Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol. 60/No. 28 i Beijing Review

July 1, 2017 marked the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China. President Xi Jinping visited Hong Kong from June 29 to July 1 to attend celebrations marking the anniversary and the inauguration of the fifth- term government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). During the visit, President Xi had extensive and in-depth communication with local people from all walks of life. The significance of the visit is self- evident—declaring to Hong Kong and the international community the Central Government’s policies and strategies on governing Hong Kong and demonstrating the Central Government’s determination to persist with the “one country, two systems” policy. In the past 20 years, Hong Kong has maintained economic prosperity and social stability, with great steps forward in various causes. According to the World Competitiveness…

Establishing its Eurasia headquarters in Istanbul, the biggest city in Turkey, is a strategic move for PowerChina to develop its business globally. Xiong Lixin, Deputy General Manager of PowerChina International Group Ltd. and General Manager of PowerChina Eurasia Headquarters, talked to Beijing Review special correspondent Jiang Wandi on this important decision and the company’s future development plans. The main points of the interview are as follows: Beijing Review: What are the major re-sponsibilities and target markets of PowerChina’s Eurasia headquarters? What has PowerChina achieved in the Eurasia re- gion in recent years, and what are its future plans? Xiong Lixin: Dividing its global markets into six regions, PowerChina has set up six regional headquarters to manage its 259 overseas branches across the world. The Eurasia headquarters covers 63 countries in…

CHINESE SCHOLAR KIDNAPPED Zhang Yingying, a 26-year-old Chinese visiting scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been missing since June 9. The suspect, Brendt Christensen, is a 28-year-old former Ph.D. student researcher from the university. He was arrested on June 30 and appeared in the federal court in Urbana on July 3. But he declined to disclose the whereabouts of Zhang, who authorities think is no longer alive. Christensen was ordered held without bail on July 5. During the nine-minute hearing, Christiansen did not speak other than to acknowledge to the judge that he understood his rights. Christensen could face life in prison if convicted of the kidnap- ping, according to Sharon Paul, spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office for Illinois. Liu Jun, acting Chinese Consul General in…

Chan Mo-po, Financial Secretary of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Although Hong Kong has had ups and downs, on the whole, it is much better than it was 20 years ago. Its regional GDP has grown by 80 percent since 1997. Even though Hong Kong’s economy as a share of the nation’s total has shrunk, it is very normal as our country has developed at a surprising speed. In the past 20 years, Hong Kong’s role in the development of the country has undergone subtle changes. When the mainland adopted the reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s, Hong Kong was its main source of investment. Foreign enterprises that intended to invest in the mainland also needed to route through Hong Kong. Currently, foreign companies can directly invest in…

Beijing Review: German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently said that “even holding on to what has been achieved so far” is sometimes a success. Do you think that decisive breakthroughs can be achieved at the summit in Hamburg? Alexandra Voss: It is indeed the case that the G20 summit this year takes place in an environment of increasing uncertainty. This uncertainty was caused for example by Brexit and the change of leadership in the U.S., foreclosure trends in other parts of the world, major challenges in climate protection, and concerns about migration in Europe. The G20 summit will therefore be an important opportunity. Precisely because the challeng-es are so big, it is now particularly important to keep talking with each other: more dia- logue, more cooperation. None of the major problems…

Policy coordination Policy coordination is key to the effective implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. In order to expand shared interests, enhance mutual trust and build consensus on further cooperation, it is important for the countries along the Belt and Road to seek common ground while shelving differences and increase intergovernmental communication on macroeconomic policy and development strategies so as to better align their national priorities with regional planning needs and common goals. Cooperation-related issues and challenges should be dealt with through consultation, and policy support is needed to promote a pragmatic ap- proach to implementing large-scale projects. Joint efforts have to be made to harmonize strategies, decision-making processes, policies and rules so as to build a stronger community with a shared future. Silk Road to innovation At the…

It was a historic scene at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on July 1 when Hong Kong, a fishing village- turned metropolis, embarked on a new journey by welcoming its first female chief executive. Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, holding her right hand up solemnly, dressed in a light pink silk qipao—a traditional Chinese dress—with a white Chinese-style embroidered long coat, was sworn in as the fifth-term Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China by President Xi Jinping. A big day Besides Lam, the principal officials of the fifth- term Hong Kong SAR Government also took their oaths of office before Xi. After that, mem-bers of the Executive Council were sworn in by Lam. The grand ceremony started with the sonorous sound of the Chinese national…

When celebrations started in 1999 to mark the second anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China, the special administrative region (SAR) received a gift from the Central Government—a pair of giant pan- das, An An and Jia Jia. And that was the start of a closer relationship between the coastal city and the home of the rare animals—Sichuan Province—in southwest China. The new arrivals were settled in Ocean Park Hong Kong, a popular amusement park, marine mammal park and animalthemed park as well as oceanarium rolled into one, where the authorities built a suit- able habitat for them, simulating their home environment in Sichuan. A special team was entrusted with looking after the pair. They not only provide regular medical checkups for them but also speak to them in Mandarin,…

It has been 80 years since the publication of U.S. journalist Edgar Snow’s Red Star Over China as well as the photo he took of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong in his octagonal, red-star cap. As a senior citi-zen approaching 90, Snow’s work has accompanied and constantly inspired me almost all my life. These two important historical and cultural assets may have become fairly unfamiliar to many people. Therefore, I feel obliged to remind them of that part of history. I first came across the photo of Mao taken by Snow in the edition of Life magazine published on January 25, 1937 when I was in grade one of junior middle school in Shanghai in 1939. The photo changed the impression of Communist Party of China (CPC) members portrayed by…