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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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Mongolia
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Switzerland introduces more COVID-19 containment measures, encouraging mass testing (Xinhua)
2021-01-28
The Swiss Federal Council announced Wednesday further measures to keep the lid on the spread of COVID-19, encouraging mass testing in the country. From Feb. 1, testing asymptomatic persons will be authorized and the cost will be covered by the federal government, the Council said at a press conference, expressing the hope institutions will test on a mass scale so that "local outbreaks of infection can be contained early on." "It is believed that more than half of COVID-19 infections are transmitted by people who do not display symptoms," said a statement released by the Council. "By extending the testing strategy, the government hopes that local outbreaks of the virus, for example in schools, can be identified and contained at an early stage," it added. Those measures are warranted as "more infectious strains of the coronavirus are currently spreading in Switzerland," the Council explained. Even though the number of daily infections has been decreasing since early January, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, new variants have been spotted in various parts of the country and nearly 1,000 such cases have been detected so far. "The number of cases of the new virus strains continues to double each week," the Council said at Wednesday's press conference. "The Federal Council is greatly concerned by this trend; its objective remains to achieve a clear and rapid drop in case numbers." Other measures were also announced in the country on Wednesday, such as stricter fines for people not respecting sanitary measures. As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in many European countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines. Meanwhile, 236 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 63 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on Jan. 26. ^ top ^
Novartis announces China plans in annual report (China Daily)
2021-01-27
Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company Novartis Pharma AG expects to double its sales in China and submit 50 new drug applications in the country by 2024, it announced in its annual financial report released on Tuesday. "Novartis Oncology and Novartis Pharmaceuticals expect to have seven new products approved in China in 2021. The opportunities in front of us are huge," said Marie-France Tschudin, president of Novartis Pharmaceuticals. "The Chinese government is becoming increasingly open to innovation and that has enabled Novartis to achieve outstanding performance in the China market." Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company's net sales in the China market grew by 16 percent last year, making it the leader in terms of growth in the emerging market, according to the report. Novartis claims that it is the second fastest-growing multinational pharmaceutical company in China, which is one of the company's top three markets in the world. A total of six new drugs and indications, including those for patients suffering from melanoma, ankylosing spondylitis (a rheumatic immune disease), and non-small cell carcinoma, were approved in China last year. The company also said that in 2020, eight therapies or new indications were included in the NRDL to expand patients' accessibility to drugs and benefit more sufferers. ^ top ^
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Bach slams Tokyo speculation, praises Beijing preparations (China Daily)
2021-01-29
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach on Wednesday reiterated the IOC's commitment to delivering the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, adding that preparation work for Beijing 2022 has been "excellent". "We are fully concentrated on and committed to the successful and safe delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, starting on July 23 with the Olympic Games and August 24 with the Paralympic Games," Bach said at a media conference after an IOC executive board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. Speaking of Beijing 2022, the IOC chief said: "We can say, even one year before, that all the (competition) venues are ready, the technical preparations are excellent." ^ top ^
Xi congratulates Rebelo de Sousa on re-election as Portuguese president (People's Daily)
2021-01-28
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent a congratulatory message to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on his re-election as president of Portugal. In the message, Xi said China-Portugal relations have stood the test of the COVID-19 pandemic since last year. The traditional friendship between the two countries has shown new vitality, Xi said, adding that anti-pandemic and public health cooperation has made new strides while practical cooperation has continued to make new progress. Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Portugal relations, and stands ready to work with Rebelo de Sousa to push for new achievements in bilateral ties in a bid to benefit the two countries and peoples. ^ top ^
U.S. Chip Group Calls for Rethink of Trump-Era China Prohibitions (Caixin)
2021-01-28
A leading U.S. semiconductor association has called on new U.S. President Joe Biden to rethink the country's recent strategy of using export restrictions to stymie China's high-tech ambitions, aiming to undo a key plank of former President Donald Trump's China policy. U.S. makers of chips and other high-tech products have complained that the Trump policy, which bans them from selling to many Chinese tech firms without a special license from Washington, puts them at a disadvantage to peers from other developed markets that don't require such permission. The Trump administration began rolling out such bans nearly two years ago when it first put smartphone giant Huawei on an "entity list" that required the company to get special permission when buying U.S. products. After that, it imposed a steady stream of similar bans on a wide range of Chinese companies, from surveillance equipment maker Hikvision and leading Chinese chipmaker SMIC, to its most recent move earlier this month against smartphone maker Xiaomi. In its letter to Biden, dated on Monday, the organization SEMI pointed out that export controls like the ones used by Trump are "powerful national security tools," referring to the given reasons for most of Trump's actions. But it pointed out that unilateral use of such measures will ultimately weaken the competitiveness of U.S. companies that can no longer sell their most cutting-edge products to China, which is one of their biggest customers. It added that a multilateral approach would be more effective. "SEMI has consistently maintained that multilateral controls — where items of concern are controlled by all major producing nations — create a level playing field, maximize effectiveness, and minimize harm to U.S. national security and economic competitiveness," the organization said in the letter signed by SEMI President Ajit Manocha. "Unilateral U.S. controls over items for which there are comparable non-U.S.-origin items are generally ineffective in supporting national security goals and are likely to erode any technological advantages enjoyed by U.S.-origin items." The letter said that such unilateral export controls have tended to harm U.S. interests in the past, pointing to U.S. limits on the export of commercial satellite technology under International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). "Over time, unilateral controls will stifle innovation in the U.S. by reducing the financial resources U.S. exporters need to perform R&D and maintain our technological competitiveness and/or by forcing companies to shift production and R&D outside the United States," SEMI said. "In addition, as U.S.-origin items are removed from the global supply chain, the U.S. government's visibility into the technological prowess and roadmaps of global producers is reduced." Analysts said the Biden administration could ultimately rethink the Trump administration's strategy, though such a move may not come soon. "I don't think there will be any immediate change under Biden," said Sheng Linghai, a semiconductor analyst at Gartner. "First Biden needs to stabilize the situation in the U.S., unite its allies, and then see how to establish a new relationship with China. Especially since the U.S. is printing trillions of dollars (in economic stimulus) due to the epidemic, it needs China to share the risk. But it is unlikely to do so soon, as the political mood at home remains 'Trumpist.'" Sheng predicted that Biden was unlikely to make any policy changes on the matter this year. Steven Weber, a political science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said the Trump sanctions in their current form could ultimately backfire by "forcing China onto a higher level of technological autonomy," and added Biden was likely to review the policy at some point. He said that in some areas, particularly chips, Biden could well switch gears and lower many of the Trump-era prohibitions in favor of a strategy of a "managed form of interdependence." "To me, chip-making equipment … can be managed as a healthy competition, as both countries need to upgrade their capacities," he said. ^ top ^
Germans keen to boost cooperation with China (China Daily)
2021-01-27
Calls for stronger economic cooperation between Germany and China have come from the top rungs of government and business in Europe's biggest economy. Addressing a virtual conference of the World Economic Forum, or WEF, on Monday, Herbert Diess, chairman and CEO of carmaker Volkswagen, said China is moving in the right direction and that the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, or CAI, between the European Union and China concluded at the end of 2020 is "a good move forward". Diess made the comments in a discussion aimed at promoting economic revival on the opening day of the Davos Agenda, a World Economic Forum event. Peter Altmaier, the German minister of economic affairs and energy, echoed Diess' views. Asked by moderator Geoff Cutmore from the CNBC network whether it was a mistake to have concluded the investment before the inauguration of US President Joe Biden, Altmaier said: "No, it was not a mistake." He explained that what the EU and China signed is in large part an arrangement that the United States already has with China. "I am very optimistic that we can develop, negotiate and sign more similar agreements worldwide," Altmaier said. China and the EU announced on Dec 30 the conclusion of negotiations for the CAI after 35 rounds of talks in seven years. It happened at a time when China replaced the US as the EU's largest trade partner for the first time. The European bloc has been China's top trade partner since 2004. At the Davos forum on Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the investment treaty. "During the Germany presidency (of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2020), we have gone a step further with regard to the EU-China investment treaty that has been negotiated since 2013," she told a talk moderated by Klaus Schwab, chairman and founder of the WEF. Merkel said she was so satisfied with the progress "because it has injected a new quality in the relationship between the European Union and China, and because we can do more now". For Diess, he is excited that some of Volkswagen's joint ventures in China are now majority owned by the company. "For me, it is easier to invest in China than China is allowed to invest in Germany or some other places," he said, adding that "they are depending on the West, we are depending on China". The 62-year-old German business leader hopes that the world will get back to a time when people benefited from each other's development, instead of pursuing isolation and making things worse. "China is a huge opportunity. China is also technologically advancing fast," Diess said. He said Volkswagen has strong assets and many development engineers in China, and its technology developed in China is also being used in Europe and the US. Diess expressed the hope that the deglobalization and polarization seen over the past years was just "a transition period", clearly referring to the protectionist and unilateral policies of the administration of former US president Donald Trump. "We are hopefully heading back to a more open world with free trade," Diess said. "I think it's much better to try to cooperate and work with China than to try to isolate China." ^ top ^
