Luan, 57, had worked for Huating Coal company before being appointed the CPC chief of Gansu's Qingyang city in Oct 2014.

He became the deputy Party chief and Mayor of Lanzhou in Dec 2016.

A worker at a production line of Nannan Aluminum Co Ltd in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Photo/China Daily] China will take necessary measures to ensure Chinese aluminum companies' legal rights, the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday after the United States decided to launch for the first time in more than 20 years self-initiated, anti-dumping and countervailing duty cases against common alloy aluminum sheets from China.

The announcement came after the US Commerce Department launched the investigations on Tuesday covering more than $600 million worth of imports of common alloy aluminum sheet from China.

Wang Hejun, head of the trade remedy and investigation bureau at the Ministry of Commerce, said such anti-dumping duty investigation against the aluminum sheet China exports was the first time in 25 years that was self-initiated by the US Department of Commerce instead of the local industrial association.

"It is a rare case in the history of international trade and has sparked strong dissatisfaction in China," he said.

"The aluminum industries in the two countries are complementary to each other and the trade of such products are two-ways," Wang said. "Disturbing normal trade activities of aluminum will harm interests of both sides."

The construction of clean toilets is an important part of pushing urban and rural civilization, and more effort should be made in cities and rural areas to upgrade toilets, Xi said in a recent instruction on the achievements of the toilet revolution in the tourism sector.

Along with the move, China should construct better public facilities and services to boost the tourism industry, Xi said.

Xi has long stressed the importance of the toilet upgrades in enhancing the quality of the tourism industry. Officials are urged to make consistent efforts and take tailored measures to tackle long-standing issues and correct bad habits in tourism.

Local authorities are now more aware of the important role toilets play, believing better toilets are not only beneficial for tourism but can also improve the environment that people work and live in and enhance the overall level of civilization of society.

While visiting rural areas, Xi would ask local residents about the condition of the toilets they use, and he stressed many times that clean toilets for rural residents are important for the building of a "new countryside".

China launched a toilet revolution across the country in 2015 with an aim to make such facilities cleaner and better regulated.

Toilets in the countryside and at tourist sites previously had a bad reputation.

In rural areas, some toilets were little more than makeshift shelters surrounded by bunches of cornstalks, and some were open pits next to pigsties. At tourist sites, visitors were upset by insufficient toilets, unhygienic conditions and a lack of sanitation workers.

By the end of October this year, China had installed or upgraded 68,000 toilets at tourist destinations, 19.3 percent more than the target number.

The toilet revolution has been expanding gradually from tourist sites to cover the whole country, from cities to rural areas.

The country plans to install or upgrade another 64,000 toilets at tourist destinations from 2018 to 2020, according to an action plan released by the China National Tourism Administration.

XINHUA

Cutting costs will give a boost to the real economy, increase competitiveness and raise living standards

Approximately 15 billion yuan ($2.3 billion) in costs will be saved by enterprises as China strives to further reduce fees charged on entities and help increase their competitiveness, according to the State Council, China's cabinet.

The decision was made at a State Council executive meeting, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday.

As of last week, new measures carried out by the central and local governments this year have saved 175 billion yuan in costs for enterprises as a way of supporting the real economy, according to a statement released after the meeting.

The meeting decided to conduct an inspection on how previous measures have been carried out in cutting fees for enterprises, with no tolerance for any resurgence of unreasonable charges.

All regions and departments were required to issue a list of charging fees by the end of this year. The statement said new items for such fees must be scrutinized.

A nationally integrated network will be accelerated to set guidance over services that are charged in line with government-designated prices, while a more transparent monitoring system will be set up to curb arbitrary charges, the document added.

Wednesday's meeting was the latest move by the central government to reduce burdens on enterprises since 2013 as the economy faced downward pressure in a sluggish world economy.

Early this year, value-added tax officially replaced the business tax, which had been in operation for 30 years, to ease costs for enterprises. Meanwhile, clearing arbitrary fees has been another key task for the government.

The premier pledged to further lower fees on corporate operations by the end of this year when he met with the media in March following the conclusion of the annual session of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislator. Several State Council executive meetings have been convened to fulfill the target.

According to the fourth State Council inspection, the burden on enterprises has been lowered. In the first half of this year, the cost of energy was reduced by 17.6 percent compared with the same period last year.

At the meeting, the premier urged departments and regions to optimize their fiscal expenditures and provide funding supports to public services, which used to rely on charges on enterprises.

"We should expand fiscal expenditures on public services in exchange for further growth of enterprises and improved welfare for the people," Li said.

Feng Qiaobin, a professor of economics at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said there is little space to reduce taxes for enterprises as the value-added tax has replaced the business tax in many sectors.

In this case, unreasonable fees can be a priority if the government wants to relax the burden on enterprises, Feng said. She also said negative sentiments that stemmed from these fees charged without clear regulations should be eliminated to boost the enthusiasm of business startups.

Hu Yijian, a professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, said the meeting focused on the problem that has confronted enterprises for decades while the measures, especially the inspection, will have a great impact on reducing costs and boosting profitability.

Wang Huaiyu, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said that some fees have been charged randomly because of the unclear boundary of the government's power and therefore the ongoing administrative reform should be further promoted.

Wang suggested an information disclosure system be established as early as possible to fully reveal why and how the fees are charged and how they are spent.

Wednesday's meeting also decided to build a mechanism for information release, complaint submission and investigation based on gov.cn, the State Council's official website.

Hu said a supervision system should also be set up to check and name violators. Punishment should be handed out for arbitrary charges and the people in charge should also be penalized, he said.

huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn

The countries include Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Albania, Romania, Kenya, Tajikistan, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, according to a FLP statement on Monday.

Published in both Chinese and English on Nov. 7, the second volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" is also in the process of being translated and published in other languages including French, Russian and Spanish.

The new volume collects 99 of Xi's speeches, conversations, instructions and letters, as well as 29 photos of the Chinese leader between Aug. 18, 2014 and Sept. 29, 2017. The articles are divided into 17 topics, and the book adds some annotations.

The second volume depicts the practices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Xi at the core in uniting and leading Chinese people to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era. It also reflects the development and main contents of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

The new book provides Chinese wisdom and solution for developing a community with a shared future for mankind, as well as in promoting peace and development, according to the FLP statement.

The newly-published volume is expected to help the international community better understand Xi's thought, and the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, it said.

The first volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" has sold 6.6 million copies in 24 languages around the world since it was published in 2014.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrives in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Sunday to attend the sixth Meeting of Heads of Government of China-Central and Eastern European Countries and make his first visit to Hungary as premier. [Photo/Xinhua]

Premier Li Keqiang arrived in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Sunday to attend the sixth Meeting of Heads of Government of China-Central and Eastern European Countries and make his first visit to Hungary as premier.

On his arrival at Budapest Airport, he was greeted by Hungarian Prime Minister Orban Viktor.

Li is scheduled to attend a leaders' roundtable meeting, the seventh China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum, and also witness the signing of cooperative agreements between China and the 16 CEE countries.

Leaders of these countries will discuss how to promote cooperation in areas such as connectivity, trade and investment, finance, green economy, and technological innovation. They will also exchange views on global issues of common concern.

After the meeting, a Budapest guideline will be released directing China-CEEC cooperation, along with a list of achievements for this year and the past five years.

Li is expected to make an official visit to Hungary. He will attend a welcoming ceremony hosted by Orban, and they will have talks, witness the signing of various cooperative agreements and meet with media. Li will also meet with Hungarian President Ader Janos and Speaker of the National Assembly Kover Laszlo.

Hungary was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with the New China in Oct 1949. There have been frequent high-level exchanges between the two countries.

Hungary was the first European country to sign a cooperative document with China to align itself with the Belt and Road Initiative, Li said in a signed article published by the Hungarian Times on Saturday. The two countries have made outstanding achievements in cooperation in such areas as investment, finance and agriculture, he said.

Li received Orban during the latter's two official visits to China, in Feb 2014 and May of this year. The two countries' bilateral relations were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership during the visit in May, when Orban attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Li and Orban have met each year at China-CEEC－for example, in Bucharest, Romania, in November 2013, and Belgrade, Serbia, in December 2014. In Nov 2015, Orban traveled to Suzhou, Jiangsu province, for the fourth China-CEEC meeting. The latest such meeting was in Riga, the Latvian capital, last November.

The premier's trip, which comes after the conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the "16+1"cooperation, between China and CEE countries, is vital to promoting a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Europe, Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Chao said at a news briefing last week.

Upon completing his trip to Hungary, the premier will fly to Russia to attend the 16th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Governments (Prime Minister) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization before the Chinese delegation heads back to Beijing over the weekend.

The posters are released at the conference site on Nov 24. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Beijing - Two posters entitled A Community with a Shared Future for CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting were officially released on Nov 24, 2017.

Guo Yezhou, deputy head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told a press conference in Beijing that the high-level gathering of leaders of global political parties will be held in Beijing from Nov 30 to Dec 3.

The posters use "tea" as the main creative element, skillfully applying the Chinese cultural tradition of drinking tea with friends, which vividly reflects the theme of this dialogue that building a community with a shared future for mankind and building a beautiful world is the responsibility of world political parties.

Staff members put up posters at the conference site on Nov 24. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily] Guo Yezhou, deputy head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, answers reporters' questions at the conference site on Nov 24. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, will deliver a keynote speech at the dialogue's opening ceremony, according to Guo Yezhou, deputy head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Leaders from more than 200 parties and political organizations in more than 120 countries have registered for the meeting, which is scheduled to last from Nov 30 to Dec 3.

"The dialogue is held in response to the request from parties around the world for in-depth knowledge of the 19th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and the concept of building a community of shared future for mankind and a better world," Guo said.

"It is aimed at providing an opportunity for equal communication between global parties and pooling their wisdom to deal with development difficulties and challenges the human society is facing," Guo noted." It is hoped that parties can learn from each other about the experience of party and state governance, and reach consensus on major issues concerning the future of mankind."

"It will be the first high-level dialogue the CPC holds with the world's parties and is of great significance for both the CPC and other parties," Guo said.

During the dialogue, the CPC will also hold routine discussions with political parties from Africa, Central Asia and the United States.

The State Administration for Religious Affairs, the country's regulator, said Thursday in a notice on its website that the smooth development of Buddhism and Taoism has contributed to the social stability and economic development.

But problems have started to emerge and arouse public attention since companies and investors were involved in constructing, renting and operating temples for commercialized activities, the administration said.

Problems in commercialization might lead to rent-seeking power and other corrupt practices, hampering the proper development of religions and degrading social manners, the administration said.

Therefore, the administration, along with other 11 departments such as the Ministry of Public Security, issued the guidelines, putting forward special measures from 10 perspectives.

According to the guidelines, no companies or investors will be allowed to invest, rent or run Buddhist or Taoist religious venues, or take advantage of Buddhism and Taoism to earn profits through activities.

Companies and investors are banned from investing in and erecting big religious statues in the open air, and such religious statues could not be built outside religious venues, the guidelines said.

The guidelines also called on enhancing the management of religious information services on the internet and financial supervision of religious groups. Authorities at all levels should obey the laws and policies to cooperate with each other to regulate religious affairs.

The first meeting of the Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform of the 19th CPC Central Committee, held on Monday, approved the measure and other practical measures to deepen reform.

Lake chiefs have similar responsibilities to river chiefs, who are tasked with resource protection, pollution prevention and control, and ecological restoration.

Likewise, their performance will be assessed and they will be held accountable for environmental damage in bodies of water under their supervision.

The introduction of "lake chiefs" aims to address waters not covered by the "river chiefs." Early this year, central China's Hubei Province and east China's Zhejiang Province rolled out pilot programs.

Observers said the measure underscores the top leadership's determination to clean up the environment after decades of breakneck growth left much of China's waters seriously contaminated by factory waste and agricultural fertilizer.

China has appointed about 200,000 "river chiefs" at provincial, city, county and township levels to combat pollution, Zu Leiming, head of the construction and management department of the Ministry of Water Resources, said at a press conference in August.

The effect is becoming clear. Zhejiang Province has basically eliminated black and odorous waters and it has vowed to deal with any water "below Grade V," the lowest level of China's water quality grading system.

According to the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), some 73.4 percent of inland waters met national standards in 2016, up from 70.8 percent in 2015 and 67.5 percent in 2014, fulfilling the yearly target.

But the ministry said the task is still challenging in some regions.

Complaints still arise from worsening water quality in some areas, destruction of aquatic ecosystems, and substandard drinking water.

More than 70 percent of the water in seven major river valleys, including the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, should reach Grade III or higher by 2020, according to a 2015 action plan.

At the meeting, a guideline on the selection and management of officials working in poverty-stricken regions was passed to help select officials able to promote poverty relief, deal with slack management and tackle undesirable work practices.

This is an important move in the implementation of targeted poverty relief measures, following the Party's pledge to overcome poverty at its 19th national congress.

Poverty relief is always high on China's agenda. The country has vowed to eliminate poverty by 2020. Since the start of the reform and opening up, China has lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty.

More than 60 million people have been lifted out of poverty in the past five years in China, with the poverty rate dropping from 10.2 percent to less than 4 percent.

"Selecting capable and suitable officials to guide poverty relief at different levels is necessary to effectively deepen poverty relief and realize common prosperity," said Prof. Zuo Ting with China Agricultural University.

Strict evaluations and inspections must carried out to ensure poverty alleviation goals are achieved, Zuo added, noting the importance of building people's confidence in their ability to lift themselves out of poverty.

As China heads towards a poverty-free future, its targeted poverty relief measures offer answers to world development problems, said Du Xiaoshan, researcher with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"China's poverty-relief campaign benefits not only its own citizens, but also people of other developing countries," said Du.

A former deputy security chief of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption, including taking bribes and arranging jobs in the legal system, according to China Judgments Online (wenshu.court.gov.cn) on Monday.

Xie Hui accepted about 42.3 million yuan ($6.4 million) in bribes, ignored his duty, held property worth about 49.8 million yuan from unclear sources and caused economic losses of 127 million yuan, the judgment said.

Urumqi Intermediate People's Court sentenced Xie and confiscated property worth 4.5 million yuan on Nov 6.

Some 221 workers in Xinjiang's justice and prison systems paid Xie about 8 million yuan in return for promotions or job transfers during his time as deputy head of the region's Public Security Department, the judgment said.

Xie, who is of Han ethnicity, was born in Altay in 1963 and was admitted to the Communist Party of China in 1986, according to his resume published on the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection website.

He had a long career in Xinjiang's prison system, starting in 1986. He was named head of the Xinjiang Prison Management Bureau in 2010, a position he held until his promotion in 2013 to deputy head of the public security bureau of the autonomous region.

Xie was suspected of corruption and placed under investigation in July 2015, the CCDI said on its website.

He was placed in criminal detention in December 2015 and arrested in January 2016, and was expelled from the Party and removed from office the following month. Xie's case was heard in April this year.

The cases of seven workers in Xinjiang's prison system were transferred to judicial departments, with allegations of malfeasance, while another 42 in Xie's case were punished by administrative and Party disciplinary agencies, according to a report in China Discipline Inspection Daily on March 23.

From 2002 to 2013, 174 projects in Xinjiang's prison system went forward without open bidding under Xie's influence. Xie directly designated contractors for some projects, according to the report.

The investigative team in Xie's case told China Discipline Inspection Daily that Xie's disciplinary violations seriously undermined the political ecology of Xinjiang's justice and prison systems.

The newspaper reported on Tuesday that China and a team representing the other four countries inspected each other's border defense forces in mid-August.

In 1996, the five countries signed the Agreement on Confidence-Building in the Military Field Along the Border Areas. In 1997, they signed the Agreement on the Mutual Reduction of Military Forces in the Border Areas.

The agreements opened the cooperation process of the "Shanghai Five" and laid down a solid foundation for the establishment and development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

During the past two decades, the two sides convened more than 30 meetings and organized more than 140 mutual inspections along the borders, which boasts over 7,600 kilometers between China and the other four nations, according to the report.

Currently, the number of military personnel and amount of arms and military technology equipment are below the limits set by the agreements in applicable areas, said the report.

The two sides also stepped up exchanges by visiting one another's border defense posts and border cities, as well as organizing literary and sports contests and military training and performances, it said.

They have organized several "Peace Mission" joint military exercises under the SCO framework, carried out regular joint patrols, and regularly reported border situations to the other side, it added.

"Though the staff are different in their professional backgrounds, language and culture, they can trust and understand each other and cooperate closely," Huang Xiaodong, head of the office for the obligation of border disarmament agreements, Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, was quoted as saying.

The report said the countries will continue to deepen implementation of the two agreements and cooperation on border defense.

While buying a home is widely seen as a sign of providing yourself with a stable and sound living environment, the government is issuing new policies that prohibit home buyers from potential risks.

China will ban property developers, real estate agencies, as well as internet finance and micro-loan companies from providing illicit down payment financing for buyers. In early November, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued a regulation that rules out any kind of financing for down payments on buying property.

This is part of government efforts to rein in heated property prices in major cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou. It was made clear in the regulation that using funds obtained through channels, such as consumer loans for property purchases, will also be banned.

The housing and urban-rural development ministry will work with the People's Bank of China as well as the China Banking Regulatory Commission, the country's banking regulator, to act against money laundering in the property market, the regulation said, adding that institutions that are found to break the rules will face punishment.

Experts pointed out that this is a further step to control the potential risk from the financial downside to stabilize the market.

Liu Hongyu, a real estate researcher at Tsinghua University, said this is the first nationwide regulation on prohibiting financing on down payment, and the regulation will contribute to a more stable real estate market.

"The new regulation targets clearly preventing the financial risk from happening in the real estate market, and I think this is partly a learning experience from the US financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, during which many buyers bought properties with almost zero downpayments," said Zhu Ning, Oceanwide professor of finance at Tsinghua University who specializes in behavior finance.

"The key is how strictly such regulation will be grounded and implemented," Zhu said.

"Traditionally, Chinese people do not prefer borrowing and prefer to live with a high saving rate, and therefore we have a much lower residential leverage ratio in the property market, which adds to the country's financial stability," Zhu added.

"But today, it has been more and more obvious that people's habits are changing, and this can be seen from the increasing types of internet finance and micro-loan companies, and in this way the policy comes at a very urgent time in preventing financial risks."

The present regulation requires 30 percent of the total price for all properties as down payment from buyers, up from the previous 20 percent.

"Chinese people are traditionally very persistent in buying houses whatever the difficulty, or potential risks are. This is part of our culture," Zhu said.

The new regulation also requires banks to scrutinize funding sources of down payments and the authenticity of income certificates.

Wen Bin, a research fellow with China Minsheng Bank, said a more specific and stricter scrutinizing process is expected to come out on personal down-payment loans on property buying.

"There will be more detailed requirements for banks to scrutinize funding sources of down payments and the authenticity of income certificates," Wen said.

The measures came as soaring property prices have made housing affordability a growing problem for policy makers. Since last year, dozens of local governments have passed or expanded restrictions on house purchases and increased minimum down payments.

Government authorities have constantly reiterated that "houses are built for living in, not speculation".

At a news conference on the sidelines of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Wang Menghui, minister of housing and urban-rural development, said authorities were studying a "long-term mechanism" for real estate regulation and advancing legislative work on developing the rental market.

He pledged to move faster to "implement a housing system that ensures supply through multiple sources, provide housing support through multiple channels, and encourage both housing purchase and renting".

China's home prices have shown signs of cooling as home prices faltered in major cities, after authorities implemented a string of measures to contain price hikes.

A survey by the National Bureau of Statistics in June shows that among the 70 large-and medium-sized cities surveyed, 35 cities have seen a month-on-month price decline or a slower price uptick in May, up from 31 in April, while a total of 29 cities have seen a slower price rise year-on-year in May.

zhangyue@chinadaily.com.cn

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the comment when asked about Indian President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" on Sunday.

China's stance on the issue of the China-India border is consistent and clear, Lu said at a daily press briefing.

"The Chinese government has never recognized the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh'," said Lu.

The two countries have been resolving border issues via negotiation so as to seek a fair and reasonable solution that can be accepted by both sides, he said.

"But before that, both sides should jointly safeguard the peace and stability on the border," Lu said.

Stressing that China-India ties are at an important stage for development, Lu said China hopes India can work with it to protect the overall relationship, refrain from moves that complicate boundary issues, and create favorable conditions for talks and the healthy development of bilateral ties.

The so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" was established largely on three areas of China's Tibet -- Monyul, Loyul and Lower Tsayul -- which are currently under India's illegal occupation. These three areas, located between the illegal "McMahon Line" and the traditional customary boundary between China and India, have always been Chinese territory.

In 1914, British colonialists secretly instigated the illegal "McMahon Line" in an attempt to incorporate into India the above-mentioned three areas of Chinese territory. None of the successive Chinese governments have ever recognized this line.

In February 1987, Indian authorities declared the founding of the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh."

China and India have held 19 rounds of talks on boundary issues with the latest round taking place in April 2016.

Varela is making his first state visit to China since the Central American nation established diplomatic relations with China in June.

Establishing diplomatic ties is in accordance with the fundamental interests of China and Panama, as well as their people, said Zhang, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

Varela reaffirmed Panama's adherence to the one-China principle.

Zhang stressed the importance of implementing the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders and strengthening cooperation on legislation.h Zhang called on the legislative bodies of China and Panama to enhance trust, share experience on state governance, strengthen people-to-people exchanges and create a friendly legal environment.

Zhang also briefed Varela on the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in Beijing last month.

Varela said he agrees with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and hopes China will make more great achievements.

Varela said Panama stands ready to cooperate more with China in various fields, and he supports the communication between the legislative bodies of the two countries.

Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 18, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - On the morning of Oct 18, Xi Jinping, standing behind a lectern in the Great Hall of the People, delivered a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The 32,000-character report, the most significant of its kind in recent decades, drew more than 70 rounds of applause from delegates.

In the report, Xi said socialism with Chinese characteristics had crossed the threshold into a new era.

"This is a new historic juncture in China's development," he stated.

The report has been translated into 10 foreign languages. Most of the translators and foreign linguists involved used the word "powerful" to describe their first impressions. "I was absorbed the first time I read it. I read from morning till midnight, even forgetting to have meals," said linguist Olga Migunova from Russia.

US expert on China studies and chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, said that with this political report and the congress, Xi, who is the core of the CPC Central Committee and of the whole Party, sees China as standing at a new historic starting point.

Xi Jinping speaks when meeting the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 25, 2017. Xi Jinping and other newly-elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng met the press on Oct 25.[Photo/Xinhua]

At the first plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee on Oct 25, Xi was re-elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee for a second term, a reflection of the will of the entire CPC. Media and observers, at home and abroad, see Xi as the right man to lead China from being "better-off" into a great modern country.

In 1949, Mao Zedong announced the founding of the People's Republic of China, marking the end to a century of humiliation at the hands of foreign aggressors. Deng Xiaoping, who put forward the reform and opening-up policy, then paved the way for the nation to become rich.

The coming five years between the 19th and the 20th Party Congress is the period in which the timeframes of the Two Centenary Goals will converge, Xi said when presenting the new CPC central leadership to the press.

"Not only must we deliver the first centenary goal, we must also embark on the journey toward the second," he said, promising to work diligently to "meet our duty, fulfill our mission and be worthy of CPC members' trust." He stressed that Chinese Communists "must always have a youthful spirit, and forever be the servants of the people, the vanguard of the times and the backbone of our nation."

Xi Jinping meets with delegates, specially invited delegates and non-voting participants of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 25, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]

A man who makes things happen

Five years ago, Xi, referred to by media as the first CPC chief of the social-media era, led the newly-elected members of the Standing Committee of the 18th CPC Central Committee Political Bureau to meet the press. "In just a few minutes, the man who will lead the world's most populous nation for the next 10 years laid out his agenda. In short: to make the Chinese nation great again, address the grievances of the people and root out corruption.... Mr. Xi used simple language easily understood by non-Party members," said the Financial Times.

"He does seem to have the personality and political strength to start quickly and out of the box," the report quoted expert on Chinese politics at Boston University Joseph Fewsmith as saying.

While praising his relaxed and confident demeanor, five years ago many took a wait-and-see attitude, as the new Chinese leader faced a plethora of headaches: a slowing economy, a widening wealth gap, corruption, and environmental woes. The waiting and seeing is now well and truly over. Already some speak of "historic change" when describing what happened in the ensuing 1,800-odd days.

A total of 360 major reform plans were put forward and over 1,500 reform measures launched, establishing a general framework for reform in major fields and lending greater impetus to growth.

The economy expanded at an average annual rate of 7.2 percent between 2013 and 2016, outstripping the 2.5-percent average global growth. More than 60 million people have bid goodbye to poverty. Hundreds of officials at or above provincial or corps level have been investigated for corruption and a campaign targeting undesirable working styles has ensured that the Party with over 89 million members stayed pure and grew stronger. The two million-strong Chinese military has reshaped its way of thinking and work style, organizational form and armament.

The "strictest environmental protection system" was put in place and numbers of officials were punished for insufficient work in this regard.

Xi Jinping leads other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee to review the oath of the CPC when visiting the site where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921, in Shanghai, Oct 31, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Moreover, the country made major progress in scientific and technological fields, seeing successes with a space lab, submersible, radio telescope and quantum satellite. For the first time in over six decades, leaders across the Taiwan Straits met in person.

China is developing a new type of relations between major countries with the United States and Russia.

The Chinese currency, the renminbi or yuan, joined the IMF Special Drawing Right (SDR) basket. A proposal regarding a community with a shared future for mankind and the Belt and Road Initiative were incorporated into UN documents. None of these were easy, but Xi and his colleagues have made things happen, with Xi's unshakable will and commitment crucial to the cause.

"If the Party and people need us to devote ourselves, we shall do it with no hesitation... If we cannot do it, then how can we ask others to do it?" Xi once said at a meeting attended by members of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau.

Xi's roadmap for China's future is inspiring: a two-step approach to becoming a "great modern socialist country," once a moderately prosperous society in all respects is established by 2020. Socialist modernization will be basically realized from 2020 to 2035. From 2035 to the middle of the century, China will become a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.

By then, China will be a global leader in terms of composite national strength and international influence. Prosperity for everyone will be basically achieved, a prospect that the Chinese nation has been longing for since the Opium War (1840-1842). At this point, Xi is the unrivalled helmsman who will steer China toward this great dream.

Xi has been described by the media as "energetic," "ambitious," "sober-minded," and a "pathfinder."

He received the highest rating among 10 world leaders in a survey published by the Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. He also topped the domestic ratings that respondents gave to their own leaders.

A Nikkei report on Oct 19 said Xi had drawn up the blueprint for the country's development over the next 30 or so years and was expected to ensure that China regains its status as a global power.

Xi Jinping visits people in Liangjiahe village, Wen'anyi township of Yanchuan county, Yan'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, Feb 13, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

CPC core forged during 'great struggle'

When Xi assumed office five years ago, his top priority was to ensure that the whole Party shall obey the Central Committee and uphold its authority and its centralized, unified leadership. The Party had to face up to its lack of drive, incompetence, disengagement from the people, inaction, and corruption. Of those failings, corruption became the biggest challenge. In Xi's opinion, if corruption got any worse, it would cause the collapse of the Party and the fall of the state. Achieving any target in the new era would be impossible.

The campaign against corruption was like no other in the 96-year CPC history, and remains as far-reaching and relentless as any such campaign anywhere in the world. One of the first "tigers" -- senior corrupt officials -- to fall was Li Chuncheng, former deputy secretary of the CPC Sichuan provincial committee. He had served as an alternate member of 18th CPC Central Committee for less than a month when he was put under investigation in December 2012. Soon, probes of centrally administered officials became an almost regular occurrence. Once as many as seven "tigers" fell under the gaze of investigators in a single month.

Even though the public had witnessed the full force of the campaign, the announcement in July 2014 that Zhou Yongkang, former member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, was under investigation came as a bolt from the blue. Previously, Chinese people had doubted that the CPC would investigate officials at such a high level. The international community had not expected that Xi, still quite new to his office, had the capability or resolve to take out such a "big tiger."

Over the past five years, a number of officials with "iron hats" -- those who were considered powerful and not easily removed -- have been felled for corruption. Besides Zhou Yongkang, there were Bo Xilai, Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou, Sun Zhengcai and Ling Jihua. A total of 43 members and alternate members of the 18th CPC Central Committee as well as nine members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) have been investigated.

Dispelling any doubt, Xi said, "If we did not offend hundreds of corrupt officials, we would offend 1.3 billion Chinese people." To those who worried that corruption would impede economic development, Xi said, "As far as I see, the sky will not fall."

Xi's path has been far from smooth. Rather, it is one of "struggle," a word which appeared 23 times in his report to the 19th CPC National Congress.

In 2015, the anti-corruption drive was described as at "a stalemate." In 2016, the CPC was "gaining ground to overcome corruption." Today, the anti-corruption campaign has built into a crushing tide, is being consolidated, and continues to develop. Fugitives overseas have found themselves hunted down and captured. Domestically, thousands of officials confessed to disciplinary authorities on their own initiative.

Xi Jinping inspects the Yangluo container port in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, July 21, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

While some suggested taking a breather as long as some progress has been made, Xi said the Party must not leave well enough alone in front of an early harvest. Rather, the Party must fight for a "sweeping victory" over corruption. A popular cartoon on the Internet shows Xi on top of a tiger and punching the beast with his fist.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, about 75 percent of Chinese people were satisfied with the anti-corruption efforts in 2012. The figure had risen to 92.9 percent by 2016.

Xi does not only rely on taking out "tigers" and swatting "flies" -- low-level corrupt officials -- to win people's support.

In early 2013, when Xi read an article, "Netizens call for curbing food waste" carried by Xinhua News Agency, he gave the instruction that "waste must be stopped." He stressed eradicating waste in public funds. After five years of hard work, the CPC checked the unhealthy trend, a mission once believed to be impossible.

Yang Xiaodu, deputy secretary of the CCDI, declared: "People said public funds spent on recreational activities like dinners and drinking could be about 200 billion yuan every year, but no one knew how to curtail it. With the eight-point regulation on frugality, the problem has been solved."

The regulation made explicit requirements on how officials should improve their work in eight aspects, focusing on rejecting extravagance and reducing bureaucratic meetings and empty talk. "The eight-point regulation has changed China," Yang said.

"The people have granted power to us, so we must devote our lives to the Party and the country, and serve the Party and the country worthily. We must do what we should. If our work needs us to offend some people, we must offend them," Xi said.

Xi meant what he said. He relaunched the mass-line campaign to bring Party officials closer to the people. He urged officials to meet "strict" and "earnest" requirements: to be strict with oneself in practicing self-cultivation, using power, and exercising self-discipline; and to be earnest in one's thinking, work, and behavior. The Party required all its members to have a solid understanding of the Party Constitution, Party regulations, and major policy addresses, and to meet Party standards of behavior.

The CPC will run a campaign on "staying true to our founding mission" to enable all the Party members to arm themselves with new Party theories and become more purposeful in working tirelessly to accomplish the historic Party mission. The Party has revised its regulations on disciplinary punishments and code on honesty and self-discipline. Those keen on officialdom are losing power and influence. Over the past five years, more than 5,000 "naked officials"-- those whose spouses and children are overseas -- have been removed from their posts. More than 22,000 officials at or above county-level had their posts rearranged on the basis of their performance.

Xi Jinping visits villagers at a temporary resettlement site in Ludian county, which experienced a 6.5 magnitude earthquake in August 2014, in Southwest China's Yunnan province, Jan 19, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi's status as the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party was endorsed at the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. It is widely acknowledged that when such a big Party as the CPC governs such a big country, difficulties are inevitable. Without a strong core of leadership, it is hard to maintain unity of Party thinking and solidarity across the entire nation. Weak leadership makes any achievement impossible, not to mention victory in a "great struggle with many new contemporary features."

Xi's indomitable spirit originates from his faith in Marxism. One of his colleagues noted in an article that Xi's speeches "exuberate with firm belief in communism and socialism."

When visiting "The Road Toward Renewal" exhibition at the National Museum on Nov 29, 2012, Xi told a story about Chen Wangdao, who was so focused on translating The Communist Manifesto that he found himself eating ink instead of brown sugar. Xi quoted Chen's words: "The taste of truth is so sweet."

Xi also draws strength from his parents Xi Zhongxun and Qi Xin, both of whom participated in the revolution at young ages. In 1962, Xi Zhongxun's 16 years of suffering from political persecution began. However, he never gave in to adversity and ultimately helped clear the names of others who were persecuted.

When his father was wronged, Xi Jinping went through some tough times.

In one of his letters to his father, Xi Jinping noted that even when trapped in hard times, Xi Zhongxun still held "unswerving faith in communism and belief in the Party's greatness, correctness and glory." "Your words and actions have pointed the correct direction for us to go forward," he wrote.

Xi also recollected that, when he was five or six years old, his mother bought him picture books about Yue Fei, a patriotic military commander of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), and the story of how Yue's mother tattooed four Chinese characters on his back to remind him of devoting himself to the country.

"Jing Zhong Bao Guo (To serve the country with total loyalty): I have long remembered these four characters. It is the pursuit of my entire life," Xi said.

During his early life, Xi applied to join the Communist Youth League eight times and the CPC 10 times, before he finally joined the Party at the age of 20.

Xi Jinping talks with local villagers and cadres at Shibadong village in Paibi township of Huayuan county in the Tujia-Miao autonomous prefecture of Xiangxi, Central China's Hunan province, Nov 3, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

Servant of the public

"Xi is a very great leader. He works not only in his office, but among the people," said Keovichith Lamngeun, a Laotian who worked as one of the nine foreign linguists on the translation of the 19th CPC National Congress report.

"From my observation, the general public likes Xi because he has brought about changes," said Peggy Cantave Fuyet, who was responsible for the French version of the report.

Many times over the last five years, the general secretary popped up in crowds of ordinary people amid roars of cheering and the sound of mobile phone camera shutters.

He queued and dined with members of the public in a roadside restaurant. He bought festival gifts himself before visiting old acquaintances in the village where he worked as an "educated youth." He stood in heavy rain talking with frontline workers.

He has walked into farmers' barns and kitchens, checked the menu at nursing homes and stressed virtue to young students.

He stayed overnight in a makeshift prefab during a visit to the scene of an earthquake.

He once visited Beijing's hutongs in heavy smog, dropping in on residents to ask about their work, salaries, what they burned for cooking and heating, as well as how far their homes were from the nearest toilet. Xi has visited all of the poorest areas suffering "abject poverty" in China.

Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with pupils and teachers of the central primary school in Tokkuzak township, Shufu county, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, April 28, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

At the 19th CPC National Congress, he was a delegate of Southwest China's Guizhou province, one of the poorest regions in China, with per capita GDP of around 33,000 yuan (about $4,980), close to 20,000 yuan lower than the national average in 2016.

When Xi sat down to talk with other delegates from the province in a panel discussion, no one was quite sure how the conversation would turn. Later, somewhat surprised delegates found themselves discussing pork delicacies, strong liquor and tourism with him, all of which are regarded as effective means to bring in extra income for locals.

Media reports of this discussion have drawn numerous clicks and many "thumbs-up" on the Internet.

The people always take the center stage in Xi's blueprint for "a great modern socialist country."

"The original aspiration and the mission of Chinese Communists is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation," Xi told more than 2,300 delegates at the congress.

In November 2013, during an inspection tour to the central province of Hunan, Xi visited Shibadong, a Miao minority village labeled "poor" at the time.

"What should I call you?" asked illiterate villager Shi Pazhuan, as she welcomed Xi into her home.

"I am a servant of the people," Xi introduced himself.

Xi Jinping talks with villagers and local cadres at the home of villager Xu Haicheng in Desheng village, Xiaoertai township of Zhangbei county in North China's Hebei province, Jan 24, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

During that tour, Xi first put forward the concept of "targeted poverty alleviation," which refers to measures that include a system to keep track of every household and individual in poverty to verify that their treatment is having the desired effect.

For Shi, "targeted poverty alleviation" meant a government subsidy to finance a kiwi fruit plantation for her and her neighbors. Xi was visibly pleased on learning later that people of Shibadong had finally shaken off poverty.

He has pledged to lift the country's remaining 40 million impoverished people out of their situation by 2020, a step against poverty unprecedented in human history.

Securing sustenance for all 1.3 billion people of China is, in itself, a huge accomplishment.

He is determined to bring about even more: better education, more stable jobs, higher incomes, more reliable social insurance, better medical services, more comfortable living conditions, a more beautiful environment and a richer cultural life.

As socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, Xi said the principal contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved into one "between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life."

To meet the needs of the people, Xi is striving to ensure equal access to quality education for every child in the country.

Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with workers from Neusoft in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province, Aug 29, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

He presided over meetings of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform to discuss major medical reforms and made "Healthy China" a national strategy. A property rights protection system is being improved to give people a greater sense of security.

Reform of household registration system will ensure equal access to public services for more people.

Xi is practicing the CPC principle of serving the people wholeheartedly. What makes him stand out may lie in his experiences of living and working as an "educated youth" -- urban youth sent to remote rural areas to "learn from farmers" during the Cultural Revolution. He stayed in Liangjiahe, a small village in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, from 1969 to 1975.

"At that time, I did all kinds of work -- reclaiming wasteland, farming, hoeing, herding, hauling coal, mounding, and carrying manure," Xi recalled. "I came to understand what reality, seeking truth and the masses meant. These gave me an enduring inspiration in my life."

He is well qualified to be confident about his comprehension of ordinary people's life in this populous country. During his about 44 years in politics, he rose from grassroots Party chief to the CPC leader, from an ordinary citizen to the country's president, from an average military officer to the Central Military Commission chairman.

He has worked in Party, government and military units, holding posts at all levels from village-level to county-level and all the way through to provincial and central authorities. Wherever he works, he makes a remarkable impact. He leads the CPC in serving the people's interests -- usually long-term interests -- with foresight and consideration for what can be carried through.

"I respect Xi. The Chinese leader has the qualities necessary for the new era," said Olga Migunova, the Russian linguist on the translation of the 19th CPC National Congress report.

Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation in Beijing, May 14, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Strategist behind China's reform

To push forward China's modernization in the 21st century, Xi has launched the world's largest-scale set of reforms.

About three weeks after assuming his post of CPC chief in 2012, Xi trod the same route that Deng Xiaoping took in 1992, to South China's Guangdong province, the frontline of reform more than 30 years ago. There, Xi declared, "reform and opening up decide China's fate."

Being the top decision-maker now is no less challenging than it was in 1978. What remain after decades of economic miracles are the most obstinate barriers, such as outdated mentality, deeply-embedded institutional flaws and strong vested interests.

Many who questioned the country's future cobbled together a series of scenarios on China's outlook, ranging from an economic hard-landing to total collapse.

Xi was keenly aware of his responsibility.

"I have been anxious day and night for fear of failing the trust since being assigned the great task," said Xi shortly after taking office, quoting Zhuge Liang, a politician around 1,800 years ago, known for his strategic thinking and diligence.

Xi made his top-level design and strategic arrangements through the "five-sphere integrated plan" -- promoting coordinated economic, political, cultural, social and ecological advancement -- and the "four-pronged comprehensive strategy" -- making comprehensive moves to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, deepen reform, advance law-based governance and strengthen Party governance.

He defined the current phase of China's economic development as "the new normal," which called for new solutions to growth, structure and a new driving force for the economy.

From April 2013, he led a team of officials on producing a key report for the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, a document on deepening overall reform.

Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening plenary of the 2017 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan 17, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

"We received more than 10,000 proposals from various departments and local governments. The difficulty was to prioritize them," recalled Zheng Xinli, former deputy director of the CPC Central Committee Policy Research Office. "It was Xi who made the final decision to focus on institutional weakness, the problems that triggered serious social conflict and those that the public most strongly petitioned against."

It was also Xi who made the final call about one of the major breakthroughs in the draft -- the report rephrased the market's role in allocating resources, from "a basic role" that had been reiterated by Party documents since 1992, to "a decisive role," a great leap in the relationship between the market and government.

Whereafter, a string of reform projects were undertaken, touching on the most difficult and tangled areas, from state-owned enterprises, household registration, fiscal management and rural land to public hospitals. Some of these programs used to be considered so sensitive as to be almost impossible.

The 2013 comprehensive reform plan included a policy change about residences provided for senior officials. For years they had been given permanent housing that they and their families could occupy even after retirement. Only accommodating incumbent officials had been discussed but not adopted until Xi's term.

Xi was called "our group leader" by the People's Daily, the CPC flagship newspaper, because, during the past five years, he has headed any number of leading groups covering key areas from overall reform, cyber security, military reform to finance and economic affairs. Xi also announced that the CPC would set up a central leading group for advancing law-based governance in all areas.

Xi was personally involved in the work of these groups, reviewing every draft of major policy sentence by sentence.

Sources close to him told Xinhua that all reports submitted to him, no matter how late in the evening, were returned with instructions the following morning.

Xi Jinping meets the press at the end of the ninth BRICS summit in Xiamen, Southeast China's Fujian province, Sept 5, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Under Xi's leadership, a new-type modern economic system is taking shape in China, featuring large-scale supply-side structural reform, innovation, rural revitalization, coordinated regional development, the socialist market economy and new pattern of overall opening-up. To help officials fully understand the necessity and urgency of supply-side structural reform, Xi told them stories of Chinese tourists traveling abroad to buy foreign-brand rice cookers and electronic toilet seats.

Xi's vision was embodied in the overall goal of deepening reform -- improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the country's governance system and capacity.

Making institutional system more comprehensive, stable and effective was hailed as "the fifth modernization," an addition to the popular catchphrase of "four modernizations" -- agriculture, industry, defense and science -- first raised by the Party in the 1960s.

From law-based governance, environmental friendliness, core socialist values to cultural confidence, more components were added to China's grand modernization design.

Xi's vision of "a great modern socialist country," which aims for socialism's triumph over capitalism, not only guides China to avoiding the middle income trap but is a reference for the governance of other socialist countries.

Xi Jinping reviews an honor guard on the aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, in Northeast China's Liaoning province, Aug 28, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

Top commander reshaping the military

As chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), Xi is tasked with ensuring the world's largest military take a "crucial leap" in the new era from being simply large to being strong.

To achieve this, the commander-in-chief of an armed force of two million servicemen and women has outlined a two-step approach.

"We will make it our mission to see that by 2035, the modernization of our national defense and our forces is basically complete; and that by the mid-21st century our people' s armed forces have been fully transformed into world-class forces," Xi said in the report to the 19th CPC National Congress.

Neither of these two goals is easy, and Xi has turned to reviving the army's revolutionary spirit of wartime to seek momentum.

At Xi's behest, a conference on the army's political work convened in 2014 in Gutian township, Fujian province, the very place where Mao Zedong presided over the gathering in 1929 which established the principle of the Party's absolute leadership of the army.

One of Mao's most famous dictums back then was that "political power comes from the barrel of a gun." In the new era, the army faces much different tasks and missions: from safeguarding the territorial sovereignty of a vast land, sea and airspace, to facilitating national unification; from protecting China's ever-increasing overseas interests, to counter-terrorism and disaster relief.

But for Xi, the top priority remains the same as it was eight decades ago -- putting the entire military under unified and absolute command, and ensuring that the armed forces follow the orders of the Party.

In the new Gutian conference, Xi reaffirmed the People's Liberation Army (PLA)' s fine traditions and principles of political loyalty and leadership by the Party. He also indicated some outstanding problems which had to be resolved "right away," or the PLA risked degradation and deviation.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, more than 100 PLA officers at or above the corps-level, including two former CMC vice chairmen, have been investigated and punished. The number is even greater than that of army generals who died in the battlefield during revolutionary times.

Xi Jinping talks with soldiers onboard the Navy destroyer Haikou during his inspection at the Guangzhou military theater of operations of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Dec 8, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

A new disciplinary commission and a commission for political and legal affairs were set up under the CMC on the orders of Xi, and more than 40 military statutes and regulations were adopted in a bid to preserve exemplary PLA conduct, strict discipline and high morale.

Xi also ordered the military to relinquish all business activities, a move that touched upon considerable vested interests. Some had expressed reservations, but Xi went through with it. "The army shall act like an army," he said.

All these have pressed the PLA to focus on the improvement of its combat capability which, according to Xi, should be the "only and fundamental" benchmark of the military.

Xi is well aware of the need to improve PLA combat capability. Back in 2012, he pointed out that the military was lacking in its capacity to win in modern warfare.

Lagging behind on the military front is lethal to the security of the country, Xi said. "I have read a lot on China's modern history, and it gives me great pain whenever I come across a time when we dropped back (in military building) and fell victim to invasions," he said.

To make sure that painful history does not repeat itself, Xi has spearheaded national defense and military reform since 2015.

Military organizations were revamped and the joint combat command mechanism was improved. The four military headquarters -- staff, politics, logistics and armaments -- were reorganized into 15 agencies, while the seven military area commands were regrouped into five theater commands.

In the meantime, the percentage of land forces' personnel among the entire PLA was cut to less than half for the first time, and the new Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force were established. The number of PLA officers was also reduced by 30 percent, and hundreds of generals switched posts.

Xi's uncompromising resolve yielded solid results. The past five years were witness to the greatest strides the PLA has ever made towards modernization.

A tiered combat command system including the CMC, theater commands and the troops was set up. In addition, a management system links the CMC to services and then to the troops.

Xi Jinping visits soldiers on duty at a border post in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Jan 26, 2014. "Today, I shall keep watch together with you," Xi told the soldiers. [Photo/Xinhua]

Civil-military integration is now a national strategy, and science and innovation have been given greater gravitas.

In the past five years, China's first domestically built aircraft carrier was launched; new transport aircraft and stealth jets were commissioned; and the latest missiles were unveiled. Military hardware research made various breakthroughs. The PLA is now a much leaner force with an optimized structure and more balanced services, one that takes strength less from its size, but more from its fighting capacity and efficacy.

Military experts believe the latest round of reform launched by Xi was the biggest change ever to the PLA.

Xi's affinity to the PLA dates back to his early days. Indeed, Xi is a PLA "veteran."

In 1979, straight after graduating from Tsinghua University, Xi joined the military, serving as secretary to the minister of national defense in the General Office of the CMC.

He was still often seen wearing his faded military uniform, sometimes with a matching kit bag, three years later when he became deputy Party chief of Zhengding county in Hebei province. As his work took him across the country in the following decades, Xi also held concurrent posts in the military. Even now, he still has a photo of himself in military uniform on his desk in the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in downtown Beijing.

"Ever since I was young, I have learned much about PLA history and have admired the charm and charisma of the army's older generation of leaders," Xi once said. "My earnest attachment to the army dates back to my boyhood." But Xi does not just command the PLA from behind a desk.

Over the past five years, he had sat in the cockpit of the air force's latest aircraft, boarded the navy's newest submarine, and watched the training programs of ship-borne PLA aircraft.

His domestic inspection tours have taken him to islands, remote border passes, as well as the harsh Gobi Desert, and everywhere he went, he paid his respects to local troops.

Xi Jinping reviews the armed forces as part of the commemorations to mark the 90th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at Zhurihe military training base in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, July 30, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

He dined with young soldiers, checked the temperature of their dormitory showers, and pressed them to get on with their delayed weddings.

In early 2014, Xi visited soldiers stationed in Inner Mongolia ahead of Chinese New Year. Against chilling winds and raging snow, he climbed the steep stairs to a sentry post and signed his name on the post's registration record.

"Today, I shall keep watch together with you," Xi told the soldiers.

Within five years, Xi had overseen two military parades. Late this July, clad in green military fatigues, he mounted an open-top camouflage jeep and drove past ranks of soldiers standing to attention in the Zhurihe military training base, just days before the 90th anniversary of the PLA.

The PLA rarely held field parades of this kind in the past.

The other parade was in 2015 when China commemorated the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Under his orders, more than 50 PLA generals made a rare appearance to lead foot formations and air echelons. Nearly 1,000 foreign troops from 17 countries, including Russia, also marched in the parade.

Before the parade, Xi announced a reduction in the number of military troops by 300,000, and highlighted China's aspirations for peace.

The announcement was the crystallization of China's national defense policy, which is defensive in nature. Behind the increase of PLA strength in both combat capability and command lies China's dedication to lasting peace across the globe.

In Xi's own words: "The only one who can end war is the one capable of war. The only one who can prevent war is the one ready for war. Those who cannot fight only leave themselves vulnerable to aggression."

Xi Jinping addresses the general debate of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept 28, 2015.[Photo/Xinhua]

A world leader

In January 2017, President Xi went to Geneva, a place that has long been witness to the development of China's diplomacy, and delivered the speech "Work Together to Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind." In 47 minutes, Xi won more than 30 rounds of ovation. At key parts of his speech, almost every sentence was greeted with applause.

He described this community of shared future as an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world with lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the United Nations would join China in promoting world peace and development, and in realizing the goal of a community of shared future for mankind.

In February, the 55th UN Commission for Social Development (CSocD) approved a resolution that called for more support for economic and social development in Africa by embracing the spirit of building "a human community with shared destiny."

It was the first time that a UN resolution incorporated the important Chinese concept.

Xi Jinping and other leaders and representatives from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) walk to plant trees to mark friendship in the APEC family in Beijing, Nov 11, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

In June 2016, at the arrival ceremony of a China-Europe freight train in Warsaw, Xi and Polish President Andrzej Duda tasted Polish apples together. Today, products like the apples are brought to China with the help of the Belt and Road Initiative.

As the chief architect of the initiative, Xi has provided an inclusive platform for countries to speed up their development. Over 100 countries and international organizations have expressed their support for, or participated in, the initiative.

In May 2017, Xi presided over the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, the most prestigious international gathering China has ever initiated. Representatives from the world's major economies including all G7 countries were present.

To the international community, Xi is a firm advocate for economic globalization. He was the first Chinese head of state to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos.

His speech there was impressive: "Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. While wind and rain may be kept outside, that dark room will also block light and air. No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war."

Xi Jinping is awarded by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin the highest order of Russia, or the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, after their talks in Moscow, Russia, July 4, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

German newspaper Handelsblatt commented that the Chinese president was advocating a more just globalization in his speech. At Davos, the leader of the world's biggest Communist Party would become the biggest advocate for free trade.

Advocating shared growth through discussion and collaboration in global governance, Xi pushes for a more just and reasonable international order, and proposes upholding justice while pursuing shared interests.

He wants new thinking on common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security; open, innovative, and inclusive development that benefits everyone; and cross-cultural exchanges characterized by harmony within diversity, inclusiveness, and mutual learning.

These concepts were to the fore at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen, the G20 Hangzhou Summit, the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Beijing, the Fourth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia held in Shanghai, and other international podiums.

In the past five years, Xi has visited 57 countries and major international, regional organizations covering five continents; a combined travel distance equal to circling Earth 14 times. According to protocol officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his schedules for overseas visits are always tight and busy with one event closely following another.

Xi Jinping shakes hands with a Russian veteran in Moscow, Russia, May 8, 2015. Xi met with 18 representatives of Russian veterans who fought dauntlessly on the battlefield in northeast China during the anti-Japanese war and in Russia's Great Patriotic War in Moscow, May 8. When presenting an award to a Russian veteran, Xi saw the difficulty the old soldier had in moving and said at once, "Let me come over to you. You can stay there." [Photo/Xinhua]

When presiding over the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in South Africa, he was still attending bilateral meetings at midnight. During the BRICS Summit in Goa, India, he left the hotel at eight in the morning and did not return until almost one o'clock the next morning after his day's work.

He has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin over 20 times since taking on the mantle of president of China. Their solid friendship has led bilateral ties into the best time in history. He has had candid talks with both former and current US presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, enhancing trust while reducing suspicion and setting out the future of bilateral ties.

He is the first Chinese head of state to visit the headquarters of the European Union. He has visited all major European countries, exploring each one's special relationship with China. Europe is home to almost one third of the 57 founding members of the China-proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

He proposed neighborhood diplomacy of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. He visited Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, advancing China's diplomacy on all fronts.

The Wall Street Journal reported that, "On the global stage, Mr. Xi has portrayed China as an alternative to the West, with a unique political system and culture, and as a leader in areas including trade, inequality and climate change." Many believe Xi's wisdom and solutions have helped avoid a "clash of civilizations," the so-called "Thucydides Trap" and "Kindleberger Trap."

Xi Jinping meets with his US counterpart Donald Trump in the latter's Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago in the United States, April 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

At the 19th CPC National Congress, Xi said that major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics could "foster a new type of international relations and build a community with a shared future for mankind."

This is a philosophy long held by Xi, out of an emotional commitment to serve people worldwide as his duty. It is a global vision and the undertaking of a major leader, combining China's own development with that of the whole world, transcending traditional Western schools of thought on international relations based on the zero-sum game and power politics.

Xi's extensive knowledge of literature and the arts makes him a consummate communicator in the international arena. When being interviewed, he named more than 10 Russian writers and a host of Russian masterpieces; when visiting Europe, he talked of several French and German cultural celebrities, bringing himself closer to the locals, and voicing his opinions with literary and artistic expression.

Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a photo with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, the United States, April 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

In describing "the Chinese road," he often uses vivid language-- China is a peaceful, amicable, civilized lion; China is a big guy; China should not be compared to Mephisto. "Welcome aboard the fast train of China's development."

Xi treats everyone with sincerity, warmth, attentiveness, and forthrightness. Putin once said Xi sent him a birthday cake during the APEC meetings in 2013 and they "drank vodka with sandwiches." In July 2016, President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso visited China for the 14th time. Xi gave him a collection of over 70 photographs of his previous visits as a gift. As civil wars in Sassou Nguesso's country had damaged archives, he said that was the most precious gift he had ever received.

Xi Jinping chats with members of a local farmer's family during a visit with his wife Peng Liyuan in Costa Rica, June 3, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

When presenting an award to a Russian veteran who fought for China during World War II, Xi saw the difficulty the old soldier had in moving and said at once, "Let me come over to you. You can stay there." He cherishes old friendships and honored his words with a visit to the family of a late friend, Jim Bacon, in Australia.

A selfie of football star Sergio Aguero and Xi drew a large number of views online. In Argentina, he happily accepted a No. 10 jersey with his name on it. When being interviewed, Xi said he likes sports, including football, basketball, volleyball, and boxing. He also takes time out of his busy schedule to swim over 1,000 meters a time.

His wife Peng Liyuan accompanies the president on some trips abroad and has also become a star of China's diplomacy. In the autumn of 2015, Peng walked onto the podium of the United Nations and delivered two speeches in fluent English, one on her Chinese dream: "I hope all children, especially girls, can have access to good education. This is my Chinese dream." The other was about her stories with children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

Xi Jinping visits the Queen Mother of Cambodia Norodom Monineath Sihanouk in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, Oct 13, 2016. The Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk invited Xi to sit in the chair where late King Father Norodom Sihanouk often sat. [Photo/Xinhua]

Details of their visits abroad show the warmth of a Chinese family. Whenever the cabin door of their plane opened, the couple always walked down the stairs hand in hand, with matching style and gestures. In June 2013, they visited a rural household in Costa Rica. When the host brought them snacks, Xi picked one up and said, "We two can share this one."

Countries often extend an exceptional welcome to Xi on his visits. The Russian Ministry of Defense and the command center of military force opened their gates to a foreign head of state for the first time in honor of Xi. The Queen Mother of Cambodia Norodom Monineath Sihanouk invited Xi to sit in the chair where late King Father Norodom Sihanouk often sat. The chair has been cherished by the royal family since the King Father's passing and had never been used until Xi's visit

Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech "Work Together to Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind" at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan 18, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]

Architect of modernization for new era

The highlight of the 19th CPC National Congress was "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era," now written into the newly revised CPC Constitution, and a significant breakthrough of the sinicization of Marxism.

"Since the Party's 18th National Congress, Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, in response to contemporary developments and by integrating theory with practice, have systematically addressed the major question of our times: what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics the new era requires us to uphold and develop, and how we should uphold and develop it, thus giving shape to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era," reads the revised Constitution.

Under the guidance of Xi's thought, the CPC has led the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to carry out a great struggle, develop a great project, advance a great cause, and realize a great dream, ushering in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The modernization model Xi proposes is distinct not only from the Western model of modernization through industrialization and colonization but also from the neo-liberal model advocated by the Washington Consensus.

About 150 years after Karl Marx's "Das Kapital" was published and 170 years after the Communist Manifesto was released, socialist China will soon celebrate the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era means that "scientific socialism is full of vitality in 21st century China, and that the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics is now flying high and proud for all to see," Xi said during his report at the opening session of the 19th CPC National Congress.

Xi Jinping presides over the opening ceremony of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, Sept 4, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua]

In September, Xi presided over a study session for members of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau which reviewed the development of socialism over the past 500 years. He studied China's failures in copying the political systems of other countries and the successes that came after choosing socialism, especially the experience of nearly 40 years of reform and opening up. He analyzed the development models of other countries.

"Only the wearer knows if the shoes fit or not," Xi said.

The Party must "neither retrace our steps to the rigidity and isolation of the past, nor take the wrong turn by changing our nature and abandoning our system."

In his report to the congress, Xi said: "The path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics have kept developing, blazing a new trail for other developing countries and nations to achieve modernization. It offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence; and it offers Chinese wisdom and a Chinese approach to solving the problems facing mankind."

Development of socialism in China, both in practice and theory, has shown that the country is able to avoid the historical cycle of rise and fall. Likewise, it could evade the "Tacitus Trap," which warns that when a government loses credibility, whether it tells the truth or a lie, it is inevitably thought to be lying.

China offers an alternative answer to such predictions as the "end of history," raised by Francis Fukuyama who argued for the inevitable triumph of Western liberal democracy, and has brought new meaning to the comprehensive development of human society.

Xi has led socialism with Chinese characteristics to a new era, a new era for entire humanity, as we stand together at the crossroads of new development paths.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi and visiting Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela shake hands at the inauguration ceremony of Panama's embassy in Beijing on Thursday. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

China and Panama plan to sign nearly 20 cooperative documents on Friday as officials of the two countries saw Panama's embassy inaugurated in Beijing.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi and visiting Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela disclosed the anticipated number of deals to be signed when they jointly opened the embassy in downtown Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

Varela arrived in the capital earlier on Thursday for a state visit, which continues through Wednesday, at a time officials from both sides have said the 5-month-old diplomatic relationship is developing rapidly.

Wang congratulated Varela on realizing his decadelong dream of building diplomatic ties with China, and said his decision to forge ties with China fully serves the interests of his country and people and will withstand the test of time.

President Xi Jinping and Varela will have a historic meeting on Friday, and the two sides will sign the cooperative pacts, taking the ties to a new stage of comprehensive cooperation, Wang said.

The diplomatic ties were established in June after Panama cut ties with Taiwan and acknowledged the one-China policy the same day.

China's embassy in Panama was inaugurated in September.

Varela said he appreciated China's hospitality and added that his visit is historic as he becomes Panama's first president to visit China.

Panama will unswervingly honor the one-China policy and develop a friendly and cooperative relationship with China, Varela said.

As the countries trust and respect each other and seek mutual benefit and cooperation, their ties are expected to be fruitful, Varela said.

Francisco Carlo Escobar, Panama's first ambassador to China, said establishing an embassy in a major world economy brings his country enormous opportunities as leaders work to inject dynamism into their economy.

The Panamanian leader also is set to visit Shanghai, Chinese Ambassador to Panama Wei Qiang told the Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday.

China set up an office of commercial development in Panama in 1996, and they have maintained cooperation in various fields.

President Xi Jinping attends the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam, Nov 11, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - The phrase "building a community with a shared future for mankind," a concept constantly mentioned by President Xi Jinping both at home and abroad, not only shows China's wisdom in global governance, but also its determination to work for an equal, open and peaceful world.

Xi reiterated such vision and commitment on the world stage in his latest remarks to the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, as well as on his state visits to Vietnam and Laos.

The president encouraged the leaders of APEC members to join China to pursue multilateralism and shared growth through consultation and collaboration, and to forge closer partnerships.

China understands that actions speak louder than words, and cooperation and partnership have been the key words in China's foreign policy for a long time.

President Xi Jinping, left, holds a grand ceremony to welcome US President Donald Trump at the square outside the East Gate of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov 9, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Last week, during US President Donald Trump's visit to China, the two world powers signed contracts and investment agreements worth more than $250 billion, a positive outcome for world trade and international stability.

On Nov 1, China and Russia signed nearly 20 deals in areas including investment, energy and space exploration, after the 22nd regular meeting between the heads of government of the two countries in Beijing, the latest evidence of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia.

On Saturday in Vietnam, Xi called on APEC leaders to promote innovation as a strong growth driver, open up economies, pursue inclusive development, and enrich partnerships and deliver benefits to all involved.

China knows clearly that for any regional trade arrangement to gain broad support, it must be open, inclusive and beneficial to all.

An important way for China to encourage the building of a community with a shared future for mankind is to persistently advocate free trade, welcoming the world to benefit from, instead of being hurt by, China's rapid development.

President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Da Nang, Vietnam, Nov 10, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]

The Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, illustrates the philosophy and vision of a shared future for mankind.

Proposed by Xi in 2013, the initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa via overland and maritime routes.

The establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), which was launched at the 2014 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Beijing, proves China's determination in pushing forward an open and integrated economy.

The FTAAP will add $2.4 trillion to the global economy, according to the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council.

China's vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind on the basis of mutual benefits and win-win cooperation is different from the zero-sum game that used to dominant international relations.

"China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion," said Xi while delivering a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last month.

Having been left behind, China is now taking the lead to transform the winner-takes-all game to an all-winners game.

On Monday, China proposed that the ASEAN leaders' meeting announce the start of consultations on the text of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to achieve a more peaceful and sustainable international order.

All parties involved believe that peace is mandatory for development, and sincere cooperation can boost shared economic growth.

President Xi Jinping, left, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding on joint implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan, as well as a series of cooperation documents in such areas as industrial capacity, energy, cross-border economic cooperation zone, e-commerce, human resources, economy and trade, finance, culture, health, media, social science, and border defense, after their talks in Hanoi, Vietnam, Nov 12, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping, left, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, shakes hands with Bounnhang Vorachit, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and president of Laos, while jointly witnessing the signing of bilateral cooperation documents after their talks in Vientiane, Laos, Nov 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Premier Li Keqiang reviews an honor guard with a saluting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte upon Li's arrival for an official visit at the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila on Wednesday. ROMEO RANOCO/REUTERS

China is willing to hold detailed discussions and formulate ways to cooperate with the Philippines for the next five to 10 years, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday.

"By doing so, this is also sending out a message to the peoples of the two countries as well as the international community that the China-Philippine relationship will continuously grow strong moving forward and people-to-people friendship between us will be further strengthened," he said.

Li made the remark at a news conference joined by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte at the Presidential Palace in Manila after the two leaders met for talks on Wednesday afternoon. A welcoming ceremony was held by Duterte at the palace before the talks.

Li is on an official visit to the Philippines at Duterte's invitation, the first visit by a Chinese premier to the Philippines in 10 years. He also attended a series of high-level meetings on East Asia cooperation during the visit.

Li congratulated Duterte on successfully holding the 31st ASEAN Summit and related meetings.

"China seeks to enhance strategic mutual trust with the Philippines, properly handle differences and push for sustained and healthy relationships between our two countries, as we are neighbors," Li said.

Li stressed that China supports the Philippine government's efforts to build infrastructure and fight terrorism and is ready to provide assistance to the reconstruction work in Marawi City in the southern Philippines, announcing that China will provide 150 million yuan ($22.6 million) in grants for improving the living conditions in Marawi.

"We hope the rebuilding in Marawi will be completed at an early date," Li told Duterte.

Calling Duterte's trip to China in October 2016 "an ice-breaking trip between the two countries" that marked a turnaround in bilateral ties, Li said the past year has seen substantial development in China-Philippine ties with pragmatic cooperation.

The two leaders met at a time when China has become the Philippines' top trade partner, its largest source of imports and second-largest source of foreign tourists, with 14 new flights launched between the two countries. In the first seven months of this year, bilateral trade reached $27.86 billion, up 7.6 percent from the previous year.

Noting that both China and the Philippines are developing countries, Li said both governments face the task of developing their economies and improving people's lives.

China-Philippine relations are critical to the overall relationship between China and ASEAN, Li said.

Duterte said the meeting has given him an opportunity to express his gratitude to Li for China's firm support to the Philippines as this year's rotating chair of ASEAN, as well as for China's assistance with its economy, anti-terrorism efforts and maintenance of stability.

He said the Philippines will be committed to pressing ahead with cooperation with China in various fields.

The two leaders witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation documents on infrastructure, technology and finance after the meeting.

Earlier on Wednesday, Li also met with Aquilino Pimentel III, president of the Philippine Senate, and Pantaleon Alvarez, speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines.

China will improve trading rules and regulations for the electricity market, deepen the market-based reform of natural gas prices for nonresidential users, and accelerate construction of natural gas trading centers in Shanghai and Chongqing, Hu Zucai, vice-minister of the NDRC, said on Friday.

A favorable pricing policy environment will be created to attract social capital to projects related to railway construction and operation, he added.

According to the commission, efforts will be increased to promote market-oriented pricing reform, improve supervision and allow the pricing mechanism to guide resource allocation in order to achieve high-quality, efficient, fair and sustainable development.

The regulator has said it will focus on several fields, including monopolized industries, public utilities and services, environmental protection and agriculture, and will regulate the pricing mechanism based on the principle of "costs plus a reasonable return".

Work safety problems found in site checks

Inspectors from the State Administration of Work Safety spotted 1,742 potential risks in various industries during a review of production safety last month.

Thirty-one teams carried out evaluations at 800 companies in 31 provinces and regions.

As a result, 26 enterprises were forced to cease production until adequate work safety facilities were installed, and five were ordered to close permanently.

The administration has urged all provincial-level governments to strengthen work safety to further prevent accidents.

Returnees face no work restrictions

The State Council's Overseas Chinese Office has said there are no policies or regulations restricting overseas Chinese who return to the country to live or work.

The office received a question on its website from a netizen who asked where they could find policies and regulations regarding people who have settled overseas but retained Chinese citizenship, and whether they would encounter any restrictions in finding a job, such as doctors.

In response, the office said detailed information can be found at chinaqw.com, but added that there are no work restrictions for overseas Chinese. Someone can work as a doctor in China as soon as he or she has obtained the necessary qualifications, it said.

zhangyue@chinadaily.com.cn

Data collected for new system will help reverse degradation to air, water and soil, expert says

Companies and public institutions will soon need to apply for a new government-issued permit before they can discharge pollutant waste, with restrictions placed on how much they can emit.

The move, announced as part of a pilot plan approved by the Ministry of Environmental Protection last week, is seen as a vital step in efforts to control pollution and improve air, water and soil quality.

According to the plan, which runs to 2020, the permits will be mandatory for industrial enterprises, as well as some public institutions, which are financed by the State, have no revenue, and cover sectors such as education, science, culture, health and the media.

Enterprises that apply but fail to qualify for a permit will still be monitored by local environmental protection authorities to prevent pollution, the ministry said.

China has witnessed rapid economic development over the past three decades. Yet it has come at a price, as industrial activity has degraded air, water and soil quality nationwide. In key areas, such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster, smog has become a major headache for residents and local authorities.

The new permit - which sets a ceiling on how much waste an enterprise can discharge into the atmosphere or waterways over a certain period - is part of wider efforts by the central government to build a strict, integrated system that controls pollution nationwide.

"These permits must be issued to all potential polluters, that's the first step," said Song Guojun, director of the Environmental Policy and Planning Institute at Renmin University of China. "Without this permission, enterprises cannot accurately report their emissions, as the previous requirements were ambiguous."

China first introduced pollutant discharge permits in the late 1980s, but they were not compulsory. According to the ministry's data, only about 240,000 enterprises in 20 provincial areas ever received these original permits.

A ministry guideline on introducing the new unified system was released in January. The document covered the processes for application, examination, approval and management, and said companies will be required to disclose the volume and location of all discharges as well as the types of pollutants released.

The information should be presented in a way that is easy for the public to understand, the document added.

This came after the State Council, China's cabinet, released a plan in November last year to establish a national platform in 2017 to manage information related to these permits. By 2020, pollutant discharges in fixed locations must match the exact amount stipulated on the company's permit, while the data platform must effectively make enterprises and public institutions fulfill their responsibilities in pollution control, according to the plan.

Authorities have not specified the potential punishments for rule-breakers, although high-profile environmental inspections in recent years have resulted in companies being temporarily or permanently closed down for excessive discharges or lax waste management.

Shanghai, one of the pilot areas for the new system, issued its first permits in May to companies involved in the power and papermaking industries. Each was given a clear limit on how much waste they can release during the rest of the 13th Five-Year Plan period, which ends in 2020.

Shi Min, the general manager of Waigaoqiao No 3 Power Plant, said being one of the first to receive the permit was an honor, but it also brought pressure. "Along with the permit we were given a 60-page appendix that lists the types of pollutants and overall amount that can be discharged by our plant each year," he said.

Song at Renmin University said introducing the new system will fundamentally change the discharge standards and help improve the environment.

"The permit is the foundation for environmental law enforcement, but also evidence of enterprises' compliance with laws and regulations," he said. "It shows our environmental management is moving forward in a more professional way.

"In the past, we faced a dilemma: The air quality was below standard even though pollution discharges were in line with the standard. Now, if air quality is below standard, the regulations on pollution discharges are revised to raise the standard."

Song said a more integrated national system will also eliminate contradictions caused by parallel regulations, while data collected for the permit will help in updating discharge standards, which in turn will improve the environment, such as air quality.

huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn

The regulation also requires such officials to have the appropriate number of staff as stipulated, showing the CMC's determination to strict military governance, it said.

The regulation is aimed at fully implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the CPC's eight-point code on frugality issued five years ago, it said.

It will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

Presiding over a meeting of the State Council leading group on poverty relief, Wang, also head of the group, urged authorities to implement the central leadership's instructions through enhancing a sense of mission and crisis awareness, and targeting problems to fulfill the Party's promise to the Chinese people and the international community.

Training of local authorities in charge of poverty reduction should be stepped up, Wang said, stressing the importance of carrying out research and investigation, and averting formalism.

China has set 2020 as the target to complete the building of a "moderately prosperous society," which requires the eradication of poverty.

To achieve that target, China needs to lift more than 10 million people out of poverty every year, meaning nearly one million people per month or 20 people per minute.

Both countries' leaders have expressed the willingness to promote the healthy development of bilateral ties, which had been dealt a blow by the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system.

Xi made the remark while meeting with his ROK counterpart Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Week in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Xi reiterated China's stance on the THAAD issue, saying that both sides should make decisions in a way that would be responsible to history, the bilateral ties and the people of both countries.

The two countries should respect each other's core interests and major concerns, keep political mutual trust, and enhance communication, Xi said.

Noting that the bilateral ties are currently going through a critical period, Xi said he believed the meeting would play an important role in the development of their relations and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula issue.

China is dedicated to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, safeguarding the peninsula's peace and stability, and resolving problems through dialogue and consultation, Xi said.

China encourages the ROK to resume contact and dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and restore conciliation and cooperation, Xi said, adding that China is willing to stay in close contact with the ROK to maintain stability and avoid war on the peninsula.

Mentioning his meeting with Moon in Germany in July, Xi said that the two sides have exchanged views on many issues of joint concern and reached many important consensuses.

Xi expressed gratitude to Moon for his congratulatory message on the success of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and Xi's re-election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

The CPC's 19th National Congress made the blueprint for China's economic and social reform for the following decades, and this will inject a powerful impetus to China's development and bring opportunities for cooperation with the international community, including the ROK, Xi said.

Moon said that the ROK pays attention to China's concerns over the THAAD issue, and Seoul has no intention of undermining Beijing's strategic security interests.

The ROK president said he appreciated China's positive role in the Korean Peninsula issue and that Seoul is willing to enhance communication with Beijing to resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue in a peaceful manner.

Moon acknowledged that China-ROK relations have experienced temporary difficulties, and he said it's right time for both sides to improve bilateral ties.

Moon said he is glad that the two countries have agreed to restore bilateral ties to their normal track.

Moon congratulated Xi again on his re-election and the success of the Party's 19th National Congress.

He spoke highly of Xi's efforts in leading China toward its goal of building a moderately well-off society, saying it demonstrates Xi's wish to serve the people.

The ROK supports and would like to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, Moon said.

"The ROK should keep its commitment to not increase its THAAD deployment as the issue is the key factor in Sino-ROK relations," said Jin Yong, deputy head of the School of International Studies at the Communication University of China.

As China strives to achieve its two centenary goals, it needs a peaceful environment, Jin said, adding that the two countries have a common interest in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

China's 'gift to the Vietnamese people' to be a venue for reinforcing relations between neighbors

President Xi Jinping attended the grand opening ceremony of the Vietnam-China Friendship Palace, which was built with Chinese assistance, in the middle of a new district of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Sunday.

The ceremony was jointly attended by Xi and Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, chairwoman of National Assembly of Vietnam. Xi gave a "golden key "to the project to the chairwoman as a symbol of finishing the construction and transferring the project to the Vietnam.

The palace, on which construction began in October 2013, will be the venue to hold exchange activities between China and Vietnam. It is of great political and cultural significance and symbolizes the friendship between the two countries in the new era.

Xi and Ngan also unveiled the China Culture Center at the Vietnam-China Friendship Palace.

Officials in charge of culture from both sides delivered speeches at the ceremony, vowing to enhance cultural exchanges and boost people-to-people communication.

After the ceremony, the two leaders toured notable features of the palace, including a sculpture symbolizing China-Vietnam friendship and a theater, both of which were Chinese-made.

They also spoke briefly with people who have dedicated themselves to Sino-Vietnamese friendship.

The Vietnam-China Friendship Palace has been built on a 3.3-hectare site chosen during a visit to Vietnam in October 2004 by former premier Wen Jiabao.

In November 2016, Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, visited the construction site of the palace accompanied by Don Tuan Phong, vice-chair of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations.

In July 2015, Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli surveyed the status of the construction work during an official visit to Vietnam.

"The project is the Chinese government's gift to the Vietnamese people so the two nations have facilities to perform friendship and cultural exchange activities and host other international events," Zhang said during the tour.

Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations Chairman Vu Xuan Hong said in July 2015 that the palace is a significant political and cultural project and a vivid symbol of the friendship between Vietnam and China in the new era.

Hong said "the palace project aims to promote mutual understanding and cooperation and to deepen the friendship between the two neighboring nations", according to a Voice of Vietnam report.

DA NANG, Vietnam - In his first speech outside China after a historic Party congress, President Xi Jinping on Friday presented China's "new journey" toward a great modern socialist country, as well as the opportunities it creates for the world.

Xi described the "new journey" as one of deepening reform across the board and unleashing dynamism for development; moving with the times and exploring new model of development; toward greater integration with the world and an open economy of higher standards; toward a better life for the people; and toward a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.

"In the next 15 years, China will have an even larger market and more comprehensive development," Xi said while delivering a keynote speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Vietnam's central city of Da Nang.

He said that during that period, it is estimated that China will import 24 trillion U.S. dollars worth of goods, attract 2 trillion dollars of inbound direct investment and make 2 trillion dollars of outbound investment.

In November next year, China will hold the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai, which will provide a new platform for expanding cooperation in China's market among all parties, Xi said.

"China will not slow its steps in opening up itself," Xi told the business leaders. "We will work together with other countries to create new drivers of common development through the launching of the Belt and Road Initiative."

He promised that all businesses registered in China will be treated as equals, and that China will grant more powers to pilot free trade zones to conduct reform, and explore the opening of free trade ports.

Xi noted that China will speed up institutional reform for ecological conservation, pursue green, low-carbon and sustainable development, and implement the strictest possible system for environmental protection.

"By 2035, there will be a fundamental improvement in the environment; the goal of building a Beautiful China will be basically attained," he said.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) successfully held its 19th National Congress last month. Xi, the helmsman of the world's second largest economy, was re-elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee at the First Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which was held a day after the Party congress concluded.

Overall guidelines and program of action were set out at the historic congress for the future development of the Party and the country, drawing a blueprint for China's development between now and the middle of this century.

The plan of the CPC -- as outlined by Xi -- is to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020; basically realize socialist modernization by 2035; and develop China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of this century.

When addressing the APEC CEO Summit on Friday, Xi said as China works hard to pursue innovation and higher quality of growth, new forms of business will keep emerging, more innovations will be used, and development of various regions in China will become more balanced.

"All this will create a more powerful and extensive impact, present more opportunities of cooperation and enable more countries to board the express train of China's development," Xi said.

Xi arrived in Da Nang on Friday to attend the annual APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, scheduled for Nov 10-11 with the theme of "Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future."

This year's meeting comes against the backdrop of an improving global economy and a rebound in global trade and investment, despite risks and uncertainties.

Sharing his observations about the global economy, Xi said the world is witnessing profound changes in growth drivers, the model of global growth, economic globalization and the system of global economic governance.

He called on the 21 APEC members to continue to foster an open economy that benefits all, pursue innovation-driven development and create new drivers of growth, enhance connectivity and achieve interconnected development, and make economic development more inclusive and deliver its benefits to the people.

Xi defended the significance of economic globalization in his speech, saying that it has contributed greatly to global growth over the last few decades.

"Indeed, it has become an irreversible historical trend," he said.

But he also acknowledged that economic globalization faces new adjustments in both form and substance.

"In pursuing economic globalization, we should make it more open and inclusive, more balanced, more equitable and beneficial to all," he said.

He pointed out that the current headwinds confronting economic globalization is mostly generated by the lack of inclusiveness in development.

"Hard work is still needed if we are to bring the benefits of development to countries across the globe and people across our society, and thus turn our vision into reality," he said.

President Xi renewed his call for building a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), saying it is the long-cherished dream of the business community in the region and can provide an institutional underpinning for growing an open economy in the Asia-Pacific.

Meanwhile, he again highlighted the important role of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"This initiative is from China, but it belongs to the world. It is rooted in history, but it is oriented toward the future. It focuses on the Asian, European and African continents, but it is open to all partners," he said.

"I am confident that the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative will create a broader and more dynamic platform for Asia-Pacific cooperation," he added.

SPEECH APPLAUDED

Following the APEC CEO summit, the Chinese president, along with other APEC leaders, held dialogue with representatives of the APEC Business Advisory Council, exchanging views on the new opportunities brought by the 19th CPC National Congress, the Belt and Road Initiative and other topics.

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who listened to Xi's speech at the CEO summit, spoke highly of the address.

He told Xi in a brief meeting after the speech that Peru attaches great importance to the relationship with China and hope to reinforce mutually beneficial cooperation in fields of infrastructure, investment, energy and mineral resources.

Meanwhile, Xi's remarks on economic globalization were applauded by other participants.

"In general, China, an economic power, can make important contributions to the regional economy so that the Asia-Pacific becomes a major engine to drive global economy and trade liberalization as stated by Xi," said Nguyen Thien Chi, member of Executive Committee of Ho Chi Minh City's Vietnam-China Friendship Association.

"Many people in the region want to establish the FTAAP soon to benefit from open and free trade and investment," he said.

"President Xi said the word 'inclusive' for many many times, and I think it's a good thing," said Sami Kteily, executive chairman of PEB Steel Buildings Co. Ltd. from Canada. "Economic growth shouldn't be restricted to one country. The whole region must benefit from the economic growth."

"I believe in multilateralism myself. I think the globalization is happening. It is the natural development of businesses and economies around the world," said Michael W. Michalak, senior vice president and regional managing director of US-ASEAN Business Council.

"I think if Xi can lead the way to make it more inclusive, more fair, more open-minded, then that will be wonderful," he added.

VIENTIANE - The Lao language version of Chinese President Xi Jinping's book on governance has been officially launched Thursday in Lao capital Vientiane.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Guo Weimin, deputy director of the State Council Information Office of China, said the publication of the book's Lao version is of great significance on the occasion of the successful conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the upcoming visit by General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping to Laos.

The Lao version of the book "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" will help Lao people learn more about Chinese development concept, development path as well as domestic and foreign policies, he said, adding that this also helps promote the exchange of experiences in governance between the two parties and two countries.

According to Guo, the book, together with its newly published second volume, features the rich contents of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and offers an important window for the international community to fully, objectively and rationally understand contemporary China.

At the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Laos Wang Wentian said the publication of Lao language version of the book will strengthen mutual trust and respect between the two parties and the two countries, enhance understanding of Lao people about China, promote people-to-people connectivity, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, constantly consolidate the traditional friendship, and further build a solid foundation for the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Laos.

For his part, Kikeo Khaikhamphithoune, member of Secretariat of the Central Committee of Lao People's Revolutionary Party and Head of the Party's Commission for Propaganda and Training, said the publication of the book is a valuable gift for the Lao party and people on the occasion of the upcoming visit of Xi Jinping to Laos.

The Lao language versions of Xi Jinping's report at the 19th CPC National Congress and his book on governance are of practical significance for the Lao side to study and learn from China's theory and experience, said Kikeo.

The book "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" collects 79 speeches, talks, interviews, notes and letters of the Chinese leader between November 2012 and June 2014. Since its first launch in September 2014, the book has been translated into 24 languages, 27 versions and over 6.6 million books have been published worldwide.

Sides pledge to improve legal collaboration and aid repatriation

China and the United States will strengthen cooperation on joint investigations and simplify procedures to repatriate fugitives to their home countries to face justice, a senior official from the Ministry of Public Security said.

Both countries will enhance the exchange of information and conduct joint investigations into a number of major and individual cases, Zhu Yuxiang, deputy director of the ministry's International Cooperation Department, told China Daily.

Moreover, high-ranking officials from both sides will smooth communication channels and promote "the adoption of simplified means to repatriate suspects" to prevent "safe havens" for fugitives from both countries, he said.

A representative of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Public Security (right) hands the memorandum of understanding to a representative of the United States Department of Justice in Shanghai on Oct 16. FAN JUN/XINHUA

Last month, the first round of the China-US Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity Dialogue was held in Washington, during which the countries discussed their major concerns and reached some consensus.

The countries agreed to establish a joint working group and focus on a number of major or individual cases. In addition, they will hold meetings every month or every three months, and share information about fugitives.

"Such agreements offer more favorable conditions to conduct deeper cooperation to apprehend fugitives and regain ill-gotten assets," Zhu said, noting that since President Donald Trump took office, the US has offered China more judicial assistance to apprehend and repatriate fugitives.

"This year, especially, the US has simplified procedures to facilitate repatriation," he said, adding that five people have been repatriated this year, four from the US to China and one from China to the US.

Last month, a fugitive from the US who is suspected of sexually abusing children was repatriated. He is a US citizen who arrived in Shanghai in May on a tourist visa.

In August, a Chinese fugitive suspected of fraud valued at 380 million yuan ($57 million) was repatriated to China with the assistance of US judicial authorities after three years on the run.

However, Zhu acknowledged that there are still some practical difficulties in returning more Chinese suspects as a result of a number of legal obstacles and complex procedures. The two sides have yet to sign a bilateral extradition treaty and a treaty to allow them to share confiscated ill-gotten assets.

The two sides also need to create a successful model for locating, capturing and repatriating fugitives to China, and set an example for future cases, he said.

Huang Feng, a professor of international criminal law at Beijing Normal University, said that despite stronger efforts by law enforcement agencies in both countries, the US remains a major destination for Chinese fugitives.

"Both countries should take the opportunity to put aside political differences and deepen judicial cooperation to seek common interests," he said.

Since Interpol issued red notices for the 100 most-wanted Chinese fugitives in April 2015, 49 people have returned from 16 countries and regions, including six from the US, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Last month, Yang Xiuzhu, a high-profile fugitive, pleaded guilty to charges of corruption and bribery, and was sentenced to eight years in prison and a fine of 800,000 yuan. The 70-year-old returned to China a year ago after 13 years on the run in the US.

BEIJING -- China and the United States should be partners, not rivals, and together they could be good for each other and the whole world, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday.

When hosting a dinner at the Great Hall of the People for visiting US President Donald Trump Thursday evening, Xi said, he believed that challenges of bilateral relations were limited but potential was limitless, and Trump agreed with him on this point.

"The two countries will be able to open a new page of bilateral ties and make new contribution to the future of all humankind once they pursue it firmly and persistently," Xi said.

"China and the United States now have developed into a community of deeply intertwined and shared interests," Xi said. "The two are sharing more, with broader interests and bigger and heavier responsibilities in safeguarding world peace and promoting common development."

Expressing gratitude for the warm welcome from President Xi, Trump said he believed that cooperation between the United States and China would benefit the two sides, and bring peace, prosperity and security to the world.

At Trump's proposal, a video of his granddaughter Arabella Kushner singing in Mandarin and reciting ancient Chinese poems was played before the dinner started, drawing warm applause.

During the tour of the ancient palace, they visited Taihedian, Zhonghedian and Baohedian, the three main halls of the Forbidden City.

Taihedian, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, is one of the largest wooden structures in China and the largest hall in the Forbidden City. Emperors of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties held their enthronements and wedding ceremonies in the hall.

Zhonghedian, the Hall of Central Harmony, is a square building with windows on all four sides. Officials would kowtow to the emperor from here before he presided over grand ceremonies in Taihedian. The emperor examined sacrificial writings in Zhonghedian before offering sacrifices to the ancestors, to heaven and to earth.

Baohedian, the Hall of Preserving Harmony, served as the wedding venue for Emperor Shunzhi of Qing Dynasty. At every Chinese New Year's Eve and on the fifteenth day of the first month on the lunar calendar, emperors held banquets here to entertain heads of state, imperial kinsmen and high-ranking ministers.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the statement in a congratulatory letter to the All-China Journalists Association (ACJA) on its 80th anniversary.

Xi said he expects journalists to maintain a close connection with the people, record the events of the great times, tell China's stories well, spread China's voice, herald the message of victory and raise national morale, for the realization of the two centenary goals and national rejuvenation.

He also urged the ACJA to understand and implement the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress, keep in mind its duty to carry out the Party's publicity work, reform itself, enhance its political consciousness, become more advanced, and better represent the people.

The ACJA is also required to better organize journalists.

A ceremony was held Wednesday morning to celebrate the anniversary of the ACJA. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, addressed the ceremony.

Wang urged all people working in news media to carefully study and understand the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and to publicize the spirit of the CPC congress in a clear and intelligible manner.

He also asked the ACJA to deepen reform and organize Chinese journalists to firmly follow the Party.

Vice Premier Liu Yandong read Xi's congratulatory letter at the event, which was attended by about 300 people.

Under CPC leadership, the ACJA is a national association of China's journalism profession. It now has 217 member organizations and connections with staff at over 6,800 news media nationwide.

Wang Ke was appointed ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania, replacing Lyu Youqing.

Wei Qiang was appointed ambassador to the Republic of Panama.

China, under the leadership of the CPC, endorses the common values of the whole mankind, including peace, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, and advocates a world truly shared by all where international affairs are jointly managed, the world order is jointly built, and economic and social progress are shared.

HOLD FAST TO THE CONCEPT OF A WORLD SHARED BY ALL

China champions the development of "a community with a shared future for mankind", which has been widely accepted by the international community and become an important consensus of global governance.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke highly of Xi's innovative concept of promoting the establishment of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Lord Tu'ivakano, speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga and former prime minister, said China's impressive feat is an inspiration to developing countries including Tonga.

China has over the past five years set its own independent course governed by a policy of development-for-all, said Michael Steger, president of the Bay Area Chapter of the International Schiller Institute. He attributed China's achievements to the strong Chinese leadership. His organization is a global political and economic think tank with headquarters in Germany and the United States.

Steger noted that China's willingness to blaze its own pathway, with an orientation to share the means of development, has now become a stabilizing factor for the world.

With great strength comes great responsibility, and Xi has already displayed that responsibility, said Sourabh Gupta, a senior policy analyst at the Institute for China-America Studies, a Washington-based independent think tank.

IMPROVE GLOBAL GOVERNANCE SYSTEM

As China gradually steps up onto the stage to take part in global governance, international observers have recognized it as a responsible stakeholder.

Speaking on China's international leadership, Maksym Savrasov, head of the secretariat of Ukraine's ruling party Petro Poroshenko Bloc "Solidarity", said the achievements are vividly represented by the initiative on the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (the Belt and Road Initiative), which was put forward by Xi in 2013.

The initiative envisions reviving the ancient overland and maritime silk trade routes that connect Asia with Europe and Africa, boosting inter-connectivity, trade and people-to-people links.

"We are convinced that this global initiative has an enormous potential. Today more than 65 countries are united around this idea," or more than 60 percent of the world's population, the Ukrainian lawmaker said.

Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain, senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, said: "The Belt and Road Initiative has been proved to be effective in addressing problems facing mankind. The government and people of Pakistan are willing to work together with the Chinese people to build a global community with a shared future."

The Belt and Road Initiative "should be able to produce global public goods. I think it can be," said Harvard professor Joseph Nye.

Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk said the initiative is a good instrument to promote win-win cooperation and equal partnership around the globe.

"China firmly adheres to the policy of non-interference. It does not impose its lifestyle upon others, but promotes cooperation. The Belt and Road Initiative is the vivid confirmation to this," Kravchuk said.

As dozens of countries have joined the initiative, China has become "a major center of attraction" for all the people who wish to achieve development, said Mahmoud Raya, director of the "China in Arab Eyes" news website in Lebanon.

PUT FORWARD CHINA SOLUTION TO GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Over the years, China's proposals, ranging from the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, created to complement multilateral financial institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, to the strengthening of multilateral institutions such as BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization, have provided alternative solutions to major issues in global development, said Xulio Rios, director of the Spanish Observatory of Chinese Politics.

When the world faces uncertainties arising from persistent economic problems and serious disputes, China takes on greater global responsibilities, and China's growing role in global affairs means a larger presence of emerging economies and developing countries in global governance, Rios said.

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said Xi's strategic thinking maps out a bright future for the Chinese people and consolidates the foundation of world peace.

China's success can provide other countries with inspiring experience in pursuing their own development and in promoting global peace and prosperity.

"Over the past five years, China has shown potential it has to the entire world," said South Korean ambassador to China Noh Young-min, noting that Beijing has also begun to turn into a key player in the international community for world peace.

"Most of the countries admire the Chinese experience," Raya from Lebanon added. "That's why China will always be an inspiration for all the countries looking for peace, security and advancement."

New supervisory commissions will incorporate existing supervisory, corruption prevention and control agencies within the governments and procuratorates, under a decision made by the top legislature on Saturday.

The pilot project of reforming the supervision system, launched in Beijing, and Shanxi and Zhejiang provinces in January, will be expanded nationwide, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress decided on Saturday at its bimonthly session, which was closed.

Supervisory commissions will be set up across the country by people's congresses at provincial, city and county-levels within their jurisdictions to supervise those exercising public power.

The commissions would be in charge of three major duties: supervision, investigation and punishment.

They will supervise public functionaries' execution of duty and ethics; investigate illegal activities such as graft, misuse of authority, neglect of duty and wasting public funds; issue administrative penalties; and transfer suspected criminal cases to the procuratorates, according to the decision.

It also specified a series of means could be used in carrying out those duties, including inquiry, search, freezing assets and detention.

Some regulations of related laws, such as the laws on administrative supervision and criminal procedure, would be temporarily adjusted or suspended during the reform.

Lawmakers also adopted a decision to temporarily adjust the laws of national defense and armed police to facilitate the reform of the armed police force.

Xinhua

The first China International Import Expo will further deepen the country's opening up and promote economic globalization, Minster of Commerce Zhong Shan said on Sunday.

Speaking at the one-year countdown ceremony for the expo, Zhong said it is a key move for China to open its economy and will further expand the country's growth as a trading power.

"The expo will promote the open world economy and contribute to building a community with a shared future," Zhong added.

The event will be held from Nov 5 to 10 next year at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, Fu Ziying, vice-minister of commerce and China's international trade representative, said on Thursday. It is expected to attract vendors from more than 100 countries and regions.

Fu said: "We will go all out to complete the preparations and speed up the organization and publicity for inviting businesses, exhibitors and forums. At the same time, we will work out supporting approaches in greater detail to ensure the first China International Import Expo will be held as scheduled and be a great success."

The China International Import Expo Bureau has been set up for preparation for the expo, which will be sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and the Shanghai municipal government.

Shanghai is currently expanding its innovation of the Pilot Free Trade Zone to better fulfill its role as the country's import distribution center.

The expo, which will have trade, investment and business exhibitions, will allow participating countries to present the general landscape of their trade and investments.

A series of supporting activities will be arranged during the event, including industry seminars and parallel forums.

Zhong said the Ministry of Commerce and Shanghai government will strengthen their cooperation and in order to build a world class expo next year.

Liu Yukun contributed to this story.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks while inspecting the CMC joint battle command center as its commander in chief.

"The CMC should lead the armed forces to be ready to fight and win wars, and to undertake the missions and tasks of the new era entrusted to them by the Party and the people," Xi said.

A guide shows a group of tourists around the Palace Museum in Beijing in October. [Photo by YIN YAFEI/CHINA DAILY] A series of rules released by China's top tourism authority on Thursday clarified improper behavior and detailed punishments for tour guides who run amok, industry insiders said.

New rules from the China National Tourism Administration prohibit guides from steering their clients to illegal or immoral activities, such as gambling, drugs or sex.

Guides are also prohibited from forcing clients to shop at businesses during a tour, or to charge extra money against a client's wishes, through intimidation, restricting a person's freedom or using physical force.

Those who violate the rules will have their licenses revoked, and income generated through such misbehavior will be confiscated. In addition, violators will be fined between 2,000 and 20,000 yuan ($300 to $3,000).

The administration said the quality of tour guides and the services they provide are key to the way the industry is perceived in China and abroad. Through the rules, which will take effect on Jan 1, the administration hopes to ensure healthy development of the domestic tourism market.

Wang Fude, a professor of tourism administration at Beijing International Studies University, said the new rules act as a supplement to existing tourism law.

"They elaborate tour guides'obligations and responsibilities and will be very helpful for the national tourism administration in strengthening its governance of this group of professionals," Wang said.

Liu Simin, vice-president of tourism at the Beijing-based China Society for Future Studies, said the new rules are a detailed and updated version of a series of regulations issued in 2001.

The 2001 regulations listed some prohibited behaviors, and guides who were found in violation would have points deducted from their annual scores.

Guide services start with 10 points each year. Points are required to maintain a license, so if all 10 are lost, the guide service is shut down.

"The new rules describe situations beyond what were in the 2001 regulations, and cover circumstances in which a tour guide would be in violation - and punishments are laid out in detail," Liu said, noting that some of the examples reflect situations that have been reported domestically in recent years.

In 2015 and 2016, many media reports appeared about misbehaving tour guides at popular destinations.

Forced shopping, verbal abuse of clients and even abandoning clients halfway through a tour were among the misdeeds.

"Against that backdrop, the new rules are more informative and accurate than the 2001 regulations," Liu said. "They tell the guides which specific behaviors they should avoid."

BEIJING -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) will launch a major campaign on the study, promotion and implementation of the "spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress."

The campaign will be the prime political task for the Party and for the country, according to a decision of the CPC Central Committee released Thursday.

The document summarized the essence of congress and made detailed requirements for Party members and organizations during the campaign.

The Central Committee requires full training for Party members, as well as courses specifically for Party officials.

Textbooks will also be compiled, said the document, dated Wednesday.

A series of publicity projects targeting non-Party members, netizens and overseas audience will help them understand the spirit of the Party congress. The use of new media and online video streaming services were highlighted.

The campaign should be integrated with efforts to improve the Party's leadership and self-governance, as well as the ongoing reform and development, said the decision.

China's top judicial authorities presented long-anticipated reports on Wednesday to national legislators on their progress in upholding the law and preventing wrongful convictions in the wake of important judicial reforms in 2013.

The Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate both submitted reports to the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Wednesday.

The top court said it had overturned 37 wrongful convictions since November 2012, including in the high-profile case of Nie Shubin, who was exonerated on Dec 2, 2016, more than two decades after he was wrongly executed for rape and murder.

"We've issued guidelines in recent years to prevent wrongful cases, such as the one regulating evidence reviews by courts, and we've ordered courts not to convict defendants on insufficient evidence," said Zhou Qiang, president of the top court. "The aim is to uphold justice and protect human rights."

Thanks to these efforts, courts acquitted 4,032 defendants in accordance with the law between 2013 and September this year, the report said.

Courts have also been ordered to strictly exclude evidence obtained illegally, including evidence gained by torture, "and not to force anyone to plead guilty", Zhou said.

In Shanghai, for example, between July 2016 and September this year, the city's courts received 24 applications from defense attorneys to strike evidence suspected to have been obtained illegally, leading to 15 reviews on the legality of evidence, he said.

The top prosecuting authority said in its report that it has also improved its work system to guard against wrongful cases.

"What we want is to keep prosecutors from making mistakes or proceeding with unsound prosecutions," said Cao Jianming, procurator general of the top procuratorate.

Since 2013, charges against 870 people have been dropped after discovery of improper or illegal evidence, according to the report delivered by Cao.

Wang Dianxue, a criminal defense lawyer in Beijing, applauded the authorities' efforts to remove improper evidence "because the stricter the review of evidence, the more effective the avoidance of wrongful convictions".

Many courts start their review program when lawyers apply for the exclusion of improper evidence, he said. But improving communication with lawyers so they understand more about the application period also is necessary.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with visiting Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Beijing, Nov 1, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday stressed China's commitment to developing and deepening relations with Russia during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Xi said China is ready to work with Russia to expand cooperation in various fields, maintain close coordination in international affairs and promote the building of a community of shared future.

The president said he believed the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia would generate new opportunities and achieve new results.

Xi pointed out China and Russia should give full play to the prime ministers' regular meetings and enhance cooperation on energy, equipment manufacturing, agriculture and aerospace.

He called on both sides to increase the content of technological innovation in their cooperation and integrate the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union.

China and Russia should cooperate in the development and utilization of the Arctic navigation channels to create a "Silk Road on the Ice," Xi said.

On people-to-people exchanges, Xi said China and Russia have achieved many results in education, tourism, and media cooperation, which consolidated the public support for bilateral ties.

For his part, Medvedev conveyed sincere greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin to President Xi.

He congratulated Xi on the success of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and his re-election as the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

The congress charted a blueprint for China's future development and carries great significance to both China and the world, said Medvedev.

Since President Xi visited Russia this July, the two countries have made progress in cooperation on economy, energy, investment, innovation, people-to-people exchanges and other fields, he said.

Chinese top legislator Zhang Dejiang also met with Medvedev on Wednesday afternoon, and both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on legislation and supervision.

Farmers of an agricultural cooperative in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, walk back home after a day's work in October. LONG TAO/CHINA DAILY

Draft submitted to lawmakers would extend rental contracts

China will strengthen its protections of farmers' rights and interests by extending the current round of rural land contracts for another 30 years, if a draft revision of the Rural Land Contracting Law is passed by the nation's top legislature.

The proposed change aims to maintain the long-term stability and consistency of rural land contracts. It was submitted at a bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for its first reading on Tuesday.

The 30-year extension was mentioned in a report delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China, at the opening session of the 19th CPC National Congress on Oct 18.

Liu Zhenwei, deputy director of the NPC's Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said the current law has played a key role in rural economic development, keeping order in rural areas and increasing the incomes of farmers since it took effect in 2003.

"But to meet higher requirements of rural development, it needs a revision," Liu said.

The draft revision will better define the use rights of rural land, so that farmers can enjoy "sufficient and guaranteed protection of their land rights", he said.

Since the country adopted the household responsibility system in the early 1980s, property rights associated with rural land have been divided into two layers: the ownership right, referring to its collective ownership by a rural community (normally a village), and the use right that is held by an individual household that contracts a piece of land from the village.

The draft revision further separates the use right into the "contract right" and "management right", according to Liu, who regarded it as a positive innovation.

The separation, as proposed by the draft, would allow farmers to retain contract right over their allowed land, and only transfer the management right if they choose to lease the land to others, mortgage it to banks or invest it in a cooperative in exchange for shares.

More than 30 percent of rural households have transferred their contracted land, totaling 31.9 million hectares, Liu said.

"In the past, we sometimes hesitated to rent more land out of concern that our business might suffer if the status of the land changed when the contract runs out. That's because the current law limits our leasing rights to 30 years," said Jin Weiran, who has rented rural land to plant vegetables in Rizhao, Shandong province, since 2007. "But now, I feel reassured."

"Xi's report and the draft revision means that what I paid in the rented land in the first several years can be rewarded after the land contract is extended," he said.

Yu Liufen, Party chief of Yanbo village in Guizhou province, said land is the farmers' lifeline, and they will no longer worry about uncertainties if the extension is approved.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine immediately responded after receiving notification on the plague outbreak in Madagascar on Oct 2, and ordered local exit-entry inspection and quarantine authorities across the nation to join efforts on disease prevention and control, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

Port authorities have intensified health inspections and quarantine on people and cargo from areas affected by the plague, taking steps such as measuring body temperature and sterilizing containers and parcels from these areas, the administration said.

The plague broke out in Madagascar in August, and 1,297 cases were reported as of Oct 19, 846 of which being pneumonic, according to the data shared by the administration and the World Health Organization. A total of 102 fatalities have been reported.

The cases were reported in big cities of Madagascar and the disease may spread globally, and the WHO has specified nine countries and regions, including South Africa, Mozambique and Kenya, as the ones with high risks of getting infected, the administration said.

Exit-entry inspection and quarantine authorities in China intercepted more than 500,000 batches of goods carried by passengers and in cargo between January and September, a rise of more than 15 percent compared with the same period last year, Han Yunping, spokesman of the administration, said.

To prevent the disease from entering China, Beijing Exit-Entry Inspection and Quarantine Bureau has intensified inspection of airplanes that are more likely to have passengers from Madagascar and Seychelles, including sending staff members on board for inspection, the bureau said. It also tightened monitoring of cargo and mails from these countries, it said.

A group of six Chinese public health experts, including members from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, left for Madagascar on Friday to help the country fight the disease. The team was sent in response to a call for help from the country, according to China CDC.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, who is also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng pay a visit to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang province, where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921, on Oct 31, 2017. Xi and other CPC leaders on Tuesday afternoon visited the site in Jiaxing where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921. The first CPC National Congress was originally held in the French concession area in Shanghai in July 1921, but moved to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing due to an interruption by local police. [Photo/Xinhua]

HANGZHOU - Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and other CPC leaders on Tuesday afternoon visited the site in Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang province, where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921.

The first CPC National Congress was originally held in the French concession area in Shanghai in July 1921, but moved to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing due to an interruption by local police.

Xi and other leaders also visited the Nanhu Lake Revolution Museum.

Twelve delegates attended the first CPC National Congress in July 1921, representing more than 50 CPC members nationwide.

On Oct 18, more than 2,300 delegates attended the 19th CPC National Congress, representing over 89 million CPC members of the country.

Xi Jinping (central), general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, who is also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech after a visit at Nanhu Lake Revolution Museum in Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang province, Oct 31, 2017. Xi and other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang (3rd right), Li Zhanshu (3rd left), Wang Yang (2nd right), Wang Huning (2nd left), Zhao Leji (1st right) and Han Zheng (1st left) on Tuesday afternoon visited the site in Jiaxing where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921. The first CPC National Congress was originally held in the French concession area in Shanghai in July 1921, but moved to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing due to an interruption by local police. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Hoang Binh Quan, special envoy of Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct 30, 2017.  [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for joint efforts to promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of relations between China and Vietnam.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Hoang Binh Quan, special envoy of Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee. Hoang is also head of the Commission for External Relations of the CPV Central Committee.

The new leadership of the CPC Central Committee will work with the CPV Central Committee leadership headed by Nguyen Phu Trong to deepen strategic communication, enhance political mutual trust, implement important consensus, and properly handle related issues in order to promote sustained, healthy and stable development of bilateral ties, Xi said.

He said the parties of China and Vietnam, both as ruling parties of socialist countries, should view China-Vietnam relations from a higher vantage point and a deeper level and firmly promote the building of a community of shared future.

Referring to the 19th CPC National Congress, Xi said he called on everyone in the Party to remain true to the original aspiration and keep the mission firmly in mind, and that also applies to the development of China-Vietnam relations.

For his part, Hoang Binh Quan said Vietnam looks forward to deeper understanding of the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the CPC and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Vietnam stands ready to work with China to promote the bilateral relations in the new era to a new high, he said.

Hoang Binh Quan also carried messages from Nguyen Phu Trong to President Xi.

Nguyen Phu Trong said vietnam hails the great achievement made in the 19th CPC National Congress and believes the brotherly Chinese people can fulfill the grand goals set at the congress under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core.

President Xi Jinping encouraged a herding family in the Tibet autonomous region to put down roots in the border area, safeguard Chinese territory and develop their hometown.

Xi, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply delivered on Saturday to Zhoigar and Yangzom - two Tibetan sisters in the township of Yumai in Lhunze county, which sits at the southern foot of the Himalayas.

The two sisters wrote a letter to Xi during the 19th National Congress of the CPC, which ended last week, to report their experiences in safeguarding the country's territory and introducing development and changes in their town, while pledging to make continuous efforts to protect the border. Among their activities is keeping an eye out along the border and reporting suspicious activities like possible smugglers.

Xi, in his letter, praised the family's safeguarding national territory for two consecutive generations, thanked those who made loyal contributions to safeguarding and strengthening the country's borders, and encouraged the herders to build their hometown into a beautiful one.

There used to be only one family, consisting of the two sisters and their father, in the remote location. The town now has 32 residents in nine families. It's the country's least populous town. Steep slopes and rugged paths make it difficult to access.

"Without peace in the territory, there will be no peaceful lives for millions of families," Xi wrote.

He said he hoped the family would motivate more herders to put down roots in the border area "like galsang flowers", and become guardians of Chinese territory and builders of a happy hometown.

Fresh from the 19th CPC National Congress, Xi told the family that the Party would continue to lead people of all ethnic groups toward better lives.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn

Villagers present khatag to Zhoigar (left) and Yangzom in Yumai, on Oct 29, 2017, after the two heard from Xi. They celebrate the event in a festive mood.

Zhoigar, Yangzom and other residents pose for photos in Yumai, on Oct 29, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] A panoramic view of Yumai, China's smallest town in terms of population, which sits at the southern foot of the Himalayas. [Photo/Xinhua] Zhoiger dries the cheese cubes at home in Yumai township, Lhunze county, Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, on Oct 29, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] Yangzom and her son pose for photo in Yumai, on Oct 29, 2017. Her son is the first college student of Yumai. [Photo/Xinhua] Yangzom (left) and her sister Zhoigar look at photo of their father in Yumai, on Oct 29, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Communist Party of China (CPC) opens the 19th CPC National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 18, 2017. [Photo by Edmond Tang/China Daily] While watching the political report delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at last week’s opening session of the Communist Party of China’s 19th National Congress, there was much I knew other Westerners would find worthy of applause.

Continuing China’s role as a leader in green technology expansion, fostering strong, equitable relationships with other countries, creating an example for the world in poverty alleviation — all these are noble achievements for which the Chinese people deserve credit, and objectively so.

But the moment that most stood out to me was one which undoubtedly left many in the West scratching their heads: the declaration China had entered a “new era”, one in which the “principal contradiction” had changed. No longer was the primary problem in Chinese society the clash between “material needs and backward social production”; we were now, Xi said, in an era where “unbalanced and inadequate development” is at cross-purposes with the “need for a better life”. This, according to Xi’s report, is the biggest dilemma facing the country, one in urgent need of resolution.

My guess is after this statement was made, a great deal of internet searches followed. I, on the other hand, found it hard to disguise my delight. See, in my university years, extracurricular reading tended to include writers who weren’t being taught in class. So when I wasn’t studying for film or literature courses, books by Marx, Engels, Lenin or Mao came off the shelf. The latter took on enough importance that my undergraduate thesis was on, in large part, Mao’s theory of contradiction. (It was received about as well as you’d expect at a US school.)

So hearing a direct reference to Mao’s philosophy in a major political speech came as a pleasant surprise. Sadly I, like many others in the Western left, wasn’t even aware the theory of contradiction had been maintained by the CPC. This can be attributed to a lack of serious study of China by English-speaking Marxist scholars since the 1960s. Most academic opinion written on the PRC these days is economic in nature, rather than philosophical. Because of this, topics in the basic education of every Chinese citizen are rarely researched outside niche intellectual circles in the West.

What, then, to make of this change? A vast philosophical shift of this kind — the first since 1981 — must have major implications for the future of the country. To explain it, one has to delve deep into dialectical materialism, a foundational concept in Marxist philosophy.

Luckily, much smarter people than I have already done that. In its essence, dialectical materialism is the “unity of opposites”, or the constant collision of opposing forces, combined with the understanding social practice — not the mind — determines reality.

Other philosophers and revolutionaries have expounded upon this theory, but where Mao and the modern CPC are concerned, one addition is key: the idea of the primary contradiction. In his 1937 pamphlet On Contradiction Mao argued, among other things, that not only does contradiction define all aspects of life, but certain contradictions emerge as the most imperative. Within these “primary” contradictions, or dialectical opposing forces, smaller contradictions appear. Apprehending the nature of the primary contradiction has been of paramount importance since the founding of the CPC, and, Mao argued, if contradictions are not handled correctly, societal disharmony will follow.

Previously, the primary contradiction has been between “foreign imperialism and domestic reaction and the masses of the people” during the War of Liberation and after; between the “bourgeoisie and proletariat” for much of the early years of the PRC; and “material needs and backward social production” since 1981. The third provided the philosophical underpinning for the market reforms of the 1980s, policy which propelled China into becoming the economic powerhouse it is today.

At the time, Deng Xiaoping and others concluded that despite China’s revolutionary success, the country’s level of development was insufficient to provide the Chinese people the quality of life they deserved. To resolve this contradiction, the “productive forces” — essentially the whole infrastructure plus labor power — had to be expanded and advanced. In other words, the economic base of China needed to be modernized in order to fulfill the people’s material needs. Thus, reform and opening-up began under the guidance of the government and the CPC.

The results are self-evident. In the years since, China has grown rapidly, becoming the second-largest economy in the world. A robust manufacturing sector complements higher-end tech and service industries, along with rising wages, low unemployment and a poverty alleviation campaign which has seen tens of millions living happier, more secure lives.

It is against this backdrop of accomplishment Xi has made a bold pronouncement, that the primary contradiction has transformed and the people face a conflict between “unbalanced development” and the “need for a better life”. This seems to signal a policy change for the future: no longer will growth happen for its own sake, and as development continues, the gains from this progress will be enjoyed equally.

This is heartening news to those who have been impressed by the historic eradication of poverty undertaken by China, but note persistent income inequality and a stark rural-urban divide. It also suggests future economic expansion will occur with the whole people in mind, meaning a continued reliance on green energy rather than pollutant fuels. Clean air is, after all, part and parcel of living a better life.

The broad philosophical implications of Xi’s National Congress speech are fascinating, but ultimately what matters is how government policy improves people’s lives. This is the test Marx himself articulated in his Theses on Feuerbach, so eloquently laying out differences between theory and practice while upholding the necessity of each: “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point is to change it.”

For those of us in the West who still abide by this doctrine, last week’s speech was eagerly anticipated, as we look to China for global leadership. How happy we were to find in Xi and the CPC exactly what we wanted to hear.

The author is a copy editor with chinadaily.com.cn.

Soo Wong (C), a member of Provincial Parliament of Canada's Ontario, celebrates her motion approved with colleagues at the provincial parliament in Toronto, Canada, on Oct 26, 2017. Canada's Ontario provincial parliament Thursday passed a motion designating Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day to commemorate the mass killing of 300,000 Chinese by Japanese troops in Nanjing during World War II. [Photo/Xinhua]

TORONTO - The legislature of Canada's east-central province of Ontario Thursday passed a motion recognizing Dec 13th in each year as "Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day."

The No 66 motion, adopted by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, was the first of its kind in a western country.

It was introduced by Chinese-Canadian lawmaker Soo Wong in a bid to acknowledge and honor the over 300,000 victims of the Nanjing Massacre, a heinous crime committed by the Japanese militarists during the World War II.

"The passing of this Motion is an important step in affirming Ontario's inclusive values. It recognizes the horrors of World War II in Asia, and shows humanity for victims, survivors, and families affected by the Nanjing Massacre, many of whom live in Ontario," said Wong in a press release Thursday afternoon.

"My motion is very similar to what I introduced last year Bill 79. It's no difference. If passed, the motion will recognize every Dec 13 Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day in Ontario," Wong said in an earlier interview with Xinhua.

It is important for the residents of Ontario, home to largest Asian community in Canada, to "reflect and educate" themselves about the enduring lessons of the Nanjing Massacre and other World War II atrocities in Asia as many are unfamiliar with this part of history, Wong said.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre, in which more than 300,000 Chinese lives were taken by Japanese invaders when they occupied Nanjing, then China's capital, from Dec 13, 1937.

The Bill 79 Wong introduced in 2016 also called for the designation of Dec 13 as Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day in Ontario. The bill passed the second reading last Dec, and will go through a third reading in Dec this year. If passed, Dec 13 will become an official commemorative day in the province.

However, the bill has encountered strong opposition from Tokyo. Japanese lawmakers reportedly have sent a letter to the Ontario government against the bill and lobbied against its third reading. Almost 100,000 signatures have been collected in Ontario Asian communities in petition to pass Wong's bill so far.

Wong said she had received a postcard from Japan with no signature on it, which gives an alternative number of deaths killed in Nanjing during the World War II.

"We know the history, we also know the fact," Wong said.

MORAL OBLIGATION TO TELL FUTURE GENERATIONS ABOUT WWII CARNAGE

Photo taken on Oct 26, 2017 shows the exterior of Canada's Ontario Legislative Building in Toronto, Canada. Canada's Ontario provincial parliament Thursday passed a motion designating Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day to commemorate the mass killing of 300,000 Chinese by Japanese troops in Nanjing during World War II. [Photo/Xinhua]

The motion the Ontario legislature adopted Thursday might be still steps away from becoming a law, it still carries great significance for Canada and for the world as a whole, as there is a "moral obligation" to tell future generations about the carnage, terror and tragedies that happened in World War II, Canadian experts said.

This Motion is "of great importance" for the Chinese and other Asian communities in Ontario, said Dr. Joseph Wong, founder of Toronto Alpha (Association for Learning and Preserving the History of the Second World War in Asia).

"It shows the provincial legislature for the first time recognizes that atrocities in Asia's WWII, symbolized by the horrors of the Nanjing Massacre, did occur and important enough to be remembered every year, and promoted in our education system," Joseph Wong said in a press release on Thursday.

"The motion does not replace Bill 79. This motion not only is important locally and in Canada as well, it is very important internationally," he said earlier, adding Bill 79 is still at the committee level in the provincial legislature.

Remembering the Nanjing Massacre will not be "divisive" for Ontario's Japanese and Chinese communities as some Japanese lawmakers suggested, he said, instead it provides "a foundation" on which all Asian communities can build trust and reconciliation and peace."

"As educators we have the responsibility to ensure our students understand the realities of World War II in Asia so we can have a more authentic dialogue about social justice, courage and humanity," said Gerry Connelly, an ALPHA education board member and former director of education at the Toronto district school board.

"This Motion for the 'Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day' is a big step in raising awareness to stimulate this dialogue," Connelly said.

Karen Lin, an Associate at Solstice Public Affairs, couldn't agree more.

Canadian students learn about the horrible tragedy that happened when the US army dropped atomic bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, unfortunately, Ontarians have not had the opportunity to learn and understand the series of events leading up to the military action conducted by the US army in Japan, said Lin in an open letter to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne recently.

Neither have Ontarians had the opportunity to learn about the tragedies of the killing of many innocent lives in China, Korea, the Philippines and many other East Asian countries by a brutal Japanese military occupation, Lin said.

Lin's letter was widely endorsed by more than 100 registered Chinese Canadian Organizations, registered Chinese Canadian Cultural Groups and Associations, various associations from different ethnic communities as well as many labor unions across Ontario.

Many prominent Japanese Canadians such as Joy Kogawa have spoken out in support of Bill 79.

Joy Kogawa, who is Japanese Canadian and an author in Toronto, said that she fully supported the bill.

"The facts are the facts, and it is wrong to deny them," said Kogawa, who's been awarded the Order of Canada and Japan's Order of the Rising Sun.

It's time for atrocities in Asia to be as well-known as those in Europe or Canada, Kogawa said, adding she has met and argued with many Japanese people who think the Rape of Nanking did not exist.

In November 2007, the House of Commons, the lower house of Canadian federal legislature, unanimously passed a motion urging Japan to offer "formal and sincere" apologies to foreign women forced into sexual servitude during World War II. Canada played a vital role in defending Hong Kong against the Japanese military invasion as part of the commonwealth during the war.

A worker processes spring green tea at a factory in Tianjiayao village of Rizhao, Shandong province, in April. ZHENG ZHICHENG/CHINA DAILY

One day after the opening session of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, I received a phone call from a former middle-school classmate. He had been the class monitor but is now a successful tea plantation manager in Rizhao, Shandong province.

The phone call was about his business: After renting 133 hectares of land from local farmers several years ago to plant green tea trees, he became the richest person in my old class.

In China, farmers may obtain the right to use a piece of land from the village committees that own it. Managers, such as my former classmate, may rent the land from those farmers.

In the past, my friend would hesitate when deciding whether or not to rent more land, because under rules made in the 1990s a farmer's rights are limited to 30 years. He worried that business could be disrupted if the status of the land changed when the time limit was reached.

His anxiety was eased by the report delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, last Wednesday during the opening session of the congress. The report said that rural land contracting practices will remain stable and unchanged on a long-term basis, and the current round of contracts will be extended for another 30 years upon expiration.

When Xi joined a panel discussion the next day with delegates from Guizhou province, he again addressed the issue of farmland usage rights.

After hearing from a village official, Yu Liufen, who said farmers are satisfied with the new rule extending contracts, Xi asked: "With another 30 years, you are reassured?"

"Yes," Yu responded. "We will no longer worry about uncertainties on the land. I am very glad and excited after hearing the report."

Farmland usage rights have been a key factor in the stabilization of the country's rural society. Chairman Mao Zedong once said that "China's problems are rural problems, and rural problems are land problems."

During its early stages of development in the last century, the CPC attached great importance to land reform. Its land policies have enjoyed wide support from the country's farmers ever since.

Such policy consistency helps to maintain development and stability, and it's one of the hallmarks of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

For my classmate, the tea manager, my suggestion is to be bold. Practice entrepreneurship. And, most important, be ready to embrace the new era.

Journalists pack the news conference held by the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday. XU JINGXING/CHINA DAILY

It was cold outside the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday morning, but inside－where a news conference was being held to introduce the Communist Party of China's new top leadership－was warm and welcoming.

I and hundreds of other Chinese and foreign journalists attended the event so we could see for the first time the newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Reporters and photographers jostled for position in the huge building's Eastern Hall as they prepared to meet the people who would help shape China's destiny.

The room was filled with voices as attendees took photos and searched for a seat. I was fortunate enough to get one in the front row, off to one side, where I would have a clear view of proceedings.

Tiered seats lined the back of the room and on them was arrayed a forest of cameras, slowly clicking away, snapping shots of the still-empty stage, perhaps to find their focus.

One or two stragglers picked their way through the crowd, trying to secure what few empty seats remained.

It was a capacity crowd so space was at a premium, but before too long an announcer piped up, quieting the muddle of voices as he launched into an introductory statement.

Then, just before noon, the click of camera shutters from the back row reached a crescendo, signaling that the new leaders were entering the room.

It was Xi Jinping, newly re-elected by the CPC Central Committee as general secretary, flanked by Li Keqiang and the five new members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau: Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng.

Amid a round of applause, Xi took to the podium and thanked the Party for the trust they had put in his leadership, describing his re-election as not only a sign of their "approval of my work, but also encouragement that will spur me on".

He thanked the assembled journalists for their "extensive and detailed reporting" and introduced his fellow committee members one by one.

Afterward, Xi outlined a road map for the country over the coming years.

He highlighted important landmarks along the way, such as next year's 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up, the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China in 2019 and the Party's centenary in 2021.

He further spoke of his desire to see a more prosperous and strong China, and his conviction that "the gradual rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will become a reality".

His confidence that the Chinese Dream will be realized was plain for all to see, as was his promise that no one would be left behind on this march toward common prosperity.

There was "no doubt" in his mind, he said, that the Chinese people will see further improvement in their lives "year after year".

And for what it's worth, I see no reason to doubt it, either.

BEIJING — Although China has made achievements in air pollution control in recent years, a tough battle remains, minister of environmental protection Li Ganjie has said.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing Monday, Li said from 2013 to 2016, the density of PM2.5 fell 33 percent in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

PM2.5 density measures the concentration of small particles in the air and is often used as a gauge of smog.

Figures in the Yangtze River and Pearl River deltas dropped 31.3 percent and 31.9 percent respectively during the same period, according to Li.

However, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has seen a rebound in PM2.5 and PM10 density in the first half of the year, with the two indicators up 14.3 and 13.2 percent, compared to the same period last year.

In January 2013, most parts of northern China were hit by severe air pollution, with Beijing enveloped by heavy smog for more than 20 days during the month.

In 2013, PM2.5 density became an important indicator to gauge air quality across China. Since then, the Chinese government has made a series of policies to reduce air pollution.

After three years of efforts, the average density of PM2.5 in Beijing dropped to 73 micrograms per cubic meters, down 18 percent from 2013 levels. Heavy air pollution days in Beijing dropped from 58 days in 2013 to 39 days in 2016, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI).

Under Chinese air quality standards, an AQI below 100 is defined as a good air quality day. An average daily AQI above 200 indicates heavy air pollution. People including children and elderly people are suggested not to participate in outside activities.

In 2016, the average concentration of PM2.5 in Tianjin city was 69 micrograms per cubic meters and 70 in Hebei province, falling by 28.1 and 35.2 percent respectively, compared with 2013.

Nationwide, air quality in some 338 cities at the prefecture level and above has improved, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP).

Since coal burning is the primary source of air pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the area has started to reduce and ban coal use.

For instance, the volume of coal consumption in Beijing was 23 million tonnes in 2013, the figure declined to below 10 million tonnes this year. According to a plan revealed in 2014, Beijing will ban coal use in its downtown areas in 2020, covering Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai and Shijingshan districts.

Shu Yinbiao, chairman of the State Grid, said the State Grid would help promote clean energy heating in north China in the winter. Some areas in Beijing and Tianjin will become "coal free zones."

Nearly 200,000 households in Wuqing district of Tianjin will bid farewell to an of the era of burning coal for heating and cooking. More than 1.2 million households in Langfang and Baoding cities of Hebei will use clean energy by the end of October.

He Hong, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said air pollution in China was caused by multiple reasons, such as the development of industries and the surge of vehicles, which generate massive emissions.

"But it is different from the air pollution that appeared in London and Los Angeles in the twentieth century. Smoke in London was mainly caused by burning coal, while in Los Angeles it was mainly because of too many vehicles," He added.

Areas affected by air pollution in China are much larger than those cities in Britain and the United States. "Addressing air pollution in China is much more complicated than that in European and American countries. And it's also hard to solve the problem in a short term," He said.

Minister of Environmental Protection Li stressed that China was determined to fight against air pollution.

The MEP has launched a campaign against heavy air pollution in autumn and winter in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas from 2017 to 2018, according to Li.

The campaign will mainly focus on curbing pollution by industrial enterprises, cutting coal consumption and improving emergency responses to heavy pollution weather.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, delivers a speech when meeting the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 25, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, introduced the Party's new central leadership to the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.

Presenting new CPC central leadership

"I was re-elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. I see this as not just approval of my work, but also encouragement that will spur me on," Xi told journalists.

Xi led the other members of the Standing Committee of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee Political Bureau to meet the media.

The other members are Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng.

Li Keqiang served on the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, while all the others were members of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, Xi said.

"Here, on behalf of the newly elected central leadership, I wish to express our heartfelt thanks to all other members of the Party for the trust they have placed in us," he said.

"We will work diligently to meet our duty, fulfill our mission and be worthy of their trust," Xi said.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, introduces the other newly-elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee when meeting the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 25, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Coming 5 years a period of several important junctures

Xi said that the coming five years will see several important milestones.

"As I look ahead to the next five years, I see several important junctures and signposts," Xi said.

Stating that the next five years between the 19th and the 20th Party Congress is the period in which the timeframes of the Two Centenary Goals will converge, Xi said that "not only must we deliver the first centenary goal, we must also embark on the journey toward the second centenary goal".

"With decades of hard work, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. In this new context, we must get a new look and, more importantly, make new accomplishments," he said.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the other newly-elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng arrive to meet the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 25, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Sustained, healthy growth of Chinese economy in 2019

Xi said China will strive for sustained and healthy economic growth in 2019 which marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

"We will act on the new vision for development, and strive for sustained and healthy economic growth that benefits people in China and around the world," Xi said.

"We will continue our efforts to accomplish all the tasks laid down in the 13th Five-Year Plan, develop new blueprints for China's future, and see the flourishing of all our endeavors," he said.

These efforts will contribute toward a more prosperous and strong People's Republic, he added.

Further reform, opening China wider to the world

Xi promised further reform and opening-up.

"We will review our experience and build on the good momentum to continue modernizing China's system and capacity for governance, and make determined efforts to comprehensively deepen reform and open China still wider to the world," Xi said.

The next year marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of reform and opening-up, Xi said. The drive started in 1978.

Reform and opening-up is a crucial move that is shaping China's future. Forty years of reform and opening-up has made it possible for the Chinese people to lead decent and even comfortable lives, Xi said.

"We will see that the reform and opening-up complement and reinforce each other. It is my conviction that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will become a reality in the course of reform and opening-up," he said.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the other newly-elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng meet the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 25, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Realizing common prosperity for everyone

Xi said the Party must remain committed to a people-centered philosophy of development and make steady progress toward enhancing people's sense of fulfillment and realizing common prosperity for everyone.

"The aspirations of the people to live a better life must always be the focus of our efforts," Xi said.

"I have no doubt in my mind that our people's lives will see further improvement year after year," he said.

He reiterated the resolve to establish a moderately prosperous society across all metrics in 2020.

"This is a society to be enjoyed by each and every one of us; on the march toward common prosperity, no one must be left behind," he said.

Greater contributions to peace, development for humanity

Xi said China will make new and greater contributions to peace and development for all humanity.

The CPC and the Chinese people have gone through trials and tribulations, Xi said.

"These experiences have taught us that peace is precious and development must be valued," he told reporters.

"With confidence and pride, the Chinese people will be steadfast in upholding our country's sovereignty, security and development interests," he said.

Xi said China will work with other nations to build a global community with a shared future, and make new and greater contributions to the noble cause of peace and development for all humanity.

Spotlight on the new central leadership when Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, led the other newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee to meet the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 25, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

China welcomes constructive suggestions

Xi told reporters worldwide that China welcomes objective reporting and constructive suggestions.

"We do not need lavish praise from others, however, we do welcome objective reporting and constructive suggestions, for this is our motto: 'Not angling for compliments, I would be content that my integrity fills the universe'," Xi said.

He encouraged members of the press to visit and see more of China, citing a Chinese saying that "It is better to see once than to hear a hundred times."

"We hope that after the Party Congress, you will continue to follow China's development and progress, and learn about and report on more dimensions of China," Xi said.

CPC to build mighty nationwide force driving China's development

The CPC will generate waves of positive energy which can build into a mighty and nationwide force driving China's development and progress, said Xi.

"We must continue to rid ourselves of any virus that erodes the Party's fabric, make great efforts to foster a healthy political environment of integrity, and generate waves of positive energy throughout our Party," Xi said.

The CPC will mark its centenary in 2021.

"For a party which fights for the eternal wellbeing of the Chinese nation, the centenary only ushers in the prime of life," Xi said. "As the world's largest political party, the CPC must behave in a way commensurate with this status."

"Its history makes it abundantly clear that the CPC is capable of not only spearheading a great social revolution, but also imposing a great reform on itself," he said. "We, as its members, must always have a youthful spirit, and forever be the servants of the people, the vanguard of the times and the backbone of our nation."

"Exercising full and rigorous governance over the Party is a journey to which there is no end. We should never entertain the idea of taking a breather or halting our steps," he said.

Xi stressed the significant role of the people.

"The people are the creators of history. It is to them that we owe all our achievements," he said. "As long as we firmly align ourselves with the people and rely on them, we can and will have boundless energy to forge ahead, come rain or shine."

The Communist Party of China (CPC) opens the 19th CPC National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 18, 2017. [Photo by Edmond Tang/China Daily]

An amendment to the Constitution of the Communist Party of China was approved Tuesday, making Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as a new component of the Party's guide for action, according to a resolution of the 19th CPC National Congress.

The following are major amendments to the Constitution adopted at the CPC congresses.

19th CPC National Congress, Oct 2017, Beijing

Inclusion of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

18th CPC National Congress, Nov 2012, Beijing

Adoption of Marxist - Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development as the Party's action guideline.

Inclusion of ecological civilization development.

Inclusion of the Scientific Outlook on Development.

16th CPC National Congress, Nov 2002, Beijing

Inclusion of the important thought of "Three Represents", which means the CPC represents the development trend of China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of China's advanced culture and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people.

15th CPC National Congress, Sept 1997, Beijing

Establishment of Deng Xiaoping theory as the CPC's guiding ideology alongside Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought.

14th CPC National Congress, Oct 1992, Beijing

Inclusion of Deng Xiaoping's theory of "building socialism with Chinese characteristics" and "one center, two basic points".

13th CPC National Congress, Nov 1987, Beijing

Inclusion of statement for the first time that the number of candidates should be more than the number to be elected.

12th CPC National Congress, Sept 1982, Beijing

Correction of all "leftist" mistakes;

Ban of "personality cult";

Call for "democratic discussions" on major issues.

11th CPC National Congress, Aug 1977, Beijing

Establishment of disciplinary inspection committees at CPC Central Committee and other committees above county and regiment level;

Appointment of people based on abilities stressed.

10th CPC National Congress, Aug 1973, Beijing

Removal of an article appointing Lin Biao as Mao Zedong's successor.

9th CPC National Congress, April 1969, Beijing

Designation of Lin Biao as a close comrade-in-arm and successor of Mao Zedong.

8th CPC National Congress, Sept 1956, Beijing

Approval of main task of "four modernizations" in industry, agriculture, transportation and national defense sectors;

Inclusion of principle on income distribution -- each doing his best and getting paid according to contribution.

7th CPC National Congress, April to June 1945, Yan'an

First Constitution independently drafted by the CPC;

Establishment of Mao Zedong Thought as CPC's guiding ideology.

6th CPC National Congress, June to July 1928, Moscow

Leadership of the Communist International stressed.

5th CPC National Congress, April to May, 1927, Wuhan

Legal age for individuals to join the CPC set to be 18 or above.

4th CPC National Congress, Jan 1925, Shanghai

Regulation of grassroots CPC units;

Change of title of CPC Central Committee chief from chairman to general secretary.

3rd CPC National Congress, June 1923, Guangzhou

Description of the rights and obligations of full and alternate CPC members.

2nd CPC National Congress, July 1922, Shanghai

Adoption of the Party's first complete Constitution which defined the prerequisites and procedures for joining the Party, and the Party's organizational structure.

1st CPC National Congress, July 1921, Shanghai

A program, which defined the CPC's name, nature, guiding principles and ultimate goal, was to become the prototype of the Party Constitution.

A flag guard formation consisting of officers and soldiers from the army, air force, navy and rocket force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) attends a military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA at Zhurihe training base in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, July 30, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] BEIJING — The Communist Party of China has included Xi Jinping's military thinking and the Party's "absolute" leadership over the armed forces into its Constitution, according to a resolution approved by the 19th CPC National Congress on Tuesday.

According to the resolution, the CPC shall uphold its absolute leadership over the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and other people's armed forces and implement Xi Jinping's thinking on strengthening the military, as part of the amendments to the CPC's fundamental document for its over 89 million members.

The development of the PLA shall be strengthened by enhancing its political loyalty, strengthening it through reform and technology, and running it in accordance with the law, the resolution read.

The CPC shall build people's forces that obey the Party's command, can fight and win, and maintain excellent conduct to ensure that the PLA accomplishes its missions and tasks in the new era, it said.

The inclusion of these statements into the Party Constitution will "help ensure the Party's absolute leadership over the people's armed forces, [and] modernize national defense and the military," it said.

In addition, the amendment to the CPC Constitution also clarified that Chairperson of the Central Military Commission assumes overall responsibility over the work of the Commission and that the CMC is responsible for Party work and political work in the armed forces.

This complies with the realistic requirement to ensure the CMC fulfills its responsibility for Party self-supervision and self-governance after the military reform, the resolution said.

The following is a selection of quotes by foreign leaders and observers on the leadership of President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the 18th CPC Central Committee.

Macky Sall, president of Senegal and leader of the Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar:

Under the strong leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, China has achieved economic development brimming with vitality and it has also played a significant role in the global arena.

Dragan Covic, president of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and rotating chairman of the Presidency of BiH:

The development concepts and strategies put forward by Xi have guided China to become an important force in the global arena.

Efrain Cepeda, president of the Congress of Colombia:

China has opened up new prospects under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping.

Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the UN's Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean:

"I have been greatly impressed by what President Xi Jinping has done in these five years, placing a great emphasis on the fight against corruption and against poverty."

Barrister Biplab Barua, deputy office secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League:

"As the president of China, Xi is appropriately leading China in the regional and international arenas. Under the dynamic leadership of His Excellency Xi, the positive influence of China has been increased dramatically."

Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of Japan's Komeito Party:

Under the staunch leadership of Xi, China is steadily advancing toward building a moderately prosperous society and playing the role of a responsible major country in the international community.

Costas Gouliamos, rector of the European University Cyprus:

Xi's credibility and commitment to people-oriented development have paved the foundations to develop confidence within the party and within the people of China.

Habib Belkouch, leader of Morocco's Authenticity and Modernity Party:

"Seeing how a population of about 1.4 billion is governed, how the country is able to achieve all this development in 30 years ... we could only hail the role played by the Communist Party of China and the Chinese president who leads this experience."

The nation will accelerate the opening up of its banking sector to foreign investors and consider steps to increase the upper limit of shareholding in Chinese financial institutions by foreign banks, the country's top banking regulator said on Thursday.

The market share of foreign banks in China by assets has declined during the last five years. This is not beneficial for promoting competition and structural optimization in the banking sector, said Guo Shuqing, chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, during the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

By the end of 2016, the total assets of foreign banks in China had reached 2.93 trillion yuan ($442.14 billion), accounting for 1.29 percent of the total assets of financial institutions in the Chinese banking sector, falling from 1.82 percent as of end-2012, according to the CBRC.

"We will give more space to foreign banks in the form of their establishment, the percentage of their shareholding (in Chinese financial institutions) and their scope of business," Guo said.

Since December 2003, the CBRC has allowed a single offshore financial institution to own up to 20 percent of a Chinese financial institution.

For multiple offshore financial institutions, if their total investments in an unlisted Chinese institution reach 25 percent and above, the FI is supervised in accordance with the regulations for foreign institutions. But if their total investments in a listed Chinese institution hit 25 percent and above, then it is supervised by regulators as a Chinese financial institution, according to the CBRC.

Prior to Guo's remarks at the 19th CPC National Congress, the State Council issued a notice on Aug 16, stressing its decision to keep carrying forward the opening of China's banking, securities and insurance industries to foreign investors, following a similar notice, issued in January, on relaxing market access restrictions for several types of foreign financial institutions.

Foreign banks welcomed the Chinese government's decision to further open up its financial sector.

Christine Lam, chief executive officer of Citi China, said: "The policy reforms are encouraging. They will support foreign banks' further engagement and participation in the opening and development of China's financial industry."

As the Chinese economy adjusts to a "new normal", international financial institutions are facing a series of external challenges－from economic restructuring to low interest margins and digitization. On the other hand, these trends also present opportunities to the entire banking industry, Lam said.

"With confidence in China's policy environment and a deep understanding of structural reforms of the economy, Citi remains optimistic about the potential and long-term trends in China's future," she said.

Like many other foreign banks, Citi is digging into renminbi internationalization, China's interbank bond market, and the Belt and Road Initiative for high growth opportunities.

Chen Jia contributed to this story.

Central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan (left) and Guo Shuqing, chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Oct 19, 2017. [Photo/China Daily By Edmond Tang]

Central bank says liabilities are small for one of world's major economies

China's debt ratio is controllable and a fast deterioration is unlikely, as measures have been taken to prevent potential risks, despite a relatively high level of corporate debt, the central bank governor said at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Thursday in Beijing.

The risks of a sudden collapse of asset prices can be avoided while the tightening regulation on local government financing vehicles will continue to take effect, said Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China.

Zhou said that household debt is rising fast although the total debt amount is relatively small compared with the world's other major economies.

The governor urged to push forward the foreign exchange reform which allows the market's supply and demand relationship to determine the yuan's value, along with a deepened opening up of the financial sector and welcoming competition from foreign financial institutions.

A possible reform measure could be to expand the yuan's trading band, which is at 2 percent up or down around the daily reference rate, said some experts. However, Zhou said it is not a key issue at the moment as the current exchange rate band has very limited impact on the market's supply and demand.

The central bank released data on Thursday that it purchased a net 850 million yuan ($128 million) of foreign exchange last month, the first monthly net purchase in about two years, compared with net sales of 821 million yuan in August, indicating an ease of capital outflows and a strengthening currency.

Pan Gongsheng, head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, said the priority for future foreign exchange management work would be to support the development of real economy, and facilitate the two-way opening up of the financial sector. Measures will focus on further freeing the yuan's usage in cross-border investment and trade, and gradually achieve an exchangeable capital account.

"To supervise the capital flows and prevent potential risks under the Macro Prudence Assessment framework will also be one of the key tasks," said Pan.

To battle against capital outflows and to curb the yuan's depreciation since last year, the country's foreign exchange regulator has taken measures to tighten capital controls while maintaining a stable currency value.

A statement on the administration's website said on Thursday that the interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve and its plan to reduce the purchase of Treasury bonds and securities will not bring fluctuations in cross-border capital flows, and would help maintain a close eye on the stability of the country's foreign exchange market.

Xi Jinping speaks during the second presidium meeting of 19th CPC National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct 20, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- Election methods of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) were approved at a presidium meeting Friday afternoon.The presidium of the 19th CPC National Congress held its second meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.The meeting, presided over by Xi Jinping, approved the draft resolutions on the report of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the work report of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and the amendment to the Constitution of the CPC.The three draft resolutions will be submitted to all delegations to the congress for discussion.Liu Yunshan, secretary-general of the congress, briefed the presidium on proposed name lists of nominees for the candidates of members and alternate members of the 19th CPC Central Committee, and members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.The meeting decided to submit the proposed name lists to all delegations for consideration.A name list of ballot scrutineers was also approved by the presidium, and will be ratified by the congress before the final vote begins.

Premier Li Keqiang joined on Thursday a group discussion with the delegation of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on the report delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the opening session of the 19th CPC National Congress.Wu Zhiyi / China Daily

Many 'historic achievements' fulfilled in past 5 years, Li says

Premier Li Keqiang pledged in a panel discussion on Thursday to fully put into practice the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, took part in the discussion among the delegation of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. He vowed to strongly adhere to the CPC Central Committee, with General Secretary Xi as its core, and safeguard its unified leadership.

The report Xi delivered to the congress summarized the achievements and experiences over the past five years, setting guidance on securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and striving for the great success of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Li said.

The report is also a political declaration and action plan to direct the Party and people of all ethnic groups to move forward the socialism with Chinese characteristics to a new era, he said.

"Historic achievements made in the opening-up and reform, as well as socialist modernization since the 18th CPC National Congress, fundamentally stemmed from the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi as its core," Li said, adding that the Central Committee has promoted historic transformation in the courses of the Party and the country.

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the latest achievement for the Sinicization of Marxism, is a crucial part of socialism theories and a guiding thought that the Party should uphold for a long term, Li added.

Li called for taking development as the basis and key to solve problems in the country, adhering to new concepts of development, deepening the supply-side structural reform and continuously promoting opening-up and reform. He called to further transform the government's functions and stimulate market vitality and social creativity.

He said more entities should be encouraged to start up businesses and promote innovation while more jobs, higher-quality education and medical care should be provided.

Also on Thursday, another Standing Committee member, Wang Qishan, joined discussions in the delegation from Hunan province. Wang said the Party can achieve one victory after another because it has always integrated basic principles of Marxism with the essence of Chinese traditional culture and local conditions. He called on the delegates to wholeheartedly learn the new era thought and align it with their own work.

Another member, Zhang Gaoli, pledged his support for the new era thought in discussions of the Shaanxi delegation on Thursday. Members Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng and Liu Yunshan also pledged their support when they joined panel discussions in their own delegations on Wednesday.

huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn

SHI YU/CHINA DAILY The Communist Party of China should always stay true to its mission to serve the people, CPC Central Committee General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in his report delivered at the opening ceremony of 19th CPC National Congress on Wednesday.

He said the people-oriented devolvement philosophy has enabled China to achieve tremendous progress in the past five years: more than 60 million people have been lifted out of poverty, education in relatively undeveloped central and western areas, especially in rural areas, has been improved, employment has remained steady, with the creation of 13 million new job opportunities every year, the coverage of the social security and the healthcare systems has been expanded, and incomes have continued to rise, expanding the middle-income population.

Over the past five years, China has taken a people-oriented approach to economic growth, thereby advancing the philosophy of development, which is a key feature of China's new stage of development.

Thanks to almost four decades of reform and opening-up and the resultant fast economic growth, Chinese people's livelihoods have improved tremendously. But the unprecedented economic growth has also resulted in widening wealth gaps, industrial overcapacity and environmental pollution. Now that the basic needs of most of the Chinese people have been met, it's time to improve the judicial, security, healthcare systems and meet their cultural needs so that they enjoy all-round development.

China also needs to progress from getting rich to getting strong.

Xi has said the purpose of the overall reform is to enable the country to better meet people's growing needs for a better life.

The 2008 global financial crisis made the Western world realize that wealth alone cannot ensure sustainable development. On the contrary, it created bubbles, and when those bubbles burst, it brought the entire world economy to its knees. Worse, driven by the lure of profit, many producers have exploited natural resources gravely damaging the environment.

As a result many people have been pushed to the fringes of society where they feel increasingly alienated.

The financial crisis that originated in the West has consolidated China's belief that it must always follow a people-oriented policy for economic development, as opposed to the blind pursuit of profit that distorts the distribution of resources. Such an approach means people's happiness should be the main goal of development, and all elements, including capital, technologies and systems must be fashioned to serve that aim.

In this regard, socialism with Chinese characteristics gives China a unique advantage. Take medical reform. In the city of Sanming in East China's Fujian province, for instance, the cost of medicines have declined by about half after the introduction of medical reforms while the income of medical staff has increased, setting a good example for the whole country.

In comparison, the medical reform led by former US president Barack Obama was opposed by multiple interest groups that deeply influence US politics, and halted by incumbent US President Donald Trump. Which means the US is still the largest developed country without universal medical insurance.

Since the 18th Party Congress in 2012, the CPC has taken multiple measures, such as those to reduce poverty, improve social security and reduce the income gap, to improve people's lives and livelihoods.

Last year, China's Engel's coefficient, a major indicator of people's living standards, fell by 2.9 percentage points compared with the 2012 figure to reach 30.1 percent, close to the United Nations well-off line.

The average disposable income of Chinese people last year was 23,821 yuan ($3,579), 44.3 percent higher than that in 2012.

Moreover, the urban-rural income gap has shrunk from 2012 to 2016, as the average disposable income of rural residents has grown 1.5 percentage points faster than that of their urban counterparts. And the number of people living in poverty declined from 98.99 million in 2012 to 43.35 million last year, which means about 14 million people were lifted out of poverty every year from 2012 to 2016.

All these show China's reforms over the past five years have been people-oriented and benefited the people.

The author is an associate researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council.

Tibetans watch live broadcast of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Wednesday in Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Sichuan Province. [Photo/VCG]

The hot atmosphere in the township square, however, stood in contrast with the thin air as people gathered to watch the live broadcast of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Wednesday.

As the sun rose in the township in the Tibet autonomous region, 34 Party members, including officials, nomads and officers from border police stations, and some other residents had gathered. They held a flag-raising ceremony and danced "Guozhuang", a Tibetan bonfire dance, to celebrate the coming congress.

Galsang Choilag, Party chief of the township, which has a population of more than 1,000, said he is excited to see the congress open successfully and was inspired by the achievements mentioned by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

"He put great emphasis on people's well-being. As a grassroots cadre in border regions, I will follow the spirit of Xi's report with my colleagues and make every effort to improve people's livelihoods and safeguard the harmony and stability of the areas inhabited by ethnic groups," he said.

Great changes have happened in Pumaqangtang in the past five years. In 2015, the township in Nakarze county was connected with a paved road to the county's downtown area, and the whole township is now covered by communication and internet services, the 36-year-old said.

By the end of last year, per capita disposable income in the township reached 9,490 yuan ($1,434). People from two of the six villages in the township are expected to move into newly built settlements this year, and people from another three villages will have new houses next year thanks to a 150 million yuan village construction project, he said.

He said he firmly believes the country will be stronger with the Party's leadership under Xi.

"I have been through the largest changes of my life in the past five years," said Sodnam Tsering from Satsam, a village near the township.

"Previously, we relied on our yaks to carry pasture products to nearby Lhodrag county to exchange for food and other daily necessities. It took us five days. Now with the paved road, it is only four hours away by car," said the 43-year-old.

He said he bought a tractor in 2013 to facilitate farm work and a van to work in the transportation business in 2015. Now his family takes in more than 100,000 yuan a year, including more than 40,000 yuan in subsidies from the government.

"In the past decades, there have been great changes in my family and my hometown. Our lives have become better and better. All these happened thanks to the Party's leadership. The Party Central Committee has made every effort to work for the people's happiness," he said.

"General Secretary Xi said in his report that people's interests should be put above all else. This impressed me the most.

"I think this means there will be more and bigger changes to our life as the country becomes stronger.

"My villagers and I are all extremely happy to hear that. I want to say tashi delek (good fortune) to the CPC Central Committee," he added.

Residents of the village in which China's president spent nearly seven years recall a young man determined to improve their lives, as Huo Yan and Li Yang report from Yan'an, Shaanxi.

Tourists visit a cave dwelling in Liangjiahe, Yan'an, Shaanxi province, in May. A number of educated youths from Beijing, including Xi Jinping, worked and lived in Liangjiahe from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s.Guo Junfeng / China News Service

Liangjiahe village, a community of 120 homes scattered along a dry riverbed on the Loess Plateau in Yan'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, looks no different from the other valley hamlets in the region, except for the visitors lined up waiting to board electric minibuses to visit its cave dwellings and crofts.

From 1969 to 1975, President Xi Jinping lived and worked in the village as an educated youth during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) when he was ages 16 to 23.

It was in this village that Xi, who heads the Communist Party of China, joined the world's largest political party, which has more than 89 million members.

In 1974, he was elected Party chief of the village committee - the start of his public career - and he was still a resident when he was recommended as a suitable candidate to become a student at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Last year, Liangjiahe received 900,000 visitors, and the number is expected to hit 1.3 million this year. That's about 3,600 people a day on average. Unlike conventional tourists, some of the visitors are sent in groups by their employers, while others are clad in Red Army uniforms and armed with notebooks and pens, jotting down the things that interest them.

The village is small, and the usual tourist itinerary follows a settled order along a meandering mountain path: the village museum, a farm, a blacksmith's shop, a biogas digester, a well, a grinder powered by a diesel generator, a grocery store and the cave dwellings.

Apart from the museum and the cave dwellings, the other items are regarded as the heritage left by Xi in the 1970s, and most still function well today.

Xi, who learned about biogas technology in Mianyang in Southwest China's Sichuan province during a government-led campaign, built the biogas digester with other educated youths and the villagers. He also led local farmers in laying five strips of farmland in the riverbed, as the river, which was once wide, narrowed to a channel, albeit still sufficient to irrigate the land.

Dangerous work

The small stream was the only source of water in Liangjiahe. But the water was sandy. To solve the problem, Xi led the villagers in digging a well. Many seniors remember how he was the first person to jump into the hole, and how he worked the longest shifts in the numbing mixture of ice, water and mud. It was a dangerous job because the well could collapse at any time during the excavation process.

Before the grocery store opened, it took hours for Liangjiahe's farmers to travel to the shop in Wen'anyi, a nearby town, to buy necessities. Xi suggested that the village committee should buy daily goods from the shop in Wen'anyi and sell them to the villagers in Liangjiahe at the price at which they had been purchased, saving them a lot of time.

Xi also exchanged a motorcycle he had been given by the county government as a reward for his performance for the diesel generator and grinder to help the villagers.

Liang Yuqian, 62, a blacksmith who made farm implements during Xi's time, still runs the same workshop, which opened in 1974 after Xi invited him to move from his home village nearby to work in Liangjiahe.

"At first I just wanted to move from village to village. But Xi persuaded me to stay. He talked about his plan cordially with me, saying my plan would bring more personal profit, but that working in one place would mean I served more people," he recalled.

When Xi revisited Liangjiahe in February 2015, he recognized Liang immediately and greeted him with the words "Are you still doing the job?"

Liang Yuming, 75, who Xi replaced as village committee Party chief in 1974, said the heritage items represent just a small part of Xi's contribution to Liangjiahe because he also did many other things, such as teaching the villagers to read and write, along with history and geography. He also soothed relations between families.

Liang Yuming said Xi was the youngest of the six educated youths from Beijing who were assigned to Liangjiahe - Xi was age 16 when Liang Yuming met him for the first time in January 1969 - and he was the one who most loved reading books.

He recalled Xi's two suitcases were the heaviest because they were filled with books.

"When the farmers, who were used to hard outdoor labor, helped to carry the young men's luggage they said Xi's suitcases were too heavy and it was a wonder that a 16-year-old could carry them all the way from Beijing on the three-day journey to the remote valley," he said.

Lei Pingsheng, who was Xi's roommate and is now a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said Xi's passion for knowledge was impressive. "When we woke up late at night, we often found him still reading carefully in the dim light of an oil lamp surrounded by darkness and quiet."

Xi likes reading about history, politics, economics, philosophy and literature, and comparing notes with people who share the same interests, according to Lei.

"The educated youths shared their books. For most of us, learning seemed to be a part of life, undisturbed by the political movement swirling in our faraway hometown of Beijing," he added.

What made Xi different from the other bookworm educated youths was that he was always ready to put what he had learned into practice to serve the people.

"Since his youth, it has been Xi's unswerving belief to undertake practical work for the people," said Tao Haisu, an educated youth from Beijing who was in the same county as Xi and often communicated with him about history and literature.

One time, Xi encouraged a difficult villager, who was often fiercely criticized for being a thief, to sing his favorite folk song to the villagers who were preparing to criticize him at a meeting. The man sang well and with great emotion, moving many of his potential critics. From then on, he was a changed man and was accepted by his neighbors.

"Although Xi is five years younger than me, he reads more books and is knowledgeable in more fields than me," Tao said. "He is honest and trustworthy."

Many people believe that the hard life he led in Liangjiahe played an important role in preparing Xi's resolve to serve the people.

Uncertain future

Wang Yansheng, another educated youth from Beijing who was also Xi's roommate at Liangjiahe, said: "Xi is honest in admitting he was unsure about the future when he first arrived at Liangjiahe. Everybody has a process of development. No man is great when he is born."

Wang vividly recalls the "four difficulties", as Xi noted, that affected every newcomer to Liangjiahe: fleas, shortage of food, hard work and uncertain thoughts.

Lei said they were shocked by the poverty of the region when they first arrived in Yan'an, which was known as "a holy land of revolution", as the Party's main organs had stayed and developed there for eight years.

"Some people slapped the roof of the truck's cab and asked the driver if he was lost," Lei said.

After Spring Festival in January or February, the village was almost empty, because most of the farmers left to live as beggars and try to alleviate the lack of food during spring, according to Zhang Weipang, 70, a villager and good friend of Xi's at the time.

"The hand-to-mouth life of the farmers prompted Xi's sympathy and motivated him to strive for a better life for the people," Zhang said.

The tourist boom in the village thanks to Xi's "heritage" has brought great convenience to the local people.

Xi never complained about the harsh conditions at Liangjiahe. He chose to put up with them and made up his mind to change them, according to the villagers.

"Xi's tolerance of hardship was beyond my expectation. He just took things as they came. When he worked on the farm, he was like a professional farmer," said Liu Jinlian, a 67-year-old villager.

For the first two months after their arrival, Xi and the five other educated youths lived in a cave dwelling in Liu's home. Xi visited the family during his 2015 visit, and inquired in detail about every family member and their living conditions.

Lei said an important reason for Xi's love of, and gratitude to, the people at an early age was his family education. Xi told him that the farmers were the fathers and mothers of the Red Army, and were it not for their selfless sacrifice China's revolution would not have succeeded.

According to Lei, Xi became more experienced, patient and confident after he visited his father Xi Zhongxun, a former vice-premier who was wrongly investigated, between 1970 and 1972.

After that, Xi decided to live and work as a "common farmer", regarding himself as a part of the "yellow earth", Lei said.

Xi met a beggar who said he used to be one of Xi's father's guards. After the beggar related the names of Xi's family members and a few other details, Xi not only gave him all the money he had that day, but also gave his coat to the old man, Lei said.

During his 2015 visit to the village, Xi's biggest concern was still the people's livelihoods, according to local resident Zhang Weipang.

"He asked me whether I often ate meat and what I planted. As before, his questions were always down-to-earth and concerned the specifics of people's lives," he said.

'Spiritual home'

The villagers in Liangjiahe have written to Xi four times since 2007 to tell him about the latest developments. Xi replied to their letters every time, expressing his nostalgia - he calls Liangjiahe his "spiritual home" - and sending his best wishes for the village's development.

According to Gong Baoxiong, village committee chief, the village set up a tourism company in 2015, creating enough jobs for the farmers to work at home. Since 2007, the village has had a new road, internet, running water, electricity and most modern facilities. The main sources of income are tourism, root crops, apples, vinegar and pickled vegetables.

Gong, in his late 30s, said: "President Xi said he 'secured the first button of his life well' at Liangjiahe. That provides motivation for all young civil servants to integrate serving the people with their careers and also their lives."

"He asked me which family I came from," said Gong, as he recalled his chat with Xi during the visit two years ago. "When I said my father's name, President Xi smiled and said 'I know him. He is an honest man.'"

Contact the writers at liyang@chinadaily.com.cn

A journalist from Caribbean takes a ride in a high-speed train model during a visit to the Beijing Exhibition Center in Beijing on Tuesday. The exhibition displays China's development in the past five years. [Photo/Xinhua]

A journalist takes a video of a digital exhibition of the Palace Museum at the Beijing Exhibition Center in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua] A journalist from Caribbean area rides a shared bike at the Beijing Exhibition Center in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua] An Argentinean journalist takes a photo of a high-speed train model at the Beijing Exhibition Center in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua] Foreign journalists look at a model of world's largest single-dish radio telescope, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, or FAST, at the Beijing Exhibition Center in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the first meeting of the presidium of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct 17, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - The presidium of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held its first meeting on Tuesday afternoon, approving a report on the examination of delegates' qualifications by the delegate credentials committee.

The delegates elected are in general outstanding Party members with high ideological and political quality, good style in conduct, strong capability in discussing political affairs, and good professional performance, and they are highly representative, the report said.

Xi Jinping was present and delivered a speech.

Presided over by the congress' secretary-general Liu Yunshan, the meeting approved a list of the presidium's 42-member Standing Committee including Xi.

Liu Qibao, Meng Jianzhu, Zhao Leji and Li Zhanshu were approved as deputy secretaries-general of the congress.

According to the examination report, 2,287 delegates were elected from electoral units across the country and the list had been published with the approval of the CPC Central Committee. After examination, qualifications of 2,280 were confirmed valid, putting the actual number of delegates attending the congress at 2,280.

The election began in November last year, the report said, noting that almost all primary CPC organizations and up to 99.2 percent of more than 89 million Party members took part in the election, up from 98 percent five years ago.

It stressed that the election was a competitive one, and more than 15 percent of the preliminary nominees had been eliminated in each electoral unit during the process, except Tibet and Xinjiang, which had been approved to exercise non-competitive election.

The report said that in light of the practice of the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee specially invited 74 delegates to attend the 19th congress and they would enjoy equal rights as elected delegates.

A draft electoral method of the 19th CPC National Congress was approved at the meeting and was handed over to each delegation for deliberation.

The CPC Central Committee decided to invite relevant leading Party officials and a group of non-Communist figures to attend the congress as non-voting participants.

The non-voting participants, totaling 405, include non-delegate members and alternate members of the 18th CPC Central Committee and non-delegate members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, non-delegates nor specially invited delegates but former members of the Central Advisory Commission, among others.

In addition, 149 guests were invited to attend the opening and closing sessions of the congress.

The twice-a-decade congress will open Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and last till Oct 24.

Xi Jinping is present at the first meeting of the presidium of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct 17, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The presidium of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) holds its first meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct 17, 2017. Xi Jinping was present and delivered a speech. [Photo/Xinhua]

The presidium of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) holds its first meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct 17, 2017. Xi Jinping was present and delivered a speech. [Photo/Xinhua]

Tuo Zhen, spokesman for the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, holds a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 17, 2017. [Photo by Deng Yongan/chinadaily.com.cn]

BEIJING - Tuo Zhen, spokesman for the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, briefing the media on the upcoming congress. Here are highlights of Tuo's remarks at the press conference.

2,280 delegates will attend Congress

A total of 2,280 delegates from all walks of life will attend the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which starts on Wednesday.

The Party elected 2,287 delegates before the Congress, but seven of them did not pass the final review by the delegate credential committee. "The qualification of the 2,280 delegates is effective," Tuo said.

The qualified delegates are from various sectors, including the economy, education, health and justice, and are from all levels of society. For example, 33.8 percent of the delegates come from grassroots departments, 3.3-percentage points higher than the figure of the last Congress, according to Tuo. (Read more)

China will stick to opening up

China will stick to the opening-up policy and further expand market access to foreign investors, Tuo said.

Tuo said opening up is a basic State policy.

He cited President Xi Jinping, saying that China will not make changes to the basic policy, and will not make changes to the commitments to provide better services to foreign investors.

The State Council, the cabinet, released documents in January and August, and local governments have introduced measures to attract more foreign capital, according to Tuo.

He said there will be renewed efforts to attract foreign investors in the future as the opening up and reform continues.

"The goal is to see a win-win result and common development," he said. (Read more)

China will never deviate from the course of reform

China has set a clear direction for advancing reform and "will never deviate from this course", Tuo said.

"Reform is an ongoing process, and there is never an end (in the pursuit of the reform)," Tuo said.

China is firm in taking reform forward and will not slow its pace, he added.

Tuo said it will facilitate strategic deployment for reform and development during the coming five years, and beyond, allow for the planning and advancement of reform at a higher starting point and will unswervingly carry reform forward to the end.

Tuo noted that the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform was established and headed by Xi Jinping, general secretary of CPC Central Committee.

Xi has made plans for and guided the reform, and has chaired 38 meetings of the Leading Group, Tuo said.

A range of symbolic, guiding key measures for reform was introduced and enacted, and the overall framework for reform has been basically established, Tuo added. (Read more)

CPC pledges to keep fighting corruption

The Communist Party of China will fight against corruption with greater determination, courage and endeavor, as comprehensively and strictly governing the Party is never the end of a journey, Tuo said.

The country has witnessed several serious and significant corruption cases in recent years, including Zhou Yongkang, Bo Xilai, Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou, Sun Zhengcai and Ling Jihua, and they have been punished in accordance with the national laws and the Party's disciplines, according to Tuo.

All the officials mentioned above were former members of the CPC Central Committee. "This means any Party member who violates the disciplines and laws will be punished, no matter how high his or her position is," Tuo said.

To fight corruption, the Party has strengthened its internal construction at the same time, he said, adding the Party formulated and revised 90 internal regulations over the past few years. (Read more)

Tuo Zhen (second from left), spokesman for the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, holds a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 17, 2017. [Photo by Deng Yongan/chinadaily.com.cn]

'Cutting debt does not mean cutting growth'

Tuo Zhen said that reducing debt and stabilizing economic growth are not contradictory policies.

"In the long run, deleveraging will help remove hidden risks that will affect steady and healthy economic development and strengthen medium- and long-term economic resilience," Tuo said.

China has created a good and steady macroeconomic environment for deleveraging and economic growth by holding onto the fundamental principle of making progress while maintaining stability, continuing to implement active fiscal policy and prudential monetary policy, sticking to supply-side structural reforms and moderately expanding total demands, he said.

"We insisted on taking multiple measures to deleverage to ensure that deleveraging will not make a negative impact on economic growth," Tuo said.

"At the current stage, deleveraging has made initial progress without bringing obvious austerity effects on the economy," he added. (Read more)

Party will design reforms to fit the nation's needs

The Communist Party of China has achieved a great deal during its efforts to reform the nation's political structure and will continue with the work, based upon China's own conditions, rather than by copying others' models, Tuo said.

He said the reform of the nation's political structure has remained a key topic on the Party's agenda since China adopted its reform and opening-up policy nearly 40 years ago.

"The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee meted out roadmaps for the ongoing comprehensive reforms, including 60 tasks for political structure reform," Tuo said.

The Fourth Plenary Session published 190 measures to boost the rule of law, and the Sixth Plenary Session arranged for new efforts to be made to improve the management of Party members, Tuo told reporters. (Read more)

China maintains commitment to combat poverty in rural areas

China is confident that under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee it will win the battle against poverty, Tuo said.

"Whether we can build a moderately prosperous society, the key lies in the rural population," he said. "It depends on if the poor population living in the rural areas can be lifted out of poverty."

To lift all of the rural population living in poverty by the current standard by 2020 is a solid commitment made by the Party, and is a hard target that has to be achieved, Tuo added.

"We will emphasize real efforts, real progress and real results in poverty alleviation," said Tuo. "To ensure the impact of poverty alleviation work will truly win the recognition of the people and stand the test of history."

President Xi Jinping has made it a key aim that no one should be left behind in building the moderately prosperous society in all respects, he added. (Read more)

Purpose of Belt and Road is a win-win for all

The purpose of China advocating international cooperation on production capacity is not transferring backward capacity, Tuo Zhen said.

"Backward and surplus capacity has no market. Only high-quality capacity can win the competition," he said.

According to Tuo, China advocates international cooperation on production capacity, which is aimed at leveraging the comparative strength of all countries, serving the development needs of the countries, and building a more balanced and inclusive global industrial chain.

"It is not for the purpose of transferring backward capacity," he said, noting that in a highly open international market, Chinese companies face fierce competition from local companies and international colleagues. (Read more)

Made in China 2025 is fair to all: Congress spokesman

China's Made in China 2025 strategy treats domestic and foreign companies equally, Tuo Zhen said.

Tuo, responding to concerns that the strategy seems partial to Chinese companies, said one basic rule of the Made in China 2025 strategy is to ensure market-based principles.

The Made in China 2025 strategy is an initiative aimed at upgrading the economy into areas such as intelligent manufacturing and robotics. (Read more)

China willing to take on more duties, bigger global role

China is willing to shoulder more responsibility and play a greater role in maintaining international peace and security, promoting world economic growth and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, Tuo said.

The spokesman noted China's role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, as well as the world's second largest economy and the largest developing country.

Tuo said the community of shared destiny for all mankind has been widely recognized and welcomed by the international community, and it has been written into a number of United Nations documents and has become an international consensus.

So far, China has established various forms of partnership with about 100 countries, regions and regional organizations, and China's "friends circle" has become larger, Tuo noted. (Read more)

China to expand pilot program nationwide to fight corruption

China is making intensive preparation to expand a pilot program to build a unified supervision system to fight corruption on a nationwide basis, Tuo said.

Expanding such a supervision system nationwide will strengthen and unify the leadership of the Party for anti-corruption, he said.

The purpose is to build "a centralized, unified, authoritative and efficient national supervision system" to supervise all government employees with public power, he said.

"The duty of the supervision commission is supervision, investigation and case handling," Tuo said. (Read more) 

Yuan Longping (second from left), a hybrid rice expert, checks a new strain of hybrid rice at a pilot field in Handan, Hebei province, on Oct 15, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

A new type of hybrid rice grown in China has become the highest-yielding one in the world, said a report by Science and Technology Daily on Sunday.

The pilot rice fields in Handan, Hebei province, were harvested on Sunday. The three plots yielded 17.2 tons per hectare on average, according to a group of agricultural experts who measured the harvest. Of the three plots, the one with the highest yield reached 17.7 tons per hectare, which is a new world record.

The new variety, called Xiang Liangyou 900, was cultivated by a team led by Yuan Longping, who is known as "the father of hybrid rice" in China.

The Party group at Mary Kay, a direct-sales cosmetics retailer from the United States, holds a meeting to welcome new Party members at the company's headquarters in Shanghai. China Daily

Multinational companies in China are attaching greater importance to Party building because a deeper understanding of the Communist Party of China's latest policies can facilitate sustained growth in the domestic market.

West Nanjing Road subdistrict in central Shanghai, which is home to a large number of regional headquarters of leading multinationals, has witnessed the development of Party organizations.

According to Jiang Chunhai, deputy secretary of the Party working committee in the subdistrict, the committee is responsible for the operation of 93 Party organizations in multinational companies, including eight general branches, 51 independent branches and 34 united branches. In total, these Party organizations oversee 1,587 Party members in 289 multinational companies.

The China headquarters of Mary Kay, a direct-sales cosmetics retailer from the United States, are in the subdistrict, and the company is one of the best examples of significant progress in Party building.

Since the Party building project began in 2007, the number of Party members working for Mary Kay in China has risen to 111 from just six.

There are 58 members in the Shanghai headquarters and 53 at a branch in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, accounting for 10 percent of the employees at the branch.

"'Go Give', which is the core value of Mary Kay, accords with the Party's values－to give without requesting anything in return. That was how I convinced my boss to set up a Party branch in Mary Kay," said An Congzhen, secretary of the company's Party group.

Core values

That core value has seen Party members carry out a number of Party building activities to aid underprivileged people, including providing classes for students in rural areas, looking after seniors in local nursing houses and organizing charitable activities in local communities, according to An.

In the decade since Party building began at the company, many measures have been adopted to facilitate related activities.

When the Party branch was established at the company in 2007, the six CPC members held meetings in a corridor to exchange their opinions about the latest government regulations and policies.

However, the company set up a 100-square-meter Party building activity room earlier this year, partly as a result of the rising number of Party members it employs. The company also allows members to hold Party building activities during breaks at work. "Our employees are always under quite a heavy workload. We have to make the best of their time, for example during the lunch break, to hold Party building activities," An said.

"One of the latest activities is the study of the theoretical and practical issues related to Party building, which has received a positive response from our Party members," he added.

Feng Yu, 38, a product quality manager at the company, said the Party building activities advocate many virtues and also provide a platform for each member to understand and realize their life values.

"Each of us works to a tight schedule, but we are always willing to take part in the activities, most of which are held in our spare time, because they are helpful to our careers and personal lives," he said.

However, it wasn't easy to make Party building a feature of Mary Kay's operations.

Party members at Mary Kay celebrate taking sixth place in an orienteering competition in Shanghai. China Daily

Red signs

In 2010, the Party branch at Mary Kay worked with the human resources department to keep records of the number of Party members and asked each of them to place a red sign on their desk to indicate their membership of the Party, in the hope that they would become role models in the company.

"The sign also shows the Party members' willingness to be supervised," An said.

Individual members understand their role in the company and are looking to make rapid progress in their careers. At present, 72 percent of the Party members at Mary Kay work at the executive level as directors, managers and supervisors.

More important, the Party building activities have helped the company to attain sound fiscal results.

"Our Party branch regularly invites professors from colleges and universities to explain the reports of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The entire management team attends these lectures to help gain in-depth understanding of China and the latest policies," An said.

"A good understanding will help the management team to make the right decisions and therefore raise the company's profits," he added.

Promotion

In 2003, the Japanese air-conditioning manufacturer Daikin established a Party branch at its office in the West Nanjing Road subdistrict.

So far, 77 Party members have joined the branch, with one-third of them working in executive roles.

Zheng Jingjing, secretary of the Party branch at Daikin, said Party building activities have become a good way of promoting the company's name.

On "Learn from Lei Feng Day" on March 5－a day set aside to honor the spirit of helping others－the company's Party members went to a neighboring community and taught the residents how to use their air conditioners more efficiently.

"In addition to bonding our employees via such activities, the company's name will be better known in the community," Zheng said.

Mao Xinya, an associate professor at the China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong, gives lectures to the Party members in multinational companies in the West Nanjing Road subdistrict.

She said Party members pay close attention to the country's latest strategies, which is important to the development of each individual and China in general.

For Mao, one of the most important things is to let younger Party members feel proud about China's rapid development and to understand their responsibilities. To that end, she has to seek some common ground between the companies' development plans and government policies.

"The younger Party members will shoulder the development of the country. I have been greatly inspired by their passion for studying the latest policies and participating in Party building," she said.

Jiang, deputy secretary of the Party working committee of the West Nanjing Road subdistrict, conceded that there are still some difficulties in organizing Party building activities in multinational companies, including the relatively low numbers of Party members and inadequate support from their employers.

"Party members in multinational companies should become the internal driving force. They should play their roles in the companies and become the leading force in the promotion of Party building activities," he said.

He Qi in Shanghai contributed to this story.

A political documentary focusing on the Communist Party of China's people-centered governance received positive feedback from the public soon after it aired nationwide.

One episode a day was released of the seven-episode documentary Stay True to the Mission and Keep Moving Forward on China Central Television and the series finished on Wednesday.

The title came from early July, when General Secretary Xi Jinping called on the Party's membership of more than 89 million to "stay true to the mission and keep moving forward".

The documentary focuses on the progress made by the CPC in the past five years to build socialism with Chinese characteristics, serve the people, boost reform, build a strong military, fight corruption and enhance international cooperation.

The documentary said that it was the choice of history and the people in October last year to "identify Xi Jinping as the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party".

It said that under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi as the core, China will definitely have great success in the process of fulfilling the dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The documentary was among a number of political productions broadcast by CCTV in the past two months featuring the Party's achievements over five years in such areas as deepening reform, boosting clean governance and practicing major-country diplomacy.

The public provided positive feedback on the documentary, and many people expressed confidence and optimism in the future of the country with the approach of the Party's 19th National Congress, which begins on Wednesday.

Gao Chao, a civil servant in Jinan, Shandong province, said that the clean-governance measures of the past five years have benefited the people and won their trust in the Party and government.

"We have deep feelings about the Party's strong measures in cutting bureaucratic red tape," he said, adding that the anti-corruption campaign is not a "momentary breeze" but a case of long-term perseverance.

Fan Bo, a businessman in Yuncheng, Shanxi province, said that the government's reforms in streamlining administrative procedures have made it easier for businesspeople like him to work.

"I no longer have to travel for miles to visit different government departments for registration, taxation and pension issues because all of the departments have set their service outlets at the city's public administration center," he said.

Xiao Yongle, a writer, said on his Sina Weibo social media account that the Belt and Road Initiative, put forward by Xi in 2013, has offered China's solutions to the world.

"We need to enlarge opening-up and boost international win-win cooperation to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he said.

Naval vessel entered Chinese waters near Xisha Islands without permission

Beijing urged the United States to stop its "wrong behavior" after a US naval vessel was warned away from China's territorial waters off the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea on Tuesday.

The Chafee, a US guided-missile destroyer, made an unauthorized entry into the nation's territorial waters, the defense and foreign ministries said on Wednesday.

China dispatched a guided-missile frigate, two fighter jets and a helicopter "in an emergency response" and warned the US ship to leave, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

China is "resolutely opposed" to the unauthorized entry, and has lodged "solemn representations" to the US, according to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

"The Xisha Islands are China's inherent territory," Hua said.

The Chinese government announced the baseline of the territorial sea off the islands in 1996 under the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone.

"The US military vessel's behavior violated China's law and international law, which severely impaired China's sovereignty and security interests and threatened the safety of the front-line personnel of both sides," Hua said.

China urged the US to respect China's sovereignty and security interests, as well as the efforts that countries in the region have made to maintain peace in the South China Sea, Hua added.

The unauthorized entry, which the Defense Ministry said "will easily trigger accidents", came after another US naval vessel entered China's territorial waters near the islands without the permission in July.

The Chinese military will improve its defense capacities "against the US military's repeated provocations", the Defense Ministry said.

Zhang Junshe, a researcher at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, said the unauthorized entry undermines peace in the South China Sea, as well as the international maritime order.

The situation in the sea has been stabilizing as parties involved have agreed to solve disputes peacefully through talks, and the US is being a "troublemaker" by making such unauthorized entries, Zhang said.

Joining national initiatives key to future, chief executive says

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor steps up to deliver her first Policy Address on Wednesday. [Photo by ROY LIU/CHINA DAILY] Innovation and youth development were central pillars of Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's first Policy Address on Wednesday as she laid out her ambitions for the special administrative region.

Lam said she envisioned Hong Kong becoming an "international innovation and technology hub" and creating high-end jobs.

In pursuit of economic diversity, Lam encouraged the people of Hong Kong to join in the national-level Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development plan and take advantage of opportunities they present.

In the 33,000-word address, the words "innovation", "technology" and "technologies" appeared a total of at least 150 times, topping the list of policy-related words. Also high on the list were "young" (people/generation/talent) and "youngsters". Those words appeared 55 times in the Policy Address.

"To sustain these favorable trends for our economy, diversifying is the only solution," Lam said, adding that she believed it will not only bolster economic growth but also create quality employment opportunities for Hong Kong's young people.

For Hong Kong to catch up in the race to become an international innovation and technology hub, Lam vowed to double the gross domestic expenditures on research and development as a percent of GDP from the current 0.73 percent to 1.5 percent by 2022.

Although the figure still lags behind regional competitors - Singapore at 2.19 percent, Taiwan at 3 percent and South Korea at 4.29 percent - this is the first time Hong Kong has set its own target.

Lam also said she will personally lead an interdepartmental committee on innovation and technology to steer future development, and she announced measures such as setting aside no less than HK$10 billion ($1.3 billion) for university research funding, offering tax incentives to innovative companies and investing HK$700 million into Hong Kong's Smart City development.

Lam stressed the importance of Hong Kong's participation in the Belt and Road and Bay Area development.

She said a Bay Area development office will be set up for coordination with various government agencies.

Regarding the city's ever-escalating property prices, Lam announced a "starter homes" program to help young and first-time homebuyers get on the housing ladder. The so-called sandwich class - people who earn too much to qualify for government-subsidized apartments but still cannot afford private housing - will benefit from it.

She also vowed to expand the subsidized housing schemes for the city's public housing tenants.

The address received wide support. Lo Wai-kwok, chairman of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, said it showed Lam's determination to fulfill her promises.

Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, called it a bold commitment to improve people's livelihoods.

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce said in a news release on Wednesday that it welcomes the pragmatic and inclusive proposals.

Shi Xing'an, a member of China's eighth Arctic expedition team, waves to his son from the deck of icebreaker Xuelong at a port in Shanghai on Tuesday. The boy was welcoming him home after a 20,000-nautical-mile voyage over 83 days. [Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

The Chinese icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, docked in Shanghai on Tuesday after completing its eighth Arctic expedition, the Polar Research Institute of China announced.

The vessel traveled through the central and northwest shipping lanes along the Arctic rim for the first time, completing China's first circumnavigation of the top of the world.

The vessel departed from the exploration base in Shanghai on June 20 with 96 crew members. It traveled 20,000 nautical miles in 83 days, including 1,995 nautical miles through ice formations, according to the institute.

"The reason we tried the central line was that we could do research in the open ocean area," said He Jianfeng, vice-captain of the team and chief scientist of the expedition.

He added that China had traversed the northeastern shipping lane along Russia's northern coast in 2012, from the Bering Strait to northern Europe.

Seven survey stations were established on floating ice bodies during the journey for further scientific research.

"Because of the increasing rate of melting ice in the Arctic, it was quite difficult for us to find a proper station site," said He, adding that the floating ice this year was all less than 1.5 meters thick.

"We used to spend only about an hour finding proper ice, but this year it cost us almost a whole morning. The poor visibility due to heavy fog in the high-latitude ocean also made the journey tougher."

He said the sailing in the northwestern lane along the northern boundary of Canada helped fill in some blanks in oceanic research of the area.

"The research data we obtained this time provided important information for future commercial navigation," He said. "The northwest route is more complicated and narrower, and has more ice than the northeast shipping lane. Sometimes we had to navigate at night."

He said the team cooperated with Canada to study the marine environment and subsurface topography.

"Three Canadian scientists joined our survey. I think future cooperation between the two sides will take place in the future," he added.

"Usually Arctic expeditions are carried out once every two years. Starting this year, we plan to increase the frequency of expeditions," he said.

Xuelong 2, China's first domestically built polar research vessel and icebreaker, is scheduled to be completed in 2019, He said. The new vessel will be able to break through 1.5-meter-thick ice compared with only 1.1 meters for the older vessel.

Zhang Yi contributed to this story.

Students at Beijing Haidian Minzu Primary School practice traditional Yue Fei boxing in 2016. [Liu Guanguan/China News Service]

Ma Wancheng, principal of Beijing Haidian Minzu Primary School, said he clearly remembers President Xi Jinping's visit three years ago to the school in the capital's Haidian district.

"What impressed me most was the amount of attention Xi gave to traditional Chinese culture," Ma said. "He had intensive exchanges with our teachers and students on the topic."

Xi visited the school on the morning of May 30, 2014, two days before International Children's Day.

Watching students practicing calligraphy in the classroom, Xi asked each questions such as from whom they learned calligraphy, how long they had been practicing it and whether they understood the meaning of the characters they were writing, Ma recalled.

Xi also watched as students read and recited classical poems and played classical music instruments, he said.

"We feel President Xi has a strong love for his family and also for the country," said Li Ying, a Chinese teacher at the school. "His visit gave us great encouragement to improve education in traditional culture."

The public school Xi visited has nearly 2,000 students, 11 percent of whom are members of minority ethnic groups, Ma said. The school has emphasized the teaching of traditional Chinese culture for decades, Ma said.

Since 2010, it has offered optional classes in subjects such as calligraphy, martial arts and tea culture appreciation, he said.

The school has also emphasized the cultures of minority ethnic groups and those of other countries, so students learn to live in harmony with people of different ethnic backgrounds and nationalities, Ma said.

The school holds an annual international cultural festival around New Year's Day that includes cross-cultural activities such as seminars, dramas and dance performances by Chinese students and students from the school's sister schools in countries like South Africa, he said.

Xi also said he hoped students would learn to pursue beautiful things and be people of integrity and virtue when they grow up, Ma said.

"The president's visit is our biggest reward," said Wang Jing, vice-principal of the school. "It is very important to teach students step by step, starting with the small things, so they become people of friendliness and respect." wangxiaodong@chinadaily.com.cn

Private and foreign capital encouraged to participate in boosting efficiency

Centrally administered SOEs have contributed greatly to the country's economic growth in the past several decades. Today, the reform and restructuring of central SOEs have also been placed on top of the government agenda, aiming to boost their efficiency along with supply-side structural reform.

The State Council's executive meeting on Sept 27, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, decided to further push forward mixed-ownership reform and the restructuring of central SOEs in five areas: manufacturing, coal mining, electricity, telecommunications, as well as chemical engineering, according to a statement released after the meeting.

It was also made clear that the reform and restructuring of central SOEs welcomes participation of both private and foreign capital. The new round of restructuring will be a key opportunity to boost reform and the institutional innovation of central SOEs, as pointed out at the meeting.

"Centrally administrated SOEs are important backbones of China's economy. Restructuring central SOEs is, in essence, to deepen reforms, and take it as an opportunity to advance SOE reform and institutional innovation, to improve central SOE quality and efficiency, and realize economic transition," Li said at the meeting.

He called for central SOEs, regardless of size, to further coordinate in developing the Internet Plus mode of growth and mass entrepreneurship platforms to free them from rigid structures and advance institutional innovation.

Li Jin, chief researcher at the China Enterprise Research Institute, pointed out the current round of reform of central SOEs is an important part of the ongoing supply-side reform.

"This round of central SOE reform and restructuring, especially in the five areas, has placed a stronger focus on phasing out excess capacity and reducing costs," he said. "This will push forward the industrial chain to move toward the mid-and-high end."

He also said that making good use of the Internet Plus and innovation platforms, which was reiterated by the premier, has become an important feature of this round of central SOE reform.

He added that reform of central SOEs in the past five years kicked off when these SOEs were faced with a variety of obstacles. China's supply-side reform in recent years has adjusted the economic structure and tackled low efficiency, and has successfully helped develop new sources of growth for central SOEs through market forces.

Xiao Yaqing, chairperson of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, said during a news conference on Sept 28 that China has completed a top-level redesign of SOEs in the past five years, allowing them greater coordination. And with reforms going deeper, central SOEs will take on new features and record more lasting achievements.

"We welcome companies of all ownership types, as well as foreign companies, to participate in China's SOEs mixed-ownership reform," Xiao said at the news conference.

Since 2013, a total of 34 central SOEs have been restructured, including a merger of two of China's top bullet-train manufacturers and two major steel makers. This overhaul has reduced the number of central SOEs to 98 from 117.

At the same time, calls to deleverage have been a major concern of government policy meetings in the past year. Yet Xiao stressed at the news conference that the current debt risk level of central SOEs is "reasonable, appropriate and controllable".

It was also decided at the Sept 27 State Council meeting that apart from asset restructuring, resources will also be directed toward competitive companies or industries through equity cooperation, asset swaps, strategic alliances and joint development.

Li said during the meeting that as reconstruction forges ahead, redundant departments and personnel need to be further streamlined to reduce costs and increase profit.

"The government should stand fast in protecting the legitimate rights of SOE workers, and do their best in helping with job relocation rather than just laying people off," he stressed.

The meeting is the latest move in SOE reforms since the State Council announced a reform timetable in July: China will include all central State-owned enterprises that have not been reformed in a modern corporate system by making them legal entities by the end of 2017. All central SOEs, except financial and cultural ones, will be registered as limited liability companies or joint-equity corporations in accordance with the Company Law, which will accelerate the establishment of an effective and balanced corporate governance structure, based on their legal status, as well as a flexible and efficient marketized management mechanism.

The move is expected to help clear away institutional barriers for further SOE reform.

Figures from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission shows total assets of China's central SOEs reached 50.5 trillion yuan ($7.62 trillion) by the end of 2016, an 80 percent increase from late 2011. In the first half of 2017, central SOEs have made $78.66 billion in net profit, an increase of 18.6 percent compared with the same period last year.

China's Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming. [Photo/China Daily]

October 19 marks the second anniversary of President Xi Jinping's State Visit to the UK. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming reflects on the significance of the visit and the Golden Era it heralded.

China Daily: Almost two years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a historic state visit to the United Kingdom, the first to the UK by a Chinese head of state in a decade. In terms of the timing, how significant do you think his visit was to China-UK relations?

Ambassador Liu: Indeed, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a successful State Visit to the UK from 19-23 October 2015 at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II. That visit was a historic milestone because its significance extends well beyond our times.

Bilaterally, President Xi's State Visit heralded a new era for China-UK relations.

"What's past is prologue". The State Visit was the first by China's head of state in ten years. It took place in the first year of the second decade of China-UK comprehensive strategic partnership. That was an important moment where China and the UK could build on the achievements of the past and herald a coming new era.

During the State Visit, China and the UK committed to building a global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st Century. The State Visit opened the "Golden Era" in UK-China relations featuring enduring, inclusive and win-win cooperation and raised the banner of consensus and cooperation.

In June 2016, Britain formed a new government after the Brexit Referendum. But the China-UK "Golden Era" was not affected. Over the past year, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Theresa May maintained close personal contact, exchanging letters on many issues and having two meetings and one telephone talk. Both leaders reaffirmed the shared commitment to building the China-UK "Golden Era", which was a strong reassurance for the continued, healthy growth of our bilateral relationship and our ever deepening cooperation across the board.

Internationally, President Xi's State Visit was a courageous effort to build a new type of major country relationship.

During the visit, the two countries recognised the importance each side attaches to its own political system, development path, core interests and major concerns. Just as the old Chinese saying goes, "A true gentleman respects diversity while seeking harmony."

As countries of global influence, China and Britain agreed to adopt a long-term and strategic vision, to look beyond their differences in social system, cultural tradition and ideology, to take our bilateral ties proactively and rationally and to work for shared interests and common development.

China-UK strategic mutual trust was strengthened. Our shared determination on closer cooperation was firm. The foundation for our bilateral relations was consolidated. The FT editorial sees this visit as marking "a fundamental recalibration in the UK's great power relations".

As Permanent Members of the UN Security Council and countries of global influence, China and the UK shoulder the responsibilities for advancing world peace and development. In a multi-polar world where economic globalization continues to unfold, China-UK relationship has taken on a greater strategic and global significance.

During the State Visit, leaders of both countries spoke highly of the global and strategic importance of China-UK relations for world peace, stability and prosperity. It is our shared commitment to stay in close communication within the framework of the UN and G20 and work together on global and regional issues, so as to jointly advance the cause of peace and development for mankind.

The China-UK "Golden Era" is a successful practice of China's vision for state-to-state ties, namely, "a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation". Much more than that, it is a fine example of how the emerging and established powers can work together to build a new type of relationship in which they deepen mutual trust, engage in healthy interactions and pursue win-win cooperation.

China Daily: Ambassador, I believe you accompanied President Xi during his visit to the UK. What do you think was the highlight of his visit?

Ambassador Liu: It was a huge honour for me to accompany President Xi throughout his UK visit. The visit has three highlights, which I would summarize as three "super's", that is, "super programme", "super outcomes" and "super significance".

First, "super programme".

In five days, President Xi attended more than 30 events. His trip took him not only to the capital city of London but also other parts of Britain. His itinerary covered both towns and villages. His schedule included tight political agenda and light interaction with the public. The events he attended vary from traditional Royal pageantry to modern creative display.

The British side attached great importance to President Xi's visit and the highest-level royal welcome was staged, including 103-gun salute at Tower Bridge and Green Park. The Queen announced the news of President Xi's coming visit at the opening of the Parliament. She held two banquets in honour of President Xi and Madame Peng Liyuan. Members of the three generations of the Royal Family were involved in hosting this visit.

During the visit, President Xi and then Prime Minister Cameron had a series of long-hour, in-depth meetings. President Xi and Madame Peng were also invited to the Prime Minister's home at Chequers. There were fourteen events in which Prime Minister Cameron accompanied President Xi both in and outside London.

The second highlights are the "super outcomes".

During the visit, China and the UK reached a total of 59 outcomes, including 13 inter-governmental and non-commercial agreements, 28 commercial contracts at 40 billion pounds, and 18 outcomes of other kinds.

The signing of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project was a milestone: Chinese nuclear company made its first ever entry into the market of a developed country. There were breakthroughs in financial services cooperation marked by the expansion of the scale of currency swap, the launch of the feasibility study on Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China's agreement to make London the place of issue for its first RMB sovereign bond outside China. The two countries also agreed to scale up cooperation on innovative and other emerging industries, creative industry and educational exchanges.

The third highlight is the "super significance" of the State Visit.

The human touch of President Xi's UK trip was a fine example of public diplomacy. It drew enormous interest and coverage not only in Britain but also around the world.

From the Royal Carriages to the Plough in Cadsden, from the Indian Pale Ale with fish and chips to the iconic Aguero selfie, numerous eye-catching moments made headlines and became media focuses.

President Xi mentioned many British household names in his speeches, from Byron, Shelley and Dickens, to Harry Potter, Sherlock and Downton Abbey, and felt instantly close to the British public. This visit created a huge enthusiasm across Britain for learning about China in greater depth. The role of this visit in building stronger public support for closer China-UK cooperation can not be overstated.

A special point I want to make about this visit is that, in his interactions with the British leaders and public, President Xi elaborated on China's policies and ideals, told China's stories, put forward China's concepts and made China's voice heard.

During the visit, President Xi met extensively with people from different sectors, expounding on China's policies and responding to international concerns.

For example, in response to worries about China's economy, President Xi stressed that China's economy would not make a hard landing; Instead, by committing to the opening up strategy of win-win cooperation, China would continue to play a key role in driving global growth.

In response to concerns over China's future development path, President Xi explained why this path was a historical and inevitable choice of the Chinese people and that it was a path to better life, a path to world peace and development. He stressed that China's development conformed to the trend of human progress and created more opportunities for the world rather than posing threats to any other country.

With regard to the issue of human rights, President Xi underscored that the people knew best about their country's human rights. China would stick to its own path of advancing human rights and stand ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with other countries on human rights on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

In this widely acclaimed, successful State Visit, President Xi sent out a confident message about China's economic prospects, showcased China as an open, inclusive and responsible nation, and helped the international audience gain better knowledge and understanding of China.

China Daily: Looking back, what do you think are the long-lasting legacies of that visit to the relations of the two countries?

Ambassador Liu: President Xi's "Super State Visit" to the UK produced "super impact" upon China-UK relations. It was a landmark in the history of our bilateral ties. The long-lasting impact of that visit is seen in three aspects.

First, the visit gave China-UK relations an upgraded redefinition.

China and Britain announced the building of a global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century and an enduring, open and win-win China-UK "Golden Era". This is a strategic choice of our two countries based on our respective long-term interests and the overall interests of world peace and stability. Such a definition was unprecedented in China's ties with western countries.

This new definition charts the way forward for China-UK relations. It lays the political building block for our overall bilateral ties. It shows that our relationship has entered a new era. The joint statement issued during the visit covers a wide range of areas and maps out the blueprint for the long-term growth of China-UK relationship.

Second, the visit greatly enriched China-UK cooperation.

The new definition of China-UK relations marked a new beginning where leaders of both countries started to plan for future cooperation across the board.

We agreed to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges and ensure the success of the annual Prime Ministers' Meeting, the Economic and Financial Dialogue, and other high level dialogue mechanisms on culture, strategy and security.

We agreed to expand bilateral trade and investment, strengthen financial cooperation and cooperation on emerging industries such as innovation, and dovetail China's Belt and Road Initiative with the UK's Northern Powerhouse.

We agreed to step up cooperation in the field of security and law enforcement. We agreed to work for closer cultural exchanges and increased mutual visits.

We also decided to communicate more closely under multilateral frameworks such as the UN and G20, enhance cooperation on international and regional issues and jointly advance the cause of peace and development.

These important cooperation agreements and outcomes reached between the leaders of China and Britain have greatly enriched China-UK ties. They reflect the strategic vision of our two countries and show to the world that China's vision of a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation is creating a bright future for global development.

Third, the visit helps grow China-UK friendship.

One focus of President Xi's visit was to deepen the cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and Britain. He therefore met widely with people from different sectors, including the political, business, cultural, educational and science communities in Britain.

President Xi joined the Queen for a series of state events and had close and cordial conversations with the three generations of the Royal Family. He delivered keynote speeches at the Parliament, the Guildhall, the Airport City Manchester, and the China-UK Business Summit. He visited the countryside pub, businesses and schools. He reached out to the wider British public, shared with them stories of China-UK friendship and worked to bring the people of our two countries closer. This visit demonstrated the appeal of President Xi's leadership and helped build stronger public support for China-UK cooperation.

China Daily: In the run up to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, how do you see China-UK relations in five years time?

Ambassador Liu: This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Ambassadorial diplomatic ties between China and Britain. It is also a year for consolidating the China-UK "Golden Era". The past 45 years have seen extraordinary and historic progress in China-UK relations.

The international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes. Brexit is bringing uncertainties and instabilities. However, the shared goal of China and the UK to build a "Golden Era" remains unchanged. The momentum of a steady and growing China-UK relationship remains unchanged. The strong desire for deeper cooperation across the board remains unchanged.

It is therefore my hope that in the coming five years, we will continue our good efforts in developing China-UK ties in the following five aspects.

First, I hope China and the UK will continue to cement the strategic consensus of building the "Golden Era".

The "Golden Era" enhances consensus, sets out the objective for all our work and creates a vision for our cooperation. Building a China-UK "Golden Era" is not a slogan. It is a brand new definition of our bilateral relationship and a symbol of our determination to build strategic consensus.

Over the past two years, the leaders of both China and the UK have reaffirmed on many occasions the commitment to advance the China-UK "Golden Era". This has made sure that China-UK relations keep to the right direction. The "Golden Era" is the major opportunity that we must seize as we work together to enhance political mutual trust, build consensus and deepen win-win cooperation.

Prime Minister May is planning a visit to China before the end of this year. I have confidence that such a visit will give new impetus to China-UK relationship and allow the "Golden Era" to endure.

Second, I hope China and the UK will continue to deliver more "golden outcomes".

China is deepening its reforms and opening up. The forthcoming 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will take stock of our development experience and formulate the programme and policies for the future. China's peaceful development will offer more opportunities for the world, Britain included.

As Britain approaches the critical juncture of Brexit negotiations, its leaders have on numerous occasions made clear that Britain outside the EU will continue to open to the world and embrace free trade, and that the goal is to build a "global Britain". For China-UK relations, Brexit means both opportunities and challenges. And I believe the opportunities far outweigh the challenges. Our two countries have every reason to tap our potentials for cooperation and turn challenges into opportunities. We have every capability to deliver more "golden outcome" for the benefit of our people.

Third, I hope China and the UK will continue to dovetail our respective development strategies.

China and Britain have much to offer to each other in our respective development strategies. Right now, we are working hard to dovetail China's Belt and Road Initiative, 13th Five Year Plan and Made in China 2025 with the UK's Industrial Strategy, Northern Powerhouse and the UK Industry 2050.

Britain is a key partner of the Belt and Road cooperation thanks to its unique strengths in financial services, legal services, project management and risks control. China and the UK can dovetail our development strategies, coordinate our policy measure and join hands to explore the market of a third country along the routes. This could be a highlight of cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road. Our two countries can also explore new opportunities to match our strengths and achieve common development in the fields of economic cooperation, trade, investment and science and technology.

Fourth, I hope China and the UK will continue to strengthen public support for our bilateral relations.

Only relations based on heart-to-heart exchange can last. The thriving people-to-people exchanges between China and the UK in recent years are the key to building solid public support for our bilateral relations.

There are now over 1.5 million mutual visits between China and Britain every year. There are more Chinese student and more Confucius Institutes in Britain than anywhere else in Europe. There are 60 pairs of sister provinces and cities between China and Britain. The local government forum and local government joint working group on economic cooperation and trade between our two countries are the first ever in Europe.

For China-UK relationship to scale further heights, we must achieve new progress in people-to-people and local government cooperation. Closer exchange at this level will foster stronger friendship and better understanding. That will further steady the steps of China-UK relationship.

Fifth, I hope China and the UK will continue to enhance cooperation on international issues.

Both China and Britain are permanent members of the UN Security Council and important members of G20. We have maintained sound cooperation on international issues and have more shared commitment to economic globalization, trade liberalization and investment facilitation. Our interests converge and our communication and cooperation have been effective in facilitating free trade, improving global economic governance and reforming the international financial system. We have been engaged in global cooperation on health issues, climate change, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping and regional security. Together, we are responding to global and regional challenges and maintaining peace and stability around the world.

Looking ahead into the coming five years, I am confident about China-UK relationship. I believe that both countries need to continue to take China-UK ties from a strategic height and long-term perspective. Going forward, we must deepen our global comprehensive partnership for the 21st Century, keep to the overall direction of the "Golden Era", seize the "golden opportunities", expand our shared interests and enhance our strategic convergence as we write a new chapter for China-UK relations.

As all eyes are on the upcoming Congress, let's take a look at what international media said about the developments and achievements of China.

Infrastructure development

A Fuxing bullet train leaves Beijing South Railway Station on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed network in Beijing, Sept 21, 2017. China increased the maximum speed of bullet trains on the Beijing-Shanghai route to 350 kilometers per hour, six years after it was reduced to 300 kmh. [Photo/Xinhua]

With the new-generation high-speed bullet train Fuxing (meaning rejuvenation) put into service for key cities last month, travelling time from Tianjin Railway Station to Beijing South Station will be cut from 30 minutes to under 25 minutes.

Fully designed and manufactured in China, the Fuxing trains, which can hit a top speed of 400 km/h, will run at 350 km/h from Thursday - faster than Japan's famous Shinkansen trains at 300 km/h, and France's TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse), the world's fastest so far with operating speeds of 320 km/h.

Fuxing trains will cut travel time from six to four and a half hours for the Beijing-Shanghai line, China's busiest high-speed rail route.

-- The Straits Times: "China's rail ambitions run at full speed" (Sept 19, 2017)

The countries of Europe and Asia are increasingly integrating together economically, logistically and politically via China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the various other endeavors of the broader New Silk Road, opening the gateway for a paradigm-shifting renaissance of technological innovation across the region. Trans-Eurasian transportation networks are being unified and streamlined, IT infrastructures are being upgraded and fused together, energy capacity is being boosted manyfold, and new types of problems are creating the opportunity for new types of technological solutions.

-- Forbes: "How China's Belt And Road Sparked A Renaissance Of Transportation Innovation" (Sept 13, 2017)

Anti-corruption campaign

Police escort Li Huabo (C), the second suspect from China's "100 most wanted economic fugitives" list, upon his arrival at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, May 9, 2015. Li was repatriated as part of operation "Sky Net" that aims to return fugitives for trial. [Photo/Xinhua]

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa says he's learnt some lessons from the Chinese on how to fight corruption and ensure openness and transparency.

Ramaphosa was speaking at the Annual Nedlac Summit at Emperors Palace, where he's emphasized that now is time to punish those responsible for corrupt activities in the country.

Ramaphosa says Chinese leaders told him there was a single incident of corruption during the 2008 Olympics because they demanded openness and transparency from bidders.

"And they said we want all issued tenders to be transparent and open."

Ramaphosa says South Africa will need to deal with corruption decisively or people will be confined to poverty for generations to come.

-- Eyewitness News: "Ramaphosa praises China for anti-corruption lessons" (Sept 8, 2017)

This demonstrates the full and successful implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle, which has been widely recognized by the international community, he noted.

The spokesman made the remarks in response to a report issued by the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China on Thursday.

"Foreign legislatures should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of the HKSAR," the spokesman said.

The Basic Law of the HKSAR specifies the guidelines of "one country, two systems" and "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" with a high degree of autonomy.

The previous economic and social systems of Hong Kong and the way of life have remained unchanged, and most laws continue to apply.

The Basic Law ensures the HKSAR has a high degree of autonomy and enjoys executive, legislative and independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication.

World Bank data show that Hong Kong's indicator of the rule of law, a core value of Hong Kong society, has jumped from behind 60th in the world in 1996 to the 11th place in 2015, well ahead of some major Western economies.

Hong Kong has gained 3.2 percent of economic growth on average each year since 1997, quite remarkable for an economy which was essentially already developed 20 years ago.

Hong Kong remained the freest economy in the latest report on world economic freedom by the Fraser Institute, a Canadian think tank.

Of the five broad areas of assessment, Hong Kong continued to attain a high ranking in regulation and freedom to trade internationally in the report issued in September.

HKSAR Chief Executive Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the continuous development and prosperity of the motherland not only gives Hong Kong strength to rise to challenges, but also provides opportunities for Hong Kong to explore new directions for its development.

"As long as we capitalize on our strengths, stay focused, seize the opportunities before us and stand united, I am sure that Hong Kong can reach even greater heights," she said Sunday at the National Day reception in celebration of the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

More than 3,000 Tibetan antelopes stopped under the shadow of the Wudaoliang North Bridge on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. After a few hesitant minutes, the antelopes passed through the shadow to continue their migratory journey.

The scene was observed in real time by Li Hongqi on his computer through a high-definition monitoring system as he sat in his office in Xining, Qinghai province, on the morning of Aug 8.

"We know the Tibetan antelopes will come in July and leave in August on certain dates, but this was the largest single group we saw through the monitoring system," said Li, head of the Qinghai Environmental Information Center.

A year earlier, he had shown President Xi Jinping the same system, with live views of the source of the Yellow River, the Wudaoliang bridge and other locations that the environmental information center monitors.

Xi visited Qinghai province on Aug 23 and 24 of last year and talked with grassroots cadres and environmental protection officials at two ecological monitoring sites via video from the information center.

Xi emphasized the importance of protecting the environment of the source region of three great rivers — the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang — and asked the environmental protection controllers to fulfill their duties to safeguard the lakes, grasslands, rivers, wild animals and other ecological resources of the province.

Tashi Tsering, one of the controllers, lives in the village of Changjiangyuan and drives more than 1,000 kilometers on each of the trips he makes to patrol his jurisdiction near the Tuotuo River. He carries tents and food for the trip, which usually takes three days.

It rained heavily on the day he started his patrol in August, and the rain made the roads difficult to use in the rural area. Tsering had to rent a motorbike.

"I became an environmental protection controller in 2013. The grass this year has grown the finest and the weather has been great," said Tsering, a former shepherd.

In 2004, more than 400 shepherds including Tsering moved down from the area around the sources of the three rivers at an altitude of about 4,700 meters above sea level to the southern suburb of Golmud and formed the new village of Changjiangyuan.

Gega Namgyee, deputy secretary of the village, explained his reason for the move.

"We need to support the protection of the three-river source because it's our home. We need to protect the environment like our own lives.

"I believe in the Chinese Communist Party, so I followed its lead."

In 2016, Xi visited Changjiangyuan and asked the villagers about their life after they moved down from the mountains. Learning that the villagers had stable incomes, basic health insurance and old-age insurance, Xi was delighted and said, "A better life for you lies ahead."

While their previous annual income was less than 2,000 yuan ($300), each villager now earns more than 20,000 yuan, Gega Namgyee said.

"The day President Xi visited our village was the most unforgettable and happiest day of my life," he said.

"It's been a year since his visit and our village is getting better with all the electric wires moving underground."

Tsering is paid 1,800 yuan a month as an environmental protection controller, plus can do part-time work between patrols.

Married this year, the 38-year-old is expecting his first child in October.

Tsering was among the first group of environmental protection controllers in Chang-jiangyuan. But all villagers are aware of the need to protect the environment. They clean the village together on certain days every month.

Tsering's niece Paima Ga, 15, moved to the village when she was 3. She takes part in the cleaning duties. Her father is an environmental protection controller like her uncle. When her father is away for a few days, she knows he has gone to check the grasslands.

Each summer vacation, Paima Ga returns to the Tuotuo River area to watch traditional horse races.

"The grass now is better than before," she said.

Studying at Golmud Ethnic middle school, Paima Ga has adapted to a semiurban life.

"I like living here. I can make many friends, eat many vegetables and go shopping."

Paima Ga wants to study filmmaking.

"I want to be a director in the future," she said. "I can film the legends of the Tibetan ethic group and record the beautiful natural scenery of my hometown."

BEIJING - Lei Bicao was happy to find out that one of the candidates she had recommended was elected as a delegate for the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Lei, who has been a Party member for 26 years in Linwei District in the city of Weinan in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, recalled clearly the recommendation process earlier this year.

"At a mobilization meeting, the secretary of our Party branch announced the qualifications and conditions for candidate nomination and the strict voting discipline then distributed a recommendation form to everyone who had the right to vote," Lei said.

The next day, Lei recommended four candidates, including Jia Xiangdong, deputy head of the district's Party organization department. Lei said she believed Jia to be an excellent candidate, capable of exercising the duties of delegates on behalf of ordinary Party members like her.

A total of 276 delegate candidates were initially recommended in the province. Officials accounted for 35 percent and Party members on the frontlines of work and production made up the remaining 65 percent.

The preliminary list of candidates was shortened to 60 after a comprehensive selection process by the CPC Shaanxi provincial committee to ensure broad coverage and proper structure of the candidates.

In May, Jia and 43 others were elected as delegates to the Party's national congress at a meeting of the 13th CPC Shaanxi provincial congress. Jia's name was on the list of 2,287 delegates elected to attend the five-yearly national congress on behalf of more than 89 million Party members and 4.5 million grassroots Party organizations. The congress is set to draw a new blueprint for the country's development.

"As a grassroots Party member, I feel it is my mission to recommend delegate candidates I trust," Lei said.

The process of selecting delegates featured wide and active participation of Party members across the nation.

All grassroots-level Party committees were included, with 99.2 percent of Party members participating, 1.2 percentage points higher than the figure for the 18th CPC National Congress, according to official data.

Yan Weiping, an official with the Party committee of Renmin sub-district office in Linwei District, said the 24 grassroots Party branches under the committee adopted measures to guarantee the participation of all 883 Party members in the sub-district.

"We organized a meeting for local Party members. We solicited the opinions of 130 Party members outside the area via telephone and WeChat, an instant messaging service. We visited the homes of elderly members, taking recommendation forms and explaining the policy face to face," said Yan.

The right to vote is valued by Party members.

"I have no reason to neglect such an important role in recommending congress delegates," said Yi Hongliang, a Party member who runs a private company. After receiving the notice to attend a Party branch meeting, he canceled a business trip in Xi'an, the provincial capital, and returned to Weinan to attend the meeting.

"Without the Party's policies, I could not have operated such a successful enterprise," said Yi. "When I wrote down the names of preliminary candidates, I really felt it a very important matter."

In Shaanxi, 98.73 percent of Party members participated in the delegate recommendation process. Opinion polls and interviews were conducted by provincial Party authorities to assess the comprehensive performance of selected candidates.

"Comrade Wu Xiangqin has a strong Party spirit and a pragmatic work style. She has visited every corner of the village and helped needy families get rid of poverty through planting walnut and chestnut trees as well as silkworm breeding," Zhang Yuancheng, a Party member in Shaanxi's Fengshou Village, said about Wu, the village's Party secretary who was elected as a delegate to the Party's 19th national congress.

Elected delegates have enjoyed strong support from Party members.

Ling Jihe, a 56-year-old farmer and entrepreneur in east China's Jiangxi Province, was elected as a delegate to the 19th CPC national congress. His company manages more than 1,000 hectares of crops transferred from migrant workers. He has rewarded outstanding farmers over the past six years and increased the incomes of hundreds of locals.

"Since his business started, Ling has become a role model for local residents," said Wan Julian, Party secretary of Xilu Village. Ling said he would work hard to live up to the expectations of farmers.

In Guangdong Province, Weng Muhong, an agricultural technical expert in the city of Shantou, failed to be elected as a delegate after being placed on the list of recommended candidates.

"I completely understand the result as it was a concrete expression of opinions among Party members," said Weng, adding that via participation he felt true intra-Party democracy.

BEIJING - With its own development and becoming increasingly closer to the center of the world stage, China has been injecting positive energy into the international community in pursuit of better global governance over recent years.

At the 86th Interpol General Assembly held in Beijing last week, China proposed a concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security to jointly respond to security challenges.

At the BRICS' Xiamen Summit in early September, China put forward the "BRICS Plus" approach by inviting the leaders of Egypt, Mexico, Thailand, Tajikistan and Guinea to take part in a dialogue. BRICS began its second golden decade with the summit to make the grouping ever brighter.

As the world's second largest economy and the biggest contributor of global economic growth, China's innovative concepts on improving global governance and promoting global peace and common prosperity have gained wide recognition and support from other countries.

Undergoing structural reforms, China is implementing its new concept of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, eyeing a quality growth model driven by innovation.

Meanwhile, the country is assuming its international responsibility to promote common development with other countries in the interconnected world.

The Belt and Road Initiative, building a community of shared future for mankind and the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, all proposed by China, have been incorporated in U.N. resolutions, showing wide international consensus on the concepts.

Equality, mutual respect and win-win cooperation feature in the Chinese plans, which also safeguard the irreversible trend of globalization.

After colonialism, imperialism and hegemonism, the world is ushering in an era of "win-winism" as initiated by China, a country which unswervingly adheres to its peaceful development path, according to Hu Angang, director of the center for China studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

"Win-winism" highlights an open world economy for common development of all countries and joint efforts to address global challenges such as climate change and terrorism, and exchanges of different cultures, said the researcher.

China has been actively assuming its international responsibility and participating in global governance by putting forward new concepts, thoughts and plans to reshape the global governance system, said Liu Wei, president of Renmin University of China, at a global governance forum on Saturday in Beijing.

For example, the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit has injected new momentum into global governance, said Liu.

The world needs a new type of globalization, which calls for improving global governance and boosting common development, former Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said at the forum.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which is multilateral and open, is a global project and a response to global demands, he added.

Ecological protection will be a major priority during construction work

More than 70 percent of Xiongan New Area in North China's Hebei province will be covered by water and trees, according to a leading official.

"We will not construct high-rise buildings, concrete jungles or glass walls in the new area," Chen Gang, director of the Xiongan New Area administrative committee, said.

He added that protection of the local ecological environment will be regarded as a top priority during the construction process, which will follow a green development path.

According to the development plan, announced in April, the area will cover about 100 square kilometers initially, but will be expanded to 200 sq km in the middle term, and rise to about 2,000 sq km in the long term.

Infrastructure, businesses and residential buildings will cover less than 30 percent of the total area, while the remainder will be home to forests and bodies of water, according to a statement published on the area's official WeChat account on Thursday.

The aim is to build a livable new area, with plant life, forests and water being the main elements, said Liu Baoling, executive deputy director of the administrative committee.

He added that trees are already being planted across a 120,000-square-meter pilot region to provide experience with the cultivation of seedlings, planting technologies and management.

Based on that work, a manual about the area's overall afforestation will be produced to guide further planting work.

Another forestry project, covering 7 sq km, will start by the end of the year.

By 2030, the area's woodland coverage rate will surpass 40 percent, more than double the national average, according to Liu.

At present, the coverage rate in the three counties spanning the new area are 19.72 percent in Xiongxian, 9.3 percent in Rongcheng and 7.29 percent in Anxin.

In addition to woodland, Xiongan is home to Baiyangdian, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in China.

Know as the "Pearl of North China", Baiyangdian, which covers 366 sq km, contains 143 small lakes and is essential to the conservation of water on the North China Plain.

The ecological restoration of the wetland has been one of the key tasks for the area. A range of measures have been undertaken, such as controlling the discharge of wastewater into the lakes and the removal of fish-raising nets in the water.

The overall planning for Xiongan is already underway, and will include a specific plan for the protection of Baiyangdian's environment.

According to the administrative committee, preparations are also being made to start a number of major projects in the fields of transportation, ecological restoration and cultural protection in line with the area's mode of development.

For the past years, China has made major breakthroughs in science and technology that indicate it is on the path to national rejuvenation. Li Yang takes a look at four best of them.

Aerospace

China's Tiangong II space lab blasted off in September last year, marking another milestone in the country's increasingly ambitious space program, which envisions a space station and sending a probe to Mars at the start of the next decade.

One month later, the Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft carried two astronauts into space to dock with the lab. The astronauts worked in the lab for 30 days before returning to Earth.

In April this year, China's first space cargo ship Tianzhou 1, was sent into orbit to dock with the space lab, providing fuel and other supplies.

Its predecessor Tiangong 1, which docked with the unmanned Shenzhou 8, and manned Shenzhou IX and Shenzhou X spaceships, was used to verify the technology involved in space docking and served as a simple platform for a number of scientific experiments.

Tiangong 1 ended its data service earlier this year and will, reportedly, burn up as it falls into Earth's atmosphere in the latter half of 2017.

Tiangong II will drop into the Pacific Ocean at the end of its mission, according to the manned space engineering office.

The successful launch of Tiangong II along with the maiden flight of China's new generation carrier rocket Long March 7 in June last year, bodes well for the final phase of China's three-step manned space program.

The first step, to send an astronaut into space and return safely, was fulfilled by Yang Liwei in Shenzhou V in 2003.

The second step is to develop advanced space flight techniques and technologies including extravehicular activity and orbital docking. This phase also includes the launch of two space laboratories - effectively mini space-stations that can be manned on a temporary basis.

The final step will be to assemble and operate a permanent manned space station.

Construction of the space station is planned for completion by around 2020.

It will enter into service around 2022, with an initial designed life of at least 10 years.

Now China is preparing Tianhe I, a core space station module, which is due to be carried into space by the powerful Chinese rocket Long March 5 in 2018. Additionally, Chinese scientists are making a Hubble-like telescope to orbit near the planned space station. China also aims to land a probe on Mars by 2020.

Aviation

The C919, the first Chinese-built passenger jet, made its maiden flight in May. A total of 23 foreign and domestic customers, including China's national carrier Air China and leasing company GE Capital Aviation Service, have already placed orders for 570 aircraft, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.

With 158 seats and a standard range of 4,075 kilometers, it competes with the updated Airbus 320 and Boeing's new generation 737.

China has invested heavily in commercial passenger jet manufacturing. In 2007, plans to develop a domestic large passenger jet were approved by the State Council. In November 2015, the first C919 jet rolled off the assembly line.

The ARJ21, the country's first regional aircraft also produced by COMAC, began commercial operations in June 2016 following its maiden flight in 2008.

Likewise, it has invested heavily in the development of military aircraft. China's J-20 stealth fighter made its public debut at the China Air Show in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong province, in November last year.

The development of the J-20 is progressing as scheduled, and it is expected to further boost the fighting capacities of the Chinese air force, said Shen Jinke, spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army Air Force, at a news conference at the show.

Shen said that the fighter will help the air force better fulfill the mission of "safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," adding that the J-20 is adaptable for the future.

Before the public unveiling of the J-20, China's first domestically developed heavy air freighter, the Y-20, made its maiden flight in January 2013. The development of the two planes shows the country is well on the way to achieving its goal of becoming a strategic air power, according to analysts.

"A genuine strategic air power must possess a strong power projection capability, which is highly reliant on large aircraft, namely a strategic air freighter and a strategic bomber," Wang Yanan, deputy editor-in-chief at Aerospace Knowledge magazine and a military analyst, said.

"The long-range power projection capability of the Chinese air force still lags behind. But the Y-20 means we have made strides toward building a strategic air power."

The Y-20, with a crew of three, has a maximum payload of 66 metric tons and a maximum takeoff weight of more than 200 tons. The length of the Y-20 is 47 meters and its wingspan is 50 meters.

High-speed railways

Former state leader Deng Xiaoping was impressed by Japan's bullet trains when he visited the country in 1978. At that time, China had less than 9,000 locomotives - of which only 200 were electric - running at an average speed of about 40 kilometers per hour.

Since then, Chinese people have regarded the speed of its trains as an indication of the country's development level.

China named its first high-speed train, which came into use in 2007 with operating speeds of 200 to 300 kilometers per hour, as Hexie, or Harmony, conveying its wish for a harmonious society in the fast-changing country.

The latest Chinese bullet trains, which China developed independently, have an operating speed of 350 km an hour. The new high-speed trains are called Fuxing, or Rejuvenation, demonstrating the country's resolve to achieve national renewal. They went into operation on June 25 between Beijing and Shanghai.

"The launch of the Fuxing bullet trains symbolizes China's high-speed railway construction is among the most advanced in the world, and China has mastered the technology of high-speed train's manufacturing, operation control, traction power supply and communication signal systems, as well as other things," said Liu Hui, vice-president and chief engineer of CRC.

Among the 254 important standards of the Fuxing bullet trains, 84 percent are Chinese, showing China has largely acquired the ability to manufacture high-speed trains independently, according to Cao Gangcai, deputy chief economic manager of the CRRC Group, China's largest locomotive and rolling stock manufacturer.

China is a large country with diverse geological conditions. The high-speed railway network extends 5,200 km from east to west and 5,500 km north to south, covering areas that not only experience extremely low temperatures and strong winds, but also areas where the earth is frozen or which are prone to landslides, among other things.

"To overcome these difficulties, the researchers, engineers and constructors had to make concerted efforts, and optimize many technologies and designs to adapt the high-speed rail lines to different environmental conditions," Cao said.

At the end of last year, China had 66 high-speed railways, whose total length was 220,000 km, the longest in the world. Nearly 1.5 billion passenger trips were made on them last year. By 2025, the total length of the high-speed railways in China is expected to reach 380,000 km.

Quantum communications

The quantum communications network connecting Beijing and Shanghai, about 2,000 kilometers apart, recently passed a technological examination, meaning the world's first quantum communications network is ready to be launched in China.

Quantum communications allow the sharing of a messages that are encrypted by a key made up of quantum particles, which means they are generally regarded as being "unhackable", because if a third party tries to intercept the message it will immediately alter the information being relayed, with the disturbance being instantly known.

Quantum communications technology has developed rapidly in recent years, with the United States, Europe, the Republic of Korea and China all investing heavily in R&D, as quantum technology is regarded as being one of the major technological advances of the 21st century that will support the next generation of telecommunication and the computing technology.

China launched the world's first quantum communications satellite into orbit in August last year. The satellite can be used to transmit encoded data through quantum keys transmitted via light pulse signals. It also announced it had successfully built the world's first optical quantum computer in May.

Pan Jianwei, professor of quantum studies at the University of Science and Technology of China and head of the research team of the quantum communications satellite, said quantum communications technology not only has practical applications but also lays a solid foundation for theoretical breakthroughs in physics and space studies.

The central government regards quantum communications as "disruptive technology that can lead a new industrial revolution" in its State Science and Technology Innovation Plan for the 13th Five-Year Plan Period (2016-20), and so supports the research and development of it accordingly.

Pan appreciates the support of the government and multiple research institutes across the country for the project. "Different parts of the satellite come from the hard work of different institutes. It is basically teamwork," he said.

Experts say the launch of the Beijing-Shanghai quantum communications network marks China's transformation from being a leading researcher in the field to the first user of the advanced technology, which will give China a considerable advantage in the development of related technologies and industries.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

Dream makers

China has made great progress in many of its scientific and technology programs, and it has made significant breakthroughs in recent years in the fields of aerospace, aviation, high-speed railways and communication systems.

Starting from scratch, China's ever-expanding multi-billion-dollar space program has become a source of national pride and a notable marker of the country's growing technological expertise.

And investment in the development of military and commercial airliners has borne fruit with the nations' first stealth fighter and passenger jet. Likewise, it has enabled the development of new high-speed trains featuring independent technology and the first successful quantum communication systems.

Along with these achievements, the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, Jiaolong manned submersible, methane hydrates extraction technology, radio telescopes, wind and solar energy, nuclear power technology and super computers are also pride-worthy achievements that are believed of great value to not only the upgrading of China's industries and the restructuring of its economy, but more importantly making it a leader in the new technology revolution.

The remarkable scientific and technological progress the country has made has largely been the result of China's financial input in research and development, especially in recent years. Over the past 20 years, China's input into scientific R&D has increased at a double-digit rate each year on average. Statistics show China's funding of scientific R&D exceeded that of Europe in 2014, and it is expected to overtake the United States in 2020.

Governments at various levels along with enterprises have attached great importance to attracting top research and engineering talents from overseas to their labs, institutes and industrial parks. Chinese enterprises have also successfully acquired foreign companies with strong R&D capabilities enabling the country to quickly narrow the technology gap that has existed with advanced countries.

Also, since the 1950s, China has built one of the most complete industrial systems in the world and the largest consumer market. The variety of industrial departments provides broad space for the application of new technology, and the industrialization of innovations subsequently boosts new research.

New measures are helping maintain love of country in the modern world

The past few years have witnessed changes in the education system aimed at further raising awareness of patriotism among young Chinese.

The National Anthem Law, approved in September by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, states that the national anthem should be played and sung at primary and middle schools nationwide.

"Schools should regard the national anthem as an important part of patriotic education for students," according to the law, which came into force on Oct 1. "They are obliged to teach students to sing the anthem, learn its history and the spirit it reflects and obey the etiquette of singing it."

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education urged education departments across the country to revise textbooks for primary and middle schools by extending the duration of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression to 14 years (1931-45) from eight (1937-45).

The move was intended to not only uphold the spirit of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and China's struggle against the Japanese, which fell in September 2015, but also to strengthen patriotic education for the younger generation by allowing them to understand the history in a profound, all-around way, the ministry said.

Lyu Liangqiong, director of the student affairs office at the Shengli Experimental School in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, who is responsible for designing the related curriculum and organizing activities for the students, has noticed the changes and the growing emphasis on patriotic education.

"China has changed so much during recent years and is growing more influential in the world, so I think it's necessary to conduct patriotic education among young people, which will deepen their love for the country on the basis of better knowing and understanding," she said.

According to Lyu, patriotic education at her school started becoming regular and systematic in 2009, when construction of the campus was completed and the school decided to weave the content of such education into school activities.

"For example, we bring students to historical places during the annual spring outings. Before setting out, we give lectures about the background information; while there, we guide students to listen to stories told by the descendants of revolutionary martyrs at those places. After they return, we ask them to generate and deliver work - a short article, an exhibition board or other forms," she said.

"In the past, the spring event was purely an outing and just about having fun."

Students from a primary school in Nangong city, Hebei province, listen to Sun Yunbao, a veteran, at a local public cemetery honoring war martyrs. [Mu Yu/Xinhua]

Efforts to boost patriotic education made by the authorities of the People's Republic of China can be dated back at least 35 years, when the country's constitution, passed in 1982, stated that Chinese citizens should "love the country and the people ... and receive education about patriotism, collectivism, internationalism and communism".

Apart from the constitution, other laws, such as those related to education, stipulate that the country must offer patriotic education to students at all levels. The Teachers' Law states that they have an obligation to conduct patriotic education for students.

President Xi Jinping has also stressed the significance of patriotism on a number of occasions in recent years.

For example, in a speech delivered at a collective group study among the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in December 2015, Xi said patriotism is the spiritual core of the Chinese nation and patriotic education should run through the nation's entire education system.

"Efforts should be made to enrich the form and content of patriotic education and ensure good results," he said, suggesting that the great achievements in China's reform and development, memorial activities for historic events, patriotic education bases, and traditional festivals and celebrations should be fully exploited to help people's love for the country to grow.

New understanding

At Lyu's school, patriotic education has been particularly stressed since January last year, when the Ministry of Education issued a series of guidelines in which it said patriotic education should be integrated with the design of the curriculum, textbook compilation and the examination and evaluation of subjects taught at schools.

"That inspired my colleagues and me to consider how we could make patriotic education part of our daily lessons, and make it easily understood and well-accepted by the students," she said. "If we simply tell students to love the country, it may be too abstract and abstruse for them to understand."

Some schools, such as Qianmen Primary School in Beijing, brought students to patriotic education centers such as the Red Star Education Center in Daxing district, where children can simulate walking the paths of the Red Army's Long March and gain elementary impressions of what patriotism might be about. However, Lyu and her colleagues finally decided to start with a more practical approach.

They guide students to do things they are capable of: To love their families, teachers and classmates; to love the school by maintaining a clean and tidy campus; to love the city by appreciating its beautiful scenery; and to love traditional culture by - for instance - learning about the origins of each traditional festival.

"We believe that patriotism is not complicated. It can be perceived or interpreted through one minimal thing or another so even primary school students can make some contribution," Lyu said. "In this way, we are transforming patriotism from slogans into action, turning patriotic education from cramming into a kind of experiential learning."

Zhao Zhiwei, an associate professor of Chinese language and culture at East China Normal University, praised Lyu's interpretation of patriotism.

"It's sensible to let students know that patriotism is not far beyond their reach," he said, adding that patriotism is not necessarily about sacrificing one's life to guard the country, a sentiment frequently heard during wartime.

He said that in today's China, doing the right thing and behaving oneself is also a way of showing love for the country, as this contributes to the national harmony and development.

Children visit an exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the Long March at the Military Museum of China in Beijing. [Ying Gang/Xinhua]

New forms urged

In 1994, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued a series of guidelines on how patriotic education should be conducted.

Following the guidelines, the following decade witnessed patriotic education carried out in various ways, such as organizing students to appreciate exhibitions, watch movies, visit historical places and take part in related speeches, knowledge and singing contests.

After being implemented for more than 20 years, the limitations of such forms of patriotic education have become increasingly obvious.

Xiong Bingqi, deputy director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said patriotic education delivered in these ways might help students to grasp some knowledge about the country, but in the meantime leave them bewildered about what patriotism really means and why they should engage.

"I would rather recommend students take part in social activities and get involved in voluntary services, which would cultivate their sense of social responsibility," he said.

The education authorities had also recognized the necessity of updating the form and content of patriotic education to keep pace with the times.

A notice released by the Ministry of Education in February last year encouraged schools at all levels to innovate the ways by which patriotic education is conducted.

"By deploying the internet and new media, such as micro blogs and WeChat, schools should try to make patriotic education more vivid and appealing," the notice said.

"A good atmosphere should be created on campuses to ensure that students will feel the spread of the patriotic spirit all the time, whether they are in or out of class, online or offline."

However, Xiong said "a good atmosphere" should not be interpreted simply as hanging banners carrying patriotic slogans or having rituals such as raising the national flag while playing the national anthem.

"Foremost is creating a social environment that gives all students an equal opportunity to develop themselves, so that they will feel that they are well-treated and respected," he said.

"People growing up in such an atmosphere will be grateful and spontaneously show their love for society and the country. And that's how patriotic education should work."

Decades of development

August 1994: An outline on the implementation of patriotic education was issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, stressing the significance of patriotic education and introducing measures on how it should be provided. The outline said patriotic education should be universal and mainly targeted at teenagers. Displays and exhibitions should include Chinese history, traditional culture, the achievements of the country's socialist modernization, national conditions, socialist democracy and the legal system, among other things.

May 1995: Five ministries and committees, including the education and culture ministries, issued a circular recommending hundreds of books about patriotic education for teenagers to help raise their awareness of patriotism, strengthen their pride in the country and guide them to form a correct sense of value. The books included stories about Mao Zedong, an introduction to the four great inventions of ancient China, and the country's reform and opening-up policy. The circular also encouraged teenagers to watch patriotic movies and sing songs that praise the country.

October 1996: Jiang Zemin, then-general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, told the sixth plenary session of the 14th CPC Central Committee: "Patriotic education must be strengthened among people across the country, especially among the younger generation... we should let our people know that carrying on reform and opening-up, learning from other nations to improve our own abilities and promote the development of our country are important aspects of patriotism."

July 1997: The Central Committee of the CPC released, for the first time, a list of 100 patriotic education centers nationwide. Among them, 19 reflected China's ancient history and culture, nine showed the country's history of resisting foreign invaders, and 75 demonstrated the country's revolutionary struggle and socialist construction.

The list covered a number of famous places, such as Tian'anmen Square and the Palace Museum in Beijing, the September 18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, Liaoning province, and the Sun Yatsen Mausoleum in Nanjing, Jiangsu province.

June 2001: A list of the second batch of national patriotic education centers was released to the public. The sites, including the memorial hall of the Battle of Beiping - Tianjin (July - Aug 1937) and the Li Dazhao Martyrs Cemetery, dedicated to one of the founders of the CPC, mainly focused the Party's history. Another 140 centers were announced by the Central Committee of the CPC during the decade that followed.

March 2017: More than 40 sites were added into the list of national patriotic education centers, and the number of centers nationwide reached 428.

For the past years, China has made major breakthroughs in science and technology that indicate it is on the path to national rejuvenation. Li Yang takes a look at four best of them.

Aerospace

China's Tiangong II space lab blasted off in September last year, marking another milestone in the country's increasingly ambitious space program, which envisions a space station and sending a probe to Mars at the start of the next decade.

One month later, the Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft carried two astronauts into space to dock with the lab. The astronauts worked in the lab for 30 days before returning to Earth.

In April this year, China's first space cargo ship Tianzhou 1, was sent into orbit to dock with the space lab, providing fuel and other supplies.

Its predecessor Tiangong 1, which docked with the unmanned Shenzhou 8, and manned Shenzhou IX and Shenzhou X spaceships, was used to verify the technology involved in space docking and served as a simple platform for a number of scientific experiments.

Tiangong 1 ended its data service earlier this year and will, reportedly, burn up as it falls into Earth's atmosphere in the latter half of 2017.

Tiangong II will drop into the Pacific Ocean at the end of its mission, according to the manned space engineering office.

The successful launch of Tiangong II along with the maiden flight of China's new generation carrier rocket Long March 7 in June last year, bodes well for the final phase of China's three-step manned space program.

The first step, to send an astronaut into space and return safely, was fulfilled by Yang Liwei in Shenzhou V in 2003.

The second step is to develop advanced space flight techniques and technologies including extravehicular activity and orbital docking. This phase also includes the launch of two space laboratories - effectively mini space-stations that can be manned on a temporary basis.

The final step will be to assemble and operate a permanent manned space station.

Construction of the space station is planned for completion by around 2020.

It will enter into service around 2022, with an initial designed life of at least 10 years.

Now China is preparing Tianhe I, a core space station module, which is due to be carried into space by the powerful Chinese rocket Long March 5 in 2018. Additionally, Chinese scientists are making a Hubble-like telescope to orbit near the planned space station. China also aims to land a probe on Mars by 2020.

Aviation

The C919, the first Chinese-built passenger jet, made its maiden flight in May. A total of 23 foreign and domestic customers, including China's national carrier Air China and leasing company GE Capital Aviation Service, have already placed orders for 570 aircraft, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.

With 158 seats and a standard range of 4,075 kilometers, it competes with the updated Airbus 320 and Boeing's new generation 737.

China has invested heavily in commercial passenger jet manufacturing. In 2007, plans to develop a domestic large passenger jet were approved by the State Council. In November 2015, the first C919 jet rolled off the assembly line.

The ARJ21, the country's first regional aircraft also produced by COMAC, began commercial operations in June 2016 following its maiden flight in 2008.

Likewise, it has invested heavily in the development of military aircraft. China's J-20 stealth fighter made its public debut at the China Air Show in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong province, in November last year.

The development of the J-20 is progressing as scheduled, and it is expected to further boost the fighting capacities of the Chinese air force, said Shen Jinke, spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army Air Force, at a news conference at the show.

Shen said that the fighter will help the air force better fulfill the mission of "safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," adding that the J-20 is adaptable for the future.

Before the public unveiling of the J-20, China's first domestically developed heavy air freighter, the Y-20, made its maiden flight in January 2013. The development of the two planes shows the country is well on the way to achieving its goal of becoming a strategic air power, according to analysts.

"A genuine strategic air power must possess a strong power projection capability, which is highly reliant on large aircraft, namely a strategic air freighter and a strategic bomber," Wang Yanan, deputy editor-in-chief at Aerospace Knowledge magazine and a military analyst, said.

"The long-range power projection capability of the Chinese air force still lags behind. But the Y-20 means we have made strides toward building a strategic air power."

The Y-20, with a crew of three, has a maximum payload of 66 metric tons and a maximum takeoff weight of more than 200 tons. The length of the Y-20 is 47 meters and its wingspan is 50 meters.

High-speed railways

Former state leader Deng Xiaoping was impressed by Japan's bullet trains when he visited the country in 1978. At that time, China had less than 9,000 locomotives - of which only 200 were electric - running at an average speed of about 40 kilometers per hour.

Since then, Chinese people have regarded the speed of its trains as an indication of the country's development level.

China named its first high-speed train, which came into use in 2007 with operating speeds of 200 to 300 kilometers per hour, as Hexie, or Harmony, conveying its wish for a harmonious society in the fast-changing country.

The latest Chinese bullet trains, which China developed independently, have an operating speed of 350 km an hour. The new high-speed trains are called Fuxing, or Rejuvenation, demonstrating the country's resolve to achieve national renewal. They went into operation on June 25 between Beijing and Shanghai.

"The launch of the Fuxing bullet trains symbolizes China's high-speed railway construction is among the most advanced in the world, and China has mastered the technology of high-speed train's manufacturing, operation control, traction power supply and communication signal systems, as well as other things," said Liu Hui, vice-president and chief engineer of CRC.

Among the 254 important standards of the Fuxing bullet trains, 84 percent are Chinese, showing China has largely acquired the ability to manufacture high-speed trains independently, according to Cao Gangcai, deputy chief economic manager of the CRRC Group, China's largest locomotive and rolling stock manufacturer.

China is a large country with diverse geological conditions. The high-speed railway network extends 5,200 km from east to west and 5,500 km north to south, covering areas that not only experience extremely low temperatures and strong winds, but also areas where the earth is frozen or which are prone to landslides, among other things.

"To overcome these difficulties, the researchers, engineers and constructors had to make concerted efforts, and optimize many technologies and designs to adapt the high-speed rail lines to different environmental conditions," Cao said.

At the end of last year, China had 66 high-speed railways, whose total length was 220,000 km, the longest in the world. Nearly 1.5 billion passenger trips were made on them last year. By 2025, the total length of the high-speed railways in China is expected to reach 380,000 km.

Quantum communications

The quantum communications network connecting Beijing and Shanghai, about 2,000 kilometers apart, recently passed a technological examination, meaning the world's first quantum communications network is ready to be launched in China.

Quantum communications allow the sharing of a messages that are encrypted by a key made up of quantum particles, which means they are generally regarded as being "unhackable", because if a third party tries to intercept the message it will immediately alter the information being relayed, with the disturbance being instantly known.

Quantum communications technology has developed rapidly in recent years, with the United States, Europe, the Republic of Korea and China all investing heavily in R&D, as quantum technology is regarded as being one of the major technological advances of the 21st century that will support the next generation of telecommunication and the computing technology.

China launched the world's first quantum communications satellite into orbit in August last year. The satellite can be used to transmit encoded data through quantum keys transmitted via light pulse signals. It also announced it had successfully built the world's first optical quantum computer in May.

Pan Jianwei, professor of quantum studies at the University of Science and Technology of China and head of the research team of the quantum communications satellite, said quantum communications technology not only has practical applications but also lays a solid foundation for theoretical breakthroughs in physics and space studies.

The central government regards quantum communications as "disruptive technology that can lead a new industrial revolution" in its State Science and Technology Innovation Plan for the 13th Five-Year Plan Period (2016-20), and so supports the research and development of it accordingly.

Pan appreciates the support of the government and multiple research institutes across the country for the project. "Different parts of the satellite come from the hard work of different institutes. It is basically teamwork," he said.

Experts say the launch of the Beijing-Shanghai quantum communications network marks China's transformation from being a leading researcher in the field to the first user of the advanced technology, which will give China a considerable advantage in the development of related technologies and industries.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

Dream makers

China has made great progress in many of its scientific and technology programs, and it has made significant breakthroughs in recent years in the fields of aerospace, aviation, high-speed railways and communication systems.

Starting from scratch, China's ever-expanding multi-billion-dollar space program has become a source of national pride and a notable marker of the country's growing technological expertise.

And investment in the development of military and commercial airliners has borne fruit with the nations' first stealth fighter and passenger jet. Likewise, it has enabled the development of new high-speed trains featuring independent technology and the first successful quantum communication systems.

Along with these achievements, the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, Jiaolong manned submersible, methane hydrates extraction technology, radio telescopes, wind and solar energy, nuclear power technology and super computers are also pride-worthy achievements that are believed of great value to not only the upgrading of China's industries and the restructuring of its economy, but more importantly making it a leader in the new technology revolution.

The remarkable scientific and technological progress the country has made has largely been the result of China's financial input in research and development, especially in recent years. Over the past 20 years, China's input into scientific R&D has increased at a double-digit rate each year on average. Statistics show China's funding of scientific R&D exceeded that of Europe in 2014, and it is expected to overtake the United States in 2020.

Governments at various levels along with enterprises have attached great importance to attracting top research and engineering talents from overseas to their labs, institutes and industrial parks. Chinese enterprises have also successfully acquired foreign companies with strong R&D capabilities enabling the country to quickly narrow the technology gap that has existed with advanced countries.

Also, since the 1950s, China has built one of the most complete industrial systems in the world and the largest consumer market. The variety of industrial departments provides broad space for the application of new technology, and the industrialization of innovations subsequently boosts new research.

The 19th CPC National Congress will be held in Beijing, starting Oct 18.

Vice Premier Liu Yandong (left center) stands with Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner, the senior White House adviser, at the Chinese embassy in Washington on Wednesday. YIN BOGU / XINHUA

Beijing will work with the United States to ensure US President Donald Trump's first state visit to China is successful, visiting Vice-Premier Liu Yandong said in Washington on Wednesday.

Addressing a reception at the Chinese embassy to celebrate the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Liu also said the two sides should conscientiously implement the consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and Trump, expand mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas, respect each other's core interests and major concerns and manage and control differences so as to ensure the relationship makes steady headway.

The gathering of about 800 US and Chinese representatives on Thursday also marked the first China-US Social and People-to-People Dialogue, co-chaired by Liu and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and her husband Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the president, attended.

At the reception, Liu also met Susan Thornton, the acting US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. "Let's run the social and people-to-people dialogue well," Liu said.

Thornton agreed. "I think the vice-premier is very excited about the dialogue. She was so happy about it," Thornton told China Daily.

Speaking at the China-US Innovation-Driven Development Forum at the Brookings Institution on Wednesday morning in Washington, Liu said ramping up cooperation in science and technological innovation between China and the US is in line with the interests of both countries and beneficial to the rest of the world.

She said China welcomes talent from the United States and other countries to start businesses and engage in innovation in China.

The vice-premier recalled that the first China-US intergovernmental agreement signed in 1979 during China's reform architect Deng Xiao-ping's historic visit to the US was an agreement on cooperation in science and technology.

In the 38 years since China and the US forged formal diplomatic relations, the two sides have been engaged in technological innovation cooperation in various areas and on multiple levels, which has continuously produced landmark outcomes and yielded "fruitful results" in terms of grooming scientists.

"Strengthening cooperation in technological innovation between the world's largest developed and largest developing economies is a strategy and trend that conforms to the fundamental interests of both countries," Liu said at the opening of the Brookings forum.

Such cooperation also will be of tremendous significance in helping pull the global economy out of the recession and guiding the world's innovation and development, she said.

In an address to the Conference on China-US Collaborations on Medical and Health in Washington on Wednesday, Liu said improved healthcare is crucial to achieving "the Chinese Dream".

"The Chinese government has put the people's health in a strategic priority position. Our country is moving at a faster pace to build a healthy China. We spent less than 10 years building the world's largest basic health insurance network, which covers a 1.3 billion population," Liu said.

"In the future, we look forward to working with the international community and to contribute more 'Chinese wisdom' to the human health field," Liu said.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has dismissed claims that China's tough measures to rein in pollution, including environmental inspections and factory closures, have dampened industrial production and pushed up prices of industrial products.

Scheaffler, a German company that makes bearings and precision components for the auto industry, estimated last week that the closure of its Shanghai supplier for pollution violations had cost the industry about 300 billion yuan ($45 billion).

Some have claimed the company's statement shows that the nation's strict pollution controls were harming economic growth.

That allegation was dismissed on Wednesday by Cui Shuhong, director of environmental impact assessments for the ministry, who insisted that supply and demand are still the main factors that dictate market prices.

Any statement that directly blames rising product prices on environmental protection measures "only rattles the market", he said, adding that economic data from several cities prove that claims of a slowdown based on Scheaffler's financial estimates are groundless.

In the first eight months, the added value of companies with annual revenue over 20 million yuan increased 6.7 percent year-on-year, while the national unemployment rate in the second quarter hit its lowest level since 2008. Both figures indicate steady growth, Cui said.

In addition, official data show that the 15 provincial areas visited by high-level environmental inspectors this year saw greater growth among companies with annual revenues over 20 million yuan than for such companies in the 16 regions that were not inspected.

"The output of iron and steel, nonferrous metals, glass and cardboard in the regions visited increased faster than the national average," Cui said, adding that the data show the inspection did not affect industrial production.

"The stricter controls to combat pollution will phase out polluting companies - which disrupt the market order by not having the necessary equipment to reduce pollution - and promote healthy economic growth," he said. "So it protects the environment and public health."

The crackdown on polluters in Xingtai, Hebei province - which has been one of the worst cities for smog since 2013 - has improved the air quality, and the city's economic growth is now ranked No 1 among the 11 big cities in the province.

Meanwhile, Jining, a large coal consumer in Shandong that relies on heavy industry, has shut down many polluting companies, yet the industrial output and revenue increased much faster than the provincial average in the first seven months.

Cui said the two cities demonstrate that healthy and faster economic growth can happen along with an improved environment and other cities should follow their example.

zhengjinran@chinadaily.com.cn

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong shakes hands with former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger before a forum where they both spoke at Columbia University in New York on Tuesday. WANG YING/XINHUA

Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, who has described the US-China relationship as the "defining" relationship of the 21st century, said on Tuesday that both sides need to work together for "peace and human progress".

"It will be imperative that we work together to lift our relationship from the pragmatic and from the day-to-day solving of problems to the conceptual, to the creation of a new encompassing concept of a world order that promotes peace and human progress, as we are now doing on the Korean issue," Kissinger said. He spoke at the opening ceremony of the US-China University Presidents and Think Tank Forum at Columbia University.

Kissinger said conflict between China and the US would be a disaster for each society and for the world at large. "As I said before, we do not have this choice," Kissinger emphasized. He said he has visited China more than 100 times since his first visit 46 years ago.

Kissinger said the two nations' people-to-people exchanges have evolved into an absolute prerequisite for world order.

"When China and the United States first established its present relationship, the motivation was largely strategic, to conserve securities," he said.

"Today, they might seek a concept not of security but of coevolution, in which two great societies can exist side by side, occasionally pursuing different objectives, but merging them in a common protection of the necessities and the opportunities that are the imperative of our age.

"Our challenge is to find a way for American exceptionalism and China's dreams to produce a new world order for the benefit of all," he said.

Kissinger said China is pursuing two centenary goals and all people who have witnessed China's development in one generation will have no doubt that the country will fulfill its dream.

He said China's Belt and Road Initiative will have the significance of "shifting the world center of gravity from the Atlantic to the Pacific. ... That's why many of us urged the US to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank when it was proposed by China."

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong, speaking at the same forum, expressed appreciation to Kissinger for his contribution to China-US relations.

The key to the relationship is how the two countries' peoples relate to each other, Liu said.

"Only by constantly releasing the positive energy of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the US, enhancing the understanding and friendship between the two peoples and consolidating the friendly public opinion foundation of the two countries, can Sino-US relations maintain a long-term, healthy and stable development," Liu said.

The daylong forum attracted 200 attendees, including presidents and representatives of universities from the two countries and senior US politicians.

Also Tuesday, Liu addressed a China-US cultural forum at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, calling for more cooperation between Chinese and US cultural institutions and artists to promote the development of the ties between the two countries.

"The forum invited more than 40 representatives from distinguished cultural institutions in both China and the US," said Luo Shugang, China's minister of culture, who hosted the event. "It's the largest cultural dialogue between the two nations."

Liu said cultural exchanges are the highlight of the nations' people-to-people exchanges.

Zhang Ruinan and Xinhua contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at wanglinyan@chinadaily.com.cn

"Public spaces were privately occupied and garbage was everywhere," he said. "Even the green belts had vegetables growing in them."

Wang, 50, is Communist Party of China (CPC) secretary of Maoyang Village in Wenqiao Township of Wenling City in east China's Zhejiang Province. He speaks proudly in a thick accent about his village's renovation program.

To improve the living environment, the village intended to launch renovation work in 2016, including cleaning up polluted rivers and waste.

However, a majority of residents did not support the proposal at first.

"Why do we have to bother to renovate? A village should be a village," they said, according to Wang.

As with other important topics, Maoyang is obliged to hold democratic consultations to gauge public opinion, and residents should have the final say.

"We could not carry out any program without the approval of most villagers," the secretary said.

Wenling is a city of factories, and wool clothing and car decorations are a specialty. Residents, many of whom own small businesses, are getting richer.

"Several households own assets of more than 100 million yuan (15 million U.S. dollars) each and dozens more have 10 million yuan each," said Chen Miaoqiu, CPC secretary of Wenling's Emeishan Village.

Higher incomes have led to demand for participation in public affairs.

In 1999, the costal city adopted a democratic consultation method, a new form of democracy featuring civic participation and open policies.

Wenqiao Township started promoting this mechanism in 2003 and introduced it to the intra-Party level in 2004.

"Before grassroots consultation, we held a meeting among 63 Party members to listen to their suggestions," Wang Wenming said.

Intra-Party democracy was stressed as the "lifeblood" of the Party at the 16th National Congress of the CPC in 2002.

During the 18th CPC national congress, it was reiterated that the Party must fully expand intra-Party democracy and safeguard the democratic rights of its members.

"Intra-Party democracy could drive people's democracy," said Chen Yimin, deputy chief of Wenling's social sciences association dedicated to the city's democratic consultation mechanism.

Maoyang began its first consultation with villagers after reaching consensus among Party members last September, with much controversy.

"No remarkable progress was made after the first consultation, and we could not carry out the renovation proposal," Wang said.

More than 90 party members and villager deputies, as well as representatives from other sectors, argued fiercely for more than half a day.

After the first meeting, Party members talked frequently with villagers, explaining the need to create a healthy living environment.

"Besides persuasion, Party members also took the lead in neighborhood renovation, cleaning roads and sorting garbage," the secretary said.

Gradually, most villagers realized the importance and urgency of the program, making the second democratic meeting a success with most participants giving their approval.

Two more consultations were held on the renovation program, which was completed in June and won huge praise.

"Clean and tidy, our neighborhood has taken on an entirely new look, and everyone is glad about the decision they made," Wang said.

China stresses that the people's democracy is the lifeblood of socialism, and the principle of the people as masters of the country is the essence and core of socialist democracy.

This idea rules China's political and social life. Socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics has a solid foundation of public opinion, which highlights the people's interests and aspirations.

Democratic consultation proves effective in achieving public democracy at China's grassroots level, according to Chen Yimin.

"Most consultations can yield agreements," said Yang Xinbing, a retired township CPC committee member in charge of organizational work. "It signifies respect for every citizen."

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a press conference that the 30 years of exchange between the two sides show that exchange and cooperation are the common aspiration for the majority of people across the Straits.

Ma made the remarks while answering questions about the mainland music show Sing! China, whose performance in Taipei on Sunday was disrupted by pro-independence activists.

It was the third time the show had been staged in Taiwan this year and it has been welcomed by students and young people there, said Ma.

"We are happy to see young people from Taiwan and the mainland meet in the name of music and enjoy the happiness brought by musical aspirations," Ma said.

As to opinions on the island that the show is an attempt by the mainland to unite Taiwan on the cultural front, Ma said this is groundless and ignorant of the facts.

"To politicize this event is probably out of lack of confidence or due to particular ideological prejudices," he said.

In the past two years, Sing! China has visited more than 20 universities, middle schools and communities in Taiwan, attracting an overall audience of more than 20,000 from both the island and the mainland. Sunday's event was staged at the National Taiwan University.

China remains committed to the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, firmly maintains the international nuclear nonproliferation mechanism and resolutely champions peace and stability in Northeast Asia, President Xi Jinping has said.

Xi made the remarks in a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday when they exchanged views on the situation on the peninsula.

The peninsula issue should be resolved through peaceful means, including dialogue and consultation, and this requires the joint efforts of the international community, Xi said.

Xi noted that both China and Britain are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and they have duties and obligations to deal with relevant issues with the perspective of maintaining regional and world peace.

Xi said it is hoped Britain stays committed to promoting peace and talks and playing a constructive role in easing the tension and resuming dialogues.

May said Britain is committed to maintaining international and regional peace and stability and is committed to the peaceful settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

The United Kingdom attaches importance to China's great influence in resolving the peninsula issue, it appreciates the efforts made by China and it is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with China, she added.

Kerry Brown, a professor of Chinese studies at King's College London and director of its Lau China Institute, said it's in the UK's interest to calm the situation, and China showing leadership in achieving this is important.

Speaking on China-UK ties, Xi noted that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral ambassador-level diplomatic relations.

The two sides should maintain high-level exchanges, promote dialogue mechanisms in various fields, and maintain the strong momentum of bilateral trade as well as cultural exchanges and cooperation, Xi noted.

Both countries should deepen the synergy of their development strategies in the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and strengthen coordination in championing world peace and development, Xi said.

The prosperity, stability and openness of both Britain and the European Union serve the interests of all parties, and China is ready to promote the development of both China-UK and China-EU ties, Xi said.

May said Britain is ready to work with China to have closer high-level exchanges, make good use of their strategic dialogue, deepen cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, security and culture, and promote the development of EU-China relations.

The Zhengzhou-Europe Block Train, which has had service to Hamburg, Germany, since 2013, now can transport goods to and from Munich, Germany. The Hamburg line generally serves Eastern Europe and Russia while the new line to Munich which launched service last month, serves Western Europe, officials said.

On May 10, 2014, Xi traveled to Zhengzhou's rail hub and spoke during his inspection tour of Henan province.

Xi called for the transformation of Henan, located ideally in Central China, into a national transport and logistics hub linking the north and south while connecting the east and west to take advantage of the Belt and Road Initiative.

An Chunlei, 35, a train driver who drove the first Zhengzhou-Europe Block Train, said he still felt excited to recall the moment he shook hands with Xi. "His hand was warm and powerful," he said.

"Xi's inspection encouraged many people, including me," said Yang Wenjun, vice-president of Zhengzhou International Hub Development and Construction Co Ltd. "My colleagues were proud of working for the Zhengzhou-Europe International Block Train. It serves both Zhengzhou as a modern comprehensive transportation hub and the Belt and Road Initiative."

Since its launch in 2013, the Zhengzhou-Europe Block Train had completed 784 one-way trips through July and delivered cargo with total value of $4.08 billion, according to Zhengzhou's bureau of commerce.

The service began with one trip per month to Hamburg and gradually built up to daily trips in August. Its shipments come from a radius of 1,500 kilometers.

The 10,214-km Zhengzhou-Hamburg line services companies in Europe and Russia. The new Munich line service businesses in France, Italy, Spain and Austria, Yang said.

"Munich in the south of Germany also has an industrial area, home to well-known enterprises such as BMW, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, which benefits the imports of those brand automobiles into the Chinese market aboard the train," Yang said.

Helmut Vollmers, managing director of EMONS Multi-transport Gmbh, explained, "The transit time is cut to nearly 12 days, compared with 35 days in the past by ship."

EMONS is a German company that has been working with Zhengzhou International since 2016.

He said goods such as auto parts and clothes coming to Henan province from other cities across China were sent to Hamburg, where his company dispatched them across Europe.

Besides nearly 1,300 types of goods being shipped to Europe from China, more and more global suppliers are providing shipments for the return trip.

"There are more than 50 foreign companies joined in, providing more cargo for the online and offline stores in China, and the new line's launching also formed an important supplement for the freight, " Yang said.

The Zhengzhou-Europe Block Train so far has made eight one-way trips to Europe and six return trips to Zhengzhou, packed full with merchandise.

Li Yuan, 34, a Shenzhen resident who lived in Germany for six years, said he preferred the imported cars along with more and more imported goods flooding into Henan.

Armed police officers participate in a funeral ceremony to bury the bones of Red Army martyrs found in Guanyang, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on Sunday. Zhou Linlu/China News Service

Wounded men thrown into a well by Kuomintang troops in 1934

The skeletal remains of 20 males recently found in a well in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, were identified as Red Army soldiers who were killed by Kuomintang troops during the Long March period (1934-36).

The Guanyang county government, in Guilin city, held a grand funeral ceremony on Sunday as the bones were buried in a local memorial park dedicated to Red Army martyrs.

The well, known as "the jiuhai well" by residents in the county's Xinxu township, marks the area where the Red Army launched a blocking action in 1934 to safeguard the crossing of its main force over the Xiangjiang River, thus evading encirclement by Kuomintang troops.

Historical evidence shows that the Red Army managed to fulfill its mission in the Xinxu battle, but it paid a heavy price: 2,000 lives. When the battle ended, the army evacuated in a hurry, leaving more than 100 wounded soldiers at a medical station for treatment. The living men, some of them weighted with stones, were later cast into the well by the enemy.

Liu Laibao, a Red Army veteran who witnessed the incident at Xinxu, said it remains the most painful memory of his life.

A few bones were found in the 1970s by residents who were extracting water from the well, but the local government didn't attempt to excavate it until August this year because it lacked the necessary equipment and skills.

A dig was finally undertaken on Aug 13 by experts specializing in relics preservation and archaeology.

Twenty individual skeletons have been found so far. A report on Sept 22 confirmed that the bones belonged to the soldiers the Red Army left behind in 1934.

"Now we can say that all the individuals are males ranging in age from 15 to 25," said Li Fangjun, a professor at Guangzhou-based Sun Yatsen University, who was engaged in the identification work.

In 2003, a memorial park was established to remember the history and honor the soldiers. It includes a monument to the Red Army martyrs.

Speaking of the recently recovered remains, Lu Song, head of Guanyang county, said: "Given the many bones of martyrs that are scattered over the county, what we have done this time is just the beginning.

"In the next two years we will carry on with the task and try our best to have all the remains buried in the memorial park, because the heroes should rest in peace and the spirit of the Long March should always be kept alive in our minds."

US Ambassador Terry Branstad, Hebei Party chief Zhao Kezhi, second from left, and Qu Dongyu, third from left, vice-minister of agriculture, are among officials at the launch ceremony of a demonstration farm in Luanping county, North China's Hebei province on Saturday. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY

Expertise from Iowa will be put to use in Hebei, officials explain

Agriculture is especially important to the people of China and the United States, and agricultural cooperation contributes to stronger ties between the two countries, the US ambassador to China said at a launch ceremony of a demonstration farm on Saturday.

The China-US Friendship Demonstration Farm, in Luanping county, Hebei province, covers an area of about 1,330 hectares. It's modeled after a farm near Maxwell, Iowa, owned by Rick and Martha Kimberley and their son Grant.

"The farm … stands as an example of how we can exchange information and ideas, and maintain a growing and improving trade relationship," said Ambassador Terry Branstad, a former governor of the US state of Iowa.

In his speech, Branstad recalled his interactions with President Xi Jinping dating to 1985, when Xi led an agricultural delegation from Hebei province to Iowa when Branstad was governor.

In 2012, invited by Branstad, Xi visited Iowa a second time. He visited the Kimberleys' farm, which he said Chinese farms should be modeled after, according to documents provided by the Luanping government.

The Kimberley farm has an area of about 1,600 hectares, similar to the demonstration farm being built in Hebei. Yet the farm only employs three people due to its use of technology and management, Rick Kimberley said.

"We have monitors that can make records of what we are planning. … The records decide the planting rates and when we harvest we know the yields all through the field. … We use GPS to make sure that we don't over plant, overuse chemicals or over-fertilize," Kimberley said, adding that every step is monitored and standardized in the farm operation.

US Ambassador Terry Branstad, center, Hebei Party chief Zhao Kezhi, second from right, and Qu Dongyu, third from left, vice-minister of agriculture, are among officials launch the China-US Friendship Demonstration Farm in Luanping county, North China's Hebei province on Sept 23, 2017. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY

In Luanping, farms are operated on smaller scales by each household, usually 0.09 hectare per person.

Chen Shuping, a local farmer in her 50s, works on 0.35 hectare of corn farms with her husband, like many local couples do. From planting to harvest, they use their hands and sometimes machines, such as sprayers and cultivators.

Her daughter and son, who are going to school and working in the city nearby, decided not to come home to help take care of the farmland, Chen said.

"If we manage the farmlands together and apply machinery and technology, and more importantly develop the production mode and additional industries, we can improve the efficiency in many aspects," said Zhang Yueyong, president of the agricultural industry of Rise¬Sun, the demonstration farm project's main investor in Hebei.

Zhang said they will explore more possibilities in cooperation with the Kimberley farm and based on the local situation.

"We'll train the farmers to use machines, learn technologies, so they can work and even manage the farm and factories," Zhang said.

Kimberley said he'd love to bring the technology and equipment from his farm to Hebei, help train people and show how to adapt to the changes as farmers, including how to manage the farm, dry and store the grains, and use machinery.

"I am a farmer, and I have great passion for Chinese farmers. I know how hard it is to be a farmer. I want to help the farmers and make a better life for them and make more profits," he said.

The agricultural cooperation between China and the US has made positive progress in recent years, cooperative mechanisms have been improved, agricultural technology exchanges have been strengthened and agricultural trade has been developed rapidly, according to Qu Dongyu, China's vice-minister of agriculture.

A John Deere 8400 self-propelled forage harvester on display at China-US Friendship Demonstration Farm, in Luanping county, Hebei province, on Saturday. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY

US Ambassador Terry Branstad, front left, and Qu Dongyu, front right, vice-minister of agriculture, react as US farmer Rick Kimberley witnesses, back center, during the launch ceremony of China-US Friendship Demonstration Farm in Luanping county, North China's Hebei province, on Sept 23, 2017. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY

US Ambassador Terry Branstad with his family member during the launch ceremony of China-US Friendship Demonstration Farm in Luanping county, North China's Hebei province, on Sept 23, 2017. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY

Wang was found to have responded passively and perfunctorily to major decisions by the CPC Central Committee, committed dereliction of duty, lost his political stance, made groundless criticisms of the Party's key policies and to have long engaged in "superstitious activities," said a statement from the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

Wang was accused of allowing certain officials to pick official posts, regardless of their problems such as disciplinary violations.

He used his position and power to seek profits for others and accepted "a huge amount of money and property," which constitutes the crime of bribe taking, according to the statement.

Wang also frequented private clubs, it added.

Wang was vice chairman of the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the 12th National People's Congress after leaving the post of Gansu Party chief.

Since he is a member of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the decision to expel him will be officially approved at the next plenary meeting of the CPC Central Committee, the statement said.

The CCDI announced its investigation of Wang in July.

Sanctions against Wang have been approved by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, according to the CCDI.

It was also decided that his illegal gains will be confiscated and his case transferred to judicial departments, the statement said.

"The homicide rate in China in 2016 was 0.62 per 100,000 residents, better than most countries in the world," said Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, during a national conference in Beijing.

There were a 43 percent decline in severe violent crimes and a 56 percent slip in major and fatal road traffic accidents last year, compared with 2012, Meng said.

People's satisfaction in public security rose from 87.55 percent in 2012 to 91.99 percent in 2016, Meng said, pointing out that it takes a lot of effort to keep the crime rate down in such a huge country with such a big population.

Meng noted that economic crimes are becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect. Many of the crimes, such as commercial fraud, pyramid schemes, and invasion of privacy, are committed over the Internet, posing new challenges to social governance.

He urged the country's public security departments to innovate and upgrade their ways of working, so as to guarantee public security in a more comprehensive and coordinated manner.

The scheme aims to provide affordable housing to households that have difficulties in purchasing a home and push supply-side reform in the housing sector, said a notice issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

The notice said that the scheme should be in line with the view of central authorities that "houses are built to be lived in, not for speculation."

According to a document published by Beijing local authorities, individual buyers will be able to buy homes with property rights to be shared by the government and buyers.

The government offers support in areas such as land prices and policy while holding a share of the property rights, and buyers must pay a share of the price according to their share of the property rights. The buyers will enjoy the same rights in household registration and children's schooling as other home owners.

The policy has several restrictions, including that buyers and their families cannot already own homes, single people making purchases must be at least 30 years old, and a family can only apply for one home.

A total of 250,000 such homes will be provided in Beijing over the next five years. In Shanghai, 89,000 such homes had been provided by the end of last year.

The experiences of the two cities will be copied and expanded to other major cities, the notice said.

For a long time, soaring property prices have put city dwellers under pressure, making housing affordability a growing problem for policy makers, prompting measures to stabilize prices and curb speculation.

Li is paying an official visit to China from Tuesday to Thursday.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held talks with Lee on Tuesday.

Editor's note: In the lead up to the 19th Communist Party of China National Congress, which begins Oct 18, chinadaily.com.cn is focusing on delegates to the congress.

A keepsake photo, taken in 1964, shows Lyv Qixi, third from right, Lyv Zhiyu, second from left, and Lyv Yongshun, third from left, when they took part in a militia convention in Shandong province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Lyv Shouqing is a ship commander. Overhauling and maintaining engines in a small engine room is one of his daily works.

He graduated from college in 1998. Back then, he could have taken a job at a foreign company with a huge salary. But he chose to join the army and serve as a border policeman in his hometown, Kongtong Island, located in the northeast sea of Yantai, Shandong province.

Since he enrolled in the army, he has been honored five times and made important contributions twice. In 2003, he joined the Communist Party of China.

"Both my great-grandfather and my father are members of the Communist Party. My grandfather has defended the island as a militiaman his whole life," Lyv Shouqing said. "Because of them, I consider enrolling in the army and joining the Communist Party as the most glorious thing to do at an early age."

Four generations of Lyv's family have been stationed at Kongtong Island for more than 60 years, defending the island with assiduity.

Lyv Yongshun, Lyv Shouqing's father, was a militiaman, what police were called in the early days. He joined in his teens. At 18, he enrolled in the army and joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1975. He served as a border policeman all his life, patrolling and guarding the island.

Lyv Zhiyu, Lyv Shouqing's grandfather, was also a militiaman. The island traffic was inconvenient in the 1970s, so he offered to undertake the duty of rowing a boat to transport people and goods every day.

He did this work for over 20 years, rain or shine.

Most of the island's inhabitants had been transported by his boat and received letters from him.

The family's militia career is traced from the 1950s, when the militia of Kongtong Island was set up. Lyv Qixi, Lyv Shouqing's great-grandfather, was one of them.

"Now I have been a border policeman, guarding this sea and this island as my great-grandfather, my grandfather and my father do," he said. "It might be a family mission."

Lyv Shouqing's son is seven years old now and named Wanjun, which means "many troops". His great-grandfather hopes he will join the army when he grows up, to continue the family career of safeguarding the sea and the island.

A photo taken on June 23, shows Lyv Shouqing teaching his son Lyv Wanjun to shoot. [Photo/Xinhua] Lyv Shouqing, center, and his father Lyv Yongshun, left, dress Lyv Shouqing's son Lyv Wanjun in uniform at home. [Photo/Xinhua] A photo, taken on June 22, shows Lyv Shouqing overhauling engines in a small room. [Photo/Xinhua] Lyv Yongshun and Lyv Shouqing, along with soldiers at Kongtong Island, repeat their oath at the CPC joining ceremony June 22. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's civil aviation authority said on Monday that it will lift its ban on the use of portable electronic devices on aircraft, and airlines will make the decision themselves.

A newly revised administrative rule that will take effect in October said airline companies will be allowed to make their own assessments of the influence of portable electronic devices.

Airline companies will decide what electronic devices can be used on their planes, and make their own rules.

Since 1999, China's aviation authority has banned the use of any portable electronic devices on the plane. It was thought the wireless signals from those could affect flight safety.

"But now, the government will give airlines the right to decide on their own," said Zhu Tao, deputy director of the Department of Flight Standard of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

"I believe we will see various Chinese airline companies allowing passengers to use portable electronic devices on planes in the near future."

The reason for the change is that the anti-interference characteristics of aircraft have been enhanced, Li Yuan, an expert in civil aviation, was quoted as saying by the Beijing News.

Many foreign airlines have long allowed passengers to use certain electronic devices during a flight's cruise phase, including phones and laptops.

Some Chinese airlines also allow laptops during the cruise phase, though they prohibit cellphones.

The CAAC also updated its physical requirements for selecting student pilots for civil aviation. The new rules took effect on Sept 10. Now, a student can qualify with a visual acuity higher than 4.0 on an E Snellen chart, compared with 4.5 in the past.

"This change was designed to recruit more talent that meets both the physical and knowledge demands pilots. It will have a positive and far-reaching effect on the development of the civil aviation industry," Zhu said.

Jiang Chenglong contributed to this story.

Cui: United Nations resolution also calls for dialogue

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai. China's envoy to Washington has urged the US to do more to resolve the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, while stressing that the UN resolution on Pyongyang also calls for dialogue and peace talks.

Hours after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea launched another missile over Japan into the Pacific Ocean on Friday, Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai said Washington "should be doing much more than now", so that there's real, effective international cooperation on the Korean Peninsula issue.

"Everybody else will have to do their share; they cannot leave this issue to China alone," Cui said at a reception on Friday night in Washington.

The US should refrain from issuing more threats. Instead, it should do more to find effective ways to resume dialogue and negotiations, Cui said.

The ambassador's remarks followed shortly after the DPRK's latest missile launch drew condemnation from the United Nations and refueled fiery rhetoric about a military option from the Trump administration, which also asked China to mount pressure on the DPRK, partly by cutting oil shipments to Pyongyang.

China responded by saying that it has done its best, and the initiators of a problem should resolve it, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

When asked about the oil cuts, Ambassador Cui told reporters, "We are fully prepared to implement all the Security Council resolutions－no more, no less."

Cui, however, bluntly said that China will never recognize the DPRK as a nuclear state and opposes nuclear weapons anywhere on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, including Japan and Taiwan.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2375 on Sept 11 in response to the DPRK's sixth nuclear test, conducted on Sept 3.

Cui said the resolution is a shared responsibility for all parties.

"We need to be clear that the latest UN resolution not only sanctions the DPRK's nuclear activities but also calls for the reopening of dialogue and resolving the issue through consultations," Cui said. "The resolution should be implemented comprehensively."

At the UN's headquarters in New York on Friday, Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia also called on the US and others to implement the "political and diplomatic solutions" that are called for in the latest sanctions resolution.

"Without implementing these, we also will consider it as noncompliance with the resolution," Nebenzia said, Reuters reported.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee deliberated a draft amendment to the constitution at a meeting which was presided over by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, on Monday.

Amending the constitution at the 19th CPC National Congress on the basis of the new situation and tasks would promote the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics and Party building, said a statement issued after the meeting.

It said the amendments should include the key theories and strategic thoughts presented by a work report to be delivered at the 19th CPC National Congress.

The amended constitution should fully represent the latest sinicization of Marxism, the new governance concepts, thoughts and strategies of the CPC Central Committee since the 18th CPC National Congress, as well as the fresh experiences in adhering to and strengthening Party leadership, and in strict Party governance, according to the statement.

It also noted that the amendment should make the CPC more vigorous, stronger and enable it to keep a close connection with the people.

The draft amendment will be submitted to the seventh plenary meeting of the 18th CPC Central Committee, which will be held on Oct 11.

The CPC constitution was last amended in 2012.

China will roll out a series of measures to boost innovation, according to a circular from the General Office of the State Council.

Thirteen reform measures will be carried out in eight comprehensive innovation pilot areas, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Shanghai and the Pearl River Delta, and then further promoted nationwide, it said.

According to the circular, the government will enhance the support for innovation by small and medium-sized enterprises by offering one-stop investment and financing information.

One-stop service for patent examination, rights protection and verification also will be offered to enterprises, the circular said.

In the meantime, the government will streamline the procedures for foreigners to apply for work permits in China and encourage foreign students to find career opportunities, start their own businesses and apply for work and residence permits.

The circular also stressed the need to accelerate the transformation of military production into civilian use.

Xinhua

The Fenglei aerobatics team of the PLA Ground Force performs at the fourth China Helicopter Expo opening ceremony on Thursday in Tianjin. More than 400 helicopters from 22 countries and regions are on display at the expo. JIA LEI / FOR CHINA DAILY The AV500W unmanned autonomous helicopter is on display at the fourth China Helicopter Expo in Tianjin. ZHAO LEI / CHINA DAILY

China is promoting an unmanned reconnaissance/combat helicopter in the international market, further expanding the scope of its military drones offered to foreign buyers.

Aviation Industry Corp of China, the State-owned aircraft giant, has put its AV500W unmanned autonomous helicopter on display at the fourth China Helicopter Expo that opened on Thursday in Tianjin.

The 7.2-meter-long aircraft, developed and produced at the AVIC Helicopter Research and Development Institute in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, has a maximum takeoff weight of 450 kilograms, a maximum speed of 170 kilometers per hour and a flight ceiling of 4,000 meters, according to the institute.

The helicopter is capable of carrying 120 kg of weapons and equipment. Its reconnaissance version can remain aloft for eight hours while the reconnaissance/combat model is able to fly four hours.

All of the military drones China has offered to the international market have been fixed-wing models, making the AV500W the first Chinese unmanned military helicopter available in that market, observers said.

An armed AV500W typically carries four air-to-ground missiles, which use radar homing technology for guidance. Each missile weighs 8 kg and can hit a target 5 km away, the institute said. It also can carry bombs or a machine-gun pod.

The helicopter features good mobility, penetration capability and a high level of automation and has a stealth design. A typical mission would be a precision attack on light-duty armored vehicles and personnel, the institute said.

Jiang Taiyu, one of the chief designers of AV500W, said the aircraft fired weapons during its maiden flight test in August.

"The helicopter is able to take off and land on almost any landform including plateaus and canyons. It can operate in cold and tropical environments. It will be useful in border patrols, counterterrorism operations and low-intensity conflicts because it can carry out very-low-altitude penetration and keep hovering for a while," he said.

The designer added that all of the helicopter's tests will be finished before the end of this year and it will be ready for mass-production in 2018.

"Several nations have told us that they are interested in this aircraft. This is because there are a very small number of unmanned helicopters in the world that can perform strikes, while demand for such types is not small," Jiang said. He said only the United States and Israel have developed unmanned armed helicopters, such as the Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout in the US.

The AV500W's target market will be countries dealing with terrorism such as in the Middle East, he said.

Fang Yonghong, director of unmanned aircraft technology at AVIC Helicopter Research and Development Institute, said many nations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East face huge pressure to ramp up their counterterrorism efforts, so they need good, affordable equipment such as the AV500W.

More than 400 helicopter producers and parts suppliers from 22 nations and regions — such as the US, Russia and France — are taking part in the helicopter expo, the largest of its kind in China. They brought 98 aircraft to the event. Helicopters from the People's Liberation Army Ground Force and AVIC conducted flight demonstrations at the opening ceremony on Thursday morning.

Li noted the idea when meeting with Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in Beijing on Wednesday.

Li said that China appreciates Brunei's efforts in strengthening China-ASEAN relations, and will firmly support the construction of the ASEAN community, as 2018 will mark the 15th anniversary since China and ASEAN established their strategic partnership. China is also ready to work jointly to achieving even more and to bring peace and prosperity for regional countries as the leaders meet, this year, to enhance East Asia cooperation. He said China is willing to enhance political mutual trust with Brunei, and further cooperation in trade, infrastructure, energy, finance, technology, and other areas, while enhancing people-to-people exchanges.

Hassanal said that Brunei appreciates China's priority for China-ASEAN relations, and is willing to further cooperate with China in a number of sectors, adding that China and Brunei are friends with mutual trust and respect.

The premier said further cooperation and joint efforts were needed for more balanced and inclusive development in the tourist areas, demanding active participation from governments, private associations and businesses.

"I believe the World Tourism Alliance would help create a new platform and new opportunities for the sector's sustainable development," Li said in the letter.

The World Tourism Alliance, a global network linking non-governmental players in the industry, was set up in China on Tuesday. It was formed by 89 founding members, mainly national tourism associations, tourist enterprises and think tanks from around the world.

China proposed the alliance, in which it is represented by 21 businesses, six associations, one research institute and one media organization.

An Fengshan, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a press conference that a move proposed by Taiwan's education authority to reduce classical Chinese content in Chinese language textbooks for senior high schools was aimed at removing the imprint of Chinese culture from the island.

"Such attempts have always met with strong opposition from all walks of life in Taiwan," An said. "They will only do harm to the young generation in Taiwan and its society."

An said "Taiwan independence" forces were the single biggest obstacle to achieving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and that Taiwan should abandon splittist thinking and return to the 1992 Consensus, which embodied the one-China principle.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the beginning of exchange between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. Trade between the two sides for the first half of 2017 continued to rise, reaching 87.49 billion US dollars, according to An.

"We have been actively promoting equal treatment between Taiwanese companies operating in the mainland and their mainland counterparts to help Taiwan compatriots share the development opportunities and fruits of the mainland," he said.

The economic and social development of the mainland provides broad space and prospects for exchange and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait, An said.

He said that politically motivated actions that went against economic rules would only damage the interests of Taiwan and its businesses.

"The mainland will continue to put forward policies and measures to facilitate the studying, internships, employment, enterpreneurship and life of Taiwan compatriots on the mainland," he said.

Referring to recent help offered by a mainland medical team to a Taiwanese woman who fell severely ill in Chad, An said the mainland was willing to assist Taiwan compatriots wherever they met difficulties.

Delegates from around the world attending a meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, in Ordos, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, get a taste of local food, drink and culture on Sept 11, 2017. [Photo by ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY] China will stick to its commitment to fight against desertification and further strengthen the cooperation with all parties and international communities to make joint efforts for a better world, President Xi Jinping said in a congratulatory letter to a UN environment meeting on Monday.

The high-level segment of the 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention to Combat Desertification is being held in Ordos, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, from Monday to Wednesday.

"Desertification is a challenge that is faced by all people, which also has a major influence on world development. We need to promote the principle of respecting and protecting nature. The environment should always be our priority," Xi wrote in the letter.

Xi said it has been 21 years since the UN desertification convention took effect. Major efforts from the parties have produced significant changes since then, but many people still suffer from desertification.

"The theme of this year's conference is Combating Desertification for Human Well-being. Under new frameworks, some major positive influence will be seen to build a better ecosystem for the whole world," he said.

Vice-Premier Wang Yang, who attended the conference, said China will fulfill its commitment and achieve its sustainable development goals by 2030, with green building a crucial part of the country's effort to combat desertification.

The 13th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP13) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) opens in Ordos city in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Sept 11, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] About 400 million people in 18 Chinese provinces were affected by desertification in the 1950s, according to the State Forestry Administration. A mass campaign against desertification started in 1956.

In 1978, the Chinese government decided to launch several mass campaigns to combat desertification, such as the Three-North Shelter Forest Program placing forest windbreaks in 13 provinces in northern China and known as the "Great Green Wall".

"China is very experienced in land renewal. We've seen a successful case in the Kubuqi Desert, where 6,000 square kilometers of land once covered by sand is now green and more than 100,000 of its people are now out of poverty," said Monique Barbut, the UN desertification convention executive secretary.

China joined the UN convention in 1994 and promulgated the world's first law dedicated to sand prevention and control in 2001. Most nations use regulations for this purpose

In the past five years, the area of desert decreased in China by 242,400 hectares. In 12 northern provinces and regions including Inner Mongolia, the number of people living under the poverty line fell from 47.11 million to 13.42 million.

Liu Dongsheng, deputy director of the State Forestry Administration, said China has set a goal to turn half of the country's desert into green areas by 2020. And by 2050, he said all the country's desert that can be changed will be made green.

Pasang Drolma, 46, works on a farm near Duishigagyi, a newly built village in Chushul county. The farm is part of the government-backed Pure Land project. [Photo by HOU LIQIANG/CHINA DAILY] Residents in remote villages relocate to new settlements with modern housing and jobs. Hou Liqiang and Daqiong report from Chushul.

Shopping for daily necessities used to be a luxury for Pasang Drolma. The nearest store was in a town 30 kilometers away, and she only had the time to make the journey twice a year.

As no public buses ran though her isolated village in the Tibet autonomous region, to get there she would have to wait beside a dirt road for up to an hour to flag down a private minibus or taxi service.

That was until the end of last year, however, before the 46-year-old mother moved to Duishigagyi, a new village in Chushul county built specially to give impoverished families a fresh start.

So far, 365 households－roughly 1,700 people－have been resettled in the area as part of an ongoing poverty alleviation program. Residents enjoy convenient public transportation links, and "now we live in a spacious and much more comfortable new house", Pasang Drolma said.

Pure Land, a regional government-sponsored agricultural project nearby, has also provided a range of employment opportunities.

Due to unfavorable weather and soil conditions in their old village, Pasang Drolma and her husband had barely been able to grow enough grain to feed themselves. The family's only income was the 7,000 yuan ($1,070) a year their eldest son made working as a restaurant waiter in Lhasa, the regional capital.

Pasang Drolma and her youngest son now earn 100 yuan a day doing farmwork at Pure Land. "We don't have to work every day, we just work when we want," she said. "We made more than 10,000 yuan in the first half of this year."

Drolma, 53, spends time with her daughter and grandchildren at home. [Photo by HOU LIQIANG/CHINA DAILY] The regional government started the Pure Land project in 2013. The area produces maca, a root vegetable native to the South American Andes; snow chrysanthemum, which is used mainly for tea; organic grapes, peaches and roses; ingredients for traditional Tibetan medicine; organic meat, and dairy products. "The industry was brought in before people were relocated to the area," said Sonam Yangkyi, a village cadre in Duishigagyi. "All the resettled families have at least one person who can work, so they benefit from the industry." China's growing demand for organic products and traditional Tibetan medicine has proved good news for the agricultural project, which is in a clean, high-altitude environment. "One kilogram of ordinary peaches only sells for about 30 yuan, but a single peach from the Pure Land zone can sell for 100 yuan," Sonam Yangkyi said. Last year, the project created 127,500 jobs and increased the per capita income in Duishigagyi by about 6,000 yuan, according to the village committee, which did not provide the actual income figure. It added that the 89 enterprises with operations in the zone had a combined output of 3.7 billion yuan. Duishigagyi was one of 353 new settlements built in Tibet last year to relocate 77,000 people from isolated areas, with most next to industrial developments to ensure abundant job opportunities, according to Lu Huadong, deputy director of the Tibet Poverty Alleviation Office. A further 450 new villages with room for 163,000 people were also planned this year, as the region looks to build a comprehensively well-off society by 2020, he added. Drolma works on a cattle farm near her new home in Sumdan village. [Photo by HOU LIQIANG/CHINA DAILY] 'A key period' Most of the people being resettled live in high, cold areas with limited resources, a fragile ecology and a severe prevalence of Kaschin-Beck disease, a chronic bone condition. Relocation is usually the only way to escape poverty. "The regional government has invested 4 billion yuan to promote industries with local features in poor areas, as well as relocating 77,000 people last year," Lu said. Tibet had about 590,000 people classified as rural poor by the end of 2015, and about 150,000 were lifted out of poverty last year, according to official data. "It's a key period for the war against poverty this year," Lu said. "We will continue mapping out policies in line with the varying local situations as well as increase funding." Moving to a new settlement is voluntary, he said, although the major changes seen in the lives of those already in new homes has helped in the government's work to motivate people to relocate. Drolma, 53, who used to live in the same remote village as Pasang Drolma, chose to move with her family to the newly built Sumdan village in July last year. She and her daughter had been unemployed, but almost instantly after relocating they found jobs. Drolma now works at a cattle farm, while her daughter is a child care worker at a kindergarten. Together, they earn more than 5,000 yuan a month. The family's new home has had a steady stream of visitors, with friends and relatives keen to see the place, Drolma said. "Some of them stay for days and don't want to leave," she said. "They say they admire me very much and that I made the right decision to move." Businessman Badro (left) visits Norbu Gradul, whose home he helped build. [Photo/China Daily] Vital loan inspires entrepreneur to help the needy An old Chinese saying goes, "When you drink from the well, don't forget the people who dug it." It is a philosophy fully embraced by Badro, a rags-to-riches businessman and philanthropist. Born to a poor family in the Tibet autonomous region's Lhunze county, by age 18, Badro was a high school dropout working as a laborer, making the equivalent of only 15 US cents a day. "I lived in a shelter I'd made from plastic sheeting. Sometimes, it was so cold at night I couldn't fall asleep, so I'd work at night and sleep during the day," he said, adding some days he worked 20 hours without food. Five years later, while working at a building site in his hometown, he learned that the regional government was encouraging locals to bid for low-cost construction projects. Badro started a construction company and won the bidding for several projects. However, in 2003, the company experienced funding problems and was saved from bankruptcy by a local government loan, which allowed him to pay his employees. It proved a turning point. The businessman has since opened a vegetable farm, dairy farm, hotel and wholesalers, creating hundreds of jobs. "I will never forget the help I received from the Party and the local government," said Badro, now 50, who added that the assistance back then inspired him later to contribute to the nation's poverty alleviation efforts. More than 160 of his 700 employees are from impoverished backgrounds, he said. Moreover, he has invested about 8 million yuan ($1.22 million) to build homes for about 60 families, while he also donates 500,000 to 600,000 yuan a year to help poor students cover the cost of their studies. Norbu Gradul from Zagor village is among the people Badro has helped. His family of four used to live in a stone-and-mud house with sunken foundations and a leaking roof. The millionaire entrepreneur built them a new home last year at a cost of 120,000 yuan. "I didn't spend even a penny on the new house," Norbu Gradul said. The 46-year-old villager works on Badro's vegetable farm and makes 2,500 yuan a month. His wife, who works for the local government as a part-time forest ranger, earns 3,000 yuan a year. "Badro treats me even better than my parents," he added. The walls of Badro's office and adjoining 50-square-meter conference room are covered with dozens of thank-you messages sent by people he has helped. Yet he said he has not finished. "I want to create more job opportunities for the poor and give more back to society," he said. Tsamjo Drolma's family of four was registered as impoverished last year by the Lhunze county government in the Tibet autonomous region. The 49-year-old mother explained to China Daily some of the subsidies her family receives as a result. [Photo/China Daily] Financial aid ・ About 300 yuan ($46) to plant grain on the family's 0.3 hectares of farmland. ・ About 700 yuan to maintain their more than 34 hectares of grassland. ・ 3,000 yuan each for Tsamjo Drolma and her husband for their work as forest rangers, a job reserved for impoverished families. ・ 80 percent of the 3,800 yuan annual tuition fee paid for the couple's eldest son, who graduated from a college in Tibet this year. ・ 8,000 yuan a year to cover their youngest son's college expenses, including the 6,000 yuan annual tuition fee. He was accepted at a college in Tianjin last year. ・ 15,000 yuan to repair damage to their home caused by an earthquake last year. ・ A 70 percent refund on any medical costs incurred at hospitals in Lhunze. ・ 1 kilogram of salt for 0.5 yuan, compared with the market price of 2 yuan. ・ A dairy cow valued at about 6,000 yuan. ・ About 300 yuan each time a cadre visits, which is about three times a year.

State Development & Investment Corp's headquarters in Beijing.[Photo/IC]

Firm promotes new industries and spins off traditional assets

State Development & Investment Corp, China's largest State-owned investment holding company, said it will boost investment in innovative and emerging industries and overseas business to better serve the country's economic transformation and the Belt and Road Initiative.

SDIC, a leader in China's effort to reform State-owned enterprises, is seeking to optimize its business structure by increasing exposure to new industries such as alternative energy and high-end manufacturing while divesting itself of nonperforming assets in traditional industries with excess capacity, said Wang Huisheng, chairman of SDIC.

The company aims to increase the portion of its assets in strategic and emerging industries to 30 percent by 2020, from the current 20 percent. Last year, it spun off assets worth about 55 billion yuan in the shipping and coal industries, according to Wang.

That move reflected the ambitious reform to increase the competitiveness of the State-owned giants as China works to replace old growth drivers with new ones, with emphasis on innovation, technology and efficiency.

"As an SOE, our task is to carry out reform based on market principles and to support the national economic policies and industries that are strategically important and matter to people's lives," Wang said.

The company will increase investment in projects such as seawater desalination, biofuels, elderly care, quality control and management systems as well as energy efficiency and environmental protection, the chairman said.

To support the country's Made in China 2025 strategy, the company launched a 20 billion yuan ($3.09 billion) fund in collaboration with key ministries to invest in the high-end manufacturing sector.

In addition, Wang said expanding overseas investment and operation is another focus of SDIC as it is looking to tap into opportunities from the Belt and Road Initiative. The company already invested in a cement project in Indonesia and manufacturing facilities for automobile gas tanks in countries including India, Russia and the Czech Republic.

The company's overseas assets stood at 31.8 billion yuan by the end of last year, accounting for 7 percent of its total assets, which points toward further growth potential of its international business.

SDIC reported profit of 11.3 billion yuan for the first half of the year, up by 41 percent year-on-year.

"Along with good performances of our business in the emerging industries and the financial service sector, we managed to get rid of some zombie enterprises to reduce our losses," Wang said.

The company was ranked 174th with 87 billion yuan in revenue last year in the latest Top 500 Chinese Enterprises list, unveiled on Sunday by China Enterprise Confederation and China Enterprise Directors Association.

Nine of the top 10 companies are SOEs with the State Grid grabbing the top spot with 2.09 trillion yuan in revenue. Oil giants Sinopec Group and China National Petroleum Corp were ranked second and third.

China's top 500 enterprises reported total revenues of 64 trillion yuan in 2016, up by 7.64 percent year-on-year, reversing the declining trend in the previous two years, the list showed.

A high-speed train heads to Ulanqab from Hohhot in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in August, marking the openning of the region's first high-speed railway. [Tang Zhe/For China Daily]

At major transfer hubs, passengers no longer need to exit, re-enter gate

Passengers can now reach most of China's major cities by bullet train, thanks to a network that includes linkages of a number of rail routes, as well as efficient major transfer hubs.

According to China Railway Corp, the national rail operator, direct high-speed train services have been arranged between cities with a large number of passengers, including Beijing-Kunming, Harbin-Shanghai and Chengdu-Guangzhou. Those direct services link big cities in different regions by taking more than one rail route.

Service between Dalian, Liaoning province, and Xi'an, Shaanxi province, involves eight high-speed rail routes that link 18 medium-size and large cities.

Running the network is no easy task. A high-speed rail route must not only carry out bullet train services running only on a single line but also on multiple lines.

Source: China Railway Corp

The major transfer hub design allows easy transfers to other bullet trains. Passengers can make travel plans and buy connected tickets in advance. When they arrive at the transfer station, they can use a transfer gateway to board the next service, with no need to exit the gate and enter again. The major transfer hub design offsets the lack of direct service in some areas, providing more convenient travel choices.

Lanzhou West station, the major transfer hub linking the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region with the rest of China, is expected to receive more than 5,000 transfer passengers a day, said Wang Jian, the deputy head of the station. The Baoji-Lanzhou rail route opened in July, and Wang estimates daily passengers will reach 25,000. The route links Lanzhou with the high-speed rail network.

No direct service links Xinjiang with most cities beyond Lanzhou. A passenger from Beijing can take a direct service to Lanzhou and then transfer at Lanzhou West station to Xinjiang.

China's high-speed rail network has surpassed 20,000 kilometers, spanning all provincial level regions except Tibet and the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Hub cities are scattered around the country and linked by the high-speed network.

The world's longest high-speed rail service in operation is the 2,760-kilometer Beijing-Kunming service, according to China Railway Corp. Beijing has a distinct spring, summer, fall and winter, whereas Kunming has been called "the spring city" because the weather never gets very cold.

Like the Beijing-Kunming service, departure and arrival cities are different, requiring a different model of bullet train to adjust to diverse local environment.

In the northeastern region's winter, when the lowest temperature can hit -40 C, bullet trains need to adjust. In the northwest region's deserts, featuring strong winds and sandstorms, such as along the Lanzhou-Xinjiang line, bullet trains have stormproof designs.

According to a plan released by the National Development and Reform Commission in July 2016, China will expand the high-speed rail network to 30,000 km by 2020, linking 80 percent of major cities. By 2030, the network will link all cities with populations of more than 500,000.

China's high-speed rail network stretched 22,000 kilometers as of 2016, accounting for 65 percent of the world's total high-speed railway.

The world's longest bullet train service reaches 2,760 kilometers from Beijing to Kunming, Yunnan province.

The world's longest continuous high-speed rail track reaches 2,298 kilometers between Beijing and Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

China is the only country with trains running at 350 km/h. Service on several Chinese lines have reached that speed, including Beijing-Tianjin, Beijing-Shanghai and Shanghai-Ningbo.

A quantum communication ground station in Xinglong, North China's Hebei province, on Nov 26, 2016. Chinese scientists on Thursday reported a major breakthrough in quantum communication: A pair of entangled photons over a distance of 1,200 km have been successfully transmitted from space to Earth. The previous record was about 100 km. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - China has made a series of achievements in science and technology over the past month as the country quickens its pace in becoming a leading science and tech power by the middle of the century.

China has been a leader in quantum technologies, which eliminate the possibility of wiretapping and secure communication. In early September, it was announced the Beijing-Shanghai quantum communication network has met requirements to open for service.

The 2,000-km network, the world's first, will be used for secure data transmission in the military, finance and government affairs fields.

The country has also completed a test of its high-throughput satellite Shijian-13, designating it as Zhongxing-16. With a transfer capacity of 20 Gbps, the satellite is capable of providing better Internet access on planes and high-speed trains, as well as in less-developed regions.

In a step toward launching a Mars probe around 2020, planners have mapped out a 400-million-yuan ($61 million) development plan to turn a red rock basin in Qaidam basin in northwest China's Qinghai Province into a Mars scientific research base and eco-tourism site.

The base is expected to consist of a "Mars community" and a "Mars campsite." The campsite will have a number of experimental module-like accommodations.

Underground research has also moved swiftly. Researchers recently acquired hot dry rock (HDR), with temperatures of 236 degrees Celsius, from 3,705 meters below Gonghe basin in Qinghai Province.

HDR is usually buried 3,000 to 10,000 meters under the earth's surface. It can be used to generate clean electricity via its high temperatures. The breakthrough means China is a step closer to easing environmental problems related to the greenhouse effect and acid rain.

China has made innovation the core of its 13th five-year plan (2016-2020), with the aim of becoming an "innovation nation" by 2020, an international leader in innovation by 2030, and a world powerhouse in scientific and technological innovation by 2050.

"We will accelerate R&D and commercialization of new materials, artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, bio-pharmacy, 5G mobile communications, and other technology to develop industrial clusters in these fields," said a government work report issued this year.

Such efforts will help the country improve convenience of transportation, raise living standards, resolve energy resource shortages, and boost economic development.

Developers said on Wednesday that track has been laid for China's longest high-speed railway at high latitudes, and the railway is scheduled to open in June 2018.

Running at 200 km per hour, the 343-km railway linking Harbin, capital of the northeast province of Heilongjiang, and Jiamusi in the same province, runs through four tunnels and over 120 bridges. It will cut travel time to 1.5 hours from 7 hours.

On the environmental front, an in-orbit test of China's first orbiting carbon observatory satellite was successfully completed in September. Scientists will convert magnetic signals received from the satellite into visible spectral signals, and then calculate the concentration of carbon dioxide.

While development of science and technology promises a better future, it also saves the lives of millions of people today.

According to a study published in late August, Chinese scientists have found a compound that helps a tumor-targeting virus kill liver cancer more effectively while sparing healthy cells, offering new hope for treating the world's second most common cancer killer.

A therapy that uses viruses to selectively kill cancer cells is rapidly progressing through clinical evaluation, but the therapeutic efficacy in humans has been less than expected from pre-clinical studies, according to the study published in the U.S. journal Science Translational Medicine.

China needs science and technology more than ever and the country's scientists should occupy the world's science and technology high ground, said Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The quickest and easiest way to achieve innovation is through a global cooperation network to boost innovation.

The G20 Blueprint on Innovative Growth, adopted at the Hangzhou summit in September last year, commits governments to creating a favorable environment for creativity and development.

Scientific innovation was also a central topic at the Belt and Road forum in Beijing in May, with China proposing a Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan.

A science and technology cooperation network along the Belt and Road will be completed in 2030, Bai said.

Zhang Lizhong was appointed ambassador to the Maldives, replacing Wang Fukang.

Lyu Jian was appointed ambassador to Thailand, replacing Ning Fukui.

Li Changlin was appointed ambassador to Burundi, replacing Zhuo Ruisheng.

President Xi Jinping held a phone talk with a leader of a Western country over the Korean Peninsula issue for the third consecutive day on Friday, speaking with French President Emmanuel Macron.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, France should play a constructive role in alleviating the situation of the Korean Peninsula and restarting talks, Xi told Macron.

Analysts said China has been making practical efforts to prevent war on the peninsula after the nuclear test conducted on Sunday by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The Korean Peninsula issue can only be resolved through peaceful means, including dialogue and coordination, Xi said.

China sticks to its goal of denuclearization of the peninsula, firmly maintains the international nonproliferation system and firmly safeguards the peace and stability of Northeast Asia, he added.

Xi pointed out that China deems France and Europe as key forces to maintain the world’s stability and prosperity, and said China and France should keep close communications on major global and regional issues.

France is dedicated to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, Macron said, adding that his country attaches great importance to China’s stance and role in resolving the peninsula nuclear issue.

France would like to enhance cooperation with China to properly resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, he added.

Macron congratulated China on its successful hosting of the BRICS Summit in Xiamen, Fujian province, from Sept 3 to 5. It’s important for France and China to jointly face global challenges, he said, adding that the two sides should enhance cooperation on economic, nuclear and environmental issues.

The phone call followed Xi’s phone conversations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday and US President Donald Trump on Wednesday. During the two phone calls, Xi reiterated China’s stance on seeking peaceful resolution of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the international community is strongly focused on the Korean Peninsula issue, adding that the DPRK has challenged the authority of the UN Security Council and undermined regional security.

Zhou Jin contributed to this story.

Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed bilateral ties and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear issue over the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday.

The cooperation between the two countries plays an increasingly significant role in safeguarding world peace, stability and promoting joint development, Xi told Merkel.

China is willing to work together with Germany in multilateral frameworks, he added.

Merkel also said that Germany is willing to keep communicating and coordinating with China on major international and regional issues.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, July 5, 2017.  [Photo/Xinhua]

On DPRK issue

In the phone call, the two leaders exchanged views about the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Xi stressed that China is committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The facts have shown that the issue can be resolved only through dialogue and consultation in a peaceful way, Xi said, adding that concerted efforts by the international community are needed to solve the Korean Peninsula issue.

Germany supports solving the issue by political means and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China in order to find a solution as soon as possible, Merkel said.

The expo, which brings together Chinese and Arab business leaders to cooperate on science, finance, energy, agriculture, healthcare, tourism and culture, opened on Wednesday in Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The president also hailed the cooperation and achievements between the two sides.

Xi said the Arab world actively responded to and widely supported his proposal that the Belt and Road should be built as a road of peace, prosperity, opening-up as well as innovation, and one that connects different civilizations, during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May.

The expo is an important platform for China and Arab countries to expand cooperation, he said. During construction of the Belt and Road, China is open to promote shared opportunities with other nations, including Arab states, and to promote peace, Xi added.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, has made landlocked Ningxia the frontier for opening-up and taking the lead in economic cooperation with Arab countries, said Shi Taifeng, Party chief of Ningxia.

So far, at least 1,080 company representatives are participating in the four-day 2017 CAS Expo.

Liu Zhenfang, deputy general manager of China Railway Corp, said rail cooperation has development prospects between China and Arab nations.

"Today, a new page is opened here for the economic cooperation between China and Arab countries, thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping," Kamal Hassan Ali, assistant secretary-general of the League of Arab States, said during the China-Arab Railway Conference of the 2017 CAS Expo.

Contact the writers at wuyunhe@chinadaily.com.cn

President Xi Jinping meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday at the BRICS Summit. WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY

China and India should maintain peace and tranquility along their border region, President Xi Jinping told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, and he called for mutual respect between the world's two largest developing countries.

Each should adhere to the basic thought that both countries present development opportunities rather than threats for the other, Xi said at the meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Xiamen, Fujian province.

China hopes India will maintain a proper and reasonable attitude toward China's development, Xi said, adding that the two should seek common ground while reserving their differences.

The two countries should show the world that peaceful coexistence and cooperation for mutual benefit is the only correct choice for China and India, he said.

The president pointed out that healthy and stable relations between China and India are in line with the fundamental interests of their peoples.

China is willing to work with India on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence put forward by both countries to improve political mutual trust, promote cooperation and push Sino-Indian ties along the right track, he said.

Noting that there is great potential for China-India cooperation in social and economic development, Xi said the two should connect development strategies, expand infrastructure cooperation, boost exchanges of people and enhance global affairs coordination.

Modi congratulated Xi on the summit's success, saying it has great significance for the BRICS cooperation in the current economic situation.

India and China should not regard each other as opponents, but make cooperation the centerpiece of their relations, Modi said, adding that both sides should jointly maintain the peace and tranquility of the border region.

India is willing to make joint efforts with China to ensure stable development of bilateral relations, and the leaders of both countries should maintain close communication to guide the bilateral relations, he added.

Sun Hongnian, a researcher of international relations at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Xi focused on the prospects of China-India cooperation and highlighted the momentum of ties among the two. "The world is large enough to make China and India gain common development," he said.

Lan Jianxue, a researcher in South Asian studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said China and India should focus on the convergence of their interests.

Zhou Jin contributed to this story.

The first "1+6" roundtable dialogue is held by Premier Li Keqiang and six international financial chiefs in Beijing on July 22, 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Premier Li Keqiang is to hold the second roundtable dialogue with heads of six major international organizations, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, on Sept 12 in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday.

The event, also called the "1+6" Dialogue, will focus on topics such as economic growth, structural reform, sustainable development, trade and investment, financial stability, entrepreneurship, innovation, and employment, said Geng.

Attending the dialogue will be World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevedo, International Labour Organization Director-General Guy Ryder, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Secretary-General Angel Gurria and G20 Financial Stability Board Chairman Mark Carney.

The first dialogue was held on July 22 in Beijing, which centered on promoting strong, sustainable and balanced growth of the Chinese and global economy.

President Xi Jinping and other leaders of BRICS countries pose for a group photo before the Ninth BRICS Summit in Xiamen, in Southeast China's Fujian province, on Monday. The five leaders then took up many issues at the start of the event. WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY

China pledges 500m yuan for cooperative ventures

China will set aside 500 million yuan ($76.61 million) for economic and technological cooperation and exchanges among BRICS countries, President Xi Jinping said on Monday while calling for joint efforts to open the bloc's second "Golden Decade".

In his speech addressing the plenary session of the BRICS Summit, Xi also announced an injection of $4 million into the project preparation fund of the BRICS-led New Development Bank for the bank's operation and long-term development.

During the session, attended by Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Jacob Zuma, Xi said the key to the rapid development of BRICS is that the five countries have adopted the right approach for cooperation since the bloc was founded in 2006.

"A partnership forged with the right approach defies geographical distance; it is thicker than glue and stronger than metal and stone," Xi said, quoting an ancient Chinese proverb.

Although the five countries have different national conditions, their pursuit of partnership and prosperity is shared, enabling them to go beyond disagreement and achieve mutual benefits, he said.

Xi called on the BRICS countries to strengthen their compatibility regarding resources, markets and labor forces to release the countries' growth potential.

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the plenary session during the BRICS Summit in Xiamen, Fujian province on September 4, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

After their meeting, the BRICS leaders issued the Xiamen Declaration, in which the five countries pledged to energize practical cooperation, foster a just and equitable global economic order, safeguard world peace and promote people-to-people exchanges.

Noting that only 5.7 percent of the BRICS countries' total $197 billion outbound investment took place among the five countries last year, Xi said that there remains huge potential for economic cooperation among the BRICS members.

The president pointed out that the "gold content" of BRICS has been rising constantly in recent years along with such measures as boosting service trade, facilitating investment, initiating e-commerce cooperation, and strengthening ties on innovation.

The five countries should increase cooperation in sectors such as trade and investment, monetary and financial areas, connectivity, sustainable development, innovation and industrial cooperation, Xi said.

"We should speak with one voice and jointly present our solutions to issues concerning international peace and development," Xi said, adding that many pressing global challenges cannot be resolved effectively without the participation of BRICS countries.

In his speech, the president also recalled people-to-people exchanges among the five countries, such as the BRICS Games, the BRICS Film Festival, the BRICS Culture Festival and the High-Level Meeting on Traditional Medicine.

"We hope that through our joint efforts, these activities will take place regularly and be institutionalized," he said.

Mentioning his letter sent to the leaders of the BRICS countries in January, Xi said that BRICS cooperation is set to play an even bigger role in international affairs.

"Let us set sail from Xiamen and join hands to usher in the second 'Golden Decade' of BRICS cooperation and deliver greater benefits to the people of our five countries and around the world," he said.

"The representations were lodged to the person in charge of the embassy," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a regular news briefing.

The DPRK Sunday detonated a hydrogen bomb that can be carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), DPRK's Central Television announced. This was the sixth nuclear test the DPRK has undertaken.

"China's adherence to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and opposition to nuclear tests and missile development by the DPRK is well-known," Geng said.

China has proposed realizing denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula while establishing a peace mechanism. China has also expected the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale U.S.-ROK military exercises.

Geng stressed that use of force is not an option for resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, expressing appreciation for a number of countries' calling for a peaceful settlement of the problem.

China's Ministry of Environmental Protection on Sunday started monitoring the radiation levels in the border areas in an emergency response to the nuclear test, and recorded radiation at normal levels.

"China will take necessary measures to protect the safety of citizens and the environment," the spokesperson said.

The People's Liberation Army is now able to send its CNS Liaoning carrier battle group farther into oceans thanks to the deployment of the nation's largest replenishment ship.

The CNS Hulun Lake, the first in the Type-901 class, which has a hull code of 965, was commissioned for service in the PLA Navy on Friday at Guangzhou Shipyard International Co under China State Shipbuilding Corp.

Vice-Admiral Shen Jinlong, commander of the PLA Navy, attended the commissioning ceremony and presented a military flag to the new ship.

The Navy said in a news release that the Hulun Lake is a new-generation, world-class comprehensive resupply ship developed by Chinese designers. With multiple resupply methods and large capacity, it can accompany and replenish a carrier battle group or a long-range task force, according to the news release.

With the new ship's entry into service, China has demonstrated that it is fully capable of designing large resupply vessels and advanced marine replenishment equipment, the Navy said, adding the ship also marks a milestone in the Navy's long-distance logistics support capability.

The Navy has yet to disclose the specifications of the new vessel, but Chinese military observers have said that it has a displacement of more than 45,000 metric tons－almost twice as much as the Type-903 class, the current pillar of the Navy's replenishment force. Its maximum speed is about 25 knots, according to observers.

Before the Hulun Lake, the PLA Navy had 16 replenishment ships in active service. The largest is the 37,000-ton CNS Qinghai Lake, the only one in the Type-908 class, which was built in Ukraine as a merchant tanker before its purchase and refit by China in the early 1990s.

All previous types are slower than the new ship, making them incompatible with a faster-moving carrier battle group. In addition, their supply-carrying capacity is not big enough to support the needs of a carrier group.

The Chinese Navy has only one aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, a refitted Soviet-era ship. The Liaoning battle group has conducted several open-sea training exercises since the carrier was delivered to the Navy in late 2012. However, the group has been restrained in terms of long-range operational capability because of the absence of large, fast replenishment ships, military analysts said.

Work on the nation's second aircraft carrier－the first designed domestically－is nearing completion. Like the Liaoning, the new carrier will have a displacement of around 50,000 tons. It will have a conventional propulsion system and will carry J-15 fighter jets. It will soon begin mooring trials to verify its overall design, the Navy said.

Li Jie, a senior researcher at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, said large replenishment ships are essential to a carrier battle group during long-distance missions.

"A large replenishment vessel can sail fast to keep pace with combat vessels and can carry virtually all kinds of ammunition, fuel and living necessities to support a prolonged operation at sea," Li said. "By comparison, a smaller ship moves slower and can't carry enough materiel for a carrier battle group. Ships such as those in the Type-901 class are especially important to navies that lack overseas bases."

Du Wenlong, an equipment researcher at the PLA Academy of Military Science, said a Type-901 ship will enable a carrier battle group to engage an enemy in a series of naval battles without needing to return to its home port for resupply.

Xiongan New Area in Hebei province has rolled out a series of measures to stabilize property prices and curb speculation, including tackling illegal activities and providing information.

Prices have surged since the central government unveiled its blueprint for the area on April 1.

According to the official WeChat account for Xiongan, more than 1,000 houses, both for commercial and residential use, have been rented to nonlocal enterprises and individuals who have swarmed into Xiongan in the past five months.

China announced the plan to create Xiongan New Areaabout 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing－to promote the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

It will take on some of Beijing's noncapital functions and be home to some large enterprises, financial institutions, colleges and research centers.

More than 60 large companies, mostly State-owned enterprises, have settled in Rongcheng county, where the temporary offices of the Xiongan government are located.

These SOEs have rented 65 of the 398 homes that have been made available since April 1, according to the WeChat account.

Following an influx of nonlocal people, rental prices for houses in Xiongan rose sharply. Some prices doubled, and then redoubled.

Wang Cheng, a native of Rongcheng, said his 130-square-meter house, which once rented for 10,000 yuan ($1,500) per year, can now fetch at least 40,000 yuan.

"That's the way it is," Wang said, adding that all rental prices had increased, and he didn't plan to just stand by and watch.

To cope with the situation, the governments of the three counties covered by Xiongan－Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin－introduced a series of measures that included shutting down illegal real estate agencies and establishing government-led rental platforms to help lessors and tenants.

Local public security bureaus are monitoring the market. Investigations have uncovered nearly 300 illegal rental businesses, and people involved have been punished.

The Xiongan government said it will accelerate the construction of 100,000 square meters of buildings to accommodate both SOEs and private enterprises that have rental needs.

Trips appeal to those in their 60s and 70s who grew up during the time of the former Soviet Union

The Trans-Siberian Railway, with a total length of 9,288 kilometers, offers Chinese tourists an alternative way to travel around Russia. [Photo by YAN HAO/CHINA DAILY] Russia-bound "red tours" are booming as China's retirees go in search of the music and culture of their youth.

Red tours－which visit sites associated with early communist activities－are growing in popularity as the two nations work together to foster tourism cooperation.

A 15-day train journey around Russia, a key participant in the Belt and Road Initiative, will be launched in mid-September.

The journey, which will focus on cultural exchange, will allow 50 tourists to travel roughly 7,800 kilometers on the Trans-Siberian Railway starting on Sept 16.

Tourists, each paying about 30,000 yuan ($4,460), will fly from Shanghai and Beijing to Russia's Irkutsk, and board a train that will stop at five cities-Krasnoyarsk, Yekaterinburg, Vladimir, St. Petersburg and Moscow－along the route, according to the organizer, the Shanghai Railway International Travel (Group) Company owned by the Shanghai Railway Bureau.

"To travel on a railway route with a history of more than a century will make the journey unusual," said Shen Yugang, a business development manager at the company.

University professors, librarians and graduates from local seminaries who are fluent in Chinese will be invited to serve as tour guides in different cities to enable tourists to learn about the local history and culture of each destination.

In July, an initial trial run of the tour attracted 34 tourists. If the response to the first two trips is positive, the tour could become a permanent fixture, the company said.

The tour is just one of several Russia-bound red tour products launched in China this year, to cater to those who grew up during the era of the former Soviet Union.

Besides the regular Russia-bound tours, more than 1,000 people from Yan'an, in Shaanxi province, and Changsha, in Hunan province, set out for Russia in a convoy in July.

Since 2015, tourism agencies from China and Russia have been conducting red tours in a tourism exchange program. As a result, the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Russia has jumped.

Chinese tourists, mainly seniors, walk in central St. Petersburg. Drawn by its communist past, Chinese tourists are flocking to Russia as it develops new "red tourism" routes. [Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA/AGENCE-FRANCE PRESSE]

Statistics from the country's tourism authority showed that Russia welcomed a record 800,000 visitors from the Chinese mainland last year, double the number two years earlier.

Such red tours are popular among those in their 60s and 70s, who grew up during the time of the former Soviet Union, industry observers said.

Fu Gang, a retired purchasing specialist from the Shanghai Railway Bureau who visited Russia in July, said most tourists were in their 60s like him, and had a strong emotional connection with railways and Marxism-Leninism, which his generation grew up with.

"The music, culture and large-scale industries in the former Soviet Union had a strong influence on our country and people my age. The trip fulfilled a wish I had for decades," said Fu, 61.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution and a series of trips specially designed for Chinese tourists has been launched. In St. Petersburg, known as Petrograd from 1914 to 1924, the local government is promoting tours associated with the former Soviet Union with itineraries titled "Chinese comrades in red Petrograd" and the "February Revolution in Petrograd".

The Russian government has also started to encourage airports, railway stations, hotels and restaurants to provide more Chinese-friendly services in the past two years.

More than 50 such facilities in Moscow and St. Petersburg now have members of staff fluent in Chinese, accept China UnionPay cards and supply hot drinking water.

The law has been approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, on Friday, and will take effective from Oct 1.

In the law, people who maliciously change the national anthem's lyrics and music, distort or insult the song, could face up to 15-day administrative detention, and those in serious situations will be criminally penalized.

The law aims to uphold the respect of people to the national anthem, as well as to regulate ways people sing or play the song.

For example, it clarifies nine situations in which the national anthem should be played, such as in important sport or diplomatic events, or in ceremonies of governmental departments.

Meanwhile, the law also states the anthem should not be used as a trademark, on commercial advertisements or as background music in public places, and it cannot be broadcasted in private funerals.

The official version of the national anthem is ordered to be disclosed on websites of the State Council and the national people's congress.

The law was first reviewed by the legislature in June. China's national anthem, March of the Volunteer, was composed in 1935, with lyrics written by poet Tian Han and music composed by Nie Er. The song encouraged Chinese soldiers and residents during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), and it was named as the national anthem in 1949.

Chinese nuclear operation enterprises are ordered to regularly provide physical checks for employees, in a bid to protect their health and safety, according to China's Nuclear Safety Law.

The law has been approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, on Friday after the third review. It was discussed by the top lawmakers respectively in November 2016 and April.

In the law, with eight sections, it states nuclear employees should be not only given safety education and training, but regular physical checks, providing them with the sufficient health protection.

The law, aiming to protect the national nuclear safety and prevent people from being harmed by nuclear disasters, also clarifies liabilities of nuclear operators, ordering them to compensate those harmed by nuclear disasters or accidents in line with the national compensation standard.

Meanwhile, nuclear information disclosure has also been highlighted in the law, hoping to enhance the public supervision in this way.

In addition, punishments for nuclear enterprises that disobey the law, such as conducting nuclear business without authorized approval, have been increased.

The law will take effective from Jan 1, 2018.

BEIJING - Beijing issued fines worth over 83 million yuan ($12.6 million) during a 100-day campaign against pollution, environmental protection authorities said Thursday.

More than 7,700 cases of air, water and soil pollution were found in the campaign that lasted from April to July, Zhao Zhiwei of the Beijing municipal environment inspection team told a press conference.

Nearly 6,000 high-emission vehicles were included in the cases, said Zhao.

Suspects in 15 cases, mostly for illegal discharge of ore tailings, would face criminal charges, he said.

The campaign combined efforts of environmental protection, public security, urban management, land and resources, housing and urban-rural development, water, safety supervision and agricultural departments, among others.

The campaign was in response to an inspection carried out by the central government late last year, in which a series of problems were found.

BEIJING - The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is expected to convene on Oct 18 in Beijing.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee decided at a meeting on Thursday to submit the proposal on the schedule to the seventh plenary meeting of the 18th CPC Central Committee, which will be held on Oct 11.

The Political Bureau meeting was presided over by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

The 19th CPC National Congress will review the Party's work over the past five years and summarize precious experiences that the Party has gained from the historical process of uniting and leading people of all ethnic groups to carry on and advance socialism with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core since the 18th CPC National Congress.

It will thoroughly examine the current international and domestic situation, and take into account the new requirements for the development of the Party and the country as well as new expectations from the people.

The congress will draw out guidelines and policies that respond to the call of the times, according to a statement after the meeting.

The congress is a very important meeting to be held when China is striving for its final victory for achieving a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way, and at a critical time for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the statement said.

It will hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, be guided with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of "Three Represents" and the Scientific Outlook on Development, and thoroughly carry out the essence of Xi's series of important remarks and the new governance concepts, thoughts and strategies of the CPC Central Committee, according to the statement.

The congress also aims to boost confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, continue to adopt an overall approach to promote economic, political, cultural, social and ecological progress, as well as to advance coordinated development of the "Four Comprehensives."

The Four Comprehensives refers to a four-pronged strategy that aims to comprehensively accomplish a moderately prosperous society, deepen reform, advance rule of law, and strengthen strict Party governance.

Efforts will be made to continue to build a better CPC, to achieve the final victory of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way and to create new prospect for socialism with Chinese characteristics, said the statement.

A new CPC Central Committee and a new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection will be elected at the congress.

All preparatory work for the congress is going smoothly at present and preparations should be continued earnestly to ensure a successful congress, according to the statement.

A view of Sonam Dargye protection station in Hoh Xil, a region which was put on the World Heritage List as a natural site in July 2017, on Dec 1, 2016. A satellite communication facility connected Hoh Xil to the internet on Aug 29, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] XINING -- After a satellite communication facility was put into use Tuesday, China's high plateau Hoh Xil national nature reserve in Qinghai province has ended its era without internet.

The facility was donated by several Chinese companies and set up at the Sonam Dargye protection station in Hoh Xil, a region which was put on the World Heritage List as a natural site last month, said Luo Yanhai, deputy director with the reserve's forest public security bureau.

Hoh Xil reserve covers 45,000 square kilometers, encompassing China's largest area of uninhabited land. It is home to several endangered species, including the Tibetan antelope.

"Currently, the network signal is able to cover an area with a radius up to 1,000 meters surrounding the Sonam Dargye protection station," said Sun Ru, marketing manager with Shenzhen-based Sky Sea World, one of the technology companies that offered help.

Internet transmission and positioning facilities are expected to be used in another four protection stations, as well as in entries and exits of the reserve, and major observation centers in the future.

The technology will support routine patrol work, such as tracking illegal crossing and hunting, and aid rescue work.

"We will develop more communication equipment suitable for high altitude and extremely cold areas in the following years, and gradually make the reserve completely connected to the Internet," Sun said.

Workers install the satellite communication facility at the Sonam Dargye protection station in Hoh Xil, Qinghai province, on Aug 27, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Workers adjust the satellite communication facility allowing the Sonam Dargye protection station to connect to the internet on Aug 28, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Workers test the signal of the satellite communication facility at the Sonam Dargye protection station in Hoh Xil on Aug 29, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The flower bed shaped as a sailboat in front of the China Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center in Xiamen on Aug 29. [Photo/VCG]

BEIJING -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping is to chair BRICS Xiamen Summit in China's eastern coastal city of Xiamen in Fujian province from Sept 3 to 5.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said that Xi will also chair the Dialogue of Emerging Markets and Developing Countries on mutually beneficial cooperation for common development.

Xi will also attend some other events, such as the opening ceremony of the BRICS business forum.

Lu said that at the invitation of President Xi, Brazilian President Michel Temer is to pay a state visit to China from Aug 31 to Sept 5. During his stay in China, Temer will attend the BRICS summit and the Dialogue of Emerging Markets and Developing Countries.

Also at the invitation of President Xi, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon is to pay a state visit to China from Aug 30 to Sept 5, during which he will attend the Dialogue of Emerging Markets and Developing Countries in Xiamen.

BRICS -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- is recognized as an important force in global governance. China holds the BRICS presidency this year.

The Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council (LAOSC) published the draft on its website Monday.

The office said in a statement that a revision to the current regulation, which took effect in 2002, was necessary for China to prepare for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, deliver its promises, develop the sports sector and promote the Olympics.

The statement said such a revision would also serve as a legal foundation for the country to hold more Olympic-related games in the future.

It said that the draft had taken reference from the trademark law and relevant by-laws, and included revisions on administrative punishments, actionable infringements, damages, punitive compensation and statutory damages.

The statement said that although the current regulation banned unauthorized use of Olympic symbols for commercial or potentially commercial purposes, a lack of clear definition on "potentially commercial purposes" had caused legal uncertainty.

The draft revision makes it clear that violations may include misleading acts, such as extending congratulations, holding celebrations, conducting countdowns and publishing competition results or medal tallies, that may cause others to mistakenly believe relevant parties were sponsors or Olympic symbol rights holders.

The public is invited to give comments on the draft through the LAOSC website before Sept 28.

Tourists herd horses with local guides last month on a trail in Saihanba National Forest Park. The man-made forest, grown out of the desert and known for its ecotourism in Hebei province, shields Beijing and other big cities from sandstorms. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY President Xi Jinping has stressed ongoing efforts in building an ecological civilization by adhering to green development concepts.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remark in an instruction on the achievements of the man-made Saihanba Forest Farm in Hebei province.

Efforts to pursue green development and an ecological civilization should be made generation by generation to create harmony between people and nature and leave a better environment for future generations, Xi said.

These instructions were passed down at a seminar on Monday in Beijing about how to learn from the Saihanba experience. The seminar was presided over by Liu Qibao, head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.

The Saihanba Forest Farm, just 150 kilometers from Beijing, has managed within 55 years to form a natural barrier between the capital and sandstorms that blow in from the north, increasing forest coverage in the area from 12 percent in 1962 to 80 percent in 2016, data from the farm showed.

The largest man-made forest in China has supplied 137 million cubic meters of clean water to nature around the Beijing and Tianjin areas annually, and the annual amount of oxygen discharged from the forest is about 550,000 metric tons, making it important for the capital and its neighbors.

After the reports beginning in July on the transformation from a wasteland into a forest, Saihanba has attracted an increasing number of tourists from home and abroad.

"It's a miracle that such a lush and beautiful forest park was transformed from a wasteland," said Wang Yulong, a tourist visiting Saihanba National Forest Park from Xi'an in Shaanxi province.

Wang and his family drove to Chengde in early August to visit a famous scenic spot－the Chengde Imperial Summer Resort, about 180 kilometers from Saihanba.

"We didn't plan to visit Saihanba, but changed our minds when we heard from many media reports that a vast forest nearby was totally man-made, with efforts spanning more than five decades," Wang said.

During the 55 years, three generations of foresters kept planting trees in the area, where temperatures could drop to -43 C in winter.

Many tourists like Wang traveled from across the country as well as from abroad. Between Jan 1 and Aug 19, more than 355,000 tourists visited Saihanba, 13,000 more than the same period a year earlier, according to Tian Yawei, the office director of a company promoting Saihanba tourism.

Tian said the increase mainly came from the tourism boom the past two months.

These visitors also included people who want to learn more about how the forest was created and to be inspired by the spirit of foresters in Saihanba.

Cai Xingbo, general manger of Jianlong Mining Co Ltd in Kuancheng county, Chengde, said he decided to close his mining business after a recent visit to Saihanba and plans to restore mountains in his hometown to develop ecological tourism, such as planting fruit trees.

"As long as we have faith and persistence, we can restore bare mountains with the help of modern technologies," Cai said, adding that the spirit originated from Saihanba has inspired him.

The country should carry out international exchanges and cooperation in nuclear safety to prevent and deal with the threats of nuclear terrorism, the draft said.

It reiterated China's rational, coordinated and balanced nuclear safety outlook and its commitment in fulfilling international obligations under binding treaties.

The new draft was submitted to the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on Monday at the start of its bi-monthly session for the third reading.

The previous draft was reviewed by the committee in April and last October.

Besides asking for a national inter-agency coordination mechanism, the draft also introduced a set of new requirements on operators of nuclear facilities.

Facility operators should provide adequate occupational protection and medical examinations for employees, the draft said.

It also states funds must be established by operators to cover the expense of the treatment of the spent fuel, radioactive waste and decommissioning nuclear facilities.

Operators should also buy liability insurance, participate in a mutual support mechanism and make proper financial arrangements to guarantee the timely and effective fulfillment of compensation in the case of nuclear accidents.

The draft also proposed a national committee to organize and coordinate emergency management, as well as an emergency response fund.

Su Zelin, vice chairman of the Law Committee of the NPC, presented the draft to lawmakers in the morning session and called on the standing committee to pass the draft as soon as possible.

Such a law will help strengthen the responsibility of nuclear companies, the public's trust in nuclear safety and the healthy development of the nuclear energy industry, Su said.

China currently has 36 operational nuclear reactors and is building 20 more.

By the end of 2020, China aims to have 58 million kilowatts of nuclear power capacity in operation and more than 30 million kilowatts under construction.

Lawmakers will deliberate the bills at the bi-monthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which opened Monday.

Compared with the current law, the draft revision of the Organic Law of the People's Courts adds stipulations about maritime courts, intellectual property rights (IPR) courts and the circuit courts of the Supreme People's Court, according to a document delivered by the NPC's Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee at the session.

To strengthen judges' responsibility, the draft also provides organizational and operational rules for collegiate bench trials and sole-judge trials as well as duties of relevant judicial personnel, the document said.

Another document by the committee said the draft revision to the Organic Law of the People's Procuratorates includes new provisions to meet the needs of deepening the country's supervisory system reform, which requires major adjustments to procuratorates' power and personnel rules.

The draft also legislates the power of prosecutors to lodge public interest lawsuits according to law.

Both drafts spell out protections for judicial personnel carrying out their duties.

According to the drafts, judges and prosecutors shall not be removed, demoted, dismissed or punished without statutory reason and due process. Any act of harassment, insult, threat or violence against judges, prosecutors or their close relatives will be seriously punished.

The NPC Standing Committee session will also include discussion of proposals about draft amendments to eight laws including the Judges Law.

According to the drafts, a national exam for legal profession admission will be required for more legal professionals beyond judges, prosecutors, lawyers and notaries. These include administrative review and administrative adjudication workers, legal advisors at governmental agencies, and law-related arbitrators.

Chinese-American units of the US Army Air Corps march in Dayton, Ohio, on Memorial Day, 1943. CHINA DAILY A new project aims to build a database to acknowledge and honor Sino-US World War II combatants, as Dong Leshuo reports from Washington.

They are dying almost every day, and Ed Gor is trying to find them before they do.

"They" are the estimated 20,000 Chinese-Americans who fought in World War II. Nobody knows how many are still alive.

"The youngest who served would be 88 now. The oldest still alive is 101," said Gor, national president of the Chinese-American Citizens Alliance. "We're trying to find them as quickly as possible."

Many of the veterans' parents were unable to join their families in China, and they couldn't get them to the US because of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned Chinese laborers from entering the country. The act came into force in 1882, but wasn't rescinded until 1943.

When WWII broke out, many Chinese-Americans believed it was their opportunity to fight, not only for the US but for the people of China as well, according to Gor.

Gor's father and uncle were among those who served.

The Chinese American WWII Veterans Recognition Project, initiated by the alliance, has recently been launched to recognize, honor and celebrate the Chinese-American servicemen and women who volunteered or were drafted during World War II when the exclusion act was still in place.

The project's goal is to ensure that the achievements and contributions of the "greatest generation" will never be forgotten.

"As Chinese-Americans, if we do not capture and record our history, no one is going to do it for us," said Samantha Cheng, the director.

The project is working to create a public database that will carry the names of all Chinese-Americans who served in the US armed forces during World War II.

The team dug into the National Archives and began breaking everything down by common Chinese surnames. So far, it has been able to confirm more than 14,000 people who served in the US Army and US Army Air Force, Cheng said.

Significant presence

At the beginning of World War II, 77,504 Chinese were recorded as living in the US, and as many as 25 percent, approximately 20,000, served in the armed forces, according to Fighting for the Dream: Voices of Chinese American Veterans from WWII to Afghanistan, written by Victoria Moy, an Asian-American writer who divides her time between Los Angeles and New York City.

"People should know that they participated in significant numbers－the highest of any national group. As many as 25 percent served in the armed forces and contributed to the effort, while 11.5 percent of the general US population did," Moy said.

In May, as part of the Chinese American WWII Veterans Recognition Project, a bill to award a collective Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service was introduced in Congress.

On Dec 2, Congress granted the Gold Medal of National Recognition to the 260,000 Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers who served under the US Army in Asia.

However, Chinese-Americans who served haven't been recognized or honored by the nation.

"We need 67 from the Senate and 290 from the House. We're about one-sixth of the way through on the House side and about 10 percent on the Senate side," Gor said.

The bill has 48 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. The two main sponsors are Democrat Ted Lieu and Republican Ed Royce, both from California.

There are seven co-sponsors in the US Senate. The main sponsors are Democrats Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, and Thad Cochran, a Republican from Mississippi.

Duckworth is a retired lieutenant colonel in US Army. She served as a helicopter pilot in Iraq, where she lost both legs and sustained injuries to her right arm, becoming the war's first female double amputee.

"More than 13,000 brave Chinese-Americans volunteered to risk their lives to protect their fellow Americans from our enemies during World War II," Duckworth said.

"Their unwavering commitment to their country, even after being initially turned away, should be recognized, and it's important we honor this brave group of veterans with a Congressional Gold Medal."

In February, a website (https://caww2.org) was launched as a platform to support the efforts to find Chinese-American veterans. So far, 78 people have registered. "We need to have more people respond," Cheng said.

Elsie Seetoo (left), World War II veteran, with her daughter Elaine at exhibit of Asian American military service persons in Washington on May 25. CHINA DAILY

Forgotten heroism

According to Gor, the veterans' were always modest. "Sometimes people don't even realize that their father or grandfather were veterans," he said.

"Sometimes it happens when people pass away, their children look at their records and they come across those military records. That's how they find out that their parents were veterans.

"My father and uncle were like most people of their generation; they didn't talk about it very much. You almost had to ask them about it," he said.

Gor's father, Joe M.F. Gor, was born in China in 1918, and entered the US military at Camp Wolters Reception Center in Texas.

He served in multiple locations and was honorably discharged at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas in 1945.

Ed Gor's uncle, George Gor, enlisted in the army in December 1942. He trained at the radar unit at Camp Crowder, Missouri, and was stationed in New Guinea.

"I remember he talked about the ship he was on, the Liberty. It was hit by torpedo and sank 200 miles off the Fiji islands. He and the crew spent three days in the water before being rescued," Ed Gor said.

George Gor was awarded a Purple Heart before being discharged from Fort Sam Houston, Texas, with the rank of sergeant.

Captain Francis B. Wai is the only Chinese-American who served in World War II to have been awarded the Medal of Honor by Congress, the US' highest military award. In 2000, his posthumous Distinguished Service Medal－awarded in 1944－was upgraded to a Medal of Honor.

The CAC published a list of rules on its website to further regulate the country's Bulletin Board System (BBS). Illegal online publicity includes paid posts, paid removal of posts, and illegal notifications.

The administration has also received reports from users that illegal content -- including pornographic, violent, terroristic and false information -- was being spread on some forums, according to the CAC.

The CAC requires real name registration on BBS.

The office issued the regulations in order to better develop China's online forums, protect the legal rights of Chinese netizens and online organizations, and to safeguard national security and the public interest, said the administration.

The regulations will take effect on October 1, said the CAC

The CAC will continue to crack down on illegal online behavior and welcomes reports from the public.

Reports can be made by phone at 12377 or via email at jubao@12377.cn.

Prosecuting departments will begin placing special emphasis on investigating financial fraud conducted via online platforms, particularly pyramid schemes, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Wednesday.

The top prosecuting department issued an order for a serious probe into fraudulent moneymaking schemes that are conducted via the internet. It is also requiring a thorough investigation of crimes committed in the financial sector by people in key positions.

"Financial crimes have seriously undermined the country's economic security and damaged the financial order, and we will take a zero-tolerance attitude toward fighting such crimes," a statement provided by the SPP on Wednesday said.

According to the SPP, prosecuting departments will target the "financial crocodiles" who sabotage the order of financial markets and the "insiders" who trade their power for money and funnel investors' benefits for their own gain. The effort will serve as "an effective warning and deterrent", the statement said.

In addition, prosecutors will focus on investigating crimes involving securities and futures, and step up the fight against any job malpractice, such as abuse of power or dereliction of duty, to curb graft in the financial field.

In recent years, a number of financial crimes, including pyramid schemes, have used the internet to become a serious threat to economic safety and social stability, and have aroused a lot of attention from the public and media.

In a recent case, in July, Chinese police cracked down on a company called Shanxinhui, accusing it of operating a pyramid scheme and cheating people out of money by saying funds were being raised to help the poor.

Zhang Tianming, a representative of the company, which is based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and other suspects were put under "coercive measures" - a reference of a range of restrictions on a person's movements. The case is still being investigated.

At least three students have been found dead after apparently affiliating with pyramid operators.

According to the SPP, prosecutors will boost their efforts to investigate crimes involving securities and futures - types of financial instruments. They will combat the fraudulent issuance of stocks and bonds, as well as the manipulation of securities and futures markets; and they will take action against the illegal disclosure of important information.

Moreover, prosecutors will focus on probing corrupt officials who facilitate financial crimes in exchange for personal benefits. Pressure will be placed on those who abuse power, accept bribes or fail to execute their duty, the statement said.

According to the SPP, clear lines must be drawn to clamp down on financial crimes while safeguarding financial reforms and innovation.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

Planned new area geologically stable, has clean groundwater

Xiongan New Area has a stable geologic structure, good for ground construction and underground infrastructure, as well as vast farmland and groundwater resources, according to the first phase of a geological survey released on Wednesday.

China announced plans in April to establish Xiongan New Area, a new economic zone about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing that covers Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin counties in Hebei province.

The plans include buildings, such as entertainment complexes and logistics and transportation hubs, some underground.

Experts from China Geological Survey, a research bureau under the Ministry of Land and Resources, started the first stage of their survey in June.

Over 1,700 experts have participated in the first phase of the survey, which covered 1,770 square kilometers in the region, collecting extensive data on water, soil and other geological information.

They concluded that 89.5 percent of the surveyed land is geologically stable and "suitable or relatively suitable for construction", but they warned authorities should be aware of the land subsidence.

There is no heavy metal pollution on 99.3 percent of the land, and 1,533 hectares is good farmland - 573 hectares, were found to be rich in selenium, an essential trace element that is good for human health.

"It's valuable, high-quality farmland without pollution in the region, and we suggest the authorities make better use of it and set it up as a special farmland zone with extra protection," Ma Zhen, head of the geological survey groups in Xiongan, said on Wednesday.

Xiongan also has good groundwater, said Hao Aibing, director of the research bureau's hydrogeological environment department. Seventy-eight percent of it in the shallow layer - up to 150 meters deep - and 95 percent from the deep layer could be drinkable immediately or after simple treatment.

The geologists also found that Xiongan New Area has rich geothermal energy resources in the shallow layer - up to 200 meters deep - which could make the area more ecologically sound.

Geological survey authorities intend to continue collecting data on the area.

By 2020, they will present comprehensive findings as the "transparent Xiongan" system, a compilation of multifaceted data from continuing surveys of space, resources, environment, and potential disasters, to fully support the city's growth.

China is willing to help other nations select and train astronauts and will gladly cooperate with them in its space station program, a senior official of the China Manned Space Agency said on Tuesday.

Yang Liwei, deputy head of the agency and the first Chinese in the space, said more than 10 countries, mostly developing have asked for China's assistance in selecting and training astronauts.

They hope to prepare astronauts for prospective joint missions to China's future space station, he said.

"It normally takes about four years to train a Chinese astronaut. The time needed to train a qualified foreign astronaut will vary based on each candidate's individual situation," Yang said. "Considering that we will have our own space station in about four years, now is the time to begin such training for nations interested in joining our space station program."

China welcomes other parties to join the program for mutual benefit and the peaceful use of outer space, he said.

His agency will begin making policies and standards for the selection and training of foreign astronauts, but the final decision will be made by top authorities, he said.

"Our scientists and designers have allocated a considerable amount of resources to the station for international collaboration. Foreign countries can work with us on the development of some equipment in the station or place their own devices in it. Our scientists also designed adapters that will enable the station to dock with foreign spacecraft," he said.

Yang was speaking after a news conference to announce the completion of a sea survival training session in Yantai, Shandong province, for 16 Chinese and two European astronauts. It was the first time foreign astronauts participated in spaceflight-related training in China, according to the space agency.

China will start building its first manned space station in 2019. First, a Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket will put the core module into orbit.

The space station will have three parts - the core module attached to two space labs, each weighing about 20 metric tons. It is expected to be put into operation around 2022 and to serve for at least 10 years, according to the manned space agency.

In 2024, it will become the world's only space station, if the International Space Station is retired that year as planned.

Huang Weifen, deputy research chief of the Astronaut Center of China, previously said that recruitment and training of China's third generation of astronauts will start this year.

The field of candidates will expand from Chinese Air Force pilots to include space industry engineers. All 21 of China's first and second generation astronauts were Air Force pilots.

The ceremony, with Vice-Premier Liu Yandong presenting the awards, also marked the opening of the 24th Beijing International Book Fair, in which some 1,000 book events will be held from Wednesday to Sunday.

The fair, the world's second-largest, has attracted 2,500 publishers from 89 countries and regions, and they brought 300,000 titles.

One of the winners was British translator Paul White, who has been working with China International Publishing Group for 31 years.

Among the books he worked on are Xi Jinping: The Governance of China and The Chinese Path and the Chinese Dream.

"I stay here because of the huge changes China has experienced," White said.

White said Chinese culture presents topics that are popular with global audiences. But as interest grows, international readers also want to read about China's progress in technology and politics.

Alicia Relinque Eleta, the Spanish translator of The Peony Pavilion, received an award for her long dedication to making Chinese classics available to the Spanish world. "When I was pursuing the Chinese language in the 1980s, people thought I was crazy. But Chinese culture had the magic to cheer up a middle school teacher of mine, who had never smiled at us until after a trip to China."

From that moment, Relinque Eleta said, "I've dedicated my life to pondering the best Spanish rhythms to convey the Chinese original".

Lebanese publisher Mohamad El Khatib has cooperated with 20 Chinese publishers to present 100 Chinese titles in his native market.

"From the books, the Lebanese people see they share the same values with Chinese, especially in family and relationships with kids," he said.

Zhao Haiyun, of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, said the winners, selected from more than 200 candidates, "have greatly contributed to spreading Chinese culture as well as Chinese stories to the world".

Established in 2005, the award has honored 88 such writers, publishers and translators from 40 countries.

Zhao said this year, 10 of the 20 winners are from countries involved with the Belt and Road Initiative, "a sign of much closer publishing cooperation with those countries", he said.

The initiative is also the featured topic for the Beijing International Publishing Forum, an annual key gathering held one day ahead of the book fair held on Tuesday, attracting publishers from home and abroad to share insights into global publishing exchanges.

Wu Shangzhi, deputy minister of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, noted that copyright trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative has grown by 20 percent since 2014.

Wu also said the Chinese publishing industry grossed 2.3 trillion yuan ($350 billion) in 2016, a 9 percent year-on-year increase.

Wang Yiwei, professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said of the forum: "The Belt and Road Initiative is a promise Chinese leaders made to the world: not only will China achieve its rejuvenation, it will encourage these countries to rejuvenate and thus create shared prosperity for all."

Wei Shanzhong was appointed vice minister of water resources; Ye Zhenqin replaced Chen Xiaohua as vice minister of agriculture.

Wang Xiaodong was appointed vice president of Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralymic Winter Games, replacing Xu Ning.

Wu Daohuai will no longer serve as vice minister of human resources and social security; Yang Huanning was removed as head of the State Administration of Work Safety.

Li Gang will no longer be deputy director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council and Fang Jianmeng will no longer hold the post of deputy head of State Oceanic Administration.

Money that would have been spent on construction will go to boosting public welfare

More public funds will be invested in improving people's lives as the central government approved a new draft regulation on Friday that controls expenditure for new buildings for government agencies, public organizations and institutions.

The draft regulation was approved at a State Council executive meeting, which was presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

To improve the government's work style and achieve cleaner governance, the new regulation aims to set up a mechanism for curtailing the number of new buildings, or their upgrade, for agencies and organizations paid for by fiscal funds, a statement released after the meeting said.

The regulation sets ceilings upon constructing, purchasing, enlarging and reconstructing office buildings by government agencies, public organizations and institutions. No venues and facilities that can receive guests will be built, including training centers and other reception venues or facilities. No more offices will be erected solely to accommodate equipment.

Public institutions and State-owned enterprises, which are subsidized by fiscal funds, will be curtailed from constructing buildings without proving demand, the document said.

Approvals and fund management will also be curbed in this field. All funds must come from approved budgets, and there will be no tolerance for those who embezzle special-purpose funds, raise money from staff members or pay the expenditure through bank loans and other channels.

The regulation also sets standards for information disclosure and supervision. It requires that information about construction should be disclosed to the public. Any violation of the regulation must be corrected and officials in charge will be punished.

The regulation is the latest move by the central government to curb expenditure on office buildings, following Li's promise to cut governmental budgets for new buildings four years ago.

When meeting with the media in March 2013, the premier promised not to erect new governmental buildings during his term over the next five years. "The central government will take the lead while each level of government will follow," he said.

Four months later, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly released a notice to curb construction for government agencies and public institutions.

"Precious fiscal funds should be used more in economic development and improving people's lives. The government must tighten its belt," the premier said at Friday's meeting, pointing out that money could be better used on boosting the public welfare.

The new regulation reiterates the importance of controlling unnecessary construction projects and clarifies the punishment for violators, which will lessen the opportunity for corruption, said Jia Xijin, associate professor of public management at Tsinghua University.

Since the 18th Party Congress in 2012, the central government has spotlighted the task to manage building new governmental offices, said Zhu Lijia, a professor of public management at the Chinese Academy of Governance.

However, some of the old regulations are outdated and not detailed enough to adapt to new conditions anymore, said Zhu. The drafted regulation was approved by a high-level meeting at the State Council, showing the importance the central government has attached to this area, he said.

"I expect the document to restrict impetuous moves by local governments to carry out infrastructure projects and office buildings in a fully normalized and consistent manner," Zhu added.

Friday's regulation was also welcomed by local government officials, including He Yongchun in Lijiang in Southwest China's Yunnan province.

He, who works for the Laojun Mountain National Park Management Bureau, said local governments have limited budgets as fiscal revenues have been squeezed amid slower growth.

"There are still millions of people living under the poverty line in many areas in western and central China.

"To develop local economies and improve their living conditions, governmental budgets should be spent in correct areas and ways, instead of erecting office buildings," He said.

huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn

]]> 2017-08-22 07:29:04 http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/2017-08/21/content_30931866.htm BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a condolence message to his counterpart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over a landslide which has killed at least 200.

In his message to Joseph Kabila on Sunday, Xi mourned the victims and expressed heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved families and those affected by the disaster on behalf of the Chinese government and people.

The death toll has risen to at least 200 from the landslide that hit three villages of the DRC's northeastern province of Ituri on Thursday.

He made the remarks in a congratulatory letter Monday for the launch ceremony of China's international development knowledge center, which aims to facilitate study and exchanges on development theory and practice.

Noting that he is glad to see the launch of the center, which he proposed at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015, Xi said he expects the center to contribute to research and exchanges on development among different countries and to promote global implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Xi said implementing the 2030 Agenda is the common responsibility of the international community. The Chinese government highly values implementation of the agenda and has released its national plan for the implementation.

He said China has made early progress in implementing the work in a balanced way in economic, social and environmental fields.

A progress report on China's implementation of the agenda was also released at the launch ceremony.

In a message of condolences, Li, on behalf of the Chinese government, mourned the dead, extended heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved families and hoped for rapid recovery of the injured.

China firmly supports Spain in its efforts to fight terrorism and safegurad national security, and is willing to work with all nations, including Spain, to make joint contributions to world peace and security, said the Chinese premier.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with visiting Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug 17, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with visiting Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

"You are the first senior military official to visit China since US President Donald Trump took office," Xi told Dunford.

Xi said although the visit is brief, it is quite comprehensive, indicating that the military-to-military relations between China and the United States have made a substantial step forward.

The VT-5 light-duty tank is put through its paces at a demonstration held on Wednesday by State-owned arms-maker China North Industries Group Corp. Provided to China Daily More photos

China demonstrated many of its domestically developed tanks and other land-based weapons in an arms show before hundreds of foreign military officers in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Wednesday.

The event was held by State-owned China North Industries Group Corp, commonly known as Norinco, the country's biggest maker of land-based armaments. It was meant to show the latest achievements of the Chinese land-based weapons industry, Norinco said in a statement.

About 230 officers from more than 50 foreign nations, mostly military attaches to Beijing and procurement officials, attended the demonstration. It included live-fire performances by battle tanks and anti-tank missiles, at a shooting range of the Inner Mongolia First Machinery Co, a subsidiary of Norinco, in the industrial city of Baotou.

Dozens of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and mine-resistant/ambush protected vehicles roared onto the proving ground in formation and then conducted tactical maneuvers. Several amphibious assault vehicles and all-terrain vehicles cut through bodies of water.

The weapons displayed were the export versions, not those used by the Chinese military.

During the live-fire exercise, a VT-4 main battle tank and a ST-1 tank destroyer fired rounds of armor-piercing ammunition, and a VT-5 light-duty tank launched anti-tank missiles. A GL-5 active protection system mounted on a tank intercepted an incoming anti-tank rocket.

Afterward, many foreign guests were invited to drive and operate several types of tanks and armored vehicles.

Zhu Zheng, a senior armored vehicle researcher at Norinco and spokesman for this year's show, said the company wanted to feature the VT-5 light-duty tank and VN-17 tracked infantry fighting vehicle this year.

The VT-5, which the company called the most advanced light-duty tank available in the international market, is based on proven technologies and has a powerful, Chinese designed engine, Zhu said.

The VT-4 main battle tank is put through its paces at a demonstration held on Wednesday by State-owned arms-maker China North Industries Group Corp. Provided to China Daily More photos

Wednesday was the first field demonstration of the VT-5. It was first shown to the public at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in November but there was no demonstration at the time.

The company said the VT-5 is capable of operating in terrains such as desert, forest, urban areas and in soft soil that cannot support heavy-duty tanks. Its maximum weight is 36 metric tons, and it has a crew of three. The tank is armed with a 105-mm rifled tank gun, which can fire armor-piercing shells, high-explosive warheads and antitank missiles, and a 12.7-mm remotely controlled machine gun.

"The VT-5 has many advanced designs and equipment. It is the first Chinese export tank that has a conveyor-belt shell autoloader, which has better reliability and safety and higher speed when loading the main gun," Zhu said.

The VN-17 infantry fighting vehicle made its public debut at the demonstration. Many of its large parts, like the chassis and engine, are the same as those used by the VT-5. It features an unmanned turret.

"Both the VT-5 and VN-17 are powered by domestically developed engines, which means we will no longer be bothered by interventions from some foreign suppliers," Zhu said.

Xiao Ning, editor-in-chief of Beijing-based Weapon magazine, attended the event and said the VT-5 is capable of confronting most kinds of tanks.

"Its firepower, armor and mobility are equally good for the needs of most developing countries, which can't afford, and don't necessarily need, high-priced Western tanks such as the US M1A2 Abrams and the German Leopard 2 series," he said.

Members of a Japanese delegation mourn outside the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing on Tuesday. YANG BO/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

China urged Japan to "face up to and deeply reflect upon its history of aggression" after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a monetary offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine on the 72nd anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.

"We are firmly opposed to Japan's wrongdoings," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday at a daily news conference in Beijing.

The Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 Class-A war criminals from World War II and is regarded as a symbol of past Japanese militarism. It is the fifth consecutive year that Abe sent a ritual offering to the shrine.

"China urges the Japanese side to earnestly face up to and deeply reflect upon its history of aggression, draw a line with the militarism and win trust from its Asian neighbors and the global society with actual deeds," Hua said.

This year also marks the 80th anniversary of Lugou Bridge Incident, which triggered Japan's full-scale invasion of China in 1937; and the Nanjing Massacre, in which 300,000 Chinese were killed by Japanese soldiers.

A documentary aired by the Japanese broadcaster NHK on Sunday disclosed the atrocities of Japan's infamous Unit 731 in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province during World War II.

NHK uncovered a 20-plus-hour voice recording used in a trial, in which former members of the unit confessed to conducting human experiments on Chinese and Soviets to develop biochemical weapons.

"The historical evidence about the Japanese army's monstrous crimes in China are ironclad and undeniable," Hua said, adding that China appreciates the courage of people with vision in Japan to reveal the truth.

"We hope Japan could carefully listen to the cry for justice at home and abroad... and respect the feelings of people in China and other war victim countries in Asia," she said.

Lyu Yaodong, a researcher of Japanese foreign policy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that while NHK has done something meaningful, Abe's behavior is a sharp contrast to the documentary.

Zhou Jin contributed to the story.

On Aug 15, 1945, Dick Whitaker, a member of the Sixth Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps, was on the island of Guam when he heard of the Japanese surrender.

The end of World War II also signaled the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), fought exclusively on Chinese soil.

"I was training for the invasion of Japan, scheduled for November 1945, in which I would very likely have been killed," Whitaker said. "The victory saved my life and properly avenged Pearl Harbor."

On Dec 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, a US naval base in Hawaii, killing thousands of military personnel and civilians.

US President Franklin D. Roosevelt described it as "a date which will live in infamy", and the United States declared war on Japan the following day.

Xinhua has interviewed US veterans and their families by phone or email to hear about their memories of the victory and their hopes for the future.

The Battle of Okinawa

"When I turned 16, I began to think about the possibility of serving in the military," Whitaker, now 91, recalled.

Upon graduation in 1942 and 1943, several of his friends joined the military. Whitaker enlisted in the summer of 1944, and landed at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands with the Sixth Marine Division just six months later.

"My mission was to win battles, to defeat Japan, and hopefully to survive intact," he said.

"We sailed from Guadalcanal on March 13, 1945, my 19th birthday. On April 1, 1945, we landed in Okinawa."

The Battle of Okinawa lasted 82 days and was one of WWII's fiercest. Whitaker's regiment suffered heavy losses, with 82 percent of his comrades wounded or killed. Last year, Hacksaw Ridge, a film based on the story of the battle, was a hit with audiences in both China and the US.

"After 82 days of killing Japanese soldiers, which was very satisfying at the time, I came to feel sorry for them," he said.

"They were treated badly by their superiors. They were starving. They were fighting for a lost cause and instructed to kill themselves if defeated - not much of a plan!"

The battle left more than 90,000 Japanese soldiers dead; only 7,400 were taken prisoner. About 100,000 local civilians lost their lives.

"I weighed about 115 pounds (52 kilograms), having lost about 20 pounds on Okinawa," Whitaker said.

After WWII, Whitaker's division was dispatched to Qingdao in East China's Shandong province to work on repatriating Japanese forces from North China.

"We were there for six months. I will never forget the welcome I received. The Chinese are fine people," he said.

"The Japanese soldiers we rounded up and sent back to Japan knew we were Marines and would take no nonsense," Whitaker said. "They were very aware of our reputation and our hatred of them. They were docile and seldom made eye contact."

On a Greyhound bus at 3 am on Memorial Day, May 27, 1946, Whitaker arrived in Saugerties, New York, a town just 35 kilometers from Hyde Park, Roosevelt's hometown.

"The parade started at 11 am. I went with my mom and dad and had my hand shaken 100 times. It was a great day to get home from a war," Whitaker recalled.

Before retirement, he spent 28 years at Kent School in Connecticut as director of public relations, alumni secretary and assistant secretary to the board of trustees.

He now volunteers on the carrier USS Yorktown in South Carolina, and speaks at schools and retirement homes.

Belated apology

Lester Tenney landed in the Philippines in late November 1941. He was age 21 and had been married for just two months.

Tenney joined the National Guard in 1940: "I knew that the United States was going to have a draft, so I voluntarily entered the service."

What he did not know was that within a month of his arrival in Asia, Japan would attack Pearl Harbor and the Philippines.

When Japan defeated the United States on the Bataan Peninsula in April 1942, 78,000 US and Filipino soldiers surrendered.

Following the largest-ever US overseas surrender, the Japanese forced their prisoners of war to walk more than 100 kilometers to their camp, offering little or no food and water. Thousands died during what became known as the Bataan Death March.

Tenney survived, strengthened, he said, by his love and affection for his young wife. He spent the latter years of the war as a slave in a Japanese coal mine.

When Japan announced its surrender, the Japanese camp commander gathered the POWs at Omuta, less than 64 kilometers from Nagasaki, where the US had dropped an atomic bomb six days before, and announced that "Japan and the United States are now friends".

"Then all the Japanese soldiers simply left the camp," said Tenney, who had been transferred to Omuta.

"Out of around 12,000 American POWs there, only 1,500 survived to the end."

He was so weak he remained in hospital for a year.

While news of Bataan reached his wife, there was no confirmation of Tenney's fate. His wife waited three years for news, even though she was told that Tenney was "presumed dead".

After the war, Tenney discovered that she had remarried just months earlier. More than 70 years later, he recalled the revelation as "a tremendously traumatic experience", but he got back on his feet.

"It was easy for a veteran to get a job, but I wanted to get an education. I hadn't had a chance to because of the war," he said. "I wanted to be a better member of society."

He eventually gained a doctorate from the University of Southern California and became a professor.

In his later years, he was an active campaigner for both an admission of responsibility and apology from Japan. It was thanks in part to his efforts, that in 2009, the Japanese ambassador to the US, Ichiro Fujisaki, delivered a "heartfelt apology" for "having caused tremendous damage and suffering" to the Bataan victims.

Tenney joined other victims in a class action against several Japanese mining companies for reparations. "They were afraid that if they apologized, we would sue them," he said, speaking before his death in February at age 96.

Nightmare's end

On Aug 15, 1945, Jay Vinyard, who served in the US Air Force between 1942 and 1946, was in St. Joseph, Missouri, with his wife.

"We heard the news (of Japan's surrender) on the radio in our hotel room. We watched from our hotel room window as the crowds gathered below on the streets to celebrate," he recalled.

"It was quite a sight; a once-in-a-lifetime event. Aug 15, 1945, will always be remembered by me as the day when victory finally arrived after so many terrible years of devastating conflict. It also proved that when two great powers such as China and the US agree on a goal and work together to accomplish it, they will always be victorious in the end."

In 1944, he was assigned to fly "the Hump", a vital airlift route over the Himalayas and the primary way the Allies supplied China between 1942 and 1945. Ahead of the 2015 Victory Day parade in Beijing, China awarded Vinyard a medal for his services.

"Like all members of our armed forces, I felt that day finally brought an end to a great nightmare, and that we would now be able to get on with the rest of our lives," he said.

US General Claire Lee Chennault, founder of the American Volunteer Group, was on his way back to the US when the Japanese surrendered. The squadron, better known as the Flying Tigers, was a legendary air corps that fought alongside the Chinese against Japan during WWII.

"He was of course extremely relieved, after eight years of combat, that we were victorious. He had served both countries to the best of his ability and now they were at peace," Nell Calloway, Chennault's granddaughter, said.

"The sign of the Flying Tiger during WWII was a symbol of victory for people of both the United States and China. When the war ended, this symbol never faded from the minds of people who were liberated, and it remains a symbol of fascination for people in both countries. People may not remember the history it represents, but they remember that it represents a historic moment.

"We have a responsibility to all who sacrificed so much to put aside our differences in a time of peace and make the world a better place."

China's suffering ignored

Frank Losonsky, now 96 and one of only two surviving Flying Tigers, was a crew chief.

He was in the US training as a B-29 flight engineer when he heard the news of the Japanese surrender.

"Today, Aug 15 means remembering those who died in the hope of peaceful times," he said.

While WWII ended 72 years ago, a few diehards in Japan still avoid acknowledging the suffering inflicted.

In Whitaker's opinion, "old-school" Japanese leaders remain uncomfortable with their mistakes and defeat: "They lost face and are attempting to restore that old respect they once had."

In December, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Pearl Harbor to "pray for the souls of the victims".

"I say, 'stay home,'" Whitaker said, when asked for his reaction to the gesture. "We will never forgive Japan for its sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, and nothing they could ever do will ever alter the events of Dec 7, 1941, a 'day of infamy'."

Jan Thompson, a professor at Southern Illinois University, was angry at the abuse her late father received at the hands of the Japanese during the three years he spent as a POW.

"The POWs I knew did not buy Japanese products, like Japanese cars and TVs," she said.

The Japanese government has apologized to US POWs and their families as a gesture of reconciliation. Thompson believes Japan could apply this model to other countries.

"There is still so much tension in East Asia, and it is all because of WWII," she said.

"WWII is so important for what is going on in Asia now. We have to be accurate and embrace the truth, no matter how painful."

China fought shoulder to shoulder with the Allies and made a major contribution to the victory.

Perry Dahl, who enlisted in 1940 and fought in the Pacific, shot down nine Japanese fighter jets.

"I was 17 years old when I joined the National Guard," he said. "Everyone then was rather patriotic. My colleagues and I wanted to do the best we could for China as an ally. China's contribution to WWII is undervalued."

Throughout WWII, China was a major battlefield in the fight against the Japanese invasion. By the time the Japanese surrendered in 1945, about 35 million Chinese military personnel and civilians had lost their lives or were wounded.

"The symbolic value of the Flying Tigers is as important today as it was then. It represents a time when two great peoples put aside their differences and defeated an enemy that sought to conquer the world," Calloway said. 

As bike-sharing booms in China, a guideline was released to promote a new form of the sharing economy－this time involving vehicles.

The move was expected to help ease traffic congestion in big cities, while market analysts believed the new mode will take longer to develop than the booming bike-sharing business due to higher costs and difficulties in parking.

Car-sharing, which provides an alternative for people to travel in cities, can enhance their transportation experience. It will be an innovation in a service model, technology and management of traditional car rentals, according to the guideline to promote a healthy development of small and micro-vehicle rentals. The guideline was co-released by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on Aug 8.

The document focuses on legal status, insurance and regular maintenance of cars before they join sharing services. It encourages the development of car-sharing, which is expected to reduce the inclination to individually buy vehicles and ease traffic congestion amid a surge in recent years of private-car ownership.

In addition, the guideline also encourages the use of new smart technologies such as satellite positioning networks and mobile internet-based applications that will facilitate management of cars and users when they make orders.

The sharing economy has been booming as China carries out the Internet Plus Initiative, a strategy to integrate traditional industries with internet and information technologies. Currently, more than 30 companies are providing car-sharing rentals, which are estimated to grow by 45 percent each year in the next 10 years. By 2025, as many as 600,000 cars will be rented in this way.

The transaction value, which reached 360 million yuan ($53 million) from car-sharing business last year, will soar to 8.6 billion yuan in 2020, according to data provided by analysys.cn, a consultancy headquartered in Beijing.

The guideline specifically aims to boost the development of car-sharing and stipulates requirements in rental operations, services and risk management, which will ensure a healthy development for the industry, said Liu Qian, market director of atzuche.com, an online car-sharing platform based in Shanghai.

Car-sharing, like bike-sharing, will be a key component for China's urban transportation system, aiming to effectively reduce the number of privately-owned cars, said Zhu Dajian, director of the sustainable and new urbanization think tank at Tongji University in Shanghai.

However, a car costs at least 100,000 yuan, almost 500 times that for a shared bicycle. Parking will be another problem for shared cars as most major cities are trying to contain traffic in downtown areas by controlling parking space, said Xia Xueluan, a professor of sociology at Sanya University in Hainan province.

Meanwhile, traditional car rental companies are competing with the emerging car-sharing businesses. It's estimated the charges will be almost the same for both forms of car rentals, Xia said. How to survive fierce competition will remain a challenge for car-sharing providers, he added.

Zhu said the government issued guidelines for bike-sharing and online car-hailing services long after these new businesses saw rapid growth. Bike-sharing has imposed challenges on urban management as some streets or roads are jammed with abandoned bicycles, though the bikes give new options for people to travel "the last mile" in giant cities such as Beijing.

"The new guideline predicts potential problems and sets requirements to settle them. It can be seen as an exploration by the Chinese government in the sharing economy," Zhu said.

The fundamental goal of developing car-sharing is to reduce the number of private cars and raise the efficiency of driving, Zhu said.

"Shared cars also take the same spaces as other private cars, a relatively less efficient way to make use of limited parking spaces in cities. Therefore, Chinese cities should promote public transportation and car-sharing as well," he said.

In this sense, car-sharing services should integrate with other public transport means such as bike and buses to curtail people's desire to drive, he said, adding that traffic congestion will be eased when the integration is fulfilled.

Pakistani students hold national flags during a ceremony on Monday marking 70 years of independence. ASIF HASSAN/AFP

China hopes to deepen Belt and Road cooperation with Nepal and reach more consensus with the country, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Monday while commenting on Vice-Premier Wang Yang's ongoing trip to South Asia.

Wang arrived in Kathmandu, the capital, on Monday evening after wrapping up his visit to Pakistan. He will meet with Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during the visit, spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular news conference on Monday.

Noting that China and Nepal are friendly neighbors, Hua said that the visit is an important high-level interaction between the two countries.

The visit is expected to push forward the implementation of consensus reached by the two countries and deepen cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, she said.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with the rest of the world along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road.

Wang met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Kha¬qan Abbasi in Islamabad on Sunday, and the two sides vowed to deepen cooperation in various fields. Wang attended activities marking the 70th anniversary of Pakistan's independence on Monday.

Noting that China and Pakistan are "iron friends" and all-weather partners of strategic cooperation who always understand and support each other, Wang said Xi's successful visit to Pakistan in 2015 ushered in a new chapter of the relations between the two countries.

Vice-Premier Wang Yang and Pakistan's Interim Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (center) arrive at a flag ceremony in Islamabad for Independence Day on Monday. AAMIR QURESHI/AFP

China would like to join hands with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and ensure that more fruitful results will be achieved in bilateral cooperation, he said.

With regard to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang expressed hope the two countries will strengthen coordination and make good plans and designs from a long-term and top-level perspective.

While hailing fruitful cooperation in various economic fields over the past years, especially in the CPEC construction, Wang suggested that in the near future the two countries emphasize ensuring early harvests in the project.

For his part, Abbasi said Pakistan and China are brothers and bilateral relations have withstood the test of time. Pakistan has witnessed the sustainable growth in its economy in recent years and China has played an important role in it, he said.

After their meeting, Wang and Abbasi attended the completion and inauguration ceremony of important cooperation projects between the two countries and the signing ceremony of bilateral cooperation documents.

Xinhua News Agency contributed to this story

Soldiers load ammunition onto a tank on Aug 4 during the International Army Games 2017 in Korla, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY

Lu Donghua carefully lifted the QW-2 antiaircraft missile launcher to his shoulder, drew a breath, and then pulled the trigger. Within seconds, he was watching his target "blossom like a flower" in the sky.

"Just imagine if that target was an attack helicopter sent by the enemy in a real battle," the 26-year-old private with the People's Liberation Army Ground Force said shortly after jumping down from atop a 92A infantry fighting vehicle.

The target was in fact a large circular board about 1.5 kilometers away in the Gobi Desert that had been raised 13 meters above the ground to simulate a helicopter strike.

Four days earlier, on Aug 1, Lu had also shredded a moving target in an antimissile exercise to begin his air-defense unit's campaign at the International Army Games 2017 in Korla, a city in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The games, known as the Military Olympics, were initiated by Russia in 2014. This year, for the first time, China hosted four sections: Suvorov Attack, Clear Sky, Safe Environment and Gunsmith Master.

Militaries from 10 countries competed under the blazing desert sun from July 31 until Saturday. According to the official results released over the weekend, teams from the PLA Ground Force won 11 contests over the four sections.

Colonel Tan Yingshuai, a spokesman for the PLA Ground Force, said he believes any military that can claim victory in the International Army Games is also likely to succeed on a real battlefield.

Smoke bombs explode over the Gobi Desert during a Safe Environment event to simulate combat conditions. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY Historic opportunity

Like many soldiers who took part, Lu put the success down to China's unprecedented military reform, which has focused largely on improving combat training for the armed forces.

The Central Military Commission unveiled an overall reform plan in July 2015, which was quickly followed by a decision to cut 300,000 troops as well as revamp the command system. The commission, headed by President Xi Jinping, pledged to establish a leaner and more efficient chain of command, reduce the number of noncombatant personnel and departments, and build the PLA into a mighty force capable of winning a modern war.

While the Ground Force may face the hardest task in meeting the troop reduction target, the reform is a historic opportunity, according to Major General Zhang Mingcai, deputy chief of staff for the Ground Force.

"The reform has forced us to be reborn and pushed forward the restructuring process," said Zhang, who was on the judging panel in Korla. "It has greatly helped optimize troop structure and improve weaponry development. Plus, actual combat training has been significantly boosted."

Lu said he has seen obvious changes in training since the reform began. "We now focus on taking down moving targets with live ammunition instead of practicing on fixed targets, as it's a vital skill in actual combat," the gunner said.

Senior Colonel Yang Yong, the Chinese team leader for the Clear Sky event, which tested a military's air defenses, said the window for destroying an airborne missile－or "making it blossom", as gunners say－is between four and six seconds.

"Tough, strict and realistic combat training is the key to winning battles," he said, adding that during air-defense events, teams had to move quickly after firing at each target, which is necessary in a real combat situation to avoid being spotted by the enemy.

Chinese soldiers (from left) Liu Wei, Sodnam Tobgyal and Xue Fanyu prepare for an event that simulates a chemical warfare situation. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY

No room for error

The Suvorov Attack relay race, one of the most popular events, requires crews to drive infantry fighting vehicles, or IFVs, through obstacle courses featuring mines, fires, waterfilled ditches and antitank trenches, to test their maneuvering skills.

Team members also need to take part in three shooting sessions, which involve quickly loading ammunition onto their vehicles. In this area, the Chinese military greatly impressed their foreign competitors.

"Our routine combat training requires us to be accurate and fast. We just did what we normally do in training," said Private Wang Kunlong, 30, commander of a Chinese-made 86A IFV crew.

The Russian team used its domestically built BMP-2 for the contest, which is seen as superior to China's 86A. "But we made up for it with our driving and shooting skills," said Wang, who has been training with driver Lu Bo and gunner Bao Hongjun for two years. "We're a team, so we can have tacit cooperation in any situation," he added.

Despite the fact it weighs 13.6 metric tons, Lu Bo steered the crew's 86A through the obstacle course like it was a family car cruising on a city street. This, he said, is due to the fact he treats the vehicle like his baby.

An obsessive grease monkey, the 29-year-old said he learned about the importance of keeping a vehicle in top condition the hard way in the 2015 International Army Games, when his IFV almost hit a concrete block after the engine suddenly stalled because it had not been maintained properly.

"There's no room for errors like that in actual combat," said Lu Bo, who was named best driver in the Suvorov Attack section this year.

Major General Xu Youze, who headed the judging panel for the Suvorov Attack section, added: "The Ground Force encourages soldiers to be creative and find the combat methods that suit them best. If two IFVs meet in actual combat, only the one that can launch an attack first will survive. So being the fastest is what we train for."

Speed is also critical in the Gunsmith Master section, which tests a military's ability in installing and repairing various weapons in battlefield conditions.

Maintenance is key to winning battles, according to Tian Fuping, deputy chief of staff for the Xinjiang Military Region. He added, "Our combat training in recent years has not only required our maintenance crews to be gunsmith masters, but also to be fighters first."

And it wasn't just the soldiers who were put through their paces in Korla－China's weaponry was also put to the test. Except for the BMP-2 IFV, all the hardware used in the competition was provided by China.

"The competition saw the weaponry used in extreme conditions. We will collect data on any problems and pass it on to manufacturers to further develop Chinese weaponry," Major General Zhang said.

After completing their final Clear Sky mission on Wednesday, Lu Donghua and his team highlighted another important skill for soldiers: endurance. Once back at base, all three got out of their IFV and instantly began to vomit.

"The temperature in the vehicle was over 50 C, so it was really uncomfortable. We just had to deal with it because there is no comfort in combat," Lu Donghua added.

Soldiers from Zimbabwe dance at the games' opening ceremony in July. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY

Unlike most soldiers, Zhang Lidong is trained to fight an invisible enemy.

"Our job is to remove the demon that normal people cannot see," the 25-year-old private said of his unit, which is trained to deal with chemical, biological and nuclear threats that could cause mass casualties. "That's why we call ourselves 'The Exorcists'," he added.

Zhang, whose antichemical warfare regiment is based in Beijing, commanded the two Chinese crews that competed in this month's International Army Games in the desert near Korla, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

His team took part in the Safe Environment event between Aug 2 and 8, which saw each three-member crew drive a Chinese-made Warrior military SUV through an obstacle course while carrying out set tasks, including shooting targets, identifying toxic substances and detecting radioactive sources. All the soldiers wore protective gear and gas masks.

"We always train in the gear, so it isn't a burden in actual combat," Zhang said, although he conceded that the simulated scenarios were still very different to the real thing.

Zhang took part in the same event at the 2015 International Army Games in Russia. When he returned to China on Aug 13, he was sent directly to Tianjin, which had just been rocked by a massive blast caused by hazardous materials stored in a warehouse.

The late-night explosion started a blaze that burned for days, with eight secondary blasts reported on Aug 15. The final death toll was 173, according to official data.

"Although we carried out the same procedure (as at the army games) to identify chemicals at the scene in Tianjin, I was shocked by what I saw," Zhang recalled. "Everything was gray and lifeless. We also had the task of searching for bodies."

Colonel Ma Guojie, commander of the anti-chemical warfare regiment, said to ensure his soldiers are combat-ready, they are trained in units rather than as individuals.

"They need to be a strong fighting force first and foremost. Our goal is to create an anti-chemical warfare force that has outstanding technical and military skills," he said.

China established a new anti-chemical warfare regiment in Xinjiang this year.

Specialist soldiers need to be accurate when identifying dangers "because we don't get a second chance", said Private Gao Pan, 24, the driver on Zhang's team. He said crews also need to constantly upgrade their knowledge on toxic substances and antidotes to cope with the ever-changing combat environments.

"There is no time to think about death during a mission. We're always laser-focused on the procedure," Gao said.

Guo Zaizhu and Rao Jun contributed to this story.

Xi, on behalf of the Chinese government and the people, as well as in his own name, mourn the victims, and extended his sincere condolences to the injured and the families of those killed in the accident.

The Chinese team during the semifinal relay of the Tank Biathlon competition held as part of the 2017 International Army Games at the Alabino training ground outside Moscow.The International Army Games 2017, underway from July 29 to Aug 12, consist of 28 events held in Russia, China, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Kazakhstan.[Photo/VCG]

The Chinese team during the semifinal relay of the Tank Biathlon competition held as part of the 2017 International Army Games at the Alabino training ground outside Moscow.[Photo/VCG] The Chinese team during the semifinal relay of the Tank Biathlon competition held as part of the 2017 International Army Games at the Alabino training ground outside Moscow.[Photo/VCG] The Chinese team during the semifinal relay of the Tank Biathlon competition held as part of the 2017 International Army Games at the Alabino training ground outside Moscow.[Photo/VCG] Team of Russia is in action during the "Maintenance battalion" of International Army Games 2017 contest in Omsk region, Russia, on Aug 9, 2017. [Photo/xinhua] Crew members of team of Russia lift the tank with pneumatic jack during the "Maintenance battalion" contest of International Army Games 2017 in Omsk region, Russia, on Aug 9, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua] A Russian tank crew member looks out of the tank during the "Maintenance battalion" of International Army Games 2017 contest in Omsk region, Russia, on Aug 9, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua] Russian tank crew competes during the "Maintenance battalion" of International Army Games 2017 contest in Omsk region, Russia, on Aug 9, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua] Team of Russia changes the track of the tank during the "Maintenance battalion" of International Army Games 2017 contest in Omsk region, Russia, on Aug 9, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua] The Iranian team during the semifinal relay of the Tank Biathlon competition held as part of the 2017 International Army Games at the Alabino training ground outside Moscow.Photo/VCG] The Venezuelan team during the semifinal relay of the Tank Biathlon competition held as part of the 2017 International Army Games at the Alabino training ground outside Moscow.[Photo/VCG]

Wu Qian said in a statement that missile frigates Huaibei and Fushun of the Chinese Navy were immediately sent to identify the US warship, warn and expel it.

The USS John S. McCain illegally entered the waters near the reef in South China Sea earlier on Thursday. China has sovereignty of the Nansha Islands and its adjacent waters.

The US military forces intrusion under the guise of "freedom of navigation" will intensify regional militarization and may result in maritime or air accidents, said Wu.

"Such provocation will only drive China to improve its defense capacity," Wu added.

Chinese Foreign Ministry also protested US activity on Thursday.

Related story:

US destroyer in South China Sea violated law, harmed security

Both nations hope to work toward jointly fighting international crime

China hopes to strengthen cooperation with Canada in the areas of anti-corruption and law enforcement with the aim of jointly combating international crimes, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when meeting Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland in Beijing on Wednesday.

Making the remark during the second annual China-Canada foreign ministers meeting, Wang also said China hopes to work with Canada to create "a new golden time" of bilateral ties.

The fact that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Li Keqiang exchanged visits within a month showed the two countries' "urgent wish" to deepen cooperation, Wang said.

Freeland said the ties are "a priority relationship for Canada", and that "Canadians in general are proud of our long history of an independent and particular relationship with China".

Wang said, among other things, that China and Canada should maintain high-level exchanges and exchanges at other various levels, promote the construction of a China-Canada free trade zone and expand anti-corruption and law enforcement cooperation.

Freeland said Canada hopes to actively discuss the launch of negotiation of the free trade agreement between the two countries and that Canada sticks to the one-China policy and understands China's position and concerns on issues regarding Taiwan and Tibet.

Wang held the first China-Canada foreign ministers meeting in June 2016 with former Canadian foreign minister Stephane Dion in Ottawa.

The visit starting in August last year by Trudeau, son of former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau, who established Canada's diplomatic relations with China in 1970, was regarded as important in terms of turning a new page for bilateral ties.

Trudeau's visit was followed by Li's visit to Canada in September.

During Li's visit, the two countries issued a joint statement saying they agreed to expand bilateral trade and strengthen cooperation in fields including agriculture and energy.

The two sides also signed a number of cooperation documents, including one on sharing and return of forfeited assets.

Li Haidong, professor of the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, said the two countries have great potential in cooperation in fields including trade, energy and fugitive repatriation and asset recovery.

The mechanism of the two countries foreign ministers meeting is "an important channel" for them to communicate, improve trust, and coordinate and cooperate to address issues they care about, the professor said.

The Trudeau government has shifted Canada's priority of foreign relations from North America to the Asia-Pacific and China, and the two countries need each other more urgently than ever, the professor said.

China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng delivers a speech during a symposium marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of Inner Mongolia autonomous region, in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Aug 9, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

HOHHOT — China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng on Wednesday called on people from north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region to make progress in ethnic unity ahead of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks at a symposium marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The symposium was attended by local officials and people of various ethnic groups and from all walks of life.

Yu urged efforts to make achievements in economic transformation and restructuring, deepening reform, improving people's living standards and risk prevention.

During his visit to the Memorial Hall of Ulanhu, a veteran leader of the autonomous region, Yu said that people should learn from Ulanhu's lofty spirit and good virtue to "build a beautiful Inner Mongolia and achieve the great Chinese dream."

Yu also visited a community, a book store and sports facilities to extend greetings.

While visiting an institute of biotechnology on livestock breeding, Yu called for more investment in R&D, adopting more core technologies and encouraging the institute to be an industry leader.

Inspecting a local ecological environment company, he learned about ecological restoration and grassland ecology while stressing the exploration of a sustainable green path that accords with national and local conditions.

China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng visits an institute of biotechnology on livestock breeding in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Aug 9, 2017. Yu led a delegation from the central authorities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Inner Mongolia autonomous region.[Photo/Xinhua]

China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng visits the service hall of a community in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Aug 9, 2017. Yu led a delegation from the central authorities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Inner Mongolia autonomous region.[Photo/Xinhua]

China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng visits a community of residents from various ethnic groups in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Aug 9, 2017. Yu led a delegation from the central authorities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Inner Mongolia autonomous region.[Photo/Xinhua]

China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng visits the M-Grass Ecology & Environment Co. Ltd. in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Aug 9, 2017. Yu led a delegation from the central authorities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng visits the Memorial Hall of Ulanhu, a veteran leader of Inner Mongolia autonomous region, in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Aug 9, 2017. Yu led a delegation from the central authorities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo/Xinhua]

China is ready to bring greater closeness to the China-ASEAN Community of Shared Destiny to make it an example within the Asian Community of Shared Destiny, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.

Xi made the pledge when sending congratulations on the 50th anniversary of ASEAN's founding in a message to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose country has ASEAN's rotating chairmanship this year.

As a sign of the booming ties between China and the 10-country group, China has been ASEAN's largest trade partner for eight years.

Their trade amounted to $452.2 billion last year, and currently about 2,700 flights connect China and the 10 countries in every week.

Xi said that since their dialogue partnership was built in 1991, China and ASEAN have stayed true to cooperation and development, their political mutual trust has deepened and their pragmatic cooperation has seen fruitful outcomes.

"China-ASEAN ties have become one of the most vigorous and enriched dialogue partnerships of ASEAN," Xi added.

He noted that ASEAN has played an important role in securing regional peace and stability since its founding half a century ago, and it has become a force that represents the world's developing multipolar nature.

China expects greater development of the ASEAN community, which will contribute more to regional peace, stability and prosperity and better benefit the people of its member countries, Xi said.

As next year marks the 15th anniversary of China and ASEAN establishing their strategic partnership, Xi said China would like to take the year as an opportunity to appreciate all that has been accomplished and look at what can be done over the long run.

In Manila on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the grand celebration of ASEAN's 50th anniversary along with his counterparts from ASEAN and other nations.

Duterte said, "We seek to engage with our neighbors positively in dialogue partnerships that continue to grow."

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters on Tuesday that "China plays a very positive role" in the region.

"China has shown economic strength... in the last decades, its economy has also fueled our growth in ASEAN with tourism from China, manufacturing and infrastructure projects," he said.

In regard to the South China Sea situation, Cayetano said, "All the positive sides China has given to the relationship with ASEAN will not be disturbed" because of disputes there.

"We will not allow this to disturb our good relationships," he said.

Wang said on Monday night that with the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea has been stabilized, and pragmatic cooperation has unfolded.

Yu Zhengsheng (L), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Li Jiheng, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Committee of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, unveil a plaque in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Aug. 7, 2017. The plaque with an inscription by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, was presented as a gift to Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to celebrate its 70th anniversary.  [Photo/Xinhua] With best wishes from across the country, a delegation led by Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, arrived in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Monday.

The 63-person delegation, mainly composed of officials from departments of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the central government, is to convey congratulations for the 70th anniversary of the autonomous region's establishment.

"Construct a bright and beautiful Inner Mongolia, and fulfill a great China Dream together," President Xi Jinping wrote on a plaque inscribed in Mandarin and Mongolian. It will be hung in the central hall of the Inner Mongolia Museum.

"The words bear the great expectation from the Central Committee of the CPC for Inner Mongolia to have an even brighter tomorrow," Vice-Premier Liu Yandong, deputy head of the delegation, said at a ceremony at the museum dedicating the plaque.

"It speaks highly of the region's rich history and great achievements," she said. "People here have presented an unprecedentedly grand picture in the past 70 years. …Inner Mongolia has a great potential and a glorious mission."

Liu said she expects the autonomous region to play an important role in the country's overall development blueprint and connect with the rest of world via the Belt and Road Initiative.

At an exhibition in Hohhot in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Yu Zhengsheng, China's top political adviser, Vice-Premier Liu Yandong and other members of the central government delegation take a tour on Monday. HOU YU/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

She said interdependence and joint efforts among different ethnic groups build a foundation toward achieving the China Dream.

The plaque is among myriad gifts brought by the delegation.

Zhang Ping, deputy head of the standing committee of National People's Congress, said the other gifts range from artworks and books to multimedia teaching instruments and toys for schools and kindergartens as well as household appliances for social welfare institutions. About 300,000 sets of devices to make milk tea will be given to families in pasture areas.

Delegation members visited an ongoing exhibition reviewing decades of development in Inner Mongolia. They also met representatives from military units and armed polices stationed in the region. An evening gala was held on Monday night for the anniversary. The main celebration meeting planned for Tuesday afternoon.

The Inner Mongolia autonomous region was founded in 1947 as the first of China's five province-level autonomous regions.

"The founding of the autonomous region created a new history for Inner Mongolia and new ways to handle ethnic issues with Chinese characteristics," Bataar, director of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, explained.

Judges at the Supreme People's Court's First Circuit Court in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, hear its first case, in 2015.[Photo/Xinhua]

In the past five years, the nation's judicial system has been overhauled to provide a more efficient and responsive service, as Cao Yin reports.

Since 2012, when the top leadership spoke of the need to improve the nation's courts, a number of measures have been taken to uphold the rule of law and improve the quality of hearings.

For example, special courts have been established in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province to hear the rising number of disputes involving intellectual property rights, while proceedings have been improved and speeded up by the simplification of many court procedures and the introduction of technology.

Now, litigants can file lawsuits online, and the court must provide feedback and a decision on whether the case will be accepted within a day of the application being submitted. In other words, initiating a lawsuit has become much easier.

The process of taking a neighbor to court, or appealing decisions made by government departments - which previously attracted large numbers of complaints - has also changed a lot. Under the reforms, government departments are not allowed to interfere in case hearings, while related officials must attend trials to resolve problems.

Moreover, courts have been established to handle administrative disputes citywide. For instance, Beijing No 4 Intermediate People's Court can hear cases brought against government bodies from any district across the capital, a move designed to prevent interference by officials from the districts under scrutiny.

As the new courts and procedures have been rolled out, the nation's judges have witnessed the changes and have become part of the reform process.

To improve the quality and professionalism of hearings, the number of judges has been reduced, and the judiciary is now classified into three distinct branches.

The number of judges who have the right to hand down verdicts has been reduced, while a number of former judges have become judicial assistants responsible for providing case materials and evidence to the judges, or have been reclassified as court clerks.

There were two rounds of selection, and eventually 120,000 of the nation's 210,000 judicial officers were named as judges.

So what do China's judges think about the reform, and what have they experienced during the past five years?

China's Daily's Cao Yin spoke with five members of the judiciary to discover what they think of the reform.

For village official Zhou Shuangzheng, failing to keep the rivers clean in his community in Zhejiang province means he will be held accountable under a new regulation issued by the province's legislature last week.

Zhou, secretary of the Party branch of the village of Zhoucun in Yongkang, is one of the province's about 60,000 "river chiefs" responsible for protecting the 40,000 rivers and lakes in Zhejiang. On Friday, the Zhejiang People's Congress re¬viewed and passed the regulation on river chiefs.

It is the country's first such provincial regulation since the Communist Party of China Central Committee issued a guideline on river chiefs in December. Under the plan, local government officers will be named river chiefs and will be responsible for dealing with water pollution.

President Xi Jinping has attached great importance to environmental protection and ecological civilization as the country seeks to better balance economic growth and green development.

During his latest domestic inspection tour to Shanxi province in June, Xi called on the whole nation to plant trees to improve the ecology.

"If everyone plants several trees, and every year witnesses plantings in several places, then after a number of years, the homeland will have more green, with more beautiful hills and improved people's livelihoods," Xi said.

In March, Xi, together with other senior leaders, joined members of the public, including primary school students, to plant trees in an eastern suburb of Beijing ahead of Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, on April 4.

"We expect blue sky, white clouds, clean water and fresh air, which are all related to ecological construction. The people should live in green shade, and this is the goal of our efforts," he told the students.

During a study session in May attended by members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi listed six key tasks, including speeding up the transformation of growth models and intensifying antipollution measures to push for green development and green lifestyles.

The country, he said, should protect the environment "like one protects his eyes" and treat the environment "like one treats his life".

China should reject the development model that damages and even destroys the environment and reject practices that boost short-term economic growth at the cost of the environment, he said.

"Clear waters and lush mountains are as valuable as gold and silver," Xi said while inspecting Zhejiang's Anji county in 2005, when he was the province's Party chief.

Green development is among the country's five development concepts put forward by the CPC Central Committee in October 2015, together with four other concepts — innovation, coordination, opening-up and sharing.

Ecological civilization was listed along with economic, political, cultural and social progress as one of the five goals in the country's overall development plan at the 18th National Congress of the CPC in late 2012.

The key tenets of ecological civilization include the need to respect, protect and adapt to nature; a commitment to resource conservation; environmental restoration and protection; recycling; low-carbon use; and sustainable development.

China will actively develop clean energy and improve energy efficiency to push green development and lifestyles, Xi said in a congratulatory letter to the Eighth Clean Energy Ministerial and the Second Mission Innovation Ministerial on June 7.

Clean energy development is crucial to the improvement of energy structure, energy security and the promotion of ecological civilization, Xi said in the letter.

China has focused on its ecological civilization drive over the past five years, both institutionally and practically.

Last year, the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform, headed by Xi, passed about 20 reforms to advance ecological progress.

The country has pledged to cut its carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 60 to 65 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and raise the share of non-fossil energy use in total consumption to about 20 percent.

More than 10 provinces have zones under the protection of the ecological red line. Sichuan and Guizhou provinces marked 40 percent and 32 percent, respectively, of their land areas as protected by the red line.

Meanwhile, routine central and local environmental inspection campaigns have urged authorities and businesses not to lose momentum in pollution control.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn

The document titled "The Facts and China's Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops' Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory," has four parts and three appendices.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a press statement that China released the document to "lay out the facts and truth of the illegal trespass of the Indian border troops to the international community and give a full account of the position of the Chinese government."

"What India has done not only severely violates China's territorial sovereignty but also poses grave challenges to regional peace and stability and the normal international order, which will not be tolerated by any sovereign state," Geng said.

According to the document, over 270 Indian border troops crossed the boundary in the Sikkim section of the China-India border, entering Chinese territory and obstructing the road building of the Chinese side in the Dong Lang area (Doklam) on June 18.

As of end of July, there were still over 40 Indian border troops and one bulldozer illegally staying in the Chinese territory.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other senior leaders Li Keqiang (third left), Zhang Dejiang (third right), Yu Zhengsheng (second left), Liu Yunshan (second right), Wang Qishan (left) and Zhang Gaoli (right) attend a reception hosted by the Ministry of National Defense to celebrate the 90th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), in Beijing, capital of China, July 31, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday attended a reception to celebrate the 90th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army, which falls on August 1.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, gave his regards to representatives of army heroes and veterans during the reception, attended by more than 1,800 guests from home and abroad.

Other senior leaders of the party and the state, including Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, also attended the reception hosted by the Ministry of National Defense.

Defense Minister Chang Wanquan made a speech, calling on the armed forces to resolutely fulfill missions entrusted by the party and the nation.

Recipients of the August 1 Medal pose for photos on Monday at a grand reception in Beijing's Great Hall of the People marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army.

Defense minister notes advances made in military restructuring guided by Xi

The Chinese army will step up the pace of improving its joint combat capabilities and "stand ready to fight and win at any time", State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Chang Wanquan said on Monday.

Speaking about the cross-Straits situation, Chang said the People's Liberation Army is "confident, capable and fully prepared to resolutely safeguard State sovereignty and territorial integrity".

Chang made the remarks during a speech at a grand reception marking the 90 anniversary of the founding of the PLA, which falls on Tuesday.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of Central Military Commission, attended the reception along with other Party and State leaders.

The PLA has come a long way since its birth during the armed uprising in the city of Nanchang on August 1, 1927, when it had only 20,000 soldiers.

Xi oversaw and addressed a grand military parade on Sunday marking the 90th anniversary at the Zhurihe Training Base in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

On Tuesday morning, Xi will attend a grand ceremony in Beijing commemorating the 90th anniversary and deliver a speech.

Led by Xi, the PLA has been advancing reform and technological upgrade and boosting training and combat readiness, Chang said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other senior leaders Li Keqiang (third left), Zhang Dejiang (third right), Yu Zhengsheng (second left), Liu Yunshan (second right), Wang Qishan (left) and Zhang Gaoli (right) attend a reception hosted by the Ministry of National Defense to celebrate the 90th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), in Beijing, capital of China, July 31, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Through this it has achieved thorough restructuring and has greatly enhanced its combat effectiveness, he added.

The military will press ahead with reforms and staunchly focus on winning in combat and training for readiness, Chang said.

Speaking of the cross-Straits situation, Chang said adherence to the 1992 Consensus and opposition to Taiwan independence constitute the political foundation of peace and development of cross-Straits relations.

Any form of secessionist attempt by anyone at any time would surely be opposed by the whole Chinese people and nation, he added.

Noting the Chinese military's role as a contributor to world peace, he said the PLA facilitates global development and supports international order.

As of June, the Chinese military had participated in 24 UN peacekeeping missions, sending 31,000 personnel, 13 of whom lost their lives on duty.

Chang said the PLA is ready to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with foreign militaries and jointly make greater contributions to world peace and the common development.

Since 2008, the PLA Navy has dispatched 26 escort task force groups, including more than 70 ships for escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, speaks at a symposium for provincial and ministerial level officials held on Wednesday and Thursday in preparation for the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. MA ZHANCHENG / XINHUA

Symposium readies Party leaders for vital 19th National Congress this year

President Xi Jinping urged senior officials to enhance crisis consciousness and be ready for risks and challenges as the Communist Party of China is preparing for its 19th National Congress.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Wednesday at a symposium attended by provincial- and ministerial-level officials on Wednesday and Thursday. The meeting was attended by all seven members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

All Party members, especially Party leaders of all levels, should make an in-depth analysis and judgment of the current global and domestic situation, be prepared for risks, and take both achievements and challenges into consideration, Xi said, adding that the officials should anticipate the worst-case scenario, make full preparations and strive for best results.

The Party's 19th National Congress, to be held later this year, will be an important congress held during a key period, Xi said, adding that the people's fundamental interests are related to the congress.

Xi told senior officials to uphold the flag of socialism with Chinese characteristics; be confident in the Party's path, theories, system and culture; and ensure the Party and government's mission to develop in the correct direction.

The CPC should bring forward new methods, strategies and measures to meet the people's demand for happy lives, he said.

Since its 18th National Congress held in November 2012, the CPC has answered the call of the people, put forward a series of important policies, resolved lots of long-existing problems and produced a large number of achievements, Xi said.

In the past five years, the Party has strengthened its leadership comprehensively, implemented new thoughts of development, comprehensively deepened reform, implemented the rule of law, enhanced ideological works, built a more beautiful country, modernized national defense and the army, practiced diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, and fought corruption in a strict manner, he added.

Xi pointed out that after four decades of reform and opening-up, the country's social development has been improved outstandingly, and the people's desire for happy lives is stronger than ever.

The people are expecting better education, more stable jobs, higher incomes, better health insurance, a more beautiful environment, and more comfortable living conditions, he added.

He urged the whole Party to have an overall view of the Party and the country's situation, adhere to the Party's basic path, make continuous efforts to push forward economic development, and achieve comprehensive development of all areas.

The Party and country have experienced historic changes since the Party's 18th National Congress, and China's development has entered a new starting point, Xi said.

The success of socialism with Chinese characteristics means that the Chinese nation has completed its historic leap from obtaining independence to becoming rich and finally becoming powerful, he said, adding that China has explored a path for developing countries' modernization and offered China's solution in resolving the problems of mankind.

The CPC attaches great importance to building up its theories, and the Party's theories should be innovated on the basis of practice, Xi said.

It is the Party's solemn promise to lead the country to accomplish the goal of comprehensively building a moderately well-off society in 2020, Xi said, adding that the CPC must win the battles of preventing and resolving major risks, reducing poverty, preventing pollution, and pushing forward supply-side reform.

The Party must unswervingly stick to and improve its leadership in the process of uniting and leading the people to fulfill their great dreams, Xi said, while calling for more efforts to build up a powerful Party that could lead the people to deal with major challenges and risks.

The people have spoken highly of the CPC's achievements of comprehensively promoting stricter governance of the Party, Xi said, adding that the whole Party should make continuous efforts for stricter self-governance.

Premier Li Keqiang said at the opening ceremony of the symposium that Xi's speech is of great importance, and has put forward a series of new thoughts, views, judgments and measures. All relevant decisions and policies should be implemented well for the success of the Party's 19th National Congress, he said.

Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said at the symposium's ending ceremony that through the symposium, Party officials have gotten a better understanding of the significance of Xi's speech. He urged the Party leaders to unify their actions in accord with the speech and carry forward relevant reforms, development and stability works.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn

South China Sea exploration will be conducted in joint operations

Joint exploration in the South China Sea will help the Philippines solve urgent problems and help Beijing set a good example in resolving maritime disputes in the South China Sea, observers said.

The comments came after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said this week that Manila and Beijing are working on a joint oil exploration deal which involves gas and oil.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Alan Peter Cayetano, the Philippine secretary of foreign affairs, vowed on Tuesday to seek an appropriate approach to jointly explore the South China Sea in the near future.

Cayetano said at a joint news conference after meeting with Wang that to develop bilateral ties, Beijing and Manila have to seek joint exploration of natural resources to benefit the people of both nations.

He noted that leaders from the two countries decided on the joint exploration in the South China Sea in 1986, but breakthroughs have yet to be achieved after discussions lasting 31 years.

Cayetano said he believed that the two countries, led by Duterte and President Xi Jinping, have the wisdom to work jointly on exploration.

Wang said where there are overlaps of maritime rights and interests, if one party goes for unilateral development the other party will take similar actions, possibly complicating the situation.

It could lead to tensions, he said, and result in nobody being able to develop the resources.

Bilateral ties have developed significantly, Wang said, and it is necessary that the two countries make decisions soon to benefit both.

Xu Liping, a researcher of Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said due to limited funds and technology, Manila had hired European companies to explore resources in the South China Sea, and the companies took most of the profits.

"Now the contract is to expire, so it is a realistic decision for Manila to carry out joint exploration."

For China, joint exploration will lay a solid foundation of mutual political confidence with the Philippines, he said.

Zhong Feiteng, another expert at the academy, said joint exploration will greatly help the Philippines, as oil imports have long been troubling for the country.

And for China, the case will set a promising example for future efforts to settle the South China Sea dispute.

Wang also met Duterte during the visit. Duterte said that "the Philippines attaches great importance to China's status and influence in the world and is willing to build stronger relations with China".

"Facts speak louder. For neighbors, dialogue is better than confrontation; cooperation is better than friction. History will show that we have made a right choice," Wang said.

State Council move aims to lift student confidence, ensuring more will avail of chance to get on in life

Ensuring compulsory education nationwide, so that all school-age children receive nine years of basic education, has been a key agenda for the government since the 1980s. While the proportion of students dropping out has been reduced over the past three decades, the reason for students taking such a course of action varies along with the country's development.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, recently came out with a slew of measures to ensure the implementation of compulsory education, mainly targeting the new causes for it in recent years.

The State Council's executive meeting, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang on July 19, stressed optimizing education expenses and further secured financial support for compulsory education, as well as improving education quality, and tackling the imbalance in rural areas.

According to a statement released after the meeting, the government will subsidize students from less well-off families to prevent them dropping out, especially for those with physical disabilities and students with parents who have a physical disability. The government will also optimize the location of schools and build more boarding schools, so that students will not drop out due to long distances to travel or inconvenient transportation.

It was also suggested that educational departments at all levels should work to give more help and support to students who may face difficulties in studying, while teaching content and the curriculum also need to be improved, so that school becomes a more attractive place.

All these measures aim to secure that the rate of compulsory education reaches no lower than 95 percent.

Chu Zhaohui, senior researcher at the National Institute of Education Sciences, welcomed the new measures, calling them "very targeted".

He said the current rate for compulsory education across China is about 92 percent.

"In the past, rural students of primary school age are a major proportion of the population of school dropouts, mainly due to poverty and being not able to afford school tuition fees. But in recent years, with incomes rising and government paying more for basic education, financial difficulty is not the major reason for school dropouts. Nowadays, teenagers in rural areas and townships are the major group for not completing compulsory education," Chu pointed out.

He said these students want to leave school mainly because they fail to get good grades and feel reluctant to go into middle school, as their confidence is damaged.

He said this can be solved by increasing the diversity of teaching content and students' evaluation indexes, which is part of the State Council meeting's decision.

"Currently most students feel discouraged by their poor performances at school mainly because of bad results in exams, feeling they have no hope of getting into high school or universities," Chu said. "But if we can make the education content more diversified and not too exam-oriented, students are likely to find that studying is actually fun, regardless what score they get in exams."

The premier said at the July 19 State Council meeting that the government "should not only guarantee the basic living standards of the public, but also ensure that eligible children, especially those from poverty-affected families, receive compulsory education to help eliminate poverty among those families", stressing that poverty should not continue from one generation to another.

Chu said another major reason for those school dropouts is these students have difficulty adjusting to boarding school.

China started an overhaul to establish centralized school buildings in the late 1990s, canceling a number of schools with very few teachers and students in rural areas. These students were then put in schools in townships and counties with better education resources, teachers and equipment. Yet a consequence, Chu said, is that many students with homes in villages have to board due to long distances. But many were too young, he said.

"We did field investigations on the reason why many students decide to quit school back in 2011 and visited a number of primary boarding schools in Hebei province as well as the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. And we noticed that many children at the age of 7 or 8 at boarding school can barely take care of themselves, such as getting up on time, sleeping without their parents and washing clothes," Chu said.

He suggested that an appropriate age for students to go to boarding school is 10.

"At the same time, schools need to have dorm teachers who are, in particular, responsible for taking care of children's daily lives for those under 10," he suggested.

President Xi Jinping, accompanied by Premier Li Keqiang and other leaders, visits the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing on Friday to see an exhibition featuring landmark achievements of the People's Liberation Army.

President tours new exhibition, praises military's achievements

Ahead of the upcoming 90th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army, President Xi Jinping has called for unremitting efforts to make the PLA a world-class army.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while visiting an exhibition opened in Beijing on Friday.

The exhibition at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution features more than 1,000 photos as well as relics and multimedia presentations to show the landmark combat, events and achievements of the PLA.

Also on display are models of the major military equipment in active service as well as China's first atomic bomb and H-bomb, which were detonated in 1964 and 1967, respectively.

While touring the exhibition on Friday, Xi noted that the military has scored many victories in the past 90 years and has made outstanding contributions to national independence, people's liberation, the country's prosperity and public well-being.

The 90 years is a concentration of the PLA's strong ideals and beliefs, great tradition and bravery in combat, and it is a great spiritual treasure, Xi said.

The country should remember the history, hand down the revolutionary gene and constantly bring forward the great course explored by the older generation of revolutionaries at a new starting point, Xi said.

Officials, the public and all the servicemen and women should be encouraged to hold tight their faith in the Chinese socialist path, the theories, the system and the culture, and strive for realizing the dream of rejuvenating the great Chinese nation, he said.

Other Party and State leaders, including Premier Li Keqiang, also toured the exhibition on Friday.

They stopped from time to time and were intrigued by the delicate design and presentation of the historical moments and achievements.

Key moments of the PLA that are presented include the start of the garrisoning of Hong Kong and Macao in 1997 and 1999, respectively, as well as the sailing of the aircraft carrier Liaoning to the South China Sea for training.

Touching moments of the PLA that are shown include soldiers on the forefront of disaster relief after the deadly Wenchuan earthquake in southwestern China's Si¬chuan province in 2008.

Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said at the opening ceremony on Friday morning that the exhibition offers a comprehensive look at the history of the PLA, whose 90th anniversary falls on August 1.

It also presents the PLA's glorious achievements after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, particularly in the wake of the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, Liu said.

The team's first division departed via train this morning, according to China National Radio. Their mission will last from July 25 to August 8 as part of the "Train of Peace---2017" project.

The team consists of 60 staff from the People's Liberation Army Third Military Medical University and 30 from the Kunming General Hospital in Chengdu province, according to CNR. All members of the team are experienced health workers who have participated in several major relief missions, such as in the wake of earthquakes in Wenchuan and Nepal.

The members have expertise in 20 fields including respiratory, gastroenterology, urology and ophthalmology.

The team will bring tent hospitals and various medical and sanitation equipment to provide free services, from examination to surgery, in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and the Luang Namtha province in northern Laos.

The Chinese medical team will also meet with their counterparts in Laos. After the mission ends, the returning team will stop at Pu Er and Yu Xi in Yunnan province to help locals there.

The draft was listed in the State Council's legislative plan in 2017 and tagged as "an urgent project in comprehensively deepening reform," according to the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council.

Experts and organizations may be invited or entrusted to participate in stipulating administrative regulations, said the draft, adding that regulation formulation departments should listen to opinions from related institutions, organizations and citizens.

Regulation formulation departments should publicize regulations for opinions, it said.

The draft said that legislative affairs organs of the State Council should increase supervision over the implementation of annual legislative plans.

The public may visit the official website (chinalaw.gov.cn) to submit opinions before Aug 20.

Dialogue strengthens ties with Central and Eastern Europe

Chinese officials vowed on Monday to disseminate timely information on major events and public policies in an effort to achieve closer connections between the public and media and the government.

The agreement came at the China-CEEC Spokespersons Dialogue, the first such event hosted by China to exchange views on news releases with representatives from 13 Central and Eastern European countries.

Twelve of China's governmental spokesmen and spokeswomen shared experiences at the one-day dialogue in Beijing, which focused on the Belt and Road Initiative and global communication.

The dialogue follows Vice-Premier Liu Yandong's visit to Hungary last month. Plans call for Budapest to host the 6th China-CEEC Leaders' Meeting this year.

Jiang Jianguo, minister of the State Council Information Office, said China now has more than 200 spokesmen and spokeswomen at ministerial and provincial level organizations. Last year, about 5,000 news conferences were held in China, showing the government's open, inclusive, confident and respectful attitude toward the media, he said.

Such representatives have to answer the public's doubts and questions and inspire public unity, as well as explain domestic conditions to the globalized world, Jiang said. They have played a vital role in global governance as punctual information disclosures and responses to overseas concerns have boosted opening-up and win-win cooperation, he said.

In May, China hosted the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, attracting more than 4,400 journalists from 830 media organizations, the minister said. China's spokesmen and spokeswomen contributed to the forum's success, as did their counterparts in each foreign delegation, he added.

Song Shuli, spokeswoman of the Health and Family Planning Commission, said the government needs to disclose information in a transparent manner, and those charged with that job have encountered similar challenges in each of the countries. "The dialogue widens our perspectives and we can learn some effective solutions to problems," she said.

Glevin Dervishi, spokesman of Albanian Foreign Ministry, said there is a huge space to exchange views on preparing news releases. "We can share with each other. This dialogue is really helpful," he added.

Dervishi said there is a chance of being misunderstood and misquoted for all spokesmen and spokeswomen. "We found a common ground that such misunderstandings can be resolved with thorough explanations," he said.

News releases have played a more important role in national governance in the era of new media, and the government should better use new channels to disclose information accurately and punctually, said Guo Weimin, vice-minister of State Council Information Office.

President Xi Jinping speaks at the National Financial Work Conference in Beijing July 15, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]

China unveiled reform plans on Saturday to improve the financial sector's capabilities and serve the real economy while guarding against systemic risks.

China must strengthen the leadership of the Communist Party of China over financial work, stick to the basic tone of seeking progress while maintaining stability and respect the rules of financial development, President Xi Jinping said at a two-day National Financial Work Conference that ended on Saturday.

The conference has been convened every five years since 1997 and is widely considered to set the tone for financial reforms.

Three tasks were highlighted in the meeting, including making the financial sector better serve the real economy, containing financial risks and deepening financial reforms.

Serving the real economy is the bound duty and purpose of the financial sector and the fundamental way to guard against financial risks, Xi said.

The financial sector should improve service efficiency and quality and channel more resources into major and weak areas of economic and social development, he said.

Developing direct financing will be prioritized while the indirect financing structure should be optimized by accelerating strategic transformation of state-owned major banks and developing small and medium-sized banks and private financial institutions, Xi said.

Reiterating the role of the financial sector points out its development direction, and emphasis on direct financing also is reassuring for the stocks and bond markets, according to Li Huiyong, a senior analyst with Shenwan Hongyuan Securities.

Xi said guarding against systemic financial risks is the eternal theme of financial work and the government should make a stronger effort to monitor, warn against and deal with risks in a timely manner.

China will accelerate developing laws and regulations governing the financial sector, improve macro prudential management and emphasize functional as well as behavioral regulation, Xi said.

The government will continue to deleverage the economy by firmly taking a prudent monetary policy and making it a priority to reduce leverage in state-owned enterprises, Xi said.

The country also will deepen financial reforms, including improving financial regulation coordination and shoring up weak links in supervision.

China will set up a committee under the State Council to oversee financial stability and development and the central bank will play a stronger role in macro prudential management and guarding against systemic risks, Xi said.

The introduction of the State Council financial stability and development committee will help improve regulation effectiveness and address regulation challenges brought by increasingly mixed financial services, according to Lian Ping, chief economist at the Bank of Communications.

Reforming the financial regulation framework should be based on China's domestic conditions and all financial businesses will be put under supervision, according to Premier Li Keqiang.

The world's second-largest economy will further open up its financial market to promote the internationalization of the yuan and capital account convertibility in a steady pace, Xi said.

China also will increase efforts to improve legal framework, credit mechanisms and talent development for the financial sector to help the Chinese economy expand steadily, Li said.

Xinhua

An aerial view of part of the Gansu section of the Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway. CAI ZENGLE/CHINA DAILY

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in far northwestern China has just become a bit closer to the capital, as three sections of a new expressway along risky terrain opened to traffic on Saturday.

The new sections have a combined length of more than 1,200 kilometers. The 930-km Linhe-Baigeda section is in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region; the 134-km Baigeda-Mingshui section is in Gansu province; and the 178-km Mingshui-Hami section is in Xinjiang.

The sections run through the Gobi Desert, which is characterized by drought and other poor natural conditions. The more than 500 km running through desolate and uninhabited areas of Inner Mongolia, which posed a challenge to construction workers.

The Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway, or G7, is one of seven expressways connecting Beijing with other major cities under a national expressway plan.

"The expressway is a new passage ... and the most convenient road to link Beijing with the northwestern region of Inner Mongolia, northern Gansu and Xinjiang, which will enhance communication between northern China's eastern, central and western areas," said Ren Jinxiong, an inspector in the Ministry of Transport's planning division.

The link will also better serve the Belt and Road Initiative and Western Development Plan, improving regional economic and social development along the route, according to a statement from the ministry.

The 2,768-km G7 has been built across Beijing and five other provincial-level regions－Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Xinjiang. It passes Zhangjiakou, Ulanqab, Hohhot, Baotou, Linhe, Ejin Banner, Hami, Turpan and Urumqi.

Some sections are still under construction, with drivers taking detours in some parts of Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi and Xinjiang, sharing routes with the Beijing-Tibet Expressway and Lianyungang-Khorgos Expressway.

Once the Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway is fully operational, it will cut more than 1,300 km off the journey from Beijing to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.

"By 2016, the total length of expressways in China had reached 131,000 km, the most in the world," Ren said.

About 41,000 km of expressways have been open to traffic since 2012, and 98 percent of towns and cities with a population of more than 200,000 have access, he added.

The national expressway network is expected to be completed by the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20). The ministry will also carry out capacity expansion along some busy national expressway routes, Ren said.

China unveiled reform plans on Saturday to improve the financial sector's capabilities and serve the real economy while guarding against systemic risks.

China must strengthen the leadership of the Communist Party of China over financial work, stick to the basic tone of seeking progress while maintaining stability and respect the rules of financial development, President Xi Jinping said at a two-day National Financial Work Conference that ended on Saturday.

The conference has been convened every five years since 1997 and is widely considered to set the tone for financial reforms.

Three tasks were highlighted in the meeting, including making the financial sector better serve the real economy, containing financial risks and deepening financial reforms.

Serving the real economy is the bound duty and purpose of the financial sector and the fundamental way to guard against financial risks, Xi said.

The financial sector should improve service efficiency and quality and channel more resources into major and weak areas of economic and social development, he said.

Developing direct financing will be prioritized while the indirect financing structure should be optimized by accelerating strategic transformation of state-owned major banks and developing small and medium-sized banks and private financial institutions, Xi said.

Reiterating the role of the financial sector points out its development direction, and emphasis on direct financing also is reassuring for the stocks and bond markets, according to Li Huiyong, a senior analyst with Shenwan Hongyuan Securities.

Xi said guarding against systemic financial risks is the eternal theme of financial work and the government should make a stronger effort to monitor, warn against and deal with risks in a timely manner.

China will accelerate developing laws and regulations governing the financial sector, improve macro prudential management and emphasize functional as well as behavioral regulation, Xi said.

The government will continue to deleverage the economy by firmly taking a prudent monetary policy and making it a priority to reduce leverage in state-owned enterprises, Xi said.

The country also will deepen financial reforms, including improving financial regulation coordination and shoring up weak links in supervision.

China will set up a committee under the State Council to oversee financial stability and development and the central bank will play a stronger role in macro prudential management and guarding against systemic risks, Xi said.

The introduction of the State Council financial stability and development committee will help improve regulation effectiveness and address regulation challenges brought by increasingly mixed financial services, according to Lian Ping, chief economist at the Bank of Communications.

Reforming the financial regulation framework should be based on China's domestic conditions and all financial businesses will be put under supervision, according to Premier Li Keqiang.

The world's second-largest economy will further open up its financial market to promote the internationalization of the yuan and capital account convertibility in a steady pace, Xi said.

China also will increase efforts to improve legal framework, credit mechanisms and talent development for the financial sector to help the Chinese economy expand steadily, Li said.

Xinhua

The judiciary is the last line of defense to safeguard social fairness and justice. Since 2012, significant achievements have been made in promoting legislation based on rational analysis, strict law enforcement, judicial justice, and observance of the law by all citizens, it said.

The country has strengthened the mechanism of judicial protection of human rights, including efforts to allocate judicial powers and responsibilities in a more rational way, improving the judicial accountability system, promoting judicial transparency and advancing the reform of trial-centered litigation.

China ensures lawyers' right of practice so that lawyers play a bigger role in safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of parties concerned.

The country has abolished the system of reeducation through labor and established a national judicial assistance system.

China continues to improve the judicial guarantee procedure of human rights. Reforms have been advanced to ensure that cases are filed and properly handled. Judicial organs have implemented principles of presumption of innocence and exclusion of unlawful evidence to protect the legitimate rights of suspects.

China strictly limits the death penalty and employs it with prudence.

Detainees' legitimate rights and interests are guaranteed by the improving conditions of prisons and detention houses and enhanced scrutiny of supervisory activities and the execution of punishment. The country has standardized commutation, parole, and execution of sentences outside prison and safeguards the detainees' personal dignity, safety, legal property, and legitimate rights including the rights to defense, to appeal, to complain, and to report violations of the law.

National amnesty has been implemented to highlight humanitarianism.

PROTECTING LAWYERS' RIGHT OF PRACTICE

China has made or revised laws and regulations to ensure lawyers' right of practice. In 2015, regulations were issued to make clear various measures to protect lawyers' right of practice, including the rights to know, to meet their clients and read case files.

In 2016, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued opinions on advancing reform in the lawyer system, aiming to safeguard lawyers' litigation rights, improving the mechanism for governments to purchase legal services and improving social security policies for lawyers.

By March 2017, all 31 provincial-level lawyer associations had established lawyers' rights protection centers. In April, a circular was jointly issued by the Supreme People's Court, Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of State Security, and Ministry of Justice to further clarify different departments' duties in safeguarding lawyers' right to practice.

REDRESSING MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE

Judicial organs nationwide have implemented the principle of presumption of innocence to prevent and correct the miscarriage of justice.

In 2013, the Ministry of Public Security issued a circular on improving law enforcement to prevent miscarriage of justice, along with other documents to prevent cases of wrong verdicts and to strengthen comprehensive, complete and real-time scrutiny of law enforcement to prevent miscarriage of justice at the source.

The Ministry of Justice issued the Opinions on Maximizing the Functions of the Forensic Assessment System to Prevent Miscarriages of Justice to strengthen forensic assessment management and further regulate such activities.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate released a circular to prevent and correct miscarriage of justice by better performing procuratorial functions, including scrutinizing all activities concerning evidence, procedures and application of laws, improving the system of discovery, correction, and prevention of wrong verdicts, and holding those responsible accountable.

Moreover, the Supreme People's Court issued the Opinions on Establishing and Improving the Working Mechanisms for the Prevention of Miscarriages of Justice in Criminal Cases, stipulating that the defendants should be acquitted for lack of evidence, and no one should be prosecuted without criminal evidence.

A number of wrongful convictions have been overturned in accordance with the law.

EXCLUSION OF UNLAWFUL EVIDENCE

China has clarified rules to exclude unlawful evidence in its laws to protect the legitimate rights and interests of criminal suspects, according to the article.

The Criminal Procedure Law revised in 2012 makes it clear that confessions extorted through illegal means, such as torture, and witness testimony and depositions of victims obtained illegally, such as by violence or threats, should be excluded during the trials.

In June 2017, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of State Security, and the Ministry of Justice jointly released a regulation on the exclusion of illegally obtained evidence in criminal cases, clarifying identification criteria and procedures to exclude unlawful evidence.

For example, the regulation makes it clear that forced self-incrimination is prohibited.

According to the regulation, confessions, witness testimony and depositions of victims obtained by force will no longer be accepted as evidence.

Defenders of criminal suspects are allowed to apply for illegal evidence to be ruled out during the investigation, empowering lawyers with a more effective role in procedural defense.

China has made well-acknowledged achievements in advancing the rule of law, guaranteeing the rights of legal practitioners and judicial protection of human rights since the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012.

"The Cairo Declaration provided an important basis in international law for China to recover, after World War II, its territory, which had been robbed and stolen by Japanese militarism, including Taiwan and its affiliated islands," Geng said in a daily news conference in Beijing.

Commenting on reports that authorities in Taiwan will remove content related to the declaration from the new high school curriculum, Geng said the declaration is "universally acknowledged" and is "a major outcome gained in the World Anti-Fascist War".

In 1943, China, the United States and Britain issued the declaration, which said China's territory taken by Japan, including Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, should be returned to China.

The Potsdam Proclamation, a document signed two years later to urge Japan to surrender, said the declaration's terms "shall be carried out".

Geng said that the declaration established an important foundation for postwar international order. It is significant both historically and in reality, he said.

Geng emphasized that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that the integrity of China's sovereignty and territory is not allowed to be segmented.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday that the historical facts and the legal ground for Taiwan's status as an inalienable part of China are "unassailable" and that any attempts to change such a status will "end in vain".

In addition, the government will assist public museums and professional institutions in offering regular and nonprofit appraisal services for private collections.

The plan was announced by Liu Yuzhu, director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, during a national meeting of cultural heritage administrators in Maanshan, Anhui province.

"Privately owned items comprise a crucial part of our country's cultural relics," Liu said. "Collections of cultural relics need to be encouraged, but a dynamic market should be developed correctly."

Liu said the administration will establish a "blacklist" to eliminate dealers who violate the law or who have poor credit, but he also said that legal trade channels for cultural relics will be widened to include online platforms.

China recently finished a five-year nationwide survey of cultural relics housed in public institutions, but Liu cited lack of information on privately owned artifacts as a major obstacle to enhanced protection.

Last year, about 6,000 porcelain antiques donated by an collector to his alma mater, Beijing Normal University, were said to be fake.

Criticism went viral again earlier this year when a grassroots cultural relics exhibition opened in Beijing. The exhibits, many of them bizarre, were thought to be counterfeits, but they continued to be displayed.

"That is due to lack of authoritative appraisal institutions that can make such judgments," said Pan Shouyong, a museum studies professor at Minzu University of China.

According to Pan, the absence of a supportive policy has led to many professionals showing little interest in appraising privately owned relics.

"There is a stereotype that privately owned relics were dug from the ground," he said. "Consequently, scholars are reluctant to touch the field. They want to avoid getting involved with possible illicit excavations."

However, Pan said, the definition of cultural relics has broadened as the number of public collections has risen.

"Many people's personal belongings inherited from their father's generation, or old items bought at flea markets, can also be counted as cultural relics," he said. "The huge public need and miscellaneous markets call for more voices from professionals."

Pan said some museums have already tried offering appraisal services to the public, but most are only available on May 18, International Museum Day. He praised attempts to offer the services regularly, which would provide more third-party appraisals when disputes arise.

Other than aiming for a healthier market, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage also expects the upcoming work to add to the boom in private museums in China.

"Many private museum operators are merely fans," Pan said. "The introduction of an item into a museum inventory needs a lot of expertise and a rigid process. More independent appraisals will solve the problems."

Still, Lei Xingshan, an archaeology professor at Peking University, said it's important to separate the authentication process from the marketplace.

"If necessary, it's OK for a professional scholar to tell whether artifacts are genuine or not, but they should keep away from money," he said. "For example, it's unacceptable to say how much money an artifact is worth. That is a basic principle everyone studying cultural relics should stick to."

In China, TV programs provide a major channel for appraising relics, but both Pan and Lei say such programs have little credibility and are mainly just entertainment.

Nation plans to further liberalize business environment to create a fairer and more enhanced rule-based market

Private firms are happy to see that investment restrictions are to be further lifted, as China aims for further steps in reforming its investment and financing system, encouraging social investment participation with more compliant requirements, including for project planning and fire prevention.

The State Council's executive meeting, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on July 5, decided to further lift restrictions on private investors, while more measures to simplify project approvals are in the pipeline.

The meeting also urged that more high-quality assets be used in Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to attract a greater number of social investors, as well as using returns in such projects for new programs in infrastructure, public services, poverty alleviation, and the Made in China 2025 strategy, according to a statement after the meeting.

Chen Bing, head of a juice production company based in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, was excited to learn of the latest development. The 34-year-old is planning to open another juice production plant in another city in Jiangsu, but was hesitant as opening any new plants means getting a raft of approvals for fire prevention equipment and sanitary facilities.

"I am just afraid that it will take a very long time before the plant really starts operations, which may change our profit outlook," he said.

Xiao, a construction design engineer who has been working with the city planning department of Beijing for over a decade and requested that her full name not be used, said she appreciated the lifting of restrictions. "On some occasions, it can take a long time and it is complicated for an investor to meet the demands on fire prevention and project planning when building a new factory plant."

One project, she recalled, in particular was a private company that manufactures sewage treatment facilities in Beijing. The project, which started construction last year, failed to meet fire protection requirements during construction. It took the company more than a year to make adjustments and start operations.

Xiao said that while requirements regarding fire control are important, the current requirements and restrictions are sometimes too complicated, and efforts in meeting such requirements may lead to delays in operations and a loss of business opportunities for private investors.

Wen Bin, chief economist at China Minsheng Bank, said given the fact that China is transforming to a more consumption-driven economy from one driven by investment and exports, steady growth in investment is still important, as it helps the economy to grow in a proper range, while steadiness in social investment helps to build positive expectations for the economy.

"Consumption contributed to about 64.6 percent of China's economy in the past year, and services have surpassed manufacturing in terms of contribution to growth, signaling that China is performing well in its supply-side structural reform. But investment still needs to be consolidated in maintaining steady economic growth, especially in areas of infrastructure and the real economy," Wen said.

There is still a huge potential to be tapped for PPP programs, Wen said.

There are about 12,000 PPP projects across the country, Wen said, but many such projects are not composed of high-quality assets from the government side, making them less attractive to private investors.

"Some PPP projects in areas such as irrigation and environmental protection may lead to long-term operations, slow payback and low profits, but they will bring goods and enhance people's livelihood in the long term," Wen said. "The government must use a variety of financing tools to encourage private investors to participate, while making them more inviting to social capital, large or small, to accelerate more of these projects."

In recent years, China has streamlined administrative reviews, focusing more on compliance oversight to make the business environment easier for private and foreign investors.

China's private investment grew at 7.7 percent for the first quarter in 2017, a 2 percentage-point increase compared with the same period last year.

Premier Li has stressed a number of times that investment plays a vital role in boosting demand and consolidating employment.

Since 2013, the number of projects requiring approval from the central government has reduced by 90 percent, while the time required from approval being granted has also been reduced by 90 percent in some places, according to government statistics.

The premier also said when meeting with a group of economists and entrepreneurs on Thursday that aggregate demand will be appropriately expanded while effective investment, especially private investment, should be boosted to enhance the driving force that domestic consumption has provided.

More policy and market regulation innovations are in the pipeline to create a fairer and more enhanced rule-based market environment, as decided at the executive meeting on July 5. The upcoming measures will create a level playing field for investors from home and abroad, boosting steady private investment growth, according to the meeting.

Three generations have documented the development of people-to-people ties between the two countries

After a summer rain shower, Qiu Xianglin takes his camera and walks along the Heilongjiang River, which serves as a boundary between China and Russia, hoping to capture a rainbow stretching over the river between Heilongjiang province's Heihe city and the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk.

"It is the most beautiful image I can capture," said 74-year-old Qiu, former chief photojournalist for Heihe Daily. For 40 years, he recorded the changes in Sino-Russian economic and trade cooperation, taking more than 100,000 photos.

Watermelons in Exchange for Chemical Fertilizers is one of his most famous works. It was taken in September 1987, shortly after trade through Heihe Port was resumed. "Our side traded 208 metric tons of watermelons for more than 300 metric tons of much-needed fertilizers," Qiu said.

Over the years, trade has flourished between the two sides, and Qiu has witnessed a lot of it firsthand.

"Heihe's people-to-people trade with the former USSR was the most dynamic - a scene not seen in other Chinese cities," Qiu said. "The central street was filled with wheeler-dealers who traded sportswear with the Soviets for wool coats."

China's light industrial products such as clothing, shoes and hats were popular on the other side, while Soviet leather and metal products won the hearts of Chinese.

In order to satisfy the needs of both sides, the first economic and trade fair between China and the then-USSR, as well as eastern European countries, was held by the former ministry of foreign trade and economic cooperation - which is now the Ministry of Commerce - and the provincial government of Heilongjiang in the provincial capital of Harbin in 1990.

"Barter trade was basically the major mode of doing business, which was the precursor to the Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair," said Qiu, who took many pictures of the event.

Three Middle-Aged Men with Hands Clasped Behind Their Backs, Bending Over and Inspecting Crafts Made of Birch is a photo taken at the 23rd Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair in 2012 by Qiu's son, Qiu Qilong.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the fair underwent several changes before taking its final form, focusing on Russia.

From left: Qiu Xianglin, Qiu Guodong and Qiu Qilong at Heihe Port.Provided To China Daily

Qiu Qilong followed in his father's footsteps, continuing to photograph scenes from the fair every year.

In 2014, the 25th edition of the fair was upgraded to the China-Russia Expo. The same year, Qiu Guodong, 19, bid farewell to his hometown of Heihe, leaving to study at Heilongjiang Institute of Technology in Harbin.

Influenced by his father and grandfather, Qiu Guodong has been documenting China-Russia ties since he was a child. Fluent in Russian, he has a certain affection for the country.

"My father often talked to me about what the trade fair looked like, but what I saw in person was a lot different," Qiu Guodong said.

Stepping into the Harbin International Conference and Exhibition Center, where the fourth China-Russia Expo was held from June 14 to 18, left him shocked.

Cutting-edge exhibits, such as a model of China's manned deep-sea research submersible Jiaolong, an unmanned plane, nanotechnology and graphene, changed his thoughts about Sino-Russian cooperation.

It encouraged him to conduct research on cross-border e-commerce between China and Russia. "College students are encouraged to start their own business, and I think my hometown has some advantages," he said.

This year's expo also focused on further expanding common ground for the development of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, with merchants and government officials from 74 countries and regions participating in the event.

After another summer rain shower, Qui Xianglin once again walks along the Heilongjiang River, but there is no rainbow in sight. Instead, he raises his camera and takes a picture of a bridge being built. It will connect Heihe and Blagoveshchensk, bringing the twin cities even closer.

Xinhua

Visitors signal "takeoff" on the deck of China's first aircraft carrier, the CNS Liaoning, on Sunday, the last day of the open house of the carrier's flotilla in Hong Kong.Roy Liu / China Daily

Hong Kong beamed with patriotic pride as residents thronged to experience the open house of China's first aircraft carrier over the weekend.

The CNS Liaoning arrived on Friday in Hong Kong marking the 20th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army being stationed in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and it opened to the public for visit for the first time on Saturday and Sunday.

Two thousand permanent residents of Hong Kong, along with another 1,600 tickets for members of the city's various organizations, were able to go onboard for a one-hour tour of the nation's most advanced aircraft carrier.

The 60,900-metric-ton vessel was greeted with enthusiasm by people of all ages. Some young parents brought their children.

A sudden downpour on Saturday morning did not dampen the public's high spirits. Crowds formed long lines at the pier in Central, Hong Kong Island, to take the shuttle ferry the carrier. The visitors received a souvenir package which included an army cap embroidered with Chinese characters reading PLA naval ship Liaoning.

The carrier, whose flight deck is about the size of three soccer fields, can carry more than 30 J-15 fighter jets and several helicopters.

J-15 pilots are required to have at least 1,000 flight hours so that they can manage the physical and mental stress of taking off and landing the aircraft on the carrier's flight deck.

Xu Ying, chief of a PLA Navy J-15 squadron, said he felt fortunate as a soldier to have come to Hong Kong to witness the great achievements the special administrative region has made.

For people in Hong Kong, it was a precious opportunity to get an up-close look at the Liaoning, boost their understanding of the country's defense development, and strengthen their confidence and national esteem, Xu said.

Coco Tai Tze-wan, a teenage secondary school student, went with her mother to visit the carrier. "I used to think only in my dreams could I board the Liaoning and see it with my own eyes. Now the dream has come true. Though I spent only an hour on the ship, I felt satisfied," Tai said.

Accompanying the Liaoning, the frigate Yantai and destroyers Jinan and Yinchuan docked in the PLA Hong Kong Garrison's naval base on Stonecutters Island, and they were also open to the ticket-holders to visit.

Their presence at the base coincided with the PLA Hong Kong Garrison's open days at its three barracks, including the naval base, on Saturday and Sunday.

Before the flotilla sets sail from the city on Tuesday, its crew members, together with representatives of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, are scheduled to pay a visit to a nursing home on Monday, among other local activities celebrating the 20th anniversary of the PLA being stationed in Hong Kong.

HAMBURG, Germany -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged the BRICS countries to unswervingly promote the building of an open world economy.

He made the remarks at an informal leaders' meeting of the emerging-market bloc, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, ahead of a Group of 20 summit at the German port city of Hamburg.

Zhang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when addressing a teleconference on the reform of the national household registration system.

In a bid to remove obstacles to the urbanization drive, Zhang stressed the target of increasing the ratio of registered urban residents to 45 percent of the total population by 2020. The ratio was 35.9 percent at the end of 2014.

Zhang asked authorities to stick to the basic tone of "seeking progress while maintaining stability" in the urbanization drive and ensure quality urbanization.

He also called for reforming accompanying policies of urbanization and providing newly-settled urban residents with better public services.

The household registration system, which has divided the nation into rural and urban populations since the 1950s, provides access to education, health care and other public services.

He also called on relevant parties to study and take reference from others in the field of traditional medicine and make joint efforts to tackle public health challenges and protect people's health.

Guo Weimin (left), vice-minister of the State Council Information Office, and Huang Kunming (second left), executive vice-minister of the CPC Central Committee's Publicity Department, attend the Third China-Russia Media Forum in Moscow on Tuesday.Ren Qi / China Daily

Technology development, mutual trust have driven cooperation

China and Russia have maintained close cooperation in mainstream media in the past year, a senior Chinese official said during the Third China-Russia Media Forum on Tuesday in Moscow.

More than 120 representatives of 75 media agencies from China and Russia participated in the forum and discussed new trends of media development and future cooperation.

Huang Kunming, the executive vice-minister of the CPC Central Committee's Publicity Department, said Chinese and Russian media have cooperated closely and documented Sino-Russian relations.

He said there have been changes in international relations in recent years, and there has been significant development of media technology.

"Media from both countries have the common task of dealing with the relationship between traditional and new media to increase innovation and enhance international communications," Huang said.

He added that Sino-Russian relations are the strongest they have ever been, which provides a solid platform for cooperation.

Alexei Gromov, first deputy chief of staff of the Russian Presidential Executive Office, said the China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination covers various fields of interaction, including deep media cooperation.

The two countries have established a deep mutual trust, allowing media exchanges to develop rapidly, Gromov said.

"The media forum is a perfect example of our fine relations," he said.

Sun Shangwu, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, signed an agreement with Pavel Negoitsa, publisher of Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

The two newspapers will continue to work on the Russian edition of China Watch - a multilingual news product of China Daily - and cooperate in other areas.

Pavel Stepanov, general manager of Russian media company Partner Center, said the hosting of the media forum and other similar communications played an important role in boosting the mutual understanding of Chinese and Russian people.

Partner Center has cooperated with Chinese media for many years, and has made documentaries about China.

Stepanov said cooperation among media companies to broadcast positive stories about each other's country will help to promote bilateral ties in other industries.

Evgeni Shubin, general manager of Russian Ostantino Television Center, praised the highly developed media technology in China. Shubin said Russian media desires to have more exchanges about television technology with Chinese media companies, and to make progress together.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn

Noting China-France relations are at a historical high, Li called on both sides to stick to the right direction guiding the development of bilateral ties.

Li hoped the two sides will accelerate alignment of development strategies and strengthen communication and coordination in major international issues such as climate change, so as to boost their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Stressing the French side places great importance on the Belt and Road Initiative, Fabius said his country is willing to jointly push for the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and combat global challenges with China.

While risks in the nation's financial sector are manageable now, the central bank will elevate the importance of prevention, the People's Bank of China said in its annual China Financial Stability Report released on Tuesday.

The bank and other financial regulatory bodies will work to fend off risks involved in shadow banking, real estate financing, local government financing platforms, internet financing and illegal fundraising activities, the report said.

Regulators will increase supervision over outbound investment and prevent shocks from external challenges, it said.

Recent improvements in economic data provide a solid foundation for the government to enhance its control of financial risks, said Shen Jianguang, chief economist of Mizuho Securities Asia Limited.

Since China's economy finished strong in the first quarter, with 6.9 percent year-on-year growth, many experts believe the second quarter, which ended in June, is also likely to show high-rate growth, partly due to a recovery in the manufacturing sector.

Investment and a relatively loose macro environment have boosted the economy but also led to an accumulation of financial risks in sectors pumping up the economy. The pileup of debt has become a challenge in recent years.

"Risk points in the financial sector have not changed much compared with the same period last year. They have always been there. Strong economic growth means regulators have more space to deal with risks," said Zhao Qingming, chief economist at the research institute of the China Financial Futures Exchange.

He said the risk level is not striking, but it is crucial to ensure that it will not threaten overall financial stability.

"The key is to implement financial reforms and to make sure regulatory rules can be rolled out in the right places," he said.

Regulatory bodies have introduced a slew of measures to regulate risk points exposed in the financial sector since the start of this year.

The central bank has improved its regulation of shadow banking, often outside the government's regulatory purview, by improving the Macro Prudential Assessment framework.

By including banks' off-the-balance-sheet wealth management products in its examination of broad credit, the central bank is able to curb risks brought by credit issued in restricted areas.

Some improvements have been made, according to a report released by Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday.

Moody's revised its outlook for banks in the Asia-Pacific region to stable from negative, as banking risks stabilized due to stable or improved operating conditions. China was a key factor in the increase of stable outlooks.

wangyanfei@chinadaily.com.cn

A J-15 fighter jet undertakes training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

ABOARD LIAONING AIRCRAFT CARRIER - A flotilla including aircraft carrier Liaoning has been undertaking trans-regional training since it set out from east China's Qingdao on June 25.

The naval formation includes destroyers Jinan and Yinchuan, frigate Yantai, and a squadron of J-15 fighter jets and helicopters.

This training mission, like previous ones, is expected to strengthen coordination among the vessels and improve the skills of crew and pilots in different marine regions.

The formation will visit Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in early July to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) being stationed in HKSAR, Liang Yang, spokesperson for the PLA Navy, said Sunday.

Officers and soldiers will attend various exchanges and activities with Hong Kong residents and the PLA Garrison in the HKSAR, and the warships will be open for the public to visit, Liang said.

A J-15 fighter jet undertakes training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A J-15 fighter jet undertakes training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

J-15 fighter jets undertake training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn] J-15 fighter jets undertake training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn] J-15 fighter jets undertake training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn] J-15 fighter jets undertake training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn] J-15 fighter jets undertake training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn] J-15 fighter jets undertake training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn] J-15 fighter jets undertake training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn] J-15 fighter jets undertake training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn] A helicopter undertakes training aboard aircraft carrier Liaoning. [Photo by Li Tang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"Tourism is one of the four major pillar industries of Hong Kong and plays a vital role in our overall development," Liu said, stressing the contribution made by mainland visitors to Hong Kong's travel sector.

Thanks to the individual visit scheme launched by the central government in 2003, Hong Kong has seen steady increase in travelers, mostly from mainland, since then and the total figure exceeded 60 million in 2014, according to Liu.

Facing fierce competition from other popular neighboring destinations such as Thailand, Japan and South Korea, the government announced plans to rebrand Hong Kong's image as a diversified city with unique culture and launched a series of tourism products to draw more visitors from home and abroad, Liu said.

"We have introduced a variety of attractions and facilities, including Hong Kong Wetland Park, Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, Ngong Ping 360, Ma Wan Park, since Hong Kong's return to the motherland. We also launched many themed-based activities celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China," he said.

Hong Kong has recalibrated its tour strategy with the changing trends in recent years and plans to focus more on visitors' experience, according to Amy Lam, senior public relations manager of Hong Kong Tourism Board.

"Tourists' demands have changed during the past years and pure attraction visits and photo taking are not enough for them," Lam said, "Hong Kong's feature as a tourist destination is not just limited to shopping and food, we have developed seven major experiences based on our unique advantages."

According to Lam, a series of celebrations will be held in Canada, France, UK and Malaysia to mark the 20th anniversary of return and promote Hong Kong's food culture.

Hong Kong's tourism has grown into maturity through over 60 years' development and it needs new promotion strategy to meet new demands and make new contribution to the economy, Lam said.

A group of 150 European officials, diplomats and overseas Chinese celebrated the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in Brussels on Thursday. [Photo by Yan Huan/chinadaily.com.cn]

A group of 150 European officials, diplomats and overseas Chinese celebrated the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in Brussels on Thursday, with members discussing the great progress the special administrative region has achieved in the past two decades.

July 1st marks the special occasion, which Chinese mission to EU, Chinese embassy to Belgium have joined Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels to celebrate.

Yang Yanyi, Chinese ambassador of the EU, said Hong Kong's return to the motherland two decades ago was a historic event, while the "one country, two systems" policy ensured the huge achievement it had made in previous years.

"Under the principle of ‘one country, two systems', Hong Kong people administrating Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy has been successfully implemented in the past 20 years, and Hong Kong has made marvellous progress in social and economic development," she said while addressing the celebration.

Yang added Hong Kong had remained one of the most competitive and dynamic international financial trade and shipping centers of the world and contributed uniquely to the reform and opening-up and modernization of the mainland.

She added that it has fully proved that "one country, two systems" is the best institutional arrangement for the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong .

Shirley Lam, special representative for the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels, also said what Hong Kong has achieved in the past 20 has resulted from the principle of "one country, two systems."

Yan Huan contributed to the story

He made the remarks when meeting with world business leaders during the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2017, also called Summer Davos, in the northeastern coastal city of Dalian.

The plan was formulated and released by the Office of the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs, to "improve handling of cybersecurity incidents, prevent and reduce damage, protect the public interest and safeguard national security, public safety and social order."

The plan divides cybersecurity incidents into six categories, including pernicious procedural incidents, cyber attacks and information security incidents.

It also defines four-levels of security warnings and response systems according to threat conditions ranging from "general" to "extremely serious."

Under the top "extremely serious" condition, security incidents may "paralyse many important Internet and information systems and halt operations," or "cause loss or falsification of state secrets and important sensitive information, posing great threats to national security and social stability," according to the plan.

Serious incidents will trigger measures including establishment of emergency headquarters, 24-hour monitoring and multi-department coordination in handling the aftermath.

In May, China suffered from a global ransomware attack that had paralyzed online payment systems at petrol stations across China and invaded colleges to encrypt papers and other documents.

The plan is also an implementation of the Cybersecurity Law adopted last year, which requires an emergency response mechanism from cyberspace authorities to avoid such threats.

Authorities are asked to organize rehearsals and strengthen prevention, especially during important meetings or national events.

Those who fail to implement the measures or conceal cybersecurity incidents will be punished, according to the plan.

Xi is invited by Russian President Vladimir Putin, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang.

Xi will also attend the 12th Group of 20 (G20) summit from July 7 to 8 in Hamburg, Germany, Lu said.

President Xi Jinping visits the wheels workshop of Taiyuan Heavy Industry Railway Transit Equipment Co in Taiyuan, the capital of North China's Shanxi province, while inspecting enterprises in Shanxi on Thursday.

He vows better lives are ahead for poor families

President Xi Jinping has highlighted the importance of poverty reduction amid the Communist Party of China's continuous efforts to build a well-off society.

Poverty alleviation ranks No 1 among the government's projects for improving people's livelihoods, Xi told officials at a conference on Thursday during his inspection tour of North China's Shanxi province.

Xi kicked off the inspection tour of the coal-producing inland province on Wednesday. He visited the houses of poor farmers, paid tribute to revolutionaries, inspected companies and held a conference with local officials.

The government should increase farmers' income from various channels and improve the living conditions in rural areas, said Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

The president also required the government to pay much attention to such issues as employment, education, pension, housing, health and food safety to ensure that the public can lead happy lives and the social order is stable.

"The mission of the Party and the government is to serve the people, and it's our duty to make the people's life better and better," Xi said while visiting a family in an impoverished village in mountainous Kelan county on Wednesday.

While visiting another poor family, Xi required the local government to arrange for the education and life of the disabled grandchildren of an elderly woman whose husband and son had died. He also urged officials to pay much attention to the problems of poverty caused by illness.

It is the CPC's solemn promise to lead poor people and impoverished regions to a comprehensive, well-off society, Xi said.

On Thursday, Xi visited two companies in Taiyuan — one that produces wheels for high-speed trains and one that makes carbon fiber. Xi talked with the workers and encouraged them to uphold the spirit of craftsmanship to make more contributions to "made in China".

The companies should improve their capacity in technology, equipment and environmental protection via innovation, Xi said. He encouraged the companies to seize the opportunities of the country's transportation development and Belt and Road construction.

During the conference, Xi urged the upgrade of local economies that previously relied heavily on coal mining. He also vowed to fight corruption and boost clean governance.

Agricultural authorities will push for reductions in the use of antibiotics for poultry and livestock. Antibiotics for both human and animal use and those that easily cause cross-drug resistance will be gradually banned in China, according to the plan.

Authorities will also take measures to research, develop and promote more than 100 kinds of new drugs for animal use that are safe, highly effective and leave little residue, and more than 100 kinds of high risk drugs for animal use will be banned, the plan said.

By 2020, more than 97 percent of poultry, livestock and aquatic products in domestic markets will be expected to pass tests for antibiotics residue, the plan said.

Authorities will intensify supervision in inspection and approval of new antibiotics for animal use, and further regulate veterinarians' drug application. Authorities will also establish eight national labs across China to improve monitoring drug resistance caused by the use of animal antibiotics, the plan said.

Agricultural authorities will also intensify communication and cooperation with international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to control the spread of drug-resistance bacteria among countries.

China is a major producer and user of antibiotics among animals. Bacteria drug-resistance is becoming increasingly serious in China, forcing even more drugs to be used in the poultry and livestock industry, which causes serious threats to public health, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Contact the writer at wangxiaodong@chinadaily.com.cn

Up to 23,727 people were sentenced, while the number of cases accepted stood at 20,394, according to the SPC.

Zheng Xuelin, presiding judge of the court for environmental resources cases at the SPC, gave out the numbers at a press briefing.

Among the cases closed, 1,847 were for pollution, accounting for the sentences of 2,944 people. The other 17,027 were on damaging natural resources, resulting in 20,783 convictions.

Courts handled 84,664 civil cases on environmental resources in 2016, out of 90,769 accepted, according to Zheng.

The SPC also published details ten typical cases on environmental resources on Thursday, which Zheng hoped would guide the people's courts at all levels in dealing with such cases.

A local artist produces a painting of Shaxi, a township in Jianchuan county, Yunnan province. HOU LIQIANG/CHINA DAILY Awareness is growing of the need to save age-old settlements that embody traditional lifestyles

Once, all the houses in Zhoucheng village were traditional properties, with three rooms and a screen wall forming a courtyard, an age-old architectural characteristic of residences of the Bai ethnic group.

Now, just four houses in the village, home to 2,500 households in Dali city, Yunnan province, still maintain the traditional values, while the others have either lost their traditional structures and decor as a result of renovation work, or have been demolished to build new houses. The process took just 10 years.

To make matters worse, some newly built houses are just concrete boxes that lack any local cultural characteristics, according to Duan Shusheng, deputy director of the village committee.

Zhoucheng is just one of hundreds or even thousands of traditional Chinese villages that have seen traditional residences fading away, while many face a far worse situation－they are disappearing, as younger, able-bodied residents move away to seek work in big cities, leaving just the elderly behind.

China, the world's second-largest economy, faces challenges in the protection of traditional villages, which are believed to be key repositories of 5,000 years of culture and tradition. In 2012, the central government launched a campaign to protect them, and so far, 4,153 of the most representative villages full of rich cultural relics have been listed and protected as National Traditional Villages.

Although, Zhoucheng was listed as a National Traditional Village in 2012, the destruction of its old residences happened around 2007.

As living standards rose, a growing number of villagers wanted their homes to be upgraded. There were no bathrooms in the old houses, but some villagers wanted them, along with larger kitchens, Duan said.

However, it's more cost-effective to build new houses than renovate the old ones; it costs 30,000 yuan ($4,400) to adapt old houses to include a bathroom, but only 1,000 yuan a square meter to build a new house, he added.

Some families demolished their old houses to build new ones, mainly because there wasn't enough space in the old houses to accommodate the growing number of family members. Many said they would keep their old houses as long as they could obtain land on which to construct new ones. However, the village couldn't offer them the land, according to Duan.

Though dismayed by the situation, Duan is happy to see a growing awareness among residents of the need to protect traditional architecture.

"More villagers now choose to build new houses in the traditional style, and some only use traditional materials," he said.

Zhoucheng is one of 615 traditional villages in Yunnan on the national list.

A stage for traditional opera often hosts performances in Zhoucheng village in Jianchuan county, Yunnan. WANG MINGWEI/CHINA DAILY

Lack of support

The lack of financial support and low awareness of protection among villagers have exacerbated the problem, said Jin Hongna, an official with the Yunnan Housing and Urban-Rural Development Authority, who is overseeing the protection of traditional villages in the province.

Every traditional village will receive financial support of 3 million yuan a year from the government. However, the money is not intended for the protection and renovation of the villagers' houses, but for infrastructure upgrades, including roads and waste and sewage treatment facilities, Jin said, adding it's difficult for the government to become involved in the protection of privately owned houses.

"With poor ventilation and limited access to sunshine, living conditions in traditional houses built from wood and earth cannot be compared with those in modern, concrete houses. Without financial support, it can be hard to persuade the occupants to preserve their houses just by telling them the old properties are valuable," she said.

So far, the protection of Shaxi, an ancient township in Jianchuan county, Yunnan, has succeeded in the face of new challenges.

Shaxi was once an important hub on an ancient trade road from Yunnan to Tibet. The township fascinated members of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in 2000, when they participated in an investigative tour led by local officials. In 2002, the institute, based in Zurich, and the Jianchuan county government jointly launched the Shaxi Rehabilitation Project.

Yang Huiming, head of the township's cultural preservation department, said the Bai ethnic group has a tradition of dividing houses and passing them on to descendants, which helps to maintain the properties because no one is allowed to sell or demolish the houses without the approval of the other residents.

Initially, almost all the villagers were doubtful of the protection project because they thought poor living conditions were normal in these types of houses. "Nobody thought these houses were valuable because they didn't benefit from living in them at all," he said.

Zhang Jizhi, deputy director of the Jianchuan tourism commission, said sweeping changes happened after the local government bought some of the houses and brought in businesses to demonstrate how they could be put to practical use and improve livelihoods.

According to Zhang, many villagers only understood how valuable their houses were after the businesses began to attract tourists, and they have become "proactively" involved in protection efforts: "Some villagers have transformed their houses into guesthouses and transformed themselves into businessmen."

Yang said the ancient township now faces new protection challenges because the number of tourists sometimes exceeds capacity, and some businesspeople damaged the structure or style of some ancient houses when they renovated them.

Experts said the lack of a national protection mechanism and the government's long-term negligence of rural development also produce challenges for the preservation of traditional villages.

From 2001 to 2011, about 80 to 100 villages nationwide disappeared every day, according to Feng Jicai, a renowned writer and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, speaking at a news conference on culture at the fifth session of the 12th CPPCC National Committee in March. The 75-year-old author has spent decades researching the history of ancient traditional villages and campaigning for their protection.

Workmen help to build a local history museum in Shaxi. HOU LIQIANG/CHINA DAILY

Exodus

While it is encouraging that the central government has listed more than 4,000 settlements as National Traditional Villages since 2012, some are still experiencing an exodus of residents, and some have been damaged by the development of tourism, he said.

At present, there is no formal protection plan for traditional villages, while villagers are mostly unaware of the value of their villages and therefore lack awareness of the need to protect them. In such situations, the villages are prone to damage, he said.

He urged the government to formulate a mechanism for the development of tourism in ancient villages, and said it should not be allowed unless protection is given a high priority.

According to Feng, homes in many traditional villages have been passed down through the generations for hundreds of years, and their protection is related to the inheritance and preservation of the national culture: "They shouldn't be destroyed by the current generation of Chinese people in just a few years."

Zhu Liangwen, a retired professor of architecture at Kunming University of Science and Technology in Yunnan province, said a lack of knowledge has led to the current situation: "For a long time, China's construction authorities paid most attention to urban development. They have limited knowledge of the rural areas, but they haven't conducted sufficient research into rural development. Instead, they sit in offices talking about the issue."

The 79-year-old academic, who has devoted himself to the protection of traditional residential architecture since 1981, said that lacking proper understanding of rural areas, many planning institutes in cities drew up plans for traditional villages based on their experience of urban development.

Most of the planning they conduct is impractical and the planners usually leave after drawing up their plans, but few rural residents have the ability to carry out the work, and there are few government documents to explain how to manage rural construction companies or the extent of the developers' power.

It can be hard for architectural experts to protect traditional houses because they may have to heed village heads with little or no knowledge of architecture, he said.

Zhu has found it difficult to get full cooperation from village heads to carry out his plans and said he argues with them regularly.

In Azheke village, Yuanyang county, Yunnan, the village head demolished a small house used for sacrifices to gods and ancestors-the only one in the immediate vicinity－without listening to Zhu's suggestions about preserving it.

"Many villagers and officials are at least 15 years behind the scholars who serve as heralds in the protection of traditional architecture. Only in about 15 years will they realize what a great pity it was that they demolished these ancient houses," he said.

Contact the writers at houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn

Longyangxia Hydropower Station in Gonghe county, Qinghai province. [Photo/VCG]

As part of the country's efforts to develop in a low-carbon manner, Northwest China's Qinghai province has launched a week-long pilot program in which all electricity would be powered by clean energy.

Qinghai is located in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Rich in renewable energy resources, the province produces 82.8 percent of its electricity through sustainable sources, said the State Grid Qinghai Electricity Power Co at a news conference on Sunday.

During the pilot project from June 17 to 23, 175 million kWh of electricity will be produced every day across the province, with 78.3 percent of it generated by water power and 21.7 percent by other renewable sources.

Han Ti, deputy general manager of the company, said a similar project was carried out in 2016 in Portugal, a country with a similar power consumption and energy mix as Qinghai.

Compared with the Portugal project which lasted for 107 hours, the Qinghai pilot program will be of longer duration, and boast a larger share of solar power, he said.

The pilot project is expected to set an example for the development of clean energy in China, he said.

Statistics show China's CO2 emission per unit of GDP dropped by 26.2 percent from 2011 to 2016. And the country pledged to cut emission intensity down to 60-65 percent lower than 2005 by 2030, according to the Paris Agreement.

It also aims to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in its primary energy mix from 12 percent in 2015 to 20 percent by 2030.

It is the China Law Society's seventh legal study base and the only one dedicated to the initiative.

"We hope the base can become a top think tank for pushing forward the initiative and effectively coming up with solutions for the problems and risks faced by Chinese enterprises involved," said Zhang Mingqi, deputy head of the society.

He described the base as a cradle of education for Chinese lawyers, which would enable them to better handle legal cases in foreign countries.

Zhang Wei, deputy head of Beijing Lawyers Association, said the base would help improve lawyers' abilities to provide legal services in foreign disputes, adding that it is necessary to increase cooperation and build a system to educate legal talent.

Also on Thursday, a number of law professionals attended a seminar focused on the initiative that was held in the university. They had a heated discussion on how to better apply international law to foreign investments and disputes.

Chen Fuyong, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing Arbitration Commission, suggested China voice its opinion more when international rules or conventions were being made.

"We should also be familiar with the rules and know how to make use of them," he said.

Liu Jingdong, a deputy chief judge of the Supreme People's Court, said diverse solutions were needed to tackle civil and commercial disputes concerning the initiative.

"For example, we could set up a special court for such cases," he said.

Liu Chao, deputy head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade's law affairs department, called on industrial and commercial members to play their role in improving the initiative.

"We're building multilateral and bilateral business cooperation commissions and gathering more experts to provide related services," he said, adding that China should aim to increase prevention of trade disputes and take advantage of mediation to solve related cases.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, presides over a chairpersons' meeting in Beijing, capital of China, June 15, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] BEIJING -- China's top legislature will convene its bi-monthly session from June 22 to 27, according to a statement issued after a chairpersons' meeting Thursday.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presided over the meeting.

Thursday's meeting suggested that legislators at the upcoming bi-monthly session will deliberate on the draft law on national intelligence, draft amendments to the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law, and draft revisions to the Law of Promoting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

Legislators will deliberate on bills, including those to review the draft laws on national anthem, soil pollution prevention and control, and public libraries, and draft amendments to the laws on administrative procedure and civil procedure, among others.

Other bills, including those to review and ratify extradition treaties between China and Argentina, and that between China and Ethiopia, will be also deliberated at the session.

Moreover, lawmakers will consider a number of reports, including a report by the State Council on the central government's final accounts in 2016 which is expected to be reviewed.

The session will review some official appointments and dismissals, according to the statement.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, presides over a chairpersons' meeting in Beijing, capital of China, June 15, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Lu was addressing a daily news briefing when questioned about Panamanian students studying in Taiwan who may face difficulty completing their studies under scholarships offered by Taiwan, as Panama announced it was cutting diplomatic ties with Taiwan on Tuesday.

China, he said, welcomes students from Panama to study on the Chinese mainland, adding that China will increase the number scholarships to students from Panama every year.

He also said that for those Panamanian students currently studying in Taiwan, China is ready to offer timely assistance to students in need.

President Xi Jinping meetswith FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY

China and FIFA on Wednesday vowed to deepen cooperation, as President Xi Jinping stressed the goal of gradually raising the level of Chinese soccer.

Xi and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino made the remarks during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People.

"We are aware of the fact that FIFA is paying more attention to the development of football in China these days, and I do believe that China's cooperation with FIFA in the future enjoys brighter prospects," Xi said.

The president said making China a sporting power is an important part of the country's development goals, according to a news release issued after the meeting.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of soccer and has given strong and sustained support, he said.

However, the popularity and competitive level of Chinese soccer still lags far behind that of strong powers in the sport, Xi said.

The essence of soccer lies not only in competition, but, more importantly, in enhancing people's health and cultivating people's patriotism, collectivism and the spirit of indomitable struggle, the president said.

He said that in recent years, China has been concentrating on an overall plan for soccer reform and development, and has firmly pushed ahead with reforms.

The efforts include cultivating soccer culture throughout society, deepening soccer management system reform, establishing a professional and effective management system in accordance with the rules of the sport's global development and China's national situation, vigorously developing youth soccer, improving infrastructure such as venues and strengthening international exchanges.

The efforts aim to "gradually raise the level of China's football sport through solid and continuous work over a long time and have the positive football culture become positive energy in Chinese people's pursuit of the Chinese Dream", Xi said.

He said China will support FIFA's efforts and expects to contribute to global soccer development.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you, because we are meeting a real football fan, so we can speak about football," Infantino told Xi at the start of their meeting.

"There is nothing better than speaking about football. Maybe playing football, but speaking about football is always fantastic," Infantino said. He added that as people who are excited about and passionate over the game, they can "start a new era for football, not only in China" but in the whole world.

Xi, who developed an interest in soccer during his childhood, has become known as a big fan of the sport.

Infantino said FIFA speaks highly of the Chinese government's efforts to promote soccer. He said China carries a lot of weight and is a priority in FIFA's development strategy.

Developing soccer will not only benefit sports careers, but will be a healthy factor for Chinese society, according to a professor at Shanghai University of Sport who declined to be named.

Zhang Qing, CEO of Key-Solution Sports Consulting, said China has a large and passionate contingent interested in the sport and a government that is using its strength to develop soccer.

"These are two super good conditions for football's development, and apparently FIFA is fully aware of that. Besides, this is a huge market that cannot be neglected," he said. Zhang added that he expects FIFA to come up with concrete measures to cooperate with China and help raise China's level in the sport.

Zhou Jin and Sun Xiaochen contributed to this story.

lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn

Earlier on Tuesday, China and Panama signed a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Li said that the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations lives up to the general trend and the common aspiration of the public.

The establishment champions the one-China principle and serves the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples, achieving both righteousness and benefit, Li said.

"We hope that both sides will make joint efforts to strengthen high-level exchanges, enhance mutual trust, complement each other, deepen cooperation and promote the steady development of bilateral ties," Li added.

The visiting vice-president said that Panama will stay committed to the one-China principle, and is willing to carry out cooperation in a wide range of areas and introduce a new chapter to the ties.

The Philippines has made important achievements in national construction under the leadership of Duterte, said Xi, and he expressed heartfelt congratulations to such achievements.

"The Chinese and Philippine peoples have a profound traditional friendship," said the Chinese president, noting that the two countries returned to the right track of good neighborly relations last year with efforts from both sides.

Their cooperation in all fields are flourishing, which has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples, said Xi.

As China and the Philippines are close neighbors, the two developing countries share the same missions in safeguarding national security, realizing common development and promoting regional peace and stability, Xi stressed.

"I attach great importance to China-Philippines relations, and stand ready to work with you to lead our two countries to continue our mutual assistance, support and common development in bids to bring benefits to both peoples and the peoples across the region," said Xi.

Li spoke on Wednesday when meeting a group of multinational corporate leaders — including the CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Schneider Electric and Phillips Corp — attending the fifth Global CEO Council roundtable summit in Beijing.

He said China, with its huge market potential, wealth of talent and growing industrial strength, will not only benefit multinational companies' investments but also create opportunities for joint exploration of third-party markets and multilateral cooperation.

China will also work to better protect intellectual property rights and further promote the use of negative lists for a more convenient and equitable policy environment for overseas investors, the premier stressed. Negative lists specify areas where investment is prohibited — all other areas are presumed to be open.

Reform of supervision, facilitation of trade, innovation capacity and widening market access for overseas investors were among key topics during the one-hour conversation between Li and business leaders.

Li said China is determined to promote economic globalization, free trade and investment, as these form an environment in which fair competition and innovation is nurtured.

China will not retreat in its opening-up, and is resolved to open its door wider to the global market, he said, ¬adding that Beijing is ready to work hand-in-hand with others to promote multilateralism and improve global governance.

Issues raised by the 20 or so business leaders during the conversation included widening market access, promoting innovation and improving the business environment.

In response, Li said hurdles for foreign investment access will be further eliminated. The government has rolled out measures to promote compliant market regulation, he said.

He encouraged business leaders to seize opportunities to grow their businesses in step with China's economic development.

Andrew Liveris, CEO of the US-based Dow Chemical Co, agreed with Li's position on globalization, saying it is "like gravity" and unstoppable.

Liveris said Dow is ready to work with countries like China, which is "open for business and care about competitiveness as well as humanity".

Steven Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm, also based in the United States, said Qualcomm is looking forward to seeing an environment in China with more streamlined regulation and facilitation of investment, adding that the company is ready to work with China to develop new energy vehicles and technical innovation.

By October 2016, reforms meant that about 95 percent of items that required approvals in China had been replaced by registration.

An annual report issued on Wednesday by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said the US, China and India have the best prospects for foreign direct investment.

zhangyue@chinadaily.com.cn

China has 5.33 million households - 7.34 million people - stuck in poverty as a result of medical costs, according to data from the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Roughly 3.3 million have severe medical conditions, such as cancer, whose treatment is expensive.

Li Bin, head of the commission, pledged on Thursday to ensure that every severely ill person gets appropriate treatment by 2020.

"No one will be left behind," she said in a speech at a national conference on poverty relief and health in Chengdu, Sichuan province. "That goal is crucial to the massive national poverty relief campaign."

The central government has vowed to lift all the country's rural poor out of poverty by 2020 to build a moderately prosperous society.

But the phenomenon in which people sink back into poverty because of major diseases continues to happen, "which is also the case in other parts of the world", said Zeng Yunguang, a divisional director of the commission.

In response, the commission is working closely with other government departments, such as the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development - which in general coordinates the campaign - and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, which runs the nation's public health insurance programs, to devise and implement a sustainable and cross-departmental plan to avert poverty related to medical expenses in the long run.

Independent insurance protecting against the cost of major disease will be further fine-tuned to benefit as many patients struggling against poverty as possible, Zeng said.

To date, every person in poor regions is covered by the insurance, which complements the basic health policy for the rural population, widely known as the new rural cooperative medical scheme.

"The two policies work together to further relieve the economic burden of large medical bills," he said.

In many places, the premium for the major disease policy is substantially subsidized by local governments. Last year, under the twin policies, hospitalized patients can receive reimbursement for 76 percent of the costs on average, he said.

The percentage varies regionally but "will be further raised", he added.

Li encouraged local governments to try different approaches depending on local conditions. In Anhui province, for instance, the local administration has allocated money from a special fund to ensure medical treatment for the impoverished. Thanks to that, an annual cap of 3,000 yuan was introduced for out-of-pocket medical costs at county-level hospitals.

As of the end of May, more than 2.6 million people with major diseases have benefited from the concerted nationwide effort. But at the end of last year, China still had more than 43 million impoverished rural residents, according to government statistics.

To sustain future efforts, Li said, the health infrastructure and facilities in poor areas would be upgraded to better satisfy local health demands. Also, a family doctor program is being gradually introduced to make sure residents can access basic public health services and interventions, she said — particularly for chronic diseases.

Contact the writers at shanjuan@chinadaily.com.cn

He made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the Eighth Clean Energy Ministerial and the Second Mission Innovation Ministerial, which opened in Beijing Wednesday.

Clean energy development is crucial to the improvement of energy structure, energy security and the promotion of "ecological civilization," Xi said in the letter.

China highly values clean energy development and has taken a series of measures and achieved positive outcomes in this area, the president said.

The country will stick to the basic state policy of energy conservation and environmental protection, Xi vowed.

He urged participants of the two meetings to share knowledge and experience to help bring the world onto a path of green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable development.

The Chinese government has intensified efforts to fight pollution and use more clean energy.

The country has pledged to cut its carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 60-65 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and raise the share of non-fossil energy use in total consumption to about 20 percent.

President Xi Jinping meets with California Governor Jerry Brown of the United States at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday. Xi encouraged the state to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative. WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY

Innovation, green development cited as key areas ripe for cooperation

President Xi Jinping spoke with California Governor Jerry Brown on Tuesday and encouraged the state, the most populous in the United States, to contribute more to China-US cooperation in key areas.

Brown is in Beijing to attend a Clean Energy Ministerial meeting, the first international meeting of its kind since US President Donald Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement on climate change last week.

Xi said China is committed to the path of peaceful, open and green development.

He expects states of the US and Chinese provinces to strengthen the synergy of development strategies, produce more highlights in cooperation and make local exchanges and cooperation a new growth point in ties between the two nations.

The president encouraged California, a state that he said "bears great economic and social impact in the US", to make more contributions in promoting China-US cooperation in fields like technology, innovation and green development.

He also welcomed California to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Brown told Xi his state cherishes its traditional friendship with China.

He said California's government speaks highly of and will actively participate in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The state also expects to deepen cooperation with China in fields including trade, investment, clean energy, low-carbon technology, environmental protection and civilian exchanges, he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Brown, speaking at the eighth Clean Energy Ministerial meeting, said that the threat of climate change could be more dangerous than that of fascism during World War II.

The governor told the Associated Press on the sidelines of the forum that Trump's decision to pull the US out of the Paris climate accord will prove temporary because of the urgency of the issue.

China, Europe and US states will for now fill the gap that was left by the US federal government's move to abdicate leadership on the issue, he said.

China announced last week it will continue to implement the commitment of the Paris climate deal and "move toward the 2030 goal step-by-step, steadfastly".

Tao Wenzhao, a researcher in US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, "China has always been serious on promises it made".

"Besides, cutting emissions has been an irreversible international trend, though there might be some temporary setbacks," Tao said.

The California government and the Ministry of Science and Technology inked an agreement on Tuesday for greater collaboration on countering climate change, according to AP.

Brown signed similar agreements in the past several days with leaders in Jiangsu and Sichuan provinces, the report said.

President Xi Jinping meets with California Governor Jerry Brown of the United States at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday. Xi encouraged the state to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Tuo Zhen (left) and Deputy Director of Kazakhstan President Administration Bachtitem Timurblatter together presents the Kazakh-language version of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 5, 2017. [Photo by Ren Qi/chinadaily.com.cn]

The launch ceremony of the Kazakh-language version of President Xi Jinping's book, Xi Jinping: The governance of China, was held in the First President Library at the Kazakhstan capital city of Astana on Monday.

Deputy head of Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Tuo Zhen said the book demonstrated China's development theory and path, as well as internal and foreign policies.

"The publication of the Kazakh-language version of Xi Jinping: The governance of China opens a new window for Kazakhstan people to better understand China, and provides a new platform for both countries to communicate issues about governance in our countries," he said.

Zhang Hanhui, the Chinese ambassador to Kazakhstan, added the new version of Xi's book gives Kazakhstan a useful experience of how to govern a country.

"As the new book is published before the visit of President Xi to Kazakhstan, we believe the two countries will enhance a mutual trust and better strategic coordination," he said.

The book Xi Jinping: The governance of China contains 79 speeches, talks, interviews, notes and letters written by the Chinese leader, dating back between November 2012 and June 2014.

More than 6.2 million copies have, so far, been distributed around the world.

Tuo Zhen, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, delivers a speech during the launch ceremony in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 5, 2017. [Photo by Ren Qi/chinadaily.com.cn] Young people receive copies of the new Kazakh-language version of the book, saying it is helping them to learn more about China. [Photo by Ren Qi/chinadaily.com.cn]