Chinese researchers have made progress in localizing medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), a form of thyroid cancer that poses challenges in identifying metastatic lesions. This breakthrough is based on a new imaging technique utilizing a novel class of radiopharmaceutical, known as covalent targeted radioligand (CTR). This approach addresses one of the major challenges in treating MTC: precisely locating metastatic lesions, which is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, according to researchers. The development of this innovative imaging method was a collaborative effort between Liu Shaoyan’s team from the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Liu Zhibo’s team from Peking University and Changping Laboratory, along with their collaborators. Their study was published online in Cancer Discovery, a leading journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, in late October. Liu Shaoyan, the director of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at the Cancer Hospital, emphasized that existing imaging techniques often fail to locate metastatic lesions accurately. “Surgery is a primary curative option for MTC. A precise imaging method is crucial to assist surgeons in accurately determining the extent of the surgical procedure,” he stated. The new approach allows for selective targeting of tumor cells, enabling higher amounts and longer duration of the radioactive agents to remain in the tumor. This provides better imaging contrast, clearer tumor identification and more precise treatment planning, as explained by Kong Ziren, a member of Liu’s team and the co-first author of the paper. Looking ahead, Liu noted that as this imaging approach continues to evolve and expand its applications, CTR has the potential to become a valuable diagnostic tool not only for MTC but also for various other cancers.
In this combo photo, astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu (from L to R) are out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The Shenzhou-18 crew consisting of three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth safely in the early morning on Monday, after completing a six-month space station mission. Shenzhou-18’s return capsule, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 1:24 a.m. (Beijing Time). The crew had all left the return capsule by 2:15 a.m., according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The three astronauts, after staying in orbit for 192 days, were all in good health and the Shenzhou-18 manned mission was a success, the CMSA said. Ye, the Shenzhou-18 mission commander, has become the first Chinese astronaut with an accumulative spaceflight time of more than a year, setting a new record for the longest duration of stay in orbit by a Chinese astronaut. He served as a crew member in the Shenzhou-13 mission from October 2021 to April 2022. “Chinese astronauts have flown to space in successive missions. I believe that the record of the duration in orbit will be broken in the near future,” Ye said. Li Cong, who has just completed his first-ever space adventure, said that the crew was united as one and worked closely with the ground team, which ensured the extravehicular activities implemented smoothly and the scientific research and experiments advanced successfully. “We have all enjoyed the unique experience of weightlessness. It is exciting to return to Earth, but we are also unwilling to part the wonders of the space,” said Li Guangsu, who has just returned from his first spaceflight. At 12:34 a.m., the Beijing Aerospace Control Center issued a return command through the ground station, and the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship separated from its orbiting capsule. The brake engine then ignited, and the return capsule separated from the propulsion capsule. The ground search team arrived at the landing site soon after the return capsule landed. Intensive scientific tasks China launched the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship on April 25, 2024. During the mission, the Shenzhou-18 crew utilized the scientific experiment cabinets and extravehicular payloads to carry out dozens of experiments in the fields of basic physics in microgravity, space material science, space life science, space medicine and space technology. They replaced the burner for the gas experiment in the combustion experiment cabinet and test samples in the fluid physics experiment cabinet as planned. They also conducted in-orbit training on spacecraft rendezvous and docking. The Shenzhou-18 astronauts carried out extravehicular activities twice. Their first spacewalk in May set a new record for the longest single spacewalk by Chinese astronauts. Assisted by the space station’s robotic arm and a team on Earth, they worked for about eight-and-a-half hours during their first extravehicular activities, and completed multiple tasks, including the installation of space debris protection devices. The crew also carried out emergency decision-making research. By utilizing the computer and corresponding software, they completed a series of assessments, including tests on basic cognitive ability, risk perception, decision-making style, as well as comprehensive decision-making tasks. The ground personnel then used the test results to thoroughly evaluate the astronauts’ emergency decision-making ability in orbit and study the influence of the factors such as the duration of stay in orbit, emotional state and workload on their ability. During the mission, the crew also conducted regular medical check-ups as required, including routine examinations and dynamic monitoring of the heart rate and blood pressure. These procedures helped comprehensively monitor the astronauts’ physical state. Joyful space journey During their space adventure, the Shenzhou-18 trio also experienced some special joy brought by the space “aquarium” and “garden” in the Tiangong space station. The three astronauts created a space “aquarium” using zebrafish and algae to study how the space environment affects their growth and system balance. It was also a breakthrough in the field of raising vertebrates in space. The astronauts discovered that zebrafish exhibited abnormal orientation behaviors in microgravity, such as upside-down swimming, spinning and circling. Scientists will later utilize the returned water samples, fish eggs and other specimens, in conjunction with videos of the zebrafish’s spatial movement behaviors, to conduct research on the impact of the space environment on the growth, development and behavior of vertebrates and to provide support for the study of material cycling in a closed space ecosystem. The Shenzhou-18 astronauts were also busy cultivating plants in the “space garden” during their stay in orbit. According to a video clip released by the CMSA, astronaut Li Guangsu said that they grew two types of plants — cherry tomatoes and lettuce — and they had harvested some lettuce leaves for food. “Being able to eat fresh vegetables in space is truly a blessing. These green plants have also brought a touch of green and good cheer to our busy work,” Li said. Planting in space could also help analyze the changes in the function and gene expression of plant stem cells in the microgravity environment, and provide theoretical support for designing crops that can adapt to outer-space conditions. Before their return to Earth, the Shenzhou-18 crew completed the removal of some module plants, replenishing water and other operations for the “space garden,” in preparation for the new batch of plant seeds brought into space by the Shenzhou-19 astronauts. They also planted a new batch of lettuce for the Shenzhou-19 crew, who were lifted off aboard the Shenzhou-19 spaceship and entered the Tiangong space station on Oct. 30. In 2025, China’s manned space program will launch the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 crewed missions, and the Tianzhou-9 cargo craft for in-orbit supplies, the CMSA said.
Astronaut Li Guangsu is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Astronaut Ye Guangfu is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Astronaut Ye Guangfu is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Astronaut Li Cong is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
The return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, touches down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Astronaut Li Guangsu is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Astronaut Li Guangsu is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Astronaut Ye Guangfu is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Astronaut Li Cong is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
More than 75 percent of companies listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange reported profits during the first nine months of 2024, according to the latest data from the bourse.
Over 2,844 companies listed on this stock exchange released their financial reports during the period, reporting a combined net profit of 806.2 billion yuan (about 113.5 billion U.S. dollars).
Of these companies, more than 300 saw a net profit increase exceeding 100 percent year on year, the Shenzhen bourse said.
Consumption-related sectors maintained steady growth in profitability from January to September. Specifically, the net profits of transportation and social services increased by 15 percent and 7 percent year on year, respectively, driven by rising travel demand.
Digital sectors also demonstrated robust performance, with net profits rising by 13 percent year on year during this period, the bourse confirmed.
There were 5,363 companies listed on the Chinese domestic stock market by the end of September 2024, according to the China Association for Public Companies.
The stock exchanges in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing had 2,271, 2,839 and 253 listed firms, respectively, by end September, data from the association showed.
State-owned holding and non-state-owned holding companies accounted for 27 percent and 73 percent, respectively, of these listed firms, with manufacturing, information transmission/software/information technology services, and wholesale and retail, being the top three sectors in terms of the number of listed companies, the data revealed.
Three provinces, namely Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, contributed 42.42 percent of the total number of companies listed on the Chinese stock market.
Ten companies made initial public offerings on the domestic stock market in September, raising a combined total of 5.62 billion yuan (about 790 million U.S. dollars), while five companies were delisted.
An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows new energy vehicles charging at a charging station in Changsha County, central China’s Hunan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
The number of charging piles for electric vehicles (EV) in China reached 11.43 million as of the end of September this year, marking an increase of 49.6 percent from a year ago, latest government data showed.
Among them, around 3.33 million were public charging facilities while 8.1 million were private, according National Energy Administration data.
Based on a total stock of 28.09 million registered new energy vehicles in the country at present, there is one charging pile for every 2.46 vehicles, the data showed.
In the first nine months of 2024, the country reported a net increase of 2.84 million charging piles, while the charging amount for vehicles totaled 66.67 billion kWh, up 12.4 percent year on year, the data showed.
The government agency said that the growing network of charging facilities is providing services across more highways in the country. At the same time, charging facilities in counties and towns were growing, having reached 417,000 units as of the end of September.
Moldova’s incumbent President Maia Sandu led the country’s presidential election runoff with 54.19 percent of the votes, as most ballots have been counted by Monday morning, according to local media reports.
