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

Saturday, October 15, 2022

New march begins – How will CPC lead China to next centenary goal ?

Strong leadership core to provide ‘certainty, cohesion and strength’ in new journey A huge artificial flower basket decorates Tian'anmen Square during 2022 National Day holidays. Photo: VCG

Editor's Note:

The Communist Party of China (CPC) will convene its 20th National Congress on October 16 to bring China's development to the next stage. This congress is being held after China has accomplished its first centenary goal of building xiaokang - a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2021 - and to start the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by 2049.

From the founding of the CPC in 1921, the Chinese people took more than two decades to throw off oppression as a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society and found the People's Republic of China in 1949. After the launch of reform and opening-up in 1978 and through the continuous efforts of the Chinese people, China experienced the transformation from a huge, poor and backward country in the East into a thriving socialist China.

Today, after having lauded the great achievements that China has made in the past 100 years, the international community is paying close attention to how it will create a new miracle in a more complicated international environment. It is also necessary to review how the CPC has led the Chinese people to accomplish the first goal, as history always carries the secrets of future success. 

This is the second installment of the Global Times' special coverage of the special event. Here is
the first installment.


The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which will convene in Beijing on Sunday, marks the start of a new journey for China's development and its role in international affairs, and the event takes place at a time when the world is experiencing profound changes not seen in a century. For people around the globe observing the historically significant political event, how China, under the strong leadership of the CPC, overcomes challenges to the country's development and contributes certainty to a world in turbulence has become a key interest.

In 2021, the CPC accomplished the First Centenary Goal for China - building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, or xiaokang in Chinese. The 20th CPC National Congress will be held at a historic juncture as the Party and the country continue marching forward to the Second Centenary Goal based on the achievements and experience gained from its past journey.

The Second Centenary Goal, set by the CPC at its 18th National Congress and further defined by the CPC at its 19th National Congress in October 2017, seeks "to develop China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by the middle of the 21st century."

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said in 2017 that following the realization of a moderately prosperous society, the whole Party and people of various ethnic groups across the country would be motivated to build a modernized socialist country by 2049, the centenary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Since China's extraordinary achievements over the past 10 years have been widely acknowledged to have raised living standards at home and bolstered global development, the world is paying close attention to what more China can do for itself and the world in the next phase, especially as the world suffers from challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, energy and food crises caused by the geopolitical turbulence in Ukraine, and the Western sanctions against Russia, as well as the intensifying tension between the two biggest world economies caused by Washington's hostility against China's peaceful development.
Lujiazui, a financial zone in Shanghai Photo: VCG

Lujiazui, a financial zone in Shanghai Photo: VCG



Changes and challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic has already taken more than 6 million lives worldwide in the past three years, bringing an unprecedentedly severe impact to humanity. A World Bank report said in 2020 that the pandemic caused the worst global economic recession "since World War II," and as central banks across the world simultaneously hike interest rates in response to inflation, the situation in 2023 could be even worse, and a string of financial crises in emerging market and developing economies will do them lasting harm, according to the World Bank on September 15.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict that started early this year also adds a new challenge to the severe situation. Observers around the globe believe that the conflict is profoundly changing the international political order, and the ensuing unilateral Western-launched sanctions led by the US have also caused huge damage to the international trade system and global supply chains. Many major EU members are now suffering from high energy prices, inflation, and strikes, while many developing countries are facing a serious food crisis.

Xu Bu, president of the China Institute of International Studies and secretary-general of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Studies Center, told the Global Times that "at present, the pandemic still exists, the international security situation is in turbulence, global economic recovery is fragile, and many crises are taking place. The world is entering a period of profound and complex change, and the journey to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has encountered new challenges."

In such a complicated and challenging period, cooperation between major powers has failed to emerge, but bloc-to-bloc confrontation and a zero-sum mentality are deeply affecting international relations, making the challenges more severe, analysts said.

Shen Yi, a professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University, told the Global Times that China has already developed to what it looks like today, and if it continues its growth and development, the international power comparison will surely change. 

"The US and some of its Western followers who still dominate the current international system have already launched comprehensive suppression against China. This is the biggest risk and challenge that we are facing right now," Shen said.

US China Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

US China Illustration: Liu Rui/GT



Xu echoed the view that the top external challenge for China is the interruption to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation caused by hegemony and power politics, and the US hegemonic and unilateral strategy is not only threatening China, but also the world.   

