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Dialogue with Foreign Experts on Two Sessions

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BEIJING, March 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — As China’s important annual political gatherings, the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), known as the “Two Sessions,” will convene on March 5 and March 4 respectively. The Two Sessions are of enormous importance in the country’s political calendar, during which development targets will be determined for the year and beyond. The upcoming Two Sessions offer observers, especially foreign experts, a window into the idea and practice of whole-process people’s democracy, its openness to embrace international talent, as well their own expectations on this year’s meetings. On the eve of the Two Sessions opening, Science and Technology Daily had the opportunity to interview three foreign experts who shared their thoughts on China’s Two Sessions. As part of our commitment to providing diverse perspectives, each of them brought unique and valuable insights into China’s development and its role in global growth. We hope that this series of unique viewpoints will offer our readers a deeper understanding of China and the issues that matter to those who live and work in the country.

Gaining Useful Knowledge from China’s Development

Having been committed to strengthening exchanges and cooperation between China and Azerbaijan through language and culture teaching in both countries for many years, Dr. Agshin Aliyev, an Azerbaijani sinologist, has gained an insightful perspective on China’s rapid development at all levels.

He hails China as a country that assumes greater responsibility for enhancing regional connectivity and embracing a brighter future, especially with the launch of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013.

Azerbaijan is one of the first countries to join the BRI and is now an indispensable link in the Initiative.

“China and Azerbaijan have a very long history of cultural exchanges dating back to the establishment of the Silk Road. Now the cooperation between the two countries has been deepened since the BRI,” said Aliyev, adding that not only economic and trade cooperation, but also educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries are improved in leaps and bounds, and tangible benefits have been brought to their people.

Commenting on the upcoming Two Sessions, Aliyev emphasized their importance not only for the Chinese people, but also for the world. “The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the expectation of ordinary people. The Chinese government is made up of experienced politicians and administrators who understand the feelings of the people and work for the benefit of the people,” he said.

As China remains committed to its reform and opening-up policy, more fruitful results will be achieved in the future. The whole world will gain useful knowledge as China continues to share its experience in lifting millions of people out of poverty and mitigating climate change, said Aliyev.

Aliyev is a founder and head of the Department of Azerbaijani Language at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and a visiting scholar at the Chinese Culture Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is also the founder and director of the China Research Center at Khazar University.

Global Significance of Two Sessions

Professor Goh Hui Hwang has followed China’s Two Sessions for a number of years. As a Malaysian scientist living and working in China, Goh is fully aware of the significance of these meetings and their impact on China’s and the world’s future.

Goh explained that the Two Sessions, which are held in March each year, address significant concerns in various aspects of China, and the outcomes receive extensive attention both domestically and internationally. He believes that the purpose of the Two Sessions is to convey the suggestions and opinions of the Chinese people to the government, so that the party and government can truly comprehend the desires and ideas of the people and protect their tangible interests.

As an educator currently working at Guangxi University (GXU), Goh is particularly concerned about China’s significant steps in sci-tech innovation and talent cultivation. He hopes that the Two Sessions will address the way to expand funding for scientific research, which he sees as a key issue for foreign experts in China. He lauded the fact that China has intensified its efforts to promote international sci-tech collaborations and exchanges, and also established a variety of programs to support the brightest minds in an effort to become a global magnet for talent and innovation.

“Science has no borders,” said Goh, adding that the Chinese government’s efforts in fostering a healthy atmosphere for sci-tech innovation have attracted many scholars to China, including himself, to serve the sci-tech community. As a foreign expert, his perspectives showcased the importance of international exchanges and cooperation in addressing common issues and challenges.

Goh said the Two Sessions not only provide a platform for the government to listen to its people’s desires and ideas, but also play a vital role in shaping the country’s policies and decisions. He applauds the positive measures in China’s opening-up to the world, especially in talent exchanges. “This is a significant issue closely related to foreign experts,” he said.

China’s Democracy: Institutional Guarantee of People’s Power

Italian scholar Rocco Lacorte described his impression of China as “Democratic, promising and socialist.” He currently serves as an associate professor at Nankai University (NKU).

