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Showing posts with label Chinese President Xi Jinping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinese President Xi Jinping. Show all posts

Friday, November 8, 2024

Promote steady improvement and growth in China-US relations through the right way forward

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Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Donald J. Trump on his election as the next President of the US on Thursday. Xi noted that history tells us that both countries stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. A China-US relationship with stable, healthy and sustainable development serves the common interests of the two countries and meets the expectations of the international community. It is hoped that the two sides will, in the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, enhance dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and find the right way for China and the US to get along with each other in the new era to the benefit of the two countries and the world.

We have noticed that President Xi's congratulatory message has received widespread attention and reports from international community. Phrases such as "China and the US must live in harmony in the new era," "Hopefully China and the US can find a way to get along" and "China and the US must live in harmony and manage differences" have become the themes of many media reports, fully reflecting the world's expectation for China-US relations. After the dust settled from the US elections, amidst the world's many concerns and worries regarding China-US relations, China's attitude undoubtedly provides valuable certainty and stability for both China-US relations and the world.

Where are China and the US headed? The Chinese side's answer to this question, including its attitude toward China-US relations, has been consistent. Although the situations of both countries and their relationship have undergone significant changes, China's commitment to the goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relationship remains unchanged; its principle in handling the relationship based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation remains unchanged; its position of firmly safeguarding the country's sovereignty, security and development interests remains unchanged; and its efforts to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American people remain unchanged. The four "unchanged" aspects reflect both strategic clarity and a sense of responsibility.

History and reality have repeatedly proven that China-US relations are not a zero-sum game in which one side loses and the other wins, or one rises and the other falls, because the two countries have enormous common interests. Forty-five years ago, it was the common interests that allowed China and the US to open the door of interaction that had been frozen for decades. By tapping into complementarity and drawing on each other's strengths, the two countries have significantly promoted the development of their respective economies and optimized and upgraded their industrial structures, while enhancing the efficiency and benefits of the global value chain. Today, China is one of the top three export markets for 32 US states, with more than 70,000 US companies investing and establishing businesses in China and 930,000 jobs in the US supported by exports to China alone. It can be seen that both China and the US have benefited from decades of generally stable bilateral relations, and it is in the two countries' mutual and fundamental interest to prevent conflict and confrontation and achieve peaceful coexistence.

China-US relations are not a multiple-choice question involving whether or not to do a good job, but a must-answer question on how to do a good job. Just as President Xi stressed, when China and the US work together, they can accomplish a great deal for the good of both countries and the world at large. There are many "cooperation common denominators" between China and the US. After the Chinese giant pandas Yaya and Lele arrived in the US, the number of visitors to the Memphis Zoo surged 46 percent. Last month, Baoli and Qingbao going to Washington caused quite a sensation; Tesla's win-win story of building a factory in Shanghai is still continuing; there is still ample room for cooperation between the two sides in trade, education, anti-drugs, justice, technology and other fields. In the face of a complex and intertwined international situation, the world looks to China and the US to lead international cooperation in addressing global issues. Countries around the world need to unite and collaborate, rather than divide and confront; the people of the world hope for openness and progress, rather than closure and regression.

China-US relations have weathered many storms over the past few decades, during which numerous pessimistic predictions have emerged. However, what people have actually seen is that whenever difficulties arise, it is cooperation - not confrontation - that resolves the issues. What pushes the relationship between the two countries as well as global peace and development to move forward is always win-win cooperation for mutual benefit rather than a zero-sum game. For China and the US, dialogue is better than confrontation, cooperation is better than decoupling, and stability is better than volatility. Regardless of changes in US domestic politics, this should be a shared consensus between both sides and a responsibility of these two major countries. China and the US must find the right way to coexist, as the fundamental lesson in the development of relations between the two countries is that we both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.

The US side needs to recognize that China also has the right to develop. China's development is an opportunity for the US and the world, not a challenge. In fact, it has been proven that engaging in trade wars, industrial wars, and technological wars yields no winners. Attempting to solve problems through "decoupling" will only lead to opposite results. Forcing countries around the world to "choose sides" between China and the US has become an increasingly unpopular "multiple-choice question" for many nations. The US, in particular, should not tread on China's red lines regarding issues of sovereignty, security, and development interests.