Xi says ready to announce China-S. Korea Year of Cultural Exchanges with Moon (Xinhua)
2021-01-27
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that he stands ready to make a joint announcement with his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, on an official launch of the China-South Korea Year of Cultural Exchanges. Xi made the remarks in a telephone conversation with Moon. During their conversation, Moon wished Xi and the Chinese people a happy New Year, and Xi extended the same wishes to Moon and the South Korean people. Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and transformations rarely seen in a century have become interwoven with one another, and the international and regional situation has undergone profound changes, Xi noted. China and South Korea have stuck together through thick and thin, and have joined hands to promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, which have yielded fruitful results, Xi said, adding that both countries have especially put forward effective institutional arrangements and set an example of cooperation in fighting the pandemic, which fully demonstrates the high level of the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership. The two sides should continue to make good use of the cooperation mechanism of joint prevention and control as well as "fast lanes," so as to facilitate the epidemic prevention and control and economic development of the two countries, and to help boost regional and global anti-pandemic cooperation, Xi said. The year of 2022 will mark the 30th anniversary of China-South Korea diplomatic relations, which will embrace new opportunities for deeper development, Xi said. Xi also said he hopes both countries make good use of the platform of the committee for future development of China-South Korea relations, review the achievements of bilateral ties over the past 30 years, plan for future development, enhance friendship between the two people, and lift the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to a new level. China and South Korea are important cooperative partners, Xi stressed, adding that the two-way trade last year managed to grow amid broad downward pressures, demonstrating the complementarity and great potential in bilateral cooperation. Xi said he hopes that the two sides can earnestly implement the consensus reached on speeding up the alignment of development strategies of the two countries and deepening bilateral cooperation in key areas, so as to continuously expand mutually beneficial cooperation and promote high-quality integrated cooperation. He said that the two sides should accelerate the completion of the second-phrase negotiations on the free trade agreement between the two countries, so as to put into effect the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership at an early date and speed up the construction of the China-Japan-South Korea free trade area. China stands ready to strengthen coordination with South Korea on international affairs, and to jointly contribute to safeguarding multilateralism and free trade, Xi added. For his part, Moon expressed his heartfelt congratulations as the Communist Party of China is going to mark its 100th anniversary this year, saying that under the strong leadership of President Xi, China has been successful in the fight against the epidemic and has become the world's only major economy that has achieved positive economic growth. He also said that with China's international status and influence rising day by day, the country is taking important steps towards achieving the second centenary goal, and he is very pleased to announce with Xi the launch of the South Korea-China Year of Cultural Exchanges as the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries approaches. South Korea and China have strengthened their friendship and mutual trust through joint efforts to fight the epidemic, Moon said, adding that South Korea is willing to have close exchanges with China, deepen friendship between the two people, and continue to promote cooperation in various fields such as anti-epidemic, economy and trade, culture and education. He also said that South Korea appreciates China's leadership in dealing with climate change and is willing to maintain communication and coordination with China on issues such as climate change and sustainable development. ^ top ^
India's permanent banning of 59 Chinese apps including TikTok is 'proof of allegiance' to US: Chinese expert (Global Times)
2021-01-26
Chinese expert said India's banning of 59 Chinese apps permanently including TikTok is 'proof of allegiance' to the US, a comment after India's ministry of electronics and information technology issued an updated notice announcing a permanent a ban on video app TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps in June. Reuters reported on Monday, citing Indian media reports that the government is not satisfied with the response or explanation given by these companies of their position on compliance with privacy and security requirements, as the government released the high-profile notices seven months ago. "Hence, the ban for these 59 apps is permanent now," business newspaper Times of India quoted a source familiar with the notices as saying. It said the notices were issued last week. This is a "proof of allegiance" to US after Biden took office as the US President, and it is also an irrational revenge followed a series of crackdowns carried out last year, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. India is taking revenge on China, and also set up a bad example for the world to revenge China, and the purpose in one side is to take revenge against China, and on the other hand is to satisfy the needs of interest groups in India, showing a tough attitude toward China, he said. The latest move by India came alongside China and India on Sunday holding the ninth round of the Corps Commander Level Meeting, in which both sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops and continue to stabilize and control the border situation, China's defense ministry announced on Monday. Since June last year, the Indian government has taken a series of crackdown for Chinese apps. On June 29, India banned 59 Chinese applications including TikTok, WeChat and Weibo. In September, India banned 118 Chinese mobile phone applications including Baidu Search. Later in in November, India announced to ban 43 Chinese background mobile apps including AliExpress and Dingding. The ban is set to be implemented in June, Qian said the gap shows that India also observing the reactions of different sides, but, regarding the results of a series of crackdowns carried out last year, there is still a question mark to see if they will be implemented fully. The Global Times also reported in July last year that Indian app users and online influencers are baffled and hurt by the ban of China's TikTok and WeChat. Media also reported that several poor-quality copycat apps have since emerged onto the Indian market. Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in November that since June, Indian has used the so-called importance of national security as an excuse for four consecutive times to ban mobile applications with Chinese background, and the relevant practices obviously violate market principles and WTO rules. ^ top ^
Davos 2021: China's Xi Jinping Warns of 'Shaky,' 'Uncertain' Recovery (Caixin)
2021-01-26
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the world to step up macroeconomic policy coordination and balance pandemic response and economic development in the face of a "shaky," "uncertain" global recovery. Speaking at a virtual World Economic Forum Monday, Xi warned against "ideological prejudice" and called for a path of "peaceful coexistence" of civilizations that would prevent the world from falling into "division and even confrontation." The Chinese president made the remarks five days after U.S. President Joe Biden took over the White House, inheriting China-U.S. relations at the lowest point in decades. That has impeded bilateral cooperation on pandemic response and macro-economic coordination after four years of confrontation under former President Donald Trump. The Chinese president said the world has been going through the "worst recession since the end of World War II." "For the first time in history, the economies of all regions have been hit hard at the same time, with global industrial and supply chains clogged and trade and investment down in the doldrums," Xi said. "Despite the trillions of dollars in relief packages worldwide, global recovery is rather shaky, and the outlook remains uncertain." He said countries should "balance Covid response and economic development" and must step up macroeconomic policy coordination to "bring the world economy out of the woods as early as possible." Xi said the world should strengthen the G20 as the "premier forum" for global economic governance, engage in closer macroeconomic policy coordination and keep global industrial and supply chains stable and open. The G20 is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 19 countries including developed and developing countries, and the 27-member European Union. Italy holds the G20 presidency this year with a summit scheduled to take place in late October in Rome. The G7, the policy coordination forum for seven advanced economies, will meet in June in Britain, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday, with Australia, India and South Korea invited as guest countries. Xi also called on the world to "abandon ideological prejudice" of imposing a hierarchy on human civilization. "Difference in itself is no cause for alarm," the president said. "What does ring the alarm is arrogance, prejudice and hatred; it is the attempt to impose hierarchy on human civilization or to force one's own history, culture and social system upon others. "The right choice is for countries to pursue peaceful coexistence based on mutual respect and on expanding common ground while shelving differences, and to promote exchanges and mutual learning," Xi said, "This is the way to add impetus to the progress of human civilization." Xi urged the world to stick to "consultation and cooperation instead of conflict and confrontation." He also said, "Differences in history, culture and social system should not be an excuse for antagonism or confrontation, but rather an incentive for cooperation." He warned that "to build small circles or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimidate others, to willfully impose decoupling, supply disruption or sanctions, and to create isolation or estrangement will only push the world into division and even confrontation." ^ top ^
China, New Zealand sign upgrading protocol of free trade deal (Xinhua)
2021-01-26
China and New Zealand on Tuesday signed a protocol on upgrading their 12-year-old free trade agreement (FTA), which is expected to bring more benefits to the peoples of the two countries. Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and his New Zealand counterpart signed the protocol via video link. In 2008, China signed an FTA with New Zealand, the first FTA between China and a developed country. On the basis of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China will further expand its opening-up in sectors including aviation, education, finance, elderly care, and passenger transport to New Zealand. ^ top ^
Latest China-India military talks agree to push for early disengagement as spring nears (Global Times)
2021-01-25
