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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
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Racial discrimination on rise in Switzerland: report (Xinhua)
2021-09-08
The number of reported discrimination incidents has increased in recent years in Switzerland, especially among younger people, and racial discrimination is increasingly perceived as a serious social problem, according to a monitoring report published by the Service for Combating Racism (SCRA) on Tuesday. The report says that 40 percent of young people in the 15 to 24 age group in the country and 39 percent of 25 to 39-year-olds have experienced discrimination in the past five years. Discrimination affects all areas of life, the report says, adding that most claims of discrimination are related to employment. The report, published every two years by the SCRA, points out that 58 percent of the Swiss population considers racism a serious social problem, and almost a third believes that more needs to be done to combat it. Systematic countermeasures are still in an early stage of development and implementation, the report says, calling on the government, civil society actors, internet users and platform operators to coordinate ways to provide a secure, non-discriminatory and racism-free environment. ^ top ^
Montreux Jazz Festival China to raise curtain in Hangzhou in October (Global Times)
2021-09-07
The Montreux Jazz Festival China is set to take place for the first time in October in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the festival's organizers announced on Monday. The world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival is held every summer on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Now the Chinese edition will host an eclectic lineup of artists from October 5 to October 8. The Montreux Jazz Festival China said in a media release that it has been working closely with the Chinese government to ensure the health and safety of all participants. The four-day program will include live performances by artists from six countries who all live in China. The festival will also provide recordings from artists from eight countries in 360 degrees reality audio, and will feature videos from the Montreux Jazz Festival's archives. Online lectures are also expected to be hosted by the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music and EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Montreux Jazz Festival was created in 1967 and has since become one of the world's most renowned music events. ^ top ^
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'You don't even understand the basics': Chinese ex-diplomat lashes out at EU envoy (SCMP)
2021-09-10
A former senior Chinese diplomat has accused the European Union's ambassador of not understanding "the basics", lashing out at his criticism of China's "changing" diplomacy and warning of a grave impact on relations with the EU. This came as the two sides continued to press each other on resolving thorny issues in relations, ranging from human rights concerns and Taiwan to tit-for-tat sanctions and a stalled trade deal. Wu Hailong, a former assistant minister at China's foreign ministry, hit out after the EU ambassador Nicolas Chapuis accused China of changing its diplomatic posture and questioned Beijing's response to Lithuania and Taiwan's agreement to set up representative offices. "You don't even understand the basics," Wu said in a raised voice as he commented on Chapuis' speech in a largely online forum on China-EU relations on Wednesday. Hosted by the Chinese think tank Taihe, the forum was attended by a mix of Chinese academics, retired Chinese officials, and a few foreign diplomats and analysts. Wu accused Lithuania of going against the one-China principle, the official view that Beijing expects its diplomatic partners to adopt. Lithuania's decision in August to allow Taipei to open a de facto embassy bearing the name "Taiwan" angered Beijing, which recalled its ambassador to Vilnius and demanded reciprocal action. "After staying in China for so many years you still have such understanding! I am very shocked!" Wu said, warning that if Chapuis continued with his "biases and misunderstandings", it would hurt prospects for improved bilateral relations. Wu also attacked Chapuis for having "no reason at all" to accuse China of imposing "disproportionate" sanctions on Europeans in March, which it did in response to EU sanctions on officials accused of human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The European Parliament responded to China's move by voting in May to freeze a long-awaited EU-China trade deal: the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment. "In the past 30 years it's the first time the EU has sanctioned China, and you dare to ask us to only make proportional retaliation? If you are going to sanction us, we can also use all sorts of ways to retaliate. So what you are saying is not reasonable at all," Wu said. Chapuis, an experienced sinologist and translator, is a veteran French diplomat who served in both of France's offices in Beijing and Shanghai. He has been EU's ambassador to China since 2018. Chapuis said he respects Wu's work but warned China of how its actions are affecting its image among Europeans. "We may be mistaken, but we think in Europe today, everybody – government, public opinion, academics – are today convinced that China is changing, and you are telling us today that it is not the case. That is a perception issue that we need to tackle …. you are all entitled to your views but please do understand that in Europe people are convinced that China is changing its diplomacy," Chapuis said. The intense give and take that escalated to a personal level highlighted the ongoing conflicts between Beijing and Brussels, which have led experts and officials on both sides to harbour few hopes of any icebreakers in the short term. Each side has blamed the other for relations going downhill and say their requests have fallen on deaf ears. Chapuis said he saw evidence of this change when China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, clashed with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a high-level meeting in Alaska in March. "I am very sorry to see that China does not give any credit to the EU in bringing the US back to the path of engagement. Why? Because China has decided to not reset the relationship with the US. "The Anchorage meeting in March 2021 is for me, a very significant signal and very disappointing … The government rejected the return to engagement," he said. "So what does China want? What is the objective, the purpose of China today in foreign relations? It's clearly not the same purpose as 10 years ago, it is different. We are sometimes at a loss to understand exactly what China wants." ^ top ^
New Afghan govt eyes exchanging visits with China; ETIM has no place in Afghanistan: Taliban spokesperson (Global Times)
2021-09-10
While the Taliban announced an interim government consisting of important Taliban figures in Afghanistan on Tuesday, which to many is not as inclusive as they once promised, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen told the Global Times in an exclusive interview that they are in talks with other Afghan politicians and, if an agreement is reached, other people outside the current cabinet will have the chance to take high-ranking jobs in the new government. Shaheen noted that the appointed officials are acting and the permanent ministers will be appointed soon after due consideration. "We believe in the inclusiveness of the government," he told the Global Times, adding that the formal government may be set up this month or next month. After relevant issues are settled, the Taliban hopes to invite high-level delegations from other countries including China to visit Afghanistan. Shaheen told the Global Times that many East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) members have left Afghanistan because the Taliban has categorically told them that there is no place for anyone to use Afghanistan against other counties, including its neighboring countries. Shaheen said that with this announcement to the ETIM members, he did not see that "anyone, in any place" will be able to stay in Afghanistan, especially those "who are intending to carry out sabotage activities in other countries or have their foreign agenda." Ongoing political negotiations In the exclusive interview with the Global Times, Shaheen dismissed the criticism of the Afghan interim government which is seen as not inclusive and does not represent the vast diversity of ethnic groups in the country. He said that this is an interim government and the appointment of ministers at this time is to fill the "vacuum" as it was necessary to provide essential services to Afghan people. Many positions remain vacant but they will be filled after due consideration. Shaheen noted that any changes and adjustments regarding the government are possible before the formal government is set up. According to the announced list of the new government, Prime Minister Mullah Hasan Akhund is still on a UN sanctions list and the interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is the son of the founder of the Haqqani network which was classified as a terrorist group by the US. This could make it harder for the new government to get international recognition and resume normal exchanges, analysts pointed out. Shaheen said that this is the case. But he added that they are a liberating force and other countries that once occupied Afghanistan do not want to delist their members. "We are living in such a one-sided world," and "we hope some of our friends and those who love freedom will support us in our effort to build our country, to build peace, and to work for the prosperity of our people," he said. According to Shaheen, the top priority of the new government is to focus on the economic work, create job opportunities and lift the living standards of the population, focus on the construction of Afghanistan, maintain stability and work for the peaceful coexistence of Afghan people. As the food crisis is looming in Afghanistan, the spokesperson said Afghans are facing a humanitarian crisis and he hopes friendly countries, including its neighboring countries, will come forward and help the people of Afghanistan at this crucial time. "We do not want this assistance for ourselves but we want it for our people," Shaheen said, noting that it is a "moral obligation of those Western countries" to take part in the construction of Afghanistan. "If they do not take part, it means that they do not help the people of Afghanistan [which shows that] their slogans with values of human rights and humanitarianism are empty words. They are raising a slogan on the one hand, but are doing the opposite," he told the Global Times. Many ETIM members had left The world is watching whether the Taliban can cut off its links with terrorist organizations and whether it has the ability to restrain terrorist organizations sheltering in the country. Faced with these questions, Shaheen told the Global Times that in the future, the counter-terrorism work will be conducted by the country's ministry of defense, ministry of interior and intelligence department. "They will be working together to ensure that no one uses the soil of Afghanistan against other countries," he said. Furthermore, he told the Global Times that they do not have plans to conduct counter-terrorism strikes or share intelligence with other countries, and their intelligence and defense departments will do it independently. Shaheen said they have "capabilities, experience and the necessary weapons" to deal with security problems, adding that other countries can express their concerns to them through diplomatic meetings. Regarding the question of the ETIM, the spokesperson made it clear in the interview that after Doha agreement, many members of this organization had left Afghanistan because they were told no one can use Afghanistan against other countries. He said cutting off links with terrorism is in the interest of Afghanistan as they want to focus on the construction of the country to provide a comfortable life for their people. Shaheen also said that they have three commitments. "First, we will not allow any training on our territory. Second, we will not allow any fundraising for those who intend to carry out a foreign agenda. Third, we will not allow the establishment of any recruitment center in Afghanistan. These are the main things," he told the Global Times. However, he did not answer directly whether the Taliban will extradite ETIM members to China if China requests it in the future. Plan to invite delegates from China, Russia Shaheen told the Global Times that the Taliban plans to invite high-level delegations from China and Russia to Afghanistan. He also hopes high-level Afghan delegations can visit Beijing and Moscow. But as the new government was just announced, the invitation has not been sent but is already on their agenda. The Chinese Embassy in Kabul is still functioning and some Chinese citizens have stayed in the country. The spokesperson said the Chinese Embassy and the diplomats are secure and provided with the security they need. "Our security force will be there to provide security around the clock. If they have any concern, we are ready to listen and address it. Additionally, when our forces entered Kabul, we were in contact with your embassy, and your diplomats were in contact with us around the clock. We were providing them facilities and assurance," Shaheen said. The spokesperson once again expressed the willingness to participate in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). At this moment, Shaheen also hopes China will come forward and help the people of Afghanistan by providing humanitarian assistance. On Wednesday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced that China would provide 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Afghanistan, as well as emergency humanitarian aid worth 200 million yuan ($31 million) including food, medicines and other winter supplies. ^ top ^
