Archive for ‘Chinese president’

29/04/2020

Spotlight: China leads global green development with concrete actions

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) — China has achieved much progress in environmental protection and taken the lead in green development in recent years.

The efforts have exemplified Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposal of “working together for a green and better future for all” made a year ago in his speech at the opening ceremony of the International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 Beijing.

In the keynote speech, Xi proposed a five-point initiative on promoting green development, namely pursuing harmony between man and nature, pursuing the prosperity based on green development, fostering a passion for nature-caring lifestyle, pursuing a scientific spirit in ecological governance, and joining hands to tackle environmental challenges.

China’s hard work on environment protection has paid off.

The ecological environment has improved significantly. People are enjoying more days of blue sky, cleaner water, and fertile land.

China has achieved the goal of zero growth of desertified land by 2030 set by the United Nations ahead of time. Besides, forest stock volume increased by 4.56 billion cubic meters compared with that of 2005.

Carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP in 2018 fell by 45.8 percent compared with that of 2005, exceeding the target set for the year.

After more than 30 years of hard work, the seventh largest desert in China, the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, once known as the “sea of death” difficult for birds to fly across, has turned into a green valley.

In January 2020, in a letter in reply to the student representatives of the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate, the Chinese president mentioned his thoughts about ecological civilization in his youth.

“Over four decades ago, I lived and worked for many years in a small village on the Loess Plateau in western China. Back then, the ecology and environment there was seriously damaged due to over-development and the local people were trapped in poverty as a result,” Xi wrote.

“This experience taught me that man and nature are a community of life and that the damage done to nature will ultimately hurt mankind,” said Xi.

China’s progress and achievements are recognized worldwide.

The ecological civilization and green development advocated by China are actually an endeavor to find a way to balance economic development and environmental protection, said John Cobb, Jr., the founding president of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Noting that the endeavor is a remarkable exploration, he expressed his hope that it will succeed.

China is on the right path in dealing with global climate change and achieving sustainable development, said Borge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum.

In addition to making efforts at home, China has also rolled out a series of measures to support the global combat against climate change.

In September 2015, ahead of the Paris climate change conference, Xi pledged a 20-billion-yuan (3-billion-U.S. dollars) China South-South Climate Cooperation Fund, which was dedicated to help other developing countries combat climate change.

China has also been fulfilling the obligations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, and achieved the goal of its intended nationally determined contributions submitted to the secretariat of the Climate Change Convention as scheduled.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his appreciation for China’s important contributions to addressing the climate change and building a green “Belt and Road,” and said he expects China to continue to play a leading role in addressing the climate change and other issues.

“Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” a concept put forward by Xi in 2005 when he visited Yucun Village in southeast China’s Zhejiang Province as the party chief of the province, has become the motto of the Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

In March 2020, when Xi returned to Yucun, he said that economic development should not be achieved at the expense of the ecological environment. To protect the ecological environment is to develop the productive forces, he said.

The history of civilizations shows that the rise or fall of a civilization is closely tied to its relationship with nature, Xi said at the International Horticultural Exhibition last year.

Only by joining hands can the humankind advance a global ecological civilization and march towards the bright future of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Source: Xinhua

29/02/2020

Chinese, Chilean presidents discuss COVID-19 epidemic, bilateral ties over phone

BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Chilean counterpart, Sebastian Pinera, held a telephone conversation on Friday night to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic and how to further deepen bilateral ties.

Xi said the COVID-19 outbreak is a major public health emergency that features the fastest speed of transmission, the most extensive range of infection and the highest level of containment difficulty in the country since the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

“Since the outbreak of the epidemic, I have been personally commanding the work and making arrangements. The whole country has become a nation of one mind sharing the same boat, and has taken the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough prevention and control measures,” said Xi, adding that the positive trend in preventing and controlling the epidemic is gaining momentum thanks to the hard work.

“We have full confidence, capacity and certainty to win the battle against the epidemic,” he added.

In this anti-epidemic fight, he stressed, China has always adhered to the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and an attitude of openness, transparency and responsibility, sharing information with the WHO and the international community in a timely fashion as well as actively responding to the concerns of various sides and strengthening international cooperation, so as to prevent the epidemic from spreading around the world.

The WHO and the international community have spoken highly of China’s prevention and control work, he said, adding that the governments and people of many countries, including Chile, have offered China strong support in various ways, for which China is sincerely grateful.

Xi pointed out that the Chinese nation has experienced many ordeals in its history, but has never been overwhelmed, and that the impact of the epidemic on China’s economy is temporary and generally manageable, and the fundamentals of China’s long-term sound economic growth remain unchanged.

