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Participants sing in a chorus performance in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Sept. 22, 2019. A total of 3,500 participants took part in a chorus performance here on Sunday to celebrate the upcoming National Day. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)
Source: Xinhua
BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping extended greetings to farmers and people working in agriculture and rural areas as Monday marked the second Chinese farmers’ harvest festival.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, sent his greetings via the China Central Television’s newly-launched channel dedicated to agriculture and rural affairs.
“With a solid foundation laid by agriculture, we have full confidence in development,” Xi said.
The achievements that China has made in the fields related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers are not only the outcomes of concerted efforts of the whole CPC and the country but also the results of hard work of all farmers and people working in agriculture and rural areas, he said.
Xi also congratulated on the launch of the new channel, expecting the channel to publicize agricultural policies, plans as well as new looks of farmers and rural areas in-depth.
Xi also expected the channel to lead the audience to pay attention to agriculture, care for the countryside and farmers, and contribute to poverty alleviation, reform and development in agriculture and the countryside, and the realization of rural revitalization.
The Chinese farmers’ harvest festival is the first national festival created specifically for the country’s farmers. Starting in 2018, the festival coincides with the Autumnal Equinox each year, which is one of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunisolar calendar and usually falls between Sept. 22 and 24 during the country’s agricultural harvest season.
The new channel is the first national all-media channel dedicated to agriculture and rural affairs. With daily 18-hour programs, the channel officially began broadcasting on Monday.
Source: Xnhua
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will formally resume ties soon with Kiribati, the foreign ministry said on Monday, following the Pacific island state’s decision to ditch relations with Taiwan.
But it did not say what will happen to a space tracking station that China used to operate in Kiribati and is now closed.
Kiribati announced last week that it was cutting relations with self-ruled Taiwan in favour of China, which claims Taiwan as a wayward province with no right to state-to-state ties.
China and Kiribati had ties until 2003, when Tarawa established relations with Taipei, causing China to break off diplomatic relations.
Until then, China had operated the space tracking station in Kiribati, which played a role in tracking China’s first manned space flight in 2003, just before the suspension of ties.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang did not answer a question about what would happen with the former space tracking station.
On the timing of when China and Kiribati will formally resume diplomatic relations, Geng said: “What should happen will come sooner or later. Everybody should remain patient.”
“We look forward to resuming diplomatic relations with Kiribati and opening a new page in the two countries’ relations,” Geng said.
He said China also believed this would serve both countries’ people and would be beneficial for peace, stability and prosperity for Pacific island countries.
China has welcome Kiribati’s decision though the two have not yet officially signed an agreement to resume ties.
Last week was a difficult one for Taiwan, as the Solomon Islands also ditched Taipei for Beijing. The Solomon Islands foreign minister signed a deal on diplomatic ties with Beijing in China on Saturday.
Both the Solomon Islands and Kiribati are small developing nations but lie in strategic waters that have been dominated by the United States and its allies since World War Two, and China’s moves to expand its influence in the Pacific have angered Washington.
A former Taiwanese ambassador to Kiribati, Abraham Chu, told Taiwan’s Central News Agency over the weekend that China had never fully removed the tracking station in Kiribati and said China’s then-ambassador in Kiribati was a space expert.
The equipment was locked away and guarded by four fishermen, Chu said.
“It seems it can come back at any time,” he added, referring to the tracking station.
The Kiribati government did not respond to a request for comment.
China’s space programme is overseen by the military. China’s Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Taiwan now has formal relations with just 15 countries, mostly small and poor nations in Latin America and the Pacific, including Nauru, Tuvalu and Palau. China has signalled it is coming for the rest of its allies.
Source: Reuters
US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged warm words of friendship in Texas at a rare mass rally for a foreign leader.
Around 50,000 people gathered for what Mr Trump called a “profoundly historic event” on Sunday in Houston.
The “Howdy, Modi!” event was billed as one of the largest ever receptions of a foreign leader in the US.
Mr Modi, however, may face a frostier reception at the UN General Assembly.
He is likely to face criticism over tensions in Indian-administered Kashmir, which he stripped of its special status last month, promising to restore the region to its “past glory”.
The region has been in lockdown for more than a month with thousands of activists, politicians and business leaders detained.
