BEIJING, March 18 -- China's property market in major cities continued to stabilize after the authorities took a string of measures to curb price spikes, according to an official survey released Saturday.
Of 70 large and medium-sized cities surveyed, more than half of them in February witnessed a month-on-month price decline or a mild price uptick less than 0.5 percent for new residential housing, said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Among those cities, 12 of them saw a month-on-month price drop, with new residential housing prices in two cities remaining flat in February, said NBS senior statistician Liu Jianwei.
Another 37 cities witnessed month-on-month price increases less than 0.5 percent for newly-built homes in February, while 19 cities saw home price gains higher than 0.5 percent last month.
New residential house prices in first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai rose 0.1 percent on average in February on a month-on-month basis, while the second-tier and third-tier cities registered price increases of 0.3 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Keep up good momentum for China-U.S. ties
BEIJING, March 18 -- Never before has the China-U.S. relationship been so complicated to comprehend, and too important to fail.
Saturday marks Rex Tillerson's first visit to China as secretary of state. Many speculate that one of the top U.S. diplomat's missions in Beijing over the weekend is to communicate with the Chinese side over a possible meeting between the heads of state of the two countries in the coming weeks.
Prior to Tillerson's visit, recent days have seen a number of positive developments in the China-U.S. relations.
In a telephone conversation last month between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. Counterpart Donald Trump, the two leaders pledged to build a constructive bilateral relationship.
President Trump once wrote on Twitter that Washington need not to be bound by the one China policy. While speaking with Xi, he reversed that stance and reassured his Chinese counterpart that the U.S. government will honor the long-standing principle, something fundamental for the world's most important bilateral ties.
The world's top two economies do have every reason to remain committed to a strong relationship because of their broad range of shared interests, especially in trade and commerce.
The two-way trade of goods last year exceeded 519.6 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Chinese ministry of commerce. That makes China America's largest trading partner, while America China's second largest.
Also, instead of taking away U.S. manufacturing jobs, economic and trade exchanges between the two countries have actually supported more than 2.6 million jobs across a host of U.S. industries from automobile, construction equipment to agriculture.
These facts and statistics are a clear-cut demonstration of the interdependence of the world's top two economies. Any setbacks in bilateral ties would cause immeasurable harm to both sides.
Tillerson's trip also comes at a time when Asia-Pacific and the wider world are facing a trove of thorny issues that require close coordination between the two countries, notably on the situation in the Korean Peninsula.
Before he arrives in Beijing, the U.S. diplomat visited South Korea, where he called for a new approach to deal with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and hinted that military options against Pyongyang are on the table.
However, there is nothing new in this approach. These same tactics were once used by Trump's predecessor George W. Bush, and failed.
In the early years of his presidency, then U.S. President Bush implemented an isolationist and coercive policy against the DPRK's nuclear ambition, yet the DPRK did not back away.
Later, the Bush administration started to engage with the country both bilaterally and multilaterally. In exchange, Pyongyang closed its Yongbyon nuclear facilities in 2007, and returned to the negotiating table.
The approach illustrated that Washington needs to talk to the DPRK, not to terrorize it.
Before Tillerson set out on his Asian tour, the U.S state department said the secretary wanted to pursue "a results-oriented" relationship with China.
Positive results require effort and good faith from both sides. China has never fallen short of offering its fair share. It's all up to Washington now.
Saturday marks Rex Tillerson's first visit to China as secretary of state. Many speculate that one of the top U.S. diplomat's missions in Beijing over the weekend is to communicate with the Chinese side over a possible meeting between the heads of state of the two countries in the coming weeks.
Prior to Tillerson's visit, recent days have seen a number of positive developments in the China-U.S. relations.
In a telephone conversation last month between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. Counterpart Donald Trump, the two leaders pledged to build a constructive bilateral relationship.
President Trump once wrote on Twitter that Washington need not to be bound by the one China policy. While speaking with Xi, he reversed that stance and reassured his Chinese counterpart that the U.S. government will honor the long-standing principle, something fundamental for the world's most important bilateral ties.
The world's top two economies do have every reason to remain committed to a strong relationship because of their broad range of shared interests, especially in trade and commerce.
The two-way trade of goods last year exceeded 519.6 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Chinese ministry of commerce. That makes China America's largest trading partner, while America China's second largest.
Also, instead of taking away U.S. manufacturing jobs, economic and trade exchanges between the two countries have actually supported more than 2.6 million jobs across a host of U.S. industries from automobile, construction equipment to agriculture.
These facts and statistics are a clear-cut demonstration of the interdependence of the world's top two economies. Any setbacks in bilateral ties would cause immeasurable harm to both sides.
Tillerson's trip also comes at a time when Asia-Pacific and the wider world are facing a trove of thorny issues that require close coordination between the two countries, notably on the situation in the Korean Peninsula.
Before he arrives in Beijing, the U.S. diplomat visited South Korea, where he called for a new approach to deal with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and hinted that military options against Pyongyang are on the table.
However, there is nothing new in this approach. These same tactics were once used by Trump's predecessor George W. Bush, and failed.
In the early years of his presidency, then U.S. President Bush implemented an isolationist and coercive policy against the DPRK's nuclear ambition, yet the DPRK did not back away.
Later, the Bush administration started to engage with the country both bilaterally and multilaterally. In exchange, Pyongyang closed its Yongbyon nuclear facilities in 2007, and returned to the negotiating table.
The approach illustrated that Washington needs to talk to the DPRK, not to terrorize it.
Before Tillerson set out on his Asian tour, the U.S state department said the secretary wanted to pursue "a results-oriented" relationship with China.
Positive results require effort and good faith from both sides. China has never fallen short of offering its fair share. It's all up to Washington now.
Beijing budgets billions of yuan to clean up air
A worker hangs ornaments at the Ming Dynasty City Wall Ruins Park under a blue sky in Beijing this month. LIU PING/CHINA DAILY
Beijing will expand funding to reduce air pollution in 2017, including phasing out hundreds of thousands of automobiles and replacing coal furnaces in hundreds of villages, the municipal government said.
So far in March, more than 10 days of clear, blue skies have been recorded. There were 198 such days last year and 186 in 2015, according to the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau.
In addition, the number of days with severe air pollution mainly due to a high concentration of PM2.5－particulate matter of 2.5 microns deemed dangerous to human health－fell to 39 last year, down from 46 in 2015, 47 in 2014 and 58 in 2013.
PM2.5 is used as a major index to record the concentration of the six major airborne pollutants.
"Beijing saw its average PM2.5 level lowered to 73 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016, a year-on-year decrease of 9.9 percent," said the capital's mayor, Cai Qi, giving credit to existing measures such as reducing coal consumption and the number of vehicles.
Data from the environmental protection bureau showed the capital cut PM2.5 levels by 19 percent from 2013 to 2016, said Zhang Dawei, director of the Beijing Environmental Monitoring Center.
Beijing will take tougher measures in 2017.
"We will crack down on air pollution with an iron fist ... to meet the public expectation of blue skies," Cai said.
Among those measures are subsidizing drivers, as about 300,000 old vehicles with excessive exhaust will be banned from the roads; and helping 700 villages replace coal-fired boilers with clean energy such as electricity and gas, which would eliminate coal consumption in the downtown districts and southern regions.
In winter, coal consumption for heating in rural areas was a major source of air pollution, Zhang said.
"In 2017, Beijing will lower its coal consumption (including for industrial production and heating) by 30 percent, with the total amount falling to less than 7 million metric tons," Cai said.
The Action Plan on Air Pollution Control and Prevention stipulated that the capital should lower its PM2.5 concentration to 60 micrograms per cubic meter by the end of this year.
The municipal government plans to spend up to 18.2 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) this year on stronger pollution-control measures, the Beijing Finance Bureau said. In 2014, the special allocation for air pollution was 12.9 billion yuan.
Beijing will expand funding to reduce air pollution in 2017, including phasing out hundreds of thousands of automobiles and replacing coal furnaces in hundreds of villages, the municipal government said.
So far in March, more than 10 days of clear, blue skies have been recorded. There were 198 such days last year and 186 in 2015, according to the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau.
In addition, the number of days with severe air pollution mainly due to a high concentration of PM2.5－particulate matter of 2.5 microns deemed dangerous to human health－fell to 39 last year, down from 46 in 2015, 47 in 2014 and 58 in 2013.
PM2.5 is used as a major index to record the concentration of the six major airborne pollutants.
"Beijing saw its average PM2.5 level lowered to 73 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016, a year-on-year decrease of 9.9 percent," said the capital's mayor, Cai Qi, giving credit to existing measures such as reducing coal consumption and the number of vehicles.
Data from the environmental protection bureau showed the capital cut PM2.5 levels by 19 percent from 2013 to 2016, said Zhang Dawei, director of the Beijing Environmental Monitoring Center.
Beijing will take tougher measures in 2017.
"We will crack down on air pollution with an iron fist ... to meet the public expectation of blue skies," Cai said.
Among those measures are subsidizing drivers, as about 300,000 old vehicles with excessive exhaust will be banned from the roads; and helping 700 villages replace coal-fired boilers with clean energy such as electricity and gas, which would eliminate coal consumption in the downtown districts and southern regions.
In winter, coal consumption for heating in rural areas was a major source of air pollution, Zhang said.
"In 2017, Beijing will lower its coal consumption (including for industrial production and heating) by 30 percent, with the total amount falling to less than 7 million metric tons," Cai said.
The Action Plan on Air Pollution Control and Prevention stipulated that the capital should lower its PM2.5 concentration to 60 micrograms per cubic meter by the end of this year.
The municipal government plans to spend up to 18.2 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) this year on stronger pollution-control measures, the Beijing Finance Bureau said. In 2014, the special allocation for air pollution was 12.9 billion yuan.
China, Philippines agree to boost trade, economic cooperation
DAVAO CITY, the Philippines, March 17 -- China and the Philippines agreed on Friday to strengthen trade and economic cooperation between the two countries after the conclusion of a high-level meeting.
During a meeting with the Philippine cabinet's economic management team, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang said China is willing to join hands with the Philippines to promote free trade and widen bilateral trade between the two sides.
Wang said that leaders of the two countries made a right decision last October to push bilateral relations back to the track of good neighborly friendship and cooperation.
"Institutional cooperation has been completely restored. Cooperation in major sectors has witnessed quick development. There is a boom of Chinese companies investing in the Philippines and there is a rapid increase of Chinese visitors," he said.
Wang said China is buying more and more tropical fruits from the Philippines.
"All these show that bilateral relations between China and the Philippines have returned to the right track," he said.
Wang, who is on a four-day visit to the Philippines, said he came here to push forward pragmatic cooperation in various fields in the hope that the two peoples would benefit from bilateral cooperation.
"China invites the Philippines to join China's Belt and Road initiative to help the Philippines to develop," he said.
Wang said China regards the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as its top priority in its peripheral diplomacy and China supports the establishment of ASEAN community and its central status in regional cooperation.
He said China is willing to throw full support behind Philippines' rotating presidency of ASEAN in 2017.
"China would like to work with the Philippines to deepen China-ASEAN relations, properly handle South China Sea issue, jointly safeguard stability in the South China Sea and maintain the good momentum of development in China-ASEAN relations," Wang Yang said.
Wang said China hopes to see an early conclusion of the negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in building a free trade zone in the Asia-Pacific region.
"It will bring more opportunities for the region's countries, including the Philippines," he said.
Officials of the Philippine side expressed their gratitude for China's support and aid, saying the Philippines will join hands with China in deepening cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure, trade, investments, agriculture, fishery and tourism.
They said the Philippines attaches importance to China's role in regional cooperation, saying the Philippines will use its presidency to enhance China-ASEAN partnership and push forward RCEP negotiations.
They said that the Philippines supports China's Belt and Road initiative and is willing to join it.
The two sides signed the Six-Year Development Program (SYDP) for Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Philippines and China.
The SYDP aims to promote stable and orderly development of economic cooperation, enlarge the scope and enhance the level of cooperation, and drive sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development in both countries.
During a meeting with the Philippine cabinet's economic management team, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang said China is willing to join hands with the Philippines to promote free trade and widen bilateral trade between the two sides.
Wang said that leaders of the two countries made a right decision last October to push bilateral relations back to the track of good neighborly friendship and cooperation.
"Institutional cooperation has been completely restored. Cooperation in major sectors has witnessed quick development. There is a boom of Chinese companies investing in the Philippines and there is a rapid increase of Chinese visitors," he said.
Wang said China is buying more and more tropical fruits from the Philippines.
"All these show that bilateral relations between China and the Philippines have returned to the right track," he said.
Wang, who is on a four-day visit to the Philippines, said he came here to push forward pragmatic cooperation in various fields in the hope that the two peoples would benefit from bilateral cooperation.
"China invites the Philippines to join China's Belt and Road initiative to help the Philippines to develop," he said.
Wang said China regards the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as its top priority in its peripheral diplomacy and China supports the establishment of ASEAN community and its central status in regional cooperation.
He said China is willing to throw full support behind Philippines' rotating presidency of ASEAN in 2017.
"China would like to work with the Philippines to deepen China-ASEAN relations, properly handle South China Sea issue, jointly safeguard stability in the South China Sea and maintain the good momentum of development in China-ASEAN relations," Wang Yang said.
Wang said China hopes to see an early conclusion of the negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in building a free trade zone in the Asia-Pacific region.
"It will bring more opportunities for the region's countries, including the Philippines," he said.
Officials of the Philippine side expressed their gratitude for China's support and aid, saying the Philippines will join hands with China in deepening cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure, trade, investments, agriculture, fishery and tourism.
They said the Philippines attaches importance to China's role in regional cooperation, saying the Philippines will use its presidency to enhance China-ASEAN partnership and push forward RCEP negotiations.
They said that the Philippines supports China's Belt and Road initiative and is willing to join it.
The two sides signed the Six-Year Development Program (SYDP) for Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Philippines and China.
The SYDP aims to promote stable and orderly development of economic cooperation, enlarge the scope and enhance the level of cooperation, and drive sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development in both countries.
Targeted deductions crucial to tax reforms
ZHAI HAIJUN/CHINA DAILY
Raising the individual income tax threshold is always in the public's interest. But since an indiscriminate increase in the threshold will neither be fair nor serve the purpose of China's tax reforms, the authorities have decided to adopt various exemption standards to ease different income groups' financial burdens.
The Government Work Report mentions applying different exemption standards for different sectors to charge individual income tax; the application also found mention at the finance minister's news conference during the just-concluded annual sessions of China's top legislature and top political advisory body.
The pace of the tax reforms, however, should be progressive, with the individual income tax reform leading the overall reform process. The reforms will ease the financial burdens of families and individuals if they can help improve people's livelihoods. That's why some have suggested that the expenses for raising a second child, supporting the elderly and acquiring professional training should be deducted from an individual's taxable income, because it will provide incentives for people to better fulfill their responsibilities.
