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SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
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DPRK
Mongolia
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| Switzerland |
Switzerland reports loss of 3.4 mln overnight stays last winter (Xinhua)
2021-06-09
Switzerland recorded a net loss of incoming tourists for winter 2020-2021, with only 9.4 million overnight stays for the period, 3.4 million fewer than a year before, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said in a statement on Tuesday. Switzerland's ski resorts, known for its abundance of snow and beautiful landscapes, were deserted by foreign visitors this winter, as 70.1 percent fewer external tourists came to the country during the period. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourists came in much reduced numbers compared with previous winter, leaving a bleak view for Swiss hostels in the whole country. Cities were even more affected by the lack of external visitors, with Geneva, Zurich and Basel losing 68 percent, 63 percent and 56 percent of their overnight stays, respectively. The only saving grace for the country's hostels was the domestic demand, as many places saw a rise in Swiss tourists -- an increase of 1.1 million stays from winter 2019-2020. However, even if more people are being vaccinated in high-income countries, predictions for Swiss tourism in the near future are still quite gloomy, as a recent study from the Swiss Economic Institute indicated that the industry would only fully recover by 2023. ^ top ^
Shanghai is the door to the world: Swiss businessman (People's Daily)
2021-06-08
Shanghai is the door to the world, says Pius S. Horstein, general manager of Sanofi Greater China, a pharmaceutical multinational. He marvels at the changes in the city since he first visited it in 1998. "If you look at only the skyline of Shanghai, it's completely different," Horstein says. "The business environment is much more advanced. The quality of living has very much increased." With healthcare being highlighted in China's 14th Five-Year Plan and the city government's seeking of digital transformation, the company has enjoyed robust development and sound integration into the local healthcare system and technology ecosystem, he says. ^ top ^
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| Foreign Policy |
China's newly passed Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law to bring deterrent effect against Western hegemony (Global Times)
2021-06-11
Top lawmakers in China on Thursday voted to pass the highly expected Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, providing a comprehensive legal basis for blocking illegal foreign sanctions and preventing Chinese individuals and entities from suffering the damage resulting from such illegal sanctions. The new law will also offer sufficient legal foundation for taking an equal position with the West by imposing necessary countermeasures, Chinese legal experts said. The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) convened its 29th session on Monday in Beijing, which was scheduled to conclude on Thursday, and draft version of the anti-foreign sanctions law was put to review for the second time on Monday. According to the rules and procedures of the legislative body, the draft law in the agenda of the NPC Standing Committee meeting should generally be reviewed three times before being put to a vote. However, if there is consensus on all aspects of the draft law, it can be reviewed twice. The highly expected law, which is considered an effective and strong legal tool to stop the long-arm jurisdiction of foreign countries, includes 16 articles, stipulating principles of punishment for violating the law, and major authorities in enforcing it. Relevant authorities under the State Council - China's cabinet - can directly or indirectly participate in formulating, deciding and enforcing a countermeasure list targeted at individuals and entities that have taken discriminatory measures against Chinese citizens and organizations under the pretext of their domestic laws. Targeted groups of the countermeasure list can be expanded to their relatives, spouse, the organizations that are led by these targeting individuals or operated by them, according to the law, which lays out a number of measures, including refusing to issue visas or denying entry, deportation, freezing properties and restricting relevant transactions and cooperation. If any organization or individual assists foreign countries to take discriminatory measures, Chinese citizens and organizations can file a lawsuit with the people's court in line with the law and to stop infringement as well as seek compensation for losses, according to the law. China also has set up a working mechanism in responding to foreign sanctions, which also coordinates relevant work, including information sharing. And authorities such as the Chinese Foreign Ministry or the State Council or others are responsible for releasing the list of countermeasures, which could be suspended or changed if necessary. When the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee gave the example about who would be placed on the target of China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, the spokesperson of the commission said that certain Western countries, under the pretext of Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the South China Sea, together with the COVID-19 pandemic, interfere in China's internal affairs, which are bullying tactics by imposing the so-called sanctions on Chinese government officials, as well as individuals and entities from those countries with misdeeds, would face countermeasures, which is seen as "having a taste of their own medicine." "The law precisely and effectively targets those who have taken unilateral sanctions in hurting China's interests, and this targeted group can be expanded to their relatives or organizations, which would have strong deterrent effect," Huo Zhengxin, a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Thursday. And besides detailed countermeasures, the law grants authorities flexibility to choose which measures to use to hit back, especially when measures fit their needs, Huo said. Legal experts believed that the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, the first of its kind in China, will provide strong legal support and guarantees for the country against unilateral and discriminatory measures imposed by foreign countries, will also have a deterrent effect in the face of Western-led hegemony and demonstrate the collective determination of Chinese decision-makers in safeguarding China's core interests. Compared to the previous countermeasures issued by administrative institutions, the law underscores in a more comprehensive and systematic way the Chinese government's attitude on the legal aspect when it confronts US government that has abused sanctions or long-arm jurisdiction to severely damage China's sovereignty, security and development interests, some legal experts who took part in the consultation process for the law told the Global Times. The anti-foreign sanctions law will also enable China to strike a balance between countermeasures and negotiations in fixing divergences. Necessary, timely move The US government has been imposing sanctions on a growing number of Chinese entities such as high-tech firms Huawei and ZTE over the so-called national security risks, and sanctioned a number of senior Chinese officials under the US' so-called Xinjiang and Hong Kong bills last year. In the eyes of legal experts, these have become regular moves for the US government in implementing illegal sanctions and carrying out long-arm jurisdiction against China. The Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law has also become a timely response to those unilateral moves, which may prompt more countries to follow suit. The latest legislative progress was also in line with the top legislature's annual work schedule, unveiled in March, which indicated that China will enhance legislation in foreign-related fields, when Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, vowed to focus on moves against sanctions and interference and countering long-arm jurisdiction, as well as enriching the legal "toolbox" for coping with foreign-related challenges and preventing risks. The law could have an influence in two fields - blocking illegal sanctions imposed by other countries and the damage brought about by those sanctions; and taking countermeasures against these sanctions, Tian Feilong, a legal expert at Beihang University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday. In response to the increasing unilateral moves made by the US government, Chinese authorities have also taken corresponding countermeasures since September 2020. For example, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) unveiled the provisions of China's unreliable entity list, which has been viewed by some as a measure by Beijing to counter the US crackdown on Chinese companies. It also issued a new order on January 9 adopting necessary countermeasures against the unjustified extraterritorial application of foreign legislation. China's Foreign Ministry also announced 11 rounds of countermeasures over Western countries' interference in China's internal affairs since last December such as Xinjiang and Hong Kong by sanctioning a number of NGOs, anti-China politicians, arms producers and entities, as well as lawmakers who helped spread lies about those matters. "Previous sanctions are fragmented and without sufficient legal basis, and may incur negative feedback due to lack of sufficient legal basis. Now, we have complete legal basis, offering us the same position as the West in taking countermeasures," Tian said, noting that it will also help integrate previous resources and forms to make China's countermeasures against foreign sanctions more systematic, scientific and powerful. Common practice It's also common practice for some Western countries to formulate similar laws in blocking foreign sanctions or opposing foreign interference. For example, the blocking statute, adopted in 1996, is an important achievement of unified EU action to protect EU operators, whether individuals or companies, from the extraterritorial application of third country laws, according to the EU website. And an updated version of the blocking statute was implemented in 2018 to mitigate their impact on the interests of EU companies doing legitimate business in Iran. Russia also passed a law in June 2018to counter the unfriendly behavior of the US and other countries to protect the interests, security, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the rights of its citizens immune to the unfriendly behavior of the US. When asked whether the law would affect China's relations with foreign countries, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a routine press conference on Thursday that there is no need to worry about that. "It's necessary for China to formulate the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, as the law provides a strong legal basis and support for China to counteract foreign discriminatory measures," Wang said. The spokesperson of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee also said the law won't have any impact on China's continuous opening-up regarding economic development, as it has come up with a series of measures to facilitate foreign investment. The main purpose of China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law is to authorize Chinese administrative agencies and judicial institutions to implement sanctions, and if there's more demand in the practice, top authorities such as the State Council and the Supreme Court can issue corresponding detailed administrative regulations and judicial interpretations based on the authorization, and gradually refine a more specific legal system, Huo told the Global Times. Some senior officials, such as Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, hailed the law. Lam said the law will give the US and other countries "a taste of their own medicine," because a number of central government and HKSAR government officials have been sanctioned by the US for the national security law for Hong Kong implemented in 2020. "The HKSAR government lacked the resources to fight those sanctions in the past. With the implementation of the Anti-Foreign Sanctions law, they have the top authority's legal support on their backs," Tian said, noting that whether including the law into Annex III of the Basic Law or enabling the HKSAR government to revise or work on relevant anti-sanction local laws are both part of the consideration. ^ top ^
Strengthening competition amid exchanges 'commonplace' in future China-US tensions (Global Times)
2021-06-11
As US President Joe Biden embarked on his first overseas trip to seek deepening ties with his allies at the G7 summit, tensions between the US and China, the world's two largest economies, seem to continue escalating following a series of recent aggressive moves by Washington while talks on trade by the two sides have made progress. Experts said that targeting China in a full range from high technology to security strategies while encouraging its allies to take a tougher stance on China will only drag the US further onto the wrong path and see it shooting itself in the foot badly. Chinese and US trade officials held another round of "candid" talks on Thursday and agreed to promote "pragmatic" trade and investment cooperation, which was the third discussion over a two-week period between top Chinese and US economic and trade officials since Biden took office. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He held a virtual meeting with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on June 2. Liu held a phone call with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on May 27. China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo had a "candid and pragmatic" exchange of views on relevant issues of mutual concerns in the business sector, according to a statement on the website of China's Commerce Ministry (MOFCOM) on Thursday. Both sides agreed to promote pragmatic cooperation in trade and investment and properly handle differences, while maintaining working communication, read the statement. A spokesperson from the MOFCOM told a press conference one June 3 that China and the US have resumed "normal communication" in the economic and trade fields, and will work together to solve "specific problems" in a practical manner for producers and consumers. The frequency of China-US trade talks signified that the US has realized the importance and necessity of having China-US economic trade ties back on the right track following damages caused by the trade war against China initiated during the Trump era and the ongoing pandemic, said Gao Lingyun, a trade expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. "Sound and stable China-US economic and trade ties will only benefit the US, instead of causing harm like the US has imagined," Gao told the Global Times on Thursday. According to a study by Oxford Economics in January this year, the cost of the trade war for the US was around 0.5 percent of GDP in 2018-2019, an estimated 245,000 jobs and $88 billion in real household income. If the scenario escalates, US GDP will shrink by $1.6 trillion over the next five years and result in 732,000 fewer jobs in the US in 2022. Against the backdrop of seeking strength from allies in Europe at the G7 summit, recent engagements between Chinese and US senior officials on trade and finance show that the Biden administration finally decided to deal with bilateral ties from a position of true strength, Lü Xiang, a research fellow in US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times Thursday. "It's like after four or five months, Biden finally figured out that the US wasn't that strong and knew he hit the ceiling… he decided to have talks with China and also visit his allies to borrow some 'strength' in dealing with China ties," Lü said. Biden has arrived in the UK ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall, which is scheduled to be held from Friday. An article released by the Guardian on Tuesday said that Biden's mission at the summit is to "recruit allies for the next cold war." Lü said that Biden's trip to Europe to seek more assistance from allies may "turn into an agenda that may not be happy or pleasant" as members of G7 are at odds regarding their interests involving China. The wrong path Recent moves made by the US showed that dialogue and confrontation will continue defining China-US ties, which are set to see tensions intensify, experts told the Global Times. The US continues to step up its pressure against China in a wide range of geopolitical and high-tech areas in a series of recent actions. The Biden administration on Wednesday revoked a Trump executive order to ban TikTok and WeChat but called for a broader review on a number of foreign-controlled applications that could pose a security risk to Americans and their data. The move in reality is a continuation of Trump's hostility toward China to crack down on Chinese high-tech firms under the guise of national security, analysts said. In response to the revocation, a spokesperson from the MOFCOM said in a press conference on Thursday that it is "an active step in the right direction." However, the US requires a review of the security risks of foreign applications, plus the US Committee on Foreign Investment is still reviewing TikTok, "which we hope will treat Chinese companies fairly and avoid politicizing economic and trade issues." Even as trade talks have resumed, the Biden administration has in recent days stepped up crackdowns on Chinese businesses, including blacklisting nearly 60 Chinese companies. Also, the US Senate on Tuesday passed a so-called innovation and competition act, which seeks to bolster the US' technological innovation capabilities and competitive edge against China through massive government subsidies. As for the US' new bill, the MOFCOM spokesperson criticized the behavior of linking one country's own development with the containment of others. Despite bilateral communications having returned to normal in the economic and trade spheres, tensions between the world's two largest economies have been marching toward an irreversible trend of escalation until the moment that Washington realizes its hawkish lines and poisonous policies toward Beijing could become futile and harm itself, He Weiwen, a former senior trade official and an executive council member of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday. As the US ramps up confrontation, including sanctions against more Chinese businesses and products, pressuring allies to turn against China and interfering in China's internal affairs regarding the island of Taiwan, China has full space to roll out countermeasures, said He. The country's top legislature passed the Anti-Foreign Sanction Law on Thursday, the first one of its kind, providing strong legal support and guarantees for China against unilateral and discriminatory measures imposed by other countries. "The US will not only reap nothing from its policies against China, but also has to deal with the consequences of its shooting itself in the foot badly," He noted. Liu Weidong, a research fellow at the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday that the US has not intended to push its hostile policies against China into a dead end, which won't achieve anything. "But it does not mean that confrontation and containment will ease, which was forecasted to continue when Biden took office in January. Compared with Trump's high-key and frenzied tactics, Biden's added pressure on China will be more calculating and concise, and we need to prepare in an all-round way," said Liu. Observers also said the influence of the G7 summit should not be overestimated. The group should learn lessons and repair their pandemic-hit economies. European countries have their own plans, welcoming US leadership but not jeopardizing their cooperation with China. The total GDP of these seven countries combined has dropped from 80 percent in the 1970s to about 40 percent of the world's total today, and their ability to influence the world is also declining, experts said, adding that US allies will tread lightly regarding US calls to crack down on China. "Cooperation in the business circles will not be dented because enterprises will vote with their feet," said He. The latest survey released by the European Union's Chamber of Commerce in China showed on Tuesday that nearly 60 percent of European companies plan to expand their businesses in China this year, an increase of nearly 10 percentage points from 51 percent recorded last year. ^ top ^
China's nuclear threat to US grows, mainly in the risk of a mishap, experts say (SCMP)
2021-06-11
China's nuclear arsenal is a growing threat to US security, less in its absolute size than in the growing risk of a mishap as Washington and Beijing butt heads over Taiwan and many other issues, experts told a US Congressional commission on Thursday. "Have the risks changed? Yes, it's a more competitive US-China relationship, and the chances of a conflict over Taiwan – while I don't believe they're high right now, they certainly have increased," said Phillip Saunders, director of the Centre for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the National Defence University. "Something might go wrong." As Moscow and Washington engaged over decades in a high-stakes nuclear arms race, China traditionally remained on the sidelines. Since its first nuclear weapon test in 1964, it has repeatedly laid out a no first-strike, minimal deterrence policy, viewing its relatively modest arsenal as a way to "deter other countries from using nuclear weapons against China", as outlined in a 2013 white paper published by Beijing. But China's growing economic, military and political might, its technology ambitions and the successful lobbying by its navy and air force to have their own nuclear forces have altered the equation. A particular concern is that Beijing may edge or be pushed toward a policy – advocated by some in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) – of launching weapons at the first sign of a possible attack, increasing the risk of unintended consequences. Experts cited a variety of scenarios on how a skirmish, most likely over Taiwan, could spin out of control: the Xi administration could find itself losing on multiple fronts, threatening Communist Party control. Alternately, the Pentagon could find itself struggling to prevail using conventional weapons or, conceivably, attack a Chinese military base that doubles as a nuclear facility, eliciting retaliation. "There are reasons to think a conventional war may not stay conventional," said Caitlin Talmadge, associate professor of security studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. On the one hand, commercial satellites, open-source internet research and even hacked Chinese cellphones are providing much more of a window into China's nuclear activities, experts testified before the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an independent panel that advises Congress. At the same time, despite its no-first strike policy, Beijing has eschewed transparency, avoided detailing its nuclear ambitions even as its global reputation has eroded, as seen in public opinion surveys. "They also at one point assured the world that they would not militarise the islands they occupy in the South China Seas," Alex Wong, a commission member and a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said. "Given the catastrophic dangers of nuclear war, it may not just be prudent to question their motives and actions, but imperative." Expert opinions differ on the size and expected growth of Beijing's nuclear arsenal, which remains a Chinese state secret. Estimates place it from 200 to 350 weapons with plans to double or even triple that figure within the next decade. The PLA has advanced rapidly with its medium-range missiles, both in accuracy and capability, and expanded its use of single missiles carrying multiple warheads. Less advanced are its submarine and bomber nuclear forces. But experts noted that each side has lots of reasons to misinterpret the other's intentions, fuelling instability. China's shift to a nuclear triad – including hardened land-based silos, shipborne missiles and ballistic bombers – from a mobile system may stem more from inter-service rivalry and the logistical challenges of weapons rattling around on trains than a ramped-up nuclear strategy. "All you need is a flat tire for that launcher to be out of commission," said Hans Kristensen, nuclear research director at the Federation of American Scientists. Moreover, the US is hardly blameless, witnesses said, and China, by some accounts, has been remarkably restrained. Despite an economy that is 70 per cent the size of its US counterpart and a population four times larger than America's, Beijing's nuclear stockpile is just 5 per cent the size of the US arsenal. Even a doubling would leave a massive gap, they added. "The US has a role to play here too," said Talmadge. "Almost all of the discussions to this point have really highlighted how interactive the two sides' perceptions and capabilities are." Finding creative ways to cooperate, focusing on crisis management and engaging a reluctant Beijing in discussions on arms control – admittedly a tough sell after Washington pulled out of arms-reduction negotiations with Moscow during the Trump administration – has far more potential than a continued nuclear showdown, witnesses said. "If we rely on missile defence as a primary component to how we are going to address the growing Chinese threat, we're going to be in a losing game with an economy that has continued to outgrow our own, and has the ability to spend considerably more on military priorities than they are currently doing," said Christopher Twomey, associate professor at the Naval Postgraduate School. "Finding ways to reduce pressure in that regard should be a high priority," added Twomey, organiser of an unofficial "track 1.5" US-China nuclear dialogue with China that was suspended during the Trump years. ^ top ^
Russia won't alienate China over US; 'We're smarter than Americans think': Russian Ambassador to China (Global Times)
2021-06-11
Russia does not expect impossible outcomes from the upcoming summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden in Geneva, and the two sides are unlikely to resolve important issues at the meeting, Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov told the Global Times in an exclusive interview. The ambassador noted that if the two leaders talk about issues related to China during their meeting, Russia will discuss them with the Chinese side. He stressed that Russia-China relations will not change no matter what attitude the US takes toward Russia. Putin and Biden are set to meet in Geneva on June 16, the first meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office. Some analysts believed that during their first bilateral meeting, Biden and Putin will discuss topics including strategic stability, disarmament, ecology, COVID-19 and conflicts in hot spots. Denisov told the Global Times that Russia welcomes any measures that reduce tensions and competition, but they are also very cautious about what they can expect from Russian-American relations, especially in the context of the very tense relationship between the two countries. He said Russia is a "realist" and does not expect impossible outcomes, and the summit is not likely to resolve important issues between the two countries. A better outcome is one that sets conditions for resolving problems in the future, said the diplomat. Media reports showed that while the upcoming summit is seen by some analysts as an "ice-breaking" opportunity to reshape US-Russia relations, the two sides have been talking tough to each other and sending signals to lower external expectations ahead of the summit. Biden vowed to be tough with Russia and press it on human rights, while Putin has said he does not expect any breakthroughs from his meeting with US counterpart. Some analysts pointed out that while it would be hard to break the ice in US-Russia relations, the US should stabilize relations and ease tensions with Russia so as to concentrate on dealing with China. As a result, the Geneva meeting may become an opportunity to lobby Russia. In response to this view, Denisov told the Global Times that the idea that Russia would alienate China over the possibility of the US temporarily easing tensions with Russia is "very short-sighted." "Russia is smarter than Americans think," he said. The diplomat said that during the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to China and the visit of Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, to Russia, both sides discussed US topics. If the US and Russia talk about issues related to China during the upcoming summit, the Russian side will also communicate and discuss it with China. ^ top ^
As trade with China grows despite tensions, Modi's 'self-reliant India' dream fades (SCMP)
2021-06-11
