Chinese President Xi Jinping opened a critical Communist Party Congress on Wednesday with a pledge to build a &quot;modern socialist country&quot; for a &quot;new era&quot; that will be proudly Chinese, steadfastly ruled by the party but open to the world.

Xi&#39;s wide-ranging speech, which ran nearly three-and-a-half hours, laid out a confident vision for an increasingly prosperous China and its place in the world, stressing the importance of wiping out corruption and making clear there were no plans for political reform.

&quot;Through a long period of hard work, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, this is a new historical direction in our country&#39;s development,&quot; Xi said, using the term &quot;new era&quot; 36 times.

(Also Read - <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/xi-china-will-continue-to-open-economy-deepen-financial-reforms-22573">Xi: China will continue to open economy, deepen financial reforms</a>)

The twice-a-decade congress, a week-long, mostly closed-door conclave, will culminate with the selection of a new Politburo Standing Committee that will rule China&#39;s 1.4 billion people for the next five years, with Xi expected to consolidate his grasp on power.

Xi addressed more than 2,000 delegates in Beijing&#39;s cavernous Great Hall of the People, including 91-year-old former president Jiang Zemin, under tight security on a rainy, smoggy morning.

On the economic front, Xi said China would relax market access for foreign investment, expand access to its services sector and deepen market-oriented reform of its exchange rate and financial system, while at the same time strengthening state firms, he said.

As expected, the speech was heavy on aspiration and short on specific measures, but during Xi&#39;s first term, China disappointed many expecting it to usher in more market-oriented reforms.

Xi promised, in what was likely an indirect reference to U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;America first&quot; policy, that China would be fully engaged with the world, and reiterated pledges to tackle climate change.

&quot;No country can alone address the many challenges facing mankind; no country can afford to retreat into self-isolation,&quot; Xi told the delegates, among them Buddhist monks, Olympic medalists, farmers and at least one astronaut.

Xi envisioned China developing into a &quot;basically&quot; modernised socialist country by 2035, becoming one of the world&#39;s most innovative countries with the income gap between urban and rural residents significantly reduced, and its environmental woes fundamentally eliminated.&nbsp;

By 2050, Xi said, China would become a modern socialist &quot;strong power&quot; with leading influence on the world stage.

But he signalled there would be no political reforms.

China&#39;s political system was the broadest, most genuine, and most effective way to safeguard the fundamental interests of the people, said Xi, who has overseen a sweeping crackdown on civil society, locking up rights lawyers and dissidents.

&quot;We should not just mechanically copy the political systems of other countries,&quot; he said. &quot;We must unwaveringly uphold and improve party leadership and make the party still stronger.&quot;

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Xi promised, in what was likely an indirect reference to US President Donald Trump&#39;s &#39;America first&#39; policy, that China would be fully engaged with the world, and reiterated pledges to tackle climate change. (Reuters)
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By 2050, Xi said, China would become a modern socialist &#39;strong power&#39; with leading influence on the world stage. But he signalled there would be no political reforms. (Reuters)
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Firm on corruption, and Taiwan

Xi praised the party&#39;s successes, particularly his high-profile anti-graft campaign, which has seen more than a million officials punished and dozens of former senior officials jailed, and warned the campaign would never end as corruption was the &quot;gravest threat&quot; the party faces.

&quot;We must remain as firm as a rock in our resolve to build on the overwhelming momentum and secure a sweeping victory,&quot; Xi said.

On self-ruled Taiwan, claimed by Beijing as its own, Xi said China would never allow the island to separate from China, and said China would strive to fully transform its armed forces into a world-class military by the mid-21st century.

He made no mention of neighbouring North Korea, which has angered Beijing with repeated nuclear and ballistic missile tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions and which sent a congratulatory message ahead of the meeting.

Xi has consolidated power swiftly since assuming the party leadership in 2012, locking up political rivals for corruption, restructuring the military and asserting China&#39;s rising might on the world stage.

Focus at the congress will be on how Xi plans to put his expanded authority to use.

Key questions include whether Xi ally and top corruption-buster Wang Qishan will stay on past traditional retirement age and to what extent Xi will promote allies to senior positions.

Close attention will also be paid to any moves that would enable Xi to stay on in a leadership capacity after his second term ends in 2022. That could include resurrecting the position of party chairman, a title that would put him on par with the founding father of modern China, Mao Zedong.

Such decisions will be formally announced at the end of the congress next week.

&quot;In all aspects he is on the right track to be our next Chairman Mao,&quot; Su Shengcheng, a delegate from the northwestern province of Qinghai, told Reuters. &quot;He will lead the party and Central Committee to continue its way to success.&quot;

As with other major set-piece events held in the capital, Beijing has been blanketed with security, with long lines at some suburban subways stations as passengers waited to go through metal detectors and be patted down.

Coverage in state media and across the city has kicked into overdrive, with large red banners plastered around Beijing welcoming the congress, while censors have stepped up already tight monitoring of the internet.

Tencent Holdings Ltd&#39;s WeChat, China&#39;s top social media platform with more than 960 million users, released a short statement late on Tuesday saying that, due to &quot;system maintenance&quot;, users will be unable to modify profile pictures, nicknames and tag lines until the end of the month.

The disabled features are sporadically used to show solidarity for popular social and political causes.

Xi said the country would be proudly Chinese, steadfastly ruled by the party but open to the world

Chinese President Xi Jinping opened a critical Communist Party Congress on Wednesday with a pledge to build a "modern socialist country" for a "new era" that will be proudly Chinese, steadfastly ruled by the party but open to the world. Xi's wide-ranging speech, which ran nearly three-and-a-half hours, laid out a confident vision for an increasingly prosperous China and its place in the world, stressing the importance of wiping out corruption and making clear there were no plans for political reform. "Through a long period of hard work, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, this is a new historical direction in our country's development," Xi said, using the term "new era" 36 times. (Also Read - Xi: China will continue to open economy, deepen financial reforms) The twice-a-decade congress, a week-long, mostly closed-door conclave, will culminate with the selection of a new Politburo Standing Committee that will rule China's 1.4 billion people for the next five years, with Xi expected to consolidate his grasp on power. Xi addressed more than 2,000 delegates in Beijing's cavernous Great Hall of the People, including 91-year-old former president Jiang Zemin, under tight security on a rainy, smoggy morning. On the economic front, Xi said China would relax market access for foreign investment, expand access to its services sector and deepen market-oriented reform of its exchange rate and financial system, while at the same time strengthening state firms, he said. As expected, the speech was heavy on aspiration and short on specific measures, but during Xi's first term, China disappointed many expecting it to usher in more market-oriented reforms. Xi promised, in what was likely an indirect reference to U.S. President Donald Trump's "America first" policy, that China would be fully engaged with the world, and reiterated pledges to tackle climate change. "No country can alone address the many challenges facing mankind; no country can afford to retreat into self-isolation," Xi told the delegates, among them Buddhist monks, Olympic medalists, farmers and at least one astronaut. Xi envisioned China developing into a "basically" modernised socialist country by 2035, becoming one of the world's most innovative countries with the income gap between urban and rural residents significantly reduced, and its environmental woes fundamentally eliminated. By 2050, Xi said, China would become a modern socialist "strong power" with leading influence on the world stage. But he signalled there would be no political reforms. China's political system was the broadest, most genuine, and most effective way to safeguard the fundamental interests of the people, said Xi, who has overseen a sweeping crackdown on civil society, locking up rights lawyers and dissidents. "We should not just mechanically copy the political systems of other countries," he said. "We must unwaveringly uphold and improve party leadership and make the party still stronger." Xi promised, in what was likely an indirect reference to US President Donald Trump's 'America first' policy, that China would be fully engaged with the world, and reiterated pledges to tackle climate change. (Reuters) × By 2050, Xi said, China would become a modern socialist 'strong power' with leading influence on the world stage. But he signalled there would be no political reforms. (Reuters) × Firm on corruption, and Taiwan Xi praised the party's successes, particularly his high-profile anti-graft campaign, which has seen more than a million officials punished and dozens of former senior officials jailed, and warned the campaign would never end as corruption was the "gravest threat" the party faces. "We must remain as firm as a rock in our resolve to build on the overwhelming momentum and secure a sweeping victory," Xi said. On self-ruled Taiwan, claimed by Beijing as its own, Xi said China would never allow the island to separate from China, and said China would strive to fully transform its armed forces into a world-class military by the mid-21st century. He made no mention of neighbouring North Korea, which has angered Beijing with repeated nuclear and ballistic missile tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions and which sent a congratulatory message ahead of the meeting. Xi has consolidated power swiftly since assuming the party leadership in 2012, locking up political rivals for corruption, restructuring the military and asserting China's rising might on the world stage. Focus at the congress will be on how Xi plans to put his expanded authority to use. Key questions include whether Xi ally and top corruption-buster Wang Qishan will stay on past traditional retirement age and to what extent Xi will promote allies to senior positions. Close attention will also be paid to any moves that would enable Xi to stay on in a leadership capacity after his second term ends in 2022. That could include resurrecting the position of party chairman, a title that would put him on par with the founding father of modern China, Mao Zedong. Such decisions will be formally announced at the end of the congress next week. "In all aspects he is on the right track to be our next Chairman Mao," Su Shengcheng, a delegate from the northwestern province of Qinghai, told Reuters. "He will lead the party and Central Committee to continue its way to success." As with other major set-piece events held in the capital, Beijing has been blanketed with security, with long lines at some suburban subways stations as passengers waited to go through metal detectors and be patted down. Coverage in state media and across the city has kicked into overdrive, with large red banners plastered around Beijing welcoming the congress, while censors have stepped up already tight monitoring of the internet. Tencent Holdings Ltd's WeChat, China's top social media platform with more than 960 million users, released a short statement late on Tuesday saying that, due to "system maintenance", users will be unable to modify profile pictures, nicknames and tag lines until the end of the month. The disabled features are sporadically used to show solidarity for popular social and political causes.

WATCH: China's Xi pledges to build 'modern socialist country' for 'new era'

China will deepen economic and financial reforms and further open its markets to foreign investors as it looks to move from high-speed to high-quality growth, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.

China will push ahead with market-oriented reforms of its foreign exchange rate as well as its financial system, and let the market play a decisive role in the allocation of resources, Xi said at the opening of a key, twice-a-decade Communist Party Congress.

&quot;China&#39;s open door will not be closed, it will be only be opened wider,&quot; Xi said.

The government will &quot;clean up rules and practices that hinder a unified market and fair competition, support development of private firms and stimulate vitality of all types of market entities,&quot; Xi said, while pledging to further open China&#39;s services sector to foreign investors.

However, while expressing support for market reform and private firms, Xi also called for stronger, bigger state firms.

The government will &quot;promote strengthening, improvement and expansion of state capital, (and) effectively prevent loss of state assets, deepen reform of state-owned enterprises, development a mixed-ownership economy and cultivate globally competitive world-class firms,&quot; Xi said.

Xi&#39;s comments reiterated a long-standing pledge by party leaders to give a greater role to free-market forces to improve efficiency and put the economy on a more sustainable growth path.

But as Xi gears up for his second five-year term, foreign business executives and analysts increasingly believe market liberalization is seen as secondary to his state-centred approach to economic policy and his focus on stability.

Other painful reforms that many economists say are needed have also moved slowly under Xi. They include overhauling China&#39;s bloated and debt-laden state sector, fixing the fiscal system to tackle local government debt and bringing in new property taxes to ward off housing bubbles.

Narrowing the income gap

China should also strengthen consumption as a foundation for economic development, Xi said, and will expand the middle class and narrow the gap in development between rural and urban areas.

Beijing&#39;s campaign to rein in high debt levels and industrial overcapacity will continue as part of supply-side structural reforms, Xi said.

Fiscal reform has also been a key objective of policymakers as Beijing tries to make local governments take more responsibility for their own budgets and debt.

China is expected to post its strongest economic growth in several years this year, riding on a government-led construction boom, but analysts said it is still relying to heavily on credit-fueled stimulus.

Standard &amp; Poor&#39;s ratings agency said on Tuesday that China has only taken &quot;baby steps&quot; to contain its rapid build-up in debt so far and needs to take stronger measures.

S&amp;P downgraded the country&#39;s sovereign credit rating last month, saying its credit growth is still too fast.

Xi said the government will &quot;speed up establishment of modern fiscal system, set up clear responsibility, financial coordination and regional balance for fiscal relationship between local and central government.&quot;

Xi was speaking at the five-yearly congress of the Chinese Communist Party

China will deepen economic and financial reforms and further open its markets to foreign investors as it looks to move from high-speed to high-quality growth, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday. China will push ahead with market-oriented reforms of its foreign exchange rate as well as its financial system, and let the market play a decisive role in the allocation of resources, Xi said at the opening of a key, twice-a-decade Communist Party Congress. "China's open door will not be closed, it will be only be opened wider," Xi said. The government will "clean up rules and practices that hinder a unified market and fair competition, support development of private firms and stimulate vitality of all types of market entities," Xi said, while pledging to further open China's services sector to foreign investors. However, while expressing support for market reform and private firms, Xi also called for stronger, bigger state firms. The government will "promote strengthening, improvement and expansion of state capital, (and) effectively prevent loss of state assets, deepen reform of state-owned enterprises, development a mixed-ownership economy and cultivate globally competitive world-class firms," Xi said. Xi's comments reiterated a long-standing pledge by party leaders to give a greater role to free-market forces to improve efficiency and put the economy on a more sustainable growth path. But as Xi gears up for his second five-year term, foreign business executives and analysts increasingly believe market liberalization is seen as secondary to his state-centred approach to economic policy and his focus on stability. Other painful reforms that many economists say are needed have also moved slowly under Xi. They include overhauling China's bloated and debt-laden state sector, fixing the fiscal system to tackle local government debt and bringing in new property taxes to ward off housing bubbles. Narrowing the income gap China should also strengthen consumption as a foundation for economic development, Xi said, and will expand the middle class and narrow the gap in development between rural and urban areas. Beijing's campaign to rein in high debt levels and industrial overcapacity will continue as part of supply-side structural reforms, Xi said. Fiscal reform has also been a key objective of policymakers as Beijing tries to make local governments take more responsibility for their own budgets and debt. China is expected to post its strongest economic growth in several years this year, riding on a government-led construction boom, but analysts said it is still relying to heavily on credit-fueled stimulus. Standard & Poor's ratings agency said on Tuesday that China has only taken "baby steps" to contain its rapid build-up in debt so far and needs to take stronger measures. S&P downgraded the country's sovereign credit rating last month, saying its credit growth is still too fast. Xi said the government will "speed up establishment of modern fiscal system, set up clear responsibility, financial coordination and regional balance for fiscal relationship between local and central government."

Xi: China will continue to open economy, deepen financial reforms

Chinese President Xi Jinping told the Communist Party on Wednesday to &quot;resolutely oppose&quot; any actions that undermine its leadership, as he opened a twice-a-decade congress expected to enhance his already formidable powers.

Xi told some 2,300 delegates at the Great Hall of the People that the country was entering a &quot;new era&quot; as the party pursues &quot;socialism with Chinese characteristics&quot;.

He also said the Chinese economy &quot;will not close its doors to the world.&quot;

&quot;The prospects are bright, but the challenges are also severe,&quot; said Xi, who is expected to get a second five-year term as general secretary during the congress.

In his speech, Xi extolled China&#39;s rising clout abroad and its fight against poverty and inequality at home, as well as his campaign against corruption within the party.

&quot;Every one of us in the party must do more to uphold party leadership and the Chinese socialist system and resolutely oppose all statements and actions that undermine, distort or negate them,&quot; Xi said.

&quot;We must do more to protect our people&#39;s interest and firmly oppose all moves that damage their interest or put distance between the party and the people,&quot; Xi added.

Xi, who is considered the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation, has led a campaign against corruption that has taken down some 1.3 million officials in the past five years.&nbsp;

He said the anti-graft campaign has been &quot;unswervingly fighting against &#39;tigers&#39;, &#39;beating flies&#39;, &#39;hunting foxes&#39;&quot; -- terms used for lower and higher ranking officials. 
&nbsp;

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<h5>Xi, considered China&#39;s most powerful leader since Deng or even Mao, could use the congress to lay the foundation to stay atop the 89-million-strong party even longer than the normal 10 years, according to analysts</h5>
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The 64-year-old leader, who gave his speech in front of a huge hammer and sickle in the hall&#39;s chamber, is expected to use the congress to stack the Communist Party&#39;s leadership with loyalists.

The CCP will amend its constitution to add Xi&#39;s &quot;new vision and thinking&quot; on governance, congress spokesman Tuo Zhen said, without indicating whether Xi&#39;s name would also be added.

The addition would signal Xi&#39;s inclusion in the pantheon of Chinese leadership. Such an honour has only been bestowed upon modern China&#39;s founder, Mao Zedong, and the father of economic reforms, Deng Xiaoping.

Xi, considered China&#39;s most powerful leader since Deng or even Mao, could use the congress to lay the foundation to stay atop the 89-million-strong party even longer than the normal 10 years, according to analysts.

This would break the unwritten two-term limit accepted by his immediate predecessors Jiang and Hu, and end the era of &quot;collective leadership&quot; aimed at preventing the emergence of another Mao.

&quot;Xi has consolidated power, that&#39;s obvious,&quot; said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, China specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University.&nbsp;

Potential rivals have been swept aside under Xi&#39;s vast anti-corruption campaign, which punished 1.3 million Communist Party officials over five years, and Tuo warned that strengthening self-governance would be a &quot;never-ending journey&quot;.

Xi&#39;s rise has also been marked by a relentless crackdown on dissent, with authorities even refusing to free Nobel peace prize laureate Liu Xiaobo as he lay dying of cancer in July.

On the global stage, he has restructured the military, asserted China&#39;s claims to disputed seas and used the country&#39;s economic prowess to increase its influence in Asia and beyond.

He has taken up the mantle of globalisation in the face of US President Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; policy.

But foreign companies will look for signs at the congress that Xi will live up to his promises to further open up China&#39;s economy in the next five years.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Legitimacy at risk&nbsp; 
 
The conclave, which ends next Tuesday, will select new top party members, including in the Politburo Standing Committee, China&#39;s all-powerful ruling body.

Xi and Premier Li Keqiang are expected to remain on the committee while the five other current members are supposed to step down under an informal retirement age set at 68.

But Xi may lobby to retain his 69-year-old right-hand man Wang Qishan, who heads the leader&#39;s signature anti-graft campaign. This would create a precedent for Xi himself to remain in charge beyond retirement age in 2022.

&quot;If Xi expresses intent to lead beyond his 10-year limit, this would be reminiscent of the Mao era, which would be damaging to Xi&#39;s legacy and call his legitimacy into question,&quot; said Simone van Nieuwenhuizen, a Sydney-based researcher and co-author of &quot;China and the New Maoists&quot;.

But a Xi heir apparent could emerge from the congress.

One former potential successor who was outside Xi&#39;s circle, Sun Zhengcai, was ousted from the party last month due to graft allegations.

Chen Miner, a former Xi aide who succeeded Sun as political chief in the city of Chongqing, is now well positioned for promotion.

&quot;The question is what is Xi going to do after he secures absolute power after the 19th party congress,&quot; said Hu Xingdou, a Chinese governance expert at the Beijing Institute of Technology.

&quot;If he can lead China&#39;s modernisation, establish a modern state system, avoid the cycle of peace and upheaval of China&#39;s 2,000-year history, then we can say his influence may be bigger than Mao&#39;s.&quot; 
&nbsp;

The congress is expected to enhance President Xi Jinping's already formidable powers over the world's second-largest economy

Chinese President Xi Jinping told the Communist Party on Wednesday to "resolutely oppose" any actions that undermine its leadership, as he opened a twice-a-decade congress expected to enhance his already formidable powers. Xi told some 2,300 delegates at the Great Hall of the People that the country was entering a "new era" as the party pursues "socialism with Chinese characteristics". He also said the Chinese economy "will not close its doors to the world." "The prospects are bright, but the challenges are also severe," said Xi, who is expected to get a second five-year term as general secretary during the congress. In his speech, Xi extolled China's rising clout abroad and its fight against poverty and inequality at home, as well as his campaign against corruption within the party. "Every one of us in the party must do more to uphold party leadership and the Chinese socialist system and resolutely oppose all statements and actions that undermine, distort or negate them," Xi said. "We must do more to protect our people's interest and firmly oppose all moves that damage their interest or put distance between the party and the people," Xi added. Xi, who is considered the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation, has led a campaign against corruption that has taken down some 1.3 million officials in the past five years. He said the anti-graft campaign has been "unswervingly fighting against 'tigers', 'beating flies', 'hunting foxes'" -- terms used for lower and higher ranking officials. Xi, considered China's most powerful leader since Deng or even Mao, could use the congress to lay the foundation to stay atop the 89-million-strong party even longer than the normal 10 years, according to analysts × The 64-year-old leader, who gave his speech in front of a huge hammer and sickle in the hall's chamber, is expected to use the congress to stack the Communist Party's leadership with loyalists. The CCP will amend its constitution to add Xi's "new vision and thinking" on governance, congress spokesman Tuo Zhen said, without indicating whether Xi's name would also be added. The addition would signal Xi's inclusion in the pantheon of Chinese leadership. Such an honour has only been bestowed upon modern China's founder, Mao Zedong, and the father of economic reforms, Deng Xiaoping. Xi, considered China's most powerful leader since Deng or even Mao, could use the congress to lay the foundation to stay atop the 89-million-strong party even longer than the normal 10 years, according to analysts. This would break the unwritten two-term limit accepted by his immediate predecessors Jiang and Hu, and end the era of "collective leadership" aimed at preventing the emergence of another Mao. "Xi has consolidated power, that's obvious," said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, China specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University. Potential rivals have been swept aside under Xi's vast anti-corruption campaign, which punished 1.3 million Communist Party officials over five years, and Tuo warned that strengthening self-governance would be a "never-ending journey". Xi's rise has also been marked by a relentless crackdown on dissent, with authorities even refusing to free Nobel peace prize laureate Liu Xiaobo as he lay dying of cancer in July. On the global stage, he has restructured the military, asserted China's claims to disputed seas and used the country's economic prowess to increase its influence in Asia and beyond. He has taken up the mantle of globalisation in the face of US President Donald Trump's "America First" policy. But foreign companies will look for signs at the congress that Xi will live up to his promises to further open up China's economy in the next five years. Legitimacy at risk The conclave, which ends next Tuesday, will select new top party members, including in the Politburo Standing Committee, China's all-powerful ruling body. Xi and Premier Li Keqiang are expected to remain on the committee while the five other current members are supposed to step down under an informal retirement age set at 68. But Xi may lobby to retain his 69-year-old right-hand man Wang Qishan, who heads the leader's signature anti-graft campaign. This would create a precedent for Xi himself to remain in charge beyond retirement age in 2022. "If Xi expresses intent to lead beyond his 10-year limit, this would be reminiscent of the Mao era, which would be damaging to Xi's legacy and call his legitimacy into question," said Simone van Nieuwenhuizen, a Sydney-based researcher and co-author of "China and the New Maoists". But a Xi heir apparent could emerge from the congress. One former potential successor who was outside Xi's circle, Sun Zhengcai, was ousted from the party last month due to graft allegations. Chen Miner, a former Xi aide who succeeded Sun as political chief in the city of Chongqing, is now well positioned for promotion. "The question is what is Xi going to do after he secures absolute power after the 19th party congress," said Hu Xingdou, a Chinese governance expert at the Beijing Institute of Technology. "If he can lead China's modernisation, establish a modern state system, avoid the cycle of peace and upheaval of China's 2,000-year history, then we can say his influence may be bigger than Mao's."

China Communist Party congress: Xi warns against actions that undermine Communist leadership

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/some-communist-party-of-china-cpc-officials-funding-dalai-lama-official-15147" target="_blank">China&#39;s ruling Communist Party</a> will&nbsp;draft&nbsp;a&nbsp;new&nbsp;strategy&nbsp;for&nbsp;development during the next five years, party spokesman Tuo Zhen said on Tuesday.

