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Shanghai prioritizes efforts to improve people’s livelihood

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BEIJING, Dec. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — A report from People’s Daily: Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected a government-subsidized rental housing community and learned about the city’s efforts in constructing government-subsidized rental housing projects in Shanghai on Nov. 29.

It is reported that the rental housing community provides affordable rental accommodation for new urban residents and young people.

The rental pricing takes into account both market prices and the income levels of the targeted group. Each apartment in the community is equipped with independent cabinets, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Public spaces such as shared kitchens, laundry rooms, recreational areas, and book corners are also provided.

Shanghai is a megacity. It attracts frontline workers and managers across the country engaging in its urban construction and function. They are important contributors to the city’s development and orderly operation.

In recent years, Shanghai has actively explored the provision of more rental housing with good location, high quality and low rent for frontline laborers, thus better satisfying their actual demands. It has implemented precise supply to ensure their life and work in Shanghai with more safety, comfort and dignity, which have been welcomed by the targeted group.

Adhering to the principle that “cities are built by the people and for the people,” Shanghai has been working to promote high-quality development, improving people’s living quality, and pursuing high-efficiency governance, to make urban management more science-based, refined and intelligent, and to make people’s life more convenient, comfortable, and enjoyable.

In the construction of the city, Shanghai always puts the people’s needs in the first place. It has expedited efforts to revitalize and transform old buildings and urban villages.

This year, the city has renovated 85,200 square meters of lower-grade, scattered, old housing and refurbished 247,700 square meters of aging residential properties. Ten urban village renovation projects have been launched.

Shanghai is actively exploring sustainable development models for urban renewal, while establishing and improving relevant policy systems and mechanisms.

Remarkable progress has been made in key urban renewal projects, such as the Fangua Long in Jing’an District, the ancient Panlong Town in Qingpu District, and Wukang Building in Xuhui District. Meanwhile, an additional 68,000 affordable rental apartments have been constructed.

With an aim to build an urban space that is not only livable but also enjoyable and engaging, Shanghai has worked to ensure coordinated development, management, and quality enhancement of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek.

The Suhe Bay Green Space, a maritime park in the North Bund, and the Dongjiadu Road Skywalk have become popular destinations for citizens and visitors. Furthermore, eight kilometers of riverside paths in Pudong and Minhang have been connected and opened to the public.

Shanghai is accelerating the construction of sponge city demonstration areas and pilot zones for green and low-carbon development, to enhance the overall quality of the city. This year, it has built 75 “beautiful blocks.”

To build a green, smart, and resilient metropolis, Shanghai has reinforced the management of green building projects, and advanced the development of green urban spaces.

This year, approximately 2.6 million square meters of ultra-low energy-consuming buildings are underway, complemented by energy-saving renovations in 5.3 million square meters of existing public structures.

Shanghai has been solidifying the digital infrastructure of urban governance, pursuing digital transformation in all areas of urban construction and management. Particular attention has been focused on gas supply safety, while the control and emergency response to major risk sources are fortified, to forge a robust security line for this megacity.

These explorations and practices of Shanghai are the epitome of China’s commitment to sustainable development and the promotion of new urbanization.

In recent years, China has been continuously advancing a people-centered approach to new urbanization, strengthening the construction of major projects to ensure people’s livelihood, and improving the quality of life for its citizens.

It has accelerated the renovation and upgrading of urban pipelines, increased the availability of inclusive elderly care and medical services, improved urban ecology through the construction of “pocket parks,” and continuously enhanced public fitness facilities.

In the first seven months of this year, investment in the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water in China increased by 25.4 percent. During the same period, renovation was launched for a total of 46,600 old urban residential communities nationwide, benefiting 7.95 million households.

PR Newswire

CGTN: Mid-Autumn Festival: Xi Jinping’s nostalgia

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BEIJING, Sept. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Falling on Friday, the Mid-Autumn Festival has been observed by people of Chinese origin for thousands of years and is usually marked by family reunions, a full-moon viewing and the consumption of mooncakes.

This traditional festival has entrusted the Chinese people with their deepest nostalgia for home and their deepest attachment to their country since ancient times.

Reflecting his deep affection for the country and the people, Chinese President Xi Jinping has talked about nostalgia on many occasions.

From Fuping and Liangjiahe in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, Zhengding in north China’s Hebei Province, to Fujian Province, Zhejiang Province, Shanghai and Beijing, Xi regards these places where he has worked as his “hometowns.”

‘Nostalgia means you will miss a place after you leave it’

During a state visit to Costa Rica in 2013, Xi visited the home of a farming family and talked about his experience in Liangjiahe.

“It is extremely rare for a president to speak so passionately and with such pride about being a farmer. Some people may downplay that aspect, but he does not. He emphasizes it,” said the Costa Rican farmer’s son.

