Hong Kong police fired tear gas and brief spurts of water cannon amid running battles with brick-throwing protesters in driving rain on Sunday after violent clashes a day earlier in which police fired tear gas for the first time in more than a week.

Hong Kong police fired tear gas and brief spurts of water cannon amid running battles with brick-throwing protesters in driving rain on Sunday after violent clashes a day earlier in which police fired tear gas for the first time in more than a week. At least one petrol bomb was thrown by protesters, some of whom took off down narrow side streets where the water cannon, which had not been used in years of anti-government protests, could not follow. The Chinese-ruled city's MTR rail operator had suspended some services to try to prevent people gathering but the protesters, calling for democracy for the former British colony, made it to a sports stadium in the vast container port of Kwai Chung, from where they marched to nearby Tsuen Wan. Some dug up bricks from the pavement and wheeled them away to use as ammunition, others sprayed detergent on the road to make it slippery for the lines of police. Clashes spread in many directions. The vast majority marched peacefully. Police had warned earlier they would launch a "dispersal operation" and told people to leave. Hundreds remained long after dusk fell, discussing what to do next. "Some radical protesters have removed railings ... and set up barricades with water-filled barriers, bamboo sticks, traffic cones, and other objects," they said in a statement. "Such acts neglect the safety of citizens and road users, paralysing traffic in the vicinity," the statement said. Activists threw petrol bombs and bricks on Saturday in the gritty industrial district of Kwun Tong, on the east of the Kowloon peninsula. Last chance M. Sung, a 53-year-old software engineer in a black mask emblematic of the many older, middle-class citizens at the march, said he had been at almost every protest and would keep coming. "We know this is the last chance to fight for 'one country, two systems', otherwise the Chinese Communist Party will penetrate our home city and control everything," he said. "If we keep a strong mind, we can sustain this movement for justice and democracy. It won’t die," Sung said. Protesters say they are fighting the erosion of the "one country, two systems" arrangement under which Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 with the promise of continued freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland for 50 years. The protests, which started over a now-suspended extradition bill, have rocked Hong Kong for three months and plunged the city into its biggest political crisis since the handover. They also pose a direct challenge for Communist Party leaders in Beijing, who are eager to quell the unrest ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1. Beijing has sent a clear warning that forceful intervention is possible, with paramilitary forces holding drills just over the border. Transport to the airport appeared normal on Sunday, despite protesters' plans for a day-long "stress test" of transport in the international aviation and financial hub. Police said they strongly condemned protesters "breaching public peace" and that 19 men and 10 women had been arrested after Saturday's violence. More than 700 have been arrested since the demonstrations began in June. The neighbouring gambling territory of Macau, a former Portuguese colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1999, elected former legislature head Ho Iat Seng as its leader on Sunday - the sole approved candidate. Ho, who has deep ties to China, is expected to cement Beijing's control over the "special administrative region", the same status is given to Hong Kong, and distance it from the unrest there.

Hong Kong police briefly turn water cannon on protesters, fire tear gas

Ask one of the hundreds-of-thousands of Chinese students in Australia what they think about Hong Kong and you are likely to be met with apprehension, or a polite silence.

Ask one of the hundreds-of-thousands of Chinese students in Australia what they think about Hong Kong and you are likely to be met with apprehension, or a polite silence. It has become what one Chinese student calls the "dreaded question". Hong Kong's unrest is a nine-hour flight away, but it has been impossible to avoid on campuses Down Under. Pro-democracy and pro-Beijing students have clashed physically, hurled insults and death threats, and trolls have besieged social media. While most Chinese students say apologetically it is too dangerous to talk, some are willing as long as their identity is not made public. "Andy", who hails from a mainland China town two hours from Hong Kong said he and many of his compatriots do not want to get involved on either side. "We're here for knowledge. We're not here to protest," he told. "We prefer not engaging any form of disruption to our study life." He laments "chaotic" events in Hong Kong and "suspects" dark foreign forces are fomenting separatism views that closely echo talking points from Communist Party propaganda. "It is quite shocking for me to think that some of our people would wave another country's flag," he says of the British and US banners that have popped up at some protests. But he also believes protesting is "fine if you have a different point of view" and that governments including in Beijing sometimes get things wrong. Acrimonious tone Johnson, a Hong Kong-born student studying at Sydney's University of New South Wales, said that the Chinese community has become polarised. "The tone of the debate is very acrimonious," he said. He said students are expected to either "completely support the protesters or support the government and everything that they do", depending on which side they were on. He said there is particular pressure on students to "express support for the protests and avoid criticising the protesters" in Hong Kong regardless of personal convictions. Meanwhile, pro-Hong Kong students have been physically confronted and had their identities and their home address revealed online. Australian universities have been equally wary of getting involved having received billions in tuition fees from mainland Chinese students and millions from the Chinese government to build controversial "Confucius Institutes". According to researcher Salvatore Babones, the University of Sydney alone made half-a-billion dollars in revenue from Chinese students in 2017. Beijing has been quick to hint that the flow of students may dry up, fuelling concern they are being made into political pawns. James Laurenceson of the University of Technology Sydney said Chinese students are "in a wedged position". "If they express an opinion that's not supportive of the Hong Kong protests then they're going to be branded as stooges of the Chinese Communist Party." On the other hand, those "supportive of Hong Kong are fearful that some of their nationalistic peers might criticise them". There is "legitimate concern", he said, that they "might be monitored by either some of their peers or representatives of the Chinese Communist Party". "I've had people in my academic network tell me that it happens," he said. "We've had reports of Chinese students in Australia speaking out in a way that's contrary to Chinese Communist Party positions, and had their family members at home visited and invited out for 'tea'." But he stresses that mainland Chinese students have also suffered abuse and been maligned because of the actions of a few hot-headed nationalists who tore down pro-Democracy posters or threatened demonstrators. "If you add up all of those incidents, you're talking about 20-30 people," he said. "It's a very small minority that is highly nationalistic."

