China Covid pivot sparks jitters worldwide

By Laurie Chen, with Matthew Walsh in Tianjin

Beijing (AFP)

Dec 28, 2022

Beijing's sudden pivot away from containing Covid-19 has caused jitters around the world, with the United States saying it may restrict travel from China following its decision to end mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals.

China late Monday scrapped quarantine for inbound travelers from January 8 onwards, dismantling the last remaining piece of its stringent zero-Covid policy and ending some of the world's harshest border restrictions.

The move was greeted with jubilation by Chinese citizens, who rushed to book international flights, triggering a surge in ticket prices.

Hospitals and crematoriums across China continue to be overwhelmed by an influx of mostly elderly people.

AFP reporters saw dozens of mostly elderly Covid patients lying on gurneys in overflowing hospital emergency wards in Tianjin, 140 kilometers (87 miles) southwest of the capital Beijing Wednesday.

Medical staff are "pretty much all" expected to continue working despite testing positive for the virus, one doctor said.

Other countries have expressed concerns about the potential for new variants to emerge as China battles the world's biggest surge in infections.

US officials said late Tuesday they were considering Covid entry restrictions on travelers from China, after countries including Japan and India introduced PCR testing on arrival for Chinese passengers.

"There are mounting concerns in the international community on the ongoing Covid-19 surges in China and the lack of transparent data, including viral genomic sequence data, being reported from the PRC," the US officials said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

The United States is "considering taking similar steps" to countries such as Japan and Malaysia, they added.

Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China claims as its own, said Wednesday that it would also screen travelers from the mainland for the virus.

- 'Predictable and under control' -

China's loosening of measures effectively brought the curtain down on a zero-Covid regime of mass testing, lockdowns and long quarantines that has stalled its economy and triggered large-scale nationwide protests.

"Currently the development of China's epidemic situation is overall predictable and under control," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Wednesday.

"Hyping, smearing and political manipulation with ulterior motives can't stand the test of facts," Wang added, calling Western media reporting on China's Covid surge "completely biased".

All passengers arriving in China have had to undergo mandatory centralized quarantine since March 2020. The period of isolation fell from three weeks to one week in June, and to five days last month.

The end of that rule in January will also see Covid-19 downgraded to a Class B infectious disease, allowing authorities to adopt looser controls.

Chinese immigration authorities said Tuesday they will resume issuing passports for tourism purposes from January 8, after years of strict exit controls.

- Tracking cases -

The winter surge comes ahead of major public holidays next month in which hundreds of millions of people are expected to travel to their hometowns to reunite with relatives.

Chinese authorities have said the scale of the outbreak is now "impossible" to track and narrowed the criteria for defining Covid deaths.

China's Center for Disease Prevention and Control reported 5,231 new Covid cases and three deaths nationwide Wednesday -- likely a drastic undercount since people are no longer required to declare infections to authorities.

Authorities are using data from online surveys, hospital visits, demand for fever medicines and emergency calls to "make up for shortcomings in (officially) reported figures", disease control official Yin Wenwu said at a press briefing Tuesday.

With the country facing shortages of basic medicines, Beijing city authorities plan to distribute the oral Covid drug Paxlovid at local hospitals and community clinics. It remains extremely difficult to obtain for ordinary people.

The US-developed treatment was briefly available on e-commerce platform JD.com and delivery platform Meituan in the past few days before both ran out of stock.

Source: Terra Daily.

Link: https://www.terradaily.com/reports/China_Covid_pivot_sparks_jitters_worldwide_999.html.

Beijing, Major Chinese Cities Battle First Wave of COVID Surge

Sunday, 18 December, 2022

Streets in major Chinese cities were eerily quiet on Sunday as people stayed home to protect themselves from a surge in COVID-19 cases that has hit urban centers from north to south.

China is currently in the first of an expected three waves of COVID cases this winter, according to the country's chief epidemiologist, Wu Zunyou. Cases could multiply across the country if people follow typical travel patterns of returning to their home areas in a mass transit movement for the Lunar New Year holiday next month, Reuters reported.

China is also yet to officially report any COVID deaths since Dec. 7, when the country abruptly ended most restrictions key to a zero-COVID tolerance policy following unprecedented public protests against the protocol. The strategy had been championed by President Xi Jinping.

As part of the easing of the zero-COVID curbs, mass testing for the virus has ended, casting doubt on whether officially reported case numbers can capture the full scale of the outbreak. China reported some 2,097 new symptomatic COVID infections on Dec. 17.

In Beijing, the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has already hit services from catering to parcel deliveries. Funeral homes and crematoriums across the city of 22 million are also struggling to keep up with demand.

Social media posts also showed empty subways in the city of Xian in China's northwest, while internet users complained of delays to deliveries.

In Chengdu, streets were deserted but food delivery times were improving, said a resident surnamed Zhang, after services began to adapt to the recent surge in cases.

Getting hold of antigen test kits was still difficult however, she said. Her recent order had been redirected to hospitals, she said, citing the provider.

In Shanghai, authorities said schools should move most classes online from Monday, and in nearby Hangzhou most school grades were encouraged to finish the winter semester early.

In Guangzhou, those already doing online class as well as pre-schoolers should not prepare for a return to school, said the education bureau.

Speaking at a conference in Beijing on Saturday, chief epidemiologist Wu of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said the current outbreak would peak this winter and run in three waves for about three months, according to a state media report of his speech.

The first wave would run from mid-December through mid-January, largely in cities, before a second wave would start from late January to mid-February next year, triggered by the movement of people ahead of the week-long New Year holiday.

China will celebrate Lunar New Year starting on Jan. 21. The holiday normally sees hundreds of millions of people travelling home to spend time with family.

A third wave of cases would run from late February to mid-March as people returned to work after the holiday, Wu said.

A US-based research institute said this week that the country could see an explosion of cases and over a million people in China could die of COVID in 2023.

Wu said severe cases in China had declined over the last years, and that vaccination that has already taken place offered a certain degree of protection. He said those in the community that are vulnerable should be protected, while recommending booster vaccines for the general public.

Almost 87% of over 60s have been fully vaccinated, but only 66.4% of people over the age of 80 have completed a full course of vaccination, said official news agency Xinhua.

Source: Asharq al-Awsat.

Link: https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4050251/beijing-major-chinese-cities-battle-first-wave-covid-surge.

Gulf Countries, China to Invest in the Future, Energy

Saturday, 10 December, 2022

The Gulf-Chinese summit on Friday concluded the importance of joint work and integration in future projects, namely investment in innovation, technology, and energy, and in collaborative work on regional security and stability.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz said that regional security and stability can't be achieved without "the exit of mercenary militias from all Arab territories and the cessation of external interference in their affairs."

The Crown Prince gave a speech at the Riyadh Gulf-China Summit for Cooperation and Development, which he chaired on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Several leaders and heads of delegations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the summit on Friday at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh.

Crown Prince Mohammed indicated that the GCC's member states view China as an essential partner for them, and the favorable fruits of this partnership have been reflected in their common interests and the security and stability of the region.

In his speech, he stressed that GCC countries are interested in working with Beijing to explore practical ways to address global challenges, including food security and improving the integration of global supply chains and energy security.

The GCC states affirm that they will continue their role as a reliable source to meet the energy needs of the world and China.

The Crown Prince welcomed the attendees on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, wishing them success in their endeavors and efforts to preserve security and stability and achieve peoples' aspirations for a better future.

"We meet today in light of the many challenges facing the region and the world amid exceptional circumstances that require us to activate joint collective action to face these challenges, and based on the noble goals and objectives upon which the GCC was established, and based on the depth of the historical relationship and friendship that bind our countries with the People's Republic of China."

The Crown Prince said the summit establishes a new historic start for the relationship between China and Saudi Arabia, aiming to deepen cooperation with the People's Republic of China in all fields and coordinate views on regional and international issues.

He indicated that GCC countries consider China an "essential and important partner," noting that the favorable fruits of this partnership have been reflected in the common interests and regional security and stability.

