Month: August 2020

(Xinhua)08:40, August 05, 2019

HOUSTON, Aug. 3 — A mass shooting on Saturday killed at least 20 and injured 26 others in the U.S. state of Texas, local officials said at a press conference.

The suspect, now in custody, was identified as a 21-year-old white male from Texas, according to Texas Police Chief Greg Allen.

The shooting has a nexus to a hate crime, said Allen. Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation cautioned that more investigative work is needed to determine the nature of the crime.

Allen said the state of Texas will lead the prosecution of the suspect, adding that the state is currently looking at potential capital murder charges.

Police identified a Walmart shopping mall, about 13 km east of downtown El Paso, as one of the active scene.

According to the authorities, the store was packed with as many as 3,000 people caused by a busy back-to-school shopping season when the shooting began.

A law enforcement source identified the shooting suspect as Patrick Crusius of Allen, Texas.

Crusius reportedly attended Collin College in McKinney, Texas from fall 2017 through spring 2019. The District President of the school, Neil Matkin, issued a statement saying that Collin College was saddened and horrified by the news.

Collin College is prepared to cooperate fully with state and federal authorities in their investigation of this senseless tragedy. We join the governor and all Texans in expressing our heartfelt concern for the victims of the shooting and their loved ones, Matkin said.

Law enforcement officials are studying an anti-immigrant manifesto to determine whether it was written by the suspect, according to a local law enforcement official.

El Paso, situated at the U.S.-Mexico border, has a population of 680,000, of which 83 percent are of Hispanic descent, according to 2018 Census estimates.

In recent months El Paso has become one of the busiest entry points for immigrants, especially from Central America.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Twitter that three Mexicans were among those killed in the shooting spree.

At least six of the wounded were Mexican citizens, Mexicos Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said in a Tweet.

(Xinhua)09:51, July 27, 2019

GENEVA, July 27 — Ambassadors from 50 countries to the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG) have co-signed a letter to the President of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to voice their support for Chinas position on issues related to its Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Earlier on July 12, a number of ambassadors in Geneva sent the joint letter to show their support for China, and as of Friday evening, more ambassadors had joined, the Chinese Mission to UNOG revealed.

In a statement issued on Friday night, the Chinese Mission to UNOG said that some other countries had also expressed their support in separate letters or press statements.

In the joint letter, the ambassadors commend China for its economic and social progress, effective counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures, and strong guarantee of human rights.

They appreciate the opportunities provided by China for diplomatic envoys, officials of international organizations, and media professionals to visit Xinjiang, and point to the contrast between Xinjiang in the eyes of those who have visited it and the one portrayed by some western media.

The ambassadors also urge a certain group of countries to stop using uncorroborated information to make unfounded accusations against China.

Terrorism and extremism are an intractable challenge across the world. In the face of its grave threat, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region responded with a number of lawful steps, including setting up vocational education and training centers, to prevent and combat terrorism and extremism, the Chinese mission to UNOG said in its statement issued Friday.

Facts speak louder than words, and justice cannot be overshadowed. The great diversity of countries co-signing the letter — from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, especially the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) — makes it clear that the international community has drawn a fair conclusion about Xinjiangs human rights achievement and counter-terrorism and de-radicalization outcome, the statement said.

Those that seek to use human rights as an excuse to slander and pressure China have only themselves to deceive, it added.

We oppose any attempt to use human rights issues as a cover for interference in a countrys internal affairs. We urge those who are doing so to change course, refrain from politicization and double standards, and stop interfering in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of human rights, it said.

The Chinese mission also said that together with all parties, China is committed to promoting the healthy development of the international human rights cause by encouraging multilateral human rights institutions to stick to the purpose and principles of the UN Charter, handle human rights issues in an objective, impartial and non-selective manner, and engage in constructive dialogues and cooperation.

(Xinhua)08:35, August 02, 2019

Tourists visit the Yehliu Geopark in New Taipei City, southeast Chinas Taiwan, July 17, 2019. The geopark features stunning geological landscape formed by wave attack, rock weathering, earth movement and crustal movement, which make it a popular destination among tourists. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang)

The DPP authorities kept advocating Taiwan independence, producing hostility toward the mainland and provoking confrontation between the two sides of the Strait, Chinese mainland spokesperson said.