The US has unilaterally sanctioned about 20 countries and regions worldwide. These sanctions are not only against governments, but have also been imposed against individuals and nongovernmental sectors like companies and academic institutes such as universities, with human rights observers and experts raising concerns that the US and other Western-launched unilateral coercive measures constitute "one of the most serious challenges to solidarity, universality, development and human rights protection."

The US is seeking "decoupling" from China in many aspects to serve its major power competition strategy, including imposing additional tariffs against Chinese goods and launching export controls of chips to contain China's sci-tech development, and has also launched cyberattacks against Chinese institutes such as universities. The US also repeatedly provokes and challenges China's sovereignty and core interests on sensitive matters including the Taiwan question, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong region, putting the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region in danger, said experts.

In Europe, the US continues to fan the flames of the Ukraine crisis which was fundamentally caused by US-led NATO expansion, and the continent is now experiencing its most dangerous situation since the Cold War, and with the unilateral anti-Russia sanctions dominated by the US, global supply chains have been seriously damaged and many countries have suffered from rarely seen high inflation, Xu said.  

Facing such an unprecedented, complicated external situation, the CPC still needs to make sure that the Second Centenary Goal it promised to the people of China can be accomplished, and analysts say this requires the CPC to have very high capability in both internal governance and in handing external affairs.

Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that "in the previous era from the end of the Cold War to the early 2000s, the world was generally stable, and major powers still had some consensus on development and security. China was following the trend of globalization, but now, the situation has changed, and the Western-dominated globalization sees many problems and potential risks."

"It's time for China to actively guide the direction of the reform and improvement of globalization," Wang noted.

"The world is expecting China, a responsible major power with strength and wisdom, to provide solutions to the problems troubling the globe. China won't dominate the world order like a hegemon, but it can contribute certainty and stability to balance out the damage caused by the chaos and turbulence worldwide, because China is approaching the center of the international arena," said Zhang Shuhua, director of the Institute of Political Sciences of the hinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The upcoming 20th CPC National Congress will provide the Party's answer to questions from not only the Chinese people, but also the world about China's future.

The seventh plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee that ended on October 12 has analyzed the current situation and tasks, and hosted in-depth discussions on major issues including upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics on the new journey in the new era, and building a modern socialist country in all respects. It has made full reparations for the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress, according to the communiqué of the plenary session. 

People visit an exhibition about China's victory over poverty at the National Museum of China on April 8, 2021. Photos: IC

People visit an exhibition about China's victory over poverty at the National Museum of China on April 8, 2021. Photos: IC



Promises and tasks

On its new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal, the CPC has made a clear and encouraging plan to reach such a great goal stage by stage. 

In his report delivered at the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, President Xi said, "Based on a comprehensive analysis of the international and domestic environments and the conditions for China's development, we have drawn up a two-stage development plan for the period from 2020 to the middle of this century."

"In the first stage from 2020 to 2035, we will build on the foundation created by the moderately prosperous society with a further 15 years of hard work to see that socialist modernization is basically realized," and "In the second stage from 2035 to the middle of the 21st century, we will, building on having basically achieved modernization, work hard for a further 15 years and develop China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful," Xi said.

Shen said the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress will have a clear systematic arrangement for the core leadership of the Party, and this will guarantee stability, certainty and consistency for the next stage.

President Xi said in November 2020 that "China's economy has the hope and potential to maintain long-term stable development."

Residents in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, enjoy the sunrise in the Shenzhen Bay Park on October 1, 2022. Photo: VCG

Residents in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, enjoy the sunrise in the Shenzhen Bay Park on October 1, 2022.  Photo: VCG



It is "completely possible" for China to meet the current standards for high-income countries by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period and to double the total economic volume or per capita income by 2035, Xi said.

Zhu Guangyao, former Chinese vice minister of finance, told Xinhua that this means the per capita GDP in 2035 would at least have doubled the volume in 2019 and reach $20,000.

Wang said that in order to accomplish such a task, China will no longer maintain the old development model and will require a new one driven by innovation with a greater global vision. "China's reform will promote the reform of the world, and China's high-quality development will boost the high-quality development alongside the routes of the Belt and Road, and will also guide the new rules-making for the future globalization and regional integration. This is a challenge we will face but also a mission that we must accomplish in the next stage."

Shen echoed that the new development model will be "green and sustainable," and after realizing the economic growth, the Party needs to make the growth transfer to the concrete wellbeing and livelihood improvement, so it requires a more advanced distribution system, which makes the distribution process and result fairer and more rightful.

In the field of science and technology, China needs to tackle its weaknesses and utilize its advantages to effectively overcome the problem of being suppressed by hegemonic sanctions in specific high-tech areas, Shen said.

