|
 |
|
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
de Chine |
 |
|
|
| Table of
contents |
|
DPRK
Mongolia
^ top ^
|
| Switzerland |
Seven major open-air festivals in Germany and Switzerland canceled again (Xinhua)
2021-03-10
Seven major open-air festivals in Germany and Switzerland were canceled again in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the promoter network EVENTIM LIVE announced on Wednesday. The promoters were "compelled to call off the events due to the ongoing uncertainty about infection rates and mutations," read a statement. Major festivals cancelled include Southside, Hurricane and Rock am Ring in Germany and Greenfield in Switzerland. "2021 was actually meant to be the summer of reunions, and festival organizers have invested a great deal of time and energy in sanitary and infection control concepts to make that possible," said Frithjof Pils, managing director of EVENTIM LIVE, in the statement. However, "given the persistent epidemiological situation and the associated restrictions in force, we have had to accept with a heavy heart that festivals of this magnitude are not yet feasible at present," added Pils. The promoters would focus now on the 2022 festival summer and ticket holders would have the opportunity to rebook for next year, the statement noted. The festival Rock am Ring, which took place for the first time in 1985, counted around 85,000 visitors in 2019. The festival at the famous motorsports complex Nuerburgring has been rescheduled for June 2022. CTS EVENTIM, an international provider of ticketing services and live entertainment, marketed around 250 million tickets in 2019 and generated more than 1.4 billion euros (1.7 billion U.S. dollars) in sales revenue across 21 countries. ^ top ^
Switzerland to ban Muslim women's face and body coverings after narrow majority vote (SCMP)
2021-03-08
Switzerland will ban the wearing in public of burkas, the full-body covering worn by some Muslim women, and other full-face coverings, after a referendum showed a narrow majority in favour of it. According to the final count on Sunday evening, 51.21 per cent of voters were in favour of the ban. Only about half of Switzerland's population took part in the vote, with turnout at 51.4 per cent. The ban received more votes in the more conservative of the 26 cantons in Switzerland, with more than 60 per cent voting in favour in the cantons of Ticino and Schwyz. The result means the ban must now be incorporated into the constitution and will apply in restaurants, shops and in public. Similar bans exist in Austria, the Netherlands and France. While on paper the ban applies to covering one's face in general – which would apply to football hooligans, for example – it was put forward by a right-wing, anti-Islam group that has made no secret of its stance. In 2009, the same group, Egerkingen Committee, pushed through a ban on the building of new minarets through a referendum. Opponents accuse the group of promoting anti-Islamic xenophobia and only wanting to stir up sentiment against Muslims, arguing that in a free society, such dress codes should not exist. It's estimated that Muslims made up only 5.3 per cent of the Swiss population as of 2018. It is also estimated that there are only around 30 women who wear the niqab, or full-face veil, in Switzerland. The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2014 that such bans do not violate a person's right to freedom of religion or expression. Other issues voted on included a law regarding an electronic identity card, which is controversial because private companies are set to offer the card. That proposal was clearly rejected by the Swiss with 65.36 per cent voting against it. A free-trade agreement with Indonesia that reduces tariffs on a certain amount of sustainably produced palm oil, on the other hand, was narrowly approved with 51.66 per cent of the vote. ^ top ^
Western media should investigate deaths and serious injuries related to Pfizer vaccine (Global Times)
2021-03-06
Christian Daily, a Los Angeles-based media outlet, reported on Friday that according to a whistleblower, COVID-19 vaccinations from the Pfizer shots have resulted in a significant number of deaths and serious injuries in a German nursing home. The report said, "A conscientious whistleblower, who is also a caregiver at the nursing facility where the incident happened, stepped forward to expose what transpired behind the scenes of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, a report says." It also reported, "Attorneys and founding members of the German Corona Investigative Committee Reiner Fuellmich and Viviane Fischer interviewed the caregiver to flesh out the details, LifeSite News reported. The interview was recorded but with the whistleblower's identity and voice masked for security purposes." The media outlet said, "video footage secretly filmed inside the nursing home showed how about four people including a soldier forcibly vaccinated the elderly residents. Their resistance was evident but they were clearly strong-armed into receiving the Pfizer shots against their will. The caregiver expressed disappointment at the intimidation against the elderly residents considering that they're already suffering from dementia." The coverage reported, "Seven out of 31 people living in the nursing home died after getting injected with their first dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. The whistleblower added that after the second dose was administered, one died and eleven more got seriously sick." Christian Daily analyzed that, "This means that out of the 31 elderly people that got vaccinated in that nursing home, 25 percent of them died shortly after while the lives of 36 percent were jeopardized." The media outlet said, "The German Corona Investigative Committee has partnered with the Children's Health Defense to work on the case." The article also looked back to prior deaths from other European countries of elderly people after receiving the COVID-19 vaccines produced by Western companies including Pfizer. For example, 46 elderly people in a Spanish nursing home died following their vaccinations, and 16 senior citizens died after getting vaccine shots in Switzerland. The report also cited the Global Times' report which appealed for the West to fairly present data in their news broadcasts and print media. Christian Daily also mentions the Global Times' criticism that "major Western media outlets have been downplaying the deaths related to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines." I believe the criticism from the Global Times is by no means aimless. This article I cited from the Christian Daily has rarely been mentioned by mainstream Western media outlets. It is mainly spread on the websites of some non-governmental organizations. The Christian Daily portrays itself as first starting in 2004 and launching its English publication in 2014. This media outlet said it is "dedicated to present the biblical values of Christianity." I highly suspect Pfizer and some Western governments, which have helped promote vaccines produced by this company, want to play down these pieces of negative information and conceal the truth from the public as much as possible. I strongly appeal to mainstream Western media outlets to participate in the investigation and report on the information disclosed by the Christian Daily. ^ top ^
|
| Foreign Policy |
US confirms high-level meeting with Chinese officials in Alaska next week (SCMP)
2021-03-11
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks with top Chinese officials next week in Anchorage, Alaska, the State Department announced on Wednesday, a meeting that America's top diplomat said would not herald further high-level talks unless it could yield "tangible outcomes". Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan plan to discuss "a range of issues" with Yang Jiechi, China's most senior foreign policy official, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the department said, confirming a report by the South China Morning Post on Tuesday that the meeting would take place in a location roughly halfway between Washington and Beijing. Yet despite the equidistant nature of the location, White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday emphasised the fact that the meeting was taking place in the US. "It was important to us that this administration's first meeting with Chinese officials be held on American soil and occur after we have met and consulted closely with partners and allies in both Asia and Europe," Psaki told reporters. The meeting, slated for Thursday of next week, will take place after US President Joe Biden takes part in a summit with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia, which together with the US form an alliance known as the Quad. Blinken and Sullivan will use the meeting with Yang and Wang to address a range of issues, including those where the two sides have "deep disagreements", Psaki said. "We'll be frank in explaining … our concerns about challenges they pose to the security and values of the United States and our allies and partners." Among the topics will be Washington's commitment to standing up for "the rules-based international system and a free and open Indo-Pacific", she said. Yang, the head of the Communist Party's foreign affairs office, and Wang are China's most senior diplomats and among Xi's most trusted lieutenants. Beijing has yet to confirm the plans; a foreign ministry spokesman said earlier on Wednesday that he had "no information to offer" when asked about the Post's report. Blinken will stop in Anchorage on his way back from Seoul and Tokyo next week, a trip he will take with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin "to reaffirm the United States' commitment to strengthening our alliances and to highlight cooperation that promotes peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world", the State Department said. "This is an important opportunity for us to lay out in very frank terms the many concerns that we have with Beijing's actions and behaviour that are challenging the security, the prosperity and the values of the United States and our partners and allies," Blinken said on Wednesday during testimony before the House Foreign Relations Committee, which lasted more than four hours. "We'll also explore whether there are avenues for cooperation, and we'll talk about the competition that we have with China to make sure that the United States has a level playing field and that our companies and workers benefit from that," he added. China's treatment of Uygurs and other Muslim minority groups in its northwestern region of Xinjiang will be one item Blinken's delegation will speak about "forcefully". "We should make sure that we are not exporting – and others are not exporting – to China any products that can be used for the repression of their people and their minorities," he said. "Similarly, we shouldn't be bringing into this country products that are created by forced labour, including from Xinjiang." Blinken's comments came after the recent reintroduction of legislation that would ban the importation of any goods sourced from Xinjiang into the US over concerns of widespread, state-backed forced labour in the region. Passed by the House during the last congressional session by an overwhelming majority before stalling in the Senate, the Uygur Forced Labour Prevention Act would constitute a significant escalation of existing restrictions on Xinjiang imports, currently limited to tomatoes, cotton and goods produced by certain entities. Looking ahead to next week's meeting, Blinken said it was not designed to be the start of a series of bilateral negotiations unless Beijing took steps that Washington considered to be an improvement in the areas to be discussed. The Anchorage meeting "is not a strategic dialogue", he said. "There's no intent at this point for a series of follow-on engagements. Those engagements, if they are to follow, really have to be based on the proposition that we're seeing tangible progress and tangible outcomes." The most obvious outcomes would include market purchase targets for the phase one trade agreement that former president Donald Trump's administration struck with Beijing in January 2020, said Sourabh Gupta, resident senior fellow at the Washington-based Institute for China-America Studies. Yang and Wang would also need to offer assurances of Beijing's commitment to accede to the International Labour Organization's anti-forced labour convention, and "to flesh out its 2030 climate change peaking goal by way of actionable implementation targets", Gupta said. The meetings in Tokyo, Seoul and Anchorage will be the first diplomatic travels for Blinken since the inauguration of Biden, whose administration