18/10/2019
BEIJING, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) — China and Mauritius signed a free trade agreement (FTA) here Thursday, the first FTA between China and an African country, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).
The China-Mauritius FTA is the 17th FTA signed by China.
The agreement covers trade in goods and services and investment and economic cooperation.
The FTA will not only provide a more powerful institutional guarantee to deepen bilateral economic and trade relations, but also boost China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, according to the MOC.
Negotiations on the China-Mauritius FTA were officially launched in December 2017. The two sides formally concluded the negotiations on Sept. 2, 2018, after four rounds of intensive negotiations.
In the area of trade in goods, China and Mauritius will eventually achieve zero tariffs on 96.3 percent and 94.2 percent of product tariff items, respectively, involving 92.8 percent of import volume for both countries from each other.
For the remaining tariff items of Mauritius, the tariffs will also be greatly cut, and the maximum tariffs for most of the involved products will not exceed 15 percent.
China’s main exports to Mauritius, such as iron and steel products, textiles and other light industrial products, will benefit from it.
Special sugar produced in Mauritius will also enter the Chinese market gradually.
The two sides also agreed on rules of origin, trade remedies, technical barriers to trade and sanitary and phytosanitary issues.
In the area of trade in services, China and Mauritius both promised to open up more than 100 sub-sectors.
Mauritius will open up more than 130 sub-sectors in important service fields such as communications, education, finance, tourism, culture, transportation and traditional Chinese medicine to China.
This is the highest level of opening up in the field of services in Mauritius so far.
In the field of investment, the agreement has been greatly upgraded from the 1996 China-Mauritius bilateral investment protection agreement in terms of protection scope, protection level and dispute settlement mechanism.
This is the first time that China has upgraded the previous investment protection agreement with an African country, which will not only provide stronger protection for Chinese enterprises to go to Mauritius, but also help them further boost investment cooperation in Africa through the platform of Mauritius, according to the MOC.
Meanwhile, the two sides also agreed to further deepen economic and technical cooperation in agriculture, finance, medical care, tourism and other fields.
The two sides will undergo respective domestic procedures for the agreement to take effect.
Source: Xinhua
Posted in African country, agreement, agriculture, Beijing, China alert, China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, communications, Culture, Economic, education, Finance, free trade, free trade agreement (FTA), Mauritius, medical care, Ministry of Commerce (MOC)., sign, Tourism, Traditional Chinese medicine, transportation, Uncategorized |
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17/10/2019
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, on Oct. 16, 2019. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)
BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Noting that the situation in the world today has undergone profound and complicated changes, Xi said China has become even more willing to cooperate with other countries under the new situation.
China sticks to the path of peaceful development, said Xi, adding that China’s door “will be open even wider to the world.”
Xi said China welcomes all countries and their companies to grasp the opportunity provided by China’s development to better realize mutual benefit.
Speaking highly of Key’s active contribution to the China-New Zealand relations in his capacity as prime minister, Xi said he hopes that Key can continue to help enhance the friendship between the two peoples.
Key voiced warm congratulations on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
China’s development is an opportunity for the whole world, Key said.
He said he will continue to play an active role in promoting the understanding and cooperation between the two countries.
Key was New Zealand’s prime minister from 2008 to 2016.
Source: Xinhua
Posted in 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping, congratulations, Great Hall of the People, John Key, New Zealand Prime Minister, Uncategorized |
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17/10/2019
- Soldiers from 140 countries are expected to take part in 10-day sporting event in Wuhan, Hubei province
- It coincides with the Xiangshan Forum, where Beijing may seek to reinforce its position on issues like the South China Sea and US arms sales to Taiwan
More than 100 horses have arrived in Wuhan for the equestrian and modern pentathlon events of the Military World Games, which begin on Friday. Photo: Handout
President Xi Jinping is expected to open the Military World Games in central China on Friday, setting the stage for a
People’s Liberation Army charm offensive as it seeks to strengthen ties with foreign forces and exert its influence.
China is hosting the 10-day sporting event in Wuhan, Hubei province, and soldiers from 140 countries are expected to take part. It will coincide with the three-day Xiangshan Forum – China’s equivalent of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore – to be held on the outskirts of Beijing from Sunday.
