FLOOD CONTROL　XI INSTRUCTS ARMED FORCES ON FOLLOW-UP FLOOD CONTROL WORK

Chinese President Xi Jinping expresses gratitude to those fighting the floods on the front lines including personnel from the PLA and the People’s Armed Police Force, at a dam in Feidong County, Anhui Province, on August 19. (JU PENG/XINHUA)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has instructed the armed forces to continue unremitting efforts to complete follow-up tasks related to flood control and disaster relief.

While inspecting flood control and disaster relief work in east China’s Anhui Province on August 20, Xi provided the instructions after hearing reports from the military on joining local forces to battle floods across the country.

As of August 20, more than 1.2 million members of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the People’s Armed Police Force were working with more than 300,000 people from the militia on flood control missions in 17 provincial-level regions. They evacuated more than 170,000 residents, handled over 3,900 breaches and piping emergencies, and reinforced embankments for more than 900 kilometers.

Under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee, China has scored major achievements in the battle against floods, Xi said, highlighting the key role the armed forces in shouldering critical tasks.

Xi underscored the importance of completing all tasks assigned to the armed forces in the second half of the year with focus on efforts to strengthen organization and leadership, prioritization of tasks, and innovation of methods to achieve the 2020 development targets of the national defense and the armed forces.

SYMPOSIUM　XI URGES EFFORTS TO BOOST VITALITY OF MARKET ENTITIES

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged efforts to boost the vitality of market entities and promote entrepreneurship at a symposium he chaired for entrepreneurs in Beijing on July 21.

At the meeting, seven influential entrepreneurs shared opinions and offered suggestions on the current economic situation, the protection of market entities, sci-tech innovation, deepening reform, and the 14th Five-Year Plan. Xi held discussions with them and delivered an important speech at the end.

China has remained at the forefront of both epidemic prevention and control and economic recovery, and the situation is better than expected, Xi said.

Xi urged efforts to enhance policy-based support to stimulate the vitality of market entities so they not only survive but thrive.

He stressed the need to adopt more proactive and impactful fiscal policies and more prudent monetary policies with flexibility to ensure macro policies are more targeted and timely.

He cited measures to enhance financial assistance to market entities, develop inclusive financing, and shore up domestic sales of products originally made for export.

Stressing establishment of a cordial and clean relationship between government and business, Xi said opinions and suggestions from business leaders should be considered when crafting policy related to enterprises.

Xi called on business leaders to promote entrepreneurship and seek improvement in terms of patriotism, innovation, integrity, social responsibility, and global vision to pull enterprises out of the immediate plight and climb to a brighter future.

He encouraged entrepreneurs to play a central role in creating a new development pattern for the new era, building the modern economic system, and striving for high-quality development.

Considering the external environment characterized by rising protectionism, global economic downturn, and a shrinking international market, Xi stressed the need to pool resources and concentrate on efficiently managing the country’s affairs to optimally leverage the advantage of a huge domestic market so a new development pattern is gradually created in which domestic and foreign markets boost each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay.

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs a symposium with entrepreneurs in Beijing on July 21. (JU PENG/XINHUA)

CHINA-SINGAPORE TIES　PROMOTING PEACE WITH SINGAPORE AND OTHER ASEAN COUNTRIES

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in the Istana on August 20.

During the pandemic, China and Singapore have been helping each other and ensuring industrial and supply chains remain stable and smooth, said the senior Chinese diplomat, citing various bright spots in the joint anti-COVID-19 efforts between the two countries.

With this year marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Singapore, China-Singapore relations are poised at a new historic starting point, Yang said.

China stands ready to work with Singapore to build on joint achievements made in the fight against COVID-19, further promote the high-quality joint development of the Belt and Road, and construct the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a joint project between western Chinese provincial regions and Singapore under the government-to-government framework of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity.

Lee Hsien Loong noted that the COVID-19 pandemic requires more than ever that countries work together and communicate rationally.

Yang Jiechi (left), member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, poses with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the Istana on August 20. (MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION OF SINGAPORE)

LMC　3RD LANCANG-MEKONG COOPERATION LEADERS’ MEETING

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attends the Third Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting via video link from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on August 24. (RAO AIMIN/XINHUA)

On August 24, Premier Li Keqiang attended the Third Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting via video link from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The meeting was co-chaired by Premier Li and Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith of Laos. Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen of Cambodia, President U Win Myint of Myanmar, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of Thailand, and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Vietnam also attended.

Li said that over the past four years, the LMC has grown rapidly and entered a period of comprehensive development. He called it a new fountain of strength for regional development that is delivering real benefits to the peoples of the regional countries. “We shifted cooperation mechanisms on water resources onto a fast track,” he said. “We have strengthened economic cooperation and trade ties, which boosted our economic growth. And we are putting people first in the LMC and improving lives. In the first half of this year, trade between China and the Mekong countries registered growth, contrasting the global slowdown trend. This speaks volumes to the great potential for cooperation between the two sides. When COVID-19 broke out early this year, we pulled together and supported each other in combating the virus and reviving regional growth.”