The rapid economic growth and significant technological development that China has reached under the leadership of President Xi is a success story reflected in China's position as the global economic leader.

The Crown Prince asserted that the GCC countries look forward to exchanging experiences and creating diverse partnerships in light of the ambitious development plans of the GCC states.

He asserted: "We commend the rapid development in the GCC-China relationship and the solid diversity in strategic cooperation between the two sides, such as trade, investment, energy, education, scientific research, environment, and health."

The GCC countries also look forward to increasing this cooperation to broader horizons.

In his speech, the Crown Prince also referred to the remarkable increase in trade exchange between the GCC countries and China during the past years, which "we expect to continue to grow after discussing the negotiations for the establishment of a free trade zone."

The GCC countries value the strategic partnership between them and China and praise the joint action plans for the period (2023-2027) for their importance in strengthening the strategic framework for cooperation between the two sides, said Crown Prince Mohammed.

He announced that GCC countries are interested in working with China to explore practical ways to address global challenges, including food security and improving the integration of global supply chains and energy security.

The GCC countries appreciate China's endeavors to put forward initiatives concerned with revitalizing the course of cooperation and strengthening international multilateral action, foremost of which is the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative.

"We share the thinking with our friends in the People's Republic of China about the importance of reorienting the international community's focus towards cooperation, development, and addressing the common challenges facing humanity."

The Crown Prince asserted that Gulf countries are going to exert all efforts to enhance regional security and stability as well as support political solutions and dialogue for all regional and international tensions and conflicts, based on the fact that this is the path that guarantees to achieve peace, security, and prosperity.

Prince Mohammed extended his thanks, on behalf of the GCC countries, to China, led by President Xi Jinping on the continuous endeavor to deepen Chinese-Gulf relations.

For his part, the Chinese President expressed his sincere thanks to Saudi Arabia for its efforts to host the first GCC-Chinese summit.

During his speech before the summit, he reviewed the beginnings of Chinese-Gulf relations, during which the two sides wrote impressive chapters of solidarity, support, cooperation, and mutual gain.

He indicated that China and the GCC countries always exchange support for the sovereignty, independence, and respect of each other's development paths, uphold the equality of all nations, whether big or small and firmly advocate multilateralism.

The Chinese leader pointed to the high integration between the two sides, pointing out that China enjoys a broad consumer market and an integrated industrial system.

The GCC is characterized by rich energy resources and the successful development of diversifying the economy.

The President said: "The Chinese side highly commends the efforts exerted by the GCC countries to make the council the most vital regional organization in the Middle East and the GCC."

He called for consolidating mutual trust and firm support for the vital interests between China and the GCC countries, working together to maintain the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, and exerting joint efforts to implement genuine multilateralism in a manner that preserves the common interests of developing countries.

"We must strengthen the harmonization between our development strategies, activate the advantages of integration, and generate an impetus for development," said the President, expressing the aspiration to join efforts with all parties in implementing the global development initiative and implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

He asserted that China would continue its unwavering support for the GCC countries in maintaining their security and support the region's countries to resolve differences through dialogue, consultation, and building a collective security system in the Gulf.

Xi welcomed the GCC countries to participate in the global security initiative to maintain regional peace and stability with joint efforts and be partners in advancing civilization.

The President explained that during the next three to five years, China is keen on concerted efforts with the GCC's member states to cooperate in priority areas.

He indicated that priority areas include building a new formula for comprehensive cooperation in energy, whereby China will continue to import crude oil and a large amount from the GCC states and increase the import of liquefied natural gas.

He also reiterated the need to enhance cooperation in engineering services, storage, and refining of oil and gas, using the Shanghai Stock Exchange for oil and natural gas as a platform for oil and gas trade settlement in the Chinese currency.

He said China would also enhance cooperation in clean and low-carbon technologies such as hydrogen energy, energy storage, and smart electric grids.

Xi explained that Beijing seeks to enhance cooperation in consolidating the production of equipment related to new energy, the establishment of the Chinese-GCC Forum for Peaceful Uses of Energy Nuclear Power, and participate in the establishment of the Chinese-GCC Excellence Center for Nuclear Security and Specialized Training in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear technology for the GCC states.

The second area includes pushing for new progress in finance and investment, as China is keen to cooperate with the GCC's member states in financial supervision.

Xi hoped this would facilitate the entry of GCC companies into the Chinese capital market, establish a joint investment council with the GCC side, and support cooperation between sovereignty funds in different ways.

He also addressed expanding technological innovation cooperation to new areas, as China is keen to cooperate with the GCC states in establishing hubs for big data and cloud computing, enhancing collaboration in fifth-generation technology, sixth generation communications, designing a batch of incubators for innovation and entrepreneurship, and carrying out projects for the economy in areas of cooperation on cross-border e-commerce.

He called for innovations for space cooperation, as China is keen to launch a series of cooperation projects with the Gulf countries in remote sensing satellites, space communications, applications, space infrastructure, and cooperation in selecting the training of astronauts.

China will cooperate in teaching the Chinese language with universities and schools in the GCC countries and will establish smart schools for teaching the Chinese language, said the President.

Xi concluded his speech by reiterating that Gulf countries and China bear a message for the nation's development and renaissance, as a long history and a promising future characterize the Chinese-GCC relations.

"Let us work hand in hand to follow up the past march, move hand in hand forward, and work together to create a beautiful future in Chinese-Gulf relations."

Also at the summit, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said that these three summits are held under complex political conditions that require intensifying joint efforts to spare the region the repercussions of regional and international conflicts and crises.

The King asserted the importance of unity between the GCC member states as the bulwark of stability and the catalyst of growth and development.

He underscored the significance of commitment to implementing all resolutions of the GCC Supreme Council and Al-Ula Summit communique.

He called to continue coordinating the GCC stances in international gatherings to convey the summit's message of fostering just and comprehensive peace and maintaining global security based on mutual respect.

The summit later issued a final communique addressing the issues discussed during the meeting.

Source: Asharq al-Awsat.

Link: https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4035811/gulf-countries-china-invest-future-energy.

The Arab-Chinese Riyadh Summit: Race for Progress, Renaissance

Saturday, 10 December, 2022

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman asserted that "Arabs will race for progress and renaissance once again. We will prove that every day."

Speaking on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz during the closing ceremony of the Arab-Chinese Summit, the Crown Prince reiterated the resolve of the Arabs to strive for their progress and prosperity.

The Crown Prince concluded the work of the "Riyadh Arab-China Summit for Cooperation and Development" in the presence of Arab leaders, heads of delegations, and the President of China, at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh on Friday.

He stressed that the historical relationship between the Arab countries and China is based on mutual respect, friendship, and cooperation in many fields.

"Our countries attach utmost importance to supporting the development process to develop their economies and the well-being of their peoples," noted the Crown Prince.

He added that the Arab region looks with great interest at China's steady growth and rapid technological progress, which has made it among the world's leading economies.

"The convening of this summit establishes a new phase for advancing the relationship between our countries and strengthening partnership in areas of common interest."

Prince Mohammed noted that to "achieve the future that our peoples aspire to, and for future generations to enjoy the desired prosperity, we must continue to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and financial fields between the Arab countries and the People's Republic of China in their bilateral and multilateral framework, and develop political coordination on the international arena, towards regional and international issues of common concern."

The Crown Prince noted that Saudi Arabia works to promote international cooperation to meet the world's challenges and support global multilateral action within the framework of the principles of the UN to achieve a promising future for the people and future generations.

"We are aware of the challenge posed by climate change, and we believe in the need to find more sustainable and comprehensive solutions within the framework of a balanced approach that seeks to mitigate the negative effects while maintaining the levels of growth of the global economy, as we aim to reach carbon neutrality without affecting growth and supply chains."

Saudi Arabia values the cooperation of its international partnerships with the Arab countries and China within the Green Middle East Initiative framework, said Crown Prince Mohammed.

He said: "We affirm our readiness to interact positively with the initiatives that enhance our joint environmental work, taking into account the development interests of the countries and the varying capabilities between them."

