the country's health officials vowed to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are affordable to all Chinese residents. Shanghai-based vaccine expert Tao Lina said on Friday that he expected China could reach herd immunity by the end of 2021 after up to 1 billion residents, or 70 percent of the population, are vaccinated following the initial roll out to high-risk groups. ^ top ^
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| Shanghai |
Pinduoduo employee's death sparks labor probe (China Daily)
2021-01-06
The recent death of an employee of Pinduoduo, a fast-growing e-commerce giant, has reignited public concerns over the hectic work schedules commonly adopted by Chinese tech firms. The incident has also prompted employment authorities in Shanghai, where Pinduoduo is registered, to investigate the New York-listed company for alleged abuses of labor rights. The employee, identified only by her surname Zhang, worked with Pinduoduo's expanding grocery delivery service in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. She apparently suffered from a stomachache before fainting on a street in Urumqi, the regional capital, at 1:30 am on Dec 29 when she was walking home after work with colleagues, the company said in a statement posted on Sina Weibo, a microblogging service, on Monday. The 22-year-old, who joined Pinduoduo in July 2019, died at a local hospital after a six-hour resuscitation effort failed to save her, it said. The statement also included a screenshot of a message that Pinduoduo said was posted by Zhang's father on WeChat, an instant-messaging tool. Pinduoduo said it was authorized to repost the message. The father wrote that the Zhang family hoped to let his daughter finish her last leg of life "quietly", and begged people not to involve her in the swirl of "public opinions". "Our colleagues have been accompanying Zhang's family, and Zhang's body was cremated on Jan 3 as her family wished," the company said. "We love you, miss you deeply," it added. The statement didn't mention the cause of death, but netizens were quick to allege that working late nights led to the tragedy. "Is it really hard to get off work on time?" one Weibo user commented. "Two employees are paid the salaries of three, but are told to finish tasks that should have been shared among four," another added, referring to the excessive workload facing well-paid tech firm employees. The Labor Security Inspectorate in Shanghai's Changning district quickly stepped in. The labor watchdog told Beijing Youth Daily on Monday that it had noticed the public opinions circulating online and decided to launch an investigation into the company's employment practices. ^ top ^
China Confirms First British Covid-19 Variant in Shanghai (Caixin)
2021-01-02
Shanghai has reported the first imported case of the more transmissible Covid-19 variant originally discovered in the United Kingdom, which Chinese health authorities have said poses "a great potential threat" to the nation's fight against the disease. The case, a 23-year-old Chinese student returning from Britain, arrived in Shanghai on Dec. 14 and was subsequently subject to mandatory quarantine, the Shanghai municipal center for disease prevention and control said in a statement on Friday. The student tested positive with mild symptoms on Dec. 16 during their period of isolation, Shanghai CDC said. The case's virus sample was found to be identical with the new British variant, the statement said. All of the passengers aboard the plane with the students had been subject to a 14-day isolation, during which there were no abnormal cases reported, the statement added. The Shanghai CDC statement came a day after the national center for disease prevention and control published its findings in its weekly note that the country's first case of the British variant of Covid-19 was detected in the returning student. The student tested negative two days before her flight back to Shanghai, and had no exposure to the infection through symptomatic individuals, frozen food products or raw meat, the China CDC note said. However, while remaining in the UK, the patient described running in a nearby park without wearing a mask and taking off her mask to eat and drink while waiting to board the plane, which may have potentially exposed her to the virus. After genetic sequencing analysis, China CDC concluded in the note that the Shanghai strain was almost identical with the new British variant and has become the first imported case of the variant, posing "a great potential threat" to the prevention and control of Covid-19 in China. However, Zhang Wenhong, a top epidemiologist and director of the infection disease department at Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, assured the public that there is no need to worry about the case. Zhang said that the variant may become more transmissible, but the current quarantine measures and medical treatments are effective. "There is no difference in treating the variant case from other Covid-19 patients," he said. "The patient tested negative of nucleic acid testing and has been out of the isolation ward," he said in a post on Weibo. He also said there has been no evidence indicating that the variant could be capable of evading Covid-19 vaccines. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also said the new variant "may be up to 70 percent more transmissible than the original version of the disease." But there is no evidence so far to suggest that the new variant could cause more severe cases or increase the risk of death from Covid-19. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