According to the report of the 19th CPC National Congress, by the end of the first stage from 2020 to 2035, "China's economic and technological strength will have increased significantly, making China a global leader in innovation."

The biggest challenge to such a goal, domestically, is the contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development, which requires more decisive reforms; externally, it's the suppression and containment strategy launched by the US, and China needs to find more effective solutions in the next stage, analysts said. 

The national reunification would also be a mission that must be accomplished. According to the report of the 19th CPC National Congress, "achieving China's full reunification is essential to realizing national rejuvenation." 

There is no timetable or deadline so far to clearly state when the Taiwan question will be solved, but Shen said that after the 20th CPC National Congress, the roadmap for China to solve this question will be much clearer and distinct, because this question won't last forever, and "the question won't be left to the next generation, as it's likely to be solved in this generation." 

In order to accomplish these missions, the Party and the country need a loyal, powerful and modernized military force with undoubtable combat capability that's able to deter and defeat all kinds of enemies and external threats, and to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In other words, it provides strategic support to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, experts said. 

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) will celebrate its centenary in 2027, and by that time, the Chinese military force will see significant improvement, and experts believe that in the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress, the Party will further define the tasks and missions for the military in the next stage. 

Source of strength 

From economic growth to sci-tech development and military modernization, as well as reform on governance system, there is no easy task and all of them require efforts, wisdom and courage, especially under the impact of the pandemic and in a world with profound change and serious turbulence. Apart from China, there is hardly any other major power able to set such an ambitious goal. 

Why is China so confident? Analysts said the most fundamental reason is that China has the leadership of the CPC, and the CPC has a strong core of leadership, and this is also the reason why China has achieved extraordinary goals in the past 10 years and also the past century.

Having a strong core leadership has always been the Party's key advantage that has helped it overcome serious challenges, such as finishing the Long March in the 1930s and winning the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in the 1950s. It's also a key strength that allowed the Party to achieve historic goals such as the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and kicking off the reform and opening-up in 1978, analysts said.

Strong cores of leadership like Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping have guaranteed the Party's survival and victories again and again, and in the new era and the new journey amid the world with profound change unseen in a century, such rich experience and tradition will surely be inherited, experts said.

A visitor looks at statues of earlier generations of revolutionaries at the site of the First National Congress of the CPC in Shanghai on Thursday when restoration at the site finished and it is reopened to the public as a museum. Photo: Yang Hui/GT

A visitor looks at statues of earlier generations of revolutionaries at the site of the First National Congress of the CPC in Shanghai on Thursday when restoration at the site finished and it is reopened to the public as a museum. Photo: Yang Hui/GT



Shen said a strong core of leadership with high certainty is a great comparative advantage for the CPC and China, which allows China to maintain consistency and stability on its strategy and policy-making.

Chinese analysts said that with General Secretary Xi at the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party, the CPC has proved that it is able to handle serious challenges and achieve historic goals.

Without such a strong core of leadership to continually lead the whole Party and the country, China might not have been able to successfully control the COVID-19 epidemic and prevent its huge impact on the economy and people's lives like what happened in many Western countries, especially the US which so far has recorded more than 1 million COVID deaths, and China might not have been able to handle the trade war launched by the US in 2018 and retaliate US' provocations in the South China Sea and on the Taiwan question, and also might not even have been able to successfully restore peace and order in Hong Kong after the 2019 turmoil, analysts said. 

For a great nation with a huge population and territory like China, many policies will need years or even decades to show effects, so it's essential to maintain stable leadership, so that the country will have a more long-term and consistent policymaking strategy, and many goals that require long-term efforts can also be realized, Shen noted. 

In comparison with the US, China's political system with one ruling party that has a strong and consistent leadership is definitely better than the two-party system that frequently changes leadership with great uncertainty, Shen said.

The upcoming 20th CPC National Congress will elect a new CPC Central Committee and a new CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, according to Xinhua. 

The congress will be an event with historic significance in the new journey that the Party and all Chinese people will take marching toward the Second Centenary Goal, and the leadership of the CPC is the biggest advantage of the Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Xu said. 

Xu stressed that "the congress will make scientific arrangements and plans for the Party and the country's development in the next five years and even a longer period and for the future of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."
 
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    China airs Xinjiang truths

    By Liu Xin Source:Global Times

    Photo:Screengrab of CGTN

    China's state broadcasters consecutively aired three documentaries from Thursday illustrating the anti-terrorism efforts in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, a terrorist organization East Turkistan Islamic Movement's (ETIM) role in plotting terrorist attacks in China and US hypocrisy on human rights issues. The documentaries sparked wide discussions on domestic and overseas media.