Calls in New Delhi to boycott Chinese imports, a campaign to boost India's self-reliance in manufacturing, a global pandemic and tensions along a disputed border. With all this going on, you might expect trade between India and China to have taken a hit. But you'd be wrong. Reversing a trend in which trade between the two countries has shrunk every year since 2017, the latest figures from the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry show two-way trade grew in the financial year 2020-2021 by more than five per cent. Not only that, but China replaced the United States as India's largest trade partner. Trade between the two Asian economies hit US$86.4 billion in 2020-21, up from US$81.9 billion the year before, compared to US$80.5 billion between India and the US. That's despite India-China tensions running high since a dispute at their Himalayan border led to armed clashes and a military stand-off between tens of thousands of troops at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) separating India's Ladakh from China's Aksai Chin region. In response to the standoff, the Narendra Modi government has moved to block Chinese companies in key sectors like power and railways and restrict Chinese investment, while several of Modi's ministers have publicly backed calls to boycott Chinese imports. But signs of such tensions are hard to find in the trade figures. The Indian government's data shows that even as India's global imports shrunk by over 17 per cent, imports from China remained steadfast. Indeed, if anything, India's trade dependence on China grew – trade with Beijing in 2020-21 made up nearly 13 per cent of India's total trade compared to 10.4 per cent the year before. Meanwhile, Chinese imports made up 16.6 per cent of India's total imports, compared to 13.7 per cent the year before. This dependence on Chinese trade grew at a time when India's overall global trade shrunk by over 13 per cent, in the same period. India's Ministry of Commerce did not respond to repeated requests for a comment on the matter. However, Sunitha Raju, a professor at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in New Delhi, was not surprised at the figures. Will 'self-reliant' India's second wave of Covid-19 force a rethink on China ties? 25 May 2021 Raju said that it would be a "fallacy" for India to think there was a quick way to replace trade with China, referring to Modi's call last year for a 'self-reliant India' to reduce imports and encourage domestically produced substitutes. "There are industries where Chinese imports make up 70 to 80 per cent of intermediate [supplies] used for producing finished goods. Even if we stopped importing from China, we would have to import from some other country," said Raju. Naresh Gupta, the president of the New Delhi-based Indo-China Chamber of Commerce, said nothing illustrated India's dependence on Chinese imports better than the coronavirus pandemic. When infections began to rise, India moved swiftly to import masks and testing kits from China, Gupta said. "Then, as the pandemic progressed, we imported machines to manufacture masks and personal protection equipment kits. Now, India is importing 99 per cent of all oxygen concentrators, thermal guns and oxymeters. "We don't have the facilities to manufacture any of this equipment here. How are we, then, supposed to meet this need?" Added Gupta: "This rhetoric of boycotting Chinese goods is political drama, nothing else." Illustrating this dependence is World Trade Organisation figures that show, in the same year that China-India trade went up, global trade shrank by 5.2 per cent due to pandemic-induced lockdowns and travel restrictions. Driving the increase in trade is a rise in Indian exports to China, which hit US$22 billion, up from US$16 billion the year before. Interestingly, in the same period, India's overall exports shrank to US$291 billion, down from US$313 billion. This came even as China's imports grew at the fastest pace in a decade, increasing by 51.1 per cent in May, according to the latest figures from Chinese customs. Between 2019-20 and 2020-21, Indian iron and steel exports rose from US$0.5 billion to US$2.4 billion while exports of cotton increased from US$0.7 billion to US$1.04 billion (excluding aluminium exports, which grew nearly five-fold in the same period). Despite the boost to exports this was not "enthusing" for India, said Ajay Sahai, the director-general and CEO of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations. "These are all raw materials and not value-added products. This shows that we have diverted our raw materials to China because domestic demand for these materials was low," he said. Sahai added that raw material exports were not as desirable as "value-added exports", as demand for them could fluctuate wildly. Self-Reliance, a distant dream? Raju said that calls for a "self-reliant India" might be misguided, warning against a common misconception that Chinese imports were often chosen because they were the cheapest option. In a recent study, Raju found only 30 per cent of Chinese imports were picked for this reason. "The remaining 70 per cent were picked for various other reasons, from the shortest availability timeline to manufacturing scale to quality. It is a myth that Chinese imports are preferred only because they are cheap," she said. However, Sahai said India hoped to substitute even high quality imports with quality products of its own, noting that the Modi government had recently announced a new scheme, the Production-Linked Incentive, that offered financial incentives to companies that grew domestic production in 13 sectors including pharmaceuticals, telecoms, textiles, solar power and electronics. The government hopes the schemes will lead to a "minimum production" of goods worth US $500 billion over the next five years. Sahai said that the government had, through the scheme, targeted the very sectors in which its import dependence was the highest. For instance, in the pharmaceutical sector, the government has approved 47 proposals worth US$740 million to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for drugs. According to industry insiders, some 85 to 90 per cent of all APIs used in the Indian drug-manufacturing industry are imported from China. "As the scheme becomes operationalised, you will see the difference in India's trade figures in the next two years. Imports will reduce substantially and India will be able to export these goods to other countries," he said. Raju, though, warned against pursuing a protectionist path, saying this approach had been "short-sighted, historically". "India should not look only at stalling imports; instead, we must look to achieve export-quality manufacturing in the domestic market. Self-reliance will follow." ^ top ^
China's NPC firmly opposes U.S. senate bill passage (Xinhua)
2021-06-10
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), or China's national legislature, on Wednesday voiced its strong dissatisfaction with and opposition to the U.S. Senate's approval of "the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021." The bill, full of ideological prejudice and driven by a Cold-War mentality, smears and slanders China's development path and foreign and domestic policies, interferes in China's internal affairs and attempts to contain China's development under the banner of "innovation and competition," the committee said in a statement. It attempts to maintain the U.S. global hegemony by fanning the so-called China threat, to interfere in China's internal affairs on the pretext of human rights and religion, and to take away China's legitimate right to development by means of "decoupling" in the scientific, technological and economic areas, the statement said. The bill shows that the paranoid delusion of seeking unilateral dominance has distorted the purpose of innovation and competition, the statement noted. The world is entering a period of turbulence and transformation, and against this backdrop, the practice of continuously targeting China as a hypothetical enemy goes against the world trend, is unpopular and is doomed to fail, it said. Stressing that the Taiwan question concerns China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity and concerns China's core interests, the statement said the Taiwan-related articles of the bill severely violate the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques. "We resolutely oppose any official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan," the statement said. "Issues related to Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong are purely China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference." The statement stressed that China always pursues peaceful development, and the Chinese people's right to pursue a better life through work is sacred and inviolable. No forces should entertain the fantasy that China will allow its sovereignty, security and development interests to be infringed upon, it said. China remains committed to building China-U.S. relations featuring non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, the statement said. "We strongly urge the U.S. Congress to take an objective and rational view of China's development and China-U.S. relations, immediately halt the review of the bill and stop interfering with China's internal affairs, in order to prevent harming the overall China-U.S. ties and their cooperation in key areas," it added. ^ top ^
To be relevant, G7 must promote multilateralism (China Daily)
2021-06-10
The G7 Summit to be held at Carbis Bay, Cornwall, on the southwest coast of Britain from Friday to Sunday has attracted special attention because it will be the first in-person international gathering since before the pandemic and its theme will be uniting "leading democracies to help the world fight, and then build back batter from coronavirus and create a greener, more prosperous future". G7 summits normally help better coordinate the member states' policies and address the differences among the seven most industrialized countries. And since the G7 members are the world's most advanced economies, its decisions have a big impact on global economic and political governance. However, given the fast-changing global landscape and the complex global problems, the G7 has been facing criticism that, as an elite group, it has no right to set an agenda that can have negative impacts on other countries. In 2018, Jim O'Neill and Alessio Terzi, of European think tank Bruegel, wrote: "The G7 in its current formulation, no longer has a reason to exist, and it should be replaced with a more representative group of countries." Despite not being representative of the international community, the G7 can still establish its legitimacy by upholding multilateralism, promoting the fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, and boosting the global fight against climate change. The pandemic is still raging in many countries, and can be effectively contained only if all the people in the world are vaccinated. But vaccine distribution remains inequitable with the rich nations hoarding much more vaccine doses than they need — they have secured more than 80 percent of the vaccines while the less-developed countries have got just 0.3 percent of the vaccines. As a result, the virus continues to spread and mutate into deadlier variants. The worsening situation in developing and less-developed countries could derail global economic recovery and even pose a threat to people in the developed countries, because the health and safety of people in rich countries is inextricably linked to the well-being of the most vulnerable groups in other countries. In fact, global organizations as well as the G7 countries have realized that no country is safe until all countries are safe. As Matt Hancock, British secretary of state for health and social care said: "Globally we are only as strong as the weakest link in the health security chain." Therefore, by ensuring that developing and less-developed countries get enough vaccines, the G7 will not only be fulfilling its moral responsibility but also serving its member states' interests. To prove its relevance in today's world, the G7 Summit should lead by example. And the best way it can do this is by making sure all countries, whether rich of poor, have equal access to the vaccines. To begin with, the G7 countries should increase their financial contributions to the COVAX — a global initiative aimed at giving even low-income countries equitable access to the vaccines directed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation; and the World Health Organization. The least the G7 countries could do is to heed the call of UN special envoy and former British prime minister Gordon Brown, who has urged the rich nations to underwrite COVID-19 vaccinations in poor countries, stressing the need to raise some $60 billion over the next two years. Besides, the rich countries that have hoarded more vaccine doses than they need should donate the excess vaccines to countries that desperately need them to inoculate their front-line workers such as doctors, nurses, lab technicians and vulnerable groups. More important, to vaccinate the global population and cut the transmission chains of the virus, the G7 leaders must use the summit to waive the patent rights on the vaccines to facilitate the transfer of vaccine technology to pharmaceutical firms in other countries, which will scale up the production and ensure fairer distribution of vaccines. Only in this way can we realize the International Monetary Fund's proposal of vaccinating at least 40 percent of the world population by the end of 2021 and 60 percent by 2022. Apart from helping boost global efforts to contain the pandemic, the G7 Summit should also focus on combating climate change. As climate change is linked to the spread of infectious diseases, it is necessary and urgent for the world to mitigate its effects and safeguard biodiversity. And as the time to reverse climate change and prevent the extinction of more species is running out, all countries should accord the highest priority to environmental issues. In this regard, the G7 countries should shoulder more responsibilities than the developing countries in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Of course, all countries should make greater efforts to better protect the environment, but we need to recognize the huge disparity in the level of economic development between the advanced and developing countries. As such, leading the global fight against climate change becomes the legal obligation of the G7 countries. In other words, the G7 Summit should address the pandemic and climate-related problems in order to prove its relevance. And if the G7 members try to evade their responsibilities toward the international community, and instead criticize other countries for not doing enough in the fights against the pandemic and climate change, they will remain mere members of an elite club without actually doing any good for the world or promoting multilateralism. ^ top ^
ASEAN, China vow to deepen cooperation (China Daily)
2021-06-10
China and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have pledged to deepen cooperation, advance regional economic integration and jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea as their foreign ministers gathered in Chongqing for a special ASEAN-China foreign ministers' meeting in celebration of the 30th anniversary of dialogue relations. The foreign ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recovery, connectivity, disaster relief and prevention, as well as sustainable development in order to take their relationship to new heights. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who co-chaired the meeting on Monday with Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, said that China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to upgrade China-ASEAN relations and usher in another 30 years of even greater cooperation. China-ASEAN relations have developed massively, releasing great vitality and delivering enormous benefits to the 2 billion people in the 11 countries, Wang said. Trade between China and ASEAN jumped to $684.6 billion last year from less than $8 billion three decades ago. Personnel exchanges exceeded 65 million in 2019, and there were nearly 4,500 flights between China and Southeast Asia every week. China and ASEAN have built an important pillar for regional peace and stability, created a powerful engine for development and prosperity, and established the most successful example of Asia-Pacific regional cooperation, Wang said. At this moment of building on past successes to further advance bilateral relations, he urged both sides to apply the successful practices of prioritizing development, enhancing mutual trust, focusing on cooperation and properly handling differences. Wang said that China will provide a greater market and more opportunities for ASEAN members and other countries. He made a six-point proposal including deepening anti-pandemic cooperation, agreeing on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea at an early date and upholding multilateralism. Wang suggested that both sides explore the establishment of a panel of experts to strengthen cooperation on vaccines and work to build production and distribution centers to help make vaccines affordable and accessible in the region. China has so far delivered 100 million doses of vaccines to ASEAN member nations, along with other anti-pandemic materials and technical assistance. On Tuesday, Wang held a series of meetings with foreign ministers from ASEAN member countries including Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. ^ top ^
