2015年12月31日星期四
Hollande, Merkel, Putin, Poroshenko stress importance of Minsk Protocol full implementation
Leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine stressed Wednesday the importance of the "full implementation" of the Minsk Protocal in 2016.
French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko made a phone conversation on Wednesday, French Presidential office the Elysee said in a press release.
The four leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to reach "a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine" and the "immediate concerted withdrawal of heavy weapons", said the press release.
According to Elysee, the Normandy format leaders discussed the "preparations of local elections in Donbass scheduled for beginning of next year".
The four leaders agreed to hold another meeting of foreign ministers of the Normandy group which should review the implementation of the Minsk Protocol by the beginning of February, the Elysee added.
Turkey to end visa-free entry for Syrians from third country
Turkey will require visa from Syrian citizens arriving from third countries, hoping to address illegal migration, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
The arrangement will take effect as of Jan. 8, 2016, for Syrians arriving in Turkey by sea or air, the ministry said.
The new regulation aims to tackle illegal migration and only applies to Syrians arriving from countries other than Syria.
"Turkey will continue its open door policy for Syrians entering land borders as part of humanitarian consideration would not ask visa," the ministry said.
A deal between Turkey and Syria in 2009 allowed visa-free entry to citizens of both countries, but ties between Ankara and Damascus have deteriorated since the Syria crisis erupted and Turkey stepped up to prevent illegal crossings of Syrians arriving from third countries.
The move came as the European Union and Turkey reached a deal in November to stem the refugee flow from Europe.
Senior N.Korean official dies
China on Wednesday expressed its condolences to the death of Kim Yang-gon, a senior party official of North Korea, who on Wednesday was announced killed in a car crash on Tuesday.
Kim, 73, served as director of the United Front Department and secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) before his death.
He became a member of the political bureau of the WPK Central Committee in February 2015.
China said Kim had made positive achievements in promoting the relations between the two countries.
"Comrade Kim Yang-gon has long been committed to developing China-DPRK relations," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said. "He has, in particular, made active contributions to high-level exchanges between both sides and parties."
South Korea's Unification Ministry also said that it delivered condolences to the United Front Department, in the name of Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo.
North Korea's state news agency KCNA spoke highly of the life of Kim, hailing him as a "loyal revolutionary warrior" of the North's late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il and the "closest comrade-in-arms" of current top leader Kim Jong-un.
The KCNA said Kim Yang-gon's exploits will leave a long legacy.
Kim Yang-gon was committed to the independent reunification of the Korean Peninsula and fully implemented the teachings of the two late leaders in terms of national reunification, it said.
His death was a "huge loss" for the party and the people, as he has shown "noble loyalty and strong ability" in devoting himself to the party's undertakings, it noted.
A state funeral committee has been set up, which is chaired by top leader Kim Jong-un. A state funeral procession will be held on Thursday.
On October 4, 2014, Kim Yang-gon was sent to attend the closing ceremony of Incheon Asia Games in South Korea, along with two other senior officials, Hwang Pyong-so and Choe Ryong-hae, in a bid to improve inter-Korean ties.
This was the highest-level delegation dispatched to South Korea since Kim Jong-un took power in 2011.
Kim Yang-gon also took part in marathon negotiations following a rare exchange of fire at the North-South border in August.
The two Koreas finally reached a six-point agreement to defuse rising tensions, including plans to hold inter-governmental meetings and reunions for separated families split by the 1950-53 Korean War.
Hotline goes live across Straits
A hotline between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan was officially put into operation on Wednesday as chiefs of cross-Straits affairs from both sides affirmed the achievements made in promoting cross-Straits ties under the 1992 Consensus in their first conversation on the line, said a mainland spokesperson.
Ma Xiaoguang, with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a Wednesday press conference that both sides have been further implementing the 1992 Consensus after a meeting between Mr Xi Jinping and Mr Ma Ying-jeou last month. Many achievements have been made in this regard, according to the conversation between the office's director, Zhang Zhijun, and Taiwan's mainland affairs chief, Andrew Hsia.
The mainland and Taiwan agreed to set up a hotline between the chiefs of cross-Strait affairs from both sides during the historic Xi-Ma meeting in Singapore on November 7.
Zhang and Hsia also exchanged New Year greetings during the conversation, Ma said, adding that the hotline will facilitate communication on important cross-Straits issues to enhance mutual understanding and trust and maintain a common basis and correct direction for the development of ties.
"The hotline will guarantee a direct communication between the two chiefs and will better get their message across while avoiding misjudgment," Hu Benliang, an expert on Taiwan studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Business warned
Ma maintained the mainland's support and encouragement to cross-Straits communication and cooperation in various fields for mutual benefits, but also reiterated that the mainland will never tolerate "a small number of people who make money on the mainland with one hand and support separatist activities to undermine cross-Straits relations with the other."
The mainland announced new measures to ease restrictions on Taiwan investment. From January 1, 2016, 24 sectors, including advertising, packaging, and clothing, will be open to individually owned businesses from the Taiwan island.
The mainland has been welcoming businesses from Taiwan in recent years as it tried to warm up the cross-Straits ties via all-channel communication, Hu said.
"Taiwan businessmen have been growing reliant on the mainland market which offers many opportunities and losing this big market will incur great losses," Hu noted.
Hu added that Ma's remark may also serve as a warning to all as the island's regional election draws near. "Businesses should be aware that severed cross-Straits ties will also jeopardize their own interests in the mainland."
According to the Taipei-based Want Daily, a delegation of ruling Kuomingtang (KMT) party members and supporters recently called for Taiwan businessmen in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province to vote for the KMT and some 700 Taiwan businessmen reportedly voiced their support. The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is widely believed likely to be the victor in the upcoming election.
At the Wednesday conference, Ma also noted that adhering to the 1992 Consensus is the common political ground for the mainland and Taiwan. This has brought about peaceful and stable relations across the Straits as well as substantial benefits for people on both sides.
Ma also stressed that the core of the 1992 Consensus is "one China" principle and their relations are not "country-to-country."
Offshore yuan up after ‘possible’ govt market intervention
The offshore yuan's exchange rate gained more than 300 basis points in about 40 minutes on Wednesday afternoon, after slumping 600 basis points in three days to 6.6 against the US dollar - the lowest level in nearly five years.
Experts have noted that it is likely that the Chinese government stepped in to curb the falling trend.
Xi Junyang, a professor with the Department of Finance at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the government might have taken some measures, such as asking overseas Chinese banks to increase holdings of the yuan and sell the US dollar, to lift the yuan's offshore exchange rate.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that the People's Bank of China (PBC), China's central bank, has suspended at least three foreign banks from conducting foreign exchange business until the end of March 2016, citing three anonymous sources. Included among the suspended business are "some services related to cross-border, onshore and offshore businesses," Reuters said.
According to Xi, the offshore yuan is now considered more reflective of the real market demand for the currency, and its fluctuation often influences the yuan's onshore exchange rates to a great extent. Therefore, for the sake of stability, the government does not want the yuan's offshore exchange rate to be too volatile.
Xi also noted that the government does not want the gap between the yuan's onshore and offshore exchange rates to widen too much, in order to avoid any large-scale speculative capital flow.
The offshore yuan's appreciation came after its exchange rate dropped for three days and reached a five-year low on Wednesday afternoon.
"The US dollar is strong, while the exchange rates of many currencies in developing countries have dropped. This has caused many overseas investors to bet that the Chinese currency would depreciate further. That's why they decided to dump the yuan recently," Xi commented.
The yuan's onshore exchange rate also slumped 0.08 percent to the lowest level since May 2011 on Wednesday. The PBC adjusted the yuan's central parity rate against the US dollar to 1: 6.489, the lowest level since the Chinese government adjusted its central parity exchange rate system on August 12.
Tan Yaling, head of the China Forex Investment Research Institute, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the yuan's recent depreciation is "reasonable."
"First, China's real economy is still facing downward pressure, and that doesn't support the yuan becoming stronger against the US dollar," she noted.
Tan also pointed out that the yuan had been appreciating for a long period of time, going up by nearly 40 percent.
"Considering that fact, the yuan's depreciation this year has been entirely reasonable," she said.
It is the Chinese government's principle to stabilize both the onshore and offshore exchange rates of the yuan, Tan said.
Tan also estimated that the yuan's exchange rate would further drop against the US dollar in 2016, as the real Chinese economy is likely to slip further.