Programs allowing certain types of expenses to be deducted from the taxable income were put on trial in some places last year. For example, the policy to exempt the premium paid for commercial health insurance from the taxable income, which was launched in 31 pilot cities, will raise the individual income tax threshold from 3,500 yuan ($506.4) per month to 3,700 yuan if the premium for commercial health insurance reaches 2,400 yuan a year, according to a document jointly released by the Ministry of Finance, the State Administration of Taxation and China Insurance Regulatory Commission.
However, this doesn't mean the government's tax revenues will reduce in the long run. Since "nothing is certain except death and taxes", the government will talk about tax reduction only if its overall tax revenues remain stable. For example, if employees are trained to acquire more professional skills, they will earn more in the future. And the more they earn, the higher the income tax they will pay.
The method of paying income tax could pose a problem, though. Private companies and government organizations now deduct the individual income tax from employees' salaries and deposit it with the tax authorities. With the deepening of the reform, people might have to report their personal incomes and provide the details of their exemptible or deductible expenses themselves, which will require a more comprehensive and stricter regulatory environment, especially for supervising the certification of taxpayers' deductible expenses.
The need, therefore, is to build a modern information tracking system across China, which will include all the information on personal incomes and property, and the entire process of tax collection, management and validation. Also, some sectors and groups of people require special supervision. For instance, specialized tax records and files should be put in place for professionals who manage cross-border investments and trade.
Another point I tried to make in my proposal to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee this year is to reduce the number of tax rate categories. At present, salaries and wages are classified into 11 types, so there is a different exemption threshold and tax rate for each type of income. Developed economies' experiences show simplified tax rates can be better managed. Besides, the tax rates at the primary stage should be lowered as the lower-income groups are not targeted to pay higher taxes.
The tax reforms can achieve major breakthroughs this year, though they should be initiated gradually across the country owing to the different levels of development and supportive measures in place in different regions. Also, to make the reforms more effective, we need a more comprehensive policy design based on the advice of experts and public opinions.
Raising the individual income tax threshold is always in the public's interest. But since an indiscriminate increase in the threshold will neither be fair nor serve the purpose of China's tax reforms, the authorities have decided to adopt various exemption standards to ease different income groups' financial burdens.
The Government Work Report mentions applying different exemption standards for different sectors to charge individual income tax; the application also found mention at the finance minister's news conference during the just-concluded annual sessions of China's top legislature and top political advisory body.
The pace of the tax reforms, however, should be progressive, with the individual income tax reform leading the overall reform process. The reforms will ease the financial burdens of families and individuals if they can help improve people's livelihoods. That's why some have suggested that the expenses for raising a second child, supporting the elderly and acquiring professional training should be deducted from an individual's taxable income, because it will provide incentives for people to better fulfill their responsibilities.
Programs allowing certain types of expenses to be deducted from the taxable income were put on trial in some places last year. For example, the policy to exempt the premium paid for commercial health insurance from the taxable income, which was launched in 31 pilot cities, will raise the individual income tax threshold from 3,500 yuan ($506.4) per month to 3,700 yuan if the premium for commercial health insurance reaches 2,400 yuan a year, according to a document jointly released by the Ministry of Finance, the State Administration of Taxation and China Insurance Regulatory Commission.
However, this doesn't mean the government's tax revenues will reduce in the long run. Since "nothing is certain except death and taxes", the government will talk about tax reduction only if its overall tax revenues remain stable. For example, if employees are trained to acquire more professional skills, they will earn more in the future. And the more they earn, the higher the income tax they will pay.
The method of paying income tax could pose a problem, though. Private companies and government organizations now deduct the individual income tax from employees' salaries and deposit it with the tax authorities. With the deepening of the reform, people might have to report their personal incomes and provide the details of their exemptible or deductible expenses themselves, which will require a more comprehensive and stricter regulatory environment, especially for supervising the certification of taxpayers' deductible expenses.
The need, therefore, is to build a modern information tracking system across China, which will include all the information on personal incomes and property, and the entire process of tax collection, management and validation. Also, some sectors and groups of people require special supervision. For instance, specialized tax records and files should be put in place for professionals who manage cross-border investments and trade.
Another point I tried to make in my proposal to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee this year is to reduce the number of tax rate categories. At present, salaries and wages are classified into 11 types, so there is a different exemption threshold and tax rate for each type of income. Developed economies' experiences show simplified tax rates can be better managed. Besides, the tax rates at the primary stage should be lowered as the lower-income groups are not targeted to pay higher taxes.
The tax reforms can achieve major breakthroughs this year, though they should be initiated gradually across the country owing to the different levels of development and supportive measures in place in different regions. Also, to make the reforms more effective, we need a more comprehensive policy design based on the advice of experts and public opinions.
China, Rwanda agree to upgrade strategic cooperation
Chinese President Xi Jinping(2nd R) and his wife Peng Liyuan (1st R) pose for a photo with Rwanda President Paul Kagame (2nd L) and his wife in Beijing, capital of China, March 17, 2017. Xi held a welcome ceremony for Kagame's China visit before their talks on Friday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
BEIJING, March 17 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting Rwanda President Paul Kagame on Friday, and the two leaders agreed to upgrade bilateral strategic cooperation.
Xi hailed the growth of bilateral ties over the past 46 years, citing enhanced political trust, trade cooperation and cultural exchanges.
He called on both sides to further deepen trust, boost personnel exchanges, share governance experience and keep close contact in global and regional affairs.
Xi vowed to support Rwanda in building an economic zone, calling for stronger bilateral cooperation in the areas of industrialization, agricultural modernization, capacity, infrastructure building, tourism and security. China will encourage more enterprises to invest in Rwanda's major infrastructure projects.
During his visit to Africa in 2013, Xi proposed developing relations with Africa with sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith and the correct viewpoint of righteousness and benefit.
"The essence of this is to combine China's growth with helping Africa's development, in a bid to realize win-win cooperation and common development," Xi told Kagame.
China is not only a supporter of Africa's sustainable development, but a pioneer leading global cooperation with Africa, said the Chinese president.
"No matter how the international situation changes, China's policy towards Africa remains unchanged, and China will not reduce its efforts to boost win-win cooperation with Africa," Xi said.
China hopes to work closely with African countries to implement the decisions of the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in South Africa's Johannesburg in 2015, he added.
Kagame, in his turn, said Rwanda cherishes its friendly ties and cooperation with China, and appreciates China's contribution to his country's reconstruction and development.
He welcomed more Chinese investment in Rwanda's agriculture, mining, tourism and infrastructure.
Rwanda appreciates China's friendly policy towards Africa, and spoke highly of China's adherence to equality and mutual respect while developing ties with Africa, Kagame said.
Before their talks, Xi held a welcome ceremony for Kagame's China visit.
BEIJING, March 17 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting Rwanda President Paul Kagame on Friday, and the two leaders agreed to upgrade bilateral strategic cooperation.
Xi hailed the growth of bilateral ties over the past 46 years, citing enhanced political trust, trade cooperation and cultural exchanges.
He called on both sides to further deepen trust, boost personnel exchanges, share governance experience and keep close contact in global and regional affairs.
Xi vowed to support Rwanda in building an economic zone, calling for stronger bilateral cooperation in the areas of industrialization, agricultural modernization, capacity, infrastructure building, tourism and security. China will encourage more enterprises to invest in Rwanda's major infrastructure projects.
During his visit to Africa in 2013, Xi proposed developing relations with Africa with sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith and the correct viewpoint of righteousness and benefit.
"The essence of this is to combine China's growth with helping Africa's development, in a bid to realize win-win cooperation and common development," Xi told Kagame.
China is not only a supporter of Africa's sustainable development, but a pioneer leading global cooperation with Africa, said the Chinese president.
"No matter how the international situation changes, China's policy towards Africa remains unchanged, and China will not reduce its efforts to boost win-win cooperation with Africa," Xi said.
China hopes to work closely with African countries to implement the decisions of the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in South Africa's Johannesburg in 2015, he added.
Kagame, in his turn, said Rwanda cherishes its friendly ties and cooperation with China, and appreciates China's contribution to his country's reconstruction and development.
He welcomed more Chinese investment in Rwanda's agriculture, mining, tourism and infrastructure.
Rwanda appreciates China's friendly policy towards Africa, and spoke highly of China's adherence to equality and mutual respect while developing ties with Africa, Kagame said.
Before their talks, Xi held a welcome ceremony for Kagame's China visit.
Rising Like a Phoenix
Beijing women's football team has been top-ranked in China since it was established in 1985. The team has twice won the gold medal at the National Games of China, and the team has twice won the championship of the top-level Chinese women's league. Thirty of the team's players have been members of the national squad. In November 2016, Beijing Enterprises Group Co., Ltd. (one of Beijing's largest State-owned enterprises) announced it planned to establish BG Phoenix Football Club, and pattern the team on Beijing women's football team. BG Phoenix has hired a professional team to deal with management, marketing and the transfer of players. The club plans to sign some top foreign players. The club will establish both an international football school and a training base for young players. BG Phoenix has five coaches and a 25-member squad, including two players from Chinese Taipei. The club also has three groups of players under age 18.As the team's head coach, Liu Ying, a former member of the national squad, said the establishment of the club will definitely benefit the team's development. China's women's football team won the silver medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, and it finished second at the Women's World Cup in 1999. The members of the national squad, including Liu, who competed between 1990 and 2005, were called "steel roses." Liu said every football player dreams of competing in the World Cup and Olympic Games. She feels satisfied with her playing career. Liu retired in 2005. Since then, she coached the Beijing U-18 women's team for eight years. Most recently, she has been the head coach of Beijing women's team.Due to the lack of sponsorship, the team couldn't offer good salaries to the players. Some star players joined other teams in 2015, and it was hard for Beijing to find qualified young players. In 2016, Beijing finished sixth among eight teams in the league. "Some teams completed their transformation into professional clubs two years ago. They have obtained sponsorships and they have top squads. Thus, it is significant that BG Phoenix was established. Although we still don't have a strong squad in 2017, I believe a highly competitive league will push our players to spare no effort during every match. The players will have higher incomes than before as long as they perform well," Liu says. BG Phoenix will compete in the women's super league and the Tianjin National Games this year. The team has been preparing since January."It is the club's first year. We will do our best in all matches, and we will seek steady improvements through the matches. As a coach, I still have much to learn. I will keep improving my professional competence," Liu says.When Liu and the Chinese team competed for the World Cup in 1999, Gu Yasha, now a member of both BG Phoenix and the national squad, started learning to play football. "Back then, the Chinese women's team was very strong, and many players were popular throughout the country. But I was not much interested in the game until my PE (physical education) teacher in primary school asked me to join the school's football team, when I was 10. Once I got involved, I enjoyed it. Now, playing football still makes me happy," Gu says. Two years later, to receive more professional training, she left her hometown, Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan Province. She attended Chaoyang District's Sports School, in Beijing, and in 2005 she joined Beijing women's team. Given her good performance, Gu, then 17, was named to China's Olympic squad in 2008. "I didn't have much pressure at that time, and it felt amazing that I was able to score a goal, on home soil. I'll always remember that moment," Gu says. She also competed in the Women's World Cup in 2015. Last year, Gu became the only member of the Rio Olympic squad who had competed in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. "Compared with my first Olympics, I knew I had to make a bigger contribution and help the team go further in Rio. I was happy that I scored a goal again for the team," says Gu. Gu is now in the second year of her master's program. She is working toward a master's degree in sports education from Beijing Normal University. She hopes she can play football for several more years. She also hopes to help promote women's football education after she obtains her degree. Zhang Yue, goalkeeper of BG Phoenix, was also a member of China's Olympic squad in 2016. She said competing in the Olympic qualifiers was an unforgettable experience. "Because we failed to qualify for the London Olympics, and because our rivals performed better in international events, many people thought it would be hard for our team to win the qualifiers. However, we made it with our concerted efforts. I felt proud of the team," Zhang says. Gu and Zhang hope they will help BG Phoenix achieve good results in 2017. "We hope we will perform well in the women's super league. We expect that more fans … will come to watch our games at the stadium. We will design the images of the club and players. We hope we will blaze a trail in the development of Chinese women's football clubs," says Zhang Tingzhe, general manager of BG Phoenix.(Executive Editor: XIAO FENG, Women of China English Monthly March 2017 Issue)
Friday, March 17, 2017
Rising Like a Phoenix
Beijing women's football team has been top-ranked in China since it was established in 1985. The team has twice won the gold medal at the National Games of China, and the team has twice won the championship of the top-level Chinese women's league. Thirty of the team's players have been members of the national squad. In November 2016, Beijing Enterprises Group Co., Ltd. (one of Beijing's largest State-owned enterprises) announced it planned to establish BG Phoenix Football Club, and pattern the team on Beijing women's football team. BG Phoenix has hired a professional team to deal with management, marketing and the transfer of players. The club plans to sign some top foreign players. The club will establish both an international football school and a training base for young players. BG Phoenix has five coaches and a 25-member squad, including two players from Chinese Taipei. The club also has three groups of players under age 18.As the team's head coach, Liu Ying, a former member of the national squad, said the establishment of the club will definitely benefit the team's development. China's women's football team won the silver medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, and it finished second at the Women's World Cup in 1999. The members of the national squad, including Liu, who competed between 1990 and 2005, were called "steel roses." Liu said every football player dreams of competing in the World Cup and Olympic Games. She feels satisfied with her playing career. Liu retired in 2005. Since then, she coached the Beijing U-18 women's team for eight years. Most recently, she has been the head coach of Beijing women's team.Due to the lack of sponsorship, the team couldn't offer good salaries to the players. Some star players joined other teams in 2015, and it was hard for Beijing to find qualified young players. In 2016, Beijing finished sixth among eight teams in the league. "Some teams completed their transformation into professional clubs two years ago. They have obtained sponsorships and they have top squads. Thus, it is significant that BG Phoenix was established. Although we still don't have a strong squad in 2017, I believe a highly competitive league will push our players to spare no effort during every match. The players will have higher incomes than before as long as they perform well," Liu says. BG Phoenix will compete in the women's super league and the Tianjin National Games this year. The team has been preparing since January."It is the club's first year. We will do our best in all matches, and we will seek steady improvements through the matches. As a coach, I still have much to learn. I will keep improving my professional competence," Liu says.When Liu and the Chinese team competed for the World Cup in 1999, Gu Yasha, now a member of both BG Phoenix and the national squad, started learning to play football. "Back then, the Chinese women's team was very strong, and many players were popular throughout the country. But I was not much interested in the game until my PE (physical education) teacher in primary school asked me to join the school's football team, when I was 10. Once I got involved, I enjoyed it. Now, playing football still makes me happy," Gu says. Two years later, to receive more professional training, she left her hometown, Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan Province. She attended Chaoyang District's Sports School, in Beijing, and in 2005 she joined Beijing women's team. Given her good performance, Gu, then 17, was named to China's Olympic squad in 2008. "I didn't have much pressure at that time, and it felt amazing that I was able to score a goal, on home soil. I'll always remember that moment," Gu says. She also competed in the Women's World Cup in 2015. Last year, Gu became the only member of the Rio Olympic squad who had competed in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. "Compared with my first Olympics, I knew I had to make a bigger contribution and help the team go further in Rio. I was happy that I scored a goal again for the team," says Gu. Gu is now in the second year of her master's program. She is working toward a master's degree in sports education from Beijing Normal University. She hopes she can play football for several more years. She also hopes to help promote women's football education after she obtains her degree. Zhang Yue, goalkeeper of BG Phoenix, was also a member of China's Olympic squad in 2016. She said competing in the Olympic qualifiers was an unforgettable experience. "Because we failed to qualify for the London Olympics, and because our rivals performed better in international events, many people thought it would be hard for our team to win the qualifiers. However, we made it with our concerted efforts. I felt proud of the team," Zhang says. Gu and Zhang hope they will help BG Phoenix achieve good results in 2017. "We hope we will perform well in the women's super league. We expect that more fans … will come to watch our games at the stadium. We will design the images of the club and players. We hope we will blaze a trail in the development of Chinese women's football clubs," says Zhang Tingzhe, general manager of BG Phoenix.(Executive Editor: XIAO FENG, Women of China English Monthly March 2017 Issue)
Disgraced scientist demands rehabilitation after being cleared from espionage charges
A federal court in Cincinnati, Ohio concluded its public hearing on a Chinese-American scientist's wrongful termination case on March 15, after the disgraced scientist filed an appeal asking for her job back.
