All eyes on new Philippine president for repairing China ties

As Rodrigo Duterte takes over as Philippine president on Thursday, sparks of hope have arisen for a rapprochement between his country and China after relations soured during his predecessor's tenure. Yet whether those sparks can turn into flames heating up bilateral relations depends on whether Duterte can translate his positive signals into concrete and effective action. The tough-talking former mayor of Davao City in southern Philippines has pledged sweeping policy changes on both domestic and diplomatic fronts. Since winning election, he has made a string of overtures on Philippines-China relations, signaling that mending fences with China would be a foreign policy priority. He has said that China will be the first country he visits after taking office. Such gestures are encouraging, particularly against the backdrop of the strained bilateral relations during the presidency of Benigno Aquino III, whose government repeatedly stoked tensions over the South China Sea. In violation of Manila's agreement with Beijing to solve their South China Sea disputes via bilateral negotiations, the Aquino government unilaterally launched a compulsory arbitration case against China, not only undercutting its own trustworthiness but further complicating the row and the bilateral relationship. Yet as many observers have noted, Duterte is also seeking US support on the South China Sea issue among others and help in building the island country's regional clout. So the new president still keeps his cards close to his chest. Whether he means what he has said about pursuing bilateral talks with China over the South China Sea disputes remains to be seen. However, although the arbitration case has stolen much of the limelight on China-Philippines relations, the political farce staged by the Aquino government is far from being the whole picture of bilateral ties. In 2015, China stood as the Philippines' largest source of imports second-largest trading partner, and third-largest export market. Bilateral trade reached 45.65 billion US dollars, up 2.7 percent. Those figures offer just a glimpse of the close interaction between the two neighbors. The incoming Philippine government has also voiced hopes for cooperating with China to develop the Southeast Asian country's infrastructure. Duterte has even reportedly said that he might seek joint exploration in the South China Sea, a principle China has long been advocating. With China having rightly kept the door of dialogue open, the ball is in Manila's court. If Duterte's words about putting China-Philippines ties back on the right track are genuine, it is time for him to act.

No single-market access for UK

EU leaders agreed Wednesday that Britain cannot have access to the single market after leaving the union without accepting the bloc's rules on free movement, president Donald Tusk said. "There will be no single market a la carte," Tusk told a news conference in Brussels after the 27 leaders met without British Prime Minister David Cameron, AFP reported. "Leaders made it crystal clear today that access to the single market requires acceptance of all four freedoms including freedom of movement," Donald Tusk added. The 27 EU leaders will also hold a summit - without Britain - in Bratislava on September 16 to discuss further the fallout from Britain's decision to leave the bloc, Tusk said. The summit will come just days after Britain's ruling Conservative party is due to choose a successor to Cameron, who resigned on Friday after his country voted in a referendum to leave the EU by 52 percent to 48. "This was a first exchange so it is too early to draw conclusions. This is why we started a political reflection with 27 states and we'll meet on September 16 in Bratislava to continue our talks," Tusk said. The former Polish premier stressed that negotiations on Britain's future relationship with the EU cannot start until it formally triggers the two-year process leading to a divorce. Cameron has said this is a task for his successor. Tusk meanwhile said at the "calm and serious" discussion -- the first EU talks without a British leader present for 40 years -- they agreed it was a "serious moment in our common history." Leaders are absolutely determined to remain united, he added. Acting Spanish Premier Mariano Rajoy on Wednesday said Madrid would oppose any separate talks with Scotland on its future in the EU after Britain voted to leave the bloc. "The Spanish government is opposed to any negotiations with anyone else but the British government. The UK leaves and with it, all those who make up the UK," Rajoy said after the meeting.

林荣基的谎言和泛民的炒作都是徒劳的

林荣基的谎言和泛民的炒作都是徒劳的 这些天来，铜锣湾书店事件又成为舆论的焦点。民主党立法会议员何俊仁上周在立法会为铜锣湾书店店长林荣基召开记者招待会，炒作林荣基内地被拘和李波所谓「在港被内地公安跨境掳走」事件，矛头直指「内地公安越境执法」，继而得出「一国两制名存实亡」的结论，并引发了一些市民的抗议活动。林荣基先是振振有词，后来却不断改口，短短几天，一波三折，耐人寻味。 那么，泛民为何再次炒作铜锣湾书店事件？笔者认为，这实际上是一种选举操作，与一国两制扯不上关系。这件事说明，在立法会选举前夕，泛民阵营的分化日益严重，泛民中的温和派已陷入困顿之中。 林荣基不断改口漏洞百出 要分析泛民的炒作，我们先归纳一下林荣基漏洞百出的谎言。他在16日的记者招待会上称，自己曾遇见李波，李波对他说在港被内地公安跨境掳走。他继而表示「中国政府已经逼到香港人无路可退」、「一国两制名存实亡」云云。此言一出，泛民阵营如获至宝，纷纷炒作，接着便「兴师问罪」，导致一些市民上街抗议游行。 然而，林荣基的说法很快被当事人李波否认。李波发帖声明，自己从来没向林荣基说过「非自愿被带返内地」，更没有听说过所谓的「中央项目组」，自己当时是配合宁波警方调查。他还表示「希望大家能给我和我的家庭一点安宁和私隐」。李波发声之后，林荣基又忽然改口，称自己只是从李波的语气中，意会到对方是「非自愿被带走」，并承认李波「没有直接讲」。 在记者会上，林荣基还说自己在深圳被带走审判是「违反了一国两制」，自己要站出来「向强权说不」。但铜锣湾书店总经理吕波公开表示，他和林荣基等人涉嫌从事违反内地法律的事情而被带走调查，此外吕波进一步透露他是在深圳一个小饭馆里被抓的。林在内地帮其非法寄售政治书籍的「女朋友」胡某也站出来指林在撒谎。显然，内地警察在深圳依法抓捕林荣基并不违法，与一国两制毫无关系。 林荣基还说自己「只售卖书籍」，「不明白违反了何种法律」。事实上，林荣基在今年2月份亲笔写下的认罪悔过书中表示「认识到我的错误行为」，明确表明自己是犯下了「协助经营非法书刊罪」，愿接受法律处罚。 林荣基不断改口，前言不搭后语，已经难以自圆其说。由于林尚在保释期间，他在香港所作所为有可能涉嫌进一步违法，这样做的风险成本有多大？他心知肚明。但为什么还要如此撒谎、欺骗舆论？是因为背后民主党撑腰。林荣基无中生有，杜撰「内地公安越境执法」，民主党本想借题发挥，倒一国两制的米，没想到这个「题」是个伪命题，很快被揭穿，失去了立论的根基，「司马昭之心，路人皆知」，真是自欺欺人！ 泛民分化让温和派陷入困顿 值得关注的是，这次炒作铜锣湾书店事件的，并非激进的政党，而是被视为泛民中的温和派民主党。这说明泛民阵营的分化，已经令温和派处于十分焦虑的境地。最近一段时间，主张「香港前途自决」的激进派向温和派发起了围剿。他们在互联网攻击温和派「提出更换行政长官梁振英是虚晃一招，转移社会视线，实际是接受共产党招安，出卖了香港的民主」等等。他们又提出「重新启动政改，不过是继续向着共产党靠拢，按照一国两制的框架继续前进，背弃了香港重新制宪、命运自决的事业」。显然，激进派不遗余力地要给温和派戴上一顶「红帽子」，就是提醒选民不要再投「染红」的温和派的票，然后，激进派就可以瓜分温和派的选票。 与此同时，激进派还盯上了17万「首投族」，这部分人当中「80后」占了很大比例，由于他们涉世不深，很容易被激进的思想所感染，激进派围剿温和派，也是提醒「首投族」不要投温和派的票，甚至期望通过此次选举，对泛民阵营重新洗牌，让泛民的政治取向更加接近「港独」势力。 激进派的选战进攻，赢得了一定的曝光率，这让温和派坐立不安，不知如何出牌。温和派担心被戴上「红帽子」，失去原有的支持者，为了证明自己不「红」，就要搞点「去红化」的动作，这个动作当然愈大愈好、愈快愈好，在「功课」还没做好的情况下就炒作铜锣湾书店事件，这也就不足为怪了。从这个角度看，温和派的「不温和举动」，也是被激进派逼出来的。 泛民温和派的炒作是拉不到选票的选举日一天天临近，泛民温和派的「选前焦虑症」值得同情。但感情不可代替理智，愈是在选情复杂的时候，愈要冷静应对。 事实上，倾向于「港独」和激进派的年轻选民大约占15%，将这些选票平分到5个选区，平均一个选区约4万到8万票。如果泛民温和派被激进派牵着鼻子走，也把「不沟通」、「倒梁」、「拒中」、「香港自决」作为参选口号，那就向选民昭示其政治立场与激进派、「港独」势力一致，都走向了极右。试想，每个选区有七八个候选人去追逐4万到8万选票，泛民温和派的胜算几何？因此，在笔者看来，泛民温和派如向右转，适得其反。 泛民温和派的出路在于争取中间选民。这部分选民以中产阶层为主，大约占30%左右。他们在有些事情上与港府有分歧，但他们并不希望香港出现政治动荡，不希望立法会变成政党争斗的场所，他们反对「港独」，支持一国两制在港的实践，希望香港提升国际竞争力，创造更多就业岗位，年轻人失业现象得到改善，住房、扶贫、安老等民生难题尽快破解。能否赢得中间选民，其实是9月立法会选举各党派决胜的关键。从这个角度观察，泛民温和派再次炒作铜锣湾书店事件的做法是不明智的。人云亦云，亦步亦趋，反而迷失了自己。泛民温和派的确需要厘清思路、瞄准目标了。如今要争取选票，去炒作什么书店、炒作什么绑架，是站不住脚的。而林荣基的谎言，只会拖他们的后腿。值此选情复杂多变之时，泛民温和派都应与谎言切割、与假相分道、与炒作再见。一句话，他们铁定都是徒劳的。 作者是中国和平统一促进会香港总会常务副会长、香港侨界社团联会永远名誉会长