An analysis of American interference in Xinjiang affairs under the context of human rights protection - A research report from the perspective of Xinjiang's population (China Daily)
2021-01-06
Population is a fundamental, overarching and strategic issue faced by human society. People's understanding of population issues has always been changing with the development of economy and society and the progress of science and technology. Under the initiative of the United Nations, national governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations have held a large number of international conferences on population issues in order to increase common concern over population issues, realize shared perception of population development and jointly promote population development. At the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo, the United Nations adopted the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, clarifying the correlation among population, sustained economic growth and sustainable development. The adoption of the Programme of Action not only indicated an inseparable relationship between population and development, but also means that promoting population development while realizing sustainable development is of great necessity. Therefore, population development not only refers to the changes in number, quality, structure and distribution of population and the development of their relations, but also involves the changes in the interaction between population and economy, society, resources and environment. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China over 70 years ago, the Chinese government has always been adopting a perspective of population in the deployment of economic development strategies, formulation of social development policies and investigation of resource and environmental issues, attaching importance to and adjusting the relationships between population and economy, society, resource, environment and other factors. Xinjiang belongs to China. The population situation in Xinjiang, like that of other parts of China, has always been a priority of the Chinese government. At present, Xinjiang is in a golden period of prosperity and development, with sustained economic development, harmonious and stable society, and people living and working in peace and contentment. However, in order to realize its ulterior political purpose, the United States has repeatedly fabricated lies of China "violating human rights of ethnic minorities" under the pretext of human rights. In the western countries' public opinion campaign against China's Xinjiang, some scholars have conducted a lot of academic activities disregarding the reality in Xinjiang. In June 2020, the German scholar Adrian Zenz published a research report through Jamestown Foundation titled Sterilizations, IUDs, and Mandatory Birth Control: The CCP's Campaign to Suppress Uygur Birthrates in Xinjiang (later referred to as "the report"), which is filled with distorted facts, information without details and data of unknown sources. It can be regarded as another attempt to defame Xinjiang from the perspective of population. […] ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
Over 50 Hong Kong democrats arrested under security law over 2020 legislative primaries (HKFP)
2021-01-06
At least 52 Hong Kong democrats were arrested on Wednesday morning for alleged violations of the national security law. According to media reports and social media posts, the opposition figures were arrested over their organisation and participation in the primaries for the postponed 2020 Legislative Council Election last year. Former lawmakers James To, Andrew Wan, Lam Cheuk Ting, Wu Chi-wai, Roy Kwong, Helena Wong, Alvin Yeung, Eddie Chu and district councillor Andrew Chiu were among those arrested, according to social media posts. Organiser of the primaries Benny Tai and Robert Chung, executive director of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI) were also arrested. PORI provided the technology to carry out the poll. Its deputy executive director Chung Kim-wah said on Commercial Radio that the police contacted him on Wednesday morning to ask him to come in and assist an investigation. Activist Ventus Lau was also detained, and – according to his Twitter account – the home of jailed activist Joshua Wong was also raided by police. Police also raided Joshua's home for allegedly violating the national security law this morning as he took part in the primary election last year. 50+ democratic activists were arrested. Meanwhile, the pro-democracy League of Social Democrats said their vice-chairpersons Leung Kwok hung and Jimmy Sham were both at police stations. The democratic camp's primaries last July aimed to narrow the final list of pro-democracy candidates to run in the official legislative polls, which was later delayed by Chief Executive Carrie Lam citing Covid-19 fears. They