The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao<a href="http://www.wionews.com/central-asia/yawn-cams-blood-pressure-trackers-on-chinas-hong-kong-zhuhai-macau-bridge-172967"> bridge officially opened for traffic</a> on Wednesday as several passengers were seen going through China's Zhuhai border through the facial recognition systems.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pix-president-xi-inaugurates-worlds-longest-sea-bridge-connecting-hong-kong-macau-zhuhai-172915">Also See:&nbsp;President Xi inaugurates world's longest sea bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau &amp; Zhuhai</a>

Chinese president Xi Jinping had opened the mega bridge on Tuesday which is touted as the world's largest bridge. Chinese authorities had started working on the bridge in December 2009 and it was finally completed in July last year.

The over 55 km bridge links China's Zhuhai city with Macao which was built under the "one country, two systems" policy. The project was jointly undertaken by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

The bridge built on the Pearl River delta showcases China's latest techological design with "yawn cams" meant to track a driver's sleep pattern including blood pressure and heart rate.

While opening the bridge, Xi lauded the people asserting that the brige embodied "spirit of surmounting all obstacles".&nbsp;

&nbsp;"It is in this way that socialism with Chinese characteristics has been developed. It is in this way that the principle of 'one country, two systems' has been implemented," Xi said during his speech.

After the ceremony, Xi toured and inspected the bridge in a vehicle.

Han Zheng, vice premier of China said that the bridge will help improve personnel and trade exchanges among Guangdong, Hong Kong&nbsp;and Macao while adding that it will also enhance the comprehensive competitiveness of the Pearl River delta.

The bridge officially opened to the public at 9am on Wednesday.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge officially opened for traffic on Wednesday as several passengers were seen going through China's Zhuhai border through the facial recognition systems.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge officially opened for traffic on Wednesday as several passengers were seen going through China's Zhuhai border through the facial recognition systems. Also See: President Xi inaugurates world's longest sea bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau & Zhuhai Chinese president Xi Jinping had opened the mega bridge on Tuesday which is touted as the world's largest bridge. Chinese authorities had started working on the bridge in December 2009 and it was finally completed in July last year. The over 55 km bridge links China's Zhuhai city with Macao which was built under the "one country, two systems" policy. The project was jointly undertaken by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. The bridge built on the Pearl River delta showcases China's latest techological design with "yawn cams" meant to track a driver's sleep pattern including blood pressure and heart rate. While opening the bridge, Xi lauded the people asserting that the brige embodied "spirit of surmounting all obstacles". "It is in this way that socialism with Chinese characteristics has been developed. It is in this way that the principle of 'one country, two systems' has been implemented," Xi said during his speech. After the ceremony, Xi toured and inspected the bridge in a vehicle. Han Zheng, vice premier of China said that the bridge will help improve personnel and trade exchanges among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao while adding that it will also enhance the comprehensive competitiveness of the Pearl River delta. The bridge officially opened to the public at 9am on Wednesday.

Watch: Passengers pass through Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge via facial recognition system

In a first, China's Hunan TV on Sunday broadcast a programme named Studying Xi in the New Era as a quiz show on prime time.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/cpc-thinking-of-strengthening-military-for-new-era-president-xi-160369">Also Read:&nbsp;CPC thinking of strengthening military for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/cpc-thinking-of-strengthening-military-for-new-era-president-xi-160369">new</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/cpc-thinking-of-strengthening-military-for-new-era-president-xi-160369"> era, says President Xi</a>

The youth channel which is reportedly the second most watched channel in China will be airing five episodes on Xi's political journey.

The Communist Party of China had amended the constitution to remove the term-limit for President Xi after he was given another term last year. Xi's philosophy has been enshrined in the Chinese constitution making him the only leader after Deng Xiaoping to share the honour.

The quiz is reportedly based on Xi's achievements, the Communist party's philosophy and information on Marxism, Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The contestants are required to give a speech on Xi's thoughts during the programme.

The questions in the quiz show is not asked by any quizmaster but through a robot named “2050” who is said to have travelled in time and come back from the future of a “rejuvenated China”.

The show is resplendent&nbsp;with flashy lights and music with an excited crowd ringing throughout the programme.

Xi rose to power in five years ago replacing Hu Jintao, is the son of a Communist Party veteran is considered among one of the most influential leaders in the world.

In a first, China's Hunan TV on Sunday broadcast a programme named Studying Xi in the New Era as a quiz show on prime time. Also Read: CPC thinking of strengthening military for new era, says President Xi The youth channel which is reportedly the second most watched channel in China will be airing five episodes on Xi's political journey.

In a first, China's Hunan TV on Sunday broadcast a programme named Studying Xi in the New Era as a quiz show on prime time. Also Read: CPC thinking of strengthening military for new era, says President Xi The youth channel which is reportedly the second most watched channel in China will be airing five episodes on Xi's political journey. The Communist Party of China had amended the constitution to remove the term-limit for President Xi after he was given another term last year. Xi's philosophy has been enshrined in the Chinese constitution making him the only leader after Deng Xiaoping to share the honour. The quiz is reportedly based on Xi's achievements, the Communist party's philosophy and information on Marxism, Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The contestants are required to give a speech on Xi's thoughts during the programme. The questions in the quiz show is not asked by any quizmaster but through a robot named “2050” who is said to have travelled in time and come back from the future of a “rejuvenated China”. The show is resplendent with flashy lights and music with an excited crowd ringing throughout the programme. Xi rose to power in five years ago replacing Hu Jintao, is the son of a Communist Party veteran is considered among one of the most influential leaders in the world.

Now, a quiz show on President Xi in China

PM Modi arrived in China's eastern port city of Qingdao today to attend the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit with Pakistan also in attendance.

Modi was welcomed by Chinese officials and he also received a guard of honour upon his arrival at the airport.

Although PM Modi is not slated to meet Pakistan leaders officially, but he may meet them unofficially, according to India's Ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in China's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Qingdao?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Qingdao</a>, he will be attending the SCO Summit & will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. <a href="https://t.co/ZzzuiBvGrT">pic.twitter.com/ZzzuiBvGrT</a>
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Before leaving for the summit, the Indian prime minister said he would be discussing "terrorism, separatism and extremism" with other leaders, including "commerce, customs, law, health and agriculture".

During the summit, PM Modi will be holding bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping which would be their second meeting after Wuhan where the two leaders had met for an "informal summit".

SCO members &nbsp;India, Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are expected to sign the Qingdao Declaration which aims to resist global terror activities.

Established in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO accounts for over 60 per cent of the Eurasian landmass, nearly half of the world's population. The summit aims to make joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region including promotion of trade, research and technology.

The summit will conclude on Sunday.

During the summit, PM Modi will be holding bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

PM Modi arrived in China's eastern port city of Qingdao today to attend the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit with Pakistan also in attendance. Modi was welcomed by Chinese officials and he also received a guard of honour upon his arrival at the airport. Although PM Modi is not slated to meet Pakistan leaders officially, but he may meet them unofficially, according to India's Ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in China's #Qingdao, he will be attending the SCO Summit & will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. pic.twitter.com/ZzzuiBvGrT — ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2018 × Before leaving for the summit, the Indian prime minister said he would be discussing "terrorism, separatism and extremism" with other leaders, including "commerce, customs, law, health and agriculture". During the summit, PM Modi will be holding bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping which would be their second meeting after Wuhan where the two leaders had met for an "informal summit". SCO members India, Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are expected to sign the Qingdao Declaration which aims to resist global terror activities. Established in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO accounts for over 60 per cent of the Eurasian landmass, nearly half of the world's population. The summit aims to make joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region including promotion of trade, research and technology. The summit will conclude on Sunday.

PM Modi arrives in China to attend SCO summit

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Sunday trade talks have been "friendly and frank" as the US and China continued with the second day of negotiations in Beijing aimed at de-escalating tensions between the two sides.&nbsp

The world's two largest economies have been at loggerheads over trade and industrial practices for months with the talks under way in the Chinese capital the third formal round of negotiations.&nbsp

The discussions are intended to ease tensions after Washington said it would follow through with tariffs on Chinese imports despite a truce reached between the two sides in the US last month.

"Our meetings so far have been friendly and frank, and covered some useful topics about specific export items," Ross told the Chinese trade team led by Vice Premier Liu He, President Xi Jinping's right-hand-man on economic issues.

Liu offered the US team a "special welcome" to Beijing for the talks.

The visit comes as fears of an all-out global trade war intensified after the European Union, Canada and Mexico drew up retaliatory measures to Washington's stinging steel and aluminium tariffs that came into effect on Friday.

On Saturday, Washington's main allies delivered a unified message of shock and dismay at a Group of Seven ministerial meeting, urging President Donald Trump to rescind the punishing metal tariffs.

The planned US sanctions on Beijing include restrictions on Chinese investment, export controls and 25 per cent tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese tech goods.

China has threatened to hit back with tit-for-tat tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in US goods.

But it has also taken conciliatory measures to address some of the Trump administration's concerns and insisted that it hopes to avoid a damaging trade war.

Ross and the large American delegation had dinner Saturday evening with their Chinese hosts.

"It has been a great pleasure to spend yesterday with you and we are especially grateful for last night's dinner," Ross said as he met with Liu at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse.

Washington's positions in the trade talks with Beijing have shifted as Trump's team of hardliners and more mainstream advisors compete to push their views.&nbsp

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who announced the tariff truce with China, said at the G7 summit in Canada that the US was pushing for "structural changes" to the Chinese economy.

"If there are structural changes that allow our companies to compete fairly, by definition that will deal with the trade deficit alone," Mnuchin said Saturday, according to Bloomberg News.

The world's two largest economies have been at loggerheads over trade and industrial practices for months with the talks underway in the Chinese capital the third formal round of negotiations

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Sunday trade talks have been "friendly and frank" as the US and China continued with the second day of negotiations in Beijing aimed at de-escalating tensions between the two sides. The world's two largest economies have been at loggerheads over trade and industrial practices for months with the talks under way in the Chinese capital the third formal round of negotiations. The discussions are intended to ease tensions after Washington said it would follow through with tariffs on Chinese imports despite a truce reached between the two sides in the US last month. "Our meetings so far have been friendly and frank, and covered some useful topics about specific export items," Ross told the Chinese trade team led by Vice Premier Liu He, President Xi Jinping's right-hand-man on economic issues. Liu offered the US team a "special welcome" to Beijing for the talks. The visit comes as fears of an all-out global trade war intensified after the European Union, Canada and Mexico drew up retaliatory measures to Washington's stinging steel and aluminium tariffs that came into effect on Friday. On Saturday, Washington's main allies delivered a unified message of shock and dismay at a Group of Seven ministerial meeting, urging President Donald Trump to rescind the punishing metal tariffs. The planned US sanctions on Beijing include restrictions on Chinese investment, export controls and 25 per cent tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese tech goods. China has threatened to hit back with tit-for-tat tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in US goods. But it has also taken conciliatory measures to address some of the Trump administration's concerns and insisted that it hopes to avoid a damaging trade war. Ross and the large American delegation had dinner Saturday evening with their Chinese hosts. "It has been a great pleasure to spend yesterday with you and we are especially grateful for last night's dinner," Ross said as he met with Liu at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse. Washington's positions in the trade talks with Beijing have shifted as Trump's team of hardliners and more mainstream advisors compete to push their views. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who announced the tariff truce with China, said at the G7 summit in Canada that the US was pushing for "structural changes" to the Chinese economy. "If there are structural changes that allow our companies to compete fairly, by definition that will deal with the trade deficit alone," Mnuchin said Saturday, according to Bloomberg News.