Trade talks and the UN General Assembly are on the Indian prime minister’s agenda during his week-long visit to the United States.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been the most vocal international leader to oppose India’s Kashmir move, is also in the US for the UN conference. Like Mr Modi, he will have a one-on-one meeting with Mr Trump on the sidelines of the summit.
A 90-minute show, featuring 400 performers, warmed up the crowd before Mr Modi and Mr Trump shared the stage.
“I’m so thrilled to be here in Texas with one of America’s greatest, most devoted and most loyal friends, Prime Minister Modi of India,” Mr Trump told the crowd.
Image copyright GETTY IMAGESIn his speech, Mr Modi said India has a “true friend” in the White House, describing Mr Trump as “warm, friendly, accessible, energetic and full of wit”.
“From CEO to commander-in-chief, from boardrooms to the Oval Office, from studios to the global stage… he has left a lasting impact everywhere,” Mr Modi said.
Brajesh Upadhyay, BBC News, Houston
This was exactly the kind of crowd size and energy President Trump loves at his rallies.
Only here the chants were for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Trump was the superstar invited to the party. But the crowd did not disappoint him either and greeted him with chants of “USA!”, most heard at Trump rallies.
The personal-touch diplomacy with Mr Modi’s trademark bear hugs was played to perfection.
This rally has been called a win-win for both the leaders. For President Trump, it was a chance to court Indian-Americans for the 2020 presidential election race where Texas could emerge as a battleground state. For Mr Modi, a PR triumph and picture with the president of the United States may help him shrug off the criticism over his recent strong-arm policies at home.
Houston’s NRG Stadium, where the event was hosted, was the first stop for Mr Modi, whose Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a landslide victory in this year’s Indian elections.
Greeted by a standing ovation, Mr Trump used his speech to heap praise on Mr Modi, who he said was doing a “truly exceptional job for India” and its people.
Mr Trump also paid tribute to the Indian-American community, telling them “we are truly proud to have you as Americans”.
The US has a population of about 4 million Indians who are seen as an increasingly important vote bank in the country.
Apart from Mr Trump, organisers also invited Democrats to the event – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was among those who spoke.
The 2010 US census shows that Texas is home to the fourth-largest Indian-American population in the country after California, New York and New Jersey.
Analysis of voting patterns shows the community tends overwhelmingly to support the Democrat party.
Image copyright GETTY IMAGESNo stranger to nationalist rhetoric himself, Mr Trump compared security at the US-Mexico border to the tensions between India and Pakistan in the tinderbox Kashmir region.
“Both India and US also understand that to keep our communities safe, we must protect our borders,” Trump said.
Image copyright GETTY IMAGESIn India, the rally was closely watched, with most mainstream media outlets running live news updates of what was transpiring on stage.
The event had been making headlines for days before as well.
On Twitter, many people shared instant analysis and opinions of what was taking place on the stage with the sentiment being overwhelmingly positive. Many praised Mr Modi for what they saw as his statesmanship and diplomatic acumen with a lot of praise coming in for the US president as well.
Source: The BBC
TIANJIN, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — Just scan a QR code on a vending machine, then you will be given a drink. The special vending machine placed at the ongoing cybersecurity expo held in Tianjin has attracted many people to try it out.
Once you scan the code, you will receive a message in a second, reminding you that “arbitrary code-sweeping will endanger personal property safety,” as your personal information might have been illegally collected.
This machine was installed by 360 Security Technology Inc.
The expo is a part of a cybersecurity publicity campaign held in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, aiming to promote public awareness of the issue
In fact, it is also a part of the 2019 China Cybersecurity Week, held from Sept. 16 to 22 nationwide.
The campaign was jointly launched by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and the ministries of education, public security and industry and information technology.
Over 100 cybersecurity and Internet enterprises have attended various activities held during the week.
There will also be themed activities to promote cybersecurity issues related to students, the telecommunication sector and financial sector.
Personal information protection is a major theme of this year’s campaign.
In Tianjin, an interactive experience area has been set up at the expo, which allowed visitors to raise their cybersecurity awareness through taking part in different activities.
“I’ve learned a lot about cybersecurity through these activities. Do not click strange links or download mobile software from unofficial platforms,” said a 64-year-old visitor surnamed Zhang.