China and India on Sunday held the ninth round of the Corps Commander Level Meeting, in which both sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops and continue to stabilize and control the border situation, China's defense ministry announced on Monday. Despite the positivity shown by the meeting, with no significant breakthroughs achieved, Chinese experts expect continued, prolonged negotiations heading into spring, when warm weather could again promote military activities, and the face-off will likely continue. The ninth round of the China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting was held on the Chinese side of the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point on Sunday, and the two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of China-India border areas, reads a joint press release published by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense on Monday. It has been more than two and a half months since the last meeting, which took place on November 6, 2020 on the Indian side of LAC. Both sides agreed that the latest round of meeting was positive, practical and constructive, which further enhanced mutual trust and understanding, the statement said. The two sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops and to follow the important consensus of their state leaders, maintain the good momentum of dialogue and negotiation, and hold the tenth round of the Corps Commander Level Meeting at an early date to jointly advance de-escalation. They also agreed to continue their effective efforts in ensuring the restraint of the frontline troops, stabilize and control the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the China-India border, and jointly maintain peace and tranquility, according to the press release. While it showed positive signs that China and India are still managing to find agreements Chinese analysts noted that compared with official statements released after previous meetings, the latest release did not feature concrete progress significant enough to be called a breakthrough. Over the past two months, both sides have been putting efforts to find common ground in differences while keeping the situation away from worsening, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Monday. But there are still huge differences in perception and proposed resolutions, and it was very difficult to reach a complete agreement as for now, so the ninth round of meeting was just another step toward the direction to solve the problems, Qian said. It is worth noting the press release called for "maintaining the good momentum of dialogue and negotiation" for the first time. This shows that while no breakthrough was made, the atmosphere at the talks was good and not confrontational no matter what the outside world speculated, Qian said. Both sides are willing to further reduce differences, realize disengagement, then promote de-escalation through talks. Other analysts said there are more positive signs shown in the release, including more consensus on disengagement. Qian also pointed out that the US reportedly provided intelligence to India in the past and acted as a catalyst to the situation, but now that the new US administration will need to focus on other domestic problems like epidemic control, economic revival and racism, it's uncertain the Biden administration will support India as did the Trump administration. It will be only two to three months away from spring, observers said. The initial border dispute of this round started in May 2020. Qian said that spring will provide a more suitable environmental condition for both countries' frontline troops, and the troops have already become used to the face-off. The face-off will likely continue, and the talks could be prolonged, Qian said. ^ top ^
For some, politicizing WHO research trip takes precedence over saving lives (China Daily)
2021-01-24
As a key part of the country's pandemic control measures, it is compulsory for anyone entering China from overseas to undergo quarantine. There are no exceptions. Even the members of the World Health Organization team that have arrived in Wuhan to conduct research in the city where the novel coronavirus cases were first identified must undergo the stipulated quarantine. The experts participating in the research trip will have been informed of this in advance and must have agreed to it. Nonetheless, some Western media, who are still trying to lay the blame for the pandemic at China's door, and realizing the research might deny them further opportunity, have jumped on the WHO team's quarantine as "proof" that China is "impeding" its research. The only thing there is proof of is the anti-China bias of Western media such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Despite the change of administration in the United States, they are once again trying to smear China. Even though the WHO scientists have spoken highly of China's quick and effective response when the spread of a new virus was identified in Wuhan; even though Chinese scientists were the first to map the genetic sequence of the virus and share it with the world; even though China has been the largest contributor of essential medical supplies to the rest of the world; and even though how and where the virus jumped to humans has still to be determined, these media organizations are still promoting the previous administration's nasty claim that China is to be held responsible for the pandemic. Along with the medical workers and community workers fighting on the front line against the virus, the scientists at the forefront of the nation's efforts to understand the previously unknown virus receive their due respect in China and their guidance is heeded. But these Western media are trying their best to convince people that in China politics prevail over science, facts and lives. It is a charge better leveled at their own governments, which have ignored the scientific advice in pursuit of their own short-term interests. On the contrary, China has left no stone unturned in its efforts to protect people's lives once the nature of the threat was realized. Notably, the attempts by the two US media organizations to resurrect the former US president's infamous "China Virus" conspiracy came when Biden said on Friday that "We're 400,000 dead, expected to reach well over 600,000". The WHO has made it crystal clear that the research in Wuhan has a scientific purpose. It is aimed at trying to gain more knowledge about the virus and its transmission so as to avoid a similar pandemic in the future. Despite this, these media outlets obviously feel no qualms about distorting its mission. The US president's call for unity should apply to the international community and its fight against this common enemy, as it is a case of all for one and one for all. However, that essential solidarity will not be forthcoming until the Western media put facts and common sense above ignorance and prejudice. ^ top ^
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All stevedores at major ports' cold chain facilities have had vaccinations: official (Global Times)
2021-01-29
All stevedores working at major ports' cold chain facilities have completed their vaccinations, Wu Chungeng, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport, said at a press conference on Thursday. Wu said about 5.3 million front-line transportation workers are covered by the vaccination program, and around 30 percent of them have completed their vaccinations so far. Wu said front-line personnel in the transportation industry, especially those in imported cold-chain logistics, ship piloting, aviation and public transportation, are among the key groups to be vaccinated. China has administered 22.77 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to people in the frontline and high-risk positions as of Tuesday, Zeng Yixin, deputy head of China's National Health Commission, said at a press conference Wednesday. China's daily nucleic acid testing capability has now surpassed 15 million, and overall testing capabilities could further improve if batch testing methods are adopted, Zeng added. ^ top ^
CPC leadership meets to review reports (Xinhua)
2021-01-28
The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting Thursday to review multiple reports. The meeting was chaired by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Among the reports, one is related to the work of the leading Party members groups of the top legislature, central government, top political advisory body, top court, top procuratorate, as well as the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee. The others concern primary-level governance and Party inspection. The meeting fully acknowledged the work of the leading Party members groups of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, as well as the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee in 2020, and approved their work plans for 2021. The meeting urged them respectively to focus on the Party central authorities' grand plans and make concrete, meticulous and effective efforts in all of their work, as well as to faithfully and effectively fulfill the tasks assigned by the CPC Central Committee. Also at the meeting, modernization of the system and capacity for primary-level governance was highlighted as an important work concerning the Party's governance foundation as well as the security of state power. A slew of requirements were listed. These include strengthening the Party's leadership, boosting governance capacity, and establishing grid-based management, among others. In addition, the meeting fully acknowledged the work of the central leading group for the Party's disciplinary inspection in 2020, and approved its work plan for 2021. Noting that the Party's self-governance has been notably strengthened and the political ecosystem has steadily improved since the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, the meeting called for rectifications to remaining problems. The disciplinary inspection in 2021 should focus on supervising and examining the implementation of the spirit of the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and the implementation of the major arrangements for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period. Supervision over officials at all levels especially principal leaders should be strengthened, according to the meeting. It also called for more targeted, scientific, forceful and effective disciplinary inspection to provide a strong guarantee for a good start in the development for the 14th Five-Year Plan period. ^ top ^
Use Pandemic 'Peacetime' to Prepare for Outbreak 'Wartime,' Shanghai Health Expert Says (Caixin)
2021-01-28