South China Sea: Beijing ramps up drills and tests its ability to seize an island (SCMP)
2021-09-10
The Chinese military is ramping up its presence in the South China Sea and enhancing its ability to seize an island, despite military friction with the United States in the region. An area in the west of the Leizhou Peninsula will be cordoned off to traffic on Thursday and Friday, because of "live-fire exercises", according to a notice by China's Maritime Administration. Separately, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday that a naval detachment under the Southern Theatre Command had conducted an amphibious landing exercise in the South China Sea in the early hours of the morning. The exercise involved using Wuzhishan – a Type 071 amphibious transport dock – and two helicopters, at least one tank and three air-cushioned landing craft, according to video footage released by the state broadcaster CCTV. The video also showed soldiers being sent to an unspecified island by both the helicopter and the transport dock. "In recent years, this [naval] detachment has organised targeted exercises in conjunction with major exercises, and has accelerated the deep integration of the amphibious landing vessels with other combat forces," said the video. The exercises reflected the increasing posturing by the Chinese navy, which has organised a series of drills this year aimed at enhancing its ability to take over an island. Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military commentator and a former PLA instructor, said the amphibious island-seizure exercise had a strong and clear signal – to regain the island they once lost. "China has been emphasising such exercises in recent years. The island seizure ability shown in the video reflected that the PLA has already conducted enough exercises to gain superiority in the air and at sea, and this marine combat ability will certainly be used to regain control of some islands," Song said. According to data compiled by the South China Morning Post, China has conducted 20 naval exercises involving elements of island capture in the first half of the year alone, far exceeding 13 such exercises carried out during 2020. The recent exercise came after the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold sailed near a disputed South China Sea reef, the Mischief Reef, which China claims as its own but is also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam. An international tribunal ruled in 2016 that most of China's claims in the waters had no legal basis. The Benfold incident started a new round of accusations between China and the US after Beijing introduced a regulation in late August requiring notice by foreign vessels entering its claimed territorial waters. The disputed waters have been a flashpoint in the strained US-China tensions. China continues to claim nearly all the waters after vowing to ignore the tribunal verdict, while the US has shown a growing willingness to challenge Beijing's actions there and has conducted regular freedom-of-navigation operations. In further evidence of friction between the superpowers, China kicked off a series of naval exercises in late August, immediately before a high-profile joint drill between the US and other members of the strategic Quad alliance off the coast of Guam. ^ top ^
BRICS important force to be reckoned with on intl stage: Xi (Global Times)
2021-09-10
The BRICS countries have become an important world power to be reckoned with, and facts have already proven that no matter what difficulties emerge, as long as BRICS remain united and make joint efforts, cooperation will be smooth, solid and sustained, Chinese President Xi Jinping said. Xi made the remarks when he attended the 13th BRICS summit via video link on Thursday. China will chair the BRICS Summit in 2022, and looks forward to deepening cooperation in various fields with its BRICS partners to build a closer, more pragmatic partnership, and to jointly tackle common challenges, Xi said at the summit. Leaders of the five BRICS countries - China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa and India - met virtually on Thursday for talks chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit is being held amid the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and countries around the world are also making efforts to bring about economic reconstruction. Meanwhile, the situation in Afghanistan poses specific security concerns, with three member states sharing regional interests and China also sharing a border with the country. Chinese experts said that the major powers in BRICS share similar points on the hot spot issue of Afghanistan, but due to their different national interests and standards on counter-terrorism, it will be hard to see effective and deep cooperation on the matter. What BRICS countries can do is boost economic recovery and build mutual trust in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, which are the priorities shared by the five major economies, and put their differences over other issues aside. "To date, China has provided more than 1 billion doses of finished and bulk vaccines to over 100 countries and international organizations, and will strive to provide a total of 2 billion doses by the end of this year," Xi said. Xi announced that on top of the US$100 million donation to COVAX, China will donate an additional 100 million doses of vaccines to fellow developing countries within this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the summit via video link that the withdrawal of the US and its allies from Afghanistan has led to a new crisis, and it is "still unclear how it will affect regional and global security," according to Indian media NDTV. "Global security has faced serious challenges and the system of strategic stability has gone down. Our countries have paid special attention to this issue [Afghanistan]. Russia and its BRICS partners have consistently spoken for establishing long-awaited peace and stability on Afghan soil," Putin noted. Afghanistan should not become a "threat to its neighboring countries, a source of drug trafficking and terrorism," Modi also said in his address to the virtual summit, NDTV reported. After the summit, the five countries have made the BRICS New Delhi Declaration. In the part related to Afghanistan, the declaration said, "We call for refraining from violence and settling the situation by peaceful means. We stress the need to contribute to fostering an inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue so as to ensure stability, civil peace, law and order in the country." "We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks near the Hamid Karzai Kabul International Airport that resulted in a large number of deaths and injuries. We underscore the priority of fighting terrorism, including preventing attempts by terrorist organizations to use Afghan territory as terrorist sanctuary and to carry out attacks against other countries, as well as drug trade within Afghanistan. We emphasize the need to address the humanitarian situation and to uphold human rights, including those of women, children and minorities," reads the New Delhi Declaration. China announced a significant move to provide emergency humanitarian aid including food, materials for winter, medicines and 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Afghanistan on Wednesday, just one day after the Taliban announced the establishment of its interim government. Qiu Wenping, an expert on Afghanistan at Fudan University, said Afghanistan is a significant country in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, so providing emergency aid to the country when it faces serious sanctions from the West and desperately needs external help will win appreciation from not only the Taliban but also the people of Afghanistan. "It's just like offering coal in snowy weather," Qiu said, quoting an old Chinese saying. The Taliban need to realize absolute control of the country as soon as possible and to restore stability, and after receiving China's humanitarian aid, the organization will owe China a big favor, and in the next step, the Taliban will have to make efforts to respond to China's demand to strike the ETIM, said some Chinese analysts. China has made the first move, and in the future, possibly after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit scheduled to be held on September 17, more countries will follow China's steps in providing assistance to Afghanistan to ensure that the local people avoid a humanitarian crisis this winter, said some analysts. Who are key players? China and Russia share a similar stance on the Afghan issue, while India leans more toward the US, Lin Minwang, a professor at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Thursday. Although on the surface major powers worldwide share similar stances on Afghanistan, such as the need to restore peace and stability and to prevent the country from becoming a haven for terrorists again, they have different standards on identifying terrorist groups, so it's hard for them to have effective counter-terrorism cooperation, as they can only cooperate with the partners who have a similar stance and common interests, said experts. Due to the Taliban's victory, India is facing a very embarrassing situation as it has always held a hostile stance toward them, and now has very limited influence in the country, so New Delhi is desperately seeking new ways to keep involved, said Chinese analysts. The Haqqani network, an extremist armed group under the Taliban which is also designated as a terrorist organization by the US, treats India as its enemy. Since Sarajuddin Haqqani, son of the founder of the Haqqani network, has been announced as the acting interior minister, India is becoming increasingly concerned over the situation, Lin said. Russia shares some similar concerns with India, as the Taliban is on its list of terrorist groups, and after the pllout of US troops from Afghanistan, Russia's stance is also becoming more flexible now, but it's still less active compared to that of China, Lin noted. China and Russia, together with Turkey, Iran and Pakistan, were invited by the Taliban to the ceremony announcing the composition of the new government, but India was not, which shows that New Delhi does not play a central role on the issue, said experts. ^ top ^
Chinese premier urges GMS countries to broaden cooperation (Xinhua)
2021-09-10
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday called on Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries to broaden the areas of cooperation and jointly promote sustainable and inclusive development within the subregion. Li made the remarks via video link at the seventh summit of the GMS Economic Cooperation, which was hosted by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen. Also attending the video summit were Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, Myanmar's State Administration Council Chair Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and the Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa. Noting that the current COVID-19 pandemic is still fluctuating globally, and instability and uncertainty in the global economy are increasing, Li said the economic recovery and sustainable growth of countries in the subregion are facing new challenges. "We should build consensus, enhance political mutual trust, broaden cooperation areas, improve cooperation levels, and jointly promote the sustainable and inclusive development of the subregion," Li said. Li called on the GMS countries to deepen cooperation on water resources for the benefit of coastal nations. They should also work together to prevent and control the pandemic, strengthen trade and investment, and jointly promote economic recovery, said Li. Since last year, China has been providing the five Mekong countries with annual hydrological data on the Lancang River, and has taken the initiative in launching the Lancang-Mekong water resource cooperation information-sharing platform website. "We are willing to jointly hold the second Lancang-Mekong water resource cooperation ministerial meeting and cooperation forum, and strengthen the capacity of integrated river basin management and water resource management through solidarity and cooperation," he said. In terms of COVID-19 prevention and control, Li vowed to continue providing vaccines and other medical aid within China's capacity by making the Mekong River countries a priority, and to carry out cooperation on epidemic surveillance and infectious disease prevention, making use of the special funds for public health that have been established. Li called for strengthening trade and investment by speeding up the ratification and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and implementing the protocol on upgrading the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, so as to inject vitality into countries' development. "We should leverage the exemplary role of the upcoming operation of the China-Laos railway, speed up the construction of the China-Thailand railway, the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway and other major projects, and advance the building of a regional power-coordination center," he said. In terms of sustainable development, Li called for strengthening cooperation on tackling climate change and environmental protection, as well as discussing new models of tourism cooperation in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. "We should draw on each other's respective strengths and make concerted efforts to promote the coordinated development of the GMS Economic Cooperation and the Lancang-Mekong cooperation mechanisms through upholding openness and inclusiveness," he said. "We welcome enterprises from all countries to invest in China," Li said, adding that domestic and foreign enterprises will be treated equally, and China's development will bring new development opportunities to the Mekong River countries. China is willing to work with the Mekong River countries to promote regional economic integration, safeguard regional peace and stability, and make new contributions to subregional integrated development and common prosperity, he stressed. ^ top ^
