Posted on

Interview President Xis letter inspires more contributions to Japan-China friendship — Japanese youth

(Xinhua)07:30, July 08, 2019

TOKYO, July 6 (Xinhua) — When I wrote the letter, I didnt expect to receive a reply from President Xi Jinping. I was surprised and honored, said Daichi Nakashima with excitement.

The 27-year-old Japanese man said he had received the reply from Xi before the Chinese leader attended the Group of 20 summit in Osaka. When my friend told me on WeChat, I was shocked! Nakashima said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Nakashima had several times been a winner in the Panda Cup Japan Youth Essay Contest. Founded in 2014, the competition is co-sponsored by Peoples China magazine, the Chinese embassy in Japan and the Japan Science Society, aiming to help Japanese youths have a more comprehensive, objective and rational understanding of China.

Nakashima began learning Chinese in college and has participated in several short-term exchange programs in China.

When talking about his original intention of writing a letter to Xi, Nakashima said, I wanted to convey the warmth and friendship of the Chinese people I felt during my visit to China and the importance of mutual understanding and exchanges between Japanese and Chinese youths.

Xi, in his reply, said he was glad to see that Nakashima has been studying the Chinese language and literature for a long time and, by participating in essay contests and exchange activities in China, has learned more about China and strengthened his bonds with Chinese friends.

Its the best affirmation and recognition of my persistence for so many years. Im very touched, Nakashima said.

Born in 1992, Nakashima first learned about China through classics like Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Outlaws of the Marsh, but it was a two-week trip to Tianjin in 2011 that gave him a glimpse of a vibrant China.

After that, he visited Beijing, Sichuan, Guangdong and other places. Last year, he went to Fudan University in Shanghai and studied for half a year.

Nakashima found that Chinese youth are very familiar with Japanese anime, music and so on, while Japanese youngsters do not know much about China. Their impression of China is restricted to Chinese tourists, not knowing about Chinese movies and popular music, he said.

Nakashima said he believes that the friendship between the two peoples needs more bilateral youth exchanges, as President Xi said in the letter.

Noting that China and Japan are close neighbors separated by only a narrow strip of water, Xi said the friendship between the two countries is rooted in the people, and that the future of the friendship between the two peoples is in the hands of the young people.

Xi said he hopes that the youth of China and Japan will strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, enhance mutual understanding, develop long-lasting friendships, and contribute to creating an even brighter future for bilateral relations.

Xi also encouraged Nakashima to continue to promote the China-Japan friendship. Nakashima said this is an encouragement, a mission and also motivation for him to move forward.

Nakashima graduated with a masters degree in April and has begun to work in a publishing house. He has been determined to introduce excellent works such as Chinese picture books and science fiction to Japan, so that Japanese teenagers can feel the affinity between the two countries.

I have met many friendly Chinese people and made many friends that are very important to me. In the future, I will continue to make efforts to help Japanese and Chinese youth deepen mutual understanding, he said.

Posted on

China opens first tropical diseases branch in Hainan

(Xinhua)13:23, July 08, 2019

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) — A local hospital in Haikou, capital city of south Chinas island province of Hainan, has launched the countrys first tropical diseases branch, according to Mondays China Daily.

The branch with Haikou-based Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University is expected to develop into a medical base for exchanges and cooperation with countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, the newspaper quoted the hospitals president Wang Yi as saying.

With about 40 percent of the worlds population living in tropical and subtropical regions, integrated scientific research and treatment of tropical diseases are crucial, Wang said.

Posted on

Waste sorting generating new business opportunities in China

(Peoples Daily Online)14:39, July 08, 2019

(Photo/Xinhua)

Waste sorting is triggering dramatic nationwide changes in China. It has not only boosted certain existing businesses, but also created new industries and opportunities.

Shanghai is the first Chinese city to promote waste sorting. Starting from July 1, the city enforced the 鈥渟trictest rules鈥?on waste sorting. Those who make mistakes in classifying waste may face a fine of up to 200 yuan ($29).

Following the steps of Shanghai as a pioneer, 46 more Chinese cities will also join the initiative to sort their waste.

In this trend, dealers and manufacturers of trash cans are no doubt one of the largest beneficiaries.

Statistics indicated that in this June, the search volume for 鈥渨aste sorting trash can鈥?surged over 3,000 percent on Tmall, an online shopping platform of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, and the sales volume of such products on the platform increased fivefold this month from a year ago.

250 million yuan has been spent by individual consumers on waste sorting trash cans on Tmall as well as Taobao, another of Alibaba鈥檚 platforms.

