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Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng visits the Vivekananda International Foundation on August 6th
China Embassy celebrated the 88th anniversary of the founding of PLA on July 22nd, 2015.
Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng meets with Shashi Tharoor, chairman of the Indian Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee on August 3rd, 2015.
Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng visits the headquarter of The WEEK magazine on August 10th
Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng meets with ORF senior research fellow Dr. C. Raja Mohan on July 30th, 2015.
2
CONTENTS3
BEIJING WINS BID TO HOST 2022 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
1. Winter Olympics Brings Opportunities for Ancient City's Revival 62. 2022 Olympics Effect Emerging in China 73. Economic Impact of Beijing Winter Olympics 84. For Beijing Winter Olympics, Why the Sour Grapes? 14
CHINA-INDIA RELATIONS
1 New Dynamism in China-India Relations 15Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Le Yucheng at Vivekananda International Foundation
2. Ambassador Le Yucheng's Interview with The WEEK 193. Discovering Happiness in Bhutan 22
4. A Trip to the God's Own Country 25
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
1. Chinese Premier Hails BRICS Bank 282. BRICS Bank Hailed as Contributive to Building Fairer Global Governance 293. Yang Jiechi and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 31
Philip Hammond of the UK Co-chair China-UK Strategic Dialogue4. Wang Yi on the South China Sea Issue at the ASEAN Regional Forum 325. Link up China's "Belt and Road" Initiative with Development Strategies of 36
ASEAN Nations to Open up New Prospects for China-ASEAN Relations6. Chinese FM Calls for Closer Cooperation Among ASEAN, China, Japan, S. Korea 397. Grasping the Historical Opportunity to Promote ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation 41
CREATED IN CHINA
1. BYD 442. DAJIANG 453. SMARTISAN PHONE 47
CULTURE & LIFE
1. Images From China: The China Flicks 512. When the Internet Meets Agriculture 543. China's Box Office at Record High 554. China’s Growing Interest in Fitness Shapes up Industry 575. JET LI – King of Kungfu 59
TIBET TODAY
1 Ten Data Reflecting Tibet's Changes Over the Past 50 Years 612. Achievements of Tibet Autonomous Region in 50 Years 63
Book Review 66Flights Between China and India 67CCTV 69CRI72 70
6 Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games News From China August 2015
Winter Olympics Brings Opportunities for Ancient City’s Revival
S h i j i a z h u a n g , Au g . 7 ( X i n h u a ) —
Zhangjiakou was once a booming horse and fur
hub in ancient China, but with cars and textiles
replacing its economic lifeblood in modern
times the northwestern city has been reduced
to poverty.
Located 200 kilometers northwest of
Beijing, the city is home to 10 national-level
poverty-stricken counties, accounting for a
quarter in the province.
Hundreds of years ago, it played an
international role as a gateway to Russia for
China’s booming horse and fur trade. It also
boasts China’s first independently-built railway,
the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway built in 1909.
But it has lagged far behind its eastern peers
and moved slowly since the opening-up reform
in 1978. with a population of 4.6 million, its per
capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014
was 30,729 yuan (5,021 U.S. dollars), less than a
third of Beijing.
With a weak industrial foundation, it is now
facing a tough economic situation. Its annual
GDP growth dropped to 5.2 percent in 2014
from 14 percent in 2010.
The attention brought by the 2022 Winter
Olympics will translate into economic benefits
that will be a windfall for the city’s
development, said Chen Jian, deputy head of the
China Society of Economic Reform.
C o n s t r u c t i o n o f s p o r t s v e n u e s ,
infrastructure and rising tourism revenues will
contribute 7 percent to the annual GDP growth
in Zhangjiakou, lifting poor people out of
poverty in 2022, said Chen.
The number of tourists in Chongli County,
which will host the biathlon, Nordic combined,
ski jumping, snowboard, and freestyle skiing
events in the 2022 Winter Olympics, rose to 1.67
million in 2014, up more than 60 percent than
that of 2012, according to official statistics.
Property prices in the county rose from
4,000 yuan per square meter in 2012 to more
than 7,000 yuan per square meter in 2015,
according to a housing agent surnamed Hou.
SACRIFICE, INTEGRATION WITH BEIJINGA location of military importance for
centuries, Zhangjiakou opened to the outside
world in 1995, more than 10 years after China’s
introduction of economic reform and opening-
up policies.
The city has seen slow economic growth due
to its heavy responsibility as an ecological
protective screen for Beijing.
In order to shield sandstorms from Inner
Mongolia, Zhangjiakou constantly spent money
to plant trees. As it is on the upper reaches of the
Miyun Reservoir, the biggest source of water for
Beijing, it needs to provide abundant water flow
and ensure its quality.
Agriculture and industrial projects with
high water consumption and pollution risks are
banned in the city. Paddy rice was ordered to be
changed into less profitable corn crops in order
to save water since 2007.
Around 16,600 hectares of farmland in
Chicheng County, Zhangjiakou City, have been
transformed into forest since 1992, which
reduced the local government’s revenue by
about 260 million yuan annually.
Although Beijing has given massive
ecological compensation to Zhangjiakou over
the past decade, the investment did not
BEIJING WINS BID TO HOST 2022 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
7Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter GamesNews From China August 2015
translate into new growth.
Without transferring industry, capital or
resources, Zhangjiakou cannot have substantial
development, said Liang Haoguang, head of the
economy research institute with the Beijing
Academy of Social Sciences.
Improving transportation infrastructure
will speed up the transfer process. A high-speed
railway is currently under construction and will
cut the travel time between Beijing and
Zhangjiakou from three hours to around 40
minutes once completed in 2017.
Zhongguancun Science and Technology
Park, a high-tech pioneer in the country, will
set up a branch in Zhangjiakou, which will
bring electronics and information industry as
well as advanced manufacturing to the city,
said Liang.
A guideline on coordinated development
for Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei was approved
by the Political Bureau of the Communist
Party of China Central Committee in April.
L iang suggested using Zhangj iakou’s
abundant tourism resources in the regional
framework.
“The joint bid for the Winter Olympics is a
milestone of the regional coordinated
development,” said Gu Shengzu, a Beijing-based
senior economist.
“Without the exceptional snow in Chongli
County and Beijing’s experience and reputation,
the bid would not have been successful.”
The State Council, or China’s cabinet, has
approved the establishment of a renewable
energy demonstration zone in Zhangjiakou,
which will bring unprecedented opportunities
to the city, said Guo Junfeng, deputy head of the
m u n i c i p a l d e v e l o p m e n t a n d r e f o r m
commission.
High-tech industry, new energy vehicles,
high-end equipment manufacturing, biological
m e d i c i n e a n d to u r i s m h ave b e c o m e
Zhangjiakou’s new development focus, said
Guo.
More than 200 programs with 20 million
U.S. dollars investment each were signed in
Zhangjiakou in 2014. More than 80 wind power
projects are under construction or planning, he
said.
The Winter Olympics will bring more than
200,000 jobs to the local residents and
drastically change lives in Zhangjiakou, said Hou
Liang, mayor of the city.
2022 Olympics Effect Emerging in China
Beijing, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) — Still roughly
seven years to go before the 2022 Winter
Olympics open in Beijing, the “Olympic Effect”
has begun to emerge.
For co-bidder Zhangjiakou, the successful
bid not only means holding snow events, but
also a catalyst for social and economic
development.
Changes have already taken place in
Chongli, a county in Zhangjiakou where cross
country, freestyle and other skiing events would
be held. Polluting mines are being closed, a
specific measure to clear smog.
And, Chongli has attracted more tourists
and skiing fans since Beijing launched the joint
bid with Zhangjiakou in November, 2013.
The 2022 Winter Games is expected to
further bolster local tourism and the skiing
industry. Zhangjiakou expects the 2022 event to
generate 350 billion yuan of investment and
create 200,000 jobs.
Preparations for the Winter Olympics will
accelerate the economic integration of this area
into Beijing and Tianjin, its two developed
8 News From China August 2015
neighboring municipalities.
A high-speed railway under construction
linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou will cut the
travel time from the capital to Chongli to around
50 minutes.
In Beijing, the authorities have vowed to
curb air pollution, cutting PM2.5 by 20 percent
by 2017, and by 45 percent in 2022. The
Olympics will push Beijing to clean its sky. In
another word, more blue skies might be the
most important legacy of the event.
Beijing beat Almaty by 44 votes to 40 to win
the hosting rights of the 2022 Winter Olympics
at the 128th IOC session on July 31.
Economic Impact of Beijing Winter Olympics
Beijing, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Clinching the
winter olympics will provide hefty economic
opportunities for Beijing and its surrounding
regions, analysts say.
Seven years after the capital successfully
hosted the summer olympics,Beijing’s
victorious winter olympic bid last Friday has
triggered a string of investment in venues,
transportation and environment.
According to Beijing’s bid committee, the
budget for the winter games is projected at 1.56
billion US dollars, with a further 1.51 billion
used on infrastructure renovation.
With a rich legacy left by the summer
olympics, China plans to re-use the existing 11
venues and only needs to build a new rink for
speed skating, effectively easing possible
problems of facilities being left idle after the
games.
On transportation, a high-speed railway
Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games
9News From China August 2015
linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou, where some of
the skiing events will be held, is expected to be
constructed around 2019 to cut travel time
between the two cities to 50 minutes.
As air quality and snow conditions are
regarded as two of the major challenges for
Beijing’s Winter Olympic Games, investments
will be made to address the issue.
Beijing began implementing a five-year plan
from 2013 that cost 130 billion US dollars to
upgrade heating systems, cut car emissions and
close heavy-polluting plants. Neighboring
metropolitan Tianjin and Hebei province have
adopted similar measures.
A second five-year plan to further improve
air quality is being studied, according to Beijing
Mayor Wang Anshun.
The policies are already producing notable
effects. Concentration of PM2.5, airborne
particles measuring less than 2.5 microns, has
been reduced by 15.2 percent year-on-year in
the first half of the year in Beijing, according to
statistics from the Beij ing Municipal
Environmental Protection Bureau.
According to an existing plan, the city aims
to cut PM2.5 density by 20 percent by 2017,
c o m p a r e d w i t h 2 0 1 2 . H o w e v e r, a n
environmental official of the city predicted the
reduction could reach 25 percent.
In the co-host city Zhangjiakou, the State
Council has approved a renewable energy
demonstration zone that aims to fully rely on
renewable energy to provide electricity and
heating for the Olympic center and venues.
Chen Jian, deputy head of the China Society
of Economic Reform, said Beijing’s successful
bid for the Winter Olympics will significantly
promote infrastructure and environment
development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei
region, as well as development of many other
industries.
SPORTS INDUSTRYOn the back of the Winter Olympics, the
Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games
10 News From China August 2015
Beijing municipal government is looking at
fostering sports-related industry as a new
growth driver to power its economy.
According to the government plan, Beijing
aims to bring the value of its sports industry to
300 billion yuan by 2025, and develop world-
class sports enterprises.
To encourage the industry, the city
government plans to set up an investment fund
to guide social capital into sports.
Chen forecast by 2025, China’s sports
industry will be valued at 800 billion U.S.
dollars, generating around 600,000 new jobs.
GROWTH TRANSFORMATIONApart from the massive opportunities for
Beijing, the 2022 Winter Olympics will also
offer unprecedented benefits to its less
developed neighbors and help them upgrade
growth models.
Chongli County under Zhangjiakou city,
where about 50 gold medals will be on offer for
snow events in 2022, has evolved from a small,
unknown place where residents relied on
mining for income into a hot tourist destination
for skiing fans.
Last year, the county received more than 2
million tourists that brought related revenue to
1.41 billion yuan.
The Winter Olympic Games are expected to
further bolster local tourism and the skiing
industry. Zhangjiakou expects the event to
generate 350 billion yuan of investment and
create 200,000 jobs for the city.
Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games
14 News From China August 2015
Beijing, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) —
China’s national strength grows
amid skepticism. Beijing’s bid
for hosting the 2022 Winter
Olympic Games is a latest
example.
S k e p t i c i s m c o n t i n u e s
though the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) has
endorsed Beijing’s bid. While
some doubts deserve serious
consideration, those habitual
China skeptics should answer at
least one question: for the
Beijing event, why can’t you take
it as a sweet grape?
Their first doubt is that
Beijing and its co-host city
Zhangjiakou are short of snow.
It’s true that snow is the first
and foremost thing for a Winter Games, but
don’t forget artificial snow.
Beijing’s bidding committee has assured the
world that snow-making facilities can satisfy
the demand for the event. If critics don’t believe
in Beijing, they should wait and see if the IOC’s
choice lest them down.
A concern related to artificial snow is the
consumption of water, which Beijing is short of.
Artificial snow will consume only one percent of
the local water supply, far less than the so-called
“environmental disaster” claimed by some
critics.
It’s true that smog is a serious issue, but the
government is tackling the problem. Now with
the successful bid, Beijing has vowed to treat air
pollution, cutting PM2.5 by 20 percent by 2017,
and by 45 percent in 2022. The event will push
Beijing to clean its sky. In another word, more
blue skies might be the most important legacy of
the event.
Change is already taking place in Chongli, a
county in Zhangjiakou where some of the skiing
events will be held. Polluting mines are being
closed, a specific measure to clear smog.
The county is also embracing more tourists
and skiing fans. It is estimated that China has
about one million skiing fans. Chongli’s resorts
attract skiers from neighboring Beijing, Tianjin
and other areas in north China.
The Olympic Games is expected to further
bolster local tourism and the skiing industry.
Zhangjiakou expects the event to generate 350
billion yuan of investment and create 200,000
jobs.
Infrastructure investment and job
opportunities are believed to be able to drive
local economic development in Zhangjiakou
and its neighboring areas, part of a poverty belt
around Beijing.
Preparations for the Olympics will
accelerate the economic integration of this area
For Beijing Winter Olympics, Why the Sour Grapes?
President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach announces that Beijing won the bid to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games at the 128th International Olympic Committee session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 31, 2015.(Xinhua/Gong Lei)
Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games
15China-India RelationsNews From China August 2015
into Beijing and Tianjin, its two developed
neighboring municipalities. A high-speed
railway under construction linking Beijing and
Zhangjiakou will cut the travel time from the
capital to Chongli to around 50 minutes.
It’s true that not all Beijingers or not all
Chinese back Beijing’s bid for the Winter
Games, but it’s at least equally true that many
Beijingers and many Chinese people support it.