The hydrologist, Sherry Chen, was fired from her position at the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio after she was arrested at her workplace in 2014 and indicted on federal charges including theft of government property and illegally accessing a U.S. government database. Though all the charges against her were dropped in 2015, she was still dismissed and left with towering legal bills.
According to China Central Television, an administrative judge of the U.S. Merit System Protection Board carried out a two-day hearing beginning on March 14 to consider Chen's case. Chen was petitioning to return to her position and get her legal fees paid.
"My life was turned upside down ... I'm a dedicated worker. I didn't do anything wrong and I love my job," Chen told the CBS television network during an interview in 2016.
Chen was not the only Chinese-American scientist victimized and potentially scapegoated by the U.S. government. According to 60 Minutes, a CBS news television program, the Justice Department has won convictions in 14 cases related to Chinese economic espionage since 2012, while charges were dropped for five Chinese-born scientists, all American citizens.
Chen's firing upset many Chinese-American communities, with a number of supporters flocking to her side during the public hearing.
"As a PhD student in computer science, I may become a scientist working and living in the U.S. in the future. Will I be treated unfairly just because of my nationality, like Chen? Her suffering reminds me of the Salem witch trials ... The dangers of discrimination, false accusations and lapses in due process may ruin a decent person's life and career, which is horrific," Boris Zhang, a student currently living in Washington, told People's Daily Online.
Non-governmental organizations have also advocated for Chen, noting that her case is one in a string of cases involving Chinese Americans wrongfully accused of espionage, including Xiaoxing Xi, Guoqing Cao and Shuyu Li.
"These cases fit in a concerning historical trend of the U.S. government unfairly targeting Chinese Americans as threats, from FBI targeting of Chinese Americans during the McCarthy era to the prosecution and solitary confinement of Wen Ho Lee," read a statement from Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the nation's first legal and civil rights organization serving low-income Asian Pacific American communities.
The hydrologist, Sherry Chen, was fired from her position at the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio after she was arrested at her workplace in 2014 and indicted on federal charges including theft of government property and illegally accessing a U.S. government database. Though all the charges against her were dropped in 2015, she was still dismissed and left with towering legal bills.
According to China Central Television, an administrative judge of the U.S. Merit System Protection Board carried out a two-day hearing beginning on March 14 to consider Chen's case. Chen was petitioning to return to her position and get her legal fees paid.
"My life was turned upside down ... I'm a dedicated worker. I didn't do anything wrong and I love my job," Chen told the CBS television network during an interview in 2016.
Chen was not the only Chinese-American scientist victimized and potentially scapegoated by the U.S. government. According to 60 Minutes, a CBS news television program, the Justice Department has won convictions in 14 cases related to Chinese economic espionage since 2012, while charges were dropped for five Chinese-born scientists, all American citizens.
Chen's firing upset many Chinese-American communities, with a number of supporters flocking to her side during the public hearing.
"As a PhD student in computer science, I may become a scientist working and living in the U.S. in the future. Will I be treated unfairly just because of my nationality, like Chen? Her suffering reminds me of the Salem witch trials ... The dangers of discrimination, false accusations and lapses in due process may ruin a decent person's life and career, which is horrific," Boris Zhang, a student currently living in Washington, told People's Daily Online.
Non-governmental organizations have also advocated for Chen, noting that her case is one in a string of cases involving Chinese Americans wrongfully accused of espionage, including Xiaoxing Xi, Guoqing Cao and Shuyu Li.
"These cases fit in a concerning historical trend of the U.S. government unfairly targeting Chinese Americans as threats, from FBI targeting of Chinese Americans during the McCarthy era to the prosecution and solitary confinement of Wen Ho Lee," read a statement from Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the nation's first legal and civil rights organization serving low-income Asian Pacific American communities.
More Chinese cities further restrict housing purchases to cool market
FUZHOU - Authorities in the eastern Chinese cities of Nanjing and Qingdao on Thursday unveiled more steps that will restrict housing purchases and cool the property market.
Nanjing announced that starting from Thursday, people without a local "hukou" (permanent residence permits) and anyone who owns at least one house in the three districts of Liuhe, Lishui and Gaochun will not qualify to buy a house. In the main urban districts, local people who have at least two houses will be banned from buying another home.
The prices of new housing increased by 37.3 percent year on year in January in Nanjing, according to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China.
Purchase restrictions have also been introduced in Qingdao. The city announced that starting Thursday, people without local "hukou" must provide a record that they have paid 12 months worth of income tax and social security payments in the last two years if they want to buy a house in the urban area. Non-locals who already have at least one home or can not provide such records will not qualify to buy homes in the urban area.
The prices of new housing in the city rose 13.2 percent year on year, or 0.1 percent month on month.
From March, dozens of second-tier cities and cities neighboring Beijing and Shanghai have restricted housing purchases to cool property markets.
In the first two months of 2017, the investment in China's real estate market rose 8.9 percent year on year to more than 985 billion yuan ($143 billion), and housing sales jumped 26 percent from the same period of 2016 to over 1 trillion yuan, the bureau said.
Analysts said that the investment and growth figures had beaten expectations.
"Further tightening measures were expected in more cities including first-tier cities in March," said Yan Yuejin, a housing market analyst.
Nanjing announced that starting from Thursday, people without a local "hukou" (permanent residence permits) and anyone who owns at least one house in the three districts of Liuhe, Lishui and Gaochun will not qualify to buy a house. In the main urban districts, local people who have at least two houses will be banned from buying another home.
The prices of new housing increased by 37.3 percent year on year in January in Nanjing, according to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China.
Purchase restrictions have also been introduced in Qingdao. The city announced that starting Thursday, people without local "hukou" must provide a record that they have paid 12 months worth of income tax and social security payments in the last two years if they want to buy a house in the urban area. Non-locals who already have at least one home or can not provide such records will not qualify to buy homes in the urban area.
The prices of new housing in the city rose 13.2 percent year on year, or 0.1 percent month on month.
From March, dozens of second-tier cities and cities neighboring Beijing and Shanghai have restricted housing purchases to cool property markets.
In the first two months of 2017, the investment in China's real estate market rose 8.9 percent year on year to more than 985 billion yuan ($143 billion), and housing sales jumped 26 percent from the same period of 2016 to over 1 trillion yuan, the bureau said.
Analysts said that the investment and growth figures had beaten expectations.
"Further tightening measures were expected in more cities including first-tier cities in March," said Yan Yuejin, a housing market analyst.
China stands firm on monetary policy after Fed rate hike
BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The latest Federal Reserve interest rate hike may complicate matters for China's central bank but will not affect its monetary policy, which will remain prudent and neutral.
With the job market strengthening and inflation approaching its target, the Fed raised interest rates overnight by 25 basis points to a range of 0.75 percent -- 1.0 percent, only the third increase since the 2008 global financial crisis,.
Two more adjustments are expected this year, making life difficult for the People's Bank of China (PBOC) as it strives to keep the yuan stable and maintain the pace of economic recovery -- no easy task while constantly working to defuse financial risks.
Tom Orlik, chief Asia Economist at Bloomberg, believes the Fed has put the PBOC in a tricky position. He makes the point that the bank could easily have followed the Fed's lead and raised its own benchmark rates, supporting the yuan and reducing capital outflow, but at the risk of stymieing economic recovery. Standing too firm, on the other hand, would bring the twin risks of a depreciating yuan and renewed capital flight. Instead, the PBOC chose a solution that "makes a lot of sense," leaving benchmark rates on hold and making use of targeted instruments.
Interest rates for both medium-term lending facility loans and reverse repos, the central bank's tools of choice for open market operations, rose 10 basis points. These higher rates reflect changes in the market without constituting a benchmark interest rate hike and do not signal any shift in monetary policy.
What these higher rates do indicate, however, is improving economies both at home and abroad and rising consumer prices, while constituting a prudent response to the Fed.
The PBOC is intent on keeping the China-U.S. interest rate gap moderate to avoid heaping pressure on the yuan and running the risk of a capital flight, according to China Merchants Bank analyst Liu Dongliang.
Ren Zeping, chief economist at Founder Securities, sees no need for a benchmark rate hike as long as inflation remains mild and the nascent economic recovery fragile.
Instead of raising benchmark rates, Ren suggests the central bank opt for a structural interest rate hike while stabilizing the yuan.
The latest economic indicators have been as good as, or better than, expected: strong imports, producer inflation rising at its fastest in nearly nine years, industrial output on the up and fixed-asset investment growing steadily. Taken together, these factors suggest that the Chinese economy is moving in the right direction.
With the 2017 growth target set at around 6.5 percent, the lowest in a quarter of a century, and monetary policy rebranded as "prudent and neutral," China is aiming to increase M2 by around 12 percent this year, one percentage point lower last year's target.
New loans hit a record high last year, the third year in a row in excess of the 2009 level, when the country spent its way out of the global financial meltdown. While these loans provide the fuel for China's economic rebound, they come encumbered with the risk of asset bubbles. Left unchecked, these bubbles will threaten financial stability and darken the prospects for the broader economy.
According to the government work report released Thursday, China will build a "firewall" against financial risk, and keep careful watch on non-performing assets, bond defaults, shadow banking and Internet finance.
China's economy is likely to remain strong this year, which may allow the PBOC to continue to taper monetary easing, but any raise in benchmark rates this year would be a surprise. Economic recovery remains at a delicate stage, beset by uncertainties, and with investment sensitive to interest rate changes, CICC analyst Chang Huili said.
With the job market strengthening and inflation approaching its target, the Fed raised interest rates overnight by 25 basis points to a range of 0.75 percent -- 1.0 percent, only the third increase since the 2008 global financial crisis,.
Two more adjustments are expected this year, making life difficult for the People's Bank of China (PBOC) as it strives to keep the yuan stable and maintain the pace of economic recovery -- no easy task while constantly working to defuse financial risks.
Tom Orlik, chief Asia Economist at Bloomberg, believes the Fed has put the PBOC in a tricky position. He makes the point that the bank could easily have followed the Fed's lead and raised its own benchmark rates, supporting the yuan and reducing capital outflow, but at the risk of stymieing economic recovery. Standing too firm, on the other hand, would bring the twin risks of a depreciating yuan and renewed capital flight. Instead, the PBOC chose a solution that "makes a lot of sense," leaving benchmark rates on hold and making use of targeted instruments.
Interest rates for both medium-term lending facility loans and reverse repos, the central bank's tools of choice for open market operations, rose 10 basis points. These higher rates reflect changes in the market without constituting a benchmark interest rate hike and do not signal any shift in monetary policy.
What these higher rates do indicate, however, is improving economies both at home and abroad and rising consumer prices, while constituting a prudent response to the Fed.
The PBOC is intent on keeping the China-U.S. interest rate gap moderate to avoid heaping pressure on the yuan and running the risk of a capital flight, according to China Merchants Bank analyst Liu Dongliang.
Ren Zeping, chief economist at Founder Securities, sees no need for a benchmark rate hike as long as inflation remains mild and the nascent economic recovery fragile.
Instead of raising benchmark rates, Ren suggests the central bank opt for a structural interest rate hike while stabilizing the yuan.
The latest economic indicators have been as good as, or better than, expected: strong imports, producer inflation rising at its fastest in nearly nine years, industrial output on the up and fixed-asset investment growing steadily. Taken together, these factors suggest that the Chinese economy is moving in the right direction.
With the 2017 growth target set at around 6.5 percent, the lowest in a quarter of a century, and monetary policy rebranded as "prudent and neutral," China is aiming to increase M2 by around 12 percent this year, one percentage point lower last year's target.
New loans hit a record high last year, the third year in a row in excess of the 2009 level, when the country spent its way out of the global financial meltdown. While these loans provide the fuel for China's economic rebound, they come encumbered with the risk of asset bubbles. Left unchecked, these bubbles will threaten financial stability and darken the prospects for the broader economy.
According to the government work report released Thursday, China will build a "firewall" against financial risk, and keep careful watch on non-performing assets, bond defaults, shadow banking and Internet finance.
China's economy is likely to remain strong this year, which may allow the PBOC to continue to taper monetary easing, but any raise in benchmark rates this year would be a surprise. Economic recovery remains at a delicate stage, beset by uncertainties, and with investment sensitive to interest rate changes, CICC analyst Chang Huili said.
Belt and Road Initiative belongs to whole world
BEIJING, March 17 -- The Belt and Road Initiative has become the most popular public goods and platform for international cooperation with the brightest prospects in the world amid rising protectionism and unilateralism, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on the sideline of the recently concluded China's Two Sessions.
Proposed in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the initiative has witnessed continuous expansion of its "friend circle", and yield tangible benefits for countries along its routes.
It will provide unprecedented opportunities for the economic and social development of countries involved, as "it is the way leading to the community of shared future for mankind," said Gerrishon K. Ikiara, a senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi.
With its guiding principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the initiative has become a chorus instead of a solo.
Inspired by the ancient major trading route that linked China with Asia, Europe and Africa for a long time, the initiative aims to modernize the ancient trade route while aspiring to create common prosperity within those areas.
While the trends of protectionism and unilateralism are rising, the Belt and Road Initiative has become the common cause of the world which will help rebalance the economic globalization by making it more universally-beneficial and inclusive, said Wang Yi.
"The Belt and Road Initiative is against narrow-minded protectionism and isolationism," said Sergei Luzyanin, director of the Far Eastern Studies Institute under the Russian Academy of Sciences. "We only had the Western European-American option of integration and economic development in the 1990s, now there is a new option from China."
The construction of the Belt and Road Initiative benefits not only China itself, but also countries along the routes. Against the backdrop of insufficient global demand, the blueprint will make contribution to the world economic growth.