German prosecutors push for prison time for Colonia Dignidad member

German prosecutors have asked a court to enforce a verdict from Chile and send fugitive Hartmut Hopp to jail. Hopp was among the top members of the Colonia Dignidad cult and allegedly aided the sexual abuse of children. In the 1980s, Hopp often acted as a spokesman for the cult German officials urged the court to uphold Hopp's five-year sentence, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office in the western town of Krefeld said on Tuesday. The 72-year-old doctor fled Chile in 2011, after a court in the South American country found him guilty of 16 counts of aiding child abuse. As a German citizen, Hopp is protected from extradition while in Germany. During his time in Chile, Hopp was a member of a closed community called Colonia Dignidad, which consisted mostly of German expatriates. He also acted as a deputy and right-hand man to the enclave's founder, Paul Schäfer - a former Nazi and convicted pedophile. The Chilean authorities have discovered that the community functioned as a cult, where children were abused for decades and residents forbidden to leave the colony. The cult leadership also cooperated with the Pinochet regime, which used Colonia Dignidad's premises as a torture camp and warehouse for weapons and poison gas. Lawyers ready to appeal Cult leader Schäfer was arrested in 2005 and died in prison five years later. His deputy Hartmut Hopp, however, managed to find refuge in Germany before his own verdict took legal effect. He has denied any wrongdoing. On Tuesday, German prosecutors said that they had reviewed the trial in Chile and found it to correspond with German standards, prompting them to recommend enforcing the sentence. The move was greeted by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) in Berlin. "The victims of Colonia Dignidad crimes have already waited too long for justice in Germany," said ECCHR chair Wolfgang Kaleck. The court is due to announce its decision in the coming weeks. Hopp's lawyers said they would appeal if necessary. Germany's ministries of justice and foreign affairs also need to approve the verdict before Hopp can be imprisoned.

Arbitration board rules against HIV-positive man suspended from work

A man with HIV in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province on Wednesday lost his arbitration case addressing job discrimination against HIV-positive individuals. The local labor dispute arbitration committee in Guangzhou on Wednesday dismissed the request of plaintiff Ah Ming (pseudonym) that he be given his job back because he was suspended from work at a public institution in Guangzhou after being found to be HIV positive during a physical exam in April. The arbitration committee stated in its ruling that it believes infectious disease prevention and treatment regulations stipulating that HIV-positive individuals should be quarantined until they are proven to no longer be infectious are still in effect, so the employer's decision is appropriate. Disappointed by the result, Ah Ming told the Global Times on Thursday that he will ask the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), which issued the regulations on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, to explain its reasons for requiring people living with HIV to be treated in quarantine. Qiu Hengyu, Ah Ming's attorney, said his client will lodge an appeal against his employer, most likely at the People's Court of Baiyun district, Guangzhou. "The Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases already excludes HIV carriers from those needing to be treated in quarantine," Qiu told the Global Times on Thursday. "However, the arbitration committee totally ignored a law that was passed by the National People's Congress, while citing the regulation only," Qiu added. "The Rules on AIDS Prevention and Treatment have been in effect for 10 years since 2006. But their goal of ensuring HIV carriers' equal employment rights has never been achieved," Peng Yanhui, director of LGBT Rights Advocacy China, told the Global Times.

China-EU partnership maturing: spokesperson

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Thursday said the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership was maturing. Hua Chunying noted that China-EU relationships have seen a sound development in recent years, and both sides have enhanced pragmatic cooperation in various areas and cooperated more in international affairs. European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini on Wednesday adopted a Joint Communication, which maps out the EU's relationship with China for the next five years. The Joint Communication identifies major opportunities for the EU-China relationship, in particular job creation, growth in Europe and greater opening up of the Chinese market to European businesses. The Joint Communication also highlights opportunities for closer cooperation and partnership in the fields of foreign and security policy. Reports quoted Mogherini as saying, "The EU and China already cooperate on so much: we work together on the global and political issues of our times, such as Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, migration and climate change. But we can and must do more to connect the EU and China." The China-EU partnership for peace, growth and reform provides a blueprint for China-EU ties in the future, the spokesperson said. She also reviewed the 17th China-EU leaders' meeting last year.

Police kill armed man in German cinema, all safe

A masked armed man barricaded himself in a German multiplex cinema with dozens of people inside Thursday before being killed by police, officials said. No hostages were injured in the complex in the western town of Viernheim, 75 kilometers south of Frankfurt, Hesse state interior minister Peter Beuth was quoted by AFP as saying on Thursday. The gunman had a rifle or "long gun" and special forces intervened and shot him, Beuth told the Hesse state parliament, according to Reuters. "The assailant moved through the cinema complex, according to the information we have now, and appeared confused," he said, AFP reported. "There were hostages inside and there was a struggle [with police] until in the end he was dead." Beuth added that "We have no information that anyone [among the cinema-goers] was injured." A police spokeswoman in the nearby city of Darmstadt confirmed that "all the hostages were unhurt and led out of the building." Initial reports had referred to dozens of wounded people and several shots fired, and police dispatched heavily armed special units to the site. Later accounts said that several people had been hurt by tear gas during the police raid but this was also denied. Authorities said they had no information on the man's identity or motive. Security sources quoted by DPA news agency said there was "no link to terrorism." The police spokeswoman said they were investigating what type of weapon the assailant used. She added that it was possible it fired blanks.

Soccer fields built into fitness plan

China on Thursday announced it will include the construction of soccer fields in its overall plans for urbanization and rural development in a drive to accelerate efforts to develop the sport. Nongovernmental sectors will be encouraged to build small soccer fields compliant with various standards in line with local conditions, according to the National Fitness Program for 2016-2020 released by the State Council, China's cabinet, on Thursday. More people, including the physically disabled as well as the middle-aged and elderly, should be encouraged to participate in a variety of soccer activities, the program said, noting that the population that plays soccer should be expanded. By 2020, 700 million people will take part in physical exercises at least once a week, including 435 million who exercise regularly, the program said, noting that the total consumption of sports activities in 2020 will reach 1.5 trillion yuan ($228 billion). "A lack of soccer fields is one of the practical problems facing the development of the sport in China," Ma Dexing, deputy editor of Changsha-based magazine Titan Sports, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Promoting soccer in urban communities may contribute to social harmony by increasing interpersonal contact within neighborhoods, said Ma. "More participation in sports like soccer will also contribute to the future development of the sports industry," he added. By the end of 2013, China had around 10,000 soccer fields in "relatively good condition," far fewer than those in major soccer-playing nations, said an announcement released by the National Development and Reform Commission in May. In early May, the State General Administration of Sports released the five-year plan for China's sports development, which said the total number of soccer fields across the country will reach 70,000 by the end of 2020. The inclusion of soccer development plans in the national fitness program shows that China is gradually changing its past utilitarian goal for the sport's growth, which overemphasized competition results, Liu Xiaoxin, chief editor of Guangzhou-based newspaper Soccer News, told the Global Times on Thursday. "Compared with the program for the last five years, we have changed our perspective on sports. Now we believe sports should be integrated with education, culture, tourism and the medical industry," Liu Guoyong, an official of the State General Administration of Sports, was quoted by the Xinhua News Agency as saying on Thursday. School soccer will be promoted extensively, the plan noted. The plan added that a system connecting regular soccer competitions in primary schools, secondary schools and universities should be improved soon. According to the Mid- and Long-Term Development Plan of Chinese Soccer Development released in April, by 2020, there will be 20,000 schools specializing in soccer in China, while over 30 million primary and high school students will regularly play soccer.