Western media critics should not neglect the
other half.
It’s needless to say that Beijing has many
problems to resolve before a successful winter
games, but has seven years to ready itself.
Critics also have the same time to wait and
see, long enough for them to look back at their
similar doubts, skepticism and even accusations
when Beijing bid and prepared for the 2008
Summer Games.
Beijing and China are quite different now
compared to the years when it bid for the 2008
event, but the critics seem to have remained
unchanged. One truth for them to learn: those
who get the grapes know quite well they are
sweet. Sour-grapes are for the disappointed
fox.
CHINA-INDIA RELATIONS
New Dynamism in China-India Relations
Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Le Yucheng at Vivekananda International Foundation
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning! It gives me great pleasure to
come to Vivekananda International Foundation
(VIF), a world renowned think tank, and see so
many heavy weight figures and familiar faces. I
am a loyal reader of your publications and find
them inspiring and thought-provoking. You
have extensive exchanges with Chinese think
tanks and scholars and have done a lot to
advance China-India relations. I wish to
commend your efforts and contribution, and
hope you will keep up the good work.
VIF is named after Swami Vivekananda, so I
would like to begin my remarks today by
q u o t i n g a l i n e f r o m V i v e k a n a n d a ,
“Relationships are more important than life, but
it is important for those relationships to have
life in them.” I can’t agree more and I think the
relationship between our two countries is now
full of life, dynamism and opportunities.
On my way here, it dawned upon me that I’ve
been Chinese Ambassador to India for nearly 11
months now. Well, 11 months is a short span in
the flow of history or in the context of
international relations. But thanks to joint
efforts from both sides, the past 11 months have
seen tremendous and tangible changes in
China-India relations, changes that would be
hard to envisage a year ago. Let me illustrate my
point by sharing with you a few milestone
events that happened in the past year.
1. President Xi and PM Modi met for five
times, including their mutual visit.
2. Two Chinese industrial parks in
Maharashtra and Gujarat are taking shape.
3. Peace and tranquility have been
maintained at the border areas.
4. Nathula pass was opened for Indian Yatris
to Kailash Manasarovar.
5. E-visa was launched for Chinese tourists.
6. The Local Leaders’ Forum was set up and
16 China-India Relations News From China August 2015
first meeting was held.
7. More sister city and State/Province
relationships were established.
8. Indian Yoga and Chinese Taichi met in
exchange.
The list can be much longer, not to mention
the growing mil-to-mil relations, people-to-
people exchanges, and contacts between media
and think tanks, etc. But it’s already clear that
the page has been turned, game changed, and a
new chapter opened. There are many new
defining features of the new chapter. I wish to
summarize the features with 4Ds:
First, breakthrough development. The
events I listed above are not small ones or
chance event, but real, significant and
unprecedented changes. They tell us how far
our relations have come from estrangement to
engagement, from divergence to convergence,
and from possible cooperation to irreversible
cooperation. The chemistry between our
leaders is a telling example. We still remember
how President Xi tried his hand on a legendary
Charkha and swung on the typical Gujarati
Jhoola with Prime Minister Modi during his visit
to India, how the two leaders walked together in
the Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, and how Prime
Minister Modi opened his Weibo account to
communicate with Chinese fans and took the
“super selfie” with Premier Li. Those pictures
suggest evident chemistry and amazing human
touch that were rarely seen before. Take Nathula
pass as another example, what used to be a point
of military face-off has now been opened up for
friendly exchanges and become a path for
Indian pilgrims to realize their dream of life,
Yatra to Kailash Manasarovar. I personally went
to Nathula Pass to welcome the yatris. The
opening of the new route is not only significant
in a religious sense, but will also promote trade,
tourism and personnel exchanges and
cooperation.
Second, clear direction. If China-India
relations can be likened to a train, the past
Ambassador meets with the Chairman of V.I.F.Le Yucheng
17News From China August 2015
narrative had an ambiguity as to where the train
is headed to. Over the past decades, we did have
moments when the relationship showed signs
of warming up, but each time we were too much
focused on disputes and sensitive issues,
neglecting or even curbing practical
cooperation and personnel exchanges. And
security issues seemed to have the veto power
over our relations. As a result, a warming
relationship inevitably cooled down and
opportunities lost. But now the direction is
clear and consensus reached to focus on
c o o p e r a t i o n a n d b u i l d i n g a c l o s e r
developmental partnership while properly
managing differences and preventing them
from affecting the overall relations. By making
the pie of cooperation bigger, we will gradually
build the reservoir of mutual trust and
accumulate necessary conditions for the
problems to be addressed. I participated the
boundary talks between China and Russia. In
the last century, the talks went on for decades
without much result, and it was only after the
normalization of relations and with growing
cooperation and exchanges that we finally
resolved the issue. The same spirit applies to
our boundary talks. Agreement cannot be
reached without basic trust and cooperation. If
we even don’t know each other well, how can we
make a deal? As I said, the border areas have
maintained overall peace and tranquility. This is
hard-won result, we have done a lot to make it
possible. Yes, we still have and will continue to
have differences, but as Foreign Secretary
Jaishankar said in his recent speech in
Singapore, the direction we are moving should
be clear even if much work remains to be done.
To build trust and advance cooperation, that’s
the direction where our train is headed to.
Third, all-round dynamism. Dynamic
participation by all society is crucial if the
relationship is to enjoy all-round growth. Unlike
the past when China-India relations were
mainly driven by government contacts and
China-India Relations
Ambassador Le Yucheng makes a speech at V.I.F.
18 News From China August 2015
l e a d e r s h i p - l e v e l
exchanges, now every
cell of the society is
mobilized to address the
familiarity gap and
promote cooperation:
businesses, localities,
media, academics and
the general public. There
is growing passion in
each other and the
business community is a
major driving force.
Business people from
both sides are eager to
explore the potential of
each other’s market.
M a n y C h i n e s e
companies, optimistic about the promises the
Indian market has to offer, have scaled up their
investment in India, among them such well-
known brands as Xiaomi, Alibaba and Huawei.
Chinese real estate giant Wanda plans to work
with Haryana government to build a township
in Kharkhoda. The first phase, a cultural and
entertainment park, involves US$10 billion
investment, and the second, an industrial park,
will soon follow. As for local relations, the Local
Leaders’ Forum is a good platform, and there is
also the mechanism of exchange visits between
Chinese governors and Indian Chief Ministers.
So a number of Indian Chief Ministers have
visited China and every week I receive local
delegations from China. People-to-people
exchanges have picked up remarkably. The
recent story of a Chinese volunteer donating
stem cells to an Indian boy suffering from
leukemia have moved many people. The recent
implementation of e-visa for Chinese tourists is
the best footnote of the amity between our
people and is warmly received in China. Here I
must say that credit should be given to PM Modi
for this popular move. In a couple of years, the
number of Chinese visitors traveling to India is
expected to soar from the current 100,000 and
may well exceed one million. With e-visa comes
not only more tourists, but also better mutual
understanding, greater affinity, more business
opportunities and expanding cooperation.
F o u r t h , d e e p e n i n g m u l t i l a t e r a l
coordination. As the largest developing
countries and emerging market economies,
China and India have many common language
and similar positions on regional and global
affairs such as climate change, counter-
terrorism and financial reform, and enjoy close
coordination on multilateral fora, including the
UN, G20, East Asia Summit, BRICS, etc. At the
just concluded Ufa Summit, the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) ratified the
resolution on India’s membership process. I am
sure that India’s membership will boost the
influence of and inject positive energy to the
SCO and open a new platform for our unfolding
cooperation. China and India are both founding
members of AIIB, and its largest and second
largest shareholders. The well-know Indian
banker Mr. Kamath was appointed President of
the BRICS New Development Bank. When I met
with him shortly before he left Delhi for the new
post in Shanghai, Mr. Kamath voiced his
commitment to running the new Bank with new
China-India Relations
19News From China August 2015
ideas and in a different way so that it will better
serve the interests of member states and the
developing world. I believe our cooperation in
all these institutions and areas will go a long
way in shaping the global economic and
political order and promoting peace and
development in Asia and beyond.
I hope the above 4D features will give you a
sense of the all-dimensional and dynamic
growth of China-India relations.
History has witnessed the friendly
exchanges China and India have enjoyed over
the millennium and the mutual support we
rendered each other in our struggle for
independence and liberation in modern times.
During WWII, while fighting for independence,
India provided valuable and selfless support for
the Chinese people’s anti-Fascist war.
We will not forget the Indian medical team
who came to China in the most difficult days of
the struggle to care for the wounded and save
lives. Among them Dr. Kotnis, who came from an
affluent family yet chose to give up the comfort
of life for a just cause in a brotherly country. He
took root in China and made the ultimate
sacrifice. In return, he is respected by a grateful
nation and loved by a grateful people.
This year, China will join many other
countries in commemorating the 70th
anniversary of the end of the World Anti-Fascist
War. We hope to draw lessons, pool wisdom and
gain strength from the past, cherish peace, and
work with India and all countries to usher in a
better tomorrow.
Profound changes are taking place in the
global landscape, and a new order and
equilibrium are in the offing in Asia Pacific.
China-India relations, with growing breadth
and depth, have gone beyond the bilateral scope
and are acquiring increasing global significance.
As major players, we must take up our due
responsibility with a sense of purpose and
mission. As ancient civilizations, we can and
should leverage our potential and contribute
o u r w i s d o m t o re g i o n a l a n d g l o b a l
development. Together, we can make a
difference.
Thank you!
Ambassador Le Yucheng's Interview with The WEEK
On August 14, 2015, Indian English
Magazine The WEEK published the interview to
Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng. The
full text is as follows:
What do you think of India’s China policy
under Prime Minister Narendra Modi? Do
you have any suggestions about improving
people-to-people contacts between the two
countries?
Prime Minister Modi attaches great
importance to developing relations with China.
He paid a successful visit to China in May, and
the commercial agreements signed during the
visit were worth more than $20 billion. A few
days ago, he announced that India formally
extended e-visa to Chinese tourists. In June,
China and India agreed to open a new
China-India Relations
20 News From China August 2015
pilgrimage route through Nathu La to Kailash-
Manasarovar.
China and India have a combined
population of 2.5 billion, which is 40 per cent of
the world’s population, but our people know too
little about each other. I think much remains to
be done.
We will enhance tourism cooperation. We
will also improve local cooperation and
encourage more cooperation between young
people, because they are the future of a country.
We will step up cultural exchanges and enhance
the friendship between the general public. A
Chinese volunteer recently donated his stem
cells to an unknown Indian boy. Last year, a
group of Indian businessmen in Zhejiang
Province donated blood to a Chinese girl
suffering from leukaemia. The amity between
the peoples holds the key to sound relations
between states.
Although trade ties between India and
China are growing, so is the trade imbalance,
which is skewed in China’s favour.
The root of the imbalance lies in the
differences in the industrial structures of the
two countries. China has done a lot to increase
import from India. Since 2008, China has sent
six trade delegations to India to help boost
imports from India. China hopes that India will
make full use of a variety of trading platforms
offered by China to promote trade. We also hope
that India can ease export restrictions on
products like iron ore and reduce export duties,
encouraging Indian enterprises to expand
exports of agricultural produces.
We should not use trade in goods as the only
measure to scale the economic relations
between the two countries. Finally, we will
increase mutual investments to promote
balanced trade. To encourage more Chinese
companies to invest in India and contribute to
“Make in India”, the key is to relax the visa
restrictions for Chinese enterprises and provide
more investment facilitation. As more Chinese
China-India Relations
21China-India RelationsNews From China August 2015
business people come,
i n v e s t m e n t
o p p o r t u n i t i e s w i l l
increase. This is an
important way to tackle
trade imbalances.
A s C h i n a g o e s
forward with its “Belt
and Road” strategy,
India seems to be
w o r r i e d a b o u t a
possible China-Russia-
Pakistan axis.
China’s “Belt and
Road” initiative is in
response to the need of
the times, and the goal is
to strengthen economic
cooperation among neighbouring countries,
promote cultural exchanges and achieve
common development. It has nothing to do with
geopolitics. Russia and Pakistan are important
neighbours of China and important countries
along the Silk Road. They support the “Belt and
Road” initiative and take an active part in it. Our
cooperation with them is going on well. India,
with its unique geographic location, is an
important country along the ancient Silk Road
and the Spice road, and now in the intersection
of “Belt and Road”.
The Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi case has
caused serious disquiet in Delhi. What
prompted China to take such a position?
When it comes to counter-terrorism, China,
India and Pakistan are all victims of terrorism,
and are firmly opposed to terrorism. There is no
contradiction between China and India on this
issue as it involves our
common interests. The
issue related to Zakiur
Rahman Lakhvi is of
multilateral nature, and
a s s u c h r e q u i r e s
communication and
coordination among
parties. It is natural that
China and India do not
see eye to eye on every
issue. In fact, China and
India are strengthening
cooperation in the fight
against terrorism.
Does China refuse
to see the Indian Ocean
region as a sphere of
Ambassador meets with the managing editor of The WEEK magazine.Le Yucheng
22 China-India Relations News From China August 2015
influence for India?
I have read the cover story of The WEEK on
July 25, titled “Indian Ocean becomes Chinese
Ocean”. It has an attractive cover photo, but I
don¡¯t agree with the conclusion.
China cannot develop without the Indian
Ocean, while India will grow beyond the
Indian Ocean. The sea routes via the Indian
Ocean are very important to China’s maritime
trade and energy supply and China hopes
India will respect China’s legitimate interests
and position in this region. Last year, the
Chinese navy docked in some ports of
countries around the Indian Ocean for
replenishment. This is an internationally
common practice and the regularly scheduled
mission of Chinese naval escort fleet to Gulf of
Aden and Somali waters.
India is the largest country in south Asia and
the Indian Ocean Rim and no country can
contain India. What China does is not against
India and we have no hidden agenda. China does
not have the so-called “string of pearls” strategy
to contain India.
Are you satisfied with the progress on the
border issue?
Historically, the Sino-Indian border has
never been delimited. Indians and Chinese have
lived in peace without dispute for a long time.
But, unfortunately, when the western colonists
invaded Asia, they also brought the Sino-Indian
border dispute. The border, however, has seen
peace and stability in recent years and the two
countries are making constructive efforts to
address the issue through negotiation. Special
Representatives for the border question have
held 18 meetings and achieved initial results.