A public health expert in Shanghai has called on the city government to adopt a "combination of peacetime and wartime measures" to control Covid-19 outbreaks over the coming months, as the country's top financial hub works to control minor flare-ups. Hu Weiguo, deputy chief of a major hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, told a key municipal government conference that the city's medical institutions should aim to emulate Wuhan, the Chinese city where the coronavirus was first detected, and build their expertise to rapidly increase or reduce hospital capacity in response to local rates of disease. "Future disease outbreaks will very likely occur in urban areas, so Shanghai cannot solely rely on health clinics in the suburbs with a few hundred beds," he said. Shanghai has remained largely unscathed from the Covid-19 crisis, although officials have had to move quickly to control several locally transmitted infections in recent weeks. Hu's "wartime measures" militaristic language channels the official term in China for mass lockdowns. Instead of doing mass testing during the latest outbreak in Shanghai, the local government only tested some 41,000 people and used precise counter measures to bring infections under control, Mayor Gong Zheng said in a press conference on Wednesday. The megacity conducted active monitoring and closed-loop control to swiftly cut off the chain of transmission. As of Thursday, Shanghai had reported 16 local confirmed cases since Jan. 20. To further improve Shanghai's Covid-19 prevention capacity, major downtown general hospitals should develop a forward-looking contingency plan, Hu Weiguo told the annual Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) which ended Wednesday. The plan should include how to swiftly turn underground parking garages and general wards into infectious disease wards, he said. Also, doctors and nurses should undergo routine precautionary training during the "peacetime" to prepare for the pandemic "wartime." Apart from improving the current medical system, 21 members of the Shanghai CPPCC also proposed the establishment of an additional public health clinic center in Pudong New Area. This would be similar to the existing center in southwest suburban Jinshan district and would tackle suspected and confirmed cases imported from Pudong International Airport. The current Jinshan health facility, the only designated center for coronavirus treatment, was not enough to safeguard China's most international city and financial center, CPPCC members said. They suggested Pudong and Jinshan districts should jointly establish an infectious disease and prevention system, based on current medical resources in Pudong. However, the proposal failed to find a consensus among members. Zhu Tongyu, director of the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre and a CPPCC member, said the Jinshan center should have many medical staff and researchers doing health treatment and medical research to maintain operations. Otherwise, it could not achieve the desired "combination of peacetime and wartime measures." "When there are no infected patients, it is hard for a single public health center or infectious diseases hospital to maintain operations without a high level of medical or research capacity," he said. Jinshan public health center mainly focused before the pandemic on scientific research to generate hospital revenue. It was about to expand to an area of 5.8 square kilometers, Zhu said, and more quarantine hotels might be built nearby to transfer confirmed patients more easily. Shanghai was also considering stepping up its recruitment in the public health area and to improve the salaries of disease center staff to attract more professionals. At least 52 Shanghai CPPCC members also proposed to strengthen individual privacy protection related to Covid-19 prevention and control work. ^ top ^
'Do Western media expect us to cry all day long?' Wuhan residents rebut BBC video for prejudice (Global Times)
2021-01-28
The BBC has released news items recording the situation in Wuhan one year after the coronavirus lockdown, but these reports have not been welcomed by Wuhan residents, as many believed the carefully chosen settings, lighting and biased voiceovers showed some Western reporters'"sour grapes" mentality. The latest piece released on Tuesday which was produced by John Sudworth is a typical example, which called Wuhan "ground zero" and "where the pandemic began." When Sudworth's interviewees told him the virus was from other places and China was a victim, the reporter described it as "a remarkable new narrative" and expressed sarcasm, disregarding multiple studies from international scientists suggesting the virus could have long existed before being discovered in Wuhan. The voiceover was as emotional as a poetry recital. The settings were chaotic and the lighting was dark, which were "typical camera techniques to give the audience an impression of suppression and disorder," film and TV industry insiders noted. Such tricks were pointed out by Chinese netizens, who mocked the reporter's prejudice. "Interviewees who cannot say what they want must have been brainwashed, and Sudworth will use his emotional voiceover to tell the truth," a netizen posted after the video started circulating on social media. "We all lived through the lockdown. Why is it that what Fang Fang said must be the truth, and others' words must be the results of propaganda?" Wuhan resident Ye Meng asked after watching the video. "No matter what the interviewees said, those Western media outlets will always find an angle to attack China. Bias is so deeply embedded in some foreigners' minds that they cannot admit China's success in any field," Ye told the Global Times on Wednesday. Sudworth also used footage of police arresting a person to hype that the lockdown was a violation of human rights. The footage turned out to be a highway epidemic control drill in Nanyang, Henan Province on February 21 last year, where a man tried to drive directly through a checkpoint and attacked police when stopped. This is not the first time that BBC reports were scorned by the Chinese public. Another video report on Wuhan not only used an incorrect Chinese map, but also mistakenly put Wuhan and Hubei in the actual positions of North China's Shaanxi and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Chinese netizens therefore urged the BBC to recruit some people with knowledge of geography. "How can your reporting be reliable when the reporter does not even know where he is?" read one comment. The New York Times, in a Saturday article, warned China against "forgetting the pain after a scar heals," criticizing Wuhan and China for not reflecting on the crisis. Pouring cold water on China's achievements in epidemic control only further exposed the "sour grapes" mentality of some Westerners, observers said. Wuhan and China endured the hardship. People learned from the experience, and they deserve to move on with their lives. Smearing China and Chinese people's efforts will not help any country emerge from the pandemic, they said. "What do the New York Times and BBC expect from us? Crying all day long? No, we are busy creating a better life," a Wuhan-born woman surnamed Zhan who works in Beijing told the Global Times. ^ top ^
Senior Chinese legislators meet to study Xi's speech on Party governance (Xinhua)
2021-01-27
Senior Chinese legislators have met to study an important speech delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at the fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC, as well as the guiding principles of the session. The meeting of the leading Party members group of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, was presided over Tuesday by Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, and secretary of its leading Party members group. Li delivered a speech at the meeting. The meeting called for efforts to firmly uphold the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee and always be loyal to, have trust in and safeguard the leadership core. The meeting underlined efforts to provide legal safeguards for improving Party and state supervision systems and strengthening oversight of and checks on the exercise of power. The legislators pledged to step up legislation in key areas, emerging and foreign-related fields, ensure the effective implementation of the Constitution and law-based exercise of power, and make contributions to fulfilling the goals and tasks set for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). ^ top ^
Chinese vice premier urges joint efforts to tackle global climate change (Xinhua)
2021-01-26
Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Monday called for joint efforts of all countries to enhance actions of climate adaptation and work for new progress in global climate governance. Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while addressing the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021 via video link in Beijing. He said that climate change is the common challenge facing humanity, and its response requires accommodating both mitigation and adaptation. China has attached equal importance to mitigation and adaptation, Han said, adding that China is formulating a national strategy of adapting to climate change for 2035 and would make the country more resilient to climate risks. As 2021 marks the comprehensive implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, the vice premier called for global solidarity to enhance adaptation actions to promote the new progress in global climate governance. Han urged developed countries to offer more financial and technical support to developing countries regarding climate change. He also called on all countries to formulate and implement national adaptation plans according to their national realities. It would make their adaptation actions more effective and sustained and uphold multilateralism in international cooperation. The summit, initiated by the Netherlands, encourages all governments to take more adaptation measures to reduce climate-related hazards and strengthen climate resilience. ^ top ^
China's top anti-corruption body vows to zero in on key state-backed projects (SCMP)
2021-01-26
The Communist Party's top anti-corruption body has vowed to keep a close watch on state-backed technology and infrastructure projects and crack down further on graft at the grass-roots level. In a communique issued on Sunday after a three-day conference in Beijing, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said it would make "unremitting efforts" to strengthen party discipline among the rank and file in the coming year and focus on safeguarding policy goals set by the leadership. The meeting – attended by more than 130 senior members of the CCDI and their provincial counterparts, President Xi Jinping and other top party leaders – is held annually to review the past year and set the agenda for the next 12 months. Xi told cadres on Friday that while the CCDI had achieved some success in 2020, corruption remained "the biggest threat to the party's rule". He called on the graft-busters to do their utmost to ensure corruption would not undermine the party's goals. He said they must not let their guard down in 2021, the start of the country's next five-year plan that marks a new stage in the party's ambition to create a "modernised socialist country" by 2049. The CCDI's communique echoed that call, saying its first priority would be to ensure the plan for the next five years was implemented with "strong political supervision". It also said key investment projects in the plan would be under scrutiny, especially those that could put China's stability at risk. "[We should] focus on investigating and dealing with corruption cases where political and economic problems are intertwined, [watching over] areas that have strong policy support, involve huge investment and resources," the communique said. "[We will] resolutely investigate and deal with corruption in infrastructure construction, project approval, state-owned enterprise reform, public resource allocation and scientific research management." Scientific and technological innovation was a focus in an outline of the five-year plan released in October, as was the strategic goal of transforming the country into one of the most advanced in the world by 2035. The CCDI also said in the communique that it would redouble efforts to crack down on corruption that affects the lives of ordinary Chinese. "[We will] continue to stamp out corruption that affects the masses … strengthen supervision of policy implementation and measures to benefit the people and promote common prosperity," it said. Revitalisation of rural areas would be "guaranteed" and graft-busters would target corruption in education, medical care, social welfare, environmental protection, food and drug safety, and law enforcement. "[We will] also continue to punish the 'protective umbrella' involved in vice," it said referring to collusion between law enforcers and criminal gangs. The financial sector, state-owned enterprises and law enforcement were highlighted as three key areas where graft-busters would strengthen their efforts in the coming year. Overseas, the CCDI said it would push for "international cooperation on anti-corruption efforts and the pursuit of [Chinese] fugitives". According to Alfred Wu, an associate professor with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, the CCDI is taking a strong line at a time when the party especially needs unity and stability. "The [party congress] will be held next year and we will see the team formed that will execute and oversee the whole long-term development plan with Xi," Wu said. "While the party needs consensus-building and unity, the nation needs stability. That's why the financial sector, the SOEs and the security forces are listed as priorities." Zhu Lijia, a professor at the state-run Chinese Academy of Governance, said although senior officials snared in Beijing's anti-corruption drive made headlines, the small-scale corruption at the grass-roots level was equally – if not more – "toxic". "Ordinary people will see cases like Lai Xiaomin, who took huge bribes, as if they're just gossip," Zhu said, referring to the former head of China Huarong Asset Management, who was sentenced to death this month. "But a village official who embezzles a small fund meant for poverty relief, or a police officer who mistreats a suspect, a school principal who favours a student with a powerful family … all of these are real problems that affect Chinese," he said. ^ top ^