hoped to secure a majority in the legislature by winning more than 35 seats, however the authorities claimed the polls had "no legal basis." Organisers of the primary election said over 610,000 people cast their ballots throughout the two-day vote. At the time, a spokesperson for Beijing's office in Hong Kong said the polls were illegal: "The goal of organiser Benny Tai and the opposition camp is to seize the ruling power of Hong Kong and… carry out a Hong Kong version of 'colour revolution'," said a spokesman for the Liaison Office." Maya Wang of Human Rights Watch condemned Wednesday's arrests in a statement: "The Chinese government has decided to mark 2021 with sweeping arrests of over 50 prominent pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, removing the remaining veneer of democracy in the city. Beijing once again has failed to learn from its mistakes in Hong Kong: that repression generates resistance, and that millions of Hong Kong people will persist in their struggle for their right to vote and run for office in a democratically elected government." In June, Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into city's mini-constitution – bypassing the local legislature – following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, foreign interference and terrorist acts, which were broadly defined to include disruption to public transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers, alarming democrats, civil society groups and trade partners, as such laws have been used broadly to silence and punish dissidents in China. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
China opposes planned Taiwan visit by U.S. UN ambassador: Chinese mission (Xinhua)
2021-01-08
A spokesperson of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations said on Thursday that China opposes a planned Taiwan visit by Kelly Craft, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations. According to media reports, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Craft will visit Taiwan. China firmly opposes it, said the spokesperson. There is only one China in the world and the Taiwan region is an inalienable part of China's territory. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole China. The United States made an explicit commitment on this in the three China-U.S. joint communiques, including the 1979 Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations. China firmly opposes any forms of official contacts between the United States and the Taiwan region. This position is consistent and clear, said the spokesperson. The Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and involves China's core interests. The one-China principle is widely recognized by the international community and is a basic norm of international relations affirmed by the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, said the spokesperson. "The United States will not succeed in its attempt to harm China's core interests through political manipulation on the Taiwan question. We wish to remind the United States that whoever plays with fire will burn himself. The United States will pay a heavy price for its wrong action. China strongly urges the United States to stop its crazy provocation, stop creating new difficulties for China-U.S. relations and the two countries' cooperation in the United Nations, and stop going further on the wrong path," said the spokesperson. ^ top ^
Taiwan leader's New Year speech exposes secessionist nature: mainland spokesperson (China Daily)
2021-01-02
A Chinese mainland spokesperson said Friday that Taiwan leader's New Year speech has once again exposed the Democratic Progressive Party's nature of seeking "Taiwan independence." Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to a media question about content regarding cross-Strait relations in the speech. Zhu said the cross-Strait exchanges are currently in an "extremely abnormal state," and the abnormality is due to the obstacles imposed by the DPP. Noting that the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, is the political foundation for cross-Strait dialogue, Zhu said since the DPP came into power in 2016, it has refused to recognize the consensus, undermining the political foundation of cross-Strait relations, and has repeatedly conducted provocative activities to seek independence. Returning to the 1992 Consensus is the only way to improve cross-Strait relations, Zhu added. ^ top ^
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| Economy |
China lowers upper limit for non-financial firms' cross-border financing (People's Daily)
2021-01-07
China on Thursday lowered the upper limit for non-financial firms' cross-border financing amid efforts to rein in risks. The macro-prudential adjustment parameter, a multiplier that is part of an equation deciding the upper limit of outstanding cross-border financing a company can have, has been revised down from 1.25 to 1 for non-financial firms, according to a circular issued jointly by the People's Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. For companies that see their risk-weighted outstanding cross-border financing exceed the limit due to the revision, they will be allowed to hold the contracts inked before the change to maturity, said the circular. The upper limit is basically decided by a non-financial firm's net asset, and the leverage ratio for cross-border financing as well as the adjustment parameter set by regulators. On Dec. 11, 2020, China lowered the macro-prudential adjustment parameter for financial institutions to 1 from 1.25, with the aim of further improving the macro-prudential management of cross-border financing and guiding the institutions to adjust their foreign debt structure. ^ top ^