Both sides have agreed with the political
guiding principles for solving the border
question and are doing close consultations in
accordance with the “three-step” road map.
Both countries have made significant progress
in controlling disputes and jointly maintaining
peace in the border region.
The Sino-Indian border question is a hassle
left by western colonialists. However, as ancient
civilisations, I am sure China and India will one
day resolve the problem with oriental wisdom.
Discovering Happiness in Bhutan
On July 25, 2015, the largest newspaper of
Bhutan “The Kuensel” published the article
“Discovering Happiness in Bhutan” of Chinese
Ambassador Le Yucheng. The full text is as
follows:
Known as the “Kingdom of happiness” and
the “last Shangri-la”, Bhutan has always had a
special appeal for me. Now that it is part of my
portfolio as Chinese ambassador to India, I am
excited to have the opportunity to visit the
Kingdom of Thunder Dragon and look for
Bhutanese answers to happiness.
From Paro to Thimpu, everywhere I went, I
feasted my eyes on the breathtaking landscape:
towering mountains, clear rivers, ancient
temples and colorful prayer flags. Even the
modern buildings, with a touch of the unique
architectural features, fit in well with the
pristine environment. Yes, Shangri-la would be
the right description, I thought to myself.
Bhutan is open as much as it is traditional.
Like people elsewhere, the Bhutanese people
watch TV, shop online, and use Twitter and
WeChat, yet at the same time, they still keep to
their tradition and live a simple life, wearing the
national dress Gho and Kira, enjoying the local
songs and dances, and playing the national sport
archery. Despite the hustle and bustle of the
outside world, Bhutan has found its own pace
and composure, and manged to strike a balance
between tradition and modernity, not
overwhelmed by greed or disturbed by material
23China-India RelationsNews From China August 2015
desires.
The successive kings are all visionary and
loved by the people. His Majesty the Fourth
Druk Gyalpo is no less than a legendary figure. It
was him that introduced democracy to Bhutan
and “invented” the world-renowned Gross
National Happiness (GNH). Thanks to this
people-oriented policy, Bhutanese people enjoy
free health care from cradle to grave and free
education from kindergarten to university.
Basic necessities are guaranteed and not a
single beggar or slum met our eyes.
My audience with His Majesty the Fifth King
is a particularly unforgettable experience.
Though only 35 years old, His Majesty has great
wisdom, strategic far-sight and a sense of
humor. He talked about his vision for Bhutan
that calls for not only good governance, but also
intelligent governance; a Bhutan with
democracy, but not the kind of democracy
blindly copied from other countries, and a
Bhutan with development strategies that look
beyond the short-term interests. He also spoke
of his admiration for China’s development and
his commitment to advance China-Bhutan
relations. I was profoundly moved by his wise
words and modesty.
In my extensive contacts with the Bhutanese
people, what struck me most was the
outpouring of friendship, not just towards us
foreigners, but also among themselves.
Whenever people meet, strangers and
acquaintances alike, smile was always on the
face. It seems that courtesy and politeness is in
their DNA, and quarrel or fight is simply not in
their dictionary.
For the Bhutanese people, religion is an
important part of life. The mountains and
valleys are dotted by temples. In Paro, I visited
the famous Taktsang Monastery. Some 3120
meters above the sea level in a dramatic cliff
setting, the Buddhist temple is majestic wonder.
As I watched countless believers making the Ambassador Le Yucheng meets with His Majesty the Fifth King of Bhutan
24 China-India Relations News From China August 2015
long pilgrim in the rugged terrain
up to the sacred temple, it dawned
upon me that the further away you
are from worldly desires, the
closer you are to real happiness.
I n d e e d , t h e p u r s u i t o f
happiness is a universal topic.
Through the short visit to the
Kingdom of Happiness, I’ve come
to realize that happiness is neither
unfathomable nor out of reach. It is
in the harmony of nature, the
preservation of tradition, the
kindness of people, the power of
faith and peace of mind. Happiness
is also a result of wise leadership
and good governance, and a result
of gratitude and contentment.
I wish the Bhutanese people
greater happiness!Taktshang Monastery, Bhutan
Thimphu, Bhutan
25China-India RelationsNews From China August 2015
In Hindu mythology,
Kerala was created by
Lord Parasurama, an
incarnation of Lord
Vishnu by throwing his
axe across the sea to
create a new land for his
people to live peacefully.
Hence it is called God’s
own country. With its
beautiful landscape,
charming coast and
pleasant weather, Kerala
truly lives up to this
name and was chosen by
National Geographic as
one of the “ten paradises
of the world” and “50
must see destinations of
a lifetime”.
I have been Chinese Ambassador to India for
nearly a year and heard a lot about this wonder
land. Recently at the invitation of the State
Government of Kerala as the Chief Guest of the
63rd Nehru Trophy Boat Race, I embarked on
the three-day trip to
God’s Own Country.
As an important
harbor along the ancient
maritime route, Kerala
h a d p l e n t y o f
interactions with other
parts of the world. In
1405, Admiral Zheng He,
a g r e a t C h i n e s e
navigator of the Ming
Dynasty, commanded
the largest fleet of the
time, sailed across the
Pacific towards Africa
and stopped at Colicut.
He exchanged gifts and
conducted fair trade
with the king of ancient
An Exciting Trip to God's Own Country
Le Yucheng
Ambassador Le Yucheng speaks at 63rd Nehru Trophy Boat Race, Kerala.
Ambassador Le Yucheng makes a speech at Cochin
26 China-India Relations News From China August 2015
Colicut, and forged a profound friendship with
local people. In his later voyages, Zheng He’s
fleet stopped at Colicut five more times. Sixty-
four years later, in 1469, the Portuguese
explorer Vasco da Gama, drawn by the wealth of
the Orient, traveled to this legendary place
across the Atlantic Ocean. He left with
considerable fortune for himself and a new
colony for his kingdom, and later returned as
the Governor to the colony. Perhaps it was
destiny that the two pioneers of exploration
both came here within one century and both
were laid to rest here. Standing in front of the
tomb of Vasco da Gama, I was lost in thought. It
were these brave hearts that opened the gate of
exchanges between the East and the West and
started the dialogue among civilizations. And
the land of Kerala, as part of history, has also
been recorded in the epoch of discovery.
The extensive exchanges Kerala had with
other countries contributed to its openness and
diversity. A narrow street in Kochin, a major city
in Kerala, is a telling example of this tradition.
Here a Jewish synagogue, a Christian church, a
Muslim mosque and a Hindu temple stand side
by side in incredible harmony. Touring around
the city, we saw imprints left by many countries,
Portuguese, Dutch, British, Arabs, Persian, etc.
In this sense, Kochi is a living museum of diverse
cultures and crystallization of the philosophy:
harmony with diversity.
Such open and inclusive tradition keeps
Kerala ahead of the times. In the 1960s, two
agricultural revolutions took place in India, the
“white revolution” drove India to the throne of
world’s No.1 milk producer while the “green
revolution” achieved significant increase in
food production. Dr. Verghese Kurien and Mr. M.
S. Swaminathan, the heralds of these two
revolutions, both have close links with Kerala.
And now this state of innovation begins to lead
India’s “ecological revolution”. Once out of Kochi
airport, I was impressed by a large area of solar
panels and the Light Rail Transit under
construction. The solar panels are providing
green energy for the airport, which is set to be
the world’s first fully solar-powered airport and
the LRT will become the basis for the low-
carbon high-efficient public transport system of
Kochi in the coming decades. In fact the concept
of eco-friendliness was everywhere in Kerala.
The villas in the resort we stayed in, Coconut
Lagoon, are reconstructed from antique
materials transported from other parts of the
state. The compound itself has a recycle and
filtration system to collect and reuse rain water.
And the manager told me that all hotels of their
group are environment-friendly and plastic bag
free—the garbage bags are made of non-woven
fabrics and the handbags are made of sterilized
used newspapers.
The open spirit and advanced development
approach help create a series of impressive
figures in Kerala: an average life expectancy of
72 years and a literacy rate of over 90 percent,
Ambassador Le Yucheng visits St. Francis Church
27China-India RelationsNews From China August 2015
both highest in India.
Three million among its
33 million citizens are
working abroad, and
remittance accounts for
nearly one-third of its
GDP. Kerala is also home
to quite a few media
giants in India, among
t h e m M a l a y a l a
M a n o r a m a G r o u p ,
whose influence is felt
not only in India but also
in the Middle East and
the Gulf region.
Kerala, famous for its
rich water resources, is
know as the “Venice of
t h e E a s t ” . W h e n
freshwater from its
rivers meets the seawater of the Arabian Sea,
“backwaters” are formed. Using coir and
thatches, local people turned old rice boats into
houseboats for sightseeing. And boating in the
backwater becomes a major tourist attraction.
The annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race is the most
celebrated festival here. A traditional snake
boat in the race is 39 meters long and can
accommodate a team of 110 people. As I
watched the rowers competing with passion
and heard tens of thousands of spectators
cheering in excitement along the 1.3 km
riverbank, I can’t help but think of the Chinese
dragon boat race. Though in different shape,
both call for teamwork and sportsmanship, and
both harvest happiness and hope.
During the dinner hosted by Chief Secretary,
JiJi Thomson, I had the pleasure of watching
Kalaripayattu performance, the traditional
Martial Arts of Kerala with a history of 3000
years. For a moment, I almost thought I was
watching Chinese Kungfu for there was such
striking similarity between the two. The local
traditional medicine, Ayurveda, is quite similar
to traditional Chinese medicine in terms of
harmony between man and nature and the use
of herbs. And I found the local cuisine closer to
Chinese food, fresh, delicate and delicious.
In addition to these intangible similarities, I
did find quite a few tangible Chinese elements
here. Along the Vembanad lake in Kochi Fort, we
visited the “Chinese Fishing Net”, brought here
by Chinese people 700 years ago and still in use
today. As I walked in and around the hotel, I
spotted jars, potteries and porcelains from
China, some 200 years old. In a private museum,
the curator showed me some ancient Chinese
coins dating back to centuries.
The boat race, martial arts, traditional
medicine, as well as Chinese fishing nets and
antiques, be they symbols of tangible or
intangible links, all speak volume about the
splendid ancient civilizations of our two
countries and their exchanges that inspired
each other to stimulate sparks of wisdom and
illuminate the history of mankind.
Today the two great nations of China and
India are at a new historical point. By joining
hands and aligning development strategies, we
can revive the glory of the ancient Silk Road and
Spice Route, achieve national renewal and
contribute more to the progress of mankind.
Ambassador Le Yucheng visits Kerala Folklore Museum.
28 External Affairs
Beijing, July 23 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier
Li Keqiang on Thursday hailed the opening of
the New Development Bank (NDB) as an
“important step forward” in cooperation among
BRICS countries.
“This is great progress in financial
cooperation among developing countries and
emerging economies, as well as a helpful
supplement to the global financial system,” Li
said while meeting NDB President K.V. Kamath
in Beijing.
The NDB opened in Shanghai on Tuesday to
finance infrastructure projects, mainly in BRICS
countries — the emerging economies of Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa.
“We are ready to work with other partners
to improve governance structure, and build the
NDB as a professional, efficient, transparent and
green 21st-century multilateral development
bank,” Li said.
He expressed hope that the NDB can aid the
industrialization of developing countries, and
help with global connections.
The NDB will have an initial authorized
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Chinese Premier Hails BRICS Bank
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with President of the New Development Bank (NDB) K.V. Kamath in Beijing, capital of China, July 23, 2015. The NDB opened in Shanghai on Tuesday to finance infrastructure projects, mainly in BRICS countries — the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. (Xinhua/Li Tao)
News From China August 2015
29External AffairsNews From China August 2015
capital of 100 billion U.S. dollars, and initial
subscribed capital of 50 billion U.S. dollars
equally shared among the five founders.
Kamath told Li the NDB will exploit
potential for economic growth and industrial
cooperation among BRICS countries in an
i n n ova t ive way, to a c h i eve c o m m o n
development.
Li noted that China’s economy posted 7-
percent growth in the first half of 2015 in the
face of various challenges, and the country also
witnessed growth in employment and people’s
income.
He attributed these achievements to three
fa c to r s : a d e e p e n i n g o f re fo r m a n d
encouragement of entrepreneurship and mass
innovation, structural adjustment expanding
domestic demand, and attracting more foreign
investment.
The Chinese government is confident and
capable of properly handling risks and
challenges, to achieve medium-high growth and
push the Chinese manufacture to the medium-
high end of the value chain, the premier said.
BRICS Bank Hailed as Contributive to Building Fairer Global Governance
Beijing, July 22 (Xinhua) — The New
Development Bank (NDB) launched Tuesday by
the emerging-market bloc of BRICS has won
high praise from the international community,
particularly its role in helping establish a fairer
global governance system.
According to an agreement Brazil, Russia,
India, China and South Africa reached at the
sixth BRICS summit in Brazil a year ago, the
Shanghai-based bank aimed at financing
Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong (R), Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei (M) and K.V. Kamath, president of the New Development Bank(L), celebrate together as the New Development Bank, more commonly known as the BRICS Bank, was officially launched in Shanghai today. (Source:Shanghai Daily/Wang Rongjiang)
30 External Affairs News From China August 2015
infrastructure projects will start operations at
the end of this year or in early 2016.
“Without flowers or ribbon-cutting, the
opening ceremony of the NDB lasted no more
than 30 minutes,” a report from the website of
Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao said Wednesday,
describing Tuesday’s ceremony in Shanghai as
“low-key.”
“The establishment of the bank will help
solve the bottleneck of infrastructure
investment and financing facing emerging
markets and developing countries, promote
sustainable development and boost global
economic recovery and growth,” the report
quoted Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei as
saying.
A BBC report said Tuesday that the NDB will
lend money to developing countries to help
finance infrastructure projects, and noted that
“the group says it is not a rival” to the World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund
(IMF).
“Our objective is not to challenge the
existing system as it is, but to improve and
complement the system in our own way,” the
report quoted NDB President Kundapur Vaman
Kamath as saying.
The NDB will have an initial authorized
capital of 100 billion U.S. dollars, with the initial
subscribed capital of 50 billion dollars equally
shared by the founding members.
According to Jim O’Neill, a British economist
who coined the term “BRIC”, the BRICS’
influence is likely to rise as a group in terms of
global governance.