It comes after China staged a lavish military parade in Beijing to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic on October 1, showcasing some of the PLA’s most advanced weapon systems and strategic weaponry.
A Chinese military insider on Tuesday said Xi was expected to kick off the games in Wuhan – a symbolic move by the president as he seeks to boost the PLA’s international profile.
China has built a new athletes’ village in Wuhan that can accommodate 10,000 people. Photo: Handout
“[China sees] the Military World Games as a platform to promote international military diplomacy and an opportunity for the PLA to build its international image through sporting events,” the insider said.
It will be the first time China hosts the Military World Games, which is the second-biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics and is also held every four years.
To host the mega event, China has built a new athletes’ village in Wuhan that can accommodate the 10,000 military athletes who will compete. This year’s games will have the largest number of events ever, with badminton, table tennis, tennis and men’s gymnastics included for the first time.
The US Armed Forces will send about 300 athletes to Wuhan, according to state-run Xinhua. One of them is Mark Juliano, an archer and taekwondo player, who told the news agency: “You developed world-class venues and I can’t wait to experience the games.”
The Chinese president has high hopes for the PLA athletes at this year’s Military World Games, according to an insider. Photo: Handout
The military insider said Xi had high hopes that the PLA would win gold in some of the events.
“The Russians are known to be very good at some sports but the PLA has yet to earn a reputation in any particular sport,” the insider said. “Xi hopes that the home ground advantage will give the PLA the edge this time.”
Another Beijing-based military source said the top brass had put great emphasis on the success of three events this year – the National Day parade, Military World Games and the Xiangshan Dialogue.
The source said it would be the biggest Xiangshan Forum since China began holding the event more than a decade ago, and dozens of senior foreign defence officials and military leaders invited to the games in Wuhan would also take part in the forum.
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Set up in 2006, China uses the forum to play host to foreign military experts and leaders and discuss security and defence issues in the Asia-Pacific region. It is widely seen as an effort by Beijing to compete with the Asia Security Forum in Singapore, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue after the hotel where it is staged.
The theme of this year’s Xiangshan Forum is “Maintaining international order and promoting peace in the Asia-Pacific”. Military observers said Beijing was likely to use it as an opportunity to reinforce its position on issues like the South China Sea and US arms sales to Taiwan.
Defence Minister Wei Fenghe criticised the US for damaging ties with China at last year’s Xiangshan Forum. Photo: Xinhua
Yao Yunzhu, a retired PLA major general and a delegate at the forum, said this year’s event would give the PLA an opportunity to explain its strategy to foreign militaries, including the US.
“The relationship between the PLA and its American counterpart has been stable over the past year despite tensions between Beijing and Washington over issues such as trade,” Yao said.
“But that military relationship has been stable thanks to the efforts of the two militaries to keep their communication open, as well as improving their crisis management mechanism,” she added.
Another forum delegate, Zhu Feng, dean of the international relations school at Nanjing University, said smaller countries in the region would use the forum to raise their concerns over the impact of tensions between China and the US on the region’s long-term stability.
Source: SCMP
Posted in 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), advanced weapon systems, archer, Asia Security Forum, badminton, Beijing, celebrate, charm offensive, China alert, equestrian events, gymnastics, hubei province, Military World Games, Nanjing University, Olympics, open, PLA, President Xi Jinping, Shangri-La Dialogue, Singapore, South China Sea, strategic weaponry., table tennis, taekwondo player, Taiwan, tennis, Uncategorized, US Armed Forces, US arms sales, Wuhan, Xiangshan forum |
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17/10/2019
- Fly-past will begin with helicopters and feature the country’s new generation warplanes
- A People’s Liberation Army Air Force officer will lead the squadron in a KJ-2000 and become the first serving commander to fly in a National Day parade
J-20 stealth fighter jets will be featured in Tuesday’s National Day parade in Beijing. Photo: AP
China will assemble the biggest squadron of its most advanced military aircraft for the National Day parade in the capital next week.
Three types of the new generation “20” series warplanes – five J-20 stealth fighter jets, three Y-20 transport planes and six Z-20 helicopters – will join airborne squadrons in the parade, according to a fly-past schedule obtained by the South China Morning Post.
