Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol.64/No.49 i Beijing Review

A country’s political system depends on its individual economic, social, historical and cultural background. China’s whole-process people’s democracy subsequently is a model specifically designed for the Chinese context. Fundamental to the whole-process people’s democracy is to have the population truly in charge of the country, with the rights to vote and participate in public affairs. All political procedures stipulated by the laws in place must be executed to ensure the exercise of power is for the people and subject to their scrutiny. Upholding the citizens’ status as masters of their country has been a commitment of the Communist Party of China (CPC) since its founding 100 years ago. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China stipulates that all power in China belongs to the people, and they shall, in…

The best way to evaluate whether a country’s political system is democratic and efficient is to observe ✓ whether the succession of its leaders is orderly and in line with the law, ✓ whether all people can manage state affairs and social, economic and cultural affairs in conformity with legal provisions, ✓ whether the public can express their requirements without hindrance, ✓ whether all sectors can efficiently participate in the country’s political affairs, ✓ whether national decisions can be made in a rational, democratic way, ✓ whether people of high-caliber in all fields can be part of the team of the national leadership and administrative systems through fair competition, ✓ whether the ruling party can serve as a leader in state affairs in accordance with the Constitution and the law,…

In order to get the Taiwan authorities to attend the so-called “Summit for Democracy,” the United States has racked its brains to try and avoid overly provoking China. The Taiwan question has always been the core factor affecting Sino-U.S. relations and one of the “trump cards” for the U.S. to contain China’s rise. As the power gap between the two countries continues to narrow, the strategic value of the “Taiwan card” is also on the up. For the Taiwan authorities, no matter the capacity in which they attend the summit, it’s all about the placebo effect. As the reunification of China has progressively grown into an irreversible historical trend, the island’s authorities regard this U.S.-hosted summit as the last straw to clutch at in order to achieve independence. An invitation…

The recent hype of Taiwan’s “meaningful participation” in the UN system by some Western politicians and media organizations echoed related claims made by pro-independence elements in the Chinese island province. However, this issue was factually put to rest in 1971 with the UN General Assembly’s adoption of Resolution 2758. A closer look at this defining chapter in history might give us some better insights. The UN was established in 1945 after the world gained victory in its battle against fascism. During the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), an important part of World War II, over 35 million Chinese civilians and soldiers lost their lives. As an advocate and founding member of the UN, China participated in a series of global meetings discussing the organization’s establishment, such…

Under the first three-year plan of the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035, China will work closely with African countries to implement the following nine programs: Medical and health program ● Provide another 1 billion doses of vaccines to Africa, including 600 million doses as donation and 400 million doses to be provided through such means as joint production by Chinese companies and relevant African countries, with the aim to help the African Union (AU) achieve its goal of vaccinating 60 percent of the African population by 2022. ● Undertake 10 medical and health projects for African countries, and send 1,500 medical personnel and public health experts to Africa. Poverty reduction and agricultural development program ● Undertake 10 poverty reduction and agricultural projects for Africa, and send 500 agricultural experts to Africa.…

Elephants’ Journey in Yunnan, a documentary focusing on Asian elephants in said province, made its debut on October 11 during the opening ceremony of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Yunnan’s capital city of Kunming. In March 2020, 16 wild Asian elephants left their natural habitat in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. They then headed north and returned home in September 2021 after covering a total distance of 1,300 km. Their 17-month-long trek came with many an unseen tale of the troupe’s explorations and its connections with people. Following the initial positive viewer feedback, its producer Feng Ying breathed a sigh of relief. The Yunnan Media Group reporter first started preparing for the visual undertaking in September, when the COP15…

Coal Mine-Turned Park A view of the Nanhu Wetland Park in Huaibei, Anhui Province, on November 25. Local authorities have transformed the subsidence areas of a colliery into ecological parks. Hydrogen Project The China Petrochemical Corp. (Sinopec Group), the country’s largest oil refiner, said on November 30 that it had begun construction of a 20,000 tons-per-year green hydrogen plant in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. With an investment of nearly 3 billion yuan ($470 million), the project in Kuqa City includes photovoltaic power generation, power transformation, electrolytic hydrogen production, and hydrogen storage and transportation. A solar station with an installed capacity of 300 MW and an average annual power generation capacity of 618 million kWh will be constructed to support hydrogen production. “The green hydrogen project is expected to become operational…

NEW ITTF EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Liu Guoliang, President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA), was elected executive vice president of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) at the Annual General Meeting of the sport’s world governing body held in Houston, the U.S., on November 24. Born in 1976, Liu began playing table tennis at 6. He was only 15 when he made the Chinese national team in 1991. He became the first Chinese player to win all titles at major world tournaments in 1999. Liu was appointed head coach of China’s men’s team in 2003 and later took charge of Team China as chief coach in 2013. He became CTTA president at the end of 2018 and was named World Table Tennis Council chair in June 2020. Liu was…