    Many netizens commented that the documentaries disclosed rare video footage on terrorist attacks that Xinjiang had suffered, fully reflecting the severe threat of terrorism Xinjiang was facing. They also said Western media that criticized China's Xinjiang policies should watch these videos carefully.

    But many Western media, especially those which tried to hype the "leaked documents" on vocational education and training centers in Xinjiang in recent weeks, kept silent over the heated discussions on the Chinese mainland generated by the documentaries.

    Chinese mainland experts said that some Western media outlets selectively report what fits their stereotypes and interests. These outlets also went great lengths to slander on Xinjiang. Their silence on the documentaries showed their double standards in regards to China's Xinjiang issues, they said.

    Two of the three documentaries were newly made and aired on CGTN on Thursday and Saturday respectively, telling of the overall counter-terrorism work in Xinjiang and ETIM's role in inciting terrorist attacks in China's Xinjiang and other Chinese cities.

    One documentary, initially aired in April 2018, was streamed again on CGTN on Friday night, deploring the human rights crisis created by the US in the Middle East since 2003.

    Topics of "New documentaries on Xinjiang's anti-terrorism work" and "Unveiling the black hand behind Xinjiang's terrorism" were viewed 390 million times and 230 million times respectively on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media.

    CGTN also uploaded these two documentaries on YouTube and the first episode, "Fighting terrorism in Xinjiang" was watched more than 150,000 times.
    Some internet users commented on Sina Weibo that they had visited Xinjiang and enjoyed the splendid landscape, friendly atmosphere and safety, but they had no idea that Xinjiang used to suffer such grim terrorism and extremism threats.

    Leonard Brownies, one  internet user from abroad commented on Twitter after watching one documentary that "This is FACT. Some stupid Western fake news media should see this."

    The documentaries were "very touching and reflect truth on Xinjiang in a clear way," Erkin Oncan, a Turkish reporter, told the Global Times on Sunday.

    "Unlike the Western propaganda news, the documentaries tell what was really happening in Xinjiang by original videos and remarks of witnesses and participants of terrorist attacks."

    Photo: Screengrab of CGTN

    Pretending to be blind

    Few Western media outlets reported discussions about the documentaries on the Chinese internet as of press time.

    This is in sharp contrast to extensive coverage by Western media such as the 17 media partners of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) on "leaked government files" on Xinjiang.

    Erkin said that he was not surprised to see many Western media "pretend to be blind" at the Chinese documentaries as their reports on Xinjiang were in line with "some Western countries' political agenda, not with the principles of journalism."

    By making public rare video footage of terrorist attacks including the Urumqi riots on July 5, 2009 and the Tiananmen Square terror attack on October 28, 2013, "the documentaries tear the hypocrisy mask off the US," said Li Wei, a counter-terrorism expert at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing.

    "It claims to protect human rights but supports terrorist groups and interferes in China's domestic affairs."

    For some Western media and US politicians, who know clearly the previous severe terrorist threat in Xinjiang and still chose to smear China's anti-terrorism policies in the region, they would ignore the documentaries on purpose, Li asserted.

    "They give no care to the truth but want to hype Xinjiang issue to make troubles for China," he said..

    "These documentaries disclosed many rare and original video footages of terrorist attacks happened in Xinjiang and other cities in China. China used to release some information on terrorist attacks but images of the documentaries are more powerful than words."

    Li said that the bloody scenes of terrorist attacks, the cruelty of terrorists and the tragedy of innocent people's deaths not only left a strong impression on the audience but also reminded people the hefty price the regional government and local people have paid for restoring peace and stability in Xinjiang.

    Li told the Global Times that these documentaries target people who were fooled by fake news of some Western media but wanted to know true stories of Xinjiang.

    "I believe that people who have conscience would get to know and give just comment on China's strenuous efforts on countering terrorism and on protecting local residents' human rights in Xinjiang," said Li.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Kim Jong-un says he is ‘committed to Korean denuclearisation’ in Beijing talks

https://youtu.be/E3FfuXcgzUU



North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has promised President Xi Jinping that he will follow through the wishes of his father and grandfather in denuclearising the Korean peninsula, but added he wants assurances from the United States and South Korea.

The leader of the reclusive state made the remarks during a trip to China, his first overseas visit since he became North Korea’s leader, according to the state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Kim, the third generation of his family to lead his country, said the situation on the Korean peninsula was improving and that his government has taken steps to ease tensions, Xinhua reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un leaves Beijing after surprise visit >>

Kim added that if the US and South Korea were willing to respond to North Korea’s efforts with sincerity the nuclear issue “can be solved”.

