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22/05/2020

NPC: China begins move to impose controversial Hong Kong security law

Shoppers walking past a broadcast of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivering his speech at the opening of the NPCImage copyright AFP / GETTY
Image caption Shoppers walking past a broadcast of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivering his speech at the opening of the NPC on Thursday

China’s ruling Communist Party has set in motion a controversial national security law for Hong Kong, a move seen as a major blow to the city’s freedoms.

The law to ban “treason, secession, sedition and subversion” could bypass Hong Kong’s lawmakers.

Critics say China is breaking its promise to allow Hong Kong freedoms not seen elsewhere in China.

It is likely to fuel public anger and may even trigger fresh protests and demands for democratic reform.

The plan was submitted at the annual National People’s Congress (NPC), which largely rubber-stamps decisions already taken by the Communist leadership, but is still the most important political event of the year.

Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous region and an economic powerhouse, was always meant to have introduced such laws after the handover from British control to Chinese rule in 1997.

After last year’s wave of sustained and violent protest, Beijing is now attempting to push them through, arguing “law-based and forceful measures” must be taken to “prevent, stop and punish” such protests in the future.

On Friday, Hong Kong’s government said it would co-operate with Beijing to enact the law, adding it would not affect the city’s freedoms.

What is in Beijing’s proposed law?

The “draft decision” – as it is known before approval by the NPC – was explained by Wang Chen, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC.

It consists of an introduction and seven articles. Article 4 may prove the most controversial.

That article says Hong Kong “must improve” national security, before adding: “When needed, relevant national security organs of the Central People’s Government will set up agencies in Hong Kong to fulfil relevant duties to safeguard national security in accordance with the law.”

China could essentially place this law into Annex III of the Basic Law, which covers national laws that must be implemented in Hong Kong – either by legislation, or decree.

Addressing the congress, Premier Li Keqiang spoke of the economic impact of the coronavirus and on Hong Kong and Macau said: “We’ll establish sound legal systems and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security in the two Special Administrative Regions.”

What do opponents say the dangers are?

Hong Kong is what is known as a “special administrative region” of China.

It has observed a “one country, two systems” policy since Britain returned sovereignty in 1997, which has allowed it certain freedoms the rest of China does not have.

Pro-democracy activists fear that China pushing through the law could mean “the end of Hong Kong” – that is, the effective end of its autonomy and these freedoms.

Last year’s mass protests in Hong Kong were sparked by a bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.

Media caption Former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten: “UK should tell China this is outrageous”

The bill was paused, then withdrawn – but the protests continued until the virus outbreak at the end of the year.

The US has also weighed in, with President Trump saying the US would react strongly if it went through – without giving details.

It is currently considering whether to extend Hong Kong’s preferential trading and investment privileges.

Why is China doing this?

Mr Wang said the security risks had become “increasingly notable” – a reference to last year’s protests.

“Considering Hong Kong’s situation at present, efforts must be made at the state-level to establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms,” he is quoted as saying in state media.

Media caption The BBC’s Helier Cheung on Hong Kong’s 2019 protests

Beijing may also fear September’s elections to Hong Kong’s legislature.

If last year’s success for pro-democracy parties in district elections is repeated, government bills could potentially be blocked.

What is Hong Kong’s legal situation?

Hong Kong was under British control for more than 150 years up to 1997.

The British and Chinese governments signed a treaty – the Sino-British Joint Declaration – that agreed Hong Kong would have “a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs”, for 50 years.

This was enshrined in the Basic Law, which runs out in 2047.

As a result, Hong Kong’s own legal system, borders, and rights – including freedom of assembly and free speech – are protected.

But Beijing has the ability to veto any changes to the political system and has, for example, ruled out direct election of the chief executive.

Media caption Uproar on Monday in Hong Kong’s legislature

Source: The BBC

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29/04/2020

Coronavirus: Oxford vaccine effective in monkeys, heading for mass production in India

  • Six animals inoculated with vaccine candidate then exposed to virus did not catch Covid-19 after 28 days
  • Up to 60 million doses could be produced by Serum Institute of India this year
Microbiologist Elisa Granato gets an injection on Thursday as part of the first human trials in Britain for a potential coronavirus vaccine. Photo: University of Oxford via AP
Microbiologist Elisa Granato gets an injection on Thursday as part of the first human trials in Britain for a potential coronavirus vaccine. Photo: University of Oxford via AP

A leading candidate for a Covid-19 vaccine has shown promising results in animal trials, and is expected to see mass production in India within months.

The Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest maker of vaccines by volume, said on Tuesday that it plans this year to produce up to 60 million doses of a potential vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, which is under clinical trial in Britain.

While the vaccine candidate, called “ChAdOx1 nCoV-19”, is yet to be proven to work against Covid-19, Serum decided to start manufacturing it as it had shown success in animal trials and had progressed to tests on humans, Serum Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla said.

Six rhesus macaque monkeys were inoculated with the vaccine candidate at the National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana last month, according to The New York Times.