Former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, the president’s main contender for the next four-year presidential term, trailed with 45.81 percent, as reported by the country’s Central Electoral Commission after counting 97.8 percent of the votes.
“I voted with Moldova, I have confidence that our citizens will choose well for our country. Today, more than ever, we must stand together, keep our peace, keep our vote, keep our independence,” said Sandu. As the former leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity, she got the most votes in the first round of the election.
Stoianoglo, who is supported by Moldova’s Socialist Party, expressed his commitment to “a free, stable, prosperous Moldova” and emphasized his support for the country’s path to European integration.
After the presidential election on Oct. 20, Moldova moved to a runoff election between the top two candidates, as none of the 11 candidates in the presidential race received an absolute majority of the votes — defined as 50 percent plus one vote — in the first round.
A car collided with a train at an unguarded railway crossing in northeastern Poland on Sunday afternoon, killing all five passengers in the vehicle on the spot, according to Warmian-Masurian province police.
According to the local media report, the car ran directly into the path of an oncoming train. The five victims included two adults and three children.
Police, prosecutors, and firefighters are working at the railway crossing in Karwica Mazurska near the historic town of Pisz, investigating the tragedy. It is not yet known why the car driver did not stop at the “STOP” sign.
Train traffic between Pisz and Spychow has been completely suspended. Traffic disruptions may last several hours due to the accident.
People attend a rally in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 3, 2024. Iranians took to the streets on Sunday, staging a march to the premises of the former U.S. embassy, chanting slogans against the U.S. and Israel. [Photo/Xinhua]
Hossein Salami, chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), on Sunday said the U.S. policies are to blame for the terrorism and divisions in the Muslim world.
Salami made the remarks at a rally to mark the 45th anniversary of the former U.S. embassy takeover in Tehran and the “National Day of the Fight against Global Arrogance,” also known as the “National Student Day.”
Speaking at the gathering, the IRGC chief commander stressed that the “phenomenon of Takfiri (extremist) terrorism and bloody divisions in the Muslim world” were all outcomes of the U.S. policies.
Salami described the United States as a “paradoxical identity,” according to the official news agency IRNA.
He added while the United States spoke of global peace, security and order, it was the source of all “crimes, massacres and occupations” in the world.
Iranians took to the streets on Sunday, staging a march to the premises of the former U.S. embassy, chanting slogans against the U.S. and Israel. The demonstrators waved flags of Iran, Hezbollah and Palestine, as well as pictures of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and slain leaders and commanders of Iran and the regional resistance groups.
At the end of the rally, the demonstrators issued a statement vowing allegiance to Iran’s supreme leader and condemning Israel’s “crimes” in Gaza and Lebanon, “which are being perpetrated with the direct participation and support of the United States.”
They also called on the international community to work towards the achievement of ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon.
A few months after the victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution in February 1979, Iranian university students took over the U.S. embassy building, saying that the embassy was, based on the documents found in it, planning to overthrow the Islamic Republic and serving as an espionage base for the U.S. government. Iran commemorates the takeover every year by holding nationwide rallies.
This photo shows the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes in Baalbek, Lebanon, on Nov. 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Ten people were killed and nine others injured on Sunday in Israeli airstrikes on different areas in southern and eastern Lebanon, Lebanese official sources said.
An anonymous source from the Lebanese Civil Defense said that the Israeli raid on the Saida neighborhood in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of three people and left nine others injured. Additionally, three civilians were killed in a raid on the town of Machghara in eastern Lebanon, and two more were killed in the village of Jabal al-Batam in southern Lebanon.
The source added that two paramedics from the Islamic Health Authority were killed in the municipality of Bazourieh in southern Lebanon.
Also on Sunday, a team from the Lebanese Red Cross retrieved five bodies of Lebanese civilians from the rubble of two houses destroyed by Israel’s Wednesday airstrikes on the eastern edge of the southeast town of Khiam.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said in a series of statements that its military wing attacked various Israeli settlements and military bases with drones and missiles.
The Israeli army has launched intensive attacks on Lebanon since late September in an escalation with Hezbollah.
According to a report by the Lebanese Health Ministry on Sunday, the death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since the beginning of the war on Oct. 8, 2023, reached 2,986, while injuries went up to 13,402.
People stand on the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli attack in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on Nov. 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Nine Palestinians, including four children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said Sunday.
Local sources and eyewitnesses told Xinhua that an Israeli drone targeted a gathering of Palestinians in the Sheikh Nasser area, east of Khan Younis city.
Paramedics reported that medical workers retrieved the bodies of the victims, and transferred several others with varying injuries to hospitals.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Sunday that IDF troops are continuing operational activities in central and southern Gaza, locating weaponry and eliminating militant cells.
Also on Sunday, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, Palestine’s minister of state for foreign affairs and expatriates, received a European Parliament delegation at the ministry’s headquarters in Ramallah, central West Bank.
During the meeting, Shahin discussed with the delegation the latest developments concerning the war in Gaza, according to a ministry statement.
Shahin emphasized the importance of cooperation with international partners to stop the killings in Gaza and build on the international recognitions and court rulings that affirm the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, said the statement.
Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and approximately 250 taken hostage.
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 43,341, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Sunday.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, touches down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2024. The three astronauts are all in good health condition, according to the China Manned Space Agency. [Photo/Xinhua]
JIUQUAN, Nov. 4 — The return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Monday.
The three astronauts are all in good health condition, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Okay. Well, it’s good to be back in Milwaukee. We had a wonderful evening last night. People are enthusiastic, and the road to the White House definitely runs through Milwaukee, and I’m honored to have the support of people here.
I’m going to continue to remind people: Go to IWillVote.com to know where you vote and — and how you can vote, in terms of in-person and all of those other details that are very important to exercising the power of your vote in this very critical and important election.
I also want to speak to the comments that have been recently made by the speaker of the House. It is just further evidence of everything that I’ve actually been talking about for months now, about Trump’s intention to implement Project 2025.
We have talked repeatedly — and the American people know what’s in it. We’ve talked repeatedly about their intention to get rid of the Affordable Care Act; now to get rid of the CHIPS Act.
And let’s talk about manufacturing, which is a critical issue for many of the states that will make the difference in this election. Donald Trump, when he was president, lost 200,000 manufacturing jobs. We have created over 700[,000] new manufacturing jobs.
It is my plan and intention to continue to invest in American manufacturing, the work being done by American workers, upholding and lifting up good union jobs, which are good-paying jobs, and doing the work of investing in American industries, including our industries of the future.
That is the way we are going to win the competition with China for the 21st century, and that is the kind of leadership that America deserves in their president.
Q Madam President, one on — Madam President —
AIDE: Mary. Mary.
Q Oh, sorry.
Q What’s your message to Milwaukee voters who are saying, you know, Trump might be better for the economy, and we’re hearing that from — including Black men voters who are skeptical that things are just too expensive for them?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, let me make it very clear that I intend to earn the vote of everyone, and I don’t take anyone’s vote for granted, and my highest priority as president will be to bring down the cost because, to that point, look, I know the cost of groceries is too high still, everyone knows it. And so, my plan includes what we’re going to do in terms of taking on corporate price gouging and having the first-ever national ban on corporate price gouging on groceries.
My plan includes addressing the issue of affordable housing, including for first-time homebuyers, giving them a $25,000 down payment assistance so they can just get their foot in the door.
My plan includes addressing the needs of parents — in particular, young parents — which is why I will expand the Child Tax Credit to $6,000 for the first year of their child’s life, which helps pay for everything from child care to a crib and a car seat.
My plan includes what we’re going to do to invest in our small businesses, including increasing tax breaks for small businesses.
And overall, my plan, which is about building an opportunity economy, has been reviewed by leading economists in our country, from Goldman Sachs to 32 Nobel laureates, all whom have said that my economic plan actually will strengthen America’s economy. They’ve reviewed Donald Trump’s plan and have determined he will weaken America’s economy, he will ignite inflation, and he will bring on a recession by the middle of next year.
AIDE: Akayla.
Q Hi, Madam Vice President. On the comments from the speaker, he walked back initially saying that they would repeal the CHIPS Act, but he still wants to impose changes to the bill. Are you concerned about Republicans seeking any changes to the CHIPS Act?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, let’s be clear why he walked it back: Because it’s not popular, and their agenda is not popular.
And that’s why people are showing up by the thousands — tens of thousands to talk about an agenda that actually is focused on lifting them up. That’s why I have the support of, yes, Democrats and independents and Republicans, because they want a president of the United States who stops playing politics with their lives.
