Switzerland

• Human rights report: China fulfills obligations (China Daily)
• China set to shape digital future, says expert at Switzerland's IMD (Xinhua)

Foreign Policy

• US, Chinese militaries hold 2 days of talks, stress the need for more (SCMP)
• China 'willing to work' with next Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida, but watches cautiously to see if dove will turn hawkish (SCMP)
• AUKUS nuclear submarine deal brings five harms to region, says Chinese FM (Xinhua)
• China hopes new German govt continues 'pragmatic, balanced' China policy (GT)
• Xiplomacy: Xi-proposed "eight major initiatives" facilitate China-Africa trade (Xinhua)
• Meng Wanzhou back in China (Xinhua)
• Two Canadians confess guilt, granted bail for medical reasons before leaving China (GT)

Domestic Policy

• China releases medical-security plan to deepen health reform (Xinhua)
• Highlights of Xi Jinping's speech at talent-related work conference (People's Daily)
• Patriotism blooms as National Day approaches (GT)
• Tech Giants Talk Up Their Contributions to China's 'Common Prosperity' (Caixin)
• State Council rolls out guidelines to promote gender equality, stimulate birth rate (GT)
• What has caused China's electricity shortages, and is Beijing's carbon-neutral goal solely to blame? (SCMP)
• Epidemic in NE China's Heilongjiang affects more areas, sparks concern before holidays (GT)

Beijing

• Beijing 2022 presents key COVID-19 countermeasures to IOC, IPC (Xinhua)

Shanghai

• Shanghai speeding up scientific development (China Daily)

Guangdong

• National Games closes, Guangdong-HK-Macao to host next one in 2025 (GT)

Xinjiang

• Xinjiang debunks Western fallacies about region (Xinhua)
• China releases first white paper specifically on Xinjiang population (GT)

Hongkong

• Hong Kong legislature passes amendments to national flag, national emblem bill (Xinhua)
• Hong Kong lawmakers can face criminal charges for disrupting Legco, Court of Final Appeal rules in landmark decision (SCMP)

Taiwan

• Taiwan DPP blasted over using CPTPP bid to seek secession (GT)
• Taiwan warns of mainland military threat to command, control systems in call for long-range missiles (SCMP)

Economy

• Evergrande to Raise $1.55 Billion From Sale of Stake in Regional Bank (Caixin)
• Chinese Big Tech vows to support SMEs at premier internet summit (GT)

DPRK

• S.Korean military believes DPRK fires short-range missile into eastern waters (Xinhua)
• DPRK researcher lashes out at U.S. as "most heinous human rights abuser" (Xinhua)

Mongolia

• 20.9 million tons of freight carried by rail transport (Montsame)
• World Bank forecasts 4.5 percent growth in Mongolia (Montsame)

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Human rights report: China fulfills obligations (China Daily)
2021-09-30
China has fulfilled its international human rights obligations over the past five years and actively conducted exchanges and cooperation with other countries, according to an assessment report. The "Evaluation Report on the Implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2016-2020)" was issued by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and the Human Rights Institute of Southwest University of Political Science and Law on Wednesday. All 168 objectives and tasks listed in the action plan have been completed, with many being achieved ahead of schedule or going beyond the targets set. The report noted an improvement in the protection of people's economic, civil, political, social and cultural rights. The rights situation of ethnic minorities, women, children, the elderly and the disabled, had also improved, along with education and dissemination of information on human rights issues. Achievements had been made in international exchanges and cooperation. China has completed all the indicators of implementing international human rights treaties and international exchanges and cooperation, and fully participated in the work of the United Nations human rights mechanisms, the report said. The nation successfully passed its third periodic review by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2019, and more than 120 countries have affirmed the progress China has made on human rights, it added. Zhang Yonghe, head of the human rights institute, said China has fulfilled its commitments to the international community and its obligations to international human rights conventions listed in the action plan. "Nongovernmental organizations are also encouraged to participate in international exchanges and cooperation on human rights, and many forums related to human rights have been held," Zhang said. Since September 2016, China has held nearly 20 dialogues on human rights with the European Union and individual countries including Germany, Switzerland and New Zealand. It has conducted more than 10 consultations and exchanges with countries including Russia, Pakistan and Brazil, the report added. […] ^ top ^

China set to shape digital future, says expert at Switzerland's IMD (Xinhua)
2021-09-29
As China's National Day holiday kicks off on Friday, China watchers forecast a strong rebound in economic activity, with one expert at Switzerland's Institute for Management Development (IMD) saying that the country's new digital technologies and prosperity model are going to shape the world. "The expectations are much more positive this year than they were for the last one, and last year we really had record numbers in terms of online purchases. This year is going to be even better," Arturo Bris, professor of finance at the IMD, told Xinhua in an interview. "People have been saving more; there is more money to consume. Because of these positive expectations we know that when there is optimism, people consume more," said Bris, who is also the director of the IMD's World Competitiveness Center. The Golden Week holiday is closely watched as a barometer of the country's economy, and usually sees surging tourism revenues, booming performances in retail and catering sales, and strong consumption in the culture and entertainment sectors. It comes as China's retail sales of consumer goods are expected to hit 44 trillion yuan (about 6.8 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2021, an official with the Ministry of Commerce has said over the weekend. The IMD is one of the world's leading business schools. Its Digital Competitiveness Rankings published on Wednesday also showed that China is leading the world on its proportion of scientific and technical employees, who represent 11 percent of the country's total employment, almost double that of the United States (6 percent). "China is obviously an impressive performer in digital competitiveness. Certainly, it's catching up with the most digitally advanced economies and I'm thinking about Switzerland but also Denmark or the United States," the IMD professor said. "There are two digital powers in the world at the same level: the United States and China. China is dominant in artificial intelligence, in many of the new technologies that are going to shape the world. The potential is going to be immense. I have no doubt that in the next years China is going to become one of the top most competitive countries in the digital space." The report also revealed that China is the country with the most robots in education and research and development. Its high-tech exports run at 31 percent of all manufactured exports, as against the United States' 19 percent. Bris also emphasized that the monetization of data and the new emergence of financial products will be key trends shaping China's digital future. "China is one of the leading countries in fintech, insurtech, and new banking products," he said. "And I want to mention a new mode of ownership. New models of car rental, the sharing economy in which we will not just buy products to own them but to share them. This is going to be massive in China because of the large number of consumers." The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected China's gross domestic product (GDP) growth to pick up to 8.1 percent in 2021 and 5.7 percent next year. "The world today is polar. We have economies that are recovering and will recover extremely well, and then economies that will suffer a lot. China is in the first category," Bris said. "I think it managed the pandemic very well by having an effective lockdown, by reducing the number of infections and then by rebounding the economy already from the very beginning. This is shown in the numbers." "If we will look at the forecast for economic growth in 2021 already, the IMF predicts a stellar performance. And I think this is going to continue..." Bris said that while the world is still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, China could become a bigger growth engine for other countries and help support the global recovery. "The Chinese growth is transforming more and more into prosperity. Of course, there are still some battles to be fought on that front. But definitely, this model has proven successful..." ^ top ^

US, Chinese militaries hold 2 days of talks, stress the need for more (SCMP)
2021-09-30
The US and Chinese militaries have concluded two days of high-level talks that stressed the need to maintain communication, after resuming defence dialogue in August for the first time since Joe Biden entered the White House. Speaking in the defence policy coordination discussions, held by video conference on Tuesday and Wednesday, were Michael Chase, the US' deputy assistant secretary of defence for China, and Huang Xueping, deputy director for the Chinese military's Office for International Military Cooperation. The US defence department said on Thursday that the meeting was part of the Biden administration's efforts to "responsibly manage the competition" between the two countries by "maintaining open lines of communication" with China. "During the talks, the two sides held a frank, in-depth and open discussion on a range of issues affecting the US-[China] defence relationship," spokesman Martin Meiners said in a statement. "Both sides reaffirmed consensus to keep communication channels open." The discussions came two weeks after the US announced a new military partnership with Britain and Australia in the Indo-Pacific region, which the Chinese government warned would increase risks of an arms race and a new cold war. Previous talks between Chase and Huang, in mid-August – the first call between the militaries since Biden took office in January – had tackled critical issues such as the tumult in Afghanistan. A Chinese source in August told the South China Morning Post that the country's military had maintained mid-level military communication with the US through the defence attaché in the US embassy in Beijing, and that the crisis in Afghanistan had been one of the "most urgent issues of risk management" that had to be discussed. Biden had in February announced a new Pentagon task force to evaluate US military strategies and operations towards China, but there is still considerable uncertainty around his administration's policy approach towards what Biden has termed the US' "most serious competitor". Relations between the powers have remained strained in recent months, including over Taiwan and the South China Sea, but there have been extensions of goodwill from the US side, including two visits to China by John Kerry, the US' special climate envoy. ^ top ^

China 'willing to work' with next Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida, but watches cautiously to see if dove will turn hawkish (SCMP)
2021-09-30
China has cautiously welcomed Fumio Kishida's election as the new leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democrats, a victory that paves the way for the former foreign minister to take over as prime minister next week. Kishida defeated former defence and foreign minister Taro Kono in the second round of the party vote to choose a successor to Yoshihide Suga, who announced his resignation earlier this month after a year in the post. The 64-year-old's victory comes at a time when relations between China and Japan, already under strain due to historical grievances and a long-running dispute over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, have further deteriorated over issues such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang.China has cautiously welcomed Fumio Kishida's election as the new leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democrats, a victory that paves the way for the former foreign minister to take over as prime minister next week. Kishida defeated former defence and foreign minister Taro Kono in the second round of the party vote to choose a successor to Yoshihide Suga, who announced his resignation earlier this month after a year in the post. The 64-year-old's victory comes at a time when relations between China and Japan, already under strain due to historical grievances and a long-running dispute over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, have further deteriorated over issues such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang. In a move that could touch a raw nerve with Beijing, he welcomed Taiwan's application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership last week, saying that Japan and Taiwan share values such as human rights. Japan, which took the lead in finalising the trade pact after the United States quit in early 2017, chairs the CPTPP this year. Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, has called on the 11 CPTPP members to oppose its application. Earlier this year, China also accused Biden and Suga of sowing division after they vowed to counter Beijing's "intimidation" and referred to Taiwan in the first mention of the island in a joint statement by the leaders of the US and Japan for 50 years. Chen Youjun, a senior research fellow from the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said: "Generally speaking the stable development of China-Japan relations won't change. "Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalisation of the two countries' diplomatic ties and both sides may hope to take this opportunity to do something conducive to the stable development of bilateral relations. "Fumio Kishida made a lot of tough statements on China to win votes, which reflects that, on the China issue, the voice of hardliners has overwhelmed others and become the mainstream in Japan. Being influenced by such voices, he may take a tough stance on China in some areas." During the candidates' debate earlier this month, Kishida affirmed the importance of holding summits with Chinese leaders to ensure a stable relationship between the two countries. Zhou Yongsheng, an international relations professor at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, said Kishida would follow his predecessors by making the alliance with the US a priority. "He changed his position in the later stage of the campaign and became relatively positive about Japan's relations with China. He proposed to make efforts to improve Sino-Japanese relations next year, and also emphasised the importance of leaders' diplomacy, though like every prime minister from the Liberal Democratic Party, Japan's ties with the US remain the most important." Tensions between Asia's two largest economies have escalated in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the introduction by Beijing of a national security law in Hong Kong, and a planned state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping has been postponed. Beijing's introduction of a coastguard law in January also heightened concerns in Japan about regular Chinese patrols in the disputed waters near the Diaoyu Islands, or Senkakus. Meanwhile, Japan's role in the Quad, a strategic grouping that also includes the US, Australia and India, has been criticised by Beijing, which has said it will stir up tensions in the region. ^ top ^

AUKUS nuclear submarine deal brings five harms to region, says Chinese FM (Xinhua)
2021-09-29
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday held a phone conversation with the Malaysian and Bruneian foreign ministers. During the talks, the foreign ministers exchanged views on the new security partnership between Australia, Britain and the United States, known as AUKUS, as well as the countries' plan to conduct cooperation on nuclear submarines, over which the officials expressed grave concern. Wang said the AUKUS move is likely to bring five harms to the region. Firstly, it will cause risks of nuclear proliferation. According to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, non-nuclear-weapon states can only use nuclear energy in a peaceful manner under supervision and safeguards. Nuclear submarines, however, are used for military purposes and are fueled by highly enriched uranium, which can be used directly to build nuclear weapons, while the International Atomic Energy Agency is unable to conduct effective and timely supervision of nuclear submarines. While the United States has unilaterally imposed sanctions on countries developing enriched uranium technology, it gave Australia a green light, which will inevitably give rise to more risks of proliferation of nuclear technology and materials, impacting the global non-proliferation regime. Secondly, it will induce a new round of arms race. Nuclear submarines are strategic security forces, capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Australia's move will break the strategic balance in the region, mocks the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty that Australia has signed, and constitutes a real threat to countries in the region. It could not be ruled out that other countries would follow the move to wage a new round of arms race, even crossing the nuclear threshold. Thirdly, it will undermine regional prosperity and stability. With the joint efforts made by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for many years, the region has become the most dynamic and fastest developing one in the world. This situation is hard won and should be cherished. However, AUKUS will surely to create tensions, casting a shadow on the region's peace, stability, and development. Fourthly, it will sabotage the building of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Southeast Asia. The Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone reflects the common will of the people in Southeast Asian countries, which should be understood and respected by other countries. Among the five nuclear weapon countries, China was the first to have announced its readiness to join the treaty and sign a protocol to this end. The United States and Britain chose not to participate in the treaty. Instead, they have transferred military nuclear technology to the region under various pretexts and provided highly enriched uranium materials, running counter to the efforts made by ASEAN countries to build a nuclear-weapon-free zone. Fifthly, it will revive the Cold War mentality. AUKUS, in line with the Quad, complies with and serves the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific strategy, seeking to overturn the current status quo and start all over again, with an eye to provoking rivalry among blocs in the region and ushering in geopolitical zero-sum games. It goes against the trend of the times and is a revival of the Cold War mentality, which should arouse vigilance and opposition from countries in the region and the international community. ^ top ^

China hopes new German govt continues 'pragmatic, balanced' China policy (GT)
2021-09-28
The preliminary result of Germany's election showed that the left-leaning Social Democratic Party (SPD) narrowly beat the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the centrist-right, conservative party, the party of outgoing Chancellor Merkel. This has made Olaf Scholz, leader of SPD, the next possible leader of Germany. With all 299 of Germany's electoral districts reporting, the SDP won 25.7 percent of the vote, beating the CDU of Chancellor Angela Merkel, which posted record losses by taking only 24.1 percent, according to the Federal Returning Officer, CNN reported. Scholz said voters wanted him to be the next chancellor. "Many citizens have put their crosses next to the SPD because they want a change in government and also because they want the next chancellor of this country to be called Olaf Scholz," he said in remarks at his party's headquarters, CNN reported. The name Scholz hardly rings a bell to the Chinese public, until he ran. As the finance minister and vice-chancellor in Merkel's grand coalition government, Scholz has been reticent about his blueprint on the China policy during the election. Yet Chinese observers said Scholz shares abundant connections with China, and the new government will be more likely than others to continue Merkel's policy. When asked about whether he will change the current policy on China, Scholz told media that the most important thing his party is concentrating right now is to make EU stronger and has its own stance. He said Asia is rising and many countries in other parts of the world are making great achievements. It is for the world to seek common recognition, and to negotiate in a satisfactory way. He believed that a strong and independent Europe is the basis for the world to achieve peaceful coexistence. At the televised debate, Scholz avoided talking about China, only stressing the need for a strong and independent Europe on the diplomatic front. "As the first mayor of Hamburg, sister city of Shanghai, Scholz kept deep connections and cooperation with China, especially with the city of Shanghai," Jiang Feng, a scholar with Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times. Jiang noted that being a seasoned politician on finance and trade, Scholz was aware of the importance China-German ties carry for Germany's economic development. Merkel's "pragmatic" China policy will be more likely carried out by the SPD leader, according to Jiang. Scholz met with Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng in China in 2019 at the China-Germany High Level Financial Dialogue. He also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping when Xi visited Hamburg in 2017, where Scholz was its mayor. "For one thing, Scholz follows the line of former leader Gerhard Schröder, which stresses a pragmatic approach and an independent values system different from [that of] the US," Zhao Junjie, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday. "I'll be darned," is what Biden said when a reporter told him that the Social Democrats were ahead in the election. "They're solid," he said. US media regard the German election as "lacking excitement" and the New York Times mocked Scholz as "boring" and said the campaign has revealed a "charisma vacuum." Jiang said that Scholz's SPD is traditionally not a pro-US party like Merkel's CDU/CSU, and pursues a more "pragmatic" route. China is willing to cooperate with the new German government to safeguard China-German ties, and hopes the new administration will continue a "pragmatic and balanced" China policy, said Hua Chunying, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when commenting on Germany's election. Hua also expressed "high appreciation" toward current Merkel, who visited China 12 times while in office, for her contribution to pushing forward China-German ties. Yet, the results are far from over for what analysts called "the most uncertain election" in German history. The future is filled with uncertainties, as the country's increasingly fragmented electoral landscape gives smaller parties, the Greens and the Free Democrats, king-making powers to decide which one they choose to form an alliance with; and forming a coalition may takes months. Jiang predicted that China-Germany relations will likely experience a brief bumpy period after a new leader takes office, as the Greens and the Free Democrats, who are hawkish on China, are likely to join a coalition government. "Yet such turbulence will be short-lived, as Germany will eventually sway back to rationality," Jiang noted, saying that Germany will find it hard to push forward climate change-related issues without China's help, and its business and trade cannot thrive without the Chinese market, "especially after the pandemic, it is hard to decouple from Beijing." ^ top ^

Xiplomacy: Xi-proposed "eight major initiatives" facilitate China-Africa trade (Xinhua)
2021-09-28
Now it takes only 14 hours for Kenyan fresh flowers to reach the Chinese city of Changsha, and young Africans can get various Chinese products with just a few clicks on keyboards at home. At the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in September 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed that China would launch eight major initiatives in close collaboration with African countries, including a decision to open a China-Africa economic and trade expo in China. To fully implement this decision, the first China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) was held in 2019 in Changsha, the capital city of central China's Hunan Province, which turned out to be a great success. And the second CAETE, which opened Sunday in the same Chinese city and has attracted nearly 900 enterprises from 40 African countries and China, will not only show the world how Xi's proposal has facilitated bilateral trade, but also unleash new potential for cooperation between the two sides. For Dieudonne Twahirwa, managing director of Goshora Farm PLC, Rwandan supplier of agro-product of both local and international markets, this year is "a lucky year" as his company has gained access to China, "a good and stable market." Twahirwa said his company used to sell dried chili peppers to India and Europe, but those markets have been "unstable." "Now I can say with confidence that China is a reliable market," he said, adding that cooperation with China will increase farmers' sales and improve their welfare. On Aug. 4, customs authorities in Changsha said that China has imported its first dried chili peppers from Africa. Products from Twahirwa's company were among them. "We have decided to increase imports, particularly non-resource products, from Africa," Xi said at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC in 2018. A year later, during the first CAETE, companies from Hunan Province and Rwanda signed a contract for the purchase of dried chili peppers. Since then, Rwanda has become the first African country to enter the Chinese market with its local dried chili peppers. Coffee is another non-resource African product that is popular with Chinese consumers. For example, located in the China-Africa Economic and Trade Incubation Zone in Changsha's Gaoqiao Grand Market, the African Coffee Street has gathered more than 20 leading Chinese enterprises in this field. In the eyes of Jing Jianhua, owner of Own Master, a cafe which will open soon with coffee beans all from Africa, Chinese consumers will be able to enjoy pure African coffee at a more affordable price.
African products are becoming an indispensable part of the Chinese life, Jing said. According to an official report released Saturday, China had remained Africa's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years by the end of 2020, despite the headwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic. In less than 30 minutes, butter from Mali, white peppercorns from Cameroon, peanuts from Senegal and other African products have all been emptied out by Chinese consumers in a live stream run in Changsha. Meanwhile, Chinese products are also sought after by African merchants in live streams. "In addition to star products such as wigs or clothing exported to Africa, luggage and small-scale agricultural machinery also have good markets and complete industrial chains on the African continent," said Wu Di, director of the Foreign Trade Service Center at Gaoqiao Grand Market. During the FOCAC in 2018, Xi proposed that China "will set up relevant mechanisms to promote e-commerce cooperation with Africa." Over the years, via an active implementation of Xi's proposal, which has been an important part of the eight major initiatives, more and more opportunities have emerged in cross-border e-commerce between China and Africa. For instance, Chinese and African companies have worked together to encourage the export of African specialties to China through cross-border e-commerce platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Impacted by the pandemic, African consumers are more likely to switch their purchase from physical stores to the internet, giving a strong impetus to the development of e-commerce, said Lu Xiaoyong, marketing manager of Kilimall, a main East African e-commerce platform founded in Kenya in 2014. In a congratulatory letter sent to the first CAETE, Xi said it is hoped that the two sides will strengthen coordination to better implement the eight major initiatives put forward at the Beijing summit of the FOCAC, actively explore new paths for cooperation, open up new points of growth for collaboration, and promote China-Africa economic and trade cooperation to a new level. In light of Xi's remarks in the letter, Hunan has sought to explore new mechanisms for economic and trade cooperation with Africa. A new pilot free trade zone (FTZ) in the province was launched in September 2020, with a focus on building a world-class advanced manufacturing cluster, an international investment and trade corridor linking the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and a leading area for in-depth economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa. Recently, the first five containers of red grapefruit from South Africa arrived at Yangshan Port in Shanghai, becoming the first trial order of barter trade in the pilot FTZ in Hunan. Besides, the expansion of routes for passenger transportation and freight shipping has vigorously facilitated economic and trade exchanges between China and Africa. On Sept. 15, central China's industrial hub of Zhuzhou launched a combined sea-rail transport service to Africa. The first consignment of goods is expected to arrive at Mombasa Port in Kenya on Oct. 15. Compared to traditional river-sea shipping, the sea-rail transport service can shorten the logistics time to East Africa by 10 days and that to West Africa by nine days, saving 3 percent of the transport cost. The sea-rail transport service is expected to cover 11 African seaports and 20 roads and railways in inland Africa in the first phase, said Guo Ning, a customs official in Hunan. ^ top ^

Meng Wanzhou back in China (Xinhua)
2021-09-27
Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, arrived in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Saturday night on a charter flight organized by the Chinese government, after being illegally detained for nearly three years in Canada. At around 10 p.m., the charter flight touched down at the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport. Meng, in a red dress, waved to the welcoming crowd after she stepped out of the cabin, which was emblazoned with China's national flag. As she walked down the stairs, applause and cheers erupted from the crowd. Airport staff presented flowers to her. The crowd held up a banner reading "Welcome home, Ms. Meng Wanzhou," waved national flags, and chanted "welcome home." Meng's family members, central and local government officials, as well as her Huawei colleagues were among the more than 100 people waiting at the airport. There were no handshakes or hugs due to epidemic prevention concerns. Meng made a brief speech at the airport. "After more than 1,000 days of torment, I am finally back in the embrace of the motherland," Meng said. "I am back, motherland!" she chanted to the cheering crowd. "As an ordinary Chinese citizen who had suffered this plight and been stranded overseas for nearly three years, there was never a moment when I did not feel the care and warmth of the Party, the motherland and the people," she said. "President Xi Jinping cares about the safety of each and every Chinese citizen, including me. I am deeply moved," Meng said. "I also thank the relevant departments for their support and help. They have resolutely safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and citizens." "The motherland provides us the strongest backing," Meng said. "As an ordinary Chinese person, I am proud of my motherland." Meng bowed several times during her speech to the crowd, who cheered and applauded her emotional address. The crowd broke into an impromptu rendition of the patriotic song "Ode to the Motherland" after the speech. Meng then sang together with them. Meng was arbitrarily detained by Canada on a U.S. extradition request on Dec. 1, 2018 at Vancouver International Airport. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges against her and reached a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. prosecutors. The U.S. side has withdrawn its extradition request. Meng did not pay any fines. Facts have proven that the targeting of Meng is a case of political persecution aiming to suppress Chinese high-tech companies, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Saturday. The so-called fraud charges against Meng are nothing but pure fabrication, she said. "What the United States and Canada have done is a typical case of arbitrary detention." The news of Meng's release has aroused a strong reaction among Chinese internet users. Her return, made possible after the Chinese government's unremitting efforts, was hailed as a major victory achieved by the Chinese people. "I'm so excited, I'm on the verge of tears," said one comment. Meng's arrival was broadcast by the state broadcaster. People in Shenzhen, where Huawei is based, welcomed her return with enormous enthusiasm. On Saturday night, many landmark buildings in the city exhibited giant welcome slogans, while drones flew in formations to form welcome messages. At the airport, patriotic songs were played in the terminal. In accordance with epidemic control regulations, Meng will be quarantined at a designated hotel after her arrival. ^ top ^

Two Canadians confess guilt, granted bail for medical reasons before leaving China (GT)
2021-09-27
Two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, confessed their guilt for crimes they committed in China and were released on bail for medical reasons before they departed China on a plane to Canada on Friday, the Global Times learned from a source close to the matter on Sunday. After the confirmation from related departments and diagnosis of professional medical institutes and under the guarantee of the Canadian ambassador to China, Beijing No.2 Intermediate People's Court and the High People's Court of Liaoning Province decided to release them on bail in accordance with law, the source said. Spavor, who was sentenced in August to 11 years in prison for espionage and illegal provision of China's state secrets to foreign entities, was found to have taken photos and videos of Chinese military equipment on multiple occasions and illegally provided some of those photos to people outside China. He also had personal property of 50,000 yuan ($7,700) confiscated and will be expelled. The photos and videos Spavor took during his stay in China have been identified as second-tier state secrets. Spavor was a key informant of Kovrig and provided him with information over a long period. Sources told the Global Times that from 2017 to 2018, Kovrig entered China under the disguise of the forged identity of a businessman and had collected a large amount of information on China's national security through his contacts in Beijing, Shanghai and Jilin in Northeast China. Kovrig wrote analysis reports based on this information, which included several confidential state secrets and intelligence. A court in Beijing opened the trial of former Canadian diplomat Kovrig over espionage charges on March 22. The verdict was said to be announced at a chosen time in accordance with the law. The Global Times learned during the process, the relevant departments detained, arrested the two Canadians in accordance with the laws and released them on bail based on the people's court's decision. Their legal right to defense and other litigation rights are fully protected. The two confessed to their crimes and wrote confession and repentance letters in their own handwriting. According to relevant authorities, the two defendants should strictly abide by the decision on bail. In case of violation, China can resume the trial of the alleged criminal acts. The two Canadians flew home the same day as Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's senior executive, was freed after reaching a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the US Department of Justice in a case of federal charges against her for bank and wire fraud and returned home after being held for nearly three years in Vancouver. Some Western media outlets and politicians claimed the release of the two Canadians is "hostage diplomacy," however, the incident of Meng is entirely different from the cases of the two Canadians in nature, and experts said that Meng's was indeed a "political hostage" taken by the US and Canada given the mounting evidence. "First, the case of Meng is a typical political maneuver by Canadian politicians as it's a political incident cooked up by the US and Canada, but the criminal facts concerning the case of two Michaels are evident with many evidence showed by the Chinese courts, so these two Canadians are not so-called hostages at all," Yao Peng, deputy secretary-general of the Canadian Studies Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. That the two Canadians left China after they were released on bail is in line with legal procedures, Peng Qinxuan, an expert from the Wuhan University Institute of International Law, told the Global Times on Sunday. It is also common practice in the US to grant bail with certain guarantees and money to make sure the defendant will not cause danger to the society if granted bail. Ironically, as soon as the two Canadians touched down in Canada, the Canadian intelligence eagerly welcomed them, which proved their identities and activities of spies are not made up by China. "Welcome home, Michaels," Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) wrote on Twitter. "CSIS joins all Canadians in welcoming you back to Canada." The so-called "hostage diplomacy" - a phrase boasted by the Canadian government, is an excuse that it has prepared to coax understanding within Canada as the Canadian government has never had the initiatives to resolve Meng's case because the US is behind the incident, Yao said. While the release of Meng and the return of the two Canadians may signal a new beginning for China-Canada relations, some experts remained cautious about mending the fences effectively since the bilateral ties reached a freezing point over the past few years. Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University stressed that it remains to be seen how far Ottawa will align itself with Washington in its strategic competition with Beijing. Li pointed out that in the short run Canada is unlikely to shake off the binding on diplomacy with the US which recognizes China as a strategic competitor, so its China policy highly depends on the US' China policy. The bias on ideology and values are influencing Canada's diplomacy with China, which also limits the efforts of the Trudeau government to significantly improve its China policy, the Chinese expert noted. Serving as a lapdog of the US government, the Trudeau administration had also faced harsh criticism domestically for its handling of the case of Meng, and China-related matters also became an issue that the Conservative Party of Canada, the opposition party, tried to capitalize on to pressure Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's ruling Liberal Party, according to experts. During recent Canada's election, Trudeau won enough seats in the 44th general election but still formed a minority government. "With the constraints of opposition parties, the anti-China vibes have a negative impact on China-Canada relations," Yao said. Also on Saturday, when Meng made her way home to China, the Communist Party of Canada sent congratulations for her release and return. Still, her return means the biggest political obstacle to bilateral relations has been removed, Yao said, noting that under the common vision of economic and trade exchanges, response to climate change and epidemic prevention and control, China-Canada relations are expected to gain some momentum but possibility of repair is only built under the premise that Canada maintains strategic autonomy in its policy with China. ^ top ^

China releases medical-security plan to deepen health reform (Xinhua)
2021-09-30
China has released its latest medical-security plan, issued by the General Office of the State Council, with the aim of benefiting people in all sectors of society. The plan, designed for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), states that China should establish a multi-tiered medical-insurance system with universal coverage that benefits both urban and rural residents in a fair and sustainable way. It highlights the coordinated advancement of the demand-side management of medical insurance and supply-side reform of medical services, in order to better serve the public. According to the plan, China should enhance the medical-insurance system through collaborative governance, optimizing medical-insurance payments and the drug pricing mechanism, while strengthening the medical-fund supervision system. Efforts should also be made to build up a strong supporting system with a solid legal basis and better digital services, reads the plan. By 2025, China will see a more matured medical-insurance system that is equal, law-based, secure, smart and coordinated, the plan says. To meet people's diverse demands for medical security, more efforts will be made to enhance the basic medical security system, improve the mechanism that provides insurance and aid for the treatment of major and serious diseases, and boost the synergy between health insurance and medical assistance, said Shi Zihai, deputy director of the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA). Over the next five years, a key task is to establish and improve a long-term mechanism that prevents and defuses the risk of disease-induced and relapse into poverty, Shi said. "People's access to new and quality medicines should also be increased," said Shi. The NHSA will continue to optimize the spending of medical-insurance funds and dynamically adjust the catalog of medicines covered by medical insurance to incorporate more cost-effective items. The NHSA will also further improve the mechanism for the trans-provincial on-the-spot settlement of medical bills via medical-insurance accounts and expand its scope of coverage along with better smart online services. ^ top ^

Highlights of Xi Jinping's speech at talent-related work conference (People's Daily)
2021-09-29
A two-day central conference on talent-related work was convened on Monday and Tuesday. President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech at the conference, calling for accelerated efforts to build China into a major world center of professional talent and innovation. The following are some highlights of his speech: -- Never in history has China been closer to the goal of national rejuvenation and never in history has it been in greater need of talented people. -- We must strengthen our awareness of potential dangers, pay greater attention to fostering people with talent through our own efforts and sharpen our competitive edge in human resources. -- To accelerate building a major world center of professional talent and innovation, we must seize the strategic initiative and improve top-level design and strategic planning. -- Scientists should be given more power to decide on technological routes, and more funding and resources should be placed at their disposal. -- We must strive to foster a team of engineers who follow the Party, are patriotic, devote themselves to their careers, have outstanding ability to make technological innovation, and are good at solving complex problems. -- We must maintain a correct political orientation in talent-related work, constantly improve intellectual-related work, and encourage talent to shoulder the missions and responsibilities of the times with a deep love for the country and a stronger willingness to serve the country. ^ top ^