Statistics released showed that China has more than 200 app stores providing nearly 5 million apps. They bring convenience for many people, but some of them become “information funnels,” leaking people’s mobile phone numbers, call records, text messages, consumption records and other private information.
According to a report on netizen’s satisfaction on cybersecurity issued during the event, 51.25 percent of surveyed Chinese netizens believe the Internet is safe, up 12.91 percentage points from last year. About 37 percent of the respondents believe there are personal information leaks on the Internet, and 58 percent experienced personal information infringement.
More than 82 percent of the respondents also urge legislation on individual information protection.
Early in January, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration for Market Regulation teamed up to launch a campaign to crackdown on illegal collection of personal information in mobile apps.
So far, more than 600 popular apps have been evaluated, with over 200 apps asked to make improvements in personal information protection.
Source: Xinhua
HEFEI, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — Chinese top telecom operators have shown their latest achievements in 5G applications at the World Manufacturing Convention 2019 in Hefei, capital of eastern China’s Anhui Province, according to the organizer.
The operators, including China Unicom and China Mobile, showcased 5G applications in education, health and other fields.
“China Unicom has focused on 5G applications in finance. We will also provide 5G communication services for the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games,” said Tao Xian, industry director of China Unicom Anhui branch.
The World Manufacturing Convention 2019 opened Friday in Hefei, setting a platform for industry insiders to showcase cutting-edge technologies and develop business contacts.
The four-day event brings together more than 4,000 representatives from over 60 countries and regions, including senior managers from Global Fortune 500 companies, said the organizing committee.
Source: Xinhua
Li Zhanshu (L), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 19, 2019. Li paid an official goodwill visit to Azerbaijan from Sept. 19 to 21 at the invitation of Ogtay Asadov, speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)
BAKU, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China, and top Azerbaijani officials have agreed here to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various areas.
During an official goodwill visit from Thursday to Saturday, Li met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s cordial greetings to him.
Li briefed Aliyev on the great achievements of the People’s Republic of China since its founding 70 years ago, saying that the Communist Party of China is forging ahead on the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics in line with China’s national conditions.
The socialism with Chinese characteristics has now entered a new era, and China under the leadership of Xi is striving to achieve its “two centenary goals” and realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Li told Aliyev.
China deems Azerbaijan as an important partner in Eurasia and is ready to implement the blueprint made by Xi and Aliyev on the development of bilateral ties, further cement political mutual trust, strengthen practical cooperation in various areas, and jointly safeguard the two countries’ security and development interests, Li said.
Aliyev asked Li to convey his best wishes to Xi and said he had witnessed the great changes in China with his own eyes during his repeated trips to the country and that he admired such achievements.
Azerbaijan-China relations are developing rapidly with a rosy future, he said, adding that his country firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and intends to combat jointly with China the “three forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and improve their coordination and cooperation on international and regional issues.
LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGES
During a meeting with Ogtay Asadov, speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, Li said his visit was aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two legislatures and implementing the important consensuses reached by the two heads of state.
The Chinese top legislator suggested both sides increase interactions at various levels, exchange experience on governing the countries, and provide legal assurance for bilateral practical cooperation.
Every country has a unique history, national situation and culture, so different civilizations should coexist harmoniously and learn from each other, Li said.
The NPC of China is willing to work with the National Assembly of Azerbaijan to promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, learn from each other, and cement public support for bilateral relations, he said.
Asadov said Li was the first top Chinese legislator to visit Azerbaijan in 19 years and that the trip has injected new vitality into the development of bilateral relations and the interactions between the two legislatures.
Azerbaijan and China have signed many cooperation deals and the two legislatures should help to deliver on the agreements, Asadov said.
An increasing number of Azerbaijani people are interested in Chinese culture and there is a need to promote educational, cultural and youth exchanges, he said.
ECONOMIC COOPERATION
At a meeting with Azerbaijani Prime Minister Novruz Mammadov, Li said Azerbaijan is located at the junction of Europe and Asia and is an important country along the Belt and Road.
Li said China is ready to boost economic and trade exchanges with Azerbaijan and enhance cooperation with the country in jointly building the Belt and Road and achieve more cooperation outcomes in such fields as energy, agriculture, transportation, logistics, tourism and informatization.