Based on his observation, Lacorte considered China’s whole-process people’s democracy covers all sectors of society through electoral democracy, consultative democracy, and community-level democracy. He said that this whole-process people’s democracy embodies the Communist Party of China’s innovation in advancing China’s democratic theories, systems and practices and guarantees the “principal position of the people.”

According to Lacorte, the NPC is different from the legislative systems in many Western countries. It is designed to provide “an institutional guarantee” for the people to wield power that they have gained after the revolution and developed through the years, creating a stable and vital balance system of political decision-making. As the Two Sessions approach, Lacorte expects that the focus will be on addressing key issues related to social and economic development, as well as environmental problems. He said that China is already ahead of the West in terms of green policies.

On China’s policies in promoting international cooperation, Lacorte applauded China’s contribution to common development via global initiatives such as Belt and Road Initiative. “It is essential to recognize that true development and security cannot be achieved by a single country alone, but require joint efforts of many countries,” he said, adding that, “Development and security are only true if they are true for all.”

Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dialogue-with-foreign-experts-on-two-sessions-301762134.html

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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

CCTV+: Today’s China brims with vigor, vitality, resilience: Xi

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BEIJING, Jan. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Chinese President Xi Jinping Saturday said today’s China is a country full of vigor, vitality and resilience with dreams coming true thanks to persistent efforts of one generation after another.

Xi made the remarks while delivering an address to extend his best wishes to all the 1.4 billion Chinese people on the New Year’s Eve.

“Today’s China is a country where dreams become reality. The Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games concluded in a resounding success. Chinese winter sports athletes gave their all and achieved extraordinary results. Shenzhou-13, Shenzhou-14 and Shenzhou-15 soared into the heavens. China’s space station was fully completed and our ‘home in space’ is roving in the deep-blue sky. The people’s armed forces marked the 95th birthday and all service members are marching confidently on the great journey of building a strong military. China’s third aircraft carrier Fujian was launched. C919, China’s first large passenger aircraft, was delivered. And the Baihetan hydropower station went into full operation… None of these achievements would have been possible without the sweat and toil of the numerous Chinese people. Sparks of talent are coming together, and they are the strength of China!” he said.

“Today’s China is a country brimming with vigor and vitality. Various pilot free trade zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port are booming, innovations are gushing out in the coastal areas, development is picking up pace in the central and western regions, the momentum for revitalization is building in the northeast, and there is greater development and affluence in the border regions. The Chinese economy enjoys strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality. The fundamentals sustaining its long-term growth have remained strong. As long as we stay confident and strive for progress while maintaining stability, we will realize the goals we have set. On my visit to Hong Kong earlier this year, I was deeply glad to see that Hong Kong has restored order and is set to thrive again. With determined implementation of One Country, Two Systems, Hong Kong and Macao will surely enjoy long-term prosperity and stability,” he said.

“Today’s China is a country that keeps to its national character. In the course of 2022, we encountered various natural disasters including earthquakes, floods, droughts and wildfires, and experienced some workplace accidents. Amid those disconcerting and heartbreaking scenes, there have emerged numerous touching stories of people sticking together in face of adversity or even sacrificing their lives to help others in distress. Those heroic deeds will be forever etched in our memories. At every turn of the year, we always think of the great character of resilience that the Chinese nation has carried forward through millennia. It gives us still greater confidence as we continue our way forward,” he said.

“Today’s China is a country closely linked with the world. Over the past year, I have hosted quite a few friends, both old and new, in Beijing; I have also traveled abroad to communicate China’s propositions to the world. Changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace, and the world is not yet a tranquil place. We cherish peace and development and value friends and partners as we have always done. We stand firm on the right side of history and on the side of human progress. We work hard to contribute China’s wisdom and solutions to the cause of peace and development for all humanity,” he said.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVo0FrBjJHM

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Dialogue eyes key role of youth in RCEP region’s growth

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BEIJING, Dec. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The following article was published today by China Daily.

Investing in and empowering young people is vital for members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade pact to shore up sustained growth and accelerate global economic recovery amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, leading scholars and media executives said.

They made the call on Friday at the high-end RCEP Youth Dialogue themed “Pooling the strength of youth, promoting regional development”.

The dialogue, co-organized by China Daily, the China Institute for Reform and Development and China Oceanic Development Foundation, focused on the RCEP — a 15-nation free trade pact which was officially enacted on Jan 1.