Tuo was speaking at a briefing a day ahead of the opening of the key, twice-a-decade party congress where President Xi Jinping will map out his ambitions for the country and further tighten his grip on power. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will open Wednesday and last seven days, the spokesperson said.&nbsp;

&quot;The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will open at 09:00 tomorrow at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The duration of the Congress is from Oct 18 to Oct 24,&quot; said spokesman Tuo Zhen at a press conference.

The Congress is a very important meeting held when China is striving for its final victory for achieving a moderately prosperous society in an all-around way and at a critical time for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, said Tuo.

A preparatory meeting of the congress held on Tuesday afternoon has set the agenda for the Congress, the spokesman said.

&quot;The main agenda of the Congress are: to hear and examine the report submitted by the 18th CPC Central Committee; to examine the report on the work of the 18th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection; to deliberate and adopt the amendment to the Constitution of the Communist Party of China; to elect the Party&#39;s 19th Central Committee and 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection,&quot; said Tuo.

The preparatory meeting approved a proposed list of members for a presidium. The congress will proceed under the leadership of the presidium. A secretariat has been set up to handle affairs of the Congress, with Liu Yunshan serving as its secretary-general, Tuo said.

Following the preparatory meeting, the credentials committee held a meeting, and the Presidium met for the first time where it adopted the detailed agenda for the Congress and elected its standing committee, the spokesman said.

The qualifications of all the 2,280 delegates to the Congress, elected from 40 electoral units across the country, have been confirmed valid after the examination of the credentials committee. They will attend the Congress on behalf of more than 4.5 million primary Party organizations and over 89 million Party members.

&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-china-blocks-whatsapp-ahead-of-communist-party-meeting-20683" target="_blank">Also Watch: China blocks WhatsApp ahead of Communist Party meeting</a>

Party spokesman Tuo Zhen said China's ruling Communist Party will draft a new strategy for development during the next five years

China's ruling Communist Party will draft a new strategy for development during the next five years, party spokesman Tuo Zhen said on Tuesday. Tuo was speaking at a briefing a day ahead of the opening of the key, twice-a-decade party congress where President Xi Jinping will map out his ambitions for the country and further tighten his grip on power. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will open Wednesday and last seven days, the spokesperson said. "The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will open at 09:00 tomorrow at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The duration of the Congress is from Oct 18 to Oct 24," said spokesman Tuo Zhen at a press conference. The Congress is a very important meeting held when China is striving for its final victory for achieving a moderately prosperous society in an all-around way and at a critical time for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, said Tuo. A preparatory meeting of the congress held on Tuesday afternoon has set the agenda for the Congress, the spokesman said. "The main agenda of the Congress are: to hear and examine the report submitted by the 18th CPC Central Committee; to examine the report on the work of the 18th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection; to deliberate and adopt the amendment to the Constitution of the Communist Party of China; to elect the Party's 19th Central Committee and 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection," said Tuo. The preparatory meeting approved a proposed list of members for a presidium. The congress will proceed under the leadership of the presidium. A secretariat has been set up to handle affairs of the Congress, with Liu Yunshan serving as its secretary-general, Tuo said. Following the preparatory meeting, the credentials committee held a meeting, and the Presidium met for the first time where it adopted the detailed agenda for the Congress and elected its standing committee, the spokesman said. The qualifications of all the 2,280 delegates to the Congress, elected from 40 electoral units across the country, have been confirmed valid after the examination of the credentials committee. They will attend the Congress on behalf of more than 4.5 million primary Party organizations and over 89 million Party members. Also Watch: China blocks WhatsApp ahead of Communist Party meeting

China will draft new strategy for development: Communist Party

Nearly three years ago,&nbsp;China banned puns on radio, television and other media on the grounds that it defiled language traditions and confused impressionable youth.&nbsp;That may have been&nbsp;a&nbsp;reason but the more&nbsp;accurate&nbsp;one may have been to stifle criticism.&nbsp;

An ode doing the rounds on Teacher&#39;s Day in 2014 paid tribute to President Xi Jinping and his singer wife Peng Liyuan&nbsp;roughly translated into English it said &#39;Daddy Xi loves Mama Peng&#39;, but when Da from Daddy is joined with Ma from Mama, you get the Chinese word for the narcotic marijuana.&nbsp;

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That was deemed&nbsp;subversive&nbsp;and, therefore, unacceptable, and so the crackdown on puns.&nbsp;But wordplay is common to&nbsp;the Chinese&nbsp;language. China&#39;s ambassador to&nbsp;India Luo&nbsp;Zhaohui indulged in some last&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;to mark the founding anniversary of&nbsp;the People&#39;s Republic.&nbsp;

He said: &quot;We should turn the old page and start a new chapter with the same pace and direction. We&nbsp;should&nbsp;dance&nbsp;together.&nbsp;We should make one plus one 11. China is the largest trading partner of India.&quot;&nbsp;

One wonders where that concern was during the&nbsp;Doklam&nbsp;standoff when the foreign ministry in Beijing used threatening and&nbsp;intimidatory&nbsp;language against India. State-run media&nbsp;described Sushma Saraj as a liar and referred to&nbsp;National Security Adviser&nbsp;Ajit&nbsp;Doval&nbsp;as the &quot;main&nbsp;schemer&quot; behind&nbsp;the standoff.&nbsp;

Some&nbsp;China watchers in Delhi&nbsp;believe&nbsp;that Beijing has done lasting damage to the bilateral relationship.&nbsp;It also reduced the room for negotiation by insisting, falsely, that&nbsp;Doklam&nbsp;is Chinese territory, accusing India of invading,&nbsp;even&nbsp;claiming a &quot;surgical&nbsp;strike&quot; by&nbsp;India. Chinese diplomats in Delhi went so far as to repeat the official warning to India going back to 2008, that China would reverse its recognition of Sikkim as part of India.&nbsp;

An analysis of&nbsp;media coverage of the standoff by the&nbsp;Delhi-based&nbsp;Centre for China Analysis &amp;&nbsp;Strategy&nbsp;is&nbsp;illustrative. The Mandarin media on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong carried more than 130 pieces of varying length, clearly an attempt to&nbsp;sensitise&nbsp;the public to the tensions on the plateau, and shape opinion.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;People&#39;s Liberation Army Daily, which caters for the armed forces, published six articles in English.&nbsp; The China Daily, another English-language paper, published 33 articles, while the Communist Party&nbsp;mouthpiece&nbsp;People&#39;s Daily, came out with 21 articles in&nbsp;English. Not&nbsp;to be left behind, Xinhua the official news agency carried six&nbsp;despatches.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Over a&nbsp;36-day&nbsp;period beginning&nbsp;June 26, there were 36 articles on&nbsp;Doklam&nbsp;in the state-owned English language Global Times.&nbsp;This is a subsidiary of the People&#39;s Daily and articles published here are vetted by the Propaganda&nbsp;Department of the Communist Party.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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In an interview to the online journal Quartz last year, editor-in-chief&nbsp;Hi&nbsp;Xijin&nbsp;said his paper reflected what&nbsp;government&nbsp;officials thought but could not say&nbsp;in public.&nbsp;It&#39;s hawkish belligerent tone and often insulting editorials&nbsp;get it noticed as the &#39;voice of Beijing&#39; even while official statements remain circumspect.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Curiously enough, Hu was among the ranks of protestors in Tiananmen Square in 1989 but by his own admission, left before the crackdown began. Somewhere&nbsp;down the&nbsp;line, he changed course. His critics refer to him as a &quot;frisbee grabber&quot;, an insult meaning he&#39;s a trainable dog that&nbsp;always&nbsp;fetches&nbsp;the frisbee thrown by its master.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Back to the present. That Ambassador Luo Zhaohui&nbsp;wants to turn the page&nbsp;on&nbsp;Doklam&nbsp;and move on is good news.&nbsp;One waits to see how this pans out on the&nbsp;ground.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Last&nbsp;word: In&nbsp;July 2010 during the&nbsp;ASEAN summit in&nbsp;Hanoi, Yang&nbsp;Jiechi&nbsp;then foreign&nbsp;minister&nbsp;(he currently states counsellor or national security&nbsp;adviser), mocked&nbsp;the group&#39;s move to have the US&nbsp;mediate China&#39;s claims to the South China Sea&nbsp;and warned them:&nbsp;&quot;There is one basic difference among us. China is a big state and you are smaller countries.&quot;&nbsp;

India can draw its lessons from that.

Mandarin media on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong carried more than 130 pieces of varying length, clearly an attempt to?sensitise?the public to the tensions on the plateau, and shape opinion.

Nearly three years ago, China banned puns on radio, television and other media on the grounds that it defiled language traditions and confused impressionable youth. That may have been a reason but the more accurate one may have been to stifle criticism. An ode doing the rounds on Teacher's Day in 2014 paid tribute to President Xi Jinping and his singer wife Peng Liyuan roughly translated into English it said 'Daddy Xi loves Mama Peng', but when Da from Daddy is joined with Ma from Mama, you get the Chinese word for the narcotic marijuana. The Mandarin media on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong carried more than 130 pieces of varying length, clearly an attempt to sensitise the public to the tensions on the plateau, and shape opinion. × That was deemed subversive and, therefore, unacceptable, and so the crackdown on puns. But wordplay is common to the Chinese language. China's ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui indulged in some last Friday to mark the founding anniversary of the People's Republic. He said: "We should turn the old page and start a new chapter with the same pace and direction. We should dance together. We should make one plus one 11. China is the largest trading partner of India." One wonders where that concern was during the Doklam standoff when the foreign ministry in Beijing used threatening and intimidatory language against India. State-run media described Sushma Saraj as a liar and referred to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval as the "main schemer" behind the standoff. Some China watchers in Delhi believe that Beijing has done lasting damage to the bilateral relationship. It also reduced the room for negotiation by insisting, falsely, that Doklam is Chinese territory, accusing India of invading, even claiming a "surgical strike" by India. Chinese diplomats in Delhi went so far as to repeat the official warning to India going back to 2008, that China would reverse its recognition of Sikkim as part of India. An analysis of media coverage of the standoff by the Delhi-based Centre for China Analysis & Strategy is illustrative. The Mandarin media on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong carried more than 130 pieces of varying length, clearly an attempt to sensitise the public to the tensions on the plateau, and shape opinion. The People's Liberation Army Daily, which caters for the armed forces, published six articles in English. The China Daily, another English-language paper, published 33 articles, while the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily, came out with 21 articles in English. Not to be left behind, Xinhua the official news agency carried six despatches. Over a 36-day period beginning June 26, there were 36 articles on Doklam in the state-owned English language Global Times. This is a subsidiary of the People's Daily and articles published here are vetted by the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party. Editor-in-chief Hi Xijin said his paper reflected what government officials thought but could not say in public. × In an interview to the online journal Quartz last year, editor-in-chief Hi Xijin said his paper reflected what government officials thought but could not say in public. It's hawkish belligerent tone and often insulting editorials get it noticed as the 'voice of Beijing' even while official statements remain circumspect. Curiously enough, Hu was among the ranks of protestors in Tiananmen Square in 1989 but by his own admission, left before the crackdown began. Somewhere down the line, he changed course. His critics refer to him as a "frisbee grabber", an insult meaning he's a trainable dog that always fetches the frisbee thrown by its master. Back to the present. That Ambassador Luo Zhaohui wants to turn the page on Doklam and move on is good news. One waits to see how this pans out on the ground. Last word: In July 2010 during the ASEAN summit in Hanoi, Yang Jiechi then foreign minister (he currently states counsellor or national security adviser), mocked the group's move to have the US mediate China's claims to the South China Sea and warned them: "There is one basic difference among us. China is a big state and you are smaller countries." India can draw its lessons from that.

Chinese media shaped false opinions on Doklam Issue

The&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;issue&nbsp;should&nbsp;be resolved&nbsp;peacefully&nbsp;through talks, Chinese President&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;Jinping told British Prime Minister&nbsp;Theresa&nbsp;May&nbsp;in a telephone call, state radio said on Monday.

Chinese President?Xi?Jinping told British Prime Minister?Theresa?May

The North Korean issue should be resolved peacefully through talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping told British Prime Minister Theresa May in a telephone call, state radio said on Monday.

North Korea issue should be peacefully resolved: Xi to Theresa May

Each time India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits a foreign country, he makes it a point to meet and address the Indian diaspora living in that place. Clearly,&nbsp; the Indian government has come to recognise that diaspora is a valuable strategic asset. They are the new elite of this world. But having said that, unlike China, India does not seem to fully reap the economic and political potential of the nation&#39;s diaspora successfully enough. Indian government&rsquo;s engagement with its diaspora hasn&#39;t evolved beyond recognising its importance to a more active state yet.&nbsp;

China&rsquo;s diaspora policies in action: &ldquo;going out and inviting in&rdquo;

The overseas Chinese enjoy an extremely strong sense of shared identity as well as a powerful attachment to China. They have played a crucial role in China&#39;s economic growth, providing the lion&#39;s share of inward investment. But this is not solely due to the patriotic feeling one has towards his motherland but due to China&#39;s extensive diaspora engagement policy and institutional apparatus.

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<h5>There are several programmes, such as the &lsquo;Changjiang Scholars Programme&rsquo; or the &lsquo;Hundred Talents Programme&rsquo; which offer high salaries and research funds for overseas Chinese.</h5>
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The government has made a concerted attempt to embrace all ethnic Chinese, regardless of nationality or date of migration, as part of the Chinese family and, hence, tied to the Chinese nation. At the Third Plenum of the Fourteenth Party Congress in 1993, the Chinese government launched the &lsquo;twelve words&rsquo; policy of supporting overseas studies and encouraging the return of Chinese students.&nbsp;

Xi Jinping in 2013 expanded the &lsquo;twelve words&rsquo; policy by adding four additional words &lsquo;fahuizuoyong&rsquo; (playing a role), pledging that the CCP and the government would ensure that the Chinese diaspora could play a significant role when returning to China, and that it could contribute to China&rsquo;s development when remaining overseas.

There are several programmes, such as the &lsquo;Changjiang Scholars Programme&rsquo; or the &lsquo;Hundred Talents Programme&rsquo; which offer high salaries and research funds for overseas Chinese. Similarly, &ldquo;1000 Talents&rdquo; programme offers high-level academic positions to senior Chinese scholars with PhDs up to 20 times higher than what a local faculty makes. It also seeks to draw innovators in specialist engineering and high technology sectors that will create companies or jobs in China. Moreover, China&rsquo;s &ldquo;Roots Seeking&rdquo; programmes for overseas youth promotes Chinese language and culture abroad. It has over the last two decades aggressively courted the return of its highly-skilled diaspora through a variety of employment and scholarship programmes.

CCTV, China&rsquo;s state broadcaster, is also aiming to grow an international network to carry its soap operas and news worldwide. CICC streams Chinese content from CCTV and provincial broadcasters to overseas Chinese audiences and is now setting its sights at non-Chinese audiences too. The CCTV-4 channel has three different time-shifted feeds&mdash;Beijing Time, Greenwich Mean Time, and Eastern Standard Time.

Therefore, the vision of Xi Jinping to revitalise the nation and to realise the Chinese Dream, since 2012, has provided a foundation for the current efforts in China&rsquo;s diaspora engagement. Increasing attention has been paid to attracting Chinese talents overseas because of their technical know-how and their exposure to international practices.

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India&rsquo;s diaspora engagements: &lsquo;going out and trying to invite in&rsquo;

India has always tried to harness the potential of its diaspora community but its importance has been emphasised like never before lately. At a recent celebration of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January 2017, Prime Minister Modi said: &ldquo;We are converting the brain drain to brain gain&rdquo;.

The government has eased travel and residency policies for diaspora members, which helps in fostering more back-and-forth exchange. It has merged the erstwhile OCI and PIO cards so that the diaspora members can now enjoy lifetime visa access to India and certain educational and financial benefits comparable to those of citizens. It has also simplified rules and procedures and has set up &ldquo;single window&rdquo; clearances to members of the diaspora community who are desirous of implementing socially relevant projects in India. The government has also launched a new training plan for low-skilled Indian youth who are seeking blue collar jobs abroad so that they are better prepared and less likely to be exploited or abused.

This new outreach towards the diaspora can be seen from the long list of countries the Indian Prime Minister has visited to interact extensively with different classes and categories of Indian diaspora. India hopes to cultivate soft power among those of Indian heritage out of such engagements. As India gets remittances worth 3.4 per cent of its GDP, making India the largest remittance receiving country, the prime minister has also asked diaspora members to invest in various social projects, such as in improving rural sanitation.

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India needs to walk the walk

While India is surely talking the talk but India needs to walk the walk too like China. A lot more has to be done to reap benefits from the Indian diaspora. To start with, challenges, such as poor infrastructure, red tape, labour market regulations, etc. needs to be taken care of which refrains a PIO or NRI to invest in India.&nbsp;

While India also has programmes like &lsquo;know India&rsquo;, but there are not extensive like China, considering the number of intakes that India has is around 35 and China 30000. India is already struggling with unemployment so it is also not able to offer lucrative employment opportunities to the overseas Indians like China is. In the number of scholarships given to diaspora children, India lag far behind as it only supports 100 children in comparison to China&rsquo;s 3000 annually.

Although India&rsquo;s official radio broadcaster, All India Radio, covers over 108 countries in 27 languages, India&rsquo;s official television broadcaster, Doordarshan, lags behind. In comparison, China&rsquo;s national radio and television have emerged as the binding force of the whole Chinese diaspora community.

India needs to expand its globally oriented programmes and schemes in number and reach. They have to become visible worldwide for promoting India&rsquo;s interests and to attract a much wider diaspora. Hence, with some policy initiatives, India can multiply the economic value of diaspora contributions, use their talent and industriousness and make it more attractive for them to step up participation in India&rsquo;s development.

To conclude, although the focus of the Chinese and Indian governments differ in their engagements with its diaspora but both the countries recognise diaspora not just as economic remittances but also social remittances in the form of knowledge, expertise, ideas and practices. India, however, needs to ramp up its efforts if it wants to match the level of engagement maintained by China.

To equal China's diaspora engagement, India needs to take care of poor infrastructure, red tape, and labour market regulations which refrain a PIO or NRI to invest in India.

Each time India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits a foreign country, he makes it a point to meet and address the Indian diaspora living in that place. Clearly, the Indian government has come to recognise that diaspora is a valuable strategic asset. They are the new elite of this world. But having said that, unlike China, India does not seem to fully reap the economic and political potential of the nation's diaspora successfully enough. Indian government’s engagement with its diaspora hasn't evolved beyond recognising its importance to a more active state yet. China’s diaspora policies in action: “going out and inviting in” The overseas Chinese enjoy an extremely strong sense of shared identity as well as a powerful attachment to China. They have played a crucial role in China's economic growth, providing the lion's share of inward investment. But this is not solely due to the patriotic feeling one has towards his motherland but due to China's extensive diaspora engagement policy and institutional apparatus. There are several programmes, such as the ‘Changjiang Scholars Programme’ or the ‘Hundred Talents Programme’ which offer high salaries and research funds for overseas Chinese. × The government has made a concerted attempt to embrace all ethnic Chinese, regardless of nationality or date of migration, as part of the Chinese family and, hence, tied to the Chinese nation. At the Third Plenum of the Fourteenth Party Congress in 1993, the Chinese government launched the ‘twelve words’ policy of supporting overseas studies and encouraging the return of Chinese students. Xi Jinping in 2013 expanded the ‘twelve words’ policy by adding four additional words ‘fahuizuoyong’ (playing a role), pledging that the CCP and the government would ensure that the Chinese diaspora could play a significant role when returning to China, and that it could contribute to China’s development when remaining overseas. There are several programmes, such as the ‘Changjiang Scholars Programme’ or the ‘Hundred Talents Programme’ which offer high salaries and research funds for overseas Chinese. Similarly, “1000 Talents” programme offers high-level academic positions to senior Chinese scholars with PhDs up to 20 times higher than what a local faculty makes. It also seeks to draw innovators in specialist engineering and high technology sectors that will create companies or jobs in China. Moreover, China’s “Roots Seeking” programmes for overseas youth promotes Chinese language and culture abroad. It has over the last two decades aggressively courted the return of its highly-skilled diaspora through a variety of employment and scholarship programmes. CCTV, China’s state broadcaster, is also aiming to grow an international network to carry its soap operas and news worldwide. CICC streams Chinese content from CCTV and provincial broadcasters to overseas Chinese audiences and is now setting its sights at non-Chinese audiences too. The CCTV-4 channel has three different time-shifted feeds—Beijing Time, Greenwich Mean Time, and Eastern Standard Time. Therefore, the vision of Xi Jinping to revitalise the nation and to realise the Chinese Dream, since 2012, has provided a foundation for the current efforts in China’s diaspora engagement. Increasing attention has been paid to attracting Chinese talents overseas because of their technical know-how and their exposure to international practices. At a recent celebration of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January 2017, Prime Minister Modi said: “We are converting the brain drain to brain gain”. × India’s diaspora engagements: ‘going out and trying to invite in’ India has always tried to harness the potential of its diaspora community but its importance has been emphasised like never before lately. At a recent celebration of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January 2017, Prime Minister Modi said: “We are converting the brain drain to brain gain”. The government has eased travel and residency policies for diaspora members, which helps in fostering more back-and-forth exchange. It has merged the erstwhile OCI and PIO cards so that the diaspora members can now enjoy lifetime visa access to India and certain educational and financial benefits comparable to those of citizens. It has also simplified rules and procedures and has set up “single window” clearances to members of the diaspora community who are desirous of implementing socially relevant projects in India. The government has also launched a new training plan for low-skilled Indian youth who are seeking blue collar jobs abroad so that they are better prepared and less likely to be exploited or abused. This new outreach towards the diaspora can be seen from the long list of countries the Indian Prime Minister has visited to interact extensively with different classes and categories of Indian diaspora. India hopes to cultivate soft power among those of Indian heritage out of such engagements. As India gets remittances worth 3.4 per cent of its GDP, making India the largest remittance receiving country, the prime minister has also asked diaspora members to invest in various social projects, such as in improving rural sanitation. India is already struggling with unemployment so it is also not able to offer lucrative employment opportunities to the overseas Indians like China is. × India needs to walk the walk While India is surely talking the talk but India needs to walk the walk too like China. A lot more has to be done to reap benefits from the Indian diaspora. To start with, challenges, such as poor infrastructure, red tape, labour market regulations, etc. needs to be taken care of which refrains a PIO or NRI to invest in India. While India also has programmes like ‘know India’, but there are not extensive like China, considering the number of intakes that India has is around 35 and China 30000. India is already struggling with unemployment so it is also not able to offer lucrative employment opportunities to the overseas Indians like China is. In the number of scholarships given to diaspora children, India lag far behind as it only supports 100 children in comparison to China’s 3000 annually. Although India’s official radio broadcaster, All India Radio, covers over 108 countries in 27 languages, India’s official television broadcaster, Doordarshan, lags behind. In comparison, China’s national radio and television have emerged as the binding force of the whole Chinese diaspora community. India needs to expand its globally oriented programmes and schemes in number and reach. They have to become visible worldwide for promoting India’s interests and to attract a much wider diaspora. Hence, with some policy initiatives, India can multiply the economic value of diaspora contributions, use their talent and industriousness and make it more attractive for them to step up participation in India’s development. To conclude, although the focus of the Chinese and Indian governments differ in their engagements with its diaspora but both the countries recognise diaspora not just as economic remittances but also social remittances in the form of knowledge, expertise, ideas and practices. India, however, needs to ramp up its efforts if it wants to match the level of engagement maintained by China.

Like China, can Modi harness the potential of the Indian diaspora?

At the BRICS summit in Russia two years ago, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping <a href="https://brics2017.org/English/Headlines/201701/t20170125_1402.html">invoked</a> physics when asking fellow leaders &ldquo;to boost the centripetal (unifying) force of BRICS nations through cooperation in innovation and production capacity to boost competitiveness.&rdquo;

That was the theory, but the economic reality of the once-feted Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa alliance is contradictory.

