Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the speeches at three events－a grand gathering celebrating the anniversary on Oct 1, a reception for the same purpose on Sept 30 and a presentation ceremony of national medals and honorary titles on Sept 29.

The book has Chinese and English versions, and it is available at bookstores in China and overseas.

In the speeches, Xi reviewed the historical path that the Chinese people had pursued over the past 70 years through relentless efforts to achieve national independence and liberation, a stronger and more prosperous country and the people's well-being, and demonstrated the country's firm resolve to embark on the path toward national rejuvenation in the new era.

He also used the speeches to reiterate China's commitment to peaceful development and its willingness to work with other countries to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Xi's speeches have greatly ignited patriotism among the Chinese people, boosted the morale of the Party, the military and the people, enhanced the confidence and sense of pride of Chinese people at home and abroad, and have won international acclaim, said an official announcement on the publication of the book.

Their comments came after a new US rule, which took effect on Monday, requires that companies from the United States apply for a license when they export AI-powered geospatial imagery software to other countries, apart from Canada.

The rule, from the US Commerce Department, comes as it is working to tighten exports on sensitive technology to potential rivals, including China.

Xiang Ligang, director-general of the telecom industry association Information Consumption Alliance, said using AI to process geospatial imagery is a common practice. It can be used to help sensors, drones and satellites automate the process of identifying targets for military and civilian purposes.

"The move is the latest effort by the US government to keep sensitive technologies out of the hands of China. It showcases Washington's insecurity amid Beijing's technological rise," Xiang said.

Chinese drone maker DJI said on Monday the new rule won't affect its business. Instead, it can be a boon for the Shenzhen-based company, as DJI has self-developed aerial survey software called DJI Map. This software provides autonomous route planning and supports aerial photography, the company added.

"The rule won't affect our research using satellite imagery. The analytical tools are developed by ourselves. But this once again serves as a reminder that more efforts are needed to build a self-developed AI-powered satellite research platform," said Wu Haishan, deputy manager of the AI department at WeBank, an online bank affiliated with internet heavyweight Tencent Holdings.

The US government has been targeting the ascent of China's AI sector with multiple means. In October, the US Commerce Department placed eight Chinese AI pioneers including iFlytek on its "Entity List", banning them from buying components from US companies without special government approval.

Bai Ming, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said Washington has intensified its push to keep important technologies away from China, even by sacrificing the interests of US tech companies.

The New York Times published a story last year about how Silicon Valley fears losing its edge due to possible government curbs on AI exports. The story quoted experts as saying that blocking exports of AI to other countries would help such industries flourish in those nations－China, in particular－and compete with US companies.

Ren Zhengfei, founder of Huawei Technologies Co, the world's largest telecom equipment maker, which has been on the US Entity List since May, said earlier that if developing countries cannot buy technologies from the US, they will find or develop their own alternatives.

Fan Feifei and Ouyang Shijia contributed to this story.

Luo's appointment as director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR took effect immediately.

Luo, who was born in 1954, served as Party secretary in Qinghai province (2013-2016) and Shanxi province (2016-2019).

In December 2018, he led a delegation from Shanxi to Hong Kong to promote business cooperation. Meeting with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, he praised Hong Kong as a "gold mine" and spoke of the city's "irreplaceable role" in China's reform and opening-up in the new era.

In a statement on Saturday evening, Lam welcomed Luo to his new post and said she was impressed by his caring for Hong Kong during their talks in 2018.

Lam said she firmly believes the Liaison Office under his leadership will continue to work with the Hong Kong government for the city's prosperity and stability, and to facilitate the SAR's integration into national development.

Luo's appointment was much expected by highly placed Hong Kong's officials.

Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong's sole deputy to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said Luo's economics background and rich local experience as a provincial leader is a blessing for Hong Kong, a global financial hub.

Brave Chan Yung, a Hong Kong deputy to the NPC, said Luo's appointment can help Hong Kong to recover from an economic recession as the office will be directed by an economics expert who can blaze new trails in the mainland market.

Stanley Ng Chau-pei, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, the city's largest labor group, said he expected the experienced new director would come up with new ideas on Hong Kong's problems and would help to end the violence and restore peace and order.

"Qurans are burned, mosques were closed down, Islamic theological schools, madrassas, were banned, religious scholars were killed one by one. Despite all this, Muslims stay quiet," Mesut Ozil, a soccer star of Arsenal, an English Premier League team, posted on Dec 13 on social media together with an image of the flag of so-called East Turkestan.

Gul Abulim, a spokeswoman for the regional government, pointed out at a news conference on Friday in the regional capital of Urumqi that "Xinjiang has never been called East Turkestan, and never has there been any so-called East Turkestan."

"I don't know if these celebrities have ever been to Xinjiang, but they seem to be blinded by fake news," she said.

Contrary to the accusation about demolishing mosques, local governments at all levels in Xinjiang have made continuous efforts to improve the quality of public services at mosques, she added.

Mosques in Xinjiang now have access to sewage systems, electricity, paved roads, natural gas for heating, telecommunication, broadcasting and TV signals. These services are all welcomed by followers, Gul said.

She said the regional government also noticed that some people recently launched a social media campaign tagged "China kills Muslims".

"This was clearly organized to smear the Chinese government's Xinjiang policy," Gul said.

The New York Times recently carried a report alleging that the Xinjiang government sends children to boarding schools, "separates" them by force from their parents, "replaces ethnic languages with Mandarin" and "brainwashes" them with patriotic education.

It is entirely up to students and their parents to decide whether or not someone should attend a boarding school, said Parhat Roz, a spokesman for the regional government, at the news conference. Because Xinjiang is a vast region, there are a significant number of students who live long distances from their schools. Many of them choose to live on campus. The same principle applies to all students in Xinjiang, regardless of their ethnic group, he said.

"Also, six languages are used in primary-to-secondary education in Xinjiang for courses in the national common language and in languages of their own ethnic groups," he said.

Despicably, Parhat said, The New York Times made irresponsible remarks about Xinjiang's patriotic education of primary school students, which is a common practice in countries all over the world, including the United States.

"Don't schools in the US conduct patriotic education? In fact, since the end of 19th century, it has been a tradition for American primary and secondary students to learn and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. But the patriotic education in schools in Xinjiang has been twisted as brainwashing," Parhat said.

Some foreign reporters have fabricated mendacious reports about Xinjiang and interviewees out of thin air, indiscriminately making up content in violation of press ethics, he added.

MAO WEIHUA in Urumqi and CUI JIA in Beijing

The fatalities include a volunteer firefighter battling a blaze in New South Wales on Dec 30. In that state, more than 900 homes have been destroyed, a number that is expected to rise.

Late last month, images of a dehydrated koala approaching a cyclist－in temperatures of 40 C－begging for water in the middle of a road near Adelaide, South Australia, went viral.

In New South Wales, it is estimated that 8,000 koalas, or about one-third of the number in the state, have died in the fires.

According to ecologists from the University of Sydney, some 480 million mammals, birds and reptiles have been killed directly or indirectly by the bush fires, according to the website Sydney News& Life.

A statement issued by 22 health and medical organizations declared the levels of air pollution caused by the fires a "public health emergency".

More emergency warnings were issued on Dec 30. Some 40,000 vacationers were urged to evacuate East Gippsland, a tourist resort in the state of Victoria in the southeastern part of the country. Many people who ignored the advice have been told it's too late now and that they should take shelter.

All six Australian states and the Northern Territory reported temperatures higher than 40 C on Dec 30. In New South Wales, there were close to 100 bushfires that day as lightning strikes in dry forests sparked new blazes.

Scientists warn

Scientists have long warned that a hotter and drier climate would increase the incidence and intensity of bushfires in Australia.

A survey conducted in late November by polling company UComms found that more than half of the 1,500 Australians surveyed agreed that climate change had worsened the threat of bushfires, which are just one of the growing number of climate change-related disasters recorded globally in the past year.

Counting the Cost 2019: A Year of Climate Breakdown, a report released on Dec 27 by Christian Aid in London, listed the 15 most destructive weather events of the year, including droughts, floods, fires, typhoons and cyclones. Each disaster caused damage of more than $1 billion, and four of them resulted in damage of over $10 billion each.

The report said the figures are likely to have been underestimated, as often only insured losses are shown and no account taken of other financial costs, such as lost productivity and uninsured losses.

While the vast majority of deaths were caused by just two events in India and southern Africa, reflecting how the world's poorest people pay the heaviest price for the consequences of climate change, the financial cost of disasters was highest in richer countries, such as Japan and the United States.

The report said all the events were linked to climate change caused by humans. It stated that scientific studies have shown that climate change made a particular event "more likely or stronger", while in other cases, an event was the result of shifts in weather patterns, such as higher temperatures and reduced rainfall that made fires more likely, along with higher water temperatures that fueled tropical storms.

Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University in the US, said: "If anything, 2019 saw even more profound extreme weather events around the world than the previous year. With each day now, we are seemingly reminded of the cost of climate inaction in the form of ever-threatening climate change-spiked weather extremes."

'Not good news'

At COP25, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid last month, World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas described two reports by his organization as "not good news".

"Global warming continues," he said, adding that average global temperatures had risen by about 1.1 C since the preindustrial era and in the oceans by 0.5 C.

"We have started seeing hunger increase once again after a period of decline. Now, we have more than 800 million people suffering from a lack of food."

Records have been broken worldwide concerning emissions of the three main greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide; methane; and nitrous oxide. Carbon dioxide is regarded as the most significant challenge.

Taalas, who comes from Finland and started his second four-year term as head of the WMO on Wednesday, said: "We are heading toward a temperature increase of 3 to 5 degrees C by the end of the century. If we use all fossil fuel resources, we will move toward 8 C."

Some 85 percent of the world's energy still comes from fossil fuels and only 15 percent from renewable energy.

The United Nations Environmental Programme's 2019 Emissions Gap Report issued in late November also painted a bleak picture. It said the goals of the Paris agreement on climate change "will slip out of reach" unless the world begins to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The goals of the agreement, set in 2015, are limiting global warming to "well below 2 C above preindustrial levels" and pursuing efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5 C.

Global carbon dioxide emissions have risen by about 11 percent since the first UNEP emissions gap report in 2010. Growing global emissions mean that more and faster cuts will be needed to meet the Paris agreement goals. To achieve the 1.5 C target, nations must increase their commitments fivefold starting this year, according to the UNEP report.

Sivan Kartha, a senior scientist at the Stockholm Environment Institute, described a doomsday-type scenario in which temperatures will rise by 5 C if the world continues to release greenhouse gases and takes no action.

He said at COP25 that in the depths of the Ice Age, when sheets of ice kilometers thick covered large parts of the Earth's surface, where large cities and long coastlines are located today, the planet was only about 5 C colder than it is now.

No one knows what will happen if temperatures rise by another 5 C, he said, comparing the lack of action to "looking at an existential risk to humankind and deciding to take a gamble ... That's madness, and we can't let that happen."

In a report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in October 2018, the world's leading climate scientists warned that there are only 12 years left for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5 C. Even half a degree beyond that will significantly increase the risk of droughts, floods, heat waves and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.

COP25, which was extended for two days, was widely viewed as a failure. Nearly 200 nations attending did not agree on setting higher targets and working to settle the details of two outstanding rules of the Paris agreement: Article 6 on the international carbon market and Article 8 on the loss and damage that underdeveloped nations have endured due to the climate crisis and how they will be compensated.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed disappointment. "The international community lost an important opportunity to show increased ambition on mitigation, adaptation and finance to tackle the climate crisis," he said.

The official withdrawal of the US, the world's largest historical carbon emitter, from the Paris agreement in November has dealt a heavy blow to the global momentum on fighting climate change. This is despite the fact that many US states, cities and businesses have said they will keep their promise to cut carbon emissions.

No giving up

Despite his disappointment at the outcome of COP25, Guterres said: "We must not give up, and I will not give up. I am more determined than ever to work for 2020 to be the year in which all countries commit to do what science tells us is necessary to reach carbon neutrality in 2050 and no more than a 1.5 C temperature rise," he said.

According to grassroots environmental advocacy group The Climate Mobilization, nearly 1,300 local governments and several national administrations have declared a climate emergency, covering a population of more than 800 million.

In his message for the new year, delivered on Dec 29, Guterres said young people are the world's "great source" of hope.

He was referring in large part to the youth climate movement led by 17-year-old Swede Greta Thunberg, a key player at COP25. In August 2018, she began to skip school classes and protest outside the Swedish parliament, triggering the global Fridays for Future movement by students in more than 130 countries demanding action on climate change.

On Dec 11, during COP25, Thunberg was named Time magazine's Person of the Year.

The global movement Extinction Rebellion, founded in the United Kingdom in 2018, now covers some 70 countries worldwide.

It has resorted to civil disobedience to spread the climate change message. Action taken on Dec 14 during COP25 involved dumping horse manure in front of the conference venue.

Some observers see a ray of hope in the latest International Energy Agency report, which projects warming of 2.9 C to 3.4 C, compared with its prediction at the start of the 2010s of a catastrophic warming of 6 C by the end of century.

The growth of renewable energy has also far exceeded expectations. Prices of solar photovoltaic systems, which covert sunlight into electricity, have dropped by 81 percent since 2009. According to Kelly Levin, a senior associate at the World Resources Institute, by 2017, the majority of new power-generating capacity added worldwide came from renewable energy. But she warned, "We are not acting quickly enough."

Countries worldwide are expected to raise their goals at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, from Nov 9 to 19, just days after the US presidential election, with Democrat candidates pledging to rejoin the Paris agreement if they win.

Taalas, from the WMO, said the world has the means to solve the climate change problem through nuclear energy, hydropower and renewables.

"There is a sense of urgency. We need transformation within 10 to 30 years for our energy, transportation and industries," he said.

This year, growth in the broad money supply, credit and aggregate financing of the real economy should be in line with nominal GDP growth, and market-oriented reform of the interest rate system will continue to improve the transmission mechanism of the loan prime rate, which is the new lending rate benchmark, the statement said.

"The market will play a decisive role in the formation of the RMB exchange rate, which will be kept basically stable at a reasonable level and at equilibrium," said the statement, which was issued after the bank's annual meeting in Beijing on Thursday and Friday.

The bank highlighted seven major tasks for 2020, including using monetary policy tools, such as a targeted reserve requirement ratio cut, re-lending and re-discounting to reduce financing costs and supporting financing for small and micro enterprises.

The central bank cut the reserve requirement ratio－the proportion of cash that must be kept in reserve at commercial banks－by 0.5 percentage points on Monday, a move that's expected to inject about 800 billion yuan ($114.9 billion) into the financial system. In 2019, the central bank reduced the ratio requirement three times to counter economic slowdown risks.

Given the backdrop of moderate domestic economic growth and external uncertainties, some economists said monetary policy may tend toward relatively easing but with limited room. The government has a target to balance short-term growth stability and long-term financial safety.

In light of headwinds countering growth, Lu Ting, chief economist at Nomura Securities, said the central bank can be expected to deliver another reserve ratio cut of 0.5 percentage points in the second quarter, when the country's consumer inflation will likely pass its peak.

"The markets may turn much more optimistic about China's growth prospects, but we recommend caution on the economic impact of the reserve ratio cut due to Beijing's new policy thinking of moderate easing that excludes the property sector," he said.

The PBOC will promote credit financing for small and private companies, it said in its statement. Last year, it increased large commercial banks' loans for small and micro companies by more than 30 percent, leading to a drop in lending costs of 1 percentage point. "These targets have been over-fulfilled," it said.

The central bank is aiming this year to "win the battle of preventing and reducing large financial risks" and reiterated its role as "the lender of last resort", which means the it will provide money to financial institutions that are experiencing financial difficulty to prevent their collapse. Last year, financial regulators took over Baoshang Bank in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and provided liquidity to prevent the spread of financial risks.

To support liquidity and improve commercial bank's asset quality, the PBOC will supplement commercial banks' capital in 2020 through issuance of perpetual bonds－a credit instrument having no date to pay back.

Other risk-control measures will be taken for internet and real estate financing, and a macro-prudential regulatory system will be built to supervise cross-border capital flows, according to the central bank.

Regulatory control over monetary policy operations is expected to continue to strengthen in China. "Monetary easing, if any, is expected to be limited and should not translate into relaxed regulatory control over the riskier types of leverage, which is positive to system stability," said Rowena Chang, associate director of Non-Banks Asia Pacific at Fitch Ratings, an international rating agency.

A day after announcing that "the United States military successfully executed a flawless precision strike" on Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and an Iraqi militia leader, Trump ramped up his rhetoric against possible reprisals from Iran, which has vowed to punish US citizens "wherever they are in reach".

In a series of tweets posted on Saturday, Trump wrote Iran "is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets" in revenge for Soleimani's death. He wrote that in the event of any Iranian reprisals, the US had "targeted 52 Iranian sites" and that some were "at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD."

For Iran, Soleimani's killing was a "horrific assassination", Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. It is "an obvious example of state terrorism, and, as a criminal act, constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law," Ravanchi wrote.

Susan E. Rice, the US national security adviser from 2013 to 2017, said an Iranian response would likely be multifaceted and occur at unpredictable times and in multiple places.

"President Trump will then face what may yet be the most consequential national security decision of his presidency," she wrote in an op-ed piece in The New York Times on Saturday.

If he reacts with additional force, the risk is great that the confrontation will "spiral into a wider military conflict". If he fails to react in kind, he will likely invite escalating Iranian aggression, Rice wrote.

"One thing is clear: Americans are not safer, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo argued on Fox News the morning after. Rather, American citizens are at greater risk of attack across a far wider battlefield than before," she wrote.

Hundreds of US soldiers were deployed on Saturday from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Kuwait to serve as reinforcements in the Middle East amid rising tensions following the killing of Soleimani, the Associated Press reported.

The US has failed to deter Teheran thus far, even with the deployment of 14,000 additional American troops to the Gulf region since May, Rice noted.

"The announcement this week that the Pentagon was sending 3,500 more soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division seems unlikely to change things," she wrote.

Jon B. Alterman, a senior vice-president of the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, said that after the drone attack on the Iranian military leader, Iran will respond, forcing itself to the forefront of US foreign policy considerations for years to come and drawing Washington into precisely the sort of shadowy battles the Pentagon has been trying to avoid for more than a decade.

"As a consequence of this action, the United States will grow more enmeshed militarily in the Middle East despite President Trump's avowed desire to leave the region," Alterman, who is also director of the Middle East Program at the center, said in a post on Friday.

On Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators chanted outside the White House "No justice, no peace. US out of the Middle East". Later, they marched to the Trump International Hotel a few blocks away. Similar protests were held in New York, Chicago and other cities, according to Reuters.

The international community has urged all related parties to exercise "maximum restraint" to avoid further escalating Middle East tensions. Some experts said there is still opportunity for Washington and Teheran to step back instead of further escalating the tensions.

Michele Dunne, director and senior fellow of Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the small window of opportunity for diplomacy to avert a disastrous conflict is within the next few days.

"It is in both US and Iranian interests to preserve the option of diplomacy to resolve the outstanding issues (Iran's regional interventions and nuclear program, US sanctions) before tragedy ensues," Dunne, a US State Department Middle East specialist from 1986 to 2003, said in an article posted at Carnegie Endowment's website.

But if you gaze into the water, you might see a different scenario. Aquatic plants cover almost every inch of the lake's bottom at depths averaging about 2 meters. Their vivid green color can be seen easily despite the poor visibility brought by the clouds.

About two years ago, however, what could be seen stood in stark contrast to the current view.

"Two-thirds of the lake was covered with net cages for fish farming," said Zuo Zhiguo, head of the lake's management and law enforcement bureau. The water was so dirty it looked like tung oil, which is yellowish. And the water stank, he recalled.

The turning point for the lake's environment came in January 2016, when President Xi Jinping presided over a national conference in Chongqing about the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Xi said concerted efforts should be undertaken to protect the Yangtze, the country's longest waterway, and excessive development of the river should be banned.

Zuo said an action plan was developed to remove all the net cages in the 80-square-kilometer Xiliang Lake by the end of 2016, and work was completed by April the following year.

To restore the lake after removing the net cages, Zuo said local authorities followed the principle of letting nature restore itself, which was included in an address delivered by Xi at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2017.

Fishing was banned in April 2018, and the bureau has strengthened law enforcement to crack down on illegal exploitation of lake resources, Zuo added.

Since 2018, the bureau has discovered 168 violations involving electrofishing, gathering freshwater snails and picking aquatic plants. Twenty-one people received criminal punishments of up to half a year in prison, he said.

In addition to intensifying patrols, employees of the bureau advertise the regulations designed to protect the lake, he added.

Zuo said the work has yielded good results. Before the net cages were removed, the quality of water in the lake had remained below Grade IV, the second-lowest in the country's five-tier water quality system. Currently, 65 percent of the lake has water above Grade III.

Instead of the net cages, visitors can now observe birds by the hundreds over the lake.

Honghu Lake in Jingzhou, Hubei, has also improved significantly, as local authorities have returned reclaimed land to the 414-square-kilometer lake and have forbidden fish farming.

At the turn of the new millennium, 90 percent of the lakes natural wetlands had been degraded by faming activities. While some areas were being used as farmland, others were occupied by net cages for fish farming, recalled Zhu Junhua, administrative head of the Honghu Wetland Nature Reserve.

As of the end of 2018, more than 15,800 hectares of farmland and fish farms had been returned to the lake. With a significant decrease of human activity, the lake has seen rapid growth of aquatic plants and a marked increase in birds, he said.

"Areas with lotus increased by more than 5,000 hectares, and 20 percent of the lake bottom is now covered by plants," he said, adding that water quality in key areas of the lake had improved to Grade III. Previously, some areas of the lake had water even worse than the lowest category, Grade V.

The lake was once visited by merely several thousands of migrant birds annually. So far this winter, it has received more than 100,000, he said.

"The lake was so beautiful when I was a little boy. There were lotuses everywhere. ... You could even drink lake water directly," local resident Zhang Shengyuan, 61, said.

"Though it will take time to see the lake return to what it was in my memory, it is beginning to come back," Zhang said.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had telephone talks on Saturday with the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and France, reiterating that China opposes the abuse of military force in international relations.

On Friday, China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, expressed the country's grave concern over the current Middle East situation in a telephone conversation with United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. He urged relevant parties, particularly the US, to maintain restraint.

The rarely seen diplomatic activity has come after the US killed Qassem Soleimani, a high-profile commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, in an airstrike near Baghdad International Airport on Friday morning. The attack sparked outrage in Teheran, and Iranian officials vowed to retaliate.

As the risk of further violence between Washington and Teheran looms large, fears are growing about a further escalation of tensions in the Persian Gulf region.

Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, told Pompeo that relevant parties should return to the track of dialogue to achieve, as soon as possible, a de-escalation of tensions.

In telephone talks with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Wang said that the military adventurism of the US goes against basic norms governing international relations and will aggravate tensions and turbulence in the region.

"Military means will lead nowhere. Maximum pressure won't work either," Wang said. "China urges the US to seek resolutions through dialogue instead of the abuse of force.

"China will continue to uphold an objective and just position and play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and security in the Gulf region of the Middle East."

Speaking to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Wang mentioned that their countries, together with China, are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and therefore shoulder important responsibilities in safeguarding world peace and security.

He called on the two countries to strengthen their strategic communication with China, jointly uphold international law, jointly safeguard the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter and basic norms governing international relations, jointly oppose unilateral military action and play a responsible role in properly handling the current situation in the Middle East.

Both Lavrov and Le Drian said their countries have positions similar to China's on the flare-up between the US and Iran and stand ready to maintain close communication with China to play a positive role in preventing escalation.

The US attack that killed Soleimani took place against a background of tensions between Washington and Teheran since 2018, when US President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was signed by Iran, the US, France, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union in 2015. Trump then renewed sanctions against Iran.

Wang underscored the importance of implementing the Iranian nuclear deal and expressed hope that all parties would stay in close communication and not let the attack affect the implementation of the agreement.

The Chinese embassy in the US released a security notice on Sunday on its website, reminding Chinese nationals in the US to keep close watch on the security situation, as many US cities have strengthened security measures, along with Washington, to heighten vigilance.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the ban will affect about 280,000 fishermen and more than 110,000 fishing boats in 10 provincial regions along the Yangtze.

The river flows for 432 kilometers through Jiangsu, and the ban will affect more than 10 cities in the province. It has barred fishermen from catching certain kinds of aquatic products since February, including crab, shrimp, and fish, such as the long-tailed anchovy.

Zhou Qixiang, a fisherman in Tongjin, a village in Nanjing, said that all the fishermen in the village have moved ashore and fishing boats have been dismantled.

"All the licenses for fishing in the Yangtze have been withdrawn, and all the fishermen have been given compensation," he said. "Some people, including me, chose to work for the provincial fishery administration and be protectors of the Yangtze. Now I earn about 6,000 yuan ($860) a month. Some villagers preferred to become vendors of aquatic products or migrant workers in big cities."

In Jiangyin, the local government bought all the fishing boats from fishermen before they were dismantled in 2019. That year, the last group of 54 fishermen came ashore and were given compensation of more than 10 million yuan.

Jiangsu has also improved surveillance to prevent illegal fishing activities.

From Wednesday to Jan 12, more than 200 people from the provincial fishery administration and public security and maritime departments conducted a joint operation to crack down on illegal fishing activities.

Chen Jianrong, a director from the Jiangsu fisheries law enforcement division of China Marine Surveillance, said that all the fishing equipment along the river's Jiangsu section has been removed.

"We had spent about four years to remove the equipment," he said. "The banks of the river had endless bamboo poles that were used to fix fishing nets, but now they are rarely seen in the river."

Zhang Jianjun, deputy director of the Jiangsu Agriculture and Rural Affairs Department, said that the fishing ban will greatly improve the river's biodiversity and fish stocks.

"Wild fish from the Yangtze have no better quality than those cultured in other rivers and lakes," he said. "In fact, some cultured crayfish and crabs have better taste and higher safety standards than wild fish in the Yangtze."

Fish caught in the Yangtze now account for only 0.32 percent of China's total freshwater aquatic products. In recent years, the annual catch from the river has fallen to less than 100,000 metric tons from more than 420,000 tons in the 1950s.

In Jiangyin, local fishermen caught less than 0.5 tons of the extremely expensive long-tailed anchovy in 2011, while in 1956 they caught 174 tons of the fish.

Zhang added that scientific departments will continue to monitor and assess the fishery resources and protect aquatic life in the river.

Wang will on Tuesday start his seven-day trip to Egypt, Djibouti, Eritrea, Burundi and Zimbabwe. It will be the 30th consecutive year since 1991 that Africa has been the destination for the Chinese foreign ministers' first overseas visit of the year.

Li Wentao, deputy director of the Institute of African Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said that China always regards developing countries as the foundation of the conduct of its diplomacy and Africa is the continent with the most developing countries.

"This fine tradition shows that China highly values Africa and stands together with African countries on the international stage," he said. "Unlike some Western countries, China always behaves as a responsible country in providing experience on global governance and assistance to the world's least-developed region."

For example, Wang's visit to Zimbabwe comes at a time when the country is suffering political instability and economic setbacks, which shows that China will not leave or forsake its old friend but instead will help Zimbabwe pull through the hard time, Li said.

According to the Foreign Ministry, during the visit, Wang will promote the implementation of the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and African leaders, advance the China-Africa cooperation on the Belt and Road and move forward bilateral ties between China and relevant African countries and China-Africa relations as a whole.

Egypt was one of the earliest countries to express support for China's Belt and Road Initiative, and a total of 44 African countries and the African Union (AU) Commission have signed BRI cooperation documents with China.

Li said that cooperation between China and Africa will speed up accordingly this year as it is an important year to implement the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit in 2018.

"Faced with the downward pressure on the global economy, it is important for the two sides to find some feasible commercial projects for investment in such areas as water conservation and electric power to realize win-win cooperation and benefit their people," he said.

Yao Guimei, a researcher of African studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: "China is taking the lead in the world in terms of its engagement with Africa, and Africa is taking an increasingly important position in China's foreign relations and strategy."

As this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, it will be a starting point for China and Africa to pursue high-quality and sustainable development of their relations, Yao said.

]]> 2020-01-05 14:37:13 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2020-01/05/content_37531248.htm When you have a top-performing police dog, what do you do next? You clone it, of course.

After seeing the success of six cloned police dogs last year, law enforcement authorities in Beijing said they will continue to work with enterprises to create more. Among other things, they'll create a canine DNA bank to fully preserve the characteristics of the best animals.

Early last year, the police dog center of the Beijing Public Security Bureau unrolled its plan to clone and train police dogs in cooperation with Sinogene, a leading pet cloning company in China.

Based on skin samples from two dogs, both Belgian Malinois, six cloned dogs entered the world in August.

"The two gene donors－one 4 years old and the other 5－are excellent police dogs with outstanding explosiveness and sense of smell," said Ma Jinlei, a police officer engaged in the cloning and training work.

He said the donor dogs have contributed to the capital's law enforcement efforts by helping to solve criminal cases.

Cloning to pass down the genes of prominent police dogs has been a central task of the base in recent years, he said, "especially when high-class dogs get old".

The animals' excellent genes will help improve the quality and efficiency of breeding police dogs and also help to shorten their training period, he added.

At birth, the average weight of the six cloned dogs was 450 grams, with an average body length of 18 centimeters. Their DNA is virtually identical to the donor dogs－more than 99 percent. Four of the animals came from the same litter.

With the dogs' birth, the bureau rose to the No 1 spot nationally for most cloned police dogs.

"The six dogs began their training soon after they were born, and they responded more quickly than other police dogs," said Liu Fengyi, a police officer responsible of the training.

Accompanying the cloned dogs and observing their growth, Liu provided training in sense of smell, hearing and touch to help them adapt to their environment.

"I played music to them, touched them and shared their living space, as such moves can help them grow stronger more rapidly," he said. Such techniques also help test a dog's natural abilities at an early stage.

After about three months of training, the cloned dogs are capable of responding quickly to orders from their trainers and can obey commands to bite, catch and pick up objects, Liu said.

"Other police dogs typically require at least six months of training to get to that level," he said.

On Nov 20, the six cloned canines became official recruits of the Beijing police after passing the center's exams. In a ceremony, trainers put badges, colored collars and uniforms on the cloned dogs, marking their official entry into the force.

The new members－named Ke Zhong, Ke Cheng, Ke Zhi, Ke Hui, Ke Chuang and Ke Xin－"have been our teammates ever since, playing and training with us", Liu said.

When a reporter visited the center in December, the six 4-month-old clones had grown bigger and stronger. Their average weight was more than 15 kg and their bodies had grown to 52 cm. Though they have a similar appearance, they show their own characteristics and offer different advantages.

"Ke Cheng is a very active and easygoing dog. Compared with the other five, my dog is better at biting and picking things up," said Liu Shasha, 38, a female trainer at the center, who said such strong points will help police officers follow and detain suspects.

She regards Ke Cheng as her friend, noting that training a police dog is like looking after a baby that needs patience and care.

"When I find Ke Cheng not energetic as usual, I'll take him to the center's veterinarians to receive medical treatment," she said. "I have to make sure he is trained in top condition."

She said she trains Ke Cheng four or five times a day and also promotes the personal relationship by running with him. "If we can get along with each other, I believe we will be able to solve criminal cases better," she said.

The six dogs are still in the early stages of training. They'll be trained and monitored closely for six or seven months, at which time they'll get new tests to evaluate what specific role each is best suited to play in police work. of the six cloned dogs.

"When they grow six or seven months, we'll give them new tests to evaluate what roles they will play," Liu Shasha added. "At that time, we'll know which clone will be a suspect catcher and which will help anti-drug agencies by smelling."

Established in 1954, the center has more than 300 police dogs. There are around 10 breeds, including German shepherds, Dobermans and Labradors. Most of them are trained to assist police officers in solving criminal cases and assisting in security checks for explosives.

China's first cloned police dog, Kunxun, was born in Yunnan province in December 2018. The animal was cloned from a 7-year-old female Kunming wolfdog named Huahuangma, which serves at Pu'er police station in Yunnan. It has taken part in cracking dozens of murder cases and is considered a great detective.

After completing the training program at the Kunming police dog center, Kunxun passed the tests and is now ready for work.

]]> 2020-01-05 14:37:13 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2020-01/05/content_37531246.htm The air quality in Beijing continually improved during the past year with the density of major pollutants falling significantly, the capital's environmental bureau said on Friday.

In 2019, the average concentration of PM 2.5 in Beijing fell to 42 micrograms per cubic meter, a reduction of 17.6 percent year-on-year and down by 53 percent from 2013, Liu Baoxian, head of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center, said at a news conference about last year's air conditions.

Last year's weather conditions were more favorable than the previous years and the city's efforts in different fields also helped to improve its air quality, according to the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, which held the conference on Friday.

Other air pollutants also saw a reduction last year. The annual average density of PM 10 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was 68 and 37 micrograms per cubic meter, respectively, both for the first time reaching the national standard of 70 and 40 micrograms per cubic meter, respectively, Liu said.

Among many measures to cut down pollution, more than 42,000 trucks with high emissions were removed from the roads last year, while over 300,000 new energy vehicles appeared, according to Li Xiang, head of the atmospheric environment department at the bureau.

Nearly 400 polluting companies were closed or relocated and over 40,000 village residents transferred from coal to clean energy for their winter heating, Li said.

As a result, a total of 240 days boasted good air quality in the past year, accounting for 65.8 percent of the whole year, 64 days more than the good days in 2013, Liu said.

Yang Xue, a pregnant woman who lives in Beijing's Dongcheng district, felt the great improvement in her daily life.

"Last winter, I bought an air purifier at home to use it when there were air pollution in the city," Yang said. But the purifier hasn't been used this winter.

"Most of the days in this winter so far were good with better air quality," she said, adding that she goes out for a walk each noon as her exercise, without worrying about harmful smog.

However, the PM2.5, hazardous fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, is still the major air pollutant in the city, exceeding the national standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter by 20 percent, said Liu.

"With the large-scale projects for curbing air pollution completed, there has been little space left for emission reduction," Li with the bureau said.

He added that controlling air pollution is a long-period, arduous and complicated process and the work of fighting air pollution in Beijing has entered a critical stage.

Zheng Jinran contributed to this story.

]]> 2020-01-05 14:37:13 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2020-01/05/content_37531237.htm China will step up efforts to promote the transformation and upgrading of outsourced services, with a view to achieving better structure and higher quality of the services sector, the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Friday.

"Developing outsourced services helps keep foreign investment and employment stable, and also contributes to economic upgrading. Though our country started relatively late in outsourced services, we have made fairly fast progress and have our own advantages," Li said.

Friday's meeting decided on steps to build greater capacity in undertaking outsourced services at a faster pace as part of the efforts to facilitate economic upgrading.

Information technology will be applied to promote "Services Plus". New service models such as crowdsourcing, cloud outsourcing and platform subcontracting, and new types of industry such as service-embedded manufacturing will be developed.

Efforts will be made to enhance competitiveness in undertaking outsourced services in pharmaceutical research and development, design and accounting, and to strengthen the capability of contracting and delivering such services.

Trade in services will be further facilitated. Service outsourcing will be gradually included in the "single window" in international trade. In the service outsourcing demonstration cities, materials imported for such service sectors as research and development, design, testing and maintenance will be regulated as bonded goods on a trial basis.

"We must deepen the reform of government functions and further open up the outsourced services sector. A negative list for market access has been formulated. Areas off the list should be opened up as much as possible, and government oversight needs to be accommodating yet prudent to meet the fast-developing trend of the digital economy," Li said.

It was decided at the meeting to revise the catalog of key areas in outsourced services to promote the upgrading toward higher value-added outsourced services and create more jobs for young people, college graduates in particular.

"We must promptly summarize the experience gained in the pilot programs and expand their coverage," Li said.

"Good performance in outsourced services will also help establish Chinese brands."

Data from the Ministry of Commerce show a sound momentum of growth in outsourced services. Between January and July last year, Chinese companies signed service outsourcing contracts worth 722.58 billion yuan ($102.62 billion), up by 7.4 percent year-on-year.

]]> 2020-01-05 14:37:13 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2020-01/04/content_37531221.htm President Xi Jinping and his Mongolian counterpart, President Khaltmaa Battulga, hailed the development of China-Mongolia ties as they exchanged New Year's greetings.

Bilateral ties made progress in 2019, as the two countries celebrated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Their cooperation in various fields has seen fruitful results, Xi said in his message, which was released on Friday.

Xi said that when Battulga paid a state visit to China and attended the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in April, the two leaders had an in-depth exchange of views and reached many important points of consensus, which serve as important political guidance for bilateral ties.

Xi emphasized that he attaches great importance to the development of ties and hopes to work with Battulga for new progress in the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership during the coming year.

In his message, Battulga said ties between the two countries have developed comprehensively.

Both respect each other's development path, interests and concerns and are committed to regional security and development, Battulga said, adding that he hopes to work closely with Xi.

]]> 2020-01-04 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2020-01/04/content_37531238.htm President Xi Jinping on Friday underscored the importance of heightened efforts in ecological protection and pursuing high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks as he presided over the sixth meeting of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs. He heads the committee.

It is important to follow the principles of ecological protection and high-quality development in compiling a plan for the river basin's development, and then ensure its implementation, a statement released after the meeting said.

It also called for efforts to follow an ecology-first policy, including green development, and to enable the transformation from too much intervention and overexploitation to natural restoration and recuperation.

The meeting underlined the significance of water conservation, and listed measures to curb unreasonable water consumption. Water utilization must be transformed from inefficiency to more economical methods, the meeting decided.

Different areas must give play to their comparative strengths and develop sectors such as grain production, other agriculture, industry and commerce based on natural conditions, the statement said.

The meeting also laid great emphasis on solving the major issues in the river basin area, saying that projects such as water source conservation, mitigation of soil erosion, comprehensive treatment of air pollution and treatment of polluted soil must move forward.

Pollution control in the Yellow River Basin must be stepped up, with greater water conservation efforts to replenish the water volume in the river, the statement said.

It also urged efforts to push forward the development of city clusters, including Lanzhou and Xining, and to enable the coordinated development of cities in the middle reaches of the Yellow River.

The leading role of key cities, including Xi'an and Zhengzhou, must be strengthened, the statement said, adding that city clusters in the Shandong Peninsula must play a pioneering role.

To force adjustments in industrial structure, the statement said, water should be used as an evaluation standard for land use and industrial production volume.

A project dealing with the protection of cultural heritage along the river will be implemented, and a Yellow River culture and tourism belt with international influence will be developed, the statement said.

The Yellow River Basin, which has a watershed of more than 752,000 square kilometers and covers nine provincial areas, sustains a population of 420 million people, or 30.3 percent of the nation's total, and a GDP of 2.39 trillion yuan ($343 billion), or 26.5 percent of the national total, as of the end of 2018.

Xi has always attached great importance to the ecological protection of the Yellow River Basin.

He presided over a symposium in Zhengzhou in September during which the region's ecological protection and high-quality development was placed on par with other national strategies, such as the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The meeting on Friday also included the discussion of issues involved in promoting the development of a double-city economic circle in Chongqing and Chengdu－both key cities in Southwest China.

It was decided that the leading role of Chengdu and Chongqing must be emphasized so that the area can be developed into an important economic hub and a center for scientific and technological innovation.

]]> 2020-01-04 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2020-01/04/content_37531239.htm The United States killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, the top commander of the nation's Quds Force, in an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq, on Friday－an action that could sharply escalate tensions in the Persian Gulf region.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps confirmed on Friday that Soleimani was killed "in the raid of US helicopters" at Baghdad International Airport. The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhamdis, the deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.

The Pentagon said in a statement that it conducted the strike at the direction of US President Donald Trump as a "defensive action" against Soleimani that aimed at "deterring future Iranian attack plans", and that the US will continue taking necessary actions to protect its people and interests of the world.

The Pentagon claimed that Soleimani "had orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months". Iran has denied involvement in the recent deadly attacks on US forces in Iraq.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed "severe revenge" to those who shed the blood of Soleimani and his companions, Iranian state TV reported on Friday. He said that Soleimani is "the international face of resistance" and that Iran will hold three days of public mourning over his death.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Friday that the country's resistance to the US will now be more determined.

"Soleimani's martyrdom will make Iran more decisive in resisting America's expansionism and will defend our Islamic values. With no doubt, Iran and other freedom-seeking countries in the region will take his revenge," Rouhani said in a statement.

Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, said in a statement that the airstrike "risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence.

"America－and the world－cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return," she said, adding that Congress was not consulted on the strike.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang urged the parties involved, especially the US, to practice restraint and avoid further escalation of tensions.

"China has consistently opposed the use of force in dealing with international relations, and believes that all parties should take effective measures to observe the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as basic norms that guide international relations," Geng said on Friday.

He added that Iraq's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity should be respected, and peace and stability in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region should be maintained.

Xu Liping, a researcher at the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that tensions between Washington and Teheran are rooted in Trump's decision in May 2018 to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Friday's airstrike will definitely bring more uncertainty to the Gulf region, Xu said.

"If the US and Iran have armed conflict in this region, it will have an unimaginably huge negative influence on world security and economic development," he said, adding that security in the Gulf region requires global cooperation.

Wang Qingyun and agencies contributed to this story.

]]> 2020-01-04 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2020-01/04/content_37531247.htm This year may be a good time for global investors to add holdings in Chinese financial assets, as the nation's efforts to open its capital markets and pursue quality economic development offer "unprecedented" opportunities, according to global asset management giants.

"China's capital markets are not only huge and liquid but have a relatively low correlation with other global assets," said Ben Powell, Asia-Pacific chief investment strategist of BlackRock Investment Institute, a think tank of BlackRock, one of the world's largest investment management companies.

"This, plus China's capital market opening-up that has made it easier for international investors to access the markets, undoubtedly presents an unprecedented opportunity for investors," Powell said in an article released on Thursday.

Marked by the inclusion of Chinese assets in global investment benchmarks, the country's capital markets made historic progress in internationalization last year, and the timing for global investors to consider strategic allocation of Chinese equities and fixed-income assets may have come, Powell said.

In April, Bloomberg Barclays added Chinese bonds to its global benchmark, while the MSCI quadrupled the inclusion factor of A shares in its investment benchmarks by three steps last year.

The BlackRock Investment Institute expected returns on Chinese stocks and bonds to be at the high end of the range against its global counterparts, considering the sheer magnitude of China's growth and its improving quality, according to a report the institute released last month.

Manu George, senior investment director of fixed income with Schroders, another global asset management firm, said a moderation in the rate of growth in the midst of economic upgrading will benefit China's bond market.

As the central bank tries to avoid the excessive deceleration of the economic growth, China may see lower interest rates in the long run and therefore provide a solid foundation for bond markets. Bond prices go up when interest rates drop.

"With the broader economic conditions moving arguably in favor of bond markets, and regulatory change opening the markets to a wider investor base, we think a key moment is approaching for Chinese fixed income," George said.

JPMorgan has announced that it will include Chinese government bonds in its global benchmarks by the end of February, and George expected that FTSE, the other major bond index provider, will follow suit in the short to medium term.

Chinese equity assets are also becoming more attractive to global investors, as stock-connect programs between Chinese mainland and Hong Kong bourses saw a net foreign inflow into mainland stocks of more than 350 billion yuan ($50 billion) last year, the highest level so far.

Xu Gao, chief economist with BOC International, said more foreign investors have been expanding their holdings in the A-share market recently as the market offers an "attractive" valuation level by global standards, and as China's prospects for economic growth stand out among major global economies.

Powell expects the Chinese government to focus on both the quality and quantity of economic growth in 2020, with prudent monetary policy cooperating with countercyclical fiscal policies to maintain a healthy rate of growth.

"We are very selective in the China A-share market but also see great opportunities over the long term," said Nicolas Yeo, head of China equities with global asset manager Aberdeen Standard Investments.

Li Xiang contributed to this story.

]]> 2020-01-04 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2020-01/03/content_37531089.htm President Xi Jinping ordered the Chinese military on Thursday to further strengthen its combat training and exercises this year.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, signed the commission's first order for 2020 that listed priorities in the training of the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force.

The order requested the armed forces to stick to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as their guiding principle and uphold Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, as well as military strategies in the new era.

The military must enhance its troops' combat preparedness, closely observe adversaries' moves, exert all-out efforts to improve training and remain on high alert to ensure it is always ready for, and can win in, any possible war, the order said.

Training must be focused on elements leading to victory, and thorough research must be done on operational goals, enemies and the combat environment, it said.

The order required that units must concentrate on their missions and give more attention to emergency-response capabilities. They must also strive to foster the abilities to construct a favorable situation on the front line, control possible crises, and contain or win in a war.

Training and exercises for joint operations must be priorities, it requested, adding that the military must strengthen the participation of civilians and new types of forces in systemic training.

Troops must inject more scientific and technological factors into training and carry out more mobilization drills, according to the document.

More exercises will be organized to examine and test units' command, planning, fighting and logistical capabilities.

The order also stipulated that officers and soldiers must follow training guidelines while the authorities must conduct strict evaluation and supervision of training and also arrange skills contests.

2020 is the third consecutive year that Xi has issued a training order to the Chinese military.

The first such order was issued in January 2018 when the president oversaw and addressed a massive training-commencement ceremony at a shooting range in northern China.

Xi has repeatedly stressed the importance of combat-readiness training and joint operation to the armed forces since he became the commander-in-chief.

Xi said in the message that the China-Ecuador friendship enjoys a solid foundation and that bilateral ties have developed over the past four decades in a sound and stable way under the principles of equality, mutual benefit and common development.

China and Ecuador established a comprehensive strategic partnership during Xi's state visit to the South American country in 2016.

Bilateral exchanges and cooperation in all areas have been accelerated, Xi said in the message, adding that Moreno's visit to China in 2018 brought new momentum to relations.

The president said he highly values the development of China-Ecuador relations and stands ready to work with his counterpart to promote greater progress at the new starting point marked by the 40th anniversary.

Moreno, for his part, said the Ecuador-China relationship has been characterized by friendship, progress and development over the past 40 years, and that the comprehensive strategic partnership was established on that basis.

He said he wished for friendly and cooperative ties between the two countries to be further consolidated in the future, making new contributions in both countries to people's well-being and national prosperity.

Xi made the remark in an instruction to outstanding auditing units and workers commended recently by three Party and State departments.

Xi is head of the central auditing committee, an organ formed in the institutional reform of Party and State bodies in March 2018.

Audit offices, under the unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, must adapt to new demands in the new era and focus closely on the overall work of the Party and the State in comprehensively assuming their duties, Xi said in the instruction.

He urged them to make greater contributions to the modernization of China's governance system and its capacity for governance.

He also commended audit offices for fully implementing the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee, carrying out their duties in line with the law and conducting their work in a concrete and diligent manner.

They have played important roles in ensuring that the decisions made by the CPC can be thoroughly carried out, helping to win the three critical battles against potential risks, poverty and pollution, and safeguarding the order of financial and economic affairs, he said. He also praised them for helping to safeguard and improve people's livelihoods and promote clean governance.

The model workers and units were commended recently by the office of the central auditing committee, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the National Audit Office.

Premier Li Keqiang and Zhao Leji, secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-graft watchdog, met with representatives of the units and workers in Beijing on Thursday.

Li and Zhao are both deputy directors of the central auditing committee.

]]> 2020-01-03 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2020-01/03/content_37531090.htm China plans to build at least 4,000 kilometers of new railway lines this year, including 2,000 km of high-speed lines, the country's top rail operator said on Thursday.

The planned development of new railways this year is part of the nation's effort to maintain large-scale fixed-asset investment, Lu Dongfu, general manager of China State Railway Group, said at its annual work conference.

The Ministry of Transport said in December that China would spend at least 2.7 trillion yuan ($386 billion) on transport infrastructure projects this year, with 800 billion yuan going to railways.

In 2019, 802.9 billion yuan was spent on railways in China and 8,489 km of new track became operational, surpassing the annual targets of 800 billion yuan for investment and 6,800 km of new lines.

As a result, the nation's fast-expanding railway network reached a total length of 139,000 km by the end of last year, while the high-speed rail network exceeded 35,000 km, a year ahead of China's plan to build a total of 30,000 km of high-speed railway lines by 2020.

Among the 51 new railway lines last year, the opening on Monday of the high-speed route linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou, co-host city of the 2022 Winter Olympics, marks significant progress in the autopilot system of China's high-speed trains. Equipped with the system, trains can run automatically at a maximum designed speed of 350 km per hour.

As for this year, measures will continue to be taken to bolster areas of weakness in the nation's railway infrastructure, Lu said.

Construction of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, the second railway into the Tibet autonomous region after the Qinghai-Tibet line, will be a major project this year, he said.

The company called for preparatory work to take place on the project's official launch, including optimizing a plan for organizing early construction of certain sections, pushing forward the railway's initial design, and drawing up its specified technical and management standards.

Lu also told the conference that the total revenue of the rail transport sector increased 6.1 percent year-on-year in 2019 to 818 billion yuan, and it is expected to reach 868 billion yuan by the end of 2020.

In a bid to make the company more market-oriented and capable of providing better cargo and passenger transport services, it will establish a mechanism for evaluating the profits of train operations and thus better organize rail services.

It will also explore more flexible pricing mechanisms for high-speed trains and offer deeper discounts on a growing number of railway lines, as well as start piloting the application of digital ticketing throughout the network.

Zhang Xiaodong, a professor of rail transportation economics at Beijing Jiaotong University, said, "Since the opening of China's first high-speed railway, the Beijing-Tianjin line, in 2008, the country has constructed more high-speed rail lines than Japan and Europe did in 40 years."

The construction of high-speed railways in China saves passengers travel time and has assisted regional economic development, he said, adding that it also played an important role in boosting the flow of talent and information and reshaping China's economic map.

In Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro survived an attempted coup in January led by opposition leader Juan Guaido.

Neighboring Colombia has taken most of the refugees fleeing Venezuela.

In Bolivia, President Evo Morales, who was the country's first indigenous president, resigned in November after a contested election.

In Chile, an increase in transit fares in the capital, Santiago, fueled days of violent protests that led to other demands. Protesters also hit out at the rising cost of living, as well as privatization and inequality.

Many people are worried that political uncertainty in Latin America may affect economic cooperation between China and the continent. However, in the first half of last year, trade between China and Latin America reached $147.1 billion, up 1.3 percent year-on-year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

To date, 19 Latin American countries have signed cooperation agreements on the Belt and Road Initiative, which was proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013.

Meanwhile, Chile is forecasting record cherry exports this season, mainly driven by demand from Chinese consumers, which accounted for 88 percent of the nation's exports of the fruit last season.

In Argentina, the newly inaugurated administration of Alberto Fernandez has pledged a series of measures to bolster the economy and domestic consumption, while reining in inflation through a social pact with various organizations.

Fernandez has announced an increase in levies on agricultural exports and is set to raise taxes on purchases abroad and rates paid on properties in an attempt to bolster funds to pay for increased social subsidies.

Argentine Health Minister Gines Gonzalez Garcia said after a meeting with industry representatives and Fernandez, "This does not solve all the problems, but it does improve everyone's ability to access medicines."

The country's economy is facing annual inflation of close to 55 percent and poverty levels of nearly 40 percent. Argentina, which is Latin America's third-largest economy, also needs to restructure a large amount of sovereign debt with creditors.

Fernandez may have to deal with sharing attention with leftist populist Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the nation's former president and now vice-president, who some observers say will be the power behind the new government.

Trade between China and Argentina was valued at $16.5 billion in 2018, with two-thirds of it comprising exports to China, according to official Argentine figures.

The International Monetary Fund expects Argentina's economy to have shrunk by 3.1 percent last year, with inflation above 50 percent.

The country's debt-to-GDP ratio has soared to 93 percent, with the IMF coming to its aid with $57 billion in 2018, despite Argentina having defaulted on $93 billion of debt in 2001.

For its part, China is investing in infrastructure in Argentina.

China Gezhouba Group, a construction company based in Wuhan, Hubei province, has led the building of two hydroelectric dams and a new tunnel connecting Argentina and Chile in the Patagonia region.

Last month, China and Argentina signed a deal for the export of Argentine lemons.

In Ecuador, the government faced a swift backlash in October after it scrapped fuel subsidies, forcing the leadership to quickly retract the measure.

In Peru, President Martin Vizcarra dissolved a congress resisting his anti-corruption reforms and now has to cope with lawmakers who want to shorten his presidency.

In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro, who was critical of China during his election campaign, has become more open to doing business with the world's second-largest economy.

Mauricio Santoro, an assistant professor in the Department of International Relations at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, said, "The deep ties of Sino-Brazilian relations are part of a general trend that is making the whole region more important to China.

"In the 2000s, the big news was the rise in trade. In the 2010s, it was also about Chinese investment in Latin America and several countries in the region joining the Belt and Road Initiative.

"As we head into the 2020s, the perspective is that China will play an even more important role in the Brazilian economy, and this is why President Bolsonaro changed course in the first year of his administration, leaving behind his former harsh criticism of China and adopting a pragmatic approach."

Santoro said that last year Brazilian exports to China grew substantially, especially in the agribusiness sector. China bought more soybeans from Brazilian producers, because of the trade conflict with the US. The agreement for the phase one trade deal is expected to result in China buying more agricultural products from the US, including soybeans.

Santoro said that an outbreak of African swine fever in China saw the nation import much more pork from Brazil.

He added that the Bolsonaro administration is showing signs that it will not bow to US pressure to place sanctions on Chinese tech companies, and it looks as if Huawei will be able to take part in the 5G internet auction that will probably take place sometime this year.

The privatization process announced by the Brazilian government will be vital for Chinese companies, especially State Grid, Santoro said. State Grid is already a major player in Brazil's energy market and is a likely buyer for Eletrobras, Brazil's giant state-owned utility enterprise.

Santoro said public opinion in Brazil is positive toward China, and Brazilians see their country as a major economic partner and a rising power.

He added that Brazilians are wary of US President Donald Trump, who recently accused Brazil and Argentina of devaluing their currencies.

"There is interest and respect for Chinese culture, and this feeling is particularly strong among young people," Santoro said.

In Colombia in November, President Ivan Duque praised the signing of a contract with APCA Transmimetro, a Chinese railway construction consortium, to build the first subway line in Bogota, the capital.

"Bogota has been dreaming of this for decades. Today, we take another step, and I would say that it is the most important－the signing of the contract," Duque said.

"The formal construction of the subway starts now. The transformation of our capital starts now. The largest investment in the history of the city starts now."

Presiding over the signing ceremony at the presidential headquarters in Bogota, Duque said that the project is set to deepen collaboration between China and Colombia in infrastructure development.

"I am sure that the successful construction of Bogota's subway will open frontiers to more projects," he said, noting that the event coincided with the 40th anniversary of ties between the two countries.

He also said that during a visit to China in July, he and Chinese officials spoke of the importance of "having more Chinese companies wanting to come to Colombia to invest in infrastructure projects".

The World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the European Investment Bank are also taking part in the subway project, which is expected to generate some 60,000 jobs, according to Duque.

APCA Transmimetro, comprising China Harbour Engineering Co and Xi'an Metro Co, will be involved in all aspects of the project, from design to partial financing, to building the stations and supplying the trains, and operating the system for 20 years.

In Uruguay, meat processors are looking to increase beef exports to China.

Federico Stanham, head of the National Meats Institute, or Inac, in Uruguay, said that developing brand recognition among Chinese consumers is a "topic that interests us very much".

"Countries that have positioned their brand, such as Australia, have achieved 25 percent higher sales in meats than we have," he said. "Led by Inac, Uruguay has, since April, launched a strong promotional campaign in China on social networks, at points of sale and at food distributors and producers."

The campaign is aimed at making the "Uruguay brand" better known in China, a destination for some 60 percent of the country's beef exports.

Last year, Uruguay exported about 446,000 metric tons of beef, generating revenue of $1.72 million, with China buying 294,000 tons worth $1.01 million.

Panama, a country that connects Central America and South America, and shares a border with Colombia, can be a key player in the Belt and Road Initiative, according to a Panamanian business leader.

Giovanni Ferrari, general manager of Panama's Colon Free Trade Zone, told Xinhua News Agency last month that China and Panama have "much to explore" within the framework of Colon, the largest free-trade zone in the Americas, with some 2,600 companies.

Ferrari was speaking on the sidelines of the 13th China-Latin America and the Caribbean Business Summit in Panama City.

Already home to some 50 Chinese companies, Colon can provide more businesses from the country with the facilities they need to expand their manufacturing, distribution and services to Latin America within the BRI framework, he said.

Ferrari said that in the 1950s, Colon mainly attracted investment from European companies, especially in the pharmaceutical sector. In the 1970s, Japanese electronics companies moved into the area, and in the 1990s, South Korean corporations in the same field arrived.

After 2010, Chinese companies began to enter Colon, Ferrari said.

"China and Panama have a historic responsibility to champion free trade or free access to the markets," he stressed.

Such a partnership would benefit not only the two countries, but consumers and the world as a whole, he said.

In December 2018, President Xi made the first state visit by a leader of the People's Republic of China to Panama. In Panama City, he urged the business communities in China and Panama to expand cooperation and achieve common development.

China is the second-largest client of the Panama Canal after the US. In June 2016, the Chinese container ship Andronikos became the first vessel to pass through the newly expanded Panama Canal.

In 1854, a ship carrying Chinese workers, many from Guangdong province, docked in Panama in preparation for work on the Panama Canal Railway.

More than 300,000 people of Chinese descent live in Panama, accounting for 10 percent of the population, according to the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, and the Central American country's connection with China dates to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

It is estimated that some 80 percent of Chinese residents in Panama come from Huadu, Guangdong, where some settlements are nicknamed "Panama Village" due to the high number of locals who have migrated to the Latin American nation.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

It would take years, if not decades, to send that much data efficiently over the internet, so scientists loaded those clunky hard drives onto trucks and planes and delivered them to data centers around the globe, according to the Event Horizon Telescope project, the international science body responsible for the image.

One might feel a sense of irony that such an iconic image of a cosmic wonder had to be produced in such an old-fashioned way, but scientists said they are already working on the next generation of telecommunication technology after 5G that will be able to transport data faster, be more tailored to users' needs, and make conducting global science projects more convenient and efficient.

However, the so-called 6G technology is still in its infancy and must overcome several technical hurdles in basic research, hardware design, and its environmental impact before the technology becomes commercially available in 2030, according to a white paper on 6G published in September by Finland's University of Oulu.

Moreover, some scientists worried that 6G's new infrastructure, the increased integration of space-air-ground-sea communication technologies, and the use of a new frequency range to transmit data might affect astronomical instruments or public health, or be too expensive or insecure for researchers to use.

"The sharing, analysis and management of research data are crucial for scientific and technological innovation in today's big data era," Wang Ruidan, deputy director of the National Science and Technology Infrastructure Center, said during a Beijing forum on digitized scientific research in early December.

In November, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced that China had entered the global 6G race, and has established two dedicated offices, one for related policymaking and the other, comprising of 37 experts from colleges, research institutions and enterprises, to work out the technical details.

China Telecom, China Unicom and Huawei, as well as companies and telecommunication providers in the US, Russia and Europe are conducting related research on 6G technologies, according to media reports.

Telecommunication technologies, coupled with large-scale computing infrastructure and big data, have played a crucial role in some of China's largest scientific projects in recent years, especially those involving major scientific instruments, according to a blue paper published in Springer Nature last month.

For example, "we used telecommunication technologies to connect observatories from around China to provide key navigation data to help the Chang'e 4 probe land on the far side of the moon for the first time in human history", said Wang Shuzhi, executive deputy director of the Leading Group of Cyberspace at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"Better connections will undoubtedly improve the precision and efficiency of using big data to conduct cross-regional, interdisciplinary mega science projects," he said.

Nigel Jefferies, chairman of the Wireless World Research Forum, said that although there was no universally accepted definition for 6G technology so far, its future application will have a profound impact on daily life and how scientific research is conducted.

The speed of 6G will exceed 125 GB/s, allowing for ultra-high fidelity virtual reality, zero latency for machine-to-machine communication and global high-speed internet coverage using extensive satellite networks, he said during the World 5G Convention in Beijing in November.

"6G will incorporate technologies that are left out of 5G, such as terahertz signals, satellites and visible light communication," he said.

Terahertz signal waves occupy the 300 gigahertz to 3 terahertz band of the spectrum. This means the frequencies are higher than the highest frequencies that will be used by 5G, which are known as millimeter waves, and fall between 30 and 300 GHz, said Lu Jianhua, president of the School of Information Science and Technology at Tsinghua University.

The shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies suggest that terahertz waves should be able to carry more data more quickly than millimeter waves. But they will have greater trouble penetrating objects than 5G millimeter waves, which already require the installation of a large amount of indoor and outdoor cellular equipment to ensure reliable coverage.

"This creates an existential problem with telecommunication technology, because the whole purpose of our field is to transport more data efficiently with less energy and infrastructure," he said. "But we are doing the opposite for 5G technology and beyond. It will be extremely costly and unsustainable if we still use the same strategy to roll out 6G as we did with 5G."

One of the more popular solutions is to create an integrated global communication network with land, sea, air and space infrastructure to provide 6G coverage, Lu said. However, Li Jinzeng, a research professor at the National Astronomical Observatories of the CAS and the chief scientist of the China-Argentina Radio Telescope, said many telescopes rely on the terahertz range to examine the universe and a global terahertz 6G network may interfere with astronomical observation.

Moreover, the physiological effects of electromagnetic radiation associated with 5G technology are still being researched, he said.

Zhang Zhang, executive deputy director of the BIG Data Center at the Beijing Institute of Genomics of the CAS, said 6G technology will be a positive factor for scientific projects that require the transmission and analysis of large quantities of data.

But there also two major issues－data security and cost, he said. "With 6G, we might be transmitting so much data so rapidly that we fail to notice either small leaks or security risks."

In addition, it costs millions of yuan annually to operate a large data center, and this expense is typically shouldered by the government or the institution. "A full-speed 6G network may be too expensive to use, so funders and policymakers will have to balance the cost and benefits and customize the technology to better suit users' needs," Zhang said.

Briefing the media on Thursday, Senior Police Superintendent of Hong Kong Island Ng Lok-chun said violent protesters had "hijacked" residents who were participating in the peaceful procession. Coffee shops and bank branches were smashed up, and police officers were attacked with hard objects not long after the march began.

Businesses that were vandalized appeared to have been targeted for having links to the Chinese mainland or a pro-police stance.

It was imperative the procession end early and protesters disperse; otherwise it would pose a safety threat to peaceful demonstrators, Ng said, adding that radicals often seek cover among peaceful people.

Later in the evening, the police intercepted 464 people who they said refused to leave after they blocked major roads in Causeway Bay. Police held 287 of them.