As other international challenges, including food security and energy security, grow, it is essential to interact with serious initiatives seeking to activate cooperation and collective action, according to the Crown Prince.

He lauded the role of China in putting forward several valuable initiatives, notably the Friends of Global Development Initiative, which matches many aspects of Saudi Arabia's priorities towards supporting sustainable development and promoting food security.

Prince Mohammed added that regional and international development requires stable and secure environmental, political and social efforts, intensifying the international community's efforts to address regional and international issues.

"Saudi Arabia continues to exert all efforts to enhance security and stability in the region and support political solutions and dialogue to resolve regional and international conflicts."

The Kingdom also affirms the need for a just and permanent solution to the Palestine issue under international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative in a way that guarantees the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent state based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, said the Crown Prince.

"We appreciate the People's Republic of China's support of the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative."

Saudi Arabia also supports efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution in Yemen to end the crisis, based on the three references, and "we commend the support of the People's Republic of China for Saudi initiatives towards Yemen."

The Kingdom also stresses the importance of doubling efforts to find political solutions to end the crisis in Syria and Libya to ensure security, stability, and prosperity in the two countries and their return to the joint Arab action circle.

He concluded his speech by reaffirming the importance of continuing Arab-Chinese cooperation in a way that serves both peoples' shared goals and aspirations and plays an influential role in the international arena.

The Crown Prince also expressed appreciation to the Arab League Secretary-General and the staff of the General Secretariat for their successful efforts in this regard.

For his part, Chinese President Xi Jinping described the summit as a landmark in the history of Chinese-Arab relations that will lead ties and cooperation between China and Arab states towards a brighter future.

In his speech at the summit, the President said the friendship between China and the Arab States continues with "its roots in the depths of history, where they met and got to know each other through the old Silk Road, shared through the struggle for national liberation."

The President considered equality and mutual benefit an inexhaustible driving force for Chinese-Arab friendship. The Chinese-Arab cooperation based on mutual benefit and typical gain is a role model, as 17 cooperation mechanisms were established between the two sides within the framework of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum.

During the past ten years, trade exchange exceeded $300 billion, the balance of direct mutual investment amounted to $27 billion, and more than 200 projects were implemented within the framework of cooperation in building the "Belt and Road" initiative, which eventually benefited nearly two billion people.

He added: "The Middle East region is witnessing new and profound changes, where the desire of the Arab peoples for peace and development has become more urgent."

"The Chinese and Arab sides, as strategic partners, must develop the spirit of friendship, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and build a joint society, which will bring more benefits to the peoples of both sides."

He stressed the importance of adhering to independence and preserving common interests, supporting the Arab efforts to explore ways of development that align with their national circumstances and control their future and fate.

Xi said that China is keen to deepen mutual strategic confidence with the Arab side and exchange firm support to preserve the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity.

The President added that the two sides adhere jointly to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, the application of genuine multilateralism, and the defense of rights and the legitimate interests of developing countries.

He affirmed the Chinese side's keenness to work with the Arab side to implement the global development initiative and to strengthen South-South cooperation to achieve sustainable development, stressing the importance of maintaining peace in the region and attaining common security.

The President pointed out that China supports the Arab side in finding political solutions to thorny issues and building a standard, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security system in the Middle East.

He urged the international community to respect the peoples of the Middle East and add positive energy that serves security and stability in the Middle East.

Xi indicated that the Chinese side welcomes participation with the Arab side in the global security initiative and is ready to continue contributing with Chinese wisdom in promoting peace and security in the Middle East.

The President stressed the importance of devoting shared human values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, freedom, and mutual benefit between civilizations in the new era.

He highlighted China's keenness to work with the Arab side to implement the eight joint actions during the next three to five years, which cover the eight areas, namely "development, food security, health, green development and innovation, energy security, dialogue among civilizations, youth rehabilitation, and security and stability."

The President asserted that the Palestinian cause concerns peace and stability in the Middle East and puts the moral conscience of humanity at stake.

"The historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people cannot continue indefinitely, and it is not permissible to compromise on legitimate national rights, and we look forward to the establishment of an independent state that does not accept rejection, and the international community must consolidate faith in a two-state solution, firmly adhere to the principle of lands in exchange for peace."

President Xi concluded that the Chinese-Arab strategic partnership has become based on comprehensive cooperation and joint development for a better future.

Xi urged the international community to respect the peoples of the Middle East and add positive energy that serves security and stability in the Middle East.

China established comprehensive strategic partnership relations with 12 Arab countries, each separately, and signed a cooperation agreement to build the Belt and Road with 20 Arab countries, as 17 Arab governments expressed their support for the global development initiative, and 15 Arab countries joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

He stressed that the Chinese-Arab relations achieved a historical leap, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, noting that the Chinese-Arab summit was a complete success, as the two sides agreed to work with all efforts to build a collaborative community for a shared future towards the new era.

For his part, Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Ayman ben Abdelrahman stressed that the summit aims to deepen cooperation between the Arab countries and China in various fields, noting the importance of boosting strategic ties, which contribute to the emergence of a multipolar world away from unilateral policies.

Meanwhile, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani said in his speech that the Arab-Chinese summit is a dedication to the common political will to establish a cooperative model supporting a strategic partnership and a qualitative shift in the general path.

For his part, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi addressed the Arab-Chinese cooperation throughout history, stressing that the summit established the modern human civilization that "we are living, when the Pharaonic civilization, the civilization of Mesopotamia, as well as other civilizations in our Arab region connected with the ancient Chinese civilization to represent bright suns, guiding humanity in its cradle and helping it take its first steps."

He called for considering the summit as a new starting point for economic cooperation between the Arab world and China, urging Ethiopia to engage in good faith with Egypt and Sudan to reach a legally-binding agreement that secures the rights of development for "present and future generations and spares them from threats to their stability, security, and safety."

Furthermore, Tunisian President Kais Saied confirmed in his speech that there is no development in the absence of justice, asserting that everyone must work to build new foundations.

Saied noted that the Arab-Chinese summit seeks to open a new path in history.

The President of the United Republic of Comoros, Othman Ghazali, said the summit would contribute to clarifying policies on regional and international issues of common concern and promote political dialogue that aims to protect Arab-Chinese interests, support global peace, and achieve sustainable development in all fields.

Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh indicated that the Arab-Chinese Summit established a new era in the existing strategic partnership.

The head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohammed Yunes al-Menfi, explained that the rapid global economic and political developments require more flexibility in defining economic partnerships and moving away from traditional methods.

Menfi reiterated the importance of relations between the two countries for the stability of Libya, its independence, and territorial integrity.

In his speech, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that the Arab world has many human and natural qualifications and is at the center of the world's concern, namely China, noting that the two sides are bound by friendship and shared interests.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas thanked the Saudi leadership for hosting the summit, which he described as "historic and important," culminating in years of Arab-Chinese dialogue.

Abbas stressed that Palestine would not abandon its commitment to international law, looking forward in these difficult circumstances to mobilize international support to implement the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.

He also called for backing Palestinian efforts to obtain recognition of the State of Palestine, full UN membership, securing international protection for the Palestinian people, and implementing international legitimacy resolutions about the Palestinian cause.

Also, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch described the summit as a historical event and a significant turning point in the relations between the two sides, saying it is an opportunity to add a new brick to the existing strong ties between the Arab world and China.

The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, lauded Saudi Arabia's hosting of the summit, saying it represents an opportunity for progress, prosperity, and development by formulating a common strategy for cooperation and unified visions for sustainable peace.

Alimi stressed that Yemen would continue to work to achieve the comprehensive peace that the people deserve, according to the three references.

Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani affirmed his country's support for all efforts to strengthen cooperation and friendship between Arab countries and China.

Sudani indicated that the summit is an opportunity for political and economic integration in the region by strengthening cooperation with China, noting that Iraq spares no effort to cooperate towards formulating a regional system that establishes stability and paves the way for prosperity.

Head of Sudan's Sovereign Council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, hoped the Riyadh summit would help boost and consolidate relations between the Arab world and China in all fields.