“What the bank will prioritize in terms of
lending and projects, we will have to wait and
see,” he said. “But one can think of many good
ideas including shared road and rail
infrastructure challenges, especially those with
some common borders.”
Reinaldo Goncalves, a professor of
international economics at the Federal
University of Rio de Janeiro, told the Brazilian
website Sputnik Brasil that the NDB and the
Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) are “an
interesting alternative” to the IMF.
Last July, the BRICS countries also agreed to
establish the CRA. China will contribute 41
billion dollars to the capital stock; India, Brazil
and Russia will each pay in 18 billion dollars;
and South Africa’s share will be 5 billion dollars.
Goncalves said he agreed with the Brazilian
government’s viewpoint that the NDB will play a
Shanghai, China
31External AffairsNews From China August 2015
decisive role in BRICS cooperation, promote
investment in infrastructure and sustainable
development, and benefit not only BRICS
nations but also other developing countries.
An article published recently on the website
of the Indian Express highlighted the
importance of the BRICS bank at a time when
the current Western-dominated international
financial system has been underperforming.
“Despite the best intentions of many
working at the World Bank and IMF, existing
international financial institutions have
consistently fallen short of their aim to provide
development assistance to the most
marginalized,” it said.
“With their often-problematic loan
conditions, they have at times impeded rather
than promoted equitable development. The
NDB could change this,” the article added.
Indian paper Business Standard said the
creation of newer multilateral development
banks such as the NDB and the Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
“demonstrate the aspirations of the developing
world for greater infrastructure and economic
development.”
Yang Jiechi and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond of the
UK Co-chair China-UK Strategic Dialogue
On August 13, 2015, State Councilor Yang
Jiechi and Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond of the
UK co-chaired in Beijing the China-UK Strategic
Dialogue. They agreed to take the opportunity
of President Xi Jinping¡¯s visit to the UK to open
up a new chapter in China-UK relations
together.
Yang Jiechi expressed that at the invitation
of Queen Elizabeth II, President Xi Jinping will
pay a state visit to the UK. The visit will play an
important guiding role in the long-term
development of bilateral relations and be of
historic significance. China will enhance
coordination with the UK to earnestly prepare
for the visit and accumulate the results, and take
the opportunity of President Xi Jinping¡¯s visit
to the UK to re-orient and blueprint bilateral
relations, usher in a new prospect for bilateral
practical cooperation and set a new model for
international cooperation.
Yang Jiechi noted that as this year marks the
beginning of the second decade of China-UK
comprehensive strategic partnership, it is
32 External Affairs News From China August 2015
hoped that the UK will apply a China policy that
is more active and open and join hands with
China to construct bilateral comprehensive
strategic partnership. On the occasion of the
70th anniversary of the World Anti-Fascist War
and the founding of the UN, China will work
with the international community including the
UK to commit to safeguarding the victorious
outcome of the World War II, and to promote the
new type of international relations with win-
win cooperation at the core in line with the
purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Philip Hammond stressed that President Xi
Jinping¡¯s state visit to the UK will make 2015 an
important year in UK-China relations. The UK
government is speeding up various preparation
work and will enhance cooperation with China
to ensure a complete success of and positive
results from the visit thus elevate bilateral
relations to a new level.
Both sides also exchanged views on
international and regional topics of common
interest.
Wang Yi on the South China Sea Issue at the ASEAN Regional Forum
On 6 August local time, during the Foreign
Ministers’ Meetings of the East Asia Summit
(EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the
Philippine Foreign Minister attacked China on
its South China Sea policy and trumpeted the
arbitration case against China. The Japanese
Foreign Minister supported the Philippines and
claimed that artificial land features do not
generate legal rights and interests. Foreign
Minister Wang Yi made an impromptu response
by comprehensively elaborating China’s
position and refuting the groundless
accusations from the Philippines and Japan.
The following are Wang Yi’s remarks: At
both the EAS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in the
morning and the ARF Foreign Ministers’
Meeting, the South China Sea issue has been
raised by some countries. Therefore, it is
necessary for China to get the facts out and set
the record straight so as to win the
understanding and support from various
parties.
First, the situation in the South China Sea is
stable on the whole, and there is no possibility
of major conflicts. China therefore objects to any
non-constructive words or deeds that attempt
to exaggerate the disagreements, hype up
confrontation and heat up tensions, which do
not conform to reality.
China also has a stake in the freedom of
navigation in the South China Sea. The majority
of Chinese cargo are shipped through the South
China Sea, so freedom of navigation in the South
China Sea is equally important to China. China
33External AffairsNews From China August 2015
always maintains that countries enjoy freedom
of navigation and overflight in the South China
Sea in accordance with the international law. Up
to now, there has not been a single case in which
freedom of navigation in the South China Sea is
impeded. China stands ready to work with other
parties to continue to ensure freedom of
navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.
As for the disputes on Nansha islands and
reefs, this is a long-standing issue. The South
China Sea Islands are China’s territory. There is
a history of two thousand years since China
discovered and named the islands in the South
China Sea. This year marks the 70th anniversary
of the victory of the Second World War. Seventy
years ago, pursuant to the Cairo Declaration and
the Potsdam Proclamation, China lawfully
recovered the Nansha and Xisha Islands which
were illegally occupied by Japan and resumed
exercise of sovereignty. As a matter of fact, the
military vessels China used in recovering the
islands were provided by the United States, an
Allied Nation. This historical fact must have
been recorded in the archives of the countries
you represent. It was not until the 1970s when
there were reports about oil under the South
China Sea that some countries began to invade
and occupy Nansha islands and reefs,
undermining China’s lawful rights and interests.
According to international law, China has the
right to defend its sovereignty, rights and
interests, and China has the right to prevent the
repeat of such illegal moves as encroaching
upon China’s lawful rights and interests.
The delegate of the Philippines mentioned
the South China Sea issue, but he fell short of
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi makes an address during EAS & ARF.
34 External Affairs News From China August 2015
speaking out the truth. For instance, the
Philippines claimed that the Huangyan Island
and the relevant islands and reefs of Nansha
belong to it. But that is not true. The fact is,
according to the Treaty of Paris in 1898, the
Treaty of Washington in 1900 and the
Convention Between the United States and
Great Britain of 1930 which defined the
territory of the Philippines, the western
boundary of the Philippines is delimited by 118
degrees east longitude. The Huangyan Island
and Nansha Islands are completely to the west
of 118 degrees east longitude. They are not the
Philippines’ territory. After the Philippines
gained independence, the domestic law of the
Philippines, and the relevant treaties concluded
by the Philippines all accepted the legal force of
the three treaties mentioned above, and
confirmed the scope of its territory to be limited
by 118 degrees east longitude. Nevertheless,
after the 1970s, the Philippines staged four
military operations and illegally invaded and
occupied eight islands and reefs of China’s
Nansha Islands. This is what is at the bottom of
the territorial dispute between China and the
Philippines.
Another example is that in 1999, the
Philippines illegally “stranded” an old warship
on the Ren’ai Reef, which is part of China’s
N a n s h a I s l a n d s . W h e n C h i n a m a d e
representations, the Philippines claimed that it
could not tow the warship away due to “the lack
of spare parts”. Later, the Philippine side
indicated to the Chinese side that it would not be
the first country to violate the Declaration on
the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea
(DOC). Now 15 years have passed and the old
warship has already become extremely rusty.
The Philippines, instead of keeping its promise
of removing the warship, has publicly stated
that it had stealthily transported cement and
other building materials to the warship in order
to reinforce the installation. On 14 March, the
Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines
admitted that the very purpose of grounding the
warship on the Ren’ai Reef was to occupy it. The
Philippines has exposed its own lie of 15 years
and failed to fulfill its own commitment. What
international credibility is there in the conduct
of the Philippines?
35External AffairsNews From China August 2015
Just now, the delegate of Japan also
mentioned the South China Sea issue and
claimed that all artificial land features cannot
generate any legal rights. But let’s first have a
look at what Japan has done. Over the past
years, Japan spent 10 billion yen building the
Rock of Okinotori, turning this tiny rock on the
sea into a man-made island with steel bars and
cement. And on that basis, Japan submitted its
claim to the United Nations over the continental
shelf beyond the 200-nautical-mile exclusive
economic zone. The majority members of the
international community found Japan’s claim
inconceivable and did not accept it. So before
making comments on others, Japan had better
first reflect on what itself has said or done.
China is different from Japan. Our claim over
rights in the South China Sea has long been in
existence. We don’t need to strengthen our
position through land reclamation.
In fact, China is a victim on the South China
Sea issue. Yet, with a view to upholding peace
and stability in the South China Sea, we have
exercised utmost restraint. Here is China’s basic
proposition: we seek to peacefully resolve
disputes through negotiation and consultation
on the basis of respecting historical facts and in
accordance with international law, including
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS). This position will not change.
Through friendly consultations, China and
ASEAN countries have developed a full set of
mechanisms to properly handle the South China
Sea issue. First, the issue shall be resolved
through a dual-track approach, which means
specific disputes should be addressed
peacefully by parties directly concerned
through consultation and negotiation. This is
stipulated in Article 4 of the DOC, and it is also a
joint commitment by China and the 10 ASEAN
countries. The dual-track approach also means
that peace and stability in the South China Sea
shall be jointly upheld by China and ASEAN
countries. I would like everyone to know that
China and ASEAN are fully capable of
maintaining peace in this body of water. Second,
the parties shall implement the DOC in good
faith and work toward a Code of Conduct (COC)
through consultation. Now, smooth progress
has been made in implementing the DOC, and
COC consultation is also moving forward. In less
than two years since the beginning of the
consultation, we have already adopted two lists
of commonalities, started consultation on
“crucial and complex issues”, and agreed to
establish two hotline platforms which will be up
and running soon. Third, China has taken the
initiative to propose the formulation of
“preventive measures on managing perils at
sea”. On this new platform, various parties may
put forward proposals and ideas for discussion.
If consensus is reached, action may follow.
Speaking of proposals, the US side recently
proposed “three stops”. But in our view, the US
proposal is not feasible. For instance, what is to
be stopped? As parties have different positions,
what are the criteria for stopping? Who will set
the specific criteria? There is no answer to these
questions. That said, China still welcomes
constructive suggestions from all countries on
maintaining peace and stability in the South
China Sea. But such suggestions must be
feasible and, more importantly, should not
impose double standards.
As for the land reclamation in the South
China Sea which is of interest to some countries,
it is nothing new and does not start with China.
In other words, people have been bringing
changes to the “status quo” all these years. It was
only recently that China, for the first time,
carried out certain construction on some
stationed islands and reefs in the Nansha
Islands in order to improve the working and
living conditions of personnel there. In the
process, we have enforced strict environmental
standards. At the end of June, China announced
the completion of land reclamation. Next, we
will build facilities mainly for public good
purposes , inc luding mult i - funct ional
lighthouse, search and rescue facilities for
36 External Affairs News From China August 2015
maritime emergencies, meteorological
observatory station, maritime scientific and
research center, as well as medical and first aid
facilities. China stands ready to open these
facilities to other countries upon completion. As
the largest littoral state in the South China Sea,
China has the capability and obligation to
provide regional countries with these much
needed public goods at sea.
At the EAS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and
the ARF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the
Philippines twice mentioned the South China
Sea arbitration case in an attempt to smear
China. I wish to make a rebuttal by facts. First, to
settle disputes through direct negotiation and
consultation by countries directly concerned is
what the UN Charter encourages and a common
international practice. More importantly, it is
also the explicit provision of the DOC. That is
why China always proposes bilateral dialogue
with the Philippines, which is still valid today.
However, up till the present moment, the
Philippines has stubbornly rejected our
proposal. The Philippine response is very
unusual. Normally, before international
arbitration proceedings are initiated,
consensus would have been reached among
countries concerned. However, in this case, the
Philippines neither informed China beforehand
nor sought China’s consent. Instead, it chose to
unilaterally go ahead with the arbitration. China
finds such an action hard to understand except
that the Philippines is pursuing a hidden
agenda. The Philippines should have known
that as early as in 2006, China made a
declaration in accordance with Article 298 of
the UNCLOS to exclude such disputes from
arbitration, which is a lawful and legitimate
right of China. The Philippines knew only too
well that China would never accept arbitration
on this matter, yet it insisted on pursuing the so-
called arbitration with no regard to Article 4 of
the DOC and its earlier agreement with China to
settle dispute through bilateral channels. So
why did it do this? There can be only one
explanation, that is, it wants to provoke
confrontation with China. But, will such practice
by the Philippines solve the problem once and
for all? Does it serve the fundamental interests
of the Philippines and its people? I think the
answer is “No”. People of the Philippines
deserve the truth, and the future of the
Philippines should not be held hostage by a tiny
number of individuals. China advises the
Philippines not to go further down the dead
alley. China’s door is still open for the
Philippines to have dialogue with us. After all,
our two countries are inseparable neighbors.
We advise you to return to the right track. I
believe that as long as both sides get down to
serious talk, we will eventually find a solution.
Link up China's "Belt and Road" Initiative with Development Strategies of ASEAN Nations to Open up
New Prospects for China-ASEAN Relations
On August 5 local time, Foreign Minister
Wang Yi attended the ASEAN-China Ministerial
Meeting (10+1) held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Wang Yi noted that China and the ASEAN,
which are close in geography and friendly in
relations between the peoples, help each other
in hard times and share weal and woe. Both
sides are special dialogue partners and
backbone forces in safeguarding regional peace,
stability and development. The China-ASEAN
cooperation serves as the main platform for
China to participate in regional cooperation.
37External AffairsNews From China August 2015
With joint efforts of both
sides, the China-ASEAN
relations have been
advanced constantly
with the preparation
work for the Asian
I n f r a s t r u c t u r e
Investment Bank (AIIB)
achieving substantial
progress, a series of
initiatives including
upgrading the free trade
area scoring positive
results and the maritime
c o o p e r a t i o n y e a r
between China and the
A S E A N s m o o t h l y
progressing.
Wang Yi expressed
that China regards the ASEAN as a priority in its
diplomatic relations with neighboring nations,
a key region in the construction of the 21st
Century Maritime Silk Road as well as an
important partner in building a new type of
international relations with win-win results
and cooperation as the core. The most
important common interest, common demands
and common aspiration for us are to accelerate
development, maintain stability and deepen
cooperation respectively. China always firmly
supports the construction of the ASEAN
community, the leading role played by the
ASEAN in regional cooperation and the positive
role played by the ASEAN in international and
regional affairs. China is willing to link up the
“Belt and Road” initiative with the development
strategies of the ASEAN members and the
blueprint of the building of the ASEAN
community so as to provide new impetus and
open up new prospects for the solidarity,
cooperation, development and revitalization of
China and the ASEAN.
