CNAD-#69- China's ?????????????????Updates about ????+(??????????????????????????????????)

Everyday Briefing: 2024-05-29

????China Internal??

?? China has implemented measures to boost the property market, with cities adopting specific measures to meet diverse homebuyer demands. Shanghai announced nine measures, including easing home-purchase restrictions for non-Shanghai residents and divorced couples, allowing families with two or more children to purchase an additional home, and lowering the minimum down payment ratio for individual commercial housing mortgages. The property market responded immediately, with a surge in inquiries and orders. The measures aim to better meet basic housing demand and diverse desires for improved housing, raising market expectations and boosting market confidence. Other cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Xi'an, and Chengdu, have also adjusted their real estate policies, announcing measures such as eased purchase restrictions and trade-ins of commercial housing. In April, Chen Libin traded in her old home for a new one in Taicang, east China, borrowing 790,000 yuan (about 111,000 U.S. dollars) to cover the price difference.

??? Xi Jinping, the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has urged China to promote high-quality and sufficient employment, focusing on enhancing workers' sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security. He emphasized the importance of people-centered development philosophy and specific pro-employment policies to improve job quality and quantity. Xi highlighted the importance of employment in the country's economic and social development, stating that it is the most basic part of people's well-being. He called for long-term implementation and continuous improvement of practices such as development-based promotion, targeting key groups, and driving employment through entrepreneurship. China aims to create over 12 million jobs in urban areas this year and maintain a 5.5% urban unemployment rate. He urged China to prioritize high-quality and sufficient employment as a primary goal of economic and social development, develop new quality productive forces, support industries and enterprises with strong job-creation capacities, and nurture new business forms and models to create more jobs.

?? Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang attended the signing ceremony of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund in Beijing. He emphasized China's commitment to high-quality development, prioritizing ecology, green, and low carbon, and its remarkable results in biodiversity conservation. As the chair of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), China led the successful establishment of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and was the first country to fund the fund. Ding urged relevant parties to work together to strengthen biodiversity protection and build a community for all life on earth. He also urged support for biodiversity conservation, sustainable utilization, benefit sharing, and multilateralism.

??Science and Technology??

?????? Shanghai, China, is transforming business ideas into commercially viable applications thanks to large-scale scientific facilities and high-quality incubators. The Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), which resembles a colossal nautilus shell, has celebrated its 15th anniversary and is now in a golden era of full-capacity operation. The facility has solved important scientific and technical problems for universities and enterprises, including drug research and new materials. The SSRF currently has 34 beamlines and 46 experimental stations, and is expected to support cutting-edge research, technological innovation, and industrial development in the next five to 10 years. The SSRF has served over 47,000 users from nearly 800 institutes and over 4,500 research teams across the country, and supported users in completing more than 20,000 experimental projects. Shanghai boasts 20 large-scale scientific facilities, including the world's largest, most comprehensive photon science facility cluster.

??China's Shenzhou-18 crew completed their first spacewalk, completing tasks such as installing space debris protection devices. The spacewalk set a new record for the longest single spacewalk by Chinese astronauts, with Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu working for eight and a half hours. The mission will involve scheduled space science experiments, technical tests, and additional extravehicular activities. Chinese astronauts have carried out a total of 16 extravehicular activities, with Zhai Zhigang making history as China's first person to conduct a spacewalk in 2008. The Shenzhou-15 crew has achieved the highest number of extravehicular activities by a single Chinese astronaut crew, with four spacewalks. The Shenzhou-17 crew completed the in-orbit maintenance of extravehicular facilities during their second spacewalk, lasting approximately eight hours.

??Business China??

???? The Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park in Mbale, Uganda, has been a significant source of foreign direct investment (FDI) for the country. The park, one of the largest in the country, is home to over 40 companies manufacturing products such as smartphones, televisions, textiles, and steel. The park has helped local people acquire skills and earn a living, with about 5,000 young people passing through daily. The influx of employees has also benefited small businesses and neighboring villages, with Charles Nyeko, a resident of Doko village, stating that his community has been transformed as the population has grown from 2,000 to about 4,000, with most of them working at the park. This investment is catalyzing Uganda's industrialization and modernization goals. China, an important cooperation partner of Uganda, has been providing capital, skills, and technology to develop energy and transport infrastructure, which are key drivers of industrialization.

??A new air cargo route has been launched between southwest China's Guizhou Province and Pakistan's largest city, Karachi. The route, which carries 6 tonnes of freight including clothing, electronic products, and other commodities, began in Guiyang and arrived in Karachi in six hours. The new route aims to build Guiyang as a cargo distribution center in southwest China and reduce the time for Pakistan's fresh products to reach Guizhou.