In his speech to the summit, he stressed that the Belt and Road Initiative is a practical model of cooperation, interdependence, and development worldwide.

For his part, the Arab League Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, stressed that Arab-Chinese relations have become crucial, during the past two decades, within the agenda of collective Arab diplomacy.

Aboul Gheit explained that China is the largest trading partner in the Arab world, pointing out that the relations between the two sides are not limited to economy and trade but rather stand on a solid foundation of cultural and human convergence between the two civilizations.

Source: Asharq al-Awsat.

Link: https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4035561/arab-chinese-riyadh-summit-race-progress-renaissance.

Chinese cities relax testing rules as zero-Covid policy eases

Beijing (AFP)

Dec 5, 2022

Businesses reopened and testing requirements were relaxed in Beijing and other Chinese cities on Monday as the country tentatively eases out of a strict zero-Covid policy that sparked nationwide protests.

Local authorities across China have begun a slow rollback of the restrictions that have governed daily life for years, encouraged by the central government's orders for a new approach to fighting the coronavirus.

In the capital Beijing, where many businesses have fully reopened, commuters from Monday were no longer required to show a negative virus test taken within 48 hours to use public transport.

Financial hub Shanghai -- which underwent a brutal two-month lockdown this year -- extended this measure to most public places except medical institutions, schools, restaurants and bars, nursing homes and indoor entertainment venues, starting from Tuesday.

The city had already exempted parks and tourist attractions from the testing requirement a day earlier and what the latest rule change encompassed was unclear.

Neighboring Hangzhou ended regular mass testing for its 10 million people, except those living in or visiting nursing homes, schools and kindergartens.

The testing requirement for public transport had been scrapped on Sunday in the central city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected in late 2019, as well as in Shandong province.

And Zhengzhou -- home to the world's largest iPhone factory -- on Sunday said people would be allowed to enter public places, take public transport and enter their residential compounds without a 48-hour negative test result too.

But as officials have dismantled testing facilities, long queues have appeared around those that remain, forcing residents to wait in cold temperatures to get tests that remain obligatory across much of China.

"Students can't go to school without a 24-hour negative test," wrote a user on China's Twitter-like Weibo.

"What's the point in closing testing booths before dropping the need to show test results completely?" another asked.

In the northwestern city of Urumqi, where a fire that killed 10 people became the catalyst for the recent anti-lockdown protests, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and ski resorts reopened on Monday.

The city of more than four million in the far-western Xinjiang region endured one of China's longest lockdowns, with some areas shut from August until November.

- Student protests -

The demonstrations last week were the largest in decades as public anger at prolonged virus restrictions boiled over, with many university campuses involved.

China's vast security apparatus has moved swiftly to smother the rallies, deploying a heavy police presence while boosting online censorship and surveillance of the population.

But sporadic localized clashes have continued to flare up.

Hundreds of students at Wuhan University in central China staged a protest Sunday evening, according to footage on social media and an attendee.

At least 300 protested in front of the university's main administrative building, but there was no violence, only students chanting slogans together, an anonymous witness told AFP.

Students were unhappy with the university's examination arrangements and school holiday dates, he said.

The university announced Sunday that it would gradually resume in-person teaching and "optimize campus epidemic control measures" from Monday, but students and staff could not leave campus without approval.

- Dialing it down -

Chinese state media, which previously focused on highlighting the dangers of Covid-19, has shifted tone as measures have been relaxed.

Authoritative business news outlet Yicai on Sunday quoted an unnamed health expert arguing that officials should dial down strict virus rules.

"Most infected people are asymptomatic... and the fatality rate is very low," the expert said.

China's central National Health Commission (NHC) categorizes infectious diseases based on how fatal and infectious they are.

Since January 2020, it has managed Covid under Category A protocols, giving local governments the power to enforce snap lockdowns and put patients and their close contacts into quarantine.

That approach was now "obviously not in line with science" given the changing circumstances, the expert told Yicai, calling for a "downgrade".

Chinese authorities on Monday reported 29,724 new domestic Covid cases.

Source: Terra Daily.

Link: https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Chinese_cities_relax_testing_rules_as_zero-Covid_policy_eases_999.html.

After doom and gloom, China's propaganda shifts gears on Covid

By Jing Xuan Teng

Beijing (AFP)

Dec 5, 2022

Once dominated by doom and gloom coverage of the dangers of the virus and scenes of pandemic chaos abroad, China's tightly controlled media has dramatically shifted tone as the country tentatively moves away from zero-Covid.

Long anchored to a hardline strategy of mass lockdowns, forced quarantine in centralized facilities and mass testing for millions, Beijing is dialing down curbs in the wake of nationwide protests calling for an end to lockdowns and greater political freedoms.

That policy shift has been accompanied by rapid changes in pandemic messaging in both state media and official statements -- which now downplay the risk from the virus and blame local officials for over-zealous implementation of Covid lockdowns.

The prevalent Omicron strain is "not at all like last year's Delta variant", Guangzhou-based medicine professor Chong Yutian said in an article published by the Communist Party-run China Youth Daily.

"After infection with the Omicron variant, the vast majority will have no or light symptoms, and very few will go on to have severe symptoms, this is already widely known," he assured readers.

"Don't be overly terrified, but also take some precautions" against the virus, a story in the Beijing Youth Daily quoted recovered Covid patients telling readers.

And an analysis Friday by state-run newspaper People's Daily quoted health experts supporting local government moves to allow patients to quarantine at home, which would be a marked departure from current rules.

"This is a kind of official propaganda preparing the people for more relaxation and giving the government some possibility to step down (from zero-Covid)," Hong Kong-based Chinese politics expert Willy Lam told AFP.

- 'There will be punishment' -

Experts say Beijing is laying the groundwork for a loosening of Covid rules -- as well as putting in place convenient scapegoats to blame for the restrictions going too far.

The country's top virus response body has already pointed to over-zealous local officials who had gone overboard with their virus measures, urging in a Q&A with the People's Daily on Saturday that these people be "strictly held accountable".

"There will be punishment of a lot of local officials," Lam told AFP.

In one case announced by authorities on Saturday, a sub-district security official in Hunan province was expelled from the Communist Party and removed from his post for assaulting a local resident during a lockdown-related dispute.

Covid-testing companies are also emerging as a scapegoat, with state media in recent days publishing exposes of alleged violations by testing organizations.

"Nucleic acid companies will be the first to be sacrificed by the government," Chinese political blogger Jing Zhao wrote on Twitter, under his pen name Michael Anti.

"Catching the bosses of these companies can solve two problems: the people wanting to find scapegoats, and (the fact that) abandoning nucleic acid tests and switching to less sensitive antigen tests is more in line with Omicron's rules and can reduce some pressure on pandemic control," he said.

- 'Carrots and sticks' -

And the state propaganda apparatus has already begun to portray pivots away from the zero-Covid policy as evidence of the Chinese government's care for its people.

Local governments across the country said earlier this week that they would not require all people to take part in mass testing campaigns, allowing groups including the elderly and those who never leave their homes to skip testing -- a minor step back from existing policy, but one repeatedly highlighted in state media headlines.

Xinhua news agency described the changes as proof "the government responds to what the people call for".

The Chinese Communist Party "recognizes that the zero-Covid policy has put on the line a fundamental pillar of its legitimacy: its promise to provide a basic living standard for citizens", Diana Fu, associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto, told AFP.

She said the softening tone on Covid was part of the party's traditional strategy of responding to protests "through a combination of carrots and sticks".

"While the security apparatus has swung into motion in repressing protestors, local governments are also giving concessions in terms of easing Covid restrictions to let the pressure valve release."

Source: Terra Daily.

Link: https://www.terradaily.com/reports/After_doom_and_gloom_Chinas_propaganda_shifts_gears_on_Covid_999.html.

Sweden, Finland on Course to Join NATO as Russia, China Focus Allies

Wednesday, 29 June, 2022

Sweden and Finland on Wednesday looked set for fast-track membership of NATO after Turkey lifted a veto on them joining, while concerns about Russia and China are pushing the US-led alliance to approve a broader strategy for the next decade.