They want a president of the United States who invest in affordable health care regardless of who they vote for.
They want a president of the United States who invests in American manufacturing and American workers.
And that’s the work I will do, and that is the work I’m committed to do, and I’m very proud to have the support of many leaders from every party who understand that that’s the kind of leadership that we need moving forward.
AIDE: Asma.
Q Thank you. Madam Vice President, I wanted to ask you about your day-one agenda. I know you said the other day — you talked about having an executive order that would eliminate college degrees for certain federal jobs.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q Can you tell us about some other day-one priorities?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Absolutely. Well, it — obviously —
Q (Inaudible.)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — there’s more than one.
Q Yes.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And one of them is going to be to submit, basically, a package of proposals that are about bringing down costs.
So, for example, housing. What we need to do in terms of creating a tax benefit for folks who want homeownership, what we’re going to do to create a $25,000 down payment assistance plan, what we’re going to do for small businesses. All of that will require a lot of work.
And day one is also me getting on the phone with members of the Republican Party, with leaders, with the private sector. A lot of my plan includes working with the private sector.
My plan includes cutting through red tape on the issue of housing. Again, that includes working with local and state leaders to cut through the red tape, as well as creating incentives for the private-sector builders and developers to actually build new housing so we can increase supply and bring down the cost.
AIDE: Charles.
Q Madam President, thank you —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Vice President.
Q — for making this —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Three days.
Q Vice President.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: But I appreciate that.
Q That will go viral, I’m sure.
Tomorrow, faith leaders in Milwaukee and across the state will be praying about this election —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q — and encouraging people to get out and vote.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q I think, last week, I heard you say, “God’s power works through us.”
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q What does your faith tell you about who God wants to win this election and lead our divided country?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: My faith and my belief in God tells me that we all must think about our lives through our ability to do good works, and through those works, to lift people up, to help the needy, to help the poor, to help the elderly. And my plan for my presidency is informed with that spirit and that approach. And I do believe that people understand that that really is the sign of a real leader, which is not defining one’s strength based on who you beat down, but defining the strength of a leader based on who you lift up.
An aerial drone photo taken on Nov. 4, 2023 shows a view of the Hengqin International Financial Center in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
An international photography exhibition opened on Saturday in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province, showcasing outstanding works from home and abroad.
The 19th China International Photographic Art Exhibition features 276 selected works from over 20,000 photographers representing 123 countries and regions, according to the organizers.
Alongside the main exhibit, special displays commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations and offer insights into life in Iran. Another side event highlights the achievements of development made by Guangdong and Zhuhai in the new era.
The event, a collaboration between the China Photographers Association, the federation of literary and art circles of Guangdong and the Zhuhai municipal government, will run until Feb. 16, 2025.
As the US election unfolds, American territories such as the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, and Guam, along with the broader Pacific region, will be watching the developments.
As the question hangs in the balance of whether the White House remains blue with Kamala Harris or turns red under Donald Trump, academics, New Zealand’s US ambassador, and Guam’s Congressman have weighed in on what the election means for the Pacific.
Massey University’s Centre for Defence and Security Studies senior lecturer Dr Anna Powles said it would no doubt have an impact on small island nations facing climate change and intensified geopolitics, including the rapid expansion of military presence on its territory Guam, following the launch of an interballistic missile by China.
Pacific leaders lament the very real security threat of climate-induced natural disasters has been overshadowed by the tug-of-war between China and the US in what academics say is “control and influence” for the contested region.
Dr Powles said it came as “no surprise” that countries such as New Zealand and Australia had increasingly aligned with the US, as the Biden administration had been leveraging strategic partnerships with Australia, New Zealand, and Japan since 2018.
Despite China being New Zealand’s largest trading partner, New Zealand is in the US camp and must pay attention, she said.
“We are not seeing enough in the public domain or discussion by government with the New Zealand public about what this means for New Zealand going forward.”
Pacific leaders welcome US engagement but are concerned about geopolitical rivalry.
Earlier this month, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa attended the South Pacific Defence Ministers meeting in Auckland.
He said it was important that “peace and stability in the region” was “prioritised”.
Referencing the arms race between China and the US, he said, “The geopolitics occurring in our region is not welcomed by any of us in the Pacific Islands Forum.”
While a Pacific Zone of Peace has been a talking point by Fiji and the PIF leadership to reinforce the region’s “nuclear-free stance”, the US is working with Australia on obtaining nuclear-submarines through the AUKUS security pact.
Dr Powles said the potential for increased tensions “could happen under either president in areas such as Taiwan, East China Sea — irrespective of who is in Washington”.
South Pacific defence ministers told RNZ Pacific the best way to respond to threats of conflict and the potential threat of a nuclear attack in the region is to focus on defence and building stronger ties with its allies.
New Zealand’s Defence Minister said NZ was “very good friends with the United States”, with that friendship looking more friendly under the Biden Administration. But will this strengthening of ties and partnerships continue if Trump becomes President?
US President Joe Biden (center) stands for a group photo with Pacific Islands Forum leaders following the Pacific Islands Forum Summit at the South Portico of the White House in Washington on September 25, 2023. Image: Jim Watson/RNZ
US President Joe Biden, center, stands for a group photo with Pacific Islands Forum leaders following the Pacific Islands Forum Summit, at the South Portico of the White House in Washington on September 25, 2023. Photo: Jim Watson
US wants a slice of Pacific Regardless of who is elected, US Ambassador to New Zealand Tom Udall said history showed the past three presidents “have pushed to re-engage with the Pacific”.
While both Trump and Harris may differ on critical issues for the Pacific such as the climate crisis and multilateralism, both see China as the primary external threat to US interests.
The US has made a concerted effort to step up its engagement with the Pacific in light of Chinese interest, including by reopening its embassies in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Tonga.
On 12 July 2022, the Biden administration showed just how keen it was to have a seat at the table by US Vice-President Kamala Harris dialing in to the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Fiji at the invitation of the then chair former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama. The US was the only PIF “dialogue partner” allowed to speak at this Forum.
However, most of the promises made to the Pacific have been “forward-looking” and leaders have told RNZ Pacific they want to see less talk and more real action.
Defence diplomacy has been booming since the 2022 Solomon Islands-China security deal. It tripled the amount of money requested from Congress for economic development and ocean resilience — up to US$60 million a year for 10 years — as well as a return of Peace Corps volunteers to Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu.
Health security was another critical area highlighted in 2024 the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Declaration.
The Democratic Party’s commitment to the World Health Organisation (WHO) bodes well, in contrast to the previous Trump administration’s withdrawal from the WHO during the covid-19 pandemic.
It continued a long-running programme called ‘The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs’ which gives enterprising women from more than 100 countries with the knowledge, networks and access they need to launch and scale successful businesses.
While both Trump and Harris may differ on critical issues for the Pacific such as the climate crisis and multilateralism, both see China as the primary external threat to US interests. Image: 123RF/RNZ
Guam’s take Known as the tip of the spear for the United States, Guam is the first strike community under constant threat of a nuclear missile attack.
It was seen as a signal of China’s missile capabilities which had the US and South Pacific Defence Ministers on edge and deeply “concerned”.
China’s Defence Ministry said in a statement the launch was part of routine training by the People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force, which oversees conventional and nuclear missile operations and was not aimed at any country or target.
The US has invested billions to build a 360-degree missile defence system on Guam with plans for missile tests twice a year over the next decade, as it looks to bolster its weaponry in competition with China.
Despite the arms race and increased military presence and weaponry on Guam, China is known to have fewer missiles than the US.
The US considers Guam a key strategic military base to help it stop any potential attacks. Image: RNZ Pacific/Eleisha Foon
However, Guamanians are among the four million disenfranchised Americans living in US territories whose vote does not count due to an anomaly in US law.
“While territorial delegates can introduce bills and advocate for their territory in the US Congress, they have no voice on the floor. While Guam is exempted from paying the US federal income tax, many argue that such a waiver does not make up for what the tiny island brings to the table,” according to a BenarNews report.
US Congressman for Guam James Moylan has spent his time making friends and “educating and informing” other states about Guam’s existence in hopes to get increased funding and support for legislative bills.
Moylan said he would prefer a Trump presidency but noted he has “proved he can also work with Democrats”.
Under Trump, Moylan said Guam would have “stronger security”, raising his concerns over the need to stop Chinese fishing boats from coming onto the island.
Moylan also defended the military expansion: “We are not the aggressor. If we put our guard down, we need to be able to show we can maintain our land.”
Moylan defended the US military expansion, which his predecessor, former US Congressman Robert Underwood, was concerned about, saying the rate of expansion had not been seen since World War II.