Patriotism blooms as National Day approaches (GT)
2021-09-29
From a live-broadcast Martyrs' Day event, Chinese people brimming with joy over Meng Wanzhou's return, to long-expected patriotic movies and promising domestic travel amid epidemic flare-ups, Chinese people are about to embrace a very special National Day holiday to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China with joy, expectations, and unprecedented patriotism. On Thursday that marks China's Martyrs' Day, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state will join representatives from all walks of life in presenting flowers baskets to fallen national heroes in Tiananmen Square. The event that will be broadcast live by the China Media Group is expected to intrigue people to learn from martyrs who had fought bravely for the country and boost their patriotism, experts said. On the occasion of the CPC's centennial, the first batch of the CPC's spiritual pedigree, 46 great spirits in all forged during the Party's century-old endeavor, was officially released on Wednesday, reflecting the great spirit of the Chinese people's creations, struggles, unity, and dreams formed over a long period of time. Prior to National Day, patriotism has risen in the country on an unprecedented level. With unremitting efforts of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, and the eager anticipation of hundreds of millions of family members of the motherland, Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou finally returned to the embrace of the motherland after 1,028 days in Canada. Despite the current sporadic COVID-19 epidemic flare-ups in East China's Fujian Province and Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Chinese people remain enthusiastic for travel due to their deep trust in the government's proper handling of the epidemic. In line with the country's anti-epidemic policies, hotels and restaurants across the country have rolled out protective measures to ensure the safety and health of travelers. For instance, the environment in hotels will be strictly examined before providing services to tourists, and smart robots will be deployed in many regions to offer free-of-touch services to customers. Scenic spots have opened online bookings for people to prevent huge gatherings. This year's National Day holiday is expected to see 650 million domestic passenger trips nationwide, recovering to more than 80 percent of the same period in 2019 before the pandemic, People's Daily on Monday cited a report issued by a Chinese online travel agency. A Baidu-launched travel report said that "red routes" continue their charm for people, with the Museum of CPC in Beijing, the site of the first national congress of the CPC in Shanghai, and the Jinggang Mountain Revolution Museum in East China's Jiangxi Province, attracting the most tourists. Chen Jie, a PhD candidate of the School of Chinese Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, said he plans to go to Golden Bauhinia Square to watch a flag-raising ceremony. "There had been some security concerns to go there before the National Security Law was in place, but those worries have disappeared," he told the Global Times on Wednesday. China's National Day holiday will be very significant in the box office. Anticipation of moviegoers is high because of two of the most anticipated films about the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53) titled The Battle at Lake Changjin and My Country, My Parents, a film that celebrates the centennial of the Communist Party of China. Fu Ruoqing, the Vice Chairman and General Manager of China Film Co., also the producer of My Country, My Parents, told the Global Times movies advocating heroes and positive energy are always what the audience needs. The core of the film is "inheriting the Chinese spirit," representing the filmmakers and audience's vision to the future of the motherland. Cheng Po-yu, 33, secretary general of the Cross-Straits Youth Exchange Association and a Taiwan businessman based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday that he will stay in Beijing and watch the long-expected war film The Battle at Lake Changjin. The three-hour epic, after being delayed in August due to epidemic surges in parts of the country, explains why China had to fight a war against the US, which had the most powerful military at the time, and also how young Chinese soldiers sacrificed their lives to win "respect and pride" and defend the motherland. A slew of events will make this National Day a very special one, in the year marking the centennial of the CPC. China achieved its first centennial goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and aims to reach the second goal of building a great modern socialist country, Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the Chongqing Party Committee, told the Global Times on Wednesday. The country's strong patriotism reflects the Chinese people's deep belief in "four matters of confidence" (confidence in the socialist path, theory and system and culture) and the pride toward the strong leadership, power of execution and willpower of the CPC, Su said. Patriotism will in turn inspire Chinese people and CPC members to draw strength from the spirits forged during the Party's century-old endeavor to overcome difficulties and risks, Su added.  ^ top ^

Tech Giants Talk Up Their Contributions to China's 'Common Prosperity' (Caixin)
2021-09-28
Leading China tech executives promoted their companies as supporters of Beijing's campaign for big businesses to help build "common prosperity" and give back to society at the World Internet Conference on Monday. Tencent Holdings Ltd.'s Vice President Yang Jian and Qualcomm Inc.'s Global Vice President Guo Tao were among speakers who listed various projects with a community focus such as supporting improved digital infrastructure in underdeveloped areas and increasing financial literacy. They were among several world tech industry leaders addressing the government-led 3-day annual conference in Wuzhen, in east China's Zhejiang province, from Sunday to Tuesday. Yang acknowledged that the rise of big companies has not only "helped increase productivity" in various industries but also led to the "widening of the wealth gap," a thorny problem that Tencent is dealing with as part of efforts to fulfill its social responsibilities. According to Yang, Tencent last month announced plans to provide 50 billion yuan ($7.7 billion) to support Beijing's wealth redistribution efforts. This was in addition to an April pledge of 50 billion yuan to implement a "sustainable social values" program aimed at increasing incomes for the poor, improving medical assistance, promoting rural economic efficiency and subsidizing educational projects. Qualcomm's Guo talked up a 2020 program in which the company teamed up with the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation to deploy 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to help enhance farm management and operations in China's underdeveloped regions. The program is now operating in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Sichuan province, and will be expanded to the northeastern rust belt province of Heilongjiang this year, according to Guo. During an economic policy meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping in August, China's top leaders vowed to strengthen regulation of the country's wealthy people, including "reasonably adjusting excessive" income, as part of efforts to build a society of "common prosperity" where wealth is shared among everyone under a more reasonable income distribution structure. After the meeting, a number of China's tech giants announced plans to pour massive resources into the common prosperity campaign, including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. It vowed in September to invest 100 billion yuan in programs that improve digital infrastructure in underdeveloped regions, reduce costs for small businesses and improve benefits for gig workers. These initiatives came as Beijing tightened its crackdown on the country's freewheeling tech and internet giants due to concerns over monopolies and alleged anti-competitive practices. Also attending the conference was Visa Inc.'s Greater China President, Yu Xueli, who shared her views about how to narrow the digital divide, the gap between people who have access to modern information and communications technologies and those who do not. Yu emphasized the importance in narrowing the gap of strengthening infrastructure and popularizing financial knowledge. She said Visa has followed the guidance of China's central bank to launch training courses aimed at enabling elderly people to become financially literate and offering digital financial services to more than 10 million villagers in the country by the end of 2020. The WIC, also known as the Wuzhen Summit, serves as a platform for the Chinese government to clarify its vision for internet governance and for global tech companies to showcase how their digital technologies are changing the world. It has been held annually since 2014. ^ top ^

State Council rolls out guidelines to promote gender equality, stimulate birth rate (GT)
2021-09-28
The State Council, China's cabinet, has unveiled the outlines of a development plan for women and children over the coming decade that aims to boost the birth rate by achieving a gender-equal society. Specific measures include reducing the number of abortions performed for "non-medical purposes," reversing the tendency to favor male babies and encouraging couples to do house chores jointly. The Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-30) and the Outline on the Development of Chinese Children (2021-30) are set to promote gender equality and let birth policies work with economic and social policies, said the State Council. The specific measures for women's development include reducing the number of abortions performed for "non-medical purposes," which is aimed at improving women's reproductive health. Other measures include ensuring marriage freedom for women of all ethnic groups, reversing the preference for male children and encouraging couples to jointly share house chores. It also mentioned tax reductions for raising children. The document for women proposed 75 main goals and 93 supporting measures covering eight areas including health, education and the economy. He Yafu, an independent demographer, said the new outlines are the government's attempt to form a more gender equal society, in order to boost the birth rate. "Take sharing house chores as an example. The reason why Sweden enjoys such a high birth rate is because Swedish couples are likely to share responsibility for supporting the family and raising children jointly. In Japan, the task of taking care of children is mostly in women's hands, that's partly why Japan sees such a low birth rate," He told the Global Times. He said that compared with previous outlines and white papers on gender equality and childbirth, this one is more detailed, as it has a lengthy description of alleviating burdens for couples in having babies and raising them. China in June said that it would allow all couples to have three children instead of two, and later issued policies designed to reduce the financial burden of raising children. China's National Health Commission said during a Monday conference it would take steps to "release" young people's willingness to have children, including exploring parental leave policies, supporting policies on housing, and encouraging employers to offer flexible working hours to parents. The Outline on the Development of Chinese Children (2021-30), issued at the same time, has 70 major objectives and 89 measures, focusing on children's health, safety, education and other issues, which were hailed by observers as ensuring "healthy birth and good child care." Specific measures include controlling children's myopia, strengthening their physical health and providing them with sex education and relevant services. The State Council also said that internet games and livestreaming platforms should limit time for underage users. Children under 16 years old are banned from livestreaming. The outline also said that underage groups' worship of celebrities, money and wealth flaunting behaviors should be strictly regulated. This was issued at the crosshair when China is strictly regulating "fan circle" culture in the entertainment industry, tackling the long-controversial moves by teenage fans that blindly idolize celebrities, excessively spend money on their "idols." To reduce the academic burden of children and their parents and guarantee a healthy social environment for children, the Chinese government has rolled out series of measures. These include the suspension of off-campus curriculum courses for students on national holidays, reducing the frequency of exams, and stipulating that online gamers under the age of 18 will only be allowed to play for an hour on weekends and holidays. ^ top ^

What has caused China's electricity shortages, and is Beijing's carbon-neutral goal solely to blame? (SCMP)
2021-09-28
Non-negotiable carbon reduction targets have forced many local provincial governments in China to impose rushed measures such as widespread power cuts, although an urgent shortage of coal has also emerged as a likely reason for the power supply crunch that is sweeping the nation. China's power supply crisis ratcheted up a notch over the past week with more than half of the country enduring power cuts, making it one of the most extreme examples of energy rationing in the nation's history, especially considering the impact it is having on regular households. Power cuts are commonplace in China and are usually restricted to industrial users, but their frequency has risen since the second half of last year and have now been extended to households. A total of 16 of mainland China's 31 provincial-level jurisdictions are rationing electricity as they race to meet Beijing's annual emissions reduction targets after failing to make progress earlier in the year. Last month, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planning agency, criticised the "energy consumption intensity" of nine provinces – Guangdong, Jiangsu, Yunnan, Fujian, Shaanxi, Guangxi, Ningxia, Qinghai and Xinjiang – for actually increasing their energy use instead of reducing it. Following the warning, the nine provinces stepped up their efforts to cut power, with little impact felt by customers. "An additional 10 provinces failed to meet their progress targets in the reduction rate of energy consumption intensity, and the situation of national energy saving is very severe," NDRC spokeswoman Meng Wei said. A year ago, President Xi Jinping made a surprise pledge that China would become carbon neutral by 2060. "Xi's dual carbon targets are politically non-negotiable. Accordingly, they have become a catalyst for all manner of policy – certainly including the power generation and consumption controls," said Cory Combs, an analyst with consultancy firm Trivium China. "A lot of what we're seeing in China's policymaking – including in early pilots on environmental valuation – is an exploration of how to weigh short-term financial costs against long-term holistic benefits." Combs added that much of the recent escalations in local energy curbs are due to the pressure to meet year-end emissions targets, which are "hard deadlines", unlike the goals for the first half of the year that offered provinces a chance to remedy their shortcomings. Beijing also doubled down on its efforts by urging local provincial authorities to curb high-energy-consumption activities and high-emissions projects. There have, however, been concerns that the provincial energy curbs are short-sighted and unfair to users, especially household consumers. On Sunday, the state-run People's Daily criticised local officials for using forceful means to achieve their annual environmental performance goals, suggesting they should not take a "one-size-fits-all" approach to curbing power usage. One provincial authority, the Zhejiang energy bureau, agreed with the criticism, saying it must try to avoid "simplification". Liu Shijin, former vice-president at the Development Research Centre of the State Council, also hit out at provinces for being too bureaucratic in advancing emissions reduction targets, which would hurt short-term economic growth. China to reduce carbon emissions by over 65 per cent, Xi Jinping says "We need to make clear that the carbon peak and neutrality targets … were not to reduce production capacity, nor to slow down the growth rate, nor to artificially disrupt the normal order of supply and demand without green technologies," he said at a forum in Beijing in early September. Last week, the Jianghai district of Jiangmen city in Guangdong province said that the cuts were due to larger electricity demand and a supply gap caused by economic growth and high temperatures this month. "It has something to do with [energy consumption controls], but it is not the main reason," said Jianghai district official Wang Aihua. On Monday, the State Grid Corporation of China said it would begin implementing policies to resolve power cuts and ensure power supplies and "livelihoods" were restored. But many experts say the cuts are not only a result of China's anti-pollution drive, but also the nation's severe coal shortage, as evidenced by soaring thermal coal prices. "Different places have different reasons, the south may be mainly due to the lack of coal, and some regions are mainly due to local governments' restriction on the capacity of the high energy-consuming industries," said Yunhe Hou, an associate professor with the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Hong Kong. "It is hard to tell which one is the main reason, the lack of coal or the goal of carbon neutrality, but the current coal shortage is much more serious than the last time. "First of all, the price of coal is too high; second, the quality of Chinese coal is too poor to generate enough power. In addition, some regions have already started to store coal for the winter, which has aggravated the coal shortage." The price of the raw material has been on an upward trend all year, and it hit new highs in recent weeks as not just China but other countries, including India, have been restocking critically low inventories. Prices have risen around 40 per cent in the last month, from around 780 yuan (US$121) a tonne in mid-August to around 1,100 yuan a tonne in recent weeks. China has banned all Australian coal, but it does not rely on imports for thermal coal. Last week, recognising the critical shortage of locally produced thermal coal, the National Energy Administration pushed several northwestern provinces to increase production. "Energy security concerns continue to carve out a special role for coal. In particular, the NDRC has issued measure after measure to build domestic coal production capacity and stock up on reserves ahead of the winter – even in apparent contradiction to environmental policy," Combs from Trivium China added. ^ top ^