Covid-19 vaccine trial starts in Oxford, but remdesivir treatment reportedly flops in China tests
The subjects were exposed afterwards to large quantities of the novel coronavirus, but all six remained healthy after more than 28 days, the newspaper reported, citing researcher Vincent Munster, who conducted the test.

More than 3 million people have been reported to be infected globally and over 210,000 have died from Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.

“They are a bunch of very qualified, great scientists [at Oxford] … That’s why we said we will go with this and that’s why we are confident,” Poonawalla told Reuters in a phone interview.

“Being a private limited company, not accountable to public investors or bankers, I can take a little risk and sideline some of the other commercial products and projects that I had planned in my existing facility,” Poonawalla said.

Bill Gates hopes his virus vaccine ‘manufacturing within a year’

27 Apr 2020

As many as 100 potential Covid-19 candidate vaccines are now under development by biotech and research teams around the world, and at least five of these are in preliminary testing in people in what are known as phase one clinical trials.

Poonawalla said he hoped trials of the Oxford vaccine, due to finish in about September, would be successful. Oxford scientists said last week the main focus of initial tests was to ascertain not only whether the vaccine worked but that it induced good immune responses and no unacceptable side effects.

Serum, owned by the Indian billionaire Cyrus Poonawalla, plans to make the vaccine at its two manufacturing plants in the western city of Pune, aiming to produce up to 400 million doses next year if all goes well, Poonawalla said.

“A majority of the vaccine, at least initially, would have to go to our countrymen before it goes abroad,” he said, adding that Serum would leave it to the Indian government to decide which countries would get how much of the vaccine and when.

Rhesus macaque monkeys are often used in animal testing because of their similarity to humans. Photo: AFP
Rhesus macaque monkeys are often used in animal testing because of their similarity to humans. Photo: AFP
Serum envisages a price of 1,000 rupees (US$14.70) per vaccine, but governments would give it to people without charge, he said.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office was “very closely” involved in the vaccine production and the company is hoping the government will help foot the cost of making it.

Over roughly the next five months, Serum will spend some 300 million to 400 million rupees (US$4.4 million to US$5.9 million) on making around 3-5 million doses per month, he said. “[The government] are very happy to share some risk and fund something with us, but we haven’t really pencilled anything down yet,” Poonawalla said.

Coronavirus: clinical trial begins on third vaccine candidate in China

22 Apr 2020

Serum has also partnered with the US biotech firm Codagenix and Austria’s Themis on two other Covid-19 vaccine candidates and plans to announce a fourth alliance in a couple of weeks, he said.

Serum’s board last week also agreed to invest roughly 6 billion rupees (US$8.8 billion) on making a new manufacturing unit to solely produce coronavirus vaccines, Poonawalla said.

Source: SCMP

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29/03/2020

Coronavirus: UK PM tests positive as global cases surpass half a million, deaths 25,000

Anyone caught breaking Singapore’s social distancing rules could be jailed from Friday, as the city state ramped up its coronavirus defence and announced the introduction of distance learning for schools.
Under updates to its powerful infectious diseases law, anyone who intentionally sits less than 1 metre away from another person in a public place or on a fixed seat demarcated as not to be occupied, or who stands in a queue less than a metre away from another, will be guilty of an offence.
Offenders can be fined up to S$10,000 (US$6,990), jailed for up to six months, or both. The rules, in place until April 30, can be applied to individuals and businesses.
The news was followed later by an announcement from the education ministry that starting from April, schools will start conducting one day of home-based learning for students per week.
Singapore’s new social distancing laws send needed signal, experts say
27 Mar 2020

“The recent spike in imported cases signals a new phase in our nation’s fight against Covid-19. To support further safe distancing, schools will progressively transit to a blended learning model, starting with one day of home-based learning a week,” the ministry said in a statement.

It added schools will remain open for students whose parents are not able to secure alternative childcare arrangements.

Hundreds of thousands of students in Singapore returned to class on Monday after a week of school holidays, despite growing calls for schools to be closed.

Singapore is one of the few jurisdictions in the region that has yet to suspend schools, unlike Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung had earlier cited scientific evidence, saying that the pneumonia-like Covid-19 illness does not affect the young as much as adults.

Authorities in the city state, however, have said that suspending schools and closing workplaces are among the next steps to be taken should the situation worsen. Singapore has confirmed 683 cases so far, of which 172 have recovered and two died.

Global condom shortage looms amid virus lockdowns

A global shortage of condoms is looming, the world’s biggest producer said, after a coronavirus lockdown forced it to shut down production.

Malaysia’s Karex makes one in every five condoms globally. It has not produced a single condom from its three Malaysian factories in the past 10 days because of the lockdown imposed by the government to halt the spread of the virus.

That’s already a shortfall of 100 million condoms, normally marketed internationally by brands such as Durex, supplied to state health care systems such as Britain’s NHS or distributed by aid programmes such as the UN Population Fund.

“We are going to see a global shortage of condoms everywhere, which is going to be scary,” Karex Chief Executive Goh Miah Kiat said this week.

“My concern is that for a lot of humanitarian programmes deep down in Africa, the shortage will not just be two weeks or a month. That shortage can run into months.”