The RCEP consists of all 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

The grouping accounts for around 30 percent of the world’s total population, economic output and trade.

Since taking effect this year, the RCEP has manifested enormous dynamism and huge potential for future development, speakers told the opening ceremony of the forum.

Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said, “The world economy has been struggling to recover in the face of multiple impacts. The prospects for the world economy next year remain far from rosy.”

As the free trade pact covering the largest population and size of economy and trade in the world in comparison with other pacts, the RCEP is “definitely going to further play its role as a stabilizer and a driver of the global economy”, he said.

In the first 10 months of this year, China’s total trade with the other 14 member states of the RCEP increased by 8.4 percent year-on-year, he noted.

“The RCEP substantially boosts the scale, quality and depth of regional economic integration, and it plays an important role in advancing the economic recovery, peace and stability of the entire region as well as the whole world, and boosting the well-being of the people,” Qu said.

In his speech, Qu called on young people in the RCEP member countries to pool their wisdom and create an enabling environment for the region’s development, boost mutual understanding among people in RCEP member states, and advance openness, cooperation and mutual benefit in the region.

Lyu Bin, president of China Oceanic Development Foundation, noted that the Asia-Pacific has become one of the most economically dynamic regions in the world, and it boasts a high level of trade liberalization.

“Over the past 100 to 200 years, the pivot of the global economy and trade was in Europe and North America. The founding of the RCEP symbolizes that the world economy is starting to shift its pivot to the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.

RCEP members now face opportunities brought by the free trade pact as well as unprecedented difficulties and challenges, he said.

The challenges include the lingering Ukraine crisis, the rocky future of global trade, dire problems in food and energy security and a possible stagnation of the world economy, he said.

“Effectively tapping into the opportunities for growth brought by the RCEP will surely further activate the potential for collaboration in various domains and make businesses in various countries better share the opportunities for development brought by the vast market,” he added.

According to a recent survey conducted by China Daily’s Generation Z Research Center, which polled 500 young people from 40 countries and regions worldwide, 90 percent of the respondents said they perceive the RCEP as “very important” or “fairly important”.

The respondents said they expect the RCEP to benefit international trade cooperation and development, and they believe that the implementation of the RCEP will also benefit young people.

Chi Fulin, president of China Institute for Reform and Development, noted that the total population of those aged 15 to 44 among RCEP member countries was 920 million last year, and the number will rise to 940 million in 2030.

“Amid the severe impact of the pandemic on the global economy and the upsurge of unilateralism and protectionism, joint building of the largest free trade zone in the world requires dedication and a sense of duty among young people in the region as well as efforts to inspire the their dynamism, creativity and influence,” Chi said.

He urged the RCEP to create a more open and inclusive environment for the development of young people, boost young people’s access to the digital economy, unlock the huge potential of the youth human resources and facilitate their entrepreneurship, employment and pursuit for vocational skills.

Chi also called for building more platforms such as advisory boards to help young business leaders engage in economic and trade governance and advancing cultural exchange programs.

By ZHANG YUNBI

PR Newswire

Meeting of Global Alliance of Leaders in Paris

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NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan, Dec. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — On November 29, 2022, meeting of Global Alliance of Leaders for Nuclear Security and Nuclear-Weapon-Free World (GAL), which unites political leaders, diplomats, experts, Nobel peace prize laureates, heads of international NGOs from 45 countries, was held at Dialogue of Continents forum in Paris.

Meeting of Global Alliance of Leaders in Paris
Meeting of Global Alliance of Leaders in Paris

The participants discussed challenges over the war in Ukraine during session “How to avoid nuclear war?”.

In her speech, Angela Kane, former UN Deputy Secretary-General, stressed that nuclear escalation became possible scenario in current geopolitical crisis.

“There are currently two risks. First is destruction of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant resulting in a nuclear catastrophe. Second scenario is possibility of using nuclear weapons. This conflict upended all progress that remained for past 60 years in arms control field,” – stressed the expert.

In turn, Urban Rusnak, former Secretary-General of Energy Charter, Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovak Republic, noted that in light of recent international events, steps taken by Kazakhstan on voluntary denuclearization are of particular value.