China to keep an eye on Taliban's terrorism promises after announcement of Afghan interim govt (Global Times)
2021-09-08
The Afghan Taliban on Tuesday announced key members of its new interim government, whose structure shows the Taliban want to ensure its political dominance and absolute control in the country and means the Taliban at this stage will still prioritize solving internal problems rather than responding expectations from the international community, Chinese analysts said. Although the key positions of the interim government are dominated by Taliban members, the Taliban might share some grass-root positions with non-Taliban forces in the country, analysts said. However, some of these Taliban senior members are on the UN sanctions list, which remains a major concern for the international community and also increases difficulty for this interim government to be recognized widely and restore normal international exchanges, said Chinese analysts, adding that China will keep paying attention to the situation and will not change its position of urging the Taliban to keep what was promised. Mullah Hasan Akhund was announced as prime minister of Afghanistan's caretaker government on Tuesday, with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Abdul Salam Hanafi named as the acting deputy prime ministers, media reported. Sarajuddin Haqqani, son of the founder of the Haqqani network designated as a terrorist organization by the US, will be the acting interior minister, the Taliban's main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, informed during a news conference in Kabul. Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of the late Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, was appointed as the acting defense minister. All these appointments were for an interim government, Mujahid told a news conference in Kabul. It was not clear what role in the interim government would be played by Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban supreme leader. He has not been seen or heard in public since the collapse of the Western-backed government and the seizure of Kabul last month, Reuters reported. "The structure of the new government has shown that the Taliban will dominate all key positions. They want to take control but meanwhile are hoping to present an inclusive image to the world. But they face difficulties in establishing a political structure by both the Taliban and non-Taliban, evident in their postponement in announcing the formation of the interim government," Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of the Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. The Taliban have stressed that it would build an open and inclusive government with a moderate approach and would not become a haven for terrorist organizations. However, given the complex history and situation in Afghanistan, there still lies a great deal of uncertainty whether it can have a clean cut with their old allies, which means that whether the international community will readily recognize the interim government remains a question, Liu noted. Zhu Yongbiao, Director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies in Lanzhou University, mentioned that the interim government does not seem to be as "inclusive" as it claimed because the key positions have been taken by members of the Taliban. Besides Haqqani, the Taliban's supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada will be the emir of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," media reported. Zhu said that the appointment of the emir makes the new political system in Afghanistan similar to the previous one allowing the emir to live in Kandahar where the administrative work of the country will be shared by the PM and other senior officials. An expert on counterterrorism and Afghan affairs in Beijing, who asked to remain anonymous, said that "due to the previous terrorist attacks at the Kabul airport, the IS-Khorasan is the terrorist group that the Taliban can decide to cut off, but the Taliban is unlikely to deal with all terrorists in Afghanistan with the same standard." "The Taliban may keep some terrorists in the country as bargaining chips to make deals with other neighboring countries and major powers worldwide, so it is unrealistic to expect the Taliban to have a clear and absolute cutoff with all terrorists in Afghanistan at this moment," according to the expert. The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is a major concern for China and the Taliban are aware if it wants to maintain a sustainable ruling of the country, China is the only major power that could provide meaningful support. Therefore, it would take some actions on the matter to meet China's request, the expert said. Wang Jin, an associate professor at the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies of Northwest University, believed the appointments of the interim government display certain degree of inclusiveness. An inclusive government for the Afghan Taliban is not what we used to understand as sharing power with other political groups. The Taliban had made it clear previously that it would take the dominant role in the new government and share positions of ministers for basic departments with other political groups, Wang noted, adding that he was a little surprised to see the appointment of Mullah Hassan Akhund as the prime minister of the new interim government as he was on the sanctions list of the UN. The Afghan Taliban are hoping to join in the UN, but the decision to appoint some on UN's sanctions list as senior officials on key positions in its interim government may create more difficulties for it to communicate with the international community. Similar to Zhu, Wang said that other senior officials in the new interim government are on the UN sanctions list, which means it will be more difficult for it to deal with the international community and the West. The nominations for these positions also showed that the Afghan Taliban are taking a realist political view hoping to consolidate the domestic political situation first and later start to gradually promote international relations, Wang said, noting that regardless of the reasons for the decisions of the new interim government, the Afghan Taliban still have a long way to go in either solving domestic problems or dealing with international ties. ^ top ^
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China starts campaign for cultivating skilled workers (People's Daily)
2021-09-10
China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) has lately issued guidelines to initiate a campaign for training skilled workers. According to the guidelines, the country plans to increase the number of skilled labor by over 40 million by the end of 2025, and will ensure its proportion in the country's total employed population rises to 30 percent by then. Besides, the country intends to bring the proportion of highly skilled personnel in skilled workers to 35 percent in its eastern provinces, and lift that in the central and western regions by two to three percentage points by 2025. Highly skilled workers can turn research findings and designs into actual products, contribute to scientific and technological innovation and breakthroughs and undertake many other important tasks, noted Chen Lixiang, deputy head of the Chinese Society for Technical and Vocational Education. China's technological advances in equipment manufacturing in recent years couldn't have been achieved without the wisdom of high-caliber innovation teams made up of personnel including skilled workers, Chen said. As of the end of last year, the number of skilled workers in China exceeded 200 million, among whom nearly 30 percent, or about 58 million, were highly skilled. However, there remains a prominent scarcity of skilled labor in the country, with the number of vacancies for highly skilled workers being over twice that of job seekers. Research conducted by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Ministry of Education shows ten major fields of manufacturing will suffer from a shortage of nearly 30 million skilled workers by 2025, Chen warned. To ensure that the goals and tasks set out in the guidelines will be achieved, the document specified 20 measures related to endeavors including perfecting relevant systems and policies, advancing vocational education, involving companies in skills training, and enhancing international cooperation in the aspect, which cover the cultivation, employment and evaluation of and incentives for skilled workers. In order to push ahead with high-quality vocational training, 155 prefecture-level cities in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in China have offered electronic coupons for training courses this year, allowing impoverished laborers, the unemployed, college graduates and staff members in companies to improve their professional skills with the electronic coupons received through their social security accounts. Data suggest that nearly 1.76 million electronic coupons had been issued and 84,300 of them had been used by mid-April. The guidelines stressed continuously implementing a new type of apprenticeship system with Chinese characteristics for companies. On the basis of the traditional one, the new type of apprenticeship system highlights vocational training jointly carried out by training institutions and companies, policy support and government subsidies, Chen pointed out. Under the new apprenticeship system, companies can cut costs of talent cultivation, apprentices can be better prepared for jobs, and vocational schools and institutions can get involved in the practices of companies, according to Chen. In 2020, Kunshan, east China's Jiangsu province, opened its first session of training courses under the new apprenticeship system. "The training courses were totally free," said Zhou Qiang, an apprentice attending the courses, adding that those certificated as senior technicians after the training can receive a subsidy of 8,000 yuan ($1,238) from the government. "We have also learned from and adopted advanced countries' successful experience and practices in training, employing, and evaluating skilled workers, and promoted mutual recognition of vocational qualification certificates among countries," said a MOHRSS official, adding that the ministry will continuously advance relevant work to ensure the success of the 46th World Skills Competition to be held in Shanghai in 2022. According to the guidelines, companies can independently determine the scope for evaluating occupations (types of work), set grades for positions requiring professional skills, develop and formulate evaluation standards and norms, and adopt methods for carrying out evaluation of skilled talents. By the end of May, more than 5,200 enterprises and over 1,800 social organizations in China had been authorized to identify occupational skill levels, and about 2.3 million skilled workers had been rated qualified and received their certificates. ^ top ^
Xi calls on teachers to be role models (China Daily)
2021-09-10
On the eve of China's 37th Teachers' Day, which falls on Friday, President Xi Jinping extended festive congratulations and sincere wishes to teachers across the country. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, voiced the greetings and his great expectations in a letter replying to representatives of the country's outstanding university teachers on Thursday. Recently, the teachers wrote to Xi about their progress in teaching and scientific research, and they spoke of their determination to stay true to the education cause, serve the country and contribute to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The teachers are members of the 201 role-model teaching teams selected by the Ministry of Education from across the country. The teams are named after Huang Danian, the late renowned geophysicist, in honor of Huang's great contributions to the country. Huang was a professor at Jilin University. After achieving academic success overseas, he returned to China in 2009 and helped the country achieve advances in deep-earth exploration. Huang died of an illness in 2017 at the age of 58. After Huang's death, Xi issued an instruction calling upon people to learn from Huang's great spirit of patriotism and his dedication to the country's development. As a result, the Ministry of Education selected outstanding teaching teams from 200 universities and colleges across the nation beginning in 2017, encouraging them to spearhead efforts in teaching and research. In his reply to the recent letter by the representatives of the teachers, Xi said he was very glad that they follow Huang's lead, serve their posts, boost the buildup of their scholastic teams and have made achievements in teaching, education, scientific research and innovation. Xi emphasized that a good teacher should also behave as a role model for the whole community. He encouraged the teachers to further learn from and carry forward the noble spirit of outstanding teachers, including Huang. He also said he expected the teachers to work with their vast number of colleagues across the country, pursue great virtues, dedicate themselves to learning, exploring and innovating, and be a good guide for their students. The goal for teachers is to make new contributions to the socialist cause of nurturing capable young people who have good and all-around moral, intellectual, physical and aesthetic grounding, as well as to build a modernized socialist country in an all-around way, Xi said. ^ top ^