In the late 1960s, Xi left Beijing for a village called Liangjiahe in an arid part of Shaanxi to work as a rural laborer and spent seven years in the countryside, working and living alongside farmers.

He was separated from his family, slept in cave dwellings, suffered from flea bites, and worked as hard as fellow villagers to tend crops, herd sheep, carry manure and haul coal.

Before leaving Liangjiahe, Xi expressed his appreciation to the people in Liangjiahe for their selfless acceptance and assistance. “I will never forget everything Liangjiahe has given me,” he said.

Whether it is at a small courtyard of a farmer’s house in Costa Rica, on the podium in Washington State in the U.S., or at the Global High Level Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development and the High-level Dialogue on Global Development, Xi has talked about his time in Liangjiahe.

In the spring of 1982, Xi volunteered to work at the grassroots level and moved to Zhengding, a poor county in Hebei Province.

For more than three years, Xi served first as deputy secretary and then secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhengding County Committee and did a lot of pioneering work with the local CPC committee, planning strategies and laying a solid foundation for Zhengding’s development.

Recalling his experience in Zhengding during an inspection tour in Hebei in 2013, Xi said he grasped a direct understanding of how villagers feel through “being with comrades every day, talking, thinking and working together.”

Wherever Xi goes, he brings this sincere and simple feelings to the people.

“Don’t cut off true feelings because of long distances, don’t forget your true feelings because of a busy life and don’t ignore your true feelings because of the hustle and bustle of life,” Xi said at a Spring Festival gathering in 2017.

‘Seeing the place where you have worked can continuously develop is when you feel the happiest’

In 1988, Xi became the Party chief of Ningde Prefecture, one of the poorest regions in southeast China’s Fujian Province at the time. During the two years of working there, Xi visited 123 of the 124 townships, including three of the four without access to paved roads. Xiadang, a township nestled deep in the mountainous area of Shouning County, was one of them.

Xi visited Xiadang three times, and personally directed poverty relief in the remote town.

It took Xi about three hours by vehicle and two hours on foot along the rugged mountain paths to reach the township during his first visit.

Xi decided it was essential to focus on accessibility for the area to take off. Work began on a highway just months after his first visit, and the road into Xiadang opened in January 1991.

The second visit came on July 26, 1989, after the county was hit by its worst floods in a century. Xi sent condolences and post-disaster reconstruction funds to the people affected by the floods. He visited the township for a third time on August 7, 1996, to investigate and direct poverty alleviation work.

Thanks to poverty alleviation efforts, tremendous changes have occurred in Ningde.

When inspecting Fujian in March 2021, Xi met several tourists from Shangrao, Jiangxi Province, who said it took them only 22 minutes to take the train to Wuyi Mountain, a famous summer resort in Fujian.

“Seeing the place where you have worked can continuously develop is when you feel the happiest,” he once said.

Hosting a banquet to welcome guests who are gathering in Hangzhou to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games, Xi warmly recommended Zhejiang to the guests.

“I once worked in Zhejiang Province for quite a few years. Committed to reform and opening-up, the province is now fast-tracked toward high-quality development,” Xi said, adding that it is building a demonstration zone for common prosperity, and has become a pioneer in Chinese modernization.

“My job is to serve the people. It is very tiring, but also very fulfilling,” Xi said, though knowing that governing such a huge country requires a strong sense of responsibility and hard work.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-09-29/Mid-Autumn-Festival-Xi-Jinping-s-nostalgia-1nuvERpxo52/index.html

PR Newswire

UN WOMEN’S HEFORSHE ALLIANCE CALLS TO RESPECTFULLY DISRUPT THE PATRIARCHICAL STRUCTURES AND STATUS QUO

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Amid a growing pushback against women’s rights, leaders from across government, business, non-profit and academia step forward to respectfully disrupt status quo and accelerate progress toward achieving gender equality at UN Women’s HeForShe Summit. 

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Alongside the United Nations General Assembly, key stakeholders from the global private and public sector gathered at UN Women’s HeForShe Summit to reinforce commitments, share innovative solutions, and increase collaboration across sectors to achieve gender equality.

UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, delivered opening remarks. UN Women/Ryan Brown
UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, delivered opening remarks. UN Women/Ryan Brown

With a growing pushback against women’s rights, institutions and individuals have an increasing role and responsibility to play in the pursuit of gender equality. As a key moment along the midpoint for Generation Equality, the world’s leading initiative to boost investment and implementation of gender equality, the HeForShe Summit calls for everyone to play their part and respectfully disrupt the patriarchal status quo that holds us back from closing current gender gaps.