After talks in Madrid, Turkish President Tayyip Edrogan on Tuesday agreed with his Finnish and Swedish counterparts a series of security measures to allow the two Nordic countries to progress in their bid to join the US-led alliance.

"We will make a decision at the summit to invite Sweden and Finland to become members," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said of the two countries, who overturned decades of neutrality to apply to join the alliance in mid-May.

While the agreement removed a major hurdle to the Nordic nations joining, their bid must now be approved by the member states' parliaments, a process that could take some time.

Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine has given a new impetus to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization after failures in Afghanistan and internal discord during the era of former US President Donald Trump.

"We are very happy that they are to join NATO and we hope that the final decision will be today," Polish President Andrzej Duda said as he arrived at the first formal day of the summit, which began on Tuesday evening with a dinner at Spain's royal palace and is set to agree on NATO's first new strategic concept - its master planning document - in a decade.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the host of the summit, told Cadena Ser radio on Wednesday that Russia will be identified as NATO's "main threat" in the strategic concept. Russia was previously classed as a strategic partner of NATO.

The planning document will also cite China as a challenge for the first time, setting the stage for the 30 allies to plan to handle Beijing's transformation from a benign trading partner to a fast-growing competitor from the Arctic to cyberspace.

'More NATO'

Unlike Russia, whose war in Ukraine has raised serious concerns in the Baltics of an attack on NATO territory, China is not an adversary, NATO leaders said. But Stoltenberg has repeatedly called on Beijing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow says is a "special operation".

The Western alliance is also set to agree that big allies such as the United States, Germany, Britain and Canada will pre-assign troops, weapons and equipment to the Baltics and intensify training exercises. NATO is also aiming to have as many as 300,000 troops ready for deployment in case of conflict, part of an enlarged NATO response force.

For NATO, Russia is achieving the opposite of what its President Vladimir Putin sought when he launched his war in Ukraine in part to counter the expansion of the NATO alliance, Western leaders say.

Both Finland, which has a 1,300 km (810 mile) border with Russia, and Sweden, home of the founder of the Nobel Peace Prize, are now set to bring well-trained militaries into the alliance, aimed at giving NATO superiority in the Baltic Sea.

"One of the most important messages from President Putin ... was that he was against any further NATO enlargement," Stoltenberg said on Tuesday evening. "He wanted less NATO. Now President Putin is getting more NATO on his borders."

Source: Asharq al-Awsat.

Link: https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3730526/sweden-finland-course-join-nato-russia-china-focus-allies.

Iran Applies to Join China and Russia in BRICS Club

Tuesday, 28 June, 2022

Iran, which holds the world's second largest gas reserves, has applied to join the BRICS group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that Beijing and Moscow cast as a powerful emerging market alternative to the West.

The term BRIC was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to describe the startling rise of Brazil, Russia, India, China. The BRIC powers had their first summit in 2009 in Russia. South Africa joined in 2010.

Iran's membership in the BRICS group "would result in added values for both sides", Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Russia said Argentina had also applied to join.

Russia cast the applications as evidence that the West, led by the United States, was failing to isolate Moscow after the invasion of Ukraine.

"While the White House was thinking about what else to turn off in the world, ban or spoil, Argentina and Iran applied to join the BRICS," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Argentine officials could not be reached for immediate comment but President Alberto Fernandez, currently in Europe, has in recent days reiterated his desire for Argentina to join BRICS.

China has by far the largest economy in the BRICS grouping, accounting for more than 70% of the group's collective $27.5 trillion economic might. India accounts for about 13%, with Russia and Brazil each accounting for about 7%, according to IMF data.

BRICS account for more than 40% of the world's population and about 26% of the global economy.

Chinese power

Chinese President Xi Jinping joined Russian President Vladimir Putin and other BRICS leaders for a virtual summit last week.

Xi criticized "the abuse" of international sanctions, while Putin scolded the West for fomenting global crisis, with both leaders calling for greater BRICS cooperation.

Putin has said relations with China are the best they have ever been and touts a strategic partnership with China aimed at countering US influence.

US President Joe Biden has said the West is locked in a battle with autocratic governments such as China and Russia.

The United States and European powers blame Putin's decision to invade Ukraine as the reason relations with the West have sunk to the lowest level since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis -- including the severest sanctions in modern history.

But Putin says the West wants to destroy Russia, that the economic sanctions are akin to a declaration of economic war and that Russia will build ties with other powers such as China and India.

Putin, who casts the Ukraine war as a "special military operation", blames the United States for humiliating Russia in the aftermath of the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union and threatening Moscow by enlarging the NATO military alliance.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 to degrade its southern neighbor's military capabilities, root out people it called dangerous nationalists and defend the Russian-speakers of two eastern Ukrainian regions.

Ukraine says Russia has launched an imperial-style land grab and will never surrender its territory to Russia.

Source: Asharq al-Awsat.

Link: https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3728786/iran-applies-join-china-and-russia-brics-club.

Eyeing China, India unveils high-altitude helicopters

Jodhpur, India (AFP)

Oct 3, 2022

India unveiled on Monday its first batch of locally-made attack helicopters, designed primarily for use in high-altitude areas like the Himalayas where its troops clashed with China in 2020.

The Light Combat Helicopters are seen as another milestone in Indian efforts to reduce dependence on Russia, its main source of arms, and other suppliers.

The choppers made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) "will be a big boost to the Indian Air Force's combat prowess", Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said at Jodhpur air base in western India.

"It is a momentous occasion, a matter of great pride, and a result of two decades of diligent research and development," Singh said.

Officials said that the aircraft had been tested at altitudes up to 16,000 feet (4,875 meters) above sea level.

India has been seeking to build up its domestic defense industry, unveiling its first locally-made aircraft carrier last month.

This drive has been given added impetus by worries about future supplies of Russian spare parts following the invasion of Ukraine in February.

While remaining a close ally of Russia -- it has refused to condemn the invasion -- India also shares Western concerns about growing Chinese assertiveness.

Relations between the world's two most-populous nations plunged after a hand-to-hand battle on their disputed Himalayan border left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead in 2020.

The two Asian giants, who fought a full-scale war in 1962, mobilized tens of thousands of soldiers in the region, although they announced a partial withdrawal on September 8.

Source: Space Daily.

Link: https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Eyeing_China_India_unveils_high-altitude_helicopters_999.html.

China's MD-22 hypersonic UAV could be strategic asset in near- or outer-space

by Scott N. Romaniuk, Tobias Burgers, and Shih-yueh Yang for SpaceWar.com

Sydney, Australia (SPX)

Nov 16, 2022

China has made significant advancements in the security and defense industries, and the Zhuhai airshow showcases its cutting-edge military weaponry technology. This includes concept fighter aircraft like the J-20 and J-16 as well as state-of-the-art unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including stealth and hypersonic models like the MD-22. The MD-22 hypersonic UAV is said to be a unique idea that could help China compete with other countries in the hypersonic field.

The alleged hypersonic potential of China's MD-22 UAV has piqued the interest of many. There is hope that the MD-22, created by China's Guangdong Aerodynamic Research Academy (GARA) and the CAS Institute of Mechanics, will one day take people to the very edge of space. Rather than viewing the MD-22 as a singular drone-style weapon, it should be seen as a testing ground for the rapidly developing field of hypersonic weapons.

If the MD-22's specifications were true, it would be an incredible UAV, capable of travelling 8,000 kilometers at an average speed of 8,645 kilometers per hour while carrying more than 1,800 kilograms (4,000 pounds). It measures 10.8 meters long, or the length of a school bus; 4.5 meters wide, or the width of a Mini Cooper; and 1.6 meters high. It has a weight of one ton. The US MQ-9 Reaper weighs more than 2 tons.

The turboram accelerates the MD-22 to its maximum speed during takeoff, after which it switches to the scramjet for hypersonic flight. Potentially matching the MD-22's physical attributes are its theoretical capabilities. However, the claimed range of the aircraft is disputable unless carried by other large aircraft or rocket boosters. The similarities between the MD-22 and the Hongdu GJ-11 Sharp Sword stealth UAVs also highlight the aircraft's status as a showpiece. The practicality of its ostensibly high-altitude potential is also unclear.