Chinese students Down Under 'wedged' by politics back home

Instead of waging a trade war with China, the United States should drop its win-at-all-costs mentality and consider the interests of its people as well as the global community, the official People's Daily said an editorial on Saturday.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/alibaba-is-the-force-behind-hit-chinese-communist-party-app-report-198138">Chinese Communist Party</a>'s newspaper urged the United States to cancel all tariffs on Chinese goods, saying the only way to resolve trade issues was through "equal dialogue".

Hopes that the two sides can rekindle negotiations were raised in the run-up to a meeting next week between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-rekindle-trade-talks-ahead-of-donald-trump-xi-jinping-g20-meeting-228545">President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Donald Trump</a> in Japan, where they will both attend a Group of 20 summits.

The Office of the US Trade Representative is holding seven days of hearings from manufacturers and other businesses likely to be affected by a new round of tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese imports proposed by US President Donald Trump.

The People's Daily said all previous hearings had shown "overwhelming" opposition to tariff increases from all walks of life, but it had made no difference.

"It seems that some people in the United States are waving the tariff stick to strengthen their so-called 'industrial competitive advantage'," it said.

"They do not consider public opinion, do not consider national conditions, and do not take the international economic order into account. They just want the renown as 'winners' but cannot understand the fact that they basically cannot win."

The US National Retail Federation (NRF) said on Friday that the proposed tariff extension on Chinese goods, including cellphones and computers, could cost US consumers an additional $12.2 billion each year.

Instead of waging a trade war with China, the United States should drop its win-at-all-costs mentality and consider the interests of its people as well as the global community, the official People's Daily said an editorial on Saturday.

Instead of waging a trade war with China, the United States should drop its win-at-all-costs mentality and consider the interests of its people as well as the global community, the official People's Daily said an editorial on Saturday. The Chinese Communist Party's newspaper urged the United States to cancel all tariffs on Chinese goods, saying the only way to resolve trade issues was through "equal dialogue". Hopes that the two sides can rekindle negotiations were raised in the run-up to a meeting next week between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Donald Trump in Japan, where they will both attend a Group of 20 summits. The Office of the US Trade Representative is holding seven days of hearings from manufacturers and other businesses likely to be affected by a new round of tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese imports proposed by US President Donald Trump. The People's Daily said all previous hearings had shown "overwhelming" opposition to tariff increases from all walks of life, but it had made no difference. "It seems that some people in the United States are waving the tariff stick to strengthen their so-called 'industrial competitive advantage'," it said. "They do not consider public opinion, do not consider national conditions, and do not take the international economic order into account. They just want the renown as 'winners' but cannot understand the fact that they basically cannot win." The US National Retail Federation (NRF) said on Friday that the proposed tariff extension on Chinese goods, including cellphones and computers, could cost US consumers an additional $12.2 billion each year.

China state media urges United States to drop win-at-all-costs trade stance

Tens of thousands of protesters <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/protesters-block-roads-in-hong-kong-in-anti-china-demonstration-against-extradition-bill-226366">paralysed central Hong Kong</a> on Wednesday, blocking major roads in a defiant show of strength against government plans to allow extraditions to China.

Black-clad demonstrators, most of them young people and students, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-is-hong-kongs-china-extradition-plan-so-controversial-226044">surrounded government offices</a>, bringing traffic to a standstill as they called on authorities to scrap the Beijing-backed plan.

Rows of riot police were far outnumbered by protesters - many of whom wore face masks, helmets or goggles - just hours ahead of a scheduled debate in the city's legislature.

By late morning, with crowds continuing to swell, officials in the Legislative Council (Legco) said they would delay the second reading of the bill "to a later date".

In scenes echoing the Occupy movement in 2014 that shut down swathes of the city for months, people flooded major roads and junctions in the heart of the city, dragging barricades onto highways and tying them together. Some plucked loose bricks from pavements.

Police used water cannons and pepper spray on protesters outside the Legco building and held up signs warning demonstrators they were prepared to use force.

Organisers of a gigantic march on Sunday said more than a million people turned out to voice their objections to the proposed law, which would allow Hong Kong to send suspects to other jurisdictions around the world - including China.

But the record numbers have failed to sway pro-Beijing chief executive Carrie Lam, who has rejected calls to withdraw the bill.

Many opponents are fearful the law would entangle people in the mainland's opaque courts, leaving them vulnerable to a justice system seen as acting at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party.

More than 100 Hong Kong businesses said they would close Wednesday in a sign of solidarity with the protesters, and the city's major student unions announced they would boycott classes to attend the rallies.

A string of other prominent unions in the transport, social work and teaching sectors either followed suit or encouraged members to attend while a bus drivers' union said it would encourage members to drive deliberately slowly to support protests.

"It’s the government who has forced people to escalate their actions, so I think it's inevitable for the fight this time to get heated," said protestor Lau Ka-chun, 21.

Overnight, a group of around 2,000 protesters held a vigil outside the government offices, with some singing hymns.

Hardline protesters had on Sunday made similar plans to spend the night but were prevented by police, who fought running battles with small groups of demonstrators.

Throughout Tuesday evening, police flooded the area around the government offices, stopping and searching many young people as they arrived in the area.

Lawmakers were to debate the bill on Wednesday morning in the city's legislature, which is dominated by Beijing loyalists. A final vote is expected on June 20.

"The only responsible thing to do now is for Carrie Lam to withdraw the evil bill, or at least to shelve it in order to solve the crisis," said pro-democracy lawmaker Fernando Cheung.

"Because the situation is very tense, if she forces it through and asks the police to use violence, I’m afraid Hong Kong’s children will be hurt, will bleed."&nbsp;

Hong Kong's leaders say it is needed to plug loopholes and to stop the city being a sanctuary for fugitives, and that safeguards are in place to ensure that political critics of Beijing will not be targeted.