“This year will be the biggest parade to have so many ‘20’ series advanced aircraft flying together,” a military insider said, referring to aircraft developed since 2000.
The J-20 is the country’s first stealth fighter; the Y-20 is China’s first heavy airlifter; and the Z-20 is a medium-lift utility helicopter comparable to the American Black Hawk.
The appearance of all three types of warplanes indicates that each one has entered production.
The H-20 subsonic stealth bomber, China’s answer to the US Air Force’s B-21 Raider, is also part of the “20” series will not make an appearance because it might need at least five more years of development.
The military insider involved in preparations for the parade, said People’s Liberation Army Air Force Commander Ding Laihang would lead the squadron in a KJ-2000 early warning aircraft.
Chinese fighter jets seen in skies over Beijing as preparations for National Day parade step up
“Ding will fly the KJ-2000 over Tiananmen Square for inspection by President Xi Jinping,” the source said, adding that Ding would be the first serving commander to fly in a National Day parade.
“The arrangement is similar to 2015 when [then] Russian Air Force commander Viktor Bondarev flew a Tu-160 strategic bomber over Moscow’s Red Square to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war.”
The KJ-2000 is the most advanced active early warning aircraft in the PLA Air Force, but it is based on the Russian Ilyushin aircraft.
The Y-20 transport aircraft will be among the new generation of planes taking part in the parade. Photo: Dickson Lee
According to the schedule, 167 aircraft will take part in the fly-past, starting with a helicopter carrying a national flag.
Eight Z-10 attack and 12 Z-19 reconnaissance helicopters will follow in formation, creating the number 70 in the sky to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic.
A source close to the navy said Z-8 multi-role and Z-19 reconnaissance helicopters be among the aircraft deployed to the Type 075 amphibious helicopter dock launched on Wednesday.
China says National Day military parade ‘won’t disappoint’ in scale or advanced weapons
A total of 44 fighter jets representing five key battle warplanes – the J-20, the J-16 fighter-bomber, the J-15 carrier-based fighter jet, the J-11 and the J-10 – will participate in the event.
But the J-8 fighter jet was not on the schedule, confirming that the first interceptor built in China has been formally retired.
Various H-6 series bombers will also make an appearance, including the H-6K and H-6N strategic bombers, as well as HU-6 refuelling plane based on the H-6 platform.
H-6K long-range bombers have been sent to the Taiwan Strait as part of “encirclement” patrols close to the self-ruled island in recent years.
Meanwhile the modified H-6N strategic bomber is designed to be armed with the Changjian-10 land-attack subsonic cruise missile, which has an operational range of more than 1,500km (932 miles).
Macau-based military observer Antony Wong Dong said that by adding more functions, the H-6 series of bombers was showing the world China had modified its combat capacity.
Wong also said the appearance of three types of training planes – the JL-8, JL-9 and JL-10 – was notable.
“It indicates that the Chinese air force had build up a systematic and comprehensive training system to train more pilots,” he said.
Source: SCMP
Posted in 70th anniversary, 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), advanced, American Black Hawk, B-21 Raider, Beijing, biggest squadron, Changjian-10, China’s, early warning aircraft, Fly-past, fly-past schedule, H-20 subsonic stealth bomber, H-6N strategic bomber, helicopters, Ilyushin aircraft, J-20 stealth fighter jets, KJ-2000, Mass show, Military aircraft, Moscow, National Day, National Day parade, People’s Liberation Army Air Force, PLA Air Force, President Xi Jinping, Red Square, Russian, Russian Air Force, second world war, south china morning post, strategic bombers, Tiananmen Square, Tu-160, Uncategorized, US Air Force, Y-20 transport planes, Z-20 helicopters |
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17/10/2019
- Country’s first home-grown carrier may soon be ready for service but observers warn a few glitches may still need to be ironed out
The Type 001A will be China’s second carrier and the first home-grown one. Photo:ifeng
China’s first home-grown aircraft carrier, Type 001A, will be commissioned within months, according to military observers.