The MD-22 is said to be capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 7 and utilizing a wide range of thrusts thanks to its uniquely streamlined exterior and internal architecture. Supersonic speeds are those between Mach 1 and Mach 5, whereas hypersonic speeds are those above Mach 5. Sound has a speed of 1,225 kilometers per hour (699 miles per hour), meaning that hypersonic missiles can reach speeds of at least 6,000 kilometers per hour (3,748 miles per hour).

However, the MD-22 is rumored to have 24 internal and storage pylons that can take up to 680 kilograms (1,500 pounds) each, while the MQ-9 Reaper only has four hard points for weaponry. This means that the standard range of the vehicle can be expanded by installing additional fuel tanks. With a heavy payload, the Chinese-made MD-22 could theoretically travel faster than hypersonic missiles.

The MD-22, on the other hand, is purely theoretical outside of the AVIC Group's "Nantianmen Project," which is functionally equivalent to discussions of the Star Wars universe. Still, there are aspects of such a discussion that would be relevant even now.

Space Race 2.0

As major nations work to improve their hypersonic weapons capabilities, academics, professionals, and policymakers debate whether the floodgates are opening, resulting in a new arms race in the local domain, near- or outer-space, or both. The "space race" is back, with big countries once again showing a lot of interest in space and low-orbit military systems and striving for rapid breakthroughs.

Because of competing interests and rising competitiveness among governments in near- or outer-space, the likelihood of an incident leading to armed conflict has increased significantly. A war between nations could have devastating effects on international stability if it is sparked by events in space. There is a significant danger that this may spark a security dilemma, increasing the likelihood that many states will be dragged into a war that uses elements of both conventional and nuclear warfare.

Like any other country, China is conducting extensive research in electronics, thermal management, and command and control as part of a technology race to develop hypersonic weapons. China's drones are built with upgrades and new uses in mind, suggesting that the country's leaders are already planning for or even testing a variety of applications and follow-up models.

It is expected that China will showcase a broad variety of UAVs at upcoming shows, either to boast about its achievements or to plant the idea that massive advances are being made in the field of hypersonic weaponry.

Other Chinese propeller-driven or subsonic UAVs are comparable to their American counterparts. Such as the Chengdu GJ-1 (-1) / Wing Loong 1 armed drones, which are essentially equal to the MQ-1/MQ-9; the Rainbow CH-7 stealth high-altitude drone, which resembles the X-47B; and the WZ-8 / BZK-008 CH-91 surveillance drone, which is roughly equivalent to the RQ-5.

The MD-22, on the other hand, could, in theory, be a great leap forward and be used to make sixth-generation or even more advanced seventh-generation planes.

Source: Space War.

Link: https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Chinas_MD_22_hypersonic_UAV_could_be_strategic_asset_in_near__or_outer_space_999.html.

Citing Pandemic, China Withdraws as Host of 2023 Asian Cup

Saturday, 14 May, 2022

China relinquished its right to host soccer's 2023 Asian Cup on Saturday in the latest cancellation of the country's sports hosting duties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Asian Football Confederation praised Chinese soccer officials for making “this very difficult but necessary decision in the collective interests of the AFC Asian Cup.”

The 24-nation tournament was due to be played in 10 cities in mostly newly built stadiums in June and July of next year.

The four-yearly Asian Cup is traditionally played in January and February. Qatar (2011) and Australia (2015) hosted the tournament when it was played in January, while the 2019 event in the United Arab Emirates was held from Jan. 5 to Feb. 1.

China was due to host the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou in September but that was postponed along with nearly all international sports events in the country. China did host the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing though under a strict lockdown for athletes and officials with few fans able to attend.

Source: Asharq al-Awsat.

Link: https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3644821/citing-pandemic-china-withdraws-host-2023-asian-cup.

China, Russia arming Myanmar junta: UN rights expert

By Nina Larson

Geneva (AFP)

Feb 22, 2022

UN Security Council members China and Russia, as well as Serbia have continued supplying Myanmar's junta with weapons used to attack civilians since last year's coup, a UN rights expert said Tuesday.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights situation in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, urged the Security Council to convene an emergency session "to debate and vote on a resolution to, at a minimum, ban those arms transfers that the Myanmar military are known to use to attack and kill Myanmar civilians."

He released a long-awaited report Tuesday detailing where the junta is getting its weapons from, highlighting that two permanent members of the Security Council itself, who hold veto power over its decisions, remain among the main suppliers.

"Despite the evidence of the military junta's atrocity crimes being committed with impunity since launching a coup last year, UN Security Council members Russia and China continue to provide the Myanmar military junta with numerous fighter jets, armored vehicles, and in the case of Russia, the promise of further arms," Andrews said in a statement.

"During this same period, Serbia has authorized rockets and artillery for export to the Myanmar military," said Andrews, who is an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, but who does not speak on behalf of the world body.

- 'Crimes against humanity' -

In his report, he maintained that the arms transfers by the three countries had "occurred with the full knowledge that they would be used to attack civilians, in probable violation of international law."

Myanmar has been in chaos, its economy paralyzed, and more than 1,500 civilians have been killed in a military crackdown since the putsch in February 2021, according to the UN.

Since the February 1, 2021 coup, at least 12,000 people have been detained, including the de facto head of the civilian government, Aung San Suu Kyi, while more than 440,000 people have been forcibly displaced.

Andrews reiterated in his report that "there is strong evidence the junta has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity," including murder, sexual violence and torture.

"The situation of human rights in Myanmar is dire and deteriorating," it said.

The report provides an overview of countries that have authorized the transfer of weapons to Myanmar since 2018, when the military's attacks on the Rohingya ethnic minority were widely documented and after a UN fact-finding mission had urged an arms embargo.

Israel, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Belarus and Ukraine also figure on that list, although only China, Russia and Serbia have continued their transfers since the coup.

- 'Imperative' -

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution last June calling for countries to prevent the flow of arms to Myanmar, but Andrews said that it had failed to have "any discernible impact on the crisis and the capacity of the junta to launch attacks on civilians."

He pointed out that while none of the Security Council members had voted against that resolution, the council had also not even considered voting to make the text binding for member states.

"It is imperative that member states and the Security Council act urgently to stop weapons sales to the military junta. Human lives, and Security Council credibility, are on the line," he said.

The report acknowledges that China and Russia might very well use their veto power to block any such text, but stressed that this "should not deter other members from placing a resolution before the Council for consideration, debate and a vote."

"The people of Myanmar deserve to have a strong resolution."

"The Security Council should consider, at the very least, a resolution to ban weapons that are being used by the Myanmar military to kill innocent people," Andrews said.

Source: Space War.

Link: https://www.spacewar.com/reports/China_Russia_arming_Myanmar_junta_UN_rights_expert_999.html.

India, China army talks to defuse border tensions fail

October 11, 2021

NEW DELHI (AP) — Talks between Indian and Chinese army commanders to disengage troops from key friction areas along their border have ended in a stalemate and failed to ease a 17-month standoff that has sometimes led to deadly clashes, the two sides said Monday.

The continuing standoff means the two nations will keep troops in the forward areas of Ladakh for a second consecutive winter in dangerously freezing temperatures. India's defense ministry, in a statement, said it gave “constructive suggestions” but the Chinese side was “not agreeable” and “could not provide any forward-looking proposals.” A statement from a Chinese military spokesperson said “the Indian side sticks to unreasonable and unrealistic demands, adding difficulties to the negotiations.”

The commanders from both armies met for the talks Sunday after a gap of two months at Moldo on the Chinese side in the Ladakh area. Since February, both India and China have withdrawn troops from some faceoff sites on the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso, Gogra and Galwan Valley, but they continue to maintain extra troops as part of a multi-tier deployment.