The China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. How China and the US interact will determine the future and destiny of humanity. We hope that the US side will meet the Chinese side halfway to find the right way for two different civilizations, systems, and paths to coexist peacefully and develop together on this planet, promoting stability in China-US relations and striving for improvement and progress on this basis.


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Thursday, November 17, 2022

China, US should chart right course for ties, push relations back to healthy, stable track; Compared with China, US has little resonance in developing world

 

 

Some high-stakes diplomacy already in motion, ahead of the key G20 summit that kicks off tomorrow (Nov 15) in Bali. Leaders of the world's two biggest superpowers have been meeting face-to-face. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden have stressed the need to manage their differences and avoid conflict between their nations. 


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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Joe Biden upon request in Bali, Indonesia, Nov. 14, 2022. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with US President Joe Biden upon request in Bali, Indonesia, Nov. 14, 2022. Photo: Xinhua

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Xi, Biden meet as world seeks more certainties

Current state of China-US relations is not in the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, and is not ...

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during meeting with US President Joe Biden on Monday in Bali, Indonesia, said they should chart the right course for the development of bilateral relations and push bilateral ties back to the track of healthy and stable development.

Xi said during the meeting that China and the US have braced winds and rains in their more than 50 years of engagement, from the establishment of diplomatic relations until today. There have been gains and losses, experience and lessons. History is the best textbook and China and the US should take history as a reference and look to the future.

The current situation of China-US relations does not conform to the interests of the two countries and their peoples, now does it conform to the expectations of the international community, Xi said.

As leaders of two major countries, we should hold the helm and find the right direction for the development of bilateral relations and push ties to improve. Politicians should think about both their own country's development path and how to get along with other countries and the world, said Xi.

As leaders of two major countries, we should find the right way. Politicians should think about both their own country's development path and how to get along with other countries and the world, said Xi.

Xi noted the changes of the times are unfolding in an unprecedented way and human society is facing unprecedented challenges, and the world is at a crossroads. We care, and all countries in the world care about where they are going.

The international community expects China and the US to handle our relations well. Our meeting today has attracted worldwide attention. We should work together with other countries to inject hope for world peace, confidence in global stability and momentum for collective development, Xi said.

He expressed willingness to continue candid and in-depth exchanges with the US president on strategic issues in China-US ties and key global and regional issues.

Xi said he looks forward to working with the US president to push bilateral relations back on the track of healthy and stable development so as to benefit both countries and the world.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the G20 summit to be held in Indonesia on Tuesday and Wednesday. Xi told Biden that though the two leaders have remained in communication via video-conferences, phone calls and letters, none of these can really take the place of face-to-face exchanges.

President Xi arrived at the island of Bali on Monday afternoon. As a guard of honor paid salutes alongside the red carpet, some local youths in national costume played traditional Indonesian musical instruments, while others performed a traditional Bali dance. Young students cheered in Chinese "Welcome! Welcome!" while waving the Chinese and Indonesian flags, CCTV reported.

According to CCTV, local people also gathered along the roads from the airport to the hotel where Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan were going to stay, waving the Chinese and Indonesian flags to express their warmest welcome on their arrival. 

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 Compared with China, US has little resonance in developing world: Martin Jacques 

 

G20 Indonesia Photo:VCG

G20 Indonesia Photo:VCG

 

The forthcoming G20 meeting reflects both positives and negatives in the current global situation. That it is being held in Indonesia, one of the largest developing countries, sends a positive signal to the world. As does the fact that ASEAN, of which it is a member, is non-aligned, opposed to blocs, and hugely engaged with China. But then there are the negatives. The US, supported by its closest allies, could seek to hijack the meeting for an anti-Russian tirade, poisoning the atmosphere and dividing the G20 at a time when the world faces the worst economic outlook since the 2008 financial crisis.

The first G20 summit in Washington DC in 2008 stands in stark contrast. It adopted, with overwhelming support, the largest fiscal and monetary stimulus ever undertaken, thereby averting the worst depression since the 1930s. In contrast to this remarkable display of unity, Bali will be a forceful reminder of how divided the world now is. In 2008, China and the US were on the same page. In 2022, the US now regards China as its sworn enemy. The meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden is likely to remind us of this.