'Frank' trade discussions in Beijing: US commerce secretary

The White House said today <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/on-labour-day-india-china-troops-meet-at-the-border-exchange-sweets-134113">that PM Modi and Chinese President Xi </a>Jinping's meeting last week when they met for an "informal summit" was a "good thing".

"I certainly think it's always good when other world leaders are getting along," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Modi and Xi met for<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-wont-force-india-to-accept-belt-and-road-project-says-chinese-vice-foreign-minister-133409"> two days last week in Wuhan </a>as the two leaders agreed to improve ties understand each other's point of view on military and civilian matters, especially along the Line of Actual Control(LAC).

"And, certainly, when we can cooperate, that's definitely a good thing. We have a great relationship with both countries and hope to continue to do so," Sanders told reporters at the news briefing.

US's reaction comes even as the Trump administration is engaged in trade talks with China after the US president imposed stiff tariffs against Chinese goods last month. The US trade team arrived in Beijing on Thursday as Trump said his country was seeking trying to negotiate a "level playing field on trade".

A week after Xi and Modi meeting at Wuhan, the two countries decided to setup a military "hotline" similar to the one between DGMos of India and Pakistan. The move was part of Xi and Modi's &nbsp"strategic guidance" to their forces in order to defuse tensions along the Line of Actual Control(LAC).

The hotline was already in the works since 2013 and was endorsed by Modi during his visit to China in 2015. Both sides decided to take up joint projects in Afghanistan as India and China tried to find common ground in South Asia.

Modi and Xi met for two days last week in Wuhan as the two leaders agreed to improve ties

The White House said today that PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting last week when they met for an "informal summit" was a "good thing". "I certainly think it's always good when other world leaders are getting along," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. Modi and Xi met for two days last week in Wuhan as the two leaders agreed to improve ties understand each other's point of view on military and civilian matters, especially along the Line of Actual Control(LAC). "And, certainly, when we can cooperate, that's definitely a good thing. We have a great relationship with both countries and hope to continue to do so," Sanders told reporters at the news briefing. US's reaction comes even as the Trump administration is engaged in trade talks with China after the US president imposed stiff tariffs against Chinese goods last month. The US trade team arrived in Beijing on Thursday as Trump said his country was seeking trying to negotiate a "level playing field on trade". A week after Xi and Modi meeting at Wuhan, the two countries decided to setup a military "hotline" similar to the one between DGMos of India and Pakistan. The move was part of Xi and Modi's "strategic guidance" to their forces in order to defuse tensions along the Line of Actual Control(LAC). The hotline was already in the works since 2013 and was endorsed by Modi during his visit to China in 2015. Both sides decided to take up joint projects in Afghanistan as India and China tried to find common ground in South Asia.

Modi-Xi meeting a good thing, always good when world leaders get along: White House

As US carriers Theodore Roosevelt appeared in the South China Sea, China's President Xi in a surprise visit in the area inspected the Chinese Navy.

Several naval vessels including aircraft groups of carrier-borne helicopters, anti-submarine patrols were part of the inspection team.

China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning was also present during Xi's visit.

The Chinese navy review involved 48 warships, 76 aircraft, and over 10,000 officers and sailors.

China is involved in long-ranging disputes with several countries around the South China Sea including Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia over claims to the islands.

The US has over the past one year sent its Naval feet in the South China Sea even as China has criticised the move.

US warships have been regularly conducting "freedom of navigation" operations near the South China Sea islands with several Naval warships sailing across the area in the presence of the Chinese navy.

China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning was also present during Xi's visit.

As US carriers Theodore Roosevelt appeared in the South China Sea, China's President Xi in a surprise visit in the area inspected the Chinese Navy. Several naval vessels including aircraft groups of carrier-borne helicopters, anti-submarine patrols were part of the inspection team. China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning was also present during Xi's visit. The Chinese navy review involved 48 warships, 76 aircraft, and over 10,000 officers and sailors. China is involved in long-ranging disputes with several countries around the South China Sea including Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia over claims to the islands. The US has over the past one year sent its Naval feet in the South China Sea even as China has criticised the move. US warships have been regularly conducting "freedom of navigation" operations near the South China Sea islands with several Naval warships sailing across the area in the presence of the Chinese navy.

Watch: President Xi reviews Chinese Navy in South China Sea

Japan's foreign minister was in South Korea for a rare visit Wednesday, armed with a list of issues Tokyo wants to push onto the agenda of a looming summit between North and South Korea.

The first such visit in more than two years comes at a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in Northeast Asia, ahead of the North's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump.&nbsp

North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un met Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first overseas trip last month.

Japan has largely remained on the sidelines, with suggestions last month of the third summit between Kim and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe quickly petering out.

Instead, Tokyo has found itself forced to rely on the US and South Korea to tackle its concerns regarding the North, which last year test-fired several missiles that flew over Japan, sparking security concerns.

Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said "it is extremely important that Japan, the US, and South Korea share information and coordinate closely" ahead of the two summits.

Foreign minister Taro Kono will meet with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha on Wednesday morning.&nbsp

As well as Pyongyang's "nuclear and missile issues", Kono has said he will try to ensure that "the abduction issue will be talked about in the North-South summit".

He was referring to Japanese citizens abducted by the North's agents in the 1970s and 80s in a bid to train spies in Japanese language and customs before overseas missions.

The North regularly excoriates Japan over its brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

But ties between the South and Japan have also remained sour for years due to the controversy over historical issues left unresolved -- including Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II.

Seoul has urged Tokyo to take legal and moral responsibility, while Japan says that the issue was resolved when the two nations reached a controversial deal in 2015 to offer compensations to the victims.&nbsp

Suga said Japan's foreign minister would seek to boost a "forward-looking" bilateral relationship despite the row.

Kim is set to meet Moon on April 27 for a third-ever summit between the two neighbours, and is expected to talk with Trump in May or early June.

Japan -- a key Asian ally of the US and host of 50,000 American troops -- had long supported Trump's hardline position to press Pyongyang to abandon its widely-condemned nuclear and missile weapons programmes.

But Trump's sudden decision to open dialogue with Kim reportedly stoked concerns over whether Japan was being ignored in the regional push to engage the unpredictable North.

The first such visit in more than two years comes at a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in Northeast Asia, ahead of the North's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump

Japan's foreign minister was in South Korea for a rare visit Wednesday, armed with a list of issues Tokyo wants to push onto the agenda of a looming summit between North and South Korea. The first such visit in more than two years comes at a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in Northeast Asia, ahead of the North's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump. North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un met Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first overseas trip last month. Japan has largely remained on the sidelines, with suggestions last month of the third summit between Kim and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe quickly petering out. Instead, Tokyo has found itself forced to rely on the US and South Korea to tackle its concerns regarding the North, which last year test-fired several missiles that flew over Japan, sparking security concerns. Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said "it is extremely important that Japan, the US, and South Korea share information and coordinate closely" ahead of the two summits. Foreign minister Taro Kono will meet with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha on Wednesday morning. As well as Pyongyang's "nuclear and missile issues", Kono has said he will try to ensure that "the abduction issue will be talked about in the North-South summit". He was referring to Japanese citizens abducted by the North's agents in the 1970s and 80s in a bid to train spies in Japanese language and customs before overseas missions. The North regularly excoriates Japan over its brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula. But ties between the South and Japan have also remained sour for years due to the controversy over historical issues left unresolved -- including Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II. Seoul has urged Tokyo to take legal and moral responsibility, while Japan says that the issue was resolved when the two nations reached a controversial deal in 2015 to offer compensations to the victims. Suga said Japan's foreign minister would seek to boost a "forward-looking" bilateral relationship despite the row. Kim is set to meet Moon on April 27 for a third-ever summit between the two neighbours, and is expected to talk with Trump in May or early June. Japan -- a key Asian ally of the US and host of 50,000 American troops -- had long supported Trump's hardline position to press Pyongyang to abandon its widely-condemned nuclear and missile weapons programmes. But Trump's sudden decision to open dialogue with Kim reportedly stoked concerns over whether Japan was being ignored in the regional push to engage the unpredictable North.

Japan Finance Minister to voice North Korea concerns in rare Seoul visit

Chinese state media on Monday attacked critics of ending presidential term limits, which effectively now allows President Xi Jinping to stay in office indefinitely, saying the key to China&#39;s path was following the Communist Party.

China&#39;s largely rubber-stamp parliament on Sunday overwhelmingly voted to amend the constitution, scrapping term limits and adding clauses to further strengthen the party&#39;s already dominating role in politics.

In the run-up to the vote, critics on Chinese social media attacked the move and drew parallels to North Korea or suggested a Mao Zedong-type cult of personality was forming. The party only announced the proposals last month.

In an editorial, widely-read tabloid the Global Times said Western political theories were of no use to China.

&quot;We are increasingly confident that the key to China&#39;s path lies in upholding strong Party leadership and firmly following the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core,&quot; it said.

&quot;In these years we have seen the rise and decline of countries and particularly the harsh reality that the Western political system doesn&#39;t apply to developing countries and produces dreadful results.&quot;

The official China Daily reiterated a point previously made by the party&#39;s People&#39;s Daily that the amendment did not &quot;imply lifetime tenure for any leader&quot;.

&quot;Yet some people in the West insist otherwise, even though it is only through specious speculation that they claim to know better,&quot; the English-language paper said.

Such people - it did not name names - have a deep-rooted ideological bias against China and have made one failed prediction after another about China, it added.

&quot;Their erroneous judgements are only a litany of short-sighted calumnies against the party and the nation.&quot;

While social media accounts of major state media outlets either disabled their comments section or only made visible comments praising the party, some words of dissent did manage to make it past the censors.

&quot;How is it that socialism which is praised has become a monarchy making law?&quot; wrote one user on the Twitter-like Weibo micro-blogging site.

&quot;Why have they not released the voting tally?&quot; wrote another.

Only two &quot;no&quot; votes were cast, with three abstentions, from almost 3,000 delegates in parliament.

The US-based group Human Rights in China said there were huge risks in allowing such a concentration of power.

&quot;Ending the two-term limit ignores the painful lesson of the Mao era and exposes the Chinese people again to the massive human suffering, abuses and national catastrophe that could result from unaccountable power concentrated in the hands of one person,&quot; Sharon Hom, the group&#39;s executive director, said in a statement.