 “It should particularly alarm us that the attitudes of young men seem to be going backwards, unfortunately,” said Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. “A UN Women-supported survey showed that 58 per cent of young men aged 16-19 believe that men are better political leaders than women. How then will we achieve equality of women’s leadership?  Nearly 1 in 4 young men believe that there are acceptable instances to hit a partner or spouse.  How then will we end the scourge of violence against women?”

Ms. Bahous praised the HeForShe Champions from across government, business, non-profit and academia for stepping forward and taking action as gender equality advocates and allies. “Our corporate champions have increased participation of women in their Boards to a minimum of 40 per cent. This is commendable”, she said.

The Summit was marked with a spoken-word performance by poet, activist and artist, Rupi Kaur, who premiered her unpublished poem “to believe in equality”, as well as a musical performance by pianist, composer and activist, Chloe Flower.

Throughout the event, leaders reiterated a resounding call to action to respectfully disrupt. Michael Roberts, CEO of HSBC US and Americas, and Maha AlQattan, Group Chief Sustainability Officer of DP World, urged business leaders around the world to introduce mechanisms for accountability in making gender equality a business priority. Dr. Joy Buolamwini, Founder of the Algorithmic Justice League and author of Unmasking AI, and Dr. Sasha Luccioni, recently named one of MIT Technology Review’s 2023 35 Innovators Under 35 in Artificial Intelligence, both reinforced the need to balance progress of Artificial Intelligence with the threat of perpetuating and deepening gender bias. Masculinity experts such as Richard Reeves, nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and President of the American Institute for Boys and Men, as well as Michelle Terry, CEO of Movember, called for a new model of masculinity – one that inspires solutions and reframes the gender equality conversation away from a zero-sum game.

The recent UN Women and UN DESA report, “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2023” shows that progress on gender equality is way off track and demonstrates the need of an additional USD 360 billion in investment per year to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment by 2030. The mission of the HeForShe Alliance is not only to inspire strategic investment, but ultimately to respectfully disrupt patriarchal structures that sustain and perpetuate gender bias and its manifestations throughout industries, governments, nonprofit organizations, universities, and everyday lives.

Join the conversation: Follow @HeForShe @UN_Women on Twitter using the hashtag #HeForSheSummit

About UN Women
UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.

For more information, visit www.unwomen.org. 

About HeForShe:
Created by UN Women, Heforshe is a solidarity movement for gender equality that invites men and boys to act for a more equal world. HeForShe provides targeted platform where a global audience can engage and advocate for the achievement of gender equality in our lifetime. The movement invites people around the world to stand together as equal partners to craft a shared vision of a gender-equal world and implement specific, locally relevant solutions. For more information, visit: www.HeForShe.org/en.

 Media Contacts: 

Janine Kandel, UN Women – janine.kandel@unwomen.org, media.team@unwomen.org

Kiri Jo Ginnerup, UN Women – kiri.ginnerup@unwomen.org

Poet, Activist and Artist, Rupi Kaur, delivered a spoken-word performance. UN Women/Ryan Brown
Poet, Activist and Artist, Rupi Kaur, delivered a spoken-word performance. UN Women/Ryan Brown
PR Newswire

CGTN: Regional economic integration promotes China-ASEAN common prosperity

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BEIJING, Sept. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Themed “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit concluded on Friday in Jakarta, Indonesia, with a series of positive outcomes.

Deepening ASEAN-China cooperation would benefit people on both sides, said Secretary-General of ASEAN Kao Kim Hourn on Thursday.

Regional economic integration

Addressing the 26th China-ASEAN Summit on Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged China and the ASEAN countries to enhance connectivity, deepen cooperation on industrial and supply chains, strive to complete in 2024 the negotiations on the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) 3.0 and steadily advance regional economic integration.

During the 26th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, Li noted that in June this year, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) entered into full effect, which brought new opportunities for regional economic integration.

“We need to further bring out the potential of the agreement, boost the free flow of factors, and expand and upgrade our trade and investment. We need to advance our comprehensive, mutually beneficial and high-quality economic partnership, and move toward an integrated regional market that is more open and vibrant,” he said.

China has proposed to accelerate ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Negotiations and strives to conclude negotiations in 2024, according to a list of China’s cooperation initiatives for the ASEAN-related summits.

The Version-3.0 China-ASEAN FTA will bring tangible benefits to local residents, said Shi Zhongjun, secretary-general of the ASEAN-China Center, adding that the unilateralist, protectionist policies pursued by some countries outside the region have had certain impact on cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, including that between China and ASEAN.

Belt and Road cooperation

During the 26th China-ASEAN Summit, a joint statement was issued on mutually beneficial cooperation between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

China welcomes the active participation of ASEAN countries in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Li said on Wednesday.

Under the BRI cooperation framework, China and ASEAN have enhanced cooperation on infrastructure and regional cooperation.