But many Hong Kongers have little faith in the government's assurances after years of heightened fears that a resurgent Beijing is trying to quash the city's unique freedoms and culture.

A 50-year agreement between Hong Kong's former colonial ruler, Britain, and China theoretically &nbsp;means the city is guaranteed freedoms of speech and assembly unseen on the Chinese mainland.

The pastor of a usually pro-government mega-church issued a statement saying he could not support the bill while the Catholic diocese urged Lam -- a devout Catholic -- to delay the bill.

Western governments have also voiced alarm, with the US this week warning the bill would put people at risk of "China's capricious judicial system".

Beijing hit back on Tuesday, with a foreign ministry official saying China "resolutely opposes interference in Hong Kong affairs".

Tens of thousands of protesters paralysed central Hong Kong on Wednesday, blocking major roads in a defiant show of strength against government plans to allow extraditions to China.

Tens of thousands of protesters paralysed central Hong Kong on Wednesday, blocking major roads in a defiant show of strength against government plans to allow extraditions to China. Black-clad demonstrators, most of them young people and students, surrounded government offices, bringing traffic to a standstill as they called on authorities to scrap the Beijing-backed plan. Rows of riot police were far outnumbered by protesters - many of whom wore face masks, helmets or goggles - just hours ahead of a scheduled debate in the city's legislature. By late morning, with crowds continuing to swell, officials in the Legislative Council (Legco) said they would delay the second reading of the bill "to a later date". In scenes echoing the Occupy movement in 2014 that shut down swathes of the city for months, people flooded major roads and junctions in the heart of the city, dragging barricades onto highways and tying them together. Some plucked loose bricks from pavements. Police used water cannons and pepper spray on protesters outside the Legco building and held up signs warning demonstrators they were prepared to use force. Organisers of a gigantic march on Sunday said more than a million people turned out to voice their objections to the proposed law, which would allow Hong Kong to send suspects to other jurisdictions around the world - including China. But the record numbers have failed to sway pro-Beijing chief executive Carrie Lam, who has rejected calls to withdraw the bill. Many opponents are fearful the law would entangle people in the mainland's opaque courts, leaving them vulnerable to a justice system seen as acting at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party. More than 100 Hong Kong businesses said they would close Wednesday in a sign of solidarity with the protesters, and the city's major student unions announced they would boycott classes to attend the rallies. A string of other prominent unions in the transport, social work and teaching sectors either followed suit or encouraged members to attend while a bus drivers' union said it would encourage members to drive deliberately slowly to support protests. "It’s the government who has forced people to escalate their actions, so I think it's inevitable for the fight this time to get heated," said protestor Lau Ka-chun, 21. Overnight, a group of around 2,000 protesters held a vigil outside the government offices, with some singing hymns. Hardline protesters had on Sunday made similar plans to spend the night but were prevented by police, who fought running battles with small groups of demonstrators. Throughout Tuesday evening, police flooded the area around the government offices, stopping and searching many young people as they arrived in the area. Lawmakers were to debate the bill on Wednesday morning in the city's legislature, which is dominated by Beijing loyalists. A final vote is expected on June 20. "The only responsible thing to do now is for Carrie Lam to withdraw the evil bill, or at least to shelve it in order to solve the crisis," said pro-democracy lawmaker Fernando Cheung. "Because the situation is very tense, if she forces it through and asks the police to use violence, I’m afraid Hong Kong’s children will be hurt, will bleed." Hong Kong's leaders say it is needed to plug loopholes and to stop the city being a sanctuary for fugitives, and that safeguards are in place to ensure that political critics of Beijing will not be targeted. But many Hong Kongers have little faith in the government's assurances after years of heightened fears that a resurgent Beijing is trying to quash the city's unique freedoms and culture. A 50-year agreement between Hong Kong's former colonial ruler, Britain, and China theoretically means the city is guaranteed freedoms of speech and assembly unseen on the Chinese mainland. The pastor of a usually pro-government mega-church issued a statement saying he could not support the bill while the Catholic diocese urged Lam -- a devout Catholic -- to delay the bill. Western governments have also voiced alarm, with the US this week warning the bill would put people at risk of "China's capricious judicial system". Beijing hit back on Tuesday, with a foreign ministry official saying China "resolutely opposes interference in Hong Kong affairs".

Hong Kong authorities delay debate on extradition bill after mass protests

The United States has "fabricated" accusations that China forces firms to hand over technology in exchange for market access, China's top Communist Party newspaper said on Saturday, the latest salvo in a bitter trade war.

China announced this week it would retaliate against a move by Washington to raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports amid complaints Beijing had done little to resolve US&nbsp;concerns about the theft of intellectual property and the forced transfer of technology to Chinese firms.

The People's Daily said in an editorial China had never forced US&nbsp;firms to hand over technology and the claim was "an old-fashioned argument used by some people in the United States to suppress China's development".

"The US argument about the 'forced transfer of technology' can be described as being fabricated from thin air," it said. The United States had not yet been able to provide any evidence to back up the claims, the editorial said.

It said the United States benefited substantially from voluntary technological cooperation, earning $7.96 billion in intellectual property use fees in 2016 alone. Washington's "fragile nerves" were caused by China's own rapidly growing research and development capabilities, the paper said.

The increasingly acrimonious dispute between the world's top two economies has rattled investors and roiled global markets. The<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-sri-lanka-resolved-to-work-together-for-peace-security-in-indo-pacific-joint-statement-219526"> United States </a>said negotiations were likely to resume soon but China said no fixed date had been set yet and Washington needed to show sincerity in any new round of talks.

State news agency Xinhua accused the United States of pursuing global hegemony in a separate editorial published on Saturday and said Washington would suffer more from an all-out trade war than China.

"In fact, compared to China, the United States is more reliant on external markets and international economic relations, and is more vulnerable to global economic shocks," Xinhua said.