The other major condom-producing countries are China, where the coronavirus led to widespread factory shutdowns, and India and Thailand, which are seeing infections spiking only now.

Goh said Karex was in the process of appealing to the government for an exemption to operate under specific conditions. Malaysia is approving other essential goods producers to operate with half of their workforce.

“The good thing is that the demand for condoms is still very strong because like it or not, it’s still an essential to have,” Goh said. “Given that at this point in time people are probably not planning to have children. It’s not the time, with so much uncertainty.”

China to ban most foreign arrivals

China has banned most foreigners from entering the country in an effort to block the spread of the coronavirus through imported cases.
With several exceptions, including transit visas and foreigners arriving via Hong Kong and Macau with short-term entry permits, entry visas issued to foreigners will be suspended as an “interim measure”, according to a statement late on Thursday by the country’s foreign ministry.
“In view of the rapid spread of the new coronavirus epidemic worldwide, China has decided to temporarily suspend entry of foreigners with currently valid visas and residence permits in China,” the ministry said.
“This is an interim measure that China has to take in order to respond to the current epidemic situation, with reference to the practice of many countries,” it added. “The Chinese side will adjust the above measures according to the epidemic situation through separate announcements.”

Pakistan aid workers lack basic kit

Pakistan’s biggest charity, famous for its emergency services for the poor, is kitting staff out in raincoats and rubber boots in the battle against the coronavirus as it can’t get hold of proper personal protective equipment, the organisation says.

Pakistan has reported the highest number of coronavirus infections in South Asia, with 1,179 cases and nine deaths, but health experts say there is a lack of public awareness about the virus and the cash-strapped government is ill-prepared to tackle it.

The Edhi Foundation has for decades stepped in to help when government services fail communities and it runs the country’s largest ambulance service.

Now it has had to train dozens of staff on how to handle suspected coronavirus patients. But providing them with proper protection is a problem given a nationwide shortage of the equipment.

“We’ve compromised on certain things and use alternatives,” Facial Edhi, head of the Edhi Foundation, said at his office in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, on Thursday.

“Full aprons are in short supply in the market.”

He said he was confident the raincoats would work just as well.

South Korea pleads with residents to stay indoors

Authorities in South Korea pleaded with residents on Friday to stay indoors and avoid large gatherings as new coronavirus cases hovered close to 100 per day.

South Korea reported 91 new infections on Friday, taking the national tally to 9,332, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said. The country has reported similar daily numbers for the past two weeks, down from a high of over 900 in late February.

The government has sought to convince a restless public that several more weeks of social distancing and self-isolation may be needed to allow health authorities to tamp down the smaller but still steady stream of new cases.

“As the weather is getting nicer, I know many of you may have plans to go outside,” said Yoon Tae-ho, director general for public health policy at the health ministry. “But social distancing cannot be successful when it’s only an individual, it needs to be the whole community.”

Coronavirus: California officials alarmed by rate of infection

27 Mar 2020

Italy reports 662 new deaths, with uptick in new cases

Italy is reporting an uptick in new novel coronavirus infections, after four consecutive days in which new cases had decreased.

The country now has 62,013 active cases, a daily increase of 4,492, the Italian Civil Protection Agency said in its bulletin.

On Wednesday the daily variation was 3,491, on Tuesday 3,612, on Monday 3,780, on Sunday 3,957, and on Saturday a record 4,821.

There are also 662 new fatalities, bringing the total death toll to 8,165, while overall infections, including deaths and recoveries, have risen to 80,539, a daily increase of 8.3 per cent.

Recoveries are up by around 11 per cent to 10,361, while the number of intensive care patients – a closely watched figure given the shortage of hospital beds – has risen by 3.5 per cent, to 3,612.

Russia closes all restaurants nationwide

Russia is temporarily closing restaurants nationwide for a nine-day period starting on Saturday to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Restaurants will still be able to provide delivery services during that time, according to the decree by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, published on his website on Friday.

Russia has reported more than 800 cases of coronavirus, predominantly in Moscow, which has seen at least two virus-related deaths. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has warned that the actual number of cases is probably “significantly more”.

The country has already prohibited regular international flights, and imposed strict quarantine measures for anyone entering the country and anyone who could have been exposed to someone infected with the virus – though has not yet opted to impose lockdown measures like those seen elsewhere.

Coronavirus containment measures spark prison protests across Italy as nation goes into lockdown

First casualty in Kenya

Kenya has recorded its first coronavirus death as a rapid rise in confirmed cases puts Africa’s fragile health systems to the test.

Kenyan Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said a 66-year-old Kenyan man died on Thursday afternoon despite treatment in an intensive care unit.

Kagwe said the man, who arrived into the country on March 13 from South Africa via Swaziland, was a diabetic. Also on Thursday, three women aged between 30 and 61 tested positive for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, taking the country’s total to 31.

Kenya is the second country in East Africa and the 15th on the continent to confirm a coronavirus-related death. Algeria has the highest death toll in Africa with 25 fatalities, while Egypt has reported 24 and Morocco 11.