China issues human rights action plan for 2021-2025 (Xinhua)
2021-09-09
China on Thursday published the latest human rights action plan, setting the objectives and tasks of respecting, protecting and promoting human rights in the period from 2021 to 2025. Titled "Human Rights Action Plan of China (2021-2025)," the document was released by the State Council Information Office. The action plan has eight parts: "Introduction," "Economic, Social and Cultural Rights," "Civil and Political Rights," "Environmental Rights," "Protecting the Rights of Particular Groups," "Education and Research on Human Rights," "Participating in Global Human Rights Governance," as well as "Implementation, Supervision and Assessment." China has formulated and implemented three action plans on human rights since 2009. During this period, the Chinese people have prospered, their rights have been better protected, the policies and legal measures protecting the rights of particular groups have improved, and the legal safeguards for human rights have been strengthened, said the action plan. China has also fully participated in global human rights governance, making a major contribution to the international cause of human rights, it added. The action plan lists a range of targets for the 2021-2025 period. China will promote the free, well-rounded and common development of all individuals as the general goal, it said. The Chinese government will hold fast to its people-centered approach, and exert itself to meet the people's growing expectations for human rights protection. It will guarantee the principal position of the people, and ensure that development is for the people and relies on the people, and that development benefits are shared by the people, it said. China will protect the people's economic, social and cultural rights to meet their expectation for a better life, and create more favorable economic, social and cultural conditions to achieve this goal, read the plan. Efforts will also be made to safeguard the civil and political rights and promote effective participation in social affairs, thus laying a sound democratic and legal foundation for well-rounded development of the people, the plan said. China will cherish clear waters and green mountains as invaluable assets, the plan said, adding that the country will continue to respect, work with, and protect mother nature, and promote the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature. The plan said that China will reinforce the equal protection of the rights and interests of particular groups and providing them with extra assistance, to ensure all have an equal share in the fruits of development, and to provide policy support for the well-rounded development of all. It added that the country will conduct extensive research, education and training, and build awareness in this field, to create a social atmosphere of respecting and protecting human rights. China will participate in global human rights governance, the plan said. China will engage itself in all work relating to the UN human rights mechanisms, propel the international community to establish a more just, fair, reasonable and inclusive governance system, and work together to build a global community of shared future, it added. ^ top ^
China's top universities told to stop slacking off on Communist Party ideology (SCMP)
2021-09-07
Communist Party inspectors have told education officials and elite universities in China to step up ideological education and enforce party discipline on campus. The orders were delivered in "feedback sessions" on Thursday following a wave of inspections of some of the country's top schools by personnel sent by the party's Central Committee. The meetings included senior officials from the Ministry of Education and top managers from 31 universities directly under the committee's supervision, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's top anti-graft agency, said on Sunday. The inspectors found a number of "common and deep-seated problems", particularly in politics and ideology, the CCDI said. "Some schools have slackened in their ideological work in the new era, [causing] hidden risks of varying degree," it said. "Strict enforcement of the party's control is lagging... and problems such as corruption in scientific research and infrastructure [investment] persist." According to the state media reports, 15 teams of inspectors were assigned from May to check on party units at the ministry and the universities. "The inspection teams will be stationed at the units assigned to them for around two months, and hotlines and email addresses will be set up to solicit complaints and reports on discipline breaches by party officials," state news agency Xinhua reported at the time. The CCDI said the inspectors received tip-offs through these channels and handed over the information to corruption investigators for further investigation. The agency has been sending inspectors to China's top universities on such missions since 2017. Among the institutions investigated are Peking University and Tsinghua University in Beijing, and Fudan, Jiao Tong and Tongji universities in Shanghai. The 31 universities inspected are under direct management of the Central Committee, which along with the State Council, appoints their party secretaries and presidents. The appointees have the rank of a deputy minister. Wu Junfei, deputy director of Hong Kong's Tianda Institute think tank, said the inspectors focused on ideology because party leaders wanted to ensure control over campuses especially in the lead-up to November's party plenum. "With the plenum, which is expected to endorse a resolution on the party's achievements over the past 100 years, and the party congress next year, the party bosses have gone into overdrive to strive for political stability," Wu said. "There have been major results from the ideological clean-up in the mass media, television and movies in recent months. But universities remain a major concern as they have often played key roles in social and political movements in the past." Since President Xi Jinping came to power in late 2012, university professors and teaching staff have been told to steer clear of sensitive topics in their teaching, especially those related to universal values, press freedom and civil rights. In 2016, Xi vowed to turn the country's universities into "strongholds of the party's leadership" that "firmly uphold the correct political direction" and ensure the party's doctrine dominated the minds of their academics and students. A Peking University philosophy professor said that amid "major changes in the atmosphere", he tried to "teach within the new boundaries". "Those who teach subjects related to Western philosophy and arts have to teach by the book, according to the approved curriculum, and not comment on current affairs now," the professor said on condition of anonymity. But academics in other fields – particularly technology – faced less pressure and had bigger research budgets amid Beijing's push for innovation. "People who teach Marxism and ancient Chinese philosophy are lucky. Just like the professors who undertake scientific and technological research, they have all benefited from the change of direction." ^ top ^
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| Guangdong |
China issues plan for further developing Shenzhen-HK cooperation zone (People's Daily)
2021-09-07
China's central authorities have issued a new plan for further developing a cooperation zone for the southern metropolis of Shenzhen and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). According to the plan, the reform and opening up of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone will be comprehensively deepened. The plan, issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, was made public on Monday. The general plan to establish the cooperation zone was approved by the State Council in 2010. A total of 11,500 Hong Kong-invested companies have been registered in the zone, with registered capital reaching 1.28 trillion yuan (about 198 billion U.S. dollars), according to official data released in late August. The total area of the cooperation zone will be expanded to 120.56 square km from 14.92 square km, said the new development plan. The new blueprint was formulated to help Qianhai better play an exemplary and leading role in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, said the plan. By 2035, Qianhai will boast world-class business environment, and will become an engine for high-quality development with strong capability in global resource allocation, breeding innovation and leading coordinated development, according to goals laid out in the new development plan. Qianhai will advance the development of the modern service industry, accelerate the reform and innovation of the system and mechanisms for sci-tech development, strive to foster a world-class business environment and innovate its governance model. It will also promote free trade in services with Hong Kong and Macao, expand the opening-up of the financial sector, further open up legal affairs and promote high-level participation in international cooperation, according to the plan. The plan will bring significant benefit to the economic and social development of Hong Kong, said a spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council. The content of the plan reflects the great importance that the central authorities attach to the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, as well as people's well-being there, the spokesperson noted, adding that the plan will inject new driving forces and provide new opportunities for Hong Kong's development. "We hope the government and all walks of life in the HKSAR will seize the opportunities and make good use of the central authorities' support policies, and continuously deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong," said the spokesperson. ^ top ^
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| Tibet |
China-India border: PLA troops, jets, artillery 'send warning shot with Tibet drill' (SCMP)
2021-09-08
Chinese fighter jets dropped missiles, troops brought down drones and ground force howitzers made precision strikes during a high-altitude drill by the Tibet Military District intended as a warning to India, according to military observers. In footage of the drill posted on the PLA Daily website on Monday, several units from the People's Liberation Army's Tibet Military District were shown occupying an enemy's key command centre at an altitude of 4,700 metres (15,400 feet). The drill involved infantry, artillery, army aviation, special operation forces, electronic warfare, engineers and chemical defence units, the video stated, without saying when it was conducted. It was designed to test the ability of the various units to work together, as well as use new weapons systems deployed to the region in recent months. In the footage, PLA air defence artillery troops bring down drones similar to Indian reconnaissance devices, air force fighter jets drop missiles to paralyse an enemy command centre, and ground force artillery target a field with precision strikes. The enemy in the exercise was not specified but Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said it was obvious. "It's very clear that the PLA's simulated enemy in these multi-unit joint drills is their Indian counterpart in the Himalayas, with the goal of the training aimed at testing the high-altitude air defence and offence of the Tibet Military District," Song said. "In the video clip, the Tibetan artillery troops showed that they are able to use long-range rocket launchers to stage precision strikes, while air defence missile systems could knock down incoming cruise missiles from the hostile side." Zhou Chenming, a researcher from the Yuan Wang military science and technology institute in Beijing, said the Indian military used spy drones for reconnaissance over Chinese territory so exercises to simulate such incursions were incorporated into regular training in Tibet. "The PLA has a military advantage when facing the challenges from their Indian counterpart, but the PLA doesn't want to fight with India," Zhou said. "India is a big trading partner of China, and China needs the Indian market. So the drill is just a warning to the Indian side." The footage showed new weapons, including the Type PHL-03 multiple launch rocket system, and PCL-181 vehicle-mounted howitzers. It also showed PLA airborne troops rapidly occupying the enemy's main command centre under the protection and support from artillery, intelligence, air force and other combat units. Zhao Xianfu, a Tibet Military District brigade commander, said in the video: "We want to test our new equipment, and the rapid response, mobility and integration in joint cooperation among different fighting units in real combat. "Our next step is to explore new approaches for fighting under extreme conditions in the high-altitude areas, to further boost the military region's transformation and development."The Tibet Military District, the combat unit in the Himalayas, was once seen as lagging in the PLA's decades-long modernisation drive. But border conflicts with India in recent years – including a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June last year – have prompted hardware upgrades in the remote region. More than 30 new weapon systems have been deployed by the PLA to the area in recent years, according to a PLA Daily report in January. It said the military area had designed at least 10 air defence and offence combat scenarios to help troops to integrate with the sophisticated equipment and the extreme climate during regular training. ^ top ^
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| Xinjiang |
China slams 'Uygur tribunal' as farce (China Daily)
2021-09-10
China on Thursday strongly condemned the second set of public hearings by a "Uygur tribunal" on false accusations about the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, calling its activities a farce to smear the region. The "Uygur tribunal", based in the United Kingdom, is simply a nongovernment entity founded by some anti-China forces. Its nature is about political manipulation, Zheng Zeguang, China's ambassador to the UK, said during an online news conference on Thursday. Its organizers have put together actors who have been making up stories and the so-called tribunal has no legal basis and the so-called evidence is nothing but performances, Zheng said. Its organizers aim to attack China, and may disturb the smooth development of China-UK ties, he added. Xu Guixiang, a spokesman for the Xinjiang regional government, said at the news conference that accusations likely to be made during the hearings, including "forced labor" and "genocide", are simply cooked up by anti-China forces to smear Xinjiang and interfere in China's internal affairs. The second set of hearings of the "Uygur tribunal" will be held from Friday to Monday. China expressed strong opposition during the first round of hearings in June. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told another news conference on Thursday that the biggest sponsor of the "Uygur tribunal" is the World Uygur Congress, which advocates Uygur "independence". The so-called chair of the so-called tribunal, Geoffrey Nice, was known for making unreasonable claims in international human rights circles and was a veteran UK special agent. "Also, the 'experts' it has invited are anti-China figures like Adrian Zenz and those from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which has lost its credibility," Zhao said. "Its witnesses even include Dolkun Aisa, a terrorist identified by the Chinese government. The stained 'chair', 'experts' and 'witnesses' have already become a laughingstock in international society." Zenz had repeatedly made claims of "forced labor" and "genocide" in his so-called reports without being able to present any solid evidence. He was even brought to court for his false accusations. By seeing him as an honorable guest, the so-called tribunal has become a lie-creator. Its activities aren't about law, justice or truth but a force to smear Xinjiang, Zhao added. "No matter how many hearings the so-called tribunal holds, it will always be an illegal 'court'," he said. "No matter what kind of shows those anti-China figures put on, Xinjiang's development won't be affected." Graham Perry, a British solicitor and international arbitrator based in the UK, said during the online news conference that there was no evidence to support the claim of "genocide" in Xinjiang. "The Uygur population has seen steady growth between 2010 and 2020. No genocide will lead to population growth," he said. The groundless accusations on Xinjiang are created so anti-China forces can form an alliance to rein in China's development because China's rapid development isn't something they want to see, he added. "Those accusations are simply fictions, make-beliefs and lies," Perry said. ^ top ^
Targeting Xinjiang cotton reveals West's imperialist expansionism (Global Times)
2021-09-07
The European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), a German-based organization, recently filed a criminal complaint in the country against several textile brands and retailers, accusing them of being complicit in crimes against humanity on the basis that their supply chain may contain cotton from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Several companies, including Hugo Boss and Lidl, were named by the ECCHR in a statement. This is the latest attempt by some Western forces to crack down on cotton from Xinjiang. It also shows that some in Europe are keen to join the US' disgraceful crackdown on Xinjiang cotton and the broader Chinese textile industry based on complete lies about forced labor. That is a dangerous path for Europe, which, though has close political ties with the US, has massive economic and trade interests in China. Recently, the US Customs and Border Protection has started to withhold imports which it deems to contain cotton sourced from Xinjiang. Apparently that vicious scheme is extending, which clearly has nothing to do with protecting human rights. Instead, it reveals the West's imperialist expansionism and deceitful mentality. Forced labor in Xinjiang has been proven to be a complete lie, but how European countries destroyed India's cotton textile industry in the 18th century is a reality. What's also a reality is the rapid growth of China's textile industry, which has clearly made some Western forces jealous and threatened. China has grown into a leading power within the global textile industry, supplying raw materials and manufactured products to the world. Moreover, Chinese textile brands have witnessed rapid growth in recent years with greatly improved quality and brand recognition; it is expected that Chinese brands will ascend into the premium global brand category in the near future. Against this backdrop, some Western forces have flustered and begun to devise strategies to wreck China's textile industry, even though the massive middle and low-income groups in their countries may not be able to live without textile products made in China. Behind their fear of being replaced by the Chinese textile industry, the real intention of these forces is clear for all to see: to crack down on a competitor they can't compete with in a fair market. Xinjiang produces some of the highest quality cotton in the world thanks to its unique natural conditions such as big temperature difference in the summer and sufficient sunlight. More importantly, Xinjiang cotton has long realized a high-level of mechanized production with simply no need to use so-called "forced labor." In 2020, the proportion of Xinjiang cotton that was picked by machine reached 69.83 percent, while the proportion reached 95 percent in the northern part of Xinjiang. Yet, the truth of Xinjiang people living in peace and prosperity and enjoying complete freedom in choosing their own occupation does not matter to these malicious anti-China forces. These Western forces may be reluctant to talk about the real Xinjiang, but we have to remind them that, without the Chinese textile and clothing industry, their people may have to stay at home facing empty wardrobes. Their leading textile and clothing multinationals could also be crippled without Chinese suppliers. As for Chinese textile and clothing brands, they have grown strong enough to withstand external attacks, not to mention that China's textile industry has the most complete industrial chain, with world-leading manufacturing capabilities and equipment. China's textile industry accounted for more than 50 percent of the world's total textile market in 2020, producing 70 percent of the world's total chemical fiber and accounting for one-third of the global trade volume in the sector. China not only provides high-quality textile products to Western developed countries, but also to the low and middle-income groups across the whole world. By cracking down on the Chinese textile industry, these Western forces are depriving consumers all over the world of their basic rights to enjoy better products at affordable prices. Finally, these anti-China forces should know that they don't have the strength or the power to repeat their "triumph" of destroying Indian textile industry again in China. If they don't believe that, they should check on their own houses first to see if there is any textile product from China. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
Western politicians must stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs (Global Times)
2021-09-10
The Hong Kong police on Wednesday took decisive actions and arrested relevant members of the anti-China group Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China in accordance with law. Such law-based arrest, which prevented the anti-China group from expanding and making further troubles, is totally justifiable and unquestionable. The discrediting remarks on this matter made by certain Western politicians on Twitter, a "regular" trick of them, are just ridiculous. It's obvious that these hypocritical politicians that hold double standard are supporting neither the law nor the justice. They are in no position to meddle in Hong Kong affairs, and are never able to help Hong Kong end chaos, resume stability, and achieve prosperity. People in Hong Kong are becoming increasingly aware that they cannot become a puppet of external forces that work for certain Western politicians to contain the development of China. They also have a clear picture in their mind of how Hong Kong should develop itself. From the illegal "Occupy Central" movement to the turbulence over the proposed legislative amendments two years ago, organizations such as the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China have constantly fanned up the so-called "achieving justice by violating the law," turning massive adolescents into violent criminals and placing the Hong Kong society into chaos with the "mutual destruction" strategy. However, Hong Kong citizens have already seen through the evil plots of these organizations, and understand that these anti-China rioters must be brought to justice if Hong Kong wants long-term stability and security. It's clear how the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China colluded with external hostile forces, sought for "mutual destruction," and seriously undermined national interests and the fundamental interests of Hong Kong. Trying to get away with legal sanctions by fanning up confrontation and hatred and refusing to submit relevant data to the Hong Kong police, the organization has exactly revealed its illegality and serious violation of laws. The national security law in Hong Kong definitely works. The decisive action taken by the Hong Kong police against the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China proved that anyone that challenges the law will be punished by it. The reactions of some Western politicians mirrored their rising dejection and even frustration. They are reluctant to see their loss of the anti-China rioters that they had long supported, the robust vitality of the national security law in Hong Kong, and the disappearing opportunities for the anti-China rioters to make troubles. Again and again, they disturbed Hong Kong's rule of law and blatantly interfered in China's domestic affairs with irresponsible and groundless accusations against China. However, what are remembered today are the chaos and tragedies taking place in the airport of Kabul, Afghanistan, a place that was once "illuminated" by the "American democratic lighthouse." The US just taught the Afghans what "American arrogance," "American trampling," and "American abandoning" are. It's a common consensus in Hong Kong that the special administrative region must safeguard national sovereignty, protect its dignity, enhance the rule of law and guarantee the social order. Such consensus is even more valuable given what had happened in the past and in other countries. The further investigation into the illegal practices of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China by the government of the Hong Kong special administrative region and the Hong Kong police, and their efforts to take legal actions against the principals of the organization, will help eliminate the poisonous leftovers of various devious theories and safeguard the authority of the national security law in Hong Kong and the dignity of the rule of law. No noise, interference or oppression is able to shake the firm determination of the Chinese central government and the government of the Hong Kong special administrative region to safeguard national security, or waver China's resolution to fully and faithfully implement the "one country, two systems" principle. The common will of the Hong Kong society to safeguard the rule of law brooks no misinterpretation. Once again, we sternly warn some Western politicians that they must obey international law and the basic norms governing international relations, stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs, and cease disturbing Hong Kong's rule of law. ^ top ^
Beijing's push for closer mainland economic ties with Macau and Hong Kong (SCMP)
2021-09-07