The China–Laos railway had made a total of 20.09 million passenger trips as of April 16, with the section of the railway within China handling 17.09 million passenger trips and that outside China handling three million passenger trips since it went into operation in December 2021, according to data from China Railway.

The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, a BRI flagship project in Cambodia, has become the Southeast Asian country’s largest industrial zone, accommodating up to 175 factories so far.

Fruitful cooperation results

During the China-ASEAN Summit, a series of outcome documents were adopted, including a joint statement on deepening agricultural cooperation between China and ASEAN, an action plan on China-ASEAN green agricultural development (2023-2027), an initiative on enhancing bilateral e-commerce cooperation and an initiative on jointly implementing a China-ASEAN science and technology innovation enhancement program.

Data from China’s Ministry of Commerce showed that the trade volume between China and ASEAN reached $975.3 billion in 2022, up 11.2 percent year on year and surging by 120 percent from the level of 2013.

As of the end of July, the cumulative two-way investment exceeded $380 billion, and China had set up more than 6,500 enterprises with direct investment in ASEAN.

The past decade also saw ASEAN become China’s top trading partner in 2020, surpassing the European Union and the U.S.

“Looking ahead, I think ASEAN-China bilateral trade will increase three fold in the next 20 years, and the investment will increase accordingly,” said Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian ambassador to China.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-09-08/Regional-economic-integration-promotes-China-ASEAN-common-prosperity–1mW7i3aFKlW/index.html

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Global Times: Come and experience: Arab diplomats, officials explore Chinese modernization practices in dynamic, inclusive Shanghai

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BEIJING, Aug. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Tamer M.A. Shehab, an official from the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, experienced being a “pilot” during his recent trip to Shanghai.

At a local exhibition center of the G60 Science & Technology Innovation Valley (G60 valley), Shehab sat in a flight simulator of a passenger aircraft. He saw the vast blue sky through the windows on each side of the simulator.

The simulator was made by a Shanghai-based tech company, which also produces flight simulator equipment for China’s self-developed large passenger aircraft C919. After exiting the simulator, Shehab asked the exhibition center for information on the latest scientific and technological achievements of the G60 valley in the field of aerospace.

“They [the achievements] are the future,” he said.

The G60 valley in East China, containing Shanghai and its eight surrounding cities, is one of the country’s most urbanized economic belts and home to tens of thousands of innovative high-tech entities. The valley’s exhibition center in a Shanghai suburb that Shehab visited is a must-see destination for many foreign officials and scholars who try to explore the experiences of the Chinese path to modernization in Shanghai.

The G60 valley showcases the latest technological developments in China, and supports sustainable economic development, said Iyad Zoukar, professor and deputy director of the Syrian Diplomatic Institute at Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

“The innovative spirit and cutting-edge technologies showcased at the G60 valley were truly impressive,” Zoukar told the Global Times.

“It was fascinating to witness firsthand advancements in various fields there, such as in renewable energy, electric technology, and silicon chip manufacturing,” he recalled.

Charming Metropolise

Zoukar and Shehab are among the delegation of officials who visited Shanghai early this summer under the “Seminar for Arab Officials by the China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development (CARC)” or the “Seminar for Arab Diplomats in China by the CARC” programs.

The CARC is sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, and the Shanghai Municipal Government, and is hosted by the Shanghai International Studies University.

Starting in 2017, the two programs hold several seminars almost every year, welcoming Arab officials or Arab diplomats in China to visit Shanghai and its environs. The seminars also include exchanges and discussions on practical cases about Chinese path to modernization, advanced development concepts, as well as policies on China’s ethnic and religious policies.

Zoukar attended the 13th Seminar for Arab Officials held in early June, traveling over 4,000 miles from Syria to Shanghai.

“I saw this as a chance to learn from China’s successful experience in reform and sustainable development, and explore ways to apply those lessons to benefit Syria’s development,” he told the Global Times.

Normally, Shanghai impresses newcomers at first sight with its dense, modern neon-lit skyscrapers. But the city is much more than skyscrapers. During their period in Shanghai, the Arab officials walked through the city and took a closer look at its openness, diversity, and the excellent combination of modernity and tradition.

Ziad Zaitoun, an economy, commerce and finance official at Syrian Embassy in China, participated in the “Seminar for Arab Diplomats in China by the CARC” program in Shanghai between June 12 and 16. He recalled his exciting visit to Shanghai’s Yangshan Port during the seminar, the world’s largest automated container port.

“We were amazed by the sheer size and capacity of the port, witnessing massive container ships being loaded and unloaded with precision,” Zaitoun told the Global Times.

The Yangshan Port is renowned for its large-scale operations and its role as a major global trade hub, Zaitoun said. “Exploring the port offered us insights into the impressive port infrastructure and efficient marine logistics with cutting-edge AI application,” he noted.