“Situation in Ukraine, which, like Kazakhstan, had nuclear potential and went through denuclearization, is of particular concern. Until recently, it was difficult to imagine that nuclear infrastructure facilities could become targets for attacks,” – stressed the speaker.

Ariel Cohen, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council, Director of Energy and Security Program (ITIC), focused audience’s attention on consequences of incidents involving nuclear reactors in a warzone. 

“If Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor security is compromised, that will raise catastrophic consequences not just for Ukraine, but for nuclear security in general. International mechanism to ensure security of nuclear power reactors is broken,” – summed up the expert.

Summing up the session, Kairat Abuseitov, a well-known Kazakhstani diplomat, from Nursultan Nazarbayev Foundation, noted that Kazakhstan has a unique example of voluntary denuclearization.

“The country possessed world’s fourth largest nuclear arsenal (in 1991). Kazakshtan had the right to be nuclear-weapon-state. But chose a different path,” – concluded the speaker.

In conclusion, participants agreed that lack of political will to resolve issues of nuclear non-proliferation is fraught with further escalation, and importance of dialogue platforms which could restore lost mutual trust between nuclear states is important as never before.  

GAL meeting was held during an official visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev to France. Kazakhstan, which produces 42% of world’s uranium, actively develop cooperation with France and EU in the field of peaceful atom and nuclear nonproliferation.

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

Global Times: SCO expands membership and intl appeal as President Xi outlines priorities of solidarity, shared benefits

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BEIJING, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states on Friday made fruitful achievements by signing the Samarkand Declaration and a raft of documents and statements for not only regional countries but also the international community, showing the world the organization’s and regional countries’ joint pursuit of stability and development amid a complicated global geopolitical situation.

The prospering organization is becoming a stronger force in upholding international order by appealing to more countries to join in, and playing a more important role on the global economic stage, such as serving as a stabilizing force of international energy and food markets. The region is working closely in doubling down on efforts in fighting terrorism in this region. The SCO represents an ideal international relationship that countries have long desired, said experts.

President Xi on Friday attended the restricted session of the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO. While delivering a keynote speech, he pointed out that since its founding more than 20 years ago, the SCO has upheld the Shanghai Spirit and succeeded in exploring a new path for the development of international organizations.

Xi also outlined several priorities going forward for the SCO state members, including staying committed to the Shanghai Spirit and enhancing solidarity and cooperation, maintaining strategic independence and safeguarding regional stability, pursuing inclusiveness and shared benefits in promoting development cooperation, and advancing the SCO expansion process and strengthening SCO institutions.

Zhu Yongbiao, executive director of the Research Center for the Belt and Road and director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Friday that the fruitful contents of the Samarkand Declaration showed that the SCO is marching toward becoming a more international organization from a regional organization, while its membership expands along with the member states’ issues of interest.

The Shanghai Spirit upheld by the SCO members could also be applied in dealing with international issues, Zhu said.

On Friday, SCO member states signed the Samarkand Declaration and issued statements on safeguarding global food security and energy security, addressing climate change, and maintaining a secure, stable and diversified supply chain.

Besides traditional regional security and development cooperation, the Samarkand Declaration also contained various international issues such as concern over unilateral protectionist actions that undermine the multilateral trading system. It also demonstrated that the SCO has become more mature and contributed more to the international governance system and improvement of the global order, Zhu said.

Calling for joint efforts to counter terrorism is an important part of the declaration. It noted that based on each country’s laws and coordination, state members are working to form common principles and stances on creating a unified list of banning terrorist, separatist and extremist activities.

The upgrading of various anti-terrorist institutions to a comprehensive security threat center as well as joint statements on issues including food security and climate change are a natural expansion after 20 years of the organization’s development, and is also a necessary move amid new security challenges facing the region, Zhu said.

In addition to stressing joint efforts on countering terrorism, the Samarkand Declaration has also expressed member states’ concerns over the security of outer space and other controversial fields.

“Member states stand for keeping outer space free from weapons of any kind and state the major importance of the unfailing implementation of the existing legal framework envisaging only the peaceful use of outer space,” the document says.

The SCO’s proposals on international issues have greatly boosted the UN’s significance and inclusiveness, as many international mechanisms represent the will of developed countries but do not give full consideration to developing countries, according to Zhu. 