“Our unswerving stance is that we will make efforts towards the denuclearisation of the peninsula,” Kim was quoted as saying by Xinhua. President Xi pledged to work with North Korea to achieve denuclearisation.

“China is willing to continue to make a constructive impact on the Korean peninsula problem,” President Xi said. He called upon all sides to solve the problem through dialogue, Xinhua reported.

Tensions have risen on Korean peninsula after North Korea has increased nuclear weapons tests.

The United Nations has enforced a series of sanctions to try to rein in Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.

Hopes of a breakthrough in the crisis have risen since the announcement that North and South Korea’s leaders have agreed to meet.

Beijing is North Korea’s long-standing traditional ally, but ties have been frayed by North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and China’s support of UN sanctions.

Pang Zhongying, a senior fellow at the Ocean University of China in Qingdao, said Kim was securing China’s support ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump, scheduled to be held by May.

“By denuclearisation, Kim actually means the whole Korean peninsula should be denuclearised and that the nuclear weapons deployed by the US in South Korea should be withdrawn,” Pang said. “Can the US really accept that request? The gesture means that the chance of a significant breakthrough between Kim and Trump may be slim.”

Kim’s visit evidence China and North Korea remain allies, analysts say  >>

Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre in China, agreed Kim was looking for support from Beijing ahead of his meetings with South Korea’s president and Trump.

”Just as Kim may have felt he had secured some leverage against Xi having independently secured summits with Trump and Moon, he’ll now feel more confident knowing where things stand with Beijing heading into those same meetings,” he said.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the Chinese government had briefed the Trump administration about the visit on Tuesday.

The Trump administration sees the development “as further evidence that our campaign of maximum pressure is creating the appropriate atmosphere for dialogue with North Korea”, she said.

Beijing residents left in the dark during Kim Jong-un’s unexpected visit  >>

Kim arrived by train in Beijing on Monday and left the following day, with his trip to China coming just days before a planned meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and ahead of the possible summit with Trump.

Speculation about a visit by Kim to Beijing came earlier this week after a train similar to the one used by Kim’s father was seen in the Chinese capital.

Ri Sol-ju, Kim’s wife, was also part of the delegation to Beijing, Xinhua reported.

China’s Premier, Li Keqiang, Vice-President Wang Qishan and Politburo Standing Committee member Wang Huning also met the North Korean leader.

The green armoured train carrying the North Korean leader returned to the reclusive state at about 6am on Wednesday across a bridge connecting the two countries in Dandong, Liaoning province.

Chinese police had blocked access to the area around the bridge before the train’s arrival.

Armed police vehicles were also seen in the area.

North Korea agrees to inter-Korean talks to discuss possible April summit  >>

Access to parts of the Yalu River riverbank, which separates North Korea and Dandong, were blocked. Some police officers also stopped people from taking pictures of the bridge before the train’s arrival.

“I can only say that a situation is happening here,” a police officer at one of the blocked roads told the South China Morning Post.

About three minutes after the train passed over the bridge, police officers finally allowed pedestrians to enter the area.


As the Post visited the area in the early hours of Wednesday – before the area was cordoned off – five plainclothes police officers approached and asked staff to leave.

They did not explain why, only saying “it was not safe” to be there so late at night.

Source: South China Morning Post by Phila Siu is reporting from Dandong

Monday, January 1, 2018

Critical trends to watch in 2018

There are many issues on a fast and slow boil and some of them could reach a tipping point in the new year


ANOTHER new year has dawned, and it’s time to preview what to expect in 2018.

The most obvious topic would be to anticipate how Donald Trump, the most unorthodox of American presidents, would continue to upset the world order. But more about that later.

Just as importantly as politics, we are now in the midst of several social trends that have important long-term effects. Some are on the verge of reaching a tipping point, where a trend becomes a critical and sometimes irreversible event. We may see some of that in 2018.

Who would have expected that 2017 would end with such an upsurge of the movement against sexual harassment? Like a tidal wave it swept away Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, film star Kevin Spacey, TV interviewer Charlie Rose and many other icons.

The #MeToo movement took years to gather steam, with the 1991 Anita Hill testimony against then US Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas being a trailblazer. It paved the way over many years for other women to speak up until the tipping point was reached. So, in 2018, expect the momentum to continue, and in more countries.

Another issue that has been brewing is the rapid growth and effects of digital technology. Those enjoying the benefits of the smartphone, Google search, WhatsApp, Uber and online shopping usually sing its praises.