has vowed to shore up military alliances with Japan and South Korea as a way to check China's growing economic and military influence in the region. Yang said last month that the US under former president Donald Trump had followed "misguided policies", and called on the new administration to change course – even as Biden's advisers, including Blinken, echoed their predecessors' tough tone on Beijing. Blinken and Austin will start their trip with a meeting of the US-Japan security consultative committee, which will include their Japanese counterparts Toshimitsu Motegi and Nobuo Kishi. The two US officials will then attend a US-South Korea foreign and defence ministerial meeting hosted by counterparts Chung Eui-yong and Suh Wook. The trip comes as the Biden administration has tried to highlight Washington's alliances as an essential part of its strategy to counter a rising China – a contrast to the Trump administration's more transactional approach to those relationships. Even still, at the House Armed Services hearing on Wednesday, a top Pentagon official overseeing China policy insisted to lawmakers that the US was not asking any countries in the region to "choose" between Washington and Beijing. "We welcome and encourage all nations across the Indo-Pacific to maintain peaceful, productive relations with all of their neighbours, China included," said David Helvey, the acting assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific security affairs. Instead, Helvey said, the fundamental choice for nations now is between two different international orders: the existing one that is free and open, and another, pushed by Beijing, that is authoritarian and closed. "The People's Republic of China seeks to use all elements of its national power to reshape the world order into one that's consistent with its authoritarian model and its national goals," Helvey said. In particular, China's actions in Hong Kong have put a chill on many of its other relationships in the region, added Admiral Philip Davidson, the top US naval commander in the Pacific. Terry Haines, an independent policy analyst, said the meetings next week "should be taken more as a harbinger of a continued US-China 'cold peace', and more of a 21st century version of the 19th century 'Great Game' than the brinkmanship of the US-Soviet Union Cold War." "This is a tangible indication that Biden and, more broadly, the US political establishment, concludes that an era of great power conflict is here to stay and makes necessary 'playing the long game', as a Biden adviser put it to the press in February," he said. ^ top ^
Xi sends message of sympathy to Syrian president (Xinhua)
2021-03-11
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent a message of sympathy to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the Syrian first couple's infections with COVID-19. In his message, Xi said that after learning President Assad and his wife Asma al-Assad have tested positive for COVID-19, he and his wife Peng Liyuan extend sympathy to them and wish them a speedy recovery. The Chinese government and people firmly support the anti-epidemic efforts of the Syrian government and people, Xi said, expressing belief that under the leadership of President Assad, the Syrian people will surely defeat COVID-19. ^ top ^
Why did the British ambassador to China lose her Chinese fans? (People's Daily)
2021-03-10
On March 7, hk01.com published an article titled "Why did the British ambassador to China lose her Chinese fans?" Below is an excerpt. The love of Chinese culture and frequent interactions with netizens represent an image cultivated for years by the British ambassador to China Caroline Wilson. Thanks to her dedication, she has won a good reputation on Chinese social media as well as countless fans. However, the situation changed after Wilson published the article "Do Foreign Media Hate China?" Wilson posted a screenshot on Twitter showing that Wechat had prevented the article from being reposted. In this way, the ambassador wanted to say, "Look, there is no freedom of speech in China". However, someone kindly reminded her of the rules in the comments: if the article has been denounced many times by readers, the platform will automatically prohibit reposting. In other words, it was she who caused the readers' dissatisfaction. What the Chinese people don't like is not the critical coverage of China from the Western media, but their double standards. Taken individually, Western media reporters in China probably do not come to the country with malicious intent. Some of them have lived in China for a long time and really have fallen in love with Chinese culture. When it comes to values, they automatically block certain facts that they see and hear in China. In the past, we have described some Western scholars who studied China as "Knowing China" and "Chinese Masters", but in most cases, most of them have been unable to overcome their ideological barriers. In her article, Ambassador Wilson only mentioned China's expulsion of Western journalists, and did not mention that the United States expelled Chinese journalists first. She mentioned only consequences and no cause. Her way of writing is similar to that of some Western media outlets' reports about China, only that the tone is slightly softer. The Chinese fans who have supported her were disappointed. Her affinity for the country turned out to be just a mask. ^ top ^
No Wolf Warriors here: foreign minister sends message of 'responsible China' (SCMP)
2021-03-09
Foreign Minister Wang Yi tried to present China in a positive light amid growing negative perceptions of his country in the post-coronavirus world, shining a spotlight on how Beijing plans to flip that unfavourable narrative in its rivalry with Western democracies. In a carefully scripted and controlled press conference on the sidelines of the National People's Congress on Sunday, Wang fielded more than two dozen questions covering a wide range of international and domestic hotspots, including Xinjiang, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the South China Sea. While most questions were framed in a less critical way this year and were about specific foreign policy issues or China's relations with various parts of the world, they were by and large centred on one particular topic: China's global image problem. Without acknowledging the problem directly, Wang appeared unusually patient and well prepared to take on widespread criticism and concerns about China's rise, its aggressive post-coronavirus diplomacy and the rapid deterioration of its ties with the United States and its allies. Wang's tone was generally modest and less combative, compared to China's infamous Wolf Warrior-style diplomats, according to pundits. But the major messages he tried to communicate were largely similar to those of his foreign ministry colleagues – that China is innocent and a victim of bullying and vilification by the US and other Western powers. He defended the coronavirus-hit Belt and Road Initiative and China's Covid-19 vaccine diplomacy and deflected mounting criticism over Beijing's handling of Xinjiang and Hong Kong, citing them as the country's internal affairs. Throughout the press conference, he projected China as a responsible, reliable power, a protector of the existing world order and a champion of multilateralism and globalisation. "In the year ahead … a compassionate, committed and responsible China that stands by principles will bring more warmth and hope to the world and lend more confidence and strength to the pursuit of development for all," Wang said at the start of the 100-minute event. As it was last year, the press conference was held virtually, with a group of selected Chinese and overseas reporters in a separate room, a setting that seemed to have worked in Wang's favour. According to Gu Su, a political scientist at Nanjing University, Beijing clearly hoped to use Wang's press conference, one of the most watched events during the annual parliamentary session, to send out an olive branch and allay suspicion, anxiety and fears. "Wang was tasked with reassuring the world, particularly the US, that China is not a threat or a disrupter of the existing world order, at a time when Beijing is facing an increasingly hostile environment abroad," Gu said. "But it was also clear that Beijing harbours no illusions that its relations with Washington and the Western world could be improved substantially given President Joe Biden 's multilateral approach on confronting China." In a response to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's remarks last week that classified China as America's biggest geopolitical challenge, Wang offered a strikingly rosy assessment of the intensifying rivalry and described Washington as a healthy competitor instead of a strategic one. He refrained from levelling criticism at the new administration and even called for renewed cooperation with Biden's White House on issues such as climate change and Iran. In the same vein, Wang also tried to play down China's ideological and geostrategic wrangling with the West and put a positive spin on China's fraught relations with the European Union, Japan and India, describing them as partners rather than as systemic rivals and threats. Recent polls in the US, Europe and Southeast Asia showed unfavourable opinions towards Beijing had hit record highs in many countries. A survey by Pew Research Centre last week found nine in 10 Americans saw China as a competitor or an enemy. Most respondents were in favour of pressuring Beijing on human rights and economic issues and limiting Chinese students' access to US universities. Another poll among China's Southeast Asian neighbours this year also showed growing distrust of Beijing, with few countries choosing to side with China over the US in their rivalry. Huang Jing, dean of the Institute of International and Regional Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University, said it was commendable for China to be willing to play a more constructive and conciliatory role in global affairs. "Unlike Russia, which is largely a destabilising force in the eyes of the West, China is quite different as it seldom engages itself in intimidation or disruptive activities. It seems Beijing still hopes that Western countries may put aside their deep-seated bias against China and stop forging [an] anti-Beijing alliance," he said. However, China's foreign minister did not shy away from calling out Washington when commenting on China's mass internment of Uygurs and other ethnic groups in Xinjiang and the South China Sea dispute. He sought to portray the US as a villain that "has been wilfully interfering in other countries' internal affairs in the name of democracy and human rights" and a main source of turbulence and conflict in the world. He also blamed the US and other Western countries for disrupting stability and creating divisions among regional countries over the South China Sea dispute. According to Huang, the most explosive remarks Wang made on Sunday occurred when he denied allegations about Xinjiang as fabricated lies "with ulterior motives" and went on to accuse the US of committing genocide against native Americans centuries ago. China watchers generally agreed that Beijing's strong push to counter international criticism was largely because it wanted to calm external relations before the Communist Party's centenary in July and the Winter Olympics early next year. "The desire to invest in image repair has much to do with a sense of guilt in Beijing about the global economic implications of the pandemic and concern about the rise of a growing coalition of nations that would like to hold China accountable for the damage," said Gal Luft, co-director of the Washington-based Institute for the Analysis of Global Security. "Forestalling the rise of such a coalition is imperative ahead of the CCP centenary and, no less important, the Winter Olympics, to be held less than a year from now." But few appeared convinced by Wang's remarks and observers cast doubt over how effectively Beijing's efforts could sway negative global opinions. ^ top ^
Chinese international travel health certificate officially rolled out (People's Daily)
2021-03-09
The international version of China's travel health certificate was officially launched on Monday on WeChat by the Department of Consular Affairs of the Foreign Ministry. It is available for Chinese citizens. The certificate includes nucleic acid test and serum antibody results, vaccine inoculation and other information. It has an encrypted code to allow authorities to verify the holder's personal information, according to the ministry. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that in the near future, as more and more countries agree on mutual recognition of health certificates with China, this international travel health document will play a greater role in promoting the healthy, safe and orderly exchange of transnational personnel, and provide Chinese citizens a solid guarantee when traveling abroad. ^ top ^