"It was the rioters and their supporters who forced an end to the rally," said Kwok Ka-chuen, chief superintendent of the Police Public Relations Branch.

Holiday mayhem

Protest chaos spilled over from Christmas Eve through New Year's Day. On Sunday, masked hoodlums vandalized several HSBC bank branches in response to the shutdown of a fundraising account for protesters whose transactions the police suspected to be part of a money-laundering scheme.

A few outlets on Hong Kong Island that have business links to the Chinese mainland or openly support the Hong Kong government were either trashed or firebombed. A number of traffic lights also fell victim to the rampage.

Radicals spray-painted the exterior wall of the High Court with words insulting Madam Justice Anthea Pang Po-kam, who had sent three to jail over the 2016 Mong Kok riot.

In Tuen Mun, five people entered a train that was carrying passengers and set it on fire, according to MTR Corp, the city's railway operator. Gasoline bombs were hurled into a train and bus depot, setting buses on fire.

In all, 307 males and 113 females, aged between 12 and 81, have been arrested over the past few days, the police said. Charges have included possession of offensive weapons, criminal damage and assault causing bodily harm. The 12-year-old was arrested on suspicion of unlawful assembly in Mong Kok on New Year's Eve.

Two officers, one of them in plainclothes, were assaulted by black-clad radicals in separate incidents in Mong Kok on Tuesday and Wednesday. The uniformed officer was in the hospital on Thursday awaiting treatment for injuries to his head and hand. A 19-year-old suspect surnamed Lee was arrested.

Meanwhile, the police are hunting for two men who posed as plainclothes officers and robbed a 63-year-old man of a paper bag containing HK$210,000 ($27,000) in Tuen Mun on New Year's Day.

The first 11 months of last year saw a 44 percent surge in snatch-and-run thefts and a 28 percent jump in robberies, according to the authorities. The increase was attributed to strained police resources amid the social unrest.

President Xi Jinping delivered a New Year's speech in Beijing on Tuesday in which he highlighted the steady progress of China's high-quality development in 2019.

Xi said that 2020 will be "a year of milestone significance", pledging that the country will complete its task this year of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

Noting that China continued to be an active participant in the global community last year, Xi reiterated China's commitment to peaceful development.

Jon R. Taylor, a professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said Xi's speech sends an optimistic message to the world, with its particular emphasis on issues such as poverty eradication and common development.

"What most impressed me about China in 2019 was its ability to handle a series of adverse economic, trade and social stability issues－'winds and rains', in the words of President Xi," he said, adding that he was impressed when Xi mentioned ordinary citizens whose work has had a positive impact on China during the past year.

Andrei Ostrovsky, deputy director of the Institute of the Far East at the Russian Academy of Sciences, said China has made tremendous achievements in improving its economy and people's living conditions in the past decade. He has witnessed the huge differences between China's current economic situation and that of 1978 when the country had just embarked on reform and opening-up.

"At that time, I was not able to imagine that China could make such breakthroughs in its economy," Ostrovsky said.

Yan An, president of the Association of Chinese Education in Japan, said that Xi's words reflect "the dazzling and extraordinary achievements the motherland has made".

"I am very proud of that," Yan said. "We sincerely wish China to be more prosperous in the future."

Christopher Bovis, a professor of international business law at the University of Hull, hailed China's quest to balance its economic progress with social development.

He said that China's structural reforms and the continued opening up of its economy have coincided with the need to adopt a governance model with responsive and responsible political and economic leadership, and the need to promote people-centered sustainable development to eradicate poverty and promote stability, peace and harmonious relations.

Rana Mitter, director of the University of Oxford China Center, said Xi's speech stressed economic development in particular, and that it's vital for global economic development to become increasingly cooperative rather than competitive in the 2020s. He was impressed with Xi's pledges on consistent strategies for international growth and cooperation through this year.

"China will have to play a major role in shaping that new economy," he said. "This is an area where the United Kingdom, the European Union and China can all cooperate, helping to shape a new economic model."

What impressed Alan Barrell, director of studies at Cambridge Innovation Academy, was when Xi said that China is willing to join hands with people of all countries to build the Belt and Road Initiative and push ahead to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Barrell said it will be "very important" for his country, the United Kingdom, to continue to forge close links with China and expand cross-border cooperation and investment in the post-Brexit era.

"Perhaps it is more important than the eventual outcome of the deals done now between the UK and the EU," he said.

Ren Qi in Moscow, Wang Xu in Tokyo, Wang Mingjie in London and Chen Yingqun in Beijing contributed to this story.

The reserve ratio requirement for most financial institutions will be reduced by 0.5 percentage point on Monday, the People's Bank of China, the central bank, said in a statement. After this cut, the reserve ratio will be in a range of 6 percent to 12.5 percent, with the largest banks at the higher end.

The central bank has cut the reserve ratio eight times since early 2018 to spur economic growth. The latest move should not be seen as a change in prudent monetary policy, and it is not a "flood irrigation type of easing", according to the central bank.

The monetary authority is asking commercial banks to use the $115 billion fund to increase financial support for small, micro and private companies.

Small and medium-sized commercial banks, whose main business is lending to small enterprises, may receive more than 120 billion yuan from the reserve cut, according to estimates by economists.

Experts in the financial sector predicted the capital injection several days ago, as the monetary authority usually takes measures to hedge against potential liquidity shortages before Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan 25 this year.

Lou Feipeng, a senior economist at Postal Savings Bank of China, said the first reserve ratio cut in 2020 aims to reduce social financing costs by providing capital for the early issuance of local government bonds that will strengthen infrastructure construction. As the cut was made at the start of the year, commercial banks are able to lend more to companies and receive profits earlier.

"The reserve ratio cut is a countercyclical measure to stabilize growth and a reflection of the flexibility of monetary policy," Lou said.

Before the announcement, central bank advisers achieved a consensus in the most recent central bank monetary policy committee meeting regarding more flexible fine-tuning of monetary policy. The use of various tools is expected to keep liquidity ample and provide cheaper loans for small and private businesses, which are striving for a good start to 2020 with upward economic growth momentum.

Other measures may include lowering the interest rate of medium-term lending facilities－the price of the central bank's lending to financial institutions－so they can lend the cheaper money to small business at a lower cost.

Maintaining reasonably ample liquidity is one of the priorities of Chinese monetary policy, in light of economic downside risks and rapid changes in the global environment, the central bank said on Wednesday in a separate statement about the monetary policy committee meeting.

The committee held its fourth-quarter meeting in 2019 on Friday, chaired by Yi Gang, governor of the central bank. Committee members held that China's major macroeconomic indicators are "within a reasonable range", maintaining growth momentum with strong resilience amid external challenges.

Before the end of 2019, the announcement of a phase one trade deal between Washington and Beijing strengthened investor confidence. The latest economic indicators in China, including the stronger-than-expected manufacturing purchasing managers' index in December, also reflected positive expectations on economic performance in the new year, economists said.

In the statement, the central bank said it will "continue to pay close attention to the profound changes in the international and domestic economic and financial situation, to turn the external pressure into a strong driving force for deepening reform and opening-up".

It also said the exchange rate of the yuan is largely stable, with improved two-way flexibility and enhanced ability to sustain external shocks.

Liu Wei, president of Renmin University of China and a member of the committee, wrote in an article that the monetary policy this year is expected to be prudent, but there is a tendency toward relative loosening.

"Through cutting the reserve ratio requirement and lowering the interest rate of the medium-term lending facility and open-market repo rates, the central bank can supplement liquidity and increase financial support for small and micro businesses," said Liu, who predicted the GDP growth target of 2020 will stay above 6 percent, and the target for the consumer price index－a gauge of inflation－may be no higher than 3 percent.

Many observers expect another challenging year for the economy, which has been affected over the past 12 months by both trade friction with the United States and slowing global growth.

With the US recording the longest period of expansion in its history in July, the inevitable consensus among economists on the global economy is that a recession cannot be far away, even if it doesn't occur this year.

Relations between Beijing and Washington will again be in focus as political fervor heats up for the US presidential election in November.

The United Kingdom is set to leave the European Union, making Brexit a reality, but there is still a risk that no free trade agreement will be reached.

The year ahead also promises to be another important one for the Belt and Road Initiative, with a number of important projects underway across many continents.

As far as the Chinese economy is concerned, the three-day Central Economic Work Conference, which was attended by the country's leaders last month, emphasized stability.

As a result, commentators believe that the central leadership will set a target of around 6 percent for GDP growth in the Government Work Report in March, compared with the range of 6 to 6.5 percent set last year.

After the government revised growth for 2018 in November, a 6 percent expansion this year would be sufficient to achieve a doubling of 2010's GDP, which would equate to China becoming a moderately well-off society.

Imogen Page-Jarrett, China research analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit, a research organization, is forecasting GDP to grow by 5.9 percent.

"The expected growth rate will still be enough for the government to meet its centennial goal. We expect it to introduce more aggressive stimuli in 2020 to ensure economic growth reaches this level, including continued monetary loosening and government spending on infrastructure, as well as moderate loosening of policy in the property sector in certain regions," she said.

Louis Kuijs, head of Asia Economics at the consultancy Oxford Economics, also believes that setting a lower target would be the right course of action

"It would make sense, as it would imply a further softening of the target compared with 2019 without leading to too strong a deceleration," he said.

Jing Ulrich, vice-chairman of global banking and Asia Pacific at investment bank JP Morgan Chase & Co, said Chinese leaders were right to emphasize at the Central Economic Work Conference the importance of transitioning from high-speed to high-quality growth.

"Chinese policymakers have been responsive in managing the nation's financial and economic risks. With the economy facing headwinds, they have reiterated the continuation of supply-side structural reforms in the pursuit of high-quality growth," she said.

If China does succeed in eliminating extreme poverty this year, it would be a remarkable achievement, and one that even some developed economies have failed to match. It would be the culmination of a 40-year journey that has seen 800 million people lifted out of poverty, the highest number ever in such a relatively short period of time.

Stephen Roach, senior fellow at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs at Yale University, pointed out that 4.8 million citizens in the US still live in absolute poverty－below the $3.20 a day purchasing power parity threshold. Some 2 million of them do not have running water.

"The elimination of poverty is an important achievement on the road to prosperity for any nation, developing or developed. With many of the world's wealthiest nations still afflicted with significant pockets of poverty, China's progress is all the more impressive," he said.

"China's unparalleled progress on poverty alleviation may well be the singular achievement of its growth and development miracle."

Douglas McWilliams, who carried out extensive research on poverty for his recent book, The Inequality Paradox: How Capitalism Can Work for Everyone, argues that China has been particularly successful in not leaving people behind as it becomes wealthier.

"It has made creating prosperity translate into reduced poverty, and there are lessons other countries could learn from," he said.

Most commentators expect the global economy to remain sluggish this year.

However, Page-Jarrett, from the EIU, believes global growth will pick up slightly, from 2.3 percent last year to 2.4 percent.

"With continued uncertainty in the global operating environment, we expect that business confidence and investment will remain subdued," she said.

"The world's major central banks will continue to pursue ultra-loose monetary policy. This will cushion demand in developed markets and limit the financial pressures that some indebted emerging-market economies might otherwise face."

Kuijs, at Oxford Economics, doubts that this year will herald the start of a global recession.

"We are not very bullish on the global economic outlook for 2020, but we think that the risk of a recession or something close to that remains modest, given the insurance policy provided by monetary and fiscal stimulus pursued across the world," he said.

Last month, the US and China agreed phase one of a trade deal, but many observers expect anti-China rhetoric to increase in the upcoming presidential election.

Shi Yinhong, director of the American Studies Institute at Renmin University and one of China's leading foreign policy experts, believes there will be considerable "China-bashing" from both the Republicans and Democrats on the campaign trail.

"This is not new, but it will be more to the fore because of the trade dispute. As to the outcome, I think Trump has quite a remarkable probability of being re-elected," he said.

"If he isn't, and the Democrats win, I am not certain what the impact on China will be. A Democrat president might be a little more predictable and there might be a little more certainty."

Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Center for China and Globalization, a leading independent think tank based in Beijing, believes the phase-one trade agreement has provided much needed stability.

"The trade dispute, for now, has probably stabilized, and the challenge is to maintain China-US relations and not let them deteriorate," he said.

Roach, at Yale, agrees that the agreement has eased tensions for the time being, but he thinks they will resurface this year.

"It takes a worrisome source of uncertainty out of the near-term global growth equation. But as the events of the past 21 months have indicated, there is far more to this conflict than tariffs. Tensions over innovation policy, technology leadership, cybersecurity and state-sponsored industrial policy underscore both the breadth and the depth of the protracted tensions between the world's two largest economies," he said.

However, Shi, at Renmin University, believes that the US and China will continue to "decouple" and the world will become more protectionist, and reject globalization.

"The forces of protectionism are becoming stronger. Countries across the world are looking inwards.... This is a trend that is not going to end anytime soon," he said.

As with last year, another source of uncertainty this year could be Brexit. The UK will leave the EU by the end of this month, but will then enter a transition period.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has enshrined in law that this period will end on Dec 31, regardless of whether the UK has agreed a free trade agreement with the EU, creating the prospect of further business uncertainty throughout the year.

Page-Jarrett, at the EIU, believes the UK will not be able to meet its self-imposed deadline.

"Given the complexity of negotiating the final-status arrangement, we expect that the UK will be forced to seek a further extension, concluding a free trade agreement by December 2022 instead," she said.

"This will lead to instability in the British currency. The pound will remain volatile in the coming months, and again toward the end of next year."

While the UK is disentangling itself from the EU, the Belt and Road Initiative will continue to forge new links between countries.

McWilliams, also founder and executive deputy chairman of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, a consultancy based in London, said the initiative will provide one of the most significant global boosts this year.

According to a report by his consultancy, it will add $7.1 trillion annually to global GDP over the next two decades, involving a significant surge in infrastructure spending. This will add some 4.2 percent to global GDP by 2040.

"The BRI is a huge boost to the world economy. While its peripheral elements are important, the biggest one is the development of land-based trading routes from Asia to Europe, which will transform China's trading links with Europe," he said.

"It now costs just $2,600 to send 1 metric ton of freight from Chengdu (capital of Sichuan province) to Lodz in Poland in 14 days by rail; a fraction of what it would cost by other modes of transportation. This is transformative. It is also making the Chinese and Russian economies heavily integrated, which will enhance their links."

Bukola Ogunsina, editor of the Sunday edition of the Leadership newspaper in Nigeria, said the Belt and Road Initiative is particularly important in Africa, where it is fostering a deeper relationship between China and the continent.

"Chinese companies are building bridges, roads and hydroelectric plants in Nigeria and I think people are beginning to grasp the whole concept of what the initiative means," she said.

"What China is offering is a mutual relationship based on respect. It is not a one-sided thing at all."

Ulrich, at JP Morgan Chase, also thinks there is a growing global realization of the scale of the initiative.

"It presents substantial opportunities for the nations involved, ideally boosting regional economic cooperation, promoting growth and fostering trade and investment," she said.

This year, and the new decade as a whole, is likely to be an important time for technology, with major breakthroughs expected in artificial intelligence, robotics and telecommunications, and with Chinese tech giant Huawei already a leader in 5G.

China has set itself the goal of being a global leader in technology by 2035.

Jeffrey Towson, professor of investment at Peking University Guanghua School of Management, feels that China is already ahead in a number of areas.

"China's digital giants are now the leaders in e-commerce, messaging and payments. Alibaba is better than Amazon. WeChat is better than Facebook. I expect them to extend this lead in 2020," he said.

Towson, author of the best-selling The 1 Hour China Book with Jonathan Woetzel, said China has had particular success with consumer products.

"Silicon Valley is dreadfully boring on the consumer side－almost stagnant. China and Asia (as a whole) is where the excitement and innovation is for almost everything on a smartphone. China's tech giants will continue to evolve into global leaders－Huawei in telecommunications and smartphones, Tiktok (known as Douyin in China) in entertainment, and Ant Financial in payments," he said.

Roach, author of Unbalanced: The Codependency of America and China, said it is important to be realistic about the prospects for this year.

"The good news is that key sources of idiosyncratic risk appear to have been addressed for the time being－namely, the tariff war between the US and China as well as the political uncertainty surrounding Brexit," he said.

"The bad news, however, is the downward growth momentum in Europe－especially in Germany－and in Japan. You also have the sluggish state of global trade continuing to take a toll on the export-led economies of East Asia and also Mexico."

McWilliams, at CEBR, said any predictions about this year have to be tempered with the knowledge that a global recession is looming.

"This year looks likely to be a better one than 2019, but there are a lot of imbalances in the global economy that have not been resolved and there is likely to be quite a severe recession within the next five years," he said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The birthday celebration brings me back to the good times of my wedding," Wang said with a laugh. "I would have been much happier if I'd had the house I'm living in now."

They shared the cake and the moment of memory along with more than 60 other village seniors at a free lunch banquet on Dec 16. The lunches, in what's been dubbed the "filial love canteen", have been offered to all residents over age 80 three times a month since May 2018. They provide an opportunity for them to talk and for village officials to brief them on the latest government policies.

"In the past, as we struggled to feed ourselves, we would never have thought of organizing such activities," said Wang Xingjun, 45, Party secretary of the village.

Thanks to the government's poverty alleviation efforts, residents now do not have to worry about basic sustenance. The village has developed some projects in agriculture and rural tourism that have helped fund the canteen.

"We want to make all the elderly people as comfortable as possible so they can fully enjoy it," Wang said. "Many of them celebrated a birthday for the first time in their lives at the free lunches."

Xiaying, with a population of 3,883, is in Huichang county, which was delisted as a national-level poverty-stricken county on April 28. The incidence of poverty dropped to 0.17 percent in 2019 from 22 percent in 2013, the county government reported.

The Chinese government has pledged that all rural residents living below the current poverty line will be lifted out of poverty by the end of this year. The goal by year's end is that no county in the country will have extreme poverty.

"The year 2020 is crucial in winning the anti-poverty battle," President Xi Jinping said in his New Year's speech on Tuesday. "The clarion has sounded. We must work together and work hard … to secure a victory in the battle against poverty."

Rural revitalization

In addition to offering local residents better healthcare and social security services, the infrastructure and environment of Xiaying have significantly improved over the past few years.

The country's poverty alleviation efforts since 2013 have set strict standards on infrastructure construction, such as better local roads and houses.

Wang Shengdi, 83, had her house rebuilt to meet the national standards. The road to it was also paved so her family can easily park agricultural vehicles at their doorstep. Management of the waste disposal system in Xiaying has also been improved to create a pleasant living environment.

Most of the money for all this came from a pool of specialized poverty alleviation funds allocated by the central government and other higher-level governments. According to the Ministry of Finance, the central government allocated 126 billion yuan ($18.1 billion) of specialized poverty-alleviation funds last year.

"I was born in the village, and I've never seen so many changes in such a short period of time in its infra-structure, administration and living environment," said Wang Xingjun, the village official. "Can you imagine that the residents had been used to seeing rats frequently running on the road?"

He said poverty alleviation efforts have laid a solid foundation for the revitalization of the village, and developing suitable industries to bring people more income is the key to preventing them from slipping back into poverty if the specialized support from higher-level governments weakens in the future.

"More than 100 residents who had been working in cities have returned since 2017 because they've noticed they can have quality lives in rural areas just like in the cities," he said.

The village offers opportunities for development as well. With interest-free loans from State-owned financial institutions, the villagers can choose to grow profitable agricultural products such as navel oranges, for example.

In the past year, Xiaying has been encouraging residents to set up greenhouses to grow baby pumpkins, which are lucrative and becoming increasingly popular with people in urban areas who are keen on living a healthy lifestyle. The cost of building the greenhouses is shouldered by the government or companies that come for the opportunities, Wang Xingjun said.

"Since different industries have begun to thrive here, people can now make a good living or find employment at their doorstep," he said.

Under the National Rural Revitalization Strategic Plan (2018-22), establishing industries in villages is key to the sustainable development of rural China and to ensuring people won't fall back into poverty.

Rural revitalization is expected to have made major progress by 2035, when residents should find quality employment and the relative poverty gap will have been narrowed. By 2050, China's villages will become beautiful places to live as the agricultural industry booms. What's more, the residents will become prosperous, the plan said.

Model village

Zengfeng, another village in Huichang county, was stripped of the poverty label in 2017 and is trying to build itself into a model community.

The entrance to the village is clearly marked and beautifully designed. The quality main road passing farms of navel oranges and lotus flowers leads people into the heart of the village. Residents can find the ancestral hall, medical center, kindergarten, supermarket, village square and e-commerce station at the center of the village. At the west end, an agritourism center is being built at the foot of the mountain.

"The village has become more and more appealing," said Zeng Jianming, Zengfeng's Party secretary. "After seeing the transformation, some residents who are migrant workers said they want to return and invest in agricultural businesses with the money they saved."

It's not only residents who want to return. Businesses are also coming in. Meng Xiangning, manager of a small salmon farm in the village, said that good air and water quality are key factors that drew the Beijing-based company to Zengfeng in 2018.

"We wouldn't have set up the farm if the roads had remained poor. We need to ensure the salmon reaches the market fast and fresh," said Meng, who provides jobs for some residents.

Improved infrastructure and residents with higher incomes have also lead to a boom in e-commerce in Huichang, said He Ying, manager of the Huichang branch of JD.com, one of China's e-commerce giants.

He said he returned to his home in Huichang in 2016 from Shenzhen after seeing potential for the e-commerce business in rural areas.

At peak times this winter, the branch handles 22,000 agricultural product packages per day and sends them all across the country. As the residents have more money to spend, the branch delivers about 400 packages daily to different townships in Huichang, up from about 20 in 2016, He said.

Also, thanks to the improved roads, the company can deliver parcels from residents' houses instead of collecting them or leaving them at a collection point in the township.

"We can enjoy quality air, fresh produce and quality services in all respects," He said. "It won't be long before urban dwellers start to envy the life of the rural residents."

The trade war between the world's largest and second-largest economies is having a tremendous influence, not only on the two countries but on the whole world. With China and the United States having agreed on a phase one deal in the waning moments of 2019, can the two sides settle their differences and work together to stabilize the global economy? That is one of the most pressing questions people have.

For China, the easing of trade tensions and its deepening reform and opening-up measures are bringing hope that the country will be able to maintain a healthy growth rate, and it's wondering how it can build on its achievements along the path of eliminating poverty.

Domestically, 2019 was an unusually chaotic year for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Riots provoked by radicals since June greatly damaged Hong Kong's economy, local people's livelihoods and the rule of law, and many are wondering if that will continue in the year ahead. They also wonder how relations across the Taiwan Straits will fare.

Internationally, the worrying anti-globalization trend is expected to continue in 2020. There are concerns that the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union will continue to drag on and that the US might destroy the World Trade Organization system.

In contrast, with the Belt and Road Initiative, which promotes a new wave of inclusive globalization, people are wondering how it fared last year and what progress it has made.

People are also curious and concerned about how new technology including 5G, blockchain and bio-identification will impact their lives, and whether efforts will be made to strengthen scientific ethics.

There are also concerns about the militarization of space, as the US is creating a military space force. And people wonder what China has planned for space this year.

At home, households are paying great attention to issues closely related to their well-being－the prices of everyday consumables, such as pork, for example, and trends in housing prices and the prospect of a higher retirement age. In addition, there are questions about what will be done to stop bullying in school, improve undergraduate education and harmonize doctor-patient relationships.

Experts give us their views and forecasts on these issues, which will unfold over the year ahead.

See all Q&As, pages 6-7

 

This means that the vast and sparsely populated region, known for its snowcapped mountains, roaming antelopes and yaks, no longer has counties with registered poverty rates of 3 percent or higher.

In the nationwide battle against absolute poverty, which picked up momentum in 2012, the central authorities created two major indexes to help track the progress.

One is the head count of rural poor, who are defined as people living on less than 2,300 yuan ($328) a year. The bench mark was set in 2011 and is adjusted annually for inflation. The other index involves counting the number of counties categorized as impoverished, which reflects the level of regional poverty.

By stripping the remaining 19 counties of the impoverished label, Tibet has made good progress in eliminating regional poverty－a giant leap toward the zero-poverty target.

"It was an iconic episode in the overall poverty reduction work in China," said Wang Sangui, a prominent rural affairs scholar and a professor at Renmin University of China. "Tibet used to be among the regions hardest hit by extreme poverty, and by delisting all its impoverished counties, China is a step closer to xiaokang shehui," he said, referring to the Communist Party's pledge to establish a moderately prosperous society in all respects before the celebration of its centenary in 2021.

With a population of 3.4 million people predominantly of ethnic Tibetan heritage, Tibet accounts for a majority of the Three Areas and Three Prefectures, jargon that officials use to refer to the deeply impoverished regions. The regions include Tibetan communities scattered across four provinces in western China, the southern part of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and three prefectures in Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

In a post that attracted 82,800 likes on Sina Weibo, The People's Daily said the developments were a milestone in Tibet's history, considering that almost 35 percent of Tibetan residents were poor only a decade ago.

"I work in Tibet," said one Weibo user. "I've heard many people from the older generations express their surprise at the tremendous changes that have taken place there in the recent past. The nation has made incredible input there."

Centenary goals

A short time after becoming chief of the Communist Party of China in late 2012, Xi Jinping ramped up efforts to achieve "Two 100s" goals, of which the most imminent was to establish a xiaokang shehui. In the following year, Xi was elected president.

To achieve xiaokang, Xi launched a nationwide campaign to eradicate absolute poverty, the threshold required for a society to boost relatively high living standards.

"It is a battle without smoke," said Liu Yongfu, during an annual gathering of officials in December in Beijing. Liu is director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, the top poverty relief agency.

He said that the sweeping battle "has no bystanders", with almost all of society mobilized in a short time to do their share, based on their respective strengths. All of them aimed at marching into the long-awaited xiaokang era－east and west, rural and urban－on schedule, he added.

Nonprofits, research institutes, banks and even multinationals were also active contributors, offering low-interest loans and gene-editing crops that can survive extreme weather and soil conditions. Many of the programs were tailored for regions mired in poverty.

According to Liu's office, State-owned enterprises allotted 6 billion yuan in financial aid to impoverished regions in 2018 alone. Some 88,000 private businesses offered to be paired with more than 100,000 poverty-stricken villages, investing 75 billion yuan and immense effort to help foster local industries.

"The enthusiasm of private businesses for the task has far exceeded our expectations," said Wang Dayang, who oversees nongovernmental involvement in poverty reduction at the poverty alleviation office.

The payoff has proved it was worth the effort, and the progress in poverty reduction has stunned global observers.

China's rural poor, which stood at almost 100 million in 2012, plummeted to 16.6 million by the end of 2018. The incidence of poverty nationwide fell from 10.2 percent to 1.7 percent during the seven-year period, making China a pioneer in reaching the Millennium Development Goals in 2015, which were set by the UN at the turn of the century.

Authorities estimate that another 10 million or more people will shake off poverty this year.

Targeted measures

China started tackling widespread rural poverty decades ago. In 1986, almost a decade after China decided to reform and open up its markets, Beijing created a cross-departmental office responsible for poverty reduction, which was the precursor of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

In 2000, the central government launched a landmark program to aid development in vast, poverty-stricken western regions. This in turn expanded much-needed infrastructure in the inland areas and instilled momentum for growth.

But many remained impoverished in rural areas due to varied reasons that could not be solved by a one-size-fits-all approach.

In 2013, President Xi Jinping proposed the idea of a targeted poverty alleviation plan for the first time during an inspection tour of Shibadong village in Hunan province.

Under the targeted relief campaign, officials are forbidden from merely handing out relief funds without finding ways of attaining sustainable incomes.

Instead, they were asked to carry out a thorough assessment of their resources, environmental conditions and culture, and draw up tailored, efficient relief plans.

The plans vary from village to village in some of the most remote areas, and may cover a range of ethnic groups.

In the vast but sparsely populated Tibet, mass relocation programs were widely adopted in an attempt to boost the incomes of herding communities and better provide public service.

Nyima, who now lives in the Sanyou village that is a one-hour drive from Lhasa, is among hundreds of Tibetans who have recently cast off poverty after participating in a mass relocation program.

For years, Nyima, who like many Tibetans goes by one name, had struggled to feed her extended family of six by rotating crops such as highland barley, wheat and tomato on a small patch of land in an impoverished community on the outskirts of Lhasa.

To bring in extra cash, her husband, who is an unskilled worker, had to seek temporary, poorly paid laboring jobs in nearby towns.

The family's plight was worse in summer when surging rainfall caused frequent flash floods in her village which sits in a ravine. The damaging torrents washed away bridges, disrupted farming and jeopardized the safety of her son and daughter, who both walked kilometers along a worn path to the nearest school.

"Those were hard days," said the 54-year-old Nyima.

In 2016, she applied for a place in a mass relocation program that targeted needy farmers near Lhasa. Her family was given a two-story Tibetan-style house near a train station bustling with travelers from across China.

There, her family runs a milk tea house, which helped her escape poverty in 2017. "My son was admitted to Xiamen University last year, and we all have great expectations for him," she said.

Safety net for strugglers

Despite the progress, millions are still grappling with dire poverty, mostly scattered across the vast Three Areas and Three Prefectures outside Tibet－a mosaic of ethnic communities.

A report made by the Minister of Civil Affairs Li Jiheng at a recent legislative session shed light on the problems there. Li said among some 17.5 million impoverished recipients of State benefits in the Three Areas and Three Prefectures, 63.5 percent were seniors, minors, or people frail with disabilities or chronic diseases.

That had made it difficult for authorities to lift them out of poverty through conventional means, such as fostering local industries or developing tourism.

Basic living allowances and other State benefits are considered the last measures to be adopted in an effort to ward off the "Two Worries"－the lack of food and sufficient clothing.

The "Two Worries" is an euphemism for the income threshold where a household is deemed to have cast off the poverty label.

The report said China allocated 562 billion yuan in subsidies to help people in need from 2016 to 2019. The funds were used to help people in extreme poverty, orphans, the homeless and beggars, among others.

"We'll make concrete efforts to strengthen social relief work, to ensure that the bottom buffer works and that the poverty reduction battle will end in victory," he said.

Xi highlighted the steady progress of the country's high-quality development in 2019 in his speech and extended his New Year's wishes for 2020.

"The year 2020 will be a year of milestone significance," Xi said, noting that the country will complete its task of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and secure a decisive victory in eliminating poverty.

About 340 impoverished counties and more than 10 million people were lifted from poverty in 2019. Xi vowed in his speech to do the same for all poverty-stricken rural residents and to eliminate poverty in all impoverished counties in 2020.

Saying China continues to embrace the world in 2019, Xi noted that the number of countries that China has established diplomatic relations with has reached 180. "We have friends all over the world."

Xi reiterated China's commitment to peaceful development, and said the country will unswervingly uphold world peace and promote common development.

Human history, like a river, runs forever, he said, witnessing both peaceful moments and great disturbances. "We are not afraid of storms and dangers and barriers."

China is willing to join hands with all countries in the world to jointly build the Belt and Road, to push forward the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and to make unremitting efforts for the creation of a beautiful future for humanity, he said.

Xi spoke of attending the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the return of Macao Special Administrative Region to the motherland on December 20 and said Macao's success indicates that the principle of "one country, two systems" is fully applicable, achievable and popular.

He extended his best wishes to compatriots of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and said, "In recent months, our hearts have been concerned about the situation in Hong Kong."

"Without a harmonious and stable environment, how can people live in peace and enjoy their work?" he said.

"We sincerely hope for the best for Hong Kong and Hong Kong compatriots.

"Hong Kong's prosperity and stability is the wish of Hong Kong compatriots and the expectation of the people of our motherland."

Xi spoke of several significant achievements during 2019, such as China's lunar probe Chang'e 4 landing on the far side of the Moon, the launch of the Long March 5 Y3 rocket, the opening of Beijing Daxing International Airport and the commercial application of 5G technology.

He said coordinated regional development further accelerated in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Yangtze River Delta.

Behind China's development in all sectors is its continuous reform and opening-up, Xi said, citing several examples of progress, from reform of Party and government institutions to the establishment of Free Trade Zones, from cuts of more than 2 trillion yuan in tax and other miscellaneous fees to lower costs for medicine and cheaper and faster internet connections.

While praising the country's steady progress in the reform of national defense and military systems in 2019, Xi mentioned the first domestically built aircraft carrier commissioned two weeks ago in Hainan province.

Xi's heart is also with those ordinary people whose deeds touched him.

In his speech, he mentioned a number of ordinary names, including Zhang Fuqing, who has kept a low profile despite the great contributions he has made to the nation, and Huang Wenxiu, who dedicated her youth and life to poverty alleviation.

He also mentioned his inspection tour and his interactions with people from all walks of life, including the ethnic Derung people in mountainous area of Yunnan province and villagers of Xiadang township in Fujian province. All of them were poverty-stricken and were lifted from poverty last year.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark while addressing a New Year's gathering held by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

The year 2020 will mark the successful conclusion of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the 13th Five Year Plan (2016-20), and reaching the country's first centenary goal will be a glorious mission, he said.

Xi stressed the importance of following the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability and making comprehensive efforts to maintain stable growth, advance reform, make structural adjustments, improve living standards and guard against risks.

We must have a clear victory in the fight against poverty, he said.

The president reiterated pledges to continue the policies of "one country, two systems," "the people of Hong Kong governing Hong Kong," "the people of Macao governing Macao," and a high degree of autonomy for both regions so as to ensure their long-term prosperity and stability.

It is important to adhere to the one-China principle and move forward with the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations on the basis of the 1992 Consensus, he said.

China will hold high the banners of peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes, step up international exchanges and cooperation, actively promote the Belt and Road Initiative and make new contributions to the great cause of world peace and development, he said.

Xi noted that the 46 key reform agendas and another 61 reform tasks laid out by the Central Committee for Deepening Overall Reform have been completed, while a total of 178 reforms have been carried out by central government departments.

For the new year, the CPPCC should focus its main task on helping the country realize its two centenary goals, center its efforts on stepping up political guidance and creating consensuses to transform the systematic strength of the political advisory body into efficiency of national governance, he said.

・ "Patriotic feelings brought tears to our eyes, and patriotic spirit forms the backbone of the Chinese nation."

・ "United as one, we shall work harder. The greater the difficulty, the farther we advance."

・ "Human history, like a river, runs forever, witnessing both peaceful moments and great disturbances. We are not afraid of storms and dangers and barriers."

・"Without a harmonious and stable environment, how can people live in peace and enjoy their work? We sincerely hope for the best for Hong Kong and Hong Kong compatriots."

・"Let's seize the day and live it to the fullest, and greet the arrival of the year 2020 together."

The headline purchasing managers index of the manufacturing sector, a gauge of manufacturing activity growth in China, came in at 50.2 last month, unchanged from November, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.

A figure above 50 indicates manufacturing growth and below 50 contraction.

This is the second consecutive month the index has remained above the boom-or-bust line.

"As traditional holidays (Spring Festival) approached, supply and demand in the manufacturing sector were both brisk," said Zhao Qinghe, a senior NBS statistician, adding that export orders increased considerably last month.

The sub-gauge for new export orders recovered last month, moving into the expansionary range for the first time in the past year and a half, while the production sub-index rose to 53.2 from 52.6 in November, supported by active production in such areas as the food and beverage, clothing, pharmaceutical and automobile industries, Zhao said in a note.

External demand improved on the back of the phase one trade deal text agreement with the United States and the bottoming-out of global manufacturing activities over the last quarter, said Zhang Deli, chief macroeconomic analyst at Yuekai Securities.

"This, in tandem with an expectation of stronger countercyclical policy measures coming, has motivated manufacturers, who have a low level of inventory on hand, to quicken production and get prepared for a potential recovery of demand," Zhang said.

Improvements in economic conditions may continue in the first half of 2020, he said. Zhang added that GDP growth is expected to stand at 6 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter, as it did in the third quarter, while full-year growth for 2019 may land at 6.13 percent.

Iris Pang, an economist at ING, a Dutch global financial institution, said both the commercialization of 5G and infrastructure investment will help sustain the recovery of China's manufacturing sector this year.

The commercialization of 5G may successively drive factory activity in 5G receptors, 5G smartphones, and the internet of things, such as self-driving buses, Pang said.

Meanwhile, increasing numbers of infrastructure projects that kicked off last year have passed from the investment to the production stage, boosting manufacturing activities such as electronic equipment production, she said.

Last month's PMI data also signaled, however, that the economic recovery is still fragile. Manufacturers continued to cut payrolls as the employment sub-index remained low at 47.3, unchanged from November, and small manufacturers saw worse conditions, with their PMI down to 47.2 from 49.4 the previous month, according to the NBS.

To sustain the recovery and fulfill the goals of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects by 2020, the government may strengthen countercyclical measures at the start of this year, a Huatai Securities report said.

Monetary authorities may soon roll out targeted measures to facilitate financing of small businesses and manufacturers, while fiscal support may help infrastructure investment growth to rebound in the first quarter, the report said.

China's non-manufacturing activities expanded slower last month, with the non-manufacturing PMI dropping to 53.5 from November's 54.4, the NBS said.

The 174-kilometer railway, a major project for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, has a maximum designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, cutting the travel time between the two cities from more than three hours to less than an hour.

Along with the route, a 53-kilometer branch line directly connecting the capital with Zhangjiakou's Chongli district, the site of Winter Olympic Games venues, also began service on Monday, with a maximum designed speed of 250 km/h.

Zhao Chi, 37, who works for an advertising company in Beijing, bought an apartment in Chongli five years ago as his "skiing base". When he heard about the railway opening, he was more than excited and took the first train to spend his New Year holiday skiing there in Chongli.

"I used to ride the bus or drive a car to come skiing here, both of which are tiring and time-consuming. It now just takes me the time of a nap to get here," he said.

Chongli has seen its tourist numbers growing and the world's biggest and state-of-the-art ski resorts and the booming of ski industry come into being in the years since Beijing and Zhangjiakou won in 2015 their bid to co-host the coming Winter Olympics.

According to the district's tourism bureau, during the five-month skiing season from November 2018 to April 2019, Chongli, 200 kilometers northwest of Beijing, welcomed 2.81 million tourists, up 25.9 percent year-on-year.

The high-speed line is expected to give Chongli great momentum to further develop its winter sports industry, according to industry insiders.

Han Yuanjun, an expert from China Tourism Academy, said people who are tired of traditional vacations nowadays need newer, more exciting tourism products. Snow-themed activities, a growing trend, perfectly meet these new demands.

"Chongli has turned itself into one of the best skiing destinations nationwide. With high-speed rail greatly improving transport connectivity between Chongli and the capital, its development will no doubt move up a giant notch," he said.

According to the China National Tourism Administration, the country expects to see over 300 million people involved in winter sports by 2022, creating 1 trillion yuan ($143 billion) market.

Chongli's Wanlong Paradise Resort, which has 101 slopes covering a combined skiing area of 6.48 square kilometers, received over a million visitors and skiing enthusiasts last winter and is expected to see a sharp increase of ski-lovers, according to the resort.

Luo Xingrong, general manager of the resort, said, "About 90 percent of our visitors are from neighboring places, including Beijing, Tianjin and other cities in Hebei. People used to have a three-hour drive to get here from Beijing."

The train will cut the Beijing-Chongli travel time to about one hour and offer tourists more choices to come here, she said, adding that the resort will see many more winter tourists in the coming Spring Festival.

"I am so excited, I have to try it on its first trip," 67-year-old Yu Ruiqin told reporters.

On Monday morning, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway opened, the world's first on which automated trains can reach speeds of 350 kilometers per hour. It's a new version of the same rail line built from 1905 to 1909.

To experience the speed, Yu, who grew up in Zhangjiakou and now lives in Beijing, bought a ticket for the day's first train, which departed at 8:40 am from the capital's Beijing North Railway Station going to Zhangjiakou in neighboring Hebei province.

She was too excited to wait at home and arrived at the station about two hours before the departure.

"It used to take me about 4 hours to take a one-way trip from Zhangjiakou to Beijing," she said, adding that her family moved to Beijing in 2000.

Yu said how grateful she is for China's great rail development because the trip now takes less than an hour.

"How big the improvement is!" Yu said, holding in one hand a new ticket for the high-speed train and in the other an old ticket she used in 2007 for the same trip.

Passengers like Yu filled the trains on Monday.

The old Beijing-Zhangjiakou rail line was China's first rail artery fully designed and built by Chinese. Zhan Tianyou, its chief engineer, overcame a series of difficulties in building it, the best-known of which is a Y-shaped switchback rail he designed near Qinglongqiao Station to reduce the line's slope and length of a tunnel through mountains, according to the Zhan Tianyou Memorial Museum in Beijing.

Zhan's rail line opened in 1909, greatly boosting the nation's confidence and setting off a wave of railway building across the country, according to the museum.

"He spent four years on the railway, insisting on finishing it without foreign assistance," said Zhan Yong, 48, great grandson of Zhan Tianyou, who also rode the high-speed train on Monday.

"I am very excited and even kind of emotional, because the railway is not only a glorious part of my family's history, but most importantly a great achievement for our country," Zhan Yong said.

Zhangjiakou, located about 160 km northwest of Beijing, played a key role in military and economic areas during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), which is why the late Qing government decided to build the old Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway.

The city released details of the plan online and is presenting it at an exhibition center for public comment until Jan 28. The municipal government started to draft the plan in 2017.

Yang Baojun, head of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, said the new plan for the core area is well-positioned to reach clear goals.

"Unlike other cities, Beijing, as the capital, should be China's calling card," he said. "I was excited after reading the plan, which combines the area's three functions to better serve the country and people and to better preserve history."

Under the plan, Beijing's Dongcheng and Xicheng districts, with a total area of 92.5 square kilometers, will be divided into 183 blocks for optimal functionality to protect the environment and to better serve residents.

The land area for urban public facilities will increase from the current 11.1 percent to 12.2 percent of the total. Public spaces, both indoor and outdoor, will be raised from 34.4 percent currently to 38.9 percent.

The core area will follow a sustainable development model that balances environmental capacity with city resources to create better living conditions.

Shi Xiaodong, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Institution of City Planning and Design, said it's crucial for Beijing to function as the political center of the central government and to plan for the needs of the many citizens living in Dongcheng and Xicheng districts. The total population in the core area was around 2 million last year.

One goal is for 85 percent of residents to use public transportation with an upgrade in facilities. Commute times will be reduced to an average 45 minutes during rush hour.

Medical care and cultural facilities will be within 10 to 15 minutes' travel for all residents in the area.

Qiu Yue, president of the Urban Planning Society of Beijing, said people will be able to study the plan and imagine what the capital's future will look like.

They said this was despite recent positive signs emerging from the trade talks with the US.

In a phone call on Dec 20, President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump set the tone for how Beijing and Washington should deal with their frictions after the two countries reached a phase one trade deal. Both leaders said this initial economic and trade agreement benefited China, the US and the whole world.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, the two countries are working on procedures, such as a legal review, translation and proofreading of the preliminary agreement regarding the phase one deal, and are closely communicating on follow-up measures.

Tao Wenzhao, a researcher with the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said he was not optimistic about Sino-US relations from a short term perspective.

Political parties in the US have reached consensus on two issues－that the US should adopt tougher policies toward China, and that neither country should "crush the other completely", Tao said.

He added that the political parties had not reached consensus on many other issues, such as whether China is an economic rival of the US, if a trade war could benefit or harm the US, and whether China wants to assume the US' dominant position on global affairs.

In June, an open letter to Trump and members of Congress signed by 100 leading US specialists on China, including scholars and former government officials, was published. It expressed deep concern over the growing deterioration of US relations with China, which it said "does not serve American or global interests".

Tao said that since the letter had been published, many US experts and former officials had expressed views that differed to those of their government.

"From the mid-and long-term perspective, we should not be pessimistic," he said, adding that China has witnessed a remarkable increase in its economic, technological and international influence, which means that the country is more capable of handling relations with the US.

Chen Fengying, a senior researcher on the world economy at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said Beijing should "increase its capability" of dealing with US relations.

Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies and dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said the US is likely to adopt tougher and more confrontational policies toward China.

He told a seminar in the middle of this month that preventing China's rise is an issue that is being agreed on increasingly by political parties in the US.

Wu noted that the four high-level dialogue mechanisms on diplomacy and security, economy, law enforcement and cybersecurity, and social and people-to-people exchanges, set by the leaders of China and the US in April 2017, had all come to a stand still this year amid the tension caused by trade frictions.

The rise of emerging powers, especially China, had caused the US to fret about its power being weakened, so Washington had resorted to containment policies toward Beijing, Wu said.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the Beijing-Zhangjiakou line has witnessed the development of China's railways over more than a century.

The original Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway, China's first independently designed line, was first put into operation in 1909 for trains going 35 kilometers per hour.

The current railway line, which came into service on Monday, is a world-leading high-speed railway with trains moving at 350 km/h.

Xi said it also represents a leap in China's comprehensive national strength.

He called the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway an important supporting project for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, adding that the opening marks new progress in the preparations for the Winter Olympics.

Xi called for the advance of related high-standard and high-quality work to ensure the Winter Olympics are held as scheduled.

He also expressed his warm congratulations and New Year's greetings to everyone involved in the project's planning and construction.

The 174-km Beijing-Zhangjiakou line, with a maximum designed speed of 350 km/h, reduces travel time between the two cities from over three hours to 47 minutes, making Hebei one of the few provinces with a high-speed rail system connecting all of its cities, said China State Railway Group.

The intercity railway makes use of big data and has smart technology built into many aspects, including passenger transportation, management, security, maintenance and scheduling, the company said.

Zhang Bo, a researcher at the Locomotive and Car Research Institute at the China Academy of Railway Sciences, said the train can automatically start, run between stations, adjust its timing according to the schedule, accurately stop at a station, and open and close its cars' doors.

"Supported by the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, sensors are installed along the railway so that real-time 'physical examinations' can be carried out to detect problems such as aging components, track subgrade settlement and damaged lights," he said.

Two railway lines opening on the same day－the 136-km line linking Zhangjiakou with Datong in Shanxi province and the 287-km line connecting Zhangjiakou with Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region－also link those cities with Beijing through the Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway.

Travel time between Hohhot and Beijing, a distance of 500 km, is expected to be shortened from nearly 10 hours to about two hours with the launch of the new service. People traveling from Datong will need about an hour and 42 minutes to get to the capital.

"I used to get on the train in the morning and arrive at my home in Hohhot late at night. It's frustrating to spend two days on the round trips. But with the operation of the line, I can even go back over weekends," said Guo Cun, 29, who works in a battery company in Beijing.

"The new rail lines will help these regions better connect with the country's high-speed railway network and thus greatly save the travel time for the local people along the railway," said Zhao Jian, an economics professor specializing in rail transportation at Beijing Jiaotong University.

The high-speed service will also strengthen the flow of labor and information between those cities and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and boost regional integration and coordinated economic growth, he added.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

In November 2018, He Jiankui said he had used genome editor CRISPR to produce twin girls immune to HIV, provoking an outcry over bioethics and prompting an immediate investigation by authorities.

The court said He, as well as two other people on his research team－Zhang Renli and Qin Jinzhou from two medical institutions in Guangdong－were not licensed as doctors, deliberately violated national regulations on scientific research and medical management in pursuit of fame and wealth and crossed the bottom line of scientific and medical ethics.

He pleaded guilty in court. It was unclear whether he would file an appeal.

He launched the project in 2016 to edit genes in human embryos in the name of producing HIV-resistant babies after learning about the possible commercial benefits of the technology, the court said.

He forged ethical review documents through other parties, recruited multiple volunteer couples with HIV-positive fathers, edited genes of human embryos and implanted them in the mothers through assisted reproduction technology, according to the court.

The experiments resulted in two women becoming pregnant and the birth of three gene-edited babies, the court added.

He conducted the experiments knowing that it violated State regulations and medical ethics, without the safety and effectiveness of the technology having been verified, the court said after hearing the case, which was held in private due to privacy concerns.

Zhang was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 1 million yuan. Qin was sentenced to 18 months in prison with a two-year reprieve and fined 500,000 yuan.

He Jiankui shocked the scientific world and received widespread condemnation soon after he disclosed his experiments, with scientists across the world raising questions about ethical norms for gene-editing research and calling for better international oversight.

In December 2018, as a result of the incident, Premier Li Keqiang urged scientists and research institutes to exercise more integrity and said any academic misconduct should be severely punished.

The results of the investigation, released in January by provincial authorities, also found that He organized and financed the experiments himself in pursuit of personal fame, evaded supervision by forging documents and directly violated China's regulations against using gene-editing technologies on human embryos for purposes of reproduction.

After the investigation, people involved in the case were banned for life from engaging in work related to assisted reproductive technology or applying for any research funding or human genetic resources by health and science and technology departments.

The incident also prompted stricter measures in overseeing academic ethics and integrity. China's draft civil law, which has been submitted to the top legislative body, has added a new item requiring all medical and scientific research related to human genes and embryos follow strict laws and not break ethical codes. The government announced a plan in July to establish a national science and technology ethics committee tasked with supervision of the sector.

The State Council also released a regulation on the management of human genetic resources that took effect on July 1, aiming to protect human genetic resources, promote proper use and tighten supervision.

Fifteen Model 3 sedans were delivered to its employees at the $2 billion Shanghai plant, Tesla's first overseas factory, ahead of schedule in the first quarter of 2020.

Wang Hao, a senior executive at Tesla China, said the plant has already achieved its production target of 1,000 units a week and that orders for the China-made sedan have been "very good" so far. Tesla will ramp up deliveries in January, he said.

The plant, which broke ground in January 2019 and started trial production in October－record speed for global carmakers in China－was hailed by CEO Elon Musk as a "template for future growth".

Tesla's Shanghai factory is China's first wholly foreign-owned car plant, showing the country's effort to open up its automotive market, which has been the world's largest since 2009.

Tesla has been bullish about the Chinese market.

Its China sales revenue surged 64 percent to $669 million in the third quarter this year, while the figure in the United States fell 39 percent to $3.13 billion, according to its financial statement.

"China is by far the largest market for mid-sized premium sedans. With Model 3 priced on par with gasoline powered mid-sized sedans, we believe China could become the biggest market for Model 3," the carmaker's financial statement said.

As its China models roll off the assembly line, Tesla said it will double the number of service centers and fast charging stations in China next year, and it plans to more than double its after-sales workforce from about 600 now to 1,500.

John Zeng, managing director of the LMC Shanghai consultancy, said locally produced Model 3 sedans, with a lower price tag, will help greatly boost Tesla's sales in the country.

He said Tesla, as well as leading local startups Nio and Xpeng, will help bolster the image of electric cars for potential buyers.

"They have tiny sales compared with gasoline car makers, and it is not time that they take each other on," Zeng said.

Carmakers in China sold 1.04 million electric cars and plug-in hybrids in the first 11 months of the year, accounting for 4.5 percent of all vehicles sold in the country, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Wang Bin, a senior official at the Ministry of Commerce, said at a briefing on Monday that China will continue to drive the change from conventional vehicles to electric cars and plug-in hybrid ones and facilitate their use.

"We must fully recognize the importance of commercial insurance in the social services sector," Li said. "The current supply of commercial insurance can hardly meet the needs in the changing demographics. Yet commercial insurance is an effective means for senior citizens to maintain and raise their quality of life."

It was agreed at the meeting on Monday that commercial endowment insurance will be developed at a faster pace and the overall pension insurance structure will be refined. Support will be given to developing－by drawing upon international experience－diversified pension annuity insurance products and medical insurance and accidental injury insurance that is tailored to the needs of those over age 60. The development of long-term nursing care insurance will be stepped up.

Insurance companies will be encouraged to provide comprehensive insurance products that cover multiple needs including medical care, nursing care and maternal services. New medical technologies and products will be included step by step in the coverage of commercial health insurances. Insurance products will be created to meet the needs of those working in new types of businesses.

"It is important to plan ahead and provide policy support, as appropriate, to continuously expand the scale of commercial endowment insurance and improve its quality so as to serve the ever-growing needs of the people. What is especially important is to increase the supply of insurance products and resolutely tackle the difficulty in settling insurance claims," Li said.

The meeting urged accelerated efforts to open up the insurance market and foster a level-playing field to promote the upgrading of insurance services.

"China has started relatively late in the development of commercial endowment insurance and thus lacks enough experience. It is important to learn from advanced acquired experience worldwide, continue to open up our insurance sector, and in this process, develop our own commercial endowment insurance to meet the needs of an aging society," Li said.

Over the year, Xi traveled to 12 countries in Asia, Europe and South America during seven overseas trips.

The president has taken a lead in safeguarding multilateralism, promoting equality around the world and firmly opposing unilateralism and hegemony.

Xi also presided over four major events hosted by China during the year: the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition and the second China International Import Expo.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: "Wherever he traveled in 2019, President Xi Jinping made China's voice heard. It is a voice of justice that rejects unilateralism, hegemony and power politics in favor of multilateralism, the authority of the United Nations and the norms of international relations."

As a responsible member of the international community, China has been a strong champion of multilateralism, Wang said late this month while summing up the country's diplomatic efforts over the year.

Economic globalization

In his speech at the closing ceremony of the BRICS business forum in November in Brasilia, the Brazilian capital, Xi called for active participation by businesses in BRICS cooperation to promote economic growth and job creation amid a global economic slowdown arising from growing protectionism.

The BRICS nations are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Xi said a new round of the technological and industrial revolution is driving socioeconomic development amid mounting protectionism and economic tensions, which are eroding global trade and investment and weighing down the world economy.

"At present, economic globalization is encountering setbacks," Xi warned, adding that the BRICS countries need to stand firm against protectionism, uphold the WTO-centered multilateral trading system and increase the voice and influence of developing countries in international affairs.

The president's stance on safeguarding multilateralism and promoting economic globalization was evident in his key speeches delivered on a number of other important occasions.

At the opening ceremony for the second China International Import Expo in Shanghai early last month, Xi pledged that China would continue to deepen multilateral cooperation amid the country's efforts to achieve opening-up at a higher level.

"China is a champion for international cooperation and a supporter of multilateralism," Xi said.

The Shanghai expo attracted an impressive gathering of 181 countries, regions and international organizations, more than 3,800 exhibitors and over 500,000 buyers worldwide. Business deals worth more than $71 billion were concluded, a rise of 23 percent year-on-year.

Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the world is undergoing profound changes unseen for a century, and some countries have resorted to unilateralism and protectionism to deal with the situation. This has had a grave impact on the international order.

China, as an important developing country, has proactively engaged itself in the tide of economic globalization and worldwide efforts to move in the direction of multi-polarization, he said.

Belt and Road

Promoting the Belt and Road Initiative remained one of the most important tasks on the president's diplomatic agenda for the past year. Xi has made continuous and sincere efforts to promote this ambitious proposal that aims to bring China and the rest of the world closer.

In April, China hosted the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which was attended by 40 national leaders and heads of international organizations, and nearly 6,000 representatives from 150 countries and 92 international organizations.

This year, China has signed documents on Belt and Road cooperation with 16 countries and international organizations, taking the number of such documents to 199.

Flagship projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the China-Laos Railway, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia and the China-Europe Railway Express have created substantial development opportunities for participating countries.

Last month, Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, accompanied by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis, visited the Port of Piraeus.

In 2009, a subsidiary of China Ocean Shipping Company started managing the port's container terminals. In 2016, the Chinese company acquired a majority stake in the port and formally took over its management and operation.

To date, the project has created jobs for more than 10,000 local people directly and indirectly, and the port has become the largest in the Mediterranean region and one of the fastest-growing container terminals in the world.

Xi said at the port that the Belt and Road Initiative is not an empty slogan, but a successful practice and a brilliant reality.

During his first overseas visit of the year in March to three European countries－Italy, Monaco and France－Xi also promoted the initiative, making substantial progress.

Witnessed by Xi and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, China and Italy signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly developing the BRI. Italy was the first G7 country to sign such an agreement with China.

Wang Yiwei, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said the BRI has brought numerous opportunities for the economic development of Europe.

Some European Union countries, such as France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, became founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, showcasing their pragmatic efforts to seize the opportunities offered by the initiative to pursue greater influence for their currencies, Wang said.

During his State visit to Russia in early June, Xi said the two countries should proactively push forward the connection between the Belt and Road and the Eurasian Economic Union and dedicate themselves to promoting integration of the regional economy.

In talks that Xi held in June with Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov and Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, in Bishkek and Dushanbe, the leaders agreed to implement the outcomes of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and bring high quality to the Belt and Road.

Relations improved

In the past year, China has also seen improved relations with many neighboring countries.

During Xi's visit to Russia, he and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed two joint declarations－one on upgrading bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era and the other on strengthening global strategic stability.

According to a joint statement on the strategic partnership, the China-Russian relationship has entered a new era and is facing fresh opportunities for greater development.

The two countries have made smooth progress on synergizing the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union and also on implementing major strategic projects in areas such as energy, aviation, space and connectivity.

Early this month, Xi and Putin witnessed via video link the launch of the east route natural gas pipeline between the two countries, marking the start of a new era in energy cooperation

In October, Xi flew to the Indian coastal city of Chennai to attend the second India-China Informal Summit, following the first, which was held in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, a year ago.

During an informal meeting, Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed that a rules-based multilateral trading system should be supported and strengthened, and that China and India would continue to work for open and inclusive trade arrangements that benefit all nations.

On his trip to South Asia, Xi also traveled to Nepal for the first State visit to the country by a Chinese leader in 23 years. The two countries upgraded their relations to a strategic partnership of cooperation featuring everlasting friendship for development and prosperity.

On Dec 23, Xi held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. It was the Japanese leader's second trip to Beijing in 14 months, following his official visit to the country in October last year.

Xi said China is willing to maintain close communications with Japan and strengthen political guidance to push the two countries' relations to a new level and better benefit the two peoples.

In late June, Xi met with Abe on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, where the two leaders reached a 10-point consensus on improving and expanding bilateral ties. Xi agreed in principle to accept Abe's invitation to make a State visit to Japan in the spring.

Xi also paid a historic visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in June, marking the 70th anniversary of China-DPRK diplomatic relations. The visit gave a new boost to the traditional friendship between the two countries.

Jin Yong, a professor of international relations studies at the Communication University of China, said Xi's efforts to promote "neighborhood diplomacy" have helped China achieve a stable and favorable environment for development with its neighbors.

"Facing global challenges, including unilateralism and protectionism, it is necessary for China to build up good relations with neighboring countries," he said.

The workforce－people between 15 and 64 years old－will decline to around 970 million in 2025, 30 million fewer than at the end of 2020, the study projects.

Despite the drop, the study said workers will remain in short supply as the job landscape continues to change during the next decade.

In one trend, the service industry will continue to expand, providing more jobs, while those engaged in agriculture will continue to decrease.

The study said that by 2050, the workforce will have continued to drop nationally, while the flow of workers among such sectors as agriculture, manufacturing and services will intensify. Farmworkers are expected to continue to flow into the services sector.

In the near future, the job market will stay in relative balance in workforce supply and demand, according to projections for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), the study said. However, by 2030, the situation will have changed due to such factors as a slowdown in economic development.

The number of people who lose their jobs is expected to rise starting in 2030, as new technological and economic trends deepen, according to the study's projections.

A slowing of economic development will create challenges for employment, said Lai Desheng, a professor in the department of social and ecological civilization at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Lai spoke at a news conference for the green book's release.

"High technology such as artificial intelligence and computing sciences and also the international commerce landscape will greatly influence employment," he said. "Employment is not merely a social issue but is also key to the nation's economy."

Feng Xiliang, director of the School of Labor and Economics at the Capital University of Economics, said at the news conference that high-quality employment is a long-term target as the nation's economic development goes through a transformation.

The demand for employees "changes with the emergence of new industries and professions", he said, citing the example of food delivery workers, who have more flexible work hours and higher wages than most migrant workers. "It's really important in order to improve working conditions to encourage more people to take jobs in new industries," Feng said.

On Dec 21, The Grayzone published on its website, thegrayzone.com, a detailed review of media claims that China has detained millions of Uygurs in Xinjiang. That claim goes unquestioned in the West, yet a closer look at the figure and how it was obtained reveals a serious flaw in the data gathering, it said.

The review found the data cited in Western media is based on two highly dubious "studies" from a US-backed organization and a farright researcher "led by God against Beijing".

According to The Grayzone report, the "millions detained" claim was first popularized by the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, or CHRD, an organization backed by the US government. It formed this estimate based on interviews with a mere eight people.

In a 2018 report submitted to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, CHRD estimated that "roughly one million... ethnic Uyghurs have been sent to 're-education' detention camps and roughly two million have been forced to attend 'reeducation' programs in Xinjiang".

The CHRD report says those figures are "based on interviews and limited data". From interviews with eight Uygurs from eight Xinjiang villages, the study calculated the population in the "re-education camps" based on the interviewees' villages.

It estimated that "at least 10 percent of villagers are being detained in 're-education detention camps', and 20 percent are being forced to attend day/evening 're-education camps' in the villages or townships".

According to The Grayzone, CHRD applied these estimated figures to all of Xinjiang to arrive at the claim submitted to the UN that 1 million ethnic Uygurs have been detained in "re-education detention camps".

Since the report was released, the US government and many Western major media outlets cited it as an open source reporting to denounce China as a "violator of human rights", ignoring the flaws in the data. In addition, it was misrepresented in Western media as a UN-authored report.

A spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed in a statement to The Grayzone that the allegation of Chinese "camps" was not made by the UN, thegrayzone.com reported in August, 2018.

The second study came from Adrian Zenz, a far-right researcher of China studies who reached the figure of "over 1 million" based on a single report from Istiqlal TV, a Uygur-separatist media organization in Turkey, according to The Grayzone.

The Chinese government has said on many occasions that the vocational education and training centers in Xinjiang were established in accordance with the law for combating terrorism and extremism.

"Those who have participated in the courses on the standard Chinese language, laws and vocational skills－as well as the deradicalization programs－have all graduated. They've found jobs, and their quality of life has been improved," said Shohrat Zakir, chairman of the Xinjiang regional government, at a news conference earlier this month.

The establishment of the centers is part of the region's measures to root out terrorism and extremism. "Measures against terrorist attacks and extremists taken in Xinjiang are no different from those in many other countries, including the US," the chairman said.

The loan prime rate, which was introduced by the central bank in August, will become the only benchmark rate for banks' new lending as of Jan 1. Financial institutions and their clients can negotiate a floating rate higher or lower than the benchmark, according to a statement from the People's Bank of China, the central bank, on Saturday.

For the loans already issued but not yet due, borrowers will need to sign new contracts with banks between March and the end of August to shift the benchmark interest rate into the LPR, the central bank said.

The LPR will also become the new anchor for home mortgages. But the mortgage rate for 2020 will remain unchanged. Starting in 2021, mortgage loan borrowers can either choose a fixed rate or a floating rate that changes along with the LPR, according to the PBOC.