Epidemic in NE China's Heilongjiang affects more areas, sparks concern before holidays (GT)
2021-09-27
Epidemic flare-up in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has further fermented as COVID-19 spread to more nearby cities and counties beyond the capital city of Harbin over the weekend as the total positive COVID-19 infections rose to 40 in five days. Public health experts said there is a need to strengthen epidemiological studies so as to cut off potential virus transmission among inter-provincial areas ahead of the upcoming National Day holidays. Since the first case was detected on September 21, 33 out of the 34 positive cases were confined within Bayan county and one case was in the urban district of Harbin. However, the detection of six more cases on Saturday was found to have spread to Harbin's Mulan county, Songbei district and nearby Suihua city. More than 10 people of the current group of positive cases have a travel history to Suihua, and close contacts of those that are infected had gone to weddings. All these factors have increased the uncertainty of the epidemic resurgence. Wang Guangfa, a respiratory expert at Peking University First Hospital, told the Global Times on Sunday that the multiple developing points of Harbin's epidemic implies that there might be loopholes in epidemiological studies which have led to potential infections not being screened out. Screening out potential infections and cut off virus transmission are two key methods for China's precise anti-epidemic measures, Wang noted. Data from an outbreak model by epidemiologist Huang Senzhong of Nankai University shows that the epidemic is likely to end at the end of October and will be a medium-scale outbreak, with the total infections remaining between 50-250. In the worst scenario, the outbreak scale could reach 600 cases due to some factors. The three confirmed cases from Suihua are close contacts from Harbin, they are also from the same family. The community where they live was listed as medium-risk region for COVID-19, authorities said at a press conference on Sunday. In the wake of epidemic flare-ups, Harbin's Bayan county has required all its residents to stay indoors starting from Sunday, further escalating measures to cut off virus spread chains. Daily necessities will be delivered to their doorsteps. To screen out more potential infections among residents, a third round of nucleic acid testing has been carried out starting from Sunday. Harbin has registered a total of six medium-risk regions for COVID-19 and one high-risk region. The anti-epidemic working group of the State Council have dispatched experts to epidemic-affected regions, including Mulan county, Songbei district and Suihua city. Ma Xiaowei, the head of the National Health Commission who is now in Heilongjiang, said the province should strive to confine the epidemic within the controlled areas prior to the National Day holidays and curb the virus spread. ^ top ^

Beijing 2022 presents key COVID-19 countermeasures to IOC, IPC (Xinhua)
2021-09-30
The Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee on Wednesday presented key COVID-19 countermeasures to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) meeting chaired by President Thomas Bach, in the presence of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons. According to the organizers, all athletes and games participants who are fully vaccinated will enter a closed-loop management system upon arrival. Games participants who are not fully vaccinated will have to serve a 21-day quarantine upon arrival in Beijing. All vaccines recognized by World Health Organization or related international organizations, or approved officially by countries or regions concerned will be accepted. Athletes who can provide a justified medical exemption will have their cases considered. The closed-loop management system, to be implemented from January 23, 2022 until the end of the Paralympics on March 13, will cover all games-related areas, including arrival and departure, transport, accommodation, catering, competitions, and the opening and closing ceremonies. Within the closed-loop, participants will be allowed to move only between games-related venues for training, competitions and work. A dedicated games transport system will be put in place. All domestic and international Games participants and workforce in the closed-loop management system will be subject to daily testing. As for the audience, Beijing 2022 organizers made it clear that tickets will be sold exclusively to spectators residing in China's mainland who meet the requirements of COVID-19 countermeasures. Beijing 2022 will release the first version of the Playbooks in late October and the second version in December. The related policies will be detailed in the Playbooks. ^ top ^

Shanghai speeding up scientific development (China Daily)
2021-09-30
Shanghai will accelerate its development into a world-class science and technology center during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), officials said on Wednesday. Integrated circuits, biomedicine, artificial intelligence and several other industries will be focuses and drivers in Shanghai's transformation into a global innovation hub, Lin Nianxiu, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a news briefing organized by the State Council Information Office. Lin said Shanghai's Zhangjiang Comprehensive National Science Center is the core pillar for the city's rise as an international science center due to it being the home of numerous advanced scientific instruments and research platforms, which have produced many world-class original breakthroughs in recent years. Wu Qing, vice-mayor of Shanghai, said scientists from the city contributed 32 percent of the Chinese papers published last year in top journals such as Nature, Science and Cell. Examples of Shanghai's recent scientific achievements include major breakthroughs in plasma etching machine technology for chipmaking, a new drug to treat Alzheimer's disease named GV-971, and new advanced equipment for medical imaging and diagnosis, Wu said. Shanghai has also been ranked the most attractive Chinese city for foreign talent for eight consecutive years, he said. "The basic framework for Shanghai's development into a science and innovation center is already in place, and it has a solid foundation to reach new heights during the 14th Five-Year Plan period," Wu said. By 2025, Shanghai aims to have 4.5 percent of its GDP devoted to research and development. Basic research would make up 12 percent of the city's total R&D budget by then, Wu said. To achieve these goals, the city will strengthen research in basic sciences and core technologies, attract more quality talent, facilitate reforms to fund and commercialize scientific output, and enhance international cooperation, he said. Wu said foreign talent and companies have contributed greatly to Shanghai's technological rise. Foreign capital accounted for over 40 percent of R&D spending by large companies and industries in the city. At the end of August, there were around 500 foreign-funded R&D centers in the city, and the number is set to rise to 560 by the end of 2025, Wu said. To promote an open and inclusive innovation ecosystem, Wu said the Shanghai municipal government will provide more financial services, stronger intellectual property protection, and greater convenience for foreign experts working and living in the city. Li Meng, vice-minister of science and technology, said Shanghai plays a key role in researching strategic fields that are crucial for the nation's socioeconomic development, and is a key driver for China's growth into an innovative country. The city houses 45 State Key Laboratories, ranging from information technology and artificial intelligence to advanced manufacturing, he said. Li said the ministry will collaborate with other government departments to take full advantage of Shanghai's strong research ability and quality talent, and support the city to play a bigger role in brain sciences, quantum communication, quantum computing and other major research initiatives. Shanghai is also becoming an international technology transfer and trading center, Li said. Since the launch of the city's Global Tech-Mall in June last year, the platform has attracted over 14 million patents, more than 4,000 registered technology companies, and a planned investment of 16.9 billion yuan ($2.61 billion). "All in all, Shanghai's science and technology development must maintain a global outlook and uphold global standards, and strive to become a key hub for global innovations and the technology market," he said. Zhang Tao, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the academy will support the city to make original breakthroughs, build more scientific infrastructure, promote the sharing of data and research equipment, and launch more international scientific projects. Apart from supporting Shanghai's scientific initiatives, the academy will also focus the city's talent training efforts by building small but world-class international research universities to nurture top scientists and teams, he said. ^ top ^

National Games closes, Guangdong-HK-Macao to host next one in 2025 (GT)
2021-09-28
The 14th National Games of China played its final note on Monday night with a shining closing ceremony in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, marking another inspiring sports success following Team China's performance in Tokyo 2020. Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam participated in the flag handover ceremony. The 14th National Games lasted for 13 days and featured 35 major events and 368 minor events, with a total of about 14,000 athletes participating. No cases of COVID-19 infection were reported throughout the whole event. This event took over from the Tokyo Olympics and created another wave of sports fever in China. Xi'an, being the first city in Northwest China to host the event, was also positively affected in all aspects of its economy, society and city marketing. In addition to the professional competition events, there were also mass events for sports enthusiasts, even including square dancing and tai chi. The next National Games, scheduled in 2025, will be co-hosted by South China's Guangdong Province, and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. This will be the first time ever for a National Games to be co-hosted by multiple provincial-level regions, and it will also be the first time that Hong Kong and Macao have co-hosted a nationwide sports event after returning to the motherland. Observers noted it will be another significant event for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong's integration into the country's development. Experts pointed out that this cooperation among the three places to run the national games is another opportunity to promote the integration of Hong Kong and Macao into the national development. Sports has always played an important role in promoting national unity and people's solidarity, Zhao Jisheng, a professor with the College of Physical Education and Sports at Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times on Monday. The three regions' hosting the Games together is expected to further promote the integration of Hong Kong and Macao into China's development, and also promote the common progress of sports in both SARs and the Chinese mainland. In August, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam thanked the central government for its trust and support on behalf of the SAR, saying that the SAR government would do its best to prepare for the event. Some local sports figures believe that the significance of hosting the National Games lies in the integration into the Greater Bay Area, which is very important to raise the level of sports in Hong Kong, local media reported. Zhao pointed out that Hong Kong's and Macao's further integration into the mainland in terms of sports is an irreversible trend. "In such a further integrated sports atmosphere, it is likely that various teams from Hong Kong and Macao will converge into national sports teams in the future, including the Olympic delegation," Zhao noted. ^ top ^