Beijing's two new master plans to forge closer mainland Chinese links with Hong Kong and Macau take very different approaches to furthering the "one country, two systems" model of governance, analysts and pro-China veterans have said. Macau would serve as a showcase for the experiment of extending the one country, two systems principle, as the plan would allow the city to apply its governance in neighbouring Hengqin on the mainland over economic affairs. But the proposal for Hong Kong was focused more on providing growth opportunities from the nearby Qianhai economic zone in Shenzhen without any room to extend governance rules, analysts noted. There also appeared to be greater latitude in allowing Hong Kong to decide on the kinds of opportunities it would grab, and this in turn would depend on the willingness of the city's government and businesses to open up, they added. "Macau's plan focuses more on institutional breakthroughs, while Qianhai's development plan, which benefits Hong Kong businesses, stresses economic and technical growth, and takes a more conservative approach on breakthroughs in systems and rules," Tian Feilong, director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said. The analysts were responding to announcements by the central government over the past two days of landmark plans to link Macau with neighbouring Hengqin Island and for Hong Kong to boost technological and business ties with Qianhai in Shenzhen. Hong Kong became a special administrative region in 1997 after it was handed back from British rule to China, while Macau, formerly governed by the Portuguese, returned to the mainland's control as a special administrative region in 1999. Both are governed under the one country, two systems model of autonomy in local administration while falling under Chinese sovereignty. Under the plan in Hengqin, the 106 sq km (26,190 acres) cooperation zone – three times the area of Macau – will be run under a dual-leadership model via a committee co-led by Macau's chief executive and the governor of Guangdong province. The committee will decide on major plans, policies and important personnel appointments within the zone. But in an unprecedented move, the daily governing and management of projects will be overseen by Macau, which can decide on the details of land development, project construction and management of people's livelihoods, as well as the promotion of investment and international cooperation within the zone. This will mark the first time a special administrative region has taken charge of an area on the mainland. The cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong so far is much shallower than Macau's link with Guangdong Tian Feilong, Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies Under the plan approved by the State Council, Macau residents can effectively work and cross the border freely in the Hengqin area. The enterprise income tax rate will be 15 per cent for companies in the Hengqin zone, lower than the 20 to 25 per cent rate on the mainland, while personal income tax for Macau residents working in the Hengqin zone will be kept at the same rate they pay in Macau, also capped at 15 per cent. The Macau experience of administering a mainland area would also pave the way for the future direction of the one county, two systems principle if the cooperation zone proved a success, mainland scholar Tian said. He warned, however, that Hong Kong, in contrast, risked lagging behind and losing its competitive edge if it failed to grasp the opportunities dangled by the plan. The risk for Hong Kong was of not seizing its chances, while that of Macau centred more on execution. "The cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong so far is much shallower than Macau's link with Guangdong," he said. "In Beijing's mind, the nine cities under the Greater Bay Area should grow together or can even compete against each other positively. Beijing is not favouring one of these cities only." Professor Richard Hu Weixing, director of the Centre for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Studies at the University of Macau, also said the new model in Hengqin could be a way to test the one country, two systems principle. "It is like providing an opportunity for a special administrative area to lead a major development," he said. For example, the whole of Hengqin Island would practise Macau law when it came to economic activities, while products made within the area would be marked as Macau-manufactured, he added. Hu, a former professor at the University of Hong Kong, believed Hong Kong needed to catch up on the development front after the time spent dealing with the political conflicts that had rocked the city in recent years. "Instead of simply asking for more land, Hong Kong should think of ways of engaging itself in the overall development plans of the country," he said. "Can we think of more linkages between the two systems in the future such as in public services and social security systems?" China announced its plan for the Greater Bay Area back in 2017, aiming to transform it into a hub to rival San Francisco's Silicon Valley. A development plan was released in February 2019, covering Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and seven other cities in Guangdong province. There are at least four designated areas – namely the Lok Ma Chau Loop on the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border, Qianhai in Shenzhen, Nansha-Huangpu in Guangzhou and Hengqin. But only Hengqin would be run under this special model. For the latest Qianhai plan, Beijing has decided to expand the economic zone from 14.9 sq km to 120.6 sq km, aimed at creating greater mutual access to financial markets and a higher degree of openness in legal matters, as well as to solve business restrictions for Hong Kong enterprises. Witman Hung Wai-man, principal liaison officer for Hong Kong at the Shenzhen Qianhai Authority, said Beijing's intentions were different regarding the two development plans. "Qianhai is more about deepening what has been developed, and to address concerns of Hong Kong businesses in China," he said. "For Macau, it may really need more land and can allow structural changes … while for Hong Kong, it is simply not feasible for city officials to be sent to Shenzhen to run a major development zone," Hung added. Tam Yiu-chung, the city's sole delegate to China's top legislative body, said the central government still valued Hong Kong and was implementing "different plans that best served the needs of the two special administrative regions". Wang Fuqiang of the China Centre for International Economic Exchanges, a think tank in Beijing, along with Hu of Macau University, agreed that the Macau-Hengqin cooperation plan could help the casino hub diversify its economic development. "The current economic structure of Macau is [highly concentrated] or even deformed," Wang said in an interview. "The gaming industry is the single largest industry, with related industries contributing 60 per cent of annual tax revenue and 70 per cent of Macau's GDP. This kind of structure is extremely vulnerable to external challenges." Hu also agreed that cooperation in some areas between Macau and nearby Zhuhai over the past two decades had not been smooth, and that was why the central government had to assist Macau in further developing new strengths, including creating more job opportunities outside the casino business for its younger generation. The Macau-Hengqin zone will focus on hi-tech development and manufacturing industries such as integrated circuits, new energy, big data and artificial intelligence, according to the latest guidelines. Macau's light-rail system will also be connected to Guangdong's network. The plan defines the strategic position of the zone as a new platform to boost Macau's economic diversification, aiming for a "big increase" in the population living and working in the area by 2024. ^ top ^
Hong Kong's remaining district councillors must take oaths of loyalty to gov't from Fri (HKFP)
2021-09-07
Hong Kong's remaining district councillors will be required to swear an oath of allegiance to the government starting from this Friday. The elected district representatives will receive invitations from the Home Affairs Bureau on Tuesday and will take their oaths at a ceremony presided over by Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui. Chief Executive Carrie Lam said during a routine press briefing on Tuesday that councillors will be expected to respond to the invitations and anyone absent will lose their district council seat. "To ensure that everyone taking the oaths are doing so sincerely and solemnly, they will have to say their oaths before the national and HKSAR flags, and comply with relevant requirements for the occasion," Lam said. There will also be rules on appropriate attire to wear, she added. After district councillors quit in droves in July, a total of 211 district councillors will be expected to attend the oath-taking ceremonies, Lam said, beginning with district councillors from Hong Kong Island. Any cases of illegal activity will be referred to the police, she said. Tsui added that "if you have done nothing wrong, if you have a clear conscience, you do not have to look over your shoulder." The government has received a total of 260 resignations from district councillors in recent months, while eight have lost their eligibility to remain in office as they are in custody or have left the city, Lam said on Tuesday. The requirement for district councillors to swear allegiance to the government was introduced in February as an amendment to the existing Oaths and Declaration Ordinance. It also fulfils national security law requirements, Lam said. Officials have said the oaths legislation will not be retroactive, but authorities will consider the past conduct of district councillors when reviewing whether their pledges of allegiance are sincere. Grounds for disqualification will reportedly include having taken part in an unofficial primary election for the democratic camp last July, having signed an online petition last year calling for Hong Kong to lose its special trade status, or having displayed the illegal protest slogan "Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our Times" in offices. The district councillors will not be immediately told if their oaths are considered valid but will be informed after the ceremony, Lam said. "Those [whose oaths] are in doubt, where we cannot fully trust they will uphold their allegiance and loyalty, will be given the opportunity to explain it. It will be decided upon by the administrator of the oaths," Lam said. The administrator may seek legal advice when making such a determination and a district councillor will lose their office if their oaths are deemed invalid, she added. The councils were the last stronghold of the democratic camp after democrats quit the higher-level Legislative Council in protest over the disqualification of four of their colleagues. Pro-democracy councillors controlled all but one of the district councils after a landslide victory in November 2019, during months of pro-democracy protests and unrest. ^ top ^
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| Macau |
Hengqin cooperation zone to boost development of Macao: spokesperson (Xinhua)
2021-09-07
A Chinese government spokesperson on Monday hailed the general plan for building a Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin, saying it will inject strong impetus into the long-term development of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). The plan, made public on Sunday by the central government, is a significant measure to support Macao's appropriate economic diversification, and will facilitate the SAR's long-term prosperity and stability, according to the spokesperson with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council. The spokesperson said the plan is of great importance and will have far-reaching consequences as it strengthens the ability of Macao to withstand external risks and challenges, and meets Macao compatriots' aspirations for a better life. "One country, two systems" is the greatest strength for the development of Hong Kong and Macao, while China's reform and opening-up provides the biggest platform, the spokesperson said, adding that the release and implementation of the plan shows the determination of the central authorities to further deepen reform and advance opening-up. "The great motherland will always stand firm behind Macao for its development," the spokesperson said. The Macao SAR government and people from all walks of life are expected to understand and fully utilize related policies, seizing the important opportunities made available by the implementation of the plan, the spokesperson said. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
Taiwan's regional economic cooperation depends on one-China principle: spokesperson (Xinhua)
2021-09-08
The precondition for Taiwan's participation in regional economic cooperation is the one-China principle, said a mainland spokesperson Wednesday. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the statement after think tanks in Taiwan reportedly said the region should prioritize joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). "We oppose the discussion and signing of agreements with implications of sovereignty and an official nature between the Taiwan region and any country having diplomatic relation with us," Zhu said. ^ top ^
DPP authority overestimates its strength: mainland spokesperson (Xinhua)
2021-09-07
Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority overestimated its strength and attempted to make provocations internationally, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said Tuesday. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to the DPP authority smearing the mainland after Honduran presidential candidate Xiomara Castro vowed to establish diplomatic relations with China if her party wins the election in November. The one-China principle is a widely recognized norm of international relations which enjoys universal consensus of the international community, Zhu said. "We hope relevant countries could abide by the principle in handling the Taiwan question." The DPP authority, out of its political nature of seeking "Taiwan Independence," has been calling white black and deceiving itself, Zhu added. ^ top ^
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| Economy |
Guangdong-Macao cooperation industrial park in Hengqin sees contracts worth 79.3 bln yuan (Xinhua)
2021-09-10
Guangdong-Macao cooperation industrial park in Hengqin has provided land for 25 projects with an agreed investment of 79.3 billion yuan (12.28 billion U.S. dollars), an official said Thursday. Hengqin has played an initial role in promoting the moderate diversification of Macao's economic development, said Lin Keqing, executive deputy governor of Guangdong Province, at a press conference. It has attracted 4,578 enterprises from the Macao Special Administrative Region to register there, while 314 Macao businesses are operating in Hengqin, Lin said. An industrial park of traditional Chinese medicine jointly built by Guangdong and Macao has fostered 50 Macao pharmaceutical projects, he said. Four state key laboratories in Macao have set up branches in Hengqin, incubating 613 innovation and startup projects from Macao, he said. Hengqin is an area located in the southern part of Zhuhai city in Guangdong Province, just adjacent to the Macao Special Administrative Region. China's central authorities issued a general plan for building a Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin on Sept. 5. ^ top ^