The central bank has long advocated for a price-based framework, where market-oriented interest rates, instead of central bank administrative controls, play a larger role in order to improve the efficiency of the country's macroeconomic management.

To maintain financial stability, the process of interest rate liberalization reform has been gradual since 1996, and the monetary authority has taken prudent measures that did not lead to risks associated with excessive price competition between banks. The deregulation of lending rates was ahead of deposit rates. Interest rates in the money and bond market have already been determined by market demand and supply.

"The benchmark rate shift in January is one quarter earlier than the market expected, and the transformation of outstanding loans showed the PBOC's determination to push forward lending rate liberalization reform," said Li Chao, chief macroeconomy researcher at Huatai Securities.

Because the LPR is refreshed on the 20th day of each month, the new interest rate mechanism will be more flexible, and over the long run, the LPR is likely to decrease, so financing costs may continually go down, said Zhang Xu, an analyst at Everbright Securities.

When more bank lending is linked to the LPR－once the PBOC cuts the LPR in the future－more companies will be able to get cheaper loans and financing costs will be reduced as a way to counter economic downside pressure, Zhang said.

In line with the new policy, it is also likely that in January the central bank will cut the reserve requirement ratio, the cash commercial banks must hold in reserve, to increase liquidity in the financial system, he added.

The PBOC also may abandon the traditional one-year lending rate after August, when the outstanding loans' transform period ends, Li said.

Using the unified new benchmark rate for outstanding loans will decrease commercial banks' profits from the deposit-lending interest margin, but the central bank is expected to increase credit and total social financing to ensure the stable performance of banks, Li said.

The traditional, one-year benchmark lending rate set by the central bank has been unchanged since 2015. The new anchor LPR reflects lending rates that 18 banks offer to their best clients and are set with reference to rates on the medium-term lending facility－a central bank monetary policy tool for lending money to commercial banks.

The one-year LPR was 4.15 percent, the PBOC reported on Dec 20. The five-year LPR, a reference rate for mortgage loans, was 4.80 percent. Within five months, the one-year LPR has been reduced by 15 basis points, or 0.15 percentage point, when many of the world's major central banks cut the policy rates or restarted quantitative easing to spur economic growth.

By the end of November, outstanding loans denominated in yuan and foreign currencies stood at 157.56 trillion yuan ($22.52 trillion), up by 11.9 percent from a year earlier, the PBOC said. About 29 trillion yuan of that is home mortgages.

The revision made systemic amendments to gradually implement the registration-based new share sales system across the whole A-share market, and will take effect on March 1, according to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.

The committee voted to adopt the revised law on Saturday, after the fourth review of the draft revision during a six-day session.

"The revised law made it clear that the registration-based system will entirely replace the approval-based system, and not merely in one or two pilot submarkets," said Dong Dengxin, director of the Finance and Securities Institute at Wuhan University of Science and Technology.

"This should be the biggest breakthrough of the revised law, and it is a significant milestone in China's capital market reforms," Dong said.

The revision abolishes the system of requiring a committee review of public offerings－in which the securities regulator reviewed public offering applications－and instead authorized stock exchanges to review the applications. The securities regulator will instead be responsible for registration of securities.

It also made information disclosure requirements stricter and streamlined requirements for issuing securities.

Implementing the registration-based system is of great importance because it will drive a slew of market-oriented reforms that are intended to elevate the efficiency of resource allocation, boost the quality of listed firms and remove bottlenecks weighing on market performance over the long run, Dong said.

The revision authorized the State Council, China's Cabinet, to decide the scope and steps of registration-based reform, allowing phase-in reforms and a smooth transition.

"The China Securities Regulatory Commission will fully consider the actual situation of the market, and, especially, coordinate securities issuances, securities registrations and the market capacity to absorb the reforms," said Cheng Hehong, director of the Department of Legal Affairs of the CSRC, the top securities regulator.

The commission is now ramping up efforts to advance registration-based reform on the ChiNext, Shenzhen's innovative enterprise-heavy board, Cheng said on Saturday.

This followed the debut of the sci-tech innovation board, or the STAR Market, in Shanghai this July, about nine months after President Xi Jinping announced that China would launch the board as the test for the registration-based system.

Hong Rong, founder of Shanghai-based investor platform Hongda Education, said it is critical to ensure a phase-in of the registration reform to avoid any bumps in raising funds that could put heavy pressure on market liquidity.

Another major breakthrough in revised law is the stringent crackdown on illegal market behavior, stipulating not only the confiscation of illegal proceeds but harsher administrative punishments.

For instance, if a company engages in fraudulent public offerings and has yet to issue the securities, it will face fines of between 2 million and 20 million yuan ($286,000 to $2.86 million). This contrasts with the current fines of between 300,000 and 600,000 yuan.

A listed firm that discloses false, misleading or incomplete information will face fines of between 1 million and 10 million yuan, while an individual will be fined up to 10 times the illicit gains for insider trading or market manipulation, according to the revised law.

Liu Junhai, director of the Business Law Center at Renmin University of China, said the higher fines will help address the problem that the cost of illegal behavior can be less than the resulting profits in the capital market. Increasing the fines also will reduce unfair and dishonest market behavior and considerably boost investor confidence, Liu said.

To better protect the legitimate rights of investors, the new law also makes a distinction between ordinary investors and professional ones in order to set up appropriate investor protection arrangements.

Li Xiang and Cao Yin contributed to this story.

"I don't know the person who claimed that I was missing," said a visibly angry Ablizjan Aidin at his home in Turpan's Toksun county. The 37-year-old has been working for a logistics company as a driver since he graduated from a vocational education and training center in October.

Twitter user Guly Mahsut said in a post tagged "StillNoinfo" on Dec 10 that her "best friend" Aminagul Amat, the wife of Ablizjan, deleted her from her WeChat contact list "under pressure from the government", so she is unable to contact the family. She also claimed that Ablizjan had a "forced labor experience". The user is now living in Canada, according to the account's details.

"The fact is that I haven't had any contact with Wurmat Mahsut, which is the real name of Guly, since 2005 after she and I both graduated from the university. I later learned that she went abroad. How on earth would she know about the situation of my family?" Aminagul said at their family home.

A group of individuals, overseas organizations and media have been posting photos and names of allegedly missing Uygurs on social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook. The purpose is to convince the international community that those people were illegally detained by the government, Xinjiang officials said. Those officials have said that many of the posts distorted the truth or were fabricated.

Aminagul said she is the one who persuaded Ablizjan to study at a center that provided courses on standard Chinese language, laws, vocational skills and deradicalization programs after noticing he was deeply influenced by religious extremism.

The centers set up around the region have been portrayed by some people－as a part of political agenda to restrain China－as concentration camps where Uygurs have been brainwashed, said Zhang Yonghe, executive director of the Human Rights Research Institute at Northwest University of Political Science and Law, in Xi'an, Shaanxi province.

Azez Niyaz, 63, said Mayirem Azez, his oldest daughter, is the one who has been missing.

Mayirem claimed her parents were nowhere to be found, and she said she suspected they were being held in a "concentration camp", according to a post on her Twitter account carrying the name Mahire. She also added the tag "StillNoinfo".

Mayirem moved abroad with her husband, a naturalized Canadian who originally is from Xinjiang's Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture. Azez said he hasn't heard from her since May 2016 and still wonders why.

"My phone number hasn't been changed, so she can always reach me. I was shocked and angry to hear that she said on social media that her mother and I were missing. How can a child so easily claim her parents had disappeared. What a shame," Azez said at his home in Kuqa, Aksu prefecture.

Mareyem Kazit, Mayirem's mother, burst into tears when talking about how difficult it was to sponsor Mayirem to study at a university. "She failed to take care of us as she promised. Now she has even claimed that we were missing?" Mareyem said. "Her behavior hurts us a lot."

Despite her disappointment, she hasn't stopped thinking about her daughter and hopes she will return home one day, Mareyem added.

Abudulqukur Rexiti claims that his brother, Abdulwali Rexiti, was missing in a Dec 15 post carrying the tag "StillNoinfo" on his Twitter account, which goes under the name Uyghur Fighter. He clearly knows that Abdulwali was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2015 for instigating ethnic hatred and ethnic discrimination as well as gathering people to disturb social order, because his wife visited Kuqa in 2016, according to Ayjiamali Rexiti, Abudulqukur's sister.

"Abudulqukur's wife even bought a dictionary for Abdulwali, who was in prison. What's more, I regularly visit him in prison and talk to him on the phone," said Ayjiamali, 35.

Abdulwali had been following religious extremists and becoming involved in criminal activities. "He is an adult, so he should be responsible for the things he did," Ayjiamali said.

She said she hopes Abudulqukur will stop separatist behavior and instigating ethnic discrimination and hatred. "How could we both have gone to universities if we were discriminated against?"

"I hope Abudulqukur will come home and see Abdulwali in person, but he needs to drop the biased attitude first and see our lives in Xinjiang fairly," she said.

Many of the posts were uploaded after the US House of Representatives passed the so-called Uygur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 on Dec 3. China expressed strong opposition to the bill. Many officials in China said it was packed with lies and was the latest US action to interfere in China's internal affairs.

Speaking at the ministry's year-end meeting, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan laid out key priorities for further development in the coming year.

He said the country will rev up efforts to "build a strong domestic market, open up to the outside world at a higher level, promote high-quality development of commerce and build the economy into an economic and trade powerhouse".

He said these moves will help contribute to the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects－a target China aims to meet in 2020.

The year 2019 has been full of risks and challenges at home and abroad, but main indicators for the nation's commerce have shown steady and sound development, Zhong said.

In the first 11 months, retail sales of consumer goods totaled 37.3 trillion yuan ($5.3 trillion), up 8 percent year-on-year, the ministry reported.

Consumption, which contributed more than 60 percent of economic growth in the first three quarters, is expected to remain the "primary driver" of such growth, Zhong said at the meeting.

Foreign trade totaled 28.5 trillion yuan between January and November, up 2.4 percent year-on-year, the ministry reported.

China plans to establish an evaluation system for high-quality trade development including indicators, policies, statistics and performance by 2022, aiming for significant improvement in trade structure and efficiency, according to a guideline released in November.

The guideline was unveiled to promote high-quality development of trade with a key focus on forging stable and better-structured trade development.

Wei Jianguo, vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said, "In the future, the country is expected to carry out more measures to optimize trade structures, foster new businesses, build a better trade environment and continuously deepen reform and opening-up."

He said the foreign investment law, taking effect on Wednesday, will bring about several changes. For instance, in the upcoming year, foreign investment is expected to flow not only to big-ticket projects but also to small and medium-sized ones, Wei said.

More than 1,000 medium-sized projects－those worth more than $1 billion－are expected to attract foreign capital in the next year, Wei said.

Foreign direct investment this year has steadily increased. In the first 11 months of this year, FDI reached 845.9 billion yuan, up 6 percent year-on-year, according to the ministry.

"The country's business environment is expected to ensure relatively stable foreign direct investment," said Li Yumei, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

Uncertainties have hampered the flow of foreign capital into China's high-tech industries, but the impact is still relatively small, Li said.

The country needs to come up with more effective measures to cushion potential impacts, she said.

The Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway line will spare Beijing businesswoman Yin Yu from having to drive three hours from Beijing to Zhangjiakou's Chongli district to work at her ski equipment business there. The new rail line will cut the travel time to just 47 minutes, China State Railway Group Co said on Saturday.

The 174-km line runs from Beijing North Railway Station, in the capital's Xicheng district, passes through Changping and Yanqing districts, and ends at Zhangjiakou Railway Station. There are 10 stations along the line.

"The high-speed rail line will promote economic and technological communication between the capital and Zhangjiakou, enhancing the integrated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region," said Zhang Zuoyu, an official at Zhangjiakou Development and Reform Bureau, the city's economic planning authority.

Zhang added that since 2015, when China won its bid to hold the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, increasing numbers of business travelers have been coming from the capital. But the trip was not easy because of the slow train.

The high-speed Beijing-Zhangjiakou line is an important part of the rail network between the capital and Lanzhou, in West China's Gansu province, one of the country's eight major East-West high-speed rail lines, China Railway said.

In addition to the high-speed rail link, a feeder line from Xiahuayuan North Station to Chongli district, where most of the 2022 Winter Olympics snow events will be held, will also be in operation on Monday.

The feeder line, named Chongli Railway, is 53 kilometers, running to Taizicheng Railway Station at Chongli Olympic Village, serving mainly the Games and regional tourism development.

The Beijing-Zhangjiakou line has a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour－it was tested at up to 385 km/h－and the feeder Chongli Railway line will reach 250 km/h, according to China Railway.

More than 30 round-trip trains will run daily on the two lines.

Two other high-speed rail lines－linking Zhangjiakou and Hohhot in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, and Zhangjiakou and Datong, Shanxi province－will also open on Monday. Hohhot and Datong both lie west of Zhangjiakou, which is northwest of Beijing.

Yin Yu, who works in Gulou, in Beijing's Dongcheng district, said, "The convenience will rid me of my reluctance to go to Chongli on business trips". She said it takes her about 20 minutes or so to go by taxi to Beijing North Railway Station and hop on a train to Chongli.

Yin's travel cost will also be reduced. In the past, driving round-trip between Beijing and Chongli cost her about 500 yuan ($71).

A second-class seat for the 64-minute trip on the Beijing-Chongli high-speed train will cost only 99 yuan, according to seat-booking platform 12306.com.

Fares for Beijing to Zhangjiakou cost 91 yuan, 146 yuan or 275 yuan, depending on the seat, and other near prices depending on travel time.

Zhou, an accountant, said she also likes the eatery's fresh tripe and tries to remember the waiters' instructions to dip the organ meat up and down in the steaming liquid seven times to get it done just right.

The tripe Zhou had recently came out crisp and tender, in part because it had arrived fresh in Beijing that day from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Thanks to advances in logistics, transportation and cold-storage technology, hotpot is no longer a seasonal choice, but can be enjoyed throughout the year in China. Faster delivery services and more do-it-yourself options mean it is now being eaten more frequently.

Last year, the country's hotpot market reached 875.7 billion yuan ($125.2 billion), one-fifth of the total catering sector, according to the China Restaurant Industry Survey released by the China Hospitality Association in July. Since 2014, the hotpot market has grown by more than 50 percent.

Of all hotpot restaurants in China, 57 percent focus on cuisine from Sichuan province and Chongqing, according to a report on diners' preferences released in October by online food delivery and ticketing services platform Meituan Dianping.

Hotpot served in these restaurants features either an authentic spicy soup base or chuan chuan, where the ingredients are placed on a skewer to boil in the soup.

Wang Kun, brand manager for the Wangjiadu hotpot chain in Beijing, said it is bringing the authentic taste of Sichuan to the capital, with the aim of attracting a white-collar clientele.

In addition to the beef tallow soup base from the province, special pork luncheon meat and fresh tripe are popular at the chain's restaurants.

"Each season, we bring in traditional ingredients from Sichuan to Beijing－including bamboo in springtime and freshwater fish in the autumn," Wang said.

"The sesame sauce is our specialty and includes dried shrimp and stewed mushroom."

Chuan chuan hotpot restaurants are favored by the younger generation. They are usually cheaper than those offering Sichuan hotpot, and evolved from roadside food stalls.

Malubianbian, which translates as "side of the road", is a chuan chuan hotpot restaurant chain, where the average cost per person is 80 yuan. Founded just three years ago, the business now has more than 800 restaurants nationwide, mainly targeting a younger clientele.

Hu Jun, a co-founder of the chain, said it did not expect to expand so rapidly.

The restaurants are decorated in a style that takes diners back to the 1970s and '80s, Hu said. The decor features three main elements: interior streetlamps; wallpaper covered in graffiti; and blue chairs. In each city, the graffiti is localized.

"We also ensure that our dipping sauce has the authentic flavor of Chengdu (the capital of Sichuan) by adding a spoonful of soup to the minced chili and peanut, rather than sesame oil with garlic sauce or minced chili, pepper and salt."

Hu said the company's branches never compromise when it comes to the food they serve. "We only serve a spicy-flavored soup base, which can bring back childhood memories."

He thinks the spiciness of Sichuan hotpot is a particular attraction for diners, and this ensures repeat business.

Hu said that in Chengdu people sometimes waited in line at a Malubianbian restaurant for up to six hours, adding, "Now, as we have opened more branches, the lines aren't that long," The company also has branches in the United States, Australia and Malaysia.

In northern China, lamb is the preferred choice for hotpot. In the Michelin Guide Beijing 2020, released on Nov 28, no stars were awarded to a hotpot restaurant in the city, but two won Big Gourmand accolades and another two won Michelin Plate ratings.

A Big Gourmand is awarded to restaurants judged to be both good quality and value by a team of assessors, while a Michelin Plate indicates that quality food is served.

A Michelin Plate went to Beijing's Yangdaye Shuanrou restaurant, which translates as "Uncle Yang's Mutton Hotpot".

Cai Shihong, 63, who is known as Uncle Yang, opened the restaurant in 1996. Only the meat from a lamb's back legs is traditionally used for the hotpot, but Cai decided to feature different parts of the animal.

He said that during his childhood in the 1960s, the mutton for hotpot was carved by a chef. "It was so thin that people could read the words of a book through a single slice," Cai recalled.

In the mid-1970s, the arrival of electric meat slicers meant that mutton could be sliced by machine in hotpot restaurants. "The skill of slicing the meat is actually a culture, and now at my restaurant I am bringing this technique back by serving hand-cut meat," Cai said.

He added that the restaurant serves "yuanyang pot", which consists of both spicy and plain soups. "This is a compromise for younger customers, as it's usually the case that when couples come to my restaurant, the men will have the clear soup to enjoy the mutton, while the women usually want to try the spicy soup," Cai said.

He always considers the younger generation when he updates his hotpot menu.

"People my age used to be picky about all the hotpot ingredients, from the mutton to the fermented bean curd added to the sesame sauce. But now, the younger customers don't care that much about the ingredients－atmosphere is the key," Cai said.

Three years ago, he invented a way of serving the sliced meat on a meter-long wooden board, which was quickly adopted nationwide.

"The board has 400 grams of meat on it. I got the idea when I saw the wooden boards we use to serve beer," Cai said.

His business has moved several times, and each time a new location opens, he considers the decor. Cai recently opened a branch named Aunt Yang's hotpot, which features neon lights to target younger customers.

Hong Kong-style hotpot is also becoming popular in Beijing because of its high-quality ingredients.

Guo Jianxing, executive chef at the Xifenglou Hongkong-style Seafood Hotpot in the capital, said a feature of its fish maw and chicken soup base hotpot is that the soup is tasted first before the other ingredients are boiled.

"The soup is boiled for 10 hours with chicken, pork bone, ham and a 1.25-kilogram, 45-day-old chicken from Qingyuan, Guangdong province. The fish maw is added to the soup after orders are placed, to ensure that the golden-colored soup is tasty and nourishing," Guo, 37, said.

"The soup base is the key. If we don't master a particular soup on the day, that type of hotpot will not be available."

Guo, who grew up in Zhongshan, Guangdong, moved to Beijing 20 years ago. He said fish maw and chicken hotpot has only been available in the city for three years, but has been warmly welcomed by diners in northern China.

"I think they have accepted this Cantonese-style flavor step-by-step. At first, they tried lightly flavored Cantonese dishes, but now they like the hotpot," he said.

"We don't boil the lamb in our hotpot, but add it gradually, as many diners have requested," he said.

Fish, local vegetables and fresh fish maw are sent from Guangdong to Beijing daily. "Some 40 percent of our diners on weekends are families from Guangdong and Hong Kong, and it is traditional for us to have a large Cantonese-style brunch together," he added.

Unlike hotpot using frozen lamb, which is popular in North China, Chaoshan-style hotpot from Guangdong features a soup base consisting of boiled beef balls with radishes and corn.

The beef is accompanied by Shacha sauce, which is made from soybeans, oil, garlic, shallots, chilies, brill fish and dried shrimp, and is savory and slightly spicy.

Jin Yiqi, 25, who works for a bank in Beijing, developed a taste for Chaoshan-style hotpot after making a trip to Shenzhen, Guangdong, earlier this year.

Two years ago, she ate Sichuan hotpot three times a week to "release pressure from work", but now she cares more about the quality and freshness of the ingredients, especially the meat and the flavor of the soup base.

"For spicy-flavored hotpot, you cannot tell if the ingredients are fresh or not, but for Chaoshan hotpot, you can," she said.

Taiwan-style hotpot is a new trend in Beijing, as its spicy soup base is a version of that found in Sichuan, but the spiciness is reduced. The Taiwan variety is always paired with fresh duck's blood and tofu.

Hainan-style hotpot with a coconut and chicken soup base is also becoming popular in the capital. The chicken used for it must come from Wenchang, Hainan province, as it has a particularly thin skin and tender meat.

Yunnan-style hotpot features mushrooms and other ingredients from the southwestern province, along with tofu made in Jianshui county, which is particularly tough. The dipping sauce consists of minced chilies and other spices, which highlight the flavor of the mushrooms.

Hotpot from overseas is also gaining traction in China, such as a sukiyaki and soybean milk-flavored version from Japan and an offering from South Korea based on pickled cabbage.

Tom Yum Kung soup from Thailand is also being used as a new flavor for a hotpot soup base. In Chengdu, the Jiyu restaurant quickly became popular after it introduced this version. Long lines also formed in Beijing, where a branch opened this year.

Jin, the bank employee, said, "Many new hotpot restaurants are opening in Beijing, so I'll read the comments and photos on Meituan Dianping to see if they have any specialties before choosing which one to try."

The hotpot delivery market reached 30 billion yuan ($4.27 billion) last year, attracting companies including restaurant chains such as Haidilao and Xiabuxiabu and online-to-offline fresh produce retailers Hemaxiansheng and Meiriyouxian.

According to Haidilao's annual report, its delivery business earned 323 million yuan last year, and it had reached 188 million yuan in the first six months of this year, a rise of nearly 41 percent on 2018.

Haidilao's delivery team ensures that orders reach clients living within a 5-kilometer radius of the company's outlets in 60 minutes and in 90 minutes if they live within a 10-km radius.

Pots and cookers pose obstacles for hotpot delivery, so chains, including Haidilao and Wangjiadu, provide a rental service. Clients pay a deposit to rent pots and cookers and the restaurants send staff members to collect them after use.

The number of diners governs the size of the pot. For example, for just one person, restaurants such as Wangjiadu supply a single pot, along with ethanol to use as fuel.

Haidilao has also introduced a hotpot using precooked ingredients. When the water is poured over the heating pad behind the box containing the ingredients, sufficient heat is released to warm the ingredients to 100 C in about 10 minutes.

All diners need do is prepare cold water to enjoy the hotpot, and this product has proved particularly popular among students and travelers.

The Xiabuxiabu chain also provides precooked hotpot for delivery. However, the company's highend subsidiary, CouCou, decided against joining the delivery market, as it does not have its own team for this purpose.

Guan Qingshan, CouCou's general manager for North China, said that as the freshness of ingredients is key for the business, it had decided for the time being not to operate such a service.

On Oct 17, Hou Yi, CEO of Hemaxiansheng, announced the launch of a project to deliver a hotpot soup base and fresh ingredients to customers within 30 minutes.

Qiu Jun, who heads the project, said the team took two months to look at soup bases from different regions, along with the ingredients to be added.

For the annual Nov 11 shopping festival on Taobao, Qiu said the team sold more than 14,000 hotpot meals in 170 stores nationwide, and this unexpected success prompted the company to feature seasonal promotions in its annual planning.

Providing hotpot styles ranging from Chaoshan to Sichuan, and Tom Yum Kung to coconut with chicken, the Hemaxiansheng app offers a range of soup bases together with all the other ingredients needed.

"The flavor of each soup base differs from region to region, with the amount of spice used for a Sichuanstyle soup base being lower in Beijing than in Chengdu," Qiu said. "We are also developing new flavors and new products specially for the hotpot market."

Hemaxiansheng does not provide a rental service for pots and cookers, but clients can buy these through the app. Friday evenings and weekends are the peak times for hotpot orders on Hemaxiansheng.

"We usually cater to families or friends gathering together," Qiu said. "Our major clients for hotpot are women ages 25 to 40, " he added.

Ran Chengqi, the office's director, said 10 satellites were launched into space this year, resulting in a key 24-satellite constellation being placed in medium Earth orbit, forming the bedrock of the system's ability to provide a variety of services worldwide.

"Though Beidou began providing global services at the end of 2018 based on an 18-satellite constellation, the expanded network has enabled the space-based navigation system to operate more reliably and accurately," Ran said at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office.

As construction draws to a close, the office will increase its stocks of backup satellites and schedule them for liftoff to retire older satellites that have been in service for 10 to 12 years, he said.

Management at ground stations will also be improved to ensure smooth operation.

Chen Jinping, a chief engineer with Beidou, said that in 2019 the maintenance team managed to address nearly 20 satellite problems and nearly 100 issues related to ground-based facilities.

"With the service expansion of the third-generation of Beidou next year, we will strive to rectify issues discovered during risk analysis, improve regulations and enhance training to further boost the reliability of the system," Chen said.

The rapid growth of Beidou has also prompted the homegrown system to seek collaboration with three other celestial navigation networks around the globe, according to the China Satellite Navigation Office. They are the United States' GPS, Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo.

Ran said a cooperation agreement between the satellite authorities of China and Russia, which took effect recently, will provide organizational and legal support as the two countries join forces to build ground stations. China is also working with the EU to synchronize the frequencies of each other's satellite systems so global users will have access to more than one service provider.

The office has also expedited efforts to incorporate Beidou into international standardization systems. "Beidou is expected to be officially adopted by the standardization system of the International Civil Aviation Organization next year. Meanwhile, preparatory work including drafting documents and running tests is being carried out to facilitate Beidou's incorporation into the global search and rescue network," he said.

Ran added that Beidou is making significant inroads into countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

"A wide array of products and services based on Beidou has been exported to over 120 countries and regions, including many countries taking part in the initiative," he said. "They have played an important role in the fields of agriculture, construction and port management by increasing productivity and bringing plenty of other benefits.

"Neighboring nations as well as countries and regions involved in the BRI are crucial partners in terms of promotion and application of Beidou, and we are looking forward to seeing more useful applications being developed in these regions," Ran added.

Officials and experts said profit growth is an effect of accelerating production and sales, as well as rising prices. They said further support for those sectors is needed amid mounting downside pressure.

Profits at China's major industrial companies jumped 5.4 percent in November year-on-year to 593.91 billion yuan ($84.86 billion), ending three months of decline, according to the NBS. In the first 11 months of this year, the cumulative profits of major industrial companies declined 2.1 percent year-on-year.

Zhu Hong, an NBS senior statistician, attributed the increased profits in November to accelerated industrial production and sales, as well as to the fact that producer prices contracted at a slower pace.

Some key sectors have shown clear signs of profit recovery in November, Zhu said.

Consumer goods manufacturing posted 8.2 percent year-on-year profit growth in November, 3.1 percentage points higher than October, according to the NBS.

In particular, oil, coal and other fuel processing industries saw profits surge 45.5 percent in November, compared with a 31.2 percent decrease in October.

Profits at private and small enterprises surged 14.7 percent and 8.6 percent in November, respectively, From page 1 the NBS reported.

"Despite the significant growth in profits, we still face mounting downward pressure," Zhu added. "There's uncertainty around industrial profits, which will be affected by multiple factors, such as market demand and industrial product prices."

Tang Jianwei, chief researcher at the Bank of Communications' Financial Research Center, said, "Because of the negative growth rate from January to November of industrial profits, the future of profits remains to be seen. However, there are more positive factors conductive to industrial operations."

In fact, China's November manufacturing activity returned to the expansion zone, a sign that the country's economy is gradually stabilizing. The purchasing manager's index for the manufacturing sector firmed up in November to 50.2 from 49.3 in October.

"It is likely that we'll see profit growth pick up in 2020, with the government's ongoing efforts to reduce taxes and fees, provide financial support, stabilize the economy and expand domestic demand. Since China and the United States have reached a phase-one trade deal, we will also see improvement in factory production and investment expectations," Tang said.

Looking ahead for 2020, Tang said there is a high probability that China's growth will be around 6 percent, on the premise that the Sino-US trade dispute doesn't escalate to a higher level. The premature withdrawal of counter-cyclical policies should be avoided, Tang said.

A recent report released during the monthly China Macroeconomy Forum estimated that the country would see 6.1 percent GDP growth in 2019, meeting the annual projected growth target range of 6 to 6.5 percent. GDP growth is expected to be around 5.9 percent in 2020.

Yu Ze, a professor at Renmin University of China's School of Economics, said the economy is recovering, mainly buoyed by strong domestic demand.

"Actually, the government's strong supportive policies are playing a key role in supporting the growth," Yu said during a recent forum held in Beijing. "Despite large fluctuations in monthly economic data, overall industrial performance is relatively stable."

Yu said the basic problem is the downward trend caused by structural and institutional factors.

"We should not simply pursue rapid economic growth. Instead, we should focus on increasing people's sense of gain and on high-quality development," Yu said. "One factor affecting economic growth is the substantial slowdown in domestic consumption growth. So, more efforts are needed to exploit the domestic market potential and address weak links."

In contract-related lawsuits, unless the investment sector is explicitly prohibited, courts will support foreign investors even if the other side argues that the contract wasn't approved or registered, a judicial interpretation issued by the Supreme People's Court said.

If China adjusts the negative list before a verdict is determined and allows foreign investment in a specific sector, investment contracts in that sector should also be deemed valid, the new rule said.

The judicial interpretation of the Foreign Investment Law will take effect on Jan 1, concurrent with the law. While the law was adopted by the country's top legislature in March, many argued that it was too general to be carried out in practice.

The top court said its new rule will guide the proper implementation of the Foreign Investment Law nationwide, and offers equal protection for domestic and foreign investors.

"We'll adopt a more open and inclusive attitude when dealing with such lawsuits to protect the rights of foreign investors and offer a sound legal environment for the country's further reform and opening-up," said Gao Xiaoli, deputy head of the No 4 Civil Division of the Supreme People's Court.

She said the new interpretation could been seen as "a crucial move to help the country attract more foreign investment".

The rule applies to all contracts arising from direct or indirect investment by foreign individuals, enterprises or other organizations in China, including contracts on the establishment of foreign-invested companies, new projects or the transfer of shares, property or stock rights.

However, courts will not support a contract if the investment area is on China's negative list. If it's a restricted sector, judges will have to review the detailed circumstances, the interpretation said.

"In short, we'll treat investors equally under the law, no matter where they come from," Gao said.

She said the interpretation focuses on contract validity "because about 70 percent of foreign investment disputes relate to contracts".

Luo Dongchuan, vice-president of the top court, said contracts are essential for investors and are "a primary step in international trade".

The interpretation is a signal that Chinese courts will support foreign investment contracts to the full extent the law allows, he said.

Wei Jianguo, vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said the upcoming implementation of the Foreign Investment Law is a notable step for China.

"Most foreign investment entering China will no longer need approval from local authorities," Wei said. "These new judicial rules can help fight monopolies and other forms of unfair competition in the domestic market."

Rachel Duan, president and CEO of GE Global Growth Markets, said, "We believe that an integrated Foreign Investment Law is a significant improvement and a key step forward for China as it moves toward further openness in legislation.

"In recent years, we have been pleased to see that the Chinese government has given consideration to the development needs of different market entities in China. By constantly deepening reform in free trade zones, establishing and improving the negative list, reforming and streamlining regulations on foreign investment and adopting a service-provider level of awareness, the government has given strong support to foreign companies."

Officials and experts said profit growth is an effect of accelerating production and sales, as well as rising prices. They said further support for those sectors is needed amid mounting downside pressure.

Profits at China's major industrial companies jumped 5.4 percent in November year-on-year to 593.91 billion yuan ($84.86 billion), ending three months of decline, according to the NBS. In the first 11 months of this year, the cumulative profits of major industrial companies declined 2.1 percent year-on-year.

Zhu Hong, an NBS senior statistician, attributed the increased profits in November to accelerated industrial production and sales, as well as to the fact that producer prices contracted at a slower pace.

Some key sectors have shown clear signs of profit recovery in November, Zhu said.

Consumer goods manufacturing posted 8.2 percent year-on-year profit growth in November, 3.1 percentage points higher than October, according to the NBS.

In particular, oil, coal and other fuel processing industries saw profits surge 45.5 percent in November, compared with a 31.2 percent decrease in October.

Profits at private and small enterprises surged 14.7 percent and 8.6 percent in November, respectively, From page 1 the NBS reported.

"Despite the significant growth in profits, we still face mounting downward pressure," Zhu added. "There's uncertainty around industrial profits, which will be affected by multiple factors, such as market demand and industrial product prices."

Tang Jianwei, chief researcher at the Bank of Communications' Financial Research Center, said, "Because of the negative growth rate from January to November of industrial profits, the future of profits remains to be seen. However, there are more positive factors conductive to industrial operations."

In fact, China's November manufacturing activity returned to the expansion zone, a sign that the country's economy is gradually stabilizing. The purchasing manager's index for the manufacturing sector firmed up in November to 50.2 from 49.3 in October.

"It is likely that we'll see profit growth pick up in 2020, with the government's ongoing efforts to reduce taxes and fees, provide financial support, stabilize the economy and expand domestic demand. Since China and the United States have reached a phase-one trade deal, we will also see improvement in factory production and investment expectations," Tang said.

Looking ahead for 2020, Tang said there is a high probability that China's growth will be around 6 percent, on the premise that the Sino-US trade dispute doesn't escalate to a higher level. The premature withdrawal of counter-cyclical policies should be avoided, Tang said.

A recent report released during the monthly China Macroeconomy Forum estimated that the country would see 6.1 percent GDP growth in 2019, meeting the annual projected growth target range of 6 to 6.5 percent. GDP growth is expected to be around 5.9 percent in 2020.

Yu Ze, a professor at Renmin University of China's School of Economics, said the economy is recovering, mainly buoyed by strong domestic demand.

"Actually, the government's strong supportive policies are playing a key role in supporting the growth," Yu said during a recent forum held in Beijing. "Despite large fluctuations in monthly economic data, overall industrial performance is relatively stable."

Yu said the basic problem is the downward trend caused by structural and institutional factors.

"We should not simply pursue rapid economic growth. Instead, we should focus on increasing people's sense of gain and on high-quality development," Yu said. "One factor affecting economic growth is the substantial slowdown in domestic consumption growth. So, more efforts are needed to exploit the domestic market potential and address weak links."

As the launch sequence of the Long March 5-Y3 rocket started at 8: 45 pm, 10 engines－at the bottom of the first core stage, plus four boosters－generated a tremendous combined thrust of more than 1,000 metric tons to lift the gigantic craft from its launchpad at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the island province.

The 57-meter-long rocket, the tallest, strongest and most technologically sophisticated in China's launch vehicle family, then thundered up into the cloudy night sky with a blinding white flash.

About 33 minutes into the flight, it successfully placed the Shijian 20 experimental satellite, China's largest and heaviest－weighing 8 tons－into a geosynchronous orbit 36,000 kilometers above Earth.

The 8-ton Shijian 20 is the second technology demonstration satellite based on China's new-generation satellite platform, the DFH 5. It follows the Shijian 18, which was lost in the failed second flight of a Long March 5.

In addition to transporting the satellite to space, the flight is intended to verify the engineering adjustments that were made to improve the rocket's overall design, as well as key technologies to be used in a journey to the moon with the Chang'e 5 probe, according to the China National Space Administration. Another task of Friday's mission is to verify several key satellite technologies.

The successful launch sparked a wave of public cheers and celebrations, along with those from within Chinese space circles.

Xing Qiang, an independent space affairs researcher and a well-known observer in Beijing, said a great number of people in China are attached to this mission because Long March 5 is so important. It shoulders the responsibility of making many of the country's space aspirations a reality.

The Long March 5-Y3 was transported in late October by two ships, Yuanwang 21 and Yuanwang 22, to Wenchang from the production facility in Tianjin. It was assembled and tested at the Wenchang center over the past two months.

The Y3 designation signifies the third mass-production rocket in the Long March 5 series.

With more than 750 tons of propellant, each Long March 5 has a liftoff weight of 869 tons and a payload capacity about 2.5 times greater than any other Chinese rocket. It ranks third among the world's most powerful rockets, following the United States' Falcon Heavy and Delta IV Heavy.

The craft is capable of ferrying spacecraft weighing up to 25 tons－roughly the combined weight of 16 midsize cars－to a low-Earth orbit, or 14 tons to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.

For coming missions, it is capable of transporting an 8-ton probe to an Earth-moon transfer orbit or a 5-ton probe to an Earth-Mars transfer orbit.

The concept of the Long March 5 initially came from Chinese rocket scientists in 1986. After 20 years of technological preparations, the rocket's research and development program was approved and officially begun in 2006 at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing, a subsidiary of State-owned space conglomerate China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

Wang Xiaojun, president of the academy, said the Long March 5 has substantially improved the country's spacefaring capability and laid a solid foundation for the research and development of future rockets that will be even bigger and mightier.

Making it reliable

The first flight of the colossal rocket type was carried out in November 2016 at the Wenchang center. The second mission was in July 2017 at the same site, but it failed as a result of structural abnormalities inside the first core stage's liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen engines.

According to project leaders, in the 908 days since that failure, the project team, together with a large number of scientists and specialists from domestic institutes and enterprises, worked all-out to find solutions. They held more than 600 seminars and carried out at least 1,000 experiments and tests to make sure the third Long March 5 would be reliable.

Wang Jue, the Long March 5 project manager, said: "Over the past two and a half years, our team managed to overcome technical problems in the engines and removed all other possible hazards."

Li Dong, the rocket's chief designer, said the troubleshooting efforts of designers and engineers also made breakthroughs in improving the rocket's technology and reliability.

"Compared with the Long March 5-Y2 that was used in the failed second mission, the new one had about 200 technical improvements including in engines' design," Li said.

The Long March 5's future missions include enabling China's fifth and most sophisticated lunar expedition, as well as placing parts of the country's manned space station into orbit.

"In 2020, we will use the Long March 5 to launch the Chang'e 5 probe to the moon and also send a rover toward Mars," Wang Xiaojun said. "Rockets to fulfill these missions are in the assembly and testing phases."

China will continue to be the world's most frequent user of carrier rockets this year after gaining the title in 2018, with 33 successful launches this year.

Next year is also expected to be a busy one for the nation's space launch industry. A host of new types of rockets, such as the Long March 5B, Long March 8, Smart Dragon 2 and Kuaizhou 11, will make their debuts.

]]> 2019-12-28 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/28/content_37530650.htm China's biggest, heaviest and most advanced satellite has blasted into space to carry out demonstrations and verifications for advanced satellite and communications technologies.

Shijian 20, a technology demonstration satellite developed by the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing, achieved liftoff using the Long March 5 carrier rocket at Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province on Friday night.

It was the second satellite based on China's new-generation satellite platform, DFH-5, after the Shijian 18 was lost during Long March 5's failed second flight in July 2017.

The satellite has a liftoff weight of more than 8 metric tons, carries over 10 world-class technological payloads and is equipped with the country's largest, longest and most sophisticated solar arrays. It is expected to work at least 16 years in a geosynchronous orbit about 36,000 kilometers above the Earth.

The spacecraft's major tasks are to test the overall design and reliability of the DFH-5 platform as well as to verify several key space-based technologies and new equipment, according to Zhou Zhicheng, chief engineer at China Academy of Space Technology and project manager of the Shijian 20.

Hao Yanyan, a supervisor in the Shijian 20 program, said that DFH-5 can be the basis of a wide range of satellite models for different operations ranging from high-orbiting communication and microwave remote sensing to space-based scientific exploration as well as technological experiment.

"DFH-5 is our new-generation satellite platform with an ultrahigh capacity. Its overall capability is world-class," Hao said on Friday in Wenchang. "Its research and development began in 2010 to meet increasing demand for high-performance communication satellites. Each DFH-5-based satellite is three times stronger than those developed on its predecessor, DFH-4, when it comes to operational capacity."

She added that DFH-5 is suitable for all types of large-capacity satellites in the coming two decades.

Li Feng, chief designer of the Shijian 20, said that the satellite will embark on several in-orbit technological experiments and some of them will be "cutting-edge and strategically significant", including satellite-ground laser communication tests. Results of these experiments will be useful in the research and development of next-generation space technologies, Li said.

]]> 2019-12-28 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/28/content_37530678.htm Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee urged Party officials to be responsible, remain true to the CPC's founding mission and increase their efforts to improve governance.

Xi made the remarks at a two-day meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which wrapped up on Friday in Beijing.

He said the fundamental reason the CPC has made remarkable achievements that have captured the world's attention is that the Party has always kept in mind seeking a better life for the Chinese people and a rejuvenation of the nation.

CPC cadres should always take the people into account whenever they make decisions or implement policies, Xi said, asking them to understand public opinion－both people's demands and criticisms－and to listen to suggestions through various channels.

Xi stressed that officials should be responsible because that will determine how successful their work will be.

He urged CPC officials to remain vigilant politically and be prepared for dangers even in times of calm. In the face of major risks and challenges, difficulties and conflicts, they should make and carry out plans to address them as soon as possible, rather than avoiding or fearing them, he said.

The world is undergoing change at a rate that hasn't been seen in a century, and the situation at home and abroad is complex, Xi said, adding that rising risks and challenges pose an urgent need for greater efforts to strengthen the country's institution-building and governance capacity.

Xi said CPC officials play an important role in bringing out institutional advantages and transforming them into effective governance by safeguarding the authority of the CPC Central Committee and implementing major decisions of the central government.

Efforts should be made to turn major decisions into specific tasks by which departments and local authorities can solve practical problems one by one, he added.

The president also underlined the importance of CPC Political Bureau members being clean, honest and self-disciplined, and he urged them to prevent corruption by family members, friends or colleagues.

In June, the CPC launched a nationwide educational campaign to remind members of the Party's fundamental purpose and historic mission.

]]> 2019-12-28 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/28/content_37530679.htm At least 15 people were killed early on Friday when a plane with 93 passengers and five crew members aboard crashed after takeoff near Kazakhstan's biggest city, Almaty, local authorities said.

Flight Z2100, a Fokker 100 aircraft operated by Kazakhstan-based carrier Bek Air, was scheduled to fly from Almaty to Nur-Sultan, the country's capital.

Airport authorities released a passenger list. At least 60 people survived the crash.

The officials said another 35 people, including eight children, are in serious or critical condition, and the death toll is expected to rise.

The Chinese consulate in Almaty said one Chinese citizen was on board and survived the crash without injury.

According to Almaty aviation authorities, the aircraft, which made its first flight 23 years ago, "lost altitude during takeoff and broke through a concrete fence", before striking a two-story building near Almaty at approximately 7:22 am local time.

There was thick fog in the area at the time of the crash, according to Reuters.

A survivor told news website Tengrinews that she heard a "terrifying sound" before the plane started losing altitude.

"The plane was flying with a tilt. Everything was like in a movie－screaming, shouting, people crying," she said.

Data from Flightradar24.com indicated the plane crashed 19 seconds after takeoff, approximately 5 kilometers from the airport. News videos and other images of the crash site in Almerek village, just beyond the end of the runway, showed the damaged plane broken into several parts, with its nose embedded in a partially collapsed house.

The village has been cordoned off by the authorities, Reuters reported.

Parts of the fuselage appeared to be relatively intact, raising hopes that many of those on board had survived the initial impact.

Emergency responders at the scene could be seen evacuating passengers and crew members from the wreckage. There were no reports of fire associated with the crash.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sent his condolences to the friends and families of the victims. He said a special government commission had been established to investigate the crash and that "all those responsible will be severely punished in accordance with the law".

The Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee published a statement online promising a thorough investigation of the cause of the crash. Authorities have not yet suggested what could have caused it.

As a precautionary measure, the authorities said all flights using the Fokker 100 aircraft would be temporarily suspended until the circumstances of the crash were clarified.

The aircraft is a medium-size twin-turbofan jet often used for short-haul flights. The company that built the plane went bankrupt in 1996.

]]> 2019-12-28 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/27/content_37530547.htm China and the United States are working on necessary procedures regarding their phase one trade deal and closely communicating on other follow-up matters, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

Gao Feng, a ministry spokesman, said necessary procedures such as legal review, translation and proofreading the preliminary deal are underway. The two negotiating teams are maintaining close contact on follow-up work including officially signing the agreement, Gao said at a weekly briefing.

About two months have passed since China and the US outlined the much-anticipated phase one agreement to end their protracted trade war.

The two sides agreed on the text of the partial economic and trade agreement based on the principle of equality and mutual respect earlier this month.

In a Dec 20 telephone call, President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump both said the phase one economic and trade agreement benefited China, the US and the whole world.

Trade developments continue to be a key focus for markets. Analysts said they hope China and the US will come to a quick resolution, while warning that certain uncertainties persist.

In a prospective investigation into the phase one deal, Zhang Xinyuan, a researcher at Huatai Securities, said increased imports from the US will mainly include crude oil, semiconductors, gas, soybeans, consumer goods, automobiles, ethanol and tourism services.

Ding Shuang, chief economist of Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered, said that with the phase one deal reducing downside risks facing the global economy, 2020 should be a year of soft but stabilizing growth for the global economy.

Zhu Jianfang, chief economist at Citic Securities, said in a recent research note that trade disputes may reoccur in the future. So the company's research team is temporarily "cautiously optimistic", and maintained its outlook that China's economic growth will be 6 percent for this year, Zhu said.

In another development, Gao said China strongly opposes the 2020 US National Defense Authorization Act.

China believes that provisions of the act that restrict the purchase of some Chinese products and tighten export controls against Chinese enterprises are "bad examples" of how the government intervenes in the normal business activities of enterprises, Gao said.

He said the US move will endanger the global economic and trade order and affect the security of the global industrial chain.

Xinhua contributed to this story

]]> 2019-12-27 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/27/content_37530588.htm When Marko Djuric, vice-chairman of the Progressive Party of Serbia, visited Jiangxi provincial capital Nanchang last month, he was touched by the story of a local farmer who escaped poverty by growing navel oranges with the help of the local government.

The success story of 62-year-old Deng Daqing, a farmer in Longhu, a village in Ruijin's Huangbai township, shows that the governance of the Communist Party of China in poverty reduction is "responsible and efficient", Djuric said in an interview with China Daily.

Until 2013, Deng's family was one of the poorest in his rugged mountain village. With help from local authorities, Deng secured a bank loan and planted more than 800 orange trees. Three years later, he brought in 30,000 yuan ($4,286) from fruit sales, an amount far exceeding the national poverty threshold of 2,300 yuan a year.

By using an e-commerce platform, Deng's income has grown significantly as his business has expanded nationwide. Last year, Deng earned more than 280,000 yuan.

As a CPC member, Deng said he was unwilling to reap the benefits alone, so he offered to help his fellow villagers grow navel oranges. In 2016, he worked with the Party branch in the village to start an agricultural cooperative, which provides unified management, training, pest prevention, cheaper fertilizers and marketing for poverty-stricken families.

Deng said the per capita income of his village reached 13,000 yuan in 2017, and all 54 households that were impoverished were lifted out of poverty by growing and selling navel oranges.

Deng's story sends an "emotional" message that it's never too late for poverty-stricken people to become prosperous through hard work, Djuric said. Importantly, it also shows how the province's Party organization played a significant role in helping the village escape poverty.

Deng and his fellow villagers are only a few of the beneficiaries of the country's poverty alleviation efforts in recent years. From 2013 to 2018, the nation's impoverished population has been reduced by an average of more than 12 million annually, from 98.99 million at the end of 2012 to 16.6 million at the end of last year.

At the fourth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, in late October, the CPC reaffirmed to eradicate absolute poverty in rural areas by the end of next year. Meanwhile, it would set up a long-term mechanism to deal with relative poverty to meet people's ever-growing demand for a better life.

Resolute efforts must be made to win the critical battle of poverty reduction, build on the outcomes achieved in relieving extreme poverty and establish a mechanism to address relative poverty, according to a document adopted by the key Party meeting

The document is seen as a guideline for the CPC to lead the nation to uphold and improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advance the modernization of the country's system and capacity for governance, and also a road map to turn institutional strength into even more effective governance.

Djuric said that when he read President Xi Jinping's book The Governance of China this year, he was impressed by the achievements of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, particularly in poverty alleviation, with more than 700 million people having been lifted out of extreme poverty in the past four decades.

He attributed the country's remarkable achievements in poverty reduction to its effective system and targeted measures as well as the CPC's efficient governance.

"China's governance system has proved to be very efficient in promoting the country's progress and development. ... There is no doubt that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has yielded concrete results in Jiangxi," Djuric said.

He added that the Chinese model can be implemented in many places in the world. "It requires hard work, dedication, good governance and responsible governance."

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, placed poverty reduction at the top of the list of major tasks as the Party vowed to build a moderately prosperous society in 2020. This means that by the end of 2020, the population of rural poor should be guaranteed food, clothing and safe housing, compulsory education and basic medical care.

In Xi's view, if rural China－particularly people in impoverished areas－is left behind, a moderately prosperous society will not emerge.

Because the earlier one-size-fits-all poverty relief policy no longer works when applied to the most impoverished families, Xi proposed the idea of targeted poverty alleviation for the first time in November 2013, when he made an inspection tour of Shibadong village in Hunan province. He said targeted relief and customized policies are needed to help different types of people and households.

When carrying out poverty-relief work, the central authorities coordinate the entire program and provinces take major responsibility, while cities and counties ensure policies are implemented.

Overall responsibility for leading the work lies with the Party and government chiefs, according to the action plan for poverty alleviation jointly released by the general office of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2016.

Targeted measures designed to help residents of rural areas shake off poverty have been pushed forward. They include developing industries, improving education and medical services, building adequate infrastructure and facilities, helping migrant workers find jobs and relocating people living in poor conditions and fragile environments to more prosperous areas.

More than 770,000 officials from the government, universities, State-owned enterprises and civil associations work in rural areas nationwide.

Liu Yongfu, director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, said at a news conference in September that 95 percent of the impoverished population is expected to be lifted out of poverty in the end of this year.

Through continued efforts in 2020, he added, the historic goal of rooting out absolute poverty across China will be achieved and the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects will be attained.

The success in targeted poverty alleviation in Jiangxi reflects a miracle China has created in securing large-scale poverty reduction while achieving rapid economic growth, said Liu Qi, secretary of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee. It fully demonstrates the political advantage of CPC leadership as well as the strength of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Liu said.

The fourth plenary session also laid out a map for turning institutional strength into even more effective governance, covering key fields like Party leadership, rule of law, the economy and the environment.

The session is of great significance, said Khamphanh Phommathath of Laos, a member of the Political Bureau of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, adding that the CPC has been continuously working to improve its governance capacity and system as well as sticking to its commitment to seek happiness for the people.

Guided by the session, the CPC will achieve greater progress in governance in the future, he said.

Amirah Kaca Sumarto, vice-chair of the young leaders' sisterhood of Indonesia's Golkar Party, said that China has managed to formulate its own system that suits its history, culture and people, and it has proved to be effective. "China is a different kind of role model compared with Western countries."

Some individuals, overseas organizations and media have been posting photos and names of allegedly missing Uygurs on social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook, to smear China's policy in Xinjiang.

Many of the posts have been shown to have "distorted the truth or be fabricated stories", Xu Guixiang, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Committee, said on Wednesday.

On Dec 12, Twitter user Abdulla Rasul wrote in a post tagged "Still-Noinfo" that Halnur, 24, a mother of two, was among those still missing, even though Halnur has been working as a waitress at a restaurant in Turpan since May.

Abdulla Rasul is her cousin's husband and the couple moved abroad many years ago, Halnur said. Abdulla's Twitter account says he is based in Istanbul, Turkey. "I only met Abdulla once, when he and my cousin got married, and seldom have had contact with them since. I don't understand why he said I was missing," she said on Wednesday.

Halnur attended a vocational education and training center in 2018 after having been influenced by thoughts of religious extremism since high school. "I dropped out of my school, although I was a very good student, because the religious extremists told me that going to school was useless. Later, I also refused to go to work and focused only on taking part in religious extremist activities," she said.

The establishment of the centers in Xinjiang has been an effective preventive measure to help eradicate extremism in the region, which is believed to have led in the past to frequent terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, officials said. The centers provided courses on standard Chinese language, laws, vocational skills and deradicalization programs.

People who took part in the courses have all graduated. The centers will be open to all local residents and officials who wish to improve their standard Chinese language and vocational skills and legal knowledge, Shohrat Zakir, regional government chairman, said this month.

"I was worried about whether people would be willing to give me a second chance after I graduated, but a restaurant owner immediately recruited me after I graduated from the center in May," said Halnur.

The 39-year-old works for the world's largest Bible-printing facility and China's top Bible exporter in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province.

She is just one of more than 500 staff members employed by Nanjing Amity Printing Co, for which printing Bibles has become a specialty. It took the company 25 years to print the first 100 million and just seven years for the next 100 million.

"Since I started work here 20 years ago, I've handled Bibles produced in more than 20 languages, such as English, Portuguese, Thai, Swedish as well as the language used by the Lisu ethnic group in China," she said.

Zhong spoke while Bibles produced in different designs and languages were coming off noisy production lines. "The factory floor is like a sea of Bibles," she said.

Copies ordered worldwide are stacked neatly next to each other on the factory floor.

Qiu Zhonghui, chairman of the company, said the books will be packaged after undergoing strict quality inspections, as they are designed to accompany the purchasers for the rest of their lives.

"Compared with other publications, people still prefer to have a beautifully printed Bible in their hands, rather than reading it from a digital tablet. So Bible printing hasn't been affected by the digitalization of books, and I believe the situation won't change in the next 10 years," Qiu said.

Michael Perreau, general secretary of the United Bible Societies, said people often wish to have printed copies of the Bible after reading a digitalized version.

"In short, digitalization actually supports the distribution of the printed version of the Bible," he said.

On Nov 11, the 200 millionth Bible came off a production line at the printing factory, which in 2008 moved to a bigger site covering 85,000 square meters to cope with its expanding business overseas.

Of the Bibles printed in more than 130 languages, over 85 million have been distributed to churches in China, including copies in Braille and in 11 ethnic languages. The remainder have been exported to over 140 countries.

The company is expected to export 12.7 million Bibles this year, a rise of 6.6 percent year-on-year.

At the factory's warehouse, packaged Bibles are quickly dispatched to overseas buyers, and this demand is surging.

Ferenc Szucs, director of Patmos Records, which distributes Bibles in Hungary, was attempting to see if he could spot those heading to his country by going through the names of the recipient nations marked on the boxes.

"I am impressed with the quality of the Bibles produced in China. That's why I'm here, to place more orders," Szucs said. Two years ago, his company placed an order for 30,000 Bibles, and it plans to order another 30,000 next year. Bibles in denim covers with floral prints are particularly popular in Hungary.

Xu Yihua, a professor with the Department of International Politics at Fudan University in Shanghai and a member of the China Committee on Religion and Peace, said the country has become one of the largest Bible exporters in the world.

Some people feel that Bibles are mere commodities, but he believes the exports have built a platform for Chinese churches to better communicate and enhance understanding with their counterparts worldwide. "During the process, the world can better understand the real situations of Chinese churches," Xu said.

Qiu added, "The establishment of the company (Nanjing Amity Printing) was the result of China's opening-up and the policy of freedom of religious belief, while the increase in Bible exports has shown that China has expanded its scope for international trade."

Under the Belt and Road Initiative, the company has set up branches in Ethiopia and Kenya, in 2015 and this year respectively, to better serve the public in those countries, Qiu said.

Xu Xiaohong, chairman of the National Committee of Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches in China, said the healthy development of Bible printing in the country is closely linked to national progress.

"By serving followers in more than 140 countries, the company has sent a signal to the world that China seeks peaceful development and is willing to take on more international responsibilities," Xu Xiaohong said.

In 1986, the company was established through the joint efforts of the independent Chinese voluntary organization the Amity Foundation and the United Bible Societies to meet the needs of Christians in China. The first copy of the Bible in Chinese rolled off a production line a year later.

The circulation of Bibles in the country is supervised by the National Committee of Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches in China and the China Christian Council. From 2014 to last year, the two organizations distributed more than 18 million Bibles in China.

He Jiemiao, president of the Jiangsu Provincial Christian Council, said, "Many churches in China have set up bookstore-like facilities to distribute Bibles to improve followers' experiences."

As living standards have improved, demand has risen among Chinese Christians for better-designed Bibles, especially those with traditional Chinese characters.

In recent years, the company has produced Bibles with covers made from bamboo and has integrated elements of blue-and-white porcelain into the designs to inject Chinese culture into its work.

To cater to participants in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the company printed 100,000 Bibles bearing the logo for the Games, Qiu said.

This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Union Version Bible, which is the main translation used by most Chinese Christians. It is not only available in China, but also in churches worldwide where Chinese is spoken.

The translation of Bibles into Chinese can be traced to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This work in modern-day China has been accompanied by the sinicization of the country's churches.

By the second half of the 19th century, translations of the Bible had been undertaken by missionaries in China from different nationalities, denominations and societies. Some copies were translated in classical Chinese and others in modern Chinese.

As the 19th century drew to a close, the need for a unified version became increasingly urgent for Chinese churches. It took nearly 30 years before the classical and modern Chinese versions of the Bible were published by more than 30 foreign missionaries and their Chinese assistants in 1919.

Since then, the modern version has grown to be the most popular in Chinese.

The birth of the Chinese Union Version Bible ended an era of biblical translations by foreign missionaries. The first version of the Bible translated by Chinese in their own language was published in 1922.

In 1980, the National Committee of Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches in China and the China Christian Council reprinted the 1919 edition of the Chinese Union Version Bible in traditional Chinese. In 1988, it was translated into simplified Chinese, with the revised version first printed at Nanjing Amity Printing Co.

Bishop Shen Bin, vice-president of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and Bishops Conference of the Catholic Church in China, said the number of Bibles printed is a "barometer" for the development of Christianity, while changes in Biblical translation can also showcase the sinicization of Chinese churches.

"Chinese followers now have higher requirements for Bible translations, so there are proposals to make some adjustments, such as making the translations of certain people's names and places more accurate," Shen said.

Perreau, from the United Bibles Societies, said the Nanjing company is now the biggest supplier to the organization. More than 60 percent of the Bibles distributed by the Societies' network in over 200 countries and regions were produced by the company.

In August, the US government announced that Bibles and other religious literature would not face additional tariffs of 10 percent.

"Bible printing and exports have great potential in China, which will be more open in the future," Perreau said. "Even the trade war between the country and the US has not affected such exports."

"If someone insists on forcing China into being a competitor, then China will certainly be a formidable one," Wu said when commenting on the recent hawkish rhetoric and actions by the US, which he said have "blatantly interfered with China's domestic affairs" and seriously damaged military-to-military relations and bilateral ties.

In early December, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said China is now the United States' top military priority, and he accused Beijing of seeking "veto power" over the economic and security decisions of smaller nations.

John Rood, under secretary of defense for policy, said earlier this month that China has a massive military budget that it will use to "militarize" the South China Sea, improve its cyberattack capabilities and space potential and undermine the current world order.

On Dec 20, the US signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act into law. The $738 billion military spending bill includes clauses that support the protests in Hong Kong, improve Taiwan's defense capabilities through military exchanges and arms sales and require the compilation of regular reports on the condition of Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

"It is blatant interference in China's domestic affairs, and seriously violates the one-China principle and three joint communiques between China and the US," he said.

"It has damaged the growth of China-US military-to-military relations and bilateral ties, undermined mutual trust and cooperation, and the Chinese military resolutely opposes these acts," he said.

"The recent baseless accusations against China lodged by US officials sound like a criticism of the US itself," Wu said. "The NDAA authorizes a $738 billion military budget for the US, accounting for over 40 percent of global military spending. I don't know how the US has the conscience to criticize other countries for having a big military budget," he said.

Moreover, the NDAA greenlighted the launch of the US Space Force. Wu said US efforts to greatly expand its space combat capability will lead to an arms race and the militarization of outer space.

"The US is citing so-called military threats from other nations as an excuse to build its Space Force. Its intention is to pursue an absolute military advantage in space. This can easily lead to arms races and seriously threatens peace and security in space, as well as global strategic stability."

For the South China Sea, Wu said the so-called freedom of navigation operations in the region are "extremely irresponsible and dangerous", and should be renamed "hegemonic navigation".

"The US actions have seriously undermined the sovereignty and security interests of countries in the region, damaged regional peace and stability and threatened the life and safety of frontline military personnel," he said.

As for cybersecurity, Wu said the US is notorious for cyberespionage and cyberattacks against other countries. "The world is still waiting for a verdict on the Snowden incident. The US is the least qualified country to point fingers at others," he said.

Edward Snowden is a former employee of a company that worked for the US National Security Agency. In 2013, he left his job in the US and released top secret information about Washington's global surveillance programs to international media sources.

When asked about Taiwan, Wu said the island is an inseparable part of China, and the US attempt to use Taiwan to pressure China is merely a pipe dream. "We will not allow anyone, at any time, using any methods to separate Taiwan from China," he said.

The US is also publicly interfering in Hong Kong and Xinjiang affairs using "despicable and sinister means", Wu said. "It is using various excuses to interfere with China's domestic affairs, destroy the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and slander China's efforts in fighting terrorism and radicalization."

Wu said these actions have seriously violated international laws and basic principles in international relations. "We urge the US to abandon its Cold War mentality and hegemonic logic, immediately stop interfering in China's domestic affairs and take concrete actions to maintain the overall big picture of China-US relations."

When asked about China's newly commissioned aircraft carrier, the CNS Shandong, Wu said it will undergo testing and training in accordance with plans to build its systematic combat capabilities.

The carrier's deployment will be decided by current situations and mission needs, he said. As for whether China will build more aircraft carriers, Wu said it will depend on national security needs and the progress of equipment technology development.

"It was really crowded in the checkpoint's arrival hall," he said.

Lam, one of the thousands of Hong Kong residents who traveled to neighboring Guangdong province for the Christmas holiday over two days, planned to see friends and dine out before visiting some scenic spots.

Previously, the trend was reversed, with crowds of mainlanders crossing the border to witness the Christmas celebrations in Hong Kong.

Guangdong's wealth of tourist sites has made the area a desirable destination for people from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in recent years. Crowds were heavy as more than 50,000 people had passed both ways before noon on Wednesday. More than 42,000 of those were arriving from Hong Kong－an increase of 45 percent over the same day last year－while only 8,000 were heading to Hong Kong.

Authorities said the crush of people entering Shenzhen via the checkpoint, one of the busiest entry gates from Hong Kong, didn't let up on Thursday, and similar throngs were expected through Saturday.