Wang Yi said that in
building a more closely-knit
China-ASEAN community of
c o m m o n d e s t i n y a n d
p r o m o t i n g t h e “ 2 + 7 ”
cooperation framework, the
Chinese side is ready to
further deepen China-ASEAN
cooperation by putting
forward a new ten-point
proposal. First, plans shall be
m a d e f o r a c t i v i t i e s
commemorating the 25th
a n n i v e r s a r y o f t h e
establishment of China-
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting
38 External Affairs News From China August 2015
A S E A N d i a l o g u e
relationship in the next
year. 2016 shall be
designated as the year of
C h i n a - A S E A N
educational exchanges.
Second, the formulation
of the Plan of Action to
Implement the Joint
D e c l a ra t i o n o n t h e
ASEAN-China Strategic
Partnership for Peace
and Prosperity (2016-
2020) shall be finished.
Third, a working group
shal l be formed to
discuss the signing of a
China-ASEAN treaty on good-neighborliness,
f r i e n d s h i p a n d c o o p e ra t i o n . Fo u r t h ,
international production capacity cooperation
shall be carried out to drive forward the
complementary economic growth of China and
ASEAN as well as their common renewal. Fifth,
connectivity shall be advanced. The Chinese
side would like to consult with ASEAN on the
formulation of an overall plan about
connectivity. Sixth, efforts shall be made to
ensure the year of China-ASEAN maritime
cooperation a success, creating new highlights
for maritime cooperation. Seventh, joint efforts
shall be made to promote Lancang-Mekong
cooperation and render more support to the
building of ASEAN community. Eighth, the
Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia
Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone shall be signed as
soon as possible. Ninth, defense and security
cooperation shall be strengthened. The first
informal China-ASEAN defense ministers’
meeting will be held in China. Tenth, peace and
stability of the South China Sea shall be jointly
upheld.
Wang Yi noted that the hard-won peace in
the South China Sea attributes to the joint
efforts of China and the ASEAN nations. China
and the ASEAN members have the willingness
and wisdom to manage and control differences,
accumulate consensus, safeguard stability and
keep peace. All parties both in and outside the
region have the responsibility and obligations to
support the efforts made by China and the
ASEAN. Wang Yi put forward a three-point
initiative to uphold peace and stability in the
South China Sea. First, States in the South China
Sea region undertake to fully and effectively
implement the Declaration on the Conduct of
Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its
entirety, accelerate the consultation on the
“Code of Conduct in the South China Sea” (COC),
and actively explore “preventive measures on
managing risks at sea”. Second, states outside
the region undertake to support the above-
mentioned efforts made by states in the region
and refrain from taking moves that could raise
tension and complicate the situation in the
South China Sea. Third, all states undertake to
follow the international law in exercising and
upholding the freedom of navigation and over-
flight in the South China Sea.
Foreign Ministers from ASEAN nations
present at the meeting expressed that the
ASEAN-China partnership serves as the most
active and fruitful relations among the
relationship between the ASEAN and its
partners. The ASEAN highly appreciates the
39External AffairsNews From China August 2015
great contributions made by China to the
development of ASEAN-China relations and
positively evaluates the new ten-point proposal
in deepening bilateral relations put forward by
China. ASEAN attaches great importance to the
ASEAN-China strategic cooperative partnership
and stands ready to make joint efforts with
China to jointly build the 21st Century Maritime
Silk Road, enhance connectivity, upgrade the
construction of the China-ASEAN free trade
area, deepen cooperation in all fields including
investment, production capacity, education,
science and technology and public health and
boost people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
The ASEAN nations positively evaluate the
three-point initiative to uphold peace and
stability in the South China Sea put forward by
Wang Yi and the positive progress achieved in
Senior Officials’ Meeting on implementing the
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the
South China Sea (DOC) and the joint working
group meeting on the “Code of Conduct in the
South China Sea” (COC) held in Tianjin recently.
ASEAN nations are willing to work with China to
earnestly implement the Declaration on the
Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC),
speed up the pace in the consultation on the
“Code of Conduct in the South China Sea” (COC)
and build the South China Sea a sea featured
with peace, friendship and cooperation.
Chinese FM Calls for Closer Cooperation Among ASEAN, China, Japan, S. Korea
Kuala Lumpur, Aug. 6
(Xinhua) — Chinese
Foreign Minister Wang
Yi said on Thursday that
the building of ASEAN
Community, East Asian
economic community
and Asian community of
common destiny should
be prioritized among the
Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN),
China, Japan and South
Korea.
S p e a k i n g a t t h e
ASEAN+3 (China, Japan
a n d S o u t h K o r e a )
meeting, Wang said
significant progress has
been made under the ASEAN+3 pragmatic
cooperation with more that 230 projects having
been launched and the Chiang Mai Initiative
Multilateralization being implemented.
Wang said as a leading platform of East Asia
cooperation, the ASEAN+3 countries are facing
a rare historical opportunity. They, in their next
development stage, should strive to build the
three communities.
In order to support the ASEAN Community,
the countries should help the 10-nation bloc to
narrow development gaps among its members,
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
40 External Affairs News From China August 2015
reduce poverty and improve
livelihood.
On the East Asian economic
community, they should make full
use of the 10+3 mechanism and
the existing cooperation in finance
and food for further cooperation in
various areas.
As for the Asian community of
common destiny, Wang said China
encourages countries to dovetail
their development strategies with
China’s “Belt and Road” initiative,
so as to boost integration in Asia
and realize complementarity and common
development.
Noting that China has been an active
participant and promoter of East Asia
cooperation, Wang said China has put forward a
six- point proposal for the peace, security and
stability in the region.
On the free trade zone, the Chinese minister
proposed effective implementation of free trade
agreement (FTA) between China and South
Korea, and completion of negotiation on the
upgraded China- ASEAN Free Trade Zone in
2015.
He also called for negotiation on the FTA
between China, Japan and South Korea and the
completion of substantive talks on the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
this year.
On financial cooperation, the countries
should push forward the Chiang Mai Initiative
Multilateralization, explore possibilities on
platform-building of communication and
cooperation in Asian financial institutions,
while improving the fund-raising for regional
infrastructure by actively making use of the
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
and the Silk Road Fund.
On agricultural cooperation, Wang
suggested implementation of the agreement on
poverty reduction and the building of model
bases of modern agricultural cooperation as
well as the trading platform for livestock
products in Asia.
On closer cooperation in infrastructure
construction and production capability, he said
China is willing to provide Southeast Asian
countries with the most-needed infrastructure
on the basis of voluntariness, equality and
mutual benefit.
The 10+3 countries should increase
cooperation in key industries and areas of iron
and steel, non-ferrous metals, construction
material, telecommunication for the synergy
between development strategy and the
advantage of resources, in order to achieve the
region’s sustainable development.
On maritime cooperation, Wang said ASEAN
and China should work for a success of “the Year
of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation,” and
cooperate in maritime connectivity, technology
and environment protection, disaster
prevention and reduction, maritime economy,
among others, while expediting the building of
East Asia maritime cooperation platform.
On cultural cooperation, the countries
should actively promote ministerial level
discussion mechanism on tourism, education,
culture and press, strengthen social-cultural
exchanges and cooperation in the region, and
give full play to East Asia Forum and other
institutions.
Logo of ASEAN
41External AffairsNews From China August 2015
Foreign ministers of other 10+3 countries
spoke highly of the significant role of the
cooperation among ASEAN and China, Japan
and South Korea in promoting peace, stability
and prosperity.
They agreed on further cooperation in
finance, connectivity, production capacity,
trade, agriculture, technology, public heath
while jointly confronting non-traditional
threats. They also hailed China-proposed AIIB,
believing the bank will play an important role in
improving regional infrastructure.
Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam.
Grasping the Historical Opportunity to Promote ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation
On August 6 local time, the ASEAN Plus
Three (10+3) Foreign Ministers Meeting among
the ASEAN countries and China, Japan and the
Republic of Korea (ROK) was held in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, and Foreign Minister Wang
Yi attended the meeting.
Wang Yi expressed that since last year, all
parties have joined hands to make progress and
blaze new trails in a pioneering spirit,
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
42 External Affairs News From China August 2015
promoting the 10+3 practical cooperation for
positive progress. Parties have confirmed over
230 cooperative projects, and the course of
Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization
(CMIM) has developed towards the direction of
actual running. Positive progress has also been
achieved in practical cooperation in
connectivity, economy and trade, energy,
maritime affairs, social and cultural exchanges
and other fields.
Wang Yi expressed that currently East Asian
cooperation is on the rise, and various
proposals for development are constantly
springing up, which together make East Asia
gradually become an indivisible community of
interests. As the main channel of East Asian
cooperation, the 10+3 mechanism is facing a
rare historical opportunity.
Wang Yi emphasized that the 10+3
mechanism, in its next development stage,
should focus on supporting the building of three
communities.
First, support the building of the ASEAN
Community. The mechanism should help the
ASEAN further narrow development gaps
among its members, reduce poverty and
improve people’s livelihood. It should grasp the
momentum that at present the China-Japan-
ROK cooperation is getting back on track to
increase input to the ASEAN, so as to join efforts
of parties concerned to inject impetus to the
building of the ASEAN Community.
Second, support the building of the East
Asian Economic Community (EAEC). The
countries should make full use of the role of the
10+3 mechanism as main channel, energetically
expanding cooperation in various fields based
on the existing cooperation in finance, food and
other areas.
Third, support the construction of the Asian
Community of Shared Destiny. The Chinese side
welcomes other 10+3 countries to dovetail their
5th East Asia Summit, Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
43External AffairsNews From China August 2015
development strategies
with the “Belt and Road”
initiative, so as to boost
regional integration in
A s i a a n d r e a l i z e
c o m p l e m e n t a r i t y o f
advantages and common
development.
Wang Yi expressed
that the Chinese side is the
active participant and
propellant for East Asian
cooperation. To make
greater contributions to
the maintenance of the
regional peace, stability
and development, the
Chinese side puts forward
six suggestions:
The first is the construction of free trade
areas (FTAs). The countries should promote the
effective implementation of China-ROK free
trade agreement, strive to conclude the
negotiation on the upgrading version of the
China-ASEAN FTA within this year, continue to
propel the negotiation on the China-Japan-ROK
FTA and complete the substantial negotiation
progress for the “regional comprehensive
economic partnership (RECP)” within this year.
The second is financial cooperation. The
countries should continue to facilitate the
progress of CMIM, discuss on the construction
of the communication and cooperation
platform for Asian financial institutions, and
give active play to the Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Silk Road Fund,
so as to jointly raise the financing level of
regional infrastructure.
The third is agricultural cooperation. The
countries should earnestly implement “the
initiative on poverty reduction cooperation in
East Asia”, facilitating the construction of
demonstration bases for modern agricultural
cooperation and trading platform of livestock
products in East Asia.
The fourth is strengthening cooperation in
infrastructure and industrial production
capacity. The Chinese side stands ready to, on
the basis of free will, equality and mutual
benefit, provide the most-needed infrastructure
for economic and social development to
Southeast Asian nations. Cooperation in steels,
nonferrous metals, building materials,
electricity, telecommunication and other key
industries and fields will be enhanced to achieve
the connection of development strategies and
advantageous resources, so as to jointly
improve the sustainable development of the
region.
The fifth is maritime cooperation. To hold
successful the activities of China-ASEAN
Maritime Cooperation Year, launch cooperation
in maritime connectivity, environment
protection with science and technology,
disaster prevention and reduction, maritime
economy, maritime humanity and other areas,
and speed up the building of East Asian
maritime cooperation platform.
The sixth is people-to-people and cultural
cooperation. The countries should actively
advance the development of ministers’ meeting
44 Created in China News From China August 2015
mechanisms on tourism, education, culture,
journalism and others, enhance social, people-
to-people and cultural exchanges and
cooperation in the region, and give full play to
the East Asia Forum, the Network of East Asian
Think-tanks (NEAT) and other think tanks.
Foreign ministers present at the meeting
spoke highly of the significant role played by the
cooperation between ASEAN and China, Japan
and the ROK in boosting the East Asian
integration and the regional peace, stability and
prosperity. They agreed to further enhance
cooperation in finance, connectivity, production
capacity, trade, agriculture, science and
technology, public health and other fields, and
jointly deal with non-traditional security
threats. The parties gave a high appraisal to
China’s proposal to set up the AIIB, believing
that the AIIB will make significant contributions
to the enhancement of regional infrastructure
construction.
CREATED IN CHINA
BYD
e6 IntroductionThe e6 is a long-range, pure-electric utility
vehicle. It is a cross between a sedan and an SUV
with superior interior space (over 88.3 cu-ft or
2.5 m^3). With over 800 operating as public
eTaxis, the e6 fleets have an accumulated range
of over 45 million miles . The nominal range of
the BYD e6 on a single charge (in an eTaxi duty-
cycle) is about 186 miles (300 km) and it
operates two shifts for nearly 24 hours with one
mid-day supplemental charge.
Power and PerformanceThe e6 will be equipped with a 75kW motor
and the BYD-developed Fe battery, powering
the e6 to a range of 186 miles on a single charge
in urban conditions. This makes it one of the
longest-range, pure EVs in the world. The
projected top speed is 87mph. These
characteristics make the e6 ideal for daily
commutes, city driving and even long distance
travel. In addition, during braking, deceleration
and downhill coasting, the vehicle's kinetic
energy is converted into electrical energy and
stored in battery packs through regenerative-
braking functions, further improving energy
utilization to increase the e6's range.
Electric Bus introductionThe BYD Electric Bus is the first of its kind in
service worldwide.Utilizing BYD's proprietary
45News From China August 2015
Iron- Phosphate battery, it meets roughtly 80%
of urban transit needs with typical range of
155+ miles.
Communities around the world love BYD's
electric bus as it quietly crusies past its noisy
polluting competitors.