In an editorial, widely-read tabloid the Global Times said Western political theories were of no use to China

Chinese state media on Monday attacked critics of ending presidential term limits, which effectively now allows President Xi Jinping to stay in office indefinitely, saying the key to China's path was following the Communist Party. China's largely rubber-stamp parliament on Sunday overwhelmingly voted to amend the constitution, scrapping term limits and adding clauses to further strengthen the party's already dominating role in politics. In the run-up to the vote, critics on Chinese social media attacked the move and drew parallels to North Korea or suggested a Mao Zedong-type cult of personality was forming. The party only announced the proposals last month. In an editorial, widely-read tabloid the Global Times said Western political theories were of no use to China. "We are increasingly confident that the key to China's path lies in upholding strong Party leadership and firmly following the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core," it said. "In these years we have seen the rise and decline of countries and particularly the harsh reality that the Western political system doesn't apply to developing countries and produces dreadful results." The official China Daily reiterated a point previously made by the party's People's Daily that the amendment did not "imply lifetime tenure for any leader". "Yet some people in the West insist otherwise, even though it is only through specious speculation that they claim to know better," the English-language paper said. Such people - it did not name names - have a deep-rooted ideological bias against China and have made one failed prediction after another about China, it added. "Their erroneous judgements are only a litany of short-sighted calumnies against the party and the nation." While social media accounts of major state media outlets either disabled their comments section or only made visible comments praising the party, some words of dissent did manage to make it past the censors. "How is it that socialism which is praised has become a monarchy making law?" wrote one user on the Twitter-like Weibo micro-blogging site. "Why have they not released the voting tally?" wrote another. Only two "no" votes were cast, with three abstentions, from almost 3,000 delegates in parliament. The US-based group Human Rights in China said there were huge risks in allowing such a concentration of power. "Ending the two-term limit ignores the painful lesson of the Mao era and exposes the Chinese people again to the massive human suffering, abuses and national catastrophe that could result from unaccountable power concentrated in the hands of one person," Sharon Hom, the group's executive director, said in a statement.

Chinese state media defends removing presidential term limits

China signalled today it was hardening its stance on dissent in Taiwan and Hong Kong, where it faces growing frustration with the increasingly authoritarian government of President Xi Jinping.

In a report to the opening session of the annual National People&#39;s Congress in Beijing, Premier Li Keqiang warned China &quot;will never tolerate any separatist schemes&quot; in Taiwan, amid growing tensions between the mainland and the self-ruled island.

The warning to the almost 3,000 members of the mostly ceremonial legislature followed the omission of language supporting the political autonomy of Hong Kong and Macau that had featured prominently in previous years.

The report said Beijing would continue to uphold its &quot;one China&quot; principle and promote &quot;peaceful growth&quot; relations with Taiwan under the 1992 consensus, which agrees that there is only one China without specifying whether Beijing or Taipei is its rightful representative.

Beijing will also &quot;advance China&#39;s peaceful reunification&quot;, Li said.

But, he added, it &quot;will never tolerate any separatist schemes or activities for &#39;Taiwan independence&#39;.&quot;

China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification and has cut off official communications with Taipei because President Tsai Ing-wen refuses to acknowledge the democratic island as part of &quot;one China&quot;.

China voiced anger last week after the US Senate passed a Taiwan travel bill to encourage visits between Washington and Taipei &quot;at all levels&quot;.

Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979 in favour of Beijing. But it maintains trade relations with the island and sells it weapons, angering China.

The report also hinted at a hardening stance towards dissent in the semi-autonomous cities of Hong Kong and Macau, which Beijing rules under the principle of &quot;One country, two systems&quot;.

Last year the section of the report on governing the former European colonies said they would be allowed &quot;a high degree of autonomy&quot;, a statement in keeping with past years, but this year&#39;s report omitted the phrase.

While this year&#39;s report referred to the &quot;One country, two systems&quot; concept, it no longer said it would &quot;steadfastly&quot; apply the principle.

The change may seem minor but silence speaks volumes in a system where government documents are edited down to the last comma.

Hong Kong has been governed under a &quot;one country, two systems&quot; deal since 1997, when Britain handed the territory back to China.

This allows residents rights unseen on the mainland, including freedom of speech and a partially directly elected legislature, as well as an independent judiciary.

But there are fears these freedoms are under threat from Beijing.

Tanya Chan, a pro-democracy lawmaker in the city, said the omission of the mention of Hong Kong people governing themselves was no mistake.

&quot;I don&#39;t think any omission is without purpose, especially when Hong Kong people are concerned about autonomy and the whole system,&quot; she said.

&quot;I worry about whether the Chinese government still respects these very important promises,&quot; Chan added, predicting more &quot;serious and overt&quot; intervention by Beijing.

Claudia Mo, also a pro-democracy legislator, said the &quot;one country, two systems&quot; deal was already dead. &quot;They are just confirming it,&quot; she added.

In a report to the opening session of the annual National People's Congress in Beijing, Premier Li Keqiang warned China 'will never tolerate any separatist schemes' in Taiwan

China signalled today it was hardening its stance on dissent in Taiwan and Hong Kong, where it faces growing frustration with the increasingly authoritarian government of President Xi Jinping. In a report to the opening session of the annual National People's Congress in Beijing, Premier Li Keqiang warned China "will never tolerate any separatist schemes" in Taiwan, amid growing tensions between the mainland and the self-ruled island. The warning to the almost 3,000 members of the mostly ceremonial legislature followed the omission of language supporting the political autonomy of Hong Kong and Macau that had featured prominently in previous years. The report said Beijing would continue to uphold its "one China" principle and promote "peaceful growth" relations with Taiwan under the 1992 consensus, which agrees that there is only one China without specifying whether Beijing or Taipei is its rightful representative. Beijing will also "advance China's peaceful reunification", Li said. But, he added, it "will never tolerate any separatist schemes or activities for 'Taiwan independence'." China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification and has cut off official communications with Taipei because President Tsai Ing-wen refuses to acknowledge the democratic island as part of "one China". China voiced anger last week after the US Senate passed a Taiwan travel bill to encourage visits between Washington and Taipei "at all levels". Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979 in favour of Beijing. But it maintains trade relations with the island and sells it weapons, angering China. The report also hinted at a hardening stance towards dissent in the semi-autonomous cities of Hong Kong and Macau, which Beijing rules under the principle of "One country, two systems". Last year the section of the report on governing the former European colonies said they would be allowed "a high degree of autonomy", a statement in keeping with past years, but this year's report omitted the phrase. While this year's report referred to the "One country, two systems" concept, it no longer said it would "steadfastly" apply the principle. The change may seem minor but silence speaks volumes in a system where government documents are edited down to the last comma. Hong Kong has been governed under a "one country, two systems" deal since 1997, when Britain handed the territory back to China. This allows residents rights unseen on the mainland, including freedom of speech and a partially directly elected legislature, as well as an independent judiciary. But there are fears these freedoms are under threat from Beijing. Tanya Chan, a pro-democracy lawmaker in the city, said the omission of the mention of Hong Kong people governing themselves was no mistake. "I don't think any omission is without purpose, especially when Hong Kong people are concerned about autonomy and the whole system," she said. "I worry about whether the Chinese government still respects these very important promises," Chan added, predicting more "serious and overt" intervention by Beijing. Claudia Mo, also a pro-democracy legislator, said the "one country, two systems" deal was already dead. "They are just confirming it," she added.

China signals hardened stance on Hong Kong, Taiwan

President Donald Trump says he thinks it&#39;s great that China&#39;s president now holds that office for life and muses that maybe the US will do the same someday.

&quot;He&#39;s now president for life. President for life. No, he&#39;s great,&quot; Trump said. &quot;And look, he was able to do that. I think it&#39;s great. Maybe we&#39;ll have to give that a shot some day.&quot;

Trump&#39;s remarks came during a luncheon for Republican donors today at his South Florida estate. CNN reported the remarks based on a recording it obtained.

Trump criticized his Democratic presidential opponent Hillary Clinton, repeated his view about &quot;a rigged system,&quot; and called the invasion of Iraq &quot;the single worst decision ever made.&quot; He referred to former President George W. Bush as &quot;another real genius.&quot;

Trump has repeatedly said that his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, should carry out investigations into Clinton, and has often&nbsp;voiced&nbsp;on to Twitter for not taking what he views as appropriate steps to probe Clinton&#39;s actions involving her private email server.

Xi&#39;s push to abolish term limits means he will likely remain the most influential leader of the emerging superpower for life and have more time to dedicate to his quest to rejuvenate China&#39;s influence at the expense of the US.

It&nbsp;raises questions about America&#39;s long-term approach to China, and the possibility that an emboldened Xi will view himself as having even more leeway to aggressively assert territorial claims in the South China Sea and Chinese political and economic influence in Asia and beyond.

Trump's remarks came during a luncheon for Republican donors today at his South Florida estate

President Donald Trump says he thinks it's great that China's president now holds that office for life and muses that maybe the US will do the same someday. "He's now president for life. President for life. No, he's great," Trump said. "And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot some day." Trump's remarks came during a luncheon for Republican donors today at his South Florida estate. CNN reported the remarks based on a recording it obtained. Trump criticized his Democratic presidential opponent Hillary Clinton, repeated his view about "a rigged system," and called the invasion of Iraq "the single worst decision ever made." He referred to former President George W. Bush as "another real genius." Trump has repeatedly said that his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, should carry out investigations into Clinton, and has often voiced on to Twitter for not taking what he views as appropriate steps to probe Clinton's actions involving her private email server. Xi's push to abolish term limits means he will likely remain the most influential leader of the emerging superpower for life and have more time to dedicate to his quest to rejuvenate China's influence at the expense of the US. It raises questions about America's long-term approach to China, and the possibility that an emboldened Xi will view himself as having even more leeway to aggressively assert territorial claims in the South China Sea and Chinese political and economic influence in Asia and beyond.

'Maybe we'll have to give that a shot someday,' Trump after Xi's move to consolidate power

China&nbsp;is set to name Liu He, a Harvard-trained economist who advises President Xi Jinping, as a vice premier overseeing the economy and financial sector, five sources familiar with the development said.

Liu&#39;s promotion would be part of a wider government reshuffle following the 19th Communist Party Congress in October last year, during which Xi laid out his vision for&nbsp;China&#39;s long-term development, and elevated his key allies.

At the Congress, 66-year old Liu - a trusted confidant of Xi and his top adviser on economic policies - was elected into the 25-member Politburo, the second-highest tier in Beijing&#39;s political power structure after the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee.

Xi has vowed to fend off &quot;major risks&quot; in the world&#39;s second-largest economy over the next three years as he seeks to cement the country&#39;s position as a leading global power.

&quot;He (Liu) is likely to take overall control of&nbsp;China&#39;s economic policies and financial issues,&quot; said a source, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Liu, who heads the General Office of the ruling Communist Party&#39;s Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs, is likely to succeed Ma Kai, one of&nbsp;China&#39;s four vice premiers, the sources said.

Ma has been in charge of macroeconomic policies and the financial sector. The 71-year-old Ma was left out of the Politburo in October, suggesting he is likely to step down soon.

Liu is also set to replace Ma as head of the cabinet-level Financial Stability and Development Committee (FSDC), three of the sources said.

The committee was set up in November to improve supervision coordination among regulators to fend off financial risks.

The State Council Information Office, the government&#39;s public relations arm, did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

Well Qualified

Sources said Liu is well qualified for the new job given his deep understanding of&nbsp;China&#39;s economic issues, and his role in communications between&nbsp;China&nbsp;and US leaders.&nbsp;

Liu, who gained a master&#39;s degree in public administration at Harvard&#39;s Kennedy School of Government in 1995, is widely seen masterminding Xi&#39;s supply-side reform drive to cut excess factory capacity and upgrade the economy.

Liu, who speaks fluent English, won a top Chinese economics study award in 2015 for his research on the global financial crisis.

He was also widely seen by political analysts as being behind the voice of an unnamed &quot;authoritative person&quot; who wrote in the People&#39;s Daily, the party&#39;s mouthpiece, in May 2016 warning about risks from the country&#39;s debt-driven growth model.

Liu, who is also vice minister of the cabinet&#39;s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) -&nbsp;China&#39;s top economic planner - has played a behind-the-scenes role in drafting economic policies and reform plans.