Leave in lead after over 500,000 votes declared in EU referendum

The Remain side is now a little bit behind of Leave as more than 500,000 votes from five voting stations have been declared on early Friday. According to local media, a total of 266,721 people voted to leave the European Union (EU), while 259,790 voted to remain in the early morning. After first counting venue Gibraltar declared its result as 19,322 voted to stay in the EU and 823 voted to leave, another seven areas have also announced the results. Orkney Islands voted to remain as 7,189 people voted to stay and 4,193 voted to leave. There was a narrow Remain win in Newcastle after 65,404 cast votes prefer to remain and 63,598 in favor of leaving. A big Leave win has been witnessed in Sunderland, northeast England city, as 82,394 voted to leave and 51,930 voted to stay. Clackmannanshire and Isles of Scilly voted to remain, while Swindon and Broxbourne voted to leave. The final result is expected to be declared at around breakfast time on Friday.

China, Uzbekistan elevate ties to comprehensive strategic partnership

China and Uzbekistan upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership Wednesday after talks between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov. The two countries outlined the cooperation plan for their new partnership in such areas as political mutual trust and support, the China-proposed Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, national and regional security, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and collaboration on international affairs. The upgrade was based on the "unprecedented high standard of China-Uzbekistan high-level interaction, political mutual trust and win-win cooperation" they have scored since establishing a strategic partnership in 2012, said a joint statement. The two countries pledged to continue supporting each other on issues concerning their core interest, and not allow a third country or any group to conduct activities on their soil that will harm the other side's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. China and Uzbekistan will maintain regular contacts on all levels, have timely exchange of views on major bilateral, regional and international issues and promote cooperation between government departments, legislatures, social groups, enterprises and financial institutions of the two countries, said the statement. The Chinese side thinks highly of Uzbekistan's development achievements since its independence 25 years ago, firmly supports its choice of development path based on national conditions, and understands as well as respects the Uzbek government's measures to maintain stability and to advance social and economic progress, said the document. For its part, Uzbekistan reaffirmed its stance in upholding the one-China policy and against "Taiwan independence" in any form, stating that Taiwan and Tibet are indispensable parts of the Chinese territory, and that the Uzbek side supports the peaceful development of cross-strait ties and all efforts made by the Chinese government to realize peaceful reunification. On the economic front, the two countries will push for the implementation of previously agreed projects and strengthen win-win cooperation in wide-ranging fields such as high-tech, trade, investment, energy, transportation, agriculture and finance, so as to render full support to the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt. They will also explore joint projects in such areas as road machinery production, oil and gas, chemistry, food processing, building materials, transportation infrastructure, irrigation, soil reclamation, rural housing and people's livelihood, said the document. China and Uzbekistan both consider the "three evil forces," namely terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as drug trafficking, cyber crimes and various forms of organized cross-border crimes to be grave threats to their two countries' and regional security and stability. In addressing these problems, the two sides will carry out law enforcement cooperation, share intelligence and jointly crack down on such crimes. They will also keep closer communication and exchanges on cyber security, defense and military technology. The statement included further China-Uzbekistan cooperation on culture, education, science, sports, tourism and archaeology, as well as friendly communication between their media outlets, academic institutions and non-governmental groups. Noting that collaboration on international issues will demonstrate their high-level strategic mutual trust, the two countries agreed to strengthen mutual support and cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), coordinate their stances on major international and regional issues, and jointly address such challenges. They called on the international community to respect Central Asia's history, culture and traditions and join hands in promoting regional development and prosperity. The Chinese side highly appreciates Uzbekistan's contributions as the SCO presidency in driving the organization's development and preparing for the SCO Council of Heads of State in Tashkent, the statement said. Xi is in Uzbekistan for a state visit. He will also attend the SCO summit on Thursday and Friday. Uzbekistan is the third and final stop of Xi's three-nation tour, which has taken him to Serbia and Poland.

China, Uzbekistan agree to focus on Belt and Road development

China and Uzbekistan agreed on Wednesday to focus on jointly promoting the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. During the talks between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov, the two sides pledged to seek synergy between their respective development strategies and fully tap into the potential of their economic and trade cooperation on the principles of consultation, joint development and sharing. The two leaders said they will actively boost industrial capacity cooperation and build the Jizzakh Industrial Park into an important platform in this regard. Cooperation in infrastructure construction and energy will be expanded and deepened, and new highlights will be created in agricultural cooperation. The two heads of state also vowed to increase financial support for major cooperation projects between the two countries. "We should comprehensively deepen our practical cooperation in all fields ... to push for the common development of our two countries and enrich the meaning of our comprehensive strategic partnership with more cooperation outcomes," Xi told Karimov. The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Xi in 2013, refers to the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. It is aimed at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes. Xi arrived in the Central Asian country on Tuesday for a state visit, the second in three years. He will also attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). During the talks, the two leaders agreed to elevate the bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership so as to cement traditional friendship and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. They decided to continue to strengthen mutual support on issues concerning their core interests such as territory, sovereignty and security, render strong support to each other in their choices of development paths, and enhance communication and coordination on major international and regional issues. On security, the two sides vowed to resolutely crack down on "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and actively cooperate on cyber security, drug control and combating cross-border organized crimes. The two heads of state also agreed to carry out closer cultural and people-to-people exchanges. "China stands ready to work closely with Uzbekistan to boost the development of our bilateral relations and achieve more practical results, " Xi said. For his part, Karimov described Uzbekistan and China as "good neighbors and partners," noting that Xi's visit will forcefully promote the traditional friendship and reciprocal cooperation. He said that Uzbekistan supports China's great cause of reunification and China's principles and positions on such issues as Taiwan and Tibet. The two leaders also exchanged views on the SCO development. A joint statement was issued after the summit talks and a raft of cooperation deals were signed between the two sides, covering diplomacy, economy and trade, intellectual property rights and financing. Uzbekistan is the third and final stop of Xi's three-nation tour, which has taken him to Serbia and Poland.

Putin’s China visit expected to expand economic relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin's official visit to China on Saturday is expected to extend the two nations' economic, military and cultural cooperation, while a multi-billion-dollar high-speed deal expected to be signed, experts said. Leaders of the two countries will discuss further developing Russia-China relations and cooperation in trade, economy, investments, science and humanitarian efforts, according to the Kremlin Press Service. "Putin's visit may mainly focus on the two nations' economic cooperation, as well as propelling the signed contracts and projects forward, including a high-speed rail deal," Li Xing, a professor of Russian affairs at Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times on Wednesday. China has agreed to provide a 400-billion-ruble ($46.2 billion) loan for Russia's Moscow-Kazan High Speed Rail Project, Russian news portal sputniknews.com reported in April. "High-speed rail is a crucial part of Sino-Russian economic cooperation as Russia revitalizes its economy. The railway deal is expected to be signed during the visit," Li said. Russia is also considering a free trade agreement with several countries, including China, which experts believe might be discussed during the visit. "Russia's economy is still floundering, which may lead to a diminished Eurasian Economic Union. The group needs to cooperate with other major economic entities to thrive, and China might be a good partner," Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. "Some experts used to believe that China's Belt and Road initiative might hinder Russia's Eurasian economic plans, but the two countries actually can benefit from cooperating with each other, as China also needs Russia to fulfill its plans in the region," Sergey Komissarov, director of the Confucius Class of the Humanitarian Institute at Novosibirsk State University, told the Global Times. Komissarov said he believes the two countries will also deepen their cooperation in military matters and coordinate in response to common security threats in the future. Earlier in June, the Chinese and Russian navies almost simultaneously sailed into the disputed waters near the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. "Russia's strategic space in Europe has been squeezed, while China is facing territorial disputes over the South China Sea. The similar situations may lead to further military cooperation," Li said. However, Zhang said that Russia will not support China in the South China Sea dispute, and the drills are more symbolic than anything else. "China and Russia will not be allies in a traditional sense, and future military cooperation is not meant to confront other countries, but to express the two countries' stance on certain international issues," Zhang said. More cultural cooperation is likewise expected during the visit, experts said. "I think it's a good time to develop the two countries' cultural cooperation, as many Russian students and their parents are interested in studying Chinese and the Chinese culture. We hope the visit can [promote] greater bilateral cooperation in science and education," Komissarov pointed out.