Xinjiang debunks Western fallacies about region (Xinhua)
2021-09-30
Officials and academics in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday debunked Western fallacies about Xinjiang with the real situation of the region's development. Elijan Anayat, a spokesperson with the regional government, said at a press conference held in Beijing that Xinjiang's resolute and strong measures to crack down on terrorism and extremism in recent years have been highly recognized by the international community. Many countries in the world support the counter-terrorism and de-extremism measures in Xinjiang, Elijan Anayat added. In response to the claim of "genocide" fabricated by Western anti-China forces, Zulhayat Ismayil, vice principal and professor of Xinjiang University, cited data from the seventh national census, which shows the region's population, including that of ethnic minorities groups such as Uygurs, has maintained steady growth over the past decade. Zulhayat Ismayil quoted Graham Perry, a British human rights lawyer and arbitration expert, as saying in a media interview that there is no evidence for the claim, and this is not a legal issue, but a political one, and it is clearly meant to be anti-China. With regard to the defamation of the so-called "Xinjiang restricting freedom of religious belief," Abdureqip Tumulniyaz, president of the Xinjiang Islamic Association and principal of Xinjiang Islamic Institute, said the region has fully guaranteed freedom of religious belief and ensured the believers' normal religious activities and religious needs. Gulnar Obur, vice president of the Association for Science and Technology in Xinjiang, said people of all ethnic groups in the region are improving their quality of life. "They work freely and create a happy and beautiful life of their own," she said, adding that the Western anti-China forces' malicious claim of so-called "forced labor" in Xinjiang fundamentally aims to deprive of the legitimate labor rights of the local people. Xu Guixiang, a spokesperson with the regional government, said more than 2,000 people from over 100 countries, including UN officials, foreign envoys to China, permanent representatives of some countries in Geneva, news reporters, and people from religious organizations, have visited Xinjiang since late 2018. Many of them have praised the effectiveness of Xinjiang's work, published articles in mainstream international media in defense of Xinjiang, and refuted the fallacies related to Xinjiang on multilateral occasions, Xu noted. "These are the voices and forces of justice in human society. The people of Xinjiang are ready to work with these farsighted people to forge a victorious 'iron wall' against lies and deception, destruction and interference," he said.  ^ top ^

China releases first white paper specifically on Xinjiang population (GT)
2021-09-27
China on Sunday released its first white paper specifically on the population dynamics of its Xinjiang region and by citing data from the seven national censuses, the white paper showed that the population of ethnic minorities in the region has grown fast in both size and quality, with the Uygur population having increased from 3.61 million in 1953 to 11.62 million in 2020, refuting the West's "genocide" accusation with undeniable facts. Titled "Xinjiang Population Dynamics and Data," it is the first white paper released by the State Council Information Office since 2015 that specifically displays demographic development in Xinjiang for the past seven decades. It is also the 10th white paper released by the office on Xinjiang - previous ones covered human rights achievements, vocational training and education centers, employment and anti-terrorism measures. The white paper contains six parts - population growth in Xinjiang, the latest demographics of the region, demographic changes in the Uygur population, factors contributing to Xinjiang's demographic development, the prospects of the regional population, and falsehoods fabricated by anti-China forces. The white paper was released against the backdrop of anti-China forces' hyping Xinjiang topics in recent years in an attempt to nail China for the crime of "genocide". The white paper uses solid data and scientific demographic analysis to refute their claims, Li Jianxin, a demographer from Peking University who participated in the drafting of the white paper, told the Global Times. Data from the white paper showed that the population of Xinjiang, particularly that of its ethnic minorities, has grown fast in both size and quality, and life expectancy has seen a substantial increase. According to preliminary data from the seventh national census in 2020, the total population of Xinjiang was 25.85 million, among which the Han ethnic group numbered 10.92 million, and ethnic minorities 14.93 million. The population of ethnic groups in Xinjiang increased from 4.45 million in 1953 to 14.93 million in 2020. The Uygur population grew at a compound annual growth rate of 1.67 percent during the first two decades in the 21st century, which was much higher than that of the country's ethnic minority population, which stood at 0.83 percent. The Uygur population grew from 3.61 million in 1953 to more than 11.62 million in 2020. Uygurs accounted for 83.74 percent of the population in the four prefectures in southern Xinjiang. Previously, some anti-China forces and scholars, for example German "scholar" Adrian Zenz, cited the natural growth rate data on Uygurs from 2017 to 2018, which showed a decline, to say that China is "suppressing" the birth rates of ethnic groups. These anti-China scholars, who have no professional demographic knowledge, are racking their brains to seek "evidence" for their guilty presumption against China. The demographic situation in Xinjiang, like other places in China and the world, has seen a shift in the trend from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates, and many factors contributed to the changes, Li said. One important reason is the social and economic development in Xinjiang, which can be seen from local residents' education levels, especially for females. Li noted that he found in field surveys in southern Xinjiang that previously, girls around 15 years old would graduate from middle school and get married, then give birth to their first, second, and third children. But in recent years, with the increase of education among females, few girls aged 15-19 got married or gave birth. Data from the white paper echoed Li's remarks. It noted that in Xinjiang, the average years of education for people aged 15 and above rose from 9.27 in 2010 to 10.11 in 2020, 0.2 years higher than the national average of 9.91, and ranking 10th across China. Compared with 2010, the number of people with a university education rose from 10,613 to 16,536 per 100,000 persons. The change of fertility patterns is the result of development in the fields of education and health, the implementation of laws and de-radicalization. It fits the trend of demographic development and has nothing related to "genocide," said Li. Xinjiang's measures on anti-terrorism and de-radicalization also help liberate local women with more of them coming out to work and earn money. With the development of industries in the region, for example, in textiles and apparel, more jobs are offered to women. The wider their horizons become, the more they would decide whether or when to have children, an expert on the economy from Xinjiang University of Finance & Economics, who also joined in drafting the white paper and asked for anonymity, told the Global Times. The expert noted that this phenomenon fits the laws of economic development. The West, which experienced similar development patterns but now uses the changes of fertility to attack China, is very ridiculous. "They are not protecting the human rights of ethnic groups in Xinjiang, on the contrary, their sanctions on Xinjiang's cotton and other products hurt the livelihoods of local residents - they are violating Xinjiang residents' human rights!" said the expert. Different from previous white papers on Xinjiang, the white paper directly refuted some lies by anti-China forces, for example, on "forced labor," "mandatory sterilization" and "cultural genocide." The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, provides a clear definition of genocide - acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. A country can only be convicted of genocide by a competent international judicial institution with proper jurisdiction, in strict accordance with the requirements and procedures stipulated by the relevant conventions and international law. However, the Chinese government protects the rights of the Uygurs and all other ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang in accordance with the law. This fact stands in sharp contrast to the fabrications by anti-China forces. There has been no forced labor, sterilization or cultural genocide in Xinjiang, said the white paper. The Chinese government will continue to promote unity, harmony and cultural progress, and strive for a prosperous and eco-friendly Xinjiang, and the region's march toward modernization will not be stopped by any force, and its future is bright and secure, read the white paper. ^ top ^

Hong Kong legislature passes amendments to national flag, national emblem bill (Xinhua)
2021-09-29
Hong Kong's legislature passed amendments to the national flag and national emblem bill on Wednesday. The National Flag and National Emblem (Amendment) Bill 2021 was approved in its third reading by the Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). It was introduced to the LegCo on Aug. 18 for first and second readings. The amended bill lists the illegal acts of insulting the national flag and national emblem, including burning, damaging, and scribbling. Relevant acts done online such as publishing the image of disgraced national flag on the internet are also illegal. According to the amended bill, the Secretary for Education of the HKSAR government has the responsibility to promote national flag and national emblem education. Schools are required to raise the national flag and hold the flag-raising ceremony on a regular basis. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the HKSAR government Erick Tsang said that the national flag and national emblem should be respected as national symbols, and that the amended bill is intended to serve to deter people attempting to insult the national flag and national emblem. ^ top ^

Hong Kong lawmakers can face criminal charges for disrupting Legco, Court of Final Appeal rules in landmark decision (SCMP)
2021-09-27
A Hong Kong lawmaker can face criminal sanctions for disrupting Legislative Council proceedings, the city's top court has ruled – a landmark decision that could potentially result in the conviction of 11 former opposition politicians. Five Court of Final Appeal judges on Monday unanimously upheld the legality of charging a lawmaker with contempt for causing disturbances during legislative sessions. The highly anticipated ruling sets clear boundaries around the privilege enjoyed by Legco members under an ordinance conferring on them freedom of speech and debate inside the legislature. Ex-lawmaker "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, who lodged the appeal that led to the ruling, will now have to stand trial for snatching a folder from a government official during a panel meeting on November 15, 2016. The 65-year-old, who is currently remanded in jail for allegedly breaking the national security law in another case, is believed to be the first member prosecuted under Section 17(c) of the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance, which directly penalises interruptions of Legco sittings. A magistrate halted the trial in March 2018 after ruling that Leung, then a lawmaker, was immune to the charge. The Court of Appeal overturned the ruling in June last year, finding legislators were not above the law, but that judgment was also appealed. Sections 3 and 4 of the 1985 ordinance state that there shall be freedom of speech and debate in Legco or proceedings before a committee, and that no legal action can be launched against a lawmaker "for words spoken before, or written in a report to" a Legco sitting. In the hearing before the top court last month, Leung's counsel submitted that the two provisions mirrored Article 9 of the Bill of Rights 1689 – a landmark text in British constitutional law which provides that no prosecutions can be initiated over proceedings in the parliament – and effectively immunised lawmakers against legal action for what was said and done within Legco. But the top court disagreed, ruling that the privilege granted by the ordinance was narrower than that established by the British text, and that the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, only exempted lawmakers from being questioned in court over statements made in the legislature. Mr Justice Joseph Fok, who penned Monday's judgment, said the two provisions must be understood in the context of the ordinance's statutory purpose, which was to create "a secure and dignified environment conducive to the legislature carrying out its constitutional functions at its sittings without disruption or disturbance". "Whilst the limits of the freedom are widely drawn and properly described as absolute, conduct which does not form part of any speech or debate in Legco falls outside the Section 3 privilege," he wrote. While acknowledging that determining what fell within the protection of speech and debate and what did not could be ambiguous, Fok said that was not so in Leung's case, as he was neither making a statement nor engaging in a debate when he allegedly stole the property concerned. The judge further held that Legco waived any exclusivity in its disciplinary jurisdiction and conferred penal powers on the courts when it enacted Section 17(c). "There is no issue of separation of powers... The non-intervention principle has no application," he said. The non-intervention principle was established in a 2014 judgment, where the Court of Final Appeal dismissed Leung's application to judicially review the Legco president's decision to slash the time for debate in a bid to end a filibuster campaign. But filibustering was to be distinguished from causing an interruption in proceedings, Fok said, as the former was "clearly a matter involving the internal processes of the legislature". Leung's wife, League of Social Democrats chairwoman Chan Po-ying, expressed disappointment with the ruling, saying it would restrict the freedom of speech and debate enjoyed by Legco members. The ruling will have a bearing on the prosecution of 10 other former opposition camp legislators facing charges under the same ordinance. Five of them – Andrew Wan Siu-kin, Helena Wong Pik-wan, Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung, Raymond Chan Chi-chuen and Eddie Chu Hoi-dick – have been accused of contempt in relation to three incidents at Legco last year. Separately, Chan and Chu were charged alongside Au Nok-hin, Leung Yiu-chung, Gary Fan Kwok-wai, Lam Cheuk-ting and Kwok Ka-ki with obstructing three of their pro-establishment colleagues during a committee meeting on May 11, 2020. Those cases have been put on hold pending Leung's appeal. ^ top ^