He welcomed Azerbaijan to the second China International Import Expo to be held in early November in Shanghai.
Mammadov said his country was among the earliest participants in the Belt and Road Initiative and is ready to expand cooperation with China in various areas.
He welcomed more Chinese investments in Azerbaijan and expected cooperation with China on the construction of a Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor so that more Chinese goods can hit the Eurasian market via Azerbaijan.
During his stay in Baku, Li also visited the Heydar Aliyev Center and a carpet museum, and laid a wreath at the tomb of former President Heydar Aliyev and the Eternal Flame.
Source: Xinhua
NANNING, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — A forum on China-ASEAN cooperation in electric power was held Friday in Nanning City, capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to the organizer.
More than 160 experts from China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered to discuss topics including investment, technology exchange and interconnection of infrastructure.
Chinese major electric power enterprises completed the investment of 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in 11 projects in the ASEAN countries and signed 9.91 billion U.S. dollars worth of contracts in 2018, according to China Electricity Council.
Cooperation between Chinese electric power enterprises and ASEAN countries covers hydropower, wind power, photovoltaic power and other fields, and has promoted local economic development and achieved win-win progress, said Yu Chongde, secretary general of the council.
China has rich experiences, advanced technology, and strong design and manufacturing capabilities in electric power, all of these are of great importance to ASEAN countries, said Yongyooth Horthong, an official from the Thai Ministry of Energy.
Source: Xinhua
China has stepped up intensive rehearsals for the upcoming National Day parade, which military insiders say is designed to showcase the achievements of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s modernisation drive.
The parade on October 1 will mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic and will focus on weapons developed since Xi came to power in late 2012, despite long-standing problems in aircraft engine development.
Video clips circulating on mainland social media in recent days have shown at least seven types of aircraft – including the KJ-2000 airborne early warning and control aircraft and J-10 and J-11B fighter jets – taking part in rehearsals over the countryside around Beijing.
A military insider said the country’s first stealth fighter jet, the J-20, had been rehearsing over the western suburbs of the capital since April.
“There will be up to seven J-20 displayed in the military parade, which is the largest formation since its formal deployment to the Chinese air force in 2017,” the military insider said.
“The J-20 has entered mass production. So far at least 70 J-20s have been made, even though all of them are still equipped with Russian AL-31 engines.”
Earlier this month, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force released a video of a flight of seven J-20s, the largest formation seen so far, suggesting that the fifth-generation warplane has gone into mass production as an arms race with the United States mounts in the region.
The second-largest J-20 formation was shown in an air force video for PLA Day on August 1, when five of the jets were shown.
China has been forced to deploy the J-20 ahead of its schedule since the US has increased the deployment of its fifth-generation stealth fighter jets like the F-22 and F-35s in the Asia-Pacific region.
The US and its allies, including Japan and South Korea, will have more than 200 F-35s by 2025, which means China also needs a similar number of stealth fighters.
To meet demand, China has been working on the development of a purpose-built thrust engine for its stealth fighter since the early 2000s, but has yet to achieve international quality control standards due to problems that include single-crystal turbine blade technology.
China’s air force spreads its wings in 70th anniversary video
Hong Kong-based military commentator Song Zhongping said aircraft engine development had been a long-standing shortcoming but it would not affect the practical fighting capacity of the J-20, which currently uses Russian engines.
“The J-20 hasn’t used the domestic engines so far because it wants a better one, and it still has time,” Song said.
“Other [Chinese-developed] warplanes like the J-10, J-11 and multipurpose attack helicopters are all modified and advanced types, indicating comprehensive achievements amid China’s military modernisation over the past years.”
Besides the domestically developed aircraft, Beijing is going to display its strategic nuclear missiles, such as the DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile and the JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile, as centrepieces of its National Day military parade, according to a Beijing-based military source.
Xi, who also chairs the powerful Central Military Commission, inspected the country’s biggest military parade at the Zhurihe Combined Tactics Training Base in Inner Mongolia in 2017 to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the PLA, but the source said the weapons displayed in Zhurihe had been developed under the leadership of Xi’s predecessor, Hu Jintao.