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Roundup: China's top legislature adopts multiple laws as standing committee session concludes (Xinhua)
2021-06-11
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, adopted multiple laws including those on data security, Hainan free trade port and countering foreign sanctions, as it wrapped up a session on Thursday. President Xi Jinping signed presidential orders to promulgate the laws. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the closing meeting of the 29th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee, which ran from Monday to Thursday. Lawmakers also passed a law on the protection of status, rights and interests of military personnel, a revision to the Law on Military Facilities Protection, a decision to amend the Law on Workplace Safety, and a law on stamp tax. They adopted a decision to authorize the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress and its standing committee to formulate regulations concerning the Pudong New Area. Legislators approved the central government's final accounts for 2020, and a resolution on promoting legal awareness through public communication and education campaigns. They also adopted a report on deputy qualifications and personnel-related bills. Addressing the closing meeting, Li Zhanshu called for efforts to formulate and improve supportive regulations to ensure the effective enforcement of the laws and decisions. The enactment of the law on Hainan free trade port has provided important legal backing at the state level for the development of the port, he noted. On the law against foreign sanctions, Li said that it has provided legal support for countering hegemonism and power politics, and safeguarding the interests of the country and the people. Li stressed the importance of having a full and faithful grasp of provisions of the law so as to get prepared to fight against foreign sanctions through legal means in due course. He called for efforts to speed up legislation relating to external affairs and upgrade the legal toolkit for meeting challenges and guarding against risks. Lawmakers have voiced their support for the law in group discussion, saying the legislation is necessary, vital and in a timely manner. They agreed that it is of great significance to opposing hegemonism and power politics, as well as safeguarding China's sovereignty, security, and development interests. Li also chaired a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee before the closing meeting and presided over a lecture for lawmakers after the closing meeting. ^ top ^
Top political advisor stresses importance of border area development, prosperity (Xinhua)
2021-06-11
China's top political advisor Wang Yang has stressed the importance of developing border areas and improving local people's lives during an inspection tour in northeastern Heilongjiang Province. Border areas are very important for promoting foreign exchanges and ethnic unity and progress, said Wang, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee. Wang urged to comprehensively improve the quality and standard of border area development and the living conditions of people from all ethnic groups. He also called for efforts to ensure no border areas and ethnic groups are left behind as the country embarks on a new journey to fully build a modern socialist China. Wang and 13 non-CPC members of the CPPCC National Committee inspected Heilongjiang from June 6 to 9. The team learned about the economic and social development in border areas in Heilongjiang and visited villages and people of ethnic minorities. They also held a symposium in the provincial capital Harbin. ^ top ^
China to build Zhejiang into demonstration zone for common prosperity (Xinhua)
2021-06-11
China's central authorities on Thursday issued a guideline on building the eastern province of Zhejiang into a demonstration zone for achieving common prosperity. The guideline, jointly released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, rolled out multiple measures to guide the province in setting an example for promoting common prosperity. By 2025, Zhejiang should achieve solid progress in building the demonstration zone, with its per capita gross domestic product (GDP) reaching the level of moderately developed economies, while a social structure with a middle-income population as the majority should be generally developed by then, the guideline said. The province should see greater achievements in high-quality development and basically achieve common prosperity by 2035, it said, adding that Zhejiang should strive to raise its per capita GDP and the income of urban and rural residents to the standard for developed countries. By 2035, Zhejiang's systems and mechanisms for common prosperity should also be more well-developed, according to the guideline. The guideline stressed efforts to improve the quality of development, further reform income allocation and narrow the urban-rural gap, calling for a more livable residential environment. ^ top ^
Xi stresses ecological conservation, high-quality development on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (Xinhua)
2021-06-11
Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need to always put the people first and advance reform and opening-up in efforts to promote ecological conservation and high-quality development on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during his inspection tour of northwest China's Qinghai Province from Monday to Wednesday. The trip took Xi to the provincial capital Xining and the Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. On Monday afternoon, Xi visited a carpet production company in Xining, where he learned about efforts in preserving and carrying forward local craft of hand-knitting carpets. Xi stressed encouraging industries that have the most distinctive local features and the most vigorous enterprises in promoting high-quality development. He also called for fostering a policy environment that encourages, supports and guides the development of private enterprises, as well as coordinating the development of industries and enterprises with efforts in boosting employment and promoting rural vitalization and ethnic unity. Xi then went to a residential community in Xining. He stressed the roles of primary-level Party organizations and Party members in community governance, urging efforts to build residential communities into important platforms for promoting ethnic unity and progress. Inspecting the county of Gangcha in Haibei on Tuesday, Xi said the achievements in conserving the ecological environment of Qinghai Lake are hard-won, and must be cherished, consolidated and expanded. He called for accelerated efforts in building a nature reserves system "centering on national parks, based on natural reserves and supplemented by various kinds of natural parks" to better protect the eco-environment and biodiversity. Xi then went to a village in Shaliuhe Township where herdsmen have resettled. Visiting the home of a Tibetan herdsman, Xi said the Party has won the people's wholehearted support because it has always served the people with heart and soul and strived for the wellbeing of all ethnic groups. Speaking with villagers, Xi said he felt delighted to learn that they are leading happy lives. "We shall continue to work hard, and by the time New China celebrates its centenary, the Chinese nation will, without a doubt, stand firmer and stronger among the world's nations," he said. Not a single ethnic group should be left behind in the efforts to fully build a modern socialist China, Xi said, adding that the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation can be only achieved when all ethnic groups remain closely united like the seeds of a pomegranate that stick together. On Wednesday morning, Xi listened to the work reports of the provincial Party committee and government of Qinghai, and acknowledged the achievements the province has made in various fields. Xi stressed Qinghai's significant role in the country's security in ecological, homeland, and resources and energy spheres, and urged the province to foster new industries, accelerate the development of a world-class salt lake industrial base, as well as make itself a clean energy industry leader, an international eco-tourism destination and a supplier of green farm and animal products. Qinghai should stimulate technological innovation and actively align itself with major regional development strategies such as the Yangtze River Economic Belt to boost the internal drive of economic growth, he said. On Qinghai's environmental protection, Xi said that the conservation of the source of three major rivers should be the utmost priority. The province should improve the management of national parks, restore the ecology of its various landscapes, protect biological diversity on the plateau, and promote ecological conservation and high-quality development along the Yellow River, he added. Highlighting people's wellbeing and the goal of prosperity for all, Xi urged the province to coordinate ecological conservation with people's livelihood. He also emphasized the need to consolidate the progress in poverty alleviation and further revitalize the countryside. Xi expressed sympathy and concern to those affected by a 7.4-magnitude earthquake, which jolted Maduo County of Qinghai on May 22, and called for solid reconstruction efforts. Noting the strategic role of Qinghai in safeguarding stability in Xinjiang and Tibet, Xi urged full implementation of the Party's general plan for governing Tibet in the new era and stressed efforts to shoulder due responsibilities. He also called for more efforts to build the province into a paragon in ethnic unity and progress. Efforts should go toward fully implementing the Party's basic policy on religious work and providing guidance to religions so that they can adapt to a socialist society, Xi said. Xi also highlighted the value of the Party's revolutionary spirit, which has motivated the Party to forge ahead. By studying the Party history, all Party members and cadres must remind themselves of the oath of loyalty to the Party, deliver benefits to the people, and exercise strict self-discipline, said Xi. Xi also stressed further improving Party conduct, promoting integrity, and training a contingent of competent and professional officials loyal to the Party, with moral integrity and a keen sense of responsibility. ^ top ^
China's first crewed space station mission draws closer (Global Times)
2021-06-11
China's space station Tianhe core cabin is expecting its first visitors as the combination of the Long March-2F Y12 carrier rocket and Shenzhou-12 manned spacecraft tasked to ferry three astronauts to the space station was vertically transferred to the launch pad on Wednesday. Chinese space observers reached by the Global Times on Thursday expressed confidence in the upcoming crewed mission, saying that a successful launch and docking of Shenzhou-12 would mean China's Earth-space shuttling technology has further matured and become routine to support succeeding missions to and from the space station, a feat rarely achieved in the world. The combination of the Shenzhou-12 manned spaceship and the Long March-2F Y12 carrier rocket was transferred to the launching area, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Wednesday. The facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition, and various pre-launch function checks and joint tests will be carried out, said the agency. Dubbed the "gold medal player" of China's manned space missions in the rocket family, the 58.34 meter-long, 3.35 meter in diameter Long March-2F carrier rocket is capable of sending a payload of 8.6 tons to low Earth orbit. The rocket has four 2.25-meter-in-diameter boosters and a weight at launch of 479.8 tons, according to rocket developers. The rocket is the only type of carrier rocket that supports manned spaceflights, and has sent 11 astronauts to space since its first flight in 1999, according to rocket developer China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. Chinese space authorities have yet to announce the line-up of the first three-strong flight crews, but Yang Liwei, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office and the country's first astronaut, revealed that they were chosen from China's first and second batch of astronauts, and are now under Level-2 quarantine, with all related work having entered a final stage. The astronauts will stay in orbit for three months, during which they will conduct multiple tasks in and out of the cabin, including repair and maintenance, appliance switch and scientific operation of payloads, Yang introduced. Some foreign space industry media such as the US-based spaceflightnow.com speculated that the launch of the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft could take place around June 16 or 17. "China's last three crewed spaceflights rolled to the pad about a week before liftoff," the website said. Chinese space authorities have yet to announce the launch date of the mission. Song Zhongping, a space analyst and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Thursday that China has accumulated rich experience in such practices, and with the "golden partnerships" of Long March-2F and Shenzhou-12, which made a series of improvements on the reliability and safety of the craft, the mission will be carried out smoothly. With the successful launch of Shenzhou-12, China will achieve a three-peat in the initial phase of the country's first space station construction in less than two months. "It verifies China's Earth-space shuttling capability, enables frequent missions to and from the space station, and lays a solid foundation for succeeding missions during the two-year schedule as well as future deep-space explorations," Song noted. It makes China a major power in the aerospace field, he added. "The task plan for Shenzhou-12 was initially made in 1992 at the very beginning of China's manned space project. Step by step and steadily, we have managed to stay true to our original aspirations," Shao Limin, deputy manager in charge of Shenzhou-12 spacecraft, said at an interview in the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC.) According to Shao, another major progress is the emergency rescue ability and spacecrafts' quick roll-outs from the launch pad, in case astronauts at the space station encounter situations in need of immediate pick-ups from space. China launched its Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft for a supply mission to the Tianhe space station core cabin on May 29, which performed an ultra-fast automatic docking with the Tianhe module - within eight hours after launch. Two space suits for astronauts' outside-cabin activities, which weigh more than 100 kilograms each, as well as daily supplies were delivered. China is also developing its next-generation two-module manned spaceship, which carried out a successful un-crewed test flight via a Long March 5B carrier rocket last month. Its return capsule returned to Earth three days after the launch. Pang Zhihao, a Beijing-based senior space expert, told the Global Times that the 9 meter-long, 4.5 meter in diameter spacecraft can ferry up to seven people to space, and is capable of flying both in low Earth orbit and to the moon and other deep-space explorations. The next-generation spacecraft is cozier, smarter and more cost-effective than the Shenzhou series, adopting a cabin return plan consisting of two decelerating parachutes and three main parachutes, as well as six air bags that will be opened before the craft's touchdown, ensuring a safer and steadier soft landing, Pang noted. A new type of heavy-lift carrier rocket that supports lunar manned explorations is also being developed, Mou Yu, an official at China's Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology's general designing department, told the Global Times in April. Such a rocket would be capable of launching a payload of no less than 50 tons to the lunar orbit, which will strongly support moon base building, as well as bigger lunar exploration activities, Mou said. ^ top ^