Growing bigger with a better future

One of the most important achievements reached in Samarkand is the expansion of member states. The SCO was founded with six members in 2001 and has since expanded to eight, in addition to having four observer states and six dialogue partners. On Friday, a memorandum of obligations on Iran’s SCO membership was signed, and the SCO members began a process to admit Belarus to the SCO.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt will formally become SCO dialogue partners with the signing of relevant documents, and negotiations will be held on granting Bahrain, the Maldives and other states’ the status of dialogue partner.

Chinese analysts said that more countries are expected to apply to become full members of the SCO due to its growing attraction.

The attraction of SCO is that it helps member states safeguard their independence and sovereignty, provides them with broader space for cooperation, and enhances their international voice and influence. It also helps members effectively cope with changes in the international and regional situations, hedge external pressure and respond to security threats, and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation, Zhao Huirong, an Eastern European studies expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

Zhao said China and Russia, as founding members and permanent members of the UN Security Council, have an important leading role in the development of the SCO, and the two countries have common interests in promoting peace and development in the region, and putting forward many initiatives. The two countries have established a high level of strategic partnership of coordination, which to a large extent guarantees the stable development of the SCO, Zhao said.

SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming told media recently that many other countries have also expressed the hope that they can become members, observer states or dialogue partners.

The Shanghai Spirit, which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and pursuit of common development, is increasingly important in the current international environment amid hegemony and small cliques, and more countries that prefer multilateralism and peaceful development are attracted by the SCO as the organization can maintain unity and solve stability and development issues in the region, Yang Jin, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

Zhou Rong, a senior researcher at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of the Renmin University of China, said that the SCO has evolved from an organization mainly focusing on border safety cooperation to incorporating nations from a wider geographical context.

“It will become an organization that represents the emerging nations, which will play a pivotal role in safeguarding world stability and peace,” Zhou said.

Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-sco-expands-membership-and-intl-appeal-as-president-xi-outlines-priorities-of-solidarity-shared-benefits-301626719.html

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Decoding Taiwan’s Information Security Industry’s Dilemma

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TAIPEI, July 29, 2021 — Brain Shen, Chairman of Information Service Industry Association (CISA), has recently published an article titled "Decoding Taiwan’s Information Security Industry’s Dilemma", sharing the views of the Information Security development in Taiwan. The full text is as follows:

Brain Shen, Chairman of Information Service Industry Association (CISA)
Brain Shen, Chairman of Information Service Industry Association (CISA)

In November of 2017, Taiwan held the Information Security Industry Strategy Conference, and in 2018 Taiwan’s public sectors and private enterprises visited Israel to observe their Information Security (InfoSec) industry. These two events led to the formulation of the 2018-2025 Taiwan Information Security Industry Development Plan. Many parts of this plan refer to Israel’s InfoSec industry; however, it fails to take the differing industrial strengths and public roles of Taiwan and Israel into account. The result is that now, three years later, the Taiwan InfoSec industry has only seen severely limited growth marked by the complete absence of any sizeable InfoSec businesses.

Though the Taiwan InfoSec market is limited, many small-scale businesses do exist, an indication that there is still plenty of potential for innovation in the industry. Yet even though the industry is full of opportunities to capitalize on, in scale it remains stagnant. How the authority should develop an environment in which the InfoSec industry can flourish is a question of the utmost importance. I recommend that the authority should work to build an InfoSec ecosystem by integrating resources in the industry and assisting businesses with outsourcing; after all, in order for this industry to grow, it cannot rely solely on the Taiwan market.

How, then, should an environment for the InfoSec industry be constructed? First, public policies should be developed to guide large Taiwanese companies to invest in the industry, so that these enterprises become the focal and dominant firms in the InfoSec ecosystem. The fields in which they invest should enable them to integrate different kinds of InfoSec solutions, including providing InfoSec cloud services and developing products which combine software with hardware. Only when these focal firms come together to continually invest in the industry will it further drive the development of startups, as this would provide momentum to attract talent and spur innovation. Furthermore, as there is a severe lack of InfoSec talent in Taiwan, unless large-scale ICT companies are guided to invest in the InfoSec industry, the result will be a lack of industry-academia cooperation and the industry finding it hard to resolve the dearth of talent and major companies.