Chinese community angered by German book claiming the coronavirus comes from China demands apology and recall of the book (Global Times)
2021-03-08
After maliciously claiming that the coronavirus comes from China, a German children's book has sparked outrage in the Chinese community in Germany. The Chinese consulate in Hamburg has lodged solemn representations against the publisher and several Chinese residents threatened to take legal actions. The Chinese community believes a simple apology is not enough and asked for the recall of the book. In the picture book, titled A Corona Rainbow for Anna and Moritz, or Ein Corona Regenbogen für Anna und Moritz, in German, published by Carlsen Verlag, the father of Anna and Moritz says that the coronavirus came from China and then spread to the rest of the world. This has angered the Chinese community in Germany. The Chinese consulate in Hamburg said it has lodged representations to the publisher and warned Chinese people that provocation, discrimination and hatred are not in line with Germany's mainstream values. Chinese citizens need to be cautious and calm when facing such acts, warned the consulate. Some Chinese residents in Germany told the Global Times that they rushed to the internet to leave poor ratings and comments about the book. Some also said they will leave the issue to lawyers to take legal actions and are preparing to stage protests against racism and discrimination. "If the publisher issues a notice of recall, people will know it is problematic…it is useful to pass the message," a Chinese resident in Germany told the Global Times. Another said that Carlsen's handling of this issue shows no sincerity so far. If children are indoctrinated with this wrong idea that coronavirus comes from China, how will they treat Chinese kids in school? He also pointed that a book circulates like a virus, passing from person to person, from generation to generation. The cover of the February 2020 issue of the German news magazine Der Spiegel read, "coronavirus made in China", which prompted the Chinese Embassy in Germany to express its strong condemnation saying that "releasing such a picture does nothing to the outbreak, but only causes panic, mutual blaming and even radical discrimination." A Chinese lawyer in Germany said that insulting and discriminating acts against Chinese immigrants and their children are soaring, due to some misleading reports by German media. "This has caused psychological trauma to Chinese community, especially to the kids. For such reasons, Chinese people in Germany had a stronger reaction than usual about this children's book that may trigger racial discrimination and hatred," he said. ^ top ^
China, Russia continue to cooperate on fighting color revolutions, safeguarding political security: Wang Yi (Global Times)
2021-03-07
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday China and Russia will continue to cooperate in fighting the color revolutions and disinformation, and safeguarding political security together in 2021, which marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. Chinese analysts said that to fight the color revolutions and disinformation, China and Russia can further promote cooperation on intelligence sharing, cybersecurity management and information exchanges over military affairs and transnational crime. According to Wang, the two countries have agreed to renew the Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation and inject new meaning into it in the new era. "This is a milestone in China-Russia relations and, more importantly, a new starting point," Wang said. In the face of the once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic, China and Russia have stood shoulder to shoulder and worked closely to combat both the coronavirus and the "political virus, Wang said, noting that China and Russia standing together will remain a pillar of world peace and stability. Wang made the remarks in response to a Russian reporter from TASS who asked the first question among foreign correspondents, at a press conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress. "The more unstable the world is, the greater the need for carrying forward China-Russia cooperation," Wang said. He said that China and Russia should be each other's strategic supporter, development opportunity and global partner, as this is both experience gained from history and an imperative under the current circumstances. Yang Jin, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), told the Global Times on Sunday that bilateral cooperation in response to a possible "color revolution" is urgent as both China and Russia have been challenged by foreign interventionists. Anti-government protests took place in cities across Russia including Moscow in January, in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Western media outlets said more than 3,000 protesters were arrested. The US has played a role in hyping the protests. However, analysts said the superiority of the US model has been crushed by the pandemic and now Washington is not capable of launching another round of the Color Revolution. Also, Yang said that the nature of the crisis gripping China's Hong Kong since the anti-extradition bill protests in 2019 was essentially an attempted Color Revolution backed by the US and the West. Yang said the two countries shared common interests in opposition to potential "color revolutions." The US and its allies have tried to contain the development of China and Russia by encouraging and even seeking to overthrow the governments by supporting and encouraging protests using the excuses of so-called democracy and human rights issues. The two countries could improve their intelligence sharing in the fields of cybersecurity and military, and enhance joint efforts in cracking down on transnational crimes and cyber management, Yang predicted. Apart from high-level exchanges, China and Russia can promote youth communications and media publicity in sharing healthy stories over mutual cooperation, which can set the stage to effectively defend against value infiltration by Western countries and avoid the potential Color Revolutions, Yang said. Wu Hongwei, a research fellow of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, CASS, told the Global Times on Sunday that Wang's remarks again showed the extraordinarily important and high-level relationship between the two countries. In the new era, the two countries will solidify and deepen cooperation and closely collaborate in the areas of politics, economy, national security and military, Wu predicted. Such strategic coordination has no upper limits. The two sides will carry forward the spirit of friendship and win-win cooperation embodied by the treaty, keep up the momentum, generate new dynamism, and further expand, broaden and deepen the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, Wang noted. Wang said that China and Russia will set an example of strategic mutual trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, people-to-people connectivity and equity and justice. "We will deepen the synergy on the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, upgrade economic, trade and investment cooperation, and expand cooperation in emerging areas such as scientific and technological innovation and the digital economy," the foreign minister said. The two countries will jointly uphold multilateralism, the authority of the UN, international law and basic norms governing international relations, and global strategic stability. A series of interactions and cooperation between China and Russia has raised concerns in the West, as some observers speculated that the China-Russia partnership will be transformed into a military alliance and bring a new Cold War to the world. A military alliance is not an option for both sides at the moment, Yang said. The military alliance is not flexible and will bring new problems, and the current strategic partnership is enough for the two sides to handle common challenges and remain flexible to serve their own interests, he noted. ^ top ^
Foreign Minister Confirms China Will Ratify U.N. Conventions on Forced Labor (Caixin)
2021-03-07
Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed Sunday that China had agreed to accept international conventions banning forced labor in order to wrap up China-EU investment talks late last year. Wang also urged the United States to reopen dialogue with China and abolish all the restrictions imposed on the country as part of efforts to reset China-U.S. relations. At a wide-ranging press conference about China's foreign relations during the annual national political gatherings in Beijing, Wang told reporters, "I can say it explicitly that China will honor its commitment in the agreement, including making efforts to ratify relevant international labor conventions." The foreign minister's confirmation came a week after President Xi Jinping called for joint efforts for an early entry into the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) during a phone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron late last month. The two sides announced on Dec. 30 that they had concluded the investment agreement that would grant European companies expanded access to the world's second-largest economy. According to EU Ambassador to China Nicolas Chapuis, China made a key concession to ratify the fundamental conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), clearing the final hurdle for the talks to be concluded before the year-end deadline. "In the face of crisis and challenges, China-EU relations have demonstrated resilience and vitality sending out a positive message to the world," Wang said at Sunday's press conference. He dismissed the notion that China is trying to sow division between Europe and the United States by improving its relations with the EU. The China-EU relationship is "equal" and "open," he said, adding that the two sides are "not targeting any third party or controlled by anyone else." Regarding China as the "most serious competitor," U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has been advocating for a coordinated approach with its allies and partners in the EU and Asia in dealing with Beijing. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will travel to Japan and South Korea in mid-March for foreign policy coordination in the Indo-Pacific region. In a foreign policy speech last week, Blinken said: "Our relationship with China will be competitive when it should be, collaborative when it can be, and adversarial when it must be. "In Beijing, Wang accused the U.S. of "willfully interfering in other countries internal affairs in the name of democracy and human rights." "This created lots of trouble in the world and in some cases, turbulence and conflict," he said. "It is important that the United States recognizes this as soon as possible. Otherwise, the world will remain far from tranquility." Wang called on the U.S. to "remove all its restrictions on bilateral cooperation as early as possible, (and) not create new obstacles," adding that the two sides should manage differences "effectively through candid communication to prevent strategic miscalculation and avoid conflict and confrontation." ^ top ^
|
| Domestic
Policy |
|
China's top legislature wraps up annual session (Xinhua)
2021-03-12
The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, concluded its annual session Thursday afternoon. Chinese leaders Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan attended the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 13th NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Li Zhanshu, an executive chairperson of the presidium of the session, presided over the meeting attended by nearly 3,000 NPC deputies. Lawmakers adopted the amendments to the organic law and procedural rules of the NPC. President Xi Jinping signed presidential orders to promulgate the amendments. The meeting adopted a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The lawmakers also approved the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, the government work report, and the work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. They approved a report on the implementation of the 2020 plan for national economic and social development, and the 2021 plan for national economic and social development. They also passed a report on the execution of the central and local budgets for 2020, and approved the central budget for 2021. Addressing the meeting, Li Zhanshu said that the annual session has successfully completed its agenda. The decision on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR has been highly endorsed by the deputies, Li said. Li called for better leveraging the role of people's congresses on the journey toward fully building a modern socialist China. Li urged rallying even closer around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, as the CPC will celebrate its centenary this year. He also called for advancing toward realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. Before the closing meeting, Li presided over the meetings of the session's presidium and the presidium's executive chairpersons. ^ top ^