Zoukar also mentioned cultural and religious destinations he visited in Shanghai. He said the 400-year-old Yuyuan Garden, a historical and cultural landmark in the city downtown, left a lasting impression on him. “Exploring the beautiful landscapes, elegant pavilions, and intricate rockeries within the garden provided a glimpse into China’s rich cultural heritage,” he said. “It was a remarkable opportunity to immerse myself in the local culture and appreciate the beauty of traditional Chinese gardens.”

The visit to Xiaotaoyuan Mosque was also a memorable experience to Zoukar. “As a symbol of religious diversity and cultural coexistence, the mosque showcased the social and historical aspects of Shanghai,” he told the Global Times.

“The Xiaotaoyuan Mosque served as a testament to the importance of promoting mutual understanding and respect among diverse communities,” said Zoukar. “It was inspiring to witness the peaceful coexistence of different religions in the city and learn about China’s policies on nationalities and religions.”

An effective model

In the process of realizing modernization, China has achieved two miracles: Rapid economic development and long-term social stability, said Wang Guangda, secretary-general of the CARC.

“For countries that want to develop their economies and establish effective national governance models, the Chinese path to modernization provides successful cases and inspiring experiences,” noted Wang.

Probably, the best way to learn about the Chinese methods of achieving modernization is to come and experience the country. Zaitoun, who just ended his term as a diplomatic officer in China this summer, shared with the Global Times the key elements contributing to Chinese path to modernization as he had observed during his stay in China and his latest trip to Shanghai.

“First, China places great emphasis on economic growth and development,” said Zaitoun. He added that China has successfully implemented policies that have fostered rapid industrialization, technological innovation, and infrastructure development. “These have allowed China to become the world’s second-largest economy and lifted millions of people out of poverty.”

Second, China has prioritized the development of its human capital, Zaitoun noted.

He mentioned that China has invested heavily in education and skills training, leading to a highly skilled workforce and a thriving research and development sector. “This emphasis on human capital has contributed to China’s advancements in science, technology, and innovation.”

Zaitoun referred to the Shanghai Electric Group Company which he visited during his Shanghai trip under the CARC program. “The visit provided us with an opportunity to witness cutting-edge technologies and advancements in new energy power generation equipment,” he recalled. “One might be impressed by the company’s massive achievement in providing top quality service to one of China’s largest cities.”

The infrastructure improvement is an important aspect in the process of realizing modernization. Zoukar said that his trip to Shanghai and the city’s surroundings enabled them to better learn about China’s advanced technology and infrastructure.

“Using the high-speed train and experiencing the Shanghai subway system, I saw China’s remarkable achievements in land transportation,” Zoukar commented. “It was impressive to witness how the country’s transportation network is organized and efficiently utilized.”

All these can be valuable lessons and insights for Arab countries in developing their economies and achieving modernization. Zoukar shared several aspects he believes Arab countries can consider using China’s experience as a reference.

The aspects include further developing infrastructure networks, establishing partnerships and collaborations with other countries or regions, investing in human capital and nurturing a skilled workforce, promoting poverty alleviation and rural development, establishing effective partnerships between the government and private sector entities, exploring the possibility of establishing designated economic zones, as well as drawing inspiration from China’s advancements in technology – particularly in areas like renewable energy and electric technology.

A shared future

At the first China-Arab States Summit in December 2022, President Xi called on China and Arab states to carry forward the spirit of China-Arab friendship, and foster a closer China-Arab community of shared future.

Based on his trip to Shanghai and observations about China, Zoukar suggested that China and Arab countries should make efforts to further promote exchanges in several sectors of mutual interest, such as transportation infrastructure, energy, technology, agriculture, and tourism.

“Sharing experiences in areas such as reform, sustainable development, and modernization can benefit Arab countries,” said Zoukar. “China can provide insights and expertise to Arab officials, helping them to adapt and implement successful Chinese practices in their respective countries.”

China’s development concept provides a new path for Arab countries to achieve modernization, said Moroccan diplomat Abdelrhani Charfi, who also participated in the CARC’s program in Shanghai.

“The construction of a China-Arab community of shared future in the new era is a joint exploration of modernization processes by China and Arab countries, which will serve as an example of South-South cooperation for developing countries,” he said.

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CGTN: China-DRC ties enter comprehensive, deep-going growth with full vitality

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BEIJING, May 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — In 2015, China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) established a strategic partnership of win-win cooperation, which provided a strategic direction for the further development of bilateral relations.

By upgrading ties into a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership on Friday in Beijing, the two countries are eyeing mature, stable and groundbreaking China-DRC relations that will benefit the two peoples.

During a meeting with DRC President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, who is in China for a state visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed the fruitful cooperation achieved by the two countries, adding the two sides have forged a close community of shared interests and shared future.