11 trapped miners rescued from Shandong mine (China Daily)
2021-01-24
Eleven miners were lifted to safety by 3:18 pm on Sunday, 14 days after an explosion trapped 22 miners underground at a gold mine at Qixia, East China's Shandong province, according to rescue headquarters. Seven miners walked to ambulances on their own with the support of rescuers after being lifted to the surface. The other two were carried into ambulances by rescuers due to injuries. The first trapped miner was lifted to the surface around 11 am Sunday, 14 days after an explosion trapped 22 miners underground at a gold mine at Qixia, Shandong province, according to CCTV news. The miner was found at the No 4 section of the mine while rescuers were clearing the debris heaped at the shaft previously used by miners to enter and exit the mine. The miner was sent to a hospital immediately after being lifted to the surface because he felt weak. Twenty-two miners have been trapped about 600 meters underground since a mine blast on Jan 10 in Qixia, under the city of Yantai, in Shandong province. So far, rescuers have established contact with only 10 of the miners, who are in good physical and psychological condition. Another is believed to be dead. Rescue headquarters at the site said that they have sent food, clothes, and other supplies to the 10 miners through a channel. Rescuers are still racing against the clock to dig into the blocked mine shaft in an effort to set up an escape route for the trapped workers. Some of the workers have helped the rescuers search for the 11 missing miners using laser pointers and loudspeakers, but have received no response. Rescuers have continued to lower life detectors and nutrient solutions into other sections of the mine to locate the missing miners, but still have not encountered any signs of life. ^ top ^
Xi stresses strict Party governance for 14th Five-Year Plan period (People's Daily)
2021-01-23
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed the importance of leveraging the guiding and safeguarding roles of strict Party governance in every respect to ensure the development goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) are fulfilled. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Friday when addressing the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). The year 2020 was extraordinary in the history of the People's Republic of China, Xi said as he summarized the year's achievements in Party construction. "People feel deeply that in stormy times the strong leadership of the Party and the authority of the CPC Central Committee are what they can always count on," Xi said. The CPC Central Committee is satisfied with the progress made in improving Party conduct, building a clean government and combating corruption, he added. Xi underscored the importance of improving political judgment, understanding and execution in implementing full and strict governance over the Party. On fighting corruption, historic achievements have been made but the situation remains challenging and complex, Xi said. "Corruption, as the biggest risk to the Party's governance, still exists," Xi said, adding that old and new types of corruption have become intertwined and corruption is increasingly covert and complex. In 2020, 18 centrally-administrated officials were investigated. Also, 1,229 fugitives were brought back and 2.45 billion yuan (378 million U.S. dollars) retrieved from overseas in the first 11 months of 2020. In the first 11 days of 2021, China's top anti-graft body announced punishments for seven centrally-administrated officials who were accused of taking bribes, signifying that the country's war on corruption is taking steady steps in the new year. "The struggle between corruption and anti-corruption efforts will continue to exist for a long period to come," Xi said. "There is no alternative but to forge ahead in the anti-corruption fight against all odds." Xi stressed constantly improving Party conduct, building clean government and combating corruption. The governance over the Party must always be strict, so that the CPC can lead and ensure the smooth sailing of the great ship of socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said. Xi demanded strong political oversight to ensure the implementation of the CPC Central Committee's major decisions and plans. "We must resolutely continue the fight against corruption," Xi said, stressing the need to build the systems and measures to ensure that officials do not dare to be, are not able to be, and do not want to be corrupt. Xi demanded efforts to resolutely curb the practice of formalities for formalities' sake and bureaucratism. Continuous efforts must be made to address corruption and misconduct that affect people's immediate interests, to boost their sense of gaining, he added. Xi stressed the need to improve the Party and state supervisory systems, and integrate supervision into the country's development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Discipline inspection and supervision agencies should take the lead in strengthening the Party's political building. They must also be subject to the strictest constraint and oversight, Xi said. Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning and Han Zheng attended the meeting. Zhao Leji, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the CCDI, presided over the meeting. Xi's important speech serves as the major guidance for advancing strict Party governance in every respect, Zhao said while presiding over the meeting. Zhao called on Party organizations at all levels and Party members and officials to study and implement the guiding principles of Xi's speech, and earnestly implement the plans made at the CCDI session. Zhao also delivered a work report to the session on behalf of the standing committee of the CCDI. ^ top ^
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| Beijing |
Xi says China to ensure Beijing Winter Olympics complete success (Xinhua)
2021-01-26
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday he believes that the Chinese side, with strong support from various parties, will complete all preparation work as scheduled, so as to ensure the Beijing Winter Olympics a complete success. Xi made the remarks during his telephone conversation with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. Xi pointed out that since COVID-19 broke out, the IOC has taken the initiative to respond and made an all-out effort to safeguard the unity and stability of the Olympic Movement, making positive contributions to the global fight against COVID-19 and the steady and healthy development of the Olympic Movement. Xi said that the Chinese side appreciates the IOC's active support for China's sports enterprise, and will continue supporting the IOC's work, adding that China is willing to join the IOC and other countries in ensuring safe and smooth hosting of the Tokyo Olympics and the Beijing Winter Olympics, and contributing to an early victory for the international community over the pandemic, recovery of the world economy, and safeguarding the lives and health of the people of all countries. Xi also stressed that China has taken the lead in putting its own epidemic under control and realizing economic recovery, creating favorable conditions for the smooth hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics. China has strictly implemented prevention and control measures, overcome the impact of the epidemic, and actively promoted the steady progress of all preparation work, Xi said, adding that at present, the construction of venues and infrastructure for the Beijing Winter Olympics has achieved phased progress. He also noted that the organization of the Games has been carried out in an orderly manner; the service guarantee for the Games is being conducted in an all-round way; publicity and promotion are warming up; in-depth international exchanges and cooperation are unfolding; and sustainable development and heritage work have seen remarkable progress. China takes the preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics as an opportunity to promote the popularization and development of ice and snow sports, Xi said, adding that Beijing, the only city in the world that has hosted the Summer and Winter Olympics, will make unique contributions to the international Olympic Movement. For his part, Bach said under the strong leadership of Xi, China has made outstanding achievements in combating COVID-19, taken the lead in economic recovery and become an important engine for world economic recovery. He expressed sincere congratulations on China's achievements. With the great importance attached by the Chinese government and the strong support of the Chinese people, preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics have overcome the impact of the pandemic and are progressing smoothly, said Bach. The IOC, he said, supports China's concept of hosting a green, inclusive, open and clean Winter Olympics and stands ready to work with China to ensure a successful, splendid and safe Games, which will not only realize the vision of promoting winter sports among 300 million Chinese people, but also strongly advance the development of international Olympic Movement. The IOC stays committed to upholding the Olympic spirit and opposing the politicization of sports, Bach said, adding that the organization is ready to continue strengthening long-term strategic cooperation with China. Bach also extended his Chinese New Year greetings to the Chinese people, wishing them new success in the New Year. ^ top ^
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| Shanghai |
Shanghai CPPCC Member Proposes Regulating the '996' Work Culture (Caixin)
2021-01-23
A member of China's political advisory body in Shanghai Friday proposed setting up a system and standard to prevent worker abuse after the recent deaths of two young employees of e-commerce giant Pinduoduo Inc. The fatalities renewed debate on a culture in China's internet sector that encourages long hours on the job — the "996" ethic of working 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week. The often unspoken 996 schedule applies at most Chinese internet companies from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to Pinduoduo. Lu Jingbo, a lawyer and member of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the People's Political Consultative Conference, submitted several proposals addressing overwork culture and worker exploitation to Shanghai's annual Two Sessions of political advisers and lawmakers. In one of the proposals, Lu said Chinese Labor Law has only limited restrictions on the 996 system, and the definition of working hours is vague. Morning meetings, lunchtime, training time, and some other working hours are not clearly defined under current law, leading to labor disputes and different adjudications in various regions. On Jan. 10, a young worker from Pinduoduo jumped to his death from a building a day after returning to his hometown in Hunan province. The suicide happened less than two weeks after another young worker at Pinduoduo collapsed in the street and later died. Some say the 996 culture may have contributed to the two deaths. One day after the Pinduoduo employee's suicide, a deliveryman from Alibaba-owned online food delivery service Ele.me set himself on fire outside a shop in the East China city of Taizhou over a pay dispute. A report from recruiting website zhaopin.com shows that 17.18% of white collar workers in 2019 said their company implemented the 996 system, and 22.48% of white collar workers reported that their companies tended to implement such a system. More than 70% of white collar workers said they did not receive compensation for