But the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” is like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It has many benefits but also serious downsides, and the debate is now picking up.

First, automation with artificial intelligence can make many jobs redundant. Uber displaced taxis, and will soon displace its drivers with driver-less cars.

The global alarm over job losses is resonating at home. An International Labour Organisation report warning that 54% of jobs in Malaysia are at high risk of being displaced by technology in the next 20 years was cited by Khazanah Research Institute in its own study last April. TalentCorp has estimated that 43% of jobs in Malaysia may potentially be lost to automation.

Second is a recent chorus of warnings, including by some of digital technology’s creators, that addiction and frequent use of the smartphone are making humans less intelligent and socially deficient.

Third is the loss of privacy as personal data collected from Internet use is collected by tech companies like Facebook and sold to advertisers.

Fourth is the threat of cyber-fraud and cyber-warfare as data from hacked devices can be used to empty bank accounts, steal information from governments and companies, and as part of warfare.

Fifth is the worsening of inequality and the digital divide as those countries and people with little access to digital devices, including small businesses, will be left behind.

The usual response to these points is that people and governments must be prepared to get the benefits and counter the ill effects. For example, laid-off workers should be retrained, companies taught to use e-commerce, and a tax can be imposed on using robots (an idea supported by Bill Gates).

But the technologies are moving ahead faster than policy makers’ capacity to keep track and come up with policies and regulations. Expect this debate to move from conference rooms to the public arena in 2018, as more technologies are introduced and more effects become evident.

On climate change, scientists frustrated by the lack of action will continue to raise the alarm that the situation is far worse than earlier predicted.

In fact, the tipping point may well have been reached already. On Dec 20, the United Nations stated that the Arctic has been forever changed by the rapidly warming climate. The Arctic continued in 2017 to warm at double the rate of the global temperature increase, resulting in the loss of sea ice.

These past three years have been the warmest on record. The target of limiting temperature rise to 2°C above pre-industrial levels, a benchmark just two years ago by the UN’s top scientific climate panel and the Paris Agreement, seems outdated and a new target of 1.5°C could be adopted in 2018.

But it is much harder to meet this new target. Will political leaders and the public rise to the challenge, or will 2018 see a wider disconnect between what needs to be done, and a lack of the needed urgent response?

Another issue reaching tipping point is the continuing rise of antibiotic resistance, with bacteria mutating to render antibiotics increasingly ineffective to treat many diseases. There are global and national efforts to contain this crisis, but not enough, and there is little time left to act before millions die from once-treatable ailments.

Finally, back to Trump. His style and policies have been disruptive to the domestic and global order, but last year he seemed unconcerned about criticisms on this. So we can expect more of the same or even more shocking measures in 2018.

Opposition to his policies from foreign countries will not count for much. But there are many in the American establishment who consider him a threat to the American system.

Will 2018 see the opposition reach a tipping point to make a significant difference? It looks unlikely. But like many other things in 2018, nothing is reliably predictable.

Global Trends by martin khor

Martin Khor is executive director of the South Centre. The views expressed here are entirely his own.


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https://youtu.be/RIDN1cDhz7c

China stable as US shakes world in 2017

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Friday, January 1, 2016

Hard work the key to realising 2016 goals; Events that shaped China in 2015



Hard work the key to realising 2016 goals

President Xi Jinping looked forward to 2016 in a speech calling for confidence and hard work for a good start in the home stretch of building a “well-off society in an all-round way”.

In his New Year speech, Xi said a Party meeting in late October had set out a promising blueprint for development over the next five years.

He said lifting tens of millions of rural people out of poverty was his top concern and called for joint efforts to achieve this goal.

“We should care for all people facing difficulties ... making them feel warm from the bottom of their hearts,” he added.

China must not be absent from international affairs, Xi said in the speech, as the world was looking forward to voices and answers from China.

“The world is so big, the challenges so complicated. For those people torn by hardship and war, we need to offer not only sympathy and compassion, but also responsibility and action.

“China will always welcome the world with an open embrace, and we will extend our hand to those in difficulty as best as we can, and our ‘circle of friends’ will grow,” Xi said, borrowing a term from the messaging app WeChat. — China Daily / Asia News Network

Events that shaped China in 2015

THE year 2016 will see China implementing its 13th five-year plan, pursuing an economic growth of no less than 6.5% and hosting the G20 summit.

But before that, let’s take a look at eight major headlines in China in 2015.

China Victory Day parade

All eyes were on Beijing on Sept 3 as Chinese soldiers marched along Chang’an Avenue to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victories of the Anti-Japanese War and World Anti-Fascist War.

Seventeen other countries such as Russia, Mexico and Cuba sent their troops to take part in the parade, while Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Korean President Park Geun-hye were among the international dignitaries in attendance.

But most Western leaders, as well as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, shunned the event. The parade was widely interpreted as a showcase targeting Japan, which China has denied.

Yuan in the basket

The Chinese yuan has been admitted into the special drawing rights (SDR) currency basket in the Washington-based International Monetary Fund alongside the US dollar, British pound, Japanese yen and euro.

Back in 2010, the yuan had failed to be included in the SDR as it did not meet the “freely usable” criterion. China then introduced a series of measures to reform its financial market and speed up the process of capital account convertibility. The new basket, to be launched on Oct 1, 2016, will feature the yuan with a 10.92% weighting.

Xi visited the United States

Chinese President Xi Jinping had his first trip to the United States as China’s leader in September. Among the deliverables in a 49-point outcome list of Xi’s state visit published by the Xinhua News Agency were conducting a forum to exchange views on judicial reform, seeking to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation, designating 2016 as China-US Tourism Year and agreeing not to steal each other’s trade secrets.

When speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, Xi pledged a donation of US$1bil (RM4.29bil) to the UN for a peace and development fund. He also took a group photo with the chief executives of top US and Chinese tech companies, including Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Alibaba’s Jack Ma, at the Microsoft campus.

The Chinese media noted that the total market value of the companies present was almost US$2.5 trillion (RM10.73 trillion) “or one-tenth of the combined GDP of China and the United States, or the total GDP of the United Kingdom”.

... and the United Kingdom

Xi visited Britain in October. China and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement declaring a “global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century” which, among others, pledged to support each other in (China’s) Belt and Road initiative and (Britain’s) National Infrastructure Plan and the Northern Powerhouse.

During Xi’s trip, China General Nuclear Power Corporation entered into a deal with energy company EDF for a £18bil (RM115bil) nuclear plant at Hinkley Point, Somerset.

A light-hearted moment was captured in a selfie at Manchester City’s ground. China’s elite politicians are rarely seen taking selfies but at Manchester City’s ground, football fan Xi obliged to a selfie with footballer Sergio Aguero and UK Prime Minister David Cameron. Xi’s UK trip was hailed by Xinhua as opening a “golden era” of China-UK ties.

Belt and Road is underway

The Belt and Road initiative continued to be a buzzword in China. Countries along the routes – land-based Silk Road Economic Belt and seafaring 21st Century Maritime Silk Road – have responded warmly to the initiative to foster connectivity and cooperation.

The Asian Infrastructure Invest­ment Bank (AIIB), a development bank for infrastructure projects, was formally established in Decem­ber and will be put into operation following the first-ever meeting of its board of directors and executive council in January.

The US$40bil (RM171bil) Silk Road Fund, meanwhile, announced its first investment – a US$1.65bil (RM7bil) Karot hydropower station in Pakistan – during Xi’s state visit to the country in April.

The US presence in the South China Sea

The South China Sea, an important maritime passage for trade and a resource-rich region, is the subject of overlapping territorial claims among China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. China has said that its extensive construction on the Spratly Islands, which it calls Nansha, is for civilian purposes.

The United States, in denying China’s claims over the rocks and reefs, expanded its military presence in the waters by sending a destroyer within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands in October.

In early December, it deployed a spy aircraft to Singapore for the first time to step up its surveillance in the South China Sea.

Most recently, an American B-52 bomber unintentionally flew within two nautical miles of the Cuarteron Reef, prompting Beijing to lodge solemn representations with the United States.

First Nobel laureate in science

In October, Tu Youyou became the first Chinese citizen to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the anti-malaria drug artemisinin, which is extracted from sweet wormwood.

Tu, 85, is also the first female Chinese national to win a Nobel. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Tu’s Nobel prize “marks a great contribution of traditional Chinese medicine to the cause of human health”.

Enter the second child

China’s decades-long one-child policy has officially been scrapped. All couples are now allowed to have a maximum of two children in a legislation rubber-stamped on Dec 27 to address the challenges of an ageing population.

Xinhua said the two-child policy would inject 30 million more people into the workforce by 2050, lower the percentage of senior citizens in the population by 2% and boost economic development by 0.5%.

By Tho Xin Yi Check-in-China



Video and full text of President Xi’s New Year address 

December 31, 2015

In a televised address on Thursday evening, Chinese President Xi Jinping extended New Year wishes to people across the Chinese mainland, compatriots in the Hong Kong SAR, the Macao SAR and Taiwan, along with overseas Chinese and friends in other countries and regions around the world.