According to an individual online seller of imported trash cans, over 25,000 orders were completed in the past month. Because of the huge demand, he had to place a purchase restriction for his customers of one item per buyer.

Taizhou, east China鈥檚 Zhejiang province, which owns an industrial belt that produces plastics including waste sorting trash cans, has seen a booming performance in the past month. About 3,000 enterprises in the city are benefiting from the sorting of waste, and the number of their customers on Alibaba wholesale platform 鈥?688鈥?almost doubled, with their sales increasing by over 45 percent.

Chen Dongsheng, general manager of a Taizhou-based trash can manufacturer, said that the company鈥檚 orders mainly came from Shanghai. The company鈥檚 factory is running 24 hours each day, producing 30,000 to 40,000 trash cans, he added.

In addition to trash can enterprises, waste sorting is also facilitating new industries, and the garbage pick-up service is one of the hottest sectors that the national campaign has created.

Thanks to the service, customers can place an order online, and their garbage will later be collected by the service providers.

Both full-time and part-time jobs are offered by the garbage pick-up service providers. Wang Yifei, a city manager of Alipay, Alibaba鈥檚 mobile payment platform, said that there have been over 50 such providers having registered on Alipay鈥檚 recycling platform, with some hiring dozens of employees. Some of the employees can earn over 10,000 yuan per month.

鈥淚t seems like we deal with dirty stuff, but nevertheless are in a rising industry,鈥?said Luo Qi, a full-time garbage collector in Shanghai.

According to statistics, the average monthly income of jobs related to waste sorting on job-hunting site Liepin.com stood at 16,000 yuan per capita in the first half of 2019.

Moreover, waste sorting mobile applications that help citizens recognize waste is also becoming a new business opportunity. By July 3, mini applications on Alipay related to waste sorting have attracted over 1 million new users.

Wang noted that some of the developers of such apps are garbage collecting companies that hope to acquire customers from the internet, while some are individuals who wish to gain traffic and make profits from advertising.

Posted on

Chinese coastal city to ban smoking

(Xinhua)14:41, July 08, 2019

SHIJIAZHUANG, July 8 (Xinhua) — The coastal city of Qinhuangdao in north Chinas Hebei Province unveiled a regulation banning smoking in all indoor venues from Aug. 1, according to local authorities.

The regulation prohibits smoking in 11 kinds of outdoor places including tourist destinations and beaches. Electronic cigarettes are also prohibited at the same venues under the regulation.

Smokers who do not adhere to the regulation will be fined up to 200 yuan (29.02 U.S. dollars), and venue owners may be fined up to 1,000 yuan.

China has set a target to reduce the smoking rate among people aged 15 and above to 20 percent by 2030, according to the Healthy China 2030 blueprint issued in 2016.

Posted on

China trains 5,500 calligraphy teachers

(Xinhua)15:42, July 08, 2019

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) — A training program started in 2015 to provide calligraphy courses for primary and secondary school teachers has so far trained 5,500 teachers.

The information was announced at the opening ceremony of the programs fifth session held in Beijing.

The program, jointly launched by the Ministry of Education and the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, plans to take five years to train about 7,000 calligraphy teachers at primary and secondary schools nationwide and aims to promote both the accessibility and quality of calligraphy education at the schools to better carry forward traditional Chinese culture.

Su Shishu, president of the China Calligraphers Association, said the training will give special focus on basic exercises, skills and culture of Chinese calligraphy as well as the effect of the courses.

Posted on

Worlds heaviest captive panda twins born in China

(Xinhua)17:06, July 08, 2019

CHENGDU, July 8 (Xinhua) — Weighing over 200 grams each, a pair of male-female panda twins were born in Chengdu, capital of southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, local authorities said Monday.

They are believed to be the heaviest captive-bred panda twins born in the world, according to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

The male giant panda cub weighs 211.6 grams and the female 209 grams. They were born at the base on Saturday morning and are in stable condition.

The average birth weight of panda cubs is around 150 grams. It is rare to see both twin cubs weigh over 200 grams each at birth, experts said.

Their mother Po was born at the Zoo Atlanta in November 2010 and was named after the hit Hollywood animated blockbuster Kung Fu Panda.

Pos water broke at 4:47 a.m. Saturday. This was her first delivery, but she held and licked her cubs soon after, which showed her strong sense of maternity.

As of Monday, a total of 298 giant panda cubs have been born at the Chengdu research base.

The giant panda was scientifically discovered 150 years ago and named in the city of Yaan, Sichuan. It remains one of the worlds most endangered species.

The number of captive pandas was 548 globally as of last November. Fewer than 2,000 pandas live in the wild, mostly in the provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi.