A report issued by China's Renmin University said China has already begun the coordination of its signature initiative with the development strategies of many countries along the route, such as Kazakhstan's Bright Road program as well as the Sustainable Development Strategy of Kyrgyzstan.
So far, Chinese enterprises have established 56 economic and trade cooperative areas in more than 20 countries along the routes, invested accumulatively more than 18 billion U.S. dollar, and created 1-billion-dollar revenue and 160,000 jobs.
Last year, China's direct investment in 53 countries along the routes reached 14.53 billion dollar and the total value of contracts China signed with 61 related countries reached over 126 billion dollars.
This year, the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative will continue to be a growth point of the global economy, and the further expanding of trade exchange, infrastructure connectivity and financial intermediation will drive the development of production capacity cooperation, cross border e-commerce and other fields.
Globalization currently is facing various problems and challenges, and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative will become the engine for the future of globalization, said Pascal Lamy, former chief of the World Trade Organization, while addressing a public session recently in Jakarta.
Globalization in the past was basically driven by the West and now the new globalization will be motivated more by the East than the West, Amitav Acharya, writer of the popular book "The End of American World Order," told Xinhua in a recent interview.
When the West moves backward by erecting "walls", the East is building its gateway to the outside world, embracing globalization via China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, Malaysia's New Straits Times said in an article published on its website.
Proposed in 2013, the initiative has so far gained the support of over 100 countries and international organizations, and more than 40 of them have signed cooperation agreements with China.
"China's initiative to jointly build the Belt and Road, embracing the trend towards a multipolar world, economic globalization, cultural diversity and greater IT application, aims at being highly efficient in terms of the allocation of resources, and at achieving a deep integration of markets among the countries concerned," said Keith Bennett, vice chair of the London-based 48 Club Group.
"It will thereby jointly create an open, inclusive and balanced regional economic cooperation architecture that benefits all," the British business leader told Xinhua.
Proposed in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the initiative has witnessed continuous expansion of its "friend circle", and yield tangible benefits for countries along its routes.
It will provide unprecedented opportunities for the economic and social development of countries involved, as "it is the way leading to the community of shared future for mankind," said Gerrishon K. Ikiara, a senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi.
With its guiding principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the initiative has become a chorus instead of a solo.
Inspired by the ancient major trading route that linked China with Asia, Europe and Africa for a long time, the initiative aims to modernize the ancient trade route while aspiring to create common prosperity within those areas.
While the trends of protectionism and unilateralism are rising, the Belt and Road Initiative has become the common cause of the world which will help rebalance the economic globalization by making it more universally-beneficial and inclusive, said Wang Yi.
"The Belt and Road Initiative is against narrow-minded protectionism and isolationism," said Sergei Luzyanin, director of the Far Eastern Studies Institute under the Russian Academy of Sciences. "We only had the Western European-American option of integration and economic development in the 1990s, now there is a new option from China."
The construction of the Belt and Road Initiative benefits not only China itself, but also countries along the routes. Against the backdrop of insufficient global demand, the blueprint will make contribution to the world economic growth.
A report issued by China's Renmin University said China has already begun the coordination of its signature initiative with the development strategies of many countries along the route, such as Kazakhstan's Bright Road program as well as the Sustainable Development Strategy of Kyrgyzstan.
So far, Chinese enterprises have established 56 economic and trade cooperative areas in more than 20 countries along the routes, invested accumulatively more than 18 billion U.S. dollar, and created 1-billion-dollar revenue and 160,000 jobs.
Last year, China's direct investment in 53 countries along the routes reached 14.53 billion dollar and the total value of contracts China signed with 61 related countries reached over 126 billion dollars.
This year, the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative will continue to be a growth point of the global economy, and the further expanding of trade exchange, infrastructure connectivity and financial intermediation will drive the development of production capacity cooperation, cross border e-commerce and other fields.
Globalization currently is facing various problems and challenges, and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative will become the engine for the future of globalization, said Pascal Lamy, former chief of the World Trade Organization, while addressing a public session recently in Jakarta.
Globalization in the past was basically driven by the West and now the new globalization will be motivated more by the East than the West, Amitav Acharya, writer of the popular book "The End of American World Order," told Xinhua in a recent interview.
When the West moves backward by erecting "walls", the East is building its gateway to the outside world, embracing globalization via China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, Malaysia's New Straits Times said in an article published on its website.
Proposed in 2013, the initiative has so far gained the support of over 100 countries and international organizations, and more than 40 of them have signed cooperation agreements with China.
"China's initiative to jointly build the Belt and Road, embracing the trend towards a multipolar world, economic globalization, cultural diversity and greater IT application, aims at being highly efficient in terms of the allocation of resources, and at achieving a deep integration of markets among the countries concerned," said Keith Bennett, vice chair of the London-based 48 Club Group.
"It will thereby jointly create an open, inclusive and balanced regional economic cooperation architecture that benefits all," the British business leader told Xinhua.
Xi talks with Merkel over phone about bilateral ties, cooperation
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
=09BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday =
morning held a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel =
on the topic of strengthening bilateral relations.
=09During the conversation, Xi noted that 2017 marks the 45th anniversary =
of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Germany and that =
relations between the two countries have witnessed a comprehensive and =
in-depth development over recent years.
=09"We're willing to work together with Germany to push the China-Germany =
comprehensive strategic partnership further forward. As both being two of =
the world's most important economies and firm advocates of globalization, =
China and Germany are obliged to push all parties to jointly build an open =
global economy, maintaining the effectiveness and authoritiveness of =
multilateral trade rules and systems," Xi said.
=09Xi added that strengthening cooperation is in the fundamental interests =
of both countries and the European Union as a whole.
=09The Chinese president noted that economic and trade cooperation are the =
key driving force of China-Germany relations and called on both countries =
to ensure that economic ties are mutually beneficial. Xi called for more =
high-level financial talks, security dialogues and people-to-people =
exchanges, among others.
=09Xi also voiced China's support for Germany to host this year's Group of =
20 leaders summit in Hamburg, saying China is willing to work with Germany =
to ensure the Hamburg summit, on the basis of Hangzhou summit held in China =
last year, sends out a clear and positive signal for stronger global =
economic cooperation and governance. Xi called for a global economy that =
features stronger growth, more effective governance, more open trade and =
more inclusive development.
=09In addition, Xi reaffirmed China's support for European integration, =
saying China and the EU should, from a strategic and long-term point of =
view, be committed to establishing a partnership defined by peace and =
growth.
=09During the telephone conversation, Merkel expressed satisfaction with =
the development of Germany-China relations. She said Germany speaks highly =
of the important speech Xi delivered at the World Economic Forum held in =
January in Davos, Switzerland, supports the China-proposed Belt and Road =
Initiative, and appreciates China's support for the upcoming Hamburg G20 =
summit.
=09She said Germany is willing to increase high-level exchanges with China, =
boost economic and trade cooperation, and deepen people-to-people exchanges =
in a bid to lift their comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.
=09Germany, Merkel added, is willing to play a key role in further =
developing EU-China relations.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
=09BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday =
morning held a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel =
on the topic of strengthening bilateral relations.
=09During the conversation, Xi noted that 2017 marks the 45th anniversary =
of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Germany and that =
relations between the two countries have witnessed a comprehensive and =
in-depth development over recent years.
=09"We're willing to work together with Germany to push the China-Germany =
comprehensive strategic partnership further forward. As both being two of =
the world's most important economies and firm advocates of globalization, =
China and Germany are obliged to push all parties to jointly build an open =
global economy, maintaining the effectiveness and authoritiveness of =
multilateral trade rules and systems," Xi said.
=09Xi added that strengthening cooperation is in the fundamental interests =
of both countries and the European Union as a whole.
=09The Chinese president noted that economic and trade cooperation are the =
key driving force of China-Germany relations and called on both countries =
to ensure that economic ties are mutually beneficial. Xi called for more =
high-level financial talks, security dialogues and people-to-people =
exchanges, among others.
=09Xi also voiced China's support for Germany to host this year's Group of =
20 leaders summit in Hamburg, saying China is willing to work with Germany =
to ensure the Hamburg summit, on the basis of Hangzhou summit held in China =
last year, sends out a clear and positive signal for stronger global =
economic cooperation and governance. Xi called for a global economy that =
features stronger growth, more effective governance, more open trade and =
more inclusive development.
=09In addition, Xi reaffirmed China's support for European integration, =
saying China and the EU should, from a strategic and long-term point of =
view, be committed to establishing a partnership defined by peace and =
growth.
=09During the telephone conversation, Merkel expressed satisfaction with =
the development of Germany-China relations. She said Germany speaks highly =
of the important speech Xi delivered at the World Economic Forum held in =
January in Davos, Switzerland, supports the China-proposed Belt and Road =
Initiative, and appreciates China's support for the upcoming Hamburg G20 =
summit.
=09She said Germany is willing to increase high-level exchanges with China, =
boost economic and trade cooperation, and deepen people-to-people exchanges =
in a bid to lift their comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.
=09Germany, Merkel added, is willing to play a key role in further =
developing EU-China relations.
UK schools eye Shanghai math books
First, Shanghai math teachers arrived in Britain, and now Chinese math textbooks will be published for use in UK classrooms.
An agreement to publish English translations of texts used by Shanghai's primary school math program was signed Tuesday at the London Book Fair between Collins Learning and Shanghai Century Publishing Group. Collins is part of giant Harper Collins Publishing. Collins plans to release Real Shanghai Mathematics, a series of 36 textbooks, starting in September.
Colin Hughes, Collins Learning's managing director, called the signing "a historic moment".
"To my knowledge this has never happened in history before－that textbooks created for students in China will be translated exactly as they have been developed, and sold for use in British schools," Hughes said.
"This development arises from increasingly successful collaboration between Shanghai and the British government, aimed at raising standards of mathematics education in UK schools by adopting the excellent approach that places Shanghai as a world leader in mathematics teaching."
Since 2014, over 400 teachers, leaders and researchers from China and Britain have been on academic exchange visits. Educators in both countries said their schools benefitted from the exchange.
Students from Shanghai have consistently scored well in the Program for International Student Assessment, a triennial exam of 15-year-old students that helps evaluate education systems worldwide.
The textbooks already have been used by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics to train British teachers.
The UK education department announced a four-year, 41 million pound ($50.3 million) Teaching for Mastery Program last year to develop techniques used in Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong for use in 8,000 UK primary schools. Collins hopes to gain the program's endorsement for its new textbook series.
Collins Learning described Real Shanghai Mathematics as a rigorous program that "emphasizes complete mastery of basic numeracy knowledge and skills to allow vastly accelerated progression to advanced numeracy".
An agreement to publish English translations of texts used by Shanghai's primary school math program was signed Tuesday at the London Book Fair between Collins Learning and Shanghai Century Publishing Group. Collins is part of giant Harper Collins Publishing. Collins plans to release Real Shanghai Mathematics, a series of 36 textbooks, starting in September.
Colin Hughes, Collins Learning's managing director, called the signing "a historic moment".
"To my knowledge this has never happened in history before－that textbooks created for students in China will be translated exactly as they have been developed, and sold for use in British schools," Hughes said.
"This development arises from increasingly successful collaboration between Shanghai and the British government, aimed at raising standards of mathematics education in UK schools by adopting the excellent approach that places Shanghai as a world leader in mathematics teaching."
Since 2014, over 400 teachers, leaders and researchers from China and Britain have been on academic exchange visits. Educators in both countries said their schools benefitted from the exchange.
Students from Shanghai have consistently scored well in the Program for International Student Assessment, a triennial exam of 15-year-old students that helps evaluate education systems worldwide.
The textbooks already have been used by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics to train British teachers.
The UK education department announced a four-year, 41 million pound ($50.3 million) Teaching for Mastery Program last year to develop techniques used in Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong for use in 8,000 UK primary schools. Collins hopes to gain the program's endorsement for its new textbook series.
Collins Learning described Real Shanghai Mathematics as a rigorous program that "emphasizes complete mastery of basic numeracy knowledge and skills to allow vastly accelerated progression to advanced numeracy".
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Sunday, March 12, 2017
HOW TO COOK CHINESE FOOD
I consistently get a lot of questions from people wondering how to cook Chinese food. Regardless of if you are just learning how to cook or have been cooking for awhile you will probably find this article useful. The truth is, cooking Chinese food is not hard at all. In fact, many Chinese dishes are all very similar so once you learn how to cook a few different dishes, you should develop a good understanding of Chinese cooking. In this article I will explain to make a few popular Chinese dishes. These dishes include Sesame-Orange Chicken, General Tso's Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Black Pepper Chicken, Egg Rolls, and Crab Rangoons. All of these items are fried and most can be found at Chinese restaurants across the United States.
The first thing when preparing to cook Chinese food is to make sure you have a lot of the ingredients on hand. A lot of Chinese dishes all use very similar ingredients. Some ingredients you will want to keep in your pantry are soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, and rice wine. Fresh ingredients would include ginger, garlic and green onions. A couple of questions I constantly receive are, "What is the best type of oil for deep frying Chinese cuisine?" and "Are rice wine vinegar and rice wine the same?" The answer to the first question is peanut oil. Peanut oil will brown nicely and give the meat great flavor when used for deep frying. Rice wine vinegar and rice wine are not the same thing. Rice wine is an actual wine, sometimes called Sake or Mirin, while rice wine vinegar is a type of vinegar that is made from fermented rice wine.
Sesame-Orange Chicken
Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch cubes)
½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
½ cup water (or as much as needed to make batter smooth)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sauce-
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
the juice of ½ orange
1 teaspoon orange zest
sprinkle of garlic powder
sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Heat oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees. In large bowl combine all of the batter ingredients and mix thoroughly. The batter should be thick enough to coat the chicken but thin enough to flow around the pieces. Set aside.
Step 2: Dip chicken pieces into the batter to coat evenly (one by one). Deep fry the chicken in batches in your deep fryer for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. (or you can fry in hot oil at about 325 degrees in your wok for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown).
Step 3: In a bowl whisk together ketchup, honey, sugar, water, vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, orange juice, orange zest, and sesame seeds. Pour into a wok and cook until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Mix in a bowl with the fried chicken pieces.
Cashew Chicken
Ingredients:
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1" chunks)
2 cups flour
5 teaspoons cornstarch (divided)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 eggs (beaten)
oil (for frying)
Sauce-
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large green pepper (sliced)
1 large onion (sliced)
2 cups cashews
1/3 cup green onions (chopped)
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: In a bowl mix flour, baking soda and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. In another bowl beat the eggs. Dip chicken pieces first then the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture and then again in the flour mixture.
Step 2: Fry in oil in a wok or in a deep fryer at 350 degrees in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Step 3: Heat a tiny bit of oil in the wok and stir fry green pepper and onions for 2-3 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.
Step 4: To make the sauce- in a bowl mix chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and 4 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Step 5: Pour sauce into wok and cook over medium heat stirring until well blended and sauce thickens. In a bowl pour sauce over chicken pieces, add green peppers and onions. Mix well and garnish with cashews and green onions. Serve with white rice.