During the speech, Xi recounted the achievements made through the year with regard to economic growth, judicial and education reforms and the fight against corruption, while pledging that the Communist Party of China and the government will continue their efforts to improve people’s livelihood.


http://www.cctv-america.com/2015/12/31/video-president-xis-new-year-message

FULL TEXT OF PRESIDENT XI’S ADDRESS

Comrades and friends, ladies and gentlemen,

In a few hours, the New Year bell will be ringing. We will say goodbye to the year 2015 and welcome the first ray of sunshine of the year 2016.

At this turn of the year, I wish to extend my New Year greetings to the people of all ethnic groups in China, to our compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region, to our compatriots in Taiwan and overseas Chinese, as well as to friends in other countries and regions in the world. As long as we pay, there will be gains.

In 2015, the great efforts of the Chinese people have paid off.

China’s economic growth continues to lead in the world. Reform has been pushed forward comprehensively. Reform in the judicial system has been further deepened. The special educational campaign of “Three Stricts and Three Earnests” has promoted the improvement of the political eco-system. The fight against corruption has been carried out deeply. Through the joint efforts of the people of all ethnic groups across the country, we see a successful conclusion of the “12th Five-Year Plan”. The general public has enjoyed the increasing “sense of gain”.

During this past year, we solemnly commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. We held a grand military parade, making the truth clear to all that justice will prevail, peace will prevail, and the people will prevail.

Mr. Ma Ying-jeou and I met in Singapore, with a handshake that transcended 66 years of time and space. This shows the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations is the common wish of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

During this past year, Beijing won the bid to host the 24th Winter Olympic Games. The renminbi has been included into the Special Drawing Rights basket of the International Monetary Fund. China’s domestically-produced C919 large passenger aircraft rolled off the production line. China’s super computer broke the world record for a sixth consecutive year. A satellite developed by Chinese scientists to detect “dark matter” was launched. Tu Youyou became China’s first scientist to win a Nobel Prize.

These show that as long as we persevere, dreams can always be realized. During the past year, we had happiness, as well as sadness.

The capsizing of the “Eastern Star” ferry, the major fire and explosions at Tianjin Port, the Shenzhen landslide and other accidents have taken the lives of many of our countrymen. And some countrymen were brutally killed by terrorists.

All these are deeply heartbreaking. We will remember them. We wish all the deceased to rest in peace and the living safe and healthy. Some difficulties and troubles still remain in people’s daily life.

The Communist Party of China and the government will surely continue efforts to effectively guarantee the safety of people’s lives and property, guarantee the improvement of people’s livelihood, and guarantee people’s health.

The year 2016 is the first year when China enters the crucial period to build a moderately well-off society in an all-around way.

The 5th Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee has made clear China’s development direction for the next five years. The future is encouraging and inspiring. But happiness does not fall from the sky.

We shall establish a spirit to prevail, continue to immerse ourselves in hard work, implement the development concepts of innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing.

We shall put forth efforts in promoting structural reform, and reform and opening up, promoting social fairness and justice, as well as creating a green political eco-system.

We shall get off to a good start as we advance in the crucial period for China to build a moderately well-off society in an all-around way.

To build a moderately well-off society in an all-around way, our 1.3 billion people should join hands and move forward together. A better life for tens of millions of poor people in rural regions is dear to my heart.

We have sounded the trumpet to win the battle of poverty alleviation. All Party members and fellow countrymen should pull together and work hard as a team, put forth efforts to lengthen this short stave. We should make sure that the entire poor population in rural regions can rise out of poverty on schedule. For all the people in difficulties, we should care for them and let them feel the warmth from deep in their hearts.

Comrades and friends, ladies and gentlemen,

We have only one earth, which is the common home of people of all countries.

During this past year, Chinese leaders have participated in many international conferences and conducted many diplomatic activities. We have achieved solid progress in promoting the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative. We engaged in many international affairs including the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and issues on dealing with global climate change.

The world is so big, and the problems are so many. The international community expects to hear China’s voice and see China’s plans. China cannot be absent.

Seeing the people trapped deep in suffering and war, we should have compassion and sympathy, but also take responsibilities and action. China will always open its arms to the world and will make all efforts possible to extend our helping hand to the people facing difficulties. Let our “circle of friends” grow bigger and bigger.

I sincerely hope that the international community can work together. With more peacefulness and more cooperation, let’s turn confrontation into cooperation, and turn swords into ploughshares.

Let’s work together to build a community of common destiny of all mankind, which is shared by all people in every country.

Thank you all.