Among the other things that attract visitors from Hong Kong are Shenzhen's Cantonese cuisine, the availability of goods at low prices, convenient transportation and holiday promotions.

Suki Mok arrived in Shenzhen via the Luohu Checkpoint on Wednesday. "There are crowds at the checkpoint, but they're orderly and the flow is smooth and good," she said.

Mok, who visits Shenzhen at least twice a week, spent about 200 yuan ($28.60) to have dinner with friends in a Shenzhen restaurant on Wednesday evening.

"But it cost me more than HK$800($103) for a similar dinner with friends in Hong Kong on Christmas Eve," she said.

Mok usually gets a massage, which also is much cheaper than in Hong Kong. Also, Shenzhen competes with Hong Kong in cleanliness, she added.

With major infrastructure projects linking Hong Kong and Guangdong opening in recent years, it only takes about an hour to travel between many cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It now takes Hong Kong residents less than 20 minutes to reach Shenzhen via high-speed train and about 40 minutes to drive to Zhuhai via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which opened a year ago.

In addition to shopping centers, department stores and restaurants that offer holiday promotions, many banks have introduced special Greater Bay Area dual-currency credit cards to attract Hong Kong residents.

Many banks promise discounts and cash back for those who use their credit cards in Guangdong, which is widely viewed as a showcase for China's reform and opening-up process.

The article argued that money politics is the main reason for the severe divisions in politics and society in the United States.

"In recent years in the US, the wealthy class has exerted an increasingly important influence on politics while the common people's influence on politics has declined," said the article, adding that money politics exposes the hypocrisy of US democracy.

It noted that money has infused the entire US political system and has become a persistent in US society.

The article said that the money politics of the US has distorted public opinion and turned elections into a "one-man show" of the wealthy class.

In 2016, the US elections, including campaigning and events related to presidential and congressional elections, cost a total of $6.6 billion, making it the most expensive elections in US history, the article said.

Meanwhile, a large amount of secret funds and "dark money" have also been injected into the US elections, it added.

The article cited a 2018 report by NBC News as saying that as the US Treasury Department announced that it would no longer require most nonprofit organizations to report their sources of donations, the transparency of election funding would be significantly reduced.

Over 40 percent of TV commercials broadcast by these outside groups to influence congressional elections are funded by unknown donors, said the article.

Money politics brings serious consequences, the article said. Ordinary people are deprived of their political rights. Government posts have become the exclusive domain of rich people and the upper class. Money politics is blatantly delivering benefits to the rich, and makes it more difficult for the US to solve its pressing political and social problems, including gun violence.

"Money politics is an inevitable result of the US capitalist system," the article said.

US democracy is a political form through which the bourgeoisie rule. Given this, US democracy naturally reflects the will of capitalists and serves their interests, it said, adding that candidates of the country's two major political parties are merely representatives of different factions within the bourgeoisie.

Money politics exposes the nature of US society and its lies when it praises itself as the best example of democracy and the guardian of human rights for the world.

"In the US, where money governs politics, political participation and discussions can never be actualized without the help of money," it said.

Growth has been bolstered by the tech-savvy younger generation's preference for buying high-end, imported pet food and other products such as grooming and medical care products and services through e-commerce platforms.

According to a report by e-commerce giant JD and global data analytics company Nielsen, the groups of consumers born after 1985 and after 1990 represent a 40.3 percent share of online pet care purchases, and those pet owners are willing to pay more for premium, imported products seen as nutritious and safe.

The report noted that single people and women make up the majority of online purchases of pet products, especially as marriage and childbirth rates decline.

The top five cities for online spending on pet products are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shenzhen, the report said.

Pet food sales－the largest segment in the overall pet industry－increased from 28 billion yuan ($4 billion) in 2015 to 59.4 billion yuan in 2018.

The report also said that unmarried people are the biggest online buyers of dog and cat food and related services, while the majority of owners of aquatic animals and exotic pets, such as birds, mice and rabbits, are married.

JD reported that high-end and high-tech pet products were very popular during the most recent Singles Day shopping event.

Sales revenue for insect repellents for pets surged 243 percent year-on-year, and sales of litter boxes for cats increased 232 percent.

Zhang Qiang, a partner at Roland Berger China, said having pets has become increasingly popular, especially among empty nesters and single people, groups that also are big buyers of high-end pet products and services.

"Buying online has become a major channel for Chinese pet owners, due to its wide range of pet products, quality guarantees, convenience and precise digital marketing strategy," Zhang added.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China has become the third-largest pet market after the United States and Japan.

The market for China's pet industry skyrocketed to 172.2 billion yuan in 2018 from the 49.4 billion yuan spent in 2013, according to a report market research firm Frost& Sullivan released this year.

Industry experts said they expect China's pet industry will further develop along with the growing number of pets and the increasing buying power of pet owners. China's pet product market is forecast to reach 472.3 billion yuan by 2023.

Zhang said the market for pet goods and services is expected to sustain an annual compound growth rate of about 15 percent by 2023, while competition between domestic and foreign pet brands is expected to grow in intensity in the next few years.

Neil Wang, president of Frost & Sullivan China, said, along with rising disposable incomes and consumption upgrades, residents are increasing their spending on leisure and entertainment purchases, which include products and services needed for raising pets. Wang said veterinary services also are expected to grow quickly and offer enormous development opportunities.

 

 

 

Public security authorities nationwide have closed more than 118,000 cases related to telecom and internet fraud, a 62.7 percent year-on-year increase, ministry officials said.

The crackdown on fraud was a part of a special campaign codenamed Yunjian, or "sword in cloud", launched by the ministry on June 13, and it was planned to conclude at the end of October but continued.

In order to ensure a safe and stable social environment at the end of the year, the campaign has been extended to January, and public security organs will continue to intensify efforts to fight such crimes, said Liu Zhongyi, director at the ministry's criminal investigation bureau.

The number of fugitives captured during the campaign reached 243,000, and 96 of them are on a list of top A-level warrants issued by the ministry.

"We have organized domestic police forces from 13 provinces and cooperated with foreign counterparts in Cambodia, the Philippines and Laos to crack down on cross-border crimes, and 2,553 suspects involved with telecom and internet fraud were sent back to China for trial," Liu said.

"In Europe, we have cooperated with the Spanish police, extraditing 229 suspects related to telecom fraud back to China, and in Mongolia, we have brought back 251 fugitives who committed crimes of fraud," he added.

"We are taking various measures to crack down on criminal activities related to telecom and internet fraud, including big data and artificial intelligence technologies, and such measures played a positive role in the campaign," said Sun Jinfeng, deputy director at the criminal investigation bureau of the ministry.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the office, reminded Taiwan compatriots at a news conference on Wednesday that they can dial 12308, the hotline for Chinese citizens overseas, to seek consular protection and assistance anytime.

The hotline is one of the "26 measures" unveiled last month to further promote economic and cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Straits and to offer Taiwan residents the same treatment as mainland residents.

Mainland authorities, embassies and consulates overseas are always there for Taiwan compatriots to handle issues including procedures for travel documents, overseas civil disputes, economic and criminal cases and emergencies such as earthquakes, floods and evacuations, Zhu said.

According to the 14th of the 26 measures, Taiwan compatriots can seek consular protection and assistance and apply for travel documents at embassies and consulates of the People's Republic of China overseas, said Yang Shu, an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"We've always attached great importance to safeguarding the safety, rights and interests of Taiwan compatriots overseas and have been active in providing them with consular protection and assistance," Yang added.

Besides consular protection, the 26 measures also provide Taiwan people with more preferential policies.

Wang Zhiwei, an official at the Ministry of Education, said the ministry has continuously worked to make favorable policies for Taiwan students studying on the mainland.

More than 12,000 Taiwan students now are studying at Chinese mainland colleges and universities, and about 7,000 have won scholarships, Wang said.

The ministry will allow more mainland schools to enroll Taiwan students and adjust majors to better meet their needs, he said.

Li Jinsheng, an official at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said the policies give Taiwan people access to professional title reviews on the mainland, and 173 Taiwan people in Fujian province have obtained corresponding titles.

Wu Jian, an official with the State General Administration of Sport, said the mainland will host several international sporting events in the coming years, including the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, and the mainland will offer help to Taiwan athletes who come to the mainland for training.

Zhu said Taiwan people on the mainland enjoy the same housing policies as locals and can even apply for public housing if qualified.

She said 38 Taiwan people in Shanghai and 16 in Xiamen, Fujian province, have moved into such apartments. Guangzhou, Guangdong province and Shanghai recently authorized 1,000 and 300 government-subsidized apartments, respectively, for application by Taiwan people living in the two cities.

The ruling DPP of Taiwan has said on several occasions that the Chinese mainland issued such policies to interfere in the island's upcoming elections scheduled for Jan 11.

In response, Zhu said on Wednesday: "We have never been involved in Taiwan elections. We are concerned about prospects for the development of cross-Straits relations and the interests and well-being of our compatriots in Taiwan."

In contrast, the DPP authorities have for more than three years been engaged in trickery, trying to divide Taiwan society and create hostility across the Straits, Zhu said.

"They are doing everything possible to block the island's residents from coming to the mainland," she said, adding that they punished some Taiwan people who worked on the mainland, ordered officials not to visit the mainland and threatened media that criticize them.

"It is clear that the DPP authorities manipulate elections by elevating cross-Straits confrontation. They deprive Taiwan residents of the opportunity to choose and restrict their development space," she said.

This year, cross-Straits relations have become increasingly complex. The DPP authorities have continued to push for various "Taiwan independence" activities, seriously undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, she added.

Zhu called on compatriots on both sides to be on high alert and not be deceived by the political manipulation of the DPP.

]]> 2019-12-26 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/26/content_37530392.htm While Peking duck has made a name for itself both in China and overseas, Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, is known as the country's "duck capital".

Every year, more than 100 million ducks are consumed in the city, which has a human population of more than 8 million. Numerous restaurants and shops selling duck products are scattered throughout residential communities.

Unlike Beijingers, who usually eat roast ducks in restaurants, people in Nanjing often buy freshly roasted or salted ducks from roadside shops to eat at their leisure.

While a whole roast duck in Beijing may cost about 200 yuan ($28), people in Nanjing usually spend about 20 yuan on roasted or salted birds that have been quartered. The vendors then chop the ducks into smaller pieces and wrap them for customers.

In winter, a dark, succulent sauce made in rice cookers is scooped into plastic bags by vendors and sold with chopped roast duck.

If any sauce is left over after the duck has been eaten, it can be used in wax gourd recipes. Many people also add rice to the sauce to make it extra tasty.

Nanjing's love for ducks is well-known nationwide. Duck Duck Goose, a computer-animated comedy film released last year, which was produced by a Nanjing company, tells the story of two ducklings and a goose who gradually form a bond as they fly south.

However, many netizens said the storyline for the movie was unrealistic.

One of the comments made was, "No duck can fly out of Nanjing alive because it will have been made into savory dishes in the city－let alone two ducks journeying south together."

Qin Lin, a Nanjing resident, said: "There are more than 10 shops selling duck products within 1 kilometer of my home. Visitors to Nanjing ask seniors they meet where they can find the best one. Another way is to look for the shop with the longest line of customers, which must make it the most popular in the neighborhood," she said.

The 20-year-old, who is studying at a university in Shanghai, said the first thing she does when she gets off the bullet train in Nanjing is head home to eat duck.

"My parents buy the ducks in advance and put them on the dining table. I like the smell and flavor. To me, this is the smell and taste of my hometown."

Though Peking ducks and Nanjing ducks vary in flavor, appearance and cooking methods, the two have a connection that dates to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

In the 1420s, Emperor Zhu Di, also known as the Yongle Emperor, moved the country's capital from Nanjing to Beijing. Chefs working for the royal family also moved to Beijing, where they came up with new methods to cook duck.

Bianyifang, a well-known Peking duck restaurant in Beijing, was named "Jinling Sliced Duck" when it first opened. "Jinling" is another name for Nanjing.

Peking duck has crispy skin and is sliced into about 100 thin pieces before being served with pancakes, spring onion and cucumber. Sometimes, it is also served with plum or other sauces, and sugar.

However, the sauce that coats roast duck in Nanjing has a color and texture similar to soy sauce. Every restaurant and shop selling ducks in the city claims to have its own special recipe for the sauce.

Not only does the sauce accompanying the duck have a secret recipe, so does the city's signature salted duck.

Xu Jing, who runs a duck shop in Pukou district, said, "The recipe is the secret that makes the ducks delicious and helps us survive in a competitive market.

"The ducks are soaked in a specially made braising liquid for four hours after being covered with salt for three hours," she said. "The braising liquid at my shop has been used for nearly 20 years. The older it is, the better the aroma."

A range of spices, along with water, are added to the pot from time to time to ensure it remains full. New supplies of spring onion and ginger are bought every day.

"We now sell more than 100 ducks a day," Xu said. "My husband and I have to get up at around 3 am to simmer and roast the ducks. But we're satisfied with the money we make, which supports my family."

Zhou Hai, a manager at the Jinling Hotel in Nanjing, said the ducks it uses are chosen carefully to ensure a better taste.

"The ducks should weigh 1.9 to 2.1 kilograms, so that the meat is tender," he said. "The skin should remain intact after the duck is plucked so that the meat doesn't get too salty.

"After being salted and marinated, the duck is cleaned and boiled in water at about 90 C to ensure the meat doesn't get dry too quickly."

Nanjing duck dishes are mentioned in books dating to 2,300 years ago. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), there were already more than 100 duck shops in Nanjing.

The Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) ordered 500 ducks every year from Nanjing, and at the State banquet to mark the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the final dish served was salted duck.

In Nanjing, salted duck is also called osmanthus duck, because high-quality birds can be found in September and October, when the sweet-scented osmanthus plants blossom.

Tao Siyan, a professor with the art school at Southeast University in Nanjing, said geographical reasons have also contributed to the city's love for ducks.

"Surrounded by many rivers and lakes, including the Yangtze River, local people in ancient times raised many ducks that ate the shellfish and other fish in the water. Local people have eaten duck for nearly 1,800 years.

"People used to reward soldiers with rice and ducks. They used salt to give duck meat a longer shelf life, and the special flavor gradually emerged."

Goose meat was also in high demand in ancient China. It was first used for sacrifices and then for banquets by rich families.

Nowadays, geese lay fewer eggs than ducks and require a strictly controlled environment, including humidity levels, temperature and exposure to the sun. As these birds are larger than ducks and chickens, many people worry that goose meat may go bad before it is eaten.

Ducks reach maturity quicker than chickens, with the former ready to be served on dining tables in about 45 days, contributing to their popularity in Nanjing and neighboring areas.

Tao said, "In the Qing Dynasty, Nanjing ducks were not only served to royal families, but also used as presents by officials."

Local people traditionally eat the "five yellows" during Dragon Boat Festival, Tao said, referring to eel, yellow croaker fish, cucumber, salted duck egg and wine. The egg yolk is believed to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck.

"The Chinese word for duck is ya, which sounds the same as 'suppress'. People hope that by eating duck egg yolk, evil spirits can be suppressed," Tao added.

During Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on May 5 in the Chinese lunar calendar, some children in Nanjing hang small sachets round their necks, each with a duck egg inside.

In addition to roast and salted ducks, a range of street foods consisting of duck meat, fat and blood can be found in Nanjing and neighboring cities. One of the best-known is duck blood vermicelli soup, which may conjure up images of Halloween for many visitors. The blood used for the soup is formed into small, red cubes and tastes similar to tofu, only with a more subtle flavor.

Other popular foods made from ducks include soup dumplings stuffed with small pieces of roast duck meat, duck blood wonton and sesame pastry made with duck fat.

People line up for hours at two small shops near the Confucius Temple in Nanjing to buy freshly baked sesame pastry made with duck fat.

Zhu Jun, manager with Nanjing Osmanthus Ducks Group, said it has developed duck products, redesigned its packaging and taken part in many activities to attract more customers and publicize the city's duck culture.

"We've provided new-flavored duck wings, hearts and gizzards," he said. "They are vacuum-packed in well-designed wrapping. We only have about 40 workers at the factory, but we have produced 10 million ducks annually in recent years by using new technologies.

"We hope that time-honored brands of duck products will remain popular among the next generation, and we'll follow trends to publicize the products with more attractive images and better quality."

Guo Jun contributed to this story.

The consensus was made between Premier Li Keqiang and his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, on Wednesday. The two leaders had talks in a hotel at the foot of Mount Qingcheng, a Taoist holy site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about one-hour drive from Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

The two leaders, together with Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in, convened in the city for the eighth China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting on Tuesday.

Li said China's ongoing efforts to further open up its services sector will provide more opportunities for both countries to expand win-win cooperation. There is broad space for greater bilateral cooperation in coping with aging societies and achieving mutual benefits, he said.

Both countries also face challenges of rapidly aging societies. New births in Japan have fallen below 900,000 per year for the first time on record, while births in China dropped for two consecutive years despite a universal two-child policy being adopted.

He highlighted the modern services－including securities, life insurance and healthcare－as sectors where the two countries can work together further.

"We can select some pilot areas where there will be greater opening-up so as to foster new highlights for bilateral cooperation. Chengdu could be a good option," Li said.

He also urged more cooperative measures in investment, innovation and tapping into third-party markets, as well as higher level people-to-people exchanges.

Abe echoed Li's proposal, saying that there is broad space for bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

He said Japan appreciates China's efforts to further open up its services sector, and it is willing to actively take part in the process.

During the meeting, Li also called upon both sides to stay committed to the principles set out in four political documents that are fundamental to Sino-Japanese relations, carefully handle sensitive issues and enable continuous new progress.

Abe said the two countries must conduct closer high-level exchanges, enhance communication and dialogue and jointly open a new era for bilateral relations.

After the meeting, Li accompanied Abe on a visit to the Dujiangyan irrigation system, another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bilateral trade between China and Japan reached more than $327 billion in 2018, up 8.1 percent over the previous year. Since 2007, China has been Japan's largest trade partner.

Relations between China and Japan were long clouded by issues including wartime history and territorial disputes. But they have come back on track since Li's visit to Japan in May 2018. Five months later, Abe visited Beijing.

When President Xi Jinping and Abe met in June on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Xi agreed in principle to accept Abe's invitation to make a state visit to Japan next spring.

Ahead of his trip to Chengdu, Abe met Xi in Beijing on Monday.

Zhou Yongsheng, deputy director of China Foreign Affairs University's Japanese Studies Center, said Japan has much expertise to share with China in its services sector.

"Both economies now face downward pressure and require vitality from outside to shore up growth," Zhou said, adding that closer bilateral trade relations and investment cooperation will offer the two countries more leeway amid the sluggish global economy.

Xu Liping, a researcher at the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said greater political mutual trust is needed for the two countries to elevate bilateral relations.

"It is important for the two countries to see each other as cooperative partners rather than opponents," he said, adding that more must be done to promote understanding between the two peoples.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Beijing on Wednesday.

Tax and fee cuts in 2019, predicted to exceed the annual target of 2 trillion yuan ($286 billion), will speed up the GDP growth, promote increases in fixed-asset investment by 0.5 percentage point and lift retail sales by 1.1 percentage points, Liu said at the ongoing bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

From January to October, tax and fee cuts totaled 1.97 trillion yuan, with the full year's amount to be over 2 trillion yuan, representing about 2 percent of GDP, much higher than any other country, Liu said.

The Ministry of Finance said that in the April-October period, the value-added tax in manufacturing and wholesales industries dropped by 459.88 billion yuan, down by 25.7 percent from the level before April 1, when VAT reform was launched.

For small and micro-enterprises, about 186 billion yuan in taxes had been reduced by the end of October. The average per-person income tax payment dropped by 1,786 yuan by the end of October, compared with a year earlier.

Li Xuhong, a senior researcher with the Beijing National Accounting Institute, said that given the tax cuts, "attention should be given to the sustainability of fiscal policies." The cuts will put pressure on the fiscal budget and push the government to increase debt.

To maintain stable fiscal spending－the major force behind infrastructure investment－the government's daily administrative expenditures may drop by over 10 percent this year, given that the top leadership pledged to "tighten the belt" in some areas, Liu said.

Given less tax income, local government budgets may see a shortage this year, while the central government is able to achieve its budgeted income. Any shortages, if amounts are small, will be supplemented through reducing spending that is not urgent, Liu added.

"Policymakers … plan to consolidate the effect of tax cuts this year, which almost rules out the possibility of further tax cuts," said Song Yu, chief economist of Beijing Gao Hua Securities. "The fiscal deficit target of 2.8 percent in 2019 is likely to be hard to achieve already and further cuts are not practical. But this should have been widely anticipated."

On Nov 27, the Ministry of Finance issued a new special bond quota of 1 trillion yuan in advance, accounting for 47 percent of the 2.15 trillion yuan total quota in 2019. The ministry instructed local governments to use funds raised by the special bonds for infrastructure projects "as soon as possible". The policy's effect should be seen at the beginning of 2020 in shoring up economic growth, the ministry said.

The annual Central Economic Work Conference on Dec 10 to 12 indicated that policymakers recognized that downside pressures on growth are increasing and they have vowed to work to stabilize growth, according to Nomura Securities research.

"On fiscal policies, we expect no new tax cuts, and instead believe Beijing will focus on implementing existing tax cuts," the research said.

Fast-food chain Yum China Holdings Inc－parent company of the China operations of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell－has joined hands with the country's two largest gas station chains to open 100 restaurants of various formats and brands in the country over the next three years.

The move is expected to quickly boost its fast food presence along the country's vast highway network and further diversify nonfuel services at gas station chains.

Yum China announced this month the opening of its first group of franchised restaurants in collaboration with China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec) and China National Petroleum Corp.

On Dec 17, the first franchised KFC under the cooperation agreement opened at a CNPC gas station in Kunming, Yunnan province. In Dalian, Liaoning province, the first KFC-franchised restaurant in a Sinopec gas station opened on Monday.

The two gas station operators will open new restaurants－either franchised or leased on their properties. Yum China began opening drive-through restaurants at gas stations using a lease model in 2008. But it was only last year that Yum China started to draw up plans to work with CNPC using the franchise model.

A pilot KFC-franchised restaurant, which opened in October 2018 at a CNPC gas station in Tangshan, Hebei province, has been a big hit, serving as proof of "the synergies achieved from combining the unique location of gas stations with Yum China's operating management expertise", Yum China said.

To franchise, Sinopec and CNPC are responsible for investing in store operations and offering Yum franchising fees, the company said.

The franchising model only applies to KFC restaurants. According to the agreement, KFC has become CNPC's only Western quick-service restaurant franchise partner at its gas stations.

Other Yum brands will be operated using the leasing model in collaboration with Sinopec and CNPC, the company said.

Lin Boqiang, head of Xiamen University's China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy, said that adding retail and catering operations is beneficial for Chinese oil and gas companies to tap new growth potential by leveraging from their massive network.

For example, in September, Sinopec's Easy Joy chain of convenience stores rolled out an Easy Joy cafe in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, offering delivery and in-store consumption services. Lin expects more oil and gas service companies from the private sector will expand into retail.

Zhu Danpeng, an independent food and beverage analyst, said collaboration with the catering giant will further enhance the diversification of business offerings and thus boost income-generating capacities for State-owned enterprises such as Sinopec and CNPC. The two SOEs collectively operate more than 50,000 gas stations across China, of which over 30,000 belong to Sinopec and more than 20,000 to CNPC.

Diversification of non-gas services has been on the agenda for Sinopec and CNPC as they attempt to boost profitability. The franchised model will encourage gas station operators to open restaurants at key locations, said Jason Yu, general manager of consultancy Kantar Worldpanel.

"For fast food franchises, availability is critical. So building their presence in petrol stations helped further drive availability and create new consumption occasions for travelers behind the wheel," Yu said.

Easy Joy, the retail unit of Sinopec, had 27,259 outlets in 2018, tops nationwide among convenience stores. It is followed by 19,700 uSmile convenience stores operated by CNPC, according to a report jointly released by KPMG and China Chain Store and Franchise Association.

Yum China, which also owns brands including Little Sheep and East Dawning, had more than 8,900 restaurants in over 1,300 cities by the end of September.

The partnership with both companies will enable Yum China to accelerate the expansion of its portfolio of brands into a previously underserved segment of the market, specifically gas stations and highway service areas across the country, according to Yum China.

]]> 2019-12-26 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/26/content_37530364.htm The Chinese Football Association is determined to make Chinese soccer leagues more professional, as the nation's governing body for the sport is busy developing new policies ahead of the 2020 season.

The CFA had a "policy clarification" meeting with representatives of Chinese Super League clubs on Wednesday in Beijing.

Many details of the new policies, which will include salary caps, youth training, player transfers and registration, are yet to be released. But the CFA has made it clear the aim is to ensure the healthy and sustainable development of Chinese soccer leagues.

The new regulation on player salaries has attracted the most attention. The CFA will install an annual salary cap of 10 million yuan ($1.43 million) for Chinese players in professional leagues, Xinhua News Agency reported. Players selected for the national squad will have an annual cap of 12 million yuan. The policy is meant to regulate contracts that were signed after Nov 20.

For foreign players, the annual salary cap will be 3 million euros ($3.3 million) for contracts that are signed after Jan 1. The limit for total expenditures for CSL clubs in 2020 would be 1.1 billion yuan, with salaries representing no more than 60 percent. In 2021, the total limit would shrink to 900 million yuan, with salaries not exceeding 55 percent.

A strict salary cap is seen as a way to make Chinese clubs healthier financially and encourage more Chinese to gain experience in high-quality leagues abroad. Wu Lei, playing for Espanyol in La Liga, is the only Chinese playing in a top European league. Fans blame the high salaries and less competitive environment at home for weakening Chinese players' willingness to compete in foreign leagues.

CFA officials said during the meeting that Chinese soccer should learn from Japan and South Korea to improve soccer management and teams' competitiveness. The CFA also said it would establish a joint working group for policymaking and refining details of the new policy.

"The purpose of making new policies is to ensure the healthy growth of our professional leagues and keep them energetic," said Dong Zheng, leader of the working group. "We are working to give our clubs healthier finances and facilitate the growth of young players.

"We hope to reach an agreement with our clubs and achieve the goal together. This is not like ordering our clubs to do something. We are collecting opinions from clubs, and we now have a general direction for our policy."

The CFA also will allow each CSL team to register up to six foreign players a season. For each game, a club could use five foreign players, and four could be on the pitch simultaneously, Xinhua reported. For the second-tier China League One, a club could register four foreign players per season and use three of them each match, with two playing at the same time.

Other policies the CFA is working on include youth training and giving young players more playing time in professional leagues. The CFA also would help Chinese clubs eliminate the use of company identifiers in their names.

"Many policy details and how to execute them are not determined," Dong added. "The next step is to work out the details with club representatives and other organizations as a joint working team.

"We are facing a tight schedule with the new season approaching. Clubs can make preparations based on the general direction of our policy, and we will release the details as soon as possible."

Two duck legs

60 grams salt

30 grams star anise

5 grams Chinese paprika

15 grams spring onions

5 grams ginger

10 grams Shaoxing wine (yellow rice wine)

Clean the duck legs and poke a few holes in them with a fork.

Heat the star anise and Chinese paprika until you can smell the aroma, then add salt, spring onions and ginger and fry them together with a little oil.

Pour hot water into the pot and boil.

Add the duck legs and Shaoxing wine and boil on a medium heat for 30 minutes.

Prepare a bowl of iced water and place the duck legs inside.

Filter the braising liquid left in the pot and allow it to cool.

Place the legs in this liquid overnight. It may need to be put in a fridge in summer. Serve.

SIMPLIFIED METHOD OF COOKING ROAST BEIJING DUCK

One duck

Five-spice powder (star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and brown pepper, which can be bought in supermarkets)

Salt

Honey

Soy sauce

Spring onions

Cucumber

Sweet sauce made of fermented flour; dumpling wrappers (both can bought in supermarkets)

Clean the duck and let it dry for about three hours.

Mix soy sauce with five-spice powder and add salt.

Rub the mixed seasoning on the duck skin and inside the bird.

Wrap the duck and place in a fridge overnight.

Bake at a temperature of 175 C for 30 minutes.

Brush skin with honey and bake for another 30 minutes, before brushing with honey again and baking for a final 30 minutes. There is no need to turn the bird over.

Brush oil inside two layers of dumpling wrappers. Place several layers together and roll into thin pancakes.

Boil water and steam the pancakes

Slice the duck into thin pieces.

Serve with spring onion, cucumber and soy sauce.

Six measures are included in the guideline, released on Tuesday, to help stabilize the job market and avoid the potential for elevated unemployment.

Service businesses, including domestic services, tourism and nursing, would get support for encouraging more job creation.

The government will provide more financial support to private enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises to help them in the domestic market, while their job cuts will be regulated. Flexible employment and entrepreneurship will be emphasized to invigorate the job market. Loan application requirements for people wanting to start small and micro businesses will be relaxed.

The government also will improve the job information monitoring system and allow the jobless to register as unemployed in another province to make job information easier to access.

Large-scale skill training courses will be provided to the jobless under age 20 and those unable to obtain higher education after junior or senior high schools. Financial assistance will be given to those in training courses.

"Though we face great pressure in employment given the current economic landscape, the government is taking positive measures to stabilize the job market," said Chen Lixiang, vice-dean at Peking University's China Institute for Occupation Research. He said pressure on employment comes from adjustments in the domestic economic structure and the international landscape.

"Information technology also is bringing a revolution to the job market with automation," he said. "The emergence of the virtual economy did create some new professionals but it also shocked the real economy and people who serve the real economy."

Li Qiang, vice-president of Zhaopin, an online recruitment platform in Beijing, said some groups are facing greater difficulty in finding jobs.

"Industrial workers may face difficulties seeking jobs in the service sector," he said. "The work they used to do in factories usually involved repetitive tasks requiring strength. However, jobs in the service sector put greater emphasis on brain power. It's important for them to have access to training programs to develop new skills for new jobs," he said.

Still, experts remained positive.

"The economy is growing healthily, which is important for boosting employment," Chen said. "There is pressure on the job market, but it won't become too great."

In March, the employment-first policy was elevated to an important national policy, joining fiscal and monetary policies, for the first time this year.

As of the end of November, there was continuous and stable growth in employment with about 12.79 million new urban jobs created this year, outperforming the target of 11 million set in March, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Based on an NBS survey in November, the national jobless rate that month was 5.1 percent. Among people 25 to 59 years old, the rate was 4.6 percent, roughly unchanged from October. The unemployment rate is within a reasonable range, the NBS said in a news release.

In answer to the app's call to reflect on the world and nominate a 2019 word of the year, readers from around the world selected the word that in their view captured the international events that caught their attention over the past 12 months.

Five top words were chosen from hundreds of candidates－Belt and Road, climate crisis, multilateralism, turbulence and win-win.

The app received altogether 10,569 votes from Dec 13 to Monday, with 38 percent of voters selecting "win-win".

Some users explained why they chose the word.

"My choice of this word argues against the notion of the zero-sum theory," said a reader with the username "George".

Experts viewed the hyphenated word choice as a vision shared by people worldwide. "This word is not only relevant to the current international situation, but is also closely related to everyone's life and vital interests. Everyone hopes that the two largest economies－China and the United States－can cooperate with each other and achieve mutual benefits so that the world can become more peaceful and prosperous," said Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at Renmin University of China's Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies.

Amid rising unilateralism and protectionism, the concept of win-win was a common theme around the world this year.

"It (the choice of win-win) reflects the core value of China's participation in global governance. China advocates inclusive globalization, pursues multilateralism and win-win cooperation and opposes unilateralism and protectionism," said Jiang Zhida, an associate research fellow at China Institute of International Studies' Center for Belt and Road Studies.

In second place came "Belt and Road" with 26 percent of votes. A reader with the username "black" said: "It (the Belt and Road Initiative) is a good way to develop the economy. For example, one country's products can be exported to other countries and vice versa. In this way, the whole Earth is a family."

The word "climate crisis" received 13 percent of votes as awareness of the problem grows. Meanwhile, 12 percent of votes went to "turbulence". The world witnessed growing turbulence in 2019 with the Middle East once again seeing clashes, and protests in South America led to chaos.

"Multilateralism" received 11 percent of the votes. A reader said multilateralism is critical to building a new world order that will ensure people reach the future they desire.

Jiang Lu contributed to this story.

The singer-songwriter－who was born in Ocean City, New Jersey, United States, grew up in Tennessee and now lives in Nashville, the state capital－has accumulated a large fan base in China, as have some of his peers from other countries.

From Nov 28 to Dec 7, Crew played a seven-city Chinese tour, including concerts in Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu, Sichuan province.

He updated his schedule on his Sina Weibo account, where he interacts with his Chinese fans, who have given him a nickname, chuan zhang, which translates as "captain".

"I have been to all of the cities at least twice now－but this is actually my third time in Guangzhou (Guangdong province), Beijing and Shanghai," Crew said. "The most exciting thing is appearing in city after city and seeing that fans know the words to my songs. When they sing along with me, it is exhilarating."

His interest in music started at an early age, and he wrote his first composition at 11. He has played with various bands since high school, performing on a range of instruments, including acoustic guitar, ukulele, bass guitar and piano. He also produces music for other artists.

Crew describes his music－a combination of pop, electronic and some folk elements－as "dreamy", as he draws a lot of inspiration from stories, both fantasy and real-life.

On Dec 5, one fan, named Rongyan, posted on Crew's music page on NetEase Cloud Music, one of the main online music platforms in China: "It was a touching moment to watch his show in China and hear him speak Chinese. He worked hard to learn to speak Chinese for his fans."

In 2014, Crew began hearing from Chinese fans, who told him his songs were becoming popular in the country.

He said: "I wasn't even sure if it was true, but then some fans sent me a link to a Chinese music platform, where my songs were getting millions of plays. I said: 'Wow!! This is amazing!'"

He then created a profile on Sina Weibo and began communicating with his fans more regularly. Inspired to learn just how much his followers in China were enjoying his songs, he began planning a trip to the country in 2016.

Crew said: "One thing that many fans say to me is that they feel a strong sense of peace and calm when they listen to my songs. Others say that my songs make them feel as if they have suddenly stepped into a joyful dream. It really motivates me to continue writing new songs when I see the uplifting effect the music is having on them."

His popularity in China has extended to the US, where he now has a great number of Chinese followers.

"My music is actually much more popular in China than in the US. I have fans in the US and I have toured many states there, but these fans are typically not as passionate about my songs as those from China. However, when people in the US hear about my popularity in China, they are fascinated by this," Crew said.

"My American friends are always asking me about China and about my fans there. I have told many people in the US about the wonderful experiences I've had in China and the interesting things I've learned about Chinese culture. I have fallen in love with the Chinese people. It is very heartwarming for people to hear about this unique international connection we share."

His recent tour, titled Apologue, features 20 songs he released in four separate volumes.

"I wanted the tour to sort of make listeners feel as if they were reading a book of fairy tales as they listened to the songs. This project is a journey of adventure and excitement, but also what it feels like to walk through sadness and hardship," Crew said, adding that he used his own life experiences to craft songs that can relate to everyone. "Ultimately, I want people to feel a sense of hope and peace when they listen to them."

His latest release is I Want You Close Forever. The artwork to promote it was done by a fan in Shanghai named only as May. Crew released the number in China before the rest of the world, saying, "It's almost like a love song from me to the Chinese people."

During his debut tour of China in 2016, he wrote a song titled Fragrance. Crew said he was so inspired by what he was experiencing in the country that "my mind was kind of blown". He had never been to China before, and yet huge numbers of fans were coming to his shows and singing along to all the songs. He even featured the traditional Chinese instrument the erhu in Fragrance, as well as filming the video for it in China.

NetEase Cloud Music, where Crew can see fans' comments and how they react to each song, has helped him reach out to his followers in the country.

"My songs first became popular on NetEase Cloud Music, so I knew I needed to focus on engaging my audience there", he said.

In August 2016, one of Crew's songs, Sleepyhead, received nearly 20,000 comments, later becoming one of his most popular in China.

One fan who watched Crew's show in Beijing on Dec 2 at Mao Livehouse, commented on the artist's Weibo account the following day: "I discovered Galen through the song Sleepyhead and I enjoyed his music, which is warm and uplifting. His music gives me so much courage to believe that everything will be OK."

Another fan, who wrote to Crew, said: "We are cheered by your musical work. Sometimes life is difficult, but your music is always warm."

Crew wrote Sleepyhead with British songwriter Roger Cook, who is a friend of his. "It was very surprising to me at first when the Chinese responded to this song so much. Now, one of my favorite moments in the show is to perform Sleepyhead, because the Chinese fans sing along to every word."

Meanwhile, New Zealand singer-songwriter Luke Thompson has begun his first tour of China, appearing in Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province.

"Before I gave my first show in Shanghai on Dec 8, I thought there would be about 20 people in the audience. But I was surprised to see over 200 show up," Thompson said in an interview before he appeared in Beijing on Sunday.

The self-managed artist has released albums, including To the Common Dark in 2012, Strum Strum in 2015 and Hosts in 2016.

One of his most popular songs among Chinese fans is On a Slow Boat to China. They apparently enjoy the number due to its title, although it refers to something that takes a very long time.

About two years ago, Thompson started to receive emails and messages from Chinese fans, who shared their feelings about his music. With his smooth guitar-driven melodies, he now has more than 30,000 followers on his page on Net-Ease Cloud Music.

"I didn't know much about China, but I was eager to explore it," he said. During his trip to the country, he was drawn to its ancient history and he also bought some traditional musical instruments.

He even wrote a song just after he arrived in Shanghai, titled From Shanghai to Anywhere Else, which voices his feelings about the country.

In 2017, China was a new entrant to the global top 10 music market, and rose to seventh place last year, according to the report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. The country's music market has enormous untapped potential, with an online user base of 650 million people and a growing number of licensed digital services, according to the federation.

Since its launch in 2013, NetEase Cloud Music has collaborated with more than 200 music companies on legal copyright issues. The music platform now has over 30 million authorized songs, which have attracted about 900 million comments.

Mathew Daniel, vice-president, international, of NetEase Cloud Music, said almost 90 percent of its music is Western, as it represents the largest growth category.

"It (the platform) is among the social media available to artists to connect to their fans in China, and those who have invested their time and efforts in cultivating their Chinese fans have definitely benefited. The fans are now eager to familiarize themselves with more music genres that have traditionally been dominated by Western artists, so the opportunity is there for these artists to reciprocate that interest via social media."

With the daily number of user-generated playlists standing at nearly 1 million, comments at 1.6 million, and shares at more than 10 million, users spend an average of at least 1.5 hours a day on the service.

With Chinese music fans embracing a variety of genres, international artists such as Dutch disc jockeys R3HAB and W&W have built a strong profile in the country in collaboration with Net-Ease Cloud Music.

Other artists, including singer-songwriters Kim Taylor from the US and J.Fla from South Korea, have gained more popularity in China than at home.

Daniel said: "While the rest of the music world was evolving in one direction, China's music market was moving in a different direction and at a different pace.

"But with the internet, everything rushes into China from the rest of the world, but often without context or chronology. So, part of the challenge for international artists and potential fans is to try to find a match musically, especially when the potential audience is not aware of the background of the music, genre or artists. As such, social media has taken on a more important role in providing more musical context."

In addition to online music platforms, the Chinese record company Modern Sky, one of the largest indie labels, also helps bring foreign artists to the country. In 2006, it launched its first overseas office in New York, while in 2017, it opened Modern Sky UK in Liverpool, northern England.

The overseas offices sign local bands as well as introducing them to Chinese fans via social media and the Strawberry Music Festival, an annual outdoor event held in a number of Chinese cities.

The label, launched in 1997 by rocker Shen Lihui, has held sold-out concerts for international acts, including Australian singer-songwriter Lenka Kripac and Brett Anderson from the British rock band Suede.

It has signed nearly 100 Western bands and singer-songwriters, and in December last year launched the Modern Sky International Artist Booking Agency, which represents 17 international acts, including Wednesday Campanella, a Japanese group, and the British four-piece alternative rock band Wolf Alice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Premier Li Keqiang, ROK President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also laid out a blueprint for trilateral cooperation for the next decade as they convened in Chengdu, Sichuan province, for the eighth China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting.

The three leaders agreed to speed up negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement, aiming for a comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial FTA with its own value.

They also underlined the significance of coping with aging societies, with ways of promoting healthy and active aging through comprehensive policy measures. Trilateral cooperation in environmental protection, healthcare and addressing climate change was also highlighted.

China proposes the establishment of a joint investment fund between financial institutions from the three nations under commercial and market principles to provide funding support for trilateral cooperation and cooperation at an even larger scope, Li said at the leaders' meeting.

The three countries, all firm supporters of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, must push for the signing of the trade pact next year as scheduled and work toward further regional economic integration, Li said.

The three sides must consolidate the foundation for mutual trust, respect one another's interests and major concerns and stay committed to dialogue and consultation in solving differences, he said.

China, Japan and the ROK, all major countries in innovation, must step up cooperation on innovation, foster new growth points and share innovation outcomes, he said.

He urged more efforts to enable easier mobile payments to provide more convenient services for tourists from the three countries.

Regarding the Korean Peninsula, Li said the three sides must jointly safeguard regional peace and stability and advance denuclearization and the establishment of a mechanism to promote peace on the peninsula, which fits with the common interests of all three countries.

The premier also stressed the need to uphold free trade and push forward reform of the World Trade Organization under the principles of mutual respect, fairness and win-win outcomes.

Moon said at the meeting that it is important that the three sides work closely together and keep expanding common interests against a backdrop of rising protectionism and increasing factors of instability.

He also urged greater efforts in protecting intellectual property rights and enabling closer people-to-people exchanges.

Abe said that Japan is committed to jointly uphold free trade and multilateralism with China and the ROK and to develop a fair, just and unbiased investment and business environment.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the trilateral cooperation mechanism. Trade volume among the three countries increased from $130 billion in 1999 to over $720 billion in 2018.

On Tuesday afternoon, the three leaders attended an event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the trilateral cooperation mechanism at the Du Fu Thatched Cottage, a park and museum in honor of the poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Li took the other two leaders on a tour around the park, which has a cluster of ancient buildings and was decorated with bonsai and thick vegetation.

They jointly signed three commemorative envelopes printed specially for the celebration, and planted a tree in the park.

Shumpei Takemori, a professor at Keio University in Tokyo, said new economic norms should be prepared for sustainable economic cooperation between Japan, China and the ROK, and the RCEP and the tripartite FTA should be actively and properly employed.

Yuzo Tanaka, an economics professor at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, said a free trade zone benefits all three nations because the economies are complementary.

Wang said that this year should have been an important anniversary for China and the United States to mark and look into the future, given that it is the 40th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries.

"Regrettably, the US has successively imposed restrictions and put pressure on China in various fields such as trade and economics, science and technology, and interfered and engaged in smearing China on a series of issues concerning its territorial sovereignty," Wang said.

What the US has done not only has undermined China-US mutual trust established over the past four decades, but also affected the entire world's stability and development, he said.

Wang stressed that China always wants to talk and negotiate with the US on the basis of mutual respect, and the phase one trade deal is an example of how problems can be solved through equal dialogue between the two nations.

"We hope the US will rebuild an objective and correct acknowledgment of China, and we urge the US to return to a rational and practical policy toward China," he said.

In the interview, Wang reiterated that any attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs or hold back China's development "will be crushed by the wheels of history".

"We firmly support the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government in ending the violence and chaos, restoring order and exercising law-based governance," he said.

Referring to the Taiwan question, Wang said that this year saw China establish diplomatic relations with the Solomon Islands and resume diplomatic ties with Kiribati after both severed so-called "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan authorities, more widely establishing the one-China consensus in the international community than ever before.

In the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, China has ensured the safety and well-being of the over 24 million fellow countrymen of different ethnic groups, allowing no space for terrorism and radical ideologies, he said.

Calling the China-Russia relationship a prime example of harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries, Wang said Beijing and Moscow have shown firm mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests and worked together to resist attempts by external forces to keep them down.

"We have enhanced back-to-back coordination in international affairs and stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing power politics and bullying practices," he said.

Wang said the rising trend of unilateralism and the supremacy of unchecked national interests threaten to collapse the international order and system that all countries rely on for development, with dire consequences for small and medium-sized countries.

"The international community has no choice but to join hands and firmly resist this perverse trend," he said.

As two major civilizations and forces, Wang said China and Europe stand together for a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations, for multilateralism and the basic norms of international relations, and for free trade and an open world economy.

"Working together, China and Europe can provide more stability to an otherwise uncertain world," he said.

In a speech delivered at the seventh China-Japan-Republic of Korea Business summit in Chengdu, Sichuan province, the premier said China's investment environment will become more fair, transparent and predictable, and the country will offer equal treatment to businesses under all forms of ownership.

China will become more and more open, and harsher measures will be adopted to crack down on intellectual property rights infringements, he said.

China stands ready to work with the two countries in giving play to complementary strengths, continuing to expand cooperation under market principles and expanding common interests even further, he said.

Li said he welcomes businesses from Japan and the ROK to take advantage of their close geographical proximity to China, seize new opportunities from China's expanded opening-up and achieve more business successes.

China, with its massive market, has seen rising demand for services such as eldercare, healthcare and day care for infants, he said.

The country is also promoting financial sector opening-up, with measures to allow full foreign ownership of securities firms, life insurers and futures and fund companies by 2020－a year earlier than originally scheduled.

"It (the opening-up in the services sector) will be a step-by-step process. But, with China's huge market, it will represent huge progress when you look back," he said.

The move will help the three countries cope with common challenges from aging societies, achieve health and financial stability and better realize common development, he said.

In his speech delivered at the summit, ROK President Moon Jaein called upon the three countries to jointly develop emerging sectors.

The three nations will be endowed with cutting-edge capacities in innovation in sectors such as manufacturing, the internet, artificial intelligence and healthcare－as long as they work more closely together, Moon said.

The three nations are not only committed to pursuing economic growth but also people-centered development, which will contribute to the resolution of global issues such as climate change, he added.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe highlighted the importance of stepping up trilateral cooperation in rule-making in the digital economy and e-commerce sector.

The three countries must provide each other with fair, transparent and predictable business environments and step up understanding of each other's policies and systems, Abe said.

He also called upon the three nations to consolidate the multilateral trading system based on the World Trade Organization and further promote free trade.

Tomihiro Saegusa, president of Japanese retailer Ito-Yokado, said on the sidelines of the summit that China has made remarkable progress in the protection of intellectual property rights, and he believes the country will attract more foreign businesses.

The trade volume between China and Japan has expanded. A free trade agreement between the three countries will enable them to further lead economic growth in Asia, he said.

One lie after another about Xinjiang has been proved to have "distorted the truth or be fabricated stories", Xu Guixiang, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Committee, said at a news briefing in Beijing organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Xu was referring to the online campaign initiated by some individuals, overseas organizations and media, who posted photos and names to "find missing Uygurs in China". The move is aimed at hyping China's policy in the autonomous region, he said.

The hashtag "StillNoInfo" has been used on social media platforms Twitter and Facebook in the past week.

Xu cited several examples of Uygurs who were said to be "missing" but were found to be living better lives after graduating from vocational education and training centers. Among them is Ruzi Memet Atawulla, 23, who went to a vocational education and training center in 2017 after being influenced by extreme thoughts.

Ruzi Memet graduated in April 2018, and now works in a shoe factory in Hotan, a city in southwestern Xinjiang. "He earns 2,500 yuan ($357) per month from his work, and doesn't want to be disturbed, especially by those connected with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement terrorist forces," Xu said.

Aziz Niyaz and Meryam Gayit, an old couple in Kuqa county, Aksu prefecture, were also described as "missing" on overseas social networks, but actually they are retired and enjoying the life of taking care of their 3-year-old grandson at home, according to Xu.

Xu described the building of the vocational education and training centers in Xinjiang as an effective preventive measure of eradicating extremism in the region, which was plagued by violent terrorism three years ago.

He said that there have been no terrorist attacks in Xinjiang since the centers were established in 2017, and people now live peaceful lives.

Rexiati Musajiang, mayor of Hotan, criticized the United States for its interference in China's internal affairs by using Xinjiang's human rights as an excuse. He said at the briefing that the region enjoys stability and people's livelihoods keep improving.

The motives behind US politicians' remarks and acts to smear China's policy in Xinjiang, particularly the Xinjiang-related act that the US House of Representatives recently passed, have demonstrated US attempts at hegemony, he said, and the purpose is to contain China's development and damage the stability of Xinjiang.

The budget for promoting science to the general public last year was around 16.1 billion yuan ($2.3 billion), a 0.68 percent year-on-year increase. Government grants remain the largest financial contributor at 12.6 billion yuan, according to a 2018 survey by the Ministry of Science and Technology, published on Tuesday.

Last year, there were more than 76.3 million visits made, a 21 percent increase, to China's 518 general science museums, and over 142 million visits to the nation's 943 subject-specific museums, such as the Geological Museum of China and the Daqing Petroleum Science and Technology Museum.

"In recent years, the Chinese government and various research institutions have attached great significance to bringing science to the public," said Qiu Chengli, the survey's leader and a researcher on science popularization at the ministry.

Chinese scientists from selected institutions are now also more motivated to share their work with the public thanks to new reforms such as counting science popularization efforts in performance evaluations, establishing dedicated awards and granting senior titles for noted disseminators of science, he said.

"Elderly academicians and young scientists are some of the most active science disseminators, and this ensures works produced are both authoritative and interesting," Qiu said, adding that content in books and TV programs created by scientists were highly popular and some even had won national science awards in recent years.

However, Qiu also highlighted some problems this year, including a lack of private funding, uneven distribution of educational resources, a small decrease in the pool of science disseminators and the declining role of the print industry in science popularization as more people get their science information from online sources including via social media.

"Many of these problems are the result of recent institutional restructuring or existing limitations. We are currently going through a transitional phase because our science popularization efforts are heavily influenced by the country's overall economy and development," he said.

More spent in cities

In terms of accessibility to science education facilities, the survey showed that on average, there was one science education venue for every 955,100 Chinese people last year, while in developed countries the figure stands at around 500,000, Qiu said.

Each Chinese citizen on average spent about 4.45 yuan last year on science popularization. This budget was significantly higher in big cities like Beijing, whose inhabitants spent around 54.3 yuan, while residents from neighboring Hebei province spent only 1.19 yuan.

As for talent, the total number of full-time science disseminators－including teachers, professors, and other communicators of scientific knowledge and principles－was around 224,000 last year, a 1.34 percent year-on-year decrease. The number for part-timers was 1.56 million, 0.42 percent lower than in 2017.

"This small fluctuation in science disseminators is normal because many research institutions in China were undergoing reforms last year," Qiu said.

Despite the small dip in total numbers, the structure of the talent pool was further optimized with increased numbers of full-time content creators and museum guides, respectively reaching 15,500 and 32,900 last year, "though more are certainly welcome".

Online science popularization had seen the biggest growth, especially on social media platforms. Last year, microblogging platform Sina Weibo hosted 2,809 science education related accounts that sent more than 904,200 posts, with both figures up 36 percent year-on-year.

As for WeChat, the number of public accounts dedicated to sharing scientific information increased to 7,060, a year-on-year increase of 28.8 percent. Users posted around 1.08 million articles, a 15.3 percent year-on-year increase.

"Due to our changing reading habits, the internet is becoming the most popular channel for science information," Qiu said. As a result, the science popularization print industry took a huge hit last year, selling around 86 million books, a significant drop from 112 million in 2017.

Air regulators on the two sides came to an agreement that airlines of the two sides could arrange additional Spring Festival flights across the Straits from Jan 11 to Feb 8 to meet the needs of cross-Straits travelers.

The total number of the additional flights is not limited, the CAAC said in a statement. The Spring Festival holiday on the mainland is Jan 24 to 30 as the first day of the Lunar New Year falls on Jan 25.

Due to limits on availability of mainland airspace, the number of additional flights is capped at a few busy mainland airports. Airports in Beijing will not arrange additional flights, and the maximum number is 147 for airports in Shanghai, 9 for Guangzhou and 23 for Shenzhen, both in Guangdong province, and 17 for Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, the CAAC said.

Specific plans for extra flights will be approved by the air regulators of the two sides before the last day of the year to facilitate passengers' booking and scheduling, according to the statement.

"Adhering to the principle of serving passengers, the two sides will do their best to ensure that all airlines' plans for additional flights are carried out, and they will not place restrictions on airlines that apply under the plan," the CAAC said.

Adding more flights during Chinese New Year has been a common practice between the two sides for years to facilitate Taiwan people returning home for family reunions.

Also, the election for the island's leadership is expected to be held on Jan 11, when many Taiwan residents on the mainland will return to vote. The Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland said in a statement last week that tickets from some busy mainland cities to Taiwan were in short supply around election day and many couldn't get tickets. The association urged the island's air authority to make arrangements to open up more flights.

Considering the market demand, extra flights are expected be arranged in some places on Jan 9 and 10, the CAAC said.

The Cross-Straits Air Transport Committee of the China Air Transport Association said in a statement last month that it had contacted the air authority of the island several times to allow the arranging of extra cross-Straits flights from Jan 4 to Feb 15, but that was declined.

Spring Festival and election day are very close, so many Taiwan residents on the mainland want to make two consecutive round trips across the Straits. Some 10 mainland air companies have offered discounts for ticket packages.

Michael Pettis, professor of finance at Peking University, said it is a fallacy that when an economy reaches a certain size it has to be financially open to the rest of the world.

"There is no evidence that large economies really need to open their capital markets. It helps bankers and it helps the owners of capital, but there is nothing to support it helping producers, businesses or workers. On the contrary, there is considerable evidence it does not," he said.

Pettis, 61, who is a frequent commentator on the Chinese economy, writing for publications such as the Financial Times, was speaking at his home near Houhai Lake in Beijing.

He said he has a different perspective on the Chinese economy than economists because of his financial specialization and his experience as a Wall Street trader－he headed Latin American capital markets for global investment bank Bear Stearns before coming to China in 2002.

"I'm a Wall Street guy and used to do all this stuff. When you have done that, it is hard to argue that you really need it to increase the productivity of the economy," he said.

He believes one of the problems for some Western economies is that they are too reliant on their financial sectors, and therefore he does not feel that this is an example China should follow.

"The financial services sector in the US－and the UK also－as a share of GDP is the biggest it has been since the 1920s. Is that really such a good thing? I think the answer is no. You need a certain level of financial sophistication, but when you go beyond that, the benefits aren't clear."

Pettis also said that Shanghai or Shenzhen, Guangdong province, do not have to become major international financial centers for the Chinese economy to develop further.

"To have an international financial center, you obviously have to have open capital markets. I would argue that in the period of greatest economic growth in the United States (the late 19th and early 20th centuries) New York was only a local financial center, along with those in San Francisco, Boston and Philadelphia. It seemed to do perfectly well without one," he said.

Pettis believes the Chinese financial authorities need to be careful about opening up capital markets.

"One of the reasons put forward for doing this is that it creates pressure to speed up reform of the banking system. I think this is very risky because it does indeed raise the pressure, but the reason it does so is because if you don't reform the banking system, then inflows and outflows (of capital) can be quite devastating," he said.

In a relatively closed system such as China's, the authorities have a lot of control and can prevent runs on local banks, but this would not be the case if there were many foreign banks and institutions operating in the country, as they would not be able to control their activities in the same way, Pettis said.

"Only countries with very sophisticated well-functioning financial systems can tolerate open capital markets."

He said that having a strong and solvent economy would not prevent a financial crisis when there are open markets.

"South Korea had a crisis in 1997 and it wasn't insolvent at all. The problem comes when your liabilities do not match your assets; they might be long term, while your assets might be short term; they might be in different currencies or structured in ways that don't match, and you find yourself suddenly not being able to meet your liabilities."

Pettis said that while China might be looking to open its markets, the debate in countries such as the US is about closing them.

He pointed out that the architects of the postwar Bretton Woods financial order, John Maynard Keynes and Harry Dexter White, were in favor of free trade but opposed free capital flows, and that the US did not have completely open capital markets until the 1980s.

"In theory, capital flows are the result of money leaving the UK to go to Mexico or the US because of better investment opportunities. In reality, however, that is not why money flows around the world. Most of the money flowing around the world is actually speculative."

Pettis' new book, Trade Wars Are Class Wars: how rising inequality distorts the global economy and threatens international peace, which is relevant to the current US-China dispute, will be published next year. He wrote it with economics commentator Matthew C. Klein.

"The book argues that trade wars are not really wars or conflicts between countries, but between economic sectors in these countries, and often serve the wealthy elites and not the workers," he said.

Pettis, who is also well-known for promoting independent rock music in China and has his own record label, Maybe Mars, has written extensively about China's debt.

He has argued that it is wrong to view urbanization as driving the country's growth, because it would only build up debt if it did not produce economic returns.

"The argument was that urbanization creates good jobs. But no, it doesn't. Urbanization is a cost and it is only worth paying if productivity goes up. Otherwise, it just creates debt," he said.

As far as opening up capital markets is concerned, Pettis is wary of the thinking that foreign institutions would be the catalyst for reform in China.

He cites the work of Belgian economic historian Raymond de Roover.

"He concluded that the reason the Canadians failed to get rich in the 19th century, as opposed to the Americans, is that they had a financial system imposed on them by the UK, which was only suitable for a developed economy," he said.

"The American financial system was a scandal, with regular bankruptcies, but it sort of fumbled its way into the right financial system for it. It was a scandal, but it worked."

He said the Chinese really need to address the benefits of opening up.

"They should not just have an open system because other countries do. They have to ask themselves what the economic advantages are and whether, in fact, there are any," he said.

While meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi said the two countries should keep moving their relations forward along the right track in the spirit of "turning competition into coordination".

Xi told Abe that Sino-Japanese relations in the new era call for a clear strategic consensus. Both countries should actively advance mutually beneficial, win-win cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, Xi said.

Both nations should adhere to the principles of the four political documents they signed in 1972, 1978, 1998 and 2008, to properly handle major sensitive issues and consolidate the political basis of bilateral ties, Xi said. He added that these are fundamental for developing the Sino-Japanese relationship in the new era, and must not be lightly treated and undermined.

He called on the two countries to advance high-quality collaboration in jointly building the Belt and Road, as well as third-country market cooperation, and to strengthen pragmatic, mutually beneficial cooperation in such sectors as artificial intelligence, big data and the internet of things.

Both countries should also proactively foster a two-way, transparent and nondiscriminatory environment for innovation cooperation, Xi said, and he called for tourism cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, as well as mutual support for hosting the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2020 and the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.

Xi underscored the importance of enhancing mutual trust in security issues, and called on Japan to shoulder its international responsibilities, uphold multilateralism and promote free trade to advance the building of an open world economy.

Abe said frequent high-level exchanges between Japan and China this year have enhanced mutual understanding.

He said Japan-China relations have maintained good momentum for development, which is greatly significant for the peace, stability and prosperity of the region and even the world.

Japan considers Xi's state visit to Japan in the spring to be very important, and Tokyo is willing to keep close communications to ensure the visit is a full success, Abe told Xi.

Japan stands ready to work with China to advance third-country cooperation, and intensify communication and coordination on regional issues, he added.

Bilateral trade between China and Japan reached more than $327 billion in 2018, rising 8.1 percent year-on-year. Since 2007, China has been Japan's largest trade partner.

Abe arrived in Beijing on Monday. He will attend the eighth China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced that tariffs on some imports will be reduced starting Jan 1. Temporary tariff rates, which are set for a specified period, will be applied to 859 items. Designated items will enjoy import tariffs lower than the existing most-favored-nation rates in 2020.

For imported frozen pork, the tariff rate will temporarily be reduced to 8 percent from 12 percent－a measure aimed at increasing pork supply and taming food price rises－the commission said.

The spread of African swine fever since August 2018 has resulted in hog herds in China falling by 41.1 percent in September year-on-year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in October.

The reduced numbers led to soaring pork prices, which in turn fueled consumer inflation to 4.5 percent in November.

"China has taken various measures to restore hog production to ensure that pork supply and market prices are basically stable. Tariff reduction is another vital policy tool," said Yang Weiyong, an economics professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

Economists predicted that as pork supplies rebound thanks to government efforts, consumer inflation is likely to moderate in the second half of next year.

According to the customs tariff commission, the government will increase imports of food items to boost domestic consumption. The tariff rate for frozen avocados will be cut to 7 percent from the most-favored-nation duty of 30 percent, it said.

Tariffs on some high-tech components, including semiconductor testing and sorting equipment and parts for automobile transmissions, will be temporarily cut to strengthen such sectors as integrated circuit, aerospace, automobile and telecommunication production, the statement added.

Tariffs on some precursors used in the production of asthma and diabetes drugs will be cut to zero, down from 6.5 percent. Lower tariffs will also be placed on more than 150 types of wood and paper products, the commission said.

The tariff adjustments are conducive to reducing import costs and promoting "the orderly and free flow of international and domestic production factors". The move will also facilitate the country's high-quality opening-up and accelerate the construction of free trade zones to improve the global trade environment, the commission said.

Although sluggish global growth momentum may continue to create significant headwinds for Chinese exports next year, Louis Kuijs, head of Asia Economics at Oxford Economics, predicted that sequential import momentum will pick up moderately after inventory destocking in heavy industries for much of this year.

Import growth, which was 0.3 percent in November and registered the first positive year-on-year growth since May, is likely to stay in solid positive territory in the near term helped by "quite favorable base effects", Kuijs said.

Most-favored-nation tariff rates on 176 information technology items will be further reduced starting July 1. It will be the fifth such tariff cut since December 2015, when 24 members of the World Trade Organization, including China, the United States and Japan, agreed to expand the covered product range within the Information Technology Agreement.

Under the agreement, tariffs on some IT products will be gradually eliminated. China had completed four cuts by July, said the Ministry of Finance.

Gao Lingyun, a research fellow at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that as China is one of the world's major importers and exporters of IT products, cutting import tariffs on such items can help reduce manufacturing costs for many domestic producers and enhance competitiveness.

It is conducive to the economy's high-quality development and the upgrading of manufacturing in the future, Gao said.

Goods from 11 countries, including New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Chile and Pakistan, will have even lower levies under their free trade agreements with China and the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, according to the commission.

Faced with global changes unprecedented in a century, China and the ROK should accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns and promote bilateral ties to a higher level, Xi said.

For more than two years, the Sino-ROK relationship has maintained a general direction of steady development, he said, adding that the two sides should aim for high-quality integrative development and further tap potential to strengthen pragmatic cooperation.

Xi called on China and the ROK to push for early progress in synergizing the joint building of the Belt and Road with the ROK's strategic development planning, speed up second-phase negotiations on the China-ROK free trade agreement and deepen cooperation in innovation and research to complement each other's advantages.