While making unrelenting, solid and meticulous efforts in epidemic prevention and control, China will roll out a series of policies and measures to gradually restore orderly production and life and ensure realization of this year’s economic and social development goals, he added.

With China and Chile being comprehensive strategic partners, their relationship has long been taking the lead in China-Latin America relations, Xi said, recalling that Pinera’s China visit last year bore rich fruit.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, Xi urged the two sides to take it as an opportunity to maintain close high-level exchanges and ensure the success of celebration events.

He also called on the two sides to expand cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, technological innovation and infrastructure construction by promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

At the same time, the two sides should work together to firmly safeguard multilateralism, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and tackle such global challenges as climate change, he added.

In so doing, Xi said, the two countries can carry forward their friendship, ensure a sound development of bilateral cooperation and bring more benefits to both peoples.

Pinera, on behalf of the Chilean government and people, extended sincere sympathies to the Chinese people over the COVID-19 outbreak and offered firm support to the Chinese people for their united efforts in fighting the epidemic.

He said that under the strong command of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government, the Chinese side has taken very effective measures to deal with the epidemic, whose spread has been gradually put under control.

Noting that China is a great country that has gone through numerous hardships and difficulties, Pinera said he believes that under the strong leadership of Xi, China will surely achieve a complete victory over the epidemic at an early date.

The Chilean side stands ready to strengthen cooperation with the Chinese side to jointly tackle the challenge of infectious diseases and safeguard global public health security, he added.

Chile, he said, has always regarded its relations with China as a foreign policy priority, and is willing to take the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties as an opportunity to join hands with China to further bolster collaboration in various fields, promote Belt and Road cooperation, safeguard multilateralism, and strengthen coordination in international affairs, so as to lift Chile-China relations to a new level.

Source: Xinhua

29/02/2020

Chinese, Cuban presidents discuss COVID-19 epidemic, bilateral ties over phone

BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping talked over phone with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Friday night to compare notes on the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic and how to further promote bilateral ties.

Xi noted that after the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, Raul Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, and Diaz-Canel immediately extended their sympathies to him, and the Cuban president also paid a special visit to the Chinese embassy in Cuba to express support for China.

That, said the Chinese president, has fully demonstrated the profound traditional friendship between China and Cuba.

In line with the professional guidelines proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), Cuba has maintained normal exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, which means respect and support of China’s prevention and control work, Xi said.

China, he added, highly appreciates the understanding and support the Cuban side and the Cuban president himself have shown for China’s anti-epidemic efforts.

Xi stressed that since the outbreak of the epidemic, he has been personally leading the response, and the country, with its people united as one, has taken the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough prevention and control measures.

China has put forward the principle of early detection, early reporting, early isolation and early treatment for prevention and control, and the principle of pooling together patients, experts and resources for concentrated treatment for treatment efforts, he said.

Meanwhile, China has made it a prominent task to improve the admission and cure rates and reduce the infection and mortality rates, added the Chinese president.

Thanks to those arduous endeavors, the positive trend in COVID-19 prevention and control is gathering steam, Xi said, stressing that China has full confidence, capacity and certainty to win the battle against the epidemic.

In this anti-epidemic fight, he stressed, China has always adhered to the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and an attitude of openness, transparency and responsibility, sharing information with the WHO and the international community in a timely fashion as well as actively responding to the concerns of various sides and strengthening international cooperation, so as to prevent the epidemic from spreading around the world.

Meanwhile, China has also taken strong and effective measures to ensure the health and safety of foreign nationals in China, including Cuban citizens, Xi said.

The WHO and the international community have spoken highly of China’s prevention and control work, he said, adding that China is willing to continue exchanges and cooperation with Cuba in the fields of medicine and epidemic prevention and control.

Xi pointed out that the Chinese nation has experienced many ordeals in its history, but has never been overwhelmed, and that the impact of the epidemic on China’s economy is temporary and the fundamentals of China’s long-term sound economic growth remain unchanged.

The Chinese president added that his country has made coordinated efforts to both contain the epidemic and promote economic and social development.

While making solid and meticulous efforts in epidemic prevention and control, China has adopted a series of policies and measures to restore orderly production and life and ensure realization of this year’s economic and social development goals, he said, reiterating that China has full confidence in it.

China and Cuba are good friends, good comrades and good brothers who can rely on each other in difficult times and are as close as lips and teeth, Xi stressed, adding that bilateral relations have withstood major tests of winds and waves and remained resilient and vibrant.