Although the US has hitherto refrained from calling the present US-China relationship a cold war, this is patently the American playbook. The aim is to contain and isolate China, to undermine its links with the rest of the world, and thereby reverse the tide of China's rise. The attempt to cut China off from American semi-conductor technology is the latest example. Be that as it may, the US is finding it far more difficult to isolate China than it anticipated. The world is very different from what it was during the Cold War when it was divided into two hostile and hermetically sealed blocs.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is a very good example of how things have changed. The US sought to erect an economic blockade around Russia by means of economic sanctions. Europe went along with this but most of the world did not, a classic example being India. Economic sanctions haven't worked in the way intended. If the US can't economically isolate Russia, then there is zero chance that it could isolate China, which, as the world's largest trading nation, is hugely more important to the global economy than Russia.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict proved to be a highly successful recruiting sergeant in Europe for a closer US-Europe relationship. Since the end of the Cold War, there had been a gradual process of distancing between Europe and the US. This now came to a screeching halt, replaced by a new enthusiasm for the Atlantic alliance, combined with increased hostility toward China, with China and Russia portrayed as identical. But, in a crucial intervention, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently spelt out the importance of China to Germany's future. He went to China and met with Xi, the first Western leader to do so since the pandemic. He publicly rejected the idea of decoupling.

He then reaffirmed Germany's opposition to dividing the world into rival blocs. This goes against the grain of post-Ukraine trends in Europe, exemplified by Britain, the US' ever-willing and reliable lapdog. Scholz has drawn a line and indicated an important degree of continuity with Angela Merkel's previous approach to China. It will be interesting, in this context, to hear what French President Emmanuel Macron says in Bali during his meeting with Xi. The signs are that Europe's commitment to strategic autonomy has not been erased, but is now being quietly reasserted, that its relationship with China will continue to grow, and that it will keep its distance from America's cold war aspirations.

Europe will remain an important weathervane of geopolitical alignments. But, however autonomous it might or might not become, it will, for manifold reasons, tend to lean toward America. ASEAN is very different from Europe, but at least as important. It is a template for a new kind of international order. With extraordinary skill, it has managed to remain aloof from US-China divisions, pursue relations with both, while, given its regional proximity to China, being transformed by China's economic rise. It is the most interesting example of how a group of countries can negotiate a new kind of close and harmonious relationship with China. The US has wisely sought to develop a closer relationship with ASEAN, but, barring a huge misstep by China, it will never displace China's importance for them.

So what does the future hold? America will not be able to contain China. The latter will remain deeply connected with the world. China's greatest strength is the close relationship it has built with the developing world. America's alliance system, in contrast, dates back to the postwar world. It is rooted in the past. It is composed essentially of a bunch of declining developed countries, mainly European, plus Japan, Canada, and Australia. Compared with China, the US has little resonance in the developing world. This is an enormous strategic weakness. These are some of the parameters which will shape the future. How that future might actually evolve in practice, of course, is another matter. We live in very unpredictable times.

The author was until recently a senior fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University. He is a visiting professor at the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University and a senior fellow at the China Institute, Fudan University. Follow him on twitter @martjacques. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn 

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Friday, November 1, 2019

President Xi’s Blockchain Push Triggers Frenzy in China Technology Stocks

Blockchain endorsement: Xi said China will increase investment in blockchain technology after chairing a study session last week on developing the industry, state-owned Xinhua reported.— AP
 
https://youtu.be/hfNcct7ZfbE

https://youtu.be/KoDD2Yk0bjE
  • Shenzhen tech index surges 5.3%, the most in eight months
  • Investors urge companies to develop blockchain businesses
BEIJING: Chinese investors snapped up every blockchain-related stock in sight after President Xi Jinping said Beijing wants to speed up development of the technology.

The gains were widespread yesterday, with Insigma Technology Co and Sinodata Co among more than 60 tech shares surging by the daily limit in Shanghai and Shenzhen.

The excitement coincided with a 26% rally in Bitcoin, and also boosted stocks with more tenuous connections to blockchain, like baby-food producer Beingmate Co and selfie-app developer Meitu Inc.

Xi said China will increase investment in blockchain technology after chairing a study session last week on developing the industry, state-owned Xinhua reported late last Friday.

The market reaction shows how far an endorsement from Xi can go in China, where high-level officials yesterday began their first major policy meeting since early 2018.