overtime work. The overwork culture among Chinese internet companies spurred an online "anti-996" movement in 2019. Chinese programmers created a website to petition against the work culture. However, the movement didn't improve Chinese working conditions. Lu said current Chinese regulations can cover only part of work-related injuries and deaths, and the penalties for violating labor laws are too low, making it difficult to prevent overwork. Lu suggested that China should learn from some developed countries. Compulsory training time and duty hours should be recognized as paid overtime hours, and work hours should be capped to protect the health of workers, he said. He also suggested that China establish a system to identify work-related deaths and confirm the attribution of responsibilities through legislation. He said penalties should be increased and linked to local average wages, and the local government should increase the frequency of regular and irregular labor inspections. Lu's second proposal focuses on workers of "new employment types" or relatively new job positions related to the rising internet industry such as delivery riders and online counselors. According to a survey Lu cited, 43.51% of workers in the new economy sector, such as delivery riders, said that "deduction of income or fines" is the most common dispute with employers. Many delivery platforms set strict claim settlements, and delivery riders suffer from temporarily added compensation barriers. Workers also don't have access to labor arbitration and labor supervision. Due to the scattered distribution and migration of these workers, it is not easy for labor unions to enroll and help them, Lu said. Lu suggested that Shanghai should introduce work-related injury insurance and launch trials of occupational injury protection for workers in the new economy sector. He also suggested increasing the coverage of labor unions, establishing labor unions in new industries, and promoting the negotiation of wage and working hours standards. ^ top ^
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| Guangdong |
China's export hub Guangdong remains cautious on economic outlook after tough 2020 (SCMP)
2021-01-24
Guangdong, China's export powerhouse, has set a relatively low growth target of "over 6 per cent" for the year and avoided setting a specific target for trade growth, as provincial authorities remained cautious about this year's outlook following last year's Covid-19 outbreak. China's richest province, which includes the Pearl River Delta manufacturing hub, still reported a 6 per cent increase in gross domestic product (GDP) last year, slightly lower than the 6.3 per cent recorded in 2019, according to the provincial government report delivered at the annual legislative meeting on Sunday. Officials also said they hoped for "positive growth" in trade this year without setting a specific target. The annual meeting was held as China starts the 14th five-year plan, which will run until 2025, and is based on the new "dual circulation" strategy of relying primarily on domestic demand to boost growth. The 13th five-year plan aimed to develop the country's manufacturing sector and move China away from being the global factory for cheap, low-tech goods to focus on producing higher-value products. The outlines of the new five-year plan shift the policy focus towards promoting self-reliance, technological innovation and quality of life. The central government said last year that it planned to upgrade industries and supply chains, as well as developing the domestic market to drive growth, but would continue to embrace international business and trade. Despite the economic headwinds from the trade war with the US and the coronavirus pandemic, Guangdong completed its goals in 2020, Ma Xingrui, the provincial governor, said in a live broadcast on Sunday. "We have embraced difficult challenges and made significant achievements in terms of [coronavirus] outbreak prevention and control as well as economic and social development," he said. During the 13th five-year period, Guangdong's GDP rose from 7.5 trillion yuan in 2015 to over 11 trillion yuan in 2020, Ma said, with the provincial economy remaining China's biggest for the past 32 years. He also said the government has pushed for the rapid development of the Greater Bay Area as well as for poverty relief. In the next five years, the province's main goals will be to focus on supply-side structural reform, technological innovation and achieving a better balance in regional development, Ma said. According to local government-affiliated newspaper Nanfang Daily, provincial representatives have proposed measures to improve disease prevention and surveillance in rural areas and boost safety education in schools. There will also be a drive to improve elderly care, including home services, cleaning and medical rehabilitation. ^ top ^
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| Tibet |
Tibet sets up areas for ecological protection (China Daily)
2021-01-23
The Tibet autonomous region has placed nearly half its land area under the strictest ecological supervision, it was announced at an annual meeting of the regional People's Congress, which kicked off on Wednesday. The ecological protection area, which covers more than 539,000 square kilometers, makes up 45 percent of the region's area, said Qi Zhala, chairman of the regional government. The region strictly controls sand excavation in its 56 key rivers, and 22 ecological reserves have been built and are operational, Qi Zhala said in his government work report delivered on Wednesday at the fourth session of the region's 11th People's Congress. According to the government work report, the rate of days with good air quality in Tibet's cities of prefectural level and above reached 99.4 percent, and all the region's drinking water sources met applicable standards. The report also said that the number of Tibetan antelope in the region has risen to more than 200,000, terrestrial wildlife species to 1,072 and black-necked cranes to more than 8,000. Five rare new species have been discovered in recent years. The region has spent 12.2 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) on ecological protection projects in recent years. Five cities and prefectures and three counties have been designated as national-level ecologically civilized model cities and counties, and more rural residents have benefited financially by undertaking part-time ecological protection work. Mao Shiping, an official from Nagchu's forestry and grassland bureau, said the city government has been upgrading infrastructure and management facilities in Changthang National Nature Reserve. "More advanced monitoring facilities have been installed in the reserve, with more ecological protection patrolmen employed to undertake protection work," Mao said. Covering more than 298,000 sq km, Changthang National Nature Reserve, China's biggest, has become a haven for rare high-plateau wildlife such as wild yaks, argali and Tibetan antelope. Mao said the reserve has about 780 professional ecological protection patrolmen, including 390 in the reserve's section in Nagchu. More than 20,000 rural residents in Nagchu undertake various environment protection activities that are subsidized by the government. "The professional ecological patrolmen are provided with basic patrolling tools such as motorcycles, telescopes and paging receivers, and they provide feedback regularly," Mao said. Professional patrolmen also receive one week of training every year from professors at Tibet University. Kunsang Darje, a railway maintenance worker in Nagchu, said that apart from maintaining the railway and highway, he also collects trash along the section with his colleagues. "The place I work is in a no man's land, and I think it's very important to protect the animals there without affecting them with human activities, and we are also obligated to take responsibility there," he said. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
Western media's disinformation campaign - two tales, one Xinjiang (China Daily)
2021-01-27
The tale of an oppressed Xinjiang is a fabrication that Western media refuse to give up. However, people who visit Xinjiang uncover a different story. The China Daily investigation film exposes the western media's disinformation campaign on Xinjiang. Forced labor, internment camps, and culture genocide... China Daily's documentary went behind scenes to reveal false and repeated western propaganda regarding Xinjiang. After visiting factories across Xinjiang and interviewing more than 50 workers and employers, China Daily finds that some Western media reports incite disinformation and discrimination about Xinjiang by resorting to manipulative editing, citing unfounded reports and appealing to biases. A report by the New York Times accused a sanitation station in Xinjiang of committing forced labor, but the workers in the station said they work here voluntarily and felt very confused when reporters proceeded to question their will to work. In the West, human rights are about a ballot box and the public having the ability to voice political opinions openly. In China, human rights are about having gainful employment, economic opportunity, access to education, health care and being safe in the streets, said Einar Tangen, a current affairs commentator. An ASPI report promulgated by Western media stated there are approximately 380 detention centers in Xinjiang. However, China Daily visited the alleged "camps" in ASPI's reports and found its data, analysis and conclusions are completely false. From 1990 to 2016, Xinjiang was blighted by terrorist attacks in which hundreds of people were killed. The vocational education centers, which Western media repeatedly brand as internment camps, offers people in Xinjiang assuagement and to learn working skills. In a clothing factory in Hotan, we met with Tursonnissar Ali, who attended training at one of the vocational training centers in 2017 in Xinjiang. She said the language and sewing skills she learned in the center offered her more opportunities. A BBC report accused a kindergarten in Hotan, Xinjiang of housing children of "detainees" and children were forced to speak Mandarin. But we found children in the kindergarten switched between Uygur and Mandarin at their will. There are growing concerns that the Uygur way of life is affected by false reports. A short video platform user going by the name Haili915 expressed her frustration when she found a video of her had been manipulated on Western social media as proof that China was detaining people. Many Western media reports choose to dramatize reality and impose their biases when it comes to reporting on Xinjiang. These reports exploit Xinjiang people as political tools, but the life of decent people in Xinjiang put them above these abuses. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
Xi stresses "patriots governing Hong Kong" when hearing Carrie Lam's work report (People's Daily)
2021-01-28