The ship appeared to have set off on its eighth sea trial on Tuesday after photographs taken by a plane flying over a restricted area showed a carrier, with a warplane on deck, leaving the Dalian Shipyard, where the carrier is being built.
The timing coincided with a notice issued by China’s Maritime Safety Administration, saying an area of the Bohai Sea, near the yard would be cordoned off for military activities.
While the commissioning would mark an advance in China’s naval capacity, some analysts noted that the trial phase was taking longer than expected.
A photo shows a carrier leaving the Dalian shipyard on Tuesday. Photo: Weibo
Global Times, a tabloid affiliated to Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily, quoted naval observer Li Jie as saying that the Type 001A was likely to be undertaking its eighth sea trial after solving problems discovered in the previous trials.
Zhou Chenming, a Beijing based military expert, said that the Type 001A’s commissioning had already been postponed and the major problem now was a lack of shipborne aircraft and problems with the flight control system.
Zhou said the control system worked with J-15 fighters, which will be the primary jets used on the ship, but “is not yet compatible with other aircraft, which hinders the aircraft carrier’s final commissioning”.
Once commissioned, the ship will join the country’s first carrier, the Liaoning, at sea, boosting the country’s naval capacity.
Collin Koh, a research fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said: “With two aircraft carriers, the PLA Navy will have greater chances to hone its carrier capabilities – conducting more missions, training, and all of these contributing to the accumulation of expertise and know-how.
“This means qualitatively improving [its] carrier capability, including human capital.
“For long-term strategic significance, it means an expanding power projection capability of the PLAN that allows it to promote presence in regions where Beijing asserts national interests.”
Once ready the ship will carry 32 J-15 fighters. Photo:ifeng
The Type 001A’s trial phase has taken longer than some military observers had expected. The aircraft carrier set out for its first sea trial in May 2018, some 17 months ago.
By comparison, the Liaoning, a former Soviet Kuznetsov-class vessel underwent 10 sea trials over a 13-month period before it was commissioned.
The ship also features a ski-jump deck for take-offs, has a displacement of 70,000 tonnes and will be able to carry a total of 40 aircraft.
Source: SCMP
Posted in Aircraft, Aircraft carrier, Beijing, Bohai Sea, China’s, China’s Maritime Safety Administration, commission ship, Communist Party, Dalian Shipyard, flight control system, Global Times, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, J-15 fighters, Kuznetsov-class vessel, Liaoning, People’s Daily, Sea trial, sets off, shipborne aircraft, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, ski-jump deck, Soviet, take-offs, Type 001A, Uncategorized |
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16/10/2019
- Luo Zhaohui, who was credited with helping to resolve 2017 Doklam stand-off peacefully, joins group set up to tackle global warming
Luo Zhaohui previously served as China’s ambassador to India. Photo: Handout
China’s former ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui has joined a national team in charge of fighting climate change, the Chinese government website has announced.
The team, led by Premier Li Keqiang, will be responsible for coming up with proposals to tackle the problem, develop proposals for energy conservation and analyse the impact of climate change on socio-economic development.
China is currently the world’s largest polluter, accounting for a quarter of the world’s total emissions, making it crucial in the effort to curb global warming.
The US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017 also makes China the largest single economy committed to the efforts to limit emissions.
In this post, Luo is in charge of Beijing’s relations with its Asian neighbours, replacing Kong Xuanyou, who was named China’s new ambassador to Japan.
In July 2017, Luo told media in New Delhi that the Chinese people were deeply angry over the “occupation” by Indian troops of its sovereign territory but helped to resolve the situation through diplomatic means, paving the way for an informal summit between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Wuhan last year.
Luo, 57, has also served in diplomatic missions in Singapore and the US and was head of the foreign ministry’s department for Asian affairs.
He previously served as ambassador to Pakistan and Canada before being posted to the embassy in New Delhi in India in 2016.