Strategic partners walking side by side 

Over the years, through the signing of a series of agreements and memorandums of understanding covering agriculture, health, trade, infrastructure and other fields, the friendly cooperation between China and the DRC has continued to deepen. 

China has been the DRC’s largest trading partner and source of foreign investment for many years in a row. In 2022, the bilateral trade volume reached $21.898 billion, a year on year increase of 51.7 percent. 

Infrastructure cooperation between the two countries has also yielded fruitful results. 

China has aided the construction of projects such as the People’s Palace, home to the National Assembly and the Senate, the Martyrs Stadium and the Central African Cultural and Arts Center, which will be completed by the end of this year. 

China-DRC Friendship Hospital is a landmark project of bilateral medical and health cooperation. Since its completion, the hospital has treated a large number of patients, effectively improving the medical conditions of the Congolese people. 

In Friday’s meeting, Xi told Tshisekedi that China will work with the DRC to support each other, seek cooperation, promote development and make progress together on the road of development and revitalization. 

China’s high-quality development will provide more cooperation opportunities and a broader market for the DRC and promote greater development of bilateral relations, Xi said, adding China will, as always, help the DRC in its economic and social development. 

Appreciating China for its long-term help and valuable support for the economic and social development of the DRC, Tshisekedi said the friendly cooperation between the two countries has withstood the test of time and achieved fruitful results, which are worth cherishing by both sides. 

A China–Africa community with a shared future

Amid the current international situation, China and Africa need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation more than ever, Xi pointed out.

Calling for jointly safeguarding the common interests of developing countries, Xi said China firmly supports Africa in pursuing an independent development path, and in becoming an important pole of world politics, economy and civilization.

Under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China announced the 10 major China–Africa cooperation plans at the FOCAC’s Johannesburg Summit in 2015 and the eight major initiatives at the Beijing Summit in 2018, raising China–Africa relations to a new level.

When addressing the opening ceremony of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC held in Dakar in 2021, Tshisekedi said “Africans and Chinese are side by side today as old friends,” calling on the two sides to realize “the common ambition of sharing destiny, solidarity, justice and being exemplary in relations between the two peoples.”

Pledging to implement the nine programs of China–Africa cooperation announced in Dakar, Xi called for joint efforts to promote the joint construction of the Belt and Road to support Africa to achieve sustainable development, and build a China–Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-05-26/China-DRC-ties-enter-comprehensive-deep-going-growth-with-full-vitality-1k7VqkD2Pyo/index.html

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In new expedition, ‘striving in unity’ is China’s main theme: Global Times editorial

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BEIJING, March 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — On Friday, the new leadership of the state institutions and the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference was elected at the two sessions. Xi Jinping was unanimously elected Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission. This fully reflects the common aspiration of the whole Party, the military and the people of all ethnic groups in the country, and fully embodies the high degree of unity of the will of the Party, the will of the people, and the will of the country. Embarking on a journey full of glory and dreams, the sense of direction and certainty brought about by this achievement has further strengthened the firm confidence of Chinese society in its unity and striving.

From the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to the ongoing two sessions, “striving in unity” has always been a key and frequently used word. The development and changes in the internal and external situation has made “striving in unity” more important and urgent, and it has become a rigid demand in China.

In the 10 years of the new era, in the face of risks, challenges and tests from politics, economy, ideology, and nature, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi at the core unites and leads the Party, the military, and the people of all ethnic groups in the country to carry out the great struggle with many new historical characteristics. We have won the battle against poverty as scheduled, built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, achieved the first centenary goal, achieved a major and decisive victory in COVID prevention and control, and created a great achievement of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. The main theme running through this great journey is striving in unity.

The judgment on the current situation at the second plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC held not long ago is: “The world is undergoing momentous and rapid changes unseen in a century, and it has entered a new phase of turbulence and transformation. China has entered a development period in which strategic opportunities, risks and challenges are concurrent, and uncertainties and unforeseen factors are rising, and it must therefore be ready to withstand high winds, choppy waters and even dangerous storms.” The more this is the case, the more it requires internal unity, and under the leadership of the Party with Comrade Xi at its core, we must be united and as one like tough steel. The spirit that has supported the Chinese people to achieve prosperity and the Chinese nation to realize rejuvenation for a century is more special and precious today than ever before.

The CPC always represents the fundamental interests of the vast majority of the people, and has no special interests of its own. It never represents any interest group, any power group, or any privileged class. This is a prominent manifestation of China’s institutional advantages and the deep-rooted driving force behind Chinese society’s striving in unity. 