Over 200,000 foreigners in China receive vaccinations (China Daily)
2021-06-11
More than 200,000 foreigners in China have received COVID-19 vaccinations as Beijing made efforts to guarantee the work, life and study of foreigners in the nation and build an effective shield from the virus, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday. "The Chinese government attaches great importance to safeguarding their safety and health," Wang told reporters at a regular news briefing in Beijing. According to the spokesman, China has included foreign nationals within a certain age group into the country's vaccination program, and various measures have been rolled out to facilitate their vaccination in China. Meanwhile, more than 1.18 million Chinese citizens in over 150 foreign countries have been vaccinated so far, as China actively assisted and secured COVID-19 inoculation for its citizens with Chinese or foreign vaccines, Wang said. In the next step, China will continue to strengthen communication and cooperation with relevant countries in order to provide more assistance to its citizens in receiving vaccinations, he said. As China honors its commitment to make vaccines a global public good, it has provided vaccine assistance to over 80 countries, exported vaccines to 40 countries and provided 350 million doses to international partners. Last week, the first batch of vaccines to be provided to COVAX, the global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, rolled off the production line and will mainly be provided to developing countries. "Now, a large number of developing countries are still facing difficulties in obtaining vaccines and fighting the pandemic," Wang said, adding that China will continue its efforts to eliminate the "vaccine divide". The spokesman also called for international solidarity against the virus, saying that China hopes that major countries in vaccine research, development and production will support COVAX with practical measures so that developing countries are able to afford and access vaccines at an early date. In response to media reports that the administration of United States President Joe Biden has purchased 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to donate to COVAX, Wang said, "We hope the US side will act as soon as possible." ^ top ^
China to advance major programs in 14th Five-Year Plan to harness key role of effective investment (Xinhua)
2021-06-10
China will advance the implementation of major programs set out in the Outline of the 14th Five-year Plan, to better tap the key role of effective investment, the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Wednesday. The major programs span a series of key areas, including scientific and technological advances, infrastructural facilities, environmental protection, people's livelihoods and cultural heritage, among others. Competent departments across the country have made sound preparations and concrete support policies. A great majority of the programs have kicked off. Given the much uncertainty and instability in the environment at home and abroad, the meeting stressed the need to steer clear of massive stimulus, maintain the continuity and stability of macro policies and make them more targeted. "The major programs identified in the Outline of the 14th Five-year Plan are of strategic, fundamental and pace-setting importance. The government needs to make inputs, and the role of private sector also needs to be better leveraged in the course of implementation," Li said. "We need to see that these major programs serve the purpose of driving sustained and healthy economic and social development." The meeting called for adhering to the law of economics and market principles, and adopting a multi-purpose approach in pushing forward the major programs, to strengthen foundation, increase functions, produce long-term benefits, improve livelihoods and avert risks. Solid preliminary work will be carried out. The programs in the 14th Five-year Plan will be translated into and delivered through specific projects. The projects will be incorporated into sectoral plans on a priority basis and backed with well-informed implementation arrangements. The projects will be pushed forward year by year in a well-planned manner, to forge a positive cycle among projects planned, projects commenced and projects completed. Timelines will be specified for single major project. Package projects that are great in number and cover wide-ranging sectors will be advanced with clear focuses and in a results-oriented manner. For major programs with high construction challenges and environmental requirements, in-depth work will be carried out on exploration, selection of solutions and feasibility studies. Policy support and the supply of factors of production will be scaled up around the major programs. The investment intensity for this year and the next will be well calibrated and fine-tuned as needed in light of changing circumstances. "Last year, economic growth was mainly driven by tax and fee cuts, and support for market entities. This year, while effectively tapping the fundamental role of consumption, the key role of effective investment will be better brought out. Efforts will be made to coordinate medium- and long-term development and this year's economic operation, and advance the major programs in an orderly way, to keep the major economic indicators within the proper range," Li said. Reform of government functions will be deepened to improve the approval and verification procedures and cut unnecessary approval requirements, so that projects can get an early start and funds be used most efficiently. The catalytic role of government investment, such as central budgetary investment and local government special-purpose bonds, will be further leveraged. Market entities and private players will be fully mobilized to play their part in the implementation of the major programs. Supervision and coordination will be strengthened. Local authorities that take solid measures and achieve notable results will receive greater incentives and support, while those who fail to deliver in advancing the projects will be subject to closer supervision. Problems in project development will be addressed promptly. Oversight will be strengthened to ensure project quality. "A good balance between the role of the government and that of the market will be developed. The government is responsible for making the plans while actual implementation needs to rely much on market entities and private players," Li said. "In drafting project plans, we need to leave room for possible adjustments as called for by the evolving situation," he said. ^ top ^
Xi: CPC serves people wholeheartedly (China Daily)
2021-06-10
The Communist Party of China has won people's hearts because it always serves the people wholeheartedly and strives for the well-being of all ethnic groups, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has said. Xi, who is also the Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark on Tuesday when visiting the family of a herdsman in a village in Shaliuhe, a township in Gangca county, during an inspection tour of Qinghai province. The three-day trip, which concluded on Wednesday, took him to Xining, the provincial capital, and the Haibei Tibetan autonomous prefecture, where he visited an enterprise, an urban community, a rural village and a nature reserve. Xi was presented with a hada, a piece of white silk used as a greeting gift among Tibetan people, when he entered Sonam Tsering's home on Tuesday afternoon. He chatted with the family members and learned about their livelihood. Sonam Tsering told Xi that the herdsmen live a happy life thanks to the good policies of the Party, and he extended his gratitude to Xi and the CPC. Noting that this year marks the centenary of the founding of the CPC, Xi said the achievements the Party has made over the century have enabled it to win people's hearts. As the nation is embarking on a new journey of building a modern socialist country, it will become even better, he added. Leaving Sonam Tsering's home, Xi was greeted by residents of the village. Xi said to them, "We are a family, and we are all brothers and sisters," and called on them to have confidence in a brighter future. ^ top ^
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Zenz's Xinjiang population 'research' lacks evidence, ignores basic demographic facts (People's Daily)
2021-06-10
Some Western media outlets have started hyping another report by pseudo scholar Adrian Zenz, which claimed there will be millions fewer Uygur and other ethnic minority newborns in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the coming 20 years, but the unreliable "research" has been slammed by Chinese observers as pure political manipulation. Adrian Zenz, a darling of Western media, told Reuters that his new "research report" found China's policies would cut 2.6 to 4.5 million births of Uygurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang within 20 years compared to the projected population. Reuters reported that the research was accepted for publication after peer review. Reuters did not reveal or even hint at the data source and methodology leading to the sensational conclusion, but claimed that some anonymous experts thought the analysis and conclusion were "sound" after seeing the methodology Reuters shared with them. Some other news outlets including BBC and VOA followed suit in their reporting. However, demographers pointed out that Zenz's "estimate for the future" ignored the fact that a dropping birth rate is a natural trend of all societies that see economic and social development. It is impossible to evaluate the accuracy of the number Zenz alleged without getting access to the raw data and methodology he used, but both Han and ethnic minorities in China are seeing dropping birth rates alongside economic progress, Huang Wenzheng, a demography expert and senior researcher from the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Actually, the Han group's drop in birth rate came way earlier than that for Uygurs and other ethnic minorities, and the latter has only recently seen such changes as a result of anti-extremism and anti-poverty achievements that gave women opportunities to work rather than restricted them to the house to have babies, Huang said. Zenz also claimed that the Han population would increase from 8.4 to 25 percent in southern Xinjiang, but Huang scorned the claim, as it picked just one spot to indicate the big picture. Uygurs and other ethnic minorities are having more children than Han people and they are prospering across Xinjiang. The population structure change in one area could be driven by economic growth, as well as inbound and outbound migrations. "Why is this kind of migration alright in other provinces but suddenly becomes a problem in Xinjiang?" Huang asked. Zenz always shouted about his reports before they made a splash academically, proving "his purpose was not to make achievements in Xinjiang studies but to hype up the topic to smear China," said Jia Chunyang, an expert at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. Jia told the Global Times on Tuesday that Zenz has no background or training on Xinjiang studies, but suddenly appeared on the stage in the past few years with the assistance of Western media. No matter how ridiculous Zenz's reports are, he always has Western media's backing, because they are in the same anti-China camp, analysts said. ^ top ^
How blood-stained West orchestrated 'genocide' defamation against Xinjiang step by step (Global Times)
2021-06-09