In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, Liu said&nbsp;China&nbsp;will roll out fresh market-opening measures this year and added such measures will exceed outside expectations.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Liu, like Zhou Xiaochuan,&nbsp;China&#39;s central bank head, stands out among Chinese bureaucrats because of his grey hair. Many top officials dye their hair jet-black.

Zhou, the longest-serving central bank chief since the establishment of the People&rsquo;s Republic of&nbsp;China&nbsp;in 1949, is expected to retire soon. Zhou, who has been running the central bank since 2002, will turn 70 this year.

Liu has been closely following Xi on regional tours and meetings with foreign leaders. When then-US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon visited Beijing in 2013, Xi introduced Liu as &quot;very important to me&quot;, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Liu and Xi have similar backgrounds - both their families were purged during the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, and both their fathers were senior officials.

&ldquo;Without the reflection on the catastrophe of the Cultural Revolution, it is impossible for&nbsp;China&nbsp;to have today&#39;s economic growth,&rdquo; Liu said in an article published in 2017.

A source with ties to the leadership said Xi and Liu knew each other during their teens, and have kept in touch over the years.

Liu got a master&#39;s degree in industrial economy from Beijing&#39;s Renmin University in 1986 and later joined the State Planning Commission - the predecessor of NDRC.

China is set to name Liu He, a Harvard-trained economist who advises President Xi Jinping, as a vice premier overseeing the economy and financial sector, five sources familiar with the development said

China is set to name Liu He, a Harvard-trained economist who advises President Xi Jinping, as a vice premier overseeing the economy and financial sector, five sources familiar with the development said. Liu's promotion would be part of a wider government reshuffle following the 19th Communist Party Congress in October last year, during which Xi laid out his vision for China's long-term development, and elevated his key allies. At the Congress, 66-year old Liu - a trusted confidant of Xi and his top adviser on economic policies - was elected into the 25-member Politburo, the second-highest tier in Beijing's political power structure after the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee. Xi has vowed to fend off "major risks" in the world's second-largest economy over the next three years as he seeks to cement the country's position as a leading global power. "He (Liu) is likely to take overall control of China's economic policies and financial issues," said a source, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. Liu, who heads the General Office of the ruling Communist Party's Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs, is likely to succeed Ma Kai, one of China's four vice premiers, the sources said. Ma has been in charge of macroeconomic policies and the financial sector. The 71-year-old Ma was left out of the Politburo in October, suggesting he is likely to step down soon. Liu is also set to replace Ma as head of the cabinet-level Financial Stability and Development Committee (FSDC), three of the sources said. The committee was set up in November to improve supervision coordination among regulators to fend off financial risks. The State Council Information Office, the government's public relations arm, did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. Well Qualified Sources said Liu is well qualified for the new job given his deep understanding of China's economic issues, and his role in communications between China and US leaders. Liu, who gained a master's degree in public administration at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in 1995, is widely seen masterminding Xi's supply-side reform drive to cut excess factory capacity and upgrade the economy. Liu, who speaks fluent English, won a top Chinese economics study award in 2015 for his research on the global financial crisis. He was also widely seen by political analysts as being behind the voice of an unnamed "authoritative person" who wrote in the People's Daily, the party's mouthpiece, in May 2016 warning about risks from the country's debt-driven growth model. Liu, who is also vice minister of the cabinet's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) - China's top economic planner - has played a behind-the-scenes role in drafting economic policies and reform plans. In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, Liu said China will roll out fresh market-opening measures this year and added such measures will exceed outside expectations. Liu, like Zhou Xiaochuan, China's central bank head, stands out among Chinese bureaucrats because of his grey hair. Many top officials dye their hair jet-black. Zhou, the longest-serving central bank chief since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, is expected to retire soon. Zhou, who has been running the central bank since 2002, will turn 70 this year. Liu has been closely following Xi on regional tours and meetings with foreign leaders. When then-US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon visited Beijing in 2013, Xi introduced Liu as "very important to me", according to the Wall Street Journal. Liu and Xi have similar backgrounds - both their families were purged during the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, and both their fathers were senior officials. “Without the reflection on the catastrophe of the Cultural Revolution, it is impossible for China to have today's economic growth,” Liu said in an article published in 2017. A source with ties to the leadership said Xi and Liu knew each other during their teens, and have kept in touch over the years. Liu got a master's degree in industrial economy from Beijing's Renmin University in 1986 and later joined the State Planning Commission - the predecessor of NDRC.

China to name Harvard-trained Liu He as vice premier overseeing economy: Sources

Citizens of Yugan county in rural south-east China are being asked to replace images of Jesus&nbsp;Christ with that of President Xi Jinping.

Local officials have told people that if they want to reap good benefits from government policies they should take down pictures of Christ and put up president Xi Jinping&#39;s instead.&nbsp;

The officials assure&nbsp;them that&nbsp;Jesus Christ will not drag them out of poverty or cure their illness, but that the Chinese Communist Party will.

According to the Washington Post, a social media account in Yugan County revealed that in a village about 624 posters preaching Christianity was replaced by images of President Xi.&nbsp;

The move shows the long-prevailing cult of the&nbsp;Communist China&#39;s first leader, Mao Zedong, whose picture was in every home.&nbsp;

The ruling Communist Party in China led by President Xi aims to end poverty by 2020, as its top priority.

Through their campaign president Xi tries developing a strong foothold of the party in the grass root level of society.&nbsp;

Yugan county, located in the Jiangxi province, has the largest number of Christians. The county also has the highest number of poverty-stricken people.&nbsp;

The campaign which had been running across the county since March focusses on teaching Christian families about the different measures taken by the party for eradicating poverty. It aims to spread to the people about the concern president Xi had shown for their well being, said Qi Yan, the chairman of the Huangjinbu people`s congress.

The people were also told about how the party was supporting agriculture and removing poverty.&nbsp;

&quot;Many rural people are ignorant. They think God is their saviour. After our cadres` work, they`ll realise their mistakes and think: we should no longer rely on Jesus, but on the party for help,&quot; he added.

The chairman of the&nbsp;Huangjinbu people`s congress also told that&nbsp;the township government had distributed more than 1,000 portraits of President Xi.All the posters&nbsp;had been&nbsp;put up by the villagers.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Local officials have told people that if they want to reap good benefits from government policies they should take down pictures of Christ and put up president Xi Jinping's instead

Citizens of Yugan county in rural south-east China are being asked to replace images of Jesus Christ with that of President Xi Jinping. Local officials have told people that if they want to reap good benefits from government policies they should take down pictures of Christ and put up president Xi Jinping's instead. The officials assure them that Jesus Christ will not drag them out of poverty or cure their illness, but that the Chinese Communist Party will. According to the Washington Post, a social media account in Yugan County revealed that in a village about 624 posters preaching Christianity was replaced by images of President Xi. The move shows the long-prevailing cult of the Communist China's first leader, Mao Zedong, whose picture was in every home. The ruling Communist Party in China led by President Xi aims to end poverty by 2020, as its top priority. Through their campaign president Xi tries developing a strong foothold of the party in the grass root level of society. Yugan county, located in the Jiangxi province, has the largest number of Christians. The county also has the highest number of poverty-stricken people. The campaign which had been running across the county since March focusses on teaching Christian families about the different measures taken by the party for eradicating poverty. It aims to spread to the people about the concern president Xi had shown for their well being, said Qi Yan, the chairman of the Huangjinbu people`s congress. The people were also told about how the party was supporting agriculture and removing poverty. "Many rural people are ignorant. They think God is their saviour. After our cadres` work, they`ll realise their mistakes and think: we should no longer rely on Jesus, but on the party for help," he added. The chairman of the Huangjinbu people`s congress also told that the township government had distributed more than 1,000 portraits of President Xi.All the posters had been put up by the villagers.

China asks Christians to replace image of Christ with President Xi's

China will raise foreign ownership limits in financial firms in a step granting access to a tantalizing multi-trillion dollar financial services market, as the world&rsquo;s second-biggest economy seeks to position itself as a major global finance hub.

The move announced on Friday by vice finance minister Zhu Guangyao, comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated calls for better access to Chinese markets in meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi is driving broad economic reforms by opening up China&rsquo;s capital markets, internationalizing the yuan currency, and seeking technical know-how through the pursuit of massive inbound and outbound investments.

The latest changes include raising the limit on foreign ownership in joint-venture firms involved in the futures, securities and funds markets to 51 percent from the current 49 percent.

They will take effect immediately following the drafting of specific related rules, Zhu told a news conference, adding China is &ldquo;formulating a timetable and roadmap for financial sector reform and opening up&rdquo;.

The foreign business community gave a cautious welcome to the news.

&ldquo;Financial services further opening definitely has been high on our list,&rdquo; said Ken Jarrett, President of American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a step in the right direction. We&rsquo;ll have to see the detailed rules. In China, you always have to pay attention to the fine print to see how quickly it moves, but to finally ease up on the cap is something that is welcome.&rdquo;

Peter Alexander, managing director of Z-Ben Advisors, a Shanghai-based consultant for the fund industry, sees Friday&rsquo;s announcement as a measured step towards bigger changes down the road.

&ldquo;This is part of a methodical and deliberate process. We fully expect foreign asset managers at some point in the next several years to have full control of their own ventures.&rdquo;

The plan to ease ownership restrictions comes as Beijing faces mounting pressure from Western governments and business lobbies to remove investment barriers and onerous regulations that restrict overseas companies&rsquo; operations in its markets.

During his trip to Beijing this week, Trump said that trade between the two nations was unfair, and called for greater market access for U.S. companies.

&ldquo;We really have to look at access, forced technology transfer, and the theft of intellectual property, which just, by and of itself, is costing the United States and its companies at least $300 billion a year,&rdquo; Trump said.

&ldquo;Both the United States and China will have a more prosperous future if we can achieve a level economic playing field. Right now, unfortunately, it is a very one-sided and unfair one.&rdquo;

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Reuters reported on Tuesday that China planned to allow global banks to take a stake of up to 51 percent in their onshore securities ventures for the first time and tie up with local non-financial firms.

China has been sluggish to give foreign players more access to its financial sector, but has promised to quicken the pace as foreign investment into Asia&rsquo;s economic powerhouse slows.

China has implemented strict capital controls to contain capital outflows, while opening up new channels for foreign money to come into the domestic markets.

Foreign financial firms are still small players in the financial sector, and the sheer size of the market is a big lure for overseas players.

Foreign banks account for just 1.4 percent of the total 181.7 trillion yuan ($27.37 trillion) of banking assets in China, according to a 2017 study by KPMG. Their average returns on assets and on equity, were about half the level of their domestic rivals, said the study.

UBS, which holds a 25 percent interest in domestic firm UBS Securities Co Ltd, said the changes were an important step in further opening up China&rsquo;s financial sector.

&ldquo;China is a key market for UBS and, as indicated previously, we continue to work towards increasing our stake in UBS Securities Co Ltd&rdquo;, said Eugene Qian, Chairman of UBS China Strategy Board and Member of the Asia Pacific Executive Committee.

A spokesperson for JPMorgan, which sold its 33.3 percent stake in its China securities JV to First Capital in December 2016, said the company &ldquo;welcomes any decision made by the Chinese Government that looks to liberalize its financial sector further&rdquo;.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Some industry watchers said the changes are too little too late.