About a week ago, the continent of 54 countries had reported fewer than 300 cases. But by Friday Africa had 3,221 confirmed cases and 87 deaths. WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said on Thursday that the situation in Africa was “evolving very quickly in terms of geographic spread and the increasing number of cases”.

Australian military to enforce quarantine

The Australian military will help enforce the quarantine of travellers returning to the country, with the prime minister unveiling strict new measures and door-to-door checks on Friday to rein in the spread of Covid-19.

With some two-thirds of Australia’s 3,000 Covid-19 cases still linked to overseas travel, Scott Morrison said 14-day home quarantines would now be actively policed with the help of the military.

Thousands of citizens and residents are still arriving in Australia every day and there have been instances of return travellers repeatedly breaking a promise to stay at home.

Morrison said all returnees arriving after midnight Saturday would now be kept in hotels in the city of arrival for the duration of their quarantine.

Those already on Australian soil and under orders to self-quarantine for two weeks will face active checks, he said.

Quarantine measures will be getting “a lot tougher and a lot stricter,” Morrison said, adding the Australian Defence Force would “assist in the compliance with these arrangements.”

Afghanistan to release 10,000 prisoners

Afghanistan will release at least 10,000 prisoners over the age of 55 in an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, officials said on Thursday.

“The president has issued a decree that several thousand prisoners will be released soon due to coronavirus,” an official in President Ashraf Ghani’s office said.

Those released will not include members of Islamist militant groups the Taliban or Islamic State, and the process will be completed within 10 days, said two government officials.

Afghanistan has reported 91 cases of coronavirus and three deaths. The country’s western Herat province has recorded at least 54 of the 75 total cases reported in the last week.

International aid groups in recent weeks have raised concerns about the possibility of the coronavirus spreading in prisons across Afghanistan.

Source: SCMP

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17/03/2020

Coronavirus: Hong Kong to quarantine all arrivals from abroad

Aman wearing a mask pulls suitcase as he walks past a flight information display boardImage copyright GETTY IMAGES
Image caption Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the majority of Hong Kong’s cases had been imported

Hong Kong will quarantine all people arriving from abroad for 14 days, its leader Carrie Lam has said.

The restrictions, which will kick in on Thursday, will not apply to those from Macau or Taiwan. Entrants from mainland China already had to self-isolate.

Ms Lam said the majority of Hong Kong’s cases had been imported, adding that “strict measures” were needed.

Hong Kong has seen 57 new infections over the past two weeks, 50 of which were imported, said Ms Lam.

“If we exclude these imported, we only have seven local cases in the past week,” she said.

“If we do not impose strict measures, our previous efforts could be wasted.”

Ms Lam also advised residents to avoid all non-essential travel.

There are at least 155 confirmed cases in the territory, which detected its first cases in January.

The territory – a special administrative region of China – has so far been able to avoid the contagion seen elsewhere, thanks partly to a quick government response.

In January, cross-border travel with mainland China was slashed. Soon afterwards, health workers went on strike to demand a total border shutdown.

Presentational grey line

Some of the restrictions in the Asia-Pacific region, as of 17 March:

  • Australia – All travellers will have to self-isolate for 14 days. Foreign nationals who have been to China, Iran, Korea and Italy not allowed in
  • New Zealand – Everyone entering the country will have to self-isolate for 14 days. This excludes those from small Pacific islands with no confirmed virus cases
  • South Korea – Travellers from China’s Hubei province not allowed in. International arrivals from certain countries will need to submit papers on their health condition
  • Singapore – All visitors with travel history to France, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Korea and China banned from entering or transiting. Residents with recent history to these countries will have to self-isolate for 14 days. All those entering from Japan, Switzerland, the UK and Asean countries will have to self-isolate for 14 days
  • Malaysia – All foreign visitors have been banned, all Malaysians will not be allowed to travel overseas until 31 March. All returning Malaysians will have to self quarantine for 14 days
  • Japan – Ban on entry to travellers who have been to parts of China, South Korea, Iran or Italy in 14 days before arrival
Presentational grey line

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths outside China has now surpassed the number inside.

More than 100,000 people have been infected outside China, while just over 80,000 cases have been reported inside.

There have been more than 182,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus globally and over 7,000 deaths, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.

Media caption Steps the NHS says you should take to protect yourself from Covid-19

Source: The BBC

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27/02/2020

Tim Cook says Apple’s first Indian store to open 2021

Apple CEO Tim CookImage copyright GETTY IMAGES

Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook said the company would open its first physical stores in India in 2021 and a online outlet later this year.

Apple had to seek special approval from the Indian government to open a store without a local partner.

The announcement was made at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting.

Investors at the meeting also voted on a proposal that the firm should alter how it responds when governments ask it to remove apps from its marketplace.

Though the measure wasn’t approved, it failed by a slimmer margin then similar proposals in the past.

Apple’s move into India, the second largest smartphone market in the world, has been expected for some time, but the announcement of a date was new.

In 2018 India changed the laws that prevented foreign brands from opening single-brand stores in the country. Nevertheless Mr Cook said India had wanted Apple to open its store with a local partner.

Mr Cook told investors he didn’t think Apple would be a “good partner”.