Black Pepper Chicken
Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
6 tablespoons cornstarch (for dusting)
1 white onion (diced)
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
oil (for drying)
Sauce-
¼ cup oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sake or rice wine
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Mix together all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Cut chicken into ½"cubes and dust chicken pieces with corn starch until fully coated.
Step 3: Deep fry (or fry in a wok) chicken in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Step 4: Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok and stir fry diced onion for a minute or two. Add celery and stir fry for another couple minutes. Add sauce mixture to the wok and heat until bubbling. Add chicken stirring to fully coat with the sauce. Serve with white rice.
General Tso's Chicken
Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1" chunks)
5 dried red chili peppers
3 green onions (sliced)
3 eggs (beaten)
½ cup cornstarch
oil (for frying)
Sauce-
1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl combine cornstarch and beaten eggs. Mix well to create a batter. Add chicken bits and coat thoroughly.
Step 2: To make the sauce- in a small bowl combine rice vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.
Step 3: Heat deep fryer or wok to 375 degrees and deep fried chicken bits in batches. Drain on paper towels.
Step 4: Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to your wok. Add dried chili peppers to your wok and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken bits to the wok and stir fry for a couple minutes.
Step 5: Add sauce mixture to the wok and cook stirring until the sauce becomes thickened and bubbly. Garnish with green onions and serve.
Pork Egg Rolls
Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork
1 package egg roll wraps
1 bag shredded cabbage and carrot mix
1 tablespoon oil
¼ cup sugar
½ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 egg (beaten, for sealing)
Oil (for frying)
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Fry ground pork in a little oil until the pork is completely browned. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl combine cabbage and carrot mixture, cooked ground pork. Season with 1 tablespoon of oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Step 3: Lay out an egg roll wrapper. Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the corner of the wrapper, but not so the filling is actually touching the corner. Fold over that corner and roll about half of the way up. Fold over the left and right corners to the middle. Using a brush or the bottom of a spoon, brush the beaten egg on the edges of the wrapper. Finish rolling up tightly and secure to make sure there are no leaks. Repeat until all the egg roll wraps are used.
Step 4: Deep fry egg rolls in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Crab Rangoons
Ingredients:
12 ounces of cream cheese (at room temperature)
50 wan ton wrappers
1 cup imitation crab meat (or canned)
2 green onions (minced)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 egg (beaten)
oil (for frying)
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: In a bowl cream the cream cheese, soy sauce, green onions and garlic powder. Stir in the crab meat (if using imitation crab it should be chopped into pieces).
Step 2: In a separate bowl beat 1 egg. Lay out a wanton wrapper so it forms a diamond shape and place 1 teaspoon of filling just below the center of each wrapper.
Step 3: Brush the opposite corners of the wanton wrapper with the egg mixture. Fold over the edges of the wrapper to form a triangle and seal tightly.
Step 4: Deep fry the rangoons in batches at 375 degrees for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
The first thing when preparing to cook Chinese food is to make sure you have a lot of the ingredients on hand. A lot of Chinese dishes all use very similar ingredients. Some ingredients you will want to keep in your pantry are soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, and rice wine. Fresh ingredients would include ginger, garlic and green onions. A couple of questions I constantly receive are, "What is the best type of oil for deep frying Chinese cuisine?" and "Are rice wine vinegar and rice wine the same?" The answer to the first question is peanut oil. Peanut oil will brown nicely and give the meat great flavor when used for deep frying. Rice wine vinegar and rice wine are not the same thing. Rice wine is an actual wine, sometimes called Sake or Mirin, while rice wine vinegar is a type of vinegar that is made from fermented rice wine.
Sesame-Orange Chicken
Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch cubes)
½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
½ cup water (or as much as needed to make batter smooth)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sauce-
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
the juice of ½ orange
1 teaspoon orange zest
sprinkle of garlic powder
sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Heat oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees. In large bowl combine all of the batter ingredients and mix thoroughly. The batter should be thick enough to coat the chicken but thin enough to flow around the pieces. Set aside.
Step 2: Dip chicken pieces into the batter to coat evenly (one by one). Deep fry the chicken in batches in your deep fryer for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. (or you can fry in hot oil at about 325 degrees in your wok for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown).
Step 3: In a bowl whisk together ketchup, honey, sugar, water, vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, orange juice, orange zest, and sesame seeds. Pour into a wok and cook until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Mix in a bowl with the fried chicken pieces.
Cashew Chicken
Ingredients:
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1" chunks)
2 cups flour
5 teaspoons cornstarch (divided)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 eggs (beaten)
oil (for frying)
Sauce-
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large green pepper (sliced)
1 large onion (sliced)
2 cups cashews
1/3 cup green onions (chopped)
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: In a bowl mix flour, baking soda and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. In another bowl beat the eggs. Dip chicken pieces first then the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture and then again in the flour mixture.
Step 2: Fry in oil in a wok or in a deep fryer at 350 degrees in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Step 3: Heat a tiny bit of oil in the wok and stir fry green pepper and onions for 2-3 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.
Step 4: To make the sauce- in a bowl mix chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and 4 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Step 5: Pour sauce into wok and cook over medium heat stirring until well blended and sauce thickens. In a bowl pour sauce over chicken pieces, add green peppers and onions. Mix well and garnish with cashews and green onions. Serve with white rice.
Black Pepper Chicken
Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
6 tablespoons cornstarch (for dusting)
1 white onion (diced)
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
oil (for drying)
Sauce-
¼ cup oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sake or rice wine
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Mix together all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Cut chicken into ½"cubes and dust chicken pieces with corn starch until fully coated.
Step 3: Deep fry (or fry in a wok) chicken in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Step 4: Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok and stir fry diced onion for a minute or two. Add celery and stir fry for another couple minutes. Add sauce mixture to the wok and heat until bubbling. Add chicken stirring to fully coat with the sauce. Serve with white rice.
General Tso's Chicken
Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1" chunks)
5 dried red chili peppers
3 green onions (sliced)
3 eggs (beaten)
½ cup cornstarch
oil (for frying)
Sauce-
1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl combine cornstarch and beaten eggs. Mix well to create a batter. Add chicken bits and coat thoroughly.
Step 2: To make the sauce- in a small bowl combine rice vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.
Step 3: Heat deep fryer or wok to 375 degrees and deep fried chicken bits in batches. Drain on paper towels.
Step 4: Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to your wok. Add dried chili peppers to your wok and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken bits to the wok and stir fry for a couple minutes.
Step 5: Add sauce mixture to the wok and cook stirring until the sauce becomes thickened and bubbly. Garnish with green onions and serve.
Pork Egg Rolls
Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork
1 package egg roll wraps
1 bag shredded cabbage and carrot mix
1 tablespoon oil
¼ cup sugar
½ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 egg (beaten, for sealing)
Oil (for frying)
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Fry ground pork in a little oil until the pork is completely browned. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl combine cabbage and carrot mixture, cooked ground pork. Season with 1 tablespoon of oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Step 3: Lay out an egg roll wrapper. Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the corner of the wrapper, but not so the filling is actually touching the corner. Fold over that corner and roll about half of the way up. Fold over the left and right corners to the middle. Using a brush or the bottom of a spoon, brush the beaten egg on the edges of the wrapper. Finish rolling up tightly and secure to make sure there are no leaks. Repeat until all the egg roll wraps are used.
Step 4: Deep fry egg rolls in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Crab Rangoons
Ingredients:
12 ounces of cream cheese (at room temperature)
50 wan ton wrappers
1 cup imitation crab meat (or canned)
2 green onions (minced)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 egg (beaten)
oil (for frying)
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: In a bowl cream the cream cheese, soy sauce, green onions and garlic powder. Stir in the crab meat (if using imitation crab it should be chopped into pieces).
Step 2: In a separate bowl beat 1 egg. Lay out a wanton wrapper so it forms a diamond shape and place 1 teaspoon of filling just below the center of each wrapper.
Step 3: Brush the opposite corners of the wanton wrapper with the egg mixture. Fold over the edges of the wrapper to form a triangle and seal tightly.
Step 4: Deep fry the rangoons in batches at 375 degrees for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Xi calls for building "great wall of iron" for Xinjiang's stability
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that the "great wall of iron" to safeguard national unity, ethnic solidarity and social stability should be fortified in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during a panel discussion with national lawmakers from Xinjiang at the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC).
Xi called for safeguarding ethnic unity, and reinforcing solidarity between the military and government, soldiers and civilians, police and the public, as well as between the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and local communities.
Xinjiang is an important "security barrier" in northwest China which holds a special strategic position and faces special issues, Xi said, adding that governing the region well is of great significance.
He stressed that maintaining stability in Xinjiang is a political responsibility, and that stability-related issues must be handled in a thorough, timely and proper manner.
He called for efforts to make long-term strategies, strengthen the foundation, and achieve lasting peace and stability in Xinjiang.
Xi urged greater efforts to protect the environment and build a beautiful Xinjiang. "Let people of all ethnic groups feel the Party's care and the warmth of the motherland," he said.
Xi called for comprehensively implementing targeted poverty alleviation policies and taking the poor areas in southern Xinjiang as the main battlefield in poverty relief.
He also stressed guiding people of different ethnic groups to enhance their sense of identity with the motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics."
Calling Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps an important force in the region's socio-economic development, Xi said the corps' special advantages and vitality should be brought into full play.
Other Chinese leaders including Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also attended separate panel discussions with NPC deputies Friday.
In a panel discussion with lawmakers from Anhui Province, Premier Li Keqiang stressed the major task of advancing supply-side structural reform, while urging government departments to shift their focus to improving oversight and serving businesses.
Related work should be accelerated to foster new growth engines to replace traditional drivers, Li said, promising equal treatment for market entities of various ownerships.
While joining lawmakers from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said that lawmakers should accomplish the historic mission of formulating the general provisions of the civil law to lay a solid foundation for compiling a civil code with Chinese characteristics and spirit of the time.
He called for sticking to the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and stepping up building a comprehensive system of laws.
Joining a panel discussion with NPC deputies from Jilin Province, Liu Yunshan, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, stressed preparations and publicity for the 19th CPC National Congress, which is slated for the second half of this year.
Liu urged strict implementation of all sorts of tasks to advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party.
Joining lawmakers from Gansu Province, Wang Qishan, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, called on senior officials to play exemplary roles in spearheading the country's current drive to comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society.
He also urged the Party's disciplinary inspectors to step up self-supervision and subject themselves to supervision from within the Party, the public and the media.
In a panel discussion with NPC deputies from Fujian Province, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli urged the province to actively take part in China's major development strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative and push forward the supply-side structural reform.
Zhang called for efforts in revitalizing the real economy, developing advanced manufacturing and stepping up industrial optimization and upgrading.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during a panel discussion with national lawmakers from Xinjiang at the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC).
Xi called for safeguarding ethnic unity, and reinforcing solidarity between the military and government, soldiers and civilians, police and the public, as well as between the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and local communities.
Xinjiang is an important "security barrier" in northwest China which holds a special strategic position and faces special issues, Xi said, adding that governing the region well is of great significance.
He stressed that maintaining stability in Xinjiang is a political responsibility, and that stability-related issues must be handled in a thorough, timely and proper manner.
He called for efforts to make long-term strategies, strengthen the foundation, and achieve lasting peace and stability in Xinjiang.
Xi urged greater efforts to protect the environment and build a beautiful Xinjiang. "Let people of all ethnic groups feel the Party's care and the warmth of the motherland," he said.
Xi called for comprehensively implementing targeted poverty alleviation policies and taking the poor areas in southern Xinjiang as the main battlefield in poverty relief.
He also stressed guiding people of different ethnic groups to enhance their sense of identity with the motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics."
Calling Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps an important force in the region's socio-economic development, Xi said the corps' special advantages and vitality should be brought into full play.
Other Chinese leaders including Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also attended separate panel discussions with NPC deputies Friday.
In a panel discussion with lawmakers from Anhui Province, Premier Li Keqiang stressed the major task of advancing supply-side structural reform, while urging government departments to shift their focus to improving oversight and serving businesses.
Related work should be accelerated to foster new growth engines to replace traditional drivers, Li said, promising equal treatment for market entities of various ownerships.
While joining lawmakers from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said that lawmakers should accomplish the historic mission of formulating the general provisions of the civil law to lay a solid foundation for compiling a civil code with Chinese characteristics and spirit of the time.
He called for sticking to the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and stepping up building a comprehensive system of laws.
Joining a panel discussion with NPC deputies from Jilin Province, Liu Yunshan, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, stressed preparations and publicity for the 19th CPC National Congress, which is slated for the second half of this year.
Liu urged strict implementation of all sorts of tasks to advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party.
Joining lawmakers from Gansu Province, Wang Qishan, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, called on senior officials to play exemplary roles in spearheading the country's current drive to comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society.
He also urged the Party's disciplinary inspectors to step up self-supervision and subject themselves to supervision from within the Party, the public and the media.
In a panel discussion with NPC deputies from Fujian Province, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli urged the province to actively take part in China's major development strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative and push forward the supply-side structural reform.
Zhang called for efforts in revitalizing the real economy, developing advanced manufacturing and stepping up industrial optimization and upgrading.