&ldquo;This looks good, but in reality it is pretty small and it is too late,&rdquo; said Keith Pogson, head of the Asia financial services team at EY.

&ldquo;If you are an international investment bank, you will be there for the sake of your global franchise and having it as part of your network, not because you think you will make much money in China.&rdquo;

All the same, markets reacted positively to the news, with insurers and futures-related firms rallying strongly.

New China Life Insurance jumped nearly 6 percent after the announcement, while Ping An Insurance &nbsp;advanced more than 4 per cent and China Pacific Insurance Group&nbsp;rose over 3 percent.

China will drop foreign ownership restrictions on local banks and asset management companies, Zhu said.

Full foreign ownership of local firms involved in the futures, securities and funds markets will not be permitted until after three years, while full overseas ownership of insurance firms will be allowed only after five years.

For most foreign investment banks, including the likes of Goldman Sachs, the prospect of playing in a huge market seemed too good to pass up.

&ldquo;We welcome today&rsquo;s announcement and look forward to playing a greater role in China&rsquo;s capital markets,&rdquo; a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs said.

&nbsp;

The move announced on Friday by vice finance minister Zhu Guangyao, comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated calls for better access to Chinese markets in meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping

China will raise foreign ownership limits in financial firms in a step granting access to a tantalizing multi-trillion dollar financial services market, as the world’s second-biggest economy seeks to position itself as a major global finance hub. The move announced on Friday by vice finance minister Zhu Guangyao, comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated calls for better access to Chinese markets in meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi is driving broad economic reforms by opening up China’s capital markets, internationalizing the yuan currency, and seeking technical know-how through the pursuit of massive inbound and outbound investments. The latest changes include raising the limit on foreign ownership in joint-venture firms involved in the futures, securities and funds markets to 51 percent from the current 49 percent. They will take effect immediately following the drafting of specific related rules, Zhu told a news conference, adding China is “formulating a timetable and roadmap for financial sector reform and opening up”. The foreign business community gave a cautious welcome to the news. “Financial services further opening definitely has been high on our list,” said Ken Jarrett, President of American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. “It’s a step in the right direction. We’ll have to see the detailed rules. In China, you always have to pay attention to the fine print to see how quickly it moves, but to finally ease up on the cap is something that is welcome.” Peter Alexander, managing director of Z-Ben Advisors, a Shanghai-based consultant for the fund industry, sees Friday’s announcement as a measured step towards bigger changes down the road. “This is part of a methodical and deliberate process. We fully expect foreign asset managers at some point in the next several years to have full control of their own ventures.” The plan to ease ownership restrictions comes as Beijing faces mounting pressure from Western governments and business lobbies to remove investment barriers and onerous regulations that restrict overseas companies’ operations in its markets. During his trip to Beijing this week, Trump said that trade between the two nations was unfair, and called for greater market access for U.S. companies. “We really have to look at access, forced technology transfer, and the theft of intellectual property, which just, by and of itself, is costing the United States and its companies at least $300 billion a year,” Trump said. “Both the United States and China will have a more prosperous future if we can achieve a level economic playing field. Right now, unfortunately, it is a very one-sided and unfair one.” Reuters reported on Tuesday that China planned to allow global banks to take a stake of up to 51 percent in their onshore securities ventures for the first time and tie up with local non-financial firms. China has been sluggish to give foreign players more access to its financial sector, but has promised to quicken the pace as foreign investment into Asia’s economic powerhouse slows. China has implemented strict capital controls to contain capital outflows, while opening up new channels for foreign money to come into the domestic markets. Foreign financial firms are still small players in the financial sector, and the sheer size of the market is a big lure for overseas players. Foreign banks account for just 1.4 percent of the total 181.7 trillion yuan ($27.37 trillion) of banking assets in China, according to a 2017 study by KPMG. Their average returns on assets and on equity, were about half the level of their domestic rivals, said the study. UBS, which holds a 25 percent interest in domestic firm UBS Securities Co Ltd, said the changes were an important step in further opening up China’s financial sector. “China is a key market for UBS and, as indicated previously, we continue to work towards increasing our stake in UBS Securities Co Ltd”, said Eugene Qian, Chairman of UBS China Strategy Board and Member of the Asia Pacific Executive Committee. A spokesperson for JPMorgan, which sold its 33.3 percent stake in its China securities JV to First Capital in December 2016, said the company “welcomes any decision made by the Chinese Government that looks to liberalize its financial sector further”. Some industry watchers said the changes are too little too late. “This looks good, but in reality it is pretty small and it is too late,” said Keith Pogson, head of the Asia financial services team at EY. “If you are an international investment bank, you will be there for the sake of your global franchise and having it as part of your network, not because you think you will make much money in China.” All the same, markets reacted positively to the news, with insurers and futures-related firms rallying strongly. New China Life Insurance jumped nearly 6 percent after the announcement, while Ping An Insurance advanced more than 4 per cent and China Pacific Insurance Group rose over 3 percent. China will drop foreign ownership restrictions on local banks and asset management companies, Zhu said. Full foreign ownership of local firms involved in the futures, securities and funds markets will not be permitted until after three years, while full overseas ownership of insurance firms will be allowed only after five years. For most foreign investment banks, including the likes of Goldman Sachs, the prospect of playing in a huge market seemed too good to pass up. “We welcome today’s announcement and look forward to playing a greater role in China’s capital markets,” a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs said.

China widens foreign access to its giant financial sector

Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on Saturday said there is nothing new in Chinese President Xi Jinping&#39;s call to the country&#39;s army to be ready to fight and win wars.

Commenting on this, General Rawat said, &quot;Every army has to prepare for a conflict. That is the task of every army. There is nothing new anybody is saying. I also have to keep preparing. In peacetime, we all train and prepare for any eventuality. So, there is nothing new in that.&quot;

The Army Chief&nbsp;unveiled the statues of Field Marshal KM Cariappa, and Padma Bhushan and Distinguished Service Order (DSO) awardee General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya, at Cauvery College in Karnataka&#39;s Kodagu District.

Recently, President Xi twice instructed the Chinese armed forces to improve their combat capabilities and readiness for war.

On October 27, he urged the country&#39;s army to develop itself into a world-class military by the mid-21st century.

He was addressing military officers after being re-elected as CPC Central Committee General Secretary and Central Military Commission (CMC) Chairman at the 19th National Congress of the CPC.

On Friday, the Xinhua news agency quoted President Xi, as saying that &quot;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.&quot;

His repeated calls for war preparedness left defence experts speculating about its impact on India-China relations, especially after the recent Doklam standoff.

The Doklam standoff started on June 16, 2017, when Chinese troops with construction vehicles and road-building equipment began extending an existing road southward in Doklam, a territory which is claimed by both China as well as Bhutan. Indian troops objected to this advance and saw it as an act of Chinese aggression.

Finally on August 28, both India and China announced that they had disengaged their troops in Doklam.&nbsp;

General Rawat said there is nothing new in Chinese president 's call to country's army to be ready to fight and win wars

Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on Saturday said there is nothing new in Chinese President Xi Jinping's call to the country's army to be ready to fight and win wars. Commenting on this, General Rawat said, "Every army has to prepare for a conflict. That is the task of every army. There is nothing new anybody is saying. I also have to keep preparing. In peacetime, we all train and prepare for any eventuality. So, there is nothing new in that." The Army Chief unveiled the statues of Field Marshal KM Cariappa, and Padma Bhushan and Distinguished Service Order (DSO) awardee General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya, at Cauvery College in Karnataka's Kodagu District. Recently, President Xi twice instructed the Chinese armed forces to improve their combat capabilities and readiness for war. On October 27, he urged the country's army to develop itself into a world-class military by the mid-21st century. He was addressing military officers after being re-elected as CPC Central Committee General Secretary and Central Military Commission (CMC) Chairman at the 19th National Congress of the CPC. On Friday, the Xinhua news agency quoted President Xi, as saying that "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." His repeated calls for war preparedness left defence experts speculating about its impact on India-China relations, especially after the recent Doklam standoff. The Doklam standoff started on June 16, 2017, when Chinese troops with construction vehicles and road-building equipment began extending an existing road southward in Doklam, a territory which is claimed by both China as well as Bhutan. Indian troops objected to this advance and saw it as an act of Chinese aggression. Finally on August 28, both India and China announced that they had disengaged their troops in Doklam.

President Xi's 'win wars' cry not new: Indian Army chief

Has the standoff over Doklam deflated the Chinese balloon?&nbsp;Deflated yes, not punctured.

It&#39;s vital, we understand the difference.

India has deflated the perception assiduously propagated by the Chinese media that their country is America&#39;s equal. If that was the case, what explains the Indian wall it has run up against on the Doklam plateau.

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The same Indian wall is being closely watched across a broad swathe of the South China Sea where China has dredged up artificial islands, laid airfields and stocked up with every manner of weapons and equipment. The wall has drawn the attention of South China Sea littoral states which are unable to stand up to China&#39;s naval muscle or are seduced by its money power.

But this has only deflated the Dragon not punctured it.

China watchers say - the debate in Beijing is probably about their lack of proper appreciation of the environment.&nbsp;Meaning, the PLA did not anticipate the manner in which India would respond to the move to lay a road through the Doklam Plateau.

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<h5>Until now all India-China standoffs have been &#39;strictly bilateral&#39;, meaning it has always been about one side claiming territory held or claimed by the other.</h5>
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That tells us something about Chinese military thinking, an element of overconfidence perhaps, which encouraged the perception that India would stand down. Are we being unfair here? Until now all India-China standoffs have been &#39;strictly bilateral&#39;, meaning it has always been about one side claiming territory held or claimed by the other. In that sense, India standing up for a third country may have appeared far-fetched.

What&#39;s clear is that the Chinese will neither forgive nor forget what India has done to them in Doklam.

China analysts like Jayadev Ranade believe the politicians in Beijing are under pressure from the PLA to take off the restraints and allow them to go against India. Apparently, some of this pressure is emanating from the Western Theatre Command tasked with securing the Indian frontier which also includes Bhutan.

What, therefore, can they be expected to do? That&#39;s hard to predict but China watchers say Beijing&#39;s Mandarins will try to extract their pound of flesh from India perhaps not now, maybe later at a time and place of their choosing.&nbsp;The location could range anywhere from Ladakh and Himachal to Arunachal and even Sikkim. A former Northern Army Commander Gen. H.S. Panag has hinted this could even take place sometime in winter, could involve China&#39;s range of rocket artillery and even cyber weapons.

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<h5>It&#39;s interesting to examine the efforts by President Xi Jinping to transform the lumbering, a top heavy land dominated military into a nimble integrated force capable of fighting and winning &#39;local wars under hi-tech conditions&#39;.</h5>
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Ranade believes any action by the Chinese would be limited in scope and duration with the aim of teaching India a lesson. In that context, it&#39;s interesting to examine the efforts by President Xi Jinping to transform the lumbering, a top heavy land dominated military into a nimble integrated force capable of fighting and winning &#39;local wars under hi-tech conditions&#39;.&nbsp;

Srikanth Kondapalli, who teaches China at Delhi&#39;s Jawaharlal Nehru University, says, &quot;The objective is not to occupy territory but paralyse the adversary and for this, you need the concentration of firepower, air force, artillery in one area of mobilisation. They are raising 40 Rapid Response Units and an airborne corps for transporting troops.&quot;

The dilemma for President Xi is whether his newly transformed military can be trusted to deliver in a limited action against India. More important, can the military ensure this does not escalate, that India does not escalate? The word from military analysts here is India will escalate!