Current public policy favors expanding Taiwan InfoSec market, but doing so neglects the characteristics of Taiwanese enterprises: large international groups and financial holding companies in Taiwan will not risk utilizing the security solutions of small-scale InfoSec companies (these companies might not even have products suitable for large companies), and small and medium-sized enterprises favor products from foreign InfoSec companies, thus failing to benefit local small-scale InfoSec manufacturers.

I suggest the authority prioritize the efficiency of capital output and input. In order to do so, it must: 1) use tax policy to incentivize large-scale ICT manufacturers to invest in InfoSec development; 2) use the Taiwan Development Fund to set up an InfoSec investment fund in collaboration with large-scale ICT manufacturers, with a professional investment team handling the fund to invest in Taiwan InfoSec manufacturers; 3) establish Public Information Security Policies as important fields for Taiwan security solutions to develop in; 4) reward large-scale ICT manufacturers for global acquisitions of InfoSec startups; and 5) encourage large international InfoSec companies to set up research and development centers in Taiwan. Currently, there is sufficient funding in the InfoSec market; only by utilizing big data analysis combined with researchers in the field and policies dedicated to developing an industry ecosystem can we resolve the dilemma of stagnant growth in the InfoSec industry.

PR Newswire

The Global Self-Care Federation Highlights the Need to Take Action on Self-Care to Create Better Health Outcomes for All

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GENÈVE, Switzerland, July 23, 2021 — On the occasion of International Self-Care Day 2021 and WHO Self-Care month, The Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF) underscores the importance of acting on self-care by engaging in positive and consistent self-care practices. Self-care produces overwhelming long-term benefits for your personal health, while alleviating resources for the most vulnerable. Adopting good self-care habits beyond the pandemic is one of the best ways we can continue to protect ourselves, our communities and our healthcare professionals.

GSCF’s 2021 International Self-Care Day campaign focuses on the #SelfCarePromise theme, encouraging people to actively take control of their own health by making a personal commitment to embrace a specific self-care action.

"We’re delighted to see so many people make self-care promises to, for example, better monitor their own health, increase their daily activity or improve their own health literacy," said Judy Stenmark, Director General, GSCF. "We are seeing that people truly want to manage their own health, particularly during the pandemic. It is essential that we provide them with the adequate knowledge and resources to do so, which will help us to build more resilient health systems."

Part of this will involve strengthening policy frameworks to ensure they are coherent and fully support self-care. GSCF’s forthcoming ‘Self-Care Readiness Index’ due to be published in September, will serve as a practical tool for self-care advocates to better understand and recognize the critical enablers of self-care, and help countries to integrate self-care into their national health policies.

Read GSCF’s policy statement calling for the integration of self-care into the healthcare continuum.

About The Global Self-Care Federation

The Global Self-Care Federation represents associations and manufacturers in the self-care industry, promoting sustainable and better global health outcomes for all. The Global Self-Care Federation is the go-to source of information for the self-care industry. We work closely with our members and relevant stakeholder groups to deliver better choice, better care and better value. By placing the benefits of self-care at the heart of what we do, promoting industry transparency, and supporting the regulated use of health data, we ensure that self-care continues to play its increasingly vital role in sustainable healthcare, worldwide. For more information please visit: www.selfcarefederation.org.

About International Self-Care Day

International Self-Care Day is held annually on July 24th (7/24), to highlight that the benefits of self-care are experienced 24 hours a day, seven days a week. International Self-Care Day raises awareness of the value of self-care and the benefit that effective self-care can bring to both individuals and healthcare systems as a vital foundation of health.

Media Contact:
Fatima John-Sandoz
fatima.john-sandoz@leidar.com
+41 76 604 2425

Related Links :

https://www.selfcarefederation.org/

PR Newswire

Global Trade Defies Expectations in 2021 and Drives Recovery, Finds Latest DMCC Report on the ‘Future of Trade’

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The US-China relationship will be central to the shaping of global trade

Uptake of technologies will continue to transform global trade and trade financing

A new age of protectionism identified as a key risk

Sustainability remains top of the political and corporate agenda, despite the pandemic. Carbon pricing is set to emerge as a key global issue.