China Slams Trump Order Banning Alipay, WeChat Pay (Caixin)
2021-01-06
China's foreign ministry has hit out at an executive order issued by outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump that will ban eight Chinese payment platforms, including Ant Group Co. Ltd.'s Alipay and Tencent's WeChat Pay. Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying labeled the order "corporate bullying" and "hegemonic" in comments made during a regular press conference Wednesday, and said it was "hypocritical" to cite national security grounds for the ban. "With its technical capabilities, the U.S. monitors its own people everywhere, and people from all over the world, and steals data, including from its allies," Hua alleged, according to comments reported by state television service CCTV. "While doing indiscriminate surveillance and stealing secrets, it baselessly accuses other countries. It's like a gangster who steals while clamoring to protect itself from theft." Hua's comments about the U.S. target of Chinese firms echoed comments made earlier this week about a decision by the New York Stock Exchange to delist three telecom companies owing to a separate presidential order. That plan, announced on New Year's Eve before it was abandoned early this week, was back on the table Wednesday after an intervention from U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, giving investors whiplash. President Trump on Tuesday signed an order banning U.S. transactions with eight digital Chinese payment platforms in 45 days, when he'll no longer be in office. The executive order, which directed the Commerce Department to draft rules outlining which payments will be outlawed, will impact Tencent Holdings Ltd.'s QQ Wallet and WeChat pay, as well as CamScanner, SHAREit, VMate and WPS Office. On Wednesday afternoon, the only one of the eight platforms that appeared to have acknowledged the ban was CamScanner. On Weibo, the firm shared another user's post saying they had never heard of the app, and commented "let me introduce myself" by sharing a QR code linked to the WeChat mini program of the platform. The order is likely to face legal challenges similar to those mounted against the president's prior efforts to force the sale of TikTok from China-based owner ByteDance Ltd. and ban WeChat's messaging app. But Biden could also pause or erase the policy upon taking office. Platforms like WeChat Pay and Alipay have their biggest customer base in greater China and the number of users in the U.S. is relatively small. The order is the latest blow to Ant Group co-founder Jack Ma, who has not been seen in public since Chinese regulators halted its $35 billion IPO and launched an antitrust probe into Alibaba. Trump's order, which cites concerns that the platforms threaten national security, could significantly disrupt international commerce systems working across international borders. Senior administration officials said they believe the move could help stop the encroachment of Chinese data collection and prevent personal information like texts, calls, and photos from being gathered by an adversary. But they didn't identify specific instances of data theft using the platforms. Instead, they pointed to the size of the payment platforms, saying their scope made them likely targets for Chinese data collection efforts. The order is the outgoing administration's latest bid to use national security powers against China's technology companies, but it will be up to President-elect Joe Biden to decide whether to enforce the policy. ^ top ^
Huawei must scale back enterprise businesses, focus on strategic areas: founder (Global Times)
2021-01-03
Huawei's enterprise businesses need to continue to scale back and concentrate on areas of strategic focus rather than trying to "do everything," Huawei's founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei told company staff in a recent internal email, signaling that the telecom giant might further adjust its strategies in face of challenges and competition. "Because we are a company with limited power, we must do well and fine-tune the projects we are going to do. We must seize opportunities in the areas where we can, focus our energies and do a good job in a down-to-earth manner. Only then can we truly find a better solution than others," Ren explained. When discussing Huawei's cloud businesses, Ren stressed that while learning from Amazon and Microsoft, Huawei has to make its 30 years of network experience a unique advantage in the cloud service market and build differentiated features. "But Huawei can't take the same path as Alibaba and Amazon, since we don't have 'endless money' from the US stock market like them," said the CEO. Analysts said the remarks from Ren come as the firm's cloud businesses are encountering intensified