Philippines signs up to AIIB articles
Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III has approved the country's participation in the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), senior government officials said Wednesday.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Aquino gave his go-ahead signal following the recommendation of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima.
In a separate statement, Purisima said the Philippines will be signing the Articles of Agreement (AOA) of the AIIB before the end of the year.
The government believes that the AIIB will augment and complement existing multilateral institutions in accelerating economic growth, he said.
In a globalized world, connectivity is the name of the game and the AIIB is a "promising institution" addressing investment needs, and will help close financing gaps in many countries, he said.
"I also see this as a chance for greater collaboration with member countries, especially with ASEAN, on regional infrastructure goals," he said.
The Asian Development Bank has estimated Philippine infrastructure financing needs from 2010 through 2020 to be at $127.12 billion, requiring an annual investment of $11.56 billion.
2015年12月29日星期二
Taliban claims responsibility for NW Pakistan suicide blast
A group of Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility of the government office attack in Pakistan's northwest Mardan district that has left 21 people killed on Tuesday afternoon, local media reported.
Express News reported that the group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, that split away from Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan in 2014 and rejoined it in March 2015 amid fears of isolation, took credit for the attack in a telephone call to media.
Sayyad Khan, Deputy Inspector General Police, confirmed that 18 people were killed and 47 others injured in the blast, but the latest reports by local media said that the death toll has risen to 21.
Khan said that a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden motorbike at the main gate of the National Database Registration
Authority (Nadra) located at Dosehra Chowk area of Mardan in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
He said that the attacker wanted to blow himself up inside the building, but rammed his bike into the gate after a security guard stopped him for security check.
Khan added that the blast happened when a number of people were lining up inside the Nadra office for getting their National Identity Card.
The bomb disposal squad said that an estimated eight kilograms of explosive materials were used by the suicide bomber who was 22 to 23 years old.
The injured people have been shifted to District Hospital and Mardan Medical complex by the rescue teams where several of them are said to be in critical condition.
Eight seriously injured people were shifted to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's capital city Peshawar where two of them succumbed to injuries.
The Nadra building was also damaged in the blast.
Police cordoned off the area for investigations.
China classifies state firms for targeted reforms
China on Tuesday unveiled a guideline to divide the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) into strictly commercial entities and those that serve governmental ends, such as power and healthcare suppliers.
The guideline, published by the Ministry of Finance, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), follows a blueprint issued in September. The blueprint promised to modernize SOEs, improve management of state assets and promote mixed ownership.
"One-size-fit-all reforms are less effective than targeted reforms that are tailored on the basis of SOE classification," a SASAC official told Xinhua.
According to Tuesday's guideline, mixed-ownership is encouraged in both kinds of SOEs to reduce the dominance of state companies and ensure better management.
Public feedback will have a bigger weighting when authorities assess the performance of SOEs that serve social purposes, while commercial SOEs will be mainly assessed by their competitiveness and profitability, according to the guideline.
The authorities also pledged to step back and leave more freedom for managers.
China has about 150,000 SOEs, which hold more than 100 trillion yuan (15.7 trillion US dollars) in assets and employ over 30 million people. Many have become ossified by declining profitability due to a lack of competition. Some earned the nickname "zombie enterprises," muddling along with government bailouts.
WHO hails end of Ebola transmission in Guinea
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday declares the end of Ebola virus transmission in the Republic of Guinea as 42 days have passed since the last person confirmed to have Ebola virus disease tested negative for the second time.
WHO hailed the end of Ebola transmission in Guinea marks an important milestone in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
The original chain of transmission started two years ago in Gueckedou district, Guinea in late December 2013 and drove the outbreak which spread to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone and, ultimately, by land and air travel to seven other countries.
A total of 28,601 confirmed, probable, and suspected Ebola cases cumulatively reported in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, claiming 11,300 deaths.
Guinea now enters a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to ensure that any new cases are identified quickly before they can spread to other people.
"This is the first time that all three countries have stopped the original chains of transmission that were responsible for starting this devastating outbreak two years ago," said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Moeti commended the governments, communities and partners for their determination in confronting this epidemic to get to this milestone, adding "we need to stay vigilant to ensure that we rapidly stop any new flares that may come up in 2016."
In addition to the original chain of transmission, there have been 10 new small Ebola flares between March and November 2015. These appear to have been due to the re-emergence of a persistent virus from the survivor population.
WHO said among the challenges survivors have faced is that after recovering from Ebola virus disease and clearing the virus from their bloodstream, the virus may persist in the semen of some male survivors for as long as 9 to 12 months.
WHO and its partners are working with the governments of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to help ensure that survivors have access to medical and psychosocial care, screening for persistent virus, as well as counseling and education to help them reintegrate into family and community life, reduce stigma and minimize the risk of Ebola virus transmission.
In Sierra Leone, human-to-human transmission linked to the primary outbreak was declared to have ended on Nov. 7.
WHO said human-to-human transmission linked to the recent cluster of cases in Liberia will be declared to have ended next month, if no further cases are reported.
Belgium arrests terror plotters
Belgian police have arrested two people suspected of plotting attacks in Brussels during New Year celebrations, just weeks after the jihadist bombings and shootings in Paris were allegedly planned in Belgium.
The federal prosecutor's office in Brussels, the home of the EU and NATO, said Tuesday that police seized military-style training uniforms, computer hardware and Islamic State (IS) propaganda material in raids in various parts of the country.
But investigators said the police action on Sunday and Monday was not linked to the wave of deadly attacks in Paris in November which were claimed by the IS group and which France says were prepared in Belgium.
One of the two was arrested on suspicion of planning attacks as well as "playing a lead role in the activities of a terrorist group and recruiting for terrorist acts," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
The second faced charges of planning and "participating in the activities of a terrorist group," it said.
"The investigation cast a light on serious threats of attacks believed to be aimed at several emblematic sites in Brussels and carried out during the end-of-year celebrations."
In light of the "serious" threats, Belgium's OCAM national crisis center late Monday raised its alert level for police and soldiers in Brussels, "which could be symbolic targets," said a spokesman.
In the last year, the Belgian authorities have deployed troops in addition to police reinforcements outside many locations in Brussels, including EU buildings and foreign diplomatic missions, as fears of jihadist attacks have grown.
The two new suspects were arrested during raids in the Brussels area, in the Flemish Brabant area to the north of the capital and near Liege in the eastern part of Belgium's southern French-speaking region of Wallonia.
The raids, which were ordered by an investigating magistrate in Brussels who specializes in terrorism cases, turned up neither weapons nor explosives.
A total of six people were detained, including the two suspected of plotting attacks, but the four others were later released, the prosecutor's office said.
It said investigators were examining seized computer hardware, uniforms and IS propaganda material but declined to release any details about the suspects as the investigation was ongoing.
The Belgian authorities are still looking for suspects linked to the November 13 attacks on a Paris concert hall, restaurants, bars and the national stadium which left 130 people dead and hundreds more wounded.
9 detained in Shenzhen for spreading IS attack rumors
A public security bureau in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, announced Monday that two senior executives have been detained for spreading rumors about the arrival of 300 Islamic State (IS) militants from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
The Guangming district Public Security Bureau announced on its official Sina Weibo account that two executives surnamed Yin and Ma told their staff at a Shenzhen-based company on Saturday that they had received calls from public security authorities saying that police were on alert in anticipation of IS jihadists coming to Shenzhen.
Yin and Ma posted a notice on Saturday, claiming that "Shenzhen police are on alert as 300 IS members have arrived."
The two were detained by police on Sunday for spreading rumors about terrorism, according to the announcement.
Another seven people in Shenzhen, including a 17-year-old girl, reportedly were detained for also circulating rumors related to terrorism online last week.
The rootless rumors declared that terrorists had arrived in Shenzhen and had committed several horrible killings.
China's top legislature on Sunday adopted the country's first counter-terrorism law in the latest attempt to address terrorism at home and help maintain world security.
DPRK senior party official Kim Yang Gon killed in car accident
Kim Yang Gon, a senior party official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), was killed in a car crash Tuesday, the official KCNA news agency reported Wednesday morning.
Before his death, Kim, 73, served as director of the United Front Department and secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). He became a member of the political bureau of the WPK Central Committee in February 2015.
The DPRK state media spoke highly of the life of Kim, hailing him as a "loyal revolutionary warrior" of the DPRK's late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and the "closest comrade-in-arms" of current top leader Kim Jong Un.