Source: SCMP
Posted in 2017 Doklam stand-off, against, Ambassador, Asian neighbours, Beijing, canada, China alert, Chinese deputy foreign minister, Chinese premier Li Keqiang, climate change, dedicated, embassy, former ambassador, India, Japan, joins team, largest polluter, National Leading Group Dealing with Climate Change, Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction, New Delhi, Pakistan, Paris climate agreement, President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singapore, to fight, Uncategorized, US, Wuhan |
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15/10/2019
Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari hosts a grand farewell ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Oct. 13, 2019. Nepali Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Chairman of the National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, cabinet members and senior army generals also attended the ceremony. Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing from Kathmandu on Sunday. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)
BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing Sunday evening after his second informal meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India and a state visit to Nepal.
Xi’s entourage, including Ding Xuexiang, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee; Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee; State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi; and He Lifeng, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and head of the National Development and Reform Commission, also returned to Beijing on the same plane.
As Xi and his entourage were leaving Kathmandu on Sunday noon local time, people of Nepal flocked to both sides of a road leading to the airport, waving flags and playing music to see the Chinese guests off.
Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari hosted a grand farewell ceremony for Xi at the airport. Nepali Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Chairman of the National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, cabinet members and senior army generals also attended the ceremony, which featured a 21-gun salute and the playing of national anthems of China and Nepal.
Calling his visit to Nepal a “very successful” one, Xi told Bhandari that upon his arrival, he had been warmly welcomed by the Nepali government and people.
Xi said he was convinced that the China-Nepal friendship enjoyed lasting popularity among the two peoples and will be unbreakable.
Expressing his appreciation for the arrangements made by the Nepali president, government and people, Xi said he was very satisfied with the visit that had resulted in the upgrading of bilateral relations.
He called for joint efforts to further develop the friendly relations between the two countries.
Bhandari said Xi’s successful and fruitful visit has become a milestone in the history of bilateral ties.
The Nepal-China relationship has entered a new era and stepped on a new height, Bhandari said, adding that Nepal will resolutely work with China to promote friendly and good neighborly relations and strategic cooperative partnership.
Source: Xinhua
Posted in 21-gun salute, Airport, Beijing, China-Nepal friendship, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, informal meeting, Kathmandu, national anthems, Nepal, Nepal-China relationship, Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari, returns, State visit, Uncategorized |
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15/10/2019
- Beijing joins global condemnation of attack launched by Ankara on Kurdish fighters after US President Donald Trump decided to pull out troops
- Foreign ministry spokesman says issue should be resolved with ‘political solutions’ and the operation may result in a revival of Islamic State
Turkey launched the attack on Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria last week. Photo: Xinhua
China has urged Turkey to stop the military offensive it began in northeastern Syria last week and “return to the right track”.
Beijing is the latest to join global condemnation of the cross-border attack launched by Ankara on Kurdish fighters last Wednesday following US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from the region.
Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Tuesday called for a ceasefire.
“The Chinese side has always opposed the use of force in international relations and has advocated for adherence to the Charter of the United Nations, and to resolve problems through political and diplomatic channels,” Geng said during a regular press briefing, when asked about Beijing’s position on the situation.
“Sovereignty, independence, unification and territorial integrity should be respected and protected,” he said. “We urge Turkey to halt military action and to return to the right track, resolving the issue with political solutions.”
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called on Turkey to “work with the international community in fighting against terrorism”. Photo: AP
Geng also said the “anti-terrorism situation in Syria is still severe”, and the military operation could result in a comeback by Islamic State.
“We urge Turkey to take responsibility and work with the international community in fighting against terrorism,” he said.
Explained: why are Syria’s Kurds accusing the US of betrayal?
Trump’s move has drawn sharp criticism from around the world. Critics say he has abandoned the allies that helped fight against Isis, and that withdrawing troops could pave the way for a resurgence of the jihadist group whose violent takeover of Syrian and Iraqi land five years ago was the reason US forces went in.
The US president said about 1,000 US troops who had been partnering with local Kurdish fighters to battle Islamic State in northern Syria were leaving the country. He said they would remain in the Middle East to “monitor the situation” and to prevent a revival of Isis – a goal that even Trump’s allies say has become much more difficult as a result of the US pull-out.
Turkey says the offensive aims to remove the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces from the border area and create what it calls a “safe zone” to relocate 1 million Syrian refugees.
Facing mounting criticism, Trump on Monday announced sanctions would be imposed
on Turkey, halted bilateral trade negotiations and called for an immediate ceasefire.