competition in the domestic market, and the strategic talk from Ren is more of a solution in response to the difficulties the firm is now experiencing. "Huawei's enterprise is still limited in size and faces barriers to develop on a bigger scale, the points Ren mentioned are also some attempts the firm is going to make to try to break through the bottleneck," Jiang Junmu, chief writer at Chinese telecom industry news website c114.com.cn, told the Global Times on Sunday. Huawei Cloud has launched more than 200 services, is used by more than 1.5 million developers and has attracted nearly 20,000 partners so far. "What we are discussing now is how to seize the opportunity of digitalization of government and enterprises, how to achieve better development in both, and how to achieve the world's leading position," Ren said. Ren also stressed that the firm should "go all out" to build a big application ecosystem like Amazon, since without applications, Huawei Cloud may die. "Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, and Amazon's AWS have introduced more and more hardware-software fusion devices. Huawei's advantage lies in hardware. We must strengthen the software and application ecosystem and should not give up the advantages that hardware brings to Huawei Cloud," Ren said. "Huawei has been good at scaling back prior to this. Ren's consistent idea is not to invest energy and resources in non-strategic areas," Ma Jihua, a veteran industry analyst and a close follower of Huawei, told the Global Times. In terms of cloud computing, Huawei has its own advantages, but its development is relatively late, and the underlying self-developed technology also has its shortcomings. Rather than competition with Alibaba and Amazon in the same arena, it would be better to embark on another path where it can play to its advantages. ^ top ^
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| DPRK |
CPC Central Committee congratulates DPRK on 8th WPK Congress (Xinhua)
2021-01-06
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) on the opening of its 8th Party Congress. In the message, the CPC Central Committee called the WPK a firm organizer and leader of the revolution and construction of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), saying that the WPK has made historic achievements in the great course of propelling the socialist cause of the country for a long period of time by uniting and leading the DPRK people. In recent years, under the firm leadership of the WPK Central Committee led by Chairman Kim Jong Un, the party has attached great importance to strengthening its self-building, and made a series of important achievements in such fields as economic and social development, external environment improvement and effective response to the COVID-19 epidemic, about which the CPC expresses its sincere pleasure, said the message. The WPK's 8th Congress, a great event for the party and the political life of the people, will make strategic plans and arrangements for the party building and the national economic development in the coming period, which is of great significance, said the message. It expressed the belief that the WPK and the DPRK people will take the Congress as an opportunity to continuously achieve new victories in the cause of the DPRK's socialist construction. China and the DPRK are good neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, and the two parties have maintained a long-standing good tradition of friendly exchanges, it noted. In recent years, under the strategic guidance and direct promotion of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, a new chapter has been opened in the history of the China-DPRK relations, said the message. Under the new situation, China is willing to work with the DPRK to preserve, consolidate and develop bilateral relations as guided by the important consensuses reached between the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, so as to better benefit the two countries and peoples, and make new positive contributions to realizing regional peace, stability, development and prosperity, it said. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
Cabinet meeting in brief (Montsame)
2021-01-06
At its regular meeting today, the Cabinet resolved the following issues. - Minister of Education and Science L.Tsedevsuren was assigned to introduce professional standards within the 'Skilled Teacher' program, transfer evaluation into productivity and performance-based system, and include the required expenses in the annual budget. The program will be implemented in three areas: Teacher Training, Continuous Professional Teacher Development, Working Conditions and Salary. - Individuals, businesses, and organizations that provide e-gaming services are required to be registered at the Communications Regulatory Commission and obtain a certificate, but any permission used to be required to operate an internet café. According to the revised law on Crime Prevention, all levels of local government are now responsible for approving and enforcing the requirements, controls, and working hours of the abovementioned services and pawn shops. Therefore, the Cabinet has revoked the Regulation on e-gaming centers' operation, which was in force under the Government resolution No:4410 of 2013. According to the first quarter of 2020, there were 590 e-gaming sites nationwide, including 300 in rural areas and 290 in the capital city. - The Cabinet renewed the regulation on selecting the best herder households, dairy farmers and farmers. Accordingly, the number of winners to be selected has been reduced to 12 companies as the national best farmers, 21 people as the best agrarians, up to 60 families as the best herder households, as well as 8 families as two-time best herder households. Awards will be traditionally presented before the first day of the first month of spring according to the lunar calendar this year. ^ top ^