Instead of, centripetal strengthening, the world is witnessing much more powerful centrifugal dividing forces, including overproduction, over-indebtedness and deglobalisation of capital. These elements have been spinning out of control even before the <a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/01/06/will-washingtons-new-pro-moscow-anti-beijing-gang-drive-a-wedge-through-the-brics-in-2017/">chaotic era</a> of US President Donald Trump began.

Over production is mostly found in the coal, steel, non-ferrous metals, cement and chemicals industries. It&rsquo;s largely driven by China where over-capacity is more than 30 per cent, according to a new International Monetary Fund <a href="http://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2017/08/15/pr17326-china-imf-executive-board-concludes-2017-article-iv-consultation">report</a> that also raised worries about the country&rsquo;s vast debt.

Over borrowing by companies, states and households represents a global crisis in the making. The Institute of International Finance has just reported that <a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-29/global-debt-hits-new-record-high-217-trillion-327-gdp">world debt</a> is now USD$217 trillion (327 per cent of world GDP), up from USD$149 billion (276 per cent) in 2007.

Deglobalisation is simply the reversal - mostly since 2008 - of prior rapid growth in cross-border trade, investment and finance. Should that be viewed as a bad thing? Rather than fear globalisation&rsquo;s unravelling, leading scholar-activists including <a href="http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/D/bo20861161.html">Samir Amin</a> in Africa, the late <a href="https://archive.monthlyreview.org/index.php/mr/article/view/MR-023-09-1972-02_2/0">Ruy Mauro Marini</a> in Latin America, <a href="http://fpif.org/the_virtues_of_deglobalization/">Walden Bello</a> in Asia and the 20th century&rsquo;s most important economist, <a href="https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/interwar/keynes.htm">John Maynard Keynes</a>, have all advocated national economic sovereignty. If pursued cleverly, deglobalisation could be the basis for restoring links between once vibrant sectors subsequently destroyed by imports.

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</figcaption>
</figure>

Could BRICS leaders evolve in this direction? Their <a href="https://www.brics2017.org/English/">summit</a> next week will be distracted by geopolitical tensions. Although a welcome <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/there-wont-be-a-war-at-doklam-as-india-and-china-agree-to-disengage/articleshow/60255485.cms">deal</a> on Monday prevents the feared Sino-Indian border war, a much more durable geo-economic battle is unfolding in the <a href="https://borderless-hk.com/2017/08/16/an-introduction-to-the-china-pakistan-economic-corridor/">China-Pakistan Economic Corridor</a>, which in May left Prime Minister Narendra Modi <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/why-did-india-boycott-chinas-road-summit/article18516163.ece">boycotting</a> China&rsquo;s Belt and Road mega-conference three months ago.

Beijing&rsquo;s BRICS <a href="https://brics2017.org/English/China2017/Logo/">logo</a> designers, perhaps being unconsciously subversive, have illustrated how the once overlapping, interlocking BRICS are now being wedged apart as paper thin subjects of centrifugal forces. For Africa, fewer illusions in these economies would be welcome, given how <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01436597.2013.775783">exploitative</a> the BRICS and their firms have become against societies, democratic movements and environments.

A counter-summit challenge the BRICS

This argument is made by the <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2107923/hong-kong-activist-joshua-wong-cant-help-laugh-after">Hong Kong People&rsquo;s Forum</a>, initiated by the city&rsquo;s progressive labour, intellectual and faith leaders to question the BRICS. Their meeting this weekend follows in the counter summit traditions of the 2013 <a href="http://ccs.ukzn.ac.za/default.asp?2,68,3,2853">BRICS-from-below</a> in Durban, the 2014 <a href="http://ccs.ukzn.ac.za/default.asp?2,68,3,3253">Dialogue on Development</a> in Fortaleza, and the 2016 Goa <a href="https://peoplesbrics.org/2016/10/24/goa-declaration-of-the-peoples-forum-on-brics/">People&rsquo;s Forum on BRICS</a>.

According to the Hong Kong People&rsquo;s Forum:

Instead of offering an alternative, the BRICS actually offer a continuation of neo-liberalism. On top of BRICS, there is also China&rsquo;s new mega project, the Belt and Road initiative whose main purpose is to export China&rsquo;s surplus capital.

These surpluses are vast, as witnessed in China&rsquo;s foreign reserves which recently topped USD$4 trillion, though then fell 20 per cent due to bouts of capital flight and two stock market crashes in 2015-16.

Deglobalisation

Global trade, finance and investment were meant to be the motors for the advancement of BRICS. But according to the <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS?end=2016&amp;locations=CN-BR-ZA-IN-RU-1W&amp;start=1999&amp;view=chart">World Bank</a>, global trade peaked at 61 per cent of world gross domestic product (GDP) in 2008 but retreated to 58 per cent in 2015.

During the 1990s each BRICS country raised its trade to GDP ratio by at least 10 points. But trade has receded in importance in <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS?contextual=default&amp;locations=CN+WORLD-BR-RU-IN-CN-ZA">each of the BRICS</a>. Russia peaked first at a 69 per cent trade/GDP ratio in 1999 and then fell steadily to 45 per cent&nbsp;today. Brazil rose to 30 per cent in 2004 and fell to 25 per cent. China soared to 66 per cent in 2006 and has since plummeted to 36 per cent. South Africa&rsquo;s 2008 ratio was 73 per cent but is now back to 60 per cent and India peaked last, in 2012 with 56 per cent, and is now at 40 per cent.

On top of this, the ratio of world financial assets that are held overseas compared to GDP <a href="https://ahtribune.com/world/africa/1706-patrick-bond.html">fell</a> from 58 per cent in 2008 to 38 per cent in 2016, even as overall financial assets increased in line with soaring debt.

Finally, another deglobalisation symptom is the <a href="https://ahtribune.com/world/africa/1706-patrick-bond.html">halving</a> of relative global foreign direct investment: from 3.7 per cent of world GDP in 2008 to 1.7 per cent in 2016.

Leading financiers now talk of an imminent world <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-22/wall-street-banks-warn-winter-is-coming-as-business-cycle-peaks">recession</a>, given over priced stock markets and corporate debt. This is not just due to wild New York share speculation, as also occurred in the crashes of 1987, 2000 and 2008. Three BRICS stock markets are also <a href="http://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2017/07/07/world-economic-outlook-update-july-2017?cid=em-COM-123-35653">bubbling</a>: South Africa&rsquo;s stock market is 90 per cent higher than in 2010, India&rsquo;s market is up 70 per cent and Russia has risen by 50 per cent.

Centrifugal realities crowd out centripetal fantasies

These dangerous centrifugal forces cannot be easily regulated or reversed. The only recent relief came from the Chinese state&rsquo;s massive urban construction investments (albeit leaving scores of <a href="http://thediplomat.com/2015/10/china-is-still-building-ghost-cities/">near-empty cities</a>) and the Indian <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/in/Documents/industries/in-india-services-sector-ges-2017-noexp.pdf">service sector boom</a>. But since 2015 the other three BRICS have suffered recessions as the crash in commodity prices hit home.

As the Hong Kong People&rsquo;s Forum statement explained:

China has now evolved into a global engine promoting a neoliberal agenda from free trade agreements to corporate led integration across borders.

The BRICS had promised to challenge an unfair global economic system. But in December 2015 their main multilateral reform strategies failed:

<ul>
	<li>
	the <a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2015/12/25/climate-terror-from-paris-could-endure-for-generations/">Paris Climate Accord</a> was nonbinding, unambitious and outlaws climate-debt lawsuits by victims of Western and BRICS emissions;
	</li>
	<li>
	the <a href="https://archive.monthlyreview.org/index.php/mr/article/view/MR-023-09-1972-02_2/0">World Trade Organisation</a> phased out any semblance of food sovereignty; and
	</li>
	<li>
	<a href="https://mg.co.za/article/2017-03-31-00-brics-joins-the-reigning-world-order">IMF voting shares</a> were shifted to favour BRICS at the expense of poorer countries.
	</li>
</ul>

Adds the Hong Kong People&rsquo;s Forum: &ldquo;The 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos was one site where Xi clearly took the lead in promoting world corporate power, as Trump leads the US-UK retreat into crony-capitalist protectionism.&rdquo;

South African President Jacob Zuma <a href="https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/politics/2017-06-30-jacob-zumas-speech-to-the-anc--now-with-little-yellow-post-its/">pronounced</a> last month at his party&rsquo;s policy Congress, &ldquo;The ANC is part of the global anti-imperialist movement. We are historically connected with the countries of the South and therefore South-South cooperation such as BRICS is primary for our movement.&rdquo;

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/83115/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />If centrifugal economic forces now pressuring the bloc to overwhelm Xi&rsquo;s desired centripetal capitalism, then we can expect yet more talk-left walk-right politics, as the BRICS <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01436597.2013.775783">sub-imperialists</a> desperately try to pretend they&rsquo;re anti-imperialists.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" nofollow="" rel="">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/brics-is-being-battered-by-global-crises-why-this-might-not-be-a-bad-thing-83115">original article</a>.

Global trade and financial investment were meant to be the motors for the advancement of BRICS but deglobalisation and geo-political tension are seriously challenging BRICS' goals.

At the BRICS summit in Russia two years ago, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping invoked physics when asking fellow leaders “to boost the centripetal (unifying) force of BRICS nations through cooperation in innovation and production capacity to boost competitiveness.” That was the theory, but the economic reality of the once-feted Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa alliance is contradictory. Instead of, centripetal strengthening, the world is witnessing much more powerful centrifugal dividing forces, including overproduction, over-indebtedness and deglobalisation of capital. These elements have been spinning out of control even before the chaotic era of US President Donald Trump began. Over production is mostly found in the coal, steel, non-ferrous metals, cement and chemicals industries. It’s largely driven by China where over-capacity is more than 30 per cent, according to a new International Monetary Fund report that also raised worries about the country’s vast debt. Over borrowing by companies, states and households represents a global crisis in the making. The Institute of International Finance has just reported that world debt is now USD$217 trillion (327 per cent of world GDP), up from USD$149 billion (276 per cent) in 2007. Deglobalisation is simply the reversal - mostly since 2008 - of prior rapid growth in cross-border trade, investment and finance. Should that be viewed as a bad thing? Rather than fear globalisation’s unravelling, leading scholar-activists including Samir Amin in Africa, the late Ruy Mauro Marini in Latin America, Walden Bello in Asia and the 20th century’s most important economist, John Maynard Keynes, have all advocated national economic sovereignty. If pursued cleverly, deglobalisation could be the basis for restoring links between once vibrant sectors subsequently destroyed by imports. BRICS 2017 China logo Could BRICS leaders evolve in this direction? Their summit next week will be distracted by geopolitical tensions. Although a welcome deal on Monday prevents the feared Sino-Indian border war, a much more durable geo-economic battle is unfolding in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which in May left Prime Minister Narendra Modi boycotting China’s Belt and Road mega-conference three months ago. Beijing’s BRICS logo designers, perhaps being unconsciously subversive, have illustrated how the once overlapping, interlocking BRICS are now being wedged apart as paper thin subjects of centrifugal forces. For Africa, fewer illusions in these economies would be welcome, given how exploitative the BRICS and their firms have become against societies, democratic movements and environments. A counter-summit challenge the BRICS This argument is made by the Hong Kong People’s Forum, initiated by the city’s progressive labour, intellectual and faith leaders to question the BRICS. Their meeting this weekend follows in the counter summit traditions of the 2013 BRICS-from-below in Durban, the 2014 Dialogue on Development in Fortaleza, and the 2016 Goa People’s Forum on BRICS. According to the Hong Kong People’s Forum: Instead of offering an alternative, the BRICS actually offer a continuation of neo-liberalism. On top of BRICS, there is also China’s new mega project, the Belt and Road initiative whose main purpose is to export China’s surplus capital. These surpluses are vast, as witnessed in China’s foreign reserves which recently topped USD$4 trillion, though then fell 20 per cent due to bouts of capital flight and two stock market crashes in 2015-16. Deglobalisation Global trade, finance and investment were meant to be the motors for the advancement of BRICS. But according to the World Bank, global trade peaked at 61 per cent of world gross domestic product (GDP) in 2008 but retreated to 58 per cent in 2015. During the 1990s each BRICS country raised its trade to GDP ratio by at least 10 points. But trade has receded in importance in each of the BRICS. Russia peaked first at a 69 per cent trade/GDP ratio in 1999 and then fell steadily to 45 per cent today. Brazil rose to 30 per cent in 2004 and fell to 25 per cent. China soared to 66 per cent in 2006 and has since plummeted to 36 per cent. South Africa’s 2008 ratio was 73 per cent but is now back to 60 per cent and India peaked last, in 2012 with 56 per cent, and is now at 40 per cent. On top of this, the ratio of world financial assets that are held overseas compared to GDP fell from 58 per cent in 2008 to 38 per cent in 2016, even as overall financial assets increased in line with soaring debt. Finally, another deglobalisation symptom is the halving of relative global foreign direct investment: from 3.7 per cent of world GDP in 2008 to 1.7 per cent in 2016. Leading financiers now talk of an imminent world recession, given over priced stock markets and corporate debt. This is not just due to wild New York share speculation, as also occurred in the crashes of 1987, 2000 and 2008. Three BRICS stock markets are also bubbling: South Africa’s stock market is 90 per cent higher than in 2010, India’s market is up 70 per cent and Russia has risen by 50 per cent. Centrifugal realities crowd out centripetal fantasies These dangerous centrifugal forces cannot be easily regulated or reversed. The only recent relief came from the Chinese state’s massive urban construction investments (albeit leaving scores of near-empty cities) and the Indian service sector boom. But since 2015 the other three BRICS have suffered recessions as the crash in commodity prices hit home. As the Hong Kong People’s Forum statement explained: China has now evolved into a global engine promoting a neoliberal agenda from free trade agreements to corporate led integration across borders. The BRICS had promised to challenge an unfair global economic system. But in December 2015 their main multilateral reform strategies failed: the Paris Climate Accord was nonbinding, unambitious and outlaws climate-debt lawsuits by victims of Western and BRICS emissions; the World Trade Organisation phased out any semblance of food sovereignty; and IMF voting shares were shifted to favour BRICS at the expense of poorer countries. Adds the Hong Kong People’s Forum: “The 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos was one site where Xi clearly took the lead in promoting world corporate power, as Trump leads the US-UK retreat into crony-capitalist protectionism.” South African President Jacob Zuma pronounced last month at his party’s policy Congress, “The ANC is part of the global anti-imperialist movement. We are historically connected with the countries of the South and therefore South-South cooperation such as BRICS is primary for our movement.” If centrifugal economic forces now pressuring the bloc to overwhelm Xi’s desired centripetal capitalism, then we can expect yet more talk-left walk-right politics, as the BRICS sub-imperialists desperately try to pretend they’re anti-imperialists. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Battered by global crises, will BRICS be a success?

Chinese President is a diplomatic pioneer whose ideology has transcended centuries of Western international relations theory, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday, lauding Xi ahead of a congress of the Communist Party.

China has become more assertive in its foreign policy under Xi, who has touted his global Belt and Road infrastructure plan and sought to position China as a pillar of globalisation.

China has also extended its global military reach, opening its first overseas base in Djibouti and using its expanding navy to take a more assertive stance in maritime disputes with neighbours.

Xi&#39;s &quot;diplomatic thought&quot; was a compass for foreign relations under new conditions and had become a marker of China&#39;s soft power, Wang said in an article in the Study Times, the official paper of the Central Party School that trains officials.

&quot;It also innovates upon and transcends the past 300 years of traditional Western international relations theory,&quot; said Wang, who has been taking an increasingly high profile as China expands its presence on the global stage.

Wang credited Xi with seeking friends and partners, not allies, putting aside differences to seek common ground, and doing away with the &quot;Cold War thinking&quot; of &quot;he who is not my friend is my enemy&quot;.

With the resolution of a &quot;reformer and a pioneer&quot;, Xi had answered the call of the times to &quot;put forward many new ideas that his predecessors had not&quot;, Wang said.

Wang credited China with successes under Xi, including promoting talks and denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula, as well as helping to counter global threats posed by international terrorism, climate change, and cyber security issues.

Since assuming office almost five years ago, Xi has consolidated power, including heading a group leading economic reform and appointing himself commander-in-chief of the military, though as head of the Central Military Commission he already controls the armed forces.

The party will open a once-every-five-years congress on Oct. 18, at which a new Standing Committee, the pinnacle of power in China, will be constituted.

Diplomatic sources believe Wang could take over later this year as China&#39;s top diplomat from State Councillor Yang Jiechi, 67, Wang&#39;s predecessor. Yang outranks Wang.

Chinese President is a diplomatic pioneer whose ideology has transcended centuries of Western international relations theory, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday

Chinese President is a diplomatic pioneer whose ideology has transcended centuries of Western international relations theory, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday, lauding Xi ahead of a congress of the Communist Party. China has become more assertive in its foreign policy under Xi, who has touted his global Belt and Road infrastructure plan and sought to position China as a pillar of globalisation. China has also extended its global military reach, opening its first overseas base in Djibouti and using its expanding navy to take a more assertive stance in maritime disputes with neighbours. Xi's "diplomatic thought" was a compass for foreign relations under new conditions and had become a marker of China's soft power, Wang said in an article in the Study Times, the official paper of the Central Party School that trains officials. "It also innovates upon and transcends the past 300 years of traditional Western international relations theory," said Wang, who has been taking an increasingly high profile as China expands its presence on the global stage. Wang credited Xi with seeking friends and partners, not allies, putting aside differences to seek common ground, and doing away with the "Cold War thinking" of "he who is not my friend is my enemy". With the resolution of a "reformer and a pioneer", Xi had answered the call of the times to "put forward many new ideas that his predecessors had not", Wang said. Wang credited China with successes under Xi, including promoting talks and denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula, as well as helping to counter global threats posed by international terrorism, climate change, and cyber security issues. Since assuming office almost five years ago, Xi has consolidated power, including heading a group leading economic reform and appointing himself commander-in-chief of the military, though as head of the Central Military Commission he already controls the armed forces. The party will open a once-every-five-years congress on Oct. 18, at which a new Standing Committee, the pinnacle of power in China, will be constituted. Diplomatic sources believe Wang could take over later this year as China's top diplomat from State Councillor Yang Jiechi, 67, Wang's predecessor. Yang outranks Wang.

China says Xi transcends West as a diplomatic "pioneer"

When Hollywood is not being <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-hollywood-values-updates-20170105-htmlstory.html" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">criticised for being a liberal mouthpiece</a>, it is often viewed as a <a href="http://www.e-ir.info/2013/10/20/international-relations-on-screen-hollywoods-history-of-american-foreign-policy/" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">front for American foreign policy</a>. The time-honoured example of this is the <a href="http://onviolence.com/?e=303" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Rambo series</a> wherein Sylvester Stallone&rsquo;s invincible super soldier battles America&rsquo;s communist enemies.

The Rambo films were shot against the reheating of the Cold War in the light of the &ldquo;Star Wars&rdquo; Strategic Defense Initiative and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. They were also a reflection of growing American confidence during the Reagan presidency after the pessimism of the post-Vietnam era. But Hollywood is not the only industry guilty of this cinematic jingoism today.

China has found its own Rambo in Leng Feng, the hero of China&rsquo;s latest box office smash, Wolf Warriors 2 (??2). The film has become <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-china-box-office-20170823-story.html">the most successful</a> in the Chinese box office, making more than five billion Yuan (&pound;585m) since its release in late July, in contrast to a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/aug/11/hollywood-summer-blockbuster-films-dark-tower-valerian-get-out">rather tepid year</a> for its American counterpart.

Just as Rambo took on the might of the Soviet empire in the 1980s, Leng &ndash; played by Chinese action superstar, Wu Jing (??), who also directed the film &ndash; battles China&rsquo;s foreign enemies. While strongly Chinese in national sentiment, it follows the path set by its Hollywood predecessors in terms of action and storyline. Also like many Hollywood movies, the film is indicative of the changes in Chinese foreign policy and attitudes today &ndash; just as Rambo had been for the Reaganite policies of the Cold War.

Echoes of Libya

The plot is standard action fare with Leng, a maverick Chinese soldier, going to a fictional African state in the middle of a civil war to rescue Chinese workers and their African comrades &ndash; while also tracking down those who were responsible for his fianc&eacute;e&rsquo;s death. While this appears to be in keeping with the gung-ho US blockbusters of the 1980s, it is called to mind recent events in Africa.

<figure><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fkqGiPB2D8M?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440"></iframe></figure>

Near the beginning of the film, Chinese nationals are whisked aboard a People&rsquo;s Liberation Army Navy ship in a scene reminiscent of the <a href="http://thediplomat.com/2011/03/chinas-nimble-libya-pullout/">evacuation of Chinese citizens from Libya</a> during the country&rsquo;s 2011 civil war. Such a move has been cited as a watershed for China&rsquo;s approach to Africa due to the sheer scale of the operation as well as being a break from the more cautious approach of the past.

This change in stance is further augmented when Leng argues with the admiral in charge of the evacuation, who claims that the lack of Chinese intervention is due to the United Nations rather than China&rsquo;s reluctance.

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/183312/width754/file-20170824-18706-244c0q.jpg" />
<figcaption>
The anti-Rambo: Frank Grillo as the bad guy. Lionsgate
</figcaption>
</figure>

There is also a parallel with Libya in the fact that the baddies in the film are portrayed as little more than puppets for their nefarious Western advisors, a group of mercenaries led by Big Daddy (Frank Grillo). This has shades of the assistance provided to anti-Gaddafi forces by NATO &ndash; and the claims that the rebels would not have been successful without Western support.

Ties that bind

So Wolf Warriors is both a critique of Western foreign policy and an expression of Sino-African solidarity, ties which stretch back to the period of post-war decolonisation &ndash; when the nascent People&rsquo;s Republic of China provided assistance to numerous independence movements in the continent fighting against exploitation and harsh colonial policies.

Leng&rsquo;s love interest, Rachel Prescott Smith (Celina Jade), alludes to this in a brief respite from the action in a graveyard for Chinese migrants to Africa. While detailing suffering in Africa&rsquo;s past, she refers to the slaves brought to the continent by outsiders. They are not directly named &ndash; but it&rsquo;s obvious that she is talking about the European empires that once ran much of the African continent. This is presented as a counterpoint to the idea that anti-colonialism was a key factor in the development of <a href="https://www.academia.edu/8080014/China_in_Africa_-_Third_World_Solidarity_in_the_21st_Century?auto=download">significant Sino-African ties in the 20th century</a>.

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/183311/width754/file-20170824-18693-1tgn1cp.jpg" />
<figcaption>
The ties that bind: China lends a helping hand to Africa. Lionsgate
</figcaption>
</figure>

This solidarity as expressed in Wolf Warriors II echoes Chinese foreign policy. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, China&rsquo;s priority shifted towards economic development &ndash; and Africa, with its abundant resources, has become particularly crucial to achieving this, especially in the wake of the continent&rsquo;s apparent abandonment by the US and Russia after the Cold War.

Rising dragon

At the same time, Wolf Warriors II also serves as an expression of China&rsquo;s growing military might &ndash; just as Rambo had been for US power in the 1980s. This comes in the light of China&rsquo;s military modernisation <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/china-military-power-army-expand-asia-africa-568308">announced by Xi Jinping</a> in March 2017 on the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People&rsquo;s Liberation Army. China&rsquo;s power is demonstrated in the film&rsquo;s ending where the Chinese fleet moves in to wipe out the remaining Western antagonists and their African puppets while Leng battles his American foe.