The KCNA said Kim Yang Gon's exploits will leave a legacy for long.
Kim has been committed to the independent reunification of the Korean Peninsula and fully implemented the teachings of the two late leaders in terms of national reunification, it said.
Kim's death was a "huge loss" for the party and the DPRK people, as Kim has shown "noble loyalty and strong ability" in devoting himself to the party's undertakings, it added.
A state funeral committee has been set up, which is chaired by top leader Kim Jong Un. A state funeral procession will be held Thursday morning.
On Oct. 4, 2014, Kim Yang Gon was sent to attend the closing ceremony of Incheon Asia Games in South Korea, along with two senior officials -- Hwang Pyong So and Choe Ryong Hae, in a bid to improve inter-Korean ties. This was the highest-level delegation dispatched to South Korea since Kim Jong Un took power in 2011.
Kim Yang Gon also took part in marathon negotiations following a rare exchange of fire at the North-South border in August. The two Koreas finally reached a six-point agreement to defuse the rising tensions, including plans to hold inter-governmental meetings and reunions for separated families split by the 1950-53 Korean War.
West’s criticism of Chinaʼs anti-terror law a bluff
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China on Sunday passed the country's first-ever Counter-terrorism Law with an unanimous vote, which will take effect on January 1, providing legal support to the nation's anti-terrorism action as well as cooperation with the international community.
From the first draft to the final approval, the law has drawn criticism from the West over possible infringement of human rights and freedom of expression. The US State Department spokeswoman Gabrielle Price said last week that the law "would lead to greater restrictions on the exercise of freedoms of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and religion within China."
The anti-terrorism law clearly addresses the concern. According to the law, "terrorist activities shall be punished in accordance with the law and human rights shall be respected and safeguarded to protect citizens' lawful rights, interests and freedom." It means the process of carrying out the law will be regulated, and violations of people's legal rights will be prevented, which is an important principle of the newly adopted law.
The law strikes a balance between strengthening of counter-terrorism measures and the respect and protection of human rights.
For one thing, quite a few clauses in the law have specified that legal rights of citizens and organizations must be respected and protected.
For another, given the definition of "terrorism" in the new law - proposition or activity that "infringes on personal and property rights, and menaces government organs and international organizations," effectively preventing and cracking down on terrorism itself amounts to safeguarding human rights.
Anti-terrorism measures and regulations have been enacted all over the world. Take the US for example. The controversial Patriot Act, a US anti-terror law enacted in 2001, granted the country power to "bypass strict European privacy laws to acquire citizen data within the European Union," according to the CBS News. The USA Freedom Act, which entered into force on June 2 this year, allows the bulk collection of the US citizens' metadata by phone companies and various business records that the government could search later.
China's rules must, of course, be made by China. How to make the rules is entirely up to the Chinese people.
Americans will never pay for the harm caused by a terror attack in China, and the US' intervention in China's internal affairs is also motivated by its own interest.
Audit finds $38 billion in misused funds
China's top auditing body has found more than 250 billion yuan ($38 billion) in misused funds in its recent audit, with analysts saying the anti-graft campaign will pick up in 2016.
Liu Jiayi, head of the National Audit Office (NAO), said at the national auditing work conference on Monday that the NAO conducted audits on more than 20,000 officials, and found misused funds of more than 250 billion yuan. Liu said NAO had handed over 321 officials and related staff to judicial and discipline inspection authorities.
Audit authorities have been promoting the efficient use of funds, the smooth implementation of projects and identifying malpractices, said Liu, adding that authorities have audited 700,000 companies or institutions and retrieved over 1.7 trillion yuan.
"The top auditor has played an important role in cracking down on corruption. And the Party strengthened its anti-graft campaign in 2015 by arresting corrupt officials and punishing them," Deng Lianfan, an anti-corruption expert from Hunan Province, told the Global Times on Monday.
In 2015, more than 30 ministerial level officials from 31 provinces were placed under investigation for violating Party disciplines, and the anti-corruption campaign expanded to other branches, including the military, judicial departments, State-owned enterprises and regulatory agencies, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) began a new round of investigations into major State-owned enterprises in November 2014, and dozens of senior officials in the petrochemical, coal and telecom sectors have been probed.
Senior officials in State-dominated industries have been arrested, including the former chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation and the chairman of the FAW Group.
"Going after 'both tigers and flies' - corrupt high- and low-level officials - responds to the needs of the Party and country," Zhang Xien, a Shandong University professor, told the Global Times.
Complex situation
But it also shows how complex the situation is, that even if the Party imposes strict rules and regulations on officials many are still willing to take the risk, said Zhang.
President Xi Jinping said in a written interview with the Wall Street Journal in September that "As we go further into the anti-corruption campaign, we will focus more on institution-building so that officials will not dare and cannot afford to be corrupt and, more importantly, will have no desire to take that course."
In October, the Communist Party of China Central Committee published new rules on clean government and sanctions on those who violate the Party code of conduct, aiming to improve the management of its 88 million members.
The rules state that Party members must separate public and private interests, put the public's interests first, and work selflessly. And they require members to live a simple life and guard against extravagance.
According to the Guangming Daily, 145,432 officials have been investigated for allegedly violating the CPC's eight-point frugality campaign started in December 2012.
"Establishing an efficient and clean government workforce is very important. Having a strict system of rewards and punishments could help curb corruption," Zhu Lijia, a professor of public management at the Chinese Academy of Governance, told the Global Times.
Provincial governments should provide more support to the CCDI, which has played a major role in pushing the current anti-graft campaign, said Zhu.
Deng also said that pushing the anti-graft campaign nationally should not only rely on the CCDI.
"Party discipline inspection agencies at all levels should take greater responsibility in supervising their officials. Judicial systems, audit authorities and the media should join hands in monitoring discipline violators," said Deng.
China provides over 140 billion yuan to low-income groups
China has provided more than 140 billion yuan (21.6 billion USdollars) to low-income residents over the past 11 months, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) on Monday.
China has some 66.5 million people, five percent of its total population, receiving subsistence allowances. The cash subsidy standard for each urban resident is 439 yuan per month, and 255 yuan for rural residents, the MCA said.
The MCA also announced 45.5 million people with financial difficulties were offered medical services from January to September, with 15.3 billion yuan spent on the scheme.
Minister of Civil Affairs Li Liguo said the government will resolutely speed up the poverty relief work. Li also warned China is faced with the large, looming challenge of an aging population and called for a coordinated social assistance mechanism.
Iraq ‘liberates’ Ramadi from IS
Iraq declared the city of Ramadi liberated from the Islamic State (IS) group on Monday and raised the national flag over its government complex after clinching a landmark victory against the jihadists.
Fighters brandishing rifles danced in the Anbar provincial capital as top commanders paraded through the streets after recapturing the city they lost to IS in May.
Pockets of jihadists may remain but the army said it no longer faced any resistance and that its main task was to defuse the countless bombs and traps IS left behind.
"Ramadi has been liberated and the armed forces of the counter-terrorism service have raised the Iraqi flag above the government complex," Brigadier General Yahya Rasool announced on state television.
The former government headquarters in Ramadi was the epicenter of the fighting but Iraqi forces did not rush in when IS pulled out because the entire area was rigged.
"Daesh has planted more than 300 explosive devices on the roads and in the buildings of the government complex," said Brigadier General Majid al-Fatlawi of the army's 8th division.
Several local officials said IS used civilians as human shields to escape the battle when it became clear their last stand in Ramadi was doomed.
A senior army commander said that his forces were still sweeping the outskirts of the city for potential pockets of jihadists.
IS had an estimated force of around 400 fighters to defend central Ramadi a week ago. It is not clear how many were killed and how many were able to pull back to positions outside the city.
The Iraqi authorities did not divulge any casualty figures for the federal forces but medics said that close to 100 wounded government fighters were brought to Baghdad hospitals on Sunday alone.
"The dead bodies are taken directly to the main military hospital" near the airport, said one hospital source, explaining why he could not provide a death toll.
The US-led anti-IS coalition praised the performance of the Iraqi forces in retaking Ramadi, an operation in which it played a significant role, training local forces, arming them and carrying out what it said were 600 air strikes since July.
The speaker of Iraq's parliament was one of the first top officials to congratulate the security forces on their victory late Sunday.