Xi's "two sessions" messages point way for China at historic development juncture (People's Daily)
2021-03-11
Chinese President Xi Jinping has pointed the way for China, which is at a historic development juncture, by expounding on a wide range of topics at this year's "two sessions," a key political event slated to close on Thursday. The two sessions are the country's annual meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, participated in deliberations with national legislators and joined discussions with political advisors at the two sessions. He took part in deliberations with other lawmakers from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province, and attended a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police Force. He also joined national political advisors from education, medical and health sectors in a joint group meeting. 2021 marks a historic juncture for China as it embarks on a new quest for fully building a modern socialist country. Here are some key takeaways from Xi's speeches at the sessions that may provide insights into China's development trajectory. Xi has always stressed adopting "a holistic approach" to conserving mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands. This time, he brought "deserts" into the picture. Top-level design and comprehensive measures are needed to protect the eco-systems in mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts, said Xi, an NPC deputy himself. Highlighting the concept of "green GDP," Xi said that maintaining a good ecological environment is of enormous value. Xi stressed cementing the sense of community for the Chinese nation. He called for promoting standard spoken and written Chinese language and the use of state-compiled textbooks. Efforts should be made to facilitate more comprehensive understanding of the Party's policies concerning ethnic groups, especially among young people, Xi said. Xi has stressed giving "strategic priority" to safeguarding people's health and focusing on tackling major diseases and problems that affect people's health. The country's public health protection network should be fortified, and efforts should be made to promote the high-quality development of public hospitals, he said, demanding comprehensive health care for the people at all stages of life. The fight against COVID-19 has once again proved that prevention is the most economical and effective health strategy, Xi said, calling for reforming and improving the disease prevention and control system. Xi also urged the preservation and development of traditional Chinese medicine and breakthroughs in core technologies in key areas, as well as more protection, care and support for health workers. On education, Xi said China must strive to build a high-quality and balanced basic public education service system. He emphasized the socialist orientation in running schools, the non-profit nature of education and developing education that people are satisfied with. Education is essential to the country and the Party, Xi stressed. He called for efforts to train more talents who can contribute to the country's high-quality development and high-level self-reliance. Teachers are the central pillar of education, and strengthening the professional ethics of teachers must be a top priority, Xi said. Xi noted that high-quality development is the general requirement for all aspects of economic and social development. It will not only be the requirement for developed regions, but will also be the requirement that entails implementation by all regions, Xi said, urging each region to pursue high-quality development based on local conditions. He urged efforts to integrate high-quality development with action in meeting people's aspiration for a better life. Xi stressed efforts to strengthen areas of weakness in people's well-being, unfailingly meet the basic living needs of the people and improve the availability and equality of basic public services. He asked local authorities to promote coordinated development between rural and urban areas, advance rural vitalization on all fronts, improve people's well-being, and build a new socialist countryside that is beautiful, prosperous and harmonious. Xi stressed achieving a good start in strengthening national defense and the armed forces during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period. Development of the armed forces must focus on combat readiness, he said. Xi demanded efforts to step up building high-caliber strategic deterrence and joint operation systems. He called for intensified efforts and more concrete measures in the pursuit of independent innovation in science and technology, to fully leverage the role of science and technology as the strategic support for military development. Highlighting the "instabilities" and "uncertainties" in China's current security circumstances, Xi said the whole armed forces must always be ready to respond to all kinds of complex and difficult situations, resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and provide strong support for fully building a modern socialist country. ^ top ^
China must watch for signs of rising nationalism spurred by tensions with the West, warns former top official (SCMP)
2021-03-11
A former top official responsible for training Communist Party cadres has warned against the rise of domestic nationalism while tensions between China and major powers were rising. "(China should) continue to expand opening-up, actively and prudently handle relations with major countries, and prevent the rise of domestic populism," said He Yiting, former executive vice-president of the Central Party School, during discussions in the Chongqing delegation dated last Friday. He's comment comes after relations between Beijing and Washington deteriorated sharply during the Trump administration and nationalist sentiment has risen as China confronts the US, Europe, and other countries over issues such as Hong Kong, Xinjiang and the South China Sea. In January, thousands of Chinese social media users used the attack on the Capitol in Washington to attack failures in the US political system including the cartoonist Wuheqilin, a self-proclaimed Wolf Warrior, who published a work called Separation of powers – Thief Mob Murderer. Last May, a proposed regulation to make it a little easier for foreigners to get permanent residency in China caused uproar online, with many Chinese expressing strong opposition to the move. Other Chinese officials and academics have warned that the rise in nationalism could backfire both inside the nation and abroad. But it is rare for someone of He's stature – a former senior official from the Central Party School, the top ideological indoctrination institution of the Communist Party – to issue such a caution. He's warning comes as perceptions of China are deteriorating internationally. A new survey by Pew Research Centre found nine in 10 Americans now viewed China as a competitor or enemy, rather than a partner, and most favoured putting pressure on Beijing over human rights and economic issues. Some 67 per cent of respondents reported feeling "cold" towards China this year, up from 46 per cent in 2018. Zhu Lijia, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Governance, said domestic nationalism was on the rise as China faced challenges from other nations. "Radical and emotional voices online regarding the conflicts between China and the outside world – these are all manifestations of populism," Zhu said. "Such indignant remarks add fuel to the fire and are detrimental to China as a big country moving towards the centre of world civilisation," Zhu said. "The government should be cautious dealing with nationalism and try not to let it bring the relationship of China and other countries into a state of hostility." Xiao Gongqin, a history professor at Shanghai Normal University, wrote in November that the rise of nationalism in China had made people in the US see China as aggressive. Xiao wrote that those sentiments would affect the judgment of American experts on China issues, and strengthen their stereotyped misconceptions that China had become a "red empire", and further influence the American elite and civilians. The Chinese government has always tried to prevent nationalist sentiment backfiring. Ma Yusheng, deputy director of the party office handling issues affecting social and political stability, wrote in 2017 that authorities must stop sovereignty disputes from triggering mass protests. "[We must] properly handle the relationship between people's patriotism and social stability … identify, contain and deal with them as early as possible," Ma said at the time. A small number of protests broke out in 2016 after an international tribunal in The Hague ruled against China's claims to much of the South China Sea. State media slammed the ruling as illegal and deemed it a conspiracy by the US and its allies. But Zhang Ming, a political professor at Renmin University, said nationalism in China was controlled and there was no cause for concern. "Don't take the anti-American voices online too seriously. If the relationship improves, these voices will all disappear," Zhang said. ^ top ^
Xi calls for good start in strengthening military, national defense in 2021-2025 (People's Daily)
2021-03-10
President Xi Jinping Tuesday stressed achieving a good start in strengthening national defense and the armed forces during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while attending a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police Force, at the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress, the top legislature. Addressing the meeting, Xi praised the whole armed forces for achieving the targets and missions for 2020 amid the COVID-19 epidemic and complex domestic and international circumstances. Laying down requirements for ensuring the good start in the military development for the next five years, Xi said development of the armed forces must focus on combat readiness. Xi demanded efforts to step up building high-caliber strategic deterrence and joint operation systems. Underlining innovation-driven military development, Xi called for intensified efforts and more concrete measures in the pursuit of independent innovation in science and technology, to fully leverage the role of science and technology as the strategic support for military development. Innovation in defense-related science and technology must be significantly boosted, he said. Highlighting the "instabilities" and "uncertainties" in China's current security circumstances, Xi said the whole armed forces must always be ready to respond to all kinds of complex and difficult situations, resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and provide strong support for fully building a modern socialist country. ^ top ^
China's poverty relief experience highlighted in "two sessions" discussions (Xinhua)
2021-03-09
A report on China's poverty relief experience and its global implications has stirred heated discussions at the ongoing "two sessions," as national lawmakers and political advisors explore ways to consolidate the country's poverty reduction accomplishments. The report -- "Chinese Poverty Alleviation Studies: A Political Economy Perspective" -- released in February by New China Research, the think tank of Xinhua News Agency, offered fresh insights into poverty reduction for many other countries, and will be beneficial for guiding China's rural vitalization drive, lawmakers and political advisors said. "China's poverty reduction practices have gone beyond existing theories in textbooks," said Li Yuncai, a national political advisor and vice chairman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of Jiusan Society, one of the eight non-Communist political parties on the Chinese mainland. China's poverty reduction practices have showcased a political economy theory of distribution conducive to both poverty reduction and development, which aims to maintain the goal of national common prosperity by building a "pro-poor market" in which the government, market and society jointly work to emancipate the productivity of the poor and make them contributors to growth, according to the report. The "pro-poor market" mechanism highlighted in the report offered insights into how companies can get involved in poverty reduction by developing industries, said Geng Funeng, a national lawmaker and chairman of Gooddoctor Pharmaceutical Group. "In the past, poverty alleviation via industrial development was almost like crossing the river by feeling the stones," Geng said, adding that the company would apply the theories in the report to support rural vitalization. Qin Yinglin, a national lawmaker and chairman of Muyuan Foods, one of China's largest hog producers, said that the company has been adopting the "pro-poor market" mechanism to achieve development while helping the impoverished at the same time. Over the last eight years, China's final 98.99 million impoverished rural residents living under the current poverty line had all been lifted out of poverty. The country has met the poverty eradication target set out in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. ^ top ^