Strict lockdown extended for four days (Montsame)
2021-01-04
At its irregular meeting today, the Cabinet decided to extend the strict lockdown in Ulaanbaatar city for four days from 6AM, January 6 until 6AM, January 11, reported the Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the State Emergency Commission Ya. Sodbaatar. Specifically, the Cabinet issued a decision on December 21 to reintroduce the strict lockdown in Ulaanbaatar city starting from 6 AM, December 23, 2020 until 6AM, January 6, 2021, with a purpose to curb the spread of COVID-19. But it has not yet resulted in a decrease of infections, and new COVID-19 cases with uncertain sources have been recorded in the capital city. Thus, it has been decided to extend the strict lockdown based on the recommendations of 11 professional organizations, including the Ministry of Health, National Center for Communicable Diseases and experts' council. Certain decisions on lifting quarantine from 06 AM of January 11 and returning trade, industrial and service sectors to normality are being made, emphasized Mr. Sodbaatar. "However, the situation of the spread of COVID-19 might change our plan". ^ top ^
New Year Address by President Khaltmaagiin Battulga (Montsame)
2021-01-01
On the new year's eve, President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga delivered a televised message to the people of Mongolia and the Mongols around the globe. We meet again today a few moments before a new year ascends. The Year of 2021 is coming toward all Mongolians, bringing with itself hope and aspirations for the future. The passing year of 2020 was spent in the midst of efforts to overcome the challenges that befell on us by the global pandemic. The twentieth year of the third millennium has taught us an invaluable lesson of loving our planet, cherishing each other as humanity, and realizing the values of unity and honesty. These difficult times have shown the inevitable necessity before the Mongolian governance to exercise timely policies in order to strengthen livelihoods, integrity and economic independence. A year ago today, I made a statement promising one-time write-off of loans of pensioners, from the first revenue of the commercialization of Salkhit silver deposit, retrieved as a state property based on the decision of the National Security Council. That seems like yesterday. On the threshold of the coming year, to keep up with international practices for promoting livelihoods, national manufacturers and businesses, and to keep workplaces in these difficult times, I, as the President of Mongolia, once again put forward the proposal for distributing vouchers of 1 million tugrugs for households to purchase goods of national production. For the past three years, the jurisdiction has been working successfully on the cases of secret offshore accounts of oligarchs. As You all know, since I assumed office, I have demanded the independence of jurisdiction. In the fight for protecting justice, the staff of jurisdiction and law enforcement have been loyally observing their duties before the public, the people. For instance, investigations have begun unfolding concerning white-collar crimes, in other words, the crimes of stealing the opportunities from ordinary citizens and embezzling state and public properties. These are the part of my fight to reclaim justice and to provide opportunity for citizens to yield equal benefits from the national wealth, as provided by the Constitution. This fight goes on, however, through a storm of difficulties. Fair distribution of wealth cannot be limited to one or two occasions. Instead, it must be exercised through sustainable policies with a principle, which dictates that "workplace is the best welfare". The citizens of Mongolia are the very root of Mongolian statehood. May the Year of 2021 bring peace and health to the world, happiness and peace of mind, and most importantly, justice to our people! May the Eternal Heaven bestow upon us the universal gift of gratification and prosperity! ^ top ^
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Embassy of Switzerland
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The Press review is a random selection
of political and social related news gathered from various media
and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by
the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss
Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility
for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally
the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion
of the Embassy.
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