Ship carrying low-enriched uranium departs from Iran for Russia: US
A ship carrying over 25,000 pounds (11,000 kg) low-enriched uranium materials departed from Iran for Russia, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday, calling it "one of the most significant steps Iran has taken toward fulfilling its commitments."
"I am pleased to report that we have seen important indications of significant progress towards Iran completing its key nuclear commitments under the deal," Kerry said in a statement.
The shipment included the removal of all of Iran's nuclear material enriched to 20 percent that was not already in the form of fabricated fuel plates for the Tehran Research Reactor, he said.
Under the nuclear deal reached by Iran and world powers in July, Iran is required to ship out all except 300 kilograms of low-enriched uranium.
Monday's shipment more than triples the previous two- to three-month breakout timeline for Iran to acquire enough weapons grade uranium for one weapon, Kerry said, hailing it "an important piece of the technical equation that ensures an eventual breakout time of at least one year by Implementation Day."
Implementation Day will come when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verifies that Iran has completed all of these nuclear commitments, which increase Iran's breakout time to obtain enough nuclear material for a weapon to one year, up from less than 90 days before the July agreement.
In the statement, Kerry commended Russia for playing "an essential role" in making the shipment possible by taking material out of Iran and providing natural uranium in exchange. He added that Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Norway also contributed to the effort.
The US will remain vigilant to ensure that the implementation of the nuclear deal "achieves exactly what we set out to do from the very beginning of these negotiations, to ensure that Iran's nuclear program is and always remains exclusively for peaceful purposes," Kerry said.
The P5+1 group, namely the US, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany, reached the comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran on July 14.
The accord, titled "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," would provide sanctions relief for Iran in exchange for limits on its controversial nuclear program.
2015年12月28日星期一
2015年12月27日星期日
Developers hope AI will be able to ace gaokao in near future
Time is right for innovative new domestic theories of economics to emerge in China
Survey shows 95% support French reporter’s expulsion
Some 95 percent of people polled online supported the Chinese foreign ministry's decision to expel a French journalist for her comments on terrorism, a survey has shown.
The poll conducted by huanqiu.com, a website affiliated with the Global Times Chinese edition, shows that as of 7 pm on Sunday, 198,210 votes were cast in favor of the decision to expel Ursula Gauthier, or 94.5 percent of the total. 11,607 voted against it.
China's foreign ministry on Saturday confirmed that China has refused to renew the press credentials of Gauthier.
Spokesman Lu Kang said Gauthier had offended the Chinese people with an article published on November 18 in which she overtly voiced support for terrorist activities.
In the article, she blamed the government policy in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region for terrorist attacks.
Gauthier is a Beijing-based correspondent for French news magazine L'Obs.
Lu said Gauthier failed to apologize to the Chinese people for her wrong words and that it is no longer suitable for her to work in China.
China ensures the legal rights of foreign media organizations and journalists covering China stories, but will never tolerate the "freedom" to speak for terrorism, said the spokesman.
Gauthier needs to leave China by December 31. In her story, she suggested China was using the Paris attacks to justify its "crackdown" on the ethnic minority Uyghur group.
"It's clear that the West has adopted a double standard on terrorism … Imagine how the French public would react if someone calls the Paris attack an inevitable result of its policy on Muslim immigrants," Li Wei, an anti-terrorism expert at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.
France bans anyone from covering their face in public, which extends to full-face or full-body veils worn by Muslim women.
"I think the issue is rooted in the differences in ideology between China and the West … The double standard from the West has for a long time impeded global cooperation on counterterrorism," Li noted.
Zhu Yongbiao, assistant director of the Institute of Central Asia Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Sunday that the poll results, which show a 95 percent support for the foreign ministry, is a sign that the French reporter's article has crossed a moral baseline. "In the face of terror attacks, comments [from media] should not be influenced by politics or a reporter's opinion on a certain administration or political party," Zhu said.
China's online retail volume to top other countries: commerce minister
China's online retail volume is expected to outperform the rest of the world by reaching four trillion yuan (618 billion USdollars) this year, Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said Sunday.
China has attained key targets outlined by the 12th Five-Year Plan by the end of 2015 to become a genuine giant trader, Gao said at a national meeting on commerce work.
China is now home to over 80,000 trade markets and total retail sales of consumer goods would reach 30 trillion yuan this year with consumption contributing to about 60 percent of total GDP growth, Gao said.
In the past five years, China's exports of goods grew at an annual average of 6.5 percent, with its share in the global market rising form 10.4 percent in 2010 to about 13.2 percent in 2015, faring much better than major global economies. Service trade grew over 13.6 percent each year, marking the world's second largest service trader.
China's actual use of foreign capital during the 2010-2015 period is expected to reach 620 billion USdollars with the tertiary sector taking over 60 percent of total foreign capital. Outbound direct investment grew at 14.2 percent annually.
China is expected to receive foreign direct investment worth 135 billion USdollars both in financial and non-financial sectors in 2015, according to Gao.
The Belt and Road Initiative is the highlight of the year, with trade volume with related countries amounting for about one quarter of the total, investment in over 50 overseas trade cooperation zones and contracting over 3,000 construction projects.
China will continue to improve market environment and tap consumption potential while developing complementary cross-border industrial and value chain with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative in the next five years, according to Gao.
Four shot dead in restaurant in South Mexico
Four people were shot dead at a restaurant in Mexico's violence-torn southern state of Guerrero Sunday, said local authorities.
The two men and two women were killed when four gunmen entered the restaurant in Sabana Grande, a community near Iguala, and opened fire on the victims.
Iguala is where 43 students were abducted, tortured and incinerated in September 2014.
The restaurant, named Tere, is located on the highway between the state capital Chilpancingo and Iguala.
Local police, who were called to the scene around 4 am, found the spent bullets of a 9 mm caliber weapon.
The daughter of one of the victims identified her father, Tomas Sandoval Pastor, 72, and her sister, Antonia Sandoval Atempa, 40. Both were residents of the town of Eduardo Neri, which is north to Chilpancingo, the state capital.
The other victims have yet to be identified. No other details about the incident are available at the moment.
Pakistan, Afghan leaders agree on action against irreconcilable Taliban
Pakistan's Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and Afghan leaders agreed in talks in Kabul on Sunday to take action against those armed groups refusing to join peace process, the military said.
General Raheel Sharif held meetings with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah and discussed"security related issues including information sharing, coordinated counter terrorism operations on respective sides and way forward for Afghan peace process,"the military said.
It was the third visit of the Pakistan army chief to Afghanistan in one year that was seen important amid diplomatic efforts to end deadlock in the Afghan peace process.
"Both sides agreed that they would pursue peace. Elements who would still continue to pursue violence will be dealt under a mutually worked out framework," said an army statement issued at the conclusion of the day-long visit of the army chief.
Discussing the way forward for peace process in Afghanistan, both sides agreed to work in an already agreed quadrilateral framework that involves Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the United States.
With a shared responsibility, all stakeholders would support and ensure success of an Afghan government led intra Afghan dialogue and reconciliation.
First round of quadrilateral meeting will be scheduled in January to work out a clear and comprehensive road map for a meaningful peace process with a clear demarcation of responsibilities of each stake holders at all stages.
Pakistani and Afghan leaders also reviewed the security along the common border and the Pakistani military chief"stressed on instituting an efficient mechanism for better coordination and preclude chances of any individual group crossing over to either side."
"Both sides reiterated not to allow use of their respective soil against each other and agreed to sternly handle any elements crossing over and getting involved in violence on either side, through active intelligence sharing and Intelligence Based Operations,"the statement said.
Emphasizing the need to improve bilateral relations, it was decided to establish a hot line contact between the Director General Military Operation of both countries and increase frequency of visits for better coordination.
The army chief met Gen John Campbell, Comd Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and visited Bagram Air Base where he was briefed on the capabilities of Resolute Support Mission and special operations.
They reviewed"matters of mutual interest, regional security issues with particular reference to reconciliation process in Afghanistan and better coordination for operations along bordering regions."
Worst floods in decades hit Argentina
Argentine President Mauricio Macri on Sunday visited the town of Concordia to meet residents displaced by a flooding described by experts as "the most severe in the past half century."
Concordia, some 430 km northeast of the capital Buenos Aires, in the province of Entre Rios, was one of the hardest-hit cities in Argentina.
Macri also headed a meeting of a "crisis committee" called to address the emergency situation sparked by the floods.