Foundation of rule of law lies in primary level: Xi (Xinhua)
2021-03-08
President Xi Jinping said Sunday that to comprehensively promote China's rule of law and advance the modernization of the country's system and capacity of governance, the foundation of the work lies in the primary level. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when joining lawmakers from Qinghai Province in a deliberation during the country's annual legislative session. Speaking after hearing a lawmaker's report on advancing primary-level social governance, Xi called for consolidating the foundation and strengthening Party leadership at the primary level. He also stressed more public participation to help people understand, respect and observe the law. ^ top ^
Xi stresses high-quality development, improving people's well-being (People's Daily)
2021-03-08
President Xi Jinping on Sunday stressed efforts to unswervingly pursue high-quality development and improve the people's well-being when joining a deliberation during the annual session of the National People's Congress, the top legislature. Joining discussions with fellow lawmakers from northwest China's Qinghai Province, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, noted that high-quality development is the general requirement for all aspects of economic and social development. It will not only be the requirement for developed regions, but will also be the requirement that entails implementation by all regions, Xi said, urging each region to pursue high-quality development based on local conditions. He urged efforts to integrate high-quality development with action in meeting people's aspiration for a better life. Xi expressed his full acknowledgment of Qinghai's work over the past year and its development during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) period, urging the province to fully and faithfully implement the new development philosophy, stick to the people-centered approach and continue to deepen reform and opening up. Efforts should also be made to strive for new achievements in the protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ecology and sustainable development, Xi said. Based on its advantages and resources, Qinghai should implement the innovation-driven development strategy and accelerate the building of a world-class industrial base on salt lake, he said. The province should also work to build itself into a highland of clean energies, a destination of international eco-tourism and a source of green and organic farm and livestock products, said Xi, stressing efforts on fostering a green, low-carbon and circular economic system. As Qinghai bears great responsibility for ensuring the country's ecological security and the sustainable development of the nation, the province must undertake the important missions of maintaining ecological security and protecting the Sanjiangyuan (Three-River-Source) area and "the water tower of China," Xi said. Qinghai should strike a balance between developing tourism industry and protecting the environment in a bid to make lucid waters and lush mountains always the advantage and pride of Qinghai, Xi said. He stressed efforts to strengthen areas of weakness in people's well-being, unfailingly meet the basic living needs of the people and improve the availability and equality of basic public services. Xi asked local authorities to promote coordinated development between rural and urban areas, advance rural vitalization on all fronts, improve people's well-being and build a new socialist countryside that is beautiful, prosperous and harmonious. Stressing full implementation of the Party's ethnic and religious policies, Xi called for efforts to promote common prosperity and unity among people of all ethnic groups. Highlighting a Party-wide campaign on CPC history learning and education, Xi said an important task of the campaign is to reinforce all Party members' ideals and convictions and to ensure that they remain true to their original aspiration and mission. The campaign should help guide the people to unswervingly follow the Party's lead in fully building a modern socialist country, he said. ^ top ^
|
| Beijing |
Heavy Smog Hits Beijing During Two Sessions (Caixin)
2021-03-11
Beijing has issued a severe air pollution warning as heavy smog hits the Chinese capital during the ongoing annual political meetings known as the "Two Sessions." According to the latest data released by national environmental monitoring station, the Chinese capital is expecting to see a wave of smog on Wednesday and Thursday, resulting in moderate to severe air pollution. The government has warned the general public to avoid unnecessary travel and wear masks. The weather in Beijing is expected to improve slightly Friday due to an incoming cold front and precipitation, but the overall air quality will stay poor until Monday, when the smog will lift as diffusion conditions move in. According to a national lab on air pollution and control at the Ministry of Environment and Ecology, the smog is caused by an accumulation of particles less than or equal to 2.5 microns in diameter, giving rise to the term PM2.5. PM2.5 can stay in the atmosphere for a long time and absorb a variety of harmful substances, which can easily be inhaled deep into the respiratory tract, endangering human health. Among the sources of PM2.5 concentration, Beijing's local transmission contribution accounts for 35%, while the remaining 65% is from surrounding regions including Shandong, Hebei and Henan provinces, according to the national lab. The air pollution comes as the nation's top lawmakers and political advisors are gathering in Beijing for annual meetings to review and approve the country's roadmap of economic targets and social development tasks for the next five years, including drawing up an action plan to achieve peak carbon emissions by 2030 and swift reductions in subsequent years. ^ top ^
|
| Guangdong |
Female workers contribute to metro construction in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Xinhua)
2021-03-07
At the construction site of Guangzhou Metro Line 18, there are nearly 1,000 female builders who come from all over the country and work together in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, for the construction of metro transport of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The electric train for Line 18, with a maximum designed speed of 160 km per hour, carried out the first hot-running test on March 3, in order to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the power supply, signal, communication, line, and electromechanical system of the project. ^ top ^
|
| Tibet |
Poverty relief efforts improve human rights in Tibet: experts at UN side-event (Xinhua)
2021-03-10
Poverty reduction efforts in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region were praised for their positive role in human rights improvement at a symposium held in Beijing on Tuesday. China's precision poverty alleviation endeavors have delivered what amounts to a historic achievement in the autonomous region and thus gone a long way toward ensuring local residents' inherent rights to subsistence and development, experts said at a side-event of the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Tibet's efforts to balance poverty relief with ecological protection and culture development also grabbed the limelight of the symposium. A host of progress was cited at the meeting in terms of cultural heritage protection, including the newly released versions of the Tibetan epic "King Gesar." Xiao Jie, a researcher at the China Tibetology Research Center (CTRC), rejected the accusations by a couple of Western scholars that the poverty relief process involved "forced labor, mandatory vocational training or cultural genocide," saying the claims are totally contrary to the facts on the ground and tinged with profound ideological prejudice. Poverty relief in Tibet has long been a top priority of China's central government, according to Zhalo, director of the CTRC institute for social and economic studies. An array of preferential measures rolled out over the years have helped eradicate extreme poverty in Tibet, he added. The symposium was jointly sponsored by the China Society of Human Rights Studies, the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the UN Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland, the China Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture and the CTRC. More than 100 experts and scholars from home and abroad took part in the symposium via online and offline platforms. ^ top ^
|
| Xinjiang |
China's treatment of Uygurs meets criteria of United Nations' Genocide Convention, says think tank report (SCMP)
2021-03-10
Chinese authorities' treatment of Uygurs in China's northwest meets every criteria of genocide under the United Nations' Genocide Convention, said a group of experts in international law, war crimes and the Xinjiang region in a new analysis. Published on Tuesday by Washington-based think tank Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, the report marked the first independent legal analysis of the applicability of the Genocide Convention to Chinese authorities' actions against the Uygur people. "China's policies and practices targeting Uygurs in the region must be viewed in their totality, which amounts to an intent to destroy the Uygurs as a group, in whole or in part," researchers wrote. The analysis drew on public and leaked government statements, individual testimonies, public satellite imagery and other information to reach its conclusions. Among the evidence cited to accuse intent were remarks made openly by government officials about Uygurs, including calls by a religious affairs official to "break their lineage, break their roots, break their connections, and break their origins". "The intent to destroy the Uygurs as a group is derived from objective proof, consisting of comprehensive state policy and practice, which President Xi Jinping, the highest authority in China, set in motion," the researchers wrote, citing Xi's launch of the "people's war on terror" in Xinjiang in 2014. Violation of any one of the Genocide Convention's five clauses is sufficient to constitute a determination of genocide. Researchers said that all five conditions, which include killing or harming the members of a group, had been met, and placed culpability for the violations at the hands of Chinese government entities. The Genocide Convention's article on genocide also includes: deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment, but Chinese officials have previously adamantly denied charges of genocide, forced labour and mistreatment of Uygurs in the Xinjiang region. Speaking on the sidelines of China's annual parliamentary sessions on Sunday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi dismissed allegations of genocide as "downright lies" and attempts to "undermine regional security and stability", according to state news agency Xinhua. Beyond a host of international law experts, the individuals who contributed to Tuesday's report included Allan Rock, the former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations (UN); Beth Van Schaack and David Scheffer, two former US State Department officials responsible for war crimes issues; and Yves Fortier, a previous president of the UN Security Council. The findings join declarations by foreign legislatures, including those of Canada and the Netherlands, that China has committed genocide in Xinjiang. The Joe Biden administration has upheld a similar determination made in January by Donald Trump's State Department. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US has "seen nothing that would change our assessment". Yet while Tuesday's findings join a growing chorus of accusations, they are in themselves unlikely to prompt substantive action within the United Nations. While genocide cases can be brought through the body's international court tribunal mechanism, doing so would need the approval of the UN Security Council, of which China is a member. The UN office of genocide prevention and UN Secretary-General António Guterres did not respond to requests for comment. An otherwise divided US Congress continues to be unified around the call for a stronger response to China's human rights record. Responding to Tuesday's report, Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott said it was time "for every freedom-loving nation in the world to recognise and condemn these atrocities", and called for a meeting with the Biden White House to lodge complaints about China hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics. Speaking at a Senate hearing on Tuesday, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee said the US should exploit China's weaknesses, "including by exposing its suppression of human rights at home". "The world is rightly alarmed by Chinese human rights abuses and threats to democratic movement," said Rhode Island Democratic Senator Jack Reed. "Earlier this year, the State Department appropriately labelled the abuse of Uygur and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities by Chinese security forces as a genocide. Additionally, the Chinese democratic crackdown in Hong Kong signals an increasing willingness by the Chinese Communist Party to impose its will through force." ^ top ^