Embarking on a new journey, we will rally even more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi at the core, comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese modernization. The unity and striving of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people belong not only to China but also to the world. This is worthy of respect and also makes people feel exhilarated.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202303/1287091.shtml

PR Newswire

CGTN：Building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future at the start of spring

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BEIJING, Feb. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — More than one million vehicles had travelled on Cambodia’s first-ever expressway connecting the capital Phnom Penh and the deep-sea port province of Preah Sihanouk in the first three months since its inauguration on October 1 last year.

The 187-km-long freeway, invested by the China Road and Bridge Corporation with $2 billion, is one of the results of cooperation between China and Cambodia under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

There’s a proverb in Cambodia saying “there is road, there is hope.” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen once said China has built a lot of roads and bridges for Cambodia, so it means that China has built a lot of hope for the Cambodian people.

Hun Sen visited China in February, 2020, when the COVID-19 epidemic situation in the country was still grave. Recalling that meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping Friday said the visit was a token of support and that Hun Sen stood firmly with the Chinese people in their fight against COVID-19.

“It gives me great pleasure to work with you to realize our three-year appointment and open a new era of building a China–Cambodia community with a shared future at the start of spring,” Xi told Hun Sen at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

All-round cooperation

Xi pointed out that the two sides can build a cooperation framework in six major areas: politics, production capacity, agriculture, energy, security and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Hun Sen expressed his full agreement with the idea.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade pact and the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) entered into force on January 1, 2022. According to the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia, the trade volume between China and Cambodia hit $14.5 billion from January to November 2022, a year-on-year increase of 19.1 percent.

On Friday, Xi stressed that China will also encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Cambodia, help in the construction of the Sihanoukville Special Economic zone, and support building transportation infrastructure.

As well as the expressway, China-funded projects such as national roads, hospitals, rural road and clean water supply, went into operation in Cambodia in 2022, and more agricultural products such as longan, corn and pangasius, gained official access to the Chinese market.

Also, a team of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts came to Cambodia last March to help the Southeast Asian nation fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

As for people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Xi noted the Chinese side will give priority to restoring and increasing direct flights between China and Cambodia, encouraging tourism cooperation and carrying out cultural heritage protection and restoration work.

China has helped restore ruined temples in the Angkor Archaeological Park since 1997 by successfully restoring the Chau Say Tevoda temple and the Ta Keo temple.

‘Development is not the prerogative of a few’

During the meeting, the Chinese president also emphasized that development is not the prerogative of a few nations.

The acts of engaging in rivalry of systems or ideological confrontation, politicizing and weaponizing economic, trade, scientific and technological exchanges, forcing the decoupling and breaking of the chain, curbing and suppressing the development of other countries, and requiring countries in the region to choose sides, are all power politics and hegemonic practices, and can never be popular, said Xi.

China stands on the right side of history and will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, as well as international fairness and justice, Xi vowed.

Hun Sen said the China-proposed BRI, the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI) are of great significance to maintain world peace and promote common development, adding the Cambodian side will actively support and participate.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn has said the GDI “is another public good that China provides to the rest of the world,” adding it is crucial in supporting the least developed countries to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and reduce poverty.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-02-10/Chinese-President-Xi-Jinping-meets-with-Cambodian-PM-Hun-Sen-1hj96Mwlwha/index.html

PR Newswire

CGTN: China, Mongolia inject impetus into ties through three engines

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BEIJING, Nov. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsuh is paying a state visit to China just two days after the Zuunbayan-Khangi railway, the third railway to connect Mongolia with China, started operations on November 25.

Apart from boosting connectivity, the two neighbors joined hands to fight the COVID-19 epidemic by gifting one another with sheep and tea as well as deepened cooperation and exchanges in various fields.

The two countries have set a good example for state-to-state relations, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted on Monday during his meeting with President Khurelsuh.

In the face of the rising instability and uncertainty in the international environment, China is willing to work with the Mongolian side to build a community with a shared future and promote the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership so as to better benefit the people of both countries, Xi vowed.

Three engines

Xi urged the two sides to deepen the three alignments between the Belt and Road Initiative and Mongolia’s Prairie Road development strategy, the Global Development Initiative and Mongolia’s New Revival Policy, and China’s “two-stage” strategic plan and Mongolia’s long-term development policy, so as to create three engines for further development of bilateral relations.

In 2013, Xi proposed the Belt and Road Initiative to improve regional connectivity and economic integration. The Prairie Road development strategy, an economic plan introduced by Mongolia, aims to boost trade with neighboring markets.

Mongolia’s New Revival Policy covers comprehensive reforms in the areas of port, energy, industry and green development, among others. While Xi on Monday voiced China’s willingness to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as economics and trade, energy and mining, connectivity, information technology and deep processing of livestock products.

Xi said China supports Mongolia’s “Planting One Billion Trees” plan and is willing to explore the possibility with the Mongolian side of setting up a Sino-Mongolian cooperation center for desertification control.