President Xi Jinping on Wednesday heard a work report delivered via video link by Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam on the HKSAR government's work in 2020, its COVID-19 response and other situations. The work report hearing was conducted via video link in line with COVID-19 control needs, Xi said, adding that he was "very concerned and worried" as the fourth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong has posed relatively big threats to citizens' life and health. The central government has taken and will continue to take all necessary measures to fully support HKSAR in fighting COVID-19, Xi said, calling for firming up confidence and staying united in the anti-epidemic fight. "The motherland is always Hong Kong's strong backing. Difficulties at hand can surely be overcome," Xi said. He said Lam and the HKSAR government calmly coped with multiple serious challenges brought by the turbulence over the proposed ordinance amendments, the COVID-19 epidemic and the adverse changes in the external environment over the past year. Certain success has been achieved in maintaining order, fighting the virus, addressing people's difficulties and reviving the economy, Xi said. "What should be noted is that since the National People's Congress Standing Committee adopted the national security law in the HKSAR, you have led the HKSAR government in resolutely enforcing it, stopping violence and chaos in accordance with the law and working to bring Hong Kong back on track," Xi said. "On major issues such as national security, you have taken a firm stand and assumed responsibilities, demonstrating your love of and deep sense of responsibility to the motherland and Hong Kong," Xi told Lam. "The central authorities fully acknowledge your performance and the performance of the HKSAR government in fulfilling duties," Xi said. Hong Kong's transition from chaos to stability has once again demonstrated that the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" must be always upheld to ensure the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems," he said. It is the fundamental principle that concerns national sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as Hong Kong's prosperity and stability in the long run, Xi added. Xi said that Hong Kong can only maintain its long-term stability and security by ensuring "patriots governing Hong Kong." He also sent his regards to the officials of the HKSAR government who were unreasonably sanctioned by the United States. Lam expressed her sincere gratitude for the central authorities' care and support for Hong Kong and pledged to lead the HKSAR governance team in working harder and fearlessly to overcome difficulties and let Hong Kong start anew. Senior leaders including Han Zheng attended the event. ^ top ^
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| Macau |
Xi praises Macao's efforts to contain COVID-19 (Global Times)
2021-01-27
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wed praised Macao govt's efforts to contain the virus that have resulted in zero local cases for over 300 consecutive days, which won high appreciation from Macao residents, after hearing a work report by the Macao Special Administrative Region's Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
Pentagon spokesman dismisses China's warning on Taiwan as 'unfortunate' (SCMP)
2021-01-29
A Pentagon spokesman on Thursday called remarks by his Chinese counterpart equating moves toward Taiwan independence with war "unfortunate" and reaffirmed Washington's commitment to supporting the self-ruled island's defence capability. "We find that comment unfortunate and certainly not commensurate with our intentions to meet our obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act and to continue to, as Secretary [Antony] Blinken at the State Department said yesterday, look for ways where we can cooperate with China, but we have obligations that we intend to meet," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters. The Pentagon "sees no reason why tensions over Taiwan need to lead to anything like confrontation," Kirby said. "The United States military remains ready in all respects to meet our security commitments in the region." Kirby was responding to Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian's comment earlier on Thursday that "Taiwan independence means war" and that China's military "will take all necessary measures to resolutely thwart any form of Taiwan independence separatist attempts". The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which was passed when Washington officially switched its diplomatic recognition to China in 1979, outlines America's willingness to defend Taiwan, although it stops short of defining the exact nature of its commitment. That ambiguity causes tension with Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province that must be eventually reunited with the mainland, whenever the US supplies arms to the island's military or engages in direct contact with Taiwanese government officials. The messages the two spokesmen sent underscore the continuation of bilateral hostilities over Taiwan that escalated throughout the tenure of former president Donald Trump's administration. Those tensions crested when the State Department announced on January 7, less than two weeks before Joe Biden 's inauguration as US president, that then-US ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft planned to travel to Taiwan. Craft spoke to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen via a video link after her three-day visit was cancelled at the last minute by the State Department, which said it had shelved all travel plans to help ease the transition to a new administration in Washington. Biden's nominee to replace Craft, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told senators during a confirmation hearing on Wednesday that she would work to thwart Beijing's "authoritarian agenda" at the UN. ^ top ^
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| Economy |
China's GDP growth targets should be scrapped to help put cap on local government debt, top central bank adviser says (SCMP)
2021-01-27
China should permanently stop setting annual economic growth targets, as its overall level of borrowing and debt is rising at the fastest rate since 2009, following the global financial crisis, according to a senior adviser to the country's central bank. Ma Jun, a member of the monetary policy committee of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) and its former chief economist, has outlined a number of risks facing the Chinese economy. He warned that continuing to set gross domestic product (GDP) targets may worsen the debt risks among local governments, which could increase their already high borrowing levels as they try to meet unrealistic growth goals. Instead, Beijing should focus on stabilising employment and controlling inflation as its main macroeconomic policy goals, Ma said, according to a transcript of his remarks published on Monday on media site Sina.com. It was unclear when exactly his comments were made. The world's second-largest economy grew 2.3 per cent in 2020, after Beijing opted in May not to set an annual GDP growth target for the first time since 1990 due to the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Ma said that while the government should use GDP forecasts in fiscal and investment planning, they should not be used as "an indicator for evaluating the performance of local government officials". "By emphasising GDP assessments, it is inevitable that some locals will falsely report the rate of economic growth," he said, adding that many local officials often turn to borrowing to lift GDP growth, adding more debt even as their revenues continue to decline. Last year, Beijing rolled out a flurry of stimulus measures to revive the economy, including increasing the issuance of local government special-purpose bonds to fund infrastructure projects, lowering lending rates, cutting taxes and lifting the budget deficit ratio to 3.6 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to allow for more government spending. However, such measures also drove up overall government debt as a percentage of GDP – the leverage ratio – leading to concerns of greater default risks among local governments, their investment projects, and the state-owned enterprises they controlled. "We are now facing a paradox," Ma said. "On the one hand, the leverage ratio has risen very fast, requiring monetary policy adjustments. In the first three quarters of 2020, the country's macro leverage ratio increased by 25 per cent, the largest increase since 2009. A [further] substantial rise in leverage will naturally lead to future financial risks." Ma said that the financial positions of local governments deteriorated last year, especially in central and northeast regions, while small banks – much of whose lending is to the small and micro enterprises hit hardest by the pandemic – are seeing their asset quality declining as the default risk of their borrowers grows. "The other [risk] is the case of bond defaults," Ma added. "Although it should be emphasised that we cannot avoid debt, some local governments and companies just can't cover them any more. "These are all downside risks to be concerned about." A resurgence of new Covid-19 infections in China and the uncertainty surrounding the spread of the virus in the rest of the world could hamper China's foreign trade, investment and technological exchange with other countries, and this would have an intermittent impact on the Chinese economy, he said. Ma suggested that Beijing consider relaxing some controls on capital outflows to alleviate the upwards pressure on the yuan exchange rate, to prevent it from becoming too strong, which would hurt China's exports. Last year, the yuan gained more than 6 per cent against the US dollar. Ma also expressed some optimism over the new presidential administration in the United States, listing it as the main potential upside opportunity for the Chinese economy this year, as President Joe Biden is likely to seek ways to work with China on the issues of climate change, public health and nuclear arms control. "In addition, there may be opportunities for the tension in China-US trade to ease in some areas," Ma added. ^ top ^
Chinese cities to advance trial of digital currency in 2021 (People's Daily)
2021-01-26
Several Chinese cities will expand trials of digital currency, or the digital yuan, according to their tune-setting government work plans for 2021. Beijing will accelerate the building of innovative demonstration zones for fintech and professional services this year and promote the pilot application of the digital currency, revealed the city's government work report delivered on Jan. 23. Ma Xingrui, governor of south China's Guangdong province, vowed on Jan. 24 when delivering a local government report that authorities will support the development of the city of Shenzhen into an innovative pilot zone for the country's digital currency. When delivering a government work report on the same day, Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng said that the metropolis will continue financial opening-up and the promotion of the digital currency' pilot application. In mid-January, the government of Suzhou, in east China's Jiangsu province, announced to promote the pilot application of the digital currency and turn the city into a digital currency industry cluster in the following five years. These plans signal that the digital currency will be subject to large-scale application, said Li Quan, a professor in the department of finance under Nankai University in north China's Tianjin municipality. In 2020, the trial operation of the digital yuan expanded from small-scale testing to large-scale testing, especially in Shenzhen and Suzhou. Customers can use apps with digital yuan offline payment functions to complete transfers or payments when the network is not available and make digital yuan payments by using wearable devices. In addition to offline payments, the digital yuan also supported online payments on e-commerce platforms in trial runs. This year, more application scenarios of the digital currency will be explored and more cities will conduct small-scale testing of the digital yuan, said Su Xiaorui, a senior fintech analyst. ^ top ^
China largest FDI recipient in 2020 amidst global plunge -- UNCTAD report (Xinhua)
2021-01-25