[…] The most respected international tribunals have agreed that proof of the crime of genocide depends on an extremely convincing presentation of factual evidence, which the current "genocide" accusation against China sorely lacks, observers said. In recent months, more experts and scholars globally have stood up to criticize the US and the West for unfounded genocide accusations against China, pointing out how the misuse of the term for geopolitical agendas is tantamount to a direct insult to the true victims of genocide. The term genocide was first adopted by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide by the UN and is well-defined in the UN Convention and international laws and treaties. But it loses a lot of its specific meaning when it becomes involved in politics, Graham Perry, a British solicitor and international arbitrator, told the Global Times. Five acts that are regarded as genocide include the killing of members of a group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction in whole or in part of the group, and imposing measures intended to prevent births, which is forced sterilization. The last is forcibly transferring children of one group to a different group. By reviewing reports on Xinjiang from Western and US media outlets, the Global Times has found that the accusation of "genocide" against Xinjiang did not miraculously appear, but rather followed calculated efforts dating back to 2017 with the goal of fitting said allegations within the parameters defined by the UN Convention. The first batch of "reports" to use "genocide" in their accusations against China on its Xinjiang policy appeared in January 2018 and has exploded since the beginning of 2020, Li Baiyang discovered, with the help of the GDELT news research tool. Li is a member of the team conducting "Research on Basic Science Issues of National Security Management Decision-Making Systems" and a postdoctoral fellow at the Information Resources Research Center of Wuhan University. On January 12, 2018, the Turkish Anadolu Agency reported that a Buddhist educator from Myanmar withdrew from a China-backed forum in London in protest of the "persecution" and "detention" of "1 million Muslims" in China's Xinjiang region. This report about the Myanmar educator got facts about Xinjiang wrong while using the inflammatory terms, but it had been quickly reposted by the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), a US-backed right-wing network seeking the "fall of China" as stated on its own website. Since then, WUC has been engaged in pushing the term "genocide" to various media outlets and occasions and used it in releases on its website. For example, during a visit to Australia in December 2018, the leaders of the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), WUC's main project funded by infamous US regime change foundation the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), said governments, businesses, academics, and think tanks were duty-bound to end their "business as usual" relations with China over the alleged "genocide." CNN is among the first Western media outlets to use the term "genocide." A report on November 15, 2018 claimed that China is "tearing" Uygur families apart in Xinjiang, which is "cultural genocide." "News on 'genocide' in Xinjiang exploded since the beginning of 2020, more than 90 percent of these reports are negative. Looking at the sources of these news pieces, Lithuania has become the country with the highest number of 'genocide' reports… followed by the US, Canada, Japan, European countries, and finally India," Li said. Western media also hyped related topics to fabricate "evidence" to portray China as an "executor" of genocide. […] To the Chinese, the term "genocide" is an altogether unfamiliar and alien concept - the intentional physical destruction of a people bound by a history, language, culture, and tradition, systematic, in whole, or in substantial part. This isn't the Chinese way of interacting with people of different backgrounds, said Ren Yi, a graduate from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, who is an influential Chinese blogger with over a million followers on Weibo. "Genocide is a very real concept to the European and Western ears: Because they are the greatest perpetrators of genocide in human history. What they are doing now is projecting their own sin onto and demonizing China in their own mindset," said Ren. The West developed racialized thought to its extreme and to this day, race-based hate crime is still a common and prevalent scene. The West constructed the concept of race and lives in the shadow of many of the most horrific crimes in human history. Hence the European civilization is really the "great architect and executioner of the very concept of genocide," Ren said. "Lies cannot be turned into facts even if they are repeated hundreds of times. The US' launching of the campaign to accuse China of genocide only reflects the desperate struggle of the US in its global descent," Peng said. Hegemonic powers usually adopt double standards on issues pertaining to human rights - they cannot confront or erase their notorious history of racially fuelled massacres and genocides; and on the other hand, they exploit the topic to attack other countries for political gain, Peng said. Recently, more global experts have stood out to express their opposition to the US and Western countries' misuse of the term "genocide." "The charge of genocide should never be made lightly. Inappropriate use of the term may escalate geopolitical and military tensions and devalue the historical memory of genocides such as the Holocaust, thereby hindering the ability to prevent future genocides," Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, and William Schabas, professor of law at Middlesex University, London, wrote in an article released by Project Syndicate in April. In an article released on independent website Counterpunch, Alfred de Zayas, former United Nations independent expert, and Richard Falk, an Albert G. Milbank Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University, also noted that the crime of "genocide" has been crassly instrumentalized to beat the drum of Sinophobia and the US has weaponized human rights as a countermeasure against China. "The sudden flurry of United States interest in the fate of the Uyghur people seems less motivated by compassion or the protection of human rights than lifted from the most cynical pages of the Machiavellian playbook of geopolitics," they wrote. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
HK colleges urged to be cautious about foreign infiltration (China Daily)
2021-06-09
Universities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were cautioned on Tuesday by the SAR's leader to be "sensitive" to foreign infiltration and guard against the impact of biased academic activities on young minds. The warning came after media reports a multinational team of academics paid 849 students from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to join a protest in the city on July 1, 2017, as part of sociological research. SAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor urged the universities' management, council chairs and presidents to be extremely careful and to make sure university students are not indoctrinated by "prejudices and bias" through academic activities, let alone breach the laws of Hong Kong. Students' awareness of the law became a major issue in the city's education sector after police statistics showed they accounted for more than 40 percent of 10,200 arrests made till the end of last year over the social unrest in 2019. Lam said the social unrest in 2019 demonstrated the active involvement of ill-intentioned external forces in the city. "Penetrating various institutions in Hong Kong, including the universities, is something that everyone in a position (of authority) should be very sensitive to," Lam said. HKUST said in a statement on Thursday that one of the five academics who initiated the study was formerly employed by the university and left in September 2019. The study failed to pass a review by the university's Human Research Ethics Committee at the end of 2019, for not saying the research was aimed at inducing protester turnouts and that students were paid for protest participation. Lau Siu-kai, vice-chairman of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies and a professor emeritus of sociology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the study exposed hundreds of students to the risk of becoming unwitting protesters against the government. The result could also be used by external forces wanting to promote social movements in Hong Kong. The study found that the protest turnout increased immediately after the offer of cash incentives to the students. Those who were offered one-off incentives also tended to remain engaged in political movements. The results were published in the June issue of the American Economic Review. Lau said that since the promulgation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong in June 2020, universities' responsibilities have been extended to include processing research applications from a national security perspective. Senior counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah said universities should produce guidelines for students to help them assess the moral hazards of being a research subject. Paying students to take part in an assembly was "morally unacceptable" as it runs counter to the basic elements of free expression in Hong Kong, he said. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
China urges Japan to keep promises on Taiwan question (China Daily)
2021-06-11
China on Thursday expressed strong dissatisfaction with remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, in which he called Taiwan "a country", and has lodged solemn representations with Japan, according to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson. Spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a daily news briefing that the Japanese leader has openly referred to Taiwan as "a country", which seriously violated the principles of the four political documents including the China-Japan Joint Declaration, and breached the solemn promise of "not regarding Taiwan as a country" made by the Japanese side many times so far. China wants Japan to immediately issue clarifications to eliminate the damage and to ensure that such a thing will not reoccur, the spokesperson said. There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory, said Wang, adding that the Taiwan question concerns the political foundation of China-Japan ties, the basic credibility between the two countries, and the international rule of law and justice. "China seriously urges the Japanese side to earnestly keep its promises on the Taiwan question, to exercise caution in words and deeds, to not damage China's sovereignty in any way, and to refrain from sending wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" forces," Wang said. ^ top ^
Mainland slams Taiwan's DPP for vaccine-related lies (Xinhua)
2021-06-07
Telling lies will not help relieve Taiwan people's concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak, nor will lies exempt the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority from the blame for ignoring people's health and safety, a mainland spokesperson said on Monday. Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks when responding to groundless accusations saying the mainland attempted to obstruct Japan's vaccine assistance to Taiwan. The DPP authority told lies about the mainland preventing Taiwan from receiving vaccines, Ma said, adding that the authority also prevented Taiwan people from obtaining vaccines from the mainland. However, such lies will not cover up the fact that the island has an extreme vaccine shortage, nor will they whitewash loopholes in the island's epidemic prevention measures or ease the epidemic situation, Ma said. Increasing infections have occurred on the island since mid-May. "From the very beginning of the recent COVID-19 outbreak on the island, we expressed our willingness to offer safe and effective vaccines," said Ma. "We are deeply concerned about the health of Taiwan people." ^ top ^
'Very vicious political provocation,' says defense ministry in response to US senators' visit to Taiwan island by military plane (Global Times)
2021-06-08
China's Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday slammed the visit of three US senators to the island of Taiwan by military plane, condemning the move as "very vicious political provocation" and warned secessionists on the island they would ultimately get burned by tying themselves to foreign forces. Wu Qian, spokesperson of the ministry, said at a press conference on Tuesday that the visit was a "political show" using the Taiwan question to challenge the one-China principle, in attempt to "use Taiwan island to contain China." Wu's remarks came after US Senator Tammy Duckworth, accompanied by senators Christopher Coons and Dan Sullivan, landed at Taipei's Songshan Airport in a C-17 US military aircraft on Sunday morning in a so-called three-hour vaccine aid visit, with their activities confined to the military area of the airport due to an "epidemic prevention request," according to Taiwan media. Wu said the move has seriously violated the one-China principle and provisions of the Three China-US Joint Communiqués which are widely acknowledged by the international community, seriously undermined the foundation of China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and seriously damaged the fundamental interests of all Chinese including Taiwan compatriots. It is extremely irresponsible and very dangerous. Wu warned the secessionist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities on the island that it will ultimately burn itself by tying itself too tightly with foreign forces. The ministry urged the US to immediately stop any form of official exchanges and military contacts with the island and not to send any wrong signals to encourage the secessionists in the island. The future of the island of Taiwan lies in reunification with the motherland, and the well-being of the Taiwan compatriots depends on national rejuvenation, Wu stressed, noting that the Chinese mainland must and will reunify with Taiwan. If anyone dares to separate Taiwan island from China, the Chinese People's Liberation Army "will give it a head-on strike" and firmly defend national reunification and territorial integrity at all costs, Wu said. ^ top ^
US, Taiwan collude as DPP mired in epidemic fiasco (People's Daily)
2021-06-07
Three US senators' so-called three-hour vaccine aid visit to the island of Taiwan is viewed by analysts to disguise increasing US-Taiwan military exchanges, as the three landed in a C-17 US military aircraft. They also view Taiwan's high-profile welcome of the US senators' visit as an intent by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to flare the tension with the Chinese mainland and create more conflict, in order to divert attention from its failure to bring the ravaging COVID-19 infection under control. Under the banner of humanitarianism, Senator Tammy Duckworth said at a press conference on Sunday that the US will donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to the epidemic-hit island with over 23 million residents. Taiwan secessionist authorities rushed to hail the "victory" brought by allies, while mainland experts see the military and political risks beneath the vaccine supply, describing the visit as the most serious provocation that the White House has made to the Chinese mainland over Taiwan question since US President Joe Biden took office, which takes salami-slicing tactic in developing an "official relationship" with the island and eroding the one-China policy. Duckworth, accompanied by senators Christopher Coons and Dan Sullivan, landed at Taipei's Songshan Airport on Sunday morning, with their activities confined to the military area of the airport due to the "epidemic prevention request," according to Taiwan media. It highlights Duckworth and Sullivan's posts in the Senate Committee on Armed Services, and Coons, who serves in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Amid the public anger in Taiwan and repeated rejection and vilification of mainland vaccines by the DPP, the island's regional leader Tsai Ing-wen touted the 750,000 doses of vaccine as "timely rain," and Taiwan will bear in mind that, even though there is no date for their delivery yet. Just a day before the US politicians' Taiwan visit, the military authority of the island announced on Saturday that the island's troops will conduct live-fire tests of two tank guns it purchased from the US. On Friday, Taiwan's media hyped that mainland military plane entered the "air defense identification zone (ADIZ)" in Taiwan's southwest airspace at 4 am. Experts reached by the Global Times said that the mainland should be vigilant about the trade behind the US vaccine donation, calling for slapping sanctions on US politicians who have been provocative on the Taiwan question, and adopting a sterner stance toward island of Taiwan in terms of the military response. Dual provocations The senators' visit to Taiwan is a deliberate, risky provocation and comes under the disguise of supplying vaccines, and the mainland will not sit idly by, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. It is entirely possible for the US to solve the issue of vaccine donation to Taiwan through commercial companies. And there is no need for the presence of senators and military aircraft, Lü said, describing the visit as "the most serious provocation" since Biden took office. According to military experts, the three senators are also providing a cover for a military exchange between the US and the island. Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert told the Global Times on Sunday that the C-17 is a strategic transport aircraft. In the United States Air Force, the C-17 is the second-largest strategic transport aircraft to the C-5 Galaxy. The landing of the US Air Force strategic aircraft in Taiwan indicates that military cooperation and exchanges between the US and the island are increasing, Song said, noting the purpose of carrying three senators is to divert attention from the nature of military exchanges. The C-17 was probably carrying a large amount of military supplies, either for the Taiwan's military or for the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said Song, pointing out that the three hours at the airport perfectly fit the time needed to unload cargo. Aside from military provocations, the political one was equally obvious from the US. Experts say the senators' Taiwan stopover is an assault on the Three Joint Communiques between China and the US, which embody the one-China principle. And the US and the DPP may have the purpose of making the C-17 landing in Taiwan a fait accompli forced on the mainland, paving the way for upgrading their links in the future. Yuan Zheng, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday that the Biden administration continues to test China's red line by gradually hollowing out its one-China policy and developing meaningful "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan island. The Biden administration has recently waived sanctions on the company behind Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, a move seen as a concession to Germany and Russia. Some analysts said that the latest Taiwan card before Biden's Europe trip for the G7 meeting in the UK is aimed at showing US allies that the administration is not "weak." It is expected that the mainland air force and navy would take actions as the US escalates the cross-Straits tensions, said Lü, noting the previous military patrols adjacent to the island southwest regions may move to northwest regions, a location closer to Taipei. China should draw a clearer red line on the Taiwan question. Foreign politicians and officials who have crossed the line should not be allowed to enter China, and Chinese companies are not allowed to have any dealings with them, experts said. DPP's derailment Since the outbreak of the new COVID-19 surge on the island of Taiwan, the DPP authorities have been denounced for multiple anti-scientific measures, including refusing mass testing and snubbing vaccine assistance from the mainland, ignoring local cries and growing death toll. Taiwan's anti-epidemic command center reported 343 domestic-transmitted cases, and 36 deaths on Sunday, local media reported. Tsai, whose public support rate has dropped by nearly 20 percent compared to the time of her re-election victory in May 2020, is facing local mockery after her team released footable footage of Sunday's meeting, which shows Tsai was standing while speaking, and all three US senators were sitting and listening to a "work report." Despite the US promise, Chiang Chi-chen, the leader of opposition party Kuomintang (KMT) on the island, said on Sunday that the island needs more vaccines to quench the thirst. When the people on the island are suffering from vaccine shortages, the secession-minded DPP has declared they will donate 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccines to countries like Honduras and Paraguay, which still maintain "diplomatic ties" with the Taiwan authorities, and the DPP even bribed certain officials from the countries to realize the plan, an exclusive source told the Global Times on Friday. The 1.24 million doses of AZ vaccine donated by Japan arrived in Taiwan on Friday. In addition to the 860,000 doses currently in the hands of the DPP authority, and the 750,000 doses promised by the US on Sunday but without a clear delivery date, the island's number of vaccines still does not reach even one-tenth of people that need to be vaccinated for herd immunity. Wang Jianmin, a senior cross-Straits expert at Minnan Normal University, Fujian Province, told the Global Times on Sunday that the DPP authorities have been dealing with vaccine affairs under a pro-US and pro-Japan, but anti-mainland strategy. However, the US and Japan are not really trying to solve Taiwan's vaccine shortage, but are acting out of pure political manipulation. The experts pointed out that the AZ vaccine is considered to be defective in safety. Although Japan is also suffering from the epidemic, Japan has not passed the AZ vaccines for emergency use so far. "The empty promise of 750,000 doses is more of a symbolic reward after Taiwan has repeatedly rejected the mainland vaccine and has expressed its anti-mainland determination in various ways to the US," Wang said. Two mainland vaccines have been listed by the WHO for the emergency use, and hundreds of millions of doses of vaccines have been delivered to more than 80 countries and regions. "There is no political manipulation behind the mainland's kindness like the DPP hyped… DPP's repeated rejection of the mainland has caused Taiwan people to miss the best time to combat the virus through vaccines," Wang said, citing the increasing death toll on the island. In terms of the military response, the Chinese mainland may adopt a more stern stance against the DPP authorities, so that Taiwan will not get any benefits in following the US to counter the mainland, and instead pay a higher price, Wang said. Some experts said that the DPP authorities are aware that Sunday's event will raise the level of tensions between across the Taiwan straits, but they need to create more conflict with the mainland to shift attention from the frictions between the DPP authorities and Taiwan residents, painting the soaring death roll in the island as the "due price" for confronting the mainland. Therefore, while the mainland needs to maintain deterrence against secessionist forces in the island, it should avoid its countermeasures being exploited by the DPP authorities to shift the blame, the expert said. ^ top ^
Washington's Greek gift to Taiwan (Xinhua)
2021-06-08
Washington is once again challenging Beijing's red line over the Taiwan question. The whirlwind visit of three U.S. senators to China's Taiwan on Sunday is another flagrant violation of three China-U.S. joint communiques, which allow no official exchanges of any form between the United States and the island. Only this time, the provocation came under the cover of COVID-19 vaccines. Promising to donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses with no details given on which vaccines Taiwan would get or when, those three U.S. politicians have brought Taiwan with nothing but Washington's Greek gift. Under the pretense of humanitarian concern, the purpose of the visit this time is to stage an anti-China political farce and offer some symbolic support for the current Taiwan authorities that are overwhelmed by the raging pandemic situation in the island. The United States has long been manipulating Taiwan as a political pawn to contain China's development. What Washington truly cares about is not the lives and health of people in Taiwan, but its own geopolitical interests in Asia-Pacific. What has caught greater attention during Sunday's visit than Washington's verbal promise of vaccines is the fact that those U.S. politicians flew to Taiwan on a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III freighter. And the U.S. military plane landed at one of Taiwan's military airports. Again, there should be no official contact between Washington and the Taiwan authorities, not to mention exchanges involving military elements. Such a treacherous move of Washington has nothing to do with fighting COVID-19 as it claimed, and will only increase tensions in the region. As the people in Taiwan are struggling with a spike in COVID-19 cases and vaccine shortages, it is quite despicable that some Taiwan politicians are turning vaccines into a tool for political manipulation. Beijing has been showing repeatedly its willingness to do its best to help Taiwan compatriots fight COVID-19, and offered to provide the island with the mainland-made vaccines already endorsed by the World Health Organization. However, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have turned a blind eye to the mainland's goodwill, impeded the mainland's vaccine offer to Taiwan in every possible way, and even falsely claimed that the mainland was obstructing its vaccine procurement. What the DPP authorities have been doing shows no respect for the life and health of the people in Taiwan and violates the most basic humanitarian spirit. Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The one-China principle is a recognized norm of international relations and a consensus of the international community. Beijing will never compromise on its core interests. Washington should quit its salami slicing tactics to undermine the one-China principle that it has vowed to abide by, stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan's separatists, and refrain from further complicating the situation in the region. If Washington truly wants to extend a helping hand to Taiwan in its anti-pandemic fight, it can find viable solutions under the one-China principle. Yet what it is offering to the island now is setting a dangerous trap for regional peace and stability. ^ top ^
Taiwan's coronavirus outbreak, drought and power cuts force semiconductor makers to ramp up contingency plans (SCMP)
2021-06-08
Standing outside Nanya Technology's vast manufacturing complex in Taiwan, it could be mistaken for Lunar New Year, when workers leave en masse. On a recent Friday, just a trickle of light delivery trucks stopped by the complex's Art Deco-style reception area west of Taipei, and employees exited the 10-storey administration building alone or in pairs for lunch at a canteen across the street. But inside the hulking factory walls at Nanya, the world's fourth largest manufacturer of dynamic random-access memory for consumer electronics, operations are chugging along near normal – albeit with a few added precautions. Some workers have been sent home and factory staff are only allowed to gather in groups of three. Behind a tall glass window near the reception, employees wearing protective eye goggles and face masks could be seen sitting in front of big-screen PC keyboards two chairs apart. Yellow Xs were taped across upholstered blue benches in the lobby to prevent people from sitting too close to one another. Cross-strait politics get in the way of Taiwan's desperate need for Covid-19 vaccines Cross-strait politics get in the way of Taiwan's desperate need for Covid-19 vaccines The scene reflects the new reality for the island's powerhouse semiconductor manufacturers, who have been forced to put in place a range of contingency measures to avert production setbacks caused by a triple threat of surging coronavirus infections, a drought and erratic power supply. Taiwan is trying to stop a new wave of Covid-19 cases that began in mid-May and has been exacerbated by difficulty acquiring vaccines and low vaccination take up among the island's 23.5 million people. The Central Epidemic Command Centre announced 211 new cases on Monday, bringing the total to 11,298 with 260 deaths. Restaurants in greater Taipei are closed save for takeaway, and the government has urged employers to let people work from home. Clusters of Covid-19 infections have been reported at electronics factories, including one at King Yuan Electronics factory in Miaoli county, where 131 employees tested positive for the coronavirus. But the island's chip makers are grappling with other challenges, too. Sub-tropical Taiwan is dealing with its worst drought in decades because no typhoons directly hit the island last year, meaning much less rain. The water shortage has raised the risk of supply curbs for semiconductor manufacturers in some parts of the island, forcing companies to implement water saving measures. Many have also been dealing with power outages following a spike in demand amid the drought and a heatwave, which also coincided with a crippling technical failure at a coal-fired power plant last month. The combination of threats risks knocking back productivity for Taiwan's US$10.3 billion semiconductor industry, one of the world's biggest by dollar value and a cornerstone for global consumer electronics manufacturing. But Nanya, like its chipmaking peers around Taiwan, has found ways to sustain production despite the odds – and so far it appears to be enough to stave off financial problems. Taiwan deploys military to disinfect subway station after Covid-19 cases surge The company said revenue rose 20 per cent in the first quarter to NT$17.7 billion (US$639 million), with a 17.1 per cent operating margin, up 8.3 percentage points over the previous quarter on surging global chip demand. In April, it announced plans to build an NT$300 billion advanced chip plant by 2023. To offset any problems with electricity supply, Nanya has struck a deal with the government-run Taiwan Power to ensure it is notified in advance of any outages, a company spokeswoman said. The firm also has enough water supply of its own to weather the drought. The company recycles 95 per cent of the water it uses for manufacturing, according to a poster in the Nanya reception. Though the company is keen to project an air of confidence, Asan Cheng, an operations room worker, said the factory was "not seeing as much activity now as before because of the pandemic". Other Taiwanese chip makers have taken similar precautions in recent months. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's biggest contract chip maker, recycles water and has backup supplies in case of rainfall shortages, it said in April. United Microelectronics Corporation has "adopted numerous water-saving countermeasures" for its plant in northwest Taiwan, the company's media office said, adding that it has seen "no impact on production". Rainfall in early June has eased fears of a prolonged drought. But Brady Wang, an analyst in Taipei with the market intelligence firm Counterpoint Research, said that even without rain the government will "give top priority to semiconductor production". "However, there may be unexpected power outages for a short period of time, which may cause slight losses," he said. Chip makers around Taiwan have shuffled staff in light of the coronavirus pandemic to keep plants "well protected", Wang said. "Employees in the field have been divided into a few divisions, with some working from home," he said. Semiconductor firms outside Taiwan are following a similar playbook, said Ravi Vijayaraghavan, Asia-Pacific head for telecommunications, media and technology with the consultancy Bain & Company. Automation had already thinned out staff before the pandemic and chip makers have built in "a lot of redundancies" to secure power and water because downtime is so costly, he said. "In terms of the Covid-19, most of the current wafer manufacturing has been converted to automated processes, and the demand for manpower is low," said Cheng-kai-an, senior industry analyst with the Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute in Taipei. "Under the current measures, like … remote working in semiconductor foundries, production should not be affected significantly." ^ top ^