BEIJING, Aug. 1 — Taiwans Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have undermined the foundation of a mainland tourism schemes trial run, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said Thursday.

Under the scheme, residents from 47 mainland cities used to be able to visit Taiwan as individual tourists. The scheme was suspended starting from Thursday, according to a notice published on the website of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to a question about the notice.

The trial run of the scheme was launched in 2011, serving as a positive measure to expand mutual visits and exchanges across the Taiwan Strait in the context of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, Ma said.

For years, tourists from the mainland have promoted the development of tourism and relevant industries in Taiwan, he said.

However, the DPP authorities kept advocating Taiwan independence, producing hostility toward the mainland and provoking confrontation between the two sides of the Strait, Ma said.

The people on both sides of the Strait hope that relations can get back on the right track of peaceful growth at an early date, so that mainland residents travel to Taiwan can resume normal and healthy growth soon, he said.

(Xinhua)09:50, August 01, 2019

BEIJING, July 31 — A panda exhibition, showcasing Chinas unique giant panda culture, will be held at the China Pavilion during the Expo 2020 Dubai.

The news was announced by Feng Yaoxiang, secretary general of the China Pavilions organizing committee, at a roadshow held on Tuesday at the ongoing International Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing.

Feng said the exhibition will display Chinas latest achievements in the protection and research of giant pandas.

The exhibition will be jointly hosted by the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas and the State Conservation Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife under Zhejiang University.

Giant pandas are Chinas envoy for friendship and have contributed to Chinas friendly ties with other countries, said Zhang Hemin, deputy director of the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas.

China has made notable progress in protecting the vulnerable species and its habitats through a series of ecological projects over the years, including establishing 67 nature reserves for giant pandas across the country.

There are now more than 1,800 wild pandas and over 500 pandas bred in captivity in China, Zhang said.

(Xinhua)10:55, August 01, 2019

ROME, July 31 — An official ceremony was held here on Wednesday to mark the handover between the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) outgoing chief Jose Graziano Da Silva and the new Director-General of the agency Qu Dongyu.

Qu — Chinas vice minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs since 2015 — had been elected with a large majority for the post during the 41st FAO Conference that gathered here in June.

Qu will be the first Chinese official to serve as Director-General of FAO, since the organizations inception.

His mandate will officially run from Aug. 1 to July 31, 2023, succeeding Brazilian Jose Graziano Da Silva, who has served as the agencys top head for two consecutive terms since January 2012 (after being elected in June 2011 and confirmed in 2015).

Born in Chinas southern province of Hunan in 1963, Qu can boast an extensive background in the agricultural field.

He graduated with a Bachelor Degree from the Hunan Agricultural College in 1983, and obtained a Master Degree in plant breeding and genetics from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS).

He achieved his PhD in Agriculture and Environmental Sciences from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands in 1996.

Before being appointed vice minister at Chinas Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in June 2015, he served as Director-General of the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers of the CAAS between 2000 and 2002, and as Vice President of the CAAS between 2001 and 2008.

Once appointed vice minister of Agriculture, among various tasks, Qu worked on promoting a market-oriented development of agriculture supported by IT, launching a mechanism of exchange on urban agriculture among big and medium-sized cities in China, and encouraging agriculture brand building and specialty industries.

Still according to his official candidate profile, the scientist contributed to the formulation of crucial domestic policy papers, including Chinas 13th Five-year Plan for International Agricultural Cooperation and the Vision and Actions for Joint Promotion of Agriculture Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

He was also extensively involved in international cooperation in the field, including the activities of the ASEAN plus China, Japan, and Republic of Korea cooperation mechanism, and the design of several South-South Cooperation flagship projects with FAO, the World Bank, and other international agencies.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization was founded in Quebec City, Canada, in 1945. It comprises of 194 member states, plus one member organization (the European Union) and two associate members (the Faroe Islands and Tokelau).