China&#39;s increasing military power has been accompanied by a greater willingness to use it &ndash; and the country&rsquo;s military presence in Africa has been augmented by the establishment of a naval base in Djibouti which is expected to enhance China&rsquo;s ability to project power in Africa. This comes with the involvement of other Asian powers, most notably Japan and India, on the continent, leading to fears of a new &ldquo;<a href="https://www.igd.org.za/11775-the-21st-century-scramble-for-africa-implications-and-the-way-forward">scramble for Africa</a>&rdquo;.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/82659/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />If film historians of the future examine Wolf Warriors II, they are likely to view it as a reflection of China&rsquo;s growing confidence and assertiveness in the Xi Jinping era &ndash; just as Rambo demonstrated American self-belief in the Reagan era. This sentiment, alongside the utilisation of China&rsquo;s soft power initiatives, in turn also illustrates a new shift in Chinese foreign policy in line with China&rsquo;s growing power &ndash; something that is one of the major issues of the present international system.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-chollywood-blockbuster-wolf-warriors-2-echoes-changes-in-chinas-foreign-policy-82659">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

Just as Rambo for the US, Wolf Warriors II serves as an expression of China?s growing military might, particularly in Africa.

When Hollywood is not being criticised for being a liberal mouthpiece, it is often viewed as a front for American foreign policy. The time-honoured example of this is the Rambo series wherein Sylvester Stallone’s invincible super soldier battles America’s communist enemies. The Rambo films were shot against the reheating of the Cold War in the light of the “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. They were also a reflection of growing American confidence during the Reagan presidency after the pessimism of the post-Vietnam era. But Hollywood is not the only industry guilty of this cinematic jingoism today. China has found its own Rambo in Leng Feng, the hero of China’s latest box office smash, Wolf Warriors 2 (??2). The film has become the most successful in the Chinese box office, making more than five billion Yuan (£585m) since its release in late July, in contrast to a rather tepid year for its American counterpart. Just as Rambo took on the might of the Soviet empire in the 1980s, Leng – played by Chinese action superstar, Wu Jing (??), who also directed the film – battles China’s foreign enemies. While strongly Chinese in national sentiment, it follows the path set by its Hollywood predecessors in terms of action and storyline. Also like many Hollywood movies, the film is indicative of the changes in Chinese foreign policy and attitudes today – just as Rambo had been for the Reaganite policies of the Cold War. Echoes of Libya The plot is standard action fare with Leng, a maverick Chinese soldier, going to a fictional African state in the middle of a civil war to rescue Chinese workers and their African comrades – while also tracking down those who were responsible for his fiancée’s death. While this appears to be in keeping with the gung-ho US blockbusters of the 1980s, it is called to mind recent events in Africa. Near the beginning of the film, Chinese nationals are whisked aboard a People’s Liberation Army Navy ship in a scene reminiscent of the evacuation of Chinese citizens from Libya during the country’s 2011 civil war. Such a move has been cited as a watershed for China’s approach to Africa due to the sheer scale of the operation as well as being a break from the more cautious approach of the past. This change in stance is further augmented when Leng argues with the admiral in charge of the evacuation, who claims that the lack of Chinese intervention is due to the United Nations rather than China’s reluctance. The anti-Rambo: Frank Grillo as the bad guy. Lionsgate There is also a parallel with Libya in the fact that the baddies in the film are portrayed as little more than puppets for their nefarious Western advisors, a group of mercenaries led by Big Daddy (Frank Grillo). This has shades of the assistance provided to anti-Gaddafi forces by NATO – and the claims that the rebels would not have been successful without Western support. Ties that bind So Wolf Warriors is both a critique of Western foreign policy and an expression of Sino-African solidarity, ties which stretch back to the period of post-war decolonisation – when the nascent People’s Republic of China provided assistance to numerous independence movements in the continent fighting against exploitation and harsh colonial policies. Leng’s love interest, Rachel Prescott Smith (Celina Jade), alludes to this in a brief respite from the action in a graveyard for Chinese migrants to Africa. While detailing suffering in Africa’s past, she refers to the slaves brought to the continent by outsiders. They are not directly named – but it’s obvious that she is talking about the European empires that once ran much of the African continent. This is presented as a counterpoint to the idea that anti-colonialism was a key factor in the development of significant Sino-African ties in the 20th century. The ties that bind: China lends a helping hand to Africa. Lionsgate This solidarity as expressed in Wolf Warriors II echoes Chinese foreign policy. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, China’s priority shifted towards economic development – and Africa, with its abundant resources, has become particularly crucial to achieving this, especially in the wake of the continent’s apparent abandonment by the US and Russia after the Cold War. Rising dragon At the same time, Wolf Warriors II also serves as an expression of China’s growing military might – just as Rambo had been for US power in the 1980s. This comes in the light of China’s military modernisation announced by Xi Jinping in March 2017 on the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army. China’s power is demonstrated in the film’s ending where the Chinese fleet moves in to wipe out the remaining Western antagonists and their African puppets while Leng battles his American foe. China's increasing military power has been accompanied by a greater willingness to use it – and the country’s military presence in Africa has been augmented by the establishment of a naval base in Djibouti which is expected to enhance China’s ability to project power in Africa. This comes with the involvement of other Asian powers, most notably Japan and India, on the continent, leading to fears of a new “scramble for Africa”. If film historians of the future examine Wolf Warriors II, they are likely to view it as a reflection of China’s growing confidence and assertiveness in the Xi Jinping era – just as Rambo demonstrated American self-belief in the Reagan era. This sentiment, alongside the utilisation of China’s soft power initiatives, in turn also illustrates a new shift in Chinese foreign policy in line with China’s growing power – something that is one of the major issues of the present international system. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

China?s growing power is reflected in Chollywood's blockbuster Wolf Warriors 2

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged US President Donald Trump on Saturday to avoid rhetoric that could inflame tensions with North Korea as an escalating war of words raised global alarm.

Xi made the plea in a phone call hours after Trump ramped up his warnings to Pyongyang, saying the Stalinist regime would &quot;truly regret&quot; taking hostile action against the United States.

The White House said in a statement that the two leaders &quot;agreed North Korea must stop provocative and escalatory behaviour&quot; and that they are both committed to the denuclearisation of the peninsula.

But the Chinese foreign ministry said Xi urged Trump to avoid &quot;words and deeds&quot; that would &quot;exacerbate&quot; the already-tense situation, exercise restraint and seek a political settlement.

Trump has been engaged all week in verbal sparring with the North over its weapons and missile programmes, as US media reported Pyongyang has successfully miniaturised a nuclear warhead.

The Republican billionaire has progressively ramped up the tone throughout the week and on Friday declared that the US military is &quot;locked and loaded.&quot;&nbsp;

In a call with Guam Governor Eddie Calvo on Friday, Trump said the US military is prepared to &quot;ensure the safety and security of the people of Guam&quot; in response to Pyongyang&#39;s plans to launch missiles towards the Pacific territory.

Japanese media said Tokyo was deploying its Patriot missile defence system following Pyongyang&#39;s threat to fire ballistic missiles over the country towards Guam.

&#39;Fire and fury&#39;&nbsp;

In another move that could further fan the flames, satellite photos posted by defence expert Joseph Bermudez suggested that North Korea could be preparing for fresh submarine-based ballistic missile tests.

Trump had earlier brandished a threat of unleashing &quot;fire and fury&quot; on Pyongyang, then noted Thursday maybe that statement &quot;wasn&#39;t tough enough.&quot;

China, North Korea&#39;s biggest ally and trade partner, has been voicing concern at the mounting exchanges and a state-run newspaper suggested that Beijing should stay neutral if Pyongyang struck the US first.

Previously accused by Trump of not doing enough to rein in the authoritarian regime, China voted in favour of a series of wide-sweeping UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea last weekend.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Trump told Xi over the phone that he &quot;fully understands China&#39;s role in the nuclear issue in the Korean Peninsula.&quot; Trump is expected to visit China later this year.

The North&#39;s official KCNA news service in an editorial blamed Trump for &quot;driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war,&quot; calling the US &quot;the heinous nuclear war fanatic.&quot;

The sabre-rattling has sparked worldwide concerns that a miscalculation by either side could trigger a catastrophic conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

Russia and Germany have also urged both sides to tone down the rhetoric.

&quot;Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!&quot; Trump wrote Friday from his golf club retreat in New Jersey, where he is on a working vacation.

Moscow &#39;alarmed&#39;

Russia&#39;s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was &quot;very alarmed&quot; at Trump&#39;s tough talk, and said Washington should take the first step toward cooling tensions.

&quot;When a fight has nearly broken out, the first step away from the dangerous threshold should be taken by the side that is stronger and smarter,&quot; Lavrov said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said diplomacy was the answer.

&quot;Germany will very intensively take part in the options for resolution that are not military but I consider a verbal escalation to be the wrong response,&quot; she said.

Nearly a week ago, the UN Security Council unanimously passed fresh sanctions against Pyongyang over its weapons programme, including export bans, a new punishment that could cost North Korea $1 billion a year.

&quot;This is clearly a time for all the parties to focus on how to de-escalate and lower the tensions,&quot; said the spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Tensions on the peninsula tend to increase when Seoul and Washington launch major military joint exercises, and the next, Ulchi Freedom Guardian, is set to kick off around August 21.

&#39;Tragedy of war&#39;

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis appeared intent Thursday on easing the tension, describing the prospect of war as &quot;catastrophic&quot; and saying diplomacy remained the priority.

Asked Friday if Mattis was aware of Trump&#39;s latest tweet, spokesman Colonel Rob Manning simply said the Pentagon chief was &quot;in close and constant contact with the president.&quot;

A White House official noted: &quot;There are military plans for just about any crisis we may face in the world. (...) This isn&#39;t anything new.&quot;

Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have been tense for months, in the wake of the North&#39;s repeated missile tests, including two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches in July that are believed to have brought much of the US mainland within range.

North Korea raised hackles in the United States when it announced a detailed plan to send four missiles over Japan and towards Guam, an island territory of some 165,000 people, where some 6,000 US soldiers are based.

Trump has been engaged all week in verbal sparring with the North over its weapons and missile programmes, as US media reported Pyongyang has successfully miniaturised a nuclear warhead

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged US President Donald Trump on Saturday to avoid rhetoric that could inflame tensions with North Korea as an escalating war of words raised global alarm. Xi made the plea in a phone call hours after Trump ramped up his warnings to Pyongyang, saying the Stalinist regime would "truly regret" taking hostile action against the United States. The White House said in a statement that the two leaders "agreed North Korea must stop provocative and escalatory behaviour" and that they are both committed to the denuclearisation of the peninsula. But the Chinese foreign ministry said Xi urged Trump to avoid "words and deeds" that would "exacerbate" the already-tense situation, exercise restraint and seek a political settlement. Trump has been engaged all week in verbal sparring with the North over its weapons and missile programmes, as US media reported Pyongyang has successfully miniaturised a nuclear warhead. The Republican billionaire has progressively ramped up the tone throughout the week and on Friday declared that the US military is "locked and loaded." In a call with Guam Governor Eddie Calvo on Friday, Trump said the US military is prepared to "ensure the safety and security of the people of Guam" in response to Pyongyang's plans to launch missiles towards the Pacific territory. Japanese media said Tokyo was deploying its Patriot missile defence system following Pyongyang's threat to fire ballistic missiles over the country towards Guam. 'Fire and fury' In another move that could further fan the flames, satellite photos posted by defence expert Joseph Bermudez suggested that North Korea could be preparing for fresh submarine-based ballistic missile tests. Trump had earlier brandished a threat of unleashing "fire and fury" on Pyongyang, then noted Thursday maybe that statement "wasn't tough enough." China, North Korea's biggest ally and trade partner, has been voicing concern at the mounting exchanges and a state-run newspaper suggested that Beijing should stay neutral if Pyongyang struck the US first. Previously accused by Trump of not doing enough to rein in the authoritarian regime, China voted in favour of a series of wide-sweeping UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea last weekend. According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Trump told Xi over the phone that he "fully understands China's role in the nuclear issue in the Korean Peninsula." Trump is expected to visit China later this year. The North's official KCNA news service in an editorial blamed Trump for "driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war," calling the US "the heinous nuclear war fanatic." The sabre-rattling has sparked worldwide concerns that a miscalculation by either side could trigger a catastrophic conflict on the Korean Peninsula. Russia and Germany have also urged both sides to tone down the rhetoric. "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!" Trump wrote Friday from his golf club retreat in New Jersey, where he is on a working vacation. Moscow 'alarmed' Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was "very alarmed" at Trump's tough talk, and said Washington should take the first step toward cooling tensions. "When a fight has nearly broken out, the first step away from the dangerous threshold should be taken by the side that is stronger and smarter," Lavrov said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said diplomacy was the answer. "Germany will very intensively take part in the options for resolution that are not military but I consider a verbal escalation to be the wrong response," she said. Nearly a week ago, the UN Security Council unanimously passed fresh sanctions against Pyongyang over its weapons programme, including export bans, a new punishment that could cost North Korea $1 billion a year. "This is clearly a time for all the parties to focus on how to de-escalate and lower the tensions," said the spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Tensions on the peninsula tend to increase when Seoul and Washington launch major military joint exercises, and the next, Ulchi Freedom Guardian, is set to kick off around August 21. 'Tragedy of war' US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis appeared intent Thursday on easing the tension, describing the prospect of war as "catastrophic" and saying diplomacy remained the priority. Asked Friday if Mattis was aware of Trump's latest tweet, spokesman Colonel Rob Manning simply said the Pentagon chief was "in close and constant contact with the president." A White House official noted: "There are military plans for just about any crisis we may face in the world. (...) This isn't anything new." Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have been tense for months, in the wake of the North's repeated missile tests, including two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches in July that are believed to have brought much of the US mainland within range. North Korea raised hackles in the United States when it announced a detailed plan to send four missiles over Japan and towards Guam, an island territory of some 165,000 people, where some 6,000 US soldiers are based.

Over phone call, Xi urges Trump to avoid exacerbating North Korea tensions

Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need to build a world-class military, capable of &quot;defeating all invading enemies&quot; and loyal to the ruling Communist Party, at a major parade Sunday.

The event -- featuring 12,000 service personnel and about 700 aircraft and pieces of ground equipment -- marked the 90th anniversary of the People&#39;s Liberation Army (PLA), now the world&#39;s largest military.

It was the first time Xi has observed a parade of this size staged in the field, according to the defence ministry.

Since coming to power in 2012, the president has trumpeted the need to build a stronger combat-ready military, while leading efforts to centralise the Communist Party&#39;s control over it.&nbsp;

&quot;The world is not all at peace. Peace must be safeguarded,&quot; Xi, wearing a camouflage military uniform, said in a speech at the expansive Zhurihe training base in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.&nbsp;

&quot;Today we are closer than ever before to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and -- more than any other time in history -- we need to build a strong people&#39;s military,&quot; he said.

&quot;I believe that our heroic army has the confidence and capability to defeat all invading enemies.&quot;

Xi also ordered the PLA to &quot;unswervingly stick to... the party&#39;s absolute leadership&quot;, saying the military should &quot;march to wherever the party is pointing&quot;.

Defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said in a statement that the parade was intended to create a &quot;good atmosphere&quot; before a crucial party congress later this year, at which Xi is expected to further consolidate his grip on power.

At Zhurihe, a base extending more than 1,000 square kilometres (386 square miles), rows upon rows of soldiers marched in perfect unison and helicopters flew overhead in a &quot;90&quot; formation.&nbsp;

The president stood in an open-top jeep that drove past ranks of troops for his inspection.

&quot;Comrades, thanks for your hard work!&quot; he said, to which the troops responded: &quot;Serve the people!&quot;

China announced in March it would raise its defence spending by around seven per cent this year, the slowest annual percentage increase since 1991.

Beijing is engaged in a decades-long build-up and modernisation of its once-backward armed forces, as it seeks military clout commensurate with its economic might and increasingly asserts its disputed territorial claims in Asian waters.

Xi announced in 2015 that he would cut China&#39;s military by 300,000 -- though at its reduced size of around two million, it will still remain the world&#39;s largest military.

The People&#39;s Liberation Army (PLA) also encompasses the navy and air force.

The PLA, originally called the Chinese Workers&#39; and Peasants&#39; Red Army, was founded in 1927 when Communist soldiers seized the southern town of Nanchang from Nationalist Party (&quot;Kuomintang&quot;) armies in what is known today as the Nanchang uprising.

The Chinese President was speaking at a parade marking the ninetieth anniversary of the People's Liberation Army

Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need to build a world-class military, capable of "defeating all invading enemies" and loyal to the ruling Communist Party, at a major parade Sunday. The event -- featuring 12,000 service personnel and about 700 aircraft and pieces of ground equipment -- marked the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), now the world's largest military. It was the first time Xi has observed a parade of this size staged in the field, according to the defence ministry. Since coming to power in 2012, the president has trumpeted the need to build a stronger combat-ready military, while leading efforts to centralise the Communist Party's control over it. "The world is not all at peace. Peace must be safeguarded," Xi, wearing a camouflage military uniform, said in a speech at the expansive Zhurihe training base in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. "Today we are closer than ever before to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and -- more than any other time in history -- we need to build a strong people's military," he said. "I believe that our heroic army has the confidence and capability to defeat all invading enemies." Xi also ordered the PLA to "unswervingly stick to... the party's absolute leadership", saying the military should "march to wherever the party is pointing". Defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said in a statement that the parade was intended to create a "good atmosphere" before a crucial party congress later this year, at which Xi is expected to further consolidate his grip on power. At Zhurihe, a base extending more than 1,000 square kilometres (386 square miles), rows upon rows of soldiers marched in perfect unison and helicopters flew overhead in a "90" formation. The president stood in an open-top jeep that drove past ranks of troops for his inspection. "Comrades, thanks for your hard work!" he said, to which the troops responded: "Serve the people!" China announced in March it would raise its defence spending by around seven per cent this year, the slowest annual percentage increase since 1991. Beijing is engaged in a decades-long build-up and modernisation of its once-backward armed forces, as it seeks military clout commensurate with its economic might and increasingly asserts its disputed territorial claims in Asian waters. Xi announced in 2015 that he would cut China's military by 300,000 -- though at its reduced size of around two million, it will still remain the world's largest military. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) also encompasses the navy and air force. The PLA, originally called the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, was founded in 1927 when Communist soldiers seized the southern town of Nanchang from Nationalist Party ("Kuomintang") armies in what is known today as the Nanchang uprising.

Chinese Army has 'capability to defeat all invading enemies': Xi

China on Thursday dismissed reports of a bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

Officials from the Chinese foreign ministry said the &quot;atmosphere&quot; was &quot;not right&quot; for a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Xi at the G20 Summit which commences in Germany&#39;s Hamburg tomorrow.

There had been reports that Modi and Xi may meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit to resolve the standoff between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim region.

The Indian government has since said a bilateral meeting between the two leaders was never planned &quot;but everything is fluid&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;So far, there is nothing on a bilateral meeting, but everything is fluid,&quot; the Times of Inda quoted top Indian officials as saying.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang said &quot;meaningful peace talks&quot; between both sides could not take place unless &quot;India can immediately withdraw the border troops to the Indian side of the boundary to uphold the peace tranquillity of the China and India border areas&quot;.

&quot;I think this is the pre-condition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides,&quot; Geng Shuang told the press when asked about the meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Geng, however, confirmed that the meeting of BRICS leaders, to be attended by both Xi and Modi, will take place on the sidelines of the summit tomorrow.

Asked about the possibility of a Xi-Modi meeting, Geng said relevant information will be released in a timely manner.

Indian sources in New Delhi told PTI a meeting of BRICS leaders will take place on the sidelines of G20 summit tomorrow which is expected to include Modi and Xi. They did not mention whether a bilateral meeting between the two leaders would take place.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the last three weeks after New Delhi objected to Beijing&#39;s attempts to construct a road in the disputed territory.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

On Wednesday, China&#39;s state-run media quoted Chinese analysts as saying that Beijing would be forced to use a &quot;military way&quot; to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the &quot;historical lessons&quot; being offered by it.

There had been reports that Modi and Xi may meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit to resolve the standoff between their two armies in the Sikkim region

China on Thursday dismissed reports of a bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg. Officials from the Chinese foreign ministry said the "atmosphere" was "not right" for a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Xi at the G20 Summit which commences in Germany's Hamburg tomorrow. There had been reports that Modi and Xi may meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit to resolve the standoff between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim region. The Indian government has since said a bilateral meeting between the two leaders was never planned "but everything is fluid". "So far, there is nothing on a bilateral meeting, but everything is fluid," the Times of Inda quoted top Indian officials as saying. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang said "meaningful peace talks" between both sides could not take place unless "India can immediately withdraw the border troops to the Indian side of the boundary to uphold the peace tranquillity of the China and India border areas". "I think this is the pre-condition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides," Geng Shuang told the press when asked about the meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Geng, however, confirmed that the meeting of BRICS leaders, to be attended by both Xi and Modi, will take place on the sidelines of the summit tomorrow. Asked about the possibility of a Xi-Modi meeting, Geng said relevant information will be released in a timely manner. Indian sources in New Delhi told PTI a meeting of BRICS leaders will take place on the sidelines of G20 summit tomorrow which is expected to include Modi and Xi. They did not mention whether a bilateral meeting between the two leaders would take place. China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the last three weeks after New Delhi objected to Beijing's attempts to construct a road in the disputed territory. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. On Wednesday, China's state-run media quoted Chinese analysts as saying that Beijing would be forced to use a "military way" to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the "historical lessons" being offered by it.

After China says no to Modi-Xi meet, India says one was never planned

Chinese President Xi Jinping swore in Hong Kong&#39;s new leader on Saturday with a stark warning that Beijing won&#39;t tolerate any challenge to its authority in the divided city as it marked the 20th anniversary of its return from Britain to China.

Police blocked roads, preventing pro-democracy protesters from getting to the harbour-front venue close to where the last colonial governor, Chris Patten, tearfully handed back Hong Kong to China in the pouring rain in 1997.

Xi said Hong Kong should crack down on moves towards &quot;Hong Kong independence&quot;.

&quot;Any attempt to endanger China&#39;s sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government ... or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line and is absolutely impermissible,&quot; Xi said.

He also referred to the &quot;humiliation and sorrow&quot; China suffered during the first Opium War in the early 1840s that led to ceding Hong Kong to the British.

Hong Kong has been racked by demands for full democracy and, more recently, by calls by some pockets of protesters for independence, a subject that is anathema to Beijing.

Xi&#39;s speech was his strongest yet to the city amid concerns over what some perceive as increased meddling by Beijing, illustrated in recent years by the abduction by mainland agents of some Hong Kong booksellers and Beijing&#39;s efforts in disqualifying two pro-independence lawmakers elected to the city legislature.

&quot;It&#39;s a more frank and pointed way of dealing with the problems,&quot; said former senior Hong Kong government adviser Lau Siu-kai on Hong Kong&#39;s Cable Television. &quot;The central government&#39;s power hasn&#39;t been sufficiently respected... they&#39;re concerned about this.&quot;

The tightly choreographed visit was full of pro-China rhetoric amid a virtually unprecedented security lockdown close to the scene of pro-democracy protests in 2014 that grabbed global headlines with clashes and tear gas rising between waterfront skyscrapers.

Xi did not make contact with the people in the street or with any pro-democracy voices, forgoing an opportunity to lower the political heat through a softer, more nuanced approach.

The hardening stance of the democrats and Beijing could perhaps widen, spawning greater radicalism, though some activists also concede a spreading disillusionment has sapped momentum among the democracy movement since Xi came to power.

Under the mini-constitution, the Basic Law, Hong Kong is guaranteed wide-ranging autonomy for &quot;at least 50 years&quot; after 1997 under a &quot;one country, two systems&quot; formula praised by Xi. It also specifies universal suffrage as an eventual goal.

But Beijing&#39;s refusal to grant full democracy triggered the nearly three months of street protests in 2014 that posed one of the greatest populist challenges to Beijing in decades.

&quot;Most urgent&quot; protest in years

In the afternoon, tens of thousands gathered in sweltering heat in a sprawling park named after Britain&#39;s Queen Victoria, demanding Xi allow universal suffrage. Organisers put the figure at more than 60,000.