China watchers say Beijing will try to extract their pound of flesh from India perhaps not now, maybe later at a time and place of their choosing.

Has the standoff over Doklam deflated the Chinese balloon? Deflated yes, not punctured. It's vital, we understand the difference. India has deflated the perception assiduously propagated by the Chinese media that their country is America's equal. If that was the case, what explains the Indian wall it has run up against on the Doklam plateau. China has dredged up artificial islands, laid airfields and stocked up with every manner of weapons and equipment. × The same Indian wall is being closely watched across a broad swathe of the South China Sea where China has dredged up artificial islands, laid airfields and stocked up with every manner of weapons and equipment. The wall has drawn the attention of South China Sea littoral states which are unable to stand up to China's naval muscle or are seduced by its money power. But this has only deflated the Dragon not punctured it. China watchers say - the debate in Beijing is probably about their lack of proper appreciation of the environment. Meaning, the PLA did not anticipate the manner in which India would respond to the move to lay a road through the Doklam Plateau. Until now all India-China standoffs have been 'strictly bilateral', meaning it has always been about one side claiming territory held or claimed by the other. × That tells us something about Chinese military thinking, an element of overconfidence perhaps, which encouraged the perception that India would stand down. Are we being unfair here? Until now all India-China standoffs have been 'strictly bilateral', meaning it has always been about one side claiming territory held or claimed by the other. In that sense, India standing up for a third country may have appeared far-fetched. What's clear is that the Chinese will neither forgive nor forget what India has done to them in Doklam. China analysts like Jayadev Ranade believe the politicians in Beijing are under pressure from the PLA to take off the restraints and allow them to go against India. Apparently, some of this pressure is emanating from the Western Theatre Command tasked with securing the Indian frontier which also includes Bhutan. What, therefore, can they be expected to do? That's hard to predict but China watchers say Beijing's Mandarins will try to extract their pound of flesh from India perhaps not now, maybe later at a time and place of their choosing. The location could range anywhere from Ladakh and Himachal to Arunachal and even Sikkim. A former Northern Army Commander Gen. H.S. Panag has hinted this could even take place sometime in winter, could involve China's range of rocket artillery and even cyber weapons. It's interesting to examine the efforts by President Xi Jinping to transform the lumbering, a top heavy land dominated military into a nimble integrated force capable of fighting and winning 'local wars under hi-tech conditions'. × Ranade believes any action by the Chinese would be limited in scope and duration with the aim of teaching India a lesson. In that context, it's interesting to examine the efforts by President Xi Jinping to transform the lumbering, a top heavy land dominated military into a nimble integrated force capable of fighting and winning 'local wars under hi-tech conditions'. Srikanth Kondapalli, who teaches China at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, says, "The objective is not to occupy territory but paralyse the adversary and for this, you need the concentration of firepower, air force, artillery in one area of mobilisation. They are raising 40 Rapid Response Units and an airborne corps for transporting troops." The dilemma for President Xi is whether his newly transformed military can be trusted to deliver in a limited action against India. More important, can the military ensure this does not escalate, that India does not escalate? The word from military analysts here is India will escalate!

Doklam was a setback, China keen on teaching India a lesson

China is investigating its top social media sites, including WeChat and Weibo, for failing to comply with cyber laws, the latest step in the country&#39;s push to secure the internet and maintain strict Communist Party control over content.

President Xi Jinping has made China&#39;s &quot;cyber sovereignty&quot; a top priority and has also reasserted the ruling party&#39;s role in limiting and guiding online discussion. Surveillance is being further tightened ahead of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party later this year, when global attention will be on news coming from the world&#39;s No.2 economy.

Apart from Tencent Holdings Group WeChat and Weibo, China&#39;s Cyberspace Administration said it was also investigating Baidu forum site Tieba over failing to comply with strict new laws that ban content which is obscene, violent and deemed offensive by the Communist Party.

&quot;Users are spreading violence, terror, false rumours, pornography and other hazards to national security, public safety, social order,&quot; the regulator said on its website.

Baidu said it felt &quot;deep regret&quot; over the content and will &quot;actively cooperate with government departments to rectify the issue and increase the intensity of auditing&quot;.

Tencent and Weibo did not respond to requests for comment.

Shares of the Hong Kong-listed firm were in the red after the news, down almost 5 per cent. Investors will now be waiting to see how shares of the US listed firms react.

Just last month, all three were asked to carry out immediate &quot;cleaning and rectification&quot; at a meeting with authorities who cited examples of illicit content, including rumours about party officials and misrepresenting Chinese military history.

Prior to the meeting, Weibo was asked to partly close its video site over violations, wiping out a total $1.3 billion worth of stock between Weibo and parent firm Sina.

In recent months, regulators have taken severe and unprecedented moves to shutter content and media across a variety of platforms. In May, it released regulations for online news sites and network portals that expanded curbs on content and required all services to be overseen by party-sanctioned editorial staff.

It has taken down popular celebrity gossip social media accounts and there has also been a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/apple-abstains-its-chinese-users-from-accessing-vpn-18430">sweeping campaign to remove virtual private network apps</a> that allow users to circumvent China&#39;s so-called &#39;Great Firewall&#39; and access foreign websites.

Western social media websites like Facebook and Twitter are banned by the country&#39;s censors, which in turn has helped drive up the popularity of home-grown messaging app WeChat and microblogging service Weibo.

WeChat and Weibo have about 940 million and 350 million monthly active users, respectively.

President Xi Jinping has made China's 'cyber sovereignty' a top priority and has also reasserted the ruling party's role in limiting and guiding online discussion

China is investigating its top social media sites, including WeChat and Weibo, for failing to comply with cyber laws, the latest step in the country's push to secure the internet and maintain strict Communist Party control over content. President Xi Jinping has made China's "cyber sovereignty" a top priority and has also reasserted the ruling party's role in limiting and guiding online discussion. Surveillance is being further tightened ahead of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party later this year, when global attention will be on news coming from the world's No.2 economy. Apart from Tencent Holdings Group WeChat and Weibo, China's Cyberspace Administration said it was also investigating Baidu forum site Tieba over failing to comply with strict new laws that ban content which is obscene, violent and deemed offensive by the Communist Party. "Users are spreading violence, terror, false rumours, pornography and other hazards to national security, public safety, social order," the regulator said on its website. Baidu said it felt "deep regret" over the content and will "actively cooperate with government departments to rectify the issue and increase the intensity of auditing". Tencent and Weibo did not respond to requests for comment. Shares of the Hong Kong-listed firm were in the red after the news, down almost 5 per cent. Investors will now be waiting to see how shares of the US listed firms react. Just last month, all three were asked to carry out immediate "cleaning and rectification" at a meeting with authorities who cited examples of illicit content, including rumours about party officials and misrepresenting Chinese military history. Prior to the meeting, Weibo was asked to partly close its video site over violations, wiping out a total $1.3 billion worth of stock between Weibo and parent firm Sina. In recent months, regulators have taken severe and unprecedented moves to shutter content and media across a variety of platforms. In May, it released regulations for online news sites and network portals that expanded curbs on content and required all services to be overseen by party-sanctioned editorial staff. It has taken down popular celebrity gossip social media accounts and there has also been a sweeping campaign to remove virtual private network apps that allow users to circumvent China's so-called 'Great Firewall' and access foreign websites. Western social media websites like Facebook and Twitter are banned by the country's censors, which in turn has helped drive up the popularity of home-grown messaging app WeChat and microblogging service Weibo. WeChat and Weibo have about 940 million and 350 million monthly active users, respectively.

Now, China to control local social media content

China loves peace but will never compromise on defending its sovereignty, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday while marking 90 years since the founding of the People&#39;s Liberation Army.

China has rattled nerves around Asia and globally with its increasingly assertive stance in territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas and an ambitious military modernisation plan.

Relations with self-ruled Taiwan have also worsened since Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party won presidential elections there last year. China considers Taiwan a wayward province, to be brought under Beijing&#39;s control by force if necessary.

Xi, speaking at the Great Hall of the People, made no direct reference to any particular territorial dispute, as he sought to assure that China&#39;s intentions were peaceful, but also show that China would not be bullied.

&quot;The Chinese people love peace. We will never seek aggression or expansion, but we have the confidence to defeat all invasions,&quot; Xi said in comments carried live on state television.

&quot;We will never allow any people, organisation or political party to split any part of Chinese territory out of the country at any time, in any form,&quot; he said. &quot;No one should expect us to swallow the bitter fruit that is harmful to our sovereignty, security or development interests.&quot;

The army has been a central target of Xi&#39;s wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign, with several senior military officers, including Xu Caihou, Guo Boxiong, and Gu Junshan, being felled for graft since Xi came to power.

Xi said that, after five years&#39; hard work, the PLA had successfully &quot;remodelled&quot; its organisational and power structure, as well as its public image.

A reshuffle of the military&#39;s senior ranks at a key five-yearly Communist Party congress in the autumn is expected to further strengthen his grip, and Xi repeatedly reaffirmed the Party&#39;s &quot;absolute leadership&quot; over the army.

&quot;To build a strong military, [we] must unswervingly adhere to the Party&#39;s absolute leadership over the armed forces, and make sure that the people&#39;s army always follow the Party,&quot; Xi said.

Quoting Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China, Xi said: &quot;Our principle is that the party commands the guns, and the guns must never be allowed to command the party.&quot;

China has not fought a war for decades and the government insists it has no hostile intent, but simply needs the ability to properly defend the world&#39;s second-largest economy.

China&#39;s armed forces, the world&#39;s largest, are in the midst of an ambitious modernisation programme, which includes investment in technology and new equipment, such as stealth fighters and aircraft carriers, as well as cuts to troop numbers.

&quot;The People&#39;s Army must be brave enough to change and innovate, not at any time must it become rigid or stagnate,&quot; Xi said.

Some of the military reforms have been controversial at home. Sources with ties to the military say Xi&#39;s announcement at the 2015 parade to cut 300,000 troops has caused unease within the ranks.

On Sunday, Xi presided over a large military parade at the remote Zhurihe training base in China&#39;s northern Inner Mongolia region, where he inspected troops from the back of a jeep.