Xiao Han Since its establishment in 2000, the FOCAC has expanded its African membership to 53 countries and the African Union (AU) Commission, providing a collective dialogue platform and practical cooperation mechanism, and becoming an exemplary model for South-South cooperation and for international cooperation with Africa. The FOCAC has hosted three summits and seven ministerial meetings, and each of them has witnessed the launch of a series of major initiatives to complement the strengths of both sides and support Africa’s development, benefiting Chinese and African people alike. The significance of this year’s meeting is even more extraordinary. It is not only a reunion of the China-Africa big family, but also a new starting point for our collaboration. The decision made by China and Africa to hold the meeting as scheduled…

Premier Li Keqiang attended the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit hosted by the Cambodian Government via video link on November 25. In his speech, Li expressed China’s consistent stance of willingness to strengthen multilateralism for shared growth and its support for the common efforts and agenda of Asia and Europe, combined with commitments to inclusive development, digital connectivity, as well as infrastructure construction. This year marks the 25th anniversary of ASEM, and its summit is the highest-level meeting under this framework. Amid big changes unseen in a century and ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, unilateralism and protectionism are wreaking havoc on globalization and multilateralism. Against this backdrop, the summit’s theme of “strengthening multilateralism for shared growth” implies the international community’s common wish for peace and development. Premier Li’s remarks reflect…

New Oriental, one of China’s largest tutoring institutions, is facing controversy after recently unveiling plans for its business transformation. During a live-streaming event in November, founder and Chair Yu Minhong said the company would set up an online platform to sell agricultural products. Previously best known as a provider of tutoring in English and other academic subjects, New Oriental will also begin offering art courses, and will expand its Chinese teaching business to foreigners. New Oriental’s change of tack has drawn mixed opinions. While some admire Yu’s courage, there are doubts that whether New Oriental can meet the challenges of selling and transporting perishable fresh produce, as well as debates about the possibility of an inexperienced newcomer to succeed in China’s increasingly tense live commerce market. In response, Yu said…

It’s December—that time of year again. No, not Christmas; I’m talking about the UN Arabic Language Day which falls on December 18. UNESCO initially started to observe this day in 2012 to “celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity.” The self-proclaimed linguist I am, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate this day while in Beijing than by exploring Arabic through the eyes of its Chinese apprentices. Why would a Chinese person want to study Arabic in the first place? Religion is often cited as the primary reason. Miss Ma, a young Muslim lady from Yunnan Province, believes “Arabic is the key to Islam.” When it was time for Ma, or Fatima, to choose a major, she didn’t think twice. She wanted to better understand the Quran and chose Arabic…

Quota Expansion The approved quotas of the Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (QDII) program, a scheme that allows Chinese investors to access foreign assets, totaled $154 billion as of November 30, according to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE). Data released on the SAFE website showed the quotas were granted to 174 financial institutions, including banks, securities firms, insurers and trust companies. Since the implementation of the QDII scheme in 2006, China has gradually normalized and accelerated the issuance of its quotas. In June, SAFE further expanded quotas under the program to meet domestic investors’ soaring demand. China has yet to fully liberalize its capital account, with programs such as the QDII and Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors providing financial institutions with quotas for outbound and inbound investment, respectively. Industrial Plans…

Long proclaiming itself as the architype of “democracy” and “human rights,” the U.S. is used to reprimanding other countries by wielding the baton of said concepts. However, the proof is in the political pudding: its so-called democracy and human rights are no more than dogmatic tools it employs to deceive its own population and bully others outside American borders. A typical expression of double standards. A separation of powers seems to be democracy, but the U.S. regime is permanently dominated by two parties, namely the Democrats and the Republicans. The so-called division of powers means to split the country’s power between them. They are either presidents or congressmen or judges. No matter which party controls the government, those occupying these posts are spokespeople for a small fraction of the most…

Chinese technology company ZTE has donated 5G equipment to South African telecommunication service providers and helped them update more than 1,500 telecommunication sites free of charge amid the still-raging COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the local subsidiary of PowerChina undertook relief work in flood-hit Kenya by evacuating communities, repairing roads and ensuring sufficient water supply. The Caculo Cabaça hydropower station in Angola, built by China Energy Engineering Group Co. (Energy China Group), one of the largest hydropower projects under construction in Africa, has been helping the country better pursue its goal of green development. These are all vivid examples of the sincerity and affinity of the China-Africa friendship, Jiang Hui, Secretary General of the Alliance of Chinese Business in Africa for Social Responsibilities, shared with Global Times. While addressing the…