Feature and PerformanceEnvironmentally-friendly, non-toxic,BYD
Iron-Phosphate ("Fe" Battery) powered
High-efficiency, in-wheel traction motors
allow for ultra-low floor loading options and
simplified maintenance
Energy recovery and battery recharging
through optimal Regenerative braking reduces
brake component wear
Bi-directional AC Charging allows full
charging from 0-100% SOC within 5 hours, the
bus can be used as a mobile generator
Definite SafetyResistant to high temperatures, high
pressures and severe impacts, BYD's internally
developed Fe battery boasts excellent reliability
and a 10-year warranty. The system can
automatically detect leakage currents in the
high voltage power supply system and damage
to the battery housings. An emergency
maintenance switch disconnects the high-
voltage battery pack to ensure the safety of the
driver and passengers in case of system failures
or when the car needs to be repaired. The
parking gear motor controller receives the lock/
unlock order sent by the driving motor and
performs the relevant operations to ensure
maximum safety while parking or starting.
Convenient ChargingCharging the e6 is convenient and fast. It
only takes 40 minutes to fully charge the e6
using the 100kW fast charging cabinet; it takes 6
hours with a standard 10kW standard charging
pole (like a residential garage over-charging
scenario).
DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations Science and
Technology Co., Ltd) is a Chinese technology
company founded in 2006 by Frank Wangand
headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong
province, China. It manufactures commercial
and recreational unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAV) for aerial photography and videography.
According to The Economist, the company is
at the forefront of the civilian-drone industry.
Company products.DJI manufactures a range of products like
flying cameras (ex. Inspire and Phantom series),
flying platforms, flight controllers for multi
rotors, accessories for helicopters, camera
gimballs (aerial, handheld) and ground
stations. These products are for industrial,
professional and amateur use. Recently, the
American Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) proposed some regulations and
guidelines to ensure proper operation of these
vehicles.
Flight ControllersDJI makes professional and amateur flight
control lers intended for mult i -rotor
stabilization control of various platforms or
heavy payloads in aerial photography. In
addition to the main A2 main controller model
(intelligent orientation, landing, home return),
there are the IMU (damper module), the GPS-
Compass Pro Plus (high end antenna, satellite
receiver), the PMU (voltage alarm) and the LED
b l u e t o o t h i n d i c a t o r ( s m a r t p h o n e
connectivity).
DAJIANG
Created in China
46 News From China August 2015
The Ronin platformThe DJI Ronin is the company's first
stand alone ground based camera
stabilization platform developed for
everyday cinematography and aerial
f i l m m a k i n g i n p r o f e s s i o n a l
environments. It is built for professional
videography and photography and
targets the movie-making industry. By
using the 3 individual motors to balance
the system the DJI Ronin has the ability
to stabilize the camera when moving
vigorously.
The DJI ModulesDJI offers several add-on modules for their
base products such as power management and
video modules.
The Flame Wheel seriesDJI has developed a series of multirotors
flying platforms called Flame Wheel (Feng-Huo-
Lun or Fenghuolun, for aerial photography in
entertainment. In 2013, there was a total of
three electrically powered Flame Wheels: the
h exa c o p te r F l a m e W h e e l F 5 5 0 , a n d
quadcopters Flame Wheel F330 and Flame
Wheel F450. The most recent one is the Flame
Wheel ARF KIT
The Phantom series
A DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ V3.0DJI has also developed a series of
quadcopters called the Phantoms that have
evolved into an integrated flying system with
aircraft, camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, a controller
and the pilot’s mobile device. These
quadcopters are mainly intended for aerial
cinematography and photography applications.
The Phantom 2 Vision+ features a camera and a
gimbal system manufactured by DJI. It is capable
of taking 14 MegaPixel still shots and recording
high definition (1080p) video. In comparison,
the DJI Phantom 3 Professional, the latest
Phantom model to be released can shoot 4K
resolution video and take 12MegaPixel still
photos.
The Spreading Wings series
DJI S800 hexacopterDJI has also developed a series of
hexacopters called Spreading Wings (Gen-Dou-
Yun or Gendouyun, for carrying heavy cameras
in aerial photography, search and rescue, and
surveillance. In 2013, two models have been
released as Spreading Wings S800 and
Spreading Wings S800 EVO.
The unmanned helicopterDJI unmanned helicopter is a
small unmanned helicopter jointly
developed by Harbin Institute of
Technology (HIT) and Hong Kong
University of Science and Technology
(HKUST) with DJI. This small
unmanned helicopter is intended for
high elevation missions and can
operate with wind scale of 6. The
Created in China
47News From China August 2015
general designer is Professor Li Ze-Xiang, and
the chief designer for software is associate
Professor Zhu Xiao-Rui. The unmanned
helicopter is completely indigenously
developed in China and Hong Kong, without
using any foreign technology, except the
constellation of GPS satellites developed by
other nations on which its navigation relies.
Applications and usageDJI products have a wide range of
applications in industry and in everyday life
with models for professionals and amateurs.
Although initially known for military and
intelligence applications, drones have many
surprising civilian uses. For example, they can
be used for hurricane hunting, 3-D mapping of
landscape, nature protection, farming, and
search and rescue.[26] DJI drones have made
dramatic appearances at the Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) of Las Vegas, Nevada,
U.S. for several years
SMARTISAN PHONE
Created in China
Simplicity is hidden complexitySmartisan draws on nuanced thinking and precision artisanship to create the perfection of simplicity and beauty. Whether in software or hardware, we allow insightful design to speak for itself.
Right is right. Left is also right.Symmetry is beauty. No matter which hand you are accustomed to using with your phone, it should be equally comfortable. Thus, Smartisan T1 uses symmetrical left and right side keys, strengthening its overall form symmetry, thus thoughtfully removing any difference for left- or right-handed use, while so unexpectedly offering matchless new features.
Supple, yet robust.Smart isan T1 ’s f rame uses a combination of glass fiber reinforced polycarbonate resin and stainless steel. Countless flexible glass fibers are wrapped in resin and ingeniously structured to ultimately form a highly durable body while still maintaining a light weight.
The essence of flat is super curved.With a 3D camber effect ground into the Corning Gorilla Glass, the edges of the back of Smartisan T1 have a subtle
48 News From China August 2015 Created in China
curved transition. This minute transformation not only enriches the aesthetics of the phone, but also creates an iridescent effect through the elegant curvature.
Uncomfortable is the new comfortable.Smartisan T1’s USB plug has one convex side and one concave side, allowing you to know which side goes up the instant you touch it. It becomes an intuitive guide, so that you can plug it in correctly every time without a second thought.
All wrapped up with a bow.We have arranged the phone and its accessories in a clean, orderly layout, simply to crystallize our pride and pursuit of perfection for that one, quiet moment when you first open the box and discover an irrepressible joy.
Smartisan OSbased on Android™With its exquisite interface, entrancing animations, near-perfect Chinese typography, and hundreds of thoughtfully designed features, Smartisan OS is a joy to use, every minute of every day.
LauncherSmartisan OS’s launcher reconstructs the classic 9- or 16-grid design, while its unique mode of operation gives it unprecedented efficiency. With a two-finger pinch or press on the Menu key you can switch to a multi-screen view, as well as move apps en masse or easily hide and password-protect them under the edit mode. Smartisan OS’s launcher also supports a variety of elegant themes.
PhoneWe completely re-designed the keypad layout, making it easy to dial one-handedly. The contacts list supports sorting numbers not just by name, but also by call frequency, date added, location, and more.
With just a slide on a contact’s picture you can quickly make calls and send texts. The i n c o m i n g c a l l s screen can display i m p o r t a n t reminders about a caller, as well as r e c o g n i z e annoying calls and more than 60,000 public numbers.
49News From China August 2015
MusicSmartisan OS’s built-in music player is designed in honor of classic vinyl, with moving turntable and record needle, just like on a real record player. You can search by artist, album, track, and directory, and it supports album cover displays. We also partnered with Xiami Music, providing 5 million licensed music for you to stream and download.
MessagesThe messages app contains many thoughtful touches, such as a four-second delay before sending messages, verification codes that automatically reside in the status bar, and more. When receiving texts, a pop-up lets you read, respond to, or delete messages in the same window, without having to turn away from what you’re doing.
BrowserWith the high-speed Chromium core, page-loading is fluid. Optimized Chinese character display makes for an excellent reading experience, and you can switch search engines within the address bar to quickly get more results
MarketEvery app has been carefully selected and rigorously checked. We strive to create the most trustworthy app market for the Android™ platform.
CalendarThe calendar app lets you view tasks by day, week, or month, and tag tasks with icons so you can find them at a glance. You can change a task’s date simply by drag-and-drop, and mark a task as done with just a swipe to the side. You can also sync your calendar with Google or Smartisan’s Smiling Cloud accounts.
MailThe mail app is impressively efficient. With a swipe to the right you can quickly mark, reply to, forward, move, and delete emails. You can also quickly add content from an email to a task on your calendar.
RecorderThe recorder supports .wav format and multiple levels of sound quality. When recording you can add time markers, making it easy to quickly find key parts on replay. The recorder lockscreen plugin also lets you pause, resume, or stop recording right from the lockscreen.
Created in China
50 News From China August 2015
CalculatorOwning a Smartisan T1 also means you have one full-featured and visually beautiful calculator. In landscape mode or with a two-finger rotation gesture you can conveniently switch to scientific mode.
NotesIt might just be the most beautiful notetaking app ever, and you may find yourself falling in love with taking notes all over again. You can also share what you write on Twitter, Facebook or Sina Weibo at any time. The elegant notepaper and finely crafted typography and layout make notetaking a pleasure.
WeatherThe elegantly simple weather app shows all important information at a glance. With an algorithm for accurate apparent temperature, thoughtful notices of the temperature difference between the current and previous day, and being able to understand weather conditions with one look, you will come to feel Smartisan OS’s care and consideration for the user.
ClockThe skeuomorphic interface and animations make the flow of time all the more vivid. The world clock has settings for more than six hundred cities and support for regional time and current weather information. The world clock’s appearance shifts from light to dark depending on local sunrise and sunset times.
Camera
The camera uses leading-edge automatic scene recognition technology, allowing it to automatically recognize multiple scene modes and optimize the image accordingly. The camera is also equipped with 180º to 360º panoramic shooting, QR code scanning, and more.
Gallery
The gallery app offers ten different styles of photo filters for your use. You can share photos on all types of social media platforms, and you can hide your albums in a list to keep them neat and orderly.
Created in China
51Culture & LifeNews From China August 2015
Images From China/ The China Flicks
"Overwater highway" seen in Hubei:a highway linking Gufu Township and Zhaojun Bridge in Yichang City, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 9, 2015. The highway, which is 10.9 kilometers long, is built overwater on a river. (Xinhua/Zou Yuanjing)
CULTURE & LIFE
52 Culture & Life News From China August 2015
Air-dried crops: Wuyuan people's traditional custom on "Liqiu" :A local dries hot peppers in Huangling Village of Wuyuan County, east China's Jiangxi Province, Aug. 8, 2015. Saturday marks "Liqiu", the first day of autumn on Chinese lunar calendar. As a traditional custom, villagers in Huangling village dry crops on bamboo baskets outside houses. (Xinhua/Hu Dunhuang)
People enjoy fun games at goat fair in Xinjiang, China :People compete as they run carrying goats during a goat fair in Hami, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 8, 2015. (Xinhua/Li Hua)
53News From China August 2015
Taizhou police help to evacuate Soudelor-affected residents : Typhoon Soudelor dumped heavy rain and winds in Huangyan
District of Taizhou, leaving many areas waterlogged and people suffering. Taizhou Armed Police Detachment help to evacuate about 160 residents there, and the rescue is still in progress. (Xinhua/Li Jialin)
Torch Festival marked in Guangxi :People of Yi ethnic group dance to celebrate the Torch Festival at De'e Township of Longlin Autonomous Prefecture in Baise City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Aug. 8, 2015. (Xinhua/Wei Wanzhong)
Culture & Life
54 News From China August 2015
Being a farmer in
China no longer means
eking out a living in a
backward industry.
Farmers nationwide are
adopting new business
practices made possible
by the Internet, boosting
their earnings and
modernizing the sector.
For Zhang Guoqin,
g r o w i n g c r o p s
s o m e t i m e s s i m p l y
needs a few clicks of the
mouse.
In northeast China’s
Heilongjiang Province,
he monitors his rice fields on computer screens.
He uses a system of sensors and automatization
which takes a lot of the toil and inefficiency out
of his business. For example, his fields are
irrigated automatically if sensors detect that
they need it.
“Thanks to the data, we are able to track the
conditions of crops, assess nutrient levels and
forecast disasters,” Zhang said.
Such innovation is a new trend in Chinese
farming, a welcome change of direction for a
rural economy that has long been seeking
modernization.
China’s cabinet unveiled an “Internet Plus”
action plan at the beginning of July targeted at
integration of the Internet with traditional
sectors to make them smarter and more
efficient. Along with manufacturing, agriculture
was on the top of the list.
Farming in China has been booming for over
three decades. The summer grain output
reached a record high of 141.07 million tonnes
in 2015 after 11 consecutive years of increases.
Though harvests were good, inefficient
sales channels, a shrinking labor population
and lack of access to loans have been squeezing
farmers’ earnings and dragging down the rural
economy.
In 2014, the per capita disposable income of
rural residents rose 9.2 percent year on year to
10,489 yuan (1,720 U.S. dollars), less than half
of that of urbanites, and 70.17 million rural
Chinese earned an annual sum less than 2,300
yuan, the official poverty line.
However, the Internet, especially mobile
networks, have provided agriculture with a new
vision. By the end of 2014, nearly 30 percent of
China’s rural population were online.
E-commerce enables farmers to sell goods
quickly, conveniently shop around for materials
and obtain small loans more easily. The Internet
has made intensive mechanized production
achievable, boosted yields with fewer laborers
and made agriculture greener and food safer.
Given the bright outlook, Internet
companies and e-commerce giants are
thronging to take a bigger share of the
agricultural pie.
Taobao.com, China’s largest online
shopping platform, has launched an agricultural
When the Internet Meets Agriculture
Monitoring fields through computers
Culture & Life
55News From China August 2015
channel.
Its Internet conglomerate owner, Alibaba,
also ambitiously plans to invest 10 billion yuan
into 100,000 new service centers in Chinese
villages in the next three to five years to help
train farmers in Internet use.
“Following the new generation of farmers,
online stores selling farm produce have
witnessed explosive growth and e-commerce is
reshaping the whole industry,” said Chi Fulin,
director of the China (Hainan) Institute for
Reform and Development.