|
| Hongkong |
HK reform plan adopted overwhelmingly; detailed measures 'to be unveiled before end of March' (Global Times)
2021-03-12
Chinese lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to adopt a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) at the closure of the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, in a move to fix loopholes in Hong Kong's governance. A total of 2,895 votes supported the draft decision, zero voted against it and one abstained. A long round of applause broke out when the decision was approved, real-time broadcast footage showed. At Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's press conference after the two sessions concluded, Li said the decision for improving Hong Kong electoral system is clear-cut, and aims to adhere to the "one country, two systems" principle, while the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" will also ensure the steady implementation of the "one country, two systems." The passage of the decision reflected a collective will of the Chinese people to solve deep-seated political flaws in the Hong Kong society that were clouding its future development, according to local officials and predominant scholars on Hong Kong affairs. The reform also set the tone for the city's democratic processes for the next 25 years and more, toward which the central government won't make any compromises after the unprecedented social turmoil in 2019 when the radical opposition camp hijacked public opinion in seeking to grab the power of authority, which is always within the scope of the central government's governance. The decision of overhauling the electoral system came after China's top legislature implemented the national security law for Hong Kong in June 2020. The two pieces of highly expected legislation are considered as two cornerstones in resolving categorically the problems accumulated over the years since the city returned to the motherland in 1997, clarifying some long-term misunderstandings over the "one country, two systems" principle and restoring the constitutional order of the city as one of China's special administrative regions (SAR). The draft decision came up with detailed measures including enhancing the functions and roles of the Election Committee for electing Legislative Council (LegCo) lawmakers and the region's chief executive, expanding the scope of candidates to make local elections more representative and setting up a high-level vetting committee to ensure candidates meet the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" - a fundamental baseline set by top Chinese officials on Hong Kong affairs. […] Over the past 24 years since the return of Hong Kong to the motherland, the central government has come up with a mentality of "maintaining the current situation and seeking compromises" in dealing with Hong Kong affairs, however, given the internal and external environment, such a mentality won't work anymore, and the central government won't compromise in governing Hong Kong, Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, a member of the Basic Law Committee, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. "The central government had no willingness to take the initiative of making the changes, hoping that Hong Kong could fix its problems by itself," she said. "However, the city failed to safeguard those bottom lines." Dozens of anti-government figures in Hong Kong, including former LegCo lawmakers and district councilors who were recently charged with conspiring to subvert state power, have all been put into custody. And senior Chinese officials including State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Xia Baolong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, have reiterated that "for civil servants and people who run public positions, pledging loyalty to their own country is a basic political and ethical standard," which is not the highest but the lowest standard. To expand the scope of participation and reach a balanced representation, the number of seats on the Election Committee will be increased from 1,200 to 1,500. The number of seats in LegCo will be increased from 70 to 90, with a balanced distribution of seats returned by geographical constituencies, functional constituencies and the Election Committee, according to the NPC decision. The Election Committee shall be composed of 1,500 members from the five sectors with a newly added sector - Hong Kong deputies to the NPC, Hong Kong members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and representatives of Hong Kong members of related national organizations. The draft decision has not mentioned whether the seats of district councilors would be scrapped, as some people close to the matter suggested that some "super seats" would be phased out, and whether to exclude the district councilors remains sensitive, which needs to go through more discussions for detailed reform measures to be unveiled by upcoming NPC Standing Committee meetings Given the purpose of de-politicizing the district councils, the total 117 seats of district councilors in the Election Committee may be scrapped. However, NPC deputy Michael Tien Puk-sun suggested on Thursday that not all the district council seats should be canceled but the number needs to be reduced. Members of LegCo shall include members returned by the Election Committee, those returned by functional constituencies, and those returned by geographical constituencies through direct elections. To plug existing loopholes by screening out unqualified participants in the political life of Hong Kong, a candidate qualification review committee of the HKSAR shall be established, which will be responsible for reviewing and confirming the qualifications of candidates for Election Committee members, the Chief Executive, and LegCo members. Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times in previous interviews that the candidate qualification review committee should be led by high-level government officials, including the office for safeguarding national security of the central government in Hong Kong by following detailed principles and procedures in conducting political scrutiny of candidates. In accordance with the decision and the Basic Law's Annex I and Annex II amended by the NPC Standing Committee, the HKSAR shall amend relevant local laws, and organize and regulate election activities accordingly. As the task of law amendment is urgent for the Hong Kong SAR government, which is expected to be done within 12 months, given that there will be several elections in coming months including the election for Election Committee, LegCo and chief executive, the NPC Standing Committee would immediately hold the meeting in coming weeks to talk about more detailed overhaul plans while the Hong Kong government initiates the law amendment work. Some lawmakers forecast that the detailed plans would be unveiled before the end of March for setting out more detailed guidelines for the Hong Kong SAR government to conduct a complete overhaul of the local political system. […] ^ top ^
China's Legislature Votes to Ensure Hong Kong Is Governed by 'Patriots' (Caixin)
2021-03-11
China's national legislature approved a draft decision Thursday to reform the electoral system of the Hong Kong special administrative region, as part of the continuing effort to ensure the semi-autonomous territory is governed by "patriots." The National People's Congress (NPC) passed the nine-article decision, with 2,895 votes in favor, zero against and one abstention, on the final day of the annual gathering of national lawmakers and political advisors known as the "Two Sessions." Zhang Yesui, a spokesperson for the NPC, said last week during a press conference that the national legislature had the constitutional power to "improve" Hong Kong's system and that the electoral structure needed to fully implement the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong." The decision mandated that the NPC Standing Committee, the legislature's top decision-making body, amend the annexes 1 and 2 of the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, on the elections of the chief executive and Legislative Council. According to the text of the decision released by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, the Election Committee — responsible for electing the chief executive of the Hong Kong government — will be expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members. The committee's additional 300 members will be composed from a "sector" made up of Hong Kong delegates to the NPC and Hong Kong members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body. Currently, the Election Committee consists of members from four such sectors. The decision said the chief executive shall be nominated jointly by no fewer than 188 members of the Election Committee, with at least 15 members of each sector being in favor, according to Xinhua. The decision also said that the Legislative Council will be composed of 90 members in each term, Xinhua said. Hong Kong's current chief executive, Carrie Lam, told China's national broadcaster CGTN on Monday that the reform will be completed over next 12 months. Lam's term will end in June 2022. ^ top ^
|
| Macau |
Macao SAR to hold Legislative Assembly election in September (Xinhua)
2021-03-09
The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) is set to hold the Legislative Assembly election on Sept. 12 this year, according to an executive order published Monday at the Macao SAR Gazette. A separate executive order, also published on Monday, set the spending cap for each campaigning team for the election at 3,549,622 patacas. In line with the Macao SAR Basic Law, Macao's Legislative Assembly is composed of 33 seats, including 14 directly-elected seats, 12 indirectly-elected seats and seven others appointed by the SAR chief executive. ^ top ^
|
| Taiwan |
Two Sessions release clearer signals for promoting reunification with Taiwan (Global Times)
2021-03-09