Li offered a six-point proposal to strengthen Lancang-Mekong cooperation:

1. Lift cooperation in water resources to a new height.

2. Expand trade ties and connectivity cooperation.

3. Deepen cooperation on sustainable development.

4. Upgrade cooperation on public health.

5. Strengthen cooperation on living standards.

6. Uphold a spirit of openness and inclusiveness.

Other LMC leaders praised the fruitful outcomes of the LMC and heartily endorsed Li’s proposal to strengthen cooperation within the mechanism. They noted that the LMC has played an important role in promoting economic and social development in the region, improving living standards, consolidating peace and security, and enhancing mutual understanding and trust. Other LMC countries fully recognized the progress in water resources cooperation and expressed readiness to work with China to deepen cooperation on the LMC economic development belt, develop synergy with the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and enhance connectivity. They expressed appreciation for China’s commitment to make any COVID-19 vaccine it develops global public good and to enhance vaccine availability in other developing countries. They also expressed enthusiasm about working with China to deepen cooperation on public health, continue cooperation on COVID-19 response, and promote economic recovery and development.

CHINA-PHILIPPINES TIES　DONATION TO PHILIPPINE MEDICAL FRONTLINERS

The Chinese embassy in the Philippines donated 1 million pesos (US$20,519) in cash and some personal protective equipment to Philippine medical frontliners on August 14 to show China’s appreciation and support for their hard work in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian handed over the cash and equipment during a meeting with representatives of medical frontliners at the Chinese embassy in Manila.

Huang expressed appreciation to the dedication and contributions of medical frontliners battling COVID-19 and hoped that they would stay safe and healthy.

Huang said the Chinese embassy would continue to provide support and assistance to the Philippines however it could.

“We firmly believe that victory’s dawn will come sooner rather than later,” Huang said.

The embassy also recently donated several shipments of surgical masks and other medical materials to several local hospitals.

CHINA-MALAYSIA TIES　CHINA-MALAYSIA VITAL COOPERATION

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that the growth in both China’s investment in Malaysia and Malaysia’s exports to China in the first half of this year despite the impact of COVID-19 demonstrates the strong complementary traits and deep vitality of the bilateral cooperation.

In a telephone conversation with Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on August 5, Wang suggested the two countries explore ways to resume exchange at all levels in an orderly manner, establish bilateral and regional “fast lanes,” and bolster cooperation on “green lanes” to help the two countries resume work and production and ensure the stable operation of industrial and supply chains.

Wang said that China firmly supports Malaysia’s hosting of this year’s APEC meeting and efforts to adhere to the purposes and principles of APEC, build an open Asia-Pacific economy, uphold the spirit of the Asia-Pacific community with a shared future and partnership, and formulate the Post-2020 Vision.

Hishammuddin said that Malaysia attaches great importance to its robust relations with China and that their bilateral cooperation goes far beyond geopolitics.

Malaysia, he added, is enthusiastic about vaccine cooperation with China, establishing a “fast lane” and a “green lane” as soon as possible, and exploring ways to jointly ensure supply chain security to send a positive signal of unity and cooperation between the two countries.

CHINA-INDONESIA TIES　CHINA, INDONESIA LAUNCH FAST-LANE ARRANGEMENT

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) holds talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in south China’s Hainan Province on August 20. (ZHANG LIYUN/XINHUA)

China and Indonesia formally launched a fast-lane arrangement to facilitate personnel exchange for the purpose of ensuring epidemic prevention, maintaining smooth flow of industrial and supply chains, and helping each other’s economic recovery.

The arrangement was announced by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi during their meeting in Hainan Province on August 20.

Indonesian Minister for State-owned Enterprises Erick Thohir also attended the talks.

Noting that Marsudi was the first foreign minister to visit China in the post-epidemic era, Wang said that the joint visit of the two ministers demonstrates the importance of Chinese-Indonesian relations and marks resumption of the foreign ministers’ offline diplomacy. The visit sent a clear and positive signal that the two sides are committed to jointly defeating the epidemic and reinvigorating the economy, according to Wang.

CHINA-LAOS RAILWAY　ANOTHER CHINA-LAOS RAILWAY TUNNEL

A 14.5-km tunnel for the Kunming-Vientiane Railway to link China with Laos has broken through, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway).

To drill the Duoji Tunnel in Mojiang County of Pu’er City in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, construction workers had to overcome complicated geological conditions such as deformation of soft rocks and noxious gas, according to a project manager.

Construction on the 1,000-km railway started in December 2016, and it is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2021.

The cross-border railway, a major project built under the Belt and Road Initiative, will slash travel time between Kunming and Vientiane to half a day.

By the end of July, all the subgrade earthwork, over 90 percent of the bridges, and over 95 percent of the tunnels on the Chinese section of the China-Laos Railway were complete, according to China Railway.

Workers drill the Duoji Tunnel on the Kunming-Vientiane Railway. (XU PENGJIAN)