?? Guangzhou and Shenzhen, two Chinese cities, have announced measures to ease financial pressure for buying houses. Guangzhou's municipal government announced reduced down-payment ratios for home buyers, and non-Guangzhou residents can purchase two homes in six districts if they have a record of paying social insurance or income tax for at least six months. Shenzhen's authorities also announced new moves to lower down-payment ratios and lower interest rates on home loans. The minimum down-payment ratio for individual commercial housing mortgages has been lowered to 20% for first-home purchases and 30% for second-home purchases. The new policies will come into effect on Wednesday.

???China-Foreign Affairs??

????Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad at the 10th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. Wang, a member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expressed China's commitment to developing friendly relations with Sudan. He emphasized China's support for Sudan's national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, domestic peace, and exploring a development path suited to its own conditions. China also expressed appreciation for Sudan's active participation in the forum and expressed gratitude for China's support in Sudan's development. Sudan, adhering to the one-China principle, expressed its commitment to deepening cooperation with China in various fields within the framework of the two important forums.

?? China, once a distant land in Arab folklore, has become a prominent presence in the daily lives of millions of Arabs. From automobiles to electric buses, Chinese construction firms have been featured in landmarks like Algeria's Grand Mosque and Kuwait's Central Bank headquarters. This transformation is rooted in China-Arab friendly ties since 2004, particularly since the establishment of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in 2004. Over the past 20 years, both sides have deepened political mutual trust, strengthened economic and trade cooperation, and fostered cultural and people-to-people exchanges. China has also promoted peace and stability in bilateral ties, breaking a historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Following the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, China has called for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and a lasting solution to the Palestinian question. The 1st China-Arab States Summit in 2022 marked a new chapter in China-Arab relations.

???? Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized China's role in Pakistan's development and growth, stating that the country aims to enhance cooperation with China in sectors such as agriculture, information technology, and energy under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The CPEC, launched in 2013, connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan with Kashgar in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Sharif said Pakistan has learned from China in formulating strategies to boost exports and emphasized the need for facilitation for Chinese companies, particularly those in the textile sector, to establish their industries in Pakistan.

???? China's top political advisor, Wang Huning, met with Indonesia's House of Representatives Speaker, Puan Maharani, in Beijing. Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said China-Indonesia relations have opened a new chapter in building a shared future. He expressed China's readiness to work with Indonesia to consolidate political trust, deepen cooperation in building the Belt and Road, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges. Maharani affirmed Indonesia's commitment to the one-China principle and expressed Indonesia's House of Representatives' willingness to strengthen exchanges and contribute to bilateral relations.

???? Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin met with Belarus's National Assembly chairwoman Natalia Kochanova in Beijing. Shen, president of the All-China Women's Federation, expressed China's willingness to work with Belarus to implement a consensus, deepen cooperation, and expand cultural exchanges. Shen also expressed interest in expanding friendly exchanges in women development and promoting women's causes in both countries. Kochanova emphasized Belarus' willingness to strengthen cooperation in legislative bodies and women's causes.

???? China and Equatorial Guinea have announced a strategic partnership of cooperation, enhancing their relationship. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo announced the partnership, citing strong political mutual trust and mutual support. China supports Equatorial Guinea in safeguarding national sovereignty, opposing foreign interference, and independently exploring its development path. Xi said China is ready to elevate bilateral ties to deepen friendly exchanges and exchange experience in reform, development, and poverty alleviation, aiming to inject lasting impetus into the two countries' traditional friendship.

???? China's Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Shohrat Zakir, visited Laos from May 24 to 28. He held talks with Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane, and Vice President of the Lao National Assembly Sommad Pholsena. Zakir said China's strategic cooperation with Laos has led to fruitful results and the development of a China-Laos community with a shared future. He expressed willingness to strengthen policy communication and exchanges of experience in state governance with the Lao National Assembly. Lao leaders praised China's development achievements and adherence to the one-China principle.

??? China says its joint drills around Taiwan are a punitive response to Taiwan's leader's provocation for "Taiwan independence" and a warning to external forces that support and interfere in China's internal affairs. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that the Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair and the United States has no right to make irresponsible remarks on it. Mao emphasized that the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and that the United States has no right to make irresponsible remarks on it. She also criticized the United States for sending a delegation and issuing a congratulatory statement on the "inauguration ceremony," which sent a wrong signal to separatist forces. Mao argued that the groundless accusation the United States made against China's lawful and legitimate steps to uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity only compounded its mistake.

????Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa will visit China from May 29 to June 1, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. He will attend the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and attend the opening ceremony of the China-Arab States Expo. Hamad, born in 1950, became the Crown Prince in 1964 and is known for his friendly relationship with China and his involvement in the China-Arab States Expo in 2013.

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