During the ongoing two sessions, China's most important annual political event, the Chinese mainland released a clear signal to actively promote reunification with the island of Taiwan, and experts from both the mainland and Taiwan said that the peaceful reunification needs the efforts from both sides of the Taiwan Straits, but due to Taiwan secessionists and US interference, the mainland would have no choice, and must push the process with non-peaceful efforts, including a military one. A new legislation for national reunification in the mainland is necessary in the future, and the country needs to be prepared for the legislation once the time comes, said experts and a member of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body. Wu Qian, spokesperson of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and People's Armed Police Force delegation to this year's two sessions, said on Sunday that the mainland is willing to strive for peaceful cross-Straits reunification with the utmost sincerity and best efforts, but will never promise to abandon the use of force, and reserves the option of taking all necessary measures targeting interference from external forces and the "Taiwan independence" separatists. To reserve the right of using force only targets foreign intervention and the very small group of secessionists on the island, Wu said, stressing that the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan are relying on foreign forces to seek secessionism and against reunification by force. The mainland is consistent with its policies toward Taiwan, as seen from this year's Government Work Report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang on Friday. However, some changes in the wording in the highly anticipated annual report, tougher compared with last year's, were seen as reflecting possible policy adjustments. The expression promoting "China's reunification" appeared for the second year in a row, since the 2020 two sessions. In 2019, the expression was "China's peaceful reunification." Many observers have noticed that the word "peaceful" disappeared, but the 2021 report still said "promoting peaceful growth of relations across the Taiwan Straits." Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also sent a warning signal on the Taiwan question to the US on Sunday. The latest official remarks during the two sessions have shown that the mainland is fully aware of the rising risks and seriousness of Taiwan secessionism and the tougher statement means that the mainland has the confidence and determination to realize the reunification eventually whether by force or peaceful means, with or without the efforts within the island, experts said. Ling Yu-shih, a member of National Committee of the CPPCC who was born in Taiwan and moved to Hong Kong at 16, said this change of expression has been made before the two sessions this year, which shows a more accurate judgment on the international situation and the status quo of the Taiwan Straits. Huang Chih-hsien, a TV commentator from Taiwan and an expert on cross-Straits ties, told the Global Times on Monday that Taiwan's public opinion has been manipulated and many people have been brainwashed due to increasing US interference and the DPP authority's secessionist propaganda. Before the reunification, the island is unlikely to show goodwill toward the mainland, nor will it push the reunification together with the mainland. This means the mainland has to pay its own efforts to push the reunification, she said. The mainland needs to use both economic and military pressure, and to prove its determination to the island, since many secessionists don't believe the mainland dares to reunify the island at all costs, Huang noted. Li Xiaobing, an expert on Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan studies at Nankai University in Tianjin, told the Global Times that the Chinese mainland can push the reunification in multiple ways. Apart from military and economic pressure, it can still make legal efforts to improve the legislation, to supplement and detail the Anti-Secession Law or make a new law for national reunification. An expert on Taiwan affairs who asked not to be named told the Global Times that at this stage, relevant scholars and lawmakers are discussing a new legislation for national reunification, and this is a necessary legal step, but it's still too early to open such legislation. Ling, a member of National Committee of the CPPCC, said that the legislation for national reunification could help the people within the island better understand what they will get and what will happen to their lives after the reunification. So the new law is needed, and for the good of the people inside the island, the reunification should be realized as soon as possible. "But once the legislation is finished, according to this law, we will have a clear timeline and measures for reunification, and comprehensive regulations and a series of arrangements for the post-reunification governance. Since the situation is still changing, the legislation would limit our flexibility. But we have to prepare for it now, so that we can finish the legislation once it's needed," the anonymous expert said. ^ top ^
|
| Economy |
China's debt-laden local governments urged not to 'blindly expand' post-coronavirus infrastructure projects (SCMP)
2021-03-10
China's top legislature has urged the nation's cash-strapped regional governments not to "blindly expand" infrastructure projects due to concern about mounting financial risks stemming from trillions of yuan worth of coronavirus stimulus last year. "Some regional governments are facing heavy debt burdens, while there were still new increases of implicit liabilities," the financial and economic affairs committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) said during its review of budget implementation and planning. "[We] must push for the compilation and publishing of local government balance sheets." The committee also identified a number of related issues, including the effect of insufficient fiscal revenue on operations and growing pressure on the pension system, according to details of the review published by the official Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday. Government debt in China totalled 46.55 trillion yuan (US$7.1 trillion) at the end of 2020, including 20.89 trillion owed by the central government and 25.66 trillion yuan by local authorities. The debt load is equivalent to 45.8 per cent of last year's gross domestic product (GDP), but below the 60 per cent warning line widely used by international institutions. However, because implicit liabilities are often buried in the records of state firms or public-private partnerships, the risk is likely much bigger than the official debt figures. China is been on high alert for obvious "grey rhino" risks stemming from rising debt, which has grown after local governments ploughed money into infrastructure projects to jump-start the economy after the initial economic impact of the pandemic. Former finance minister Lou Jiwei criticised the country's financial regulators late last year, saying they had ignored systemic risks. In its work report last week, the government cut the fiscal deficit ratio to 3.2 per cent of GDP this year from 3.6 per cent in 2020. It also reduced the local government special purpose bond issuance quota to 3.65 trillion yuan from 3.75 trillion yuan last year and chose not to issue any new "Covid-19" bonds this year after selling 1 trillion yuan of the securities last year. To prevent financial risk, Beijing will establish a national platform to monitor local debt and fiscal information, the finance ministry said. The quota for local bond issuance will be distributed carefully to prevent worsening financial risks in some regions and some existing projects will be audited. The accumulative size of special purpose bonds, which is not included in the calculation of the NPC-approved fiscal deficit ratio, hit 13.07 trillion yuan by late January, higher than the general bond issuance of 12.9 trillion yuan. On Monday, ratings agency Moody's warned the weakening fiscal profiles and rising debt burdens of provincial governments are weighing on the economy and government-supported entities. It cited the case of Hunan, a province in central China being supported by the World Bank to achieve fiscal sustainability, where much of the debt is a result of its large-scale investment in industry, infrastructure and real estate in past decades. The province's broad debt, comprising its direct debt owed as well as that owed by financing vehicles that borrow on behalf of local governments in the province, totalled 1.6 trillion yuan at the end of 2019, representing 160 per cent of its fiscal revenue – significantly higher than other provinces. Zhang Xiaojing, director of the institute of finance at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Beijing must abandon its debt-fuelled growth model by constraining local governments, state-owned enterprises and financial institutions. It should also seek new growth momentum from innovation, he added. Zhang proposed disposing of local government assets, which are estimated at 75.6 trillion yuan, and introducing real estate investment trusts to manage their infrastructure. "Local governments should appropriately dispose of some holdings, or introduce private capital through mixed ownership reform to narrow their deficits," He said during a lecture hosted by Shanghai Pushan Foundation. ^ top ^
China Isn't Scrapping GDP Targets, Planner Says (Caixin)
2021-03-09
China has not abandoned GDP growth targets even though the government is not proposing to set a numerical growth goal in the five-year plan for 2021-2025, a senior official from the country's top economic planning agency said Monday. By omitting a numerical target, the authorities will have more flexibility to deal with new uncertainties and developments and be able to set goals based on each year's specific situation and conditions, Hu Zucai, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a briefing (link in Chinese). Premier Li Keqiang told delegates to the annual meeting of the National People's Congress on Friday that the government is proposing a GDP growth target of "above 6%" for 2021. "China's economy has turned to the stage of high-quality development, so we cannot simply pursue GDP growth, let alone ignore the quality of development or its environmental impact purely for the sake of growth," Hu said. "But on the other hand, achieving modernization needs reasonable growth. China is still the largest developing country in the world, and development is still the basis for and key to solving all problems. The draft outline (of the 14th Five-Year Plan) effectively addresses both of these needs." Scrapping a numerical target in the five-year plan doesn't mean the government doesn't want GDP growth, Hu said. There are other quantified targets –– indicators like unemployment and carbon emissions that carry implications for the overall economic growth rate. The aim is to keep average annual growth in a "reasonable range" and to set a goal each year that is appropriate for the country's economic situation at the time, he said, citing the draft outline of the plan. Policymakers are aiming to keep the increase in annual GDP in line with the economy's potential growth rate, Hu said, referring to a theoretical concept that measures how much an economy can grow every year, taking into consideration factors including employment, productivity and capital, without causing a rise in inflation. The government work report presented to the delayed National People's Congress in May 2020 didn't set a GDP growth target for the first time in years as the country's fight to stop the spread of the coronavirus blew a hole in the economy in the first quarter, and uncertainties stemming from the domestic and global fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic were too great. In the event, China's GDP expanded by 2.3% in 2020, making it the only major economy to report growth for that year. But the speculation ahead of the announcement rekindled a debate about whether China should abandon GDP growth targets and put more focus on other indicators such as employment and inflation goals. That debate is still raging. On one side are experts including Ma Jun, a former economist with Deutsche Bank AG and the People's Bank of China (PBOC), and now an academic and a member of the PBOC's monetary policy committee. He has long urged the government to permanently scrap GDP growth goals and switch to employment and inflation as the main objectives of macroeconomic policy. In a widely reported speech in January, he said that setting an official annual GDP growth target could put pressure on local governments to increase their already high debts in order to meet the goal. Emphasizing GDP as a tool for assessing local officials inevitably leads to the problem that some localities will falsify their economic growth numbers, Ma said. On the other side of the debate are economists including Zhang Liqun and Feng Xuming, who say the economy needs the anchor of a GDP growth target. Zhang, a researcher with the Development Research Center under the State Council, China's cabinet, said in February that the government must set a goal this year because without it the economy doesn't have a support for quality growth. Targets for the budget, bank credit growth, employment and income growth are all closely linked to how fast the economy expands, he said. China should not abolish GDP growth targets until a more comprehensive and scientific system of indicators is set up, Feng, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in an opinion piece in January. A growth target is so important for the country's macroeconomic management that just abandoning it could lead to problems in coordination between government departments, he said. It could also lead some grassroots officials to the conclusion that economic growth is no longer important, which is wrong, he said. One major reason why many provincial-level governments set cautious growth goals for 2021 was because they didn't feel as much pressure in terms of being evaluated on meeting growth targets, Feng told Caixin in a recent interview. A study of provincial-level GDP growth targets for 2021 carried out by Caixin last month showed that the vast majority the Chinese mainland's provincial-level governments set goals lower than projections from both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for expansion of around 8% for the country as a whole. ^ top ^