Xi also urged better use of the China-ROK Joint Committee on People-to-People Exchanges as a platform to carry out exchanges in such areas as education, sports, media, youth and local governments.

China and the ROK should also strengthen cooperation in law enforcement and security to jointly crack down on cross-border crimes and safeguard the two countries' social stability and harmony, he said.

Xi noted that rising trends of protectionism, unilateralism and bullying have disrupted global governance and threatened world peace and stability. He said he hopes China and the ROK will continue to enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks, including the United Nations, the G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, to safeguard international fairness as well as the two countries' legitimate rights and interests.

Moon said that the ROK believes that affairs in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region are China's internal affairs.

He also said that the ROK understands China's position on major issues, supports free trade and is willing to enhance communication and cooperation with China on regional and international affairs.

The two leaders also exchanged views over the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Xi said China supports the ROK's efforts to improve ties with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and inject new impetus into promoting peace talks.

Moon said his country appreciated the significant role that China has played in solving the peninsula issue. The opportunity for a peaceful resolution of the issue is hard-won, and the ROK stands ready to make joint efforts with China to push forward the peace process on the peninsula, he said.

Moon is in China to attend the eighth China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting, which will be held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Tuesday.

It could result in an influx of trillions of dollars from foreign investors, shifting the balance of the global financial system.

Chinese authorities have taken an incremental approach to the opening-up process because of the risk of violent capital flows destabilizing the economy.

Policymakers have always wanted to avoid a repeat of the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s and those that have affected other emerging markets, such as Russia and some Latin American countries.

Now, there are clear signs that China is stepping up momentum to open up its financial sector, with next year set to be a landmark.

On Jan 1, financial authorities will remove limits on foreign ownership of futures companies operating in the country. This will be followed by the removal of caps on foreign ownership of mutual fund companies on April 1 and on securities companies on Dec 1.

Jin Keyu, an associate professor of economics at the London School of Economics, believes China's financial opening-up could be hugely significant for the world.

"It is one of the last liberalizations that China needs to do, and given the size of the country, it will be important for the world because China will be integrated, not just through trade, but also through capital flows," Jin said.

In addition to the recent announcements, China has expanded the Connect programs linking the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with the markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen, Guangdong province. These programs allow investors to trade shares both in Hong Kong and on the Chinese mainland. In June, the Shanghai-London Stock Connect was also launched, further internationalizing Chinese stock markets.

Furthermore, a new Bond Connect was launched in July, allowing access to China's inter-bond market and mainland investors entry to international bond markets.

In September, the central government abolished limits on the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor and RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor programs, allowing much greater access to Chinese markets.

As a result of these moves MSCI, the global index provider, announced this month it had raised the weighting of Chinese stocks in its emerging market index from 2.55 to 4.1 percent.

Jing Ulrich, vice-chairman of global banking and Asia Pacific for investment bank JP Morgan Chase& Co, said China now has a clear strategy to open up its financial markets.

"These moves are important and we welcome the government's efforts to further open up its financial markets. We believe that they will have positive implications for both China and the international community. In the past, China's capital markets were not very accessible to foreign investors," she said.

George Magnus, an associate at the University of Oxford China Centre and former chief economist at investment bank UBS, said the various measures taken by the Chinese government in recent months will benefit the country.

"They have all raised capital inflows into China, and entailed foreign investors taking more and more China risk," he said.

"China's opening-up comes at a time when the country is looking increasingly to foreign capital inflows, especially US dollars, to alleviate balance of payments and other financing constraints. There is no apparent intent to remove or lower controls on capital outflows."

China has been subject to tight controls on capital outflows since 2015, when there was speculation against the yuan after an adjustment to the exchange rate mechanism.

Some observers argue that it is difficult to have an open financial system without a fully open capital account.

Zhu Ning, deputy dean and professor of finance at the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance, said this remains the main barrier to an open financial system.

"I am probably more pessimistic on this than I was three or four years ago. The short-term pent-up demand for outflow is getting stronger and stronger, which makes it harder to open the floodgates."

Jin, at the London School of Economics, believes it is possible to open up the financial sector without a fully open capital account.

"Opening up financial services inside China is different from the free movement of capital flow," she said.

Jin stressed that it is important not to be "absolutist" about what constitutes a fully open capital account.

"Capital account liberalization can take on many different shades and categories. It is possible to be very nuanced about the particular type of capital flows that can be controlled," she said.

Ulrich, at JP Morgan Chase, believes the authorities have been adept at doing this.

"The asymmetric capital account openness measures adopted in recent years－relaxing rules to encourage inflows from global institutional investors and tightened restrictions on domestic outflows－has led to balanced capital flow dynamics," she said.

One of the reasons for opening up the financial sector to foreign businesses is that local companies will benefit from the competition, and this could help modernize China's financial system.

Xu Bin, professor of economics and finance at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, believes this could be the case.

"The real question is to what degree this will be done. If China's financial sector is about private companies delivering products, then the positive influence of foreign institutions is going to be big. If it remains made up of mainly State-owned financial institutions, then the effect will be much less."

Jin said, "The banking and financial system needs more competition and there is none better than foreign competition, because financial institutions in the United States and Europe have a substantial advantage," he said.

Ulrich said such competition would not only impose discipline, but boost domestic consumer confidence.

"Foreign institutions' participation would improve market discipline and business practices in the banking, insurance and securities industries. A continuous openness policy is also important to bolster domestic confidence," she said.

Whether further financial opening-up will lead to Shanghai, or even Shenzhen, becoming global financial centers, like London and New York, remains open to question.

Magnus, the author of Red Flags, which focuses on the risks in China's financial system, said a number of steps have to be taken for this to be achieved.

"You can't really have a global financial center, as commonly understood and attracting thousands of participants and global institutions, in which there are formal restrictions on capital movements and only a partially convertible currency. There is also an issue concerning the situation where you have a government that is conflicted between being a participant in, and the regulator and owner of, the financial system," he said.

Xu, at CEIBS, said trying to build Shanghai as an international financial center was not the main focus of opening up.

"This ambition to make Shanghai an international financial center is not at a high point. I don't want to say it is fading away. People are still talking about it, but it is not a priority."

One of the major debates about financial opening-up is whether a country can become the world's second-largest economy and remain closed off to the global financial system.

Zhu, from SAIF, said: "This is something the USSR achieved. It was the world's second-largest economy and was a fully closed economy. It also fared well in the 1970s when the Western world was suffering from stagnation. It was never a powerful economy, though, and never had the influence that China is enjoying right now."

For Zhu, such opening-up is an important stage in the development of the economy.

"Opening-up has the potential to transform China's financial system and deal with some of the structural issues that beset the Chinese economy, and help it navigate through the so-called middle-income trap."

Precisely when China will have an open financial system is often speculated on, with dates such as next year or 2025 being bandied about.

Jin said: "It will remain a step-by-step process. I would expect it to be in the next few years and not long into the future.

"I hope foreigners will have the confidence that their participation is very much welcome. I think the Chinese government will do everything to provide them with a level playing field, and so I think it is all very positive."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About 82 percent of those relocated were poverty-stricken, officials said.

Xu Min, deputy head of Guizhou's ecological migration office, said the Guizhou relocation has been an unprecedented task and the largest relocation in China.

With great effort, the task was completed, and the creation of infrastructure to support the new residents, as well as providing a good welfare system, is ongoing.

The Chinese government pledged in 2014 to enact more supportive policies to lift the country's poorest 70 million people above the poverty line by the end of 2020.

Relocating people who live in virtually uninhabitable places, such as deep in the mountains and deserts, is one of the methods to help people break the cycle of poverty.

The residents of Ameiqituo, a small town in the province, were moved from the village of Sanbaoxiang two years ago. Up to 59 percent of Sanbaoxiang's population of 5,850, from 1,274 families, were extremely poor in 2014.

Wen Anmei, a villager and dancer in Sanbaoxiang, said her family now has a much better life.

"There is convenient transportation in Ameiqituo. Hospitals and schools are all near home," she said. "I got a job in a tourist company in town with a monthly salary of 3,800 yuan ($542), which would have been hard to imagine in the past.

"Even my mom and dad both got their jobs thanks to the local government."

She said her mom became a cleaner with a salary of 1,800 yuan a month and her dad is a forest ranger with monthly income of 800 yuan.

The local government has been making efforts to help all the immigrants find jobs. In the past two years, the authority has been developing farming, chicken breeding and herbal cultivation to employ all the impoverished from the village.

The government has introduced eight companies into Ameiqituo. The companies started skill training for local people and organized recruitment locally, providing choices for the residents.

The tourism industry was also cultivated with the help of the government.

In the past four years, 10,090 villages were relocated, according to the provincial government, and that is just the first step.

Xu, the deputy head, said 2.5 billion yuan was invested in restoring and building new kindergartens and primary and middle schools, as well as setting up healthcare centers and residential care center for the aged.

"This huge project will change the entire lives of people who have spent their years in remote villages. The fate of their offspring was also changed," Xu said.

Up to 95.2 percent of the migrants were relocated to cities and towns, which has raised the urbanization rate of Guizhou by 5 percentage points. That population will create consumption demand in cities and towns, which will boost the local economy.

At the same time, the areas where they used to live will be reforested, which is beneficial for the natural environment, she said.

Li's remarks came as he made an inspection trip to Chengdu, Sichuan province, where he is hosting the eighth China-Japan-Republic of Korea leaders' meeting on Tuesday.

The country is further researching measures such as across-the-board reserve requirement ratio cuts or targeted cuts of RRR－the proportion of cash that banks have to set aside as reserves－to solve the difficulties and high costs of financing faced by small and micro businesses, he said during a visit to a branch of Chengdu Bank.

He pledged greater support to small and medium-sized banks, which offer direct services to small and micro businesses, saying that the sharing of information on businesses will be promoted to facilitate more loans.

The evaluation mechanism for banks will be refined, and a proper mechanism for work division among big, small and mediumsized banks will be established, he said.

He also voiced his hope that small and medium-sized banks will further boost lending to small and micro businesses, a key pillar for job creation.

The premier visited an online administrative service center and was briefed on the development of the free trade zone in the province as well as the Tianfu New Area.

There is immense potential for growth in the western region, and unleashing the potential for growth requires greater strides in reform, opening-up and refining the business environment, he said.

The key is to further reform to streamline administration and bolster compliance oversight and services, he added.

He said the services offered by staff workers should be warm as the sunshine, and they should help develop the area to a new height in offering more accessible services to businesses and individuals.

Li underlined bettering the environment for starting businesses and making innovations as he visited a park for entrepreneurship and innovation.

The abundance of human resources and a rich supply of talent have been China's unique edge in development, and more measures must be adopted to stimulate market vitality and social creativity and to incentivize more people to start successful businesses, he said.

The premier also learned from some migrant workers at a construction site about their wages and living conditions.

Migrant workers should be given full credit for the country's development, and the government must ensure that their wages be paid in full and on time, he said.

The regional poverty alleviation office said 18 counties in Ngari Prefecture, falling under the cities of Xigaze and Qamdo, and one county-level district of Nagchu have passed authorities' assessments. They now meet a series of delisting requirements, including lowering the comprehensive poverty head count ratio to below 3 percent.

The 19 areas, all in remote, high-altitude locations, were once among the poorest in the region, according to the office.

Tibet has been considered one of China's main battlefields against poverty for geographical and historical reasons ever since China launched its nationwide drive against poverty in 2016.

The regional government has undertaken targeted poverty relief measures. Before the latest 19 delistings, 55 counties and districts had declared themselves out of poverty between 2016 and 2018. That was the result of efforts by the government and by people themselves, who made an effort to improve their livelihoods. In all, 470,000 benefited.

To date, all 74 poverty-stricken counties and districts in the region have been lifted out of poverty.

Tenzin Trinley, a resident of Shaitongmon county, one of the final 18, described himself as one of thousands of beneficiaries in the region.

Shaitongmon lies along the northern basin of the Yarlung Zangpo River and about 500 kilometers from Lhasa, the region's capital.

Trinley, 61, lives in a remote herding village in a harsh environment. The average altitude exceeds 4,000 meters above sea level.

Before 2016, his family of 11 people had to share a single big room as a common bedroom in an aging structure. Under the government's poverty alleviation program, the family was given a new house in 2018. All family members now have a bedroom of their own.

"It was not convenient for families to share a single room in the past," he said. "Now we all have our own bedrooms, and share a living room, dining room and storage."

Apart from housing, the local government also assisted with job opportunities.

"My wife and I were given the task of ecological patrols, which brings an annual income of 7,000 yuan ($998). It's so great. Not only is the environment protected but poverty-stricken people like us also stand to benefit financially using our own hands," Trinley added.

In 2019, the per capita disposable income of his family increased to more than 9,000 yuan, from around 2,000 in 2016.

The extra money came from environmental patrols, subsidies from returning part of this grassland to the government's ecological preservation project, old-age pensions and selling yaks and sheep.

Before 2016, herding was the family's sole source of income, and they had only a few sheep and yaks.

In 1998, Sun, then 21, was sentenced to death by the Kunming Intermediate People's Court in Yunnan for rape, intentional injury, insulting women and disturbing public order. But the sentence was reduced to death with a two-year reprieve by the Yunnan High People's Court in 1999, and in 2007 was then further cut to 20 years in prison.

Sun was freed in April 2010 after serving 12 years and five months in prison in what courts later called a miscarriage of justice.

In October, the high people's court began reconsidering Sun's 1998 case after a series of investigations, reviews of files and materials and visits to people involved in the case suggested the law was wrongly applied in its previous rulings.

On Monday, the court confirmed the wrongful application of the law, saying the judicial misconduct had to be corrected and the original conviction and sentence given by the lower court upheld.

The high people's court released some details about Sun's offenses in the late 1990s after the latest decision. It found Sun raped four girls, including one under the age of 14, between April and June 1997.

In November of that year, Sun seized two 17-year-old girls in public places and violently assaulted them, seriously injuring one of them, the court found. In July and October 1997, Sun also disturbed public order and assaulted and injured three other people, the court said.

"Sun ignored the law, offended several times with extremely cruel means, and his behavior brought great damage to society," the court said. "The ruling made by the intermediate people's court should be kept, as the conviction was correct and the death sentence was reasonable."

The court also had discovered that Sun had been sentenced to three years in prison for rape in 1995 by a different court in the province, but he served only about eight months of the prison term.

Sun's record after being freed in 2010 also caught up with him. During the rehearing by the high people's court, the Yuxi Intermediate People's Court sentenced Sun to 25 years in prison for organized crimes committed between 2013 and 2018.

Considering Sun's multiple crimes in 1998, not serving his complete sentence in 1995 and crimes after leaving prison in 2010, the high people's court combined the punishments and sentenced him to death. The court also ordered that his private property be confiscated.

Sun attracted national attention in April when a Yunnan media outlet reported that several gangs, including one led by Sun, had been broken up during a crackdown on organized crime in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province.

His case triggered widespread concern over corruption in the provincial judicial and prison systems, as follow-up stories showed that Sun had escaped the death sentence handed down in 1998 after he was found guilty of multiple criminal charges and had been living as a free man.

The high people's court said, "Sun has not received the punishment he deserves for his frequent offenses over the past 20 years, and judicial corruption in his case also challenged the bottom line of the public and the law.

An investigation this year found judicial corruption that led to convictions of 19 people, including Sun's parents.

"We'll learn a lesson from Sun's case and increase supervision in dealing with cases to improve the quality of our hearings and further uphold justice," the court said.

Under China's Criminal Procedure Law, a death sentence handed down by a lower court must now be submitted to the Supreme People's Court, the country's top court, for review. The sentence can be carried out after it is approved by the top court.

The guideline from the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, requires the building of a better environment for fair competition and aims to further stimulate the private sector's vitality and creativity.

The document said China will open up competitive businesses in key sectors including electricity, telecommunications, railway, oil and gas, and will encourage private enterprises to develop basic telecommunication operations through equity participation.

Private companies are also encouraged to enter areas including oil and gas exploration and development, oil refining and sales and the construction of infrastructure for transport pipelines and storage facilities for oil and gas products.

More efforts are needed to widen market access for private enterprises and streamline administration by delegating power to lower levels, removing excessive barriers, implementing a fair and unified market supervision system, easing companies' tax burdens, helping private companies embrace transformation and upgrading and promoting innovation, the guideline said.

Experts said the new move demonstrates the government's determination to boost the private economy and sends an obvious signal that it wants to provide long-term, systematic institutional support for high-quality development in China.

Li Daokui, chief economist at the New Development Bank, spoke highly of the step, saying the transformation and upgrading of private enterprises is the key to China's transition from rapid development to high-quality development.

"It is necessary to introduce such a document to boost the private sector's development," Li said.

Yin Wenquan, head of the Institute of Economic System and Management National Development and Reform Commission, said private enterprises are playing a significant role in economic and social development, as well as meeting people's growing demand for a better life.

"At present, the private economy provides more than 50 percent of China's taxes and accounts for more than 60 percent of the country's GDP. It is a key driving force to boost the country's prosperity," Yin added.

Yin said some private companies have encountered difficulties amid the economic downturn, mainly arising from their products, structures and operating mechanisms.

"Private companies should further deepen reforms, speed up the construction of a modern enterprise system, innovate technologies and operating models and seize opportunities to move China's development into a high-quality stage," Yin said.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, profits of private companies surged 5.3 percent during the first 10 months of this year, despite the 2.9 percent drop in China's major industrial output.

"The biggest hope of private enterprise is to have a level playing field and an inclusive policy environment," said Pony Ma, chairman and CEO of internet giant Tencent. "The new guideline sets clear requirements for the governance of different departments, which will help foster a stable and comfortable environment and provide strong support for private companies to accelerate the push for high-quality development."

In the meeting, jointly held by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the two sides exchanged views on the early progress in the border talks and agreed to formulate guidelines for maintaining peace and stability in border areas.

They agreed to increase communication between frontier forces, establish hotlines between their relevant military departments, add border meeting locations and expand border trade and personnel exchanges.

Wang, noting that the special representatives' meeting is a major channel for China-India border talks and an important platform for strategic communication, called for joint efforts to promote border negotiations and strive for a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to both sides.

He underlined the necessity of China and India further strengthening communication, jointly upholding multilateralism and safeguarding the just rights and interests of developing countries, as both countries are representatives of emerging market nations at a critical period in their national rejuvenation and state building.

Doval said the two countries should solve the border issues at an early date through dialogue and coordination to promote greater development of bilateral ties.

On Saturday, Indian Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu met with Wang, saying that India stands ready to work with China to jointly uphold peace and stability in the region and the world.

Naidu, also chairman of the Council of States, the upper house of Parliament, congratulated Wang on the progress made during the talks. He noted that the leaders of both countries have reached consensus on properly handling differences and sensitive issues so as not to allow them to escalate into disputes.

India is willing to take next year's 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity to bring their ties to a new level, he said.

Wang said the China-India relationship is facing new opportunities for development as the two countries will celebrate the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year.

The second informal meeting between President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai, India, in October charted the course for developing bilateral relations and reached important consensus on the proper settlement of border issues, Wang said.

The special representatives meeting was aimed at implementing the consensus between the two leaders, sorting out the important fields for cooperation and mapping out the development of bilateral relations next year.

In accordance with the political guiding principles on the Sino-Indian border issues, China has put forward a practical framework on solving the border issues, which has attracted India's attention, Wang said.

The 23rd Special Representatives' Meeting on the China-India Boundary Question will be held in China next year.

Xi delivered the speech at a recent meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which was convened to study issues concerning agriculture, rural areas and rural people.

The work in 2020 will largely decide the quality of China's antipoverty campaign and the success in becoming a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Xi said in the speech.

Efforts will be made to pool resources, enhance support and take targeted measures to strengthen weak links in the rurally oriented work, he said.

Xi also urged related departments and local governments to shoulder their responsibilities and sustain farmers' enthusiasm for grain production.

To implement Xi's concepts, the central rural work conference discussed a document outlining ways to increase efforts on major rural work to ensure that the national goal of moderate prosperity is achieved on time.

The conference stressed the importance of winning the battle against poverty and called for consistent efforts to lift the remaining poor population out of poverty, as well as steps to prevent people from slipping back in.

Yu Fawen, a researcher on rural development at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the meeting highlighted major tasks for next year's work, including making tangible progress in improving the living environment in rural areas, which has been a major weak link in achieving a moderately prosperous society.

The conference concluded that efforts should be made to boost the development of rural infrastructure and water supplies and improve the rural living environment, education, medical services, social security, cultural activities and ecology.

Yu said that to achieve the goal, intensified efforts must focus on such weak links in rural development, including insufficient infrastructure for environmental protection and public services. They must not be obstacles to realizing the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects next year, he said.

With the deadline arriving soon, some rural areas have accelerated inspections and approval of projects, such as sanitary toilets, to help meet the goal, while ignoring whether such projects will function well, he said.

Other major points from the conference were that industries capable of increasing rural people's incomes should be developed, while all kinds of skilled workers should be encouraged to return to rural areas to set up businesses. Efforts should be made to maintain stable employment and address wage arrears for rural workers, the conference determined.

Grain production should be kept stable and hog production should be restored quickly, it concluded. Modern agricultural facilities should be expanded, and cold chain logistics facilities will be launched.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

During his trip to Macao, which ended on Friday, the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland, Xi praised the city's achievements and economic growth in those years, and he urged the special administrative region's government to further diversify its economy and secure a better life for its people.

Macao lawmaker Lei Cheng-i said the city, whose economy has been gaming-oriented, should boost its tourism and financing industries to diversify, taking advantage of its unique resources.

The gaming industry is still dominant in Macao's economy, which is not a healthy development model, she said.

The city's economy has expanded sevenfold since 1999, and its per capita GDP is now the second-highest in the world.

But, she cautioned, despite Macao's stunning economic growth since then, there's still a long way to go to ensure sustainable development.

Zhou Xingting, chairman of Nam Yue (Group) Co Ltd, a State-owned enterprise registered in Guangdong province and based in Macao, thinks the SAR's achievements stem from the central government's firm support and a synergy of regional cooperation.

Macao's tourism, for example, hit a high of over 33 million visits to the city as of October, Zhou said, adding that its exhibition industry also thrives.

"Nowadays, a company would have a hard time finding a vacant conference room to hold an exhibition in Macao on short notice," Zhou said.

Another new growth engine, coming from Macao and Zhuhai's collaboration, is the traditional Chinese medicine business, Zhou said.

About 10 billion yuan ($1.43 billion) has been invested in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Cooperation in Zhuhai's Hengqin New Area, which borders Macao.

Zhou said he is positive Macao will benefit from increasing its cooperation with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Guo Wanda, executive vice-president of China Development Institute, a think tank in Shenzhen, suggested Macao should also tap into rising innovative markets such as 5G technology.

He said Macao could make good use of rich talent resources and high-end technology provided by the Greater Bay Area to secure a stable and prosperous future.

Zhang Yuge, director of the Center for Hong Kong and Macao Studies at the China Development Institute, said Macao's development should center on its positioning as "One Center, One Platform, One Base"－a world center for tourism and leisure, a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and a base for exchange and cooperation between the mainstream Chinese culture and diverse coexisting cultures.

With a population of over 600,000, he said, Macao has relatively limited resources compared with Shenzhen and Hong Kong, both of which are in the Greater Bay Area.

"So Macao should seek cooperation with neighboring cities for a complementary development strategy," he said.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, instructed soldiers to focus on training and become an elite fighting force to better carry out defensive duties in Macao.

Friday marked the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland. The garrison has been responsible for Macao's defense since 1999 and its current commander is Senior Colonel Xu Liangcai.

Xi made the remarks on Friday afternoon during an inspection of the garrison, where he was greeted with a military parade drawn from defense personnel, riot control units, a counterterrorism task force and emergency response and rescue teams.

While visiting the garrison's combat operation center, Xi was briefed on the SAR's defense situation and said he was glad to hear that the PLA Garrison in Macao has made considerable progress since 2014, the year he visited the garrison for the 15th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland.

Xi praised the troops' resolute implementation of the orders of the central government and the military commission for the past two decades.

The garrison has also carried out its defense missions with excellence and in accordance with the Basic Law and the Garrison Law of the Macao SAR, he said. These actions have portrayed a positive image of the PLA and proved that the garrison is a loyal guardian of the city that the Party and the people can trust and rely on, Xi added.

Xi stressed the significant role and glorious mission of the PLA Garrison in Macao and asked the troops to comprehensively enhance training and management to adamantly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.

At the same time, the garrison should also safeguard the prosperity and stability of Macao and make greater contributions to support the successful implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle in the SAR, he said.

]]> 2019-12-22 14:17:10 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/22/content_37529827.htm In his speech on Friday, President Xi Jinping said four aspects explain Macao's success over the past 20 years and bright prospects for the future.

・ As long as "one country, two systems" is firmly upheld and faithfully implemented, the vitality and advantages of the principle will be fully displayed.

・ Only by ensuring that the principle of "one country, two systems" is not twisted or distorted in practice can the cause of "one country, two systems" be promoted steadily and advance.

・ Macao compatriots who have held their destiny in their own hands are fully able to shoulder the arduous tasks of the times and govern, build and develop the special administrative region in a better way.

・ The fundamental guarantees for the "one country, two systems" policy to stay on the right track include continuing to build up and develop the social and political basis consistent with its practice and uniting the broadest consensus under the banner of "loving the motherland and loving Macao".

]]> 2019-12-22 14:17:10 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/22/content_37529818.htm President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China's strong determination to safeguard national sovereignty and oppose foreign forces' interference in Hong Kong and Macao affairs on Friday.

Xi made the remark while addressing a gathering in Macao to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland.

"After Hong Kong and Macao returned to the motherland, it is completely China's internal affairs to handle the issues of the two special administrative regions, and we don't need any external forces to point a finger at that," Xi said.

China's government and people have a strong will to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and any external forces' interference in Hong Kong and Macao affairs is not allowed, he added.

The president's remarks received sustained applause from the audience.

Chinese people, including Hong Kong and Macao compatriots, have the wisdom and complete capability to practice the "one country, two systems" policy better and govern the two SARs better, Xi said.

The forward movement of China's national rejuvenation is unstoppable, and Hong Kong and Macao will continue to develop and prosper together with the mainland, Xi said.

Over the past 20 years, the Macao Special Administrative Region government and people from all walks of life have achieved the best development in Macao's history, with the support of the central government and the mainland and under the leadership of former chief executives Ho Hau-wah and Chui Sai-on, Xi said.

Macao's economy has grown by leaps and bounds since its return, with per capita GDP soaring to the world's second highest, Xi said.

Macao has seen the early achievement of appropriately diversifying the economy with participation in the joint building of the Belt and Road and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, he said, underlining the stronger sense of fulfillment and happiness of Macao people thanks to constant improvement in their livelihoods.

Macao has become one of the safest cities in the world since its return to the motherland by swiftly tackling security problems that previously existed, Xi said.

Close communication has been maintained between the government and the residents, as well as among different walks of life and ethnic groups in Macao, where the Chinese culture has been carried forward and has prospered while coexisting with other cultures, Xi said.

The great achievements of Macao have demonstrated that as long as China firmly adheres to the "one country, two systems" policy, the vitality and superiority of the principle will be apparent, Xi said.

In the practice of implementing the "one country, two systems" policy, the Macao SAR government and people from all walks of life have shown their strong will and have never been shaken by external forces' interference, Xi said.

Macao compatriots fully recognize that "one country" is the premise and foundation of the "two systems", and they have maintained the order set by the Constitution and the Basic Law, Xi said, adding that they have respected the country's socialist system.

The success of the region shows that Macao compatriots can shoulder their responsibility of governing, building and developing the SAR better, Xi said.

Speaking at the Macao SAR government's inauguration ceremony after overseeing the swearing-in of Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng, Xi instructed the new administrative team to further promote their governance capability.

The Macao SAR government should make further efforts to promote sustainable and healthy development of the economy, Xi said, adding that Macao should seize the opportunities of jointly building the Belt and Road and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The SAR government should adhere to people-centered philosophy and take more measures to improve the people's livelihood, Xi said, adding that the government should positively respond to the people's concerns and address the issues of housing, health and pension.

Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said that Xi's stressing that no foreign forces will be allowed to interfere in Hong Kong and Macao's affairs is a clear signal to the world.

The two SARs will never become bases for foreign forces to overturn the Chinese government, Lau said, adding that Xi has also indicated that the central government would be tough and proactive in dealing with foreign interference in the future.

]]> 2019-12-22 14:17:10 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/22/content_37529746.htm China's "one country, two systems" principle has brought laudable achievements in economic and social development to Macao over the past 20 years, said Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.

"We value the 'one country, two systems' principle," Costa said in a written statement sent to the country's Lusa News Agency on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the return of Macao to the motherland.

"The principle has allowed Macao and the Macao people to enjoy material and social development, which deserves our appreciation, and has contributed to the maintenance of Macao's specificities," he said.

Economic development "has allowed Macao to maintain its own lifestyle and identity and a close connection with our country", he said.

Costa also praised Macao for its important role in promoting the development of Portugal-China relations.

"Portugal has a unique geostrategic positioning, and belonging to wider cooperation spaces enhances its partnerships. In this complex network of relationships, Macao will continue to play a major role as a bridge to promote long-term friendship" between Lisbon and Beijing, and as a "platform for economic and cultural cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries", he said.

Regarding Macao's return to the motherland, Costa said the event was "constructive and constituted a historic milestone in the consolidation of the friendship and trusting relationship" between the two countries.

"Since 1999, we have made progress in a relationship of growing mutual trust in areas such as language, education, culture, justice, tourism, trade and investment," the prime minister said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Thursday that China appreciates the positive statement.

Geng said Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa sent a letter to President Xi Jinping, expressing Portugal's admiration for Macao's economic and social development over the past 20 years as well as the SAR's successful practice of the "one country, two systems" principle.

"They expressed their belief that the China-Portugal relationship will continue to be a unique example of harmonious coexistence between countries with different political systems and cultural traditions," Geng said at a news conference.

He noted that the two countries' proper handling of Macao's return on the basis of good will and mutual trust has set a good example for the international community.

]]> 2019-12-22 14:17:10 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/22/content_37529736.htm The historic socioeconomic achievements the Macao Special Administrative Region has made over the past 20 years are due to full implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday while addressing a welcoming banquet hosted by the Macao SAR government.

Xi said the SAR's growth is also due to strong support from the central government and people in the mainland, the active role of the SAR government and the united efforts of Macao residents from all walks of life.

He said the SAR government and Macao's people should be commended for upholding the principle of "one country, two systems" in line with actual conditions of the region, and they should be praised for making bold explorations and innovations in practicing the principle with Macanese characteristics.

While saying that "loving the motherland and loving Macao" has become the core value of the society of Macao, Xi said the region also firmly adheres to the Constitution and upholds the authority of the Basic Law.

He also praised the region for proactively integrating its development with the country's growth, and the SAR has become more inclusive and harmonious as it builds social solidarity.

Reviewing the great achievements China has made over the past 70 years, Xi said it has been an era during which the Chinese nation enjoyed greater development, and also an era in which Macao strove to be more prosperous together with the mainland.

The practice of "one country, two systems" with Macanese characteristics will see even greater success, and Macao compatriots can make even more contributions to realizing the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, Xi added.

Speaking at the banquet, Macao Chief Executive Chui Saion said the most valuable experience for Macao in practicing the "one country, two systems" principle is fully and faithfully implementing the Constitution and the Basic Law. The core is that Macao accurately understands and fully supports the political system and the core value of the country, Chui added.

]]> 2019-12-22 14:17:10 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/21/content_37529960.htm More than 10 million people are expected to be lifted from poverty this year, and some 340 counties will no longer be labeled as impoverished, poverty relief chief Liu Yongfu said at a recent gathering in Beijing.

"This year's relief target has been completed, in an all-around way," Liu, director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, announced in a work report he delivered at the annual National Poverty Relief and Development Conference, which concluded on Saturday.

Access to education, healthcare, secure housing and tap water has been generally ensured nationwide, Liu said.

By the end of 2018, China had 16.6 million rural poor－defined as living on less than 2,300 yuan ($328) a year. Almost 400 counties were still listed as impoverished, meaning their overall poverty rate was above 3 percent.

The remaining impoverished rural Chinese are mainly from a mosaic of ethnic communities scattered across western regions: the Tibet autonomous region, as well as four provinces where ethnic Tibetan people live, the southern part of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and three prefectures in Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

Officials commonly refer to these regions as the Three Areas and Three Prefectures, the deeply impoverished areas.

In his report, Liu stressed that decisive progress has been made in such regions, with the number of registered poor falling from 1.72 million last year to 430,000 by the end of this year. The overall poverty rate in the Three Areas and Three Prefectures plummeted to 2 percent, from above 8 percent a year earlier.

"That was faster than the average poverty reduction rate in the western regions as a whole," he said.

The director called for continuous efforts to eliminate poverty domestically on schedule, and to prevent vulnerable groups from sliding back into deprivation.

The rapid progress shows that absolute poverty, which has afflicted the Chinese nation for thousands of years, is about to be eliminated for the first time, according to Wang Dayang, who oversees nongovernmental involvement in poverty reduction at the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

"It is a general estimate," he said, referring to the success in lifting the rest of the people out of poverty next year.

China has seen the number of rural poor fall rapidly－it stood at 98.99 million in 2012－since central authorities placed poverty relief high on the agenda over recent years, pledging to eliminate it before the Communist Party of China celebrates its centenary in 2021.

In the renewed effort to combat poverty, local authorities were barred from merely handing out State benefits to farmers. Instead, they were required to adopt targeted measures in developing local industries and creating jobs that would help the poor attain sustainable incomes.

Eastern provinces were paired with impoverished counties, offering assistance in financial and administrative forms. Businesses, nonprofits, research institutes and banks have all been mobilized to contribute to the nationwide campaign, which Liu Yongfu said has no "bystanders".

According to Liu's office, governments in eastern regions have diverted more than 22.9 billion yuan to the west for fiscal spending and mobilized 6.5 billion yuan in donations from the nongovernment sector.

After being rescued, 56-year-old Liu Guihua was taken to the Yibin Mine First Aid Hospital in the town of Xunchang, which is administered by Yibin.

The Sichuan Coal Industry Group's Shanmushu mine in Gongxian flooded at 3:26 pm on Dec 14 as 347 people were working in a tunnel. By the next morning, 329 of them had returned to the surface.

Five were confirmed dead and 13, including Liu Guihua, remained trapped, triggering intensive nationwide media coverage.

Liu Wenhan, a former miner, said: "My two daughters initially did not dare tell me their brother was trapped. They only told me the day before my son and the other 12 miners were rescued, after I overheard people talking about the accident in the street.

"Instead of panicking, I remained calm and believed they could be rescued. I have lived for a long time and have a wealth of experience when it comes to mining. Whenever there is a disaster, our country will try its utmost to rescue the victims.

"My family has four generations of miners－my grandfather, my father, me and my son."

At the hospital, Liu Guihua was in high spirits, eating porridge and smiling at his visitors.

"Many say it was a miracle that we were rescued. This miracle was the result of our determination to survive and the government's disaster search-and-relief operations," he said.

When the accident happened, muddy water and slurry flooded in.

"The water in the tunnel reached a height of more than 10 meters. I retreated in fear, and ended up being trapped along with my colleagues in a 3-meter-high, 3-meter-wide tunnel that had a dead end," Liu Guihua said.

"We were 313 meters below the surface and more than 10 kilometers from the entrance to the shaft."

There was no cellphone signal or power supply. It was dark and the mine ventilation equipment was not working.

"We told ourselves that all we could do was wait for rescuers, who were certain to arrive. All 13 of us huddled together and we all pledged to emerge from the shaft together, without leaving anyone behind," Liu Guihua said.

Headquarters set up

Sichuan Governor Yin Li and Huang Yuzhi, vice-minister of emergency management and head of the National Coal Mine Safety Administration, went to the mine immediately to oversee search-and-rescue operations, according to Hu Xiaohua, an official in the Yibin municipal government information office.

Fifteen teams comprising 225 people attended the disaster scene, while an emergency rescue headquarters was set up at the site.

Hu said many senior experts in ventilation, drainage, hydrology and geology from the National Mine Rescue Center, the Xi'an Branch of the China Coal Group and the Chongqing Coal Research Institute were invited to the site to direct operations.

Less than two hours after the accident, the first pumps were on their way to Gongxian from the Sichuan Provincial Coal Mine Emergency Drainage Station.

At 11:30 pm on Dec 14, officials from the drainage station decided to use underground pumps at the scene to drain 550 cubic meters of water per hour. Soon afterward, two huge pumps were sent to the site.

In case the pumps failed as they operated continuously, two others were brought in from neighboring Chongqing municipality and put on standby, Hu said.

Rescuers had to walk underground for about two hours to get to the affected area.

Using a map of the tunnel network, experts were able to work out the approximate location of the 13 trapped workers－an elevated platform in a tunnel.

As the platform was relatively high, the concentration of gas there was low, so the experts thought those who were trapped had a good chance of surviving.

However, floodwater had been pouring into the mine. At the peak of the flooding, the water level rose at a rate of 1.45 meters per hour, posing a considerable threat to the miners.

Six different types of submersible pumps started to pump water out simultaneously, and compressed air was provided for the miners.

Hou Jianming, head of the emergency command center at the Sichuan Provincial Department of Emergency Management, described the drainage operations in the mine as a race against time.

"With each 1-meter drop in the water level, our hopes that the trapped miners would survive their ordeal rose," he said.

At 11:29 am on Dec 15, pumps draining 220 cubic meters of water an hour, along with a number of smaller ones, were put into operation.

Wang Xiong, an engineer with the Sichuan Provincial Coal Mine Emergency Drainage Station, said: "Everything proceeded according to the rescue plan. But after several hours of water being pumped out, the level of the water underground rose, instead of falling, as a result of the continuous flooding."

The rescue headquarters issued an order for the drainage rate to be stepped up to enable the rescuers to reach the area where the miners were trapped.

Wang Xiong said that using a pump that could drain 550 cubic meters of water an hour meant there was real hope of saving the workers, but installing the equipment was demanding work.

Such a pump weighs about 12 metric tons and comes with 30-meter-long pipelines that weigh more than 120 kilograms.

"More than 400 meters of pipelines needed to be laid, all of which involved intensive manpower. Rescuers sweated heavily underground as they worked, and it was extremely difficult to install the pumps and lay pipelines," Wang said.

The headquarters demanded an increase in the number of workers installing the large pumps and operating small and medium-sized ones for continuous drainage operations.

As more rescue workers arrived in the shaft, the number of people working in the mine's canteen doubled. At the peak of the rescue work, they supplied more than 1,000 meal boxes a day to those underground, up from several hundred typically.

Shen Hualin, deputy secretary-general of the Yibin municipal government, said the loss of power badly hampered efforts to find and rescue those who were trapped.

During the rescue operations, 45 vehicles providing emergency power were at the site to ensure there were no blackouts.

At 2:55 am on Wednesday, thunderous applause and cheers broke the silence of the night at the rescue headquarters.

Some 10 minutes earlier, workers had arrived at an area close to where the miners were trapped. Suddenly, they saw Liu Guihua swimming toward them.

He was weak but also excited, and it took him some time to tell the rescuers that another 12 miners were trapped.

Liu Guihua has worked at the mine for 36 years. He said that when he and his 12 colleagues started work on Dec 14, each had a boxed meal with them.

"We finished the meals that day, and in the days to come, we ate mud, leather belts and coal and drank water leaking from the roof," he said.

"When it was at its highest level, the water flooding the mine was still 7 or 8 meters away from our feet. I did not sleep much and kept observing the water level. If it had continued to rise, we would have perished," he said.

Made a noise

Liu Guihua and many of his colleagues took it in turns to turn on their helmet lamps in the dark in an attempt to combat their fear.

"Whenever anybody began to feel desperate during the long hours of waiting to be rescued, we offered encouragement, saying that a particular miner was a 'pillar' of his family and that he had parents and children to take care of," he said.

Rescuers managed to enter the tunnel at 9 am on Tuesday. Failing to find any of the 13 miners by 1 pm, they began making a noise by striking steel pipes in an effort to alert the miners. They were delighted when they heard pipes being struck in response.

Yi Guangming, 53, one of those trapped, said, "We struck 13 times to show that 13 miners were alive."

As the rescuers drained water in the small hours on Wednesday near the area where the miners were trapped, they saw Liu Guihua swimming toward them.

The others were located, and from about 6 am to 8 am, all those who have been trapped were taken out of the mine and sent to hospitals in Yibin. All were in a weak but stable condition, according to Yi Sizhang, president of the Yibin Mine First Aid Hospital.

He said those who were rescued are now able to drink water and eat liquid food.

In line with instructions issued by the emergency response office of the National Health Commission and the Sichuan Provincial Health Commission, a group of experts from the West China Hospital of Sichuan University arrived in Yibin on Wednesday to guide treatment being given to the miners.

They evaluated the men's physical condition and mental state. As they had been without water, food and sleep for so long, most of them had mild dehydration.

Wang Bo, one of the experts, said, "We discussed with local medics formulating a follow-up treatment plan, including active evaluation and intervention by mental health workers."

Chen Chaoqiong, Liu Guihua's wife, said that when they have fully recovered, the rescued miners will set up a WeChat group to keep in contact.

The telephone talks were also an opportunity for the two presidents to communicate directly on some other issues that have hampered the two countries' relationship, they said. For example, China has protested US interference in its internal affairs regarding the issues involving the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Xinjiang Uygur and Tibet autonomous regions.

Both Xi and Trump said the phase one economic and trade agreement benefited China, the US and the whole world.

Xi said that economic and trade cooperation between China and the US has made significant contributions to the stability and development of both bilateral relations and world economic growth.

Noting that the interests of the two countries have become increasingly intertwined, Xi observed that there are bound to be some differences along the path of cooperation. But as long as both sides continue to keep in mind the main stream of China-US economic and trade cooperation, which features mutual benefits and win-win outcomes, and always respect each other's national dignity, sovereignty and core interests, they will overcome any difficulties, he said.

For his part, Trump said the phase one deal has received a positive response from the markets of both countries and the world, and the US side stands ready to maintain close contact and communication with the Chinese side for the deal to be quickly signed and implemented.

The phone call came after trade negotiators reached an agreement that resulted in the suspension of new tariffs and the potential reduction of existing ones. New tariffs had been scheduled to kick in on Dec 15.

Observers see the trade agreement as an indication that the two countries are capable of steadying their relationship and are willing to solve problems through negotiation in the face of multiple headwinds.

"It is important to find areas of convergence, areas of agreement, and build upon those," International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a video interview on weekly.caixin.com. "In that sense, China and the US have found the space to agree on the phase one deal."

"We all see this as a possibility for the two largest world economies to find a pathway for agreement," Georgieva added.

During the phone call with Trump, Xi also expressed "grave concern" over recent "negative statements and actions" from various parties in the US on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet. He said those have interfered in China's internal affairs and harmed China's interests, which is detrimental to the mutual trust and bilateral cooperation.

Xi told Trump that China hopes the US will seriously implement the important points of consensus reached in various meetings and phone conversations, pay high attention and attach great importance to China's concerns and prevent bilateral relations and important agendas from being disturbed.

Trump said he looks forward to maintaining regular communication with Xi by various means, adding that he is confident both countries can properly handle the differences, and US-China relations can maintain smooth development.

Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said it's important for Washington and Beijing to seek common interests, whether from the perspective of bilateral ties or upholding global peace and stability.

China-US relations are mutually beneficial and win-win in nature, Ruan said, and the key is that each side needs to seriously consider the other's core concerns.

During the call, Xi and Trump also exchanged views on the situation in the Korean Peninsula.

The officials also advocated an open, inclusive world economy and said they would work together to oppose protectionism and unilateralism, to maintain the multilateral trading system of the World Trade Organization and to continue to strengthen cooperation under multilateral frameworks such as APEC and the G20.

The consensus was reached ahead of the eighth China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting, to be held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Tuesday. It will focus on creating a vision for future cooperation and expanding common interests, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Speaking on Sunday, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan called upon the other partners to give full rein to complementary industries, to improve the level of trade and investment cooperation and play a positive role in deepening regional economic integration and achieving sustainable development.

He said the three countries must enhance cooperation in the next stage in areas such as regional connectivity, creating solutions for an aging society, conversion of energy and developing digital technologies.

In response, Sung Yun-mo, the ROK's trade, industry and energy minister, said these moves will help advance trilateral free trade agreement talks and enable substantial breakthroughs.

In addition to supporting the signing of the RCEP next year, Sung suggested the three nations should substantially expand their cooperation in areas such as developing fourth-party markets and making breakthroughs in the fourth industrial revolution to cultivate new industries and growth points.

Against the backdrop of increased downward pressure on the global economy and rising protectionism, Hiroshi Kajiyama, the Japanese minister of economy, trade and industry, stressed that it's important to reach a comprehensive, high-level and mutually beneficial FTA for the three economies and to support reform of the WTO to protect fair trade and globalization.

Trade volume between the three countries exceeded $720 billion last year, as they invested $11 billion in each other's markets. More than 31 million individual crossborder trips were made, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Meanwhile, Japan and the ROK remained China's second-and third-largest trading partners, while China is the largest source of inbound tourists for both of those countries.

Huo Jianguo, a researcher at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges in Beijing, said that because China, Japan and South Korea are three major manufacturing powerhouses and outbound direct investors in Asia, a trilateral FTA should upgrade the level of trade liberalization for cargo, services and investment, and it must be comprehensive, high-level and beneficial to all three.

"It will also tap into the potential for trilateral economic and trade cooperation, enable deep integration of industrial chains and provide fresh momentum for the global economy," he said.

Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, a member of the Advisory Council of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, said this belief is shared by the other council members, who gathered for their second meeting in Beijing on Sunday.

The council, made up of officials, academicians and former politicians, also supported the development of a network of partnerships on the initiative led by the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Ma told journalists on the sidelines of the meeting.

In the meeting, council members discussed issues including high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation, Ma said.

They suggested implementing projects to improve infrastructure interconnectivity that are inclusive, accessible, widely beneficial and reasonably priced, he said.

As many as 137 countries and 30 international organizations have signed documents of Belt and Road cooperation with China, according to Ma.

The international community is looking to the initiative for injecting more confidence and driving force in the global economy at a time when the protectionism is on the rise, he said.

Douglas Flint, Britain's special envoy for professional financial services to the initiative, said the initiative plays an important role in the global economy and multilateralism.

Huge investments are required to build economic ecosystems within developing countries and to connect those ecosystems to make trade and investment flows smoother, he said.

Shamshad Akhtar, former Pakistani interim finance minister and former under secretary-general of the United Nations, said the initiative is an open platform, and valuable for both developing and developed countries, adding that her country "has benefited tremendously" from the initiative.

China and Pakistan is cooperating on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project under the initiative. A number of infrastructures are being developed for the project, including highways, railways and power stations.

The council first met in December 2018 and issued a report of findings and recommendations on the initiative in April.

The recommendations included enhanced synergy between the initiative and other national, regional and global development plans, and improving "soft connectivity" in areas such as standards and customs procedures.

Xi made the remark while inspecting the Premier School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School in Macao. He attended a class on Chinese history themed "'one country, two systems' and Macao", and delivered a speech to teachers and students at the school.

Xi told them that the class has great and special significance because it demonstrates the fundamental and substantial elements of history and education.

The president stressed the importance of teaching history as a means of consolidating the foundation of patriotism. Every Chinese person should learn the history of the nation, Xi said.

He attributed the strong unity of 1.4 billion Chinese to the country's long history and the Chinese spirit, which he said is also the source of cultural confidence among the people.

China's more than 5,000-year history helps lead to the formulation of a strong sense of national esteem and pride, Xi said, adding that understanding China's history of being bullied after the Opium Wars of the 1800s helps the world to understand Chinese people's strong desire for national rejuvenation.

Noting that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xi said all Chinese are proud of the country's glorious achievements and have consolidated their confidence in the country's development path.

The great progress made by Macao after its return to the motherland 20 years ago proved that the fundamental issue in the "one country, two systems" principle is the "one country" component. He encouraged Macao's people to cherish the current situation and boost their confidence in a better future.

Patriotic education has great significance, Xi said, adding that Macao's education authorities should make efforts in the future to promote even better patriotic education.

Young people in Macao are likely to become a promising generation and one to be proud of, Xi said.

Ahead of this year's International Children's Day on June 1, Xi replied to a letter from pupils at the Premier School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School.

In the letter, Xi expressed hope that the students would pass on the school's fine patriotic traditions and contribute to Macao's development and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation when they grow up.

Xi mentioned the letter again while attending the class on Thursday, saying that he had a deep sense of the pupils' patriotism.

Patriotism has laid the foundation for Macao's implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle, and it allows Macao to move in the right direction in carrying out the principle, Xi said.

Chao Lin-chai, the teacher who taught the class Xi visited, said she believed that Macao will have a bright future with further implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle.

"As President Xi said just now, tremendous changes have taken place in Macao since its return to the motherland 20 years ago, and we hope to tell students about these changes with vivid examples during class," Chao told China Daily.

As a high-school teacher, Chao said she was greatly inspired by the attention Xi paid to history education. The history class has helped students set visionary goals for their studies, she said.

"The students should be educated to love the country and love Macao from the very beginning of their studies," she added.

Olivia Cheang, a student at the Premier School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School, said it was a great honor to see Xi join the lesson with her classmates.

"As President Xi put it, we students should learn the history of our country as it helps us to know where we are from and where we are going," Cheang said.

On Thursday morning, Xi also visited a government services center where he learned about how residents benefited from integrated services of administrative departments.

As Philippine consul general in the special administrative region, she is impressed by its fast pace of development, its capacity to recover quickly from disasters and its welcoming attitude to the migrant Filipino community.

As Macao marks the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland, Deapera said she hopes it will continue to be successful in the years ahead.

China resumed sovereignty over Macao in December 1999 and established the SAR to exercise "one country, two systems"－the unique principle allowing the Macao and Hong Kong SARs to practice a capitalist system－while the mainland continues with a socialist one.

Macao's progress over the past two decades has been marked by political stability, social harmony, economic prosperity and cultural diversity.

Fernando Chui Sai-on, chief executive of Macao since 2009, who is stepping down on Friday, said that pivotal to this success is the government's strict implementation of the Basic Law of the Macao SAR and the principle of "one country, two systems", which grants the city a high degree of autonomy.

Fu Ziying, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, said the past 20 years have witnessed the fastest and greatest development in Macao's history, with macroeconomic indicators showing a brilliant performance.

The city has also passed laws to protect national sovereignty, security and interests, Fu said.

Macao's GDP surged from $6.1 billion in 1999 to $54.56 billion last year. Per capita GDP grew five times from 1999 to last year, fiscal reserves shot up 193-fold, foreign currency reserves rose sixfold while the unemployment rate fell from 6.3 percent to 1.8 percent.

Wang Zhenmin, an expert on Hong Kong Basic Law and Macao Basic Law, said the successful transformation of politics and law laid a solid foundation for Macao's effective governance.

By applying the Basic Law, the governing system was refined. A new law safeguarding national security was adopted in 2009. Other legislation protecting the Chinese national flag and emblem progressed smoothly, Wang said.

Raising the national flag and singing the anthem are common in local schools. On July 5, after chairing his last meeting of the Legislative Council and joining the election for chief executive, Ho Iat-seng, who becomes Macao's fifth-term leader on Friday, bowed before the national flag and emblem as well as the regional flag and emblem.

Ho said he was "representing our respect for the country and the will to be exemplary in practicing 'one country, two systems'".

Wang, who is also director of the Center for Hong Kong and Macao Research at Tsinghua University, said practical and effective practices for elections－combining direct votes and consultation, plus full respect for the central government－led to a smooth administrative transfer.

Edmund Ho Hau-wah, Macao's first chief executive from 1999 to 2009, said, "Over the past two decades, Macao has combined its own destiny with that of the motherland."

He said that when Macao returned to the motherland, the city had a weak economy, a high unemployment rate and serious security issues.

"I set myself a task that the region should implement the Basic Law strictly and make the principle of 'one country, two systems' a success in Macao," he said.

"I am gratified to see that Macao has improved a lot in the past 20 years ... This couldn't have been achieved without support from the country or without the efforts of the Macao people," he said.

Effective policy support from the central government has also helped Macao develop into a global tourism and leisure center. The signing in 2003 of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement between the Chinese mainland and Macao focused on promoting free trade and economic cooperation.

In 2009, the Hengqin New Area in neighboring Zhuhai, Guangdong province, opened to provide Macao with space for industrial and academic expansion.

In 2011, the Macao and Guangdong governments signed an agreement to jointly develop an industrial park promoting traditional Chinese medicine in Zhuhai.

The opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge last year has helped further strengthen Macao's links with Hong Kong and Guangdong, while the Greater Bay Area blueprint released early this year projects an integrative future. The Bay Area comprises nine cities in Guangdong plus Hong Kong and Macao.

Speaking at the Vision China forum in Macao on Dec 11, Irene Lau Kuan-va, president of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, said the city has maintained its status as a free port and separate customs territory.

This was possible thanks to "a transparent, nondiscriminatory and open economy, adding up to a very good business-friendly environment", she said.

While the tourism and gaming sectors still enjoy the majority share of the economy, Macao has gradually diversified.

By the end of 2017, the total added value of Macao's emerging industries－including conferences and exhibitions, finance, traditional Chinese medicine, and the cultural and creative industry－had risen by 23.6 percent from 2015, accounting for more than 8 percent of the total added value.

In August 2015, the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine was officially established in Macao.

Leong VaiTac, Macao's secretary for economy and finance, said, "As of today, the basic structure of a moderately diversified economy has taken shape in Macao."

Shen Beili, commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Macao SAR, said the central government has also made successful moves in extending Macao's global reach. The "one country, two systems" principle not only promotes the city's growth and welfare but also bolsters its international influence.

"In accordance with the Basic Law and Macao's practical needs, the Macao SAR has taken an active role in the activities of international organizations and various international conferences, and raised its voice so that Macao's international influence has been greatly lifted, coordinating with the country's multilateral diplomacy," Shen said.

By 1999, only three countries and regions had granted Chinese citizens of Macao visa-free access. Today, more than 140 countries and regions do so. The city has also gained membership of more than 110 international organizations and associations.

Xu Yingzhen, secretary-general of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, said the city, in particular, had achieved many fruitful results through Forum Macao.

This multilateral, intergovernmental cooperation mechanism, also known as the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (Macao), was launched in 2003. Member countries are: Angola; Brazil; Cape Verde; Guinea-Bissau; Mozambique; Portugal; Timor-Leste; and Sao Tome and Principe.

Paulo Cunha Alves, consul general of Portugal in the Macao SAR, said, "In addition to the development of China's bilateral relationship with each member country of the Macao Forum, Macao still plays its role as a coordinating element."

Macao has set up a number of platforms with Portuguese-speaking countries to develop financial services focused on renminbi clearing, financial leasing and wealth management.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, trade between China and these countries rose from more than $11 billion in 2003 to $147.35 billion last year.

Christopher Ng, head of programs development at the British Council in Hong Kong, said Macao "feels a lot more internationalized" than in 1999.

The city's achievements of fast development and long-term prosperity while safeguarding national security and interests are already integrated in its residents' improved quality of life, he said.

Macao students have free education for 15 years, from kindergarten to high school. Residents age 65 and older receive an average combined monthly pension and subsidy of 6,099 patacas ($760) from the government, and life expectancy is more than 80, one of the highest in the world, according to the United Nations.

Xinhua and Zhang Yi in Macao contributed to this story.

That wait would last for more than 80 hours.

Fears alternately rose and subsided. The miners followed their training and experience to survive, hoping that someone would discover their whereabouts in the subterranean labyrinth of tunnels and get them out.

Five of their co-workers had already died.

The 13 men huddled in the flooded Shanmushu mine, which belongs to Sichuan Coal Industry Group, and faced the prospect that its tunnels might become their tomb.

Then came the faintest of sounds, representing a clarion of hope. A metallic noise reverberated faintly from a pipe in the blackness. It's a sound bound to stir instant joy to men trapped underground. Striking pipes is an old technique in mine rescues to connect rescuers and those awaiting rescue.

For the miners waiting uncertainly in the Shanmushu mine, the sound meant help was on the way.

The searchers had initially failed to find the miners, but a reciprocal hammering on pipes with metal bars signaled their presence.

"Finally there came the good news," said Zhou Zonghua, a miner who helped with the rescue. "All we wanted was for them to come back safe and sound."

After a rescue operation of more than 80 hours, the 13 miners returned to the outside world on Wednesday.

The Shanmushu mine, in the province's Gongxian county, administered by Yibin, had flooded at 3:26 pm on Saturday with 347 people working underground.

By Sunday morning, 329 of the workers had been brought to the surface. Five were confirmed dead and 13 remained trapped.

Rescuers managed to enter the tunnel at 9 am on Tuesday. Failing to find any of the 13 by 1 pm, they began striking steel pipes to alert them. They were delighted to hear people striking pipes in response.

At 2:57 am on Wednesday, Liu Guihua, 56, was able to walk to the rescuers after the water level in the shaft dropped some. He reported that the other 12 were alive, said Hu Xiaohua, an information officer for the Yibin city government.

The men were then located and extracted from the mine. For two hours, from about 6 am to 8 am, the 12 were lifted one by one out of the darkness and sent to hospitals in Yibin. All were in a weakened condition－they had not eaten for days. But they were stable, according to a Sichuan Coal Industry Group news release.

People in charge of the rescue cited several reasons for the 13 miners' survival. First, they were experienced and took turns turning on their head lamps. Light helped stave off panic. Also, they stayed together in a relatively high place that was unlikely to flood and that had plenty of air.

The temperature was 24 C in the shaft－warm enough to stave off hypothermia and rapid deterioration of their strength.

Senior Captain Cheng Dewei was quoted in a Navy statement as saying on Wednesday that the Shandong was wholly designed and built by Chinese researchers and engineers, and the program enabled them to gain knowledge and expertise in the carrier's overall design, construction and propulsion.

The new carrier boasts stronger capabilities in "comprehensive combat effectiveness and integrated logistic capacity", he said.

As for the ship's name, Cheng said that under naval vessels' naming rules, cruisers, amphibious assault ships and larger vessels are named after Chinese provinces or municipalities. He said the name was decided upon in accordance with the rules and was based on consideration of various factors including applications made by provinces and municipalities.

He also said that Sanya, Hainan province, was chosen as the site for the Shandong's commissioning ceremony after the Navy considered several aspects in the new carrier's program schedule. He did not elaborate.

The PLA Navy commissioned CNS Shandong－its second aircraft carrier and the first such ship wholly designed and built domestically－on Tuesday at a naval base in Sanya.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, took part in the ceremony for the Type 002 class vessel.

Before Tuesday, the Navy had a sole carrier－the Liaoning, a Sovietera vessel extensively refitted at a Dalian shipyard in Liaoning province. The Liaoning entered service in September 2012 and has executed several long-range operations.

The Shandong is the largest and most sophisticated naval ship ever developed and built in China.

Starting work at 6 am, he drives his white van to Pier 23 at the city's fish market, where vendors rush to complete sales before 7:30 am. Amid this bustling scene, he buys half a dozen premium mantis shrimp.

At the Ocean Club Restaurant on Taipa Island, he poaches the shrimp and seasons it with a little salt and pepper before cutting it into bite-sized pieces and adding cherry tomatoes, black olives and thinly sliced onion. A sweet vinaigrette tops it all off.

Mantis shrimp, which can be found in the waters off Macao, has been part of the local diet for hundreds of years, and salad was introduced to the area by the Portuguese, who were in control of Macao for some 400 years.

When food in Macao is discussed, egg tarts and pork chop buns spring immediately to mind－popular delicacies that have spread beyond the city and across Asia. Tourists line up to buy the tarts, which consist of custard brulee in buttery, flaky pastry and are sold in packages of 10. Many then head to local cafes to munch on crunchy pork chop buns.

Food lovers, not just from the city and nearby Hong Kong, but from across the region, can now easily travel to Macao to savor its vast array of cuisine. But more important than the cuisine's fusion elements are local culinary traditions.

Antonietta Manhao, who is known as "Chef Neta", loves serving local food to her guests. Born and raised in Macao, she trained as a professional chef, but developed her love of food through home cooking during her childhood.

"I'm very lucky. When I was in my mid-and late teens, I still had my grandma at home to teach me, and my mom still makes home-cooked local food. Young people in Macao should learn all about the city's food," she said.

One example of this food is capela, a doughnut-shaped meatloaf wrapped in crunchy bacon and covered in a hard crust of melted cheese. This family dish is popular during the Christmas holidays, and Manhao said that in many Macao households it is eaten with rice.

Her traditional food can now be found at the St. Regis Macao Hotel, which is part of the Marriott group.

Since last year, she has served Macao's version of afternoon tea, known as Cha Gordo, to guests every Saturday. The spread consists of local party foods, including capela, bicho bicho (cornstarch cookies) and chilicote (deep-fried meat pies).

Since the Macao handover in 1999, the rise of the tourism and gaming industries has also helped preserve the city's rich cultural heritage.

In addition to having Michelin-starred chefs and top restaurants, high-end hotels also feature Macao food. Not so long ago, these traditional delicacies were in danger of dying out, as they feature home recipes passed down through the generations but are not typically available in restaurants.

While her guests enthusiastically savor their Cha Gordo, Manhao tells the stories behind the food.

Sweet treats

Outside of the city's hotels, small eateries are flourishing. Taipa village, one of Macao's best-preserved historical districts, has been remodeled as a modern art and food market, retaining both Portuguese and Chinese influences from down the years.

Many distinctive beverages and desserts can be found in the village. For an iconic and traditional taste, the dessert serradura is perfect. Local chef Filipe De Pina produces a classical creamy serradura, which comes with layers of cream and crushed crackers, stacked and served in a dessert glass.

De Pina said: "People kept asking for serradura. As my family had a recipe, I started to make it. From there, I began making it less sweet and less oily to appeal to Asian palates. Macao has a warm climate, so people don't want anything too oily or too creamy."

At De Pina's dimly lit cafe, Bitter Sweet, tourists take a break from sightseeing to enjoy foamy, iced coffee and serradura cake.

A few alleys away stands Tiger Bite, another spot for a sugar recharge. Its founder, Jet Fong, infuses milkshakes with Cantonese dessert flavors, including fresh ginger, maltose candy, black sesame, and coconut. As tourists passing by curiously examine the drinks menu, Fong approaches and encourages them to try his milkshakes.

Almond cookies

After savoring fine dining and street food, many tourists buy food souvenirs, such as handmade confectionery and snacks, to take home.