RMB internationalization inevitable trend as Chinese economy continues to grow (People's Daily)
2021-09-07
The internationalization index of the Chinese currency renminbi (RMB), or the yuan, hit a 5-1/2-year high, according to a recent Reuters report. Citibank predicted that the RMB is likely to overtake the Japanese yen and British pound to become the third most-recognized global settlement currency by the year 2030. In 2009, the People's Bank of China (PBOC), China's central bank, launched a pilot project to use the RMB in the settlement of cross-border trade, ushering in the internationalization of the currency. Over more than a decade, the RMB has emerged as an important currency in cross-border trade, financial transactions, and official foreign exchange reserves, becoming increasingly market-oriented and internationally recognized. Meanwhile, the currency has also played a crucial role in facilitating trade and investment, promoting innovative development of the financial sector, as well as serving the real economy and other areas. The RMB Internationalization Index (RII) had risen from 0.02 in the first quarter of 2010 to 5.02 in the fourth quarter of 2020, growing by more than 250 times in ten years, according to figures released by the International Monetary Institute (IMI) of Renmin University of China. The RII, though still lower than the internationalization indexes of the U.S. dollar (51.27) and the euro (26.17), has surpassed those of the yen (4.91) and the pound (4.15) and ranked third among major currencies for three consecutive quarters. It's quite obvious that in recent years, although China's capital account hasn't been fully opened, the overall internationalization level of the RMB has been elevated constantly. The country has preliminarily blazed a path of currency internationalization with Chinese characteristics, which can be attributed to its achievements in the following aspects. First, China has maintained the long-term "crisis-free growth" of its real economy, cornerstone of currency internationalization, providing a solid foundation for the internationalization of the RMB. As the COVID-19 pandemic has plunged global economy into deep recession and made the external environment increasingly severe, China's becoming the first country among the world's major economies to realize positive economic growth has further increased global investors' confidence in the RMB and RMB financial assets. Second, China has always adhered to high-level opening-up, enabling the RMB to gradually perform more functions around the globe. The size and share of the RMB in cross-border trade settlement have seen growth while maintaining stability. As to the use of the RMB in financial transactions, outbound direct investment (ODI) and foreign direct investment (FDI) using the RMB have grown steadily; the construction of the offshore RMB bond market has been advanced; the capital market has been opened up at a faster pace; the financial derivative market has made breakthroughs; and RMB financial assets have won favor with global investors. With the entry of the RMB into the IMF's Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket, the amount of the RMB in global foreign exchange reserves increased from $90.78 billion in 2016 to $269.49 billion in 2020, recording growth in ten straight quarters. So far, the currency has been included into the foreign exchange reserves of 75 countries and regions. Third, China has constantly improved the international cooperation and infrastructure for the use of the RMB. Bilateral currency swap agreements and clearing banks for RMB business have been continuously expanded to facilitate the use of the RMB overseas. Free trade zones across the country have expanded pilot zones for cross-border RMB business, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has enhanced connectivity among financial markets in an orderly manner, gradually promoting the cross-border use of the RMB. Besides, the country has made significant achievements in the construction of the Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), which makes cross-border use of the RMB more convenient. While the global economy is still faced with uncertainties, the RMB is showing strong stability as a result of the resilience of the Chinese economy, the stable value of the RMB, and the constantly deepened international cooperation. China's economic and social systems have been really resilient in the face of the sudden COVID-19 pandemic and increasingly grim external environment. The country has not only made major strategic achievements in the battle against the virus, but achieved remarkable results in promoting economic and social development amid routine COVID-19 prevention measures. Despite the impacts of the pandemic, the country has achieved positive growth in its real economy and foreign trade and seen record-high use of foreign investment, creating a good economic environment for the internationalization of the RMB. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous turbulence for global financial markets and a drastically rising panic in market players. As central banks of major countries and regions have implemented super-loose monetary policies and carried out unconventional countercyclical operations to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic, China's monetary policy has been kept within a normal range, and the interest rate and exchange rate of the RMB have remained relatively firm. Since 2008, the PBOC has signed bilateral currency swap agreements with the central banks or other monetary authorities of over 30 countries and regions, covering major developed economies and emerging economies as well as main offshore RMB markets. Bilateral currency swap not only helps promote trade and investment and guarantee liquidity in the supply of the RMB, but can increase the RMB's risk resistance capacity, give a positive signal about the RMB to the world, and firm up overseas investors' confidence in the RMB. ^ top ^
China's foreign trade sustains growth momentum (Xinhua)
2021-09-07
China's foreign trade sustained growth momentum in the first eight months of the year as external demand continued to pick up and the economy maintained stable development. In the first eight months of the year, the country's total imports and exports expanded 23.7 percent year on year to 24.78 trillion yuan (about 3.84 trillion U.S. dollars), data from the General Administration of Customs showed Tuesday. The figure marked a 22.8-percent increase compared with the level registered during the same period in 2019, according to Customs data. Both exports and imports logged double-digit growth in the January-August period, surging 23.2 percent and 24.4 percent from a year earlier, respectively. Trade surplus increased 17.8 percent year on year during the same period to 2.34 trillion yuan. Exports of mechanical and electrical products and labor-intensive products registered double-digit growth in the January-August period. Exports of mobile phones, clothing and accessories, and plastic products increased 9.2 percent, 17.9 percent and 24.6 percent, respectively. The breakdown shows a broad-based uptick across all types of goods. In particular, the rebound in Chinese-made consumer goods such as electronics, furniture and recreational products possibly reflected retailers in advanced economies replenishing their inventories ahead of the Christmas shopping season, said Sheana Yue, an economist at London-based economic analysis firm Capital Economics, in a note. In the first eight months of the year, China's trade with its top three trading partners -- the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union and the United States -- maintained sound growth. During the period, the growth rates of China's trade value with the three trading partners stood at 22.8 percent, 22.1 percent and 25.8 percent, respectively. China's trade with countries along the Belt and Road rose 24.6 percent to 7.29 trillion yuan during the same period, the data showed. Private enterprises saw imports and exports increase 29.9 percent to stand at 11.92 trillion yuan in the first eight months, accounting for 48.1 percent of the country's total, up 2.3 percentage points compared with the same period last year. The imports and exports of state-owned enterprises rose 25.2 percent to reach 3.81 trillion yuan, accounting for 15.4 percent of China's total foreign trade value during the period. In August alone, the country's imports and exports rose 18.9 percent year on year to 3.43 trillion yuan, representing a yearly increase in China's foreign trade for 15 consecutive months, the data showed. While China's foreign trade is expected to continue the growth, analysts have warned of uncertainties that could have a possible impact on it. High prices of raw materials, fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate and delays in sea shipping will further squeeze the profit margins of foreign trade enterprises and affect their willingness to accept new orders, said Tu Xinquan, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics. ^ top ^
Rescuing China's Would-Be Chipmaking Champion (Caixin)
2021-09-06
Tsinghua Unigroup Co. Ltd. is on a fast track for asset restructuring under pressure from creditors as the once high-flying maker of computer chips is mired in a nearly two-year debt crisis. At stake are nearly $46 billion of assets and one of China's most ambitious semiconductor investment projects. Unigroup, majority owned by Tsinghua University in Beijing, was once at the forefront of China's drive to develop a domestic semiconductor industry. The company embarked on a series of acquisitions and investments in the capital-intensive integrated circuit sector between 2013 and 2019, forging partnerships with Intel Corp. and HP Inc. and emerging as a major player. But it failed to generate income quickly in an industry famous for huge costs of entry and long payback periods. Since late 2020, the company has defaulted on a raft of bonds amid an escalating capital crunch. A Beijing court set a Sept. 5 deadline for potential investors to register to take part in Unigroup's bankruptcy restructuring. Creditor Huishang Bank Co. Ltd. filed a petition in July seeking a court-led reorganization of the state-owned conglomerate, citing unpaid debts and insufficient assets. If they pass the court's review, potential investors can carry out due diligent studies on Unigroup and submit binding restructuring plans by Sept. 25. Creditors need to file claims by Oct. 8, according to the court. Under China's bankruptcy law, the company will have until April 2022 to discuss and settle on a reorganization plan with potential strategic investors. Unigroup is expected to attempt to reach an agreement with creditors for some of its debt to be forgiven and for repayment deadlines to be delayed, while strategic investors will be invited to provide new funds. If the company, its creditors and potential strategic investors fail to reach agreement, the company could be liquidated. According to company filings, Unigroup had 296.6 billion yuan ($46 billion) of total assets as of the end of June 2020. Liabilities amounted 202.9 billion yuan, with nearly 80 billion yuan maturing within a year. Strategic investors chosen to lead Unigroup's reorganization will need to tackle the massive debt pile. But a more challenging task will be reviving the company's flash memory chip production unit, Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. Ltd. The Wuhan-based project is among China's most ambitious attempts to build advanced semiconductor capabilities. In 2019, it started producing China's first homemade 64-layer 3D NAND flash memory chips. In April 2020, it developed a 128-layer 3D NAND chip, which started production this year. But proceeding with the project will require massive future investment. Gu Wenjun, chief analyst at semiconductor industry analysis firm ICwise, said Yangtze Memory Technologies needs more than 500 billion yuan of investment over the next 10 years, while the company is unlikely to turn profitable for three years. Several market sources told Caixin that the Yangtze Memory Technologies' massive capital needs are the most concerning challenge for potential investors in the Unigroup restructuring. The Unigroup crisis reflects a common problem in China's push for strategic projects in the semiconductor industry, which often have easy access to initial capital but face difficulties achieving sustainable growth, Gu said. […] The China-U.S. trade war dealt another heavy blow to Unigroup as American authorities tightened their grip on Chinese investment in the U.S. tech sector. "Unigroup's high-profile acquisitions worldwide sparked concerns of the U.S. government as all China-led acquisitions in the semiconductor industry are suffering headwinds," one industry investor said. The straw that broke the camel's back was the changing attitude of the company's largest shareholder. In 2018, Tsinghua University set out a plan to sell its stake in Unigroup as part of an overhaul of universities' business assets ordered by the central government. Without the university's backing, Unigroup has been shut out of the bond market since March 2019. As Unigroup's liquidity woes worsened, the company started selling assets. In May 2020, Unigroup sold 13.39% of Unisoc for 7.4 billion yuan. Four months later, it sold 5.68% of its cloud business arm Tsinghua Unisplendour (000938.SZ +1.40%) for 4.7 billion yuan. But the asset sales offered little relief as the company's debt widened to 202.9 billion yuan by the end of June 2020, including 81.4 billion yuan due in one year. According to company filings, Unigroup and its subsidiaries defaulted on domestic and offshore bonds totaling 18 billion yuan as of April 26. Even before the company's first bond default in November, a Beijing government-led