"If the United States persistently stokes up trade disputes, it will certainly affect the global market, and the consequences will inevitably see itself suffering greater losses," it said.

The United States has "fabricated" accusations that China forces firms to hand over technology in exchange for market access, China's top Communist Party newspaper said on Saturday, the latest salvo in a bitter trade war.

The United States has "fabricated" accusations that China forces firms to hand over technology in exchange for market access, China's top Communist Party newspaper said on Saturday, the latest salvo in a bitter trade war. China announced this week it would retaliate against a move by Washington to raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports amid complaints Beijing had done little to resolve US concerns about the theft of intellectual property and the forced transfer of technology to Chinese firms. The People's Daily said in an editorial China had never forced US firms to hand over technology and the claim was "an old-fashioned argument used by some people in the United States to suppress China's development". "The US argument about the 'forced transfer of technology' can be described as being fabricated from thin air," it said. The United States had not yet been able to provide any evidence to back up the claims, the editorial said. It said the United States benefited substantially from voluntary technological cooperation, earning $7.96 billion in intellectual property use fees in 2016 alone. Washington's "fragile nerves" were caused by China's own rapidly growing research and development capabilities, the paper said. The increasingly acrimonious dispute between the world's top two economies has rattled investors and roiled global markets. The United States said negotiations were likely to resume soon but China said no fixed date had been set yet and Washington needed to show sincerity in any new round of talks. State news agency Xinhua accused the United States of pursuing global hegemony in a separate editorial published on Saturday and said Washington would suffer more from an all-out trade war than China. "In fact, compared to China, the United States is more reliant on external markets and international economic relations, and is more vulnerable to global economic shocks," Xinhua said. "If the United States persistently stokes up trade disputes, it will certainly affect the global market, and the consequences will inevitably see itself suffering greater losses," it said.

Chinese state media hits out at 'fabricated' US tech claims

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/how-cold-is-the-moon-at-night-china-to-find-out-190033">China will step up</a> its anti-corruption crackdown this year to focus on education, medical care, environmental protection and other major areas of concern to the public, the anti-graft watchdog said.

Fighting corruption has been a major priority during the administration of President Xi Jinping. He said last month that, while the Chinese Communist Party had won an "overwhelming victory" against graft, deep-seated corruption still needed to be weeded out.

The Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said on Sunday this year's campaign would focus on areas related to "the people's livelihood" and would "let the masses have a greater sense of achievement, greater happiness, and greater security".

This year's efforts would also focus on corruption and other criminal behaviours among grassroots governments, and tackle instances of bribery, abuse of power, negligence and malpractice in the financial sector.

It said it would also aim to prevent "interest groups" from corrupting top officials.

As well as tackling direct corruption, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/china-to-cut-restrictions-on-foreign-investment-xinhua-189916">China would also seek to eliminate bureaucratic tendencies</a> in government and "rectify" those officials guilty of behaving in a "perfunctory" manner when carrying out tasks, it said.

China would also aim to participate more in international anti-corruption governance in order to pursue suspects who have fled abroad. China brought 441 "corrupt fugitives" back to the country from August to December last year, the official China Daily said on Monday.

"These efforts aim to finally make officials not dare to, unable to and have no desire to commit any illegal act," the newspaper said in an editorial.

China punished around 621,000 people for corruption last year, including 51 at the ministerial or provincial level or higher, the paper said.

President Xi Jinping said last month that, while the Chinese Communist Party had won an 'overwhelming victory' against graft, deep-seated corruption still needed to be weeded out.

China will step up its anti-corruption crackdown this year to focus on education, medical care, environmental protection and other major areas of concern to the public, the anti-graft watchdog said. Fighting corruption has been a major priority during the administration of President Xi Jinping. He said last month that, while the Chinese Communist Party had won an "overwhelming victory" against graft, deep-seated corruption still needed to be weeded out. The Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said on Sunday this year's campaign would focus on areas related to "the people's livelihood" and would "let the masses have a greater sense of achievement, greater happiness, and greater security". This year's efforts would also focus on corruption and other criminal behaviours among grassroots governments, and tackle instances of bribery, abuse of power, negligence and malpractice in the financial sector. It said it would also aim to prevent "interest groups" from corrupting top officials. As well as tackling direct corruption, China would also seek to eliminate bureaucratic tendencies in government and "rectify" those officials guilty of behaving in a "perfunctory" manner when carrying out tasks, it said. China would also aim to participate more in international anti-corruption governance in order to pursue suspects who have fled abroad. China brought 441 "corrupt fugitives" back to the country from August to December last year, the official China Daily said on Monday. "These efforts aim to finally make officials not dare to, unable to and have no desire to commit any illegal act," the newspaper said in an editorial. China punished around 621,000 people for corruption last year, including 51 at the ministerial or provincial level or higher, the paper said.

China promises graft crackdown in education, health

China today <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/obor-row-now-german-chancellor-merkel-raises-doubts-on-chinas-investments-in-europe-33651">said the One Belt, One Road initiative</a> (OBOR) put forward by President Xi should not be seen as a &quot;geo-strategic tool&quot;.

The annual session of the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-considers-obor-potential-hazard-new-delhis-clout-will-weaken-china-daily-28317"> Chinese Communist Party is currently</a> underway in Beijing with a number of key decisions on the anvil, the most important among them could be the lifting of term limit for presidents which would pave the way for President&#39;s Xi to be at the helm for over a decade, possibly for life.

The One Belt, One Road(OBOR) project has been President Xi&#39;s primary&nbsp;foreign policy initiative which seeks to create rail and road network from Asia to Europe in order boost trade, however, several countries including India have raised objections to the project which it says infringes upon its territorial sovereignty, an allegation which China denies.

&quot;Five years ago, President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past five years, thanks to joint efforts from all parties, this initiative is being turned into actions from a concept, and it is being translated into reality from a vision,&quot; said Zhang Yesui, the Chinese spokesman said.