Macao's Koi Kei Bakery is a favorite among tourists. Starting as a single food stall in the 1990s, which made less than 2,000 Macao patacas (about $250) a day, Leong Chan Kuong has expanded his business to more than 30 shops in Macao and Hong Kong.

The bakery uses walnuts, peanuts and sesame seeds to prepare its offerings. Leong said his business stands out from competitors, and he thinks this is because its handmade food souvenirs are prepared in-house, unlike his rivals'. "We were also the first to give out free samples," he added.

Koi Kei's peanut candies and almond cookies are best-sellers.

Looking back over recent decades, Leong remembers the days when neighborhood crime was rampant in Macao.

"I was threatened by gangsters, who set my store on fire twice. I had never been attacked so badly. I couldn't sleep. They started fires in the middle of the night, and I was beaten up when I was walking on the street. During the holidays when business was good, the gangsters parked their cars to block my doorway, so I couldn't even open up the shop."

Two other restaurant and cafe owners said they had considered closing down before the handover, because of crime.

Leong said: "Luckily, after the handover the police rounded up the bad guys. From that time, I started to develop my confectionery business."

After the handover, crime and public safety were handled by a new government department, the Secretariat for Security, and gangsters who had intimidated small food vendors were cleared from the streets.

With the opening of Macao International Airport in 1995 and the distribution of gaming concessions six years later, tourists not only from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, but from across Asia, began flocking to Macao.

Leong attributes the growth of his business to tourists arriving after the Individual Visit Policy was launched in the summer of 2003. Since that year, his sales have risen tenfold. The new policy allows mainlanders to visit Macao and Hong Kong on an individual basis.

"A flood of tourists started to arrive in 2003. Our stocks often sold out and we basically had nothing left to sell, because there were too many customers buying our products."

Since then, infrastructure projects such as the Hong Kong-Macao-Zhuhai Bridge have given food lovers more opportunities to travel to Macao.

Leong said, "For example, nowadays if you say you're going to Macao, your friends will ask you to buy cookies, egg tarts, candies and other items. It's so convenient. Visitors come for just a few hours and can buy lots of confectionery."

Tourist spending in Macao stood at 15.2 billion patacas in the third quarter of this year, with retail sales contributing just over 45 percent of the total, according to the city's Statistics and Census Service. Food and souvenirs accounted for 33 percent of retail sales.

Local noodle shops and Cantonese restaurants have also benefited from the tourist influx.

Lei Man-lung, who owns Luk Kei Noodles, a restaurant known for its crab congee said, "After the handover, the central government pushed forward the Individual Visit Policy, which was good for Macao's economy." Since 1999, business at the restaurant has risen sixfold.

Gastronomic leader

In November 2017, Macao was named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, the third city in China to be awarded the honor after Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, and Shunde, Guangdong province. The designation was in recognition of Macao's 400-year-old culinary traditions.

Under China's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), Macao was positioned as a World Center of Tourism and Leisure.

Macao government trade missions were accompanied by representatives from businesses such as the Koi Kei Bakery. Showcasing their products across the mainland, they increased awareness of local cuisine.

Macao's public sector has also awarded grants to encourage innovation in the tourism industry. Since the middle of this year, vendors with proposals for creative culinary projects have been able to apply for government funding.

Macao has also strengthened its links with the Greater Bay Area, in coordination with its closest neighbor－Zhuhai, Guangdong－jointly organizing cultural events for local residents. The Bay Area comprises nine cities in Guangdong plus Macao and Hong Kong.

Early last month, the finals of the Third Masters Chef Competition in Cantonese Cuisine were held in Macao, featuring 190 chefs from more than 40 countries. One chef came from a small village in Guangdong, while another traveled from New York, 10,000 kilometers away.

Savio Leong, known for his mantis shrimp salad, acted as a volunteer for the event, preferring to work behind the scenes rather than being a judge for the competition. He greeted each chef as if he or she were family members that he seldom sees.

The visitors hosted seminars and training sessions to pass on their knowledge to the next generation of chefs. They also worked together on trying to improve dishes.

The competition has previously been staged in New York and Singapore. This year, Macao had the chance to shine in the international spotlight.

Lucy Zhang contributed to this story.

Macao SAR lawmaker Chan Hong said she was "warmed" and "inspired" by the speech, in which the president acknowledged Macao's achievements and expressed support for its future development. Chan is also a Macao member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, the country's top political advisory body.

During the speech, Xi especially acknowledged the successful practice of the "one country, two systems" policy in Macao. Chan said it is a result of the concerted efforts of the central government, Macao officials and local people, adding that she is looking forward to Macao's greater development under the principle.

Wu Zhiliang, president of the Macao Foundation, said, "There is no doubt that Macao people got a heartwarming feeling from Xi's remarks at the airport."

He added Macao people have been longing for Xi's visit, and his remarks at Macao International Airport showcase that the central government has high expectations for the city.

Wu said he expects Xi's three-day visit to Macao to focus on economic diversification, facilitation of Macao's cooperation with Zhuhai's Hengqin area and career development for the city's youth.

Karen Tagulao, a Filipina expat who has lived in the city for 17 years, echoed Xi's approval of Macao's achievement in the past 20 years.

The teacher, who works at Saint Joseph University, said she has witnessed the massive development of Macao, which has changed from a "simple" to a modern city with sophisticated infrastructure.

"The city has become bigger, remains progressive and is good for families," Tagulao said.

Across the sea, people from Hong Kong－the nation's other special administrative region－also shared their thoughts on Xi's visit to Macao.

Hong Kong business tycoon Allan Zeman said Xi's speech at the airport showed his confidence in Macao's future development.

Given that Xi said he would listen to different people's voices and talk with those from all walks of life during his stay, Zeman said he expected they will discuss and announce several new policies aimed at diversifying the gaming-dependent economy of Macao.

The policies could include the establishment of an offshore yuan-denominated stock exchange and the acceleration of a yuan settlement center already in process, he said.

Zhang Yuge, director of the Center for Hong Kong and Macao Studies at the China Development Institute, said Xi's speech showed that Macao's development under the "one country, two systems" policy is firmly acknowledged by the central government.

He added that discussions between Xi and people of all walks of life in Macao would focus on ways to strengthen and consolidate Macao's position as "one center, one platform, one base". The principle describes the SAR's role as an international tourism and leisure center, a platform for trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries and a base for exchanges and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist.

Edith Lu and Pamela Lin in Hong Kong contributed to this story.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a speech upon his arrival at the airport.

The president planned to attend a gathering on Friday marking the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland. He was also to be present at the inauguration ceremony for the fifth-term government of the Macao Special Administrative Region and inspect the SAR.

Xi extended warm congratulations and best wishes to Macao compatriots on the occasion.

The people of the whole nation and the central government are proud of Macao's achievements in the past two decades, Xi said. "It is worthwhile to sum up the experience and characteristics of Macao in faithfully implementing 'one country, two systems'," he said.

The president expressed willingness to communicate with people from all walks of life during his stay in the SAR.

In his speech, Xi recalled some of his previous visits to Macao, starting as early as June 2000, saying that he is not a stranger to city. This is Xi's sixth visit since Macao returned to the motherland.

Noting that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xi said that the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland is a big event for all Chinese people.

Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, received a warm welcome from hundreds of students at the airport.

On Wednesday afternoon, Xi met with Chui Sai-on, chief executive of the Macao SAR, and praised his diligent work in the position over the past 10 years.

Xi said that under Chui's leadership, the Macao SAR government has fully and accurately implemented the "one country, two systems" policy and acted strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law.

The SAR government has made great achievements in fields such as safeguarding national security, maintaining social stability, promoting economic development, improving the people's lives and enhancing exchanges with the mainland.

Xi said that the prosperity and stability of Macao have been consolidated and developed, and he added that the central government fully acknowledges the efforts made by Chui.

Xi encouraged Chui to continue his care for the development of the country and Macao, support the incoming chief executive of the Macao SAR and the new SAR government to administer the region in line with the law, and make more contributions to the practice of the "one country, two systems" policy.

On behalf of the Macao SAR government and Macao people, Chui expressed a warm welcome to Xi and Peng.

Chui expressed gratitude for the support of Xi and the central government for Macao and himself.

With the support of the central authorities, the Macao SAR government and people have made positive efforts to promote Macao's prosperity and stability as well as the diversification of Macao's economy, he said.

Although China has implemented regulations in recent years to ban technologies such as initial coin offerings and cryptocurrency exchanges, its support for blockchain, as well as artificial intelligence, was highlighted in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) for national development.

An ICO is the cryptocurrency space's rough equivalent to an initial public offering in the mainstream investment world.

In October, President Xi Jinping emphasized blockchain as a core technology in the new round of technological innovation and industrial transformation.

Yuval Rooz, co-founder and CEO of blockchain startup Digital Asset in New York, said: "China is a big global player and there is an opportunity for China to become a leader, even from a blockchain technology perspective, to create new initiatives and actually lead the rest of the world. For companies like us, this is extremely exciting. The nice thing about China is that once a decision is made, it is actually easier to move forward."

Blockchain is a ledger where transactions of cybercurrencies, such as Bitcoin, are recorded. It works like a chain of digital "blocks" that contain records of transactions.

As of March, more than 5,800 companies in China featured the word "blockchain" in their name, of which 4,586 were registered last year, according to information platform Interchain Pulse, based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Meanwhile, 22 blockchain-related industrial zones had been established around the country as of May.

Global market intelligence company IDC expects China's spending on blockchain technology to exceed $2 billion by 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 65 percent and with the banking industry taking the biggest proportion.

Jochen Biedermann, managing director of the World Alliance of International Financial Centers, or WAIFC, an international nonprofit organization registered in Brussels, said Xi's commitment shows the Chinese government is forward-looking and embraces new technologies.

Xi also gives the industry a clear view of which sectors blockchain technology will have the most significant impact on, said Biedermann, founder and CEO of Blockchain Asia in Hong Kong, a company working to connect the industry in Asia and Europe.

"For blockchain in China, this is not a start, but rather a confirmation of the sound development (of this technology), which has already lasted for several years," he said.

"The more-sophisticated foreign investors are very active in China, scouting for talent and promising solutions with local teams, as information is not always easy to access from abroad, given the language barrier and different communication channels."

Last month, Digital Asset stepped up its presence on the Chinese mainland by partnering with Blockshine, a blockchain services provider in Shanghai. The partnership focuses on the financial services industry.

Rooz said he expects Xi's commitment to blockchain technology to open up huge opportunities for the industry.

"When it comes to working in China, you really want to make sure that there is support from the government. Having that kind of announcement (from Xi) is extremely exciting," he said.

Since last year, Digital Asset has worked with Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing－which operates the Hong Kong Stock Exchange－for which it built a prototype of a blockchain-powered platform for northbound trading under Stock Connect, a mutual market access program linking equity markets in the city and the mainland.

Layla Dong, founder and CEO of Blockshine, which provides blockchain consulting services and implements the technology for companies, organizations and governments in various countries, said that before Xi's announcement in October, many local governments were highly conservative toward foreign blockchain companies. That was because they were unfamiliar with the technology and the changes it can bring to people's lives.

Dong said she expects blockchain to become better recognized with government support, industry standards and continuous education.

She added that one of the first projects the partnership between Digital Asset and Blockshine will take on is related to cross-border blockchain services for a State-owned financial institution she declined to name.

Another international investor looking to the Chinese blockchain market is the hedge fund Polychain Capital, based in San Francisco. In October, the company was reported to have formed a strategic partnership with Nervos Network, a leading public blockchain project in China, following investment by Polychain last year.

Olaf Carlson-Wee, founder and CEO of Polychain Capital, said "great technologies" have emerged in China in recent years, in both deep tech and market infrastructure. "Deep tech" refers to companies founded on a scientific discovery or meaningful engineering innovation, and which also seek to make the world a better place.

"We plan to actively participate in the Nervos ecosystem, work with the founder to build out its community, and drive engagement to the project from blockchain investors and participants globally," Carlson-Wee said, adding that he was impressed by Nervos' developers.

Biedermann, from WAIFC, said Hong Kong and Singapore are often chosen as bridgeheads into Asia for European blockchain projects. Hong Kong's role will be important, especially with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area framework, as foreign investors may have difficulty navigating the mainland market.

The blockchain industry in Shenzhen, which is often dubbed China's "Silicon Valley", could also be an excellent starting point for addressing the mainland market via Hong Kong, Biedermann said.

However, Carlson-Wee pointed out that blockchain technology still faces major challenges. One of them, not just in China but globally, is the perception that the industry is still novel, nascent and "incredibly complex" while talent and technology remain spread across the world, making it difficult for more traditional investors to source and finalize quality investments within the ecosystem.

Biedermann said, "Talking about blockchain has become hype, but only a minimal number of people understand the technology behind it and can judge whether it fits a specific use or not", noting the need to invest more in education.

In July, he became chairman of Tech4 Blockchain, in Wuhan, Hubei province, an education center supporting Chinese companies in using the technology.

As of December last year, more than 10 universities in China had launched blockchain courses, according to Blockdata, a market consultancy in Beijing. In Hainan province, a blockchain research center was set up last year with the research center from University College, Oxford, in the United Kingdom, to promote joint research in technology and talent cultivation.

Dong, from Blockshine, said cooperation between the public and private sectors is needed if a technology wants to grow, as it cannot do so on its own. "So, governments and companies should work together to push this (technology) forward," she said.

She added she expects the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to launch a new blockchain standard in the middle of next year, and that an ecosystem with the right policies and standards will further support market growth and provide clear guidance for foreign companies.

Biedermann said overseas blockchain companies and investors interested in the Chinese market must choose local partners carefully. He suggested that foreign companies find a local partner with a good track record of supporting international entrepreneurs and investors.

He said he has high expectations regarding the proposed digital currency electronic payment project by the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, as it will be a key enabler for new financial products as well as a number of blockchain-related applications.

" (With digital currency) we might be able to fully automate all business interactions in a network of suppliers, manufacturers and their customers," Biedermann said.

Rooz, from Digital Asset, said he is optimistic about the opportunities that will emerge from the Belt and Road Initiative, as blockchain technology can play a key role in making related projects more efficient.

"China is a big player in trade and commerce. Collateral management across borders is an application of blockchain technology that I think is very exciting," he said, adding that opportunities may arise in the digitization of trade finance and supply chains under the initiative.

Polychain's Carlson-Wee said he hoped to see many world leaders and governments follow suit in embracing the technology so that the value it creates can be shared worldwide.

"We hope to continue to work on this with our network of investors and technologists in China," he said.

Learning is hard enough without all that, especially for younger professionals trying to squeeze in additional time after work to improve themselves in various disciplines or areas of personal interest.

Now you can pay a fee for the privilege of plopping yourself down in a quiet study lounge－a new concept in the sharing economy that's designed for people on the go who need space to think. The lounges are comfortable. Some offer refreshments. You may even be allowed to stay all night, with a bottomless cup of coffee.

Japan and South Korea were study lounge pioneers back in 2011. The niche concept showed up a few years ago in the popular South Korean sitcom Reply 1988 and has now spread to Beijing and other Chinese cities. More than 30 are scattered throughout the capital's Zhongguancun tech hub and in Chaoyangmen and central business district areas.

Patrons－typically between 20-35 years of age－gain entry to a study lounge with a numeric code or a national ID card. They may sit around all day reading books and preparing for exams. It's a placid environment that fosters focused thinking.

Everybody has a desk and there's room to stretch one's limbs or enjoy refreshments in silence. You can even bring your own snacks.

"We created a comfortable environment for them to ease the anxiety of daily life," said Li Yunqiao, a 30-year-old financial industry worker, who founded Humble Study Room in Chaoyangmen with a colleague in September.

The lounge is open from 8 am to 10 pm seven days a week, but Li said he has received requests for extended hours.

At noon on weekdays, the lounge is filled with like-minded learners from many places in the capital, including white-collar workers who want to upgrade their education.

Sun Xueqiong, 32, who took the national civil service exam in November, described how she would take a taxi from her home in Shijingshan district, about 20 kilometers east of downtown, to Humble Study Room every morning for weeks to prepare for the test. She made arrangements with her family to care for her 2-yearold daughter, who demands all her attention when she is at home.

"I looked for a place nearby so I could study, but the library near my home was usually crowded with students. I had to get in line before 6 am every day to get a seat inside, if I was lucky," Sun said.

Sun said she preferred to study away from home in order to focus all her attention on the material.

"My learning efficiency improved a lot when I started going to the study lounge," she said. It freed her of distractions and she is able to afford the 500 yuan ($71.45) fee for a month's access to the lounge.

Zhang Bingyue, 29, who runs a study lounge nestled between research institutes and academies in Beijing's Haidian district, said his business is still in debt and has yet to make a profit, but it's coming along. He said he invested 400,000 yuan in the startup, which has 130 square meters of floor space.

"Nearly 1,000 people came to study in the first month," he said. "Currently, we have about 53 seats in three different zones－with 50 to 60 percent daily occupancy rates."

The study lounge charges about 38 yuan per day.

Zhang's lounge also allows paid customers to swipe their cards after a certain hour and stay all night if they so choose.

A search on Dazhong Dianping, China's Yelp-like business-review service platform, turned up 31 paid study lounges in Beijing, 47 in Shanghai and 24 in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Looking toward the future development of the study lounge sector, Zhu Wei, an associate professor of communications law at China University of Political Science and Law, said the paid spaces have found a natural urban market, which previously didn't serve study needs.

"The quiet learning atmosphere has created a relatively positive environment for people," Zhu said.

However, Zhu said that the potential safety and security hazards of lounges that stay open all night should be properly addressed.

But what matters most to Li Fengjiang, a 47-year-old IT senior manager in Beijing, is availability.

Uneven distribution of study lounges is a problem, he said, as most of them are located in Haidian or central Beijing.

Li plans to pursue an MBA at the Beijing Institute of Technology and is preparing for a major exam in late December. He seeks quiet environments that allow him to use his limited time well.

Study is particularly important because competition for jobs has become fierce, he said－and it's not just with other people but also with AI technology. There's greater urgency nowadays to learn and expand one's mind.

Meanwhile, some shared study rooms outside of Asia have become trendy places for students, freelancers and young entrepreneurs to hang out. And some of the concepts developed there have been adopted by Beijing study lounge operators.

Wu Sansan, a 25-year-old entrepreneur who set up Moments, a study lounge near Chaoyang Park, said she learned from the experience of La Permanence, a shared learning space in central Paris, to not only provide study spaces for students but also to convey an idea of building a communal and social space. 

Jason Potts, professor of economics and director of the Blockchain Innovation Hub at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said Asian countries, including China, Singapore, South Korea and even Vietnam, are making huge investments in developing early-stage pilot projects and business experiments using blockchain technology. They are focusing on supply chains across a range of industries.

"We are seeing that (investment) more than we are seeing it in the United States, and definitely more than in Europe," said Potts, co-founder of the Worldwide Blockchain Innovation Association. "So, compared with other parts of the world, there is a lot more research and development taking place in Asia in the blockchain space."

Potts, who is bullish about the Asian blockchain industry for the immediate future, said this investment in research and development is going to have an impact as it starts "translating into actual business models and affecting a lot of different industries".

At the end of May, Asia accounted for more than 60 percent of over 6,000 blockchain projects globally, according to a report by data service provider Blockdata, which is based in Beijing.

Paul Sin, leader of Deloitte's Asia Pacific Blockchain Lab in Hong Kong, said there are two different kinds of blockchain development in Asia. He said that while countries focusing on financial inclusion and supply chain, such as China, will develop more applications for various industries, others may be more interested in the cryptocurrency business.

For example, Singapore has emerged as one of the most favorable destinations for initial coin offerings. Last year, it led the world with 228 ICOs completed, followed by the United States and the United Kingdom, according to a report by coin market ranking chart app CoinGecko.

Last year, Korea JoongAng Daily reported that Jeju Island in South Korea proposed building a special zone for blockchain, including allowing startups to hold ICOs on the island to raise funding.

Sin said: "In China, the only crypto-related or public blockchain-related application will be the central bank's digital currency. In fact, we believe even the central bank's digital currency would probably be running on permissioned blockchain－because one of the features is that the government can monitor all the transactions."

"Permissioned blockchain" refers to a blockchain network that can only be shared with certain participants in a closed ecosystem, providing an added level of security.

In October, Huang Qifan, vice chairman of think tank the China Center for International Economic Exchange, said China was likely to be the first country to issue sovereign digital currency, with the People's Bank of China, the central bank, having studied digital currency electronic payment for about five years.

Giulio Romanelli, partner at global consultancy McKinsey & Company's Sydney office, said, "To date, the biggest businesses have evolved in China, where it appears that the growing focus on an ecosystem economy has found an ideal partner in blockchain technology."

Two types of blockchain development models have emerged in China, Romanelli said. For example, the banking arm of Ping An Insurance, the country's second-largest life insurer, is promoting the adoption of blockchain through an ecosystem-driven approach to engage its partners and users. On the other hand, regulators have been rolling out standards and setting up pilot platforms to drive the market growth.

Such examples of success in leveraging blockchain technology to extract real business value would support further growth of investments in the Chinese blockchain market, but will likely also be helpful in promoting additional experimentation in Asia and globally, Romanelli said.

Potts, from RMIT University, said there are now fewer regulatory barriers, especially in finance and payments, which allows the industry to innovate and explore new business models more easily. The main challenge is coordinating user coalitions in adopting the technology across a sector or value chain.

"Blockchain is a network technology, so just one firm adopting it is not really enough, because all of its partners also need to adopt the same infrastructure technology," he said.

Potts said he believes the bigger role played by governments in Asia, particularly in China, makes it easier to solve the problem of coordination, through mandating technological standards. "But it also requires industry-level coordination," he said.

The geopolitical implications of blockchain infrastructure are also going to be a growing issue in the near future, particularly in relation to trade negotiations and treaties, Potts said.

Matt Higginson, partner at McKinsey's office in Boston, US, said he expects some consolidation by competing consortia, such as through the merger of trade finance solutions, expanded adoption of some protocols and the growth of more mature, regulated platforms for digital assets.

"Over the past 18 months, the early enthusiasm for blockchain offering solutions to many of the (corporate) world's perennial pain points appears to have waned," Higginson said. "Instead, efforts have doubled down on applications where the unique properties of distributed ledger technology (and blockchain) provide additional value beyond existing solutions."

Higginson said the key applications of blockchain are: cross-border payments; supply chain; trade finance; asset management; and digital identity. He added that he believes these applications will become more mainstream next year.

"If investment in the technology in Asia expands or continues apace, the natural epicenter for growth will gravitate to Asian markets," he said, noting that many efforts have already been made in digitizing money and shipping documents, and establishing digital asset trading platforms.

Sin said: "I definitely believe China will be the place to watch in 2020, with all these experiments and all the funding going into blockchain. There will be faster, more secure and more decentralized infrastructure or technology in blockchain."

More integration will be seen in China between blockchain and other technologies such as the internet of things and artificial intelligence, Sin added, in view of the vast amount of data the country can gather.

"China's economy has maintained a momentum of steady and sound development. And the long-term positive trend of the economy has not changed," said Meng Wei, a spokeswoman for the National Development and Reform Commission.

"Looking forward, we have the confidence as well as the conditions to achieve the annual growth goals for economic and social development," Meng said Tuesday at an NDRC news conference in Beijing.

The National Bureau of Statistics said the economy performed better than expected in November, with manufacturing activity returning to expansion, indicating that the economy is picking up. The purchasing managers index for the manufacturing sector firmed up to 50.2 in November from 49.3 in October.

Meng expected the overall consumer price index, a key gauge of inflation, is set to meet the annual growth target of 3 percent as sufficient supply of industrial goods, agricultural products and a recovery of the pig supply have laid a solid foundation.

"Taking into account the upcoming Spring Festival, consumer price inflation may be higher in early 2020," Meng added, saying the NDRC will continue to closely monitor price changes and take measures accordingly to ensure supplies and stabilize prices.

Cheng Shi, chief economist and managing director of ICBC International, said the long-term uptrend of pork prices will last until at least the first quarter of 2020.

"Considering the structural price rise, it is unlikely to see China heading for stagflation in 2020," Cheng said.

China is now transitioning from a rapid development stage to a new phase of high-quality development, shifting the focus to quality instead of the quantity.

To foster sustainable high-quality development, China is ramping up efforts to deepen reform and opening-up.

Despite the complex and volatile external environment, China's foreign direct investment inflows saw stable growth in the first 11 months.

The Ministry of Commerce said FDI inflows rose 2.6 percent year-on-year to $124.4 billion during the period, ranking second in value worldwide.

Meng said this demonstrated foreign companies' strong confidence in the development prospects of China, saying we will see more foreign-financed projects in China, covering fields of new energy, new petrochemicals, IT and more.

"In the next step, we will continue to work with relevant parties to optimize the environment for foreign companies and open the market wider," Meng added. "The negative list for foreign access to business sectors will be revised again next year, allowing the operation of wholly foreign-owned businesses in more sectors."

The stock market ended in a bullish mood on Tuesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closing up 1.27 percent at 3,022.42.

"Affected by several positive factors, downward pressure will be relieved to some extent in 2020," Liu Yuanchun, vice-president of Renmin University of China, said at a recent macroeconomic forum in Beijing.

A new report released during the forum predicted China would see 6.1 percent GDP growth in 2019, meeting the annual projected growth goal of 6 to 6.5 percent growth.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, took part in the commissioning ceremony of the Type 002 class vessel named after the eastern province of Shandong. Xi personally handed the new ship's flag to Senior Captain Lai Yijun, its commanding officer.

A total of 5,000 personnel from the People's Liberation Army Navy and defense contractors involved in the ship's construction took part in the ceremony, which began around 4 pm.

The move brought China into an elite club of world powers that operate multiple carriers. Before China, there were only three countries with more than one carrier in active service－the United States, the United Kingdom and Italy.

Before Tuesday, the Navy had a sole carrier－the CNS Liaoning－which was originally a Soviet-era vessel and was extensively refitted at Dalian shipyard in Liaoning province. The vessel entered service in September 2012 and has executed several longrange operations with other warships in its carrier battle group.

After the ceremony on Tuesday, Xi inspected the Shandong, which had several J-15 fighter jets on its flight deck, a China Central Television report showed.

The deployment of fighter jets and helicopters on the new carrier is in stark contrast to the Liaoning, which did not field any combat aircraft in the early days after its commissioning.

The president also met members of the Navy's carrier force and representatives from organizations involved in the project, acknowledging their achievements and encouraging them to continue to make new accomplishments.

The Shandong is the largest and most sophisticated naval ship ever developed and constructed in China.

Its construction began in November 2013 at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp, the world's largest shipbuilder. The ship was first lowered into water in April 2017, and conducted its first sea trial in May 2018.

Before the commissioning, the Shandong went through nine sea trials. Video clips published by the Navy show fighter jets conducting takeoff and landing operations on the Shandong.

In mid-November, the ship set sail from the Dalian shipyard and began its final sea trial－its lengthiest yet. It sailed through the Taiwan Straits and stopped in Sanya.

The Navy earlier said the Shandong displaces at least 50,000 metric tons of water. It has conventional propulsion systems and uses a ramp to launch J-15 fighter jets, the spearhead of the Chinese carrier battle group, like the Liaoning. The ship also deploys several types of helicopters.

The new carrier features several aspects of the country's latest naval technology different from the Liaoning. For example, the Shandong has more space to accommodate fighter jets, better radar, a longer landing section and a larger air command bridge, according to previous CCTV reports.

Xiao Ning, editor-in-chief of Weapon magazine, said that the Shandong is likely to be tasked with different missions than the Liaoning. The latter is mainly responsible for testing equipment and weapons and training personnel. The new vessel, by comparison, will focus on what a genuine aircraft carrier is supposed to do: running combat-ready patrols and safeguarding a nation's maritime sovereignty and interests.

Major General Chen Zhou, a senior strategy researcher at the PLA Academy of Military Science, previously said that the second carrier is definitely not the end of China's aircraft carrier program.

In an article published in November 2018, Xinhua News Agency said a "new-generation carrier" is being constructed at an unidentified shipyard as per schedule.

Liang Fang, a professor of naval studies at the PLA National Defense University, told China Central Television in an earlier interview that the possession of two carrier battle groups will give the Chinese military higher flexibility and more options when it uses its carrier force to protect its marine and overseas interests.

Besides China, there are seven countries now operating a total of 19 aircraft carriers.

Leveraging the advantages of the "two systems" and safeguarding the country's sovereignty, security and development interests on the basis of the "one country" principle will bring an even brighter future for the two regions, they said.

Friday marks the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland. President Xi Jinping will be in Macao from Wednesday to Friday to attend a gathering marking the event. He will be present at the inauguration ceremony of the fifth-term government of the Macao SAR.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has said on various occasions that maintaining lasting prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao and achieving China's full reunification are essential to realizing national rejuvenation.

In a meeting in September with then-newly elected and appointed Chief Executive of the Macao SAR Ho Iat-seng, Xi hailed the successful practice of "one country, two systems" with Macao characteristics over the past two decades. He said the principle of "one country, two systems" has proved to be "feasible, realistic and supported by the people".

As a constitutional principle describing the governance of Hong Kong and Macao since they became special administrative regions of China in 1997 and 1999, respectively, "one country, two systems" is hailed as a great pioneering initiative as its practice is characterized by socialism in the main body of the country and capitalism in two regions, and is unprecedented in human history.

Under the principle, the central government exercises overall jurisdiction over the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the two regions enjoy a high degree of autonomy. They continue to retain their previous capitalist systems and ways of life, and their laws have remained basically unchanged. Their legal, economic and financial affairs, including trade relations with foreign countries, are independent from those of the Chinese mainland.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, a key tone-setting meeting held in October, reiterated China's commitment to practicing "one country, two systems", calling it an important governance system of the country to secure peaceful reunification of the motherland, according to a milestone document adopted by the session.

While highlighting the principle of "one country" is the premise and foundation of the "two systems", the document said any attempts to challenge the bottom line of "one country, two systems" will not be tolerated.

Speaking in the work report of 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, Xi said the policy of "one country, two systems" has proved to be the best solution to the historical questions of Hong Kong and Macao, and the best institutional guarantee for the long-term prosperity and stability of the two regions after their return to the motherland.

He pledged that "we should ensure that the principle of 'one country, two systems' remains unchanged, is unwaveringly upheld and in practice is not bent or distorted".

Key to success

Since its return to the motherland, Macao has achieved rapid economic growth, sustained improvements in people's livelihoods and brought about social stability and harmony.

The SAR's GDP grew from 51.9 billion patacas ($6.4 billion) in 1999 to 444.7 billion patacas in 2018. Per capita GDP also jumped from 120,000 patacas in 1999 to 670,000 patacas in 2018, which ranks among the highest in the world, according to official data.

Addressing a meeting marking the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the Basic Law of the Macao SAR, the region's incumbent Chief Executive Chui Sai-on said the most valuable experience drawn from Macao's success in practicing the "one country, two systems" principle is its fully and faithfully implementing the Constitution and the Basic Law.

"The key is Macao's accurate understanding and full support of the country's political system and its core values as well as its close interactions and integrations with the country," Chui said, "Macao's fully leveraging the unique strength of the 'one country, two systems' principle as well as policy support from the central government helps it secure stability and prosperity."

Chen Ruihong, a Peking University Law School professor, said the glorious achievements Macao made in the past two decades have demonstrated to the world that the principle of "one country, two systems" is effective. Under the principle, Macao people govern Macao and they enjoy unprecedented, full rights and freedoms, Chen said.

Addressing challenges

As "one country, two systems" is a pioneering initiative that has no precedent to follow, its application entails an evolving process coupled with new developments.

For example, as Hong Kong's economy faces challenges, its traditional strengths start to lose their edge while new drivers of growth have yet to emerge. Housing and other issues that affect the daily lives of the people have become more serious concerns.

"To address these challenges and meet the expectations of Hong Kong people for a better life and advance Hong Kong's development in all sectors, we must stay on a right and steady course, gain a full understanding of the policy of 'one country, two systems' and faithfully implement it," Xi said when addressing the meeting celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 2017.

He warned that any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government and the authority of the Basic Law of the HKSAR or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the Chinese mainland are acts that cross a red line, and are absolutely impermissible.

Maria Tam Wai-chu, a senior Hong Kong politician and deputy director of the Basic Law Committee of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, said that the vitality of the motherland remains a strong support for Hong Kong's development, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Speaking of the monthslong protests that have often led to violent crimes in Hong Kong, Tan said that ending the violence and chaos and returning to development are in the interests of the well-being of Hong Kong's people, and a return to calm is the best opportunity for the SAR to integrate its development with the country's growth.

To support Hong Kong and Macao in deepening high-quality cooperation with the mainland, the central government unveiled the national strategy of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in February and encouraged the two regions to leverage their strengths and roles in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative.

For Hong Kong and Macao, the biggest strength of the "one country, two systems" principle is that the nation's reform and opening-up provides them with a vast arena for development, Xi said when meeting with a delegation from Hong Kong and Macao in Beijing in November 2018.

Wu Zhiliang, president of the board of directors of the Macao Foundation, attributed Macao's success in practicing the "one country, two systems" principle to the solid foundation of patriotic education in the region.

Sound historical research and education help Macao raise public awareness of the history of the Chinese nation and help people better understand relations between Macao and the motherland as well as the world, Wu was quoted by China News Service as saying.

Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remark at a reception held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing.

China's development over the past 70 years has been supported and helped by friends from all over the world, Huang said, adding that he appreciated their contributions in discussing China and enhancing the country's communications with the world.

Xu Lin, head of the State Council Information Office, said the office will enhance communication with various circles－including the media－provide them with better services and work with them to present the world a true, multidimensional and panoramic view of China.

Xu said China welcomes journalists and people from all walks of life to travel around the country more.

This year, the office organized nearly 260 news conferences on major policies and hot spot issues, and issued 12 government white papers, he said.

The reception brought together some 400 people, including representatives of Chinese and foreign news outlets, ministry spokespersons, foreign envoys and representatives from international organizations.

Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said the ministry has been at the forefront of telling China's story and spreading China's voice, and always explains the country's stance and policies to the international community in a timely manner.

The ministry will make better use of social media platforms next year to promote understanding of, and support for, China's foreign policy, Geng said.

Hina Firdous, press attache at Pakistan's embassy in China, said that information sharing between the two countries is candid.

Industrial output expanded by 6.2 percent year-on-year in November, up from 4.7 percent for October. Retail sales growth rose to a five-month high of 8 percent year-on-year, versus 7.2 percent a month earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.

"The economy sustained the momentum of progress in overall stability," said NBS spokesman Fu Linghui.

"This reflects great resilience, potential and room to maneuver for the Chinese economy amid complicated external conditions," Fu said.

November's Singles' Day shopping festival continued to be an important driver of online sales, he said, adding that online sales contributed about 0.9 percentage point to retail sales growth.

Accelerating economic activity has consolidated the basis of achieving this year's annual growth target of 6 to 6.5 percent, he said.

In the short term, the Chinese economy faces less uncertainty from external demand, given progress toward resolving Sino-US trade friction and a stabilizing global manufacturing sector, according to a report released by China International Capital Corp.

This, in tandem with domestic policy efforts to stabilize growth and the resilience of demand for real estate, may keep economic activities recovering until the Spring Festival holiday season, which starts on Jan 24, it said.

"Given the pattern of China's economic cycle, economic growth may stabilize and even pick up in 2020, predicated on continuous improvements in the domestic business environment and external demand," said Yang Weiyong, an associate professor of economics at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

But Yang said downside risks should be monitored, citing the complexity of the trade friction with the US. "Policymakers should focus on fostering a pro-business environment featuring fair competition and respect for property rights."

Fu, the NBS spokesman, also said slower global growth and domestic economic restructuring may weigh on the economy in the next year, making it necessary to deploy growth stabilization policy efforts.

Ensuring steady growth does not necessarily mean fixating on GDP growth of no lower than 6 percent, often seen as a psychological threshold, he said. "As long as economic development complies with requirements of the (high-quality) phase, I think either slightly quicker or slower growth will be acceptable."

Fu said China's economic development in 2020 should be aimed more at qualitative targets such as higher quality and efficiency of development, increases in people's income and environmental improvements.

Economic upgrading continued in November as the output of high-tech manufacturing and equipment manufacturing grew by 8.9 percent and 8.5 percent, respectively, outperforming total industrial output, the NBS said.

Fixed-asset investment expanded by 5.2 percent in the first 11 months, unchanged from the January-October period. The surveyed urban jobless rate stood at 5.1 percent, the same as in October.

Liu Chunsheng, an associate professor of international trade at the Central University of Finance and Economics, said good news from Sino-US trade talks, the effects of counter-cyclical policies and the Singles' Day shopping festival were key factors leading to better economic performance last month.

To achieve steady, quality growth in 2020, it is critical for China to continue vitalizing the private sector by easing financing woes, putting tax and fee cut measures into place and aiding in the exploration of new export markets, Liu said.

 

 

]]> 2019-12-17 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/17/content_37529353.htm Employment is undergoing stable growth with new job creation targets this year having been met ahead of schedule, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.

As of the end of November, the nation registered continuous and stable growth in employment with about 12.79 million new urban jobs created so far this year－outperforming the target of 11 million set in March, the bureau said.

The unemployment rate is within a reasonable range, the NBS said in a news release.

Based on an NBS survey conducted in November, the national unemployment rate that month stood at 5.1 percent, and among people ages 25 to 59 years old, the rate was 4.6 percent, roughly unchanged from October.

The surveyed unemployment rate in 31 cities－including Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province－was also stable in November at 5.1 percent, on par with that in previous months.

"The nation is undergoing economic restructuring, which may pose challenges and put pressure on the current job market. But the employment situation does have a promising future as the government is fully prepared to handle such pressure," said Chen Lixiang, vice-dean of Peking University's China Institute for Occupation Research.

In March, the government elevated its "employment-first policy" to a macro policy, together with fiscal and monetary policies, thus showing the concern over the domestic job market among officials.

A series of campaigns were also implemented to help key groups－including college graduates, demobilized military personnel, laid-off workers and migrant workers－find gainful employment.

For example, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security launched a job fair in Hefei, Anhui province, on Nov 23 to offer job information and human resources services to college students. About 500 enterprises, research institutes and schools joined the fair.

It's part of a ministry campaign, from Nov 23 to Dec 6, to help college graduates find jobs.

Zhang Ying, the ministry's director of employment promotion, said at a news conference in October that the employment-first policy remains a priority amid current job-market pressure.

Zhang said the ministry will continue to encourage entrepreneurship among college students and laid-off workers, as well as migrant workers, by giving them preferential policies. More skills training courses will also be available to these key groups.

 

]]> 2019-12-17 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/17/content_37529354.htm With North China blanketed by snow on Sunday, precipitation is expected to be of a much wetter variety over other parts of the nation until Thursday, said the National Meteorological Center.

Snow or sleet began falling in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Beijing and Shanxi province Sunday evening. On Monday, heavy snow snarled commutes in Jilin, Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces in Northeast China, with parts of the region expected to see snow accumulations of over 8 centimeters.

"This storm system will affect the most areas in China since cold weather began this season," said He Lifu, chief forecaster at the center, which issued a blue alert for heavy snow, the lowest in the four-tier warning system, on Sunday.

Snowfall disrupted traffic in many regions. By 5 pm Monday, snow had caused 1,559 flight cancellations and 1,429 flight delays across China, according to Vari-Flight, a commercial airline information portal. Several highways in Inner Mongolia and Beijing were also closed due to weather conditions.

In Beijing, where snowfall tapered off around noon on Monday, at least 50 outbound and 66 inbound flights had been canceled at Beijing Capital International Airport as of 2:30 pm, the site said.

Twenty-nine bus routes had been altered or suspended as of 10 am due to snow and icy road conditions, the local commission of transport said. According to Beijing Subway, sections of the system, including Line 5 and Line 13, lowered operational speeds due to the weather.

More than 50,000 sanitation workers and over 6,500 snow removal vehicles were mobilized to ensure road safety.

According to the center, snow will continue in many regions but taper off midweek. Small or moderate snow and sleet systems will move toward West and Central China, including the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the provinces of Gansu, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Hubei and Hunan. In Sichuan and Chongqing, heavy rainfall is expected.

"Warm humid air moved from the south and mixed with colder air in the north, producing warm wet air masses. Meanwhile, two cold air systems from the north of Xinjiang and Siberia, Russia, converged with these masses, causing large-scale snowfall," the center's He said.

He added that during the ongoing snowfall, visibility will be poor and temperatures in the north and northeast could drop by about 10 C.

"During the snow, cold air in the north will also head further south, leading to rainy weather in the south for about a week," he said.

From Monday to Thursday, light to moderate rainfall is expected in the southwest and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Heavy rainfall will hit parts of Hunan and Jiangxi provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Wednesday.

Xin Wen and Xinhua contributed to this story.

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-17 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/17/content_37529279.htm The core space-based network of China's Beidou Navigation Satellite System has been completely deployed, which is expected to tremendously improve the system's capability to serve users around the world.

The 56th and 57th Beidou satellites, which are also the 23rd and 24th of the core constellation of Beidou's third-generation system, were lifted into space atop a Long March 3B carrier rocket on Monday afternoon at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, the China Satellite Navigation Office said in a statement.

They are tasked with operating in medium Earth orbits about 20,000 kilometers above Earth, along with 22 previously launched satellites of the same type. Monday's launch marked the completion of Beidou's core in-orbit network, according to the office.

Yang Changfeng, Beidou's chief designer, said on Monday: "With the new satellites, Beidou's global coverage and service capability have been further improved, and users can enjoy more benefits from Beidou, such as global short-message service."

Yang said there have been 18 Beidou launch missions that placed 30 satellites into orbit since November 2017, when the first third-generation Beidou satellites were lifted into space.

Beidou is China's biggest space－based system and is one of four space-based navigation networks, along with the United States' GPS, Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo.

Since 2000, when the first Beidou satellite entered orbit, 57 satellites, including four experimental ones, have been launched and some of them have been retired. Beidou began providing positioning, navigation, timing and messaging services to civilian users in China and other parts of the Asia-Pacific region in late 2012. At the end of 2018, Beidou started to provide global services.

Currently, there are 46 Beidou satellites in service in space. The China Satellite Navigation Office intends to position two more Beidou satellites in geostationary orbit in the first half of 2020 to finish the deployment of all of Beidou's space-based assets.

The office said that over 100,000 scientists, engineers and technicians from more than 300 domestic institutes and enterprises have been involved in Beidou's development and construction.

According to the Global Navigation Satellite System and Location-Based Services Association of China, Beidou is used in dozens of business and public sectors in China, including transportation, electrical power, fisheries, mining and agriculture, and tens of millions of Beidou-based terminal devices have been sold and are in service.

More than 500,000 Chinese people work at around 14,000 domestic institutes and companies doing business with Beidou and other satellite navigation and positioning services.

Statistics from the China Satellite Navigation Office show that as of April, the Beidou system had been put into use in more than 6.2 million taxis, buses and trucks as well as at least 40,000 fishing ships across the country.

All Beidou satellites were put into orbit by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology's Long March 3 series, China's workhorse rockets for five consecutive years, according to the academy.

It said such rockets have conducted 12 launch operations this year, accounting for nearly half of all missions by the Long March family.

 

]]> 2019-12-17 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/17/content_37529280.htm President Xi Jinping said on Monday the central government fully acknowledges the courage and sense of mission that Hong Kong's chief executive, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, has demonstrated during this special period for the region.

Xi's remark came as he heard a report from Lam on the region's situation and the work of the special administrative region government at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing.

He told Lam, who is in Beijing to deliver her annual work report, that this year has been the most challenging and complicated for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region since its return to the motherland. In the face of various difficulties and pressure, Lam has adhered to the bottom line of the principle of "one country, two systems", carried out law-based governance, assumed her responsibilities and conducted a large amount of difficult work, he said.

He also cited Lam's leadership of the SAR government in adopting a host of measures to aid businesses, ease difficulties faced by the public and carefully investigate deep-rooted problems in society.

Xi reiterated the pledge he made when addressing the BRICS Summit in Brasilia, Brazil, last month, saying that the Chinese government is determined to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, implement the "one country, two systems" policy and oppose any foreign interference in Hong Kong affairs.

He also vowed continuously staunch support for the government of the Hong Kong SAR, led by Lam, in carrying out governance in accordance with the law, and to the region's police in performing strict law enforcement.

The country will firmly support patriotic forces, and it is his hope that the people from all sectors in the region can unite and make concerted efforts to bring the region's development back to a normal track, Xi said.

In his meeting with Lam, Premier Li Keqiang said that the Hong Kong economy is now showing obvious signs of recession, with many sectors being dealt a severe blow.

He told Lam that she had risen to challenges, but continuous efforts must be made to end the violence and chaos and restore order.

Li added that the SAR government must accelerate efforts to investigate the series of deep-rooted problems in the region's social and economic development.

Lasting violence in the region took a heavy toll on the economy in the third quarter, and the region is expecting its first annual contraction since the global financial crisis a decade ago, Lam said in the meeting with Li.

She said at a news briefing in Beijing on Monday that she was encouraged by the recognition from the central government, stressing that ending violence, which flares up from time to time, remains the city's top priority.

The SAR government will employ an independent review committee to look into the social unrest and find solutions as part of efforts to tackle the city's deep-rooted issues, she said, adding that continuous financial measures will be extended to local enterprises and residents at this difficult time.

Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said Xi's affirmation of Lam and the HKSAR government boosts the confidence and morale of the Hong Kong community in ending violence and restoring order.

Xi's remarks have sent a warning to rioters on the streets to stop stirring up trouble and sounded a clarion call for the city's patriotic forces to stand united to safeguard the "one country, two systems" principle, Lau said.

Ronny Tong Ka-wah, a member of Hong Kong's Executive Council, said the central government can only provide directional guidance to the HKSAR government, and the SAR government should continue to explore feasible measures on its own to quell violence and bring the city back on track.

 

 

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-17 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/17/content_37529302.htm President Xi Jinping on Monday called on retired officials to keep making positive contributions to the realization of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark when meeting with representatives attending a national conference honoring outstanding units and individuals from the ranks of retired government and military officials at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Xi shook hands with attendees, chatted with them and joined in a group photo. Xi expressed the hope that the retirees would cherish their glorious past and maintain their true political character. A total of 150 model units and 450 individual retired model officials from across the country were honored.

Chen Xi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, urged the retired officials to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Chen said the deeds of the honorees set an example for more Party members and officials to remain true to the CPC's founding mission and secure more achievements.

 

]]> 2019-12-17 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/17/content_37529320.htm Vice-President Wang Qishan underlined on Monday the importance of consolidating the foundation of people-to-people friendly exchanges among countries amid the current changing international situation.

He made the remark in Beijing when meeting former foreign leaders and diplomats before a reception commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs.

China's development cannot exist separate from a good international environment and its development will also benefit the world, Wang said, adding that the Chinese government always pays high attention to people-to-people diplomacy.

He called for more efforts to continuously deepen mutual understanding between Chinese people and those in other countries and to promote dialogue and cooperation among all parties, thus injecting more positive energy into world peace, stability and prosperity.

Calling the foreign guests old friends of the Chinese people, Wang said he hoped they can continue to help promote friendly relations between China and their countries.

During their meeting, foreign guests, including former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama, offered his congratulations on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the institute.

They said they will continue to make contributions to promoting the development of bilateral ties and facilitating friendly exchanges between civilians.

Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the committee's Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, said in a speech at the reception that the trends of unilateralism, protectionism and bullying are rising in today's world, introducing instability and uncertainty to the international situation.

However, justice will prevail and people in all countries are increasingly calling for strengthened international cooperation, Yang said, adding that the trends of global multipolarization and economic globalization cannot be stopped.

Friendly exchanges among people are one of the basic forces to promote world peace and development, and are also basic preconditions for realizing win-win cooperation, Yang added.

The Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs was founded in December 1949 on the initiative of the late premier Zhou Enlai. It is the first of its kind devoted to people-to-people diplomacy after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

 

]]> 2019-12-17 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/17/content_37529355.htm Thousands of people of all ages filled the streets of Madrid early this month, marching amid the flashing blue and red lights of police cars, chanting slogans and holding placards or flags.

Some of the protesters in the Spanish capital sang and danced, accompanied by lively music.

Sitting on his father's shoulders, one small boy, who was among the youngest in the crowd, wore a white T-shirt with a slogan on the back stating, "Never too small to make a difference."

These scenes on Dec 6, during the United Nations climate change conference, were just one of the latest reminders of the push being made by NGOs worldwide for enhanced action on the issue.

Chinese delegates attending the conference, especially the younger ones, faced questions about what they had been doing at home to address global climate change.

The conference, also known as COP25 for the conference of the parties that signed the Paris climate agreement, had been scheduled to end on Friday. But heated discussions over differences delayed the closure until Sunday. The event was not only attended by diplomats from nearly 200 countries, but also by NGOs from across the globe.

Delegates wearing exotic costumes, including members of Amazonian tribes and people from Pacific island nations, appeared at the venue, the Madrid IFEMA Convention Center.

Although they wore no special costumes, two 9-year-olds from China stood out amid the thousands at the bustling center. Chen Hetu, a boy, and Li Zilin, a girl just three months older than him, were among the youngest speakers on the event's sidelines.

On Dec 5, Li, who comes from Sichuan province, the major habitat of the giant panda, delivered a speech on climate change and animal protection.

She told her audience that in the next 80 years pandas may have to move to higher altitudes with lower temperatures in search of certain varieties of bamboo if global warming continues at the present rate.

"Let's stand together with the panda. Let's unite to combat climate change," Li said.

The two primary school students joined hundreds of NGO representatives from China for the 9,000-kilometer trip to Spain to attend the conference, a stark contrast to just seven more than 10 years ago.

Wang Xiangyi, deputy secretary-general of the China Association for NGO Cooperation who has observed the annual climate gathering for 12 years, said she thought representatives from Chinese NGOs first attended in 2007, when COP 13 was held in Bali, Indonesia.

She said just seven Chinese from the nongovernment sector were at the event, including only three from local NGOs. The others were a journalist and a college student, while the remaining two worked for branches of international NGOs in China.

Wang said their attendance attracted a lot of attention and they were interviewed by many journalists, some of whom said they did not know that Chinese NGOs were working on climate change issues.

"When Sha Zukang (former UN deputy secretary-general for economic and social affairs) saw us, he came to talk with us and asked to have a group photo taken," she said.

Wang added that since 2007, the development of climate-related NGOs in China has boomed. When her association launched the China Civil Climate Action Network that year, the latter only had about 10 local climate-related NGOs. Now, the number has risen to 33.

She said some Chinese NGOs are actively promoting projects that could help with climate change mitigation and adaptation, without knowing that these ventures are climate-related.

"There are many such cases," she said, citing the example of a local NGO in Yunnan province which thought its project to help farmers adapt to frequent droughts by promoting new crop species with fresh planting methods was solely an agricultural program.

Chinese NGOs gained access to the UN climate change conference through their international counterparts, which held observer status for the event. Wang's association was granted such status in 2011, but there are only about 10 Chinese local NGOs that are observers, she said.

Among the representatives from Chinese NGOs this year, the younger generation stood out by taking part in a range of events on the sidelines. They not only delivered speeches, but also held news conferences and joined their foreign counterparts in joint declarations on climate action.

On Thursday, they, together with some international students, staged a fashion show, featuring costumes made from recycled materials to promote a low-carbon lifestyle.

Back home, instead of taking the approach adopted by Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate activist from Sweden, to motivate students to boycott classes in pursuit of enhanced action, young Chinese, motivated by local NGOs, are joining more "classes" with a climate-change theme.

For example, Wang Zekai, who launched the NGO Youthink Center in 2009, has been promoting online classes, hoping to "transform youth into low-carbon talent that not only thinks low-carbon is important, but will also take action and be capable of influencing people around them".

He said the online climate-themed classes attracted 500,000 young Chinese last year.

Students who complete the course receive e-certificates and are encouraged to share what they learn via social media to attract increased participation in the program from NGOs.

In one of the latest online classes, for example, Youthink Center will share with young participants the journey made by a Syrian girl to attend this year's UN event in Madrid. She had to take a taxi from her war-torn homeland to Jordan before flying to Spain.

Participants in the program are also encouraged to make online pledges on living a low-carbon lifestyle.

"We offer them a series of choices. Some are as simple as taking public transportation. They can also make a promise to work in green industries after they graduate. With a range of interesting online activities and interaction, we want to mobilize the participation of young people," Wang Zekai said.

The project also includes a competition on climate action plans, with the winner qualifying for a sponsored trip to the UN climate change conference.

Wang Zekai said he expects the number of participants in the project to surpass 100,000 this year. There are plans to expand the project to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region by recruiting 200,000 volunteers to help mobilize 1 million young participants.

Meanwhile, the China Youth Climate Action Network has launched a two-year project named 2030 Climate Change +. Every year it will choose 20 teams from across the country. In addition to offering training, half the teams will be provided with financial support to conduct yearlong climate-related field research, according to the network.

The NGO will organize three cross-sector joint learning teams, who will publish at least 50 climate-themed papers written from the perspective of young people to help spread climate knowledge.

Zhang Haoran, 24, who works with the network, said, "Media exposure is a major part of the project to help promote it, with the aim of involving government, enterprises, the public and think tanks."

While motivating the teams that are chosen to contact government bodies and businesses in their field research, it is expected that the in-depth climate-themed articles published by these young people will further encourage stronger action, Zhang said.

The program has a target of getting at least 10 local governments to carry out "more ambitious actions" in their jurisdictions, according to the network.

Zhang said lectures have been organized at 10 universities nationwide to mobilize the participation of students in the project. The lectures have been attended by more than 2,000 students.

The students do not usually have access to officials and may not know how to make their acquaintance. As part of the lectures, or closed-door seminars held in conjunction with them, they will learn how to communicate with officials, in addition to climate-related knowledge.

Zheng Xiaowen, 28, head of the China Youth Climate Action Network, said the NGO, which was established in 2007, has been organizing young Chinese to take part in UN climate change conferences since 2008. It hopes they can develop instructive ideas on what they can do in their home country by communicating with their counterparts from overseas.

Since 2007, the network has also been promoting energy conservation at universities. Previously, it mainly motivated students in leading low-carbon lifestyles or in calculating carbon emissions at their universities, Zheng said.

She added that more than 500 Chinese universities have taken part in activities organized or sponsored by her NGO, involving at least 100,000 young people.

The network plans to introduce a new strategy in promoting the campus project by persuading university executives to launch energy-conservation initiatives at management level.

Guo Hongyu, 31, has attended UN climate change conferences since 2015. She joined Greenovation Hub, an NGO focused on policy analysis and research, two years earlier.

She said that while Chinese NGOs could help promote the concept of climate change, they have yet to adequately play such a role and need to step up their efforts.

Li Xiajie, deputy director of the International Department at the China Association for NGO Cooperation, said Chinese NGOs urgently need to better explain the efforts they have made on climate change to people around the world.

They also need to increase their efforts to conduct work in a way that can be clearly understood and accepted by the international community.

Joel Naoki Ernesto Christoph, a French student who has been studying at Tsinghua University for four months, said Chinese society is now speaking out more on climate change.

"Different countries have different ways of expressing their concerns about the challenges of climate change. If we look at what's happening in universities and also in the private sector (in China), there's a lot going on," he said. 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-17 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/16/content_37529229.htm The phase one trade deal between China and the United States, which holds off a planned US tariff increase on billions of dollars of Chinese imports previously set to take effect on Sunday, was welcomed by US business groups. But they urged the removal of all additional duties as well.

Beijing and Washington announced the deal on Friday. China said the two sides had agreed that the US will fulfill its commitments to phase out additional tariffs on Chinese products.

The US has dropped plans to impose new tariffs on $160 billion in Chinese-made consumer goods, including laptops, smartphones and clothing, and cut in half tariffs imposed in September on another $112 billion to 7.5 percent. But it will continue to levy a 25 percent import tax that started last year on $250 billion in Chinese goods.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the deal is bullish news for the world.

At a joint news conference on Saturday with Miro Cerar, Slovenia's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Wang remarked that China has always been opposed to settling economic and trade disputes by imposing tariffs because there is no winner in a trade war. China also rejects the use of unilateral pressure, as it violates the rules of the World Trade Organization, he said.

The wording of the phase one agreement was settled after rounds of back-and-forth negotiations, Wang noted.

The agreement is conducive to gradually bringing China-US economic and trade relations back to a normal development track and will inject confidence into world economy facing downward pressure, he said, adding that it will also help to stabilize the global trade order.

"The tariff relief included in the phase one deal is welcome and could be a sign that the end of the trade war is in sight," said Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association.

However, Helfenbein said US businesses, consumers and workers are still being hammered by tariffs imposed by the US and by China's retaliatory tariffs on incoming US goods.

"The trade war is a self-inflicted wound that has caused a lot of pain for America. The sooner these tariffs are eliminated, the better. And we won't stop pressing our case until this happens," he said.

Americans for Free Trade, a coalition of more than 150 business groups from every sector of the economy－which are united in the fight against tariffs－said the rollback of tariffs and cancellation of new levies is a small step forward.

"However, the tariffs still in place are a tax that Americans, and not China, continue to pay, to the tune of tens of billions of dollars," the coalition's spokesman Jonathan Gold said. "By only reducing the tariffs on a few items, the administration is picking winners and losers in this trade war."

People in the US have paid an additional $42 billion in tariffs since the beginning of the trade war in early 2018 through October this year, including an additional $4 billion in October alone, the coalition said in a statement on Friday after the announcement of the deal.

"That's why we urge the administration to continue to work diligently to come to a final agreement with China that will remove all the tariffs currently in place," Gold said.

The US Chamber of Commerce said the phase one agreement creates "greater certainty" for US businesses as they plan for the year ahead, after months of uncertainty.

"We call upon both governments to continue working diligently toward a final agreement within six months," Myron Brilliant, the chamber's executive vice-president and head of international affairs, said in a statement.

Another US industrial group, the National Retail Federation, also underscored the need to eliminate all the remaining tariffs.

"Tariffs create uncertainty and costs for American retail supply chains, and the trade war won't be over until they are eliminated completely," said David French, the group's senior vice-president for government relations.

Mary Lovely, a trade economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the current 25 percent tariffs fall largely on intermediate inputs, so US factories are feeling the pinch.

"A cease-fire in the trade war will bring much needed relief to America's factories and farms," she wrote in an article posted on the institute's website.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

 

]]> 2019-12-16 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/16/content_37529227.htm The UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid concluded on Sunday after discussions for two extra days without finalizing a rule book for the Paris agreement. Meanwhile, experts in China and the United States are calling for more international cooperation and adherence to the principle of the agreement.

Todd Stern, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former US special envoy for climate change, said on Saturday that even though the rules of a global carbon market remain up in the air, the rule book of the Paris agreement was "already quite good".

"If ... (the market) doesn't get done this year, I wouldn't panic about that," he said on the sidelines of the second round of the China-US Leading Scholars Dialogue at Yale University. "To me, the more important thing is that it should not get done in a manner that lacks environmental integrity."

The dialogue was hosted by Yale's Paul Tsai China Center and the China Academy of Social Sciences in Shanghai on Friday and Saturday.

Stern said countries have been taking action to counter climate change, but not enough to meet the target set by the Paris agreement. The goal is to hold the global temperature increase to less than 2 C of pre-industrial levels by the end of this century.

"The world is on track for a 3-degree increase of temperature, which is way too high," he said.

To make things worse, the United States started its withdrawal process from the Paris agreement last month, which it expects to complete by Nov 4.

"It's damaging the international effort because the US is a big and important player," Stern said. US membership in the agreement could be restored if the country elects a president in 2020 who is committed to climate action and decides to rejoin the Paris agreement, he said.

"It's also important to note that there's a tremendous amount of climate action and activity in the US at the sub-national level by states and cities," Stern said. "The focus is particularly on states and cities that account for 68 percent of GDP, 65 percent of the population and more than 50 percent of emissions in the US."

He added, "There's still some room for collaboration on the subnational level, and plenty of opportunities for think tanks and others to collaborate."

Xie Zhenhua, China's special representative on climate change affairs and dean of Tsinghua University's Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, said it's unwise and irresponsible for the US to leave the Paris agreement.

"It's hurting people, not only in the US, but also in China and around the world," he said. "We urge the US to come back and play its role in global climate action.

"All parties should abide by the principles set in the Paris agreement, under which, I think, representatives and experts will work out the detailed rules of the carbon market addressing the balance between development and environment."

Xie added that local governments in China and the United States will continue to be committed to cooperation in combating climate change and will encourage continued efforts among social organizations and corporations between the two countries.

 

 

]]> 2019-12-16 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/16/content_37529217.htm Rescue workers have located 14 miners trapped in a flooded coal mine in Southwest China, and efforts are underway to save them.

As of 8 am on Sunday, four people had died after the mine flooded on Saturday afternoon in Xunchang town in Gongxian county, which falls under the administration of Yibin, Sichuan province, according to Hu Xiaohua, an official in the Yibin municipal government information office.

The Sichuan Coal Industry Group's Shanmushu mine flooded at 3:26 pm Saturday, as 347 people were working in the shaft. As of Sunday morning, 329 people had returned to the surface.

Sichuan Governor Yin Li and Huang Yuzhi, vice-minister of emergency management and head of the National Coal Mine Safety Administration, went to the scene overnight to oversee search and rescue operations.

"Eleven search and rescue teams comprising around 190 people are working in a rapid and orderly manner," Hu said.

"Search-and-rescue workers are using 16 types of submersible pumps to pump water out of the area where the miners are trapped. Compressed air is being released into the area through pipelines to ensure that sufficient air is available. And the crews are taking turns clearing silt, which prevents teams from approaching the area," Hu said.

The Shanmushu mine, which opened in 2015, produces coal and coal byproducts.

According to Beijing News, it has had three major accidents since 2013. A gas explosion killed seven people in 2013. The following year, a roof collapse killed one. In April, an excessive amount of explosive gas accumulated, though it didn't explode and no one died. Twenty-two officials were punished.

 

 

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-16 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/16/content_37529215.htm Editor's Note: In "Footprint", a series of stories recalling important examples of China interacting with the rest of the world, we follow the country's path over the past seven decades. This is part of the series.

The extent of fires raging across the globe this year has caught the attention of scientists and raised eyebrows worldwide.

In Australia, many areas have experienced devastating fires that have left six people dead and destroyed hundreds of properties.

Elsewhere, vast tracts of land have been shrouded in smoke, with flames burning huge swaths of forest in California, Greece, Spain, Russia, France, Indonesia and some African nations.

While scientists cannot attribute any single fire directly to climate change, some say it's clear that the extent and severity of wildfires in recent years is closely linked to global warming.