&quot;Xi shouldn&#39;t be interfering in Hong Kong too much,&quot; Peter Lau, a 20-year-old university student, said. &quot;Despite him visiting garrisons and muscle-flexing, Hong Kong people&#39;s confidence will never be shaken. Especially for our generation. We should ... fight for our freedom.&quot;

Some demonstrators marched with yellow umbrellas, a symbol of democratic activism in the city, and held banners denouncing China&#39;s Communist &quot;one party rule&quot;.

Others criticised China&#39;s Foreign Ministry which on Friday said the &quot;Joint Declaration&quot; with Britain over Hong Kong, a treaty laying the blueprint over how the city would be ruled after 1997, &quot;no longer has any practical significance&quot;.

At the end of the rally a simple white banner read: &quot;Cry in grief for 20 years.&quot;

[For a link to Reuters handover stories, http://reut.rs/2sje26J]

Xi in the morning addressed a packed hall of mostly pro-Beijing establishment figures, after swearing in Hong Kong&#39;s first female leader, Carrie Lam, who was strongly backed by China.

Xi hinted that the central government was in favour of Hong Kong introducing &quot;national security&quot; legislation, a controversial issue that brought nearly half a million people to the streets in protest in 2003 and ultimately forced former leader Tung Chee-hwa to step down.

A small group of pro-democracy activists near the venue were roughed up by a group of men who smashed up some props in ugly scuffles. Nine democracy protesters, including student leader Joshua Wong and lawmaker &quot;long hair&quot; Leung Kwok-hung, were bundled into police vans while several pro-China groups remained, cheering loudly and waving red China flags.

The activists, in a later statement, said the assailants had been &quot;pro-Beijing triad members&quot;.

(Reuters)

The Chinese President said Hong Kong should crack down on moves towards 'Hong Kong independence'

Chinese President Xi Jinping swore in Hong Kong's new leader on Saturday with a stark warning that Beijing won't tolerate any challenge to its authority in the divided city as it marked the 20th anniversary of its return from Britain to China. Police blocked roads, preventing pro-democracy protesters from getting to the harbour-front venue close to where the last colonial governor, Chris Patten, tearfully handed back Hong Kong to China in the pouring rain in 1997. Xi said Hong Kong should crack down on moves towards "Hong Kong independence". "Any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government ... or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line and is absolutely impermissible," Xi said. He also referred to the "humiliation and sorrow" China suffered during the first Opium War in the early 1840s that led to ceding Hong Kong to the British. Hong Kong has been racked by demands for full democracy and, more recently, by calls by some pockets of protesters for independence, a subject that is anathema to Beijing. Xi's speech was his strongest yet to the city amid concerns over what some perceive as increased meddling by Beijing, illustrated in recent years by the abduction by mainland agents of some Hong Kong booksellers and Beijing's efforts in disqualifying two pro-independence lawmakers elected to the city legislature. "It's a more frank and pointed way of dealing with the problems," said former senior Hong Kong government adviser Lau Siu-kai on Hong Kong's Cable Television. "The central government's power hasn't been sufficiently respected... they're concerned about this." The tightly choreographed visit was full of pro-China rhetoric amid a virtually unprecedented security lockdown close to the scene of pro-democracy protests in 2014 that grabbed global headlines with clashes and tear gas rising between waterfront skyscrapers. Xi did not make contact with the people in the street or with any pro-democracy voices, forgoing an opportunity to lower the political heat through a softer, more nuanced approach. The hardening stance of the democrats and Beijing could perhaps widen, spawning greater radicalism, though some activists also concede a spreading disillusionment has sapped momentum among the democracy movement since Xi came to power. Under the mini-constitution, the Basic Law, Hong Kong is guaranteed wide-ranging autonomy for "at least 50 years" after 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula praised by Xi. It also specifies universal suffrage as an eventual goal. But Beijing's refusal to grant full democracy triggered the nearly three months of street protests in 2014 that posed one of the greatest populist challenges to Beijing in decades. "Most urgent" protest in years In the afternoon, tens of thousands gathered in sweltering heat in a sprawling park named after Britain's Queen Victoria, demanding Xi allow universal suffrage. Organisers put the figure at more than 60,000. "Xi shouldn't be interfering in Hong Kong too much," Peter Lau, a 20-year-old university student, said. "Despite him visiting garrisons and muscle-flexing, Hong Kong people's confidence will never be shaken. Especially for our generation. We should ... fight for our freedom." Some demonstrators marched with yellow umbrellas, a symbol of democratic activism in the city, and held banners denouncing China's Communist "one party rule". Others criticised China's Foreign Ministry which on Friday said the "Joint Declaration" with Britain over Hong Kong, a treaty laying the blueprint over how the city would be ruled after 1997, "no longer has any practical significance". At the end of the rally a simple white banner read: "Cry in grief for 20 years." [For a link to Reuters handover stories, http://reut.rs/2sje26J] Xi in the morning addressed a packed hall of mostly pro-Beijing establishment figures, after swearing in Hong Kong's first female leader, Carrie Lam, who was strongly backed by China. Xi hinted that the central government was in favour of Hong Kong introducing "national security" legislation, a controversial issue that brought nearly half a million people to the streets in protest in 2003 and ultimately forced former leader Tung Chee-hwa to step down. A small group of pro-democracy activists near the venue were roughed up by a group of men who smashed up some props in ugly scuffles. Nine democracy protesters, including student leader Joshua Wong and lawmaker "long hair" Leung Kwok-hung, were bundled into police vans while several pro-China groups remained, cheering loudly and waving red China flags. The activists, in a later statement, said the assailants had been "pro-Beijing triad members". (Reuters)

China's Xi talks tough on Hong Kong as tens of thousands call for democracy

It was a rare snub to Pakistan from a normally reliable ally, but Chinese President Xi Jinping missed a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summer in Astana, the Kazakh capital, after two Chinese teachers were murdered in Balochistan.

Sharif met the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Russia, but a meeting with Xi Jinping was notably missing.

More, the state-run media in China emphasised Xi&#39;s meetings with leaders from India and Russia. Xi&#39;s snub comes after deep disappointment and grief felt in China over the killings, after two Chinese teachers were kidnapped&nbsp;in Quetta last month and were reportedly murdered by Islamic State terrorists.

News of their kiling was published just before the SCO summit on June 8-9, in which Pakistan and India were made members.

&nbsp;

Economic connections?

Hua Chunying, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said the murders were in no way connected to the $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which Baloch nationalists oppose. The CPEC, in turn, is part of China&#39;s multi-billion dollar Belt and Road intuitive (BRI).

&quot;This incident will not have any necessary connection with the BRI,&quot; nor with the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, meeting being held in Astana, Hua had said.

China has deployed hundreds of Chinese workers to work for the CPEC which connects Gwadar port in Balochistan with China&#39;s Xinjiang through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Hua said Pakistan pays great attention to the protection of Chinese citizens in the institutions there and made great efforts for their security.

&quot;As per BRI we should be prepared for risks if want to go global. Since the three years after the BRI,&quot; she had said.

This comes after deep disappointment felt in China over the killings, after two teachers were kidnapped?in Quetta last month

It was a rare snub to Pakistan from a normally reliable ally, but Chinese President Xi Jinping missed a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summer in Astana, the Kazakh capital, after two Chinese teachers were murdered in Balochistan. Sharif met the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Russia, but a meeting with Xi Jinping was notably missing. More, the state-run media in China emphasised Xi's meetings with leaders from India and Russia. Xi's snub comes after deep disappointment and grief felt in China over the killings, after two Chinese teachers were kidnapped in Quetta last month and were reportedly murdered by Islamic State terrorists. News of their kiling was published just before the SCO summit on June 8-9, in which Pakistan and India were made members. Economic connections? Hua Chunying, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said the murders were in no way connected to the $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which Baloch nationalists oppose. The CPEC, in turn, is part of China's multi-billion dollar Belt and Road intuitive (BRI). "This incident will not have any necessary connection with the BRI," nor with the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, meeting being held in Astana, Hua had said. China has deployed hundreds of Chinese workers to work for the CPEC which connects Gwadar port in Balochistan with China's Xinjiang through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Hua said Pakistan pays great attention to the protection of Chinese citizens in the institutions there and made great efforts for their security. "As per BRI we should be prepared for risks if want to go global. Since the three years after the BRI," she had said.

Xi Jinping snubs Pak's Sharif after two Chinese nationals killed in Balochistan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the 17th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana on Friday.

The meeting between Modi and Xi comes amid a sharp downturn in the ties between the nuclear-armed Asian giants.

New Delhi is smarting over China&#39;s refusal to allow it entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a global cartel that controls nuclear trade, and over Beijing blocking a request at the UN to sanction a Pakistan-based militant blamed for attacks on India.

India chose to skip Belt and Road Forum (BRF) - China&#39;s biggest summit of the year - held in April. New Delhi is incensed that one of the key Belt and Road projects passes through Kashmir and Pakistan - over which the neighbours have fought two of their three wars.

On the other hand, Beijing is angry at India&#39;s increasingly public engagement of the Dalai Lama, including hosting the Tibetan spiritual leader in a territory controlled by India but claimed by China in April.

Modi arrived in Kazakhstan capital on Thursday to attend the SCO summit where India will be formally admitted as a full-time member of the security bloc.

India had been an observer country at the SCO - a Eurasian political, economic and military bloc - since 2005 and had applied for a full membership in 2014 and the SCO foreign ministers gave a positive recommendation when they met in June 2015.

China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan formed the SCO in 2001 to fight threats posed by radical Islam and drug trafficking from neighbouring Afghanistan.

(Reuters)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets China's Xi Jinping ahead of 17th SCO summit at Astana amid sharp downturn in Indo-China relationship

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the 17th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana on Friday. The meeting between Modi and Xi comes amid a sharp downturn in the ties between the nuclear-armed Asian giants. New Delhi is smarting over China's refusal to allow it entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a global cartel that controls nuclear trade, and over Beijing blocking a request at the UN to sanction a Pakistan-based militant blamed for attacks on India. India chose to skip Belt and Road Forum (BRF) - China's biggest summit of the year - held in April. New Delhi is incensed that one of the key Belt and Road projects passes through Kashmir and Pakistan - over which the neighbours have fought two of their three wars. On the other hand, Beijing is angry at India's increasingly public engagement of the Dalai Lama, including hosting the Tibetan spiritual leader in a territory controlled by India but claimed by China in April. Modi arrived in Kazakhstan capital on Thursday to attend the SCO summit where India will be formally admitted as a full-time member of the security bloc. India had been an observer country at the SCO - a Eurasian political, economic and military bloc - since 2005 and had applied for a full membership in 2014 and the SCO foreign ministers gave a positive recommendation when they met in June 2015. China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan formed the SCO in 2001 to fight threats posed by radical Islam and drug trafficking from neighbouring Afghanistan. (Reuters)

PM Modi meets China's Xi Jinping at SCO summit in Astana

India is set to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) even as its arch-rival Pakistan will be gaining entry into the security grouping as well.&nbsp;

The ties between India and Pakistan have been in a free fall since the Pathankot air base attack in January 2016.&nbsp;

There are speculations that the two prime ministers might hold an informal interaction during the two-day summit but there is no official word on it.

&quot;There was neither any request from their side nor any such proposal from our side,&quot; MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said on the possibility of the two prime ministers meeting at Astana during the two-day summit, reported Economic Times.

The process to make both the countries a full member of the inter-governmental bloc was started last year when they signed the memorandum of obligations on 24 June 2016 at Tashkent.&nbsp;

Briefing media in Delhi last evening, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Gopal Baglay said, &quot;India will be benefited in trade and economic activity after it becomes a full member. He said that trade, connectivity, energy, banking and fight against terrorism are the main areas of cooperation.&quot;

Joint Secretary, Eurasia, G V Srinivas said, &quot;India is joining SCO with an open mind for peace and stability in the region. Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness, promoting cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research, technology and culture and other areas are the main goals of SCO.&quot;

&quot;So that process has been completed from our side - essentially entailing to a couple of agreements as per the calendar drawn by the memorandum of obligations - something which we have relayed to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation secretariat in Beijing. They have also confirmed that India has completed this process,&quot; Srinivas said.

&quot;The indications are that the last leg of the entire membership process that is the confirmation by the heads of state of existing members of the SCO, is going to happen in Astana,&quot; he added.

Narendra Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with a number of SCO member countries including China&#39;s President Xi Jinping.

He will also meet Kazakhstan&#39;s President Nursultan Nazarbayev to promote ties in the fields of trade and commerce, education, tourism and other sectors, ANI reported.

Kazakhstan is India&#39;s largest trading partner in Central Asia and the total trade volume between the two countries rose from 120 million US dollars to around 900 million dollars in recent years, according to ANI.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The two-day summit will start at Astana Thursday

India is set to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) even as its arch-rival Pakistan will be gaining entry into the security grouping as well. The ties between India and Pakistan have been in a free fall since the Pathankot air base attack in January 2016. There are speculations that the two prime ministers might hold an informal interaction during the two-day summit but there is no official word on it. "There was neither any request from their side nor any such proposal from our side," MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said on the possibility of the two prime ministers meeting at Astana during the two-day summit, reported Economic Times. The process to make both the countries a full member of the inter-governmental bloc was started last year when they signed the memorandum of obligations on 24 June 2016 at Tashkent. Briefing media in Delhi last evening, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Gopal Baglay said, "India will be benefited in trade and economic activity after it becomes a full member. He said that trade, connectivity, energy, banking and fight against terrorism are the main areas of cooperation." Joint Secretary, Eurasia, G V Srinivas said, "India is joining SCO with an open mind for peace and stability in the region. Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness, promoting cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research, technology and culture and other areas are the main goals of SCO." "So that process has been completed from our side - essentially entailing to a couple of agreements as per the calendar drawn by the memorandum of obligations - something which we have relayed to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation secretariat in Beijing. They have also confirmed that India has completed this process," Srinivas said. "The indications are that the last leg of the entire membership process that is the confirmation by the heads of state of existing members of the SCO, is going to happen in Astana," he added. Narendra Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with a number of SCO member countries including China's President Xi Jinping. He will also meet Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev to promote ties in the fields of trade and commerce, education, tourism and other sectors, ANI reported. Kazakhstan is India's largest trading partner in Central Asia and the total trade volume between the two countries rose from 120 million US dollars to around 900 million dollars in recent years, according to ANI. (WION with inputs from agencies)

SCO summit 2017 to begin today, India and Pakistan set to become full members

Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to rewrite world trade rules and cast himself as a champion of globalisation as he capitalises on a US retreat into &quot;America First&quot; policies, analysts say.

But not everyone is buying the rhetoric.

Xi&#39;s plan was on display this week at an international summit in Beijing to promote his signature foreign policy, the One Belt, One Road initiative that aims to revive ancient land and sea trade routes.

The meeting gave Xi a spotlight to raise his standing abroad and at home, where he faces a crucial Communist Party congress later this year.

World leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, heaped praise on the idea which Xi boasted would be &quot;a project of the century&quot; and &quot;unleash new driving forces for global economic growth&quot;.&nbsp;

Xi emerged as an unlikely capitalist hero at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January when he extolled open trade and denounced protectionism.

He now stands in stark contrast to US President Donald Trump whose pursuit of &quot;America First&quot; policies on trade and foreign relations has given China the chance to reshape the global and political landscape in its favour.

&quot;He (Xi) is very anxious to move as early as possible to take advantage of the vacuum created by Donald Trump and show that China has the capacity to be a rule maker,&quot; China political analyst Willy Lam said.

But Xi&#39;s cherished Silk Road plan has raised concerns that he is seeking to expand China&#39;s economic and political ambitions abroad rather than open up his own country to further trade and investment.

&quot;Hopefully (One Belt, One Road) is not a one-way street but two-way,&quot; European Union Chamber of Commerce in China President Joerg Wuttke told reporters recently.&nbsp;

&quot;I hope China is not just reaching out to the world but actually embracing the world and opening up to foreign trade.&quot;

Despite claims that it welcomes foreign investment, China has long been criticised for erecting barriers in a wide range of sectors from automotives to finance, while also subsidising its own companies.&nbsp;

It ranked 84th globally, behind Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, in the World Bank&#39;s ease of doing business index for 2016, and second to last in an OECD report on the restrictiveness towards foreign investment.&nbsp;

Financial risks

Many doubt the motives behind its latest plan.

&quot;I don&#39;t think many people are buying the spin that this is all in the name of free trade and global prosperity,&quot; said Andrew Gilholm from global risk consultancy Control Risks.

&quot;I think a lot of countries are going along with it because that&#39;s how much significance political leaders attach to trying to benefit from aligning with China&#39;s economic priorities.&quot;

The China-bankrolled project involves a massive network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks spanning some 65 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe.&nbsp;

Xi has pledged an extra $124 billion for the plan, on top of the $890 billion already earmarked by the China Development Bank for some 900 projects.&nbsp;

The huge spending plan comes as China looks for ways to spur economic growth, which has slowed in recent years as the country transitions away from a debt-fuelled investment-driven model to one more reliant on consumer spending.&nbsp;

But many of the countries involved in the initiative, representing 60 per cent of the world population and around a third of global gross domestic product, have poor records on corporate and political governance and there are fears China could run into trouble.&nbsp;

&quot;If projects are not commercially viable this becomes a very expensive commitment at a time when domestic financial strain is rising,&quot; said Gilholm.&nbsp;

PR coup

&nbsp;But Lam said problems would only start to emerge in the coming years, giving Xi time to use the Silk Road plan to burnish his credentials as a global statesman at home and abroad.&nbsp;

The summit comes ahead of a crucial Communist Party congress later this year.

Regarded as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation, Xi will secure a second five-year term at the congress and will have the opportunity to promote his favoured allies to the country&#39;s ultimate decision-making body.

Enthusiastic state-media coverage of the two-day Silk Road summit, which was attended by leaders from nearly 30 countries, showered Xi with the sort of attention he craves.&nbsp;

&quot;I think the optics worked out well for him,&quot; said Gilholm.

&quot;But obviously there&#39;s a heck of a lot more to it than just holding an event and having people make nice speeches. It gets harder from now onwards.&quot;

(AFP)

Xi Jinping's cherished Silk Road plan has raised concerns that he is seeking to expand China's economic and political ambitions abroad rather than open up his own country to further trade and investment

Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to rewrite world trade rules and cast himself as a champion of globalisation as he capitalises on a US retreat into "America First" policies, analysts say. But not everyone is buying the rhetoric. Xi's plan was on display this week at an international summit in Beijing to promote his signature foreign policy, the One Belt, One Road initiative that aims to revive ancient land and sea trade routes. The meeting gave Xi a spotlight to raise his standing abroad and at home, where he faces a crucial Communist Party congress later this year. World leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, heaped praise on the idea which Xi boasted would be "a project of the century" and "unleash new driving forces for global economic growth". Xi emerged as an unlikely capitalist hero at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January when he extolled open trade and denounced protectionism. He now stands in stark contrast to US President Donald Trump whose pursuit of "America First" policies on trade and foreign relations has given China the chance to reshape the global and political landscape in its favour. "He (Xi) is very anxious to move as early as possible to take advantage of the vacuum created by Donald Trump and show that China has the capacity to be a rule maker," China political analyst Willy Lam said. But Xi's cherished Silk Road plan has raised concerns that he is seeking to expand China's economic and political ambitions abroad rather than open up his own country to further trade and investment. "Hopefully (One Belt, One Road) is not a one-way street but two-way," European Union Chamber of Commerce in China President Joerg Wuttke told reporters recently. "I hope China is not just reaching out to the world but actually embracing the world and opening up to foreign trade." Despite claims that it welcomes foreign investment, China has long been criticised for erecting barriers in a wide range of sectors from automotives to finance, while also subsidising its own companies. It ranked 84th globally, behind Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, in the World Bank's ease of doing business index for 2016, and second to last in an OECD report on the restrictiveness towards foreign investment. Financial risks Many doubt the motives behind its latest plan. "I don't think many people are buying the spin that this is all in the name of free trade and global prosperity," said Andrew Gilholm from global risk consultancy Control Risks. "I think a lot of countries are going along with it because that's how much significance political leaders attach to trying to benefit from aligning with China's economic priorities." The China-bankrolled project involves a massive network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks spanning some 65 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe. Xi has pledged an extra $124 billion for the plan, on top of the $890 billion already earmarked by the China Development Bank for some 900 projects. The huge spending plan comes as China looks for ways to spur economic growth, which has slowed in recent years as the country transitions away from a debt-fuelled investment-driven model to one more reliant on consumer spending. But many of the countries involved in the initiative, representing 60 per cent of the world population and around a third of global gross domestic product, have poor records on corporate and political governance and there are fears China could run into trouble. "If projects are not commercially viable this becomes a very expensive commitment at a time when domestic financial strain is rising," said Gilholm. PR coup But Lam said problems would only start to emerge in the coming years, giving Xi time to use the Silk Road plan to burnish his credentials as a global statesman at home and abroad. The summit comes ahead of a crucial Communist Party congress later this year. Regarded as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation, Xi will secure a second five-year term at the congress and will have the opportunity to promote his favoured allies to the country's ultimate decision-making body. Enthusiastic state-media coverage of the two-day Silk Road summit, which was attended by leaders from nearly 30 countries, showered Xi with the sort of attention he craves. "I think the optics worked out well for him," said Gilholm. "But obviously there's a heck of a lot more to it than just holding an event and having people make nice speeches. It gets harder from now onwards." (AFP)

China's Xi seeks to rewrite global trade rules as US retreats

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $124 billion on Sunday for his new Silk Road plan to forge a path of peace, inclusiveness and free trade, and called for the abandonment of old models based on rivalry and diplomatic power games.

Xi used a summit on the initiative, attended by leaders and top officials from around the world, to bolster China&#39;s global leadership ambitions as US&nbsp;President Donald Trump promotes &quot;America First&quot; and questions existing global free trade deals.

&quot;We should build an open platform of cooperation and uphold and grow an open world economy,&quot; Xi told the opening of the two-day gathering in Beijing.

China has touted what it formally calls the Belt and Road initiative as a new way to boost global development since Xi unveiled the plan in 2013, aiming to expand links between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond underpinned by billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.

Xi said the world must create conditions that promote open development and encourage the building of systems of &quot;fair, reasonable and transparent global trade and investment rules&quot;.

Hours before the summit opened, North Korea launched another ballistic missile, further testing the patience of China, its chief ally. The United States had complained to China on Friday over the inclusion of a North Korean delegation at the event.

Massive funding boost

Xi pledged a major funding boost to the new Silk Road, including an extra 100 billion yuan ($14.50 billion) into the existing Silk Road Fund, 380 billion yuan in loans from two policy banks and 60 billion yuan in aid to developing countries and international bodies in countries along the new trade routes.

In addition, Xi said China would encourage financial institutions to expand their overseas yuan fund businesses to the tune of 300 billion yuan.

Xi did not give a time frame for the new loans, aid and funding pledged on Sunday.

Leaders from 29 countries attended the forum, as well as the heads of the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Britain&#39;s finance minister told the summit his country was a &quot;natural partner&quot; in the new Silk Road, while the prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, a close Chinese ally, praised China&#39;s &quot;vision and ingenuity&quot;.

&quot;Such a broad sweep and scale of interlocking economic partnerships and investments is unprecedented in history,&quot; Sharif said.

White House adviser Matt Pottinger said the United States welcomed efforts by China to promote infrastructure connectivity as part of its Belt and Road initiative, and US&nbsp;companies could offer top value services.

India refused to send an official delegation to Beijing, reflecting displeasure with China for developing a $57 billion trade corridor through Pakistan that also crosses the disputed territory of Kashmir.

&quot;No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity,&quot; said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay, adding that there were concerns about host countries taking on &quot;unsustainable debt.&quot;

China plans to import $2 trillion of products from countries participating in its Belt and Road initiative over the next five years, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan said.