Internet firms don’t need the might of
Alibaba to get involved. Beijing Tianchen Cloud
Farm Co., developed Cloud Farm, an app
designed as a one-stop shop for farming
business.
It has amassed over a million registered
users as it requires no more than a mobile
phone and a SIM card, simplicity which is crucial
in the Chinese countryside, where Internet
infrastructure lags behind the situation in cities.
Han Guiyin, a farm owner in east China’s
Shandong Province, turns to Cloud Farm
whenever he needs to source fertilizer or
logistics services, apply for loans or even
technological support.
However, there are still bottlenecks that
have to be addressed to facilitate the national
ambition of upgrading agriculture.
Analysts agree the government needs to
improve infrastructure and logistics in
mountainous regions, cultivate IT professionals
and provide more information services to help
farmers access the web.
China's Box Office at Record High
Chinese cinemas’
box office hit a record
high of 5.49 billion yuan
(897.5 mi l l ion U.S .
dollars) in July, official
figures show.
An office in charge of
film funds under the
State Administration of
P r e s s , P u b l i c a t i o n ,
R a d i o , F i l m a n d
Television (SAPPRFT)
said on Saturday that a
total of 159 million
people went to cinemas
last month and box office
revenue this year has totaled 25.85 billion yuan.
The office said the new monthly record
owes much the success to Chinese films, which
raked in more than 5.2 billion yuan, about 95.6
percent of the overall figure.
The three biggest earners — live-action
animation “Monster Hunt,” animated feature
“Monkey King: Hero is Back,” and comedy “Jian
Bing Man” — took up more than 60 percent of
the ticket sales.
The SAPPRFT last week announced that
“Monster Hunt” has overtaken 2012 low-budget
A poster of “Monkey King: Hero is Back”
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56 News From China August 2015
comedy “Lost in Thailand” to become the most
successful domestic film of all time in box office
income.
According to a U.S. box office count,
“Monster Hunt” has also outperformed
Hollywood productions “Minions” and “Ant-
Man” in total box office gains.
It is estimated that the film earnings in
China last month exceeded the yearly numbers
from 2002 to 2005 combined.
As with national holidays like Lunar New
Year and National Day, the month of July has
long been a busy time for cinemas as most
Chinese schools and universities start their
summer holidays in the month.
Over the last five years, the summer holiday
period has contributed about a quarter of the
annual box office takings.
PROTECTION AND COMPETITION
There has been much discussion about the
role of Chinese movies in the July figures, as they
had little foreign competition last month.
“It is true that domestic films lacked an
international competitor in July,” said a Chinese
movie critic who insists on going by the name
“Tubingenmujiang.”
“However, the need to go to the cinema is not
a rigid demand for people, and if the films being
shown are not good enough, audiences may
simply choose not to see them,” he said. “In fact,
China has experienced fallow seasons when
fewer foreign movies were on screen and
domestic films failed to attract movie-goers.”
China started to import American movies in
1994 and competition between domestic and
overseas titles has grown even more intense
since 2012, when China announced a significant
increase in its quota for overseas movies.
In 2014, about 70 percent of the top 30 films
in North American were screened in China.
“ P r o p e r p r o t e c t i o n f o r d o m e s t i c
productions is needed so Chinese films are not
stifled as they bud,” said Tubingenmujiang, “but
protectionism should be limited so Chinese
movies don’t become hothouse flowers.”
Observers also attributed the success of
domestic films to the country’s “Internet Plus”
A poster of 'Monster Hunt'
Culture & Life
57News From China August 2015
strategy, which is encouraging Internet firms to
integrate with other industries.
Most of the best-performing films in July
fe a t u re d i nve s t m e n t s f ro m I n te r n e t
enterprises, and the novel Internet finance
mode of crowdfunding also weighed in.
The credits of “Monkey King: Hero is Back”
listed as producers 109 children, whose
parents pooled money to aid the movie’s
marketing.
“The Internet is no longer a simple technical
assistant in China’s film industry. With vigorous
moves through financing, mergers and
cooperation, it is reshaping the industry,” said
Rao Shuguang, secretary-general of the China
Film Association.
GLOBAL AMBITION
Despite the huge success in China, experts
noted that the Chinese film industry still has a
long way to go if it is to reach a global market.
Shi Chuan, a professor with the Shanghai
Theatre Academy, said Chinese movies need to
be better if they are to compete with Hollywood
and other overseas productions.
However, considering the enthusiastic
consumers, most observers expressed
confidence in domestic films.
“The July record should be regarded as a
milestone in China’s film industry,” said Zhang
Hongsen, head of the SAPPRFT film bureau. “Also,
Chinese filmmakers should keep in mind what is
really driving the success — the audience.”
China’s Growing Interest in Fitness
Shapes up Industry
BeijingG, July 28 (Xinhua) — As grannies
“cut a rug” square dancing in public parks,
young Chinese prefer
breaking a sweat in the
gym or with online
w o r k o u t s t o b u r n
calories.
Zhang Jianming, a
29-year-old research
fellow at East China’s
Suzhou Industrial Park,
is active at the gym. He
works out five to six
days a week, and focuses
on hitting different body
parts each day. For him,
t y p i c a l t r a i n i n g
programs include an
h o u r o f l i f t i n g o r
bodyweight exercises,
and half an hour of
cardio session.‘ After
beginning the workout
regimen in September, 2013, Zhang’s body fat
percentage dropped to 17 percent from 23
Culture & Life
58 News From China August 2015
percent. He is noticeably bulkier, and feels more
confident.
Fitness fanatics like Zhang have been
springing up in China over the past two years.
An industry report shows that the total number
of gym attendees in 70 major Chinese cities has
increased by four to five million each year since
2011.
Behind the exercise trend is growing
enthusiasm for fitness and health. As wealth
accumulates, the country’s increasingly
sophisticated middle class increasingly have
the urge to disengage from work, relax and
move around.
Jogging has taken off in big cities, despite the
notorious smog problem. More urbanites wear
fitness tracking bracelets or other wearables as
a manifesto for healthier lifestyle. Celebrities
also actively jump on the fitness bandwagon.
They post gym selfies to show off their abs and
more importantly, win fans.
Public awareness of fitness generally begins
when a nation’s GDP per capita hits 5,000 U.S.
dollars. Should it surpass 8,000 U.S. dollars, the
fitness industry will become a pillar in the
national economy, said Liu Qing, deputy
secretary-general at Chinese Association of
Sport Industry.
China’s GDP per capita exceeded 5,000 U.S.
dollars in 2011 and reached 7,575 U.S. dollars
last year, according to official data.
The fitness fanaticism sweeping the world’s
second largest economy coincides with the
growth of mobile Internet and the boom of
social media. Unlike the older generation of
gymrats, younger fitness enthusiasts like Zhang
are more apt to explore online resources to
work out smarter.
Under his WeChat account, China’s biggest
social messaging service, Zhang follows a dozen
of fitness blogs. Every day he sift through the
news feeds to learn about new workout
programs or dietary instructions.
Wang Yin, 30, is one of Zhang’s favorite
bloggers. In September, 2013, almost the same
time when Zhang begun hitting the gym, Wang,
a financial professional-turned-fitness guru,
started blogging with his wife on WeChat and
microblog Weibo.
“I felt like a new man after finishing a two-
month workout regimen,” recalled Wang. He
was also startled to find how little those who
crave a thinner life know about health and
fitness.
“Most of them, especially the girls, will hit
the dead end circle of ‘diet, give up, get fat’. They
simply don’t know how to chisel away body fat
through exercise,” he said.
The Shanghai-native then decided to share
health, nutrition and fitness knowledge he has
learnt with others. His blogs became an instant
success. He has garnered about one million
followers on Weibo, and nearly 400,000 on
WeChat over the past two years.
As the Chinese government has been
looking to entrepreneurship and innovation
among the bright spots in a slowing economy,
Wang also felt he has found a sweet spot to cash
in on the booming demand for keeping fit.
He resigned from his post at a private equity
firm to launch a startup company called Fit-
start in September, 2014, which happened to
coincide with the one year anniversary of his
blogs.
“The market has immense potential,” said
Wang, with over five years of investment
experience.
On June 19 this year, Fit-start introduced
apps offering custom online workout and
dietary plans on the iOS and Android app stores.
Wang said there have already been more than
100,000 downloads by now.
However, Wang’s rivals have also been
looming large. RJFitTime, another influential
blog operated by two twenty-somethings, has
attracted two million followers combined
across all social media platforms. RJFitTime
launched apps earlier this year, streaming a
variety of exercise programs to its subscribers.
An estimated 50 health and fitness apps
Culture & Life
59Culture & LifeNews From China August 2015
came online in the first half of this year. Most of
them eye the same niche market as Fit-start and
RJFitTime - the beginners.
“When we start our business, the fitness
industry was still a ‘blue ocean’, where the
market space is vastly uncontested,’ Wang said,
“but now, it’s fairly crowded.”
For users like Zhang, the swarm of fitness
apps allows them to get a lot of services for
nothing. Zhang said he will not consider trying
paid options of those apps, because he thought
the free content is already enough.
That mentality is certainly not pleasing to
Wang, who has been working hard to bind users
with online paid trainers. But the former
investment banker is still optimistic about the
future of China’s fitness market.
“After all, this is a budding industry. The
market is huge, and there is no dominant player
at the moment, which means everything is
possible, “ Wang said.
JET LI – King of Kungfu
F r o m S h a o l i n Temple, to the series ofOnce Upon a Time in China, to the recent Danny the Dog and Fearless, Jet Li is a name closely connected with action movie, kung fu, and wushu (or martial arts).
Jet Li has achieved s p l e n d i d s u c c e s s , whether as a wushu practitioner or as an a c t i o n s t a r . H i s handsome appearance, fortitude, and resoluteness, as well as brilliant martial arts movements, have attracted a large audience for him. Known as the “Gene Kelly of the action film,” Jet Li is part of the wave of new Asian stars taking Hollywood by storm. Jet Li has kicked and punched his way out of the cult-film underground and into global mainstream superstardom, making the world crazy for him.
The Legend of a Wushu Genius Jet Li was born in Beijing , China on April 26,
1963. As a child, he was a quiet and meek boy who was not allowed to do any risky activities such as swimming, skating, or even riding a
bicycle. It was quite a haphazard that Jet Li took up wushu training when he was eight years old. At that time he had no idea what wushu was. Yet Jet was selected out from more t h a n 1 , 0 0 0 c h i l d r e n b y coach Wu Bin, who believed Jet was born with limitless talents in wushu. At the beginning, the
60 Culture & Life News From China August 2015
t r a i n i n g w a s l i k e extracurricular activity; soon it became more and more rigorous. Half a year later, Jet had to attend the full time training, and wushu became everything and the only thing in his life. He even performed for VIPs including Premier Zhou Enlai at the Great Hall of the People.
Wushu training was always painstaking. In order to have a thorough mastery of basic skills, Jet Li and his fellow students had to practice the same movements day after day. When wintertime came, they had no choice but to practice outside, for there were no indoor facilities.Beijing’s winters were extremely cold, and the children’s hands hurt constantly. Doing hand-slaps was a no-win proposition: if one didn’t slap hard enough to make a sound, he’d get scolded. If he did make a sound, it stung like mad! The tough training also taught Jet Li not to complain about injuries, which also formed a tenacious personality in him.
What Jet received was not only the traditional martial arts training; moreover, he was trained as a modern wushu athlete, so he also had to go through the strict physical training. Besides, his coach Wu Bin also encouraged him to study dancing to make his movements more exquisite.
The year 1974 saw Jet Li’s perfect debut in the national wushu competition, on which he was the all-round youth champion. After winning the national championship, Jet Li was selected as a member of China Wushu Team. As part of a world tour the same year, he also had the honor of performing a two-man fight for President Nixon on the White House lawn. In all, in the following years, Jet Li would travel to
more than 40 countries with the team doing demonstrations of wushu.
In the following year China staged its Third National Games. The National Games were like a domestic version of the Olympics; they included all competitive sports: swimming, gymnastics, track and field, and so on. The 1975 National Games were only the third since Liberation (the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949), and the first since the early part of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). For the government as well as the entire nation, it was an extremely important and greatly symbolic event.
Jet started to notice a shift in his training. The pressure began to increase. People had higher expectations of him because he’d just won the youth championship. Personally, he didn’t think too much of it. He knew that there were plenty of other athletes who trained a lot harder than he did, especially the adults. But winning the youth championships had allowed him to “skip a grade,” making him eligible to compete in the 18-and-over category. There he was, a 12-year old competing against people in their 20s and 30s.
Once again, his perfect performance caused
61Tibet TodayNews From China August 2015
a sensation in martial arts field in China, as afterward, Jet Li won a total of five gold medals in the national championships for five consecutive years, from 1974 to 1979. In 1979, Jet received his highest achievement in martial arts when he was crowned Gold Champion at the Chinese National Martial Arts Competition. No person has ever broken this record to this day.
Traveling abroad at a very young age opened up Jet Li’s minds, he learned to think independently from an early age. After winning five all-round championships in China, Jet Li decided that he would rather do something else now that he had already achieved a considerable height. His consummate skills in martial arts also won him a lot of opportunities.
(To be continued)
Ten Data Reflecting Tibet's Changes Over the Past 50 Years
On the occasion of
the 50th anniversary of
the founding of the Tibet
Autonomous Region,ten
major data were sorted,
involving economy, key
p r o j e c t s , f i n a n c i a l
r e v e n u e , h o u s i n g ,
transportation, ecology,
tourism, etc., to show
Tibet’s great changes in
various economic and
social aspects over the
past 50 years.
Datum one: an
increase of 68.5 times
in Tibet's GDPTibet's GDP skyrocketed to 92.083 billion
yuan in 2014 from 327 million yuan in 1965. In
particular since the Third WorkConference on
Tibet, its GDP has maintained a double-digit
growth for 21 consecutive years
.
Datum two: an investment of nearly 600
billion yuan in key construction projectsAccording to the demand of Tibet's
economic and social development,China has
arranged construction of a large number of key
projects with great significance and far-
reaching influence in succession, remarkably
improving the infrastructure of Tibet. From
1965 to 2014, total investment in Tibet's fixed
assets amounted to nearly 600 billion yuan. In
particular, since the Third Work Conference on
Tibet, the accumulated investment in Tibet's
fixed assets has reached 594 billion yuan, with
an average annual increase of 22 percent.