“Most of these companies, especially those that are just beginning to state their connection with blockchain today, are trying to take advantage of the hype, ” said Li Shiyu, fund manager at Guangdong Xiaoyu Investment Management Co. “It shows how much excitement can be triggered by something stressed as a priority by the top man himself.”

Xi Jinping comments spark rally in China technology stocks

The Shenzhen Information Technology Index closed 5.3% higher yesterday, its biggest advance in eight months.

Hundsun Technologies Inc, Easysight Supply Chain Management Co, YGSOFT Inc and dozens more companies with officially registered blockchain businesses rose by the 10% limit.

In Hong Kong, traders singled out Meitu due to its plans for an encrypted user-identification system.

The shares surged as much as 30%. Pantronics Holdings Ltd - which earlier this month said it will change its name to “Huobi Technology”, a reference to a digital currency exchange - rallied as much as 67%.

American depositary receipts of Chinese blockchain companies also surged last Friday.

Investors pressured other firms to jump on the blockchain hype, using an online Q&A platform to submit thousands of questions on their plans to use the technology.

“Please proactively make expansion plans in blockchain to jump on state policies - doing so would be the best reward to investors, ” urged one shareholder of development-store operator Hunan Friendship & Apollo Commercial Co. — Bloomberg

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Friday, June 21, 2019

N. Korean Glorious welcome for Predident Xi, China to support security, development concerns

https://youtu.be/f8TewXsQYvA

https://youtu.be/5cOCsVVc8Sg https://youtu.be/XzzUWwnRzOU

Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held talks in Pyongyang Thursday where Xi received an unprecedented welcome. The talks touched on the China-North Korea relationship and the Korean Peninsula issue.

Xi, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), kicked off his two-day state visit to the neighboring country at the invitation of Kim, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Xi said during the talks that the international community expects the DPRK and the US to keep pushing negotiations forward to reach a result, and China is willing to provide assistance to the DPRK in its "reasonable concerns on security and development."

China is willing to cooperate with the DPRK and other parties involved in the issue to push the political solution, Xi noted.

Kim responded that the DPRK highly appreciated China's contributions in pushing forward the peace process of the peninsula issue.

His country has made positive efforts to avoid tensions in the past year, but "relevant parties" haven't offered any positive response, and this is not what the DPRK wants to see, Kim said. But North Korea is patient to keep communicating with "relevant parties" to find a solution that could be accepted by all parties, Kim noted.

Zheng Jiyong, director of the Center for Korean Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said a key reason why the bilateral negotiations between North Korea and the US can't move on is that Washington doesn't want to offer a positive response to Pyongyang's security concerns. Pyongyang feels insecure and so it is reluctant and suspicious to make more concessions, he noted.

"China is capable of making North Korea feel secure and protecting it from unreasonable bullying and threats," Zheng said.

Lü Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences in Shenyang, said that although the US prefers a bilateral mechanism, it still needs a third party to guarantee the implementation of denuclearization once it reaches an agreement with North Korea.

A third party or a new international cooperation mechanism is needed at this moment, Chinese experts noted, as the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan will take place at the end of the month, and five parties - China, the US, Russia, Japan and South Korea - of the Six-Party Talks, except North Korea, will gather in Japan, offering a good opportunity for them to discuss such an issue.

China is showcasing its unique influence over the peninsula issue to the US before the G20, Chinese experts noted.

At the invitation of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president, Kim Jong-un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), paid an unofficial visit to China from March 25 to 28. During the visit, Xi held talks with Kim at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi held a welcoming ceremony for Kim before their talks. Photo: Xinhua


Unprecedented ceremony

From the welcome ceremony at Pyongyang International Airport to the unprecedented salutation at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, Xi received the highest-level reception in the capital of North Korea that shows North Korea attaches great importance to the China-North Korea relationship with firm traditional friendship, Chinese experts noted.

About 10,000 people participated in the ceremony at the airport to welcome Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Pyongyang citizens formed a long welcoming line alongside the highway from the airport all the way to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. There were national flags and banners with slogans about friendship, unity and welcome everywhere in Pyongyang on Thursday.