Unease over summit

But some Western diplomats have expressed unease about both the summit and the plan as a whole, seeing it as an attempt to promote Chinese influence globally. They are also concerned about transparency and access for foreign firms to the scheme.

Australian Trade Minister Steven Ciobo said Canberra was receptive to exploring commercial opportunities China&#39;s new Silk Road presented, but any decisions would remain incumbent on national interest.

&quot;China is willing to share its development experience with all countries,&quot; Xi said. &quot;We will not interfere in other countries&#39; internal affairs. We will not export our system of society and development model, and even more will not impose our views on others.&quot;

&quot;In advancing the Belt and Road, we will not re-tread the old path of games between foes. Instead we will create a new model of cooperation and mutual benefit,&quot; Xi said.

North Korea, which considers China its sole major diplomatic ally and economic benefactor, raised eyebrows when it decided to send a delegation to the summit.

The North Korean delegation largely kept a low profile at the summit, and there was no evidence that its presence had affected participation despite US&nbsp;misgivings.

Financial Inclusiveness

Xi said the new Silk Road would be open to all, including Africa and the Americas, which are not situated on the traditional Silk Road.

&quot;No matter if they are from Asia and Europe, or Africa or the Americas, they are all cooperative partners in building the Belt and Road.&quot;

The idea of cooperation and inclusiveness extends to funding projects and investments along the new trade routes, which are being developed both on land and at sea.

&quot;We need joint effort among Belt and Road countries to boost financing cooperation,&quot; Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of China&#39;s central bank, said.

To sustain the projects, Belt and Road nations should allow companies to play a key role, as government resources are limited, Zhou said.

The active use of local currencies will also help to mobilise local savings, lower remittance and exchange costs, and safeguard financial stability, he said.

At the forum, finance ministries from 27 countries, including China, approved a set of principles that will guide project financing along the new Silk Road.

Germany, which was not among the countries that approved the financing guidelines, said its firms were willing to support the Belt and Road initiative, but more transparency was needed.

Some of China&#39;s close allies and partners were at the forum, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

There were also several European leaders attending, including the prime ministers of Spain, Italy, Greece and Hungary.

Chinese state-run media has spared no effort in its coverage of the summit, including broadcasting an awkwardly-named English-language music video &quot;The Belt and Road is How&quot; sung by children from countries on the new Silk Road.

(Reuters)

India has declined to be a part of the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $124 billion on Sunday for his new Silk Road plan to forge a path of peace, inclusiveness and free trade, and called for the abandonment of old models based on rivalry and diplomatic power games. Xi used a summit on the initiative, attended by leaders and top officials from around the world, to bolster China's global leadership ambitions as US President Donald Trump promotes "America First" and questions existing global free trade deals. "We should build an open platform of cooperation and uphold and grow an open world economy," Xi told the opening of the two-day gathering in Beijing. China has touted what it formally calls the Belt and Road initiative as a new way to boost global development since Xi unveiled the plan in 2013, aiming to expand links between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond underpinned by billions of dollars in infrastructure investment. Xi said the world must create conditions that promote open development and encourage the building of systems of "fair, reasonable and transparent global trade and investment rules". Hours before the summit opened, North Korea launched another ballistic missile, further testing the patience of China, its chief ally. The United States had complained to China on Friday over the inclusion of a North Korean delegation at the event. Massive funding boost Xi pledged a major funding boost to the new Silk Road, including an extra 100 billion yuan ($14.50 billion) into the existing Silk Road Fund, 380 billion yuan in loans from two policy banks and 60 billion yuan in aid to developing countries and international bodies in countries along the new trade routes. In addition, Xi said China would encourage financial institutions to expand their overseas yuan fund businesses to the tune of 300 billion yuan. Xi did not give a time frame for the new loans, aid and funding pledged on Sunday. Leaders from 29 countries attended the forum, as well as the heads of the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Britain's finance minister told the summit his country was a "natural partner" in the new Silk Road, while the prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, a close Chinese ally, praised China's "vision and ingenuity". "Such a broad sweep and scale of interlocking economic partnerships and investments is unprecedented in history," Sharif said. White House adviser Matt Pottinger said the United States welcomed efforts by China to promote infrastructure connectivity as part of its Belt and Road initiative, and US companies could offer top value services. India refused to send an official delegation to Beijing, reflecting displeasure with China for developing a $57 billion trade corridor through Pakistan that also crosses the disputed territory of Kashmir. "No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay, adding that there were concerns about host countries taking on "unsustainable debt." China plans to import $2 trillion of products from countries participating in its Belt and Road initiative over the next five years, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan said. Unease over summit But some Western diplomats have expressed unease about both the summit and the plan as a whole, seeing it as an attempt to promote Chinese influence globally. They are also concerned about transparency and access for foreign firms to the scheme. Australian Trade Minister Steven Ciobo said Canberra was receptive to exploring commercial opportunities China's new Silk Road presented, but any decisions would remain incumbent on national interest. "China is willing to share its development experience with all countries," Xi said. "We will not interfere in other countries' internal affairs. We will not export our system of society and development model, and even more will not impose our views on others." "In advancing the Belt and Road, we will not re-tread the old path of games between foes. Instead we will create a new model of cooperation and mutual benefit," Xi said. North Korea, which considers China its sole major diplomatic ally and economic benefactor, raised eyebrows when it decided to send a delegation to the summit. The North Korean delegation largely kept a low profile at the summit, and there was no evidence that its presence had affected participation despite US misgivings. Financial Inclusiveness Xi said the new Silk Road would be open to all, including Africa and the Americas, which are not situated on the traditional Silk Road. "No matter if they are from Asia and Europe, or Africa or the Americas, they are all cooperative partners in building the Belt and Road." The idea of cooperation and inclusiveness extends to funding projects and investments along the new trade routes, which are being developed both on land and at sea. "We need joint effort among Belt and Road countries to boost financing cooperation," Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of China's central bank, said. To sustain the projects, Belt and Road nations should allow companies to play a key role, as government resources are limited, Zhou said. The active use of local currencies will also help to mobilise local savings, lower remittance and exchange costs, and safeguard financial stability, he said. At the forum, finance ministries from 27 countries, including China, approved a set of principles that will guide project financing along the new Silk Road. Germany, which was not among the countries that approved the financing guidelines, said its firms were willing to support the Belt and Road initiative, but more transparency was needed. Some of China's close allies and partners were at the forum, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. There were also several European leaders attending, including the prime ministers of Spain, Italy, Greece and Hungary. Chinese state-run media has spared no effort in its coverage of the summit, including broadcasting an awkwardly-named English-language music video "The Belt and Road is How" sung by children from countries on the new Silk Road. (Reuters)

China pledges $124 billion for new Silk Road as champion of globalisation

China and Pakistan today signed six pacts to boost cooperation on the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, including one on building an airport at the strategic Gwadar port city, with President Xi Jinping asserting that ties with Islamabad were a priority.

The pacts were signed in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang ahead of the much-publicised Belt and Road (B&amp;R) Forum beginning tomorrow.

The agreements included accords of cooperation in diverse fields, framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, Economic and Technical Cooperation with assistance of 1.5 billion yuan (USD 210 million) for Gwadar Airport, 0.8 billion yuan (USD 115 million) for Economic and Technical Cooperation for Gwadar Airport and 1.1 billion yuan (USD 160 million) for East bay Expressway, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

After the MoUs and agreements were signed, Xi told Sharif that the bilateral ties remain &quot;a priority for China&quot; and Beijing was willing to enrich the &quot;all-weather&quot; strategic and cooperative partnership with Pakistan.

Sharif also attended a presentation made by China&#39;s National Energy Administration (NEA) on the construction of Bhasha Dam, a project which he said is of critical importance for the future of Pakistan.

Pakistani media reported that Chinese companies had &quot;conducted survey and studies on the North Indus Cascade project.

The report said China&#39;s interest in providing USD 50 billion to fund the project could generate 40,000 MW hydro electricity.

The pacts deal with the increasing bilateral cooperation within the framework of China&#39;s ambitious Silk Road project, upgrading the main railway track between Karachi and Peshawar - referred to as ML-1 or Main Line-1, and an MoU for the establishment of a dry port in Havelian, Radio Pakistan reported.

Three agreements were signed pertaining to economic and technical cooperation worth 3.4 billion yuan (about USD 490 million) for the strategic Gwadar port in southern Pakistan and East Bay expressway, a 19 kilometre controlled access road under construction in Gwadar.

Sharif, the only head of government to be represented at the B&amp;R summit, is leading perhaps the largest delegation to Beijing - four chief ministers and five federal ministers.

Li said China is willing to work with Pakistan in translating mutual political trust into more fruits of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Citing positive results achieved in the cooperation on the corridor, Li said both the sides should efficiently dovetail their development strategies, advance major transportation and energy projects as scheduled, enhance cooperation on industrial capacity, and boost a balanced development of trade.

Li expressed the hope that Pakistan will intensify its efforts in protecting the safety of Chinese personnel in the nation, and ensure the security of related projects.

On the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of the B&amp;R initiative, Xi said the supplementary projects in and around the Gwadar port in the restive Balochistan province should be steadily advanced and the study on the construction of industrial parks along the corridor facilitated.

The deep-water port and the CPEC is of significance to China as they together facilitate Beijing&#39;s access to the Arabian Sea and resultantly links it with Eurasia and Africa.

The Gwadar port opposite the Mumbai&#39;s port housing the Indian Navy&#39;s western naval command provides a berth for China in the Arabian Sea and to the Indian Ocean.

China has already announced plans to station its marines there as well in Djibouti in Horn of Africa in Indian Ocean.

India opposes the CPEC as it runs through the Pakistan- Occupied Kashmir. In the last few days, China tried to assuage India&#39;s feelings by asserting that the commercial corridor will not have any impact on its stand that the Kashmir issue should be settled by India and Pakistan through dialogue.

But India is not attending the high-profile B&amp;R summit. It worries over a 3,000-km-long project connecting the Gwadar port and Xinjiang stem from the fact Gwadar, which was taken over by the Chinese, will become a future naval base.

During his meeting with Sharif, Xi stressed that a long- term planning for the corridor should be completed as soon as possible and cooperation programmes covering energy, transportation infrastructure and people&#39;s livelihoods should be promoted.

The two countries should not only continue high-level exchanges, but increase interactions between governments, legislative bodies and political parties, Xi was quoted as saying by China&#39;s state-run Xinhua news agency.

He said the two countries should strengthen cooperation on areas including anti-terrorism and security, and enhance coordination on major international and regional affairs.

Xi said China wants to deepen cooperation with Pakistan under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Sharif said Pakistan will continue to cooperate with China under multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the SCO to contribute to stability and development in the region and beyond. He said the China-Pakistan friendship is solid and stressed that it was a national consensus to deepen ties with Beijing and participate in the B&amp;R initiative.

Pakistan is willing to work with China in actively implementing various projects related to the CPEC and steadily pushing forward the cooperation on energy and infrastructure construction, including the Gwadar port project, he said.

&quot;Pakistan fully supports China&#39;s vision of the Belt and Road Forum,&quot; Sharif said at a separate meeting with Premier Li.

&quot;Pakistan considers China its most valuable friend,&quot; he said, adding that the participation of the chief ministers of all the four Pakistani provinces at the B&amp;R forum was an indication that &quot;we are all one for [the success of] the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor&quot;, he said.

Sharif said that the country will accelerate the construction of the corridor and take measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and enterprises.

Pakistan hoped that bilateral industrial and trade cooperation will be strengthened, and will work to facilitate Chinese enterprises&#39; investment in the nation, he said.

After their meeting, Li and Sharif witnessed the signing of documents related to cooperation on economy and technology.

He reaffirmed Pakistan&#39;s commitment for the completion of early results under the CPEC.

Pakistan&#39;s Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, who is incharge of the CPEC, meanwhile told state-run APP that on the agenda of Sharif&#39;s visit to Beijing also included deals to build an airport and expressway in Gwadar.&nbsp;

(PTI)&nbsp;

The agreements included accords of cooperation in diverse fields

China and Pakistan today signed six pacts to boost cooperation on the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, including one on building an airport at the strategic Gwadar port city, with President Xi Jinping asserting that ties with Islamabad were a priority. The pacts were signed in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang ahead of the much-publicised Belt and Road (B&R) Forum beginning tomorrow. The agreements included accords of cooperation in diverse fields, framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, Economic and Technical Cooperation with assistance of 1.5 billion yuan (USD 210 million) for Gwadar Airport, 0.8 billion yuan (USD 115 million) for Economic and Technical Cooperation for Gwadar Airport and 1.1 billion yuan (USD 160 million) for East bay Expressway, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported. After the MoUs and agreements were signed, Xi told Sharif that the bilateral ties remain "a priority for China" and Beijing was willing to enrich the "all-weather" strategic and cooperative partnership with Pakistan. Sharif also attended a presentation made by China's National Energy Administration (NEA) on the construction of Bhasha Dam, a project which he said is of critical importance for the future of Pakistan. Pakistani media reported that Chinese companies had "conducted survey and studies on the North Indus Cascade project. The report said China's interest in providing USD 50 billion to fund the project could generate 40,000 MW hydro electricity. The pacts deal with the increasing bilateral cooperation within the framework of China's ambitious Silk Road project, upgrading the main railway track between Karachi and Peshawar - referred to as ML-1 or Main Line-1, and an MoU for the establishment of a dry port in Havelian, Radio Pakistan reported. Three agreements were signed pertaining to economic and technical cooperation worth 3.4 billion yuan (about USD 490 million) for the strategic Gwadar port in southern Pakistan and East Bay expressway, a 19 kilometre controlled access road under construction in Gwadar. Sharif, the only head of government to be represented at the B&R summit, is leading perhaps the largest delegation to Beijing - four chief ministers and five federal ministers. Li said China is willing to work with Pakistan in translating mutual political trust into more fruits of mutually beneficial cooperation. Citing positive results achieved in the cooperation on the corridor, Li said both the sides should efficiently dovetail their development strategies, advance major transportation and energy projects as scheduled, enhance cooperation on industrial capacity, and boost a balanced development of trade. Li expressed the hope that Pakistan will intensify its efforts in protecting the safety of Chinese personnel in the nation, and ensure the security of related projects. On the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of the B&R initiative, Xi said the supplementary projects in and around the Gwadar port in the restive Balochistan province should be steadily advanced and the study on the construction of industrial parks along the corridor facilitated. The deep-water port and the CPEC is of significance to China as they together facilitate Beijing's access to the Arabian Sea and resultantly links it with Eurasia and Africa. The Gwadar port opposite the Mumbai's port housing the Indian Navy's western naval command provides a berth for China in the Arabian Sea and to the Indian Ocean. China has already announced plans to station its marines there as well in Djibouti in Horn of Africa in Indian Ocean. India opposes the CPEC as it runs through the Pakistan- Occupied Kashmir. In the last few days, China tried to assuage India's feelings by asserting that the commercial corridor will not have any impact on its stand that the Kashmir issue should be settled by India and Pakistan through dialogue. But India is not attending the high-profile B&R summit. It worries over a 3,000-km-long project connecting the Gwadar port and Xinjiang stem from the fact Gwadar, which was taken over by the Chinese, will become a future naval base. During his meeting with Sharif, Xi stressed that a long- term planning for the corridor should be completed as soon as possible and cooperation programmes covering energy, transportation infrastructure and people's livelihoods should be promoted. The two countries should not only continue high-level exchanges, but increase interactions between governments, legislative bodies and political parties, Xi was quoted as saying by China's state-run Xinhua news agency. He said the two countries should strengthen cooperation on areas including anti-terrorism and security, and enhance coordination on major international and regional affairs. Xi said China wants to deepen cooperation with Pakistan under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Sharif said Pakistan will continue to cooperate with China under multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the SCO to contribute to stability and development in the region and beyond. He said the China-Pakistan friendship is solid and stressed that it was a national consensus to deepen ties with Beijing and participate in the B&R initiative. Pakistan is willing to work with China in actively implementing various projects related to the CPEC and steadily pushing forward the cooperation on energy and infrastructure construction, including the Gwadar port project, he said. "Pakistan fully supports China's vision of the Belt and Road Forum," Sharif said at a separate meeting with Premier Li. "Pakistan considers China its most valuable friend," he said, adding that the participation of the chief ministers of all the four Pakistani provinces at the B&R forum was an indication that "we are all one for [the success of] the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor", he said. Sharif said that the country will accelerate the construction of the corridor and take measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and enterprises. Pakistan hoped that bilateral industrial and trade cooperation will be strengthened, and will work to facilitate Chinese enterprises' investment in the nation, he said. After their meeting, Li and Sharif witnessed the signing of documents related to cooperation on economy and technology. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment for the completion of early results under the CPEC. Pakistan's Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, who is incharge of the CPEC, meanwhile told state-run APP that on the agenda of Sharif's visit to Beijing also included deals to build an airport and expressway in Gwadar. (PTI)

China, Pakistan ink 6 pacts ahead of OBOR summit, Xi says ties priority

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all sides to exercise restraint on Monday in a call with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, as a nervous South Korea and Japan sought to join drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group headed for Korean waters.

Reclusive North Korea said at the weekend it was ready to sink the US&nbsp;aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, which Trump had ordered to waters off the Korean peninsula as a warning to the nuclear-armed North.

Japan said on Sunday it had sent two Japanese destroyers to join the carrier group for drills, and South Korea said it was also in talks about holding joint naval exercises.

China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, leading to war and a chaotic collapse of its isolated and poverty-struck neighbour.

Xi told Trump that China resolutely opposes any actions that run counter to UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said.

China &quot;hopes that all relevant sides exercise restraint, and avoid doing anything to worsen the tense situation on the peninsula&quot;, the statement paraphrased Xi as saying.

The nuclear issue can only be resolved quickly with all relevant countries pulling in the same direction, and China is willing to work with all parties, including the United States, to ensure peace, Xi said.

Tensions have risen sharply in recent months, with Washington and its allies fearing Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear missile test or launch more ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations sanctions.

North Korea celebrates the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People`s Army on Tuesday, and has marked similar events in the past with nuclear tests or missile launches.

&#39;Repeated Provocation&#39; 
Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described his conversation with Trump as a &quot;thorough exchange of views&quot;.

&quot;We agreed to strongly demand that North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint,&quot; Abe told reporters.

&quot;We will maintain close contact with the United States, keep a high level of vigilance and respond firmly,&quot; he said.

Abe also said he and Trump agreed that China, North Korea`s sole major ally, should play a large role in dealing with Pyongyang.

A Japanese official said the phone call between Trump and Abe was not prompted by any specific change in the situation.

The US&nbsp;government has not specified where the carrier strike group is, but U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive &quot;within days&quot;.

South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun gave no further details about the South`s plans, other than saying Seoul was holding discussions with the US Navy.

&quot;I can say the South Korean and US militaries are fully ready for North Korea`s nuclear test,&quot; Moon said.

 
South Korean and U.S. officials have feared for some time that North Korea could soon carry out its sixth nuclear test.

Satellite imagery analysed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, found some activity under way at North Korea`s Punggye-ri nuclear test site last week.

However, the group said it was unclear whether the site was in a &quot;tactical pause&quot; before another test or was carrying out normal operations.

Adding to the heightened tensions, North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Saturday as he attempted to leave the country.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, and lead to war

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all sides to exercise restraint on Monday in a call with US President Donald Trump, as a nervous South Korea and Japan sought to join drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group headed for Korean waters. Reclusive North Korea said at the weekend it was ready to sink the US aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, which Trump had ordered to waters off the Korean peninsula as a warning to the nuclear-armed North. Japan said on Sunday it had sent two Japanese destroyers to join the carrier group for drills, and South Korea said it was also in talks about holding joint naval exercises. China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, leading to war and a chaotic collapse of its isolated and poverty-struck neighbour. Xi told Trump that China resolutely opposes any actions that run counter to UN Security Council resolutions, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said. China "hopes that all relevant sides exercise restraint, and avoid doing anything to worsen the tense situation on the peninsula", the statement paraphrased Xi as saying. The nuclear issue can only be resolved quickly with all relevant countries pulling in the same direction, and China is willing to work with all parties, including the United States, to ensure peace, Xi said. Tensions have risen sharply in recent months, with Washington and its allies fearing Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear missile test or launch more ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations sanctions. North Korea celebrates the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People`s Army on Tuesday, and has marked similar events in the past with nuclear tests or missile launches. 'Repeated Provocation' Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described his conversation with Trump as a "thorough exchange of views". "We agreed to strongly demand that North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint," Abe told reporters. "We will maintain close contact with the United States, keep a high level of vigilance and respond firmly," he said. Abe also said he and Trump agreed that China, North Korea`s sole major ally, should play a large role in dealing with Pyongyang. A Japanese official said the phone call between Trump and Abe was not prompted by any specific change in the situation. The US government has not specified where the carrier strike group is, but U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive "within days". South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun gave no further details about the South`s plans, other than saying Seoul was holding discussions with the US Navy. "I can say the South Korean and US militaries are fully ready for North Korea`s nuclear test," Moon said. South Korean and U.S. officials have feared for some time that North Korea could soon carry out its sixth nuclear test. Satellite imagery analysed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, found some activity under way at North Korea`s Punggye-ri nuclear test site last week. However, the group said it was unclear whether the site was in a "tactical pause" before another test or was carrying out normal operations. Adding to the heightened tensions, North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Saturday as he attempted to leave the country. (Reuters)

China's Xi calls Trump as carrier heads for Korea, calls for restraint

A US Navy carrier strike group was moving towards the Korean Peninsula on Saturday as the United States boosts its defences against North Korea&#39;s nuclear ambitions.

&quot;US Pacific Command ordered the Carl Vinson Strike Group north as a prudent measure to maintain readiness and presence in the Western Pacific,&quot; said Commander Dave Benham, spokesman at US Pacific Command.

&quot;The number one threat in the region continues to be North Korea, due to its reckless, irresponsible and destabilizing program of missile tests and pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability,&quot; he told AFP.

The strike group includes the Nimitz-class aircraft supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, a carrier air wing, two guided-missile destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser.

Originally scheduled to make port calls in Australia, it headed instead from Singapore to the Western Pacific Ocean.

The North has carried out five nuclear tests -- two of them last year -- and expert satellite imagery analysis suggests it could well be preparing for a sixth.

US intelligence officials say Pyongyang could be less than two years away from developing a nuclear warhead that could reach the continental United States.

On Thursday and Friday, US President Donald Trump hosted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for talks during which he pressed Pyongyang&#39;s key ally to help curb the North&#39;s nuclear weapons program.

Trump has threatened unilateral action against the hermit state, a threat that appears more palpable after he ordered a strike on a Syrian airfield following an apparent chemical attack.

The head of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which provides missile detection and defense for the region, said Thursday she was &quot;extremely confident&quot; of US capability to intercept a potential intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) bound for America from the North.

But General Lori Robinson expressed concerns for the type of ballistic missile powered by a solid-fuel engine that Pyongyang said it successfully tested in February.

&quot;Amidst an unprecedented pace of North Korean strategic weapons testing, our ability to provide actionable warning continues to diminish,&quot; Robinson said in written testimony to senators.