Posted on

Xi stresses focusing on reform to strengthen military

(Xinhua)08:23, August 01, 2019

BEIJING, July 31 — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed concentrating efforts to implement the strategy of strengthening the military through reform to advance the cause of building a strong military in the new era.

Xi made the remarks while presiding over a group study session of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on reforming military policies and institutions on Tuesday.

At the session, held ahead of Chinas Army Day on August 1, Xi extended greetings to all personnel of the Peoples Liberation Army, armed police, militia and reserve force on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission.

Xi noted the historic change to the organizational structure of Chinas military and the revolutionary shift in its force composition through reforms since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012.

Xi said the reform of military policies and institutions aims to address the incompatibility of policies with the new era, new missions and new institutions.

Xi spoke of the need to focus on reform targets, stay confident and determined, and rise to challenges in the reform.

He also stressed the complexity of the reform of military policies and institutions and the need to take a holistic approach.

Xi said issues to be prioritized include those concerning combat preparedness of the armed forces, key points of operation of the system, as well as those concerning the benefits of officers and soldiers.

Xi said the reform of military policies and institutions requires the emancipation of the mind.

It is necessary to get rid of all outdated mentalities and acts and stay true to reality in the reform, he said.

Xi also stressed the need to study major issues, find the problems, carry out reforms and make proper assessments.

Describing it a task shared by the armed forces and the civilian sector, Xi called for concerted efforts to carry out the reform of military policies and institutions.

Posted on

Japan denies report on 5-fold increase of spending for U.S. military presence

(Xinhua)10:48, August 01, 2019

TOKYO, July 3 — Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday denied a media report that the United States seeks up to a fivefold increase in what Japan pays to support U.S. military forces based here.

Japan鈥檚 Asahi Shimbun reported on Wednesday that when U.S. national security adviser John Bolton visited Japan earlier this month, he raised the possibility of the five-fold increase in talks with Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Shotaro Yachi, head of the National Security Council secretariat.

Suga told reporters at a press conference that he noticed the report, but it is not the fact. He stressed that the expense is 鈥減roperly shared based on the agreement between the two governments.

Under an agreement reached between Japan and the United States, Japan should pay a total of 946.5 billion yen (8.7 billion U.S. dollars) over the five-year period from fiscal 2016 to fiscal 2020.

New negotiations on what has also been called the 鈥渟ympathy budget鈥?are expected to start next year for the period from fiscal 2021.

Posted on

China is modernizing PLA to handle new security threats official

(Xinhua)14:10, August 01, 2019

NAIROBI, July 31 — China is devoted to modernizing its defense forces to enhance its capacity to handle new security threats, said Wang Yang, military attache at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya late on Tuesday.

He made the remarks at an event celebrating the 92nd anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) of China, which was also attended by some Kenyan officials and foreign diplomats.

The PLA has been making great and historical contributions to the Chinese peoples liberation, socialist construction and reform, said Wang.

In the new era, we are currently committed to building a fortified national defence system and a strong military that are commensurate with the countrys international standing and its security and development interests, he said.

Wang stressed that Beijing has no intention to pursue hegemony, but will rather promote peaceful development and win-win partnerships.

We advocate a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept. We also advocate a road of common construction, sharing and win-win security, and actively participate in international security dialogues and exchanges, he said.

China is now a major contributor to the UN peacekeeping operations in global hotspots, said Wang, adding that China had by 2018 participated in 24 UN peacekeeping missions and contributed more than 40,000 peacekeepers.

Beijing has been on the frontline of humanitarian assistance in global hotspots and has also dispatched troops to protect critical shipping routes like the Gulf of Aden and Somalias coastline, he said.

In the past decade, over 100 vessels and 26,000 officers and sailors have been regularly deployed in 31 escort task groups. They escorted more than 6,600 ships, and rescued, protected or assisted over 70 ships in distress, he added.

The offical also said he was optimistic that China-Kenya defense cooperation will be strengthened.

Posted on

Chinese police launch integrated online service platform

(Xinhua)16:30, August 01, 2019

BEIJING, Aug. 1 — The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) Thursday launched an online platform that integrates online services provided by police authorities at various levels across China.

A total of 548 kinds of services are now available on the platform, according to a statement issued at a press conference held by the ministry.

Li Jian, head of the MPSs technology and information department, said the platform is also connected to a national online service platform to save the users the trouble of having to register or conduct verification multiple times across different platforms.

According to the MPS, the platform has updated over 828,000 pieces of frequently accessed police information such as driving licence tests and traffic violations.