Stefan H. Doerr, professor of geography at Swansea University in Wales and editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Wildland Fire, said, "Climate change has increased the probability of extreme fires in many parts of the world. Simply, the frequency of these extreme conditions and their magnitude is increasing due to climate change.

"We are now seeing fire behaviors that we really have not seen so extensively in recent years. In many places, fires are becoming larger and more destructive."

Global warming has also led to rising sea levels, intense hurricanes and strong storms, experts say. According to a report from the charity Save the Children, "climate shocks" are threatening 33 million people in East and Southern Africa with cyclones and droughts.

Climate change is now regarded as one of the greatest challenges facing humanity, and the key to addressing the issue is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A goal to keep global warming to below 2 C was agreed by the participating countries at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, at which China was widely seen as a major player in concluding the accord.

Anthony Cox, deputy director of environment at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, said, "This was the first time that China had really put its huge power behind the goal of climate change."

On Nov 30, 2015, President Xi Jinping put forward China's position on addressing global climate change challenges at the 21st Conference of the Parties, also known as COP21, in Paris. He pledged to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and to raise the share of non-fossil fuels to 20 percent in primary energy consumption.

Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, European Commission spokeswoman on climate change, said China's commitments in the French capital were "absolutely vital" to the Paris agreement and inspired other nations to follow suit.

"In international climate diplomacy as well as climate action globally, China plays an absolutely crucial role, and this is one of the reasons the European Union has sided with China. For us, it's very important to have China as a partner in our climate action work," she said.

The country has come a long way to play a leading role in global climate change cooperation. It was not until the early 1980s that environmental protection became a basic Chinese government policy. Since then, significant efforts have been made in working toward climate change mitigation and promoting energy conservation.

During a meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1991, China was opposed to the idea of targets, and supported a general framework convention with no specific responsibilities.

Ksenia Chmutina, a senior lecturer at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, said in a report titled China's Participation in Global Climate Change Cooperation that from the 1980s to the post-Kyoto era, China has been successful in establishing a unified front for developing countries in order to resist any singling out of such nations' commitments by developed countries.

The Kyoto Protocol, reached in the Japanese city in 1997, set specific emissions reduction targets for each industrialized nation. More than 100 developing countries, including China and India, were exempted from the treaty.

Pan Jiahua, director of the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, "The Kyoto Protocol did not bring any real pressure on China after it came into effect, but it did have a huge impact on China's future climate negotiations."

At the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Denmark, commonly known as the Copenhagen Summit, China expressed quiet satisfaction at the outcome of the talks, which clarified the obligations of developed and developing countries and actions they should take according to the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities".

China's efforts on global climate mitigation negotiations hit the headlines at the 2015 World Climate Change Conference in Paris, where the country was hailed as a "constructive shaper" of the process.

Cox, from the OECD, who attended the meeting, said, "The mood at the whole conference was one of tremendous optimism … and the fact that China came on board and showed leadership, I think had a very unifying effect on the conference."

By playing a more active role in global efforts to mitigate climate change, experts believe China has much to gain and little to lose.

Karl Hallding, senior research fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute in Sweden, said, "A growing global focus on low-carbon economic development provides opportunities for China to gain competitiveness, international reputation and environmental benefits, at the same time as it lays the foundation for more-balanced economic and social development."

While Xi's speech in Paris was important in reaffirming China's commitment to what became the Paris process, the key step was the joint statement made by him and United States president Barack Obama in Beijing on Nov 12, 2014, where both countries asserted that climate change is "one of the greatest threats facing humanity" and committed to their national targets.

However, on becoming US President, Donald Trump reversed his predecessor's policy toward climate change. On June 1, 2017, Trump announced that the US would cease all participation in the 2015 Paris agreement, claiming the Paris climate accord, which has been signed by more than 190 countries, would hurt the US economy with job losses.

Despite US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi attending the UN Climate Change summit, also known as COP25, in Madrid this month, environmentalists want to see concrete steps being taken by the US government.

Jean Su, energy director of the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson, Arizona, said in an interview with the BBC before the summit, "While it's great that Speaker Pelosi is coming to Madrid in place of Trump, symbolic gestures are no substitute for bold action.

"America remains the No 1 historic contributor to the climate emergency, and even Democratic politicians have never committed to taking responsibility for our fair share," she said.

With the US exiting the Paris agreement, the global community is looking to China to help fill the leadership gap in international climate politics. Despite being the largest emitter in the world, the country is leading the way in developing renewable energy. It has more solar panels and wind turbines than any other country, and last year more electric vehicles were sold in China than in the rest of the world combined.

Cox believes that China has a huge opportunity to lead the world in driving the transition to a low-emission, climate-resilient economy. "A policy focus on harnessing the benefits from innovation will be essential to driving the structural changes and emissions reductions that will help achieve the global climate goals," he said.

However, China's path toward a stronger economy that is less dependent on coal has never been straightforward, and the huge pressure to cut carbon emissions while maintaining stable economic growth could affect its battle against global warming.

Last year, China's carbon emissions intensity－emissions per unit of GDP－fell by 45.8 percent compared with 2005, and it has already fulfilled its promise that by next year such intensity would fall by 40 to 45 percent compared with 2005.

Given the overall positive trend, challenges still remain. According to Global Carbon Budget, which tracks carbon dioxide emissions worldwide, China's carbon emissions have risen in the past three years after falling for several years.

Sharon George, a climate change expert at Keele University in the UK, said, "China needs to act urgently if it is going to meet its commitments and reduce the use of coal-fired power production, which provides around three-quarters of its electricity."

While taking into consideration the historical differences between developed and developing countries, some academics argue that it would be unjust to seek to meet climate targets by restricting the development of nations such as China, where there is evidence of significant improvements in energy efficiency.

Neil Hirst, a senior policy fellow at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London, said that while still facing challenges in developing the economy and improving people's livelihoods, China has moved from heavy industry toward lighter-and-higher-value industries and services that are less energy intensive.

He underlined that the nation has already achieved and far surpassed most of its climate targets to cut carbon intensity by 40 to 45 percent between 2005 and next year, well ahead of schedule, adding, "China's rapid economic growth has created room for big investments in solar and wind power, and electric vehicles."

Hirst, author of The Energy Conundrum: Climate Change, Global Prosperity, and the Tough Decisions We Have to Make, said he believes China can lead the way in showing how economic development and emissions reduction can work in tandem, and he expects that it will successfully implement its Paris commitments.

The Paris agreement provided the foundation for emissions reductions, but at the COP25 meeting in Madrid this month and at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, next year, nations will need to come together to realize their ambitions.

Wendel Trio, director of Climate Action Network Europe, said, "In 2015, it was China and the US that both got a lot of attention and credit, but in Glasgow if it really succeeds, I think China will be the one." 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-16 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/16/content_37529196.htm A blue book released on Saturday showed that Beijing's permanent population has continuously dropped in two recent years while getting much older. Meanwhile, the capital's subcenter, Tongzhou district, has seen more population growth since Beijing has been shifting noncapital functions to neighboring areas.

In addition, the blue book, issued on Saturday by the Beijing Population and Social Development Research Center and the Social Sciences Academic Press, finds that the capital's migrant population has been declining since 2015. In 2018, it had fallen to 7.65 million, down 3.74 percent year-on-year.

Experts say that as Beijing's noncapital functions are gradually moved out, and with the crackdown on illegal structures, migrants have faced more pressure living and working in Beijing, causing a continuous decline in their population.

Beijing's permanent resident population－people with hukou, or those without who have lived in the city for more than six months－also shrank in the past two years. In 2018, the permanent resident population was 21.5 million, 165,000 fewer than in 2017, according to the report.

Yang Hongshan, a professor at Renmin University of China's School of Public Administration and Policy, said municipal authorities' campaign to demolish illegal buildings has raised the cost of living for migrants, making it harder to find housing.

"Their work opportunities were also reduced by the municipal government strengthening curbs on environmental pollution and the relocation of many factories," he said.

Meanwhile, the capital has been moving administrative departments to Tongzhou district, which has thinned the population density of downtown Beijing, he added.

In 2018, the number of permanent residents of Tongzhou district reached to 1.58 million, 70,000 more than in 2017, the report said. Tongzhou's migrant population was 657,000, which is 98,000 more than in 2015.

"It will still take some time for Tongzhou to fully be able to accommodate more people, as supporting facilities for government agencies and other public facilities, like hospitals and schools, are gradually being built," said Yang.

The report also showed that the aging of the Beijing population accelerated significantly in 2018, compared with the juvenile population of newborns to 14-year-olds. The juvenile population, made up 10.52 percent of the total last year, while people age 65 and older, accounted for 11.21 percent.

Dang Junwu, deputy director of the China Research Center on Aging, said Beijing has in recent years become a hyperaging society, one that has a significant proportion of people age 80 or older.

"The aging population is a normal social transformation and part of the reason is due to low fertility in big cities," he said, explaining that college educated women prefer to delay having children as they engage in other pursuits.

The report also suggested how to formulate public service policies needed to adjust to the current demographic for the aging society.

Since 2010, the education level of Beijing residents has improved. In 2018, nearly 40 percent had a college undergraduate education or higher, according to the report.

Beijing has long planned to cap its population at 23 million by 2020 and maintain that level for the long term.

 

]]> 2019-12-16 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/16/content_37529235.htm This year's United Nations climate change conference in Madrid has outpaced all gatherings of its kind in running overtime.

The conference, which started on Dec 2, was slated to end on Friday. However, heated discussions over differences delayed the closing until Sunday.

The highly technical Article 6 of the Paris agreement was a major factor in the delay, and the conference concluded without consensus on rules governing it, pushing the process into next year.

It's not strange to see the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, known widely as COP, to run overtime, but the Madrid conference surpassed COP17 to become the longest.

A key task for COP25 was to finish the negotiations over rules governing Article 6 of Paris agreement. The gathering of almost every country in the world last year managed to reach consensus on other parts of the treaty, but it failed on Article 6, primarily because of a rift between two groups of nations led respectively by the European Union and Brazil.

A major concern for the EU was Brazil's proposal to count its emissions that are absorbed by land use, land-use changes and forestry as credits that could be sold. That approach could result in double-counting emissions reductions, according to Zou Ji, president of Energy Foundation China.

Referring to the article as an "outstanding issue not resolved at COP24" in Katowice, Poland, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed its importance in helping to curb climate change in a speech at the opening ceremony of this year's Madrid conference.

The little-known and highly technical language in Article 6 says that countries may resort to cooperation or an international carbon-trading mechanism to fulfill their carbon-cutting commitments－known as NDCs, or nationally determined contributions.

Since the cost of reducing carbon emissions is different in different countries, the market mechanism is believed to be one of the most efficient and cost-effective approaches for curbing global warming.

"Putting a price on carbon is vital if we are to have any chance of limiting global temperature and avoiding runaway climate change," he said. "I urge all parties to overcome their current divisions to reach a common understanding on this issue."

The Madrid conference soon found, however, that the article remains a hard nut to crack. People were talking about steadily at the Madrid IFEMA Convention Center, where the conference was held.

One of the key concerns for some developing countries is whether unsold carbon credits under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol will be transferable to the new Paris agreement mechanisms, and what the process for doing that would be.

Avoidance of double counting remained a key concern in negotiations this year.

The rift over rules for Article 6 remain unresolved after two weeks of closed-door negotiations. In an informal meeting to take stock of the conference on Friday－itself postponed for an hour and 45 minutes－more than 10 parties spoke and Article 6 was the most frequently heard term.

Two more similar meetings were held later. In the last one, which took place in the early hours on Sunday, however, the rifts were still there, which appeared to trigger the decision of Carolina Schmidt, the COP25 president, to personally lead a conversation to find an agreement.

"We are almost there. It's hard. It's difficult, but it's worth it. I especially need you," she said. "I know that we are very tired and know that most of you haven't slept, but we need this final effort in order to accomplish the goal that brought us all here."

Her effort failed, however. The words "regretful" and "disappointing" could be heard frequently as representatives of many parties talked about the result in the closing plenary session. Many commended the market mechanism outlined in Article 6 as having high efficiency.

"Two days without sleeping day or night. We got so close," Schmidt said, expressing hope that what was done at COP25 could be used in finding a final agreement during the next gathering.

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-16 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/16/content_37529234.htm China's top priority for economic work in 2020 is to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, as regulators lay out supportive policies, policymakers and analysts said over the weekend.

One of the key economic tasks is to double 2010's GDP by the end of 2020－the closing year of the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20)－officials said after the annual Central Economic Work Conference, which was held last week.

That will require an economy operating within a reasonable range, including maintaining an appropriate growth speed, stabilizing prices, keeping unemployment low and maintaining equilibrium in the international balance of payments, the experts said.

"The quantitative targets will be made clear at the National People's Congress in March," Han Wenxiu, deputy head of the office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs, said at a forum on Saturday.

The forum was hosted by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

Because the situation in different regions varies, local authorities should set their own targets based on those conditions, Han said. "It does not require every region to double its GDP by 2020. It is a goal for the whole country."

China should be fully prepared to overcome the difficulties that lead to economic downward pressure, he said, adding that the country is at a critical moment in transforming its development model, optimizing the economic structure and identifying the driving forces of growth.

The "three tough battles"－poverty reduction, effective prevention and control of financial risks and environmental protection－are also key tasks for 2020 that should be carried out, Han said.

To achieve next year's targets, China will make economic stability its top priority. Measures will be taken to encourage supply-side structural reform and strike a "dynamic balance" between supply and demand, said Ning Jizhe, vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission.

"China will continue to implement its proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy, and strengthen its countercyclical adjustments. Both industrial production and consumption should be further upgraded and boosted," Ning said.

The three-day annual Central Economic Work Conference, which ended last week, concluded that the policy framework of stable macro policies and flexible micro measures must be upheld to ensure that key tasks are met next year.

Vice-Premier Liu He, who heads the State Council's leading group on the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, hosted the leading group's fourth meeting on Friday to begin putting the principles outlined at the work conference into place.

Governmental departments, such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, were urged to strengthen their services for SMEs and ease their financial difficulties, according to a statement released on Sunday.

To implement the requirements of the work conference, regulators at all levels should firmly support the development of private companies and optimize a market-oriented business environment, the statement said.

The meeting also emphasized that the SME financing guarantee system should be improved, and the building of an SME credit information platform should be accelerated.

The meeting encouraged technology-driven SMEs to go public, as a way to reduce their financing costs. It also reinforced the principle of protecting SME property rights and intellectual property, saying those will be improved, according to the statement.

Guo Shuqing, Party secretary of the People's Bank of China, the central bank, and chairman of the CBIR, chaired a meeting on Friday urging further reductions in the social financing costs for private, small and micro companies to further improve the efficiency of monetary policy.

The central bank will increase medium-to long-term financing for the manufacturing industry and build a financial supportive policy system for private small and micro companies, along with improvements to the credit structure, he said.

To prevent and resolve financial risks, the financial system and market expectation need to be stabilized, Guo said, adding that the macro leverage rate (the debt-to-GDP ratio) should be maintained at a stable level.

"The PBOC will explore a macro prudential policy framework to supervise foreign exchange, property and bond markets to prevent systemic financial risks during further opening-up," said Chen Yulu, vice-governor of the central bank.

 

]]> 2019-12-16 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/16/content_37529195.htm China suspended extra tariffs on certain products from the United States that had been scheduled on Sunday－a part of the two countries' broader move to scale back tariffs after agreeing on the text of a phase one trade deal.

Experts said de-escalation of the protracted trade war will help restore the confidence of the global financial market. They also urged both governments to build on this progress and fix more underlying problems.

China suspended extra 10 percent and 5 percent tariffs on some products imported from the US, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said in a statement on Sunday. The country also refrained from implementing tariffs on vehicles and auto parts from the US.

Other additional tariff measures will continue to be implemented, and work on tariff exemptions for imports from the US will proceed, it said.

Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, told Xinhua: "The good news is that the threat of tariffs has been moderated to some degree. It underscores the commitment of both nations to provide some relief to the tariff-related pressures on both economies as well as the broader global economy."

On Friday, Chinese officials said China and the US have reached agreement on the text of a phase one trade deal on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and the US will implement its promise to eliminate tariffs on Chinese goods "phase by phase".

Ma Yu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said, "The phase-one trade agreement is considered a clear signal toward de-escalation.

"Companies from the US, China and other major economies, such as Japan and Germany, will restart investment in projects that have been on hold, because unstable elements arising from the trade dispute since March 2018 have caused a number of companies to stop their investment activities," Ma said.

In addition to boosting investment in many parts of the world, the deal, when signed, will also boost the confidence to global financial markets, stabilize market expectations and build a better environment for trade activities and regional trade deals, he said.

"This is an encouraging first phase that puts a floor under further deterioration of the bilateral relationship," US-China Business Council President Craig Allen said.

"But this is just the beginning," he added, noting that the issues facing the US and China are "complex and multifaceted", and more efforts are needed to address them.

Yale's Roach said both sides need to focus more on the common ground "that will continue to bind the two economies together, rather than underscore differences in conflicts", if they want to repair the soured relationship.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

 

]]> 2019-12-16 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/15/content_37529159.htm China has begun preliminary research on a program scheduled to be officially launched around 2030 to search for potentially habitable planets outside our solar system, according to a key figure in the nation's space industry.

Yuan Jie, general manager at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, said on Thursday during a lecture to students at Beihang University in Beijing that the Miyin program has been listed as one of the company's top priorities to be realized around 2030.

Yuan's company is a State-owned space conglomerate and the leading contractor for almost all of the country's space endeavors ranging from the Shenzhou manned programs to the Chang'e lunar expeditions.

He said the program plans to send spacecraft carrying telescopes and other cutting-edge detectors to help scientists find potentially habitable exoplanets near our solar system and analyze their conditions.

Researchers will also be allowed to conduct spectroscopic surveys and explore the distribution of water on planets inside our own solar system, Yuan added.

He said key technologies of the program will include detectors usable in extremely cold conditions.

The program is expected to open a new chapter in astronomical observation and is likely to bring breakthroughs to the country's scientific efforts, Yuan said.

This is the first time a high-ranking figure inside China's space industry disclosed the country's attempts to find Earthlike planets around sun-like stars.

However, as Proxima Centauri－the nearest star to our own sun－is over four light years away, this is an impossible distance to reach in a human life span using current technologies.

Therefore, the Miyin missions will merely leave our own solar system to get a clearer, unhindered and slightly closer look at any exoplanets out there.

Before Yuan, a handful of works published by local authorities and State-owned institutes in China had unveiled some facets about the proposed Miyin program.

A statement released in May by the Qian Xuesen Laboratory under the China Academy of Space Technology said the program was first conceived in May 2018. It involves several academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering as well as multiple preeminent institutes such as Peking University, Nanjing University and Dalian University of Technology.

A news release published by Xidian University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, quoted Meng Xiaojing, a Chinese Academy of Sciences academician, as saying that the development methods, program phases and goals have been set and organizations involved will deepen exchanges and cooperation.

Wang Yanan, editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said that though interplanetary immigration sounds impossible for now, it is necessary for governments and scientists to embark on the research, search and exploration of potentially habitable extrasolar planets because this endeavor will not only enable mankind to explore all kinds of possibilities for humanity's future, but also create new stimuli for science and technology.

As of Dec 1, there were 4,135 confirmed exoplanets in 3,073 star systems, according to the Paris-based online database Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia.

]]> 2019-12-15 14:17:34 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/15/content_37529120.htm A private museum in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, interviewed over 1,500 veterans involved in the Battle of Nanjing in 1937 and released videos of 14 of them to remember history and honor the dead.

After the Japanese army captured the city, the invaders killed more than 300,000 unarmed soldiers and civilians in six weeks. About a third of the city was destroyed amid arson and pillaging.

Xue Gang, curator of the Nanjing Folk Museum of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), said they were battling the passage of time as they recorded the testimony of veterans around the country.

"No matter how little of a contribution they made during the war, their experiences are treasures of remembrance for us," he said. "We overcame many difficulties to find them, record them and fulfill our responsibility to history and the nation."

Eight of the 14 interviewed, with the eldest 101 years old, died after they were interviewed.

Most of the veterans and Nanjing Massacre survivors have passed away. Thirteen survivors, most of them over 90 years old, died in 2019. The number of registered survivors has dwindled to 78, according to the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.

"Not all the veterans agreed to give testimonies," said Xue. "Some of them insisted that they contributed nothing, some refused to recall the war and some refused interviews due to their children's opposition."

In the videos, the veterans described their experiences during the war, their families and how they made a living after the war. Many expressed hope for a peaceful future and to never have wars again.

Veteran Zhou Yiyun still remembered how cold the Yangtze River was in December. He said in the video that the river was crowded with people fleeing the city to survive.

The man, 101 years old when the video was made, died soon afterward. Xue said he regrets that he and the team did not have time to help improve his living standards.

Xue has been devoted to caring for veterans for more than 10 years. He started recording them in 2009, even before he joined the museum.

The museum formed a workshop for collecting testimonies in 2010. It worked with Nanjing Normal University in 2015 to find veterans and collect their testimonies. In nine years, workers from the workshop traveled more than 100,000 kilometers to meet veterans and get permission to interview them.

The Chinese government has also recorded the Nanjing Massacre survivors' testimonies in written and video documents. The documents were listed by UNESCO in the Memory of the World Register in 2015.

Guo Jun and Xiang Mengshi contributed to this story.

]]> 2019-12-15 14:17:34 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/15/content_37529118.htm The United States should correct its misconceptions of China and work together with the world's second largest economy to find a way to peacefully get along with win-win cooperation, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Speaking at an annual symposium in Beijing on international affairs and China's diplomacy, Wang said Washington's recent actions on a range of issues have seriously damaged the hard-won mutual trust between the two countries and also weakened Washington's international credibility.

"The bilateral relationship is now in a situation of unprecedented complexity," he said.

According to Wang, the "almost paranoid" behavior of the US includes unjust restrictions on China-US exchanges in trade, science, technology and culture, and smears and allegations against China on issues concerning national sovereignty and dignity.

The US has recently passed legislation that severely interferes in China's internal matters in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which aroused firm opposition and strong protest from China.

"China will resolutely fight against foreign forces' interference in China's domestic affairs and cut the black hand supporting revolution in Hong Kong," Wang said at the symposium.

Wang added that the US has used various ways to discredit China's social system, development path and its mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries, and slandered China with trumped-up charges.

Noting that the wrong actions of the US are attributed to its wrong conceptions of China, Wang stressed that China never had any intention to challenge or replace the US and will never seek hegemony through strength.

"We always believe that cooperation is the best and the only viable choice for both countries," he said, urging the US to calm down and get its China policy back on the right track.

The sound and steady development of bilateral ties between the world's top two economies serves the interests of the two peoples and meets the common aspirations of the world, Wang added.

Speaking of the global situation in 2019, he said it was a year of much turbulence and mounting challenges for the world with increasingly bitter tension between multilateralism and unilateralism.

As the world's most powerful country, the US has walked away from its responsibilities and obligations and withdrawn from a long list of agreements and organizations, becoming the world's troublemaker, Wang said.

However, peace and development remain the prevailing trend of our times, he said.

In the face of unilateralist and hegemonic moves, China has firmly stood on the right side of history and on the side of the common interests of the overwhelming majority of countries, Wang said.

]]> 2019-12-15 14:17:34 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/14/content_37529139.htm China has approved a draft implementation regulation of the Foreign Investment Law in a bid to foster a more inviting environment for foreign investors and better address their concerns through the building of a sound legal framework.

The draft was approved at a State Council executive meeting on Thursday chaired by Premier Li Keqiang. It is aimed at facilitating implementation of the Foreign Investment Law, which was passed in March, and is scheduled to take effect on Jan 1.

The regulation stipulates that forced technology transfer requirements for foreign investors and companies, either through administrative licenses or other means, are prohibited.

It clearly requires equal treatment of domestic and foreign businesses regarding land supply, taxation and fee arrangements.

Foreign companies are entitled to equal participation in the formulation and revision of national, industrial and local standards in accordance with the law. They can make standards-related recommendations, and undertake such work as standard-setting.

Government departments shall not hinder foreign companies from entering government procurement bidding processes, or treat them in any discriminatory fashion.

"The approval of the implementing regulation demonstrates our resolve to attract foreign investment and further open up," Li said.

The new regulation stipulates that local governments and departments are not allowed to violate or renege on policy commitments or agreed contracts made in accordance with the law under the excuse of adjustment in administrative jurisdiction or government transition.

When reviewing applications for market-access licenses in certain industries, government departments are not allowed to set discriminatory requirements targeting foreign investors in terms of licensing conditions, application materials, review procedures and time limits.

Any moves that violate the above articles will face legal consequences, according to the regulation.

It also noted that investors from Hong Kong and Macao shall refer to the Foreign Investment Law and the implementing regulation when investing on the Chinese mainland. For investment on the Chinese mainland made by investors from Taiwan, the Law on the Protection of Investment by Taiwan Compatriots and its implementing regulation shall be applied, and matters not covered shall be addressed by the Foreign Investment Law and the implementing regulation.

"The regulation aims to further strengthen the market-oriented business environment governed by a sound legal framework, and to reassure foreign investors and businesses regarding fair competition," Li said.

Zhu Ning, deputy dean of Tsinghua University's National Institute of Financial Research, said the regulation will "address foreign investor concerns by reassuring them that domestic firms will not enjoy stronger protections", while a level-playing field for government procurement processes will better boost overseas investors' interest in investing in China.

]]> 2019-12-14 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/14/content_37529141.htm China and the United States have reached agreement on the text of their phase-one trade deal on the basis of equality and mutual respect, according to Chinese officials on Friday.

China agreed to increase imports of US agricultural products and the latter will gradually eliminate its tariffs on Chinese goods, said Wang Shouwen, vice-minister of commerce and a deputy international trade representative.

The US will implement its promise to eliminate tariffs on Chinese goods "phase by phase", Wang said at a news conference in Beijing. "The US tariffs will undergo a change from going up to going down."

The deal will cover intellectual property rights, technology transfers, food and agricultural products, financial services, exchange rates and transparency, he said.

The two nations agreed to complete their respective legal approval processes as soon as possible and hold talks to make concrete arrangements regarding the formal signing of the deal, Wang said.

"The two countries should abide by the agreements and make efforts to implement the phaseone deal well," he urged.

The two nations reaching the agreement will serve the fundamental interests of both countries and the world as a whole, Wang said, adding that it will have a "positive effect" on global trade and the world economy as well as financial markets.

Major stock markets around the world reacted positively on Thursday and Friday in anticipation to such a deal being reached.

"The deal will be conducive to the two countries' strengthening cooperation in trade and effectively controlling and managing their disputes in that field," Wang said.

China's increasing imports from the US will better satisfy Beijing's domestic market demand and serve China's pursuit of high-quality development, said Ning Jizhe, vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission.

The elimination of tariffs on Chinese products is the "core concern" of China and Beijing hopes the US can keep its word, said Liao Min, vice-minister of finance and deputy director of the General Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission.

Analysts said it is in the interest of the US to sign such a deal.

"The next round of tariffs would have been an unmistakable 'own goal', hurting American companies and consumers more than China," said Douglas H. Paal, distinguished fellow of the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who used a term that refers to a soccer team kicking the ball into its own net.

"Even Trump saw its downsides, so it makes every sense to avoid the new round," Paal told China Daily.

Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow and trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, another think tank in Washington, said it will be a "big relief" not to have a new round of tariffs.

A deal "will be good news for Christmas shopping and for business confidence", he said in an email before the Chinese conference. "The stock market is very happy," he said, adding that the phase-one agreement will "tamp down the trade wars for a while".

Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China insisted on resolving existing differences with the US through constructive consultations, which should be based on the principle of equality and mutual respect. The agreement must be mutually beneficial, she said.

Bian Quanshui, a macroeconomic researcher with Sinolink Securities, said Sino-US friction is a deeply rooted and long-term issue. "There is still a long way to go in the future," Bian said.

"But we feel hopeful that China and the US will eventually be able to resolve their trade disputes, because they share common interests, so that the cost of their conflicts is enormous," Bian added.

]]> 2019-12-14 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/14/content_37529150.htm China and the Federated States of Micronesia should expand cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure and tourism under the Belt and Road framework, President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

Xi made the remark while meeting with David W. Panuelo, president of the Federated States of Micronesia, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Panuelo is paying an eight-day state visit to China that started on Wednesday.

Witnessed by the two presidents, the two countries signed a number of cooperation documents covering multiple areas including diplomacy, infrastructure, medicine and agriculture.

Xi said China appreciated Panuelo's dedication to the development of bilateral relations and to the upholding of the one-China policy.

China stays on the path of peaceful development, and it treats all countries equally no matter how big or small, Xi said, adding that China firmly opposes unilateralism and bullying practices.

The two countries have respected, trusted and supported each other over the past 30 years since the two established diplomatic ties, and practical cooperation has brought real benefits to the people of both countries, Xi said.

Xi pointed out that the two nations should maintain high-level exchanges, enhance communication between governmental and legislative agencies and promote mutual political trust.

China respects a development path for the Federated States of Micronesia that fits its own national situation, and it supports the country's efforts to maintain national independence and pursue development, Xi said.

Xi welcomes the Federated States of Micronesia to export more high-quality goods to China, saying that the two countries should make full use of the policies and measures announced by China to deepen relations with Pacific island nations.

Xi announced that China would continue to provide economic and technological assistance within its capacity to the Federated States of Micronesia.

The two countries should boost people-to-people exchanges and promote the cooperation of local-level governments, Xi said. The two sides should also enhance coordination on major global issues including climate change and maritime affairs, he added.

Panuelo said that as China's sincere friend, he was pleased by China's great progress and he believes China will make greater achievements in the future.

He spoke highly of Xi's proposal of building a community with a shared future for mankind. Although his country is small, it has always been treated in an equal and respectful manner by China, he said.

Panuelo reaffirmed his country's firm stance on supporting the one-China policy, saying that issues related to Hong Kong, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Tibet autonomous region are China's domestic affairs and should not be interfered with by foreign countries.

Premier Li Keqiang also held a meeting with Panuelo on Friday afternoon during which Li said that China has a wide range of common interests with the Federated States of Micronesia, and Beijing would like to make joint efforts with the country to maintain regional stability and promote development.

]]> 2019-12-14 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/14/content_37529154.htm On Dec 13, 1937, a piercing air raid siren echoed through Nanjing to warn people of the Japanese army's capture of the city. Eighty-two years later, the same sound blared across the city once again to express people's grief over the Nanjing Massacre's victims.

Shortly after 10 am, people stood still and bowed their heads to pay silent tribute to the victims as the one-minute siren howled over Nanjing. Cars, trains and ships sounded horns at the same time.

The Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders held a ceremony on Friday morning. People rang the peace bell at the hall, laid wreaths in front of the wall inscribed with the names of the victims and set pigeons free to call for peace.

Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, gave a brief speech to commemorate the victims and cherish peace.

"Today we held the national memorial ceremony to review the history of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression to commemorate Nanjing Massacre victims and commemorate all the compatriots killed by the Japanese aggressors－the martyrs and national heroes who gave their lives for victory in the war of resistance－and to remember the international friends who gave their lives to join hands with the Chinese people to fight against the Japanese aggressors."

Huang said that China will remember history, cherish peace and pursue peaceful development.

When Japanese troops captured Nanjing, then China's capital, they started a campaign of slaughter over six weeks. More than 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers were killed and over 20,000 women were raped.

Chang Zhiqiang, a 91-year-old survivor, said the tragedy was unforgettable because it was like "a sharp knife that stabbed in the heart".

The man, then 9, saw his father and four little brothers shot and stabbed by Japanese soldiers, his only sister raped and killed and his mother stabbed to death. The mother was breastfeeding his two-year-old brother in the last moments of her life, and blood flowed from her chest wound.

"I have rarely mentioned the experience to others during my lifetime," he said. "But as I grow older, I feel the responsibility to give testimony and live longer to serve as an eyewitness."

After the memorial hall reopened its renovated historical facts exhibition in 2017, it had received over 15 million visitors by November 2019.

Some 300,000 people have left messages in the guest book at the hall. The 2019 guest book weighs 792 kilograms. Visitors from more than 60 countries have visited, according to the memorial hall.

In 2014, China's top legislature designated Dec 13 as the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims. The hall conducted its first memorial day ceremony that year.

]]> 2019-12-14 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/14/content_37529122.htm Hong Kong's bus services have become the latest target of "flash mob" style attacks stemming from anti-government protests, as black-clad rioters vandalized about a dozen franchised buses between Monday and Friday.

The city's bus union criticized the vandalism and disruption as showing disregard for people's lives.

The damaged buses, mostly double-deckers, had windows spray-painted or broken or tires blown out from sharp items scattered on roads by radicals, officials said.

On Wednesday night, police were called to Mong Kok in a case in which radicals pushed the emergency engine stop button on the outside of three buses.

While the vandalized buses were in service, witnesses said they were not in motion when damaged.

Lai Siu-chung, director of the Motor Transport Workers General Union's KMB branch, said passengers on board could be unnecessarily placed in danger of falling and possibly breaking bones if someone presses an emergency engine stop button on a running bus.

It could be even more dangerous if a moving vehicle were to have its windshield covered in spray paint, said Lai, adding that that could cause a driver to make an abrupt turn onto the sidewalk, threatening passersby.

Wong Kei-chung, acting chief inspector of Police Traffic Branch Kowloon West, said disrupting public transportation can be very dangerous for passengers, other road users and the perpetrators themselves. Resulting route changes can also create traffic chaos.

Barrister Albert Luk Waihung said radicals who willfully obstruct bus services could be charged with disrupting public order, an offense punishable by up to 12 months in jail. The more serious charge of criminal damage is punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment.

Before the attacks on buses, rioters also had targeted the city's subway operator, Lai said.

Hong Kong's sole operator of railway services, MTR Corp, which has been the biggest target of vandalism during the city's six months of unrest, has said that this year its profits would drop by HK$1.6 billion ($205 million) from repair costs for damaged facilities, loss of ridership and other disruptions.

On Thursday evening, two people in Yuen Long were attacked by about 10 people armed with machetes and batons, police said. One of those attacked was reported to have been left in serious condition, while the suspects escaped.

In another case in the early hours of Monday in Yau Ma Tei, a driver and a passenger were pulled out of a van and left with serious gashes in an attack by two armed men who jumped out of two vehicles that stopped the victim's van.

]]> 2019-12-14 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/13/content_37528962.htm More than 120 million people in northern China have benefited from the world's largest water diversion project, which transfers water from the Yangtze River in the south to the drought-prone north, authorities said on Thursday.

Since coming into operation, the middle and eastern canals of the project have transferred nearly 30 billion cubic meters of water to over 40 cities and 260 counties in northern China, Vice-Minister of Water Resources Jiang Xuguang said at a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office.

The water transferred is enough to fill West Lake－a well-known lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province－about 2,140 times.

The project, first proposed by late Chinese leader Mao Zedong over 70 years ago, is designed to optimize the allocation of water resources and quench the thirsty north through eastern, middle and western canals from the Yangtze River, the country's longest river.

The first phase of the eastern route was put into operation in November 2013. The middle route, which started supplying water in December 2014, has grabbed the most attention due to its role of bringing water to the Chinese capital.

According to the ministry, over 73 percent of Beijing's tap water supply comes from the project, benefiting over 12 million residents, nearly half of the city's total population. In nearby Tianjin, the project supplies all the water used in 14 districts.

"The water from the south has become a lifeline for these cities' water supply," Jiang said. The project has yielded remarkable social and ecological benefits, including its supporting role in the development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster and Xiongan New Area, he said.

The success of the gigantic water transfer project is based in great part on the relocation of some communities in Hubei and Henan provinces, he said.

More than 345,000 people living in the Danjiangkou reservoir area－at the beginning of the middle route－moved to more than 600 government-built villages to make way for the project. Earlier this month, the resettlement passed a review by the ministry.

The local government has invested more than 4 billion yuan ($569 million) to assist with the resettlement across the two provinces as well as providing over 150,000 villagers with free professional skills training, Jiang said.

The annual per capita income of people from Danjiangkou has now reached over 10,000 yuan, "much higher than that before the relocation", he said.

Xu Dagang, one of the relocated people in Shiyan, Hubei, said he used to have great fear of the uncertainty after the relocation, much like his fellow villagers. Xu said their new life, however, has proved that those worries were not founded.

After moving to a two-story apartment not far from his old house, the 51-year-old farmer and his wife attended a free training course in making garments, offered by the government several times a year. They now work in a local clothing factory.

"With the salary from the clothing factory and dividends on the 4 mu (0.27 hectares) of new farmland from the rural cooperative, we're able to make over 4,500 yuan every month," Yu said, adding that life is much better and easier now.

Shi Chunxian, director of the ministry's development planning department, said that the authorities have been stepping up efforts to push forward the follow-up construction along the eastern and middle canal routes and carry out study and selection of plans for the western route.

]]> 2019-12-13 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/13/content_37528951.htm China and the United States are in constant touch to resolve pending trade and economic issues, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The comment came ahead of Sunday's US deadline for another scheduled round of tariff increases on Chinese imports worth almost $160 billion. If a trade deal is not struck by Sunday, computer monitors and toys will be among the Chinese export items likely to be affected.

Gao Feng, a ministry spokesman, said the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council has already worked out tariff exemptions on some soybean, pork and other products shipped from the US－the latest sign of tensions easing in the protracted trade conflict.

The US seems to resort to brinkmanship by using a tariff deadline to pressure China in the ongoing trade talks for a phase one, preliminary deal, said Chen Wenling, chief economist at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

In addition to burdening consumers, financial markets and trade and investment activities across the world, she said a maneuver involving additional tariffs would not work because China has not agreed to a deal without the removal of existing tariffs.

To safeguard its interests, China announced in late August that it would impose on Sunday additional tariffs of 10 percent or 5 percent on more than 3,300 types of US exports such as agricultural products, chemicals and auto parts if the US increases tariffs that day.

Gao, of the Commerce Ministry, reiterated that China will continue to firmly uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system and support the efforts of all parties to restore the operation of the World Trade Organization's appellate body. The WTO suspended its settlement of new trade disputes as of Tuesday because the US has blocked appointment of new judges.

In the meantime, China is studying an interim plan for handling WTO dispute cases during the appellate body's standstill, he said. Gao said the country will put forward its proposals in due time and work with other members to restore the effective operation of the dispute settlement mechanism as soon as possible.

Liang Zhonghua, a researcher at Zhongtai Securities, said the collapse of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism will be a "severe blow" to global free trade.

"At present, the world wealth gap has reached a peak again, and major economies have severe internal issues," Liang said.

Zhang Monan, lead researcher at the Department of American and European Studies at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said Washington does not want to completely abandon the WTO or overthrow it because that, in turn, would harm the US economy in a big way. What the US administration is doing is exerting maximum pressure on the WTO to ensure its reforms proceed in a way that fulfills US interests.

"If other WTO member economies don't stand up to safeguard the rules-based multilateral trading system, the global trade body could be marginalized, and even disintegrate," she said.

]]> 2019-12-13 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/13/content_37528950.htm The country will focus on economic stability in 2020, maintaining its proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy to ensure high-quality growth, a statement issued after the annual Central Economic Work Conference said on Thursday.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, reviewed the country's economic work in 2019, analyzed the current situation and outlined key tasks for 2020 during the three-day meeting held in Beijing that started on Tuesday.

Next year will be the last year of China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), through which the country plans to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects. It leads to the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), so performing economic work well is crucially important.

The statement listed several key areas for next year, such as improving high-quality development, ensuring the poverty alleviation target can be achieved on time, maintaining a stable macroeconomic leverage level, producing a three-year reform plan for State-owned enterprises and stabilizing employment. All measures should ensure that economic growth stays within a reasonable range.

Economists predicted that GDP growth this year will be stabilized at above 6 percent, but it may drop below 6 percent in some quarters next year in light of China-US trade disputes and other external headwinds.

China's economy expanded slower in 2019, as GDP growth fell from 6.4 percent year-on-year in the first quarter to 6 percent in the third, while it registered 6.6 percent annual growth in 2018.

Some experts expected the government to adjust next year's economic growth target to "around 6 percent", compared with "between 6 to 6.5 percent" in 2019.

Policymakers are concerned about further downward pressure from exports as there was widespread evidence of front-loading of exports until October, according to Goldman Sachs economist Maggie Wei and her research team. Researchers expected the government to act to boost growth and accelerate infrastructure construction.

"Continuous enhancements in the quality of growth are enabling economic prosperity in the long run," said Cheng Shi, managing director and chief economist at ICBC International Holdings.

Productivity is rising amid stepped-up efforts to reform economic institutions and advance technological progress. In addition, consumption expansion is showing resilience despite slower growth as more balanced income distribution and better social security policies are unlocking consumption potential, Cheng said.

The meeting emphasized continual implementation of proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy, and economic adjustments will be more forward-looking, targeted and effective.

Lou Feipeng, a senior economist at the Postal Savings Bank of China, said that the stability of macro policy means monetary policy will not adopt the "flood irrigation type of easing".

While generally staying steady and neutral, monetary policy will be more flexible and efficient to transfer more funds into manufacturing, infrastructure and small and micro enterprises, Lou said.

In fiscal policy, the government needs to reduce general administrative expenditures but ensure sufficient spending in key areas, the meeting's statement said.

Prudent monetary policy should be flexible and appropriate, along with reasonable and adaptive liquidity. The growth of credit and total social financing, a broader measure of financing to the real economy, should be in line with the pace of economic development.

The high-level meeting also urged improvement in the legal environment for private enterprises and in the policy framework for supporting development of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Commercial banks, especially small and medium-sized ones, should replenish capital to ensure sufficient lending to the real economy, said Lou.

Some regional credit risks should be watched, Lou added, to maintain financial stability and prevent systemic risks.

]]> 2019-12-13 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/13/content_37528947.htm Beijing urged politicians and media in the West on Thursday to overcome their "paranoia" about China by embracing openness and inclusiveness and achieving win-win cooperation.

They should also abandon their zero-sum attitude and cold-war mentality and treat other countries according to the principle of equality and mutual respect, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news conference, after scholars in Australia and the United States published articles about their countries' relations with China.

The Australian Financial Review published an opinion piece entitled "Our China panic is stepping into the world of paranoia" on Tuesday, written by James Curran, a history professor at the University of Sydney.

In a recent article published in Foreign Affairs, CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria said China is "a remarkably responsible nation on the geopolitical and military front", and a cold war with China would impose "immense" costs on the US and distort its economy.

Hua praised the two for their "objective and rational attitude toward China-related issues, and the courage and insight they have shown".

Some politicians and media in the West are so "paranoid" that they oppose China whenever discussing the country, she said.

They use whatever they can to smear China, even ignoring their consciences, Hua said, adding that the root cause for such phenomena is that they don't view China in the right way.

"We have not initiated war, interfered in other countries' domestic affairs, annexed a single inch of other countries' territories or violated international rule and order," Hua said.

"We are open and aboveboard in both our policies and actions. We fight when it is necessary, only to win the equality and dignity we deserve," she said.

Just because China is a large country doesn't mean it's threatening, and people who are obsessed with their fear of China will "only leave a legacy full of trouble", Hua added.

]]> 2019-12-13 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/13/content_37528993.htm The Central Military Commission promoted seven senior military officers on Thursday to the rank of general, the highest rank for officers in active service in China.

Central Military Commission Chairman Xi Jinping presented the officers with certificates of command, shook hands with them and extended his congratulations at a promotion ceremony in Beijing.

The promoted officers include Commander of the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army He Weidong, Political Commissar of the PLA Eastern Theater Command He Ping, Political Commissar of the PLA Southern Theater Command Wang Jianwu and Commander of the PLA Northern Theater Command Li Qiaoming.

Also among the promoted officers are Commander of the PLA Rocket Force Zhou Yaning, Commander of the PLA Strategic Support Force Li Fengbiao and President of the PLA Academy of Military Science Yang Xuejun.

Commission Vice-Chairman Xu Qiliang announced the order of promotion signed by Xi. The ceremony was presided over by Zhang Youxia, also a vice-chairman of the commission.

The last promotion ceremony was held on July 31, ahead of China's Army Day, which falls annually on Aug 1. Ten other senior officers were promoted to general or admiral.

]]> 2019-12-13 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/13/content_37528970.htm Thousands of architects, city planners and real estate developers from around the world attended a forum in Shanghai in September to discuss sustainable urbanization.

At the event, Keith Griffiths, founder and chairman of AEDAS, one of the world's largest architectural and design practices, chose not to share one of the many building projects the company has been involved with in large cities such as Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Instead, for his speech at the 3rd China Super Tall Building Industry International Summit, he chose a project in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, as an example of China's urbanization.

"Sustainable urbanization" refers to the principle of meeting human development goals while simultaneously sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the resources and ecosystems upon which an economy and society depend.

Zhuhai, a port with a population of about 2 million, is the only city on the Chinese mainland connected with Hong Kong and Macao, thanks to the new cross-sea bridge linking the three destinations. As a result, it is brimming with opportunities.

But for Griffiths, Zhuhai stands out as a typical example of China's urbanization, not only for its economic prospects, but also for distinguishing characteristics that have been adopted throughout the urban area.

"What I try to do is to choose a city that is newly built. That's why I picked Zhuhai, a city that mainly has mountains and the sea, with no high-rises. What we and the local government agreed to do was to create a city of local character," Griffiths said.

Since 2012, his China team has been working with the Zhuhai government to help develop commerce and tourism, with several projects occupying a total area of 500,000 square meters.

"When we talk about Shanghai, it is like talking about London or New York, where there is already so much construction. So, what architects are doing there (Shanghai) is intervention, adding one thing in between a sea of many others. It's not bad, but it probably only represents 5 percent of the development taking place in China," he added.

By last year, China's urban population had surpassed 831 million, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the total, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. In comparison, when the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the proportion was just over 10 percent and there were just 132 cities in the country, one-fifth the number today.

This phenomenal pace of growth is also in line with the process of urbanization worldwide, which according to a report by the United Nations has become "one of the most significant global trends of the 21st century".

The report said that by 2007, more than half of the global population was living in cities and towns, a geographical shift that has tremendous implications for the current and future dynamics of human development.

One factor that resulted from this change in the main habitat of the global population was the emergence of high-rises, which have maximized the use of space within limited land supply to accommodate more people.

Responding to criticism of high-rises, and nostalgic notions of rural life, Griffiths, who grew up in the small Welsh city of St. Davids, said: "Farmland, cottages or an idyllic lifestyle all appear very romantic. But trust me－I grew up in the countryside, and I wouldn't go back there. The reality of living in such places is not as sweet as imagined.

"Life is simpler. But people forget the boredom and hardship. We only remember the good things about the past and complain about the bad side of the present."

The fact that people lived relatively short and hard lives, along with the sickness and disease they experienced in the past, are all forgotten about, Griffiths added.

Helming a 1,400-strong multinational business, Griffiths believes that building high-rises is similar to the construction of churches and cathedrals centuries ago.

"If you think about the time the cathedrals were built, they were the most futuristic buildings one could imagine. They were pushing technologies to the limit. Good architects must always be building for the future. If you are trying to satisfy your brief today, it must be terrible. Buildings last at least 50 years, but one needs to think how to make them last longer, not only technologically, but also practically and aesthetically," he said.

In the past five years, 65 percent of the work handled by AEDAS, which has 12 offices worldwide, has come from China.

"What we have found over the past five years is that the problem in China cannot be solved by applying international principals anymore," Griffiths said.

"Chinese cities have been innovated in a way that has never been done anywhere in the world. There were no models and this cannot be learned from the West. The West has never done anything similar－to accommodate such a large migrant population in such a short time."

For example, the Zhuhai project inspired his team to create corridors between buildings to allow coastal winds to act as a natural air conditioner by passing through and cooling the city.

Griffiths said the idea of ubiquity and the sameness of buildings should be resisted.

"I think the export of North American architecture has reached an end. There have been far too many exports of Chicago-and New Yorkstyle box architecture. It's badly affecting the development of so many Chinese cities, with architects being lazy, copy-pasting and mass factory-producing."

China is now home to more than half of the world's high-rises. Of these, 680 are more than 200 meters tall. In addition, 310 have been built in the country since 2015, compared with just 33 in the United States during the same period.

One of the best-known high-rises in China is the 632-meter-high Shanghai Tower, the nation's tallest and the world's second-highest building, after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands at 828 meters.

The 132-story Shanghai Tower, situated in the heart of Lujiazui, the city's financial hub, occupies 575,000 sq m and can accommodate up to 40,000 people. The 114 elevators in the building head to different floors at various speeds.

Ge Qing, the building's chief engineer and architect, said, "What we want to achieve and ideally demonstrate to developers and designers of skyscrapers around the world is how we can make living and working in highly populated cities more efficient, energy-saving and fun through these buildings."

The first skyscraper in China to stand more than 600 meters tall, the Shanghai Tower has a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification, the highest recognition of a building's energy and resource efficiency.

Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of the US Green Building Council, which issues the LEED ratings, said, "The Shanghai Tower illustrates China's responsibility and commitment to the world to improve the environment and the health of its people."

But it is not just the architecture in China that has attracted widespread attention－the country's architects have also made waves on the global stage.

In 2006, Beijing architect Ma Yansong and his colleagues became the first Chinese team to win an international open bid, for a residential project in Mississauga, Canada. The outcome was Absolute Towers, a pair of buildings nicknamed "Marilyn Monroe Towers" by residents because their undulating shape is reminiscent of the Hollywood star.

In 2012, Wang Shu, dean of the School of Architecture at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, became the first Chinese citizen to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the world's top award in the field.

According to the jury, the fact that an architect from China was selected represented "a significant step in acknowledging the role that China will play in the development of architectural ideals". The jury also pointed out that the country's success with urbanization is important both for itself and the world.

Peter Palumbo, who chaired the panel, said: "The question of the proper relationship of present to past is particularly timely, as the recent process of urbanization in China invites debate as to whether architecture should be anchored in tradition or should look only toward the future. As with any great architecture, Wang Shu's work is able to transcend that debate, producing an architecture that is timeless, deeply rooted in its context and yet universal."

Wang, who once defined his style as "a combination of ancient aesthetics and modern utility", is widely considered one of the most prominent Chinese architects.

His project portfolio includes the Ningbo Museum in Zhejiang, whose design features a combination of mountains, oceans and elements from traditional residences, and the Xiangshan campus of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, which boasts a roof with 2 million tiles recycled from demolished traditional houses.

The late I.M. Pei was another prolific Chinese architect who undertook projects worldwide.

His work included: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, US; the Suzhou Museum in his ancestral home in Jiangsu province; and the controversial renovation of the Louvre Museum in Paris in the 1980s. Secretly commissioned by then-French president Francois Mitterrand, the renovation project featured the introduction of a futuristic steel-framed, glass-walled pyramid as a grand entrance to the building.

Although the new structure met with criticism, Henri Loyrette, the museum's director at the time, described it as a masterpiece.

Pei, who received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1983, died in May, age 102. Nearly all those paying tribute described him as one of the greatest modernist architects in history.

]]> 2019-12-13 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/13/content_37528976.htm The local judicial system has played a key role in keeping the Macao Special Administrative Region stable during the process of practicing the "one country, two systems" principle since China resumed sovereignty over the region 20 years ago, said a leading judicial official.

Macao's judicial system has proved effective in maintaining social order and stability as well as curbing crime, while the courts have been dealing with an increasing number of cases that affect social stability in recent years, said Sam Hou Fai, president of the Court of Final Appeal of Macao.

"By handling those cases in a timely manner, we've ensured that they won't threaten regional stability," Sam said in a recent interview.

For example, the court upheld a police decision to decline two people's request to hold demonstrations in September and October against Hong Kong police's so-called violence against protesters.

The Basic Law of both Macao and Hong Kong state that the two administrative regions should not interfere with each other's administrative affairs. If Macao allows such protests, it could be seen as interference in Hong Kong's law enforcement. So the court ruled against the protests being held, Sam said.

He said courts in Macao have attached particular importance to handling cases that endanger national security or interfere with the governance of Macao, as stability of the country is the foundation of the healthy development of "one country, two systems".

Macao has established a judicial and enforcement framework to safeguard national sovereignty and security including passing a law safeguarding national security based on the Basic Law of Macao in 2009.

"Also, the courts require that cases involving the endangerment of national security must be tried by judges who are Chinese citizens," Sam added.

Some Macao judges are citizens of foreign countries.

Macao's judicial system needs to be more capable of dealing with situations in which external forces try to interfere with Macao's governance and pose threats to social stability, he said.

Since Macao returned to the motherland in 1999, the courts have been pushing to use Chinese as the official language during trials. Currently, more than 70 percent of rulings handed down by the Court of First Instance and the Court of Final Appeal in Macao are in Chinese or in both Chinese and Portuguese. Meanwhile, the number of judges has increased to 48 from 23 when the SAR was first established.

More than 80 percent of the judges have attended training sessions hosted by the Supreme People's Court, the country's top court, to learn about the judicial system and culture of the country so they can gain a better understanding about the principle of "one country, two systems".

Zhang Yi contributed to this story.

]]> 2019-12-13 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/13/content_37528989.htm China's massive water diversion project has transferred 5.2 billion cubic meters of water to Beijing over the past five years, ensuring supplies to the public and improving the city's water resource structure, a senior official said on Thursday.

The first phase of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project has not only provided residents with a stable supply of water but has also helped replenish Beijing's reservoirs and waterways since it went into operation in December 2014, said Liu Guangming, deputy head of the Beijing Water Authority.

Of the total water volume, 3.5 billion cu m went to water treatment plants. Up to 600 million cu m went to six reservoirs in suburban Beijing and the rest was added to rivers, lakes and underground water as a supplement, the authority said.

"Water from the south has also ensured supplies for key projects, including the new Daxing International Airport," he said, adding that groundwater in the capital increased by 1.62 billion cu m during the same period.

From 1999 to 2014, Beijing's water table had been subsiding at an average rate of 1 meter per year. Since diverted water started flowing, the city's water table reversed itself and has risen by about 3 meters as of May from the corresponding level in 2015.

Wang Junwen, deputy director of the city's water resources control center, said the rising groundwater level will help the public by providing a better ecological environment.

According to the authority, many dry springs in villages in Changping, Huairou and Yanqing districts began flowing again this year thanks to the water added by the project.

Resident Zhao Feiyan said there had been a thick mineral deposit at the bottom of tea kettles before the new water came to Beijing.

"Since then, the taste of tea has improved," Zhao said.

China's water availability per capita is 28 percent of the global average. Water is abundant in the southern part of the country but naturally scarce in the north, an imbalance the diversion project was designed to address.

]]> 2019-12-13 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/13/content_37528966.htm China called upon parties to adhere to the Paris climate agreement and uphold multilateralism and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP25, nears its end.

China hopes the agreement will be unswervingly followed, said Zhao Yingmin, vice-minister of ecology and environment on Wednesday, addressing a high-level event in Madrid.

The conference concludes on Friday.

"The top priority task now is to further focus on implementation of the Paris agreement on the basis of a comprehensive and accurate understanding of its targets and common but differentiated responsibilities," he said.

Zhao, also head of the Chinese delegation, made the remarks as some countries have called for more ambitious targets than the ones included in the Paris agreement by limiting the temperature rise this century to 1.5 C from preindustrial levels.

The 2015 Paris agreement, however, aims to limit the increase to 2 C while pursuing efforts to further curb it to 1.5 C.

"The key task for the conference is to put the finishing touches on rules governing the Paris agreement. A comprehensive and accurate understanding of the agreement, its articles, principles and targets is extremely critical for the success of the conference," he said later in an interview with China Daily.

All negotiations at the conference should be carried out within the range of the Paris climate agreement, which was negotiated among parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Zhao added.

If any party raises issues outside of the agreement, it will mean that the 2015 treaty, which has yet to be implemented, will have to be renegotiated, and it will take time to reach consensus, he said.

"If any parties would like to show their proactive attitude, they should do that by implementing the Paris agreement rather than by doing something else," he said.

Zhao also told his counterparts that the major cause for the inadequate progress in the world's efforts to fight climate change is the substantial gaps in honoring pre-2020 commitments.

The conference should verify developed countries' commitments in carbon emission reductions and any gaps in support they have pledged to developing countries before 2020. The gap must be closed without transferring any burden to developing countries after 2020, he said.

Zhao also called for developed countries to beef up financial support and enhance transparency.

"China will endeavor to overcome problems and challenges brought by unilateralism and protectionism and unswervingly roll out its national strategy on tackling climate change in a proactive manner," he said, adding that the country will continue to make arduous efforts to fully honor its commitments.

]]> 2019-12-13 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/12/content_37528820.htm Experts at the UN climate change conference in Spain called for the Chinese government to introduce more preferential policies and use more mandatory measures to help tap the potential of carbon capture and storage as a vital way to mitigate climate change.

They made the appeal at a side event on carbon capture and storage, widely known as CCS, at the Madrid climate change conference, which began on Dec 2 and will conclude on Friday.

CCS, which has been used since the 1970s, "is a technology that can capture up to 90 percent of carbon dioxide ... emissions produced by the use of fossil fuels", preventing them from entering the atmosphere, according to the Carbon Capture and Storage Association.

It has a vital role to play in a low carbon future, said Guloren Turan, general manager of advocacy and communications at the Global CCS Institute, a think tank headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

"CCS is vital in order to meet our climate targets," she said. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 1.5 C special report showed that "we need to get to net zero emissions by the middle of the century … and, in fact, in three of the pathways of the IPCC report, CCS plays a very significant role," she added.

The report shows the impacts of global warming of 1.5 C above preindustrial levels.

Turan said, however, that the world is confronted with challenges in expanding the use of CCS. The current global carbon capture capacity is around 40 million metric tons annually with 19 large CCS facilities in operation, she said. There are another four facilities under construction and 28 in development.

But the world needs 2,000 large facilities with annual capture capability of over 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide by 2040 to 2050 to achieve climate goals, she said.

Turan said China leads the Asia-Pacific region with eight facilities listed, including one in operation, two under construction and five others in development.

Brad Page, CEO of the Global CCS Institute, commended China's efforts in promoting CCS. He said that with an office in Beijing, his organization has been able to work closely with China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment. "I think one of the most telling points for us in a maturing relationship is how China is reaching out and looking all of the time to the rest of the world to ensure that their efforts are as good as anybody else's, and that they can learn from all of the experiences from many other countries."

Ma Aimin, deputy director of the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, said China is still in the early stages in utilization of CCS technologies.

He said three of the eight key tasks included in the country's 2016-20 work plan on greenhouse gas emission control are related to CCS. Also, three central government bodies, including the National Development and Reform Commission, unveiled CCS-related guidelines.

He said, however, with no special law on CCS, China has yet to establish a dedicated legal and regulatory framework for utilization of the climate mitigation technology.

While introducing laws to include mandatory measures for using CCS, the Chinese government should also roll out favorable policies to help companies address the high cost of applying CCS technologies, he said.

Ma also called for the government to ramp up efforts in research and development and carry out more demonstration projects while beefing up international cooperation in its efforts to increase its capacity for development and use of CCS technology applications.

]]> 2019-12-12 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/12/content_37528827.htm Smart wearables are becoming fashionable in China as consumption upgrades gain momentum and tech-savvy consumers scramble to embrace the gadgets to make life more convenient.

From fancy voice-interaction wireless earbuds to watches that can access smartphone apps, make calls and monitor heart rates, technological advances have enriched these devices' functions and increased their appeal.

In the third quarter of this year, 84.5 million wearable device units had been shipped around the world, posting a 94.6 percent year-on-year growth and marking a record-high shipment volume in a single quarter, said market research company International Data Corp.

The growth was chiefly driven by strong demand for hearables including Apple Inc's AirPods and Huawei's wireless earbuds. IDC said hearables alone accounted for almost half the wearables market from June to September, with 40.7 million ear-wear devices shipped from factories.

Zhang Wentao, a bank employee in Beijing, recently spent about 2,000 yuan ($284) on a pair of Air-Pods Pro, the latest earbuds by Apple. The device delivers fantastic sound quality, supports doubletap to pause music and allows taking phone calls and talking to Apple's voice-activated digital assistant Siri, Zhang said.

"It was not supposed to be a necessity. But once I began wearing the wireless earphones, I don't want to take them off," he said.

Users like Zhang are helping push wearable sales in the country. Xiang Ligang, CEO of telecom industry website Cctime, said wireless earbuds have become the new sought-after product in China.

"Local consumers have a greater appetite for devices that make life convenient and help them better enjoy their leisure time," Xiang said.

Similar instances include the growing popularity of smartwatches and fitness trackers in the country. Mounting consumer enthusiasm has already helped Chinese brands Xiaomi and Huawei make their way into the top four wearable makers worldwide.

Huawei, in particular, saw a 188 percent year-on-year surge in shipments to Chinese customers over the last quarter. The Shenzhen-based company said it has already sold more than 10 million smartwatches this year.

Xiang said tech giants jumped the gun several years ago before the hardware was able to catch up to the initial design of smart wearables. But as technology advances, most of the problems are quietly going away, and new market drivers are emerging.

Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for International Data Corp's mobile device trackers, said the rise of smart, voice-activated virtual assistants in home alliances and phones has increased demand for wearables that can connect with these assistants.

"The wearables market is well on its way to becoming a mass-market device category rather than one that primarily caters to health and fitness," Ubrani added.

 

]]> 2019-12-12 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/12/content_37528828.htm The grand Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area plan will be a wellspring of activity in South China, and Macao can play a significant role in the area, officials, business leaders and scholars said at the "Greater Bay Area: Building a Mega Powerhouse" forum in Macao on Wednesday.

Prominent figures shared their thoughts at the Vision China event, hosted by China Daily.

Speaking at the opening of the forum, China Daily Deputy Editor-in-Chief Qu Yingpu said integrated development of the Greater Bay Area is beneficial for Hong Kong and Macao.

"Boosting integration of Hong Kong and Macao with the overall development of the country will create a world-class bay area and world-class city cluster that can be a role model for high-quality development. It will support Hong Kong and Macao, developing their economies and improving people's lives," Qu said.

Macao's economy has expanded rapidly over the past 20 years since its return to the motherland. The special administrative region is also playing a key role as a global tourism and leisure center and a platform for deepening trade and economic cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

"An increasingly prosperous Macao is living proof of the successful practice of the 'one country, two systems' principle," Qu said.

"Although we face some challenges today, the 'one country, two systems' principle will shine more brilliantly in Hong Kong and Macao as long as we unite as one. In doing so, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will become a dynamic, first-class area with global competitiveness and the dream of the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation is bound to come true," he said.

The central government laid out the development blueprint of the Greater Bay Area in February, aiming to turn the region, traditionally known as the country's manufacturing hub, into a global innovation and technology powerhouse.