Full report can be accessed here: www.futureoftrade.com

DUBAI, UAE, June 9, 2021 — Global trade will rebound in 2021 after showing surprising resilience in 2020 despite the economic challenges posed by the pandemic, according to DMCC’s latest special edition Future of Trade 2021 report titled, "Defying predictions and driving the post-pandemic economic recovery."

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:  https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8910051-global-trade-defies-expectations-in-2021-latest-dmcc-report-future-of-trade/

The report released today highlights that global trade will underpin strong global economic growth in 2021 and beyond, with the US and Chinese economies leading the way. This growth has defied expectations of double-digit annual declines, which had been estimated between 13-32% by the World Trade Organisation. For example, Dubai, a major trade hub, saw its foreign trade growth rebound significantly in 2020, despite the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the second half of 2020 seeing a particularly strong jump in trade volumes, of 6% year-on-year. Dubai’s overall export values jumped 8% in 2020, on an annual basis. 

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said: "In 2020, the outlook for global trade was bleak as the world sought to grapple with the impact of the pandemic. Today, the picture is much more positive, as evidenced by the findings of our latest Special Edition Future of Trade – 2021 report. But while global trade has shown its resilience, it is simultaneously in the midst of profound change. Technology, changing consumer behaviours, the drive to combat climate change, and geopolitics will all be key contributors to its reshaping in the years ahead. In this context, our research puts forward a number of tangible recommendations to governments and businesses seeking to navigate this new landscape and accelerate the recovery from the pandemic."

According to the research, the most transformative element of the global trade outlook is technology. Blockchain, decentralised finance (DeFi) and other new and disruptive technologies will further accelerate trade growth. For example, DeFi protocols have seen a considerable amount of funds invested. Since the start of 2021 alone, the total value locked into DeFi has tripled from approximately USD 20bn to USD 60bn. As digital infrastructures grow, they will continue to accelerate a ground-breaking shift in trade from the national to the global.

On the geopolitical front, fears of protectionist policies persist and are propelled by ongoing US-China trade tensions, rising economic nationalism, and the widening economic disparity between lower and middle-income economies. Alongside this, in a significant development for sustainability and global trade, the EU’s drive to harness a carbon pricing practice, under the anticipated Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), or "Carbon Pricing," has been criticised as a form of protectionism, and as such, has the potential to further exacerbate existing geopolitical tensions. The findings suggest that while a "new age of protectionism" is a key risk in the wake of the pandemic and increasing discussions around US-China decoupling, outright protectionism will be kept at bay because it is costly, unpredictable, and impacts jobs. Instead, economic nationalism is more likely to occur.

While there were fears that the pandemic would see sustainability drop down the political and corporate agenda, that has not been the case. Rather, China, Japan, the US, South Korea and Canada are among nations to have announced more aggressive net zero targets. Further, companies and investors have ramped up their sustainability efforts and they are set to grow exponentially in the years ahead. For its part, CBAM has the potential to significantly disrupt international trade and raises questions around how to accurately measure emissions from complex supply chains. Once again, technology and artificial intelligence may provide at least part of the answer for companies and governments seeking to make accurate assessments relating to sustainability within their trade agendas.

During the launch event, global trade experts joined a panel discussion to share their views on the report. Panellists included Khatija Haque, Head of Research & Chief Economist, Emirates NBD; Roberta Piermartini, Chief of Trade Cost Analysis, World Trade Organisation; Yanislav Malahov, crypto and blockchain technology expert and Founder of Aeternity; and Marcus Treacher, Chief Executive Officer of CB Investment Growth Holdings and Board Member of Clear Bank and RTGS Global.

To read the full report by DMCC, please visit: www.futureoftrade.com.

About DMCC

Headquartered in Dubai, DMCC is the world’s most interconnected Free Zone, and the leading trade and enterprise hub for commodities. Whether developing vibrant neighbourhoods with world-class property like Jumeirah Lakes Towers and the much-anticipated Uptown Dubai, or delivering high performance business services, DMCC provides everything its dynamic community needs to live, work and thrive. Made for Trade, DMCC is proud to sustain and grow Dubai’s position as the place to be for global trade today and long into the future. www.dmcc.ae

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Download the future of trade report by DMCC www.futureoftrade.com
Download the future of trade report by DMCC www.futureoftrade.com

 

 

 

Related Links :

https://www.dmcc.ae