(AFP)

Originally scheduled to make port calls in Australia, it headed instead from Singapore to the Western Pacific Ocean

A US Navy carrier strike group was moving towards the Korean Peninsula on Saturday as the United States boosts its defences against North Korea's nuclear ambitions. "US Pacific Command ordered the Carl Vinson Strike Group north as a prudent measure to maintain readiness and presence in the Western Pacific," said Commander Dave Benham, spokesman at US Pacific Command. "The number one threat in the region continues to be North Korea, due to its reckless, irresponsible and destabilizing program of missile tests and pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability," he told AFP. The strike group includes the Nimitz-class aircraft supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, a carrier air wing, two guided-missile destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser. Originally scheduled to make port calls in Australia, it headed instead from Singapore to the Western Pacific Ocean. The North has carried out five nuclear tests -- two of them last year -- and expert satellite imagery analysis suggests it could well be preparing for a sixth. US intelligence officials say Pyongyang could be less than two years away from developing a nuclear warhead that could reach the continental United States. On Thursday and Friday, US President Donald Trump hosted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for talks during which he pressed Pyongyang's key ally to help curb the North's nuclear weapons program. Trump has threatened unilateral action against the hermit state, a threat that appears more palpable after he ordered a strike on a Syrian airfield following an apparent chemical attack. The head of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which provides missile detection and defense for the region, said Thursday she was "extremely confident" of US capability to intercept a potential intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) bound for America from the North. But General Lori Robinson expressed concerns for the type of ballistic missile powered by a solid-fuel engine that Pyongyang said it successfully tested in February. "Amidst an unprecedented pace of North Korean strategic weapons testing, our ability to provide actionable warning continues to diminish," Robinson said in written testimony to senators. (AFP)

US Navy carrier moving towards Korean peninsula to strengthen defence

President Donald Trump pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping to do more to curb North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear programme and help reduce the gaping US trade deficit with Beijing in talks on Friday, even as he toned down the strident anti-China rhetoric of his election campaign.

Trump spoke publicly of progress on a range of issues in his first US-China summit &ndash; as did several of his top aides &ndash; but they provided few concrete specifics other than China&#39;s agreement to work together to narrow disagreements and find common ground for cooperation.

As the two leaders wrapped up a Florida summit overshadowed by US missile strikes in Syria overnight, Xi joined Trump in stressing the positive mood of the meetings while papering over deep differences that have caused friction between the world&rsquo;s two biggest economies.

Trump&rsquo;s aides insisted he had made good on his pledge to raise concerns about China&rsquo;s trade practices and said there was some headway, with Xi agreeing to a 100-day plan for trade talks aimed at boosting US exports and reducing China&rsquo;s trade surplus with the United States.

Speaking after the two-day summit at Trump&rsquo;s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also said that Xi had agreed to increased cooperation in reining in North Korea&rsquo;s missile and nuclear programs &ndash; though he did not offer any new formula for cracking Pyongyang&rsquo;s defiant attitude.

Trump had promised during the campaign to stop what he called the theft of American jobs by China. Many blue-collar workers helped propel him to his unexpected election victory on November 8 and Trump is under pressure to deliver for them.

The Republican president tweeted last week that the United States could no longer tolerate massive trade deficits and job losses and that his meeting with Xi &quot;will be a very difficult one&quot;.

On Friday, the unpredictable Trump not only set a different tone but also avoided any public lapses in protocol that Chinese officials had feared could embarrass their leader.

&quot;We have made tremendous progress in our relationship with China,&quot; Trump told reporters as the two delegations met around tables flanked by large US and Chinese flags. &quot;We will be making additional progress. The relationship developed by President Xi and myself I think is outstanding. And I believe lots of very potentially bad problems will be going away,&quot; he added, without providing details.

Agree with you 100 per cent

Xi also spoke in mostly positive terms.

&ldquo;We have engaged in deeper understanding, and have built a trust,&quot; he said. &ldquo;I believe we will keep developing in a stable way to form friendly relations....For the peace and stability of the world, we will also fulfil our historical responsibility.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Well, I agree with you 100 percent,&quot; Trump replied.

But in a sign that rough spots remained, Tillerson afterwards described the discussions as &ldquo;very frank and candid.&rdquo;

&ldquo;President Trump and President Xi agreed to work in concert to expand areas of cooperation while managing differences based on mutual respect,&rdquo; he said.

After the meeting, Trump took Xi on a walk around the manicured grounds of his lavish Spanish-style complex. Trump could be seen chatting and gesturing to Xi, who did the same.

Tillerson said Trump had accepted Xi&rsquo;s invitation to visit China and that they also agreed to upgrade a US-China dialogue by putting the two presidents at the head of the forum.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the Chinese had expressed an interest in reducing China&rsquo;s trade surplus as a way of controlling their own inflation. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the first time I&rsquo;ve heard them say that in a bilateral context,&rdquo; he said.

Ross declined to say whether the United States was ready to designate China a currency manipulator, however, referring to an upcoming report in which that issue would be addressed.

Although Trump during the presidential election campaign had pledged to label China a currency manipulator on the first day of his administration, he has refrained from doing so.

The highly anticipated US-China summit was upstaged by US missile strikes overnight against a Syrian air base from which Trump said a deadly chemical weapon attack had been launched earlier in the week. It was the first direct US assault on the Russian-backed government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in six years of civil war.

The swift action in Syria could be interpreted as a signal especially to defiant nuclear-armed North Korea &ndash; and by extension, its ally China &ndash; as well as other countries like Iran and Russia of Trump&rsquo;s willingness to use military force. North Korea is developing missiles capable of hitting the United States.

Tillerson said Xi agreed with Trump that North Korea&#39;s nuclear advances had reached a &ldquo;very serious stage&rdquo;.

He said Trump also raised U.S.concerns about China&#39;s activities in the South China Sea. Beijing is building and fortifying islands in pursuit of expansive territorial claims in the strategic waterway.

(Reuters)

Trump and his team provided few specifics other than China's agreement to work together to narrow disagreements

President Donald Trump pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping to do more to curb North Korea’s nuclear programme and help reduce the gaping US trade deficit with Beijing in talks on Friday, even as he toned down the strident anti-China rhetoric of his election campaign. Trump spoke publicly of progress on a range of issues in his first US-China summit – as did several of his top aides – but they provided few concrete specifics other than China's agreement to work together to narrow disagreements and find common ground for cooperation. As the two leaders wrapped up a Florida summit overshadowed by US missile strikes in Syria overnight, Xi joined Trump in stressing the positive mood of the meetings while papering over deep differences that have caused friction between the world’s two biggest economies. Trump’s aides insisted he had made good on his pledge to raise concerns about China’s trade practices and said there was some headway, with Xi agreeing to a 100-day plan for trade talks aimed at boosting US exports and reducing China’s trade surplus with the United States. Speaking after the two-day summit at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also said that Xi had agreed to increased cooperation in reining in North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs – though he did not offer any new formula for cracking Pyongyang’s defiant attitude. Trump had promised during the campaign to stop what he called the theft of American jobs by China. Many blue-collar workers helped propel him to his unexpected election victory on November 8 and Trump is under pressure to deliver for them. The Republican president tweeted last week that the United States could no longer tolerate massive trade deficits and job losses and that his meeting with Xi "will be a very difficult one". On Friday, the unpredictable Trump not only set a different tone but also avoided any public lapses in protocol that Chinese officials had feared could embarrass their leader. "We have made tremendous progress in our relationship with China," Trump told reporters as the two delegations met around tables flanked by large US and Chinese flags. "We will be making additional progress. The relationship developed by President Xi and myself I think is outstanding. And I believe lots of very potentially bad problems will be going away," he added, without providing details. Agree with you 100 per cent Xi also spoke in mostly positive terms. “We have engaged in deeper understanding, and have built a trust," he said. “I believe we will keep developing in a stable way to form friendly relations....For the peace and stability of the world, we will also fulfil our historical responsibility.” “Well, I agree with you 100 percent," Trump replied. But in a sign that rough spots remained, Tillerson afterwards described the discussions as “very frank and candid.” “President Trump and President Xi agreed to work in concert to expand areas of cooperation while managing differences based on mutual respect,” he said. After the meeting, Trump took Xi on a walk around the manicured grounds of his lavish Spanish-style complex. Trump could be seen chatting and gesturing to Xi, who did the same. Tillerson said Trump had accepted Xi’s invitation to visit China and that they also agreed to upgrade a US-China dialogue by putting the two presidents at the head of the forum. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the Chinese had expressed an interest in reducing China’s trade surplus as a way of controlling their own inflation. “That’s the first time I’ve heard them say that in a bilateral context,” he said. Ross declined to say whether the United States was ready to designate China a currency manipulator, however, referring to an upcoming report in which that issue would be addressed. Although Trump during the presidential election campaign had pledged to label China a currency manipulator on the first day of his administration, he has refrained from doing so. The highly anticipated US-China summit was upstaged by US missile strikes overnight against a Syrian air base from which Trump said a deadly chemical weapon attack had been launched earlier in the week. It was the first direct US assault on the Russian-backed government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in six years of civil war. The swift action in Syria could be interpreted as a signal especially to defiant nuclear-armed North Korea – and by extension, its ally China – as well as other countries like Iran and Russia of Trump’s willingness to use military force. North Korea is developing missiles capable of hitting the United States. Tillerson said Xi agreed with Trump that North Korea's nuclear advances had reached a “very serious stage”. He said Trump also raised U.S.concerns about China's activities in the South China Sea. Beijing is building and fortifying islands in pursuit of expansive territorial claims in the strategic waterway. (Reuters)

Trump tones down anti-China rhetoric, presses Xi to do more on North Korea

President Donald Trump predicted a &quot;very great&quot; relationship with China&#39;s Xi Jinping as the pair met for the first time at his Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago Thursday, when cordiality replaced tough anti-China rhetoric.

Trump, in his signature red tie, warmly welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi, decked out in contrasting blue, to what the US leader likes to call the &quot;Winter White House&quot; for a superpower summit in the sun.

Inside the luxurious resort Trump waxed lyrical that it was a &quot;great honour&quot; to host the Chinese leader, breaking the ice with a joke about his own dealmaking prowess.

&quot;We had a long discussion already. So far, I have gotten nothing. Absolutely nothing,&quot; he said to laughs from the delegation. &nbsp;

&quot;But I can see that, I think long-term, we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it.&quot;

This is the first time the two leaders meet, after a US election that featured frequent barbs at China&#39;s &quot;rape&quot; of the US economy.

During that campaign Trump had ridiculed his predecessor&#39;s decision to offer Xi a coveted state dinner, saying that -- if elected -- he would serve the 63-year-old a Big Mac.

But inside Mar-a-Lago&#39;s ornate dining room -- with gold-trimmed chairs, fine cut glass and polished silverware -- it was Dover sole with champagne sauce and New York strip steak with whipped potatoes rather than McDonald&#39;s on the menu.

The open agenda and the personal setting for the 24-hour summit are designed to allow the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport, in what is the world&#39;s most important relationship.

Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, Xi and his wife are not staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter.

The two leaders were joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who Trump hailed as a &quot;great, great celebrity.&quot;

Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday, and are likely to turn to more serious issues.

The summit has been somewhat overshadowed by renewed missile tests in North Korea and possible US military action in response to an apparent chemical attack in Syria.

The UN Security Council &nbsp;-- where both China and the United States hold a veto -- is holding crisis talks to discuss a response to Bashar al-Assad&#39;s Syrian regime.

Peace offerings&nbsp;

Xi had arrived to the meeting with a gift basket of &quot;tweetable deliverables,&quot; sources say, peace offerings on Trump&#39;s signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan.

Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi&#39;s plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China&#39;s regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe&#39;s February Mar-a-Lago visit.

There may also be offers to further open China&#39;s auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks&#39; transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country.

In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year.

Trump&#39;s position on democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory.

All politics is local&nbsp;

The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high.

Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy.

On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal.

He &quot;cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order,&quot; China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP.

Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals --&nbsp;desperately needs a win.&nbsp;

On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following Wednesday&#39;s provocative missile launch.

The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance.

While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country&#39;s collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep.

(AFP)

The US and Chinese presidents meet for the first time amid Trump's several jibes and anger aimed at Beijing

President Donald Trump predicted a "very great" relationship with China's Xi Jinping as the pair met for the first time at his Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago Thursday, when cordiality replaced tough anti-China rhetoric. Trump, in his signature red tie, warmly welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi, decked out in contrasting blue, to what the US leader likes to call the "Winter White House" for a superpower summit in the sun. Inside the luxurious resort Trump waxed lyrical that it was a "great honour" to host the Chinese leader, breaking the ice with a joke about his own dealmaking prowess. "We had a long discussion already. So far, I have gotten nothing. Absolutely nothing," he said to laughs from the delegation. "But I can see that, I think long-term, we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it." This is the first time the two leaders meet, after a US election that featured frequent barbs at China's "rape" of the US economy. During that campaign Trump had ridiculed his predecessor's decision to offer Xi a coveted state dinner, saying that -- if elected -- he would serve the 63-year-old a Big Mac. But inside Mar-a-Lago's ornate dining room -- with gold-trimmed chairs, fine cut glass and polished silverware -- it was Dover sole with champagne sauce and New York strip steak with whipped potatoes rather than McDonald's on the menu. The open agenda and the personal setting for the 24-hour summit are designed to allow the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport, in what is the world's most important relationship. Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, Xi and his wife are not staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter. The two leaders were joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who Trump hailed as a "great, great celebrity." Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday, and are likely to turn to more serious issues. The summit has been somewhat overshadowed by renewed missile tests in North Korea and possible US military action in response to an apparent chemical attack in Syria. The UN Security Council -- where both China and the United States hold a veto -- is holding crisis talks to discuss a response to Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime. Peace offerings Xi had arrived to the meeting with a gift basket of "tweetable deliverables," sources say, peace offerings on Trump's signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan. Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi's plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China's regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's February Mar-a-Lago visit. There may also be offers to further open China's auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks' transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country. In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year. Trump's position on democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory. All politics is local The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high. Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy. On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal. He "cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order," China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP. Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals -- desperately needs a win. On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following Wednesday's provocative missile launch. The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance. While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country's collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. (AFP)

Trump bins sharp anti-China rhetoric to host Xi with 'great honour'

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged cooperation with the United States on trade and investment on Thursday, inviting President Donald Trump to visit China in a cordial start to their first meeting likely to broach sensitive security and commercial issues. 
 
Trump has said he wants to raise concerns about China`s trade practices and press Xi to do more to rein in North Korea`s nuclear ambitions during his two-day visit to the Spanish-style Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, though no major deals on either issue are expected. 
 
The two sides should promote the &quot;healthy development of bilateral trade and investment&quot; and advance talks on a bilateral investment agreement, Xi said, according to a statement on China`s Foreign Ministry website. 
 
&quot;We have a thousand reasons to get China-U.S. relations right, and not one reason to spoil the China-U.S. relationship,&quot; Xi told Trump. 
 
Trump accepted Xi`s invitation to China later this year, state news agency Xinhua news agency cited officials as saying on Friday. 
 
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, joined Trump and his wife, Melania, at a long table in an ornate candle-lit private dining room festooned with red and yellow floral centerpieces, where they dined on pan-seared Dover sole and New York strip steak.&nbsp; 
 
Trump, a New York real estate magnate before he ran for office, joked before dinner: &quot;We`ve had a long discussion already, and so far I have gotten nothing, absolutely nothing. But we have developed a friendship - I can see that - and I think long term we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it.&quot; 
 
The fanfare over the summit on Thursday was overshadowed by another pressing foreign policy issue: the U.S. response to a deadly poison gas attack in Syria. As Trump and Xi were wrapping up dinner, U.S. forces fired dozens of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase from which it said the chemical weapons attack was launched this week, an escalation of the U.S. military role in Syria that swiftly drew sharp criticism from Russia.&nbsp; 
 
In Beijing, China`s Foreign Ministry urged all parties in Syria to find a political settlement. 
 
Trump and Xi were expected to get into more detailed discussions about trade and foreign policy issues on Friday, concluding their summit with a working lunch. 
 
Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to stop what he called the theft of American jobs by China and rebuild the country`s manufacturing base. Many blue-collar workers helped propel him to his unexpected election victory in November and Trump wants to deliver for them. 
 
&quot;We have been treated unfairly and have made terrible trade deals with China for many, many years. That`s one of the things we are going to be talking about,&quot; Trump told reporters ahead of the meeting. 
 
The bilateral investment treaty mentioned by Xi, talks on which began during former president George W. Bush`s administration and resumed under Barack Obama, has received little attention since Trump took office.&nbsp; 
 
Trump is still finding his footing in the White House and has yet to spell out a strategy for what his advisers called a trade relationship based on &quot;the principle of reciprocity.&quot; 
 
He brought his top economic and national advisers to Florida for the meeting, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. 
 
&quot;Even as we share a desire to work together, the United States does recognize the challenges China can present to American interests,&quot; said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, also in Florida for the meeting. 
 
Trump`s daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, who both work at the White House, also were among the dinner guests. 
 
Differing personalities 
 
The summit brings together two leaders who could not seem more different: the often stormy Trump, prone to angry tweets, and Xi, outwardly calm, measured and tightly scripted, with no known social media presence.&nbsp; 
 
What worries the protocol-conscious Chinese more than policy clashes is the risk that the unpredictable Trump could publicly embarrass Xi, after several foreign leaders experienced awkward moments with the new U.S. president. 
 
&quot;Ensuring President Xi does not lose face is a top priority for China,&quot; a Chinese official said. 
 
The most urgent problem facing Trump and Xi is how to persuade nuclear-armed North Korea to halt unpredictable behavior like missile test launches that have heightened tensions in South Korea and Japan. 
 
North Korea is working to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States. 
 
Trump has threatened to use trade to try to force China to exert influence over Pyongyang. 
 
&quot;I think China will be stepping up,&quot; Trump told reporters on Thursday. Beijing says its influence is limited and that it is doing all it can. 
 
The White House is reviewing options to pressure Pyongyang economically and militarily, including &quot;secondary sanctions&quot; against Chinese banks and firms that do the most business with Pyongyang. 
 
A long-standing option of pre-emptive strikes remains on the table, but despite the tougher recent U.S. talk, the internal review &quot;de-emphasizes direct military action,&quot; the U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. 
 
Analysts believe any military action would likely provoke severe North Korean retaliation and massive casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops stationed there. 
 
No grand bargain on trade 
 
On trade, U.S. labor leaders say Trump needs to take a direct, unambiguous tone in his talks with Xi. 
 
&quot;President Trump needs to come away from the meeting with concrete deliverables that will restore production and employment here in the U.S. in those sectors that have been ravaged by China`s predatory and protectionist practices,&quot; said Holly Hart, legislative director for the United Steelworkers union. 
 
A U.S. administration official told Reuters that Washington expects to have to use legal tools to fight for U.S. companies, such as pursuing World Trade Organization lawsuits. 
 
&quot;I don`t expect a grand bargain on trade. I think what you are going to see is that the president makes very clear to Xi and publicly what we expect on trade,&quot; a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. 
 
Trump has often complained Beijing undervalues its currency to boost trade, but his administration looks unlikely to formally label China a currency manipulator in the near term - a designation that could come with penalties. 
 
(Reuters)

The two sides called upon Xi Jinping to promote the 'healthy development of bilateral trade and investment'

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged cooperation with the United States on trade and investment on Thursday, inviting President Donald Trump to visit China in a cordial start to their first meeting likely to broach sensitive security and commercial issues. Trump has said he wants to raise concerns about China`s trade practices and press Xi to do more to rein in North Korea`s nuclear ambitions during his two-day visit to the Spanish-style Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, though no major deals on either issue are expected. The two sides should promote the "healthy development of bilateral trade and investment" and advance talks on a bilateral investment agreement, Xi said, according to a statement on China`s Foreign Ministry website. "We have a thousand reasons to get China-U.S. relations right, and not one reason to spoil the China-U.S. relationship," Xi told Trump. Trump accepted Xi`s invitation to China later this year, state news agency Xinhua news agency cited officials as saying on Friday. Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, joined Trump and his wife, Melania, at a long table in an ornate candle-lit private dining room festooned with red and yellow floral centerpieces, where they dined on pan-seared Dover sole and New York strip steak. Trump, a New York real estate magnate before he ran for office, joked before dinner: "We`ve had a long discussion already, and so far I have gotten nothing, absolutely nothing. But we have developed a friendship - I can see that - and I think long term we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it." The fanfare over the summit on Thursday was overshadowed by another pressing foreign policy issue: the U.S. response to a deadly poison gas attack in Syria. As Trump and Xi were wrapping up dinner, U.S. forces fired dozens of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase from which it said the chemical weapons attack was launched this week, an escalation of the U.S. military role in Syria that swiftly drew sharp criticism from Russia. In Beijing, China`s Foreign Ministry urged all parties in Syria to find a political settlement. Trump and Xi were expected to get into more detailed discussions about trade and foreign policy issues on Friday, concluding their summit with a working lunch. Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to stop what he called the theft of American jobs by China and rebuild the country`s manufacturing base. Many blue-collar workers helped propel him to his unexpected election victory in November and Trump wants to deliver for them. "We have been treated unfairly and have made terrible trade deals with China for many, many years. That`s one of the things we are going to be talking about," Trump told reporters ahead of the meeting. The bilateral investment treaty mentioned by Xi, talks on which began during former president George W. Bush`s administration and resumed under Barack Obama, has received little attention since Trump took office. Trump is still finding his footing in the White House and has yet to spell out a strategy for what his advisers called a trade relationship based on "the principle of reciprocity." He brought his top economic and national advisers to Florida for the meeting, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. "Even as we share a desire to work together, the United States does recognize the challenges China can present to American interests," said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, also in Florida for the meeting. Trump`s daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, who both work at the White House, also were among the dinner guests. Differing personalities The summit brings together two leaders who could not seem more different: the often stormy Trump, prone to angry tweets, and Xi, outwardly calm, measured and tightly scripted, with no known social media presence. What worries the protocol-conscious Chinese more than policy clashes is the risk that the unpredictable Trump could publicly embarrass Xi, after several foreign leaders experienced awkward moments with the new U.S. president. "Ensuring President Xi does not lose face is a top priority for China," a Chinese official said. The most urgent problem facing Trump and Xi is how to persuade nuclear-armed North Korea to halt unpredictable behavior like missile test launches that have heightened tensions in South Korea and Japan. North Korea is working to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States. Trump has threatened to use trade to try to force China to exert influence over Pyongyang. "I think China will be stepping up," Trump told reporters on Thursday. Beijing says its influence is limited and that it is doing all it can. The White House is reviewing options to pressure Pyongyang economically and militarily, including "secondary sanctions" against Chinese banks and firms that do the most business with Pyongyang. A long-standing option of pre-emptive strikes remains on the table, but despite the tougher recent U.S. talk, the internal review "de-emphasizes direct military action," the U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Analysts believe any military action would likely provoke severe North Korean retaliation and massive casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops stationed there. No grand bargain on trade On trade, U.S. labor leaders say Trump needs to take a direct, unambiguous tone in his talks with Xi. "President Trump needs to come away from the meeting with concrete deliverables that will restore production and employment here in the U.S. in those sectors that have been ravaged by China`s predatory and protectionist practices," said Holly Hart, legislative director for the United Steelworkers union. A U.S. administration official told Reuters that Washington expects to have to use legal tools to fight for U.S. companies, such as pursuing World Trade Organization lawsuits. "I don`t expect a grand bargain on trade. I think what you are going to see is that the president makes very clear to Xi and publicly what we expect on trade," a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Trump has often complained Beijing undervalues its currency to boost trade, but his administration looks unlikely to formally label China a currency manipulator in the near term - a designation that could come with penalties. (Reuters)

Chinese president Xi urges trade cooperation in first meeting with Trump

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping arrived in Florida Thursday for a first face-to-face summit, eying a basket full of &quot;tweetable&quot; deals to help avoid a public clash.

Xi touched down at Palm Beach airport, where he received red carpet treatment and a military honour guard that offered no hint of the tensions that permeate this high-stakes superpower pow-wow.

Trump arrived a little later and headed to his Mar-a-Lago resort -- dubbed the &quot;Winter White House&quot; -- where he will host Xi for what promises to be a masterclass in studied informality.

The agenda for the 24 hour summit has purposely been left open, allowing the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport. Thursday&#39;s main event is a joint dinner.

Matt Pottinger, a top White House Asia expert who was tasked with planning the summit, promised a &quot;relaxed interaction&quot; despite a backdrop of tensions over trade and North Korea.

&quot;Spouses will be there&quot; said Pottinger, indicating the leaders will be joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who was once more famous than her husband.