Taiwan DPP blasted over using CPTPP bid to seek secession (GT)
2021-09-27
The island of Taiwan's application for membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), about one week after the Chinese mainland's, was met with stern warnings from the Chinese central government on Thursday. Calling the fresh move a zero-cost political farce directed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority, regional affairs observers urged the DPP to awaken to the harsh realities of its doomed attempt to confront the mainland and the island's increasingly marginalized economy, as the DPP continues to be in cahoots with either Washington or Tokyo to play its slippery Taiwan tricks. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a press conference on Thursday that China firmly opposes official exchanges between any country and the island of Taiwan, and firmly rejects Taiwan's accession to any agreement or organization of official nature. There's only one China in the world and the Taiwan region is an inseparable part of China, Zhao said, stressing that the one-China principle is a universally acknowledged norm in international relations and the common consensus of the international society. The island formally applied to join the grouping on Wednesday, after the mainland filed its application last week. In other official remarks, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told reporters on Thursday that the country's application to join the CPTPP bodes well for the push for Asia-Pacific regional economic integration and is propitious for fostering global economic recovery, trade development and investment growth after the virus outbreak. The participation of China's Taiwan region in regional economic cooperation must be based on the premise of the one-China principle, Zhu said, voicing opposition to the Democratic Progressive Party authority's attempt to explore so-called "international space" using the excuse of economics and trade, and undertaking activities in pursuit of "independence." It is hoped that the relevant countries can appropriately handle Taiwan-related issues and will not provide any convenience or platform for acts of "Taiwan independence," according to the spokesperson. No endowment in place The island's WTO accession and its free trade progress, essentially individual cases under the auspices of the mainland, hardly give it authority to apply for global deals such as the CPTPP without the mainland's permission, regional affairs watchers said. The island has applied to join the grouping in the name of being a separate customs territory, which it uses in the WTO, Reuters reported Thursday. Taiwan region's WTO membership as a separate customs territory - a special arrangement in the case of WTO enrolment that covers both sovereign entities and separate customs territories - is by no means tantamount to endowing the island, an integral part of China, with some sort of natural power thereafter to sign up for any official international agreements or groupings, Tang Yonghong, deputy director of Taiwan Research Center at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Thursday. Under international law, the island's accession to any official agreement or organization is unlikely to succeed without gaining the mainland's authorization, Tang said. He cited economic cooperation pacts the island signed with New Zealand and Singapore, both in 2013, when Ma Ying-jeou served as Taiwan's leader pledging allegiance to the 1992 Consensus, as examples of individual cases of such agreements that wouldn't have been inked had the Taiwan authorities failed to get the mainland's nod. The adherence to the one-China principle is non-negotiable and there's no chance of Taiwan securing a CPTPP membership while the mainland remains absent from the 11-nation regional trade deal, Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday. Only by obtaining the agreement of all member countries can new applicants join the CPTPP. In the case of Taiwan island, existing members, if intending to vote for the mainland's accession, are unlikely to vote in favor of the island simultaneously, considering the DPP authority has shown it is willing to latch onto the US and Japan to gang up against the Chinese mainland, experts said. The CPTPP became effective in December 2018, succeeding the Trans-Pacific Partnership after the US withdrew in 2017 under former President Donald Trump. A political farce The island's application for CPTPP accession is a zero-cost act of political manipulation, experts said, putting the possibility of Taiwan's eventual admission to nearly zero even though it went to extreme lengths to embarrass the mainland. Political considerations apparently played a major part in Taiwan's CPTPP membership application, Tang commented, revealing the DPP authority's intention to forge an alliance with CPTPP member nations to confront the mainland. If the application is rejected, the separatist DPP authority can hype up the accusation that the rejection was a result of coercion from the Chinese mainland and accuse it of preventing the island from participating in international cooperation, Zhang Wensheng, a deputy dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Thursday. Japan, which holds the rotating CPTPP chairmanship this year, is likely to use Taiwan as a "chip" to bargain with the mainland to gain benefits, while another member state, Canada, is likely to follow suit at the behest of the US, according to Zhang. Meanwhile, Singapore, Vietnam and Brunei, among other CPTPP members that have close political and economic partnerships with China, will not challenge China's bottom line on the Taiwan question to the detriment of their national interests. "This is nothing but a farce written by the US and Japan and performed by the DPP," Zhang remarked. The island is also economically motivated to seek a seat at the grouping, as its economy, heavily reliant on external resources and markets, has over the past two decades been distancing itself from the center stage of the world's economy alongside the mainland economy's rise to global prominence, according to Tang. "The marginalization of the island's economy, which increasingly becomes the case amid its self-inflicted deterioration of cross-Straits ties, means the island can't exploit external resources and markets for its own development," the expert said, adding that the island could be hoping for free trade deals to pull itself from a growing slide into invisibility. However, he noted that such plans are essentially an illusion, as the island continues to be at odds with the mainland when it comes to the one-China principle. Moreover, a trade pact with high standards such as the CPTPP could send shockwaves through the island's economy, as tariff elimination under the CPTPP could put the island's local manufacturers under pressure from their peer businesses in member states such as Vietnam. As Gao put it, the mainland is much stronger and more globalized than the island in economic terms, suggesting that existing member states would naturally opt to team up with the mainland out of economic considerations. ^ top ^

Taiwan warns of mainland military threat to command, control systems in call for long-range missiles (SCMP)
2021-09-27
Taiwan needs to have long-range, accurate weapons in order to properly deter a mainland China that is rapidly developing its systems to attack the island, Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said. This comes after Taipei this month proposed extra defence spending of almost US$9 billion over the next five years, including on new missiles, as it warned of an urgent need to upgrade weapons in the face of a "severe threat" from across the Taiwan Strait. Beijing claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, to be reunited by force if necessary. Speaking on Monday in the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, Chiu said the island needed to be able to let Beijing know they could defend themselves. "The development of equipment must be long-range, precise, and mobile, so that the enemy can sense that we are prepared as soon as they dispatch their troops," he added, referring to Taiwan's missile capability. In a written report to legislators to accompany Chiu's appearance, the ministry said both medium- and long-range missiles were being used in intercept drills at a key test facility on Taiwan's southeastern coast. Chiu declined to give details of how far Taiwan's missiles could reach, something the government has always keep well under wraps. Taiwan offered an unusually stark assessment in its annual report on the mainland's military, saying they could "paralyse" the island's defences and were able to fully monitor its deployments. Chiu said it was important that Taiwan's people were aware of the danger facing them. Asked what the mainland would target first in the event of a war, Chiu answered that it would be Taiwan's command and communications abilities. "On this the Chinese Communists' abilities have rapidly increased. They can disrupt our command, control, communications and intelligence systems, for example with fixed radar stations certainly being attacked first," he said. "So we must be mobile, stealthy and able to change positions." President Tsai Ing-wen has made bolstering and modernising Taiwan's defences a priority, to turn the island into a "porcupine" that is hard to attack. Taiwan has complained for months of repeated mainland military activity near it, particularly of air force jets entering the island's air defence zone. Beijing has been ramping up efforts to make Taiwan accept mainland sovereignty. Most Taiwanese have shown no desire to be ruled by Beijing. ^ top ^

Evergrande to Raise $1.55 Billion From Sale of Stake in Regional Bank (Caixin)
2021-09-29
Troubled China Evergrande Group will repay debt owed to Northeast China's Shengjing Bank Co. Ltd. by selling a stake in the bank worth about 10 billion yuan ($1.55 billion), according to its Wednesday filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. A wholly owned subsidiary of the deeply indebted property giant reached an agreement with state-owned Shenyang Shengjing Finance Investment Group Co. Ltd. on Tuesday to offload a 19.93% stake in Shengjing Bank, the filing said. Evergrande said all net proceeds from the transaction have been demanded by Shengjing Bank to repay liabilities owed by the company to the bank. It remains unclear whether the bank's complete exposure to Evergrande will be cleared by the share sale. The more than 100 billion yuan of Evergrande's related-party transactions with Shengjing Bank under investigation by regulators include 13 billion yuan of debt owed to the lender in the forms of loans and bonds, Caixin previously revealed. The deal came as Evergrande's debt crisis attracted increasing global attention, with the market monitoring how it will affect China's financial system and property industry and whether the government would step in. Shengjing Bank's exposure is an example of how the Evergrande crisis is threatening to impact businesses across China that have deals with the nation's most indebted property developer. The Hong Kong-listed bank is headquartered in the city of Shenyang, in Northeast China's Liaoning province, Evergrande is the bank's biggest shareholder and will retain a 14.57% stake after the transaction. Evergrande's transactions worth over 100 billion yuan with Shengjing Bank have raised concerns, prompting the local government to try to weaken ties between the two. If the deal is closed, Shenyang Shengjing Finance Investment will become Shengjing Bank's largest shareholder with a 20.79% stake, and Shenyang-based state-owned enterprises (SOEs) will hold a total stake of 29.54%, according to a Wednesday filing from the bank. Evergrande's liquidity problems have had a major negative impact on the bank, and the introduction of an SOE as the largest shareholder will help stabilize its operations, as well as protect the value of Evergrande's remaining 14.57% stake, the developer said. The share sale plan is subject to approvals from the top banking regulator, the state-owned assets watchdog and Shengjing Bank's board of directors, according to the Evergrande filing. ^ top ^