“We like to do things our way,” he said.

Apple sells its products through third-party stores in India at the moment. But its sales lag competitors Samsung and Huawei.

With demand for Apple products slowing in China – even before the outbreak of Coronavirus – the firm is hoping it can spur growth in other developing markets like India.

Human rights vote

Apple investors also voted on a proposal meant to change the way the company handles requests by governments to remove applications from its App Store.

The proposal would have forced Apple to publicly commit to respecting “freedom of expression as a human right.”

The measure was tied to Apple’s removal of apps by the Chinese government, including an app that allowed protestors in Hong Kong get around China’s internet restrictions.

Supporters of the measure said Apple was complicit in Chinese human right abuses when it gave in to requests to remove these types of apps.

The measure was voted down but received nearly 40% of the vote.

Similar measures have been proposed in the past but have never received as much support.

Two shareholder advisory groups, Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services recommended voting in favour of the proposal.

Coronavirus concerns

Mr Cook also addressed the impact that coronavirus is having on Apple’s operations.

The tech giant warned investors early this month that it expected to miss its quarterly earnings estimate because of the outbreak. Many of the Chinese plants that make components for Apple products – like its iPhones and MacBook laptops- have been closed or operating at with limited capacity to reduce the spread of the disease.

The shareholders meeting also allowed investors to ask Apple executives questions about the company’s other development.

One investor asked why the company had not bought the rights to the upcoming reunion of the TV show Friends – which is slated for HBO Max.

Mr Cook said a spinoff would not be keeping with the brand of Apple TV Plus – which is focused on original content.

Source: The BBC

Posted in 2021, Apple, apples, Chief Executive, Chinese factories, coronavirus, first, Indian store, IPhone, open, Ricky Gervais, second largest smartphone market in the world, slams, supplies, Tim Cook, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

06/11/2019

French President Emmanuel Macron tells Chinese leader Xi Jinping talks are needed to calm Hong Kong situation

  • French leader calls for restraint and says he raised the topic ‘on several occasions’ during his visit
  • Two sides find common ground on need to defend free trade and fight climate change as Donald Trump starts process of pulling US out of Paris Climate Agreement
Xi Jinping and Emmanuel Macron at a welcome ceremony ahead of their talks in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Xi Jinping and Emmanuel Macron at a welcome ceremony ahead of their talks in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron said he raised human rights and the Hong Kong situation during his talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Wednesday.

Macron’s visit to China concluded with pledges to work together on climate change, but the French leader also said he also called for a de-escalation of the situation in the city through dialogue after months of protests.

Macron, who had promised to raise “taboo” topics during the visit, told a press conference: “I obviously raised this with President Xi Jinping on several occasions.

“We have repeatedly called on the parties involved to [engage in] dialogue, to show restraint, to de-escalate.”

The discussion followed Xi’s meeting with Hong Kong’s embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in Shanghai on Monday, where he expressed “high trust” in her and “fully affirmed” support for her response to the unrest that has gripped the city since June.

Earlier the French and Chinese leaders had restated their commitment to protect free trade and pledged their continued support for the Paris Agreement as the United States begins the process of formally withdrawing from the global climate deal.

Macron expressed “regret” over “some countries’ negative attitude” towards environmental protection and the fight against climate change and pledged to work with China to halt the loss of biodiversity.

The French president’s office also released a statement on Wednesday that reaffirmed France and China’s joint support for the “irreversible” Paris Agreement.

Macron points to common ground with China on tariffs and climate action

With the European Union, China and Russia backing the pact, he added, “the isolated choice of one or another is not enough to change the course of the world. It only leads to marginalisation.”

The two countries also agreed to work together to develop joint nuclear power projects and signed a series of contracts worth US$15 billion.

The deals covered aeronautics, energy and agriculture, including approval for 20 French companies to export poultry, beef and pork to China.

An additional action plan released after the talks said French utility giant EDF and China General Nuclear Power should be encouraged to cooperate on projects in China or third countries, citing the joint efforts by the two companies to build nuclear reactors at the Hinkley Point C station in Britain as an example.

The two sides also committed to signing a contract for the construction of a nuclear fuel recycling plant in China, which would involve French energy giant Orano, by January 31.

Xi took what appeared to be a veiled swipe at the United States, which is still embroiled in a protracted trade war and other confrontations with Beijing.

“We advocate for mutual respect and equal treatment, and are opposed to the law of the jungle and acts of intimidation,” Xi said.

“We advocate for openness, inclusion and for mutually beneficial cooperation, and are opposed to protectionism and a zero-sum game.”

Macron said China and the European Union should work in partnership as the world became more unstable, calling on the two sides to further open up market access.

“We call again for trade multilateralism to respond to distortions that have appeared in the global economy, which have led to a profound rise in inequalities and imbalances that explain the surge of challenges to the international systems,” he said.

“China and Europe also share the same views that the trade war only leads to loss.”

Macron kicks off China visit with deal to protect wine and cheese from counterfeiting

Chinese state news agency Xinhua said the two countries agreed to work together to push forward with plans to assemble Airbus’s A350 model in China.