The group will &quot;have an opportunity to have tea together, meet some of their senior cabinet officials, so to speak, on both sides, and have a dinner,&quot; Pottinger added.

Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday.

Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, officials said Xi and his wife will not be staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter.

The carefully choreographed dinners and displays of bonhomie mask an almost palpable anxiety about how the meeting will go.

Peace offerings&nbsp;

No one -- neither diplomats nor aides -- can be sure what will happen when the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation meets a mercurial American president who has been in office less than 100 days and is capable of unraveling the most carefully-laid plans with a single 140-character tweet.

For that reason Xi is arriving with a gift-basket of &quot;tweetable deliverables&quot;, sources say, peace offerings on Trump&#39;s signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan.

Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi&#39;s plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China&#39;s regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe&#39;s February Mar-a-Lago visit.

There may also be offers to further open China&#39;s auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks&#39; transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country.

In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year.

Trump&#39;s position on the democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory.

All politics is local&nbsp;

The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high.

Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy.

On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal.

He &quot;cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order,&quot; China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP.

Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals --&nbsp;desperately needs a win.&nbsp;

He may not have much room to maneuver, however, with a country he has castigated for &quot;stealing&quot; American jobs and doing &quot;little&quot; to rein in North Korea&#39;s nuclear program.

Even though the two leaders &quot;want to project themselves as very forceful, very decisive and also getting the best for the benefit of their own countries, they are also anxious not to get into difficult negotiating positions,&quot; according to Lam.

On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following a provocative missile launch Wednesday -- barely 48 hours before the summit.

Different interests&nbsp;

The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance.

The tough-talking new president has repeatedly and very publicly indicated his openness to military action.

While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country&#39;s collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep.

But coming to an agreement on the issue will not be easy, according to Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

&quot;I don&#39;t think they&#39;re talking about solutions... at the end of the day, their interests are not really the same as the United States.&#39;&quot;

(AFP)

The agenda for the 24 hour summit has purposely been left open, allowing the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping arrived in Florida Thursday for a first face-to-face summit, eying a basket full of "tweetable" deals to help avoid a public clash. Xi touched down at Palm Beach airport, where he received red carpet treatment and a military honour guard that offered no hint of the tensions that permeate this high-stakes superpower pow-wow. Trump arrived a little later and headed to his Mar-a-Lago resort -- dubbed the "Winter White House" -- where he will host Xi for what promises to be a masterclass in studied informality. The agenda for the 24 hour summit has purposely been left open, allowing the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport. Thursday's main event is a joint dinner. Matt Pottinger, a top White House Asia expert who was tasked with planning the summit, promised a "relaxed interaction" despite a backdrop of tensions over trade and North Korea. "Spouses will be there" said Pottinger, indicating the leaders will be joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who was once more famous than her husband. The group will "have an opportunity to have tea together, meet some of their senior cabinet officials, so to speak, on both sides, and have a dinner," Pottinger added. Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday. Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, officials said Xi and his wife will not be staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter. The carefully choreographed dinners and displays of bonhomie mask an almost palpable anxiety about how the meeting will go. Peace offerings No one -- neither diplomats nor aides -- can be sure what will happen when the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation meets a mercurial American president who has been in office less than 100 days and is capable of unraveling the most carefully-laid plans with a single 140-character tweet. For that reason Xi is arriving with a gift-basket of "tweetable deliverables", sources say, peace offerings on Trump's signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan. Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi's plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China's regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's February Mar-a-Lago visit. There may also be offers to further open China's auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks' transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country. In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year. Trump's position on the democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory. All politics is local The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high. Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy. On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal. He "cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order," China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP. Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals -- desperately needs a win. He may not have much room to maneuver, however, with a country he has castigated for "stealing" American jobs and doing "little" to rein in North Korea's nuclear program. Even though the two leaders "want to project themselves as very forceful, very decisive and also getting the best for the benefit of their own countries, they are also anxious not to get into difficult negotiating positions," according to Lam. On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following a provocative missile launch Wednesday -- barely 48 hours before the summit. Different interests The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance. The tough-talking new president has repeatedly and very publicly indicated his openness to military action. While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country's collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. But coming to an agreement on the issue will not be easy, according to Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). "I don't think they're talking about solutions... at the end of the day, their interests are not really the same as the United States.'" (AFP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in US for high-stakes summit

China plans to launch its first cargo spacecraft in April, state media reported on Tuesday, taking a step towards its goal of establishing a permanently manned space station by 2022.

President Xi Jinping has prioritised advancing China&#39;s space programme, saying it was needed to enhance national security and defence. Plans for the maiden voyage of the cargo spacecraft were reported on the front page of the People&#39;s Daily, the official Communist Party newspaper.

The Tianzhou-1 cargo resupply spacecraft will be carried into space by a Long March-7 Y2 rocket launched from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in south China&#39;s island province of Hainan, the daily reported, citing the China Manned Space Agency.

The Tianzhou-1 is designed to dock with the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, or &quot;Heavenly Palace 2&quot;, which China used to carry out its longest-ever manned space mission last October, sending two astronauts into space for a month aboard the laboratory.

The spacecraft can carry 6 tonnes of goods, 2 tonnes of fuel and can fly unmanned for three months, the newspaper said.

For all the advances China has made in its space programme for military, commercial and scientific purposes, it is still lagging the United States and Russia.

China&#39;s Jade Rabbit moon rover landed on the Moon in late 2013 to great national fanfare&nbsp;but soon suffered severe technical difficulties.

The US&nbsp;Defense Department has highlighted China&#39;s increasing space capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations using space-based assets in a crisis.

(Reuters)

The Tianzhou-1 cargo resupply spacecraft will be carried into space by Long March-7 Y2 rocket launched from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center

China plans to launch its first cargo spacecraft in April, state media reported on Tuesday, taking a step towards its goal of establishing a permanently manned space station by 2022. President Xi Jinping has prioritised advancing China's space programme, saying it was needed to enhance national security and defence. Plans for the maiden voyage of the cargo spacecraft were reported on the front page of the People's Daily, the official Communist Party newspaper. The Tianzhou-1 cargo resupply spacecraft will be carried into space by a Long March-7 Y2 rocket launched from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in south China's island province of Hainan, the daily reported, citing the China Manned Space Agency. The Tianzhou-1 is designed to dock with the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, or "Heavenly Palace 2", which China used to carry out its longest-ever manned space mission last October, sending two astronauts into space for a month aboard the laboratory. The spacecraft can carry 6 tonnes of goods, 2 tonnes of fuel and can fly unmanned for three months, the newspaper said. For all the advances China has made in its space programme for military, commercial and scientific purposes, it is still lagging the United States and Russia. China's Jade Rabbit moon rover landed on the Moon in late 2013 to great national fanfare but soon suffered severe technical difficulties. The US Defense Department has highlighted China's increasing space capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations using space-based assets in a crisis. (Reuters)

China's plans launch of first cargo spacecraft in April

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump agreed to honour the longstanding &quot;One China&quot; policy during a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, taking steps to improve ties after angering Beijing by talking to the leader of Taiwan.

Trump further unnerved Beijing over the self-ruled island in December saying the United States did not necessarily have to stick to the policy, under which Washington acknowledges China&#39;s position that Taiwan is part of &quot;One China&quot;.

The two leaders had not spoken by telephone since Trump took office on January 20.

A White House statement said Trump and Xi had a lengthy phone conversation on Thursday night Washington time. It came hours before Trump is to play host to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House and later, at his Palm Beach, Florida, retreat.

&quot;President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our &#39;One China&#39; policy,&quot; the statement said.

The statement marked a return to a more traditional US&nbsp;policy after Trump had told the Wall Street Journal last month that the &quot;One China&quot; policy was up for negotiation.

The two sides also signalled that with the &quot;One China&quot; issue resolved, they could have more normal relations.

&quot;Representatives of the United States and China will engage in discussions and negotiations on various issues of mutual interest,&quot; the statement said.

In a separate statement read out on Chinese state television, Xi said China appreciated Trump&#39;s upholding of the &quot;One China&quot; policy.

&quot;I believe that the United States and China are cooperative partners, and through joint efforts, we can push bilateral relations to a historic new high,&quot; the statement cited Xi as saying.

The White House described the call as &quot;extremely cordial&quot; with both leaders expressing best wishes to their peoples.

&quot;They also extended invitations to meet in their respective countries. President Trump and President Xi look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes,&quot; the statement said.

(Reuters)

'President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our 'One China' policy,' a White House statement said

US President Donald Trump agreed to honour the longstanding "One China" policy during a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, taking steps to improve ties after angering Beijing by talking to the leader of Taiwan. Trump further unnerved Beijing over the self-ruled island in December saying the United States did not necessarily have to stick to the policy, under which Washington acknowledges China's position that Taiwan is part of "One China". The two leaders had not spoken by telephone since Trump took office on January 20. A White House statement said Trump and Xi had a lengthy phone conversation on Thursday night Washington time. It came hours before Trump is to play host to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House and later, at his Palm Beach, Florida, retreat. "President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our 'One China' policy," the statement said. The statement marked a return to a more traditional US policy after Trump had told the Wall Street Journal last month that the "One China" policy was up for negotiation. The two sides also signalled that with the "One China" issue resolved, they could have more normal relations. "Representatives of the United States and China will engage in discussions and negotiations on various issues of mutual interest," the statement said. In a separate statement read out on Chinese state television, Xi said China appreciated Trump's upholding of the "One China" policy. "I believe that the United States and China are cooperative partners, and through joint efforts, we can push bilateral relations to a historic new high," the statement cited Xi as saying. The White House described the call as "extremely cordial" with both leaders expressing best wishes to their peoples. "They also extended invitations to meet in their respective countries. President Trump and President Xi look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes," the statement said. (Reuters)

Trump backs 'One China' policy in first call with China's Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented himself as a champion of globalisation Tuesday, lecturing the world elite in Davos on the dangers of protectionism and the futility of trade wars.

The leader of the world&#39;s second largest economy became the first Chinese president to address the World Economic Forum, where 3,000 well-heeled delegates from government, business, science and the arts have gathered.

His appearance comes as populist protectionism is on the rise across Europe and in the US, where November&#39;s election of Donald Trump sent shockwaves through the global liberal order.

There is &quot;no point in blaming economic globalisation for the world&#39;s problems,&quot; he said, saying that the process was not at the root of the Syrian refugee situation or the 2008 financial crisis.

&quot;It&#39;s true that economic globalisation has created new problems, but this is not justification to write off economic globalisation altogether.&quot;&nbsp;

Globalisation should be &quot;more inclusive, more sustainable,&quot; he said, adding that currently existing global institutions are &quot;inadequate&quot; and should be more &quot;representative.&quot;

Xi&#39;s speech was highly anticipated by Davos attendees, a global club who have been caught off-guard by the rising sentiment against liberal trade regimes, and are looking for guidance in the face of an incoming Trump administration in Washington.

While acknowledging that globalisation was a &quot;double-edged sword,&quot; Xi argued that the benefits far outweighed the negatives and there could be no turning away from international economic integration.

&quot;The global economy is a big ocean you cannot escape from,&quot; he said, likening goods, services and capital to waters that cannot be channeled back into landlocked streams and lakes.

&quot;Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. Wind and rain may be kept outside, but so is light and air,&quot; he said.

&quot;No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war,&quot; he added, in an oblique reference to Trump.

The incoming US leader has repeatedly accused China of carrying out trade policies that have led to massive US job losses and has threatened to slap tariffs of up to 45 per cent on the country&#39;s goods.

Beijing is seeking to pick up the mantle of world economic leadership set to be shrugged off by Trump, who takes office Friday.

China supports building regional free-trade arrangements, and opposes those that are &quot;exclusive&quot; or fragmented, Xi said.&nbsp;

China is pushing two major trade pacts, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific.

Xi added that China has &quot;no intention&quot; of boosting its trade competitiveness by devaluing the yuan currency or launch a currency war.

Though Chinese leaders have repeatedly used international forums in the last year to assure foreign leaders that there is no basis for depreciation of the currency, the yuan has continued its slide, recently reaching eight-year lows, making the country&#39;s exports cheaper for trade partners.&nbsp;

The symbolism of Xi&#39;s speech was underlined by WEF chairman and founder Klaus Schwab, who said the world community was &quot;looking to China&quot; to provide responsible leadership and instill confidence.

&quot;Whether people admit it or not, it&#39;s undeniable that China has taken the global leadership role in many respects,&quot; Lin Boqiang, professor at Xiamen University, told AFP. &quot;You can talk about it or not, but that`s what&#39;s happening in reality.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

The Chinese president, however, clarified that globalisation should be more inclusive and sustainable

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented himself as a champion of globalisation Tuesday, lecturing the world elite in Davos on the dangers of protectionism and the futility of trade wars. The leader of the world's second largest economy became the first Chinese president to address the World Economic Forum, where 3,000 well-heeled delegates from government, business, science and the arts have gathered. His appearance comes as populist protectionism is on the rise across Europe and in the US, where November's election of Donald Trump sent shockwaves through the global liberal order. There is "no point in blaming economic globalisation for the world's problems," he said, saying that the process was not at the root of the Syrian refugee situation or the 2008 financial crisis. "It's true that economic globalisation has created new problems, but this is not justification to write off economic globalisation altogether." Globalisation should be "more inclusive, more sustainable," he said, adding that currently existing global institutions are "inadequate" and should be more "representative." Xi's speech was highly anticipated by Davos attendees, a global club who have been caught off-guard by the rising sentiment against liberal trade regimes, and are looking for guidance in the face of an incoming Trump administration in Washington. While acknowledging that globalisation was a "double-edged sword," Xi argued that the benefits far outweighed the negatives and there could be no turning away from international economic integration. "The global economy is a big ocean you cannot escape from," he said, likening goods, services and capital to waters that cannot be channeled back into landlocked streams and lakes. "Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. Wind and rain may be kept outside, but so is light and air," he said. "No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war," he added, in an oblique reference to Trump. The incoming US leader has repeatedly accused China of carrying out trade policies that have led to massive US job losses and has threatened to slap tariffs of up to 45 per cent on the country's goods. Beijing is seeking to pick up the mantle of world economic leadership set to be shrugged off by Trump, who takes office Friday. China supports building regional free-trade arrangements, and opposes those that are "exclusive" or fragmented, Xi said. China is pushing two major trade pacts, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific. Xi added that China has "no intention" of boosting its trade competitiveness by devaluing the yuan currency or launch a currency war. Though Chinese leaders have repeatedly used international forums in the last year to assure foreign leaders that there is no basis for depreciation of the currency, the yuan has continued its slide, recently reaching eight-year lows, making the country's exports cheaper for trade partners. The symbolism of Xi's speech was underlined by WEF chairman and founder Klaus Schwab, who said the world community was "looking to China" to provide responsible leadership and instill confidence. "Whether people admit it or not, it's undeniable that China has taken the global leadership role in many respects," Lin Boqiang, professor at Xiamen University, told AFP. "You can talk about it or not, but that`s what's happening in reality." (AFP)

At Davos, China's Xi Jinping says 'no point blaming economic globalisation for the world's problems'

China&#39;s President Xi Jinping said his country&#39;s ties with the United States had&nbsp;reached a &#39;hinge moment&#39;, indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing may encounter when&nbsp;Donald Trump assumes the presidency.

Xi said he hoped that the two countries would continue to &quot;manage differences&quot; in the future and urged the incoming Trump administration to &quot;make sure there is a smooth transition in the relationship&quot;.

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The Chinese premier made the cautionary statement when he met his US counterpart Barack Obama for the last time on the sidelines of the&nbsp;Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru.

Xi voiced his skepticism about the next administration&nbsp;because Trump repeatedly beat China with a stick during his campaign trail.

In his election speeches, Trump had accused&nbsp;Beijing several times of&nbsp;inventing&nbsp;global warming and rigging the rules of global trade.

Obama also stressed on the need to have a healthy bilateral relations with Beijing because it &quot;benefits our two peoples and benefits the entire globe&quot;.

&quot;We&#39;ve demonstrated what&#39;s possible when our two countries work together,&quot; he said, referring to their agreement to tackle global warming.&nbsp;

Xi and Obama have met a total of nine times.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

He was indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing might encounter after Donald Trump assumes the presidency.

China's President Xi Jinping said his country's ties with the United States had reached a 'hinge moment', indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing may encounter when Donald Trump assumes the presidency. Xi said he hoped that the two countries would continue to "manage differences" in the future and urged the incoming Trump administration to "make sure there is a smooth transition in the relationship". Xi said he hoped the two countries would continue to 'manage differences' in the future × The Chinese premier made the cautionary statement when he met his US counterpart Barack Obama for the last time on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru. Xi voiced his skepticism about the next administration because Trump repeatedly beat China with a stick during his campaign trail. In his election speeches, Trump had accused Beijing several times of inventing global warming and rigging the rules of global trade. Obama also stressed on the need to have a healthy bilateral relations with Beijing because it "benefits our two peoples and benefits the entire globe". "We've demonstrated what's possible when our two countries work together," he said, referring to their agreement to tackle global warming. Xi and Obama have met a total of nine times. (WION with inputs from AFP)

China-US relations have reached 'hinge moment', says Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US president-elect Donald Trump agreed Monday to meet &quot;at an early date&quot; to discuss the relationship between their two powers, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Monday.

In a telephone call, Xi told Trump - who frequently savaged Beijing on the campaign trail and threatened to impose a 45-per cent tariff on Chinese-made goods - that the world&#39;s top two economies &quot;need cooperation and there are a lot of things we can cooperate on&quot;, CCTV reported.

Xi and Trump &quot;vowed to keep close contact, build good working relations, and meet at an early date to exchange views on issues of mutual interest and the development of bilateral ties&quot;, CCTV said.

Before his election, Trump went as far as calling the Asian giant America&#39;s &quot;enemy&quot;, and accused it of artificially lowering its currency to boost exports, and pledged to stand up to a country he says views the US as a pushover.

He has vowed to pursue a policy of &quot;peace through strength&quot; and build up the US navy.

But he also indicated he is not interested in getting involved in far-off squabbles, and decried the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade deal, which encompasses several other Asian countries and has been seen as an effort to bolster US influence, for costing American jobs.&nbsp;

CCTV cited Trump as saying in the call that China was a large and important nation that he was willing to work with&nbsp;and that he believed Sino-US relations could realise &quot;win-win&quot; benefits.&nbsp;

The phrasing&nbsp;used by the broadcaster attributed to the US president-elect is typical of Chinese diplomacy.

In a statement, Trump&#39;s office confirmed the call and said that &quot;the leaders established a clear sense of mutual respect for one another&quot;.

Trump &quot;stated that he believes the two leaders will have one of the strongest relationships for both countries moving forward&quot;, it added.

New starting point?&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s contrary and ambiguous positions have left a pall of uncertainty over how he will manage the relationship between the world&#39;s two largest economies and its biggest and most powerful militaries.

An editorial in the often nationalistic Global Times newspaper warned Monday that China would &quot;take counter-measures&quot; if Washington levied tariffs and said that &quot;making things difficult for China politically will do him no good&quot;.

Beijing would use a &quot;tit-for-tat approach&quot; and target US autos, aircraft, soybeans, and iPhones. It also said that China could limit the massive number of students it sends to American schools.&nbsp;

Under President Barack Obama, Washington&#39;s foreign policy &quot;pivot&quot; towards Asia was viewed with alarm in Beijing, which saw it as an attempt to contain its growing geopolitical and economic might.

But Trump has offered no clear prescriptions for the strategic issues that plague ties between the two powers, from Beijing&#39;s territorial claims in the South China Sea to North Korea&#39;s nuclear programme and the future of Taiwan.

He has also indicated America has had enough of paying to defend allies such as Japan and South Korea, even suggesting they should develop their own nuclear weapons.

Mark Williams of Capital Economics previously said in a note that &quot;if the US is less engaged in Asia, Beijing will have an opportunity to shape regional political and economic integration on its own terms&quot;.

That could include an Asia-focused trade agreement of its own that excludes the US, in the same manner that China was not part of TPP.

Beijing is already embarked on negotiations to create the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade area encompassing the Southeast Asian grouping ASEAN, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Something of a mirror image to the TPP, it includes six of the putative Washington-led grouping&#39;s 12 members.

It would encompass more than three billion people and Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop told media Thursday that if the TPP does fail, &quot;then the vacuum that would be created is most likely to be filled by RCEP&quot;.

China&#39;s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Monday that Beijing attaches &quot;great importance&quot; to its relationship with the US and will make &quot;concerted efforts&quot; to expand cooperation with the Trump administration.

Asked about Trump&#39;s vow to withdraw from the Paris climate change pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions -- which China and the US both ratified in September -- Geng stressed that the agreement &quot;officially entered into force&quot; this month.

(AFP)

Chinese media reported that Jinping in a telephonic conversation agreed to meet Trump 'at an early date'

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US president-elect Donald Trump agreed Monday to meet "at an early date" to discuss the relationship between their two powers, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Monday. In a telephone call, Xi told Trump - who frequently savaged Beijing on the campaign trail and threatened to impose a 45-per cent tariff on Chinese-made goods - that the world's top two economies "need cooperation and there are a lot of things we can cooperate on", CCTV reported. Xi and Trump "vowed to keep close contact, build good working relations, and meet at an early date to exchange views on issues of mutual interest and the development of bilateral ties", CCTV said. Before his election, Trump went as far as calling the Asian giant America's "enemy", and accused it of artificially lowering its currency to boost exports, and pledged to stand up to a country he says views the US as a pushover. He has vowed to pursue a policy of "peace through strength" and build up the US navy. But he also indicated he is not interested in getting involved in far-off squabbles, and decried the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade deal, which encompasses several other Asian countries and has been seen as an effort to bolster US influence, for costing American jobs. CCTV cited Trump as saying in the call that China was a large and important nation that he was willing to work with and that he believed Sino-US relations could realise "win-win" benefits. The phrasing used by the broadcaster attributed to the US president-elect is typical of Chinese diplomacy. In a statement, Trump's office confirmed the call and said that "the leaders established a clear sense of mutual respect for one another". Trump "stated that he believes the two leaders will have one of the strongest relationships for both countries moving forward", it added. New starting point? Trump's contrary and ambiguous positions have left a pall of uncertainty over how he will manage the relationship between the world's two largest economies and its biggest and most powerful militaries. An editorial in the often nationalistic Global Times newspaper warned Monday that China would "take counter-measures" if Washington levied tariffs and said that "making things difficult for China politically will do him no good". Beijing would use a "tit-for-tat approach" and target US autos, aircraft, soybeans, and iPhones. It also said that China could limit the massive number of students it sends to American schools. Under President Barack Obama, Washington's foreign policy "pivot" towards Asia was viewed with alarm in Beijing, which saw it as an attempt to contain its growing geopolitical and economic might. But Trump has offered no clear prescriptions for the strategic issues that plague ties between the two powers, from Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea to North Korea's nuclear programme and the future of Taiwan. He has also indicated America has had enough of paying to defend allies such as Japan and South Korea, even suggesting they should develop their own nuclear weapons. Mark Williams of Capital Economics previously said in a note that "if the US is less engaged in Asia, Beijing will have an opportunity to shape regional political and economic integration on its own terms". That could include an Asia-focused trade agreement of its own that excludes the US, in the same manner that China was not part of TPP. Beijing is already embarked on negotiations to create the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade area encompassing the Southeast Asian grouping ASEAN, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Something of a mirror image to the TPP, it includes six of the putative Washington-led grouping's 12 members. It would encompass more than three billion people and Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop told media Thursday that if the TPP does fail, "then the vacuum that would be created is most likely to be filled by RCEP". China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Monday that Beijing attaches "great importance" to its relationship with the US and will make "concerted efforts" to expand cooperation with the Trump administration. Asked about Trump's vow to withdraw from the Paris climate change pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions -- which China and the US both ratified in September -- Geng stressed that the agreement "officially entered into force" this month. (AFP)

China's Xi to Trump: Cooperation only right choice to strengthen ties

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