Rising Like a Phoenix
Beijing women's football team has been top-ranked in China since it was established in 1985. The team has twice won the gold medal at the National Games of China, and the team has twice won the championship of the top-level Chinese women's league. Thirty of the team's players have been members of the national squad. In November 2016, Beijing Enterprises Group Co., Ltd. (one of Beijing's largest State-owned enterprises) announced it planned to establish BG Phoenix Football Club, and pattern the team on Beijing women's football team. BG Phoenix has hired a professional team to deal with management, marketing and the transfer of players. The club plans to sign some top foreign players. The club will establish both an international football school and a training base for young players. BG Phoenix has five coaches and a 25-member squad, including two players from Chinese Taipei. The club also has three groups of players under age 18.As the team's head coach, Liu Ying, a former member of the national squad, said the establishment of the club will definitely benefit the team's development. China's women's football team won the silver medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, and it finished second at the Women's World Cup in 1999. The members of the national squad, including Liu, who competed between 1990 and 2005, were called "steel roses." Liu said every football player dreams of competing in the World Cup and Olympic Games. She feels satisfied with her playing career. Liu retired in 2005. Since then, she coached the Beijing U-18 women's team for eight years. Most recently, she has been the head coach of Beijing women's team.Due to the lack of sponsorship, the team couldn't offer good salaries to the players. Some star players joined other teams in 2015, and it was hard for Beijing to find qualified young players. In 2016, Beijing finished sixth among eight teams in the league. "Some teams completed their transformation into professional clubs two years ago. They have obtained sponsorships and they have top squads. Thus, it is significant that BG Phoenix was established. Although we still don't have a strong squad in 2017, I believe a highly competitive league will push our players to spare no effort during every match. The players will have higher incomes than before as long as they perform well," Liu says. BG Phoenix will compete in the women's super league and the Tianjin National Games this year. The team has been preparing since January."It is the club's first year. We will do our best in all matches, and we will seek steady improvements through the matches. As a coach, I still have much to learn. I will keep improving my professional competence," Liu says.When Liu and the Chinese team competed for the World Cup in 1999, Gu Yasha, now a member of both BG Phoenix and the national squad, started learning to play football. "Back then, the Chinese women's team was very strong, and many players were popular throughout the country. But I was not much interested in the game until my PE (physical education) teacher in primary school asked me to join the school's football team, when I was 10. Once I got involved, I enjoyed it. Now, playing football still makes me happy," Gu says. Two years later, to receive more professional training, she left her hometown, Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan Province. She attended Chaoyang District's Sports School, in Beijing, and in 2005 she joined Beijing women's team. Given her good performance, Gu, then 17, was named to China's Olympic squad in 2008. "I didn't have much pressure at that time, and it felt amazing that I was able to score a goal, on home soil. I'll always remember that moment," Gu says. She also competed in the Women's World Cup in 2015. Last year, Gu became the only member of the Rio Olympic squad who had competed in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. "Compared with my first Olympics, I knew I had to make a bigger contribution and help the team go further in Rio. I was happy that I scored a goal again for the team," says Gu. Gu is now in the second year of her master's program. She is working toward a master's degree in sports education from Beijing Normal University. She hopes she can play football for several more years. She also hopes to help promote women's football education after she obtains her degree. Zhang Yue, goalkeeper of BG Phoenix, was also a member of China's Olympic squad in 2016. She said competing in the Olympic qualifiers was an unforgettable experience. "Because we failed to qualify for the London Olympics, and because our rivals performed better in international events, many people thought it would be hard for our team to win the qualifiers. However, we made it with our concerted efforts. I felt proud of the team," Zhang says. Gu and Zhang hope they will help BG Phoenix achieve good results in 2017. "We hope we will perform well in the women's super league. We expect that more fans … will come to watch our games at the stadium. We will design the images of the club and players. We hope we will blaze a trail in the development of Chinese women's football clubs," says Zhang Tingzhe, general manager of BG Phoenix.(Executive Editor: XIAO FENG, Women of China English Monthly March 2017 Issue)
China to have regular cruises to Nansha Islands by 2020
China's southern island province of Hainan will run regular cruises to the Nansha Islands in the South China Seaby 2020, according to a local government paper on tourism.
Hainan will improve the travel experience with new routes and ships, improve infrastructure and provide better travel packages.
Sansha City, on Yongxing, one of the Xisha Islands, was founded in July 2012. The city sees tourism as its main economic engine and administers three island groups -- the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha -- along with surrounding waters.
The first cruise to the Xisha Islands was in 2013, with two cruise since making the trip more than 100 times, carrying over 20,000 tourists.
Hainan is upgrading its ports and has plans for a pan-South China Sea cruise line covering countries along the Maritime Silk Road.
Hainan will improve the travel experience with new routes and ships, improve infrastructure and provide better travel packages.
Sansha City, on Yongxing, one of the Xisha Islands, was founded in July 2012. The city sees tourism as its main economic engine and administers three island groups -- the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha -- along with surrounding waters.
The first cruise to the Xisha Islands was in 2013, with two cruise since making the trip more than 100 times, carrying over 20,000 tourists.
Hainan is upgrading its ports and has plans for a pan-South China Sea cruise line covering countries along the Maritime Silk Road.
China considering attending TPP Chile meeting
China opposes all forms of cyber attacks, and urges the US side to stop eavesdropping, monitoring, spying and launching cyber attacks against China and other countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang stressed at a regular press conference on Thursday.
Geng made the remarks when asked about China's comments on the reported hacking of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) against Chinese electronic devices.
WikiLeaks on Tuesday posted nearly 9,000 documents that exposed the hacking capacity of the CIA, describing it as the biggest ever leak of confidential papers from the latter.
According to the trove of data released, CIA has a team of more than 5,000 registered hackers and has produced more than 1,000 malware systems, viruses, trojans, and other software that can infiltrate and take control of target electronics.
The agency uses these tools to intercept personal information, hack phone talks, and invade into others' daily life. For example, the Samsung smart TVs, as the website said, can be transformed into covert microphones after being hacked.
One day after Wikileaks released those purported confidential CIA documents, the US government launched an investigation on the leak. White House press secretary Sean Spicer declined to confirm the veracity of any of the information in the documents, but stressed the leaking "should be a major concern".
"China will stay firm to safeguard its own cyber security, " Geng stressed, adding that it will intensify dialogues and cooperation with international community to reach universally-accepted cyber rules within the UN framework and build a peaceful, secure, open, cooperative and orderly cyberspace.
China, on March 1, released its strategy on cyberspace cooperation. The International Strategy of Cooperation on Cyberspace, issued by Foreign Ministry and State Internet Information Office, is the first China has released regarding the virtual domain.
The strategic document called for a international cyberspace collaboration based on peace, sovereignty, shared governance and shared benefits.
Documents revealed by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden in July, 2013 to Der Spiegel showed that the US has conducted mass cyber-attacks on China, targeting Chinese state leaders and Huawei, a leading telecom solutions provider.
Attacks were also aimed at the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Chinese banks and telecommunication companies. According to Der Spiegel, the spying operations also covered several former Chinese state leaders and some banks.
Subsequently, China's Internet Media Research Center said in a report that the Chinese government, after several months of investigation, has confirmed the veracity of most of Snowden's leaking.
Geng made the remarks when asked about China's comments on the reported hacking of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) against Chinese electronic devices.
WikiLeaks on Tuesday posted nearly 9,000 documents that exposed the hacking capacity of the CIA, describing it as the biggest ever leak of confidential papers from the latter.
According to the trove of data released, CIA has a team of more than 5,000 registered hackers and has produced more than 1,000 malware systems, viruses, trojans, and other software that can infiltrate and take control of target electronics.
The agency uses these tools to intercept personal information, hack phone talks, and invade into others' daily life. For example, the Samsung smart TVs, as the website said, can be transformed into covert microphones after being hacked.
One day after Wikileaks released those purported confidential CIA documents, the US government launched an investigation on the leak. White House press secretary Sean Spicer declined to confirm the veracity of any of the information in the documents, but stressed the leaking "should be a major concern".
"China will stay firm to safeguard its own cyber security, " Geng stressed, adding that it will intensify dialogues and cooperation with international community to reach universally-accepted cyber rules within the UN framework and build a peaceful, secure, open, cooperative and orderly cyberspace.
China, on March 1, released its strategy on cyberspace cooperation. The International Strategy of Cooperation on Cyberspace, issued by Foreign Ministry and State Internet Information Office, is the first China has released regarding the virtual domain.
The strategic document called for a international cyberspace collaboration based on peace, sovereignty, shared governance and shared benefits.
Documents revealed by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden in July, 2013 to Der Spiegel showed that the US has conducted mass cyber-attacks on China, targeting Chinese state leaders and Huawei, a leading telecom solutions provider.
Attacks were also aimed at the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Chinese banks and telecommunication companies. According to Der Spiegel, the spying operations also covered several former Chinese state leaders and some banks.
Subsequently, China's Internet Media Research Center said in a report that the Chinese government, after several months of investigation, has confirmed the veracity of most of Snowden's leaking.
Family planning commission 'satisfied' with birth rate
China's second-child policy pushed the fertility rate up to more than 1.7 last year, an increase from between 1.5 and 1.6 between 2000 and 2015, Wang Pei'an, deputy minister in charge of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, told a news conference on Saturday.
More than 18.4 million babies were born in China last year, 2 million more than the annual number of new births for the previous five years, and the highest number since 2000, Wang said.
The fertility rate is the average number of children a woman gives birth to in her lifetime.
"The second-child policy has produced satisfactory results," Wang said. "They totally met our expectations."
More than 90 million couples became eligible to have a second child under the new policy, but only 28 percent of them are expected to have a second baby due to old age or unwillingness to have a bigger family, he said.
China is not lacking in population and even by the end of the century China's population will remain at more than 1.1 billion, Wang said.
More than 18.4 million babies were born in China last year, 2 million more than the annual number of new births for the previous five years, and the highest number since 2000, Wang said.
The fertility rate is the average number of children a woman gives birth to in her lifetime.
"The second-child policy has produced satisfactory results," Wang said. "They totally met our expectations."
More than 90 million couples became eligible to have a second child under the new policy, but only 28 percent of them are expected to have a second baby due to old age or unwillingness to have a bigger family, he said.
China is not lacking in population and even by the end of the century China's population will remain at more than 1.1 billion, Wang said.
Yao calls better sports leagues key to nation's 'quest'
Political adviser Yao Ming urged the country to shift its sports focus from winning medals to cultivating a mature professional league system as China vows to become a strong sporting nation.
Noting the National Basketball Association's contribution to the game's athletic and commercial success in the United States, Yao, a member of China's top political advisory body, has suggested that the country should upgrade its own professional league system by optimizing management and improving commercial operations.
"To build a strong sporting nation is not just about winning gold medals, but also developing mass fitness, sports industry and sports culture comprehensively. The sound operation of professional sports leagues is at the center of the quest," Yao said during a speech at the Great Hall of the People on Friday.
Since joining the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in 2013, Yao has leveraged his influence to push sports reform in China by offering proposals in multiple areas including physical education, event organization and stadium operation.
Since being elected in February as the new chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, Yao has been tasked with attracting attention, investment and policy support to develop the CBA into a full-fledged professional league.
"Successful pro sports leagues benefit a country's sporting prowess in athletic competence, youth talent cultivation, commercial revenue and media as well as advertisement. Our leagues are lagging behind those in Europe and the United States," Yao said.
Among China's sports leagues, the Chinese Super League of soccer and CBA are the two highest-profile organizations, with media exposure, investments and stadium attendance, but they are still not near their overseas equivalents, such as the English Premier League and NBA, according to experts.
"The sports entertainment business based on the four major professional leagues led by the NBA contributes greatly to the overall revenue of the sports industry in the US. We still have a long way to go to grow our own leagues," said Ma Jilong, a CPPCC member and sports industry researcher.
To develop into a world-class competitor in soccer by 2050, China issued a long-term plan in 2015 to boost the game's professional development, which has seen a surge in the CSL's financial value. The league's broadcasting rights from 2016-20 sold for 8 billion yuan ($1.16 billion) in 2015 before 16 CSL clubs spent about $410 million signing foreign players during the 2016-17 winter transfer window.
Noting the National Basketball Association's contribution to the game's athletic and commercial success in the United States, Yao, a member of China's top political advisory body, has suggested that the country should upgrade its own professional league system by optimizing management and improving commercial operations.
"To build a strong sporting nation is not just about winning gold medals, but also developing mass fitness, sports industry and sports culture comprehensively. The sound operation of professional sports leagues is at the center of the quest," Yao said during a speech at the Great Hall of the People on Friday.
Since joining the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in 2013, Yao has leveraged his influence to push sports reform in China by offering proposals in multiple areas including physical education, event organization and stadium operation.
Since being elected in February as the new chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, Yao has been tasked with attracting attention, investment and policy support to develop the CBA into a full-fledged professional league.
"Successful pro sports leagues benefit a country's sporting prowess in athletic competence, youth talent cultivation, commercial revenue and media as well as advertisement. Our leagues are lagging behind those in Europe and the United States," Yao said.
Among China's sports leagues, the Chinese Super League of soccer and CBA are the two highest-profile organizations, with media exposure, investments and stadium attendance, but they are still not near their overseas equivalents, such as the English Premier League and NBA, according to experts.
"The sports entertainment business based on the four major professional leagues led by the NBA contributes greatly to the overall revenue of the sports industry in the US. We still have a long way to go to grow our own leagues," said Ma Jilong, a CPPCC member and sports industry researcher.
To develop into a world-class competitor in soccer by 2050, China issued a long-term plan in 2015 to boost the game's professional development, which has seen a surge in the CSL's financial value. The league's broadcasting rights from 2016-20 sold for 8 billion yuan ($1.16 billion) in 2015 before 16 CSL clubs spent about $410 million signing foreign players during the 2016-17 winter transfer window.
China clarifies manufacturing plan after EU group criticism
Chinese regulator on Saturday offered detailed clarifications on the "Made in China 2025" plan, saying that accusation by a European business group of discrimination against foreign firms is a misunderstanding.
"The strategy and its related policies are applicable to all businesses in China, be them domestic or foreign," Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology, said at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary session.
The remarks came after a lengthy report from the European Union (EU)Chamber of Commerce claimed that China's support for high-tech manufacturing would lead to worsening treatment for foreign companies, while allowing government-subsidized homegrown players to compete unfairly.
The report said foreign suppliers of electric cars and other goods are under pressure to turn over technology to China.
Miao refuted the accusation, saying entry policies in sectors such as new energy vehicles are not only targeting foreign firms, but domestic businesses alike.
The intention of such policies is to prevent some businesses from cheating on government subsidies, not forcing foreign firms to transfer technologies, Miao explained.
As for the targets set for the market share of domestic brands in some sectors, Miao said the government is not "deliberately seeking" such goals when drafting the plan.
Most of the the targets quoted by the EU group are not in the government plan, but in a greenpaper issued by an expert consultation panel, and the panel had made it clear from the beginning that such targets are of predictive nature, not mandatory, Miao added.
The ultimate aim of the "Made in China 2025" plan is to satisfy domestic demand for high-end equipment and industrial goods as Western countries still imposed export bans on some of the products to China, he said.
"While allowing the market to play its decisive role in developing economy, the government is also playing a role of guidance, which is an international practice," the minister said.
To boost domestic manufacturing, the EU, the United States and Germany have all come up with similar plans in recent years, Miao said, hoping for more bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation in the area.
China introduced the "Made in China 2025" blueprint in May 2015, listing several tasks for the high-tech manufacturing industry, including boosting innovation, fostering Chinese brands and service-oriented manufacturing.
"The strategy and its related policies are applicable to all businesses in China, be them domestic or foreign," Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology, said at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary session.
The remarks came after a lengthy report from the European Union (EU)Chamber of Commerce claimed that China's support for high-tech manufacturing would lead to worsening treatment for foreign companies, while allowing government-subsidized homegrown players to compete unfairly.
The report said foreign suppliers of electric cars and other goods are under pressure to turn over technology to China.
Miao refuted the accusation, saying entry policies in sectors such as new energy vehicles are not only targeting foreign firms, but domestic businesses alike.
The intention of such policies is to prevent some businesses from cheating on government subsidies, not forcing foreign firms to transfer technologies, Miao explained.
As for the targets set for the market share of domestic brands in some sectors, Miao said the government is not "deliberately seeking" such goals when drafting the plan.
Most of the the targets quoted by the EU group are not in the government plan, but in a greenpaper issued by an expert consultation panel, and the panel had made it clear from the beginning that such targets are of predictive nature, not mandatory, Miao added.
The ultimate aim of the "Made in China 2025" plan is to satisfy domestic demand for high-end equipment and industrial goods as Western countries still imposed export bans on some of the products to China, he said.
"While allowing the market to play its decisive role in developing economy, the government is also playing a role of guidance, which is an international practice," the minister said.