China's Internet watchdog starts online comments cleanup

China's top Internet watchdog on Tuesday announced plans to clean up online comment sections, a move observers stressed is necessary despite concerns about how it will affect Net users' right to free expression. According to the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), efforts will focus on cleaning up the comments sections of websites by removing harmful content that violates the "seven bottom lines" - including the socialist system, national interests and the legitimate rights and interests of citizens - and laws and regulations like Measures on the Administration of Internet Information Service. Malicious Internet comments disturb the order of digital communications and damage "public opinion ecology," repulsing the public and underscoring the necessity for an overhaul, Ren Xianliang, deputy head of the CAC told representatives of both Party-run and commercial news media - including senior executives from popular news portals such as Tencent and NetEase - on Tuesday. Internet media outlets should shoulder their due social responsibilities rather than blindly pursuing a higher number of clicks on their websites, Ren stressed, urging them to enhance self-disciplined management of online comments. An easily accessible channel to accept Net users' reports of harmful content should be made and a healthy and positive Internet culture should be promoted, the CAC added. "Such a regulation campaign is necessary, as a large number of online comments containing spam ads and personal abuse are flooding the Internet," Zhu Wei, deputy director of the Communications Law Research Center at China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Wednesday. Zhu noted that stricter keyword filtering rules might be applied to webpage comments sections, as Net users often use alternative expressions such as homophones to bypass the current regulation system. Last year's real-name registration requirement has made the new regulation feasible, as the authorities can now find out who created any harmful comment, Zhu added. In February 2015, the CAC announced regulations requiring those who use platforms that provide information exchange services - such as microblogs, instant messaging services and online discussion forums - to register on those platforms using their real names. However, Qin An, director of the China Institute for Cyberspace Strategy, told the Global Times that, "Net users' rights of expression might be to some extent affected," as online comments are sometimes deleted "indiscriminately." It is paramount to publish detailed criteria for the deletion of online comments according to relevant laws and regulations, Qin stressed, adding that the regulation of online information should be carried out in a way that "will not discourage the public from participating in political discussion." Commenting on well-meaning critical comments raised on the Internet at a symposium on cyber security and informatization in April, President Xi Jinping said, "We will not only welcome them, but also carefully study them for future reference," the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Nine factories closed after toxic school tracks exposed

Authorities in Cangzhou, North China's Hebei Province shut down nine factories and detained "related personnel" on Wednesday after China Central Television (CCTV) reported that a number of workshops had been using recycled industrial waste to produce materials for the track ovals widely used in schools. Hebei provincial authorities also vowed to investigate its rubber track producers on Wednesday following the CCTV investigative report that said dozens of companies in Hebei's Baoding and Cangzhou had been using used automobile tires, electrical wires and other plastic or rubber items to produce track oval materials. These recycled materials are believed to contain toxic chemical substances and heavy metals harmful to human health, the report said. Following the CCTV report, the Cangzhou government on Wednesday set up a special task force composed of industry supervisors and police to inspect all related factories, sealing the equipment, materials and semi-finished products in these workshops, news portal thepaper.cn reported. The CCTV report has added fuel to the ongoing uproar from parents of school children in more than a dozen provinces across the country. They have been complaining that the pungent smell of newly-built rubber sports fields and tracks are causing the students nosebleeds, headaches and allergies. Nearly 100 parents of students at Beijing No.2 Experimental School in the capital's Xicheng district gathered outside the school on Wednesday night claiming that the school had cheated on them in a school-hosted test report that claimed its newly-built track oval met national emission standards. The latest test results of an independent institution invited by the parents showed that the content of toxic formaldehyde in the classrooms have all failed national standards, the parents told the Global Times. The school's principal and parents failed to reach an agreement as of press time. Dozens of students at the school suffered from nosebleeds, dizzy spells and coughs after running on the synthetic track oval in Baiyunlu School, the parents said. The Ministry of Education said in a statement published on its website Wednesday night that it is urging all educational authorities to make sure rubber tracks that fail to meet national standards be removed immediately, and halt all tracks under construction until they pass new inspections to ensure safety. No standards Similar incidents have been reported in the past two years in cities that include Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Shenyang. Experts said that clashes between parents and the schools are a result of the absence of a national standard for track and field facilities. "We can only call it a 'questionable track' for now, because we haven't received the test results to prove that the track caused all of these problems," Shi Jianhua, who helped draft rules for synthetic materials for track surfaces, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "But the 'questionable tracks' do contain certain toxic substances, such as methylbenzene which emits a foul smell, and the smell surfaces in high temperatures," Shi said. "If children are exposed to that smell for extended periods, it could damage their liver, kidney and other organs, and this damage is irreversible." A Beijing-based quality inspection organization said they have received 200 track samples from all over the country the past year. Some samples contain methylbenzene and xylene, according to news cite caixin.cn. Shi said many 'questionable tracks' were produced by small uncertified workshops, and they won the contract by offering lower prices. "A qualified track costs 250-300 yuan ($38-$45) per square meter, but these small factories do it for only 130-140 yuan per square meter," Shi said. Shi added 60-70 percent of the tracks are low-budget ones, but could not say how many were harmful to humans. When asked why there is no national standard for such tracks, Shi explained it is a complicated procedure which requires long-term testing. "It will probably take one year at best," said Shi.

Xinijiang expo exhibits Silk Road leadership

As the 5th China-Eurasia Expo is set to kick off in September in Urumqi, the strategic importance of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region as a core area for China's Silk Road Economic Belt continues to rise. During the expo from September 20 to 25, Chinese leaders, foreign envoys of Asian and European countries, specialized agencies, business leaders and heads of international organizations will be invited to attend both the expo's opening ceremony and the China-Eurasia Economic Development Cooperation Forum, Shohrat Zakir, Xinjiang's chairman, told a news conference on Wednesday in Beijing. Six other ministerial-level forums will also be held during the expo, including the China-Eurasian Forum on Cooperation in Entry-Exit Health Quarantine at Ports, the Financial Cooperation Forum, the Scientific and Technological Cooperation Forum and the Forum on Development of Overseas Chinese Businesses and Construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt. The expo will be divided into 14 sections to better meet the needs of domestic and foreign enterprises attending the event. Shi Dagang, vice chairman of Xinjiang, said at the press conference that despite the fact that the exhibition space's total area will be doubled this year, it is still unable to fully meet the demand. Xinjiang has its eyes set on playing a greater role in China's Belt and Road initiative, as the region borders eight countries in Central Asia. Its status as a transportation hub will be further strengthened with the upcoming completion of the China-Pakistan railway and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. According to Zakir, Xinjiang plans to become a regional center for transportation, logistics, medical services, finance and culture in addition to science and education. He said by the middle of this century, Xinjiang plans to establish itself as a base for oil and gas production, processing and storage, coal power and wind and solar energy. The region also intends to construct 10 import and export industrial parks for fields such as machinery and equipment, textiles, building materials, chemical products, information services and animal husbandry products. These industries will also be featured at the expo. Since its establishment in 2011, the China-Eurasia Expo has witnessed the signing of agreements worth a total of 900 billion yuan ($136.7 billion). In 2015 alone, 149 projects worth 129 billion yuan were inked during the expo. Tong Daochi, an assistant commerce minister, said at the Wednesday press conference that direct investment in countries related to the Belt and Road initiative reached $14.8 billion in 2015, an increase of 18.2 percent over the previous year.

Xi arrives in Poland for state visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Poland Sunday on the second stop of his three-nation Eurasia tour aimed at cementing bilateral ties and strengthening China's relations with Europe. It is the first state visit by a Chinese head of state to Poland in 12 years. Before visiting Poland, Xi visited Serbia from June 17 to June 19. The visits, which came on the heels of Xi's visit to the Czech Republic in March, demonstrate the great importance China attaches to its ties with Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and with the European Union (EU), said Liu Zuokui, a scholar with the Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. During his stay in Warsaw, Xi is scheduled to hold talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda on enhancement of bilateral ties. He will also meet with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, and attend a luncheon hosted by Polish parliamentary leaders. The two sides are expected to sign agreements in areas such as finance, civil aviation, science and technology, and education. Poland established diplomatic relations with China in October 1949, making it one of the first countries to forge official diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. Since the two countries lifted their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership in 2011, their relations have been on a "fast track" with deepening political trust and widening cooperation in economy and trade, tourism and education. With bilateral trade reaching 17.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2015, Poland is China's largest trading partner in the CEE region, while China is Poland's largest trading partner in Asia. More than 60,000 Chinese tourists travelled to Poland last year, up from 7,700 in 2004. Five Confucius Institutes have been established in the country. Xi's visit is expected to help further align China's Belt and Road Initiative with Poland's development plans and promote Poland's role as an "engine" to boost China-CEE cooperation. During a state visit to China by Duda in November last year, the two countries inked a memorandum of understanding on jointly promoting the Belt and Road Initiative. Proposed by Xi in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt that links China with Europe through Central and Western Asia by inland routes, and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road connecting China with Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe by sea routes. It is a development initiative that focuses on inter-connectivity and cooperation among countries primarily in Eurasia. Poland sits in the center of Europe, and many of the China-Europe freight trains pass through the country. Chinese experts believe that Poland has a potentially great role to play as a logistics hub between China and the CEE region, as well as between China and Europe. After visiting Poland, Xi is to travel to Uzbekistan for a state visit and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tashkent.

