Obstacles continue to stall China-Vatican ties: experts

Obstacles remain in the way of diplomatic ties between China and the Vatican, experts said, as the Vatican expressed its hope Saturday of establishing formal relations with China. "There is much hope and expectation that there will be new developments and a new season in relations between the Holy See and China," Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin was quoted by Reuters as saying on Saturday. "[This] will benefit not just Catholics in the land of Confucius, but the whole country," Parolin said, adding that it also serves world peace. China, however, is not eager to establish formal ties with the Vatican, the only European country that has not established such relations with China, because it is not an urgent issue which will affect China's international status if it is not dealt with immediately, Yan Kejia, director of the Institute of Religious Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. Yan said formal Sino-Vatican ties could materialize if the Vatican cuts off official ties with Taiwan. "The Vatican should stop its political relations with Taiwan and focus on religious matters with the island," Yan noted. Taiwan's deputy leader Chen Chien-jen will visit the Vatican next month for a ceremony declaring Mother Teresa a saint, Reuters reported. China has said countries should be prudent when dealing with Taiwan-related issues, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told a daily briefing on Thursday and stressed the one-China principle when asked whether China had lodged a protest with the Vatican over the visit of Taiwan's deputy leader. Another major dispute between China and the Vatican involves the appointment of bishops, Hu Benliang, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Taiwan Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. The Vatican expressed its deep regret to China after the latter consecrated several bishops in 2010 without its approval, saying that it was a "painful wound upon ecclesial communion and a grave violation of Catholic discipline." The situation improved when Zhang Yinlin, a coadjutor bishop in the Anyang diocese in Central China's Henan Province, became the first bishop recognized by both Beijing and the Holy See in August 2015.

Saudi prince visit eyes vast Chinese oil export market

China and Saudi Arabia are eyeing deeper energy cooperation as Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman prepares to visit China. Prince Mohammed is scheduled to visit China from Monday to Wednesday and will co-chair a high-level meeting between Saudi and Chinese officials led by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced last week. During his visit, Prince Mohammed will meet Chinese officials on further strengthening economic ties with a number of deals, including the signing of memorandums of understanding on cooperation in the power sector and one on cooperation on oil storage, Saudi Arabia's English-language newspaper Arab News reported on Thursday. Deals expected to be signed during Prince Mohammed's trip also include investments in Saudi Aramco, the country's largest state-run oil producer, the Arab News said. Aramco is reportedly planning to go public, issuing about 5 percent of its shares as part of the kingdom's economic reform plan. Though other areas such as security cooperation are expected to be discussed, the main focus of the prince's trip will be on further opening the Chinese market, as the country faces deteriorating global market conditions for its oil exports and as China moves to bolster its strategic inventory, experts noted. Saudi Arabia, one of the world's largest oil exporters, has been suffering from sluggish global demand, shrinking prices and rising competition from countries like Russia and Iran. "At a difficult time like this, it is natural for Saudi Arabia to turn to China, the world's second-largest oil importer," said Lin Boqiang, director of the Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University. "I expect a relatively good deal for both sides during the visit." The potential deal would guarantee Saudi Arabia more access to the huge and expanding Chinese market, while helping China secure a steady oil supply at lower prices, according to Lin. China is already one of the largest importers of Saudi oil. In the first half of 2016, China imported about 1.07 million barrels of oil per day from Saudi Arabia, or 14 percent of China's foreign oil supply, according to Bloomberg. Strategic oil storage The potential for growth in Chinese oil imports is promising, as China needs to fill its strategic stock, according to Wang Jun, deputy director of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges' Department of Information. "Our strategic crude oil inventory only covers about 30 days, which is low, compared to other countries' 180-day stock. Furthermore, China's oil storage infrastructure has improved significantly and can store much more oil now, so there is a huge potential," Wang told the Global Times. Crude oil deals with Saudi Arabia would also diversify the supply channels for Chinese oil imports, which is conducive to the country's energy security, Lin noted. Prince Mohammed, who is scheduled to return to China after a visit to Japan to attend the G20, will present his country's economic reform plan, under which the Saudi government would spend $72 billion on projects aimed at diversifying the kingdom's economy.

Trump could feel sting from new Clinton ads depicting him as racist

US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump could feel some pain from a new line of political ads from his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's team depicting him as a racist, at a time when he is trying to catch up in the polls. Clinton's campaign this week put out a new TV advertisement claiming that among Trump's supporters are the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) -- a white supremacist group that has killed, terrorized and intimidated blacks and other minorities in the United States, although the group has very little power now compared to when it was in its heyday several decades ago. While Trump has no ties to white supremacists, the ad makes the case that they support him and that if he wins they will run the country. Experts said the ads could hurt Trump and damage his campaign, which is just three months from the November elections. "They are damaging for Trump because they draw on things he or his campaign have done to paint a picture of someone who is completely insensitive to the concerns of the minority community," Darrell West, vice president and director of governance studies of the Brookings Institution, told Xinhua. The ads not only reinforce points already made that Trump is rude and impolite, but also take this critique several steps further by labeling him a racist, West said. For his part, Trump blasted the ads as untrue, while using social media to refute Clinton's attacks. But that move is risky for him, as experts say Trump must get the public eye off of his bombast and onto Clinton's perceived missteps and corruption while she was secretary of state. Experts also argued that the New York businessman should continue his message that law and order is declining in the United States, and that a Clinton presidency would only exacerbate this, as Clinton would be an extension of the current Obama administration. Trump has a few times tried to do this by making cogent and well-argued speeches on US foreign policy and the economy, only to later ruin any gains he might have made by reverting back to insults and bombast. In the past week Trump has resisted the temptation to make over-the-top statements that hurt him with the broader American electorate, but it remains unknown how long he can do this. "The risk for him is that he gets off his law and order message and has to defend himself from the racism charge. It never helps a candidate to have to give an 'I' m not a racist' defense," West said. Dan Mahaffee, an analyst with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, told Xinhua that Trump did avoid the temptation to go off script and has been more effective in message discipline recently. If Trump continues to focus on hitting backon Clinton and avoiding collateral damage, he may turn the corner and start to close some of the polling gap that has him behind Clinton in key states, Mahaffee said. US media has exposed that Clinton has in the past closely associated with known racists, as shown in her statements in 2010 when she referred to former Senator Robert Byrd, a KKK member, as a mentor and friend.

Activist jailed for subversion, harming national security

Activist Zhai Yanmin, who had posted online statements and comments that harmed national security and social stability, has been sentenced to three years in prison with a four-year reprieve for trying to subvert State power. Tianjin No 2 Intermediate People's Court announced the verdict about three hours after it publicly heard Zhai's case on Tuesday morning. The verdict said that Zhai began publishing statements and comments online in 2012. He also manipulated public opinion and organized several protests to disturb public order with lawyer Zhou Shifeng after joining an unregistered organization led by another man named Hu Shigen, the statement said. Zhou and Hu are being prosecuted in separate cases. The court ruled that Zhai committed the crime of subversion, damaging national security and social stability. Zhai pleaded guilty and cooperated with judicial organs following his arrest, which could be regarded as the reason for the reprieve and his lighter punishment, the court said. Zhai said he accepted the judgment and would not appeal.

Activist Hu Shigen jailed for subverting state power

Tianjin No 2 Intermediate People's Court sentenced activist Hu Shigen to seven years and six months in prison for subverting state power on Wednesday, following a three-hour hearing. Hu, 61, who used to be a teacher at a Beijing university, said after the announcement: "It is a fair judgment and I accept it. I will not appeal to a higher court." The verdict said that Hu had asked another man named Gou Hongguo to attend anti-China forums overseas. He also worked with lawyer Zhou Shifeng and activists Zhai Yanmin and Li Heping to protest the government by making use of hot topics to manipulate public opinion and petitions, according to the verdict. All these activities were illegal and were carried out under an unregistered organization, which claimed to be a religious body led by Hu, the verdict said. Hu confirmed that he broadcast subversive ideas to other members of the organization, saying that he aimed to overthrow the government, the court said. He was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison for counter-revolution in 1994, but was released in 2008 following a sentence reduction. Zhai was sentenced to three years in prison with a four-year reprieve for subversion on Tuesday. Zhou, Li and Gou are being prosecuted in separate cases.

Activist Hu Shigen pleads guilty to subversion

An activist accused of subversion, damaging national security and harming social stability pleaded guilty at Tianjin No 2 Intermediate People's Court on Wednesday. Prosecutors said that Hu Shigen led an "underground organization", which claimed to be a religious body, but in fact taught its members how to take advantage of hot topics and sensitive issues to protest the government. The organization, which was unregistered, is alleged to have "built a systematic ideology, method and steps" to achieve its goals, the municipal No 2 People's Procuratorate said in a statement. Hu had allegedly, since 2009, instructed a member of the organization named Gou Hongguo to attend forums overseas that were against the country and the government, while also working with lawyer Zhou Shifeng and activists Li Heping and Zhai Yanmin to organize activities that manipulated public opinion and disturbed public order, the prosecutors said. Hu, a native of Jiangxi province, was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison for counter-revolution in 1994. After a sentence reduction, he was freed in 2008. "Hu's ideology and his behaviors have seriously harmed the country and social stability," the prosecutors said during the trial. Zhai was sentenced to three years in prison with a four-year reprieve for subverting State power on Tuesday. Zhou, Gou and Li are being prosecuted in separated cases. Hu's case is still being heard in court.

Ludovic Trarieux was refused by #Wangyu of Beijing Fengrui Law Firm

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