Global foreign direct investment (FDI) plunged by 42 percent in 2020, a new report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) showed on Sunday, while China bucked the trend becoming the world's top recipient of investment flows. In its latest Investment Trends Monitor, the Geneva-based UN trade and development body said that FDI fell sharply to an estimated 859 billion U.S. dollars last year, from 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars in 2019, and warned of further weakness this year, putting a sustainable recovery from COVID-19 pandemic at risk. "FDI finished 2020 more than 30 percent below the trough after the global financial crisis in 2009 and back at a level last seen in the 1990s," the report wrote. The data showed that the decline was concentrated in developed countries, where FDI flows fell by 69 percent to an estimated 229 billion U.S. dollars, the lowest level in 25 years. Flows to Europe dried up completely, tumbling by two-thirds to minus 4 billion U.S. dollars, it noted. In Britain, FDI fell to zero, and declines were recorded in other major European recipients. A sharp decrease of 49 percent to 134 billion U.S. dollars was also recorded in the United States. The decline in developing economies was relatively measured at 12 percent to an estimated 616 billion U.S. dollars, the report showed, while China topped the ranking of the largest FDI recipients. FDI flows to China rose by 4 percent to 163 billion U.S. dollars, making the country the world's largest recipient in 2020, followed by the United States. China's high-tech industries saw an increase of 11 percent in 2020, and cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) rose by 54 percent, mostly in information and communications technology (ICT) and pharmaceutical industries, the report said. "A return to positive gross domestic product (GDP) growth and the government's targeted investment facilitation program helped stabilize investment after the early (coronavirus) lockdown," James Zhan, UNCTAD's director of investment and enterprise, said in a virtual press conference. "The global dependence on the supply chains of multinational enterprises in China during the pandemic also sustained the FDI growth in China," he added. The country saw its GDP increase 2.3 percent year on year last year and is expected to be the only major economy to post growth in the pandemic-ravaged year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Looking ahead, UNCTAD warned that the global FDI trend is expected to remain weak this year. "Risks related to the latest wave of the pandemic, the pace of the roll-out of vaccination programs and economic support packages, fragile macroeconomic situations in major emerging markets, and uncertainty about the global policy environment for investment will all continue to affect FDI in 2021," it wrote. While sharply lower greenfield project announcements suggest that a turnaround in industrial sectors is not yet in sight, UNCTAD however stressed that strong deal activity in technology and pharmaceutical industries could push M&A-driven FDI flows higher. "Overall, the global FDI is likely to follow a U-shape recovery, unlike the global trade and GDP which have been predicted to be a V-shape recovery starting already 2021. International investment projects tend to have a long gestation period and react to crises with a delay, both on the downward slope and in the recovery," Zhan estimated. Earlier this month, UNCTAD announced that Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi will step down from his post on Feb. 15. The selection process for his successor will start after a vacancy is posted at the beginning of February. ^ top ^
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Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene pays courtesy call on President Battulga (Montsame)
2021-01-28
Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, appointed by the Parliament with majority vote on January 27th, 2021, paid a courtesy call on the President soon after he received the office. President Battulga said: "Congratulations on your appointment as the Prime Minister of Mongolia, with approval from the State Great Khural. You will be known as the 32nd Prime Minister of Mongolia starting today. I am working with the 8th Prime Minister since I have entered the politics. I am confident in your ability to work in an urgent manner as you formerly held a highly responsible government position. Upon your appointment as the Chief of the Cabinet Secretariat, your predecessor U.Khurelsukh and I had thoroughly discussed cooperation without prejudice and political polarization. I would like to underline again that we collaborated, regardless of political affiliations. For instance, we managed to stop the illegal activities on the Salkhit silver deposit and cancelled pension-backed loans of up to 6 million MNT taken out by thousands of seniors. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the Kharmagtai deposits holding at least 100 million tons of gold had been detected in collaboration with geologists while the Government of Mongolia and the minister in charge of the industry were not aware of it, and 53 tons of gold have been identified through a 18,000-meter drilling within three months and was handed over to the Government. The gold reserves of the deposits are available to increase to 100 million tons and the geologists undertook great exertion. This serves as a proper example of how natural wealth can be appropriately allocated to Mongolia's population of three million. It is only a part of the 18,000 meter drilling and a portion of the huge deposits of gold and copper. This could be an opportunity to rescue the economy during these challenging times. PM U.Khurelsukh and I divided the sample extracted by the drilling at the time into two equal parts and laughed, saying we received the dole of our gold. The feasibility study for this project is expected to complete by mid-March and this effort should continue forward. During the official visit by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to Mongolia in September 2019, it was agreed to pursue active cooperation, taking more initiatives on the matter of a gas pipeline between Russia and China to run through Mongolia. In the course of the Prime Minister Khurelsukh's visit to Russia in December of that same year, it was mentioned that some results have been achieved and its feasibility study was underway with great progress. I view that the National Security Council should deliberate whether this crucial issue remains a responsibility of the Deputy Prime Minister against the backdrop of current tough times of the pandemic and dzud. Because issues surrounding the gas pipeline are noticed to fall behind since Sodbaatar Yangug was working overburdened while he was the Deputy Prime Minister. I am concerned that this situation could be misinterpreted as Mongolians are not paying due attention on this matter. Therefore, I see that the National Security Council should commit to this and make well-thought decisions, since you now become a member of the National Security Council. Following a letter sent from Mongolia to Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, the bilateral currency swap arrangement of 6 trillion MNT was extended for 3 more years until 2023, which releases Mongolia from the burden of high amount of payment. I have recently met with the Chinese Ambassador and proposed to extend the three-year agreement by up to 20 years, within the framework of the visit paid by Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi to Mongolia. If this is solved, payment worth 2 billion USD will be freed in the future. Thanks to this, a plan has been developed to provide much-needed support for households and businesses during the difficult period brought by the pandemic, taking examples from foreign countries. I encourage you, as the new Prime Minister, to get acquainted with the plan. Instead of dividing over the affiliations to the Democratic Party and the Mongolian People's Party, we should work together for the people to overcome the pandemic. Moreover, we should also work together to finish the railroad construction underway. I believe you will get to work right from today. During the parliamentary session, some opposition members and S.Ganbaatar MP will be included in the working group for the Oyu Tolgoi agreement. On this matter, N.Altankhuyag MP will be extremely helpful as he was Prime Minister at the time of the deal. A proposal was sent from our Office on this hot topic. As you have led several demonstrations, I believe you have some level of imagination what the public distress can cause. For that reason, I hope you will firsthand tend to the matter of putting an end to S.Ganbaatar MP's hunger strike. I also hope you will be willing to cooperate for the wellbeing of the three million citizens and the revival of the economy. Let's collaborate for unbending durability of governance and prosperity and wellness of the Mongolian people. Good luck!" ^ top ^
L. Oyun-Erdene becomes 32nd Prime Minister of Mongolia (Montsame)
2021-01-27
At its plenary meeting today, January 27, the Parliament has appointed L.Oyun-Erdene as the 32nd Prime Minister of Mongolia, with 87.9 percent of votes. Last week, former PM U.Khurelsukh submitted his resignation request to the Parliament, which was subsequently approved by the Parliament. Therefore, the Steering Committee of the Mongolian People's Party (MPP) and the MPP Conference nominated L. Oyun-Erdene for the next Prime Minister of Mongolia and submitted its proposal to the President on January 22. According to the relevant laws, President Kh.Battulga has sent to the Parliament his proposal on appointing L. Oyun-Erdene as the Prime Minister today. L. Oyun-Erdene, who had worked as Chief of the Cabinet Secretariat of the previous government since 2019, is one of the leading young politicians of Mongolia. He has been appointed as Prime Minister at a challenging time for Mongolia's economy as the country responds to the COVID-19 pandemic and during Government talks with Oyu Tolgoi project investors to increase benefits for Mongolia. Born in 1980 in Ulaanbaatar, Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, majored in journalism, public administration, and law. ^ top ^
Weekly review of Parliament plenary sessions for January 19-23 (Montsame)
2021-01-25
At the Standing Committee meeting on Legal Affairs, final discussion of the State Great Hural Resolution on "Approval of the Guidelines for Improving the Legislation of Mongolia until 2024" was proceeded. 2021.01.19. At the Standing Committee meeting on Economics, appointment of Chairperson of the National Statistics Office of Mongolia was discussed and agreed to nominate Mr. Batdavaa Batmunkh. The issue was supported by majority of votes and to introduce at the plenary session. According to Article 14.1.5 of the Law on the State Great Hural and Article 13.1 of the Law on Statistics, the Chairperson of the National Statistics Office is appointed by the State Great Hural upon the proposal of the Speaker for a term of six years. 2021.01.19. At the Standing Committee meeting on State Structures, the State Great Hural Resolution on setting the date for the 2021 Presidential Election was discussed and agreed to set the first round of voting for the President of Mongolia on June 9, 2021. On January 20, 2021, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia Ya.Sodbaatar submitted a bill on Supporting the Oil Refinery to G.Zandanshatar, Speaker of the State Great Hural (Parliament) of Mongolia. At the plenary session of the State Great Hural (Parliament) of Mongolia held on January 20, 2021, the first issue discussed and ratified was the State Great Hural Resolution on setting the date for the 2021 Presidential Election for June 9, 2021. Also, the bill of the Law on Banking was discussed and agreed to transfer for final hearing to the Standing Committee on Economics. Thereafter, it was agreed to discuss the revised bill of the Law on Patents. After, B.Batdavaa was appointed as the Chairperson of the National Statistics Office of Mongolia. On January 21, 2021, Secretariat officers led by First Secretary of Secretariat of the State Great Hural of Mongolia, N.Tsogtsaikhan had a virtual meeting with Marija Stosic, Head of Parliamentary Technical Cooperation and Alexandre Fuzessery, Senior Advisor at the Swiss Parliament. January 21, 2021. The Standing Committee resolution to withdraw MP U.Khurelsukh from the Prime Minister's position was discussed at the plenary session of the State Great Hural and after debate it was approved by 60 parliamentarians out of 63 MPs attended. January 22, 2021. The State Great Hural Resolution on "Approval of the Guidelines for Improving the Legislation of Mongolia until 2024" was discussed and approved by majority votes of parliamentarians at the plenary session. Moreover, the bill on Supporting the Oil Refinery was agreed to discuss. The finals of the 2021 National Amateur Chess Championship organized under the auspices of the Speaker of the State Great Hural G.Zandanshatar to mark the 29th anniversary of the adoption of the new Democratic Constitution of Mongolia has commenced on January 23, 2021. ^ top ^
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