Chinese Big Tech vows to support SMEs at premier internet summit (GT)
2021-09-27
At the water town of Wuzhen in East China's Zhejiang Province, a high-level annual internet forum puts China's best and brightest tech talent on show surrounded by voices of confidence and resilience from tech luminaries from both home and abroad. The country's platform economy is seen as gaining luster, rather than the other way around as hyped by some Western media, and the new mood has been borne amid a responsible governmental push for greater fairness and effective innovation. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit on Sunday as it kicked off. He said it is imperative for the international community to join hands to seize opportunities and meet challenges by following the trend of informatization and digitalization, as well as networking and smart development. China is willing to work with other countries in the world to make the digital civilization benefit people of all countries, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humankind, Xi said. The summit constitutes a rare opportunity for some of the most pressing issues in the internet sector to be addressed, such as cyber governance and regulatory tightening, both of which have been attracting government scrutiny particularly since the emergence of the coronavirus. Equally noteworthy, an official call at the summit for renewed support for small and medium-sized firms is considered to exemplify domestic regulators' unremitting endeavor to put the tech-savvy economy on track fostering healthier and more sustainable growth. After experiencing a relatively quiet World Internet Conference in 2020, the Global Times found this year's event to be full of vibrancy again, with the host venue crowed with visitors, music and activities. The various venues were packed with visitors, and at the tech experience areas, eager children waited in long lines, itching to try on different high-tech gadgets. In a virtual speech at the opening ceremony of the conference, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He urged countries around the world to safeguard the safety and reliability of the infrastructure, protect fair competition and boost innovations. "China has experience and capability to manage and control risks. Its development prospects are very bright," Liu said, reaffirming the country's support for the sound development of private economy, online and digital economy. Ignoring repeated explanations clarifying China's efforts to regulate its burgeoning internet economy, some Western media outlets and academics mistakenly interpreted the regulatory moves as "a crackdown." "In fact, the Chinese government has attached equal importance in promoting the development and governance of internet industry from the very beginning, not in this year," Wu Hequan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told the Global Times at the conference. It is "a misinterpretation" that the Chinese government is restricting the development of the internet industry, as if the regulations have deeply impacted the economy, social security and people's livelihood, which is not the truth, Wu claimed. "We hope internet giants can continue to grow bigger and stronger, at the same time, drive the development of small and medium-sized enterprises [SMEs]," he noted. Alibaba Group CEO Daniel Zhang Yong echoed Wu at the conference, "The biggest value of platform economy lies in the achievement of healthy development meanwhile helping others to achieve their goals." Only when SMEs have vitality, the online platforms could have vitality and so does the economy, Zhang said. The e-commerce giant was fined a record $2.75 billion for anti-competitive behavior and lately pledged a $15 billion plan to boost common prosperity in China. Lei Jun, CEO of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, also called on Big Tech to provide "all-process supports and help to SMEs." Over the past year, the Chinese government has moved toward reining in the Big Tech, aligning the country with a major global trend that has prevailed in the US and Europe to prevent internet titans from abusing their excessive influence on markets, Cheng Maiyue, director of the Wuzhen Institute, an influential internet industry think tank located in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday, arguing against claims that the country's regulatory toughening is going too far. The country's approach to internet regulation may be considered uniquely suited to its own domestic conditions, but its oversight of giant platforms such as Alibaba, Tencent and ByteDance is in essence an effort to harness the greed of capital to serve the public interest, he said. "An umpire is required for the rules of the game in the interest sphere, with obscure rules to be redrafted. In so doing, the competition will become more robust and there will be continued innovation." It also makes more sense than ever to backstop effective innovation, industry watchers said. That suggests greater efforts to enable underlying innovation, such as neck-choking technologies and improved capacity facilitating the country's carbon peak and neutrality goals, rather than incremental changes to business models - peer-to-peer lending for instance - that seem to succeed as measured by commercial value creation but undermine the society's sustainable development in a predatory manner, according to Cheng. "Capital needs to be guided to stay removed from such commitments," he commented, reckoning the Chinese government to be fairly responsible in this regard. Dixon Dai, founder and chairman of Wetrade Group, an exhibitor at the conference, told the Global Times on Sunday that prospective innovation from internet companies must be relevant to the livelihoods of ordinary people. For instance, to the silver or aged economy. "Currently, the elderly Chinese have not gained tangible benefit from China's digital revolution," Dai said. According to a blue paper published at the conference on Sunday, the 39.2 trillion yuan ($6.06 trillion) digital economy has become a key driver to ensure the world's second largest economy's steady growth. China's governance system on platform economy has established and is gradually improved. It is estimated that by 2025, China's information service market scale will surpass 20 trillion yuan, said Yang Jie, chairman of China Mobile at the conference. Enhancing cybersecurity cooperation One thing that sets this year's meeting apart from previous ones is the focus on cybersecurity. There are a number of sub-forums related to this topic, the Global Times found. There was a venue specially set to display cybersecurity companies, with related products solutions being displayed, such as Ant Group's GeaGraph system which can be used to fight money laundering and cyber fraud. In his virtual speech, Vice Premier Liu also suggested that crackdown on illegal online behavior should be an area of global cooperation, not an agenda of recrimination. While cybersecurity is first and foremost an emerging challenge arising from sci-tech advances, concerns over it being exploited to sow conflicts between countries indicate an extension of the never-ending wave of international politics rebalancing into the new arena, remarked Cheng, a seasoned industry veteran mentioned above. China has always taken a cooperative yet uncompromising stance on cybersecurity, meaning the country advocates for mutual respect in terms of sovereignty and core interests and won't go on the offensive to launch cyberattacks against others, whereas it never concedes its cybersecurity bottom line, Cheng said. According to the country's Data Security Law, China may adopt equivalent countermeasures against any prohibitive or restrictive measures imposed by any country or region in terms of data related investment or trade. China is firmly opposed to cybercrimes endorsed by or secretly linked to foreign governments that endanger China's national security, Cheng continued, urging efforts to build up domestic technological capability to fend off such challenges. Following the cybersecurity review on Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi, Elon Musk on Sunday told the conference that Tesla has set up a data center in China to localize all data generated from the company's business there, including production, sales, service, and charging. "All personally identifiable information is securely stored in China without being transferred overseas… I believe data protection is not only an issue of one single company but should be a mutual effort for all industry players," Musk said in a virtual speech on Sunday. Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm, also called on enhancing China-US cooperation in the cyberspace. "The possibilities at the connected intelligent edge are limitless and will be best realized when US and Chinese companies work together to drive innovation to achieve great things." Themed on "joining hands to build a community with a shared future in cyberspace," the conference will run until Tuesday. ^ top ^

S.Korean military believes DPRK fires short-range missile into eastern waters (Xinhua)
2021-09-28
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired one projectile, believed to be a short-range missile, into the eastern waters, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of the Republic of Korea (ROK) said Tuesday. The JCS said in a statement that the projectile was launched eastwards from Mupyong-ri in Jagang province of the DPRK at about 6:40 am local time (2140 GMT Monday). It did not specify if the projectile was a ballistic missile, but the Japanese government said it appears to be a ballistic missile and splashed into waters outside its exclusive economic zone, according to Japan's Kyodo News. The DPRK is banned from all ballistic missile activities under the UN Security Council resolutions. According to ROK's Yonhap news agency, the projectile traveled shorter than 200 km at an altitude of about 30 km. The flight distance, altitude and pattern were different from other known missiles of the DPRK. An unnamed ROK's military official was quoted by Yonhap as saying that the projectile was estimated to be a new type of missile, which is different in speed and altitude from other short-range missiles of the DPRK. The JCS said the intelligence authorities of the ROK and the United States were making a precision analysis on further details of the launch. It noted that the ROK's military was closely monitoring relevant situations and maintaining a full readiness posture in cooperation with the United States to brace for the DPRK's possible further launch. The projectile launch came after the DPRK test-fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Sept 15. The DPRK launched two cruise missiles into the western waters on Jan 22 and March 21, firing two ballistic missiles into the eastern waters on March 25. It also test-launched long-range cruise missiles on Sept 11-12. Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, said last Friday that Pyongyang is willing to hold discussions on improving inter-Korean relations if the ROK ends its hostile policies toward the DPRK. Kim's comment was made in response to a proposal by the ROK's President Moon Jae-in, who offered a political declaration to terminate the 1950-53 Korean War during his speech at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The ROK and the DPRK are still technically at war as the fratricidal war ended with armistice, not peace treaty. President Moon ordered a comprehensive analysis of the DPRK's missile launch and the statement of Kim, younger sister of top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un, to draw up countermeasures, according to the presidential Blue House. Top security officials held an emergency meeting of the National Security Council following the DPRK's missile launch, voicing regret over the launch, the Blue House said. ^ top ^

DPRK researcher lashes out at U.S. as "most heinous human rights abuser" (Xinhua)
2021-09-28
The United States is "the most heinous human rights abuser" as it often puts pressure on other countries and interferes in their internal affairs, a researcher of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has said. "The U.S. has stretched out its vicious tentacles to politics, economy, military, culture and even daily life in Venezuela, Syria and other countries, crippling their overall economies and stymieing their normal and peaceful development," Kim Jin Hui, from the Institute of International Studies of the DPRK, said in an article carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday. The researcher cited the U.S. blockade of Cuba as an example, saying it has cost the Cuban people a trillion U.S. dollars over the past 60 years. U.S. criticism of China over affairs in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has undermined China's political stability, the researcher noted. "The gravity of the issue lies in the astonishing situation that such ruthless violation of the right to independent development is perpetrated under the pretext of preserving human rights," Kim said. "The U.S. has trumpeted 'human rights' more loudly than any other countries in the world," he said, stressing that "unless the U.S. hypocritical moves under the cloak of human rights protection are smashed, it is impossible for each country to achieve its independent development and to build a free, prosperous and new world." "The U.S. is the most heinous human rights abuser in the world that severely disturbs the normal and peaceful development of sovereign states under the pretext of 'human rights,'" he noted. ^ top ^

20.9 million tons of freight carried by rail transport (Montsame)
2021-09-29
In the first eight months of this year, 20.9 million tons of freight were carried by railway transport. Compared to the same period of the previous year, the carried freight increased by 1.5 million tons (7.5%). This increase was mainly due to 990.5 thousand tons (14.4%) increase in export freight, 298.5 thousand tons (15.3%) increase in import freight, respectively. In August 2021, carried freight reached 2.5 million tons, showing an increase of 146.6 thousand tons (6%) against the previous month. In the first eight months of 2021, 12.7 million tons of carried freight by railway transport was mining freight, 2.1 million tons was construction materials, 194 thousand tons was black iron, 163 thousand tons was food products, and 113.5 thousand tons was household products. The number of carried passengers by railway transport reached 3.7 thousand, showing a decrease of 1.4 thousand, compared to the same period of previous year. This was caused due to the restriction on the movement of passengers in connection with the public emergency readiness regime. In the first eight months of 2021, the revenue from railway transport reached MNT 527.2 billion, increased by MNT 19.3 billion or (3.8%) compared to the same period of previous year. This increase was mainly due to increases in the transportation of mining products, namely, coal, spar and spar concentrates, construction material and food consumer products. In August 2021, the revenue reached MNT 67 billion, decreased by MNT 298.6 million (0.4%) compared to the previous month. ^ top ^

World Bank forecasts 4.5 percent growth in Mongolia (Montsame)
2021-09-28
According to World Bank, Mongolia's economic growth is projected to expand by 4.5 percent this year, nearly 2 percentage points less than previous forecast. As for 2022, it is expected to be 5.2 percent. "The global economy is recovering. High demand for commodity will increase net export earnings, and vaccination will have positive effect" said Andrei Mikhnev, the World Bank's Country Manager for Mongolia, East Asia & Pacific. Jean-Pascal Nganou, the World Bank's Senior Economist for Mongolia, said, "Although 60-70 percent of the population has been vaccinated against coronavirus, Mongolia is still facing certain challenges. Currently, the third wave of the pandemic has erupted. Health sector preparedness is vital. With government support, the negative impacts of the pandemic have been mitigated, but the economy is slowing, as in other countries. During the pandemic, countries such as Mongolia and Vietnam are leading the region in government support. The slowdown in economic growth is mainly due to trade, border and customs issues." He also stressed that household income among the vulnerable group will decrease in the future. "The government's support for households through social welfare programs has created significant costs. It is working effectively amid the pandemic, but it will have a negative impact on fiscal stability. The budget deficit is likely to increase and the debt burden will be created by quasi-fiscal activities. Inflation has risen in the first half of this year. The Bank of Mongolia is under pressure due to the balance of payments. In order to effectively fight inflation, quasi-fiscal activities need to be stopped as part of monetary policy. In addition, the weakening of monetary policy criteria for the stability of the financial sector risks increasing the burden of the pandemic. Non-performing loans will increase with the introduction of pandemic regulations." he added. "Therefore, it is possible to overcome the pandemic by continuing to administrate vaccination, strengthening the health care system, and improving the transportation and logistics system. It is also necessary to gradually ease the measures taken to combat the epidemic and reduce the pressure on the budget. Budget projects and programs need to be cut and transferred. In addition, the requirements and criteria for financial supervision should be set back at the appropriate level. In the medium term, it is recommended reduce over-reliance on natural resources and implement structural reforms."  ^ top ^

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