&quot;Actually, a lot of progress has been made, for example, infrastructure connectivity building has yielded a lot of early harvests, policy communication is going deeper, cooperation mechanisms are being strengthened, and collaboration on the ground is unfolding across the board,&quot; Zhang added.

China has already concluded large-scale deals in the Indian sub-continent with Pakistan, Nepal including the Maldives to ensure a continued thrust even as India has raised objections to the deal.

&quot;To say that the Belt and Road Initiative is a geo-strategic tool, in my view, this is a misinterpretation of the initiative,&quot; Zhang said.&nbsp;

&quot;All these concrete results are successful examples, they fully demonstrate that the Belt and Road Initiative has really responded the trend for win-win cooperation, and the shared aspiration for common development,&quot; Zhang declared.

The One Belt, One Road project has been President Xi's primary foreign policy initiative

China today said the One Belt, One Road initiative (OBOR) put forward by President Xi should not be seen as a "geo-strategic tool". The annual session of the Chinese Communist Party is currently underway in Beijing with a number of key decisions on the anvil, the most important among them could be the lifting of term limit for presidents which would pave the way for President's Xi to be at the helm for over a decade, possibly for life. The One Belt, One Road(OBOR) project has been President Xi's primary foreign policy initiative which seeks to create rail and road network from Asia to Europe in order boost trade, however, several countries including India have raised objections to the project which it says infringes upon its territorial sovereignty, an allegation which China denies. "Five years ago, President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past five years, thanks to joint efforts from all parties, this initiative is being turned into actions from a concept, and it is being translated into reality from a vision," said Zhang Yesui, the Chinese spokesman said. "Actually, a lot of progress has been made, for example, infrastructure connectivity building has yielded a lot of early harvests, policy communication is going deeper, cooperation mechanisms are being strengthened, and collaboration on the ground is unfolding across the board," Zhang added. China has already concluded large-scale deals in the Indian sub-continent with Pakistan, Nepal including the Maldives to ensure a continued thrust even as India has raised objections to the deal. "To say that the Belt and Road Initiative is a geo-strategic tool, in my view, this is a misinterpretation of the initiative," Zhang said. "All these concrete results are successful examples, they fully demonstrate that the Belt and Road Initiative has really responded the trend for win-win cooperation, and the shared aspiration for common development," Zhang declared.

OBOR project should not be seen as geo-strategic tool: China

The Xinhua news agency has just issued a long, unprecedented statement about directions from the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee to the National People&rsquo;s Congress regarding revisions to China&rsquo;s national constitution.

The People&rsquo;s Congress is now required to propose these revisions at its annual meeting next month.

If there was any doubt that China&rsquo;s national legislature is anything but a toothless rubber stamp for the secretive machinations of the Communist Politburo, there isn&rsquo;t anymore.

Hidden well inside the turgid text, at the end of Section 14, is the removal of a phrase limiting China&rsquo;s president and vice-president to two terms in office.

So it looks like President Xi Jinping, aged 64, and his proposed VP, Wang Qishan, 69, are in office for life. (Expect an approving tweet from Donald Trump, who must feel ever more resentful that he&rsquo;s buckled down by the United States&rsquo; comparable constitutional restriction.)

China&rsquo;s term limit was enacted in 1982 following a reassessment of the later years of Chairman Mao Zedong&rsquo;s, who was the supreme leader from 1935 until his death in 1976.

The overwhelming consensus in China is that he stayed in power 20 years too long, with things going horribly wrong from 1957 with the large-scale purge of &ldquo;rightists.&rdquo; This was followed by the disastrous Great Leap Forward economic campaign, which resulted in more than 30 million people dying of starvation. Then came a decade of the massive destruction, upheaval and political purges of the Cultural Revolution.

But at least Mao&rsquo;s power was somewhat constrained by colleagues like Zhou Enlai and Liu Shaoqi, who retained their own currency as leaders from the revolutionary wars.&nbsp;

Rivals vanquished

By comparison, Xi Jinping has no such checks or balances, having already methodically purged potential rivals like Sun Zhengcai and Bo Xilai through anti-corruption campaigns. Xi has now assumed absolute control of the party, army, and state.

Only violence would dislodge him from power &mdash; some sort of extreme right-wing nationalist military coup that could bring a xenophobic expansionist r&eacute;gime even more hostile to Canadian interests than what we&rsquo;re facing now.

Any naive hopes for a peaceful evolution to democracy are shattered against the reality that China is now a one-man dictatorship yearning to restore the archaic political norms of China&rsquo;s imperial past: Subjects instead of citizens, the destiny of the nation instead of individuals&rsquo; rights and protection of minority rights.

What&rsquo;s more, another of the constitutional revisions adds &ldquo;Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era&rdquo; as the party&rsquo;s ideological guide. In other words, whatever Xi says or does has the authority of supreme law in China.&nbsp;

As a onetime advisor in the Canadian embassy in Beijing, I believe the problem for Canada is that Xi has a fervent commitment to a meta-ideology that threatens the current, fraying liberal world order.

His &ldquo;Chinese dream of national restoration&rdquo; demands that Canada and all Western nations become subsidiary participants in the Chinese-dominated &ldquo;community of the common destiny of humankind&rdquo; linked by the massive &ldquo;One Belt One Road&rdquo; global infrastructure program.

Under a previous empire, all roads led to Rome. Under &ldquo;Emperor&rdquo; Xi, all high-speed rail lines under heaven, shipping routes (including via the Canadian Arctic) and air transport will pass through Beijing.

China is already aggressively rallying support from pro-mainland ethnic Chinese in Canada, as well China-friendly business lobbyists and politicians, through its United Front Work Department initiatives in Canada.

If the political consensus in Canada is not to comply, expect China to retaliate. Britain, Australia and New Zealand have already refused to support the One Belt One Road plan. They will certainly incur Beijing&rsquo;s wrath, starting with economic punishment as the stick and promise of trade and investment benefits for compliance with China&rsquo;s demands as the carrot.

The constitutional amendments also include new language about &ldquo;the great revival of the Chinese race.&rdquo;

The threat to Chinese-Canadians is that there is a much enhanced blood-and-belonging aspect to Xi&rsquo;s constitutionally endorsed rhetoric. This overarching vision sees all ethnic Chinese &mdash; regardless of citizenship or number of generations abroad, including even children adopted from China &mdash; as obligated to respond to Chinese Embassy pressures to facilitate China&rsquo;s rise through political support for Beijing and even treasonous espionage.

Canadians with family in China are pressured to demonstrate their loyalty to China&rsquo;s People&rsquo;s Republic. Canada must do much more to protect our countrymen of ethnic Chinese origin from foreign interference.&nbsp;

Under Xi Jinping&rsquo;s now unchallengeable dictatorship, the world is becoming more and more Chinese.

It&rsquo;s important that we make sure this doesn&rsquo;t mean that Canada has to become less and less Canadian.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Any naive hopes for a peaceful evolution to democracy in China are shattered against the reality that it's now a one-man dictatorship. What does it mean for the West?

The Xinhua news agency has just issued a long, unprecedented statement about directions from the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee to the National People’s Congress regarding revisions to China’s national constitution. The People’s Congress is now required to propose these revisions at its annual meeting next month. If there was any doubt that China’s national legislature is anything but a toothless rubber stamp for the secretive machinations of the Communist Politburo, there isn’t anymore. Hidden well inside the turgid text, at the end of Section 14, is the removal of a phrase limiting China’s president and vice-president to two terms in office. So it looks like President Xi Jinping, aged 64, and his proposed VP, Wang Qishan, 69, are in office for life. (Expect an approving tweet from Donald Trump, who must feel ever more resentful that he’s buckled down by the United States’ comparable constitutional restriction.) China’s term limit was enacted in 1982 following a reassessment of the later years of Chairman Mao Zedong’s, who was the supreme leader from 1935 until his death in 1976. The overwhelming consensus in China is that he stayed in power 20 years too long, with things going horribly wrong from 1957 with the large-scale purge of “rightists.” This was followed by the disastrous Great Leap Forward economic campaign, which resulted in more than 30 million people dying of starvation. Then came a decade of the massive destruction, upheaval and political purges of the Cultural Revolution. But at least Mao’s power was somewhat constrained by colleagues like Zhou Enlai and Liu Shaoqi, who retained their own currency as leaders from the revolutionary wars. Rivals vanquished By comparison, Xi Jinping has no such checks or balances, having already methodically purged potential rivals like Sun Zhengcai and Bo Xilai through anti-corruption campaigns. Xi has now assumed absolute control of the party, army, and state. Only violence would dislodge him from power — some sort of extreme right-wing nationalist military coup that could bring a xenophobic expansionist régime even more hostile to Canadian interests than what we’re facing now. Any naive hopes for a peaceful evolution to democracy are shattered against the reality that China is now a one-man dictatorship yearning to restore the archaic political norms of China’s imperial past: Subjects instead of citizens, the destiny of the nation instead of individuals’ rights and protection of minority rights. What’s more, another of the constitutional revisions adds “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” as the party’s ideological guide. In other words, whatever Xi says or does has the authority of supreme law in China. As a onetime advisor in the Canadian embassy in Beijing, I believe the problem for Canada is that Xi has a fervent commitment to a meta-ideology that threatens the current, fraying liberal world order. His “Chinese dream of national restoration” demands that Canada and all Western nations become subsidiary participants in the Chinese-dominated “community of the common destiny of humankind” linked by the massive “One Belt One Road” global infrastructure program. Under a previous empire, all roads led to Rome. Under “Emperor” Xi, all high-speed rail lines under heaven, shipping routes (including via the Canadian Arctic) and air transport will pass through Beijing. China is already aggressively rallying support from pro-mainland ethnic Chinese in Canada, as well China-friendly business lobbyists and politicians, through its United Front Work Department initiatives in Canada. If the political consensus in Canada is not to comply, expect China to retaliate. Britain, Australia and New Zealand have already refused to support the One Belt One Road plan. They will certainly incur Beijing’s wrath, starting with economic punishment as the stick and promise of trade and investment benefits for compliance with China’s demands as the carrot. The constitutional amendments also include new language about “the great revival of the Chinese race.” The threat to Chinese-Canadians is that there is a much enhanced blood-and-belonging aspect to Xi’s constitutionally endorsed rhetoric. This overarching vision sees all ethnic Chinese — regardless of citizenship or number of generations abroad, including even children adopted from China — as obligated to respond to Chinese Embassy pressures to facilitate China’s rise through political support for Beijing and even treasonous espionage. Canadians with family in China are pressured to demonstrate their loyalty to China’s People’s Republic. Canada must do much more to protect our countrymen of ethnic Chinese origin from foreign interference. Under Xi Jinping’s now unchallengeable dictatorship, the world is becoming more and more Chinese. It’s important that we make sure this doesn’t mean that Canada has to become less and less Canadian. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Xi Jinping's grab for absolute power in China is dangerous for the world

In 2017, we saw the consolidation of China&rsquo;s power and influence globally, and of Communist Party leader Xi Jinping&rsquo;s power nationally. This year, the party will try to use this to tackle some of its biggest economic hurdles such as financial risk, environmental pollution and maintaining social cohesion.

A first and overriding priority will be managing and preventing major financial risks within the Chinese economy. China will continue to clean up and tighten controls over its financial sector.

Beijing has already banned risk-laden Bitcoin from its financial system, and the government says it will maintain a &ldquo;proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy&rdquo; for 2018.