China has not fought a war for decades and the government insists it has no hostile intent, but simply needs the ability to properly defend the world's second-largest economy

China loves peace but will never compromise on defending its sovereignty, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday while marking 90 years since the founding of the People's Liberation Army. China has rattled nerves around Asia and globally with its increasingly assertive stance in territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas and an ambitious military modernisation plan. Relations with self-ruled Taiwan have also worsened since Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party won presidential elections there last year. China considers Taiwan a wayward province, to be brought under Beijing's control by force if necessary. Xi, speaking at the Great Hall of the People, made no direct reference to any particular territorial dispute, as he sought to assure that China's intentions were peaceful, but also show that China would not be bullied. "The Chinese people love peace. We will never seek aggression or expansion, but we have the confidence to defeat all invasions," Xi said in comments carried live on state television. "We will never allow any people, organisation or political party to split any part of Chinese territory out of the country at any time, in any form," he said. "No one should expect us to swallow the bitter fruit that is harmful to our sovereignty, security or development interests." The army has been a central target of Xi's wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign, with several senior military officers, including Xu Caihou, Guo Boxiong, and Gu Junshan, being felled for graft since Xi came to power. Xi said that, after five years' hard work, the PLA had successfully "remodelled" its organisational and power structure, as well as its public image. A reshuffle of the military's senior ranks at a key five-yearly Communist Party congress in the autumn is expected to further strengthen his grip, and Xi repeatedly reaffirmed the Party's "absolute leadership" over the army. "To build a strong military, [we] must unswervingly adhere to the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces, and make sure that the people's army always follow the Party," Xi said. Quoting Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China, Xi said: "Our principle is that the party commands the guns, and the guns must never be allowed to command the party." China has not fought a war for decades and the government insists it has no hostile intent, but simply needs the ability to properly defend the world's second-largest economy. China's armed forces, the world's largest, are in the midst of an ambitious modernisation programme, which includes investment in technology and new equipment, such as stealth fighters and aircraft carriers, as well as cuts to troop numbers. "The People's Army must be brave enough to change and innovate, not at any time must it become rigid or stagnate," Xi said. Some of the military reforms have been controversial at home. Sources with ties to the military say Xi's announcement at the 2015 parade to cut 300,000 troops has caused unease within the ranks. On Sunday, Xi presided over a large military parade at the remote Zhurihe training base in China's northern Inner Mongolia region, where he inspected troops from the back of a jeep.

President Xi says China loves peace but won't compromise on sovereignty

Helicopter chases, fridges full of cash and officials caught in bed with their foreign mistresses are all in a day&#39;s work for China&#39;s anti-graft prosecutors, according to a new state-backed TV drama aimed at bolstering China&#39;s graft fight.

&quot;In the Name of the People&quot;, a new show by propaganda department of the Supreme People&#39;s Procuratorate (SPP), China&#39;s top prosecutor, follows an intrepid SPP anti-graft investigator sent to a fictional province from Beijing to tackle corruption at the highest levels of local officialdom.

Chinese President Xi Jinping&nbsp;has pledged that his multi-year war on graft, which has netted tens of thousands of officials, will continue until corruption is fully expunged, warning that the rot could threaten the ruling Communist Party&#39;s existence if not cleared.

But academics have raised doubts about the campaign&#39;s durability as Xi enters his second term after a leadership reshuffle later this year, arguing that resentment in the Party is likely to build if anti-graft measures continue at their current scope and intensity.

In the last year, the campaign has twice made it onto popular television, in the two mini-documentary series made by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China&#39;s top anti-graft body.

The TV-drama version of events, the first of its kind since the campaign began, shows the prosecutor leading an investigation that includes abseiling policemen and raids of official apartments where they uncover mattresses made from stacks of hundred yuan notes, according to the official advert.

The show will premiere on March 28 on Hunan Television, China&#39;s second most watched channel.

A famous Chinese novelist, Zhou Meisen, wrote the screenplay, as well as a novel of the same name published in January, with support from the SPP which allowed him to interview corrupt officials in jail.

&quot;As the struggle against corruption comes up against an even greater mission and demand, we must push anti-corruption works to their highest peak, the sky is the limit,&quot; Zhou told the official Beijing Daily in an interview published on Wednesday.

On Friday, the official Chinese People&#39;s Publishing House unveiled an 11 volume series charting China&#39;s fight against corruption over the past two millennia.

&quot;We started doing this more than 2,000 years ago,&quot; said Li Yongzhong, former head of the CCDI&#39;s College of Supervision.

The SPP&#39;s anti-graft bureau behind the TV drama is one of many graft-fighting bodies expected to be incorporated into a powerful new National Supervisory Commission, slated for next year, as China makes sweeping changes to its anti-corruption architecture designed to institutionalise the graft fight.

The new commission is expected to pave the way for Xi to retain his key ally and top graft-buster Wang Qishan with the CCDI playing the central role in creating the commission.

(Reuters)

China's propaganda department created an exciting show about fighting corruption as the president himself takes on government corruption

Helicopter chases, fridges full of cash and officials caught in bed with their foreign mistresses are all in a day's work for China's anti-graft prosecutors, according to a new state-backed TV drama aimed at bolstering China's graft fight. "In the Name of the People", a new show by propaganda department of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), China's top prosecutor, follows an intrepid SPP anti-graft investigator sent to a fictional province from Beijing to tackle corruption at the highest levels of local officialdom. Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged that his multi-year war on graft, which has netted tens of thousands of officials, will continue until corruption is fully expunged, warning that the rot could threaten the ruling Communist Party's existence if not cleared. But academics have raised doubts about the campaign's durability as Xi enters his second term after a leadership reshuffle later this year, arguing that resentment in the Party is likely to build if anti-graft measures continue at their current scope and intensity. In the last year, the campaign has twice made it onto popular television, in the two mini-documentary series made by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China's top anti-graft body. The TV-drama version of events, the first of its kind since the campaign began, shows the prosecutor leading an investigation that includes abseiling policemen and raids of official apartments where they uncover mattresses made from stacks of hundred yuan notes, according to the official advert. The show will premiere on March 28 on Hunan Television, China's second most watched channel. A famous Chinese novelist, Zhou Meisen, wrote the screenplay, as well as a novel of the same name published in January, with support from the SPP which allowed him to interview corrupt officials in jail. "As the struggle against corruption comes up against an even greater mission and demand, we must push anti-corruption works to their highest peak, the sky is the limit," Zhou told the official Beijing Daily in an interview published on Wednesday. On Friday, the official Chinese People's Publishing House unveiled an 11 volume series charting China's fight against corruption over the past two millennia. "We started doing this more than 2,000 years ago," said Li Yongzhong, former head of the CCDI's College of Supervision. The SPP's anti-graft bureau behind the TV drama is one of many graft-fighting bodies expected to be incorporated into a powerful new National Supervisory Commission, slated for next year, as China makes sweeping changes to its anti-corruption architecture designed to institutionalise the graft fight. The new commission is expected to pave the way for Xi to retain his key ally and top graft-buster Wang Qishan with the CCDI playing the central role in creating the commission. (Reuters)

Adrenalin-fuelled TV drama to spur on China's war on graft

As China moves closer to realise its goal of setting up its own permanent space station by 2022, &nbsp;the country is all set to launch a manned space mission on Monday, state-owned Xinhua agency reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Shenzhou-11 spacecraft will be carrying astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong and will take off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, AFP quoted the agency saying. &nbsp;Shenzhou 11 will be the third space mission for Jing, who will command the mission and pass his 50th birthday in space.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the month-long mission, the astronauts will dock on China&#39;s second experimental lab orbiting the earth to carry out testing systems and processes for to and refueling. They will also conduct experiments related to aerospace medicine, space physics and biology, atomic space cloaks and solar storm research.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;This mission is characterised by its longer duration and more tests,&quot; Chen Dong, the junior astronaut on the mission, told reporters in a televised news conference. &quot;We will focus on improving our ability to handle emergencies in orbit, medical first aid, mutual rescue capabilities and space experiments.&quot;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Shenzhou-11 spaceship will return to Earth within a day after docking the two astronauts on Tiangong-2 space lab and separating from it, Wu Ping, Deputy Director of China&#39;s manned space engineering office, was quoted as &nbsp;saying in media reports.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Wu Ping told reporters: &quot;The astronaut flight group is in good condition, pre-launch preparations are basically ready,&quot; Reuters quoted him saying.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Jing, 50, will be commanding the mission and has been to space twice. The spacecraft, whose name translates as &quot;Divine Vessel&quot;, will also carry three experiments designed by Hong Kong middle school students and selected in a science competition, including one that will take silk worms into space, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

China is investing billions into its space programme in order to reach the US and Europe&#39;s advanced space programmes. &nbsp;President Xi Jinping has called for China to establish itself as a space power, and it has tested anti-satellite missiles, in addition to its civilian aims, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While Beijing says its space program is for peaceful purposes, the US Defense Department has highlighted its increasing capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed to prevent adversaries from using space-based assets in a crisis.

 
&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Shenzhou-11 spacecraft will be carrying astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong for a month-long space mission

As China moves closer to realise its goal of setting up its own permanent space station by 2022, the country is all set to launch a manned space mission on Monday, state-owned Xinhua agency reported. The Shenzhou-11 spacecraft will be carrying astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong and will take off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, AFP quoted the agency saying. Shenzhou 11 will be the third space mission for Jing, who will command the mission and pass his 50th birthday in space. In the month-long mission, the astronauts will dock on China's second experimental lab orbiting the earth to carry out testing systems and processes for to and refueling. They will also conduct experiments related to aerospace medicine, space physics and biology, atomic space cloaks and solar storm research. "This mission is characterised by its longer duration and more tests," Chen Dong, the junior astronaut on the mission, told reporters in a televised news conference. "We will focus on improving our ability to handle emergencies in orbit, medical first aid, mutual rescue capabilities and space experiments." The Shenzhou-11 spaceship will return to Earth within a day after docking the two astronauts on Tiangong-2 space lab and separating from it, Wu Ping, Deputy Director of China's manned space engineering office, was quoted as saying in media reports. Wu Ping told reporters: "The astronaut flight group is in good condition, pre-launch preparations are basically ready," Reuters quoted him saying. Jing, 50, will be commanding the mission and has been to space twice. The spacecraft, whose name translates as "Divine Vessel", will also carry three experiments designed by Hong Kong middle school students and selected in a science competition, including one that will take silk worms into space, Reuters reported. China is investing billions into its space programme in order to reach the US and Europe's advanced space programmes. President Xi Jinping has called for China to establish itself as a space power, and it has tested anti-satellite missiles, in addition to its civilian aims, Reuters reported. While Beijing says its space program is for peaceful purposes, the US Defense Department has highlighted its increasing capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed to prevent adversaries from using space-based assets in a crisis. (WION with inputs from agencies)

China to launch manned spacecraft

Party members, especially those in leadership roles, need to ensure they keep their family members on tight leash to prevent corruption, the official newspaper of China&#39;s ruling Communist Party said today after a high-profile jailing. 
 
A Chinese court on Monday jailed a former top aide to retired president Hu Jintao for life after finding him guilty of taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power during a secret trial. 
 
The party announced its investigation into the one-time aide to Hu, Ling Jihua, in December 2014. Ling had been demoted in September 2012 from a ministerial-level job, months after his son was killed in a crash involving a luxury sports car. 
 
His deceased son was implicated in bribery allegations mentioned during the trial, while Ling&#39;s wife testified against him. 
 
In a front page editorial, the People&#39;s Daily said Ling&#39;s jailing showed once again that all are equal in front of the law and that no matter who you are if you break the law you will be punished. 
 
&quot;All party comrades, especially cadres who are leaders, must deeply learn the lessons of Ling Jihua&#39;s criminal case,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;Strictly abide by party discipline and rules, strictly keep under control family members and those who work by your side,&quot; the paper added. 
 
The fight against corruption has been a key policy plank of President Xi Jinping&#39;s first term in office, with dozens of senior officials jailed in his purge. 
 
Xi warned last week though that graft remained the biggest threat to the party. 
 
The People&#39;s Daily said that a party which is clear about clean governance and following the rules will always keep its winning position. 
 
&quot;Those who have power will be supervised, to ensure that the power given to them by the party and the people is used to benefit the people,&quot; it added. 
 
Ling&#39;s case had presented a dilemma for the government, because of his close connection with former president Hu, Xi&#39;s predecessor. 
 