Meteorologists have been warning that this year's El Nino phenomenon would lead to extreme weather events in Latin America.
Torrential rains have claimed at least six lives in different locations, as trees were uprooted and power lines knocked down.
Paraguay has been the hardest hit country so far, where some 100,000 people have fled their homes, particularly in the capital Asuncion, as the Paraguay River continues to rise.
Brazil and Uruguay were also affected.
In Argentina, Macri promised the government would pitch in "with 66 percent of the investment needed" to build homes on higher ground for those whose low-lying houses were destroyed.
"We want to be together at this difficult time with all of those affected by the rising waters, so that they know they are not alone," Macri told residents.
"There are governors and mayors working to alleviate this (situation) and there is a national government committed to working together in good times and especially in bad," added Macri, who took office on Dec. 10.
2015年12月20日星期日
China’s N.Korean vote stems from principle
The UN General Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution to condemn North Korea's "ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights." The resolution also urged the Security Council to consider transferring the situation in North Korea to the International Criminal Court.
The resolution received 119 votes in favor, 19 against, and 48 abstentions. China, Russia, Cuba and Syria voted against it.
China's vote does not mean we endorse the human rights situation in North Korea. The vote is based on China's principle of no interference in other countries' internal affairs.
The different votes are not just a result of different values, but also made out of diplomatic concerns. More than 40 countries chose to abstain. It further indicates the complexity of international politics.
Some people in China expressed different ideas on China's vote against the resolution. They wished China would join the international camp condemning North Korea. These people are apparently influenced by unfavorable reports about the country in the international media.
The abrupt canceling of a North Korean girl band's planned show in Beijing has also created some sentiments among the Chinese people.
North Korea should be aware of the fact that the Chinese government made the vote under certain domestic pressures. It should also be grateful.
It is inevitable that sentiments are aroused over China-North Korea ties now and then. But the Chinese government must keep a sober mind when dealing with diplomatic relations with North Korea. North Korean authorities should also strive to provide a positive environment, so that the Chinese public can better appreciate the country.
Although forceful orders from outside are not acceptable, a certain degree of external pressure is not necessarily a bad thing. This is what China has learned in the past decades. China has adopted quite a few human rights concepts from the West. Today many of these concepts have become an integral part of Chinese society.
Of course, the process is full of conflicts. China has upheld its own political system, without reshaping it in the way the West hoped. This has ensured China's stability. The country is undergoing profound reforms without falling into an abyss of disorder.
China has been resisting Western pressures, but at the same time absorbing what is useful. During the process of absortion, we have not fallen under the West's ideological control.
The process is unique, which is a result of China's willingness to open up but walk its own way. History will prove such uniqueness led to China's success.
Critical meeting centers on reform
The Central Economic Work Conference opened in Beijing on Friday. The conference will assess the state of the domestic economy and set the tone for next year's macroeconomic policy, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday.
During the annual conference, China's top leaders and policymakers are expected to center on more measures to boost the real economy with the aid of multinational cooperation and further reforms of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) amid rising downward pressure for economic growth, analysts said.
Reforms of SOEs, as well as of taxation and finances, will proceed in 2016, Xu Hongcai, director of the Department of Information under the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, told the Global Times on Friday.
According to Xu, SOE reform is a crucial part of industrial adjustment as the government seeks ways to increase efficiency and competence amid downward pressure on domestic economy.
Xu said that with the completion of the top-level design, next year will see concrete steps for SOE reforms from the Chinese government.
The Chinese government unveiled a leading document outlining the reform of SOEs on September 13, saying that by 2020, major achievements will be made in key areas, such as the establishment of a better State capital management system, a modern enterprise system and a market-oriented operating system, Xinhua reported.
Tian Yun, director of the research center of the China Society of Macroeconomics, told the Global Times on Friday that the government would also focus more on the real economy in order to boost Chinese enterprises' overseas business cooperation.
Tian noted that as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will initiate investment projects next year, China's business cooperation with other countries will make great headway.
At the Central Economic Work Conference, the government would consider how to practice the five development concepts of "innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared by all," which were proposed at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, according to a commentary of the People's Daily on Friday.
Open development means deepening China's integration with world economy to spur economic growth, the People's Daily said.
The Chinese government has already conducted a series of reforms, especially in the financial sector, to increase the openness of the Chinese economy, Tian said.
Such measures include adopting a more market-orientated exchange rate system for the yuan, as well as successfully pushing the yuan to be included in the International Monetary Fund's Special Drawing Rights reserve basket.
Although the government's original intention with such financial reforms was to stimulate exports, those reforms have limited influence on China's foreign trade, Tian noted.
In the 2014 economic work conference, the central authorities stated that China would strive to keep economic growth and policies steady in 2015, actively adapt to the economic "new normal" of slower speed but higher quality.
Imbalanced development
According to the People's Daily, the Chinese government will roll out measures to solve the problem of economic and social imbalances between areas like cities and the countryside so as to achieve coordinated development.
"Now the country has come to the point where we should adjust the structure of economic development to focus on overall development, instead of pursuing a fast growth speed alone," according to the newspaper.
Xu said that the most urgent mission to achieve coordinated development is to bridge the gap between unqualified supply and weak demands on the domestic markets.
The government should launch policies to enhance the quality of supply, while stimulating demands in the domestic market, such as measures to encourage new forms of consumption, Xu noted.
Besides, the People's Daily said that the government would put innovation at the center of its national development strategy.
Tian said that innovation is a difficult yet crucial task for the country. "It is important to encourage innovation in China, but it should not be carried out in a very hasty manner," he said.
He also suggested that measures should be taken to explore the market value of China's academic research findings created by domestic universities.
Despite the difficulties of reforms and the challenges of the economic downturn, Xu noted that China's economy would develop steadily, with GDP growth reaching 6.8 percent in 2016.
In 2015, China's GDP rose by 7 percent in the first and second quarters, and by 6.9 percent in the third quarter.
Aging population, changing attitudes drive China's senior care boom
Liu Yuping, a nurse in an elderly care facility in downtown Beijing, is preparing to spoon-feed two men in their 90s.
"Papa Zhou, let's have dinner first," the 40-year-old nurse said to one of the elderly men, who is completely paralysed and confined to bed.
After blending vegetables, meat and rice into a paste, Liu scoops the mixture into Zhou's mouth slowly and wipes it gently from time to time.
On the other side of the room, the other old man, surnamed Wang, sits impatiently in a wheelchair.
"Mom, mom," 93-year-old Wang mumbled. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease years ago, and calls the people he trusts "mom."
"Please wait, your dinner will be ready in just a minute," the nurse told Wang.
Chinese people have traditionally relied on their children to help them in old age, and institutions for the elderly have not been widely accepted.
However, things are changing. With a soaring senior population and most adults working full time, attitudes toward filial piety and old age have shifted, fueling a rapidly growing elderly care industry.
"Elderly people with disabilities or dementia can receive professional care 24 hours a day in the care center, and the burden on families can be lifted a bit," said Mr. Wang's wife.
The number of people age 60 or over in China reached 212 million at the end of 2014, accounting for 15.5 percent of the country's population, with the number of disabled elderly people approaching 40 million, statistics from the National Health and Family Planning Commission showed.
The United Nations has predicted that people over age 65 will account for 18 percent of China's population by 2030, double the number in 2011.
By 2050, China is expected to have nearly 500 million people over 60, exceeding the population of the United States, according to UN predictions.
The aging population has brought greater demand for elderly care services. According to a report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers earlier this month, Chinese people will spend over 10 trillion yuan (1.54 trillion US dollars) from 2016 to 2020 on elderly care, increasing 17percent per year.
The senior center where Liu works was founded in May 2013, after investors saw great business potential in the aging population.
According to Kang Yanling, head of the elderly care institution, after an initial five-million-yuan investment, investors put in another seven million early in 2015, doubling the center's floor space and increasing beds to 212.
"We've made little profit, but I'm optimistic about the industry's future, as elderly care services will be trending everywhere," said Kang. She noted the number of elderly care institutions has grown from around 20 in 2012 to more than 40 in the district she lives in.
As of March 2015, a total of 31,833 elderly care institutions were registered in China, with as many as 5.84 million beds available, according to statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA).
In order to meet the challenges of an aging society, the government has also issued policies to improve the elderly care system, including opening up the market and encouraging private and overseas investment, which were included in China's five-year development proposal.