Govt urges Wukan to avoid radical actions

Authorities in Lufeng, South China's Guangdong Province, urged local villagers to avoid taking radical actions as thousands of people took to the streets Sunday to demand the release of their village chief, who has been in office since an unprecedented election in 2012. Lin Zulian, the Party chief of Wukan village under the city of Lufeng, was investigated for suspected embezzlement Friday, two days before the village's conference to discuss a petition to local government over illegal land grabs. Lin was placed under coercive measures by the People's Procuratorate of Lufeng, the city's public security bureau announced Saturday on its Sina Weibo account. The bureau urged villagers to cooperate to "safeguard the hard-won social stability and avoid radical actions." Banners demanding Lin's release, together with national flags, were held by demonstrators as they marched along the village streets on Sunday. "We [Lin's relatives] haven't been informed about the probe, and have no idea where my grandfather has been detained," Lin's grandson, Lin Liyi, told the Global Times on Sunday. He added the family will resort to legal methods to demand the release of his grandfather, as he believes the bribery accusations are fabricated to stop the village's petition to the local government on Tuesday. Despite Lin Zulian's detention, a village conference discussing the petition went ahead Sunday as scheduled. The meeting decided to continue their petition to the local government of Lufeng on Tuesday, adding it will be carried out in a civil way, said Lin Liyi. Armed police were also spotted alongside the demonstration and at the village on Sunday, according to photos and video filmed by local residents. In December 2011, Wukan, a fishing village with a population of 15,000, made international headlines when thousands of villagers smashed the police station and patrol cars to protest illegal land grabs and corruption of local officials. Their four-month protest eventually led to an unprecedented democratic election in March 2012, when Lin Zulian, head of the protest, was elected chief of the village Party committee by 6,205 out of 6,812 voters. Lin was re-elected with over 5,000 votes out of 8,000 in 2014. Not the whole picture Though the practice of Wukan is regarded by many, both at home and abroad, as an example of China's practice of grass-roots democracy, villagers and experts said the "Wukan democratic trial" should not be over-analyzed. "The idea and practice of democracy should not be simplified, and the election is not the whole picture," Feng Yue, a political science expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. "Expecting self-selected leaders to solve all problems is idealistic," he said. Even locals agree. "What happens in Wukan stays in Wukan," Lin Zulian previously told the Global Times in 2014, adding that it can't represent all of China. Though more than 330 hectares of land that were illegally transferred, allotted or left idle in Wukan were returned to the village by 2014, villagers complained that the elected leadership failed to claim as much land back as they expected. Meanwhile, several village officials have been probed and jailed for receiving bribes. "The Wukan democratic election wasn't the only one. Over 600,000 village committees have been launched in China, and 98 percent were directly elected," Vice Civil Affairs Minister Jiang Li was quoted as saying in 2013 by news site cri.cn. However, problems in Wukan reflect the common difficulties faced by China's grass-roots governance, said an expert in local government affairs who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Power and interests remain in upper-level government bodies, while responsibilities and pressures gather at local levels that have less autonomy," the expert said.

Veteran envoy Wu Jianmin killed in car accident

Veteran Chinese diplomat Wu Jianmin was killed in a car accident early Saturday morning, whose commitment to China's diplomatic efforts for over half a century have been widely reviewed and debated. He died while on his way to a lecture in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, according to the Foreign Ministry. Wu, 77, a representative of China's rational moderates, remained involved in facilitating communication between the world and China after he retired in 2009. Wu joined the Foreign Ministry in 1959. In 1965, the French major became an interpreter for Chinese leaders such as Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. He was part of the first delegation sent by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the UN in 1971, when the UN General Assembly recognized the PRC as the sole legitimate representative of the Chinese people to the UN. In the 53rd Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Wu, then Chinese Ambassador to the UN Office in Geneva, defended China's human rights record and managed to block a resolution which he condemned as "an outrageous distortion of China's reality," The New York Times reported in 1997. Despite his efforts to push back international criticism of China, Wu's views were criticized as soft by domestic hardliners and had triggered debates about his moderate diplomatic views. "Wu might have over-emphasized the friendliness of the West to some extent," Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the Chongqing Committee, told the Global Times. He added that the difference between social systems and ideologies might have been "intentionally or unintentionally downplayed a little bit," even though Wu indeed shared goodwill to make our country better and stronger. In 2014, Wu engaged in a public debate with prominent military hardliner Major General Luo Yuan on Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television. Luo argued that China's pursuit of peace and development does not mean the country just grins and bears it, while Wu denied threatening the use of force as an option for China's current foreign strategy.

Egypt tests black box recorders of crashed EgyptAir flight

The Egyptian Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee is running electrical tests on the recovered black box recorders of crashed EgyptAir Flight MS804, the committee said in a statement Sunday. Under the supervision of Egyptian investigators and a certified French expert in flight recorders, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR) were first put through an 8-hour drying process Saturday at a military technical research center, the statement said. The data and information in both recorders, if they are sound, will be extracted after the ongoing electrical tests, according to the statement. On Wednesday, the investigation committee said the hired vessel, Lethbridge John, located several wreckage sites of the crashed plane in the Mediterranean. A day later, the committee announced the vessel found the crashed jet's CVR although it was damaged. "The device has been salvaged in several stages as it was found damaged, but the vessel managed to salvage the part containing the memory unit, which is the most important part in the voice recorder," the committee said in an earlier statement. The probe into the cause of the tragic plane crash continues with all possibilities, including a terrorist bombing and a severe technical failure. EgyptAir Flight MS804, an Airbus A320, went off radar en route from Paris to Cairo on May 19, with 66 people aboard, including 30 Egyptians and 15 French people.

NK eateries in Liaoning ban S.Korean customers

Several North Korean restaurants in Northeast China's Liaoning Province said on Thursday they had stopped serving South Korean clients, triggering speculations it was caused by the recent defections of North Korean employees. "It's an order from the [North Korean] government that all the restaurants in Shenyang and across the country should stop serving clients from South Korea," a waitress at the Peony Restaurant in Shenyang, Liaoning's capital, told the Global Times on Thursday. "The ushers had stopped many South Koreans, almost every day, and those clients just left without complaining," said she. She added that the ban is likely to continue without disclosing the reason. A waitress at the Pyongyang Restaurant, another popular North Korean restaurant in Shenyang, also confirmed the ban. A receptionist at the Pyongyang Koryo restaurant in Dandong, a Liaoning border city, told the Global Times that they have never received South Korean clients, adding they receive many Chinese and North Korean customers. Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported on Thursday that among some 100 North Korean restaurants in China, those in Beijing and Dandong took the lead in suspending service to South Koreans since June. However, several restaurants in Beijing told the Global Times that they continue to serve South Korean clients, adding that they have never heard of such an order. They can dine and enjoy the performances, though our clients are mostly Chinese, said a waitress at the Pyong Yang Urban restaurant in Beijing. Another waitress at the Hae Dang Hwa restaurant in Beijing told the Global Times on Thursday that they receive South Korea clients every day, and that it's impossible to deny service to them. South Korea's Unification Ministry said 13 North Koreans who worked at a restaurant run by North Korea at a third country were seeking political asylum in South Korea, Reuters reported in April.