Troops have been added at Demchok and Depsang Plains, Indian media reports say. Sunday's talks came amid frustration expressed by the Indian army chief at what he called the massive deployment of troops and weaponry by the Chinese side.

“Yes, it is a matter of concern that the large-scale buildup has occurred and continues to be in place, and to sustain that kind of a buildup, there has been an equal amount of infrastructure development on the Chinese side,” Gen. M.M. Naravane said on Saturday.

“So, it means that they (China) are there to stay. We are keeping a close watch on all these developments, but if they are there to stay, we are there to stay, too,” he said. The Chinese statement from Senior Col. Long Shaohua of the Western Theater Command said “China’s determination to safeguard its sovereignty is unwavering, and China hopes India will not misjudge the situation.”

Temperatures in the forward areas in Ladakh drop to 30 below zero Celsius (22 below zero Fahrenheit) around January. The troops from both sides used to retreat to their traditional summer holding positions around this time, but since the faceoff started in May 2020 have continued to remain close to the disputed border.

Both countries have stationed tens of thousands of soldiers backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets along the de facto border called the Line of Actual Control. Last year, 20 Indian troops were killed in a clash with Chinese soldiers involving clubs, stones and fists along the disputed border. China said it lost four soldiers.

The Line of Actual Control separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to India’s eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. India and China fought a deadly war over the border in 1962.

Since the standoff began last year, the Chinese have been building build dozens of large weather-proof structures along the LAC in eastern Ladakh for their troops to stay in during the winter. New helipads, widening of airstrips, new barracks, new surface-to-air missile sites and radar locations have also been reported by Indian media.

Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report.

Chinese vaccine arrives in Hungary, a first in the EU

February 16, 2021

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A shipment of COVID-19 vaccines produced in China arrived in Hungary on Tuesday, making it the first of the European Union's 27 nations to receive a Chinese vaccine. A jet carrying 550,000 vaccine doses developed by the Chinese state-owned company Sinopharm landed at Budapest’s international airport after flying in from Beijing. The shipment is enough to treat 275,000 people with the two-dose jab, Dr. Agnes Galgoczy of the National Public Health Center told a press conference.

“With this vaccine, five different types are now available in Hungary so that we may get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible,” Galgoczy said, adding that vaccine shots won't begin until the shipment is evaluated by the National Public Health Center.

Hungarian health authorities were the first in the EU to approve the Sinopharm jab for emergency use on Jan. 29. That came after a government decree streamlined Hungary’s vaccine approval process by allowing any vaccine administered to at least 1 million people worldwide to be used without undergoing review by the country’s medicines regulator.

The country expects to receive 5 million total doses of the Sinopharm vaccine over the next four months, enough to treat 2.5 million people in the country of nearly 10 million. Hungarian officials, including Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have been critical of the EU's common vaccine procurement program, claiming the bloc's slow rollout of shots is costing lives.

“If vaccines aren’t coming from Brussels, we must obtain them from elsewhere ... One cannot allow Hungarians to die simply because Brussels is too slow in procuring vaccines,” Orban said last month. Hungary has also agreed to purchase 2 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, which hospitals began administering in Budapest last week.

On Friday, Orban claimed these additional vaccines from Russia and China will enable Hungary to vaccinate millions more people by the end of May than other European countries with similar populations.

“As things stand now, (we can vaccinate) 6.8 million people by the end of May or beginning of June,” Orban said in a radio interview. “I think this is huge.” Orban earlier said he would personally choose to be inoculated with the Sinopharm vaccine since he trusts it the most.

“I think the Chinese have known this virus for the longest and they probably know it the best,” he said last month. The Sinopharm vaccine, which the developer says is nearly 80% effective, is already in use in Hungary’s non-EU neighbor Serbia, where around half a million people, including ethnic Hungarians, have already received the jab. The company has not yet released data on the results of the vaccine's Stage 3 trials.

The new vaccines shipment represents around 40% of all COVID-19 vaccine doses that Hungary has received so far, and makes Sinopharm nearly equally prevalent in Hungary as the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine. But recent polling shows that some Hungarians are reluctant to receive the Sinopharm jab. A survey of 1,000 people in the capital of Budapest by pollster Median and the 21 Research Center showed that among those willing to receive a vaccine, only 27% would take a Chinese vaccine, compared to 43% a Russian vaccine and 84% a jab developed in Western countries. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3%.

Russian and Chinese bombers fly joint patrol over Pacific

December 22, 2020

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian and Chinese bombers flew a joint patrol mission over the Western Pacific Tuesday in a show of increasingly close military ties between Moscow and Beijing. The Russian military said that a pair of its Tu-95 strategic bombers and four Chinese H-6K bombers flew over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the joint mission was intended to “develop and deepen the comprehensive Russia-China partnership, further increase the level of cooperation between the two militaries, expand their ability for joint action and strengthen strategic stability.”

The ministry added that the patrol flight “wasn't directed against any third countries.” Tuesday's mission was the second such flight since a July 2019 patrol over the same area. It follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement in October that the idea of a future Russia-China military alliance can’t be ruled out — a signal of deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing amid growing tensions in their relations with the United States.

Until that moment, Russia and China had hailed their “strategic partnership,” but rejected any talk about the possibility of their forming a military alliance. Putin also noted in October that Russia has been sharing highly sensitive military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defense capability.

Russia has sought to develop stronger ties with China as its relations with the West sank to post-Cold War lows over Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea, accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and other issues.

India counters China in Sri Lanka with $700 million port deal

Colombo (AFP)

Sept 30, 2021

An Indian company entered into a $700 million deal Thursday to build a strategic deep-sea container terminal in Sri Lanka, officials said, in a move seen as countering China's rising influence in the region.

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said it signed an agreement with India's Adani Group to build a brand-new terminal next to a $500-million Chinese-run jetty at the sprawling port in the capital Colombo.

"The agreement worth more than $700 million is the largest foreign investment ever in the port sector of Sri Lanka," the SLPA said in a statement.

It said Adani will enter into a partnership with a local conglomerate, John Keells, and the Sri Lankan government-owned SLPA as a minority partner.

John Keells said it will have 34 percent of the company while Adani will have a 51 percent controlling stake in the joint venture known as the Colombo West International Terminal.

The new container jetty will be 1.4 kilometers in length, with a depth of 20 meters and an annual capacity to handle 3.2 million containers.

The first phase of the project with a 600-metre terminal is due to be completed within two years, the company said. The terminal will revert to Sri Lanka ownership after 35 years of operation.

Plans to allow India into the strategic Colombo port goes back several years, but they were scuttled in February when trade unions linked to the ruling coalition opposed giving New Delhi a partially built terminal within the port.

Later, the government asked Indians to build a brand-new terminal adjoining the Chinese-operated Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT).

Colombo is located in the Indian Ocean between the major hubs of Dubai and Singapore, meaning influence at its ports is highly sought after.

Two Chinese submarines berthed at the CICT in 2014, sparking concerns in India which considers neighbor Sri Lanka to be within its sphere of influence.

Since then, Sri Lanka has refused permission for more Chinese submarines to be stationed there.

In December 2017, unable to repay a huge Chinese loan, Sri Lanka allowed China Merchants Port Holdings to take over the southern Hambantota port, which straddles the world's busiest east-west shipping route.

The deal, which gave the Chinese company a 99-year lease, raised fears about Beijing's use of "debt traps" in exerting its influence abroad.

India and the United States have also expressed concerns that a Chinese foothold at Hambantota could give Beijing a military advantage in the Indian Ocean.

Source: Space War.

Link: https://www.spacewar.com/reports/India_counters_China_in_Sri_Lanka_with_700_million_port_deal_999.html.

Cutting-edge drones displayed at show

Zhuhai, China (XNA)

Oct 01, 2021

Three cutting-edge military drones built by Aviation Industry Corp of China, the nation's leading aircraft maker, have gone on display at the Zhuhai Airshow in Guangdong province, highlighting the huge strides made by the company in manufacturing unmanned craft.

The WZ-7 reconnaissance aircraft, the WZ-8 high-altitude, high-speed reconnaissance drone and the GJ-11 stealth strike drone are among the biggest attractions at the ongoing 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, aviation experts said.

The biennial exhibition is China's largest defense technology show.

It is the first time the WZ-7 has been shown to the public, sparking enthusiastic interest from aviation fans. The Chinese military and AVIC have published no information or photos of the craft since 2006, when a conceptual model was unveiled at the Zhuhai Airshow. Even its service code name, WZ-7, was classified.

Called Xianglong, or Soaring Dragon, by industry sources, the WZ-7 is an unusually shaped drone and is regarded as China's answer to the United States' Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, a high-altitude, long-endurance craft with surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

Featuring an innovative "joined tandem wing" design, the WZ-7's aerodynamic configuration is different from all other Chinese manned and unmanned planes-It has a main conventional swept wing joined with a smaller forward swept wing, which makes it look like a traditional Chinese kite.

The drone is 14-meters-long, 3.9-meters-tall and has a long wingspan of 22.8 meters, according to AVIC.

Equipped with infrared and optical imagers, it is tasked with providing imagery intelligence to the People's Liberation Army for strategic and tactical reconnaissance, the State-owned defense conglomerate said.

A special characteristic of the WZ-7 is that it is only the second unmanned aircraft in the world that is able to fly at the same altitude and speeds as commercial aircraft, the company said.

Fu Qianshao, a retired equipment researcher with the PLA Air Force, said the WZ-7 has extensively improved the PLA Air Force's reconnaissance capability and has a proven service record.

The WZ-7 is one of the largest unmanned reconnaissance drones in the world and can fly higher and faster than the RQ-4 Global Hawk.

The WZ-8 and GJ-11 were first shown to the public at the National Day parade in October 2019 in Beijing. The Zhuhai Airshow is the first to present the public an up-close view of them.

According to AVIC, the WZ-8 integrates aircraft and spacecraft technologies and travels in near space, the part of Earth's atmosphere 20 to 100 kilometers above sea level. The altitudes are above where commercial airliners fly, but lower than where satellites orbit.

Source: Space War.

Link: https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Cutting_edge_drones_displayed_at_show_999.html.

Australia sets conditions for China joining Pacific pact

Sydney (AFP)

Sept 22, 2021

China must end a freeze on contacts with senior Australian politicians if it hopes to join a trans-Pacific trade pact, Canberra's trade minister said Wednesday, setting de facto preconditions for accession.

Dan Tehan linked China's bid to join an 11-nation trading alliance with steps to improve bilateral relations that are at their lowest ebb in decades.

China formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) last week, and is lobbying to gain the consensus support of members including Australia.

This comes after a war of words between the two countries, a string of sanctions on Australian goods and a months-long freeze on senior-level government contacts.

"When I became trade minister, I wrote to my Chinese counterpart in January setting out how we can work more closely together. I am still waiting for a reply," Tehan said in a Monday speech.

"One of the most important things about negotiating the accession process of any country into the CPTPP is that you have to be able to sit down at ministerial level, look your economic partner in the eye, and talk about that accession process."

Tehan also indicated China would have to resolve disputes at the World Trade Organization (WTO) stemming from a slew of politically driven sanctions on Australian imports.

"All parties will want to be confident that any new member will meet, implement and adhere to the high standards of the agreement as well as to their WTO commitments and their existing trade agreements," he said.

"It's in everyone's interests that everyone plays by the rules."

- 'Economic coercion' -

Australia this month asked the WTO to rule against China's imposition of crippling tariffs on Australian wine exports, after initial consultations failed to resolve the dispute.

Wine sales by Australia to China plummeted from over Aus$1 billion ($840 million) to a virtual trickle after Beijing imposed the tariffs, according to industry figures.

Australia is also challenging Chinese tariffs on barley at the WTO and has objected to sanctions on a string of other goods, which Canberra describes as "economic coercion."

The measures are widely seen in Australia as punishment for pushing back against Beijing's operations to impose influence in Australia, rejecting Chinese investment in sensitive areas and publicly calling for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

But the Chinese embassy in Australia this month lobbied Canberra to join the CPTPP, telling an Australian parliamentary inquiry that China's accession "would benefit all CPTPP members and the rest of the world."

Signed by 11 Asia-Pacific countries in 2018, the partnership is the region's biggest free-trade pact and accounts for around 13.5 percent of the global economy.

Source: Terra Daily.

Link: https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Australia_sets_conditions_for_China_joining_Pacific_pact_999.html.

Iran says ready to work with China, Russia on Afghanistan 'peace'

Tehran (AFP)

Aug 18, 2021

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday told his Russian and Chinese counterparts that Tehran is ready to cooperate with the two countries to establish "stability and peace" in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have capped a staggeringly fast rout of Afghanistan's major cities in just 10 days, achieved with relatively little bloodshed, following two decades of war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

The collapse came as US President Joe Biden moved to complete the withdrawal of US troops.

"Iran is ready to cooperate with China to establish security, stability and peace in Afghanistan and strive for its people's development, progress and prosperity," Raisi told China's Xi Jinping in a phone call initiated from Beijing, Raisi's official website said.

He also expressed Iran's readiness for "any cooperation for establishing peace and calm in Afghanistan" in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We believe all Afghan groups should work together... and turn the US withdrawal into a turning point for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan," he said.

Analysts say the Taliban's advances have put neighboring Iran on edge, but the majority Shiite Islamic republic is taking a pragmatic stance on the hardline Sunni group's resurgence.

Iran had tense relations with the Taliban between 1996 when they took power and 2001 when they were toppled in an American-led invasion over their links to Al-Qaeda and the 9/11 attacks.

Iran never recognized the Taliban's rule, but has stressed in recent months that they must be "part of a future solution" in Afghanistan.

The ultraconservative Raisi on Monday said the "defeat" and US withdrawal should "offer an opportunity to restore life, security, and lasting peace" in Afghanistan.

On Sunday, Iran's foreign ministry said it had reduced its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan, but has kept its embassy open in Kabul.

Raisi also called on China and Russia to increase Covid-19 vaccine deliveries to Iran.

He hoped that Beijing would "accelerate procurement of millions of doses purchased" and told Putin that Tehran requests "more shipments" over its current "special circumstances".

The Middle East country worst hit by the pandemic, Iran is going through a new wave of Covid deaths and infections amid an inoculation campaign that has progressed slower than authorities had planned.

It has officially recorded more than 99,000 deaths and nearly 4.6 million infections, according to the health ministry.

Source: Space War.

Link: https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_says_ready_to_work_with_Russia_China_on_Afghanistan_peace_999.html.

India says China ties at crossroads amid border standoff

January 28, 2021

NEW DELHI (AP) — India on Thursday said its relationship with China is at a crossroads with the months-old military standoff in mountainous border areas profoundly disturbing the ties. “Peace and tranquility in the border areas is the basis for the development of relations in other domains,” External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a speech at a conference discussing India-China ties. "If they are disturbed, so inevitably will the rest of the relationship.”

"Choices that are made will have profound repercussions, not just for the two nations but for the entire world,″ Jaishankar said. Indian and Chinese soldiers brawled again last week in the Naku La area of northeastern Sikkim state. Last year, 20 Indian troops died in a clash with Chinese soldiers using clubs, stones and fists in another portion of the disputed border. China is believed to also have had casualties, but has not given any details.

Jaishankar said that with exchanges growing steadily in the past decades, China became one of India’s largest trading partners, a significant source of investment and technology and a participant in projects and infrastructure building as well as a substantial destination for tourism and education.

He said that to date India has yet to receive a credible explanation for the change in China’s stance or reasons for the massing of troops in border areas. "It is a different matter that our own forces have responded appropriately and held their own in very challenging circumstances,” he said.

There was no immediate comment from the Chinese government. The standoff has continued despite nine rounds of meetings involving local military commanders and the political dialogue by foreign and defense ministers.

Both sides have mobilized tens of thousands of soldiers, artillery and fighter aircraft along the fiercely contested border known as the Line of Actual Control that separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to India’s eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety.

India and China fought a war in 1962.