TIBET TODAY
Tibet Today62 News From China August 2015
Datum three: local
financial revenue
accounting for 13.5
percent of the GDPSince the founding of
the Tibet Autonomous
Region, the central
f i n a n c i a l t r a n s f e r
payment to Tibet has
kept growing. From 1965
to 2014, the Central
Government’s financial
subsidies to Tibet added
up to about 600 billion
y u a n . T i b e t ' s l o c a l
financial revenue was in
a state of negative
growth before 1989, but
began to realize positive growth from 1989
onwards and hit 12.4 billion yuan in 2014. Its
proportion in the GDP rose from 0.6 percent in
1989 to 13.5 percent in 2014.
Datum four: the total industrial output
value reaching 15 billion yuanThere was almost no modern industry in old
Tibet. Since the founding of the Tibet
Autonomous Region, it has seen a growing
modern industry under the premise of strict
ecological protection. So far, a characteristic
industrial system has taken shape in the region,
with advantaged mining industry, aquaculture,
ethnic handicraft industry and Tibetan
medicine industry as pillars. The total
industrial output value skyrocketed from 9
million yuan in 1965 to 15 billion yuan in 2014,
with an average annual increase of 16 percent.
Datum five: 75,000 kilometers of highway
mileage open to trafficIn the old days, Tibet had no roads in the
modern sense. After 50 years of construction,
highway mileage open to traffic in Tibet reached
75,000 kilometers: linking Tibet with Sichuan
and Yunnan in the east, with Xinjiang in the
west, with Qinghai in the north and India and
Nepal in the south; and also leading to every city,
county and township within the region. In
addition, the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet
Railway, Lhasa-Shigatse Railway and 58
international and domestic air routes has
greatly shortened the distance between Tibet
and the inland and other parts of the world.
Datum six: per-capita disposable income
of residents getting to 10,730 yuanThe past 50 years has witnessed historic
growth in incomes of urban residents and
farmers and herdsmen of Tibet. In 2014, the per-
capita disposable income of urban residents of
Tibet reached 22,016 yuan, an increase of 39
times from 1978; and the per-capita disposable
income of rural residents in the region was
7,359 yuan, an increase of 42 times from 1978.
The per-capita disposable income of all the
residents in Tibet got to 10,730 yuan.
Datum seven: dream of 2.3 million farmers
and herders for new houses realizedOver 90 percent of people in old Tibet didn’t
have their own housing. The housing project for
Qinghai - Tibet Railway
63News From China August 2015
Tibetan farmers and herdsmen was launched in
2006. By the end of 2013, the total investment in
the project amounted to 27.8 billion yuan,
realizing the dream of 2.3 million farmers and
herdsmen for new houses.
Datum eight: the average life expectancy
increasing to 68.2 years oldDue to high altitude, cold and oxygen deficit,
Tibet was once considered the world’s most
unsuitable region for human habitation. Thanks
to the improvement in living standards and
medical conditions in the past 50 years,
Tibetans’ average life expectancy has constantly
increased. It has risen to 68.2 years old now
from 35.5 years old in the past. The total
population of Tibet has also increased from 1.14
million in the past to 3.17 million now.
Datum nine: the protected areas accounting
for 34.5 percent of Tibet’s land area
In the development process, Tibet has
always put environmental protection as a
baseline. Currently, the region has set up 22
ecological function protected areas, eight
national forest parks, five national wetland
parks, four geological parks, three national-
level scenic spots and 47 nature reserves, with a
total protected area of 412,200 square
kilometers, accounting for 34.5 percent of the
area of Tibet.
Datum ten: over 15 million domestic and
foreign tourists received in the whole
year
With unique natural and cultural
landscape, Tibet attracts large numbers of
domestic and foreign tourists. The number of
tourists to Tibet increased from 8,624 in 1981
to 15.53 million in 2014, a rise of nearly 1,800
times. Tourism has become an important
window for the world to understand the new
Tibet.
Achievements of Tibet Autonomous Region in 50 years
When the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR)
was established in 1965, its GDP stood only at
327 million yuan. In 2014, the figure rose by
nearly 300-fold to 92.08 billion yuan.
Particularly since the Third Tibet Work
Conference convened in 1994, Tibet’s GDP
maintained double digit growth ¨C averaging
12.4 percent year on year ¨C for 20 consecutive
years. This was unprecedented in the history of
Tibet.
Over the past five decades, investment from
the central government in Tibet has been on the
rise year by year. In response to Tibet’s social,
economic development needs under different
circumstances and in different periods, the
central government rolled out a large number
of major projects that had far-reaching and
important impact. The total fixed investments
added up to nearly 700 billion yuan,
representing an average 16.5 percent increase
year on year.
Over the past five decades, local finances
grew steadily. Since its establishment, Tibet has
gained full support from the central
government: socialist systematic and
institutional advantages have been played to the
full and nationwide efforts have been mobilized.
The central government offered Tibet up to 600
billion yuan in financial assistance of various
forms in the years between 1965 and 2014.
Local fiscal revenue remained a negative growth
till the year of 1989 in which a reversal was seen.
In 2014, Tibet’s fiscal income reached 12.4
billion yuan.
Over the past five decades, Tibet’s aggregate
industrial volume kept increasing. A Tibet-
Tibet Today
64 News From China August 2015
specific industrial system, comprising
competitive mining, construction and building
materials, nationality handicraft and Tibetan
medicine industries, whether developed from
scratch or on the basis of existing industries, has
begun to take shape. The gross industrial
output value increased from 1965’s 9 million
yuan to 2014’s 15 billion yuan.
Over the past five decades, both internal and
external trade grew with tremendous
momentum in Tibet. In 2014, the total retail
sales of consumer goods reached 32.43 billion
yuan, up by 132.4-fold from 245 million yuan in
1978; in 2012, the total import and export
volume stood at 3.42 billion US Dollars, up by
1,424-fold from 2.4 million US Dollars of 1965.
Building infrastructure for a new lookA landmark project symbolizing Tibet's
leapfrog development in transportation, Lhasa-
Nyingchi Highway is looking to be open to traffic
in late July, 2015. Saving at least 2 hours from
Lhasa to Nyingchi, the highway will further
break the local traffic bottleneck and improve
the backbone of the main road network in
central Tibet.
There was not a single highway in Tibet
before it officially became an autonomous
region. However, the state of isolation and
underdevelopment was completely changed
with heavy investment from the central
government in such infrastructure sectors as
transportation, energy, communications and
urban construction.
By far, a network of highways has been built.
The network takes Lhasa as its centre and from
there extends to Sichuan and Yunnan in the east,
Xinjiang in the west, Qinghai in the north, and
India and Nepal in the south. The network also
includes road connections among cities,
counties, towns and villages. The total length of
highways open to traffic in Tibet reached 75,000
km by the end of 2014.
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway put an end to
Tibet’s zero-railroad history. The Lhasa-
Shigatse Railway, an extension line of Qinghai-
Tibet Today
Qinghai - Tibet Railway
65News From China August 2015
Tibet Railway was put into use in 2014. Now the
construction of the Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway is
also in full swing.
In terms of the aviation industry, today
there are five airports in Tibet where eight
airline companies are running a total of 48
domestic or international routes to 33
destinations in and outside China. By far, a
m u l t i - d i m e n s i o n a l t ra n s p o r t s ys te m
dominated by highways and supplemented by
air, railways and tunnels has taken shape.
In terms of energy system building, the
completion and operation of the Lhasa Loop
G r i d P r o j e c t , t h e Q i n g h a i - T i b e t D C
Interconnection Project (the world’s highest,
longest, and most difficult power transmission
and substation project), and the Sichuan-Tibet
Grid Interconnection Project in succession
ended the history of isolated operation of
Tibet’s power grid. Moreover, the Lhasa Heat
Supply Project enabled the historical shift from
traditional heating methods to modern urban
heat supply from clean energy. Therefore,
today’s Tibet has a new energy system
dominated by hydroelectric power and
complemented by geothermal energy, wind
energy and solar energy.
As for communications, Tibet is building a
modern communication network system that is
complete with fiber-optic cables, satellites and
Internet. So far, mobile phone signals cover
basically all administrative villages across TAR,
of which 670 or 98 percent have access to fiber-
optic cables.
In terms of urban construction, an urban
space layout that features Lhasa as the center
and six other prefectures or cities and county
seats (either city or town) as regional centers is
rapidly taking shape. The urbanization rate in
Tibet rose from 19.8 percent in 2005 to the
current level of 25.8 percent.
Improving people’s livelihood and
enjoying fruits of developmentLhasa is listed as the "happiest city" in China
for seven consecutive years and tops 38 major
Chinese cities for three consecutive years in
terms of satisfaction degree for basic urban
public services. In 2014, the city also continued
to lead the 38 major Chinese cities in terms of
public sense of security.
More than 95 percent of the population in
old Tibet was either serfs or slaves who led a
miserable life of no fixed residence, few clothes
and little food, let alone the basic rights of
education, medical care and democracy. Yet the
past 50 years have seen Tibet make leapfrog
development not only in economy, but also in
the whole range of social undertakings.
Tibet's drive to build a new socialist
countryside, which took housing projects for
low-income families as the breakthrough point,
has benefited the broad masses of farmers and
herdsmen. For example, 2.3 million farmers or
herdsmen from 460,300 households moved
into safe, spacious and affordable new homes in
2 0 1 3 . C o m p r e h e n s i v e s u p p o r t i n g
infrastructure¨C water/electricity/gas supply,
roads, communications, radio & TV, postal
service, and so forth ̈ C is also improving step by
step.
Tibet's per capita disposable income
reached 10,730 yuan in 2014. The per capita net
income of rural residents rose by 12.3 percent
year on year to 7,359 yuan, achieving double-
digit growth for 12 consecutive years, while the
per capita net income of urban residents
reached 22,016 yuan. Furthermore, Tibet’s per
capita consumption expenditure amounted to
7,317 yuan in 2014 as consumer goods such as
refrigerators, TVs, computers, washing
machines, motorbikes and mobile phones
entered homes of ordinary people.
Tibet's urban and rural medical and
healthcare system gradually improved over the
past five decades. A medical and healthcare
network has been put in place that spread out
from Lhasa to across urban and rural areas in
Tibet. A free healthcare system was built to
cover all farmers and herdsmen in farming and
Tibet Today
66 Book Review News From China August 2015
pastoral areas. In addition, Tibet is the first in
the nation to achieve urban and rural
integration and whole-society coverage in
terms of medical and healthcare provision.
The strategy of giving priority to the
development of educat ion was ful ly
implemented in Tibet in the past five decades. A
relatively complete education system that
covers general education, preschool education,
adult education, vocational education and
special education has been built. Tibet is also
the first in China to provide 15-year free
education from pre-school to high school.
As history and practice have repeatedly
proven, the central government¡¯s policies and
guidelines on the construction of Tibet have
been right, practical and wise. Looking forward,
we have reasons to believe that the people of all
ethnic groups in Tibet will continue to
unswervingly follow the path of development
with Chinese and Tibetan characteristics and
work with the rest of the nation to achieve the
goal of building a moderately prosperous
society by 2020 and realize the great
rejuvenation of the Chinese nation ¨C the
Chinese dream.
BOOK REVIEW
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Editor News From ChinaE-mail: [email protected]: 50-D, Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110021Tel: 0091-11-26116683
CORRIGENDUM
Please note that the Issue No. 7 of “News From China”, i.e. July edition, on page no. 25, under the heading “A Ground Paving Mission for Yatris” in the 3rd paragraph of the beginning has inadvertently been misprinted by the printer which should read as “I flew to Bagdogra of West Bengal from New Delhi”, instead of “I flew to Baddogra of West Bangladesh from New Delhi”
The inconvenience is regretted - Ed.
Flights Between China and India
ROUTING
New Delhi-Guangzhou
Guangzhou - NewDelhi
New Delhi-Guangzhou
Guangzhou - NewDelhi
FLIGHT NO.
CZ3028
CZ3027
CZ360
CZ359
DEPARTURE TIME
12:45
7:30
23:40
18:50
ARRIVAL TIME
19:50
11:30
6:50+1
22:30
FLIGHT DATES
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
ROUTING
New Delhi-Guangzhou
Guangzhou - NewDelhi
New Delhi-Guangzhou
Guangzhou - NewDelhi
FLIGHT NO.
CZ
CZ3027
CZ360
CZ359
3028
DEPARTURE TIME
11:50
7:30
23:10
18:50
ARRIVAL TIME
19:30
11:50
6:50+1
22:10
FLIGHT DATES
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Schedule of China Southern Airlines Flights (Summer Season)
China Eastern Time Table
Remarks
Shanghai Pudong: Terminal-1
Delhi IGI: Terminal-3
Kolkata NSCBI: Terminal-2
Delhi-Shanghai(Pudong)
1APR,2015-31OCT, 2015
Shanghai(Pudong)-Delhi
31MAR,2015-31OCT, 2015
Kolkata-Kunming
1APR,2015-31OCT, 2015
Kunming-Kolkata
1APR,2015-31OCT, 2015
Flight Number
MU564
Flight Number
MU563
Flight Number
MU556
Flight Number
MU555
Dep\
0230
Dep
2110
Dep
0035
Dep
2355
Arr
1100
Arr
0125+1
Arr
0510
Arr
2345
Frequency
Daily
Frequency
Daily
Frequency
Daily
Frequency
Daily
Aircraft
Airbus 330-200
Aircraft
Airbus330-200
Aircraft
Boeing 737
Aircraft
Boeing 737
67News From China August 2015
Flights Between China and India
Address and Contact Numbers of Chinese Airlines
68
CA 429
News From China August 2015
PDF Version of this Issue is available at http://in.china-embassy.org
Postal Regd. No. DL-SW-16/4034/15-17R.N.I. No. 47440/88
August 2015
Chinese Embassy Website: http://in.china-embassy.orgWebsite of Foreign Ministry of China: www.mfa.gov.cn
www.fmprc.gov.cn
E-mail: [email protected]:[email protected]
Published, Printed and Edited by Mme. Xie Liyan on behalf of the Press Office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, 50-D, Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110021. Tel: 26881249, Fax: 26882024
Printed at A.K. Printers, S-217, Bank Street, Munirka, New Delhi-110067, Ph: 9818114996Date of Publishing: 24th of every month Posted at Chanakyapuri P.O. on 27th & 28th of every month
72