Net users blast Merkel’s Shenyang welcome

A Manchu-style welcoming ceremony to greet visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province has drawn controversy on Chinese social media, with some netizens accusing it of "raking up China's humiliating modern history and impairing the country's dignity." During her visit to the northeastern industrial city of Shenyang on Tuesday, Merkel and her delegation were invited to visit the Shenyang Palace Museum, which offered an official welcoming ceremony characteristic of the Manchu, the ethnic group that started China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing (1644-1911). During the ceremony, Merkel enjoyed a performance demonstrating royal rituals and was welcomed by the "Chinese emperor" and his "concubines." Video of the ceremony soon went viral on Sina Weibo under the hashtag "Merkel's visit to Shenyang," which garnered more than 3.6 million page views and received mixed reactions from netizens. Some supported the ceremony for "showing traditional culture," while others dismissed it as a "shameless performance." "The ceremony is shameless and servile - a fake emperor acted to welcome a condescending foreign leader. It reminds me of the Eight-Nation Alliance [including Germany] that besieged Beijing in 1900," a netizen commented under the hashtag on Thursday. "It's absurd to relate this routine performance to the Eight-Nation Alliance. The public should not amplify side issues, but focus on the possible development opportunities that Merkel brought to the city," a Shanghai-based expert on international relations who asked for anonymity told the Global Times on Thursday. The Shenyang Palace Museum could not be reached for comment as of press time. Zhang Yiwu, a professor and cultural scholar at Peking University, told the Global Times that some netizens over-interpreted the ceremony. "The Shenyang Palace Museum is a cultural name card for the city, thus holding such a grand welcoming ceremony for a foreign leader is quite understandable," Zhang added. According to the palace museum's official website, similar ceremonial performances are held weekly from April to October and are open to all visitors. Zhang suggested that the public adopt a placid attitude and not view the museum's folkloric performance as a sign that China cannot let go of its history. He noted that tourist activities in both developed and developing countries include performances in reconstructed historical settings. Merkel visited Shenyang primarily to see the city's Sino-German manufacturing park, a key site in strategic cooperation on the "Made in China 2025" and "Industry 4.0" initiatives, China Central Television reported Tuesday. Merkel visited China from Sunday to Tuesday on her ninth trip to the country since 2005.

Natl flag flown at all religious sites in Zhejiang’s Lanxi

Chinese national flags have been raised at all 69 religious sites in the city of Lanxi in East China's Zhejiang Province in order to "have patriotism guide the devotion to religions," the provincial religious committee said Wednesday. As of Monday, all 69 religious sites in Lanxi - including Christian churches and Buddhist temples - had put up Chinese national flags. In addition, the venues are required to hold a national flag-raising ceremony at every important festival and holiday to "enhance patriotic education," according to a statement posted on the official website of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee of Zhejiang Province on Wednesday. "Patriotism and devotion to religion are required by each religious group itself, which should be expressed explicitly. Raising the national flag is one way to demonstrate that," Yan Kejia, the director of the Institute of Religious Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday. Numerous netizens on Sina Weibo questioned whether it is appropriate to raise the national flag at religious sites, with some saying they believe it violates the principle of the separation of politics and religion. A religious studies expert at the Central Institute of Socialism who asked for anonymity told the Global Times on Thursday that Chinese law stipulates that politics and religion should not interfere with each other, but the national flag represents the country, not politics. "Besides, hanging flags does not intervene in the freedom of religious activities," the expert said. The government of Zhejiang's Pingyang county on Monday denied a rumor that churches in its jurisdiction have been required to raise national flags and establish offices run by the Communist Party of China. The national flag was raised at 30 religious sites in Huangshi, Central China's Hubei Province in May 2015, according to a report on the website of the State Administration for Religious Affairs. "Christians are citizens in the first place. Both patriotism and devotion to religion are their obligations," said Xu Chengxiang, head of the Christian Council in Huangshi. Addressing a conference on religion that concluded on April 23, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to fully implement the Party's policy of religious freedom, manage religious affairs in line with laws and retain the principles of religious independence and self-administration, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Obama again urges Congress to pass gun laws during Orlando visit

US President Barack Obama on Thursday again urged Republican-controlled Congress to pass stricter gun control laws during his visit to Orlando in the wake of the country's deadliest mass shooting incident. "Those who were killed and injured here were gunned down by a single killer with a powerful assault weapon," Obama told reporters. "The motives of this killer may have been different than the mass killers in Aurora, or Newtown. But the instruments of death were so similar. Now another 49 innocent people are dead. Another 53 are injured. Some are still fighting for their lives." At least 49 people were killed and 53 others wounded, including a police officer, early Sunday morning in a shooting spree at a popular LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Florida. It was the deadliest terror attack in the US history since 9/11 in 2001. The gunman, identified by authorities as Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie, Florida, was found dead inside the nightclub after a shootout with the police. "I truly hope that senators rise to the moment and do the right thing. We can stop some tragedies. We can save some lives. If we don't act, we will keep seeing more massacres like this," said Obama. Following the 2012 school mass shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, which claimed 26 lives, including 20 children, the Obama administration initiated but failed to push stronger gun control laws. The laws, whose sections included expanded background checks and bans on assault weapons, were stymied in Congress after staunch opposition from Republican lawmakers and gun-rights lobby groups. During his presidency, Obama presided over more than a dozen of high-profile mass shootings, and in an interview last year he called the failure to reform US gun laws "one of the greatest frustrations" of his presidency. "If you ask me where has been the one area where I feel that I've been most frustrated and most stymied, it is the fact that the United States of America is the one advanced nation on Earth in which we do not have sufficient common-sense gun safety laws, even in the face of repeated mass killings," Obama told BBC in an interview in July, 2015.

Mutual interests key to China's "Belt and Road" initiative

China's Belt and Road Initiative to reconnect countries along the ancient Silk Road through closer economic, trade and cultural ties could expect early harvest, with mutual interests serving as the key driver behind thriving cooperation amid global economic uncertainties. "The Belt and Road Initiative, though initiated by China, is not only about China," Chinese President Xi Jinping said late April at a group study on the history of the Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road. "I hope people in all countries along the Belt and Road will actually feel the benefit brought by the initiative." The Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was brought up by Xi in 2013, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes. It aims to boost not only China's development but also that of other countries, Xi said. "While taking care of our own interests, we will give more consideration and care to the interests of other countries," he said. Hu Angang, professor of economics from Tsinghua University, said that China, as a major responsible player in the global community, is being very open and cooperative in its Belt and Road Initiative, so as to bind its own interests with those of other countries. Professor Wang Yiwei with Renmin University echoed Hu's remarks, saying that the initiative is both Chinese and global, as it not only solves China's development problems but also those of other countries. STIMULATING GROWTH While global economic recovery remains fragile, China's Belt and Road Initiative offers a huge potential to inject vigor into the world economy, given that it covers about 4.4 billion people in more than 60 countries, or 63 percent of the global population. The initiative serves as a timely cure for the post-crisis world economy by providing badly-needed public goods, according to Jin Qi, chair of the 40-billion-US dollar Silk Road Fund established by the Chinese government in late 2014. The fund, which has made three substantial investments in less than a year since its inception, is a visible example of China's action in engaging in global infrastructure investment and promoting sustainable development. The win-win philosophy behind the Belt and Road Initiative is the starting point for China's positive interaction with the rest of the world, and serves as a platform for building consensus from home and abroad, said Hu. A good example is the Piraeus port, the largest of its kind in Greece, which reaped abundant benefits from working with Chinese enterprises through the initiative, despite the lackluster, debt-ridden Greek economy. On April 8, China's state-run shipping giant, China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, struck a deal with Greece's privatization fund HRADF to take over a 67-percent stake in the Piraeus port. The results of the first six years of operation by a subsidiary of China COSCO Shipping at Piraeus are already impressive. Taxes and pay rolls attributed to the Greek government and employees have reached up to 500 million euros (567 million dollars). EARLY HARVEST So far, up to 34 countries and international organizations have inked deals with China to build the Belt and Road Initiative, while over 70 countries and organizations have voiced support for and willingness to join the initiative. Thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, a network of regional inter-connectivity is gradually taking shape. The Hungary-Serbia railway and the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail in Indonesia have begun construction, while a pan-Asia railway network including the China-Laos, China-Thailand railways have been launched. A number of highway projects are being pressed for implementation. In addition, economic corridor construction has made substantial progress. Many major projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor have begun construction, while progress has been made on the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor, the new Eurasia land bridge economic corridor, and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar economic corridor. Meanwhile, financial mechanisms have played a supportive role in the initiative. The Silk Road Fund and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have begun operation, while industrial capacity cooperation funds between China and Africa and China and Latin America have been set up and put into use, respectively. Under the initiative, trade and investment have boomed, with free trade agreements and regional cooperation taking quicker steps. Trade and investment growth in areas within the Belt and Road Initiative have witnessed more than twice the speed of global average. Cultural and people-to-people exchanges have grown much closer among countries involved in the initiative. China has launched such events as culture years, art festivals and the Silk Road book projects along the routes. The Silk Road has been successfully included into the UNESCO World Heritage list, while a joint application has started for the inclusion of the Maritime Silk Road into the list. "The early harvest of the initiative is a testimony to the validity of the philosophy behind the initiative," said Zhai Kun, a professor of international relations at Peking University. UPGRADE OF CHINA'S "GO GLOBAL STRATEGY" The Belt and Road Initiative has not only poured money and projects into foreign countries, but also gathered experience and reputation for Chinese companies themselves. The Belt and Road Initiative is an upgrade version of China's "go global strategy," said Sun Ziyu, vice president of the China Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC). "Through the construction of major infrastructure projects along the 'Belt and Road,' Chinese enterprises that have ventured out of China are adopting new business models, seeking business and structural upgrades to participate in international competitions at a higher level, promoting the influence of Chinese firms and brands in the process," he told Xinhua. Sun's company has participated in the construction of signature infrastructure projects, including Korakoram highway linking China and Pakistan, the Gwadar port in Pakistan, the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, the Suramadu Bridge in Indonesia, the Hungary-Serbia railway and the Mombasa-Nairobi railway. The projects spanned from Asia and Europe to Africa, covering completely different cultural, political, and economic landscapes, said Sun. Only after experiencing such diversities can Chinese companies formulate mechanisms to properly assess and manage risks, and establish and improve their corporate social responsibility management system, he said. "During the construction of a project in Kenya, over 86 percent of the workers were hired locally. The CCCC has created over 19,500 jobs for Kenyans with just the Mombasa-Nairobi railway project," he said. Li Shizhong, regional manager of HydroChina Group in Sri Lanka, said his company placed corporate social responsibility high on its priority list while building the country's biggest dam. "We strictly followed local laws and regulations, and applied the highest standards while constructing the dam. We also provided assistance to locals, as well as hired and trained local employees, to win the hearts of the locals," he said. The Daily News and Sunday Observer, two local media which have been suspicious of the Chinese presence before, have entirely come around in attitude after they have investigated the impact the Chinese had on local society, and have released positive reviews on the Chinese projects, Li said.