To boost domestic manufacturing, the EU, the United States and Germany have all come up with similar plans in recent years, Miao said, hoping for more bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation in the area.
China introduced the "Made in China 2025" blueprint in May 2015, listing several tasks for the high-tech manufacturing industry, including boosting innovation, fostering Chinese brands and service-oriented manufacturing.
Friday, March 10, 2017
China's overall leverage level "not very high": central bank
China's overall leverage level is "not very high", central bank officials said here Friday, while voicing concerns over excessive corporate debt level.
Leverage ratio of non-financial corporations is relatively high by global standard, Yi Gang, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual legislative session.
China has noticed the problem of rising debt level and will work to stabilize the overall leverage ratio while adjusting the leverage structure concerning debts of households, government and enterprises, he said.
Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the PBOC, said measures should be taken to keep enterprises with excessive debt ratio under control, and that the financial system should not provide unnecessary support to such enterprises.
Zhou said he does not expect immediate effects from efforts in corporate deleveraging given the existing debt amount.
Leverage ratio of non-financial corporations is relatively high by global standard, Yi Gang, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual legislative session.
China has noticed the problem of rising debt level and will work to stabilize the overall leverage ratio while adjusting the leverage structure concerning debts of households, government and enterprises, he said.
Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the PBOC, said measures should be taken to keep enterprises with excessive debt ratio under control, and that the financial system should not provide unnecessary support to such enterprises.
Zhou said he does not expect immediate effects from efforts in corporate deleveraging given the existing debt amount.
China begins equipment installation on homegrown aircraft carrier
The major construction and design work of China's second aircraft carrier has been completed, bringing the country one step closer to establishing its own carrier fleet, according to a PLA authority.
"The aircraft carrier's hull blocks have been joined at the shipyard, and equipment installation is currently underway," said Wang Weiming, deputy chief of staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy and an NPC deputy, during a March 9 interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress. The carrier is now awaiting fitting, Wang added.
"In addition to the existing carrier Liaoning, China will put more effort into building its own fleet of aircraft carriers. The number of China's future carriers depends on the country's strategic and military needs. We will not compete with the U.S. to build a fleet of 12 carriers, which is not necessary for China, as the country pursues a national defense policy that is purely defensive in nature," Chen Zhou, a researcher with the Academy of Military Sciences, told Beijing Youth Daily. Chen is also an NPC deputy.
Chen's remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump promised that he would bolster the U.S. Navy by expanding its number of carriers from 10 to 12.
Echoing Chen, Wang Huayong, deputy political commissar of the Eastern Theater Command, attempted to allay fears surrounding China's rising naval power. He emphasized that the country's forces are for defensive purposes only.
"The aircraft carrier is still in its training and trial stage. Marines remain weak, and the number and quality of long-distance vessels do not meet expectations," Wang told Xinhua.
"The aircraft carrier's hull blocks have been joined at the shipyard, and equipment installation is currently underway," said Wang Weiming, deputy chief of staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy and an NPC deputy, during a March 9 interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress. The carrier is now awaiting fitting, Wang added.
"In addition to the existing carrier Liaoning, China will put more effort into building its own fleet of aircraft carriers. The number of China's future carriers depends on the country's strategic and military needs. We will not compete with the U.S. to build a fleet of 12 carriers, which is not necessary for China, as the country pursues a national defense policy that is purely defensive in nature," Chen Zhou, a researcher with the Academy of Military Sciences, told Beijing Youth Daily. Chen is also an NPC deputy.
Chen's remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump promised that he would bolster the U.S. Navy by expanding its number of carriers from 10 to 12.
Echoing Chen, Wang Huayong, deputy political commissar of the Eastern Theater Command, attempted to allay fears surrounding China's rising naval power. He emphasized that the country's forces are for defensive purposes only.
"The aircraft carrier is still in its training and trial stage. Marines remain weak, and the number and quality of long-distance vessels do not meet expectations," Wang told Xinhua.
Park Geun-hye ousted
South Korean President Park Geun-hye was ousted as the country's head of state after on Friday the constitutional court upheld a motion to impeach the scandal-ridden leader.
The court's acting Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi read the ruling on the impeachment, broadcast live nationwide, saying it was the unanimous decision of eight justices.
The acting chief justice said the court had made all-out efforts for a fair judgment, hoping their decision would become a base to lead South Korea towards reconciliation and remedy by ending division and chaos.
Lee, who is scheduled to retire on Monday, dismissed a request for retrial from Park's legal team, which demanded a full court's judgement by nine justices. The former chief justice stepped down on Jan. 31 after his term terminated, leaving one vacancy and Lee was nominated as the acting chief justice.
She said there had been no procedural error in the eight-justice court's decision.
The court dismissed Park's violation of press freedom for lack of evidence, saying Park's inaction to the 2014 ferry disaster is not subject to the impeachment judgment. The ferry disaster claimed more than 300 lives, mostly high school students on a school trip to the Jeju Island.
However, the court ruled that Park allowed her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil to meddle in state affairs from the shadows by leaking many of secret documents and influencing the appointment of government officials.
The ruling said Park also helped Choi seek personal gains by establishing two nonprofit foundations, which were set up with donations from major conglomerates.
South Koreans, who had called for Park's resignation, waved national flags and cheered outside the court in downtown Seoul after hearing the impeachment ruling.
A tearful mother and her daughter were among the anti-Park protesters who held placards that read "Impeachment is Victory of Candlelight Vigil" and "No THAAD."
Park's supporters, who rallied just hundreds of meters away on the street, remained silent and burst into tears following the verdict.
Some of the president's loyalists attempted to break into the court building and clashed with the police.
Local media reported that two of Park's supporters died of unidentified reasons during the rally. One of the dead is in his 70s.
Opinion polls have never changed in recent months, with almost eight out of 10 South Koreans demanding Park's ouster. About 15 percent people have insisted on the rejection or no decision on the impeachment.
By law, the court's ruling takes effect immediately after the reading. Park will be required to leave the presidential Blue House as she officially lost all of her presidential power as well as her title as the incumbent president.
President Park became the first South Korean leader to be forcibly removed from office through the impeachment. She was also the second president to be impeached in the country's constitutional history.
In March 2004, late President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached for his call on voters to support his own party in the parliamentary election of that year. About two months later, he was reinstated as the court ruled that his violation of an election law was not grave enough to boot him from office.
Park's impeachment is an unprecedented event in South Korea's modern history, so there is no specific law stipulating that the impeached leader must leave the Cheong Wa Dae by a given date.
Lee Jae-myung from the Minjoo Party, mayor of Seongnam city to the southeast of Seoul, said, "Today is a great day for people. Impeachment is the start to build a fair country free from corruption, foul play and privilege."
"Genuine unity will only be made possible when completely clearing away the legacy of old days," he added.
Cheong Wook-sik, director of local advocacy group Peace Network, believed the result was not surprising.
"President Park breached the constitution and fell short of people's expectations," he said.
Although the deployment of the controversial Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) was not the main reason for Park's impeachment, it adversely affected South Korea's foreign policy, he added.
Cheong hoped the new government to be produced in the upcoming election could revoke the THAAD deployment plan and mend South Korea's ties with China.
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday that he respected the court's decision.
Only when people, especially those who protested against the impeachment, accepted the ruling, "can the rule of law, which is the basic value of the South Korean constitution, stand upright," Ban was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.
Since the Dec. 9 passage in the National Assembly of the impeachment bill, a total of 20 hearings had been held in the court. It took 92 days before the court's final decision, longer than 64 days required for the 2004 ruling on Roh's impeachment. During the 64-day period, only seven hearings were held in 2004.
Park will be subject to indictment and detention by prosecutors as she lost her presidential immunity following the court's decision.
The court's ruling said Park had rejected face-to-face interrogations by state and special prosecutors despite her earlier pledge to accept, mentioning Park's rejection of prosecutors' attempt to search the presidential Blue House.
Prosecutors have identified Park as an accomplice of her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of the corruption scandal that led to Park's impeachment, for multiple charges including bribery.
The scandal surfaced in late October, pushing millions of people into the streets to hold rival rallies for and against the impeachment every week. In its ruling the constitutional court said it hoped the ruling would end national division.
According to the constitution, an election to pick the next president will be held in 60 days and many expect it to fall on May 9.
Meanwhile, the South Korean military has been ordered to put on vigilance against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea given South Korea's current political situation, according to the Yonhap news agency.
U.S. State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said in Washington DC that the United States will continue to work with Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn for the remainder of his tenure as the acting president.
"We look forward to a productive relationship with whomever the people of South Korea elect to be their next president," Toner said.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan will continue to cooperate with South Korea after the country's Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of President Park.
International rating agency Moody's said the impeachment of Park has removed the political uncertainty in South Korea.
Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn convened a cabinet meeting shortly after the court's ruling.
Hwang will also hold a session of the National Security Council to discuss diplomatic and security issues.
The court's acting Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi read the ruling on the impeachment, broadcast live nationwide, saying it was the unanimous decision of eight justices.
The acting chief justice said the court had made all-out efforts for a fair judgment, hoping their decision would become a base to lead South Korea towards reconciliation and remedy by ending division and chaos.
Lee, who is scheduled to retire on Monday, dismissed a request for retrial from Park's legal team, which demanded a full court's judgement by nine justices. The former chief justice stepped down on Jan. 31 after his term terminated, leaving one vacancy and Lee was nominated as the acting chief justice.
She said there had been no procedural error in the eight-justice court's decision.
The court dismissed Park's violation of press freedom for lack of evidence, saying Park's inaction to the 2014 ferry disaster is not subject to the impeachment judgment. The ferry disaster claimed more than 300 lives, mostly high school students on a school trip to the Jeju Island.
However, the court ruled that Park allowed her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil to meddle in state affairs from the shadows by leaking many of secret documents and influencing the appointment of government officials.
The ruling said Park also helped Choi seek personal gains by establishing two nonprofit foundations, which were set up with donations from major conglomerates.
South Koreans, who had called for Park's resignation, waved national flags and cheered outside the court in downtown Seoul after hearing the impeachment ruling.
A tearful mother and her daughter were among the anti-Park protesters who held placards that read "Impeachment is Victory of Candlelight Vigil" and "No THAAD."
Park's supporters, who rallied just hundreds of meters away on the street, remained silent and burst into tears following the verdict.
Some of the president's loyalists attempted to break into the court building and clashed with the police.
Local media reported that two of Park's supporters died of unidentified reasons during the rally. One of the dead is in his 70s.
Opinion polls have never changed in recent months, with almost eight out of 10 South Koreans demanding Park's ouster. About 15 percent people have insisted on the rejection or no decision on the impeachment.
By law, the court's ruling takes effect immediately after the reading. Park will be required to leave the presidential Blue House as she officially lost all of her presidential power as well as her title as the incumbent president.
President Park became the first South Korean leader to be forcibly removed from office through the impeachment. She was also the second president to be impeached in the country's constitutional history.
In March 2004, late President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached for his call on voters to support his own party in the parliamentary election of that year. About two months later, he was reinstated as the court ruled that his violation of an election law was not grave enough to boot him from office.
Park's impeachment is an unprecedented event in South Korea's modern history, so there is no specific law stipulating that the impeached leader must leave the Cheong Wa Dae by a given date.
Lee Jae-myung from the Minjoo Party, mayor of Seongnam city to the southeast of Seoul, said, "Today is a great day for people. Impeachment is the start to build a fair country free from corruption, foul play and privilege."
"Genuine unity will only be made possible when completely clearing away the legacy of old days," he added.
Cheong Wook-sik, director of local advocacy group Peace Network, believed the result was not surprising.
"President Park breached the constitution and fell short of people's expectations," he said.
Although the deployment of the controversial Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) was not the main reason for Park's impeachment, it adversely affected South Korea's foreign policy, he added.
Cheong hoped the new government to be produced in the upcoming election could revoke the THAAD deployment plan and mend South Korea's ties with China.
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday that he respected the court's decision.
Only when people, especially those who protested against the impeachment, accepted the ruling, "can the rule of law, which is the basic value of the South Korean constitution, stand upright," Ban was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.
Since the Dec. 9 passage in the National Assembly of the impeachment bill, a total of 20 hearings had been held in the court. It took 92 days before the court's final decision, longer than 64 days required for the 2004 ruling on Roh's impeachment. During the 64-day period, only seven hearings were held in 2004.
Park will be subject to indictment and detention by prosecutors as she lost her presidential immunity following the court's decision.
The court's ruling said Park had rejected face-to-face interrogations by state and special prosecutors despite her earlier pledge to accept, mentioning Park's rejection of prosecutors' attempt to search the presidential Blue House.
Prosecutors have identified Park as an accomplice of her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of the corruption scandal that led to Park's impeachment, for multiple charges including bribery.
The scandal surfaced in late October, pushing millions of people into the streets to hold rival rallies for and against the impeachment every week. In its ruling the constitutional court said it hoped the ruling would end national division.
According to the constitution, an election to pick the next president will be held in 60 days and many expect it to fall on May 9.
Meanwhile, the South Korean military has been ordered to put on vigilance against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea given South Korea's current political situation, according to the Yonhap news agency.
U.S. State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said in Washington DC that the United States will continue to work with Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn for the remainder of his tenure as the acting president.
"We look forward to a productive relationship with whomever the people of South Korea elect to be their next president," Toner said.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan will continue to cooperate with South Korea after the country's Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of President Park.
International rating agency Moody's said the impeachment of Park has removed the political uncertainty in South Korea.
Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn convened a cabinet meeting shortly after the court's ruling.
Hwang will also hold a session of the National Security Council to discuss diplomatic and security issues.
Chinese leaders discuss economy, Belt&Road with lawmakers
Premier Li Keqiang and other leaders on Thursday discussed economic upgrading, Belt and Road Initiative, people's congress system, poverty alleviation, anti-corruption campaign and other topics with national lawmakers.
They joined deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) in separate panel discussions at the NPC annual session.
Joining NPC deputies from Shaanxi Province, Premier Li called for developing high-end equipment manufacturing, information industry, modern logistics and rural e-commerce. Tourism and culture should also be boosted to create more jobs.
The provincial government should further streamline administration, delegate power to lower levels, improve services, play well the province's role as a key junction in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative, and take a lead in the development of China's western region.
Joining lawmakers from Jiangsu Province, Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said people's congresses at various levels should implement the decisions made by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee to ensure effective state governance under the Party's leadership.
He called for innovation in theory and practice of the people's congress system, which is China's fundamental political system.
Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, joined NPC deputies from Guizhou Province in a panel discussion.
Yu urged the province to continue optimizing the environment for developing private businesses, invigorating the private economy, and supporting private businesses' efforts to speed up transformation and upgrading.
Yu also highlighted targeted poverty alleviation, stressing more effective measures, enhanced implementation of policies and mobilization of all resources to win the battle against poverty.
Wang Qishan, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, joined NPC deputies from Yunnan Province, calling for advancing the anti-corruption campaign, which accords with the aspirations of the Party and the people.