The Chinese president also called for promoting the construction of the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor and the project of laying the China–Russia gas pipeline traversing Mongolia.

The first China–Europe freight train from Jinzhou Port in northeast China’s Liaoning Province to Helsinki, Finland, via Choibalsan City in Mongolia, was launched in August this year, which is in line with the construction of the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor.

Exceeding $10 billion

As China is pursuing national rejuvenation by following the Chinese path to modernization, Xi told Khurelsuh that China will not only achieve own prosperity and development but will also deliver more development dividends to its neighbors and the world.

China has been Mongolia’s top investment source and trade partner for 18 consecutive years. Last year, the trade volume exceed $10 billion for the first time.

Total trade between China and Mongolia accounts for more than 60 percent of Mongolia’s foreign trade volume, according to data from the Inner Mongolia Academy of Social Sciences.

Customs data also showed that bilateral trade hit $9.68 billion in the first 10 months of this year. 

Join efforts for world peace, development

The two leaders agreed on Monday to make joint efforts for world peace and development.

The Chinese president urged the two sides to team up to foster a new type of international relations and contribute to the building of a community with shared future for mankind.

China and Mongolia are both developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region and have extensive common interests in international and regional affairs, Xi pointed out, adding China is willing to coordinate closely with the Mongolian side to jointly defend genuine multilateralism, resist bloc rivalry and maintain international solidarity and cooperation.

Stressing that the current international and regional situation is undergoing a profound and complex evolution, Khurelsuh believes the two sides should promote Asian values and work together to maintain peace, stability and development in Asia.

The Mongolian side highly values China’s positive contribution to the maintenance of world peace, stability and development as well as the international system with the United Nations at its core, and is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with China in international affairs and contribute to the maintenance of regional peace and development.

He added Mongolia backs the China-proposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-11-28/Xi-holds-talks-with-Mongolian-president-1fktm7RlgJi/index.html 

PR Newswire

CCTV+: China-Africa Media Cooperation under the concept of “Sincerity, Real Results, Amity and Good Faith”

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BEIJING, Nov. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The 6th Africa Link Union (ALU) Annual Meeting was held in Beijing on Monday, gathering 26 media representatives from 19 countries and regions to help strengthen media cooperation between China and Africa.

A group photo of media representatives.
A group photo of media representatives.

Hosted by the CCTV Video News Agency (CCTV+), participants shared their views on how to deepen collaboration under the theme of “Sincerity, Real Results, Amity and Good Faith, Strengthening China-Africa Media Cooperation”.

In his opening address, Mr. Teng Yunping, president of CCTV+, gave a warm welcome to attendees from across the African continent and said China–Africa media cooperation has played an essential role in furthering relations between the two sides.

“The working mechanism of the ALU has brought us closer and closer, and has also built a bridge for people-to-people connections in terms of media communications between China and Africa,” said Teng, adding that the ALU has made positive contributions to the comprehensive development of China–Africa relations.

The meeting also saw the signing of the Cooperation Agreement on AMSP (All Media Service Platform) between Teng Yunping, CCTV+ president, and Ousman Abdelmoumine Bechir, CEO of Tchad 24.

Mr. Teng Yunping signed the Cooperation Agreement on AMSP with the CEO of Tchad 24.
Mr. Teng Yunping signed the Cooperation Agreement on AMSP with the CEO of Tchad 24.

Ms. Song Jianing, Deputy Director of the China Global Television Network (CGTN), said: “For better aggregating the news content of the world’s main media and creating effective in-depth diversified international cooperative media in the long-term, CGTN is willing to provide African media partners with more media public products in the future, and to conduct closer exchanges and cooperation.”

“CCTV plus has become a significant source of news content for our station,” said Ms. Susan Ng‘ong’a, Chief Executive Officer of Kenyan broadcaster Switch TV.

“Switch media looks to further build alliances within the African Link Union through creating a world class product of professional news content and strengthening the partnership for years to come,” she said.

“Thanks to the China Media Group, CGTN, CCTV+ for the collaboration. We have learned from you, we have adapted to new working methods such as the AMSP platform for example,” said Mr. Martin Ngningaye, Chief Executive Officer of Afrique Média from Cameroon. He said the exchanges of audiovisual content have allowed audiences to discover the truth about China and learn more about the splendor, cultural diversity and tourism sites in the respective countries, and especially to realize the neutrality and rigor in the processing of information.

Media representatives also shared their opinions on covering significant international events and their future plans for Chinese and African media cooperation after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), as well as further development of the ALU at the meeting.

The event also saw the winners of the ALU News Awards from 2021 to 2022 being announced, honoring members that have made outstanding contributions to the development of the cooperation platform over the past year.

The ALU was initiated by CCTV+ and media organizations across Africa in 2016, aiming to promote media cooperation and exchanges between China and Africa.