team was sent to the company to help defuse debt risks, people familiar with the matter told Caixin. Zhao warned authorities of the company's troubles in seeking government help, but he didn't expect the situation to become so severe, people said. A major concern for investors is hidden debt among Unigroup's web of subsidiaries. According to company filings, as of end June 2020, Unigroup had 286 subsidiaries. Despite the massive debts, some of Unigroup's assets are attractive to investors. According to a person close to the revamp, Unigroup's most valuable assets include Shenzhen-listed cloud unit Tsinghua Unisplendour, security chipmaker Unigroup Guoxin Microelectronics Co. (002049.SZ -2.70%), mobile phone chipmaker Unisoc and Yangtze Memory Technologies, all leading players in segments of the semiconductor industry. Unigroup is the largest shareholder of Unisoc with 35.23%. The unit was valued at about 60 billion yuan when it raised 5.3 billion yuan in April. In the first half of this year, Unisoc reported 240% revenue growth, mainly driven by consumer electronics. Unisoc has been preparing for a public listing on Shanghai's Nasdaq-like STAR Market. But the parent company's debt crisis added uncertainty to Unisoc's listing plan. Several brokerage sources said it is unlikely for Unisoc to obtain listing approval before the largest shareholder's reorganization plan is settled. The listing plan may be further delayed if Unigroup's restructuring leads to an ownership change for Unisoc, they said. But Unisoc is also likely to bring the fastest return to investors, analysts said. "Unisoc's asset quality is sound," one market source said. "As long as the debt issues are solved, it will be able to push forward a public listing soon." Unigroup Guoxin is the only publicly traded chipmaking unit of Unigroup. The company is a leading manufacturer of smart security chips that are widely used for mobile SIM cards and bank cards. Despite the parent's crisis, Unigroup Guoxin posted more than 100% growth in 2020 net profit while its market cap surge to a record 100 billion yuan July 7. Unigroup's main cloud business arm is Shenzhen-traded Unisplendour, which owns majority stakes in H3C and UNIS WDC, a joint venture with Western Digital Corp., the American computer hard disk drive manufacturer. Compared with the chip business, Unigroup's cloud businesses are in a better shape and are more transparent, analysts said. In 2020, Unisplendour posted 59.7 billion yuan of revenue with net profit of nearly 1.9 billion yuan. The most complicated part of reorganizing Unigroup will be Yangtze Memory Technologies. "To take over Unigroup, (investors) should consider not only how much debt it owes, but also how much money it needs for the future," Gu said. The huge amount of capital required for Yangtze Memory Technologies' future sets a high bar for potential investors, he said. Set up in 2016, Yangtze Memory Technologies is one of the key projects pushed by the government under a national strategy to improve the country's self-reliance in semiconductors. The 38.6 billion yuan of Yangtze Memory Technologies registered capital came from the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, Hubei government-backed investment companies and Unigroup. Currently, Unigroup holds 51% of Yangtze Memory Technologies. But amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Wuhan-based project has lagged behind schedule. According to the original plan, the second phase of the project was to be completed by the end of 2020 with capacity to produce 300,000 chips a month. However, construction was delayed as Wuhan was locked down for months to contain the coronavirus. Progress was further slowed as the National Integrated Circuit fund became more cautious about injecting capital into the project after Unigroup's financial woes came under the spotlight, sources said. Strategic investors of Unigroup need the financial capacity to make hefty investment in Yangtze Memory Technologies in coming years as an exit from the project won't come anytime soon, analysts said. But in the long run, Yangtze Memory Technologies will generate high returns for investors, Gu said. ^ top ^
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| DPRK |
DPRK holds paramilitary parade to celebrate 73rd founding anniversary (Xinhua)
2021-09-09
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a parade of paramilitary and public security forces to celebrate the country's 73rd founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in central Pyongyang at early hours Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency reported. Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, attended the parade with cadres of the party, government and military. Entering the square first was the column of the Pyongyang City Division of party members, and following them were the columns of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards of the city and other provinces, according to the KCNA. The Worker-Peasant Red Guards are a civilian defense organization which is composed of around 5.7 million workers and farmers in the country. There were other columns of different departments, sectors and enterprises marching through the square. At the end of the event, fireworks shot off and a gala began at the square, the report added. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
China eyes more coal imports from Mongolia as supply shortage bites (SCMP)
2021-09-09
Beijing has stepped up efforts to source more coal from neighbouring Mongolia amid an ongoing supply shortage, raising more questions about how long a ban on Australian coal can last. China is suffering from a spike in coal prices amid declining supplies, which has also prompted authorities to ban an influential local trading platform from updating coal prices and market news that could fuel speculation. Rising coal prices are another worry for China, which is already dealing with high raw material costs that are hurting businesses. In a virtual meeting with Mongolian deputy prime minister Amarsaikhan Sainbuyan on Tuesday, Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao broached the topic of buying more mineral and agricultural products from Mongolia, a ministry statement said. Since the ban on Australian coal last October – which formed part of a broader trade spat between the two countries – data shows China has stepped up purchases of coal from other exporting countries, including Mongolia, to meet domestic demand that has spiked due to bouts of extreme weather. Mongolia has replaced Australia to become China's largest source of imported coking coal since the second half of last year, but transport between the two countries has been frequently disrupted by Covid-19 outbreaks in the landlocked east Asian nation. Local media reported on August 21 that Ganqimaodu customs in China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region had suspended coal imports from Mongolia for two weeks due to pandemic prevention. The port carries about half of China's coking coal shipments from Mongolia. Soon after the border closure, prices of Chinese coking coal, as well as coke and thermal coal futures, surged to record daily highs, although the official position of the customs agency was that clearance of coal was "normal". At Tuesday's meeting, Wang also discussed border congestion with Amarsaikhan. "[China] hopes that both sides work together to ensure smooth trade flow of goods at border ports on the basis of effective pandemic prevention," Wang said. Amarsaikhan in turn proposed an increase in the number of Chinese coal trucks entering the country to transport supplies across the border, a statement from the Mongolian government said. He also suggested more rail transport of coal to China. The two parties agreed to increase Covid-19 control measures and to accelerate the implementation of China's soft loan and grant projects. China's monthly imports of coal fell by 7 per cent to 28.05 million tonnes in August, according to Chinese customs data released on Tuesday. Australia's exports of both thermal and coking coal make up a big percentage of China's coal imports, and are required to supplement shortages in local production. China does not produce enough coal to meet its demand. Huang Jianjiang, an analyst at commodity research portal Bestanalyst, said in a note two weeks ago that coal supply from other countries has been unable to make up the supply gap left by Australian coal. He also said domestic production was likely to be weaker than China's official forecast, since many mines that are not monitored by authorities had cut production, while overproduction had been banned. Chinese policymakers have said they will not tolerate hoarding and speculation of coal, and will show "zero tolerance" for illegal trading activities. The price of coking coal exceeded 4,000 yuan (US$620) per tonne in some parts of the coal trading hub Shanxi province last week – a surge of more than 45 per cent since the beginning of August, according to Kaiyuan Securities. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planning agency, this week shut down the pricing indexes and two WeChat accounts of Yulin Coal Trading Centre, saying the company was publishing false information and was not authorised to collect, edit or publish news. The firm has promised to "stop releasing false information about the coal market through any channels", the NDRC said in a statement on Tuesday. "All relevant companies, institutions and We-media should … prevent malicious speculation of coal prices, bidding up prices or hoarding. "The NDRC will continue to strengthen information monitoring, while working with other departments to crack down on illegal activities, ensuring coal supplies and stabilising the price." ^ top ^
President U.Khurelsukh to hold high-level online meeting with his South Korean counterpart (Montsame)
2021-09-07
President of Mongolia U.Khurelsukh will hold a high-level online meeting with President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in on September 10. This will mark the first meeting between the Presidents of the two countries in four years. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Republic of Korea in 1990, bilateral relations and cooperation have expanded in all fields, and now the Republic of Korea has become an important trade and investment partner to Mongolia. During the summit, the two Presidents will hold discussion on elevating the comprehensive partnership between the two countries to strategic partnership. Moreover, the sides will review the current state of political, economic, trade, investment, cultural, educational and humanitarian relations between the two countries, and identify future directions of relations and cooperation. It is also planned to exchange views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, and to hold broad discussions to intensify implementation of projects and programs being realized through soft loans and grants, and support people-to-people exchanges. ^ top ^
President relinquishes his power to appoint judges and head of IAAC (Montsame)
2021-09-07
It was reported during the press conference held by the Staff to the President today that President U.Khurelsukh has submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court to lift the vetoes invoked on the revised Law on Jurisdictions and the amendments to the Law Against Corruption. In particular, the previous President Kh.Battulga invoked a line-item veto on Article 1 of the Amendments to the Law Against Corruption, which rules that the Director of the Independent Agency Against Corruption (IAAC) to be appointed at the recommendation of Prime Minister for a 6-year term, and partial veto on Law on Jurisdictions, which states that members of the General Council of Courts and Judicial Disciplinary Committee will be appointed by a working group headed by a parliament member and established by the Speaker of the State Great Khural (Parliament). The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the veto, but the State Great Khural refused to accept the conclusion. Ya.Sodbaatar, the Chief of Staff to the President, clarified during the press conference that the current President is requesting to lift the veto before the session of the Constitutional Court which will be held soon regarding this issue. He said, "Over the past 30 years, we have taken a number of measures to ensure the judicial independence, which has been one of the most controversial issues in society and among lawyers. Today, the President of Mongolia, U.Khurelsukh, is relinquishing two of the powers that the former Presidents of Mongolia have had over the past 30 years. In particular, the President is relinquishing his presidential powers to appoint judges, hold judges accountable, and appoint the director of the Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC) " The Chief of Staff to the President underscored that in order to continue the order of justice and judicial reform that President U.Khurelsukh initiated when he was the Prime Minister, he is creating conditions for the normal implementation of the revised Law on Jurisdictions and the Amendments to the Law Against Corruption that have been stalled for the last eight months due to the previous President's vetoes and appeals to the Constitutional Court. "The President will overthrow the old mechanism of appointing and holding judges accountable, and this power will be transferred to the State Great Khural as stated in the revised Law on Jurisdictions. Moreover, the Director of the Independent Agency Against Corruption (IAAC) will be appointed at the recommendation of Prime Minister for a 6-year term as ruled by the Amendments to the Law Against Corruption. Thus, the major reforms aimed at ensuring the judicial independence and strengthening social justice are starting today" he added. ^ 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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