This is the first time that a visiting foreign top leader received a salutation from the North Korean people at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a magnificent building near the northeast corner of Pyongyang that serves as the mausoleum for Kim Il-sung, founder of the DPRK, and for his son and North Korean former leader, Kim Jong-il, who were both posthumously designated eternal leaders of North Korea, Xinhua reported.

Special relationship

"This is like three generations of North Korean leaders are witnessing a new milestone in the bilateral traditional friendship being forged by Xi's visit," Lü said.

After the ceremony, Xi and Peng moved into the Guesthouse of Kumsusan. Zheng said that the Kumsusan has unusual meaning in North Korea as it belongs exclusively to the Kim family. Kim was trying to emphasize his close and unique relationship with Xi.

"The ceremony is just like welcoming a family member and this also means the two parties and the two countries have a special relationship," Zheng said.

Rodong Sinmun, the WPK's flagship newspaper, said in an editorial Thursday that Xi's visit to "the DPRK despite the urgent and important tasks due to the complicated international relations vividly shows that the Chinese party and government are placing great importance on the DPRK-China friendship."

The history of the DPRK-China relations vividly records the comradely friendship between the leaders of the elder generation who closely cooperated with each other hand in hand on the road to accomplishing the cause of anti-imperialist independence, peace and socialism, the editorial said.

Xi said during the talks with Kim that the China-DPRK friendship is a strategic choice made by the two sides with a long-term and overall perspective and will not waver due to changes in the international situation.

It is a steadfast policy of the CPC and the Chinese government to maintain, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations, he stressed.

The top leaders of China and the DPRK agreed during their talks to work together to create a bright future of inter-party and inter-state relations at a new starting point in history, Xinhua reported.

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Monday, June 10, 2019

Alarm bells ring in Washington as China and Russia TEAM UP

https://youtu.be/QRZN3TleJzY


https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1137102/china-russia-partnership-trump-trade-war-putin-xi-jinping#t=9s

Moscow’s strongman this week welcomed Mr Xi to the Kremlin for a three-day state visit to sign new trade deals and investment promises. After the Chinese President touched down in Russia on Wednesday, Mr Putin led him on a tour of Moscow Zoo, where two pandas loaned to Russia by the Chinese for a 15 year project are staying. The offer of Ru Yi, a male, and Ding Ding, a female, who will live at the zoo with the aim of reproducing, was a “gesture of particular respect and trust in Russia,” Mr Putin said.

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But while it make take some time for the animals’ partnership to bear fruit - pandas are known to be reluctant breeders - the two leaders’ fellowship has hit “an unprecedented high level”.

Beijing is embroiled in a bitter trade war with Washington while Moscow is suffering the consequences of sanctions imposed by the West over the Ukraine conflict.

As their talks kicked off, Mr Putin told Mr Xi : “Our strategic partnership, we believe, has reached an unprecedented high level.


TRUMP, PUTIN, XI JINPING
Mr Trump's hard stance against Russia and China has brought the two countries closer together (Image: GETTY)
putin and jinping
 Mr. Putin led Mr Xi on a tour of Moscow Zoo to see the two pandas (Image: GETTY)
“We are living in the best of days, in terms of our country’s relations… Our interests are very similar.”
The fond words came at the start of the trip which will see the Chinese leader attend Russia’s flagship economic forum in St Petersburg later this week.

Mr Putin and Mr Xi vowed to deepen military technical cooperation at the talks in Moscow, as businesses from both nations signed off deals.

In a statement published by the Kremlin, Mr Xi said: “Over the past six years we have met almost 30 times … Putin is my best friend and a good colleague.”







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putin and jinping
The two pandas will stay in Moscow for 15 years (Image: GETTY)
The two men displayed a relaxed demeanour as they toured the zoo to begin the visit hailed as a “milestone” for the two countries’ alliance.

Last week, China’s deputy foreign minister, Zhang Hanhui, said: “The close and effective co-ordination of Russia and China on international affairs… has been an anchor and stabilising force amid rapid changes in the international situation.”

Beijing is Moscow’s top trading partner while Moscow is Beijing’s tenth-largest trading partner.
Later this year, the Power of Siberia pipeline connecting Russia to China is due to be complete, which is reportedly valued at £315bn ($400bn)

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Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Cooperation with China boosts Philippines' strategic initiatives

https://youtu.be/_v7DJzhY-WM
https://youtu.be/doU94yxiYdk

Schoolchildren wave the national flags of the Philippines and China along the route of Chinese President Xi Jinping's convoy at the Malacanang palace grounds in Manila on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the Philippines from Tuesday to Wednesday has caught international attention.