A government spokesman denied last year that Hu was being implicated in the investigation and sources said that Hu approved of the case against Ling. 
 
(Reuters)

Former top aide of Hu Jintao was held guilty of taking bribe, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power. He was sentenced to jail

Party members, especially those in leadership roles, need to ensure they keep their family members on tight leash to prevent corruption, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party said today after a high-profile jailing. A Chinese court on Monday jailed a former top aide to retired president Hu Jintao for life after finding him guilty of taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power during a secret trial. The party announced its investigation into the one-time aide to Hu, Ling Jihua, in December 2014. Ling had been demoted in September 2012 from a ministerial-level job, months after his son was killed in a crash involving a luxury sports car. His deceased son was implicated in bribery allegations mentioned during the trial, while Ling's wife testified against him. In a front page editorial, the People's Daily said Ling's jailing showed once again that all are equal in front of the law and that no matter who you are if you break the law you will be punished. "All party comrades, especially cadres who are leaders, must deeply learn the lessons of Ling Jihua's criminal case," it said. "Strictly abide by party discipline and rules, strictly keep under control family members and those who work by your side," the paper added. The fight against corruption has been a key policy plank of President Xi Jinping's first term in office, with dozens of senior officials jailed in his purge. Xi warned last week though that graft remained the biggest threat to the party. The People's Daily said that a party which is clear about clean governance and following the rules will always keep its winning position. "Those who have power will be supervised, to ensure that the power given to them by the party and the people is used to benefit the people," it added. Ling's case had presented a dilemma for the government, because of his close connection with former president Hu, Xi's predecessor. A government spokesman denied last year that Hu was being implicated in the investigation and sources said that Hu approved of the case against Ling. (Reuters)

Corruption will not be tolerated, China warns its leaders

An ex-aide of former Chinese President Hu Jintao has been jailed for life for corruption, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power, official media reported Monday. 
 
Ling Jihua pleaded guilty and said he would not appeal, Xinhua news agency said, citing the verdict of the First Intermediate People&#39;s Court in Tianjin, which held his trial in secret last month. 
 
Verdict and sentence come as part of a high-profile crackdown&nbsp; 
 
The verdict and sentence come as part of a high-profile crackdown on graft by current President Xi Jinping that has deposed several senior officials, notably former security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was himself jailed for life last year. 
 
Critics, however, say that a lack of transparency around the crackdown means it has been an opportunity for Xi to eliminate political enemies. 
 
&quot;The trial today is engraved on my bones and in my heart,&quot; it quoted Ling as saying in his final statement to the court. 
 
The chief judge carried out his duties &quot;fairly and lawfully&quot;, he added, and the proceedings were &quot;solemn, meticulous, rational and civilised&quot;. 
 
It may be noted Chinese courts are controlled by the ruling Communist party, which expelled Ling -- once Hu&#39;s chief of staff -- from its ranks last year. 
 
Further, it may also be pertinent to mention Ling&#39;s son died in a notorious Ferrari crash in Beijing which disrupted the once-in-a-decade party leadership change when Xi took over from Hu in 2012. 
 
Ling had powerbases in the northern province of Shanxi and the Communist Youth League -- seen as a proving ground for politicians who, unlike Xi, do not benefit from family links to high-ranking revolutionaries. 
 
One of his brothers, Ling Zhengce, a senior official in Shanxi, was put under investigation in 2014 for serious violations of &quot;discipline and the law&quot; -- a euphemism for corruption -- and expelled from the party last year. 
 
Another brother, Ling Wancheng, has fled to the United States, a Chinese anti-graft official confirmed in January, adding Beijing was &quot;in touch&quot; with Washington about his case. 
 
His exile has led to speculation in overseas Chinese media that Ling Jihua had given him top state secrets, including the launch codes for China&#39;s nuclear weapons, to secure some leverage in negotiations with Beijing over his case. 
 
&#39;It was a relatively lenient sentence&#39; 
 
Under Chinese law, the death penalty is available for corruption cases, but Xinhua said Ling was given a reduced sentence for having &quot;faithfully&quot; confessed to his crimes and being penitent for his actions. 
 
It was &quot;a relatively lenient sentence&quot;, Willy Lam of the Chinese University of Hong Kong told AFP. &quot;It&#39;s possible Ling drove a bargain with authorities.&quot; 
 
His former boss Hu was probably safe, Lam added, saying that the former president &quot;made a wise decision by refusing to support Ling&quot;. 
 
But other Hu proteges &quot;may now be blocked from promotion&quot;, he said, as Xi consolidates his power over the government. 
 
Graft is endemic in China&#39;s authoritarian system 
 
The Ferrari crash scandalised China despite a mainland media blackout -- partly because two young women, one nude and one partially clothed, were also injured in the crash, with one reportedly dying months later. 
 
Internet users questioned how the son of a party official could afford a car worth a reported five million yuan. 
 
The politician, his wife and son received bribes worth a total of 77.1 million yuan ($11.6 million), Xinhua said. 
 
The court found that the bribes Ling took were &quot;exceptionally enormous&quot; and &quot;the criminal circumstances&quot; under which he obtained state secrets were severe, said the report. 
 
His abuse of power caused &quot;huge losses to public property and the interests of the state and the people&quot; and had &quot;especially vile social impact&quot;, it said. 
 
When Ling was charged the country&#39;s national prosecuting authority said he &quot;abused his power&quot; as director of the General Office of the Communist Party&#39;s Central Committee, where he worked under Hu. 
 
In several party leadership posts, he &quot;illegally received large amounts of property and obtained state secrets&quot;, it added. 
 
Graft is endemic in China&#39;s authoritarian system, and Xi has acknowledged it as a threat to the ruling party&#39;s survival. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Lack of transparency around the crackdown could mean an opportunity for President Xi Jinping to eliminate political enemies, say critics

An ex-aide of former Chinese President Hu Jintao has been jailed for life for corruption, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power, official media reported Monday. Ling Jihua pleaded guilty and said he would not appeal, Xinhua news agency said, citing the verdict of the First Intermediate People's Court in Tianjin, which held his trial in secret last month. Verdict and sentence come as part of a high-profile crackdown The verdict and sentence come as part of a high-profile crackdown on graft by current President Xi Jinping that has deposed several senior officials, notably former security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was himself jailed for life last year. Critics, however, say that a lack of transparency around the crackdown means it has been an opportunity for Xi to eliminate political enemies. "The trial today is engraved on my bones and in my heart," it quoted Ling as saying in his final statement to the court. The chief judge carried out his duties "fairly and lawfully", he added, and the proceedings were "solemn, meticulous, rational and civilised". It may be noted Chinese courts are controlled by the ruling Communist party, which expelled Ling -- once Hu's chief of staff -- from its ranks last year. Further, it may also be pertinent to mention Ling's son died in a notorious Ferrari crash in Beijing which disrupted the once-in-a-decade party leadership change when Xi took over from Hu in 2012. Ling had powerbases in the northern province of Shanxi and the Communist Youth League -- seen as a proving ground for politicians who, unlike Xi, do not benefit from family links to high-ranking revolutionaries. One of his brothers, Ling Zhengce, a senior official in Shanxi, was put under investigation in 2014 for serious violations of "discipline and the law" -- a euphemism for corruption -- and expelled from the party last year. Another brother, Ling Wancheng, has fled to the United States, a Chinese anti-graft official confirmed in January, adding Beijing was "in touch" with Washington about his case. His exile has led to speculation in overseas Chinese media that Ling Jihua had given him top state secrets, including the launch codes for China's nuclear weapons, to secure some leverage in negotiations with Beijing over his case. 'It was a relatively lenient sentence' Under Chinese law, the death penalty is available for corruption cases, but Xinhua said Ling was given a reduced sentence for having "faithfully" confessed to his crimes and being penitent for his actions. It was "a relatively lenient sentence", Willy Lam of the Chinese University of Hong Kong told AFP. "It's possible Ling drove a bargain with authorities." His former boss Hu was probably safe, Lam added, saying that the former president "made a wise decision by refusing to support Ling". But other Hu proteges "may now be blocked from promotion", he said, as Xi consolidates his power over the government. Graft is endemic in China's authoritarian system The Ferrari crash scandalised China despite a mainland media blackout -- partly because two young women, one nude and one partially clothed, were also injured in the crash, with one reportedly dying months later. Internet users questioned how the son of a party official could afford a car worth a reported five million yuan. The politician, his wife and son received bribes worth a total of 77.1 million yuan ($11.6 million), Xinhua said. The court found that the bribes Ling took were "exceptionally enormous" and "the criminal circumstances" under which he obtained state secrets were severe, said the report. His abuse of power caused "huge losses to public property and the interests of the state and the people" and had "especially vile social impact", it said. When Ling was charged the country's national prosecuting authority said he "abused his power" as director of the General Office of the Communist Party's Central Committee, where he worked under Hu. In several party leadership posts, he "illegally received large amounts of property and obtained state secrets", it added. Graft is endemic in China's authoritarian system, and Xi has acknowledged it as a threat to the ruling party's survival. (AFP)

Ex-Chinese President's close aide gets lifer over graft charges

On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit (SCO), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tashkent on Thursday.&nbsp; 
 
President Xi welcomed India&rsquo;s accession to the SCO and said that India&#39;s induction into the elite body would strengthen it; PM Modi thanked President Xi for China&rsquo;s support of India&rsquo;s membership of the SCO.&nbsp; 
 
Modi then spoke of the Nuclear Suppliers` Group (NSG) plenary meeting in Seoul which is reportedly discussing India&rsquo;s membership of the NSG. He also urged China to make a fair and objective assessment of India&rsquo;s application and judge it on its own merit. He further said China should contribute to the emerging consensus in Seoul.&nbsp; 
 
Pertinently, the meeting of the two-day 26th Plenary of the NSG top body heads of delegation discussion, continues here on Friday to discuss India`s application for membership to the elite club. 
 
Highly placed sources have told ANI that China is not the sole opponent to India`s membership to the NSG, but Brazil, Austria, Ireland, Turkey and New Zealand too have opposed India`s entry, citing it`s not being a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for nuclear weapons and weapons technology. Mexico, however, backed India&rsquo;s membership. 
 
Sources further said the meet also did not discuss the induction of Pakistan into the elite group.&nbsp; 
 
(Agencies)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

President Xi welcomed India?s accession to the SCO and said that India's induction into the elite body would strengthen it

On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit (SCO), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tashkent on Thursday. President Xi welcomed India’s accession to the SCO and said that India's induction into the elite body would strengthen it; PM Modi thanked President Xi for China’s support of India’s membership of the SCO. Modi then spoke of the Nuclear Suppliers` Group (NSG) plenary meeting in Seoul which is reportedly discussing India’s membership of the NSG. He also urged China to make a fair and objective assessment of India’s application and judge it on its own merit. He further said China should contribute to the emerging consensus in Seoul. Pertinently, the meeting of the two-day 26th Plenary of the NSG top body heads of delegation discussion, continues here on Friday to discuss India`s application for membership to the elite club. Highly placed sources have told ANI that China is not the sole opponent to India`s membership to the NSG, but Brazil, Austria, Ireland, Turkey and New Zealand too have opposed India`s entry, citing it`s not being a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for nuclear weapons and weapons technology. Mexico, however, backed India’s membership. Sources further said the meet also did not discuss the induction of Pakistan into the elite group. (Agencies)

Modi meets Jinping, urges China to fairly asses India's NSG bid