Highlights of Premier's Government Work Report (Caixin)
2021-03-06
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Friday delivered a report on the work of the central government on the first day of the annual gathering of the country's legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC). He reviewed the government's work last year, laid out economic and social targets for 2021 and the national development roadmap for the next five years. Here are the highlights selected from the premier's work report: ― Based on China's realities, we refrained from adopting a deluge of strong stimulus policies but took swift, decisive and well-considered steps, thus maintaining a desired balance between various macro policies. ― By making both time-limited large-scale tax and fee cuts and institutional arrangements, we reduced the burden on market entities by more than 2.6 trillion yuan for the year, including 1.7 trillion yuan in social insurance premium cuts and exemptions. ― China was able to take the lead in reopening its economy. With gross domestic product (GDP) for the year growing by 2.3%, a better-than-expected recovery was achieved. ― The number of new market entities began growing rapidly again, leading to the creation of a large number of new jobs. A total of 11.86 million urban jobs were added, and the year-end surveyed urban unemployment rate dropped to 5.2%. ― We increased funding for poverty alleviation by a considerable sum. All remaining poor rural residents, totaling 5.51 million in early 2020, were lifted from poverty, as were all of China's remaining 52 poor counties. Major Targets and Tasks for the 14th Five-Year Plan Period ― We will keep major economic indicators within an appropriate range, set annual targets for economic growth in light of actual conditions, ensure that overall labor productivity grows faster than GDP, keep the 10 surveyed urban unemployment rates within 5.5%, and keep prices generally stable. ― To improve China's innovation system, we will work faster to enhance our strategic scientific and technological capability underpinned by the development of national laboratories, strive to make major breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, and formulate and implement a 10-year action plan for basic research. ― China's R&D spending will increase by more than 7% per year, which is expected to account for a higher percentage of GDP than that during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. ― We will move faster to grant permanent urban residency to people who move to cities from rural areas, and raise the percentage of permanent urban residents to 65% of the population. ― We will ensure that China meets the targets for its intended nationally determined contributions in response to climate change by 2030. Energy consumption per unit of GDP and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP will be reduced by 13.5% and 18%, respectively. ― We will work to achieve an appropriate birth rate. The statutory retirement age will be raised in a phased manner. The multi-tiered social security system will be improved, with coverage of basic old-age insurance reaching 95% of the population. Major tasks for 2021 ― The main projected targets for development this year are as follows: ― GDP growth of over 6% ― Over 11 million new urban jobs ― A surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5% ― CPI increase of around 3% ― Steady increases in both the volume and quality of imports and exports ― A basic equilibrium in the balance of payments ― Steady growth in personal income ― A further improvement in the environment ― A drop of around 3% in energy consumption per unit of GDP ― A continued reduction in the discharge of major pollutants ― Grain output of over 650 million metric tons ― In view of the effective containment of Covid-19 and gradual economic recovery, we have set the deficit-to-GDP ratio for the year at around 3.2%, slightly lower than that of last year. No Covid-19 bonds will be issued. As government revenue rebounds, total government expenditures will be higher this year than last. ― The VAT threshold for small-scale taxpayers will be raised from 100,000 yuan to 150,000 yuan in monthly sales. On the basis of preferential policies already in force, we will halve the income tax of micro and small enterprises and 17 self-employed individuals on annual taxable income below 1 million yuan. ― We will continue to implement the three-year action plan for SOE reform, and work to strengthen, expand, and increase the returns on state capital and enhance the strength, quality, and size of SOEs. We will also push ahead with mixed-ownership reform in SOEs. ― We will strengthen comprehensive measures and joint efforts on air pollution prevention and control, and step up coordination on the control of fine particulate matter and ozone pollution. Clean heating will account for 70% of all heating in northern China. ― We will draw up an action plan for carbon emissions to peak by 2030. China's industrial structure and energy mix will be improved. While promoting the clean and efficient use of coal, we will make a major push to develop new energy sources, and take active and well-ordered steps to develop nuclear energy on the basis of ensuring its safe use. ― We will support both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, and a major project will be launched to promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine. We will support the development of private hospitals, and promote well-regulated growth of Internet Plus Healthcare initiatives. ― We will make meticulous preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing. ^ top ^
|
| DPRK |
DPRK leader urges local officials to improve work to fulfill mission, role (Xinhua)
2021-03-06
Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on Thursday urged local officials across the country to improve the work of the city and county Party committees, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Friday. At the first course for chief secretaries of the city and county Party committees, Kim stressed that the overall work of the Party and the state can go well and the overall development of socialism can be promoted only when the city and county Party committees across the country fulfill their missions and role, the KCNA said. The course, a kind of workshop for local officials which began on Wednesday, was held to discuss ways to implement goals put forth during a party congress in January. Kim set forth important tasks and ways of enhancing the role of chief secretaries in intensifying the Party work and developing cities and counties by underscoring the need to direct efforts into the Party's internal work to firmly cement the revolutionary position and class position, KCNA said. Saying that special efforts should be directed into building up the ranks of cadres, he set forth detailed tasks for forming the ranks of cadres with elite ones devotedly defending the leader and the Party "by strictly observing the Party principles, revolutionary principles in the personnel administration" and by "improving the personnel administration system in an innovative way," the report added. "Saying that they should not abuse power and indulge in bureaucracy, irregularities and corruption but be honest in their work and life, he stressed the need for them to remain upright before the Party and the people, keep their families and relatives from seeking after selfish interests," the KCNA said. The short course, the first of its kind, would continue on Friday, the report said. ^ top ^
|
| Mongolia |
Local governors and chairs of local councils convene for two-day meeting (Montsame)
2021-03-11
On March 11, a conference of the chairs of the Citizens Representative Khurals and governors of aimags and Ulaanbaatar city was launched at the State House in Ulaanbaatar. Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene addressed the meeting and handed over certification to the chairs and local governors. In his remarks at the event, the Prime Minister reminded the participants of the meeting to achieve tangible results from the two-day meeting and to take the government's official long-term development policy document Vision - 2050 under their careful consideration. PM Oyun-Erdene also noted the importance of the participants' support as well as comprehensive and flexible approach in implementing the government's comprehensive plan of MNT 10 trillion for economic recovery and health protection amid the pandemic as a head of the emergency management commission in their respective local regions. The local governors and chairs of the Citizens Representative Khurals were tasked to present local plans on the vaccination against COVID-19 to the State Emergency Commission. In conclusion, the Prime Minister asked the participants to exert efforts to achieve government's goals for digital transition in each level of public management and adhere to principle of merit at the local-level public service. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Chair of the State Emergency Commission S.Amarsaikhan, Minister and Chief of Cabinet Secretariat Ts.Nyamdorj and members of the government. ^ top ^
Prime Minister meets with ADB Country Director (Montsame)
2021-03-09
Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene met with ADB Country Director for Mongolia Pavit Ramachandran today. The Prime Minister thanked the Asian Development Bank for its implementation of USD 3.2 billion worth projects and programs in the fields of education, health, society, finance, infrastructure and urban planning over the past 30 years. He also noted that they are working together to mitigate the negative impact on vulnerable groups during the pandemic. The ADB implemented projects and programs worth USD1.3 billion over the past three years. The same amount of funding is planned for 2021-2024, said Mr. Pavit Ramachandran. "The ADB is ready to cooperate with Mongolia for major construction projects, in particular 'Bogdkhan Railway' and Green Affordable Housing project as well as in the public transport sector." During the meeting, they also exchanged views on the supply of vaccination, good governance, reduction of corruption index and cooperation in health and education sectors. ^ top ^
Mongolia to cooperate with World Bank to mitigate climate change (Montsame)
2021-03-06
On March 4, Minister of Environment and Tourism N.Urtnasan received World Bank Country Manager for Mongolia Andrei Mikhnev. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has been cooperating with the World Bank for more than 30 years in implementing projects and programs to reduce air pollution and protect the environment. At the meeting, they discussed short and long-term effective cooperation in the mitigation of climate change, protection of the environment, rational use of natural resources, rehabilitation, and reduction of environmental pollution. Minister N. Urtnasan expressed a willingness to collaborate with the World Bank on major projects such as soil pollution reduction, afforestation, wastewater reuse, as well as sustainable use of natural resources. Underlining that the WB's major study on the impact of the COVID-19 on tourism is nearly complete, Mr. Andrei Mikhnev said that cooperation possibilities for rapid recovery and capacity building of the tourism sector would be explored. As a conclusion of the meeting, the parties concurred to work together for the mitigation of climate change, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and the implementation of effective projects and programs. ^ top ^
|
|
Embassy of Switzerland
|
The Press review is a random selection
of political and social related news gathered from various media
and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by
the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss
Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility
for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally
the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion
of the Embassy.
|
|
|
|