“Xi needs to highlight his personal achievements in his era, that’s why this year’s parade has political aims more than military significance,” the source said.
The source also highlighted the significance of the People’s Republic marking its 70th anniversary because the Soviet Union did not survive for that length of time.
“Xi is attempting to tell the outside world that Chinese communist regime has been consolidated under his leadership.”
Source: SCMP
China plans to show off its most advanced active weapon systems at the upcoming National Day parade, which will be the biggest of the 14 such events it has held over the past seven decades.
The parade, to be held on October 1 to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, will highlight the military modernisation – particularly in nuclear deterrence – that has taken place since President Xi Jinping came to power in late 2012, according to military experts.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) offered a glimpse of those weapons during rehearsals for the parade in downtown Beijing from September 14.
As part of the celebrations, Xi, who also chairs the Central Military Commission, will inspect 48 squads on the ground and more than a dozen airborne squadrons, according to a military insider involved in support services for the parade.
The squadrons will include the air force’s first stealth fighter, the J-20; the main active warplanes such as the J-10 and J-11B; and armed helicopters like the Z-20. However, the J-8 fighter jet would not appear this year, the source said, confirming that the first interceptor built in China has been formally retired.
“The ground march will be led by several hero forces from the five theatre commands, which is different from previous squads selected from the ground forces, air force and navy,” said the insider, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
“The main goal of this year’s parade is to promote the military modernisation of the PLA under President Xi’s leadership over the past seven years, with the military overhaul being one of the key achievements.”
Thirty-three of the 48 squads would be “weapon squads”, while the 13 others would be made up of infantry troops from the five theatre commands, the source said.
As part of the PLA’s sweeping military reforms, the army’s previous seven military commands were reshaped into five theatre commands, while the four former general headquarters were dissolved and replaced by 15 small functional departments.
In September 2015, Xi announced the PLA would shed 300,000 troops, cutting its size to 2 million, a move aimed at turning the PLA into a more nimble and combat-ready fighting force on a par with international standards.
Xi also split the former Second Artillery Corps into the Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force, with the latter backing up the military’s electronic warfare units in cyberspace and outer space.
Among the 33 weapon squads, the highlights are expected to be the PLA’s strategic nuclear missiles such as the Rocket Force’s land-based DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile, the DF-17 hypersonic missile and the sea-launched JL-2, or Big Wave-2.
Adam Ni, a researcher at Macquarie University in Australia, said that showing off different types of missiles on land and sea indicated that the PLA was improving its nuclear deterrence capabilities by perfecting a three-pronged military force structure, or the so-called nuclear triad.
The DF-41 is capable of carrying multiple warheads and many decoys, making it harder to detect than silo-based systems and better able to survive a first strike.
Ni said the DF-41 was China’s next-generation cutting-edge weapon.
“It’s actually an advanced ICBM and has a range to hit practically anywhere in the world, including the continental United States,” Ni said.
“The DF-41 is the ultimate symbol of the destructive potential of Chinese armed forces, just as nuclear weapons are similar symbols of the US and Russia.”
The JL-2 – which has a shorter range of 7,000km (4,350 miles) and can be launched by the PLA Navy’s Type 094 submarines – is unable to hit anywhere on the American continent when launched from submarines in the South China Sea and coastal areas of China.
Hong Kong-based military commentator Song Zhongping said the nuclear weapons that would go on show in the parade would all be strategic missiles designed to improve China’s deterrent capabilities.
The show comes after the PLA delivered a national defence white paper in July stressing its goal to “maintain national strategic security by deterring other countries from using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against China”.
Unlike in the past, this year’s report stated that the US and China were now competing superpowers, and that the PLA’s growing forces were developing to the point that they could challenge the US.
Zhou Chenming, a Beijing-based military observer, said it was also necessary for the PLA to “show some of its muscle” amid the ongoing trade dispute between Beijing and Washington.
“To prevent misunderstanding, most of the weapons are just strategic equipment, not tactical arms, because Beijing still doesn’t want to irritate Washington,” he said.
About 280,000 people were involved in the rehearsals for the parade and related support services, according to Xinhua.
Source: SCMP
continuously updated blog about China & India
continuously updated blog about China & India
continuously updated blog about China & India
CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon 