by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Abdul Razak Dawood
Islamabad : Abdul Razak Dawood, advisor to Pakistani Prime Minister on commerce, textile, industry and production, and investment, has said that Pakistan has great potential in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai from November 5-10.
Pakistan wants to bring forward industrial cooperation with China, Dawood said while speaking to Xinhua news agency.
“Development of Gwadar and development of industrial cooperation are the two main things we want (from China), apart from having a market access to China.”
He added that Pakistan wants to take its textiles, leather, sugar, rice and other agricultural products to Chinese business markets in the initial stage, but later it will do business in light engineering.
Dawood, who attended an event organised for promoting friendly cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese businessmen, said while addressing the session that the Pakistani government wants to make CIIE participation fruitful, as it will give a chance to bring business people of the two countries closer.
He added that Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and businessmen are going to Beijing to expand the role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as the Chinese government has opened its gates for them, and now its Pakistan’s turn to use this opportunity to develop the country.
He said that the Pakistani government wants industrialisation to develop more and CPEC is one of the important vehicles Pakistan can use to achieve that goal.
Dawood said that the main priority of the current Pakistani government is to enhance its exports, adding that when exports increased it will lead to job creation to millions of people who are unemployed.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
Brussels : The comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the European Union has yielded significant fruits, said Chinese envoy to the EU on Friday, urging both sides to identify opportunities, seize them and make the best of them for a better future of China-EU relations.
At a policy dialogue in Brussels titled “the EU-China Strategic Partnership 15 years on-What Direction for the Next 15 Years”, Zhang Ming, head of the Chinese mission to the EU, said figures from bilateral interactions were convincing, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.
Bilateral trade was $125.2 billion 15 years ago, while just in the first eight months of this year, trade already reached $445 billion, he said, adding that “at the end of this year, we could expect an amount more than four times that of 15 years ago.”
In the past 15 years, mutual visits increased from 3 million to over 7 million. 600 flights travel between China and the EU every week, Zhang said.
China and the EU have a comprehensive strategic partnership.
“Comprehensive means that our cooperation is not just about trade, but about a broad range of areas, like foreign policy, security, culture, science and technology, global governance, to name just a few,” Zhang said.
“Strategic” means that we embrace a big-picture and long-term thinking for cooperation, going beyond our differences in history, cultures, values and political system. In a time of uncertainties, strategic partners are poised to communicate on major issues with a sense of trust, and enhance coordination to add a sense of certainty, he added.
“China supports a united, stable, open and prosperous EU. This is our consistent and firm stance, never swayed by those pessimistic views on European integration.” Zhang said.
China has set out to expand reform and opening-up and improve business environment, he said, as “reform and opening-up is widely supported by the 1.4 billion Chinese people, and that it is a certain way to go if China wants further development in the future.”
“I understand that some European friends are eager to see even more out of reform and opening-up in China. Many of their opinions and recommendations are largely in line with our future direction. Their concerns will be gradually and properly addressed on the way ahead, like in the past 40 years,” he said.
“We have difficult challenges to tackle in the course of economic transformation. Development remains daunting, and there is still a long way to go,” Zhang said, adding that “We hope that European friends could see China’s reform, opening-up and development in a more objective light, and with more confidence and patience.”
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
By Arul Louis,
United Nations : After China and Russia failed to block a briefing on Myanmar, the Security Council heard the head of an independent investigation into alleged atrocities against the Rohingya calling for prosecuting senior leaders of national forces on charges of genocide.
The Chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar set up by the Human Rights Council, Marzuki Darusman, said that they had found evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity and asked the Council to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court or create an international criminal tribunal to prosecute those responsible.
Before he was allowed to speak, China and Russia objected to the briefing saying it would only complicate matters and make a resolution of the Rohingya crisis difficult.
Russian’s Permanent representative Vassily Nebenzia dismissed the report as “raw” and unreliable and pointed out that the US, which was now backing the mission, had withdrawn from the Human Rights Council questioning its objectivity.
In the procedural vote, where permanent members do not have veto powers, the Council decided with nine votes in favour, three abstentions and three – China, Russia and Bolivia – against to to hold the briefing.
The vote was an illustration of the discord at the Security Council that hobbles it effectiveness in dealing with many crises.
Backing the call for prosecutions, US Permanent representative Nikki Haley said: “Only accountability for the crimes against Rohingya will serve the cause of peace in Burma. This is not about finger pointing. It is about accepting the realities of what happened so that healing and accountability can occur.”
Bangladesh Permanent Representative Masud Bin Momen backed the fact-finding mission’s report and said that Council should act on it.
He offered his country’s assistance for international prosecution of those responsible for the crimes against the Rohigya.
Myanmar’s Permanent Representative Hau Do Suan said that his country’s security forces carried out legitimate counter-terrorist actions and these were done without “genocidal intent”.
The Rohingya crisis was precipated by attacks by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army terrorist group against 30 police outposts and a military installation, and hundreds of innocent civilians, including Hindus, other ethnic minorities and Muslims supporting the government were massacred by the group.
The Myanmar government has established an independent commission of inquiry to go into allegations of human rights violations and had already taken action some of the military, police and national security officers.
China’s Permanent Representative Ma Zhaoxu came out in support of Myanmar saying that it was making progress in resolving the Rohingya issue by trying to implement agreements regarding their return and allowing UN agencies access.
At the same time, he praised Bangladesh for hosting the refugees and said Beijing was helping it and Myanmar deal with the crisis.
In meeting facilitated by his country, Ma said Myanmar had agreed to a timetable for the return of refugees.
(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
Vladimir Putin
Sochi (Russia) : Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that his country is ready to further strengthen coordination and cooperation with China to safeguard and promote common interests and global peace and development.
Russia applauds the high level of comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, said Putin when meeting Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Xinhua news agency reported.
“All the consensus reached between the two presidents is being implemented,” said Putin, adding that his country is willing to make joint efforts with China to maintain close contact at all levels and deepen practical cooperation in all fields.
Meanwhile, he stressed that the two countries should further enhance coordination and cooperation to safeguard and promote the common interests of the two countries as well as the global peace and development.
Putin also expressed deep appreciation and heartfelt thanks for President Xi Jinping’s participation in the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September.
Yang, also Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said the two Presidents had made in-depth exchange of views on further developing the China-Russia relations and the international situation and achieved important consensus during the 4th Eastern Economic Forum.
“Together with Russia, China is willing to fully implement the consensus reached between the two presidents, especially enhancing the practical cooperation in the fields of energy, agriculture, science and technology, and innovation,” said Yang, suggesting that the two side should properly arrange high-level exchanges and celebration activities next year to mark the 70th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties.
Yang said it will be a good opportunity to promote the bilateral relations to score new achievements for greater benefits of the two peoples and people around the world.
At the invitation of the Russian side, Yang arrived in Russia’s Black Sea coastal city of Sochi to attend the 15th annual meeting of Valdai on Wednesday.
The Valdai International Discussion Club founded by Russia holds its meeting each year to provide a platform for the exchange of views for politicians and scholars from across the world.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Economy, News, World
Beijing : China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.7 per cent year on year in the first three quarters of 2018 to about 65.09 trillion yuan ($9 trillion), data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Friday.
The growth was in line with market expectations and higher than the government’s annual growth target of around 6.5 per cent, reports Xinhua news agency.
In the third quarter, China’s GDP rose 6.5 per cent from a year ago, compared to a 6.7 per cent increase in the second quarter, the NBS said in a statement.
The economy has expanded in a reasonable range and maintained a trend of overall stability and steady progress, the statistical authority said, while acknowledging that the country faces more external challenges and rising downward pressure.
The service sector gained 7.7 per cent year on year in the January-September period, picking up from a 7.6 per cent increase in the first half, and outpacing 3.4 per cent in primary industry and 5.8 per cent in secondary industry.
—IANS