Irene Lau Kuan-va, president of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, said the positioning of Macao as a "core engine" in the Greater Bay Area blueprint shows the trust and expectations by the central government in Macao's role in the national project.

With the Greater Bay Area bringing "unprecedented" opportunities for Macao, the SAR should leverage its unique strengths to take active part in its development to promote diversified development of its economy and strengthen economic and trade cooperation between China and international markets, especially Portuguese-speaking areas, Lau said.

She also stressed the need for developing innovation and technology in Macao.

"We should pursue development of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao innovation and technology corridor, which jointly develops a big data center as well as platforms for international innovation in the Greater Bay Area," Lau added.

Sharing her own story of working in the Greater Bay Area, Pansy Ho, group executive chairman and managing director of Shun Tak Holdings, said she has been working to enhance connectivity in the southern region since she started her business over 20 years ago.

Ho highlighted the importance of cities in the region to cooperate in order to achieve mutual growth.

"We knew from early on that we needed to work together. We have never been given a clear path and passage, but ultimately we need to work on our initiatives. And collaboration and cooperation is the way to do it," she said.

Ho also said Macao needs to diversify its economy and find ways to achieve sustainable development.

Zhang Weiwei, director of the China Institute at Fudan University, argues that China's growth model has many things to contribute to the Greater Bay Area development plan.

Zhang said China has found a unique development model and it has been proved to be successful. In the past 40 years, the country's average annual GDP growth rate reached about 9 percent and its trade growth rate is about 15 percent yearly. More importantly, by 2018, China had lifted 850 million people from poverty.

The Greater Bay Area blueprint highlights putting people's livelihoods first, opening up at home and abroad, adopting consultative democracy and strategic planning－all of which are in line with China's model in political, economic and social domains, he said.

Furthermore, China's reforms always begin via experimentation such as the central government positioning Shenzhen, Guangdong province, as a pilot demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Zhang added.

As to how the area will influence the nation's overall development in the future, Zhang said technology will play a key role.

John Ross, a senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China and former director of Economic and Business Policy of London, said the Greater Bay Area and California in the United States are the two greatest centers of high technology development in the world.

However, even California does not match the growth pace of the Greater Bay Area, Ross said. With a population of 70 million, the Greater Bay Area accounts for 12 percent of China's GDP and the annual economic growth rate is around 7.9 percent.

The Greater Bay Area contains two leading international financial hubs－Hong Kong and Shenzhen－as well as the important leisure destination of Macao.

Ross said the overall technology level in China, even the Greater Bay Area, has not yet reached the level of the US. However, "China is actually in advance of the US in some areas," he said, citing mobile payments and high-speed trains as two examples.

IT sector potential presents great opportunities for the young generation in the area, said Hong Kong entrepreneur Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group.

However, Zeman said encouraging young people to be more actively involved with the area's development is the biggest challenge. "Government in general gives a plan and people are slow to react. But once a few people who could see the future are willing to explore the area, they will be held up as examples and usher a whole wave of young people into the region."

He recalled when he was talking with local officials and entrepreneurs of Shenzhen and Shanghai several decades ago that he could not imagine their vision for these cities' future, but he has witnessed the tremendous changes of the two boomtowns.

He said this time he saw the vision of the Greater Bay Area, and urged young people to keep an open mind and look at things not for what they are but what they could be.

The Macao forum is the latest among a series of Vision China events since it was launched in January 2018. The events, which serve as a bridge for communication between China and the rest of the world, feature well-known Chinese and overseas opinion leaders discussing Chinese topics of international significance.

 

 

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-12 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/12/content_37528842.htm China's rising consumer inflation, driven by higher food prices, will not obstruct the monetary authority's efforts to counter economic sluggishness, as companies still need credit and adaptive liquidity to sustain investment, analysts said.

Economists predicted that the consumer price index, the main gauge of inflation, will drop gradually next year after peaking in January as the government takes measures to tame the high price of pork through increased supply. Thus, monetary policy will focus on stabilizing growth and preventing a credit crunch.

Banks in China issued yuan-denominated new loans of 1.39 trillion yuan ($197.5 billion) in November, an increase of 138.7 billion yuan from a year earlier, the People's Bank of China, the central bank, said on Tuesday.

The faster-than-expected growth of bank lending was mainly due to the accelerated expansion of corporate and long-term household debt, said Li Chao, chief economist at Huatai Securities. "It indicated strong credit demand from companies and individuals, and the central bank is keen on expanding credit to support growth."

Total social financing, a broader measure of credit to the real economy that also includes financing through non-banking institutions and local government special bonds, rose by 1.75 trillion yuan last month. The amount reached 221.28 trillion yuan by the end of November, up 10.7 percent from a year earlier, the central bank said.

Li expected the year-on-year growth rate of total social financing will hit a peak of 11.5 percent in the first quarter of 2020, and the central bank is likely to further cut the reserve requirement ratio to maintain sufficient liquidity in the financial system.

So far this year, China has maintained a relatively cautious monetary policy, even as most major central banks returned to unconventional monetary policies featuring subzero interest rates and quantitative easing.

The PBOC said on Wednesday that it will push forward the newly introduced loan prime rate reform, aiming to improve the monetary policy transmission mechanism. Financial institutions are encouraged to use the loan prime rate as a benchmark to set loan prices and reduce corporate financing costs.

Surging pork prices have boosted the headline CPI to 4.5 percent in November, the year's highest level. But the core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, was only 1.4 percent as some economists calculated. Therefore relatively high consumer inflation may not affect PBOC policymaking too heavily.

The China Merchandise Reserve Management Center said on Tuesday that 40,000 metric tons of frozen pork reserves will be released into the market－the fourth such move and the largest amount since September－to tame pork prices.

China's monetary policy is expected to remain stable next year, and additional liquidity injection is necessary in the coming months, according to Goldman Sachs Investment Strategy Group.

The central bank may take advantage of targeted reserve requirement ratio cuts and some other tools to facilitate financing of private, small and micro enterprises, said Wang Shengzu, co-head of Goldman Sachs' Investment Strategy Group Asia.

The PBOC's United States' peer, the Federal Reserve, is expected to not make any moves in the near term. And the Fed may be make no further rate reductions in the first half of 2020 if GDP growth trends around 1.8 percent or the unemployment rate is stable or lower, Wang said.

Without the aggressive monetary easing, Wang's team predicted that China's GDP growth can be stabilized within a possible range between 5.7 percent and 6.3 percent in 2020. Although the uncertainties of China-US trade tensions will cast a shadow over the country's growth prospects, the government was firm in choosing not to adopt a deluge of strong stimulus policies, and thus the supportive policies will be moderate, the team said.

However, growth of the M2 money supply slowed slightly to 8.2 percent by the end of November, down from 8.4 percent in October, the PBOC said on Tuesday. Market observers said this indicates the central bank's cautiousness on monetary easing.

 

]]> 2019-12-12 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/12/content_37528843.htm About 440 million trips are expected to be made by rail during the world's largest annual human migration－the Spring Festival travel rush－an 8 percent year-on-year increase, according to the national railway operator.

The upcoming 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, or chunyun in Chinese, which kicks off on Jan 10 and ends on Feb 18, will handle an average of 11 million train journeys per day, China State Railway Co said on Wednesday.

There will likely be 32.5 million more train trips than last year thanks to the country's fast-expanding high-speed rail network, it said, adding that by the end of this year, the total length of China's railways will exceed 139,000 kilometers, with high-speed railway tracks making up 35,000 km of the total, thus further easing rail transportation pressure.

In a bid to improve people's travel experiences, the railway authority will mobilize 3,497 high-speed trains during this year's travel rush, which will handle over 60 percent of passenger trips.

To make the best use of the capacity of trunk rail lines, the company said it will add high-speed train services at night on busy sections such as between Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Wuhan, Hubei province, and between Shanghai and Zhengzhou, Henan province, over the 40-day period.

Train tickets for the first day of chunyun will go on sale on Thursday, and can be purchased online, by phone 30 days in advance of travel and at railway stations, ticket agencies and ticketing machines 28 days ahead of time, the company said.

Since the Spring Festival travel season begins earlier than usual this year, flows of students and migrant workers are expected to overlap earlier in January. It will be difficult to get a ticket in some regions like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou where there are more migrant workers and university students.

The rail company will upgrade its official online train ticket booking system 12306.cn, and increase its ticketing capacity from the current 15 million a day to 20 million as part of efforts to improve chances of getting tickets during the travel rush.

New technologies are also being adopted this year to increase efficiency during the travel rush. In all high-speed train stations nationwide, passengers can swipe ID cards or QR codes instead of printed tickets.

Zhang Xiaodong, a transportation economics professor at Beijing Jiaotong University, said that although the national railway operator has been sparing no efforts to tackle the huge burden on the transportation system, it still cannot meet all people's travel demands.

"The country, to meet surging travel demand, needs to encourage other means of transportation, especially the civil aviation sector," Zhang said.

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-12 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/12/content_37528850.htm Hong Kong teachers convicted of breaking the law may have their teaching licenses revoked by education authorities. That may affect those arrested during the six months of sometimes violent protests, Education Secretary Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said on Wednesday.

Yeung told reporters that the Education Bureau takes allegations of teacher misconduct very seriously and, when warranted, will take disciplinary action, including warnings, reprimands and deregistration of teaching credentials.

The bureau has finished evaluating 60 of the 106 complaints against teachers and schools received between mid-June and early November. After preliminary investigations, 30 teachers were found to have breached professional codes under the special administrative region's Education Ordinance, Yeung said. Disciplinary actions are being considered, he said.

"We will consider the background of the case and what actually happened," Yeung said. "Then we will decide whether there was misconduct on the teacher's part."

Under professional guidelines, a teacher who is arrested or charged should report the incident to the school, which decides whether the teacher may remain in the classroom, Yeung said. Officials weigh cases considering the influence on the safety of students.

The bureau has asked a school in Sheung Shui to consider suspending a teacher who was arrested with six students on Monday morning, Yeung said.

The seven were among the 12 arrested on suspicion of attempting to use homemade barricades ahead of a planned citywide traffic disruption on Monday. The 31-year-old teacher and two of the students appeared in Fanling Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning. No pleas were entered.

Also on Tuesday, three suspects, including a 16-year-old girl, appeared in West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts regarding their alleged roles in a riot on Hong Kong Island in late July, the first rioting case filed during the unrest. The other two were a newlywed couple. Their case is set for another court hearing on March 6. They were among the 44 charged with rioting on July 28 in Central. Two have fled to Taiwan, officials said.

Tang Fei, principal of Tseung Kwan O Heung To Secondary School, said that to protect students, the Education Bureau should revoke the licenses of teachers found guilty by courts of criminal offenses. The danger, he said, is that those teachers may push underage students to become involved in violence.

Lawmaker Elizabeth Quat Pui-fan said the bureau should also investigate teachers accused of disseminating hatred or enticing students to join unlawful assemblies or violent protests. Parents are increasingly worried about teachers having a negative influence, Quat said, in light of the participation of many underage students in violent protests.

On Tuesday, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also expressed concern about the potential for violence to spread to the city's schools, in light of teacher arrests and the discovery of two homemade bombs at a secondary school in Wan Chai on Monday.

Lam had asked the Education Bureau to closely follow teachers' cases, given that 40 percent of the more than 6,000 arrested during unrest are students.

During and after radical protesters' occupation of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, more than 1,100 people were arrested or had their information collected by the police, including 300 under age of 18, and only a small minority were PolyU students, officials said.

On Wednesday, PolyU campus partially reopened after being ravaged by protest violence.

]]> 2019-12-12 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/12/content_37528855.htm The most dangerous countries to visit have been listed by the global travel security company International SOS, based on their medical, security and road safety risks.

Its Travel Risk Map 2020 lists the countries with an "extreme travel security risk" as Libya, Mali, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen.

Such a listing refers to places where there may be minimal government control and law and order in many areas, along with a serious threat of violent attacks by armed groups targeting travelers and international workers.

The company gave the highest safety rating to Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Andorra, Slovenia and the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, where the incidence of violent crime is very low.

Many parts of China, the United Kingdom and most of the European mainland, plus the United States, Canada, Australia and Argentina were rated as low travel security risks.

Yang Jinsong, head of the International Research Institute at the China Tourism Academy, said: "As Chinese are traveling overseas extensively with more individual demands, it's possible they will encounter danger on their journeys. It's all about the probability."

He said this is a complicated issue that needs to be dealt with on multiple fronts, but first, tourists should play their part.

"Never risk your life. Those planning to travel to a high-risk destination should raise their safety awareness and improve the ability to save themselves. They should also learn some basic first-aid skills," Yang said.

He recommended that tourists prepare well in advance and familiarize themselves with the customs, practices and conditions at their destination.

They should learn about areas where there is poor public order, and stay away from them. They should also stay alert in cities for pickpockets.

Yang added that visitors should choose local companies with experienced staff members, including car hire operators and tour guides. They should also take out travel insurance in advance.

"The political situation in some regions can vary. If you are traveling to a dangerous destination, you should seek professional help to stay safe," he said.

Visitors should also pay attention to travel advisories issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other institutions relating to the political situation at their destination.

"Contact Chinese embassies in cases of emergency. If you're in a country that hasn't established diplomatic ties with China, you should know the contact details of a Chinese embassy in a neighboring country," he said.

The ministry can be contacted on its hotline 12308 and through WeChat. Additional information is available on the ministry's website, mobile app and WeChat and Sina Weibo accounts.

Last year, the ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates handled more than 80,000 cases involving protection and assistance to Chinese nationals overseas.

In March last year, the ministry unveiled a draft regulation on consular protection and assistance to solicit public opinion. The regulation stated that if a Chinese national ignored a ministry travel advisory and visited a high-risk country or region, he or she would be liable for all the expenses of consular protection and assistance.

"Chinese people should understand the meaning of consular protection and assistance. Once visitors know they have to take personal responsibility for any possible consequences, they will think carefully about traveling to a dangerous destination," Yang said.

He added that more Chinese scenic areas are introducing regulations stating that tourists should foot the bill for rescue fees in certain situations, such as when they get lost in remote mountainous areas.

Liu Yaling, head of business for the Americas and Africa at bespoke tours website 6renyou, said, "A volatile political situation will affect travelers' choices, such as the recent protests in Chile and Bolivia－both popular destinations among Chinese."

She said some visitors like to travel to Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, in southwest Bolivia, to see perfect reflections of the sky and clouds, and to enjoy outdoor barbecues.

The company checks the political situation at a destination before clients depart, and communicates with local travel operators. In cases of emergency, it asks clients if they want to postpone their trip or cancel it and receive a refund.

"Such political situations may be temporary, and some clients choose to wait until the situation has improved," she said.

"It's not uncommon for strikes to be staged in some countries. Local tour guides will avoid taking guests to the places that are affected. If the situation deteriorates, travel agencies will cancel the trip to ensure customer safety."

]]> 2019-12-12 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/12/content_37528870.htm As tourist Zhang Wei landed at the airport in Sanaa, capital of Yemen, he was astonished when his local guide said his vacation had to be canceled due to the unstable situation in the country.

Moreover, Zhang still had to stay in Yemen for a week as planned, because it was impossible to buy a ticket for him to return home to China on an earlier flight.

Zhang, who traveled to Yemen in January 2015, had no idea he was arriving in the run-up to the civil war between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels.

When his guide took him to downtown Sanaa by car, Zhang became nervous when he saw virtually everyone was carrying assault rifles on the streets and pickup trucks armed with machine guns.

"The tension began to mount at the very start of my trip. I was lucky that I made the flight back to China as planned," said Zhang, 50, a television host in Beijing.

When the situation in Yemen deteriorated in late March 2015, the People's Liberation Army Navy evacuated 571 Chinese nationals from the war-ravaged country on the missile frigate CNS Linyi.

Like Zhang, some tourists from China are traveling to high-risk countries and regions－such as those with volatile political situations or high crime rates－for a variety of reasons. They have to be well-prepared and ready to adjust their plans if necessary.

In 2015, Zhang embarked on an ambitious international travel itinerary, aiming to visit one continent every year. As a result of his experiences in Yemen, he now reads travel advisories released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before planning his trips, and avoids war-torn regions.

He said fatal incidents during trips can be categorized as natural or man-made, such as earthquakes or riots, and some cannot be predicted.

"You can only make adjustments, restrain your emotions and go with any changes. I was robbed in Europe and just had to resign myself to it, as I obviously couldn't get my money back," he said.

He said that during a curfew, he was the only guest at a seven-story hotel in Sanaa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hotel provided a cook to prepare breakfast, a security guard and a housekeeper especially for him.

"The minute I stepped into my room, I saw a bullet hole in the window. The first night, I was too scared to fall asleep and I heard guns thundering from time to time. I didn't even turn on the light," he said.

Zhang invited his tour guide to join him for breakfast on the hotel verandah, from where they saw field guns firing into the sky.

Despite this, the guide insisted on taking him on a tour of the city and nearby areas. The local tourism board issued permits for him to show at checkpoints.

As Zhang's fears began to fade a few days later, he strolled the streets with his guide. Outside of Sanaa, life was returning to normal.

"For a perfect trip, you should know about local history and culture, respect customs, and don't judge them by your own standards. You should socialize with the locals and live as they do. You should also understand their social rules and political structures," he said.

"Due to my extensive travels, I now fully understand the meaning of life."

Friendly locals

Shen Dianqi started his trip to North and South America on March 15, and has traveled to 13 countries so far, including Brazil, El Salvador and Costa Rica. He has also visited destinations that do not have diplomatic relations with China, such as Honduras and Nicaragua.

"I like Colombia very much. The locals are friendly, helped me without expecting anything in return, and they like to make friends with foreigners," said Shen, an entrepreneur from Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province.

On his travels, he immerses himself in local culture and history, visits Chinese immigrants to learn their stories, and updates his diary on Sina Weibo, where he has more than 480,000 followers.

Shen said Chinese immigrants are hard-working and they open small businesses, including restaurants. But it is not easy for them to make a living in some regions, as they may be kidnapped or even killed by gangs for money.

"It's risky visiting places that are unstable, and even if you turn to the local police, they may not act. You should know the places that are safer in a high-risk country and avoid visiting dangerous areas."

Shen was robbed of cash and his passport by a motorcyclist in Egypt and had to seek help from other tourists and the Chinese embassy.

He suggested that tourists in high-risk areas avoid showing their cash and wearing expensive jewelry and watches. They should also not go out at night.

Freelance photographer Li Yanan, 31, has been to a number of places considered dangerous, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and the Gaza Strip.

He provides domestic and overseas media outlets with photos that he risks his life to take, and last year he was named as one of the top 50 influencers by the tourism website Qyer.

"I go to these places purely for work, not for sightseeing. I don't want to gain a shallow understanding of them through cursory observation," he said.

He hires experienced local fixers who make a living by taking reporters and photographers to interview and film locals. Li's subjects range from government officials to members of the public.

He said that when he was in Iraq and Syria, he was with army personnel, so any risk was reduced to the minimum.

In March, he and a Chinese colleague traveled to Kurdish-held areas in Syria for interviews and to take photos, where they met local soldiers, ate with them and sat in their pickup trucks.

But the situation was different in Afghanistan, which he said was the most dangerous country to visit.

"It's the uncertainty－a bomb may go off on the street at any time. Also, individuals may come across a robbery or an abduction," he said.

He has been to Afghanistan five times since 2013, accumulating considerable experience, and he knows the places that are the most dangerous, where there is a higher risk of explosions.

"To avoid risks, you need rich experience, an understanding of the place and extensive connections," Li said.

He selects his destinations based on their news value and also on the availability of reliable local fixers.

"My fixers took me around to take photos and helped me solve some problems. Moreover, I could experience authentic Afghan life with them," he said.

Camera hidden

In August 2017, he visited Syria to photograph scenes of chaos and people's daily lives. To his surprise, Damascus, the capital, was peaceful, with life continuing as normal. There was even a traffic jam.

"War is only temporary, and a battle won't last 24/7. Everyday life is the real normality. For common people in war-torn regions, shopping for food is more important than resisting with a gun," he said.

On the streets of Syria, he hid his camera in a rucksack he carried in front of his chest, taking photos unobserved from time to time.

He carried a small, empty memory card for his camera in his pocket, to be ready for anything.

Li said the sound of the guns was much louder than the heavy bass effect on a stereo system, adding that they were often fired onto vacant ground and sometimes into a forest behind the restaurant he dined at.

"It's lucky that I didn't encounter any danger. This may be because I am sensitive to potential risks," he said.

"The more I ponder why different regions end up in a critical state, the more questions I have and the more photos I want to take."

He said it's not a good idea to visit war-stricken areas purely as a tourist. In addition to the bad travel experience, people are risking their lives. This is irresponsible behavior, but some do it purely for the novelty value.

"A trip should be about relaxing body and mind, rather than putting oneself in a danger zone. If I'm traveling purely for leisure, I will definitely visit a safe destination."

Dong, a tourism industry worker who declined to give his full name, said most Chinese tourists wishing to visit war-ravaged countries such as Syria and Iraq are seeking novelty and want to update their travel notes on social media. Only a few travel to such places for academic purposes.

"The chance of encountering danger is not high, but once it happens, it can be lethal－for example, being kidnapped," said Dong, who has visited Syria and Iraq.

"You need both money and connections to ensure safety. These tourists read others' online travel notes and trust to luck that they will be safe."

]]> 2019-12-12 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/12/content_37528869.htm Human rights representatives from developing countries expressed strong opposition to moves that politicize human rights issues or that smack of double standards, and they called for a more just and reasonable global human rights governance system.

Developing countries, in which 80 percent of the world's population live, should jointly participate in designing a human rights development agenda that reflects their wills and interests, they said.

They made the remarks during the two-day 2019 South-South Human Rights Forum, which ended on Wednesday in Beijing. The forum, with the subtheme of "Diversity of Civilizations and Global Development of Human Rights", was attended by more than 300 officials, academics and foreign envoys from more than 80 countries and international organizations.

Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said in the keynote speech on Wednesday that some countries, forces and politicians have grossly interfered in other countries' domestic affairs in the name of human rights.

"This has severely damaged the course of international human rights," Huang said.

Every country's model and concept of human rights varies due to their differing socials systems, development stages, cultural traditions and values, and no one should force his own way of thinking and standards of conduct upon others.

Huang quoted President Xi Jinping as saying that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all global development model for human rights and called for human rights development to be promoted according to each country's conditions and its people's needs.

China has paved a path of human rights development that meets its own conditions and has contributed Chinese wisdom to the world, he said.

Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said that in today's world, some countries neither appreciate the diversity of other civilizations nor respect the right of the peoples of other countries to choose their own development path.

Out of self-interest, some countries have begun trade wars and blatantly interfered in other country's internal affairs, for example by passing a so-called human rights and democracy act and threatened economic sanctions, Ma said.

"These behaviors have not only impeded the development of the global economy, but also violated the human rights of people in the targeted countries, and should be firmly opposed and rejected," he said.

Tom Zwart, a human rights law professor at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, said China has a very long-standing and proud human rights tradition and that it's lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty is "the biggest accomplishment in human rights in human history".

"All countries struggle with human rights challenges. We should help countries that have issues to improve rather than sitting on the sidelines and criticizing. I don't like that criticizing at all, because it's being used for political purposes, especially in the case of the United States," Zwart said.

"Western powers have not only tried, but have intervened in other countries affairs in the name of human rights," said Bouthaina Shaaban, political and media adviser to the president of Syria. They act as if it is up to them to assess who complies with human rights and who does not, "regardless of how we feel or what we do", she said.

"It's important that developing countries chart a new concept of human rights and new ways of implementing human rights," she said, adding that China's willingness to hold such a forum represents a historical opportunity to redefine the concept of human rights for the benefit of the whole world, and to break the West's monopoly on the concept.

 

 

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-12 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/12/content_37528864.htm President Xi Jinping's vision for building a community with a shared future for mankind is reflected in the transparency and predictability of the nation's foreign policies, a senior expert of international studies said on Wednesday.

By championing such a vision, the country tells the world what kind of relationship it wants to have with the rest of the world when it becomes stronger, Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said at a news briefing organized by the State Council Information Office in Beijing.

Ruan said China is pursuing a path of peaceful development, and has been active in making greater contributions to the peaceful development of humankind as a whole while developing itself.

That's why it advocates the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, with efforts focused on constructing an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity, he added.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee, a tone-setting Party meeting held at the end of October, reiterated China's commitment in a milestone document that said China will hold high the banner of peace, development and winwin cooperation, unswervingly safeguard the country's sovereignty, security and development interests, resolutely uphold world peace and promote common development.

It remains committed to advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, upholding the perspective of global governance that features extensive consultations and joint contribution with the benefits shared by all, advocating for multilateralism and democratization of international relations and pushing for reforms of global economic governance mechanisms.

Ruan said that China's vision comes as the world undergoes profound and complex changes unseen in a century, and it is an option to benefit world development.

China does not impose itself on others, nor does it want to take the place of the United States' status in the world as has been claimed by some people, he added.

In terms of China-US relations, Ruan said their common interests are greater than their differences.

Ruan said he is not pessimistic about future relations between Beijing and Washington. He said he expects that the two countries will reach an agreement about their trade disputes as long as negotiations are based on equality, mutual respect and, particularly, both sides taking into account each other's major concerns.

]]> 2019-12-12 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/11/content_37528550.htm China slammed the United States on Tuesday over the latter's poor human rights conditions for Muslims, and said Washington is telling lies about China's policies in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The denunciation came after Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command Navy Adm. Philip Davidson attacked China for "the suffering" of the Uygur ethnic group in Xinjiang, and US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad discussed ethnic groups in Xinjiang in a statement.

"Some people in the US have shown unusual care for the Uygur ethnic group in China's Xinjiang, but they seem to forget that the US is the only country in the world that has issued a 'Muslim ban' that targeted Muslim groups," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

The US has stirred up wars in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Afghanistan, all Muslim countries, "causing the casualties of millions of innocent people", Hua said.

Citing a survey by the Pew Research Center issued in July 2017, the spokeswoman said that 75 percent of US Muslim adults said there is a lot of discrimination against Muslims in the US, and that 69 percent of people in the US in general share the view.

Also, 50 percent said it has become more difficult to be Muslim in the US in recent years, the survey shows.

The spokeswoman also cited a report issued in April 2018 by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a US-based organization, saying, "More than a third of anti-Muslim incidents in 2017 were instigated by federal government agencies".

More than a third of candidates in the 2018 midterm elections in the US claimed that Muslims are inherently violent or represent an immediate threat, while nearly a third of them called for depriving Muslims of basic rights or declared that Islam is not a religion, Hua added.

These figures conform to those in a Muslim Advocates report issued in 2018.

"As a result, the international community has enough reasons to be strongly concerned by the US policies toward Muslims and the human rights conditions of Muslims in the US," she said.

The Uygur ethnic group is part of China's 56 ethnic groups, and is in solid unity with the other 55 ethnic groups, Hua said.

People of the Uygur ethnic group are living increasingly better lives, and fully enjoy freedoms and rights endowed by China's Constitution, Hua said, adding that China has friendly and close ties with many Muslim countries, and Washington's "slandering" of Xinjiang is not acceptable.

 

]]> 2019-12-11 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/11/content_37528609.htm President Xi Jinping's idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind offers Chinese wisdom and solutions in promoting fairer and more reasonable global human rights governance, experts said.

The vision－with pursuit of common progress and development at its core－represents bright prospects for human rights development, and will encourage developing countries to jointly oppose double standards in international human rights, they said.

The two-day 2019 South-South Human Rights Forum, jointly hosted by the State Council Information Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, opened in Beijing on Tuesday, Human Rights Day, which falls on Dec 10 every year to commemorate the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Lionel Vairon, CEO of CEC Consulting in Luxembourg and an expert in development strategies, said that the international community should not ignore China's progress in human rights out of an ideological misunderstanding and prejudice.

"In the future, global governance must make a choice between the policy of strong-power hegemony and the path of a community with a shared future for mankind," he said. "The latter is the wisdom China has contributed to the world."

Speaking in a congratulatory letter to a symposium in Beijing last year marking the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Xi said China will work with other countries to uphold the common values of humanity－peace, development, equality, justice, democracy and freedom, to safeguard human dignity and rights.

Meanwhile, he said, the nation stands ready to promote fairer, sounder and more inclusive global human rights governance, and to advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Mao Junxiang, a professor of human rights studies at Central South University in Changsha, Hunan province, said Xi's vision provides a solution to coping with the challenges that global governance faces amid a changing international situation, and also draws a clear picture for the development prospects of international human rights governance.

In March 2017, the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind was written into two resolutions of the United Nations Human Rights Council. In March 2018, a resolution China proposed－Promoting Mutually Beneficial Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights－was adopted by the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Xi said it is important for the international community to respect and reflect the will of the people in developing countries in the spirit of justice, fairness, openness and inclusiveness. He made the comment in a message of congratulations on the opening of the first South-South Human Rights Forum in December 2017.

Saying human rights must and can only be promoted in light of specific national conditions and people's needs, Xi called on developing countries to steadily raise the level of human rights protection.

Michael Njunga Mulikita, dean of the School of Social Sciences of Mulungushi University, Zambia, said the human rights narrative has been used by dominant developed countries to impose their own agenda on developing countries for political reasons.

"It's important that global governance take into account the position of the developing countries. Otherwise, it becomes governance that is dominated by an elite group of countries at the expense of the large majority," Mulikita said.

Vairon cited the example of the United States' recent adoption of a law related to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, saying the law is a new step by Washington to interfere in other countries' domestic affairs. "It has nothing to do with human rights. It suffices to look at the American double standard policy about the war in Yemen, and the treatment of Palestinians, Guantanamo, etc," he said.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that in protecting human rights, countries should adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and respect the development path in human rights that various nations pursue of their own accord.

Politicizing the human rights issue and adopting double standards on the issue must be abandoned, Hua said, adding China stands ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in human rights development with other countries based on equality and mutual respect.

As the world's largest developing country, China regards development as the key to solving all problems and the primary task for the Communist Party of China in governing and rejuvenating the country.

Xi said the nation insists that the rights to subsistence and development are primary basic human rights. He made the comment in a congratulatory message in 2016 to an international symposium on the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations' Declaration on the Right to Development.

"China is becoming more open and confident about human rights. The changes I saw here are examples of the great improvements in the Chinese people's rights to subsistence and development," said Davina Sigauta Rasch, director of Corporate Service of the Ombudsman Office in Samoa, adding that China not only advances its own development, but also helps other developing countries.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

 

]]> 2019-12-11 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/11/content_37528608.htm Organ donation in China has been gaining increasing public support in recent years, with the number of donors rising fast, according to a latest report.

Last year, 6,302 people on the Chinese mainland donated organs after death, compared with 2,766 in 2015, ranking second after the United States. The number of donors per million people increased from 2.01 in 2015 to 4.53 last year, according to the report released by the China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation.

More than 18,000 people on the mainland made postmortem donations between 2015 and last year, said the report, released during the fourth China International Organ Donation Conference, held in Kunming, Yunnan province, from Friday to Sunday.

By the end of last year, the mainland had 169 medical institutions certified to perform organ transplant surgeries, with Guangdong province ranking at the top of the list with 19, followed by Beijing with 16, the report said.

Guangdong also ranked No 1 among provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the mainland in the number of donors between 2015 and last year, with 2,400 people from the province having donated organs after death during the four years.

The median age of all mainland donors in those four years was 44, and those under 18 comprised about 11 percent in the four years, according to the report. Males accounted for 81 percent of all donors.

The two major causes of death for donors during that time were injuries from accidents and vascular diseases of the brain, accounting for nearly 87 percent of all deaths.

Guo Yanhong, an official at the National Health Commission's Medical Administration and Supervision Department, said in addition to significant improvement in the number of organ donation and transplant surgeries performed, organ transplant technologies in China have been improving, resulting in longer and higher quality life for organ recipients.

Over 90 percent of all patients receiving heart transplants in China live more than one year after their surgeries, a higher level than in most countries, she said.

Wang Hesheng, vice-minister of the National Health Commission, said that while China has made great progress in improving its organ donation and transplantation systems, resulting in rapid increases in organ donations, many challenges still exist.

"Although China ranked among the top in the world last year in the number of organ transplant surgeries completed and the number of organs donated, great gaps still remain with the demand from patients," he said.

Guo, from the National Health Commission, said in addition to supporting the fast growth of organ donations and transplantation, the commission will put more emphasis on optimizing distribution of high quality medical resources among different regions, so patients in need in less developed western areas can benefit from better organ transplant services and improved quality of life.

The commission will also improve legislation to intensify supervision over organ donation and transplantation and increase punishment to violators of the law to promote healthy development of the sector, she said.

 

]]> 2019-12-11 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/11/content_37528587.htm The "cat" is available in black with a colorful Egyptian-style collar around its neck. There is even an earring hanging from its right ear.

This feline is not real, but a 69-yuan ($9.80) protective silicone case for Apple AirPods. The cat is sold in the British Museum's official shop on Chinese e-commerce platform Tmall.

The design was inspired by the Gayer-Anderson Cat, an ancient Egyptian statue, which is one of the most prized treasures at the London museum.

Buyers' comments on the case include: "It protects my device perfectly, and looks so adorable!"; "The design is so cute, I have already become a fan of this cat!"; and "Love this cat-shaped case. Wish I could have the chance to visit the museum and see the real collection."

In the past month, 2,000 of the cases have been sold by the Tmall shop.

During the same period, the shop has sold more than 9,000 folders, which are available in 22 different designs inspired by the museum's collection, at 6 yuan each.

Designs include the Greek sculpture The Discobolus of Myron, a scene from the Egyptian funerary text The Book of the Dead and Japanese painter Katsushika Hokusai's Under the Wave off Kanagawa.

In August, a report by Tmall and the Institute of Cultural Economy at Tsinghua University on new trends in cultural consumption found that sales of products inspired by museum collections boomed last year, and that there is enormous potential to tap the Chinese market.

Over the past two years, sales of cultural products on Tmall alone have risen threefold, with museums' stores on the platform reporting a sixfold rise in such sales during the period, according to the report.

The British Museum said its Chinese customers have a "great interest in culture and the arts, and consumers are hungry for cultural and art-related content".

The museum opened its first online store in July last year, and more than 50 types of products based on its collections sold out within 16 days.

Revenue amounted to more than 1 million yuan during the period and the store attracted about 160,000 buyers in just one month.

Now running for the second year on Tmall, the museum's store has introduced some 1,000 cultural products and has sealed licensing agreements with top consumer brands, according to Craig Bendle, its special projects manager.

"In partnership with Alfilo Brands, the exclusive master licensee for the British Museum in China, we have brands that include fast-moving consumer goods, homeware, cosmetics, accessories and other gifts," he said.

By the end of last month, the number of followers of the online store had reached 1.02 million.

Founded in 1753, the British Museum was the first national public museum in the world, and is one of the United Kingdom's most-visited attractions. Each year, it attracts visitors from around the globe.

However, Bendle said that although many people would love to visit the museum, they may never get the chance.

"The British Museum is the 'museum of the world, for the world', and we hope more and more people worldwide can have opportunities to learn and appreciate global cultures and arts," he said.

In 2016, the museum launched its licensing program with select partners, mainly in the UK and mainland Europe, to develop and promote cultural products. The program then headed to North America and Asia, with that in China becoming the institution's largest such relationship.

Bendle said: "Even though not everyone has the opportunity to visit London in person, they can discover and enjoy our collections via our licensed products or services. By creating wonderful products inspired by the museum's collections, we are able to put a little part of the museum in the hands of these people and thus share our collections with them."

For example, he said people could learn more about the Ukiyo-e art style－which flourished in Japan from the 17th to 19th centuries－through the museum's homeware collection, which includes scented candles and fragrance diffusers.

However, the museum not only sells products from the London store, but also considers localization when entering a foreign country, Bendle said.

The first products launched in the online store comprised imported merchandise from London as well as locally designed items sourced in consultation with the museum.

"We will be looking to develop product ranges inspired by items from across the museum's collections, and will ensure that our products appeal to Chinese consumers," Bendle said. "Offering both broadly appealing product ranges and those specific to a market is an approach that is necessary in all markets."

With the British Museum being the first foreign museum to open an online store, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has followed in its footsteps to attract more attention from China.

Meanwhile, according to media reports, the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, United States, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and RMN, the French national museums organization, are in the process of joining the e-commerce platform.

However, not all Chinese customers accept the idea of promoting foreign museums through the sale of cultural products.

Zhang Haizhou, a strategic communications consultant in Beijing, said he would first visit a museum, and then consider buying interesting products, not the other way around.

Yang Xiaoxiao, 29, who works in the finance industry in Jinan, Shandong province, said she will only buy items from a museum she has been to as a way to remember her visit.

Zhang Kexin, who works in the Beijing office of an international organization, said although she has browsed the British Museum's online store several times, she still prefers buying items on-site.

"After visiting a museum, I always buy bookmarks, postcards or fridge magnets with designs based on the exhibits," she said. "Such products are souvenirs that can help me remember my time at the museum."

In addition to the British Museum, Zhang has visited and bought souvenirs from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre in Paris.

"Opening a Tmall store will indeed shorten the distance between foreign museums and their Chinese consumers", she said. "But the fact remains that it is still not a priority for many Chinese tourists to spend a whole day, or even longer, exploring a museum."

"I don't know if this (selling cultural products) is an effective way to attract more visitors."

Touring exhibitions

The British Museum is also trying to seek more diverse ways to attract Chinese customers, such as holding international touring exhibitions.

The most recent, Italian Renaissance Drawings, was staged in Macao from April to June. It showcased 52 works created by 42 Italian Renaissance masters from the 15th to 16th centuries.

The exhibition was also staged in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in 2016.

The British Museum has already launched channels on WeChat and Sina Weibo, as well as a Chinese-language website to share content with a wider audience in the country.

In May, the prestigious Met Gala in New York welcomed a group of special guests who won the#Salute-ToClassics hashtag challenge via an audience vote on TikTok, the world's leading short-video platform, known in China as Douyin.

The gala, formally titled the Costume Institute Gala and also known as the Met Ball, is an annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

Before the event, the Met launched the hashtag challenge in partnership with TikTok to encourage users' creativity and invite them to display their best imitations of an artwork, or to act like famous art figures. The winners were offered the chance to visit the spring Costume Institute exhibition, Camp: Notes on Fashion.

In addition, the Met opened its official TikTok channel, encouraging millions of users worldwide to discover the museum's exhibitions and its collections.

While some museums are opting to go digital, the Brooklyn Museum is also planning to involve more people from overseas, according to its president and chief operating officer, David Berliner.

Located in the New York borough of Brooklyn, the museum is the city's third-largest and houses an art collection of about 1.5 million works.

It recently opened two new art galleries, including Art of China, whose notable highlights include a Shang Dynasty (16th to 11th century BC) bronze vessel to serve wine, and an iconic Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) wine jar.

"Our outstanding collections and groundbreaking exhibitions and programs are increasingly popular with travelers interested in our unique perspective of connecting the past to the present," Berliner said.

One of the exhibits, a lacquered leather traveling trunk that dates to the Yuan or early Song Dynasty (420-479), was made in Eastern China but incorporates decorative motifs found in architecture and objects from ancient Persia.

Berliner said it reflects the cultural exchanges that took place when the Mongols ruled both China and Persia, and there is a good chance that the trunk traveled on the Silk Road.

Through the gallery and exhibits, the museum hopes to raise its profile with Chinese audiences to attract more tourists from the country to New York.

Berliner said efforts are also being made to form cross-cultural partnerships, through which the museum can share its world-class collections and special exhibitions by taking them to China.

He said one of the most exciting ways to raise awareness of the museum overseas is by sharing its collections through traveling exhibitions. "It's a great opportunity for us to showcase the depth and quality of our works with people who wouldn't normally be able to see them."

The first exhibition to visit China will be French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950, which is scheduled for next year, according to the museum.

"We are also looking to expand our traveling program to share more of our collections and curated exhibitions in China," Berliner said.

More museums, including the Victoria and Albert in London, are cooperating with other institutions in China to launch special programs or exhibitions.

In 2014, the V&A began a partnership with China Merchants Group to help establish a major museum, Design Society, in the Shekou district of Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

The V&A is home to the world's largest collection of applied and decorative arts and design, as well as sculpture, with a permanent collection of more than 2.27 million items. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert.

The V&A advises on a project, which includes professional training for Design Society staff members, as well as providing content. The V&A Gallery at Design Society is part of its largest international initiative.

Given current world affairs, Berliner said it seems to be more urgent than ever to use art and cross-cultural exchanges to create understanding and respect among people from different backgrounds and experiences.

"We all benefit when there are expanded opportunities to learn about each other's cultures and experiences, and open ourselves to greater empathy and appreciation of different perspectives," he said, in explaining why the museum wants to explore overseas markets.

 

The Brooklyn Museum in New York is hoping to tap the Chinese market with sales of products inspired by its collections. CHINA DAILY

 

 

Visitors inspect collections at the Brooklyn Museum, which is the third-largest in New York and houses about 1.5 million works. CHINA DAILY

 

 

Products from the British Museum are selling well in China through its online store on Tmall. CHINA DAILY

 

 

CHINA DAILY

 

 

CHINA DAILY

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-11 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/11/content_37528576.htm Commending China's consistent leadership in tackling climate change, President of the United Nations General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande called on countries to uphold multilateralism in the world's climate efforts despite the United States leaving the landmark Paris climate agreement.

More than midway through the UN climate change conference, slated to conclude on Friday, the meeting has failed to make progress as expected. In an exclusive interview with China Daily, however, the General Assembly president said he is confident that the gathering of almost 200 countries will end in success.

The conference in Madrid is tasked with putting the finishing touches on rules governing the 2015 Paris agreement and also checking how developed countries have honored their commitment to provide $100 billion in financial support to the developing nations for climate mitigation and adaptation, as called for in the accord.

The conference is being held against the backdrop of the US beginning on Nov 4 the process of withdrawing from the Paris agreement. Under the terms of the treaty, the withdrawal will take effect one year from the delivery of notification of intent to withdraw.

"Those who still believe the agreement should continue, should do their part, whether they are big countries or small countries," said Muhammad-Bande, former permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nations. The political scientist was elected president of the assembly's 74th session in June.

He also said countries that still believe in the agreement should be an "example and continue to show why it's important to be in the agreement" while encouraging US cities and companies to remain on the track of climate action.

Referring to the US withdrawal as presenting "small difficulties, which in the long run are likely to change", he said commitment to the Paris agreement will help guarantee a future for the planet.

"I think the leadership of China is very consistent, ensuring that they are committed to the agreement," he said. "China, given its role and its importance for this subject, and India and other countries, I think, are showing leadership."

He also said China's efforts in developing solar energy will potentially offer an incentive for many countries as they work to meet their power needs.

"At one time, coal was necessary. … You have to use what is available. But more and more, I think there are alternatives," he said.

Muhammad-Bande also urged developed countries to fully honor the pledges of financial support they made to poor nations.

"They made these things willingly. … A commitment is a commitment and we should continue to remind people to still remember the commitment because of the importance of the commitment itself," he said.

Though rifts still linger over the little-known and highly technical Article Six, which includes a market-based mechanism parties have yet to reach consensus on, Muhammad-Bande said difficulties in addressing disputes should not create pessimism over the conference's results.

The article is the last hard nut to crack in the Paris agreement, which will be implemented after 2020.

"If it were not difficult, people wouldn't come. Easy things are not hardly worth effort," he said. "We are confident that they know the weight of world opinion on this matter. They will come to a compromise.

"I remain optimistic that we are on the right track and we will arrive there," he said.

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-11 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/11/content_37528575.htm The so-called Uygur human rights policy act of 2019, passed by both houses of the United States legislature, presented a false picture of human rights in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, slandered China's deradicalization and anti-terrorism efforts and interfered in China's internal affairs, global experts said.

The US House of Representatives passed the bill in the name of protecting human rights in the region on Dec 3, which triggered condemnation from China, as the act is packed with groundless accusations and its real intention is to sabotage Xinjiang's stability and curb China's development, they said.

Jayanath Colombage, a director of Sri Lankan think tank Pathfinder Foundation, said China has been doing well in handling Xinjiang, an internal affair.

Colombage visited training and education centers in Xinjiang in September while attending an international seminar on anti-terrorism, deradicalization and human rights protection. The facilities are superb and of very high quality and standards, and people there were enjoying what they were doing, he said.

"They have hopes for their futures there because they told us that they can learn skills necessary for them to get jobs and earn money," said Colombage, adding that he was able to talk freely with anyone he wanted to at the centers.

"When I asked (them): Do you have WeChat (a major social networking app in China)? Everyone said yes," he said. "This means they are connected to the rest of the world."

"The negative (media) coverage about Xinjiang, to me, is not true and is not fair," he added.

Vannarith Chheang, president of Cambodia-based Asian Vision Institute, said that the US act "violates the noninterference principle enshrined in the United Nations Charter".

Oleg Timofeev, an associate professor of China Studies at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, said the US legislation aims to increase pressure on China and therefore to weaken its position.

Timofeev said Washington attempted to use the act to create more difficulties for Chinese authorities in Xinjiang, which is geopolitically bound to play a pivotal role in the Belt and Road Initiative, connecting dozens of Eurasian economies.

Rene Pattiradjawane, chairman of the Indonesia-based Center for Chinese Studies, said that the US unilateral action in the name of protecting human rights is not in the spirit of a rule-based order and free and open globalism.

"No country has the right to meddle in the internal affairs of another country owing to political motivations," he said, adding that China can condemn any country that interferes in its internal affairs.

George Nyongesa, senior associate at the Kenya-based Africa Policy Institute, said that it must be remembered that China is a crucial partner in global efforts in counterterrorism and more specifically, some of the country's regions have suffered from terrorist attacks. Hence, the Chinese government's Xinjiang policy is an active demonstration of its efforts to deradicalize and counter violent extremism.

Eiichi Shindo, professor emeritus at the University of Tsukuba in Japan, said that it is very strange and hypocritical that the US frequently uses so-called human rights issues to blame other countries.

"This is very inappropriate. We should focus more on China's economic development and the achievements it had made," he said.

Shindo, who visited Urumqi, Xinjiang, in 2017, said that he had seen its great progress. In fact, China had made great economic achievements in a very short period while maintaining national unity, he said.

Ren Qi in Moscow, Liu Hongjie in Nairobi, Wang Xu in Tokyo and Zhao Huanxin in Washington contributed to this story.

 

]]> 2019-12-11 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/11/content_37528565.htm China's consumer price index, a main gauge of inflation, rose 4.5 percent year-on-year in November, the highest monthly figure for the year, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.

Analysts said the index may remain at high levels in the first half of next year, but fall in the second half in comparison with relatively high figures this year.

Rising consumer inflation is expected to alert macroeconomic policymakers, but it should not distract their focus on preventing deceleration of growth at this year's Central Economic Work Conference, which is expected to convene this week, economists said.

Food prices grew last month by 19.1 percent year-on-year, compared with 15.5 percent in October, while nonfood prices gained 1 percent, 0.1 percentage point higher than that of October.

Pork prices rose last month by 110.2 percent year-on-year, becoming the main driving force for rising CPI.

In the first 11 months of the year, consumer prices rose by 2.8 percent on average from a year earlier, the bureau said.

"The CPI surge is not surprising," said Yu Yongding, an economist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a former member of the central bank's monetary policy committee. "It is mainly driven by pork price rises, and core inflation excluding highly volatile food and energy prices remains mild."

Since inflation was mainly triggered by a single factor, pork prices, it is unnecessary for China to tighten monetary policy because it won't help dampen pork prices, said Niu Li, deputy director of the forecasting department at the State Information Center.

The price rises should not affect China's monetary policy stance, and there's still room for strengthening countercyclical regulation to boost growth, he said, predicting that this year's CPI growth may reach 2.9 percent, slightly lower than the 3 percent inflation control target for the year.

China's growth may need to be around 6 percent next year to achieve its goal of doubling its 2010 GDP by 2020, Niu said. "There's still some room for China to take countercyclical measures to stabilize growth," he said.

Zhang Ye, founding partner of Cyanhill Capital, a Chinese early-stage venture capital firm, said China has ample policy reserves to achieve its growth and price control targets.

"To boost growth, for example, China can further encourage consumption, build a favorable environment for investors and promote innovation-driven, high-quality development," he said.

The Central Economic Work Conference this week is expected to set a tone for next year's economic work agenda.

"We expected policymakers at the meeting to become more tolerant toward downside growth pressure," said Cheng Shi, managing director and chief economist at ICBC International Holdings.

"Policymakers may allow the country's GDP growth to dip below 6 percent in certain quarters next year, though the whole year's growth should be maintained at around 6 percent," he said. "They would strike a balance between growth stabilization and price stabilization."

Ouyang Shijia contributed to this story.

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-11 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/11/content_37528556.htm Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor expressed her deep concerns that violence has spread to the city's schools, posing a huge safety threat, after two remote-controlled, fully functional, homemade explosive devices were found and defused at a secondary school campus on Monday.

Speaking to the media before a weekly Executive Council meeting, Lam said on Tuesday the broad participation of students in months of unrest has been very alarming and worrying as students arrested over the past six months came from more than 300 schools.

Also on Monday, six students and a teacher were arrested in Sheung Shui, New Territories, on suspicion of plotting to block roads with barricades, according to police.

Lam has asked Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung to seriously follow up on cases involving teachers currently under arrest. She also called on schools to continue to prevent students from engaging in unlawful activities and to keep them away from violence.

Of the 6,022 people arrested since June, 40 percent were students, police said on Monday.

The city's Education Bureau required local schools last month to discipline those students who took part in unlawful activities such as disrupting subway trains and blocked major roads, leading to a weeklong suspension of classes at primary and secondary schools.

This is the first time homemade bombs were found at a secondary school since the extradition bill incident started in June. The remote-controlled bombs, found on the campus of Wah Yan College, a secondary school in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island, were subsequently defused by the Hong Kong police on Monday evening.

"Both of these devices have only one function, to kill and to maim people, given the quantities of the explosives and fragmentation material," Alick McWhirter, a specialist superintendent in the Hong Kong Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau, said at a media briefing on Monday. The bombs contained a total of about 10 kilograms of high explosives and fragmentation material, according to McWhirter. The radio-controlled devices were "fully functional and ready to be used", he said, adding that the bombs' range was between 50 and 100 meters.

Police will attempt to reveal the perpetrator's identity, motive and target, as well as the incident's connection with recent violent activities, Hong Kong Police Organized Crime and Triad Bureau Senior Superintendent Li Kwai-wah told the media on Monday.

Li said making or possessing explosives is a serious crime subject to up to 14 years imprisonment. Anyone using any explosive substance to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property is liable to life imprisonment, he warned.

Wah Yan College resumed classes on Tuesday after police thoroughly inspected the campus and confirmed it was safe and secure. The school issued a statement expressing gratitude to the police for keeping the campus safe and pledged to fully cooperate with police in their investigation.

Lam also dismissed rumors Tuesday that local officials would be reshuffled, saying restoring law and order and promoting the city's economic and social development were her immediate priorities.

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-11 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/10/content_37528414.htm Gasoline bomb attacks on the gates of the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal buildings on Sunday represent a menace to Hong Kong's judiciary, local legal experts said on Monday.

Their remarks followed the attacks in which radicals, unable to reach the court buildings, set fires at their gates after a largely peaceful march on Sunday.

The number of radical protesters involved in the firebombings was still under investigation, authorities said. The exterior walls of the judicial compounds also were spray-painted with graffiti.

These acts constitute a "blatant menace" for Hong Kong's judicial system, said barrister Lawrence Ma Yan-kwok. Ma said the radicals appear to be attempting to threaten judges so they will give lenient sentences to those arrested and convicted during the six months of unrest in the special administrative region, which was sparked by a now-withdrawn extradition amendment bill.

As of Monday, police had arrested 6,022 people since anti-government protests gripped the city in June. Of those, 956 have been charged with crimes such as rioting, possession of offensive weapons and unlawful assembly.

The Department of Justice and the courts have become a target as those cases have advanced and an increasing number have been charged and sentenced, Ma said. The concern is that the judges themselves may become targets for harassment, said Ma, also chairman of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, a platform for exchanges between lawyers in Hong Kong, Australia and elsewhere.

"I'm afraid that this is a message sent to the judiciary," said Willy Fu Kin-chi, a law lecturer at Shue Yan University, "with the intention of coercing judges with physical threats to let rioters off."

Fu said, however, that the deterrent effect of punishment is undermined when those found guilty of breaking the law get off lightly. Hong Kong's government is responsible for boosting legal education, including telling young people of the consequences of breaking the law. Fu also is secretary-general of the legal exchange foundation.

Ronny Tong Ka-wah, a member of the SAR's Executive Council and a barrister, said those who spray-painted "the rule of law is dead" on judicial compound walls are not only using an illegal means of expression but also conveying an "unreasonable" message.

The rule of law is not dead, he said, when courts rule impartially on those accused of criminal acts. Instead, that is a validation of the rule of law, Tong said. He said he is confident the judiciary will continue to issue legal rulings in a professional and fair manner.

 

]]> 2019-12-10 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/10/content_37528437.htm On May 22, 2014, I was awakened by a sound like firecrackers, followed by loud sirens from the road in front of an apartment I rented in Urumqi while stationed at China Daily's bureau in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

I stepped onto the balcony, with its perfect view of the regional capital's landmark Red Mountain, and saw police vehicles, fire engines and ambulances whooshing by one after another. I knew something was wrong.

I had at least a dozen missed calls and messages on my cellphone. "Something big happened," one message simply read. The expression is what Xinjiang people call terrorist attacks.

Something big had happened less than a kilometer away, and I discovered that the popping I had heard wasn't firecrackers but explosives that terrorists had detonated at a market packed with elderly shoppers.

When I ran to the market, I found the area was already sealed off by police. An elderly woman who had just been evacuated was still shaking. She told me that two vehicles were driven at high speed as explosives were thrown and detonated among the crowd.

When I asked if she needed any medical aid, she said she wanted to stay near the police line because she couldn't find her friend, who had also been shopping for vegetables. I later found out that her friend had been killed in the attack.

The death toll from the attack was 43, including four attackers who belonged to a cell of religious extremists, which had been planning for some time to do something that would create a big impact.

During my stay, I found that Xinjiang people love to have a good time, often enjoying the best barbecue in China and local beers at night markets. So when night markets were closed around the region over security concerns after the attack, you knew the situation was serious.

Without being there, it would be difficult to understand the kind of fear created by terrorist attacks and how people's lives were affected.

For a time, the news regularly carried accounts of attacks in the region or in other parts of China perpetrated by terrorists from the region. One common reaction was that Xinjiang people must be really tough to live with the constant violence. My reaction was that Xinjiang is their home, so what else can they do? Just imagine the constant fear of another attack at any time at the market, on the way home or even at school. No one deserves to live like that.

A friend who is a police officer in Urumqi gave me a stab-resistant vest as a gift. He also constantly reminded me to remain alert about my surroundings. "You never know," he said.

Before visiting Xinjiang, my friends always asked if it was safe to go. They wouldn't have asked that about anywhere else in China. Memories still haunt me after covering several terrorist attacks and seeing the horrific results.

I remember talking to a young Uygur police officer who had been stabbed in the head by a terrorist who had been his childhood best friend. "He is like a monster," he paused. "No, he is a monster," he said a few seconds later, with tears in his eyes.

An expert told me that what was happening was that religious extremism－often the ideological foundation of terrorism－can turn people into killing machines. The process is very simple: Use religion to isolate people from society, create ethnic hatred and persuade them to kill nonbelievers, allowing them supposedly to gain entrance to heaven themselves.

It was really sad to see how many of the attackers were teenagers or young adults who could be easily manipulated, without having any idea about what true religion is.

Soon after the market attack, the regional government introduced a series of measures to root out religious extremism and fight terrorism. It also was determined to prevent terrorist attacks from spreading beyond the region to make sure people like you and me don't become victims of terrorism.

For the past three years, that "something big" hasn't happened in Xinjiang. It's a great achievement, considering that terrorists, separatists and extremists plotted and had carried out several thousand acts of terrorism in Xinjiang since the 1990s.

Now, the night markets have reopened and are packed. My friends have stopped asking me if it's safe to visit the region. We should stand with the Xinjiang people against terrorism because peace benefits everyone.

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-10 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/10/content_37528418.htm Trainees taking part in courses on the standard Chinese language, laws and vocational skills, as well as deradicalization programs at vocational education and training centers in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, have all graduated, a senior regional official said on Monday.

Next, the centers will open to all locals who wish to improve themselves, and different training programs will be offered, said Shohrat Zakir, chairman of the Xinjiang regional government.

Establishing the centers in accordance with the law for people who committed petty crimes or minor offenses while involved in terrorism and extremist activities is a helpful exploration in combating terrorism and extremism, he said.

The centers have been portrayed as "concentration camps" with "violations of human rights" or "ethnic oppression" in the so-called Uygur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 passed by the United States House of Representatives on Dec 3. Some foreign media also claimed that there were between 1 million to 2 million people at the centers.

"Such claims are groundless and pure fabrication. Also, those who have been taking part in the courses on the standard Chinese language, laws and vocational skills－as well as the deradicalization programs－have all graduated. They've found jobs and their quality of life has been improved," Shohrat Zakir said at a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office in Beijing.

The centers will open to all locals who have the desire to improve their standard Chinese language, vocational skills and knowledge of laws. They can choose to take courses of different lengths while coming and going freely, he added.

The chairman said the centers are part of the region's measures to root out terrorism and extremism.

"Measures against terrorist attacks and extremists taken in Xinjiang are no different from those in many other countries, including the US," he said.

"Some people in the US should discard their biases and not practice double standards regarding terrorist attacks and extremists," he said.

He added that the so-called act ignores the facts and confuses black with white. It has maliciously distorted the human rights situation in Xinjiang and groundlessly slandered the Chinese government's policies in governing the region.

Muhammad Asghar, a special correspondent for Associated Press of Pakistan, who attended Monday's news conference, said he now has a more accurate idea of the centers after he visited them.

"Actually, it's just like a university campus. By educating people about the standard Chinese language, basic laws and providing training in different skills, the trainees can become useful members of society," said Asghar, who visited the centers in March.

He said he believes the centers have effectively helped bring down terrorist incidents in Xinjiang as no terrorist incident has occurred in the region in the past three years.

 

 

 

]]> 2019-12-10 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/10/content_37528417.htm China officially unveiled its long-planned national oil and gas pipeline company on Monday as part of ongoing reforms to foster high-quality development in the sector and ensure safe and stable supplies of energy resources.

Premier Li Keqiang, in an instruction issued on Monday, underlined the importance of improving the efficient allocation of oil and gas by forming fairly competitive markets in resource supply and sales.

Forming China Oil & Gas Piping Network Corp is an important measure toward deepening reform in the sector and ensuring safe and stable supply, he said.

Vice-Premier Han Zheng said at the company's launching ceremony that it must focus on services in gas and oil transmission, its main business portfolio, and the integration of local pipeline networks into national networks must be encouraged.

The new pipeline company will partly be responsible for the investment, construction and interconnection of main oil and gas pipelines, which will foster a unified pipeline network in the nation. It will be one of the many central State-owned companies under the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.

Previously, China's pipeline networks were primarily operated by three major State-owned energy giants－China National Petroleum Corp, China Petrochemical Corp and China National Offshore Oil Corp.

Experts said establishing the new company is a key step toward the marketization of China's oil and gas pipeline industry. It is also a key measure conducive toward separating oil and gas transportation, which will have an important impact on China's current oil and gas market mechanism.

"As an independent entity, the new pipeline company is expected to promote the formation of an oil and gas market system characterized by multichannel supplies of upstream resources, efficient gathering and transportation of pipeline networks in the midstream market and full competition in the downstream sales markets," said Xiong Wei, assistant director of the pipeline gas trading department at Shanghai Petroleum and Natural Gas Exchange.

Xiong said the new pipeline company is set to accelerate construction of the pipeline network, while promoting the fair opening-up of oil and gas infrastructure to third parties and further unlocking potential.

Opening a national oil and gas pipeline company has been under consideration for years. The Chinese government is now dedicated to continuously promoting oil and gas reforms, enhancing high-level market openness and encouraging full competition for all market players.

In recent years, China has been gearing up in the construction of natural gas pipeline networks. By the end of 2018, the country had 76,000 kilometers of main pipelines carrying natural gas. According to a national plan released in 2017, the country's pipeline networks will stretch to 240,000 km by 2025, with those for natural gas making up 163,000 km of the total.

Xiong said that as China is still at a rapid development stage, an independent pipeline company will help attract more diverse capital and will be able to determine new routes based on national needs rather than meeting individual producers' demands.

China requires oil and gas pipeline operators to provide equal service to any qualified users, and the new company will certainly help achieve such a goal with a united pipeline network to eventually help with national energy security in the long term, said Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University.

 

]]> 2019-12-10 00:00:00 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2019-12/10/content_37528416.htm Developing a sound relationship between China and the European Union－with both being champions of multilateralism and free trade－not only conforms to their common interests, but will also bring more stability, certainty and positive energy to the world, President Xi Jinping said on Monday.

Xi made the remark in a phone conversation with European Council President Charles Michel－their first conversation since the latter began his mandate as third president of the EU body on Dec 1.

As China and the EU resolutely safeguard the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and both maintain that countries should act in line with rules, Xi said that given the current global situation, the two sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation to ensure stable development of their comprehensive strategic partnership.

He said China considers its relations with the EU from a strategic and long-term perspective. Xi stressed that both are partners for mutually beneficial cooperation rather than competitors in a zero-sum game, and China's development means opportunities for the EU instead of challenges.

China's EU policy will remain consistent and stable, and the country will continue to support the EU playing positive and significant roles in the international arena, Xi said, adding that he trusts the newly elected EU body will adopt a consistent and forward-looking policy toward China.

China stands ready to work with the EU to ensure exchanges scheduled to take place next year between the two sides will be a success, advance the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the EU's Eurasian connectivity strategy, push for finalization of the China-EU investment agreement, fully and effectively implement the Paris Agreement on climate change and promote WTO reforms, Xi said.

Michel said that the EU has common consensus with China in upholding international rules, multilateralism, world peace and stability, and strengthening their cooperation serves the interests of both sides as well as the world at large.

The EU is willing to work along with China to raise the level of economic and trade collaboration, and intensify communication and coordination on such issues as WTO reforms and climate change, he said.

Michel expressed hope that he will maintain a sound and close relationship with Xi, and said he is ready to play an active and constructive part in promoting EU-China cooperation.

In his historic visit to EU headquarters in 2014, Xi reached important consensus with EU leaders on building a China-EU partnership for peace, growth, reform and civilization, charting the course for deepening the win-win China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and setting out the overarching goals of China's policy on the EU over the long run.

 

 

 

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