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| Economy |
Chinese yuan to remain stable: PBOC deputy governor (Xinhua)
2021-06-11
The exchange rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, is expected to remain stable, with two-way fluctuations becoming normal, said Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) Thursday. The stability of the yuan's exchange rate is better than other currencies, and transactions in China's foreign exchange (forex) market have been rational and orderly, Pan said at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai. Pan said that China's sustained economic recovery has contributed to the generally stable yuan. The change in the exchange rate of the yuan is subject to multiple factors at home and abroad, Pan said. He added that China's consolidated growth momentum, normalized monetary policies, and a more mature forex market have helped underpin the yuan's stable exchange rate. Pan also cautioned that uncertainties in the world, including uneven global recovery, rising inflation pressure, and a fragile financial market, might affect exchange rates in the future. Stressing the importance for enterprises to cope with two-way fluctuations, Pan urged market entities to adapt to it, arrange their currency structure prudently, and refrain from currency speculation. To help firms lower risks from exchange rate fluctuations, China will establish an open and competitive forex market, improve market transparency, and strengthen prudent macro-management, Pan said. ^ top ^
China to improve foreign exchange management system: official (Xinhua)
2021-06-11
China will deepen the reform of foreign exchange administration and advance the liberalization and facilitation of cross-border trade and investment, said Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, on Thursday. Pan, who is also head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, made the remarks at the 13th Lujiazui Forum that opened Thursday in Shanghai. The country will enhance cross-border trade facilitation under the current account and steadily promote the high-level opening-up of the capital account, said Pan. China will diversify products as well as domestic and foreign participants in the foreign exchange market, and promote cross-border investment reform of private equity funds, Pan said. More efforts will be made to facilitate enterprises' cross-border financing, and support cross-border payments of new trade patterns such as offshore trade and cross-border e-commerce, he added. "In the near future, we will pilot high-level opening-up of foreign exchange management in the Lingang area, a new section of the Shanghai pilot Free Trade Zone, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Hainan free trade port," said Pan. The operation of Chinese foreign exchange reserves follows market-based principle, and promotes the stability and development of the international financial market, said Pan, adding that the country's forex holdings will take sustainable investment as its long-term goal. ^ top ^
Regulator: IPO process smoothened, not tightened or relaxed (China Daily)
2021-06-11
By taking into consideration the market capacity, liquidity and coordinated development of the primary and secondary markets, the process of initial public offerings in China has neither been tightened nor relaxed, said China Securities Regulatory Commission's Chairman Yi Huiman at the 13th Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai on Thursday. The country's IPO process has been further streamlined in a more scientific and reasonable manner, aiming to create an IPO ecosystem in line with market expectations, said Yi. According to the new Securities Law, which took effect in March 2020, intermediary organizations now shoulder more responsibilities. Shareholders' responsibility regarding information disclosure is has also been further stressed. As more emphasis is laid on "hard technology", companies planning to go public on the technology-focused STAR Market in Shanghai will face a more solid and comprehensive evaluation, he said. China's top financial regulators have always been open as to companies' listing venues, said Yi. It is normal that some companies want to go public overseas while others are looking to come back after an overseas stock market debut. "We hold a supportive attitude in general. But it should be noted that companies should abide by the local laws no matter where they are listed. Regulators all over the world should strengthen their cooperation regarding law enforcement," he said. "The relationship between openness and security should be properly addressed. The prerequisite of a company's successful listing in an overseas market is to conform to domestic laws and supervision," added Yi. ^ top ^
Digital economy thrives in China's western regions: report (China Daily)
2021-06-11
The rural e-commerce industry boomed in China's western regions in 2020, according to an industrial report. Last year, areas in the west led the growth in the number of new entrepreneurs on e-commerce platform Taobao for the first time in its history, said the report, co-released by Alibaba and an institute under Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. A total of nine western provincial-level regions ranked among the country's top ten that saw the greatest increase in online shop founders, with their year-on-year growth passing 200 percent. Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region led the gains with its growth of up to 420 percent, followed by two western provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou, the report said. The report also showed that the e-commerce industrial cluster is speeding up its expansion to western China. Taobao villages and townships gained strong momentum in these areas. The number of Taobao villages there soared from 19 to 71 in 2020, up by 274 percent year on year. While spurring the development of key industries, e-commerce will effectively bridge the gap of western regions with central and eastern parts of the country, said Pan Helin, an expert in economics at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. ^ top ^
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| DPRK |
DPRK slams Washington for lifting "missile guidelines" on S. Korea (Xinhua)
2021-06-01
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday slammed the United States for lifting all restrictions on South Korean missiles, saying the move was "a stark reminder" of U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK. "The United States, doggedly branding the measures taken by the DPRK for self-defence as violation of UN 'resolutions,' grants its allies unlimited right to missile development. It is engrossed in confrontation despite its lip-service to dialogue," said an article carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. "The termination step is a stark reminder of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK and its shameful double-dealing," said Kim Myong Chol, an international affairs critic and author of the article. It is an apparently deliberate and hostile act that the U.S. lifted the firing range limit, not content with the removal of the warhead weight limit through the approval of several revised "missile guidelines," the article said. "It is a serious blunder for it to pressurize the DPRK by creating asymmetric imbalance in and around the Korean peninsula as this may lead to the acute and instable situation on the Korean peninsula now technically at war," it noted. "The target of the DPRK is not the ROK (the Republic of Korea) army but the United States," it warned. "We will counter the United States on the principle of strength for strength and good faith in kind. The escalated tension on the Korean peninsula will lead to instability of the forces threatening the DPRK." The missile restrictions on South Korea were first introduced in 1979 as Seoul sought to secure U.S. missile technologies for its own missile development. In return, Seoul agreed to limit the maximum flight range of its missiles to 180 km and the weight of warheads to 500 kg. Now with all the restrictions lifted, Seoul can develop and possess any type of missile. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
Ex-PM secures Mongolia's top job (China Daily)
2021-06-11
Former Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh has won the country's presidential election, further consolidating the status of the ruling Mongolian People's Party, or MPP. MPP Chairman Khurelsukh, who resigned as prime minister earlier this year, defeated Sodnomzundui Erdene of the opposition Democratic Party and Dangaasuren Enkhbat of the Right Person Electorate Coalition in a national vote, the General Election Committee, or GEC, said. "A total of 1,216,246 people cast their votes in the election, or 59.35 percent of all eligible voters. The candidate from the MPP, Khurelsukh, obtained 67.76 percent of the votes," Purevee Delgernaran, head of the GEC, said at a news conference. ^ top ^
Former PM 'Fist' wins election in Mongolia (Global Times)
2021-06-11
Mongolia's new president Khurelsukh Ukhnaa is a macho character who has been photographed topless on horseback Putin-style, and became known as "Fist" after punching a parliamentarian. The former prime minister won nearly 70 percent of the vote in the presidential election, preliminary results showed Thursday, with historically low voter turnout for the third election in two years. The country went to the polls Wednesday to replace populist businessman Battulga Khaltmaa - a former world champion of the martial art of sambo who cannot run for a second presidential term under constitutional rules. In the early hours of Thursday, Khurelsukh declared a decisive victory after getting nearly 70 percent of votes cast. Enkhbat Dangaasuren, his main rival, gathered only around a fifth of the votes and conceded defeat. Khurelsukh has cultivated a macho persona, complete with photos of him posing shirtless with a hunting gun - similar to the famous images of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He also got the nickname "Fist" after a video of him punching a member of parliament went viral in 2012. Khurelsukh has since tried to clean up his image, and this is the first presidential win in 12 years for his Mongolian People's Party - but voter turnout was just 59 percent out of around 2 million eligible voters. Khurelsukh resigned as prime minister in January following protests and public outrage over the treatment of a coronavirus patient and her newborn baby. ^ top ^
Candidates in Mongolia's presidential election could campaign freely, int'l observers say (Montsame)
2021-06-11
"We were glad to hear a high degree of confidence in the work of election commissions, and also to see that all candidates could campaign freely even though the pandemic largely ruled out face-to-face campaigning," said Lolita Čigāne, head of ODIHR's special election assessment mission. "However, the stringent rules on candidate eligibility, campaigning and editorial freedom are out of sync with international standards, and the lack of campaign finance transparency remained a matter of concern." The legal framework has improved following changes made since the last presidential election, and form an adequate basis for democratic elections to take place. Nevertheless, a number of key ODIHR recommendations remain unaddressed. In the limited number of polling stations visited by the observers, the process was well administered and organized. The election campaign itself was highly regulated, and the campaign period was shortened due to recent legal changes. At the same time, observers noted an apparent inequality of resources and the involvement of public officials in the campaign that increased the advantages of the ruling party. Campaign financing was a further area of concern. Although certain improvements have been introduced to the process of submitting campaign finance reports, the overall framework for campaign financing lacks sufficient oversight and transparency, leaving voters under-informed about the sources of donations to contestants. The media landscape is diverse. However, observers noted concerns about the lack of independence of many major outlets. While the media played an important role in informing voters about the election process, there were misgivings over the blurred line between news and paid content submitted by contestants. This limited the independent information available to voters about candidates and their programmes. ODIHR's Special Election Assessment Mission to Mongolia took up its work on 21 May. The mission has focused on issues identified by ODIHR's needs assessment mission ahead of the election in order to assess the presidential election for its compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation. ^ top ^
MNCCI organizes online discussion on revised draft of Foreign Investment Law (Montsame)
2021-06-11
Within the framework of reforming the legal environment for investment, the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) organized an online discussion on the revised draft of the Foreign Investment Law. The Foreign Investment Law was last amended in 2006 and since then the legal environment has remained in place. The participants agreed that the most important thing is the implementation of the law, and it is necessary to evaluate the shortcomings in the implementation of the current law and it was considered appropriate to make changes. In particular, conflicts arise, due to the inconsistency of the Investment Law with other laws. For example, it was highlighted that it must be in line with the Tax Law. Also, the Foreign Investment Law need to be brought into line with international standards. ^ top ^
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Embassy of Switzerland
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The Press review is a random selection
of political and social related news gathered from various media
and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by
the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss
Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility
for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally
the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion
of the Embassy.
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