China-Philippines relations have been one of the most vacillating connections among China and its neighboring countries. During the rule of Benigno Aquino III, bilateral relations were at a low ebb due to frictions over the South China Sea. Incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte changed the Philippines' diplomatic course and brought ties with China back to the right track.

Last year, China surpassed Japan and became the largest trading partner of the Philippines. The two are conducting negotiations over the possible joint exploration of oil and gas in the disputed waters. If they reach an agreement, it could serve as an exemplary model for South China Sea claimant countries.

However, not everybody is happy to see Beijing and Manila set aside disputes and develop friendly ties. Besides obstruction from pro-US factions within the Philippines, some US and Western forces do not want to see rapprochement between China and the Philippines and even pressure the Duterte government to cut relations.

Recently, some Western media claimed that most of the assistance and investment that China promised to the Philippines was never fulfilled. Such tone maliciously aims to drive a wedge between Beijing and Manila.

In recent years, China has been advancing its Belt and Road initiative in Southeast Asia and has no reason to skip the Philippines when seeking investment and cooperation. In fact, relevant departments of the two countries have been working to push forward the implementation of cooperation projects.

The West has been accusing China's Belt and Road initiative of locking some countries into a debt trap. However, when it comes to the Philippines, the West criticized China for not fulfilling its promises. Behind such hypocritical words lie the West's deep-seated prejudice and hostility against China.

When the US strategically targets China, it is difficult for the Philippines - geographically adjacent to China while closely watched by the US - to keep independent strategic thinking and remain firm-minded.

But independent thinking and strong political determination are essential for every country. When Duterte first thought about mending ties with Beijing, independent thinking prompted Manila to face the question: What advantages can the country gain from enmity with China, if any? Will the Philippines benefit from it or will it be exploited by external forces?

The whole region should keep alert to whom will benefit from confrontation among South China Sea stakeholders. As one of the US' allies in Southeast Asia, the Philippines will always be a tool of the West to instigate provocations in the waters. After twists and turns, Philippine society will form its own judgment.

Many Philippine elite might have thought that their country and the entirety of Southeast Asia could rely only on the US and the West before China's rise, yet most regional countries did not achieve modernization. China offers more options for the Philippines, and because of China's rise, the Philippines and Southeast Asia have gained more attention. Compared with the Aquino era, the Philippines under Duterte has acquired more strategic initiatives without becoming overly dependent on other countries.

China-Philippines friendly cooperation has changed the strategic position of the Philippines and brought about a new pattern for its development. It is expected that Xi's visit will accelerate bilateral cooperation.

Newspaper headline: Xi, Duterte upgrade ties, Xi’s Philippine visit a ‘milestone’ event, Improved relations help keep stability in S.China Sea: expert


https://youtu.be/Nu0q5wraLGQ

As cooperation and political trust improve, China and the Philippines agreed on Tuesday to lift ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperation relations while stressing the need to manage disputes in the South China Sea through "friendly negotiations."

The decision was announced after visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday in Manila, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Chinese experts stressed that the visit is a milestone event in the development of bilateral relations and the two countries will pursue greater cooperation under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative (BRI) in the coming years.

As friendly neighbors across the sea, China and the Philippines enjoy geographic proximity and a strong bond that links the two peoples and cultures, Xi said, Xinhua reported on Tuesday.

Since Duterte took office, China and the Philippines have reopened the door of friendship and cooperation to each other, bringing real benefits to the two peoples and making important contributions to regional peace, stability and prosperity, Xi noted.

Xi's visit will largely promote bilateral relations as the visit shows that China values friendly relations with the Philippines, Gu Xiaosong, a research fellow on Southeast Asian studies at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"It is a milestone event in the development of bilateral relations," Gu remarked.

Glenn Penaranda, commercial counselor of the Philippine Embassy in China, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "Xi's visit is vital in highlighting the significant relationship between our two countries, particularly in trade and investments. The visit will encourage more and deeper engagements."

Improved China-Philippines relations will also play an important role in maintaining the stability of the South China Sea, experts noted.

"If China and the Philippines can reach an agreement on the exploration and development of oil and gas resources in the South China Sea, it will be a breakthrough in economic cooperation in the region and will largely promote the safety of the Asia-Pacific," Gu said.

Growth prospects

The prospects for economic and trade relations between the two countries are very bright as Philippine priorities are aligned with the key directions for industrial capacity cooperation under BRI, in sectors such as infrastructure, construction and building materials, chemicals and manufacturing, Penaranda said.

Gu agrees, saying that bilateral economic and trade ties will be further enhanced to a higher level, and the two countries will pursue more cooperation under the BRI.

As a developing country with more than 100 million people, the Philippines needs to improve its infrastructure and enhance the growth of its industrial enterprises, Gu noted.

"We need to better understand the opportunities for bilateral cooperation through increased engagements by enterprises," Penaranda said, noting that it is important that the frequent reciprocal visits of officials and business delegations continue.

Experts said China is committed to advancing the development with other countries and the Belt and Road initiative will bring greater growth to other developing countries and promote the economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region.

The two countries have conducted broad cooperation in transportation infrastructure and industrial parks and energy, and China is the Philippines' largest trading partner.

Trade between China and the Philippines increased 8.5 percent year-on-year to $51.28 billion, according to information released by China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Thursday.

As of the end of September, China's investment in the Philippines was $1.25 billion and the Philippines' investment in the Chinese market reached $3.33 billion, according to the MOFCOM.

Experts said cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries also see a huge potential.

The hospitality toward Chinese people is easily felt among the Philippine public.

The Chinese and Philippine flags were placed along Roxas Boulevard in Manila a week ago. Many Chinese who live and study in Manila waited along the boulevard on Tuesday to welcome Xi.

"We're so excited that President Xi has come to Manila. We hope the two countries could strengthen cultural exchanges in the future," Kui Jiangong, a PhD candidate from China who studies at Adamson University in Manila, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"I have met many locals who like to discuss Chinese culture with me as they want to know more about China," he said. - Global Times

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Tuesday, November 20, 2018

‘America First’ undermines multilateralism, Pence's APEC speech offers nothing new

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

‘America First’ undermines multilateralism


According to media reports, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum held in Papua New Guinea (PNG) was concluded on Sunday without leaders issuing the traditional communiqué, and PNG will instead issue a formal "chairman's statement," for the first time ever. PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said talks broke down over language about the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The US is a strong advocate for WTO reform. While China has no objection for the necessity of reform, the two powers are widely divided over "what" to reform. The US thinks the WTO doesn't fit the current world economy and needs massive reform, but China hopes reform will focus on dispute settlement mechanisms.

China's view is echoed by most WTO members. But some developed countries have vacillated because they worry that the US, if objected, would exit the WTO and build another platform that it thinks enables fair competition. They also hope to benefit from US moves pressuring developing countries. As a major WTO founder, the US intends to overturn the system and start over again. This invites concerns that Washington would choose to support or abandon any international rule based on whether it serves US interest, bringing a fundamental tumult to international trade system.

"America First" has been deeply embedded in US foreign policy. Washington used to pursue its interest by building a US-led multilateral system, but now it just asks for benefits. Multilateral mechanisms are seeing their authority eroded. This will last for some time until Washington feels what repercussions of the collapse of the international system can bring to it.

Such impact will come sooner or later. Current international system carries Western values, endows a US leadership, supports the dollar as a major international currency and helps the US enhance its grip on international relations so that it can secure its interest easily. Destroying such a system will bring itself huge losses in the long run.

It's delusional of some US elites to think that China is the largest beneficiary of the international system since they mistakenly blame China for the US' own problems. China has realized its development through hard work, not by taking advantage of the international system. Though China's economy has rapidly expanded, it is due to China taking up a lot of work that US society doesn't want to do. A large share of China's foreign exchange that the country earned through toils has been borrowed by the US.

"American First" cannot become "America takes all." The US should give other economies room for further development and take care of its relationship with developing countries. All Western countries need to rethink the meaning of fairness. They can't take their vested interests for granted while hoping the developing countries stay at disadvantaged position forever.

Modifying WTO rules must aim at win-for-all, instead of interest redistribution for a few specific countries. It's impossible for the US to be the only winner. If it blocks the development path of other countries, the US itself will go nowhere either.

The APEC summit this year concluded without issuing a communiqué, but it is not a big deal. The summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump during the G20 meeting later this month will carry much more weight. It is hoped Washington makes serious preparations for the summit and not pin its hopes on exerting pressure.- Global Times.

Pence's APEC speech offers nothing new

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

US Vice President Mike Pence aimed bluntly-worded criticism toward China while delivering a speech at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Papua New Guinea on Saturday. He repeated the US' hardline approach in its trade conflicts with China, reiterated the US' determination of freedom of navigation and criticized China's foreign aid and cooperation with other countries.

Pence is considered the spokesperson for the US' tough position on China. Apparently, he shoulders the responsibility of piling pressure on China before the summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump during the G20 meeting later this month.

But a few hours before Pence said that the US will not back down from its trade disputes with China unless Beijing bows to US demands, Trump told a number of journalists in the White House that he may not impose more tariffs.

Washington has made quite a lot of noise recently, and Pence's speech at APEC barely offers anything new. Pence said that China's assistance drowns recipient countries in a sea of debt and makes them compromise sovereignty, and that the US offers a "better option."

"We don't coerce, corrupt, or compromise your independence. The United States deals openly and fairly," Pence said. In reality, however, the country that does as Pence described is China and the one that jeopardizes the sovereignty of recipient countries is in truth the US.

The most prominent feature of China's international assistance and cooperation is that it comes with no political strings attached. Is there a better way than this to show respect for others' sovereignty? A big problem in the US' relations with developing countries is that Washington often interferes in their internal affairs. In fact, many Western countries have preconditions, mostly political, attached to their assistance, which touches upon the social governance system of developing countries and hence puts them in difficult positions.

Just look at how many times the US has found political fault with China when it comes to economic cooperation, with human rights issues often brought up during trade negotiations with China. The US also wants to intervene in the business of China's State-owned enterprises. With the US treating the strongest country among its cooperative partners this way, it's easy to imagine what a difficult time it gives to less powerful and underdeveloped countries in trade relations.

If the US can truly behave as Pence claims and make economic cooperation separate from others' sovereignty and based on an equal footing, there would be no major divergence in principles between China and the US. It's a blessing for the world in the 21st century that China emphasizes both sovereignty and equality when it comes to international economic cooperation.

We especially welcome the US to adopt this attitude toward China-US relations and make comprehensive China-US cooperation a role model for the world.

The core consideration of US diplomacy is geopolitics rather than global development. Washington cares about the neighboring regions of major powers and offers its assistance to these regions so as to weaken the influence of regional major powers. Meanwhile, distant countries are forgotten by the US and other Western countries. The South Pacific is one such region. It is China's mutually beneficial cooperation in the region that has drawn the attention of the US and other Western countries back there. The same goes for Africa. A number of African countries used to be ignored by the West in its geopolitical map. However, China's cooperation with Africa has reshaped the attitude of Washington and other Western countries toward Africa.

The China-proposed Belt and Road initiative has been warmly received by a large number of countries because it's not a geopolitical strategy, but a development plan guided by the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. It meets the pressing needs of developing countries and hence has ignited their passion for the initiative. When meeting with Xi on Friday, leaders and government representatives of eight South Pacific countries expressed their gratitude for China's longtime assistance and loans that have had no political requirements attached. This is the epitome of how welcome the Belt and Road initiative is.

It is hoped that Pence's words concerning sovereignty, respect and equality can become real action taken as part of US foreign policy. As long as the US has goodwill and real action, it will no longer need to criticize China and other countries will sense this and support it. Belittling a third party is not a noble act on the international stage.- Global Times

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China meets an unequal detractor in US

The Chinese public has the enthusiasm and creativity in executing public diplomacy. They can, and will, find their own way of fighting against foreign provocation. Chinese government shouldn't always be the target and Western countries should also be confronted with China's strong non-governmental voices.

High-tech export controls will bring the US no good

Beijing needs to remain calm while Washington is impulsive. It has become a trend in the US to expand technological export restrictions against China, but it's uncertain to what extent Washington will enforce the restrictions. China shouldn't be swayed from the course of opening-up because of Washington's restrictions.


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