Kang's elderly care center has taken advantage of the government's favorable policies. She said the government has granted monthly subsidies ranging from 300 to 500 yuan per bed.
"Government subsidies have relieved some of the burden from our shoulders," Kang said.
Despite all the potential and government support for the industry, there are still difficulties for owners of elderly care institutions to overcome, not least of which is a lack of nurses.
China has around 290,000 elderly care nurses, which is far from sufficient to care for the number of disabled seniors in the country, according to Zou Ming, vice minister of the MCA. Most of the nurses are over the age of 40 with low wages and education levels, making them more prone to quit, said Zou.
"Nurses are taking too many risks now due to a policy vacuum with regard to standards of service and responsibilities," said Sun Qiang, 22, who majored in elderly care before taking a job in a care center.
Moreover, the social status of senior care nurses in China is relatively low, and the field lacks prestige and respect. "This makes it even harder to attract young people to the job," Sun added.
The MCA has worked with the Ministry of Education to develop majors related to elderly care in vocational schools, as well as to encourage cooperation between schools and elderly care institutions.
China-Thailand railway project kicks off
The ground was broken on Saturday for Chinese and Thai companies to build the first standard-gauge railway in Thailand, applying China's technology, standard and equipment, the China Railway Corporation (CRC) said.
Earlier on Saturday, a launching ceremony was held at Chiang Rak Noi Station in central Thailand's Ayutthaya province, according to the CRC.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, sent each other congratulatory messages on the commencement of the cooperation project.
The 845-km railway will allow trains to operate at top speeds of 180-250 km per hour, according to the CRC.
The whole project will be divided into four sections, namely, Bangkok-Kaeng Khoi, Kaeng Khoi-Map Ta Phut, Kaeng Khoi-Nakhon Ratchasima and Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai.
Chinese-built railways using advanced technologies are safe, reliable, flexible in application and cost-effective, said a CRC executive, hailing the launch of the project as a yes vote of the international community for the technological competitiveness and comprehensive advantages of Chinese-built railways.
The China-Thailand railway project, the negotiation of which was overseen by governments, will be jointly invested, built and operated by the two sides, representing a major experiment and creative move to let Chinese-built railways "go global," the executive said.
The executive said the China-Thailand railway will be connected to the China-Laos railway, which would help promote exchanges and cooperation among the ASEAN members in trade, investment, logistics, tourism, science and technology, and culture.
The railway would also help improve transportation infrastructure, create jobs, and improve people's living standards in Thailand.
Thailand-China cooperation in railway development will help Thailand make better use of its geographic advantages as a land transportation hub, and boost its economic growth, Governor of State Railways of Thailand Wutthichart Kalayanamitr said at the launching ceremony.
On Dec. 19, 2014, Thailand and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding on railway cooperation under the Strategic Framework for Development of Thailand's Transportation Infrastructure 2015-2022.
Over the past year, the Joint Committee on Railway Cooperation between Thailand and China has held nine rounds of talks and reached broad consensus for the two sides.
Iraqi PM hopes upcoming visit to China will boost bilateral ties
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday expressed his hope that his visit to China next Tuesday will enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of oil, infrastructure and military.
"Iraqi-Sino relations date back to many years ago, and the bilateral relations have developed since 2003," Abadi told Xinhua in an exclusive interview here.
Abadi said that his country is working on deepening relations with China, saying "we are seeking to promote such relations in all aspects, in particular in investment and rebuilding infrastructure."
Abadi said his two-day visit to China will concentrate on three fields, "firstly, the oil sector which is vital to Iraq and we are looking forward to increasing our oil production and exports, and I believe that China can contribute in such filed."
"Secondly, investment in infrastructure as Iraqis are looking forward for such investment as to be further sources of funding other than oil. And I believe China has great abilities to invest in Iraq which has oil that can be a guarantee to any investment in Iraq," Abadi said.
"Thirdly, the military field as Iraq is in war condition and we hope for further military cooperation with China," Abadi added.
As for the US-led coalition's fighting against the Islamic State (IS) group, Abadi said "the international coalition (assistance) was not at the level of our ambition, we hoped fast and direct support, but it was slow and not as we demand."
Abadi reiterated his demand of greater assistance from the international community to Iraq "because a terrorist group like Daaesh which stretches into more than a country would need a global support for Iraq to get rid of it."
"We, Iraqis are fighting on the ground, but we need international assistance to stand with Iraq in fighting against terrorism," Abadi said.
"I think there is a great interest of the two friendly peoples. It is an interest for all of us today to build mutual relations in the economic, commercial, financial and military fields, and even in the social aspects," Abadi concluded.
As for the latest Saudi Arabia's announcement to form a 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism, Abadi described it as a "unreal" and "strategic mistake."
"We, the government of Iraq has regular forces and volunteers to fight Daaesh on the ground, there is also in Syria a coalition fighting against Daaesh and other terrorist groups, but we haven't been consulted nor informed in such matter," Abadi said.
"I think it is incorrect and unreal gathering. We welcome the presence of all states to fight Daaesh... but it is an essential and strategic error to form a coalition without the participation of real powers which fight Daaesh in Iraq and Syria," Abadi stressed.
On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced the formation of an anti-IS Islamic coalition including Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, as well as Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan and several African countries.
Under the coalition, the member countries would share information and equipment and provide forces if necessary.
In the interview, Abadi also reiterated his call to neighboring Turkey to withdraw its troops from northern Iraq, and hoped UN Security Council to issue a resolution to force Turkey to pull out troops from Iraq.
"We call for Turkish officials to withdraw troops from Iraq. We have resorted to different actions in accordance with international law to safeguard our rights and sovereignty," Abadi said.
"We hope the UN Security Council would issue a resolution calling Turkey to withdraw from Iraqi territory... we also called on Arab League (AL) to hold a session on the level of foreign ministers to take a resolution in this respect," Abadi said.
Abadi said that the deployment of Turkish troops would only turn Iraq to be a battlefield for regional powers, which would hamper the original fight against terrorism.
"We want Iraq to be a peace zone. We are fighting Daaesh to get rid of its evil, we don't want another conflict on the Iraqi territory by neighboring countries, which are supposed to help Iraq in its war against terrorism not the vice versa," he added.
"If Turkey refuses to withdraw its troops, we have a package of procedures to be taken timely, I hope it won't be necessary to go to the other way," Abadi warned.
The crisis between the two countries sparked on Dec. 4 when reports said a Turkish training battalion equipped with armored vehicles was deployed near the city of Mosul to train Iraqi paramilitary groups in fighting the IS group.
Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province, has been under the IS control since June 2014.
Baghdad has insisted that the Turkish troops had no authorization from the Iraqi government and thus demanded their withdrawal, while Ankara called the troops only a routine rotation of the trainers.
Britain welcomes UN resolution on Syrian peace process
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond on Saturday welcomed the unanimous adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 aimed at bringing peace to Syria.
The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution endorsing an international roadmap for a Syrian-led political transition in order to end the country's conflict, which calls for Syria peace talks to begin in early January.
In a statement, Philip Hammond said the resolution "gives us a timetable and a clear way forward."
"The international community has now come together to work to end the bloody civil war in Syria and has paved the way for talks amongst the Syrian parties that will see a transition away from the murderous regime of Assad," he said.
"Of course there are many challenges ahead but the world has taken a great step forward to resolving the Syrian crisis," he noted.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday also hailed the unanimous adoption of Resolution 2254, calling it "fresh impetus to solve the Syrian crisis."
He stressed that there is no military solution to the crisis and political negotiation is the only viable option.
The Syrian future must be independently decided by the Syrian people, Wang urged, saying that the political process must be Syrian-led and Syrian-owned.
Britain has suspended all services of the British Embassy in Syrian capital Damascus and all diplomatic personnel have been withdrawn from Syria.
It has recognized the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces as "the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people," and demanded Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
Meanwhile, Russia has been a firm ally of Assad and has reaffirmed its support for the Syrian president and his government.
2015年12月17日星期四
Xi urges SCO cooperation
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called on member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to tap the potential of cooperation as he met with the leaders of the countries.
The meeting with prime ministers of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and first deputy prime minister of Uzbekistan, in Wuzhen of east China's Zhejiang Province followed the annual SCO prime minsters' meeting in central China's Zhengzhou city on Tuesday.
Hailing the SCO's role in safeguarding regional security and promoting common development, Xi stressed the need for cooperation "amid the current complex international situation and profound world economic adjustment."
He called on the SCO countries to align regional trade and infrastructure initiatives including the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Eurasian Economic Union.
"SCO members should not only consolidate cooperation in traditional areas such as energy, transportation, agriculture and infrastructure, but also explore new prospects in e-commerce and new technology," said Xi.
The president called on them to encourage partnerships between small enterprises.
"China stands ready to make joint efforts with all sides to build a better SCO family so as to contribute more to regional security, stability and prosperity," Xi said.
The other leaders broadly agreed with Xi.
China central bank sees 2016 growth at 6.8 pct
China's central bank projected its baseline forecast for 2016 growth at 6.8 percent on Wednesday, as it expects the number of positive factors to gradually increase despite downward pressure on the economy.
The rate is slightly lower than the central bank's forecast of 6.9-percent expansion for 2015, according to a working paper by the People's Bank of China.
Citing overcapacity, profit deceleration, rising non-performing loans as major drags on the economy, the paper said supportive factors such as the recovery of real estate sales, lagged impact of macro and structural policies and some modest improvement in external demand would help underpin broader growth.
For next year, the central bank predicted consumer price index inflation at 1.7 percent and the current account surplus at 2.8 percent of GDP.
China warns of ‘double standard’ in protecting country’s cyber security
China is stepping up its crackdown on cybercrimes and Internet terrorism, calling for more international cooperation under a universal standard.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday said there should be no double standard in safeguarding cyber security.
"We cannot just have security for one or some countries, leaving the rest insecure. [No one country should] seek so-called 'absolute security' for itself at the expense of the security of others," Xi said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, East China's Zhejiang Province.
Xi said that a secure, stable and prosperous cyberspace was crucial for all countries, especially with the threat of war, terrorism and other crimes. Cyberspace, he said, should not be turned into a battleground for nations to wrestle with one another, and still less a hotbed for crimes.
"All nations should join hands to curb the abuse of information technology, oppose Internet eavesdropping and cyber attack, and oppose cyberspace arms race," Xi said.
He said nations should cooperate to prevent the misuse of cyberspace for crimes such as terrorism, obscenity, drug trafficking, money laundering and gambling.
Analysts believe Xi's speech refers to the unfair treatment experienced by China.
"There are two types of double standard: one in business and the other in national security," Tang Lan, a cyber studies expert at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE encountered numerous obstacles when they tried to enter the US market, whereas US tech firms such as Cisco and Microsoft faced fewer difficulties in China. On the other hand, the US government has been actively developing its cyber attack capabilities, but other countries which dare to increase their cyber defense capabilities would be called "hackers" by the US, Tang said.
Relations between China and the US were strained this year over cyber security issues as US officials accused China of several hacking cases, including a breach of information on US government workers. China's foreign ministry has repeatedly dismissed such accusations.
Cyber security was also one of the main topics during Xi's visit to the US in September. The two governments eventually reached a "common understanding" to curb cyber security and cyber espionage against each other.
'Cleaning the Internet'
In a sub-forum on cyber security in Wuzhen on Wednesday, Liu Xinyun, director of the cyber security defense bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, said China has arrested 2,703 people for Internet crimes and investigated 947 hacking-related cases in 2015.
The country has established a hotline for tips and information on cybercrimes, setting up over 200 labs across the country to process data related to Internet crimes, he said.
In July, China launched a six-month campaign code-named "Cleaning the Internet." The campaign targets hacking attacks and Internet scams beside cleaning online information of pornography, explosives, firearms and gambling.
The Ministry of Public Security said in August that it had arrested about 15,000 people for cybercrimes and investigated 7,400 cases over a timeframe that the statement did not identify.
Liu also said China has stepped up its crackdown on Internet terrorism, but failed to provide any details.
His statement corresponds with a speech given by Xinjiang Party chief Zhang Chunxian on Tuesday. Zhang said the Xinjiang government will use technology to destroy channels that terrorists outside of China use to infiltrate the country and communicate with terror groups inside.
Luo Fuyong, director of the Xinjiang Internet Information Office, wrote in an essay earlier this month saying that his office has been exploring new ways to counter extremist ideas online, and has launched several campaigns to cleanse the Internet of terrorist content.
Luo also called the Internet "the main battleground for ideological struggles," which is an "extremely important work" for the Communist Party of China.
China strongly opposes US arms sale to Taiwan
China's Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang on Wednesday summoned Kaye Lee, charge d'affaires of the US embassy in China, and made solemn representations to the United States over its arms sale to Taiwan.
Zheng made the statement shortly after the US administration announced a 1.83-billion-US-dollar arms sale package for Taiwan.
"Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. China strongly opposes the US arms sale to Taiwan," Zheng said.
The arms sale severely goes against international law and the basic norms of international relations, severely goes against the principles in the three China-US joint communiques, and severely harms China's sovereignty and security interests, he said.
"To safeguard our national interests, China has decided to take necessary measures, including imposing sanctions against the companies involved in the arms sale," Zheng said.
"No one can shake the firm will of the Chinese government and people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to oppose foreign interference," the vice minister said.
China urges the United States to abide by the clear commitment it has made in the three joint communiques, revoke the arms sale plan, and stop military contact with Taiwan, so as to avoid bringing further damage to China-US relations and bilateral cooperation in major areas, Zheng added.
New round of Syria international talks to be held in New York, UN chief says
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday that a new round of Syria international talks will be held in New York on Friday.
At his year-end press conference at UN Headquarters in New York, the UN chief said: "On Syria, the international community has actively re-engaged in pushing for a political settlement," adding "The International Syria Support Group will meet in New York on Friday, 18 December, followed by a meeting of the Security Council."
The move aims to seek a political solution to the longstanding Syrian conflict, which broke out in March 2011 and has killed 250,000 people.
"Syria is an open sore on the Middle East and the wider world," Ban said. "We are pressing for a nationwide cease-fire and for the start of negotiations in January on a political transition -- and we must not relent."
Parties concerned met in previous two rounds of meetings held in Vienna, Austria in late October and mid-November to seek a roadmap to end the nearly five-year war in Syria.
The last Vienna meeting in mid-November set an ambitious deadline. It assigned the United Nations mediator, Staffan de Mistura, the task of organizing talks among the warring Syrian parties by Jan. 1.
On Dec. 8, the secretary-general hailed the US announcement that the third round of Syria peace talks will be held in New York on Dec. 18, and underscored the necessity of having a nationwide ceasefire in Syria as soon as possible.
At the previous round of Syria talks in Vienna last month, representatives of world and regional powers, including the United States, Russia, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations, laid out a broad plan for a political transition in Syria.
The world powers also voiced support for establishing a credible, inclusive government in Syria within six months and holding free and fair elections within 18 months.
The prolonged war in Syria has triggered a refugee crisis in the Middle East and Europe.
US announces deal on arms sale to Taiwan despite Beijing's opposition, indignation
The US State Department on Wednesday notified Congress of a 1.83-billion-US-dollar deal on arms sale to Taiwan, amid Beijing's strong opposition and warning that such move would harm the China-US ties.
Under the deal, the US will sell to Taiwan two Perry-class guided-missile frigates, anti-tank missiles, AAV-7 Amphibious Assault Vehicles, Stinger surface-to-air missiles and other military equipment.
China's Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang has summoned Kaye Lee, charge d'affaires of the US embassy in China, to make solemn representations to the US over the arms sale.
"Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. China strongly opposes the US arms sale to Taiwan," Zheng said.
The arms sale severely goes against international law and the basic norms of international relations, severely goes against the principles in the three China-US joint communiques, and severely harms China's sovereignty and security interests, he said.
This was the second time in four years that the Obama administration has approved a major arms sale package to Taiwan, following its announcement in 2011 of a 5.3-billion-dollar package of weapons sale to the island, an integrated part of China's sovereign territory.
Though vowing to stick to the "one-China policy," the US government has been selling weapons to the island under the excuse of boosting its "defense capability" under the so-called Taiwan Relations Act enacted in 1979.
"To safeguard our national interests, China has decided to take necessary measures, including imposing sanctions against the companies involved in the arms sale," Zheng said.
"No one can shake the firm will of the Chinese government and people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to oppose foreign interference," the vice minister added.
China urged the US to abide by the clear commitment it has made in the three joint communiques, revoke the arms sale plan, and stop military contact with Taiwan, so as to avoid bringing further damage to China-US relations and bilateral cooperation in major areas, Zheng added.
China's opposition to the US arms sale to Taiwan has been "steady, clear and consistent," because such move interferes in China's domestic affairs and harms not only the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations but also the China-US relations.
The US arms sales to Taiwan blatantly violate the three joint communiques signed by China and the US, especially the one signed on Aug. 17, 1982, under which the US agrees to gradually reduce and eventually stop its shipment of weapons to Taiwan.
2015年12月15日星期二
Rights lawyer’s trial tests court’s autonomy
The trial of Pu Zhiqiang, a Chinese human rights lawyer, was held at Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court at 9 am Monday morning, and concluded three hours later. The court announced that a sentence would be delivered at a later date.
Some of Pu's supporters, including a dozen Western diplomats, gathered outside the courthouse on the same day to express their support. According to Pu's lawyer, Pu stands accused of "inciting ethnic hatred" and "picking quarrels and provoking troubles." But some of the related evidence was not accepted by prosecutors. In the end, the evidence was narrowed down to seven of his Weibo posts. In this case, if he is found guilty, the final verdict won't be too severe.
Pu's defense lawyer pleaded innocence for his client. The demand to declare Pu's innocence is also the attitude of the West and his supporters. Therefore, whether he will be given a guilty verdict has become the focus of this case.
Among similar cases in recent years, the West has intervened the most in Pu's trial. Certain Chinese people are also active in expressing their voices. It means there is great pressure around the case, which will be a test for the court.
When the West and some Chinese people intervene in this way, except for values, they also have a political end, which is striving for a sentence of not guilty, making the Chinese judicial system feel embarrassed.
However, the court must not be influenced by these forces. The more attention Pu's case garners, the more we need to safeguard the bottom line of judicial judgment. Judges should be firmly devoted to the law and evidence without distractions, and bring a final, pure legal judgment to the public and history. As long as it is a decision in accordance with the law, whatever the result is, it will not embarrass the judicial system.
Over the years, whenever an active dissident in China became involved in a trial, there will be a buzz in the Internet opinion field, with the West also stepping in. This is an inevitable process. Chinese authorities and mainstream society should not hold a grudge over it. The law needs to be debated. The most important thing is for judicial authorities to stick to their loyalty to the law.
China's development of its rule of law is widely recognized. We believe that even if there are certain "stake holders" who want to play tricks over the case, they won't be able to have their way. Hence, the possibility of Pu being judged by real lawful judgment is the highest. Some say that no matter what the sentence turns out to be, there will be a substantial amount of noise following it. This might be true. Yet noise and discontent are only temporary. As long as it is a victory for the law, the final victor will be the society that pursues the rule of law.
Trust in US government to protect against terrorism drops to new low: Gallup
The Americans' confidence in the federal government's ability to protect its citizens from future acts of terrorism has dropped to a record low, according to a new Gallup poll.
Fifty-five percent of Americans now say they have a "great deal" or a "fair amount" of confidence in the US government to protect Americans from terrorism, 33 percent lower than the level of confidence shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, according to the poll released last week in the wake of the shooting carnage in San Bernardino, California.
In addition, 51 percent of Americans feel at least "somewhat worried" that they or their family members would become a victim of terrorism.
The poll, conducted between Dec. 8 and 9, came as investigators found the San Bernardino shooters' alleged connection to radical Islamic ideology.
In a rare Oval Office address to the nation, US President Barack Obama on Dec. 6 called the San Bernardino shootings a new phase of terrorism.
Widely seen as the most sobering communication channel a US president has, the Oval Office address, the third during his seven-year presidency, came amid widespread jitters in the country over further terrorist attacks inspired by the extremist group the Islamic State(IS).
In its latest poll, Gallup said that the percentage of Americans who believe it is "very" or "somewhat likely" that acts of terrorism would take place in the country in the next several weeks increased sharply, rising from 45 percent in June to 67 percent.
China unveils new regulations on maps
China released new regulations on maps on Monday to boost development of geographic information industry.
Included in the new regulations, which were signed by Premier Li Keqiang and will go into effect on Jan.1, 2016, is a new chapter on online map services, as well as new rules on compiling maps.
Geographic maps are of great political, scientific and legal importance, as it draws the territory of a country, directly reflecting its national sovereignty and political views, a statement released by the State Council, China's cabinet, said.
With the recent rapid development of the geographic information industry in China, significant changes have taken place in compilation, content and forms of maps.
Hence, formulating the regulations is crucial to strengthening the management of maps, safeguarding national sovereignty, security and interests, and boosting development of the geographic information industry, said the statement.
The new regulations stipulate that China will promote innovation and application of geographic information science and technology, establish a healthy mechanism for sharing geographic information resources and advance public service.
The document has an independent chapter regulating online map services,
which specifies rules for market entry, data security management, user information protection, supervision and registration of internet map services.
The regulations require online map services to ask users' permission before collecting and using information, and shall stop transmitting and report to related authorities when contents that are not allowed to be shown are detected during map information transmission.
The document also stipulates that entities compiling maps shall possess mapping qualifications, and governments shall provide free use of nonprofit maps to the public and update the maps regularly.
It also includes rules on checking and publishing maps.
Merkel, CDU meet on policy
CPC members required to waive some freedoms
China's top discipline watchdog reminded Communist Party of China (CPC) members Monday that membership requires voluntarily waiving part of their rights and freedom, a move analysts believe stresses that Party disciplines are stricter than laws.
Party members are citizens who shoulder "special political missions" and are bound by strict rules, read an article published on the website of the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Monday.
"Ordinary citizens are free to choose their religious belief, while Party members are required to be atheist," Zhang Yaocan, a professor on political science and law at Central China Normal University, told the Global Times.
He added that laws do not regulate the lifestyle of ordinary citizens, while Party disciplines impose a higher moral standard on its members, such as the ban on adultery and extravagance.
The article explained Party members, especially Party officials, should not only observe laws as much as ordinary citizens do, but also follow disciplines.
This is not the first time that the CCDI announced such a requirement. "Senior Party officials need to waive more as they shoulder greater responsibilities," China's top disciplinary inspector Wang Qishan said in an article on People's Daily in November 2014.
The difference is the result of the CPC's repeated emphasis that Party disciplines are stricter than the country's laws and regulations.
The CCDI's article read that the country's governance starts with Party governance, which needs to be stricter to affirm the leading role and ruling position of the CPC.
"Party disciplines are stricter than laws, instead of being equal to laws … The bottom line for ordinary citizens is laws and Party members is different," said the CCDI article.
However, stricter requirements do not mean Party members are deprived of freedom, said experts.
"For instance, although Party members are banned from making groundless comments on major national and Party policies, they are provided with sufficient channels within the Party to discuss the policies," Jiang Mingan, a law professor at Peking University, told the Global Times.
The two sets of Party rules, one on clean governance and the other on sanctions on those who violate the Party code of conduct will be implemented starting next year, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The new rules on punishments have been dubbed by many to be the most comprehensive and strictest since the opening up and reform drive began.
Americans say terrorism tops list of US problems: Gallup
After the deadly terror attacks in Paris of France and San Bernardino, California, Americans are now more likely to name terrorism as the top US problem, found a Gallup poll released Monday.
About one in six Americans, or 16 percent, now identify terrorism as the most important US problem, up from just 3 percent in early November.
This is the highest percentage of Americans to mention terrorism as the top problem in a decade, although it is still lower than the 46 percent measured after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 3,000 people, Gallup found.
The terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino have altered how Americans view the problems facing the United States. The data show that terrorism has now become the single most-frequently mentioned issue when Americans are asked to name the most important problem, Gallup found.
The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for last month's Paris attacks -- the bloodiest violence the city has seen since World War II, in which 130 people were killed and hundreds of others wounded.
But whether the group was directly or indirectly involved in the recent California attack, in which 14 people were killed, remains under investigation.
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say terrorism is the most important problem facing the United States. Currently, 24 percent of Republicans name terrorism as the most important problem, compared with 9 percent of Democrats and 15 percent of independents.
That is up sharply from November, when 4 percent of Republicans, 3 percent of Democrats and 2 percent of independents named terrorism as the top problem, Gallup found.
Only 9 percent of Americans now list economy as the most important problem, the lowest percentage to mention the issue since the end of 2007, before the depths of the recession took hold.
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