“We are the closest there is to the Indo-Pacific threat,” Moylan said.
“We need to make sure our pathways, waterways and economy is growing, and we have a strong defence against our aggressors.”
“All likeminded democracies are concerned about the current leadership of China. We are working together…to work on security issues and prosperity issues,” US Ambassador to New Zealand Tom Udall said.
When asked about the military capabilities of the US and Guam, Moylan said: “We are not going to war; we are prepared to protect the homeland.”
Moylan said that discussions for compensation involving nuclear radiation survivors in Guam would happen regardless of who was elected.
The 23-year battle has been spearheaded by atomic veteran Robert Celestial, who is advocating for recognition for Chamorro and Guamanians under the RECA Act.
Celestial said that the Biden administration had thrown their support behind them, but progress was being stalled in Congress, which is predominantly controlled by the Republican party.
But Moylan insisted that the fight for compensation was not over. He said that discussions would continue after the election irrespective of who was in power.
“It’s been tabled. It’s happening. I had a discussion with Speaker Mike Johnson. We are working to pass this through,” he said.
US Marine Force Base Camp Blaz. Image: RNZ Pacific/Eleisha Foon
If Trump wins Dr Powles said a return to Trump’s leadership could derail ongoing efforts to build security architecture in the Pacific.
There are also views Trump would pull back from the Pacific and focus on internal matters, directly impacting his nation.
For Trump, there is no mention of the climate crisis in his platform or Agenda47.
This is in line with the former president’s past actions, such as withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2019, citing “unfair economic burdens” placed on American workers and businesses.
Trump has maintained his position that the climate crisis is “one of the great scams of all time”.
The America First agenda is clear, with “countering China” at the top of the list. Further, “strengthening alliances,” Trump’s version of multilateralism, reads as what allies can do for the US rather than the other way around.
“There are concerns for Donald Trump’s admiration for more dictatorial leaders in North Korea, Russia, China and what that could mean in a time of crisis,” Dr Powles said.
A Trump administration could mean uncertainty for the Pacific, she added.
While Trump was president in 2017, he warned North Korea “not to mess” with the United States.
“North Korea [is] best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met by fire and fury like the world has never seen.”
North Korea responded deriding his warning as a “load of nonsense”.
Although there is growing concern among academics and some Pacific leaders that Trump would bring “fire and fury” to the Indo-Pacific if re-elected, the former president seemed to turn cold at the thought of conflict.
In 2023, Trump remarked that “Guam isn’t America” in response to warning that the US territory could be vulnerable to a North Korean nuclear strike — a move which seemed to distance the US from conflict.
If Harris wins Dr Powles said that if Harris wins, it was important to move past “announcements” and follow-through on all pledges.
A potential win for Harris could be the fulfilment of the many “promises” made to the Pacific for climate financing, uplifting economies of the Pacific and bolstering defence security, she said.
Pacific leaders want Harris to deliver on the Pacific Partnership Strategy, the outcomes of the two Pacific Islands-US summits in 2022 and 2023, and the many diplomatic visits undertaken during President Biden’s presidency.
The Biden administration recognised Cook Islands and Niue as sovereign and independent states and established diplomatic relationships with them.
Harris has pledged to boost funding to the Green Climate Fund by US$3 billion. She also promised to “tackle the climate crisis with bold action, build a clean energy economy, advance environmental justice, and increase resilience to climate disasters”.
Dr Powles said that delivery needed to be the focus.
“What we need to be focused on is delivery [and that] Pacific Island partners are engaged from the very beginning — from the outset to any programme right through to the final phase of it.”
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Eight member countries of the OPEC+ oil-producing group anounced on Sunday to further extend their voluntary output cuts by a month, pushing the reductions through the end of December in response to ongoing weak oil prices.
OPEC+ comprises the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies. The eight countries participating in these cuts are Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman.
In a statement, OPEC confirmed that these countries have “agreed to extend the November 2023 voluntary production adjustments of 2.2 million barrels per day for one month until the end of December 2024.”
The countries also reiterated their commitment to “achieve full conformity” with their production targets and to compensate for any overproduction by September 2025.
This decision follows an earlier move in September when the eight countries extended their voluntary production cuts, originally due to expire at the end of September, by an additional two months.
Oil prices have generally trended downward in recent weeks amid concerns over slowing global demand.
A seminar on “Building Water Sector Youth Leadership Network in the Lancang-Mekong Region,” under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund, was held in Beijing on Oct. 29.
A seminar on “Building Water Sector Youth Leadership Network in the Lancang-Mekong Region” is held in Beijing on Oct. 29, 2024. [Photo by Wang Ran/China.org.cn]
Organized by Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center (LMC Center), the workshop has brought together over 30 representatives from government agencies, research institutions, universities, enterprises, and NGOs to discuss project progress and share insights on developing young leaders in the water sector.
Following the seminar, participants visited the LMC Center and the Tuancheng Lake in Beijing’s Haidian district to learn about the economic, social, and ecological impacts of the eastern and central routes of the South-North Water Diversion Project.
“Building Water Sector Youth Leadership Network in the Lancang-Mekong Region,” was initiated by Thailand’s Office of the National Water Resources, and jointly implemented by Environmental Research Institute Chulalongkorn University, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Asia Centre, and the LMC Center. It has received strong support from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Running from 2023 to 2024, it aims to strengthen youth engagement across the six countries in the Lancang-Mekong basin, fostering active participation in regional water resource cooperation.
Chinese Consul General in Vladivostok Piao Yangfan delivers a speech during the event entitled Path of Friendship at the Gorky Public Library in Vladivostok, Russia, Nov. 2, 2024. The event promoting traditional Chinese culture was held here on Saturday, drawing over 100 participants, including Chinese culture enthusiasts, students, and local residents. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)
An event promoting traditional Chinese culture was held in Vladivostok, Russia on Saturday, drawing over 100 participants, including Chinese culture enthusiasts, students, and local residents.
Chinese Consul General in Vladivostok, Piao Yangfan, said that the event, entitled Path of Friendship, is part of a series of cultural exchange programs to celebrate the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations and the China-Russia Cultural Year.
Such events will help further unleash the potential for bilateral cultural cooperation, and inject new impetus into the growing bond between the people of the two countries, he added.
Vladivostok Deputy Mayor Daria Stegniy praised the event for reinforcing the longstanding friendship between the two countries.
Activities included presentations on Chinese ethnic groups, traditional music, Baduanjin aerobic exercises, a tea ceremony, and hands-on experiences in calligraphy, painting, and paper-cutting.
The event was co-hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Vladivostok, the Representative Office of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vladivostok, the Gorky Public Library of Primorsky Krai, and the Confucius Institute at Far Eastern Federal University.
Guests write Chinese calligraphy during an event entitled Path of Friendship at the Gorky Public Library in Vladivostok, Russia, Nov. 2, 2024. The event promoting traditional Chinese culture was held here on Saturday, drawing over 100 participants, including Chinese culture enthusiasts, students, and local residents. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)
The 2024 Qiang New Year celebration was held in Maoxian county, Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture, in Sichuan province on Friday.
The ethnic Qiang people of Maoxian, Wenchuan, Lixian, Songpan and Heishui in Aba as well as those from Beichuan Qiang autonomous county and Pingwu county in the city of Mianyang, Sichuan, gathered in Maoxian to celebrate their most important festival with singing and dancing and a banquet with over 1,000 people on a square in the Ancient Chinese Castle of Erma in Maoxian.
In 2008, the Qiang New Year festival was included in the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative items, and in 2009, it was included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding by the UNESCO.
Aba, which has strong Tibetan and Qiang customs and world-class scenic spots including Jiuzhaigou, a scenic area on the UNESCO World Heritage list, is building itself into an international eco-cultural tourism destination, said Zhao Shouchun, head of the prefecture’s bureau of culture, radio, television, sports and tourism, in a press conference right before the Qiang New Year celebration.
A visitor takes a photo of an item at the exhibition, Endless Clouds of Silk Road, at the Malek National Library and Museum in Teheran, Iran, on Oct 12. [Photo/Xinhua]
The memory and inspiration of the Silk Road, a series of ancient trade routes stretching from China to Europe, provide an attractive platform for cultural exchange between countries once connected by them.
In one of the halls at the Malek National Library and Museum in the Iranian capital Teheran, vivid paintings were among a series of works of art that caught the attention of visitors, both Chinese and Iranian.
Open to the public since Oct 12 and running until Nov 10, and taking the Silk Road as its theme, the exhibition, Endless Clouds of Silk Road, features a selection of Chinese art, manuscripts by renowned Chinese authors, and ancient coins used to trade along the routes, and celebrates the cultural exchange between China and Iran.
“The exhibition is very interesting as it features the fusion of Chinese and Iranian cultures and their impact on each other,” says one visitor, Shaqayeq Evaz-Zadeh.
“The Iranian and Chinese people have had very good relations for a very long time, and share many cultural similarities,” continues Evaz-Zadeh, who is a film and theater director.
She mentions that there are many commonalities between Iranian and Chinese poetry and traditions, indicating time-honored, people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
The works on display demonstrate the trade relations between the two countries along the Silk Road, which helped bring both peoples closer, she adds. “Visiting the exhibition gave me a very good feeling, as I was able to see the closeness between the two cultures again.”
Evaz-Zadeh also says she felt the amicable atmosphere at the exhibition, and saw Iranian and Chinese visitors chatting happily with one another.
“Throughout history, Iran and China and their people have always had transactions, interactions and relations with each other,” says Masoud Nikqalb, another visitor, adding that the work on display makes a feature of traditional styles and simplicity. ” (This) is very interesting and makes them more tangible to visitors.”
Nikqalb, a cinema and theater actor, says people from both countries share cultural commonalities, particularly valuing the family and respecting the elderly. “The art displayed at this exhibition gave me a sense of cultural proximity, as they conveyed concepts shared between the two peoples.”
Jebrael Nokandeh, director of Iran’s National Library and Museum, says the exhibition shows great potential for cooperation between the two countries’ museums, voicing confidence that the event would help increase mutual understanding.
He speaks highly of Chinese museums for their “very high” standards and “cooperation with counterparts across the world”, including the National Museum of Iran.
Nokandeh says that Iran organized an exhibition, The Glory of the Ancient Persia, at Beijing’s Palace Museum in January, and also at the Shanghai Museum in June.
He called for expanding the “very good” cultural cooperation between Iran and China to further strengthen the bond between their peoples.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Protection and restoration work carried out at Maiji Mountain Grottoes in NW China
Updated: November 4, 2024 09:41Xinhua
Yang Zhiqiang, a cultural relics restorer of Maiji Mountain Grottoes art institute, carries out protection and restoration work at a cave of the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Maiji District of Tianshui City, northwest China’s Gansu Province on Nov. 2, 2024. The Maiji Mountain Grottoes is one of the four most famous grottoes in China. In the past three years, 29 caves here have been protected and reinforced as Maiji Mountain Grottoes art institute and other cultural relics protection organizations have employed scientific and technological methods to ensure the grottoes remain well-preserved. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on Nov. 2, 2024 shows a view of the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Maiji District of Tianshui City, northwest China’s Gansu Province. [Photo/Xinhua]Dong Guangqiang, director of the digital center of Maiji Mountain Grottoes art institute, checks the mural sculptures at the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Maiji District of Tianshui City, northwest China’s Gansu Province on Nov. 2, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Mu Changyou, a cultural relics restorer of Maiji Mountain Grottoes art institute, carries out protection and restoration work at a cave of the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Maiji District of Tianshui City, northwest China’s Gansu Province on Nov. 2, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Tourists visit the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Maiji District of Tianshui City, northwest China’s Gansu Province on Nov. 2, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Tourists visit the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Maiji District of Tianshui City, northwest China’s Gansu Province on Nov. 2, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Mu Changyou, a cultural relics restorer of Maiji Mountain Grottoes art institute, checks a statue at a cave of the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Maiji District of Tianshui City, northwest China’s Gansu Province on Nov. 2, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]A panoramic drone photo taken on Nov. 2, 2024 shows a view of the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Maiji District of Tianshui City, northwest China’s Gansu Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Shanghai’s railway station sets up service area for 7th CIIE
Updated: November 4, 2024 10:13Xinhua
A staff member shows the way to a passenger at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 3, 2024. As the 7th CIIE is approaching, Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station has set up a service area for the expo offering various services including ticketing, luggage check-in, etc. The station also has launched a free shuttle bus route heading for the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) for the CIIE exhibitors and related staff members with qualified documents. [Photo/Xinhua]A passenger talks to a staff member at an information desk in Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 3, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]This photo taken on Nov. 3, 2024 shows a shuttle bus heading for the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) at an exit of Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, east China. [Photo/Xinhua]This photo taken on Nov. 3, 2024 shows a service area for the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, east China. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following are the welcome remarks by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit 2024 under Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 today (November 4):Commissioner Cui (Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Cui Jianchun); Professor Ignacio Tirado (Secretary-General of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law), Consuls General, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, A very good morning. For those joining us from different time zones, perhaps I should say good afternoon and also good evening. I am truly delighted to welcome you to the opening of the Hong Kong Legal Week 2024, and to the Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit 2024.Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 The Hong Kong Legal Week is an annual flagship event of the Department of Justice. Since its inception in 2019, the Hong Kong Legal Week has served as a dynamic forum where legal professionals, scholars, judges and experts come together to discuss critical legal issues that resonate not only within Hong Kong but throughout the wider Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The theme of this year is “Hong Kong Common Law System: World-Class Springboard to China and Beyond”. It emphasises Hong Kong’s unique role as a gateway between China, the Asia Pacific and the world. Under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction within China. Our strong legal foundation, coupled with our close ties with and support from the Mainland, positions us as a critical hub for legal and economic collaboration across the region and beyond.Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit 2024 We begin this week with today’s Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit 2024. Building on the success of the inaugural Summit in 2022, the Department of Justice once again partners with the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) to organise this Summit under the theme “Springboard to Opportunities: Utilising International Private Law and Technology to Facilitate Access to Credit, Investment, and Sustainable Development in the Asia-Pacific Region”. The Asia-Pacific region is home to enormous economic potential and encompasses a diverse array of legal systems. While this diversity enriches our legal and cultural landscape, it also introduces complexities and uncertainties for businesses navigating cross-border transactions. To unlock the region’s full economic potential and ensure long-term sustainable growth, harmonisation and modernisation of private law across the region is essential. Recognising this need, today’s summit gathers leading legal minds from across the Asia Pacific, together with experts from UNIDROIT, to explore how the unification and co-ordination of various areas of private law can support economic growth and facilitate smoother cross-border interactions throughout the region. We will be hearing from them on how international private law and emerging technologies can unlock new opportunities for sustainable economic growth across the region, and how Hong Kong may contribute in this regard.Department of Justice’s collaboration with UNIDROIT In the past few years, the Department of Justice has closely collaborated with UNIDROIT to promote the development, implementation, and deeper understanding of private international law and international commercial law across the Asia-Pacific region. In addition to these collaborative efforts, we are grateful for UNIDROIT’s strong support to the Department of Justice’s secondment programme, offering Hong Kong’s legal professionals from both the public and private sectors the valuable opportunity to work at the UNIDROIT Secretariat in Rome. This experience not only deepens their expertise in international legal issues, but also bolsters Hong Kong’s capacity in foreign-related legal matters. I am very pleased to note that one of our former secondees will be moderating a panel later this morning, which testifies to the success of the secondment programme.Capacity building The secondment programme is one of the Department of Justice’s many policy initiatives providing professional development opportunities to our legal talents. To further strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a leading international legal and dispute resolution services centre in the Asia-Pacific region, the Department of Justice places great importance on nurturing legal talents with a global perspective and proficiency in foreign-related legal affairs. We are committed to establishing Hong Kong as a leading centre for capacity building in international law. As outlined in our Chief Executive’s Policy Address 2023 and 2024, the Department of Justice is setting up the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. The Academy will regularly organise practical training courses, seminars, international exchange programmes and more to promote exchanges among talent in regions along the Belt and Road. It will also provide training for talent in the practice of foreign-related legal affairs for the country, and nurture legal talent conversant with international law, common law, civil law and the country’s legal system. A dedicated office and an expert committee have already been set up to facilitate the establishment of the Academy. We are grateful to have Professor Tirado as a member of the expert committee, and I am pleased to see many of our committee members participating in today’s Summit. To officially mark this new initiative, I am excited to announce that the launch ceremony for the Academy will take place on the final day of the Hong Kong Legal Week. I warmly invite all of you to join us for this significant occasion.Other events I also warmly welcome you to participate in an array of other events this week. Tomorrow, we will have the Second Legal Forum on Interconnectivity and Development co-organised with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR. At the Legal Forum, we are very pleased to have the General Counsel of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank deliver a keynote address on promoting good governance and high-quality development under international law. Legal experts will also share their insights on Hong Kong’s role in China’s institutional opening up, and rule of law as a risk management mechanism to safeguard sustainable development. On Wednesday, we will host events under the theme “Beyond Litigation: The Vibrant Landscape of Alternative Dispute Resolution of Hong Kong”. The day will explore three topical issues – the role of mediation in promoting a culture of mutual respect, harmony and inclusiveness, use of artificial intelligence in alternative dispute resolution, as well as the resolution of sports disputes. There will also be the 2024 Hong Kong Mediation Lecture in the evening, exploring the unique challenges and opportunities involved in the use of mediation in deals relating to natural resources. Thursday’s programme will focus on strengthening the rule of law in the Greater Bay Area. We will hear from experts on the proof of Hong Kong law and foreign law in the Mainland, the arrangement on mutual legal assistance in civil and commercial matters between the Mainland and Hong Kong, as well as legal services and juridical relations to facilitate and protect trade and social interactions between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The day will also feature a mock mediation session led by mediators from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, and a discussion on the Greater Bay Area mediation platform. On Friday, apart from the launching ceremony of the Academy in the afternoon that I have just mentioned, we will explore how the rule of law in Hong Kong, together with different components of Hong Kong’s legal and judicial system, are essential to provide the best business environment from the perspectives of our legal services profession and our enterprises, and how our legal professionals can play an important role along the Belt and Road. Alongside this week’s discussions, we are also featuring a special exhibition on the achievements in the construction of the rule of law of the People’s Republic of China in the modern era, co-organised by the Ministry of Justice of China and the Department of Justice, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of People’s Republic of China. The exhibition highlights key milestones in China’s legal evolution, both domestically and in foreign-related areas, over the past 75 years. You are most welcome to visit the exhibition during the breaks or after the Summit. It is just in the exhibition hall adjacent to this conference room.Conclusion Ladies and gentlemen, as we look ahead to the discussions that will follow, I hope today’s Summit will inspire all of us to explore new ideas and opportunities. Let’s make the most of this moment to engage in meaningful exchanges and drive forward the future of international law. On this note, I wish today’s Summit every success and extend my sincere appreciation to all of you for joining us, whether online or in person. A special thanks to UNIDROIT for their unwavering support, and heartfelt gratitude to all my colleagues at the Department of Justice and our dedicated partners, whose hard work has made Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 a reality. Thank you very much.
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On October 31, 2024, the New Development Bank (NDB) successfully priced a 3-Year USD 1.25 billion Green Bond, paying an annual coupon of 4.677 per cent (equivalent to SOFR MS + 80 bps), under its Euro Medium Term Note Programme, which will be issued on 7 November 2024, subject to final legal documentation and customary closing conditions.
An amount equal to the net proceeds from the Bond issuance will be allocated to finance and/or refinance, in whole or in part, past or future disbursement of loans made to eligible green projects in accordance with NDB’s Sustainable Financing Policy Framework dated 25 May 2020 in such sectors as clean transportation, climate change adaptation, energy efficiency, low-carbon and renewable energy, sustainable water management, etc. NDB’s Sustainable Financing Policy Framework governs issuances of green, social and sustainability debt instruments, including the use and management of bond proceeds, project selection and evaluation process, reporting and disclosure.
The USD 1.25 billion Green Bond received strong demand from investors, with the final order book exceeding USD 2.2 billion. Geographically, the issuance attracted a diverse investor base, with 66% of investors from Asia and 34% from the EMEA region. The composition of the final order book was as follows: Central Banks, Official Institutions, and Sovereign Wealth Funds – 52%; Banks – 43%; Asset Managers, Fund Managers, and others – 5%.
Bank of China, Emirates NBD Capital, First Abu Dhabi Bank, ICBC, and Standard Chartered Bank (B&D) acted as Joint Lead Managers of the transaction. CITIC Securities served as a Co-Manager of the transaction.
“The strong demand and good pricing conditions obtained underscore the confidence of investors in NDB’s financial stability and its mandate of mobilizing resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies and developing countries,” said Mr. Monale Ratsoma, NDB Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer.
“New Development Bank is committed to being a regular issuer in both hard currency and local currencies of its member countries. Our issuances are guided by market conditions, investor demand and the requirements of the Bank’s lending portfolio. NDB aims to build a liquid benchmark curve over time with issuances across different maturities, enhancing its capacity to finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies and developing countries”.
Background Information
New Development Bank was established with the purpose of mobilizing resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging market economies and developing countries, complementing the efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development. In 2021, NDB initiated membership expansion and admitted Bangladesh, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay as its new member countries.
In December 2019, NDB established its inaugural USD 50 billion Euro Medium Term Note Programme (EMTN Programme) in the international capital markets.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This announcement does not constitute or form part of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or subscribe for or otherwise acquire any securities (including, without limitation, the green bonds mentioned above (the “Bonds“)).
This announcement is not a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 or that Regulation as it forms part of United Kingdom law.
The Bonds are not being, and will not be, offered or sold in the United States. Nothing in this announcement constitutes an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Bonds in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Securities may not be offered, sold or delivered in the United States absent registration under, or an exemption from the registration requirements of, the Securities Act. The Bonds have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended).
No action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction in relation to the Bonds to permit a public offering of securities.
This announcement is directed only at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom (the “UK“), or (ii) persons who are in the UK who are (a) persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order“) or (b) otherwise, persons to whom this announcement may lawfully be communicated pursuant to the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons“). This announcement is directed only at relevant persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. This electronic transmission may only be communicated to persons in the UK in circumstances where section 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 does not apply to the Issuer.
Credit ratings should not be taken as recommendations by a rating agency to buy, sell or hold the Bonds. They may be revised, suspended or withdrawn at any time by the relevant rating agency.
Prohibition on sales to EEA and UK retail investors: Target Market (MiFID II / UK MiFIR) is Eligible Counterparties and Professional clients only (all distribution channels). No EU PRIIPs or UK PRIIPs key information document (KID) has been prepared as the Notes are not available to retail in EEA or the UK.
Relevant stabilisation regulations including FCA/ICMA will apply.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged the active participation of citizens in urban development and governance to jointly build harmonious and beautiful cities. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to members of a grassroots lecture program in Shanghai.
The Shenzhou-18 crew arrived in Beijing by plane on Monday after a six-month space station mission. Shenzhou-18’s return capsule, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 1:24 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Monday, and the crew all left the return capsule by 2:15 a.m., according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The three astronauts, after staying in orbit for 192 days, were all in good health and the Shenzhou-18 manned mission was a success, the CMSA said. The crew will enter a period of medical quarantine and undergo comprehensive medical examinations and health evaluations, it said, adding that they will meet with the press in Beijing afterward.
China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao has called on France, as a key European Union (EU) member, to play an active role in pushing the European Commission to show sincerity and meet the Chinese side half way for a solution regarding the EU’s anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).
He made the remarks during a meeting with Sophie Primas, French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, in Shanghai on Sunday ahead of the seventh China International Import Expo, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The Wuzhen Theatre Festival, which takes place each year in the ancient water town of Wuzhen in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, boasts that — to borrow a phrase from Shakespeare — “all Wuzhen is a stage”.
A long, narrow alleyway, an ancient dock, and a pole boat … performances can happen anywhere in the town. It’s a place where the boundary between theater and the surroundings dissolve.
Even the moon can play a part. In the play, Run Away to the Moon, which was staged this year in the town’s open-air Sun Moon Plaza, the moon merged with the performance at its zenith above the plaza, becoming the most sublime overhead prop.
In Chinese mythology, Chang’e is said to run away by flying to the moon, after she drinks an elixir of immortality, and turns into a goddess. In some versions, Chang’e steals the elixir from her husband Hou Yi, a legendary archer, while in others, she drinks it to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
The play, an adaptation of Lu Min’s 2017 novel, reimagines the tale of escape in a contemporary setting. In the story, the protagonist Xiaoliu survives a bus accident and decides to disappear from her previous life. She assumes a borrowed identity and lives in the strange town of Wuque. As her husband searches for her, he discovers unknown sides of his wife.
“I’ve read many contemporary novels over the past two years. I first came across Lu Min’s Run Away to the Moon earlier this year, and it particularly resonated with me,” says Xiao Jing, the play’s director and playwright.
“The story of Chang’e isn’t entirely new to us, but Lu has given it a fresh, contemporary interpretation, writing a story that reflects the predicaments of modern life. I knew I wanted to adapt the novel for the stage even while I was reading it.”
One aspect of the novel that struck a chord with Xiao was its depiction of the yearning to escape from one’s social identity. Bound by constraints, many people seek escape, some choosing temporary retreat, while others move from big cities to smaller ones.
She is also interested in the feminist perspective of the story. While the theme of women leaving home has been explored in classics, such as Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Xiao points out that these works often end at the moment of departure.
“I think Lu opens up a new perspective. The protagonist arrives at her ‘utopia’, and then discovers that it is no different from other places. She wants to go back to her previous life, but there’s no place for her anymore. So what should she do? The novel has an open ending. Personally, this question has no answer. It’s for all of us to think about,” she says.
For many people, the annual festival is itself an escape from the mundane, everyday routine to a town with theater happening in every nook and cranny.
Walking from the entrance of the Xizha scenic area to the town’s center, visitors will pass the Wuzhen Grand Theatre, where the festival’s opening and closing ceremonies are held, enter the ancient town with its interwoven alleys and waterways, and pass historical squares and docks, which serve as antique backdrops for open-air vignettes.
The old buildings with their white walls and gray, upturned eaves conceal within them theater venues of different sizes and functions, among them the West Warehouse Theatre, where young practitioners bring their shows to compete every year. On the water town’s outskirts lies the Wuzhen International Internet Exhibition and Convention Center, which has three theater venues that can accommodate both international forums and large-scale theater productions.
Held between Oct 17 and 27, this year’s Wuzhen Theatre Festival was its 11th edition, and was organized around the theme of “solidity”, because according to the festival committee, the pursuit of ambition amid uncertain external factors requires having “a spirit like a torch, faith like a great rock”.
“What’s changed about the festival is that it keeps growing, and what hasn’t changed is our goal,” says the festival’s co-founder and director, Stan Lai. “We’re not aiming for a large-scale event with countless productions. We only hope to hold a well-executed festival, where people can come for 11 days to enjoy shows, talk about them, and simply have a great time.”
Reflecting on the past decade, Lai says that Wuzhen and theater seem a natural fit. Compared to other major theater festivals around the world, the Wuzhen festival stands out for being a compact, cozy hub of theatrical art and other activities.
“If you’re fortunate enough to spend 11 days in Wuzhen, you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere,” Lai adds. “Enjoy a meal and chat with your friends, and when the time draws near, stroll to the theater and watch a play, then unwind in a teahouse afterward. It’s a wonderful lifestyle here in Wuzhen, free of stress, whether you are a theater enthusiast or not.”
Each year, he stages a show of his own. This year, he’s putting on his 40th production, River/Cloud, a spinoff of his classic play, Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. The classic play is a tragicomedy. It involves a poignant love story of Yun Zhifan and Jiang Binliu, who are separated and lose contact during the War of Liberation (1946-49). Then unbeknown to each other, both move from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan.
“There’s so little background information about them, so I wanted to explore these characters I created. It’s a fascinating exercise for a writer to dissect their characters and write their life stories,” Lai says. “It becomes a journey of self-discovery. These themes of missed connections, chance encounters, life, and love have been swirling around my mind. I felt it was the perfect time to write a piece that weaves all these elements together.”
This year, the festival also shed light on inclusive art, with a “Nothing Is Impossible” section dedicated to The Revised Future, a play written and performed by actors with diverse abilities from The Pleasure Troupe, an original theater brand founded by a group of enthusiasts.
The production addresses social issues in a sci-fi setting. In a distant future under alien attack, people with disabilities are able to receive body modifications and are treated as superior to those without disabilities. The protagonist, a boy without disabilities, is accused of patricide, and as the trial progresses, the group’s struggles come to light.
“My parents taught me to dedicate 10 percent of my free time to public welfare,” says Ma Yan, the play’s director. “I first worked with people with disabilities in 2008, when I volunteered at the Summer Paralympics and received training on how to offer accessible services.”
The reason why some people overlook social resources for people with disabilities is because they fail to consider that they might find themselves in a similar situation at some point in their lives, Ma adds. By reversing the social dynamics between those with and without disabilities, the production allows the audience to see things from the perspectives of others.
The Revised Future won best play award at this year’s Nanjing Festival of New Theatre, where Lai was chairman of the committee. In the hopes that more people would be able to see the play, he invited the troupe to perform in Wuzhen. “It is featured in the festival because it’s a high-quality production, free from external biases. The Wuzhen festival is fundamentally inclusive and diverse. We would like to promote all types of theater productions here,” Lai says.
Wei Sixiao has won the 2024 Blancpain-Imaginist Literary Prize for his novel Tu Guang Cun Mu (Vast land, Small Tree), beating other four shortlisted writers.
Cofounded in 2018 by Swiss luxury watch brand Blancpain and Chinese publisher Imaginist, the annual prize was established to shed light on Chinese writers under 45. The winner receives a cash prize of 300,000 yuan ($42,022), and a Blancpain watch.
The theme of this year’s award was “Where is the originality in literature?” According to Leung Man-tao, chief consultant of Imaginist, with the theme, the award chose to inspire people to explore the experiences and creativity that define us as individuals, especially in the context of being surrounded by the cocoon of information, big data, and artificial intelligence.
The evaluation committee, which is composed each year of different writers, literary critics, and a celebrity reader from another field, consisted of poet and literary critic Zhang Dinghao, actor-director Joan Chen, writer Shuang Xuetao, who won the award in 2020, Xu Zidong, former director of Department of Chinese at Lingnan University, and writer Luo Yijun.
Representing the jury, Xu delivered the award speech for the 38-year-old’s winning entry. “Focusing on a village, rather than a single character or event, the book makes use of meticulous realism to carry on the tradition of Sheng Si Chang (The Field of Life and Death, by Xiao Hong).
“It deepens and develops the mainstream of Chinese rural literature in terms of space. In terms of time, it not only narrates the lives of farmers over the past few decades, as seen in Huo Zhe (To Live, by Yu Hua) and Pingfan De Shijie (Ordinary World, by Lu Yao), but also keeps pace with the times by depicting new rural scenes: tractors harvesting corn, farmers using social media, township elections and nursing homes.
“Amid the changes to the countryside, it reflects on unchanging aspects, namely the network of interpersonal relationships based on kinship and family ties as described in Fei Xiaotong’s Xiangtu Zhongguo (From the Soil: The Foundations of Chinese Society).”
However, at the prize-giving event on Oct 22 in Beijing, Zhang Dinghao raised the issue of whether Wei’s work was “repetitive”, suggesting that the structural innovation of the novel was designed to mask the repetition of content. He also raised the question of whether the writer was stuck in a habitual style, saying this was “a matter that Wei might need to reflect on”.
In response, Wei acknowledged that his limitation was the tendency to repeat themes.
“Some characters may recur, but it’s inevitable. After living in the countryside for over 30 years, I’ve witnessed the gradual development of many characters each year. So, I want to write coherently,” he says, adding that he tries to present fresh and overlooked elements with each new novel he writes.
Born in a village in Zibo, Shandong province in 1986, Wei focuses on the village as his subject.
His recent titles include The Rural Trilogy — Yu Shi Wu Qu (which roughly translates as “don’t do other things than suggested by traditional Chinese almanacs”), Doushi Renmin Qunzhong (The Masses), and Wang Nenghao (the name of the principal character), which was shortlisted for the 2022 Blancpain-Imaginist Literary Prize.
After Wang Nenghao, Wei was searching for a new way to write another novel about the village. He says that after the trilogy, there were still a great many things in Xinliu village that he had not written about previously.
“Even if it’s a small village with only a few hundred households, it’s a very complex little universe, which motivates me to continue writing about it,” he says.
In the end, he found the answer, to “dissect” the little-known village from different perspectives, as the title of his book indicates.
“The idea (for the title) is actually quite simple: to deconstruct the two Chinese characters for ‘village’ into four parts, and see how they could be rearranged to sound smoother. I chose this title as the novel seeks to describe different aspects of a village,” Wei says.
Wanting to break free from the constraints of the traditional novel, Wei made bold structural changes in his latest work.
The novel is divided into two parts. The first part, Aspects, places specific focus on some of the people, things and places in the village, revealing both the genealogies of characters in Xinliu, and the vicissitudes of life.
The second part, A Year, takes a nonfictional approach to documenting the events, large and small, such as agricultural work, weddings and funerals, providing a panoramic depiction of the authentic rural landscape of the present.
In the second part, Wei introduces his own perspective, leading readers through significant events in rural life.
“It was a bit like making a documentary,” he says.
Inspired by the writing style of German-English novelist, essayist, poet and scholar W.G. Sebald, which combines elements of memoir, fiction, history and biography, in Tu Guang Cun Mu, Wei explores a style that blurs the boundary between fiction and nonfiction.
Like scenes from a documentary, the multitude of living beings and everyday life in Xinliu village unfold gradually in the 400-page novel. Over 100 characters, through different festivals and seasons, experience birth, aging, sickness, and death, joy and sorrow, separations and reunions — behind each face is an endless story.
“Villages may seem similar to one another, and you don’t know how the villagers survive and live. Perhaps after reading my novel, readers may understand how they live and die, which might have been my original intention in writing,” Wei says.
“The work is vivid and powerful. Wei Sixiao possesses a deep understanding and affection for the land, yet he avoids sentimentality, using the most simple, compassionate and humorous tone to accurately depict the lives of the villagers,” says Joan Chen, commenting on the book.
“This allows us to feel intense, indescribable emotion and sentiment, reflecting the era and society through a tapestry of lives. I particularly enjoy the dialogues between the first-person narrator ‘I’ and the mother in the book, where they exchange all sorts of gossip about the city, the village, relatives and acquaintances, that bring a smile to the reader’s face.”
Death is one of the topics Wei often covers in his work, especially rural funerals, which he says are like a festival gathering, attended by a lot of relatives and friends.
“When faced with death, people often experience poetic moments. My view of funerals has changed over the years. I used to dislike insincerity of the wailing, but now I see it can comfort the deceased person’s close family, even if the tears aren’t real.”
Opened for entries on April 15, the 2024 Blancpain-Imaginist Literary Prize received 115 works of fiction, a record number of submissions, says Liu Ruilin, founder of Imaginist. Five, including Tong Mo’s novel Dadi Zhongxin De Ren (People at the Center of the Earth), short story collection Guowang De Youxi (The King’s Game) by Datouma, and Laoshi Haoren (Honest, Good People) by Gu Xiang were shortlisted, with the five judges commenting that they “demonstrate the young writers’ keen insight into reality and an impressively expansive view”.
In a significant blow to Australia’s defence capabilities, the federal government is cancelling what would have been the nation’s largest-ever space project: a A$7 billion military satellite communications system.
Defence industry sources quoted by The Australian newspaper indicated that insufficient funding was allocated to start the program, despite its strategic importance. According to the ABC, “defence industry figures believe there are cheaper options available”.
The project’s cancellation would mark a dramatic reversal for a program that was meant to make Australia’s military communications safer at a time when the cyber threat landscape has been steadily evolving.
The rise and fall of JP9102
The ambitious satellite program is known as JP9102. It was awarded to US defence contractor Lockheed Martin in April 2023 after a competitive tender process that included major players like Airbus, Northrop Grumman and Optus.
The project aimed to launch several large military-grade satellites. It would also involve several ground stations, new satellite communications operations centres, and a central management system. Taken together, this would create a secure communications network for Australia’s military.
Currently, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) uses a complex network of up to 89 different “capabilities” (military assets) that rely on satellite communications.
This existing system lacks the comprehensive security and coverage that JP9102 promised to deliver. Without it, Australia’s military communications are potentially left vulnerable to cyber and electronic warfare attacks.
In its statement, the Department of Defence claims its “current satellite communications capabilities support the immediate needs of the organisation”.
What can military satellites deliver?
The proposed satellite system was intended to create what experts call an “uncrackable data network” across the ADF.
These military-grade satellites would have provided secure communications for fighter jets, naval vessels and ground forces across the vast Indo-Pacific region.
Unlike commercial satellites, military satellites incorporate advanced encryption and anti-jamming capabilities. This makes them significantly more resistant to cyber attack and electronic warfare.
Military satellites face sophisticated cyber threats from both state and non-state actors.
China and Russia are widely recognised as having advanced capabilities in this domain. They have the ability to jam satellite signals, intercept communications and potentially even take control of satellite systems. North Korea has also demonstrated growing capabilities in cyber warfare, particularly in signal jamming.
In 2014, Russian forces reportedly jammed and disrupted satellite communications during their operations in Crimea. More recently, at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, hackers disabled thousands of satellite modems that were part of the Viasat satellite network, causing disruptions to both military and civilian communications across Europe.
In the commercial sector, Iran has been accused of jamming satellite broadcasts and GPS signals.
This demonstrates how even nations with less advanced military capabilities can pose significant threats to satellite communications.
JP9102 was considered a “bleeding-edge technology project”. It included plans for machine learning capabilities to increase agility and responsiveness.
The JP9102 satellites may, if they are based on open-architecture design or software-based systems, take advantage of future on-orbit servicing technologies that could extend their operational life and enhance their capabilities over time.
A budget reality
The key takeaway here is the growing gap between Australia’s defence ambitions and its budget reality. As regional tensions continue to increase and cyber threats evolve, the decision to cancel JP9102 highlights the challenging trade-offs between needing to secure Australia’s military communications and the costs of doing so.
It raises the question of how Australia will secure its military communications in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific region. The cancellation of JP9102 creates a significant capability gap in Australia’s military communications strategy that will need to be addressed.
Defence planners will likely need to explore alternative solutions. These might include partnerships with commercial satellite providers or joining the military satellite networks of allied nations, such as the United States.
David Tuffley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hafsa Ahmed, Senior lecturer, Department of Global Value Chains and Trade, Lincoln University, New Zealand
The Asian markets have long been seen as a linchpin for New Zealand’s economic success. And the key to future growth could be the cultural similarities between Māori and communities across the Asian region.
These shared values include mana (honour/prestige), manaakitanga (reciprocity/hospitality), karakia (prayer), whakapapa (genealogy) and veneration of kaumatua (elders).
My ongoing research has found embracing the cultural values of tikanga Māori could give New Zealand an edge in these competitive Asian markets.
Seven of New Zealand’s top ten export destinations are in the Asian region. Exports to China alone amounted to NZ$20 billion last year. Exports to India amount to $520 million.
Asia’s projected growth presents a unique opportunity for any country trying to increase its trade in the region. New Zealand holds a unique advantage when engaging with Asia which relates to cultural distance – the extent to which shared values and norms differ from nation to nation.
Research has shown cultural distance is an important factor in international trade and management.
Cultural distance is what sets a country’s culture apart, including differences in language, societal values and family structures. It’s not static, and there could be clusters within countries where diversity exists.
European Australia, for example, is less distant to the European New Zealand than other countries due to shared colonial origins. But these British-based cultures are considered to have a greater distance from their own indigenous populations.
My research has found there are certain shared values between Māori and Asian cultures that mean the cultural distance is less than it is with Anglo-American cultures.
Similar to many Asian cultures, the Māori worldview is deeply rooted in the intricate relationships between humans, ancestors, and the natural world.
This can be seen through whakapapa and mana, both intrinsically linked to one’s connection to the natural environment and human beings.
This has similarities with spiritual practices in Asia, including Hinduism and Buddhism. The concept of bumitama in Balinese culture, for example, translates to “humanity-land-god”, reflecting a holistic view where humans are interconnected with nature and the divine.
The Māori concept of manaakitanga – the principle of reciprocity, where an individual is recognised and respected for not just who they are but as a representative of everyone who has gone before – is an acknowledgement that individuals are all connected through their ancestors.
Manaakitanga has parallels in many Asian cultures. For example, the ancient Sanskrit adage atithi devo bhava is the cornerstone of Indian hospitality.
Kaumātua – an elder in Māori society – holds a position of immense significance. As the custodians of knowledge, tradition and spiritual wisdom, kaumātua is pivotal in guiding the community, particularly the youth.
This approach of transmission of knowledge, values and cultural heritage from elders to younger generations is a core function of many Asian societies.
New Zealand’s advantage
This comparison simplifies complex cultural systems. It’s important to acknowledge that the nuances and complexities of each culture are vast and multifaceted.
But examining shared similarities can help foster a deeper appreciation for the resonance between Māori and Asian cultures.
The government needs to consider the cultural distance between Māori and Asian cultures as it works to promote trade with its Asian partners.
Incorporating tikanga Māori in international policy and engagement can enable authentic relationships with Asia.
In addition, New Zealand could further include Māori representation in diplomacy with specific Māori diplomatic roles for Asia.
Strategies can include adopting Māori values in decision-making – such as focusing on manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga. The government needs to also support Māori businesses to enter Asian markets and encourage training focused on Asian and Māori cross-cultural exchanges that include opportunities to learn Asian languages to bolster communication.
But this would require a thorough alignment of the New Zealand government towards Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles – a move that is unlikely with the current centre-right coalition.
It is clear embracing tikanga Māori could provide an edge to New Zealand when it comes to engagement with Asia to foster stronger economic, trade, investment and tourism relationships.
Hafsa Ahmed does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.