Meanwhile, Beijing Gas Group and French utility firm Engie will collaborate on a liquefied natural gas terminal and storage in the northern city of Tianjin, while France’s Total will set up a joint venture with China’s Shenergy Group to distribute liquid nitrogen gas by truck in the Yangtze River Delta.

The two countries also agreed to reach an agreement by the end of January 2020 on the cost and location of a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility to be built by Orano, formerly known as Areva.

Wu Libo a professor and director of the Centre for Energy Economics and Strategies Studies at Fudan University, said there was “great potential” for further cooperation between the two countries on nuclear energy.

“France has many useful experiences in the operation and management of nuclear power plants and its plants have long-term safe and stable operation records,” she said.

The two sides agreed to work together on joint nuclear power projects. Photo: AP
The two sides agreed to work together on joint nuclear power projects. Photo: AP

Jiang Kejun, a senior researcher at the Energy Research Institute of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, said China’s cooperation with France would add credibility to potential third-country projects.

“China has advanced third-generation technology but it’s still a new member in the nuclear power market, while France has developed nuclear energy for a long time, and its EPR reactors – a technology designed and developed in France – are in business operation,” he said.

Jiang said possible markets for the joint projects included Argentina and India, while some Middle Eastern states – such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar – had expressed interest in nuclear energy.

China’s ambassador hits out at Macron’s team for backing ‘hypocritical’ EU stance on Hong Kong

Tong Jiadong, professor of international trade at Nankai University, said that the deals between the two sides helped show that France and China could work together to counteract US unilateralism.

“Objectively speaking, this will form, or at least imply, an opposition to US unilateralism,” Tong said. “China hopes the cooperation between these two countries produces demonstrable effects for other EU member states.”

Ding Chun, a professor of European Studies at Fudan University, said he did not think the EU wanted to “choose a side” between the US and China.

But Ding continued: “If we are talking about free trade and multilateralism, there’s no doubt that the EU and China share a common view and can balance Donald Trump’s unilateralism.”

Source: SCMP

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06/10/2019

HKSAR chief executive vows greatest resolve to end violence

HONG KONG, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) — Chief Executive of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said Saturday that the government will take the greatest resolve to end violence, after rampant rioters Friday wreaked havoc in various areas of Hong Kong.

Lam said in a video address that Hong Kong witnessed “a very dark night” on Friday and the society was half-paralyzed, describing the extreme acts as “unprecedented and appalling.”

Violent and disruptive acts were staged again in Hong Kong on Friday as masked rioters blocked roads, set fires, damaged public facilities, and assaulted police officers and passersby, leaving the transport network paralyzed and forcing numerous shops to close.

“The extreme violence is a clear indication of the widespread danger to public security in Hong Kong,” Lam said.

Given the escalating violence recently, the HKSAR government has invoked the power under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance and put in place the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation. The anti-mask law, designed to end violence and restore order, came into effect on Saturday, Lam said.

The move has received support from 40 Legislative Council members and many chambers of commerce, media outlets and social organizations, she said.

Lam reiterated the legality of the action and said the HKSAR government adopted appropriate measures using the power conferred by the existing law.

Lam urged foreign officials and lawmakers to understand the nature of the violent incidents. “Hong Kong is facing unprecedented violence and the government needs to adopt resolute legal measures to stop violence, restore peace and order, and protect the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents from the threats of rioters.” She said anti-mask legislations were also adopted in a number of western countries.

Lam also called on Hong Kong residents to support the HKSAR government in stopping the violence, make a clean break with rioters, and work together to bring back peaceful lives as soon as possible.

Source: Xinhua

Posted in Carrie Lam, Chief Executive, end violence, Government, greatest resolve, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), rampant rioters, Uncategorized, wreaked havoc | Leave a Comment »

06/10/2019

Xinhua Headlines: China’s Greater Bay Area busy laying foundation for innovation

As China aims to develop its Greater Bay Area into an international innovation and technology hub, innovation and entrepreneurship resources are shared in the area to provide more opportunities for young Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurs.

The provincial government of Guangdong has stepped up efforts to improve basic research capability, considered the backbone of an international innovation and technology hub, by building large scientific installations and launching provincial labs.

by Xinhua writers Liu Yiwei, Quan Xiaoshu, Wang Pan, Jing Huaiqiao

GUANGZHOU, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) — Hong Kong man Andy Ng was surprised his shared workspace Timetable was rented out completely only six months after it had started operation in Guangzhou, capital of south China’s Guangdong Province.

While studying economics at City University of Hong Kong, Ng set up his first business, developing an online education platform, but soon realized the Hong Kong market was too small. After earning a master’s degree in the UK in 2017, Ng returned to China and chose Guangzhou as his new base.

Timetable is now accumulating popularity and even fans in Dianping.com, China’s major online consumer guide. Ng feels lucky that his business caught the implementation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) development plan.

The bay area, covering 56,000 square km, comprises Hong Kong and Macao, as well as nine cities in Guangdong. It had a combined population of about 70 million at the end of 2017, and is one of the most open and dynamic regions in China.