This is in line with moves earlier in 2017 to curb credit growth and consolidate the country&rsquo;s 100 trillion yuan (US$15 trillion) financial services asset-management industry under a single regulatory umbrella.

Regulators have also issued a 36-point code of conduct for the country&rsquo;s private enterprises to follow when investing overseas. This is part of a move to clip the wings of China&rsquo;s most aggressive global deal makers, firms like HNA Group and Fosun International. These businesses responded enthusiastically to the government&rsquo;s &ldquo;going out&rdquo; policy to link China to the rest of the global economy, launched at the beginning of the century.

On the one hand, China has banned investments in gambling and &ldquo;sensitive&rdquo; industries and restricted investments in property, hotel, film and sports. But projects linked to China&rsquo;s ambitious Belt and Road initiative are actively encouraged. So 2018 should see a continuation of China&rsquo;s expanding economic influence globally through infrastructure and other major projects.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201458/original/file-20180110-48505-14mg7t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201458/original/file-20180110-48505-14mg7t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>
Beijing&rsquo;s agenda is clear and the message from the centre is tightly controlled. How Hwee Young/AAP

&nbsp;
</figcaption>
</figure>

Tackling pollution, of all kinds

In line with the party&rsquo;s focus on stability and risk minimisation is a clear determination to move away from high-speed growth to high-quality growth. &ldquo;Quality&rdquo; here means an economy that is cleaner and more user friendly.

The government is trying to reduce pollution. Measures to close down polluting factories and make local officials more accountable for environmental damage are starting to make a difference.

A major component of the shift to a cleaner economy is China&rsquo;s determination to free itself from any reliance upon carbon imports. This has potentially major implications for the Australian economy, which has done so well over the past few decades largely because of its commodity exports to China.

China is also no longer willing to accept imports of Australian waste, leaving Australia with the question of how else to deal with its accumulating stockpiles.

Social stability for economic and political stability

In an unusual move during last year&rsquo;s annual end-of-year economic convention, the government detailed concerns from the wider public on issues such as online scams, sex discrimination in the workplace and a lack of kindergarten services in certain regions. This reflects the party&rsquo;s concern with social cohesion.

Maintaining a harmonious society has long been a concern of China&rsquo;s leaders. In 2018, the anti-poverty campaign - one of Xi Jinping&rsquo;s pet projects - will accelerate, with millions of rural poor being relocated to new housing with water and power. This will not only boost GDP and economic growth figures, it&rsquo;s also aimed at promoting support for the party and its leaders.

Chinese leadership&rsquo;s emphasis on social harmony extends to supporting the party in its policy endeavours. A series of recent measures have been aimed at strengthening party organisations in business and civil society organisations.

In line with existing provisions in China&rsquo;s Company Law, these measures seek to ensure that all organisations in China (local and foreign, commercial and non-profit) make room within the organisation for the operations of a Communist Party cell. This allows the party to monitor and influence the operations of any organisation.

The rolling out of a social credit system is also aimed at monitoring and influencing the behaviour of both organisations and individuals. It operates by awarding social credit points for good social behaviour, whether it be corporate philanthropy or an individual picking up rubbish on the kerbside. It also deducts points for bad behaviour, such as traffic law violations, failing to pay bills on time or domestic violence. There are even &ldquo;blacklists&rdquo; for the worst offenders.

Beijing&rsquo;s agenda is clear and the message from the centre is tightly controlled. But the messiness and the unknowns will lie in its local implementation.

China has always struggled, and always will struggle, with the question of how to balance direction from a central government with local implementation for local circumstances.

For example, a recent decree requiring all local areas to move away from coal fired heating, towards natural gas, hit a snag when thousands of houses and schools were left without heating in freezing conditions in northern China. It forced authorities to back-track on implementing the policy.

The key for the government will be to strike a balance between reform and preserving stability. Aggressive reforms will be duly countered by other policies if they are seen as posing risks to economic stability.

If successful, China&rsquo;s reforms will allow its economy to take the lead in adapting to a dynamic world. But the sheer size of its ambitions (both global and local) also contains the risk that failures, if they occur, could have devastating impacts.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-we-can-expect-from-chinas-economy-in-2018-89911" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

In China, aggressive reforms will be duly countered by other policies if they are seen as posing risks to economic stability.