Xi said the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government will, as always, support Cuba’s pursuit of a socialist path suitable for its national conditions and its just fight to defend national sovereignty and oppose foreign intervention, and stands ready to continue to provide support and assistance within their capacity for Cuba.

As this year marks the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, China is willing to work with Cuba to organize the celebrations, and take that as an opportunity to sum up the successful experience in the development of bilateral ties and lift bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields to new levels from a new historical starting point, Xi said.

Diaz-Canel, for his part, said Cuba highly appreciates and firmly supports China’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 epidemic and thanks China for providing help and care for Cuban nationals in China.

Facing the severe challenge of the epidemic, China has united its people as one and adopted swift and effective measures, which have gradually achieved positive results, noted the Cuban leader.

That, he added, has fully demonstrated China’s strong mobilization ability and the great advantages of the socialist system.

China’s timely and effective response made outstanding contributions to restraining the spread of the epidemic, which has been highly appreciated by the international community, including the United Nations and the WHO, Diaz-Canel noted.

He said he is confident that under the strong leadership of the CPC with Xi at its core, and with China’s great comprehensive national strength and experience accumulated in fighting the SARS outbreak in 2003, China will definitely achieve a resounding victory against COVID-19.

Cuba, he added, will stand firmly with China at this difficult time and is willing to provide all possible help for its Chinese brothers at any time.

Cuba sincerely thanks China for its long-standing support for Cuba’s just cause and its assistance for Cuba’s development and construction, Diaz-Canel said.

He added that Cuba stands ready to work with China to further consolidate their traditional friendship, and take the opportunity of celebrating the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties to expand and deepen practical cooperation in various fields, so as to push for greater development of their relations for the benefit of both peoples.

Source: Xinhua

11/11/2019

Chinese, Greek presidents pledge joint efforts for community with shared future for mankind

ATHENS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Greek counterpart, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, agreed here on Monday to contribute the wisdom of ancient Eastern and Western civilizations to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

To that end, the two presidents agreed during their meeting to consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation and promote dialogue among civilizations.

Xi arrived in the Greek capital of Athens Sunday for a three-day state visit to the European country.

Source: Xinhua

06/10/2019

Chinese, Guinean presidents exchange congratulations on 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties

BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Guinean counterpart Alpha Conde on Friday exchanged congratulatory messages on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

Noting that Guinea was the first sub-Saharan African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, Xi said in his message that over the past 60 years, the two countries have always maintained sincerity, friendship and mutual support no matter how the international situation changed, setting an example of unity and cooperation for China-Africa relations.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Guinea relations, and values the traditional friendship between the two countries.

He said he is willing to work together with Conde, taking the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations as a new starting point, to grasp the historical opportunity of jointly building the Belt and Road and the flourishing development of China-Africa cooperation, cement friendship and mutual trust, and deepen practical cooperation.

The two sides should continue to promote the development of China-Guinea comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, so as to benefit both countries and peoples, and further contribute to building an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future, said the Chinese leader.

Conde, for his part, said that the establishment of Guinea-China diplomatic relations has great significance to the development of Africa-China ties. For a long time, the two countries have maintained special, friendly relations, representing an epitome of Africa-China friendly cooperation.

Guinea highly appreciates the Belt and Road Initiative, and is willing to work together with the Chinese side to cement their traditional friendship, carry out the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and promote continuous and in-depth development of China-Guinea comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, Conde added.

Source: Xinhua

05/10/2019

Chinese, Guinean presidents exchange congratulations on 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties

BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Guinean counterpart Alpha Conde on Friday exchanged congratulatory messages on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

Noting that Guinea was the first sub-Saharan African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, Xi said in his message that over the past 60 years, the two countries have always maintained sincerity, friendship and mutual support no matter how the international situation changed, setting an example of unity and cooperation for China-Africa relations.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Guinea relations, and values the traditional friendship between the two countries.

He said he is willing to work together with Conde, taking the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations as a new starting point, to grasp the historical opportunity of jointly building the Belt and Road and the flourishing development of China-Africa cooperation, cement friendship and mutual trust, and deepen practical cooperation.

The two sides should continue to promote the development of China-Guinea comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, so as to benefit both countries and peoples, and further contribute to building an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future, said the Chinese leader.

Conde, for his part, said that the establishment of Guinea-China diplomatic relations has great significance to the development of Africa-China ties. For a long time, the two countries have maintained special, friendly relations, representing an epitome of Africa-China friendly cooperation.

Guinea highly appreciates the Belt and Road Initiative, and is willing to work together with the Chinese side to cement their traditional friendship, carry out the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and promote continuous and in-depth development of China-Guinea comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, Conde added.

Source: Xinhua

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