Aerial photo taken on July 11, 2018 shows the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in south China. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

In July 2017, a framework agreement on the development of the bay area was signed. On February 18 this year, China issued the more specific Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. One of its major aims is to develop the area into an international innovation and technology hub.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH

The plan proposes that innovation and entrepreneurship resources be shared in the bay area to provide more opportunities for young Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurs.

An incubator for entrepreneurship, Timetable is home to 52 companies, including 15 from Hong Kong and Macao, such as Redspots, a virtual reality company that won the Hong Kong Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Awards 2019.

“I persuaded them one by one to come here,” Ng said. “I told them of my own experience that the GBA is a great stage for starting a business with ever-upgrading technologies, ever-changing consumer tastes and a population 10 times that of Hong Kong.”

Timetable is a startup base of the Guangzhou Tianhe Hong Kong and Macao Youth Association, which has assisted 65 enterprises founded by Hong Kong and Macao young people since its establishment in October 2017.

The association and its four bases provide a package of services from training and registering to policy and legal consultation, said Chen Jingzhan, one of the association founders.

Tong Yat, a young Macao man who teaches children programming, is grateful the association encouraged him to come to Guangdong, where young people enjoy more preferential policies to start their own businesses.

“The GBA development not only benefits us, but paves the way for the next generation,” Tong said. “If one of my students were to become a tech tycoon in the future and tell others that his first science and technology teacher was me, I would think it all worthwhile.”

In the first quarter of this year, there were more than 980 science and technology business incubators in Guangdong, including more than 50 for young people from Hong Kong and Macao, said Wu Hanrong, an official with the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province.

INNOVATION HIGHLAND

As the young entrepreneurs create a bustling innovative atmosphere, the Guangdong government has stepped up efforts to improve basic research capability, considered the backbone of an international innovation and technology hub, by building large scientific installations and launching provincial labs.

Several large scientific facilities have settled in Guangdong. China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) operates in Dongguan City; a neutrino observatory is under construction in Jiangmen City; a high intensity heavy-ion accelerator is being built in Huizhou City.

Aerial photo taken on June 23, 2019 shows the construction site of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) in Jiangmen, south China’s Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

Guangdong also plans to build about 10 provincial labs, covering regenerative medicine, materials, advanced manufacturing, next-generation network communications, chemical and fine chemicals, marine research and other areas, said Zhang Yan, of the provincial department of science and technology.

Unlike traditional universities or research institutions, the provincial labs enjoy a high degree of autonomy in policy and spending. A market-oriented salary system allows them to recruit talent from all over the world, and researchers from other domestic organizations can work for the laboratories without giving up their original jobs, Zhang said.

The labs are also open to professionals from Hong Kong and Macao. Research teams from the universities of the two special administrative regions have been involved in many of the key programs, Zhang said.

For example, the provincial lab of regenerative medicine and health has jointly established a regenerative medicine research institute with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, a heart research center with the University of Hong Kong, and a neuroscience research center with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).

Photo taken on July 24, 2019 shows a rapid cycling synchrotron at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) in Dongguan, south China’s Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

Guangdong has been trying to break down institutional barriers to help cooperation, encouraging Hong Kong and Macao research institutions to participate in provincial research programs, exploring the cross-border use of provincial government-sponsored research funds, and shielding Hong Kong researchers in Guangdong from higher mainland taxes.

NANSHA FOCUS

Located at the center of the bay area, Guangzhou’s Nansha District is designed as the national economic and technological development zone and national free trade zone, and is an important pivot in building the area into an international innovation and technology hub.

The construction of a science park covering about 200 hectares started on Sept. 26. Gong Shangyun, an official with the Nansha government, said the park will be completed in 2022.

Jointly built by the Guangzhou government and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the science park will accommodate CAS research institutes from around Guangzhou, including the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, the South China Botanical Garden (SCBG) and the Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion.

Ren Hai, director of the SCBG, is looking forward to expanding the research platforms in Nansha. “We will build a new economic plant platform serving the green development of the Pearl River Delta, a new botanical garden open to the public, and promote the establishment of the GBA botanical garden union.”

Wang Ying, a researcher with the SCBG, said the union will help deepen the long cooperation among its members and improve scientific research, science popularization and ecological protection. “Predecessors of our botanical garden have helped the Hong Kong and Macao counterparts gradually establish their regional flora since the 1950s and 1960s.”

HKUST also started to build a new campus in Nansha the same day as the science park broke ground. “Located next to the high-speed rail station, the Guangzhou campus is only a 30-minute journey from the Hong Kong campus. A delegation from the HKUST once paid a visit to the site and found it very convenient to work here,” Gong said.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam hoped the new campus would help create a new chapter for the exchanges and cooperation on higher education between Guangzhou and Hong Kong, and cultivate more talents with innovative capabilities.

Nansha’s layout is a miniature of the provincial blueprint for an emerging international innovation and technology hub.

“We are seeking partnership with other leading domestic research institutions and encouraging universities from Hong Kong and Macao to set up R&D institutions in Guangdong,” said Zhang Kaisheng, an official with the provincial department of science and technology.