Calling inspections a kind of "political checkup," Wang said undesirable working styles including formalism and bureaucratism during the implementation of CPC Central Committee decisions must be rooted out.
Senior officials at key positions must guard against perfunctory working style and endeavor in a pragmatic way to live up to the people's expectations, he said.
Joining lawmakers from Chongqing Municipality, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli highlighted the city's role as a strategic pivot in China's "Go West" strategy and asked the municipal government to actively fit into the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
He also urged Chongqing to push forward the supply-side structural reform, promote innovation-driven development and high-end manufacturing, coordinate rural and urban development, and protect the Three Gorges Reservoir and the Yangtze River.
Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
They joined deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) in separate panel discussions at the NPC annual session.
Joining NPC deputies from Shaanxi Province, Premier Li called for developing high-end equipment manufacturing, information industry, modern logistics and rural e-commerce. Tourism and culture should also be boosted to create more jobs.
The provincial government should further streamline administration, delegate power to lower levels, improve services, play well the province's role as a key junction in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative, and take a lead in the development of China's western region.
Joining lawmakers from Jiangsu Province, Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said people's congresses at various levels should implement the decisions made by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee to ensure effective state governance under the Party's leadership.
He called for innovation in theory and practice of the people's congress system, which is China's fundamental political system.
Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, joined NPC deputies from Guizhou Province in a panel discussion.
Yu urged the province to continue optimizing the environment for developing private businesses, invigorating the private economy, and supporting private businesses' efforts to speed up transformation and upgrading.
Yu also highlighted targeted poverty alleviation, stressing more effective measures, enhanced implementation of policies and mobilization of all resources to win the battle against poverty.
Wang Qishan, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, joined NPC deputies from Yunnan Province, calling for advancing the anti-corruption campaign, which accords with the aspirations of the Party and the people.
Calling inspections a kind of "political checkup," Wang said undesirable working styles including formalism and bureaucratism during the implementation of CPC Central Committee decisions must be rooted out.
Senior officials at key positions must guard against perfunctory working style and endeavor in a pragmatic way to live up to the people's expectations, he said.
Joining lawmakers from Chongqing Municipality, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli highlighted the city's role as a strategic pivot in China's "Go West" strategy and asked the municipal government to actively fit into the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
He also urged Chongqing to push forward the supply-side structural reform, promote innovation-driven development and high-end manufacturing, coordinate rural and urban development, and protect the Three Gorges Reservoir and the Yangtze River.
Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
Rising Like a Phoenix
Beijing women's football team has been top-ranked in China since it was established in 1985. The team has twice won the gold medal at the National Games of China, and the team has twice won the championship of the top-level Chinese women's league. Thirty of the team's players have been members of the national squad. In November 2016, Beijing Enterprises Group Co., Ltd. (one of Beijing's largest State-owned enterprises) announced it planned to establish BG Phoenix Football Club, and pattern the team on Beijing women's football team. BG Phoenix has hired a professional team to deal with management, marketing and the transfer of players. The club plans to sign some top foreign players. The club will establish both an international football school and a training base for young players. BG Phoenix has five coaches and a 25-member squad, including two players from Chinese Taipei. The club also has three groups of players under age 18.As the team's head coach, Liu Ying, a former member of the national squad, said the establishment of the club will definitely benefit the team's development. China's women's football team won the silver medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, and it finished second at the Women's World Cup in 1999. The members of the national squad, including Liu, who competed between 1990 and 2005, were called "steel roses." Liu said every football player dreams of competing in the World Cup and Olympic Games. She feels satisfied with her playing career. Liu retired in 2005. Since then, she coached the Beijing U-18 women's team for eight years. Most recently, she has been the head coach of Beijing women's team.Due to the lack of sponsorship, the team couldn't offer good salaries to the players. Some star players joined other teams in 2015, and it was hard for Beijing to find qualified young players. In 2016, Beijing finished sixth among eight teams in the league. "Some teams completed their transformation into professional clubs two years ago. They have obtained sponsorships and they have top squads. Thus, it is significant that BG Phoenix was established. Although we still don't have a strong squad in 2017, I believe a highly competitive league will push our players to spare no effort during every match. The players will have higher incomes than before as long as they perform well," Liu says. BG Phoenix will compete in the women's super league and the Tianjin National Games this year. The team has been preparing since January."It is the club's first year. We will do our best in all matches, and we will seek steady improvements through the matches. As a coach, I still have much to learn. I will keep improving my professional competence," Liu says.When Liu and the Chinese team competed for the World Cup in 1999, Gu Yasha, now a member of both BG Phoenix and the national squad, started learning to play football. "Back then, the Chinese women's team was very strong, and many players were popular throughout the country. But I was not much interested in the game until my PE (physical education) teacher in primary school asked me to join the school's football team, when I was 10. Once I got involved, I enjoyed it. Now, playing football still makes me happy," Gu says. Two years later, to receive more professional training, she left her hometown, Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan Province. She attended Chaoyang District's Sports School, in Beijing, and in 2005 she joined Beijing women's team. Given her good performance, Gu, then 17, was named to China's Olympic squad in 2008. "I didn't have much pressure at that time, and it felt amazing that I was able to score a goal, on home soil. I'll always remember that moment," Gu says. She also competed in the Women's World Cup in 2015. Last year, Gu became the only member of the Rio Olympic squad who had competed in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. "Compared with my first Olympics, I knew I had to make a bigger contribution and help the team go further in Rio. I was happy that I scored a goal again for the team," says Gu. Gu is now in the second year of her master's program. She is working toward a master's degree in sports education from Beijing Normal University. She hopes she can play football for several more years. She also hopes to help promote women's football education after she obtains her degree. Zhang Yue, goalkeeper of BG Phoenix, was also a member of China's Olympic squad in 2016. She said competing in the Olympic qualifiers was an unforgettable experience. "Because we failed to qualify for the London Olympics, and because our rivals performed better in international events, many people thought it would be hard for our team to win the qualifiers. However, we made it with our concerted efforts. I felt proud of the team," Zhang says. Gu and Zhang hope they will help BG Phoenix achieve good results in 2017. "We hope we will perform well in the women's super league. We expect that more fans … will come to watch our games at the stadium. We will design the images of the club and players. We hope we will blaze a trail in the development of Chinese women's football clubs," says Zhang Tingzhe, general manager of BG Phoenix.(Executive Editor: XIAO FENG, Women of China English Monthly March 2017 Issue)
China opposes all forms of cyber attacks, urges US to stop such actions
China opposes all forms of cyber attacks, and urges the US side to stop eavesdropping, monitoring, spying and launching cyber attacks against China and other countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang stressed at a regular press conference on Thursday.
Geng made the remarks when asked about China's comments on the reported hacking of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) against Chinese electronic devices.
WikiLeaks on Tuesday posted nearly 9,000 documents that exposed the hacking capacity of the CIA, describing it as the biggest ever leak of confidential papers from the latter.
According to the trove of data released, CIA has a team of more than 5,000 registered hackers and has produced more than 1,000 malware systems, viruses, trojans, and other software that can infiltrate and take control of target electronics.
The agency uses these tools to intercept personal information, hack phone talks, and invade into others' daily life. For example, the Samsung smart TVs, as the website said, can be transformed into covert microphones after being hacked.
One day after Wikileaks released those purported confidential CIA documents, the US government launched an investigation on the leak. White House press secretary Sean Spicer declined to confirm the veracity of any of the information in the documents, but stressed the leaking "should be a major concern".
"China will stay firm to safeguard its own cyber security, " Geng stressed, adding that it will intensify dialogues and cooperation with international community to reach universally-accepted cyber rules within the UN framework and build a peaceful, secure, open, cooperative and orderly cyberspace.
China, on March 1, released its strategy on cyberspace cooperation. The International Strategy of Cooperation on Cyberspace, issued by Foreign Ministry and State Internet Information Office, is the first China has released regarding the virtual domain.
The strategic document called for a international cyberspace collaboration based on peace, sovereignty, shared governance and shared benefits.
Documents revealed by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden in July, 2013 to Der Spiegel showed that the US has conducted mass cyber-attacks on China, targeting Chinese state leaders and Huawei, a leading telecom solutions provider.
Attacks were also aimed at the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Chinese banks and telecommunication companies. According to Der Spiegel, the spying operations also covered several former Chinese state leaders and some banks.
Subsequently, China's Internet Media Research Center said in a report that the Chinese government, after several months of investigation, has confirmed the veracity of most of Snowden's leaking.
Geng made the remarks when asked about China's comments on the reported hacking of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) against Chinese electronic devices.
WikiLeaks on Tuesday posted nearly 9,000 documents that exposed the hacking capacity of the CIA, describing it as the biggest ever leak of confidential papers from the latter.
According to the trove of data released, CIA has a team of more than 5,000 registered hackers and has produced more than 1,000 malware systems, viruses, trojans, and other software that can infiltrate and take control of target electronics.
The agency uses these tools to intercept personal information, hack phone talks, and invade into others' daily life. For example, the Samsung smart TVs, as the website said, can be transformed into covert microphones after being hacked.
One day after Wikileaks released those purported confidential CIA documents, the US government launched an investigation on the leak. White House press secretary Sean Spicer declined to confirm the veracity of any of the information in the documents, but stressed the leaking "should be a major concern".
"China will stay firm to safeguard its own cyber security, " Geng stressed, adding that it will intensify dialogues and cooperation with international community to reach universally-accepted cyber rules within the UN framework and build a peaceful, secure, open, cooperative and orderly cyberspace.
China, on March 1, released its strategy on cyberspace cooperation. The International Strategy of Cooperation on Cyberspace, issued by Foreign Ministry and State Internet Information Office, is the first China has released regarding the virtual domain.
The strategic document called for a international cyberspace collaboration based on peace, sovereignty, shared governance and shared benefits.
Documents revealed by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden in July, 2013 to Der Spiegel showed that the US has conducted mass cyber-attacks on China, targeting Chinese state leaders and Huawei, a leading telecom solutions provider.
Attacks were also aimed at the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Chinese banks and telecommunication companies. According to Der Spiegel, the spying operations also covered several former Chinese state leaders and some banks.
Subsequently, China's Internet Media Research Center said in a report that the Chinese government, after several months of investigation, has confirmed the veracity of most of Snowden's leaking.
Eight innovation in China’s draft general provisions of civil law
The 5th session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) of China deliberated on the draft general provisions of civil law on Wednesday afternoon.
From the beginning, the draft has drawn strong response from the society. Its release will better improve the basic rules of the socialist market economy and provide the legal base for Chinese people's civil rights and civil case ruling.
Su Zelin, Deputy Director of Law Committee of NPC Standing Committee, who participated the entire deliberation process, introduced the eight innovations in the general provisions to People's Daily.
The current General Principles of Civil Law, Contract Law and Property Law all stipulate that civil subjects, when conducting civil activities, shall respect social ethnics and avoid damaging public interests and economic order. However, none of them have been mandatorily enforced. The draft specifically listed "not violating public order and good moral" as abindingarticle of the civil law.
The general provisions included energy conservation and environment protection as basic requirements for civil subjects. Waste of resource and harming the eco-environment shall be castigated to curb the crude development style, which provides institutional guarantee for the scientific and sustainable development.
The General Principles do not define embryos as nature persons in the legal sense, thus stripping their civil rights. The draft added clauses to protect the rights of embryos including inheritance and accepting grant. This is an extension of laws on protection of children's rights, and will build a better environment for children's healthy development.
Given the physical, psychological and mental features of minors, the general provisions stipulated special protection for minors' rights. For instance, the statute of limitations of requests for legal representatives for person with none or limited capacity for civil conduct shall be counted from the day of termination of said legal representatives. Also, the statute of limitations for compensation of sexual abuse on minors shall be counted from the day the victim turns 18 years old.
On the basis of previous guardianship forms, the draft added two new approaches, designated will guardian and guardian appointment through agreements. The provisions also state that the guardian should perform its duties in accordance with the principle that most benefit the person under the guardianship. This is an improvement and development of China's civil law supervision system.
During the first deliberation of the draft, legal persons are divided into profit legal person and non-profit legal person. At the 4th deliberation, based on the features, process and functions for the establishment of legal person, a category of "special person" is added, which will be regulated by specific chapters. As an innovation of China's legal person system, it is widely echoed.
The draft expanded articles on civil rights. First, specific regulations are made on personal information protection; second, principled regulations are added on data and virtual property protection, leaving development space for institutional protection of such rights; third, the equal protection system is established and fourth, the civil responsibility priority is established.
The general provisions also specified the waiver of responsibility for volunteer emergency assistance. Damage on aided person due to volunteer emergency assistance is not subject to civil responsibility. This offers legal protection for righteous acts and volunteer assistance.
From the beginning, the draft has drawn strong response from the society. Its release will better improve the basic rules of the socialist market economy and provide the legal base for Chinese people's civil rights and civil case ruling.
Su Zelin, Deputy Director of Law Committee of NPC Standing Committee, who participated the entire deliberation process, introduced the eight innovations in the general provisions to People's Daily.
The current General Principles of Civil Law, Contract Law and Property Law all stipulate that civil subjects, when conducting civil activities, shall respect social ethnics and avoid damaging public interests and economic order. However, none of them have been mandatorily enforced. The draft specifically listed "not violating public order and good moral" as abindingarticle of the civil law.
The general provisions included energy conservation and environment protection as basic requirements for civil subjects. Waste of resource and harming the eco-environment shall be castigated to curb the crude development style, which provides institutional guarantee for the scientific and sustainable development.
The General Principles do not define embryos as nature persons in the legal sense, thus stripping their civil rights. The draft added clauses to protect the rights of embryos including inheritance and accepting grant. This is an extension of laws on protection of children's rights, and will build a better environment for children's healthy development.
Given the physical, psychological and mental features of minors, the general provisions stipulated special protection for minors' rights. For instance, the statute of limitations of requests for legal representatives for person with none or limited capacity for civil conduct shall be counted from the day of termination of said legal representatives. Also, the statute of limitations for compensation of sexual abuse on minors shall be counted from the day the victim turns 18 years old.
On the basis of previous guardianship forms, the draft added two new approaches, designated will guardian and guardian appointment through agreements. The provisions also state that the guardian should perform its duties in accordance with the principle that most benefit the person under the guardianship. This is an improvement and development of China's civil law supervision system.
During the first deliberation of the draft, legal persons are divided into profit legal person and non-profit legal person. At the 4th deliberation, based on the features, process and functions for the establishment of legal person, a category of "special person" is added, which will be regulated by specific chapters. As an innovation of China's legal person system, it is widely echoed.
The draft expanded articles on civil rights. First, specific regulations are made on personal information protection; second, principled regulations are added on data and virtual property protection, leaving development space for institutional protection of such rights; third, the equal protection system is established and fourth, the civil responsibility priority is established.
The general provisions also specified the waiver of responsibility for volunteer emergency assistance. Damage on aided person due to volunteer emergency assistance is not subject to civil responsibility. This offers legal protection for righteous acts and volunteer assistance.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)