China hails human rights progress

China has achieved extraordinary progress during the past four years to implement its second action plan on human rights, including progress on religious freedom and social welfare in areas troubled by religious extremists and separatists, a government report revealed Tuesday. "The freedom of religious belief is fully guaranteed and the rights and interests of ethnic minorities were effectively protected in China," said a report reviewing China's work plan on human rights from 2012 to 2015, released by the State Council Information Office on Tuesday. China launched the National Human Rights Action Plan (2012-2015) in June 2012, the second of its kind, following a similar plan for 2009 to 2010. Experts said that progress in improving livelihood and satisfying spiritual needs of those in areas such as western China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Tibet Autonomous Region was substantial, despite foreign accusations of "government suppression." Right to live and believe For a long time, people have criticized Tibet and Xinjiang for their religious freedom situation and also people's livelihood, but practical progress that has helped residents support their beliefs and living standards was unprecedented in scope, but often ignored, said experts. From 2011 to 2015, 200 million yuan ($30 million) was spent on renovating and expanding religious facilities in Tibet, and the Tibet College of Buddhism has so far trained nearly 2,000 monks and nuns and opened several branches, said the review. "The progress on facilities and staff are the basics to safeguarding religious freedom. Almost all Tibetans are religious, so monks are needed for many rituals like weddings and funerals," Penpa Lhamo, deputy head of the contemporary studies institute of the Tibet Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. For Muslims, the State Council established the mechanism of the inter-ministerial joint meeting on pilgrimages, said the report. Xinjiang will send an additional 352 Muslim pilgrims to join more than 3,000 others to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for this year's hajj. Local governments are working out measures to support the pilgrims' accommodations, meals and transportation, an official with Xinjiang's pilgrimage office told the Global Times. Separately, religious workers are now fully covered by social security programs in China. By 2013, 96.5 percent had medical insurance and 89.6 percent had pension schemes. China's financial and policy support in the two regions is not only in religious sites and activity, but also in improving people's livelihood, said local experts. In Tibet, social security efforts, including the issue of bank cards for farmers and herdsmen to receive over 80 kinds of government subsidiaries, are unprecedented, Tanor, an expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday. By the end of 2015, there were 405 projects to support education in Tibet, with funding totaling 938 million yuan. The projects provided training to 6,829 people and 3,585 people moved to Tibet to support them, the report said. Xinjiang's local government has made social development its first priority, with over 70 percent of government funds spent on education, employment, social security and the environment, Turgunjan Tursun, a research fellow at the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 'Underway' Apart from this progress, China is still "underway" in human rights development, as the country is still struggling with problems involving medical care, education, old age care, food and drug safety, income distribution and the environment, Jiang Jianguo, head of the State Council Information Office said Tuesday. China's work plans show the country attaches great importance to human rights, an issue that is closely related with its people's lives and China's national image, Zhang Xiaoling, director of the human rights research center of the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told the Global Times. More importantly, the document stressed that all members of society, including those in a weak position, should also enjoy the fruits of China's development amid the enlarging wealth gap, said Zhang. Human rights progress highlighted: Right to education: Between 2012 and 2015, the government budgeted 34.6 billion yuan to help nearly 90 percent of relocated children of migrant workers go to school in cities. Poverty relief: The number of rural dwellers in poverty dropped from 98.9 million in 2012 to 55.8 million in 2015. Re-education through labor: In December 2013, the re-education through labor system was abolished. Death penalty: In August 2015, a new amendment to the Criminal Law abolished the death penalty for nine crimes, reducing the number of crimes where the death penalty is applicable from 55 to 46. Rights of the person: The supervision against extortion of confession by torture and other illegal acts have been strengthened. Between 2012 and 2015, prosecutorial organs made 869,775 remedial proposals on illegal acts during criminal investigations.

ASEAN FMs retract sea dispute statement

Southeast Asian countries have retracted a statement that expressed "serious concerns" over recent events in the South China Sea, Malaysia said on Tuesday, adding that "urgent amendments" would be made. A meeting between Chinese and Southeast Asian foreign ministers was held on Tuesday in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said on Monday that this meeting is a special arrangement on the sidelines of the China-ASEAN annual regular meeting. "We have to retract the media statement by the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) foreign ministers ... as there are urgent amendments to be made," a Malaysian foreign ministry spokeswoman was quoted by AFP as saying on Tuesday. She said the ASEAN Secretariat approved the release of the statement, then later informed the ministry it was being retracted. "We expressed our serious concerns over recent and ongoing developments which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and which may have the potential to undermine peace, security and stability in the South China Sea," the ASEAN communiqué had said, without mentioning China by name. The retraction indicated disagreements within ASEAN and was worth further negotiations with China, Liu Feng, an expert on Chinese maritime issues, told the Global Times. The disparities between China and ASEAN include China's opposition to a possible joint statement issued by ASEAN on the future ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the progress of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and construction activities on islands and reefs, a Beijing-based expert who requested anonymity, told the Global Times on Tuesday. ASEAN believed in the necessity to issue the statement as the Philippines is a member, the expert said, adding that ASEAN countries expected a faster completion of the code while China insisted on the comprehensive implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea before promoting the code. "But there is still room for discussion between China and ASEAN because the two sides have more in common," Liu said. ASEAN officials did not release the so-called communiqué to the reporters, and the foreign ministers have not announced the document on any public platform. There is no consensus among ASEAN members on the South China Sea issue. Some Western media outlets have been collecting information that might prove ASEAN is vigorously complaining about China as a bloc. Forces outside the region are also fomenting discontent with China and trying to isolate it.

China targets scientific potential of moon’s south pole for lunar probe

China said it hopes to land its Chang'e-4 lunar probe on the south pole region of the moon in 2018 for its scientific research potential, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Scientists plan to send a relay satellite for Chang'e-4 to the halo orbit of the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point L2 in late May or early June 2018, and then send the Chang'e-4 lunar lander and rover to the Aitken Basin of the south pole region about half a year later, said Liu Tongjie, deputy director of the CNSA's Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center. "We plan to land Chang'e-4 on the Aitken Basin because the region is believed to be a place with great scientific research potential," Liu told Xinhua in an exclusive interview. With its special environment and complex geological history, the far side of the moon is a hot spot for scientific and space exploration. However, landing and roving there requires a relay satellite to transmit signals. The transmission channel is limited, and the landscape is rugged, so the Chang'e-4 mission will be more complicated than Chang'e-3, China's first soft-landing mission on the moon, completed in 2013, Liu pointed out. Chang'e-4's lander will be equipped with descent and terrain cameras, and the rover with a panoramic camera, he said. Like China's first lunar rover Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, carried by Chang'e-3, the Chang'e-4 rover will carry subsurface penetrating radar to detect the near surface structure of the moon, and an infrared spectrometer to analyze the chemical composition of lunar samples. But unlike Chang'e-3, the new lander will be equipped with a low-frequency radio spectrometer specially designed for the far side of the moon.