In 2017, we saw the consolidation of China’s power and influence globally, and of Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s power nationally. This year, the party will try to use this to tackle some of its biggest economic hurdles such as financial risk, environmental pollution and maintaining social cohesion. A first and overriding priority will be managing and preventing major financial risks within the Chinese economy. China will continue to clean up and tighten controls over its financial sector. Beijing has already banned risk-laden Bitcoin from its financial system, and the government says it will maintain a “proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy” for 2018. This is in line with moves earlier in 2017 to curb credit growth and consolidate the country’s 100 trillion yuan (US$15 trillion) financial services asset-management industry under a single regulatory umbrella. Regulators have also issued a 36-point code of conduct for the country’s private enterprises to follow when investing overseas. This is part of a move to clip the wings of China’s most aggressive global deal makers, firms like HNA Group and Fosun International. These businesses responded enthusiastically to the government’s “going out” policy to link China to the rest of the global economy, launched at the beginning of the century. On the one hand, China has banned investments in gambling and “sensitive” industries and restricted investments in property, hotel, film and sports. But projects linked to China’s ambitious Belt and Road initiative are actively encouraged. So 2018 should see a continuation of China’s expanding economic influence globally through infrastructure and other major projects. Beijing’s agenda is clear and the message from the centre is tightly controlled. How Hwee Young/AAP Tackling pollution, of all kinds In line with the party’s focus on stability and risk minimisation is a clear determination to move away from high-speed growth to high-quality growth. “Quality” here means an economy that is cleaner and more user friendly. The government is trying to reduce pollution. Measures to close down polluting factories and make local officials more accountable for environmental damage are starting to make a difference. A major component of the shift to a cleaner economy is China’s determination to free itself from any reliance upon carbon imports. This has potentially major implications for the Australian economy, which has done so well over the past few decades largely because of its commodity exports to China. China is also no longer willing to accept imports of Australian waste, leaving Australia with the question of how else to deal with its accumulating stockpiles. Social stability for economic and political stability In an unusual move during last year’s annual end-of-year economic convention, the government detailed concerns from the wider public on issues such as online scams, sex discrimination in the workplace and a lack of kindergarten services in certain regions. This reflects the party’s concern with social cohesion. Maintaining a harmonious society has long been a concern of China’s leaders. In 2018, the anti-poverty campaign - one of Xi Jinping’s pet projects - will accelerate, with millions of rural poor being relocated to new housing with water and power. This will not only boost GDP and economic growth figures, it’s also aimed at promoting support for the party and its leaders. Chinese leadership’s emphasis on social harmony extends to supporting the party in its policy endeavours. A series of recent measures have been aimed at strengthening party organisations in business and civil society organisations. In line with existing provisions in China’s Company Law, these measures seek to ensure that all organisations in China (local and foreign, commercial and non-profit) make room within the organisation for the operations of a Communist Party cell. This allows the party to monitor and influence the operations of any organisation. The rolling out of a social credit system is also aimed at monitoring and influencing the behaviour of both organisations and individuals. It operates by awarding social credit points for good social behaviour, whether it be corporate philanthropy or an individual picking up rubbish on the kerbside. It also deducts points for bad behaviour, such as traffic law violations, failing to pay bills on time or domestic violence. There are even “blacklists” for the worst offenders. Beijing’s agenda is clear and the message from the centre is tightly controlled. But the messiness and the unknowns will lie in its local implementation. China has always struggled, and always will struggle, with the question of how to balance direction from a central government with local implementation for local circumstances. For example, a recent decree requiring all local areas to move away from coal fired heating, towards natural gas, hit a snag when thousands of houses and schools were left without heating in freezing conditions in northern China. It forced authorities to back-track on implementing the policy. The key for the government will be to strike a balance between reform and preserving stability. Aggressive reforms will be duly countered by other policies if they are seen as posing risks to economic stability. If successful, China’s reforms will allow its economy to take the lead in adapting to a dynamic world. But the sheer size of its ambitions (both global and local) also contains the risk that failures, if they occur, could have devastating impacts. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Opinion: China needs to balance aggressive reforms with economic stability

A day after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/xi-joins-mao-in-communist-constitution-tightening-grip-on-china-22842">President Xi was formally re-appointed as the head of the Communist Party</a> of China, Jinping today unveiled his new politburo members.

China on Tuesday had enshrined&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-communist-party-endorses-president-xi-for-second-five-year-term-22790">Xi Jinping&#39;s name in the Chinese Party constitution, elevating his status </a>to the pantheon of China&#39;s great leaders alongside Chairman Mao and market reformer&nbsp;Deng Xiaoping.

The country&#39;s new Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) consists of President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and newcomers Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng.

&quot;We have just held the first plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and elected a new 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,&quot; Xi said.

&quot;Now, I wish to present to you the other six newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau: Comrade Li Keqiang, Comrade Li Zhanshu, Comrade Wang Yang, Comrade Wang Huning, Comrade Zhao Leji, and Comrade Han Zheng,&quot; he said.

&quot;Comrade Li Keqiang served on the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the 18th CPC Central Committee, while all the others were members of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee,&quot; Xi added.

&nbsp;Speaking at the closing session of the Communist Party of China which was held over five days, Xi had told party workers to &quot;work tirelessly and forge ahead on the journey of realising the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.&quot;

The party congress had also approved the constitutional amendment to include &quot;Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era&quot;.

Xi managed to get at least two of his programmes written into the constitution - anti-corruption campaign that has brought down 1.5 million crooked officials since 2012 and the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/be-good-audience-china-state-media-says-after-india-skips-obor-15593"> One Belt and One Road(OBOR) initiative, the global trade</a> infrastructure project intended to increase China&#39;s influence abroad.

When he opened the gathering last week, Xi declared that China had entered a &quot;new era&quot; with the ambitious goal of becoming a &quot;global leader&quot; by mid-century.

At the closing session, Xi said the congress established &quot;the goal of securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and then embarking on a journey to fully build a modern socialist China&quot;.

China on Tuesday had enshrined?Xi Jinping's name in the Chinese Party constitution, elevating his status to the pantheon of China's great leaders

A day after President Xi was formally re-appointed as the head of the Communist Party of China, Jinping today unveiled his new politburo members. China on Tuesday had enshrined Xi Jinping's name in the Chinese Party constitution, elevating his status to the pantheon of China's great leaders alongside Chairman Mao and market reformer Deng Xiaoping. The country's new Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) consists of President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and newcomers Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng. "We have just held the first plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and elected a new 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 said. "Now, I wish to present to you the other six newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau: Comrade Li Keqiang, Comrade Li Zhanshu, Comrade Wang Yang, Comrade Wang Huning, Comrade Zhao Leji, and Comrade Han Zheng," he said. "Comrade Li Keqiang served on the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the 18th CPC Central Committee, while all the others were members of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee," Xi added. Speaking at the closing session of the Communist Party of China which was held over five days, Xi had told party workers to "work tirelessly and forge ahead on the journey of realising the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." The party congress had also approved the constitutional amendment to include "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era". Xi managed to get at least two of his programmes written into the constitution - anti-corruption campaign that has brought down 1.5 million crooked officials since 2012 and the One Belt and One Road(OBOR) initiative, the global trade infrastructure project intended to increase China's influence abroad. When he opened the gathering last week, Xi declared that China had entered a "new era" with the ambitious goal of becoming a "global leader" by mid-century. At the closing session, Xi said the congress established "the goal of securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and then embarking on a journey to fully build a modern socialist China".

New era in China: President Xi unveils new politburo members