“We are much busier now, because research institutes at home and abroad come to talk about collaboration every week. The GBA is a rising attraction to global scientific researchers,” Zhang said.

Source: Xinhua

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12/09/2019

President Xi meets Macao’s new chief executive

CHINA-BEIJING-XI JINPING-HO IAT SENG-MEETING (CN)

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Ho Iat Seng, the newly elected and appointed chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 11, 2019. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) — President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with Ho Iat Seng, the newly elected and appointed chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Xi congratulated Ho on his appointment by the central government as the fifth-term chief executive of the Macao SAR.

“You has long adhered to the position of loving the country and Macao, enthusiastically served the Macao society, worked wholeheartedly on public posts including as a member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee and president of the Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR, and made contributions to the country’s reform and opening up, modernization, as well as prosperity and stability of Macao,” Xi said to Ho, adding that the central government fully recognizes such efforts.

“Your nomination and election with overwhelming support fully show that you have won broad endorsement in Macao,” Xi told Ho.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland.

For the past 20 years, under the leadership of two chief executives Edmund Ho Hau Wah and Chui Sai On, the Macao SAR government has united people from all walks of life, fully and accurately understood and implemented the principle of “one country, two systems,” firmly upheld the authority of the Constitution and the Basic Law, passed on the core values of loving the country and Macao, promoted Macao’s rapid economic growth, sustained improvement in people’s livelihood and social stability and harmony, demonstrating to the world a successful practice of “one country, two systems” with Macao characteristics, said Xi.

“One country, two systems” has proved to be a workable solution welcomed by the people, said Xi.

Xi hoped that Ho will accurately grasp Macao’s situation and the country’s strategic development needs, unite and lead the Macao SAR government and people from all walks of life to strive for the region’s long-term development and continue the successful implementation of “one country, two systems.”

Ho said he is honored to be appointed the fifth-term chief executive of the Macao SAR by the central government.

Ho pledged to, under the leadership of President Xi and the central government, firmly implement the “one country, two systems” principle, safeguard the authority of the Constitution and the Basic Law, maintain favorable relations between the central government and the Macao SAR, uphold the central government’s overall governing power, defend the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests and make steady progress in implementing the “one country, two systems” principle.

Han Zheng and other senior officials also attended the meeting.

Source: Xinhua

Posted in "one country, two systems", Basic Law, Beijing, Chief Executive, Constitution, Great Hall of the People, Ho Iat Seng, Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR, Macao, Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), motherland, National People's Congress Standing Committee, President, President Xi Jinping, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

07/09/2019

Hong Kong protests: China’s premier backs government to end ‘chaos’

Angela Merkel and Li KeqiangImage copyright EPA
Image caption Ms Merkel calls for dialogue while Mr Li says China can handle its own matters

China’s Premier Li Keqiang has said Beijing supports the Hong Kong government “to end the violence and chaos”.

He is the most senior Chinese official to comment on the unrest which has rocked Hong Kong for months.

His comments came during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing.

Hong Kong has seen months of often-violent protests calling for democracy and less influence from China.

The protests were sparked by changes to a law that would allow extradition to mainland China, but have since widened to include calls for an independent inquiry into police brutality and demands for greater democracy.

Li Keqiang and Angela MerkelImage copyright EPA
Image caption Hong Kong activists hope for Western support

On Wednesday, embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam withdrew the controversial extradition bill but that has failed to appease the activists.

Instead, protests continued on Friday evening, when clashes erupted between police and the demonstrators outside a subway station on the Kowloon peninsula.

Riot police fired both tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters before clearing the nearby streets as the crowd of protesters was forced to retreat.

What did the Chinese premier say?

In August, China had likened to protests to terrorism, warning activists not to “underestimate the firm resolve” of the Beijing government.

Li Keqiang, China’s second highest-ranking leader, told reporters on Friday: “The Chinese government unswervingly safeguards ‘one country, two systems’ and ‘Hong Kong people govern Hong Kong people’.”

He said China backed Hong Kong “to end the violence and chaos in accordance with the law, to return to order, which is to safeguard Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability”.

He said the world “needs to believe that the Chinese people have the ability and wisdom to handle their own matters well”.

Merkel calls for dialogue

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said a peaceful solution was needed for Hong Kong, urging that “in the current situation, violence must be prevented”.

Media caption How Hong Kong got trapped in a cycle of violence

She said there were signs Ms Lam would invite the necessary dialogue.

“I hope that materialises and that demonstrators have the chance to participate within the frame of citizens’ rights.”

She also stressed that the “rights and freedoms” for the people of Hong Kong “have to be granted”.

Soyrce: The BBC

Posted in Angela Merkel, Beijing, Beijing government, Carrie Lam, Chaos, Chief Executive, China alert, clashes, Democracy, demonstrators, extradition bill, German Chancellor, granted, Hong Kong government, Hong Kong protests, independent inquiry, Kowloon peninsula, Li Keqiang, Police, police brutality, Premier Li Keqiang, rights and freedoms, rubber bullets, subway station, tear gas, terrorism, Uncategorized, Violence | Leave a Comment »

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