Obama challenges Congress to reinstate assault weapon ban

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday challenged the Republican-controlled Congress to reinstate the ban on assault weapons in the wake of the deadliest shooting massacre in the US history. At least 49 people were killed and 53 others wounded, including a police officer, early Sunday in a shooting spree at a popular LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The gunman, identified by authorities as Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie, Florida, used an AR-15 assault rifle and a handgun to carry out the attack. Both guns were purchased legally. "Reinstate the assault weapons ban, (and) make it harder for terrorists to use these weapons to kill us," said Obama at a press conference, warning that without such a ban, "these kinds of events are going to keep on happening." The manufacture for civilian use of certain semi-automatic firearms was banned in 1994. However, when the ban expired in 2004, the US Congress refused to renew the ban. "We have to work hard as a nation, to reconsider our gun laws that allow such massacres to take place," Iman Muhammad Musri, an Islam leader told a rally to commemorate the victims in the mass shooting in Orlando Monday. As the attack occurred in the leadup to the 2016 race for the White House, two competing narratives are already emerging, with the left touting what they say is a need for more gun control and the right calling for more action against "Islamic radicalism." In a speech from her campaign trail on Monday, Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton talked about the need to tackle terrorism, but emphasized what she billed as a need for more gun control. While noting that the shooter had pledged allegiance to IS, she added that his motives remain unknown. "There's a lot we still don't know, including what other mix of motives drove him to kill," she said. Later on Monday, Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump spoke from his campaign trail in the state of New Hampshire, saying he would "suspend immigration" from parts of the world where there is a proven link between that country and terrorism. Expressing disdain for what he called the "current politically correct response," he said political correctness inhibits the United States from responding fast and clearly. In response to those who believe that stricter firearms laws will keep Americans safer, the bombastic billionaire noted that while France has very strict gun control laws, scores were killed in the deadly terror in Paris last year. Trump added that more gun control would be tantamount to disarming law-abiding Americans and leaving them more vulnerable to terrorist attacks. As the mass shooting triggered heated political debates, people in Orlando in the southeastern US state of Florida showed their solidarity with a vigil on Monday. Thousands of people gathered in downtown Orlando to remember the 49 people who were killed and to pray for the 53 others wounded. People held praying signs and candles. Some of them laid flowers and wrote encouraging words on the pavement with crayon. "Be Strong Orlando," "One City Love" and "We are with you," said the signs. "Tonight we remain a city of pain, we are mourning and we are angry," said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer in a speech during the vigil on Monday. "We will get through this because in our city's darkest hour, our residents have shown that they are the light."

Direct dialogue, joint efforts needed to end South China Sea dispute: Chinese diplomat

Chinese Ambassador to France Zhai Jun stressed the "South China Sea issue could not be solved without direct dialogue and joint efforts of different countries," and preserving peace and stability in the region was "in the interest of all." In a signed article entitled "Some clarification on the issue of the South China Sea" published by the business daily Les Echos on Monday, the Chinese diplomat said an alternative would be within reach if all countries concerned show a responsible attitude and work together to bridge their differences via friendly consultations and negotiations. "We regret the decision of the Philippines to unilaterally resort to international arbitration to resolve the dispute with China over the South China Sea," he wrote. The Philippines claims before the arbitration tribunal in The Hague concern sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and the delimitation of the maritime borders between the two countries. But in 2006, the Chinese government already rejected any arbitration for disputes concerning the delimitation of maritime areas, historic bays, military activities, and acts of law enforcement, he added. "China will not accept and will not recognize the ruling (of) the tribunal, and expresses its deep concern about the abusive and arbitrary extension of the court's powers," the Chinese ambassador to France said. Zhai stressed arbitration initiated by the Philippines violated a bilateral agreement to end the dispute through negotiation and consultations, adding the court's decision was against the basic principles and specific provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. "Both the arbitration procedure and the tribunal's decision are for us null and void," he stressed. The Chinese were among the first people to explore the oceans and the Chinese maritime presence is very ancient. In fact, the country's government started very early to exercise administrative authority over the islands and archipelagos of the zone whose names appear on the official maps of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Zhai wrote. At the end of the Second World War, China took back the islands and archipelagos of the South China Sea that Japan had seized during the war. Over the period, China also published the map of its territories in the South China Sea, proclaiming its sovereignty and its rights in this area. No country has expressed any objection in this regard, he added. In the 1970s, following the discovery of oil and gas resources in the South China Sea, several countries began to demand rights in this area and to send military troops to occupy the islands and reefs. Faced with this situation, China could have exercised its right of self-defense, as it did in 1974 for the Xisha Islands. Meanwhile, it has chosen, while reaffirming its sovereignty over the islands and reefs, to resolve disputes through bilateral negotiations and consultations with the concerned countries, Zhai explained. In 2002, China and ASEAN states agreed on a declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea, which helped to keep the situation in the zone under control for a long time. From 1991 to 2010, trade between China and ASEAN countries grew from less than 8 billion US dollars to nearly 300 billion US dollars, proving "this principle is indeed the right solution to the issue of the South China Sea," the Chinese ambassador concluded.

China says global index without A-shares is incomplete

A global stock index without Chinese A-shares is incomplete, China's securities supervisor said Wednesday. China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) made the remarks just hours after global equity indexes provider MSCI announced it would delay the inclusion of Shanghai- and Shenzhen-listed stocks, or A-shares, on to its emerging market index. CSRC said the decision by MSCI will not affect the opening-up or reform of China's capital market, adding that China needs to continue to build a stable and healthy capital market. MSCI had raised expectations that it would accept A-shares when it laid out a "roadmap" for inclusion in March. But on Tuesday in New York, MSCI said it would delay including A-shares in its Emerging Markets (EM) Index. Chinese authorities have made significant improvements in the accessibility of the China A-shares market for global investors, but "investors would like to see further improvements in the accessibility of the China A-shares market before its inclusion," said Remy Briand, MSCI's managing director and global head of research. MSCI said it would consider the A-shares' inclusion as part of its 2017 review and it did not rule out a potential off-cycle announcement, should further significant positive developments occur ahead of June 2017. The delay will have a limited impact on China's A-share market, but may dampen market sentiment in the short term, CICC analyst Wang Hanfeng said. The key Shanghai index opened 1 percent lower after the MSCI announcement, but the index rebounded in the morning trade, rising 1 percent as of 11 am.

US-based company worker fired for not accepting Scientology

A catholic woman Grecia Echevarria-Hernandez filed a discrimination lawsuit April 26 against her company for forcing her to accept scientology since she refused to watch Scientology video due to her personal belief. She claimed that her company’s action disobey the regulation about religion freedom in American constitute. Real Water, a Las-vagas based company founded by Republican Assemblyman Brent Jones and his son Blain Jones, is executive vice president of the company and is running for a Nevada Assembly seat. “I have not seen the legal documents at this time, so I cannot comment on the alleged claims,” Jones said in a statement last Tuesday.

The plaintiff said she was hired in March 2015 as a “brand ambassador” for Real Water, which markets water infused with electrons that “can help your body to restore balance, and reach your full potential!” according to the company website. On her first day, Echevarria-Hernandez said she was forced to watch several videos with religious undertones, including “The Secret” and others based on Scientology.Her supervisor later told her that she could get a 25-cent raise if she participated in self-betterment courses, and the plaintiff said she tried to sit through one of the classes. But it also had to do with Scientology and made her feel uncomfortable, so she left early. As a result, she was not eligible for raises and felt alienated by all of the other employees,. Echevarria-Hernandez said that she wasn’t previously written up for poor performance, but her supervisor wrote three reports on Oct. 8, 2015, alleging she wasn’t fulfilling her job duties. Another person fired her the next day. Echevarria-Hernandez alleges her treatment violated Nevada law and constituted discrimination, retaliation and an unlawful employment practice under the federal Civil Rights Act, which applies to any business with 15 or more employees. She’s seeking compensation for past and future lost income and benefits, unspecified damages for emotional distress, and punitive damages. The Jones have spoken publicly about their belief in Scientology.It’s not the first time Jones and his association with Scientology have been subject to a lawsuit.A fellow member of the church who had previously suffered brain damage sued Jones and the Church of Scientology years ago, saying he lost money when an ostrich-raising venture Jones ran in California in the 1990s failed. The case was settled out of court, but it emerged again as a campaign attack in a colorful 2012 Republican primary that Jones ultimately lost. Health experts have dismissed a Nevada legislator’s new age water company as junk science, as the company also sells a product called “Real Pain Be Gone,” a product that claims to use “essential oils” for pain relief, and does not list any of its active ingredients. But now one of his former employees says the company is a gateway drug for the Church of Scientology. “Real Water proudly supports a variety of community charities each year,” the company proclaims on its website. One of these supported charities is the “Citizens Commission on Human Rights,” a Scientology-backed anti-psychiatry organization that has published a paper claiming terrorism is “manufactured by psychiatry.” A water company and a Scientology-supported organization might make strange allies.