Vice-President Mike Pence also said Trump was sending him to the Middle East because the president was concerned about instability in the region.
Beijing has long worried that conflict in the region could spill over to Chinese soil after thousands of Uygurs – the Turkic-speaking Muslim minority from far western China – travelled to Syria to train and fight as jihadists.
Posted in Ankara, Beijing, calls on, Charter of the United Nations, China alert, independence, Islamic state, jihadist group, Kurdish fighters, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Kurds, Middle East, military incursion, pull out, sovereignty, Syria, territorial integrity, to halt, troops, Turkey, Uncategorized, unification, US President Donald Trump, Uygurs, Vice-President Mike Pence |
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15/10/2019
HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnamese President and Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong has called for restraint in the disputed South China Sea amid a tense months-long standoff between Chinese and Vietnamese ships, state media reported on Tuesday.
China claims almost all the energy-rich waters but neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
Tension escalated when Beijing dispatched a research ship to conduct an energy survey in waters controlled by Vietnam in July.
“On the subject of foreign policy, including the East Sea issue, the General Secretary stressed the importance of maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, and resolutely fighting to protect Vietnam’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the state-run Voice of Vietnam (VOV) said on its website.
The South China Sea is known as the East Sea in Vietnam.
Vietnam has good relations with China but should “never compromise” on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, VOV quoted Trong as saying.
The Chinese vessel, the Haiyang Dizhi 8, was continuing its survey in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone late on Tuesday, under escort from at least three Chinese ships, according to data from Marine Traffic, a website that tracks vessel movements.
Vietnam’s foreign ministry has repeatedly accused the vessel and its escorts of violating its sovereignty and has demanded that China remove its ships from the area.
On Sunday, Vietnam pulled DreamWorks’ animated film “Abominable” from cinemas over a scene featuring a map which shows China’s unilaterally declared “nine-dash line” in the South China Sea.
The U-shaped line is used on Chinese maps to illustrate its claims, including large swathes of Vietnam’s continental shelf, where it has awarded oil concessions.
In August, police broke up a brief protest outside the Chinese embassy in Hanoi over the survey vessel.
Trong has made more public appearances in recent weeks after suffering from an unspecified illness..
The 75-year-old has presided over a widespread crackdown on corruption in the Southeast Asian country that has seen several high-ranking ministers and politicians, including one Politburo member, sent to prison on charges ranging from embezzlement to economic mismanagement.
Source: Reuters
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14/10/2019
Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari hosts a grand farewell ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Oct. 13, 2019. Nepali Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Chairman of the National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, cabinet members and senior army generals also attended the ceremony. Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing from Kathmandu on Sunday. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)
BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing Sunday evening after his second informal meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India and a state visit to Nepal.
Xi’s entourage, including Ding Xuexiang, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee; Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee; State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi; and He Lifeng, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and head of the National Development and Reform Commission, also returned to Beijing on the same plane.
As Xi and his entourage were leaving Kathmandu on Sunday noon local time, people of Nepal flocked to both sides of a road leading to the airport, waving flags and playing music to see the Chinese guests off.
Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari hosted a grand farewell ceremony for Xi at the airport. Nepali Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Chairman of the National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, cabinet members and senior army generals also attended the ceremony, which featured a 21-gun salute and the playing of national anthems of China and Nepal.
Calling his visit to Nepal a “very successful” one, Xi told Bhandari that upon his arrival, he had been warmly welcomed by the Nepali government and people.
Xi said he was convinced that the China-Nepal friendship enjoyed lasting popularity among the two peoples and will be unbreakable.
Expressing his appreciation for the arrangements made by the Nepali president, government and people, Xi said he was very satisfied with the visit that had resulted in the upgrading of bilateral relations.
He called for joint efforts to further develop the friendly relations between the two countries.
Bhandari said Xi’s successful and fruitful visit has become a milestone in the history of bilateral ties.
The Nepal-China relationship has entered a new era and stepped on a new height, Bhandari said, adding that Nepal will resolutely work with China to promote friendly and good neighborly relations and strategic cooperative partnership.
Source: Xinhua
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CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon 