NewzIntel.com

Category: China

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s self-developed LNG container vessel delivered

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China’s self-developed liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel container vessel was delivered on Monday in northeast China’s port city of Dalian, according to Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd., its builder.

    The vessel, built for the Mediterranean Shipping Company, measures 366 meters in length, 51 meters in molded breadth and 30.2 meters in molded depth, and has a design draft of 14.5 meters.

    The vessel is capable of carrying 16,044 standard containers and 1,800 refrigerated containers, said the shipbuilder.

    The dual-fuel design allows the vessel to be powered by LNG and marine fuel oils. Equipped with a 13,000-cubic-meter Type-B LNG fuel tank, it has a larger capacity and higher utilization rate than traditional LNG fuel tanks and consumes less traditional fuels.

    The shipbuilder has applied other energy-saving measures and devices to improve the economic benefits and environmental protection performance of the vessel.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Impressive progress made 40 years on from first Teachers’ Day

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    China has made significant achievements in teacher development over the past 40 years since the country established Teachers’ Day in 1985, an education expert said.

    Li Yongzhi, head of the Chinese National Academy of Educational Sciences, said the number of full-time teachers in China has doubled from approximately 9.32 million in 1985 to 18.92 million last year.

    Educational qualifications have improved, too, with 78 percent of primary school teachers holding at least a bachelor’s degree last year, up 45 percentage points since 2012. For middle school teachers, the figure has reached 93 percent, an increase of 22 percentage points over the same period, Li said.

    “A notable rise was seen in the number of senior teachers, including 28,125 appointed to senior positions in primary and secondary schools,” he said.

    China’s teacher education system has evolved during the past decades, now comprising 226 normal (teaching) universities and nearly 600 related institutions.

    Management reforms have further strengthened the teaching profession. The implementation of the Teacher Law in 1993 and recent government documents have created a robust framework for teacher management, contributing to a more equitable distribution of teaching resources across urban and rural areas, Li said.

    An awarding system for teachers has been built, including titles of the “Most Beautiful Teacher”, “National Excellent Teacher”, and “National Model Teacher”.

    Ten individuals and Beihang University’s electromagnetic compatibility teaching team were honored as the Most Beautiful Teachers of 2024 on the 40th Teachers’ Day in September.

    Teacher compensation has also improved, with salaries for nine-year compulsory education teachers now matching local civil service averages.

    Teachers have played a crucial role in the development of education, technology and talent cultivation in China, guiding the growth of 190 million primary and secondary school students.

    “A large number of rural teachers are guarding the safety and growth of children in villages, playing a fundamental role in poverty alleviation and rural vitalization efforts,” Li said.

    In addition, educators from higher education institutes have made a major contribution to the country’s high-level scientific innovation, with over 40 percent of academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering working at universities.

    Lin Zhanxi, a professor from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in Fujian province, once received a globe map with every location that the juncao technology that he helped develop, marked on it as a gift from his students on a Teachers’ Day.

    As a pioneer of juncao technology, a sustainable agricultural practice that involves cultivating mushroom grass along with edible fungi, Lin has dedicated years of hard work to conducting research in the toughest environments and promoting the technology where it is most needed.

    Lin didn’t apply for a patent as the inventor of this technology because he thought it would be better to lower the barriers for poverty alleviation technology. He also simplified the technology to make it more accessible to ensure farmers can easily understand the method.

    Last year, about two-thirds of the National Science and Technology Awards were led by university teachers, according to the Ministry of Education.

    The new guideline on strengthening the construction of a high-quality professional teaching workforce has promised a strong foundation for advancing education in the new era, said Li, head of the educational science academy.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: eQ Plc’s interim report Q3 2024 – eQ’s operating profit EUR 27.6 million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    eQ Plc interim report
    22 October 2024 at 8:00 AM

    January to September 2024 in brief

    • During the period under review, the Group’s net revenue totalled EUR 50.9 million (EUR 52.3 million from 1 Jan. to 30 Sept. 2023). The Group’s net fee and commission income was EUR 49.8 million (EUR 51.5 million).
    • The Group’s operating profit fell by 8% to EUR 27.6 million (EUR 30.0 million).
    • The Group’s profit was EUR 21.9 million (EUR 23.8 million).
    • The consolidated earnings per share were EUR 0.53 (EUR 0.59).
    • The net revenue of the Asset Management segment decreased by 10% to EUR 45.5 million (EUR 50.3 million) and the operating profit by 15% to EUR 26.9 million (EUR 31.7 million). The management fees of the Asset Management segment fell by 10% to EUR 42.0 million (EUR 46.8 million) and the performance fees increased by 3% to EUR 4.0 million (EUR 3.9 million). During the review period, the assets managed by eQ Asset Management grew by 3% to EUR 13.3 billion (EUR 12.9 billion on 31 Dec. 2023).
    • The net revenue of the Corporate Finance segment was EUR 4.3 million (EUR 1.2 million)
       and the operating profit was EUR 1.5 million (EUR -0.9 million).
    • The operating profit of the Investments segment was EUR 0.5 million (EUR 0.4 million).
    • The net cash flow from the Group’s own private equity and real estate fund investment operations was EUR 0.7 million (EUR 0.2 million).

    July to September 2024 in brief

    • In the third quarter, the Group’s net revenue totalled EUR 16.7 million (EUR 16.6 million from 1 July to 30 Sept. 2023). The Group’s net fee and commission income was EUR 16.6 million (EUR 16.2 million).
    • The Group’s operating profit fell by 6% to EUR 9.6 million (EUR 10.2 million).
    • The Group’s profit was EUR 7.6 million (EUR 8.1 million).
    • The consolidated earnings per share were EUR 0.18 (EUR 0.20).
    Key ratios 1-9/24 1-9/23 Change 7-9/24 7-9/23 Change 1-12/23
    Net revenue, Group, MEUR 50.9 52.3 -3% 16.7 16.6 1% 70.9
    Net revenue, Asset Management, MEUR 45.5 50.3 -10% 15.2 15.9 -4% 66.9
    Net revenue, Corporate Finance, MEUR 4.3 1.2 251% 1.3 0.3 300% 3.9
    Net revenue, Investments, MEUR 0.5 0.4 15% -0.1 0.3 -133% -0.6
    Net revenue, Group administration and eliminations, MEUR 0.7 0.4   0.2 0.1    0.6
                   
    Operating profit, Group, MEUR 27.6 30.0 -8% 9.6 10.2 -6% 39.7
    Operating profit, Asset Management, MEUR 26.9 31.7 -15% 9.4 10.5 -10% 41.4
    Operating profit, Corporate Finance, MEUR 1.5 -0.9 265% 0.5 -0.2 331% 0.7
    Operating profit, Investments, MEUR 0.5 0.4 15% -0.1 0.3 -133% -0.6
    Operating profit, Group administration, MEUR -1.1 -1.3   -0.3 -0.4   -1.7
                   
    Profit for the period, MEUR 21.9 23.8 -8% 7.6 8.1 -6% 31.5
                   
    Key ratios 1-9/24 1-9/23 Change 7-9/24 7-9/23 Change 1-12/23
    Earnings per share, EUR 0.53 0.59 -9% 0.18 0.20 -8% 0.78
    Equity per share, EUR 1.64 1.65 -1% 1.64 1.65 -1% 1.85
    Cost/income ratio, Group, % 45.7 42.6 7% 42.8 38.5 11% 43.8
                   
    Liquid assets, MEUR 29.0 22.4 29% 29.0 22.4 29% 33.4
    Private equity and real estate fund investments, MEUR 16.5 17.1 -4% 16.5 17.1 -4% 16.6
    Interest-bearing loans, MEUR 0.0 0.0 0% 0.0 0.0 0% 0.0
                   
    Assets under management excluding reporting services, EUR billion 10.4 9.9 4% 10.4 9.9 4% 10.0
    Assets under management, EUR billion 13.3 12.8 4% 13.3 12.8 4% 12.9

    Mikko Koskimies, CEO

    Before the summer, it was expected that the Federal Reserve would not be able to cut its reference rate until late 2024 or in 2025. However, this view changed in early August, when labour market data was clearly weaker than expected. Strong fears emerged in the markets that the central bank acted too late when cutting interest rates and that the economy was at risk of a recession. Interest rate markets immediately anticipated that the Federal Reserve would cut its reference rate exceptionally quickly and sharply. Stock markets fell. Market positions were unwound at a rapid pace, resulting in Japanese yen’s sharp value increase and the Japanese stock market’s steep decline.

    Economic data released in the following weeks showed that market reactions had been disproportionate. However, the increased risk of recession was reflected in the Federal Reserve cutting its reference rate by 0.5 percentage points in September. The European Central Bank had already cut its reference rate in the summer and implemented another 0.25 percentage point cut in September. In Europe, economic growth differentials are exceptionally high, complicating the ECB’s monetary policy stance. Towards the end of the third quarter, China announced larger economic policy measures to boost growth. This led to a sharp rise in share prices at the very end of the quarter.

    Equity markets fluctuated in line with the recession, but as predictions of the economy’s soft landing returned, third-quarter returns turned clearly positive. At the beginning of the year, the US was the frontrunner, with the S&P 500 index returning as much as 21.7% in dollars (20.5% in euros). The rise of US share prices continues to be driven by a few technology companies. MSCI Europe had risen 11.6% since the beginning of the year. The Finnish stock market rose rapidly in the third quarter, up 8.8% from the start of the year. In emerging markets, share prices rose by 15.7% at the start of the year.

    eQ’s operating profit EUR 27.6 million

    The net revenue of the Group during the review period was EUR 50.9 million and the operating profit was EUR 27.6 million. Operating profit fell by 8 per cent from the previous year.

    eQ Asset Management’s assets under management increased

    eQ Asset Management’s net revenue in the review period fell by 10 per cent to EUR 45.5 million. The operating profit of the period fell by 15 per cent to EUR 26.9 million. The assets managed by eQ Asset Management grew by 3 per cent to EUR 13.3 billion during the period under review.

    As for traditional interest and equity investments, the returns of client portfolios in the first half were very good. Of the funds that eQ manages itself, 38 per cent surpassed their benchmark indices, and during a three-year period the corresponding figure was 62 per cent. During the review period eQ’s funds also received awards from both Morningstar and Lipper.

    As for sales, the year 2024 has gone well especially in Private Equity asset management. In 2024, Private Equity assets are raised to the eQ PE XVI North and eQ PE SF V funds, which make investments in Northern Europe. Their sizes increased to almost EUR 300 million in total at the end September. At the same time, the size the eQ VC II fund, which makes Venture Capital investments and which was started with the first closing of EUR 20 million last October, grew to 49 million dollars.

    Advium’s profit grew

    During the period under review, Advium’s net revenue totalled EUR 4.3 million (EUR 1.2 million). Operating profit was EUR 1.5 million (EUR -0.9 million).

    M&A activity in the third quarter of the year has remained at the same level as at the beginning of the year, but at a clearly lower level compared to the longer-term average. Volumes of the real estate transaction market are also still significantly below the long-term average.

    During the first nine months of 2024, Advium advised on four M&A transactions and one real estate transaction: Advising Aspo Plc on its minority investment in OP Suomi Infra, advising the eQ Commercial Properties fund on the sale of the Bredis retail park, advising an acquiring consortium on the public offer for Purmo Group, advising Innofactor Board of Directors on public cash offer for the company and advising Forcit on its agreement to acquire part of Orica’s Finnish and Swedish businesses.

    Jacob af Forselles was appointed as the Managing Director of Advium Corporate Finance Ltd and as a member to eQ Group’s Management Team. He started in his position at the beginning of August.

    The operating profit of Investments increased slightly

    The operating profit of the Investments segment was EUR 0.5 million (EUR 0.4 million), and the net cash flow was EUR 0.7 million (EUR 0.2 million). The balance sheet value of the private equity and real estate fund investments at the end of the period was EUR 16.5 million (EUR 16.6 million on 31 Dec. 2023). During the period, eQ Plc made a EUR 1 million investment commitment in the new eQ PE XVI North fund.

    Outlook

    The asset management market in Finland has grown strongly, and eQ’s growth has outpaced the market. We estimate that the long-term outlook for growth in the asset management market and for eQ in Finland is still good.

    For eQ’s real estate funds, 2023 was a difficult year due to an increase of the yields resulting from a strong rise in the interest rate level. As yields rose, values of properties clearly declined. Also, net subscriptions in funds were negative. The limited availability of real estate financing also contributed to a significant decrease in real estate transactions. With regard to the real estate funds, we expect 2024 to be a challenging year, although the long-term outlook for growth is good. Sales of eQ’s Private Equity products has continued to be strong, and the desire of Finnish asset management clients to increase Private Equity allocations in their portfolios will continue to support the growth of eQ’s Private Equity products. We also anticipate a growth in performance fees from 2025 onwards, due to the transfer of several Private Equity products to a performance fee stage. eQ’s competitive position in traditional asset management products and discretionary asset management is good thanks to excellent returns on investments. We believe that traditional asset management has great potential for growth in future years, considering however its characteristic short-term variation according to market conditions.

    ***

    eQ’s interim report 1 January to 30 September 2024 is enclosed to this release and it is also available on the company website at http://www.eQ.fi.

    eQ Plc

    Additional information:
    Mikko Koskimies, CEO, tel. +358 9 6817 8799
    Antti Lyytikäinen, CFO, tel. +358 9 6817 8741

    Distribution: Nasdaq Helsinki, http://www.eQ.fi, media

    eQ Group is a group of companies that concentrates on asset management and corporate finance business. eQ Asset Management offers a wide range of asset management services (including private equity funds and real estate asset management) for institutions and private individuals. The assets managed by the Group total approximately EUR 13.3 billion. Advium Corporate Finance, which is part of the Group, offers services related to mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions and equity capital markets. More information about the Group is available on our website http://www.eQ.fi.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Statement from President  Biden Congratulating Nobel Peace Prize  Winners

    Source: The White House

    This year’s Nobel Peace Prize winners embody determination and resilience in the face of tragedy. For decades, the members of Nihon Hidankyo have served as a human testament to the catastrophic human toll of nuclear weapons, telling a story that humanity needs to hear. On behalf of the United States, I congratulate them on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their historic work to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used again. We also congratulate Japan for this recognition of the moral clarity and steadfast commitment of its people and government to prevent the spread and use of nuclear weapons. 

    As I was powerfully reminded last year when I visited Hiroshima and met with a survivor of the bombing, we must continue making progress toward the day when we can finally and forever rid the world of nuclear weapons. The United States stands ready to engage in talks with Russia, China, and North Korea without preconditions to reduce the nuclear threat. There is no benefit to our nations or the world to forestall progress on reducing nuclear arsenals. Reducing the nuclear threat is important not despite the dangers of today’s world but precisely because of them. These nuclear risks erode the norms and agreements we have worked collectively to put in place and run counter to the vital work of today’s Nobel Laureates.  

    Yesterday’s announcement by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee reminds us that we must continue our progress toward a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons. Let us all take inspiration from this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winners and recommit ourselves to the vital work of building a safer world. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: FACT SHEET: U.S. Achievements in the Global Fight Against  Corruption

    Source: The White House

    Corruption poses a grave and enduring threat to U.S. national interests and those of our partners. When officials abuse their entrusted power for personal or political gain, the interests of authoritarians and corrupt actors win – at the expense of citizens, honest businesses, and healthy societies. As the Biden-Harris Administration took office, this longstanding challenge had metastasized. In some countries, oligarchs were teaming up with foreign kleptocrats to warp policy and procurement decisions in exchange for kickbacks – with no accountability. Corrupt officials were laundering stolen assets through the U.S. and global financial systems, while local investigators were ill-equipped to follow the money. Reformers in countries saddled with corruption had scarce public resources to actually address development needs. The Biden-Harris Administration tacked these challenges starting Day One, to ensure democracy delivers and corrupt actors are held to account.

    The first National Security Study Memorandum of the Biden-Harris Administration established countering corruption as a “core U.S. national security interest,” leading to the issuance in December 2021 of the first United States Strategy on Countering Corruption. Since then, the United States has taken action at home and around the world to curb illicit finance, hold corrupt actors accountable, forge multilateral partnerships, and equip frontline leaders to take on transnational corruption. The result has been historic progress in protecting the U.S. financial system from money-laundering, including in the residential real estate sector, while enhancing corporate transparency. This Administration has mobilized record levels of foreign assistance dedicated to anti-corruption, including $339 million in Fiscal Year 2023 alone – almost double the yearly average during the previous four years. This new assistance has unlocked support for anti-corruption institutions, leveled the playing field for law-abiding businesses, enabled journalists to team up across borders, and more. Expanded law enforcement cooperation and capacity-building have generated convictions of corrupt actors as well as the seizure, forfeiture, and return of criminal proceeds, while new anti-corruption offices at the Department of State (State) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) energized diplomatic and stakeholder engagement. The United States imposed sanctions on more than 500 individuals and entities for corruption and related activities, and established – for the first time in any jurisdiction globally – a new visa restriction for those who enable corrupt activity.

    U.S. progress on anti-corruption has produced concrete benefits for the American people and stakeholders around the world – enhancing prosperity, economic security, safety, and democracy, as outlined below. To bolster and sustain this work, the U.S. government has also modernized its approach to addressing corruption as a cross-cutting priority. Today, Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh will highlight the benefits of this work to American businesses and workers at a White House anti-corruption roundtable with leaders from 15 major U.S. companies.

    Advancing economic opportunity abroad

    • Improving the business enabling environment: U.S. assistance advanced governments’ capacity to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute corruption, while encouraging anti-bribery compliance. State expanded its Fiscal Transparency Innovation Fund – to help willing partners improve budget transparency – while holding countries to account for progress in its Fiscal Transparency Report. In the past two years alone, a newly expanded State-Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) program facilitated U.S. collaboration with foreign counterparts on more than 50 transnational corruption and money laundering cases with a U.S. nexus. In coordination with State, experienced legal advisors from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) assisted foreign justice partners around the world in investigating and prosecuting corruption and money laundering cases, and recovering assets. And DOJ’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, in partnership with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, has recovered more than $1.7 billion and returned or assisted in returning more than $1.6 billion for the benefit of the people harmed by the corruption.
    • Enforcing our bans on foreign bribery and money-laundering – and pressing other countries to do the same: To enable honest companies to compete overseas, the United States upheld its commitments under the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention by enforcing its foreign bribery and related laws and working with partners to monitor other countries’ progress in implementing the Convention, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024. Since the start of the Administration, DOJ has imposed more than $3.5 billion in total monetary sanctions under the Foreign Corruption Practices Act (FCPA) in 16 corporate resolutions, and announced charges against more than 70 individuals. For instance, this April the former Comptroller General of Ecuador was convicted of money laundering relating to his receipt of over $10 million in bribes from, among others, the Brazil-based construction conglomerate Odebrecht S.A. The Securities and Exchange Commission continued civil enforcement of the FCPA, with approximately $1 billion in total monetary sanctions in 22 corporate resolutions, spanning conduct in 24 countries, since the start of the Administration. DOJ is also enforcing the recently enacted Foreign Extortion Prevention Act, which criminalizes demands for bribes by foreign officials from U.S. companies and others. In addition, this August DOJ announced a new Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program to uncover and prosecute corporate crime – with a particular focus on foreign and domestic corruption, as well as violations by financial institutions of their obligations to take steps to detect and deter money laundering.
    • Seizing windows of opportunity: U.S. assistance has become more agile via the establishment of USAID’s Anti-Corruption Response Fund (providing flexible support to countries experiencing new opportunities or backsliding), the State-DOJ Global Anti-Corruption Rapid Response Fund (providing assistance and case mentoring to foreign partners on short notice), and USAID’s Democracy Delivers initiative (which has marshalled $500 million in funding from the United States and others to help reformers deliver, including on their anti-corruption commitments). These innovations, informed by USAID’s Dekleptification Guide, are enabling the U.S. government to more nimbly pivot toward environments where local momentum can be bolstered by outside assistance.
    • Bolstering integrity in high-risk sectors: In April 2024, the United States and its partners launched the Blue Dot Network – a mechanism to certify infrastructure projects that have met global standards for quality and sustainability, including transparency in procurement and provisions to limit opportunities for corruption. The United States also supported the launch of PROTECT, a collective action project to address corruption risk in the supply chain for critical minerals.
    • Strengthening corruption safeguards in the Indo-Pacific: In June, the United States and thirteen other partners held a signing ceremony, after concluding eight rounds of negotiations in record time, for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Fair Economy Agreement. The Agreement aims to create a more transparent, predictable trade and investment environment across IPEF partners’ markets, including through binding obligations to prevent and combat corruption. The Department of Commerce (Commerce) and State are accelerating implementation by offering new anti-corruption technical assistance to IPEF partners, including workshops on procurement corruption.
    • Dialoguing with the private sector: In 2021, State launched the Galvanizing the Private Sector as Partners in Combatting Corruption initiative, which connects companies and governments to strengthen business integrity and encourage governance reform. Commerce’s International Trade Administration organized the 2024 forum of the Business Ethics for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Small and Medium Enterprises Initiative – the world’s largest public-private partnership on ethical business conduct – at which stakeholders formalized policy recommendations on business integrity in public procurement.

    Protecting the U.S. financial system from abuse

    • Expanding corporate transparency: To deter kleptocrats and criminals from laundering money through anonymous shell companies, the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) operationalized a new filing system for certain companies operating in the United States to report their beneficial owners – the real people who own or control them – pursuant to the bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act. Treasury held hundreds of outreach events across all states and territories, reaching thousands of stakeholders, to enable companies to quickly and easily comply with this reporting requirement.
    • Closing loopholes for money-laundering: Treasury finalized rules to close two major loopholes in the U.S. financial system: (1) to increase transparency in the U.S. residential real estate sector, to ensure that law-abiding homebuyers are not disadvantaged by individuals laundering their ill-gotten gains, and (2) to safeguard the investment adviser industry from illicit finance. Treasury also proposed a rule to modernize financial institutions’ anti-money-laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) programs, to make them more effective and risk-based. Together, these rulemakings represent historic advances for the U.S. AML/CFT regime, in line with international standards, that will help the United States urge other countries to undertake similar reforms to curb illicit finance. The Biden-Harris Administration has also called on Congress to close even more loopholes that facilitate money-laundering by passing the ENABLERS Act.
    • Blocking assets and denying entry to corrupt actors: Since the start of the Administration, Treasury has designated more than 500 individuals and entities for corruption and related activities, across six continents. That includes blocking the assets of 20 individuals and 48 companies in Fiscal Year 2024 for corruption in Afghanistan, Guatemala, Guyana, Paraguay, Western Balkans, and Zimbabwe. In tandem, State publicly issued corruption-related visa restrictions for 76 foreign officials and family members in Fiscal Year 2024, and 292 over the course of the Administration. These actions have protected the U.S. financial system from corrupt actors and promoted accountability in domestic jurisdictions. For example, just one week after the U.S. issuance of a public visa restriction on former Director of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) Intelligence Services Osman Mehmedagic for significant corruption, he was arrested by BiH authorities for abuse of office.
    • Taking aim at enablers of corruption: In December 2023, President Biden issued an historic Presidential Proclamation establishing a visa restriction for those who facilitate and enable significant corruption and their immediate family members. This new visa restriction complements existing commitments to use sanction and law enforcement capabilities to target private enablers of public corruption. Earlier this year, the FBI and DOJ secured a guilty plea and a criminal penalty of $661 million from Gunvor – one of the largest commodities trading firms in the world – for facilitating bribery of Ecuadorian officials and laundering those bribes through U.S. banks. In addition, USAID launched new activities to incentivize integrity within professions that serve as gatekeepers to the international financial system.
    • Upholding international standards: The United States has helped lead efforts to expand anti-corruption work at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), including improving assessment tools, mitigating risks associated with “golden passport” programs, and highlighting how non-financial sectors can be abused by corrupt actors.

    Keeping America and our partners safe

    • Addressing corruption risk in the security sector: Security sector corruption can divert essential supplies, empower malign actors, threaten the safety of U.S. service members, and undermine U.S. military missions writ large. In the past year, the Department of Defense (DOD) incorporated corruption risk into its security cooperation planning – subjecting certain proposals to further scrutiny and identifying risk mitigation measures as needed. State also created new resources to weigh corruption risk as part of security sector assistance decision-making. In addition, State’s Global Defense Reform Program and DOD’s institutional capacity building programs advanced more transparent, accountable, and professional defense institutions. DOD continued running a training course on combatting corruption for partner military commanders and civilian leaders.
    • Tackling organized crime and corruption: Transnational criminal organizations often rely on corruption to enable their criminal activities and evade accountability – which fuels narcotrafficking into the United States, human smuggling, cybercrimes, and more. The U.S. government is deploying anti-corruption tools to target criminal networks and their financial enablers, in line with the 2023 White House Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime.
    • Standing up to Russia’s aggression: The United States has adapted to address the wartime needs of Ukraine’s anti-corruption stakeholders, as they close off a key vector for Russian dominance and advance Ukraine’s democratic future. In 2023, Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators and prosecutors achieved an 80 percent increase in prosecutions and a 50 percent increase in convictions, plus opened cases against high-ranking officials including the former head of the Ukrainian Supreme Court.  With U.S. support, Ukraine has advanced significant reforms on asset disclosure, launched a whistleblower portal, strengthened the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, and enhanced transparency and integrity in reconstruction.
    • Securing a greener future: The United States has integrated an anti-corruption lens across sectors, with particular emphasis on addressing corruption vulnerabilities that threaten a secure, just energy transition for all. This includes USAID support to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), increased mining transparency in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, and innovations that address transnational corruption in green energy mineral supply chains across 15 countries.
    • Protecting global health: Corruption curtails the ability of states to respond to pandemics and undercuts access to basic healthcare. USAID is tackling this challenge by releasing cutting-edge guidance on anti-corruption in the health sector and launching integrated programming. For example, in Liberia the United States is working with the government to curb theft of pharmaceuticals through civil society monitoring, law enforcement trainings, and public awareness campaigns.
    • Addressing the root causes of migration: Combating corruption is a core component of improving conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras – so people do not feel compelled to leave their homes, in line with the U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America. Recent U.S. actions have included training up to 27,000 justice sector stakeholders in those countries to more effectively address corruption.

    Defending democracy by rooting out corruption

    • Tackling electoral corruption: When candidates can be bankrolled by foreign adversaries and institutions captured by kleptocrats, citizens lose faith in their governments—or even in democracy itself. In response, USAID has launched new programs to bolster electoral integrity, strengthen independent media, and increase the transparency of political finance in high-risk locations.
    • Lifting up civil society and independent media: The U.S. government has substantially expanded support to frontline activists and journalists, including through the Global Anti-Corruption Consortium. In addition, a new State Department initiative is training hundreds of journalists in transnational corruption investigations, while USAID’s new investigative journalist networks in Asia and Southern Africa are building capacity to track corruption across sectors and across borders. The Secretary of State established a new award for Anti-Corruption Champions, which has honored dozens of courageous civil society leaders and embattled reformers. In 2022, the United States also hosted the largest regular gathering of civil society activists fighting corruption – the International Anti-Corruption Conference – in Washington, DC, with keynote remarks from APNSA Jake Sullivan.
    • Protecting sovereignty: Authoritarian actors like Russia and the PRC use bribery to interfere in the policy, procurement, debt, and electoral processes of other countries – undermining both sovereignty and democracy. The United States is standing up to this tactic by building the resilience of frontline actors to detect and deflect foreign-backed strategic corruption, educating partners about the kleptocrats’ playbook, harnessing sanction tools to deter threats, and increasing collaboration between practitioners working on anti-corruption and those addressing foreign malign influence – both within the USG and with likeminded partners. For example, in June the United States joined with Canada and the UK to expose Russia’s use of corruption and covert financing, among other tactics, to undermine democratic processes in Moldova.
    • Restoring trust in American democracy: The Biden-Harris Administration has established the strongest ethics standards of any U.S. presidency. On his first day in office, the President signed an Executive Order requiring administration officials to take a stringent ethics pledge, which extends lobbying bans, limits shadow lobbying, and makes ethics waivers more transparent. The Administration also restored longstanding democratic norms by protecting DOJ cases from political interference, releasing the President’s and Vice-President’s taxes, and voluntarily disclosing White House visitor logs. And in the last year, the Office of Government Ethics finalized rules updating the standards for ethical conduct and legal expense funds for executive branch employees.
    • Protecting American democracy from malign finance: Just as we defend democracy around the world, the U.S. government is working to keep American democracy safe from foreign adversaries. Actions to curb money laundering in the United States can help reduce the ability of foreign and domestic actors to make illegal campaign contributions and evade U.S. election laws. President Biden has called on Congress to go even further by passing the DISCLOSE Act, which would curb the ability of foreign entities and special interests to use dark money loopholes to influence our elections.
    • Revitalizing participation in the Open Government Partnership (OGP): The United States rejoined the Steering Committee of OGP – a platform for civil society and governments to forge joint commitments and learn from each other– and provided assistance for OGP’s work on anti-corruption. Domestically, the United States has turbocharged OGP implementation by creating the U.S. Open Government Secretariat at the General Services Administration, an Open Government Federal Advisory Committee, an Interagency Community of Practice – spanning federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and engaged with hundreds of stakeholders to exchange lessons and expand transparency, accountability, and public participation. The United States also launched the first-ever Request for Information to feed into the 6th U.S. OGP National Action Plan and announced development of a toolkit to help federal agencies more meaningfully engage with the public.

    Modernizing and coordinating U.S. government efforts to fight corruption

    • Institutionalizing anti-corruption as an enduring priority: Over the past four years, Departments and Agencies have made substantial organizational improvements to elevate corruption concerns. For example:
      • The State Department’s new Office of the Coordinator on Global Anti-Corruption leads the integration of anti-corruption priorities into bilateral and other policy processes, conducts targeted diplomatic engagements, and drives strategic planning, including through the Department’s senior-level Anti-Corruption Policy Board. In the past year, the Office jumpstarted implementation of the Combating Global Corruption Act and completed an analysis of anti-corruption assistance to inform future State Department decision-making.
      • USAID’s new Anti-Corruption Center, within the newly established Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance, serves as a hub of technical expertise and thought leadership – driving the integration of corruption considerations across USAID’s portfolio, supporting USAID Missions in developing localized approaches, managing a suite of programming focused on transnational corruption, and using its convening power and policy insights to forge strategic partnerships. Since 2022, USAID has released its first-ever Anti-Corruption Policy, which outlines a cross-sectoral approach to constraining opportunities for corruption, raising the costs of corruption, and incentivizing integrity – plus a host of tools to drive uptake across USAID.
      • FBI’s International Corruption Unit expanded an agreement with the State Department to deploy six regional anti-corruption advisors to strategic locations around the world, where they organize regional working groups with local law enforcement officials, provide case-base mentorship, and facilitate coordination with the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre.

    Expanded interagency capacity has been complemented by the National Security Council’s establishment of a dedicated Director for Anti-Corruption position, for the first time, to ensure whole-of-government coordination and advance anti-corruption within key policy processes.

    • Leading in multilateral fora: The United States has regained its leadership role in the international bodies that shape anti-corruption norms globally and can sustain momentum across time. In particular, the United States stepped into the presidency of the UN Convention against Corruption Conference of States Parties (UNCAC COSP), proudly hosting in December 2023 thousands of stakeholders in Atlanta, Georgia, led by the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. As part of its commitment to championing the role of non-governmental actors in the fight against corruption, the United States facilitated record civil society participation in UNCAC working group meetings, hosted the first UNCAC Private Sector Forum, and supported inclusive implementation of UNCAC commitments in Latin America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia. The United States also participated in several peer reviews of our own anti-corruption practices over the last three years, and proudly made these results public. Alongside these multilateral fora, we convened the Global Forum on Asset Recovery action series to accelerate practitioner cooperation across the United States, Algeria, Honduras, Iraq, Moldova, Nigeria, Seychelles, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Zambia.
    • Understanding corruption dynamics: The Intelligence Community developed and disseminated new resources to bolster intelligence prioritization, collection and analysis on corrupt actors and their networks. USAID commissioned research on topics like countering corruption through social and behavioral change and State initiated an interagency anti-corruption learning agenda and a small grants program to support it.
    • Deepening external partnerships: The United States convened a series of coordination meetings with other bilateral donors and philanthropies in order to harmonize our anti-corruption approaches and galvanized anti-corruption resources across the donor community through the Integrity for Development campaign. USAID’s Countering Transnational Corruption Grand Challenge for Development brought together technologists, businesses, activists, and others to collaboratively address concrete corruption challenges.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks by Vice President Harris Before Air Force Two Departure | Detroit,  MI

    Source: The White House

    Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
    Detroit, Michigan

    12:27 P.M. EDT

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, about last night.  So, Donald Trump — I — I found it to be quite bizarre — actually called himself the “father of IVF.”  And if what he meant is taking responsibility, well, then, yeah, he should take responsibility for the fact that one is three women in America lives in a Trump abortion ban state. 

    What he should take responsibility for is that couples who are praying and hoping and working toward growing a family have — have been so disappointed and — and harmed by the fact that IVF treatments have now been put at risk.

    What he should take responsibility for is what we have been seeing across the country since he hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court, and they undid the protections of Roe v. Wade — Wade.

    What he should take responsibility for is that he has been trying to take away the protections against preexisting conditions for, for example, women who are survivors of breast cancer. 

    So, let’s not be distracted by his choice of words.  The reality is his actions have been very harmful to women and — and families in America on this issue. 

         Q    Madam Vice President, Donald Trump did a rally —

         Q    Madam Vice President, do you agree with President Obama’s recent suggestion that Black men may be hesitant to vote for you because you’re a woman?

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Let me first say that I am very proud to have the support of former President Barack Obama.  And I think that the important point that I will make over and over again is I don’t assume to have the votes of any demographic locked down.  I have to earn their vote, and I am going to work, as I’ve been, to earn that vote and to win on November 5th.

         Q    That particular dynamic —

         Q    Ma’am, there’s been a lot of recent questions about Donald Trump’s –

    THE PRESIDENT:   Once again.

         Q    There’s been a lot of recent questions based on an event he did recently.  He played music for about 30 minutes straight.  Just questions about his mental fitness for office at this point.  Do you think Donald Trump needs to take a cognitive test?

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’m going to say what I have said publicly and will say many times based on my observations and, I think, the observations of many.  Donald Trump is increasingly unstable, and as has been said by the people who have worked closely with him, even when he was president, he’s unfit to be president of the United States.

         Q    Do you support the letter the administration sent Israel threatening legal action over military aid?  Are you —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I —

         Q    Do you su- —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I’ve issued my statement about that, yeah.

         Q    Are you — are you supporting calling off military aid if the situation in Gaza does not improve?

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I don’t believe that’s what the letter said.

         Q    Or what kind of legal action do you support?

         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We’ll take it one step at a time if necessary. 

         Q    Are you —

         Q    Madam Vice President, the Chinese military has been doing drills around Taiwan, and Xi Jinping visited the province across from Taiwan.  It’s raising pressure, obviously, on Taiwan. 

    What is your position were there to be an invasion of Taiwan by the Chinese military under — if you were president at the time?

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, let me restate the point I’ve made many times.  I believe in the One China policy, and I believe that there — and that Taiwan has an — a right to defend itself.

         Q    Would the American —

         Q    As a Calif- —

         Q    Would the American government provide arms for the Taiwanese —

         Q    As a California voter, how will you vote on the “Get Tough on Crime” Measure 36 — Proposition 36?

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I have not voted yet, and I’ve actually not read it yet.  But I’ll let you know. 

         Thank you.

                            END                12:30 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan En Route Berlin,  Germany

    Source: The White House

    2:15 P.M. EDT

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Okay.  So, I’m just going to get straight to it.  

    As you can see, I have the national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, here to talk to us about the trip but also the latest in the Middle East.

    Jake, the floor is yours. 

    MR. SULLIVAN:  So, I don’t know if you guys have heard because of the lack of Wi-Fi back here, but the IDF has confirmed the death of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader, and I’ll come to that in just a moment. 

    But let me start by laying out what we hope to achieve over the course of the next 24 hours in Berlin.  This is the president’s first visit to Berlin as president, and he did not want his time in office to go by without going to the capital of one of — one of our most important partners and allies. 

    Germany is a core Ally in NATO, a core partner in the G7.  They’ve been a core player in the Allied response to Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.  And the president is looking forward to having the opportunity to talk to the chancellor and other German officials about where we go from here in Ukraine; about developments in the Middle East, in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Israel; about how we align our respective approaches on the PRC; about how we align our industrial and innovation strategies; about artificial intelligence and the clean energy transition. 

    He will also have the opportunity to meet with the prime minister of the UK and president of France.  The four leaders — Germany, France, UK, U.S. — will sit together to particularly focus on two issues.

    One, the war in Ukraine and the pathway ahead, particularly in light of the fact that they’ve all had the opportunity to engage in person with President Zelenskyy over the course of the last few weeks and heard from him about where he sees things going.  So, this is an opportunity to consult on that.

    And then, second, to talk about the ongoing and fast-moving developments across the Middle East region.

    The president will see President Steinmeier.  He’ll spend one-on-one time with Chancellor Scholz.  He’ll spend time with his delegation — with Chancellor Scholz and his delegation. 

    And then, of course, there’ll be this meeting among the four leaders in the afternoon, and there’ll be an opportunity for press statements with the chancellor and the president. 

    So, that’s the plan for tomorrow.

    Of course, this comes against the backdrop of a pretty significant — very significant day in the Middle East, and that is that Yahya Sinwar has been taken off the battlefield.  This is a murderous terrorist responsible for the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.  He has a lot of blood on his hands — Israeli blood, American blood, Palestinian blood — and the world is better now that he’s gone. 

    President Biden has just put out a written statement sharing his thoughts and reactions to the death of Sinwar, and he looks forward to the opportunity soon, perhaps very shortly, to speak to Prime Minister Netanyahu to congratulate the IDF and the brave Israeli soldiers and security professionals who carried out the operation that killed Sinwar but also to talk about the way forward, because Sinwar was a massive obstacle to peace and the day after in Gaza.  And now that that obstacle has been removed, President Biden looks forward to talking to Prime Minister Netanyahu about how we secure the return of the hostages, an end to the war, and a move to the day after in Gaza — a Gaza where Hamas is no longer in power or control. 

    So they’ll have the opportunity to have an initial conversation about that, but this truly is an opportunity we need to seize together to bring about a better day for the people of Gaza, the people of Israel, the people of the whole region.  And the United States is committed to doing everything in our power to help contribute to that. 

    Last thing I will say is that from shortly after October 7th, President Biden dispatched special operations personnel and intelligence professionals to Israel to work side by side with their Israeli counterparts in the hunt for Hamas leaders, including Sinwar, and it was with American intelligence help that many of these leaders, including Sinwar, were hunted and tracked, were flushed out of their hiding places, and put on the run.  And, ultimately, this is a credit to the IDF for taking out Sinwar over the course of the last hours and days, but we’re proud of the support that the United States has given to the IDF all along the way. 

    So, with that, I’d be happy to take your questions.

    Q    Jake —

    Q    Can you say anything — well, go ahead.  I’m sorry. 

    Q    Jake, thanks so much for doing this.  You kind of implied that Sinwar had been an obstacle to hostage release and ceasefire.  How big an obstacle is that?  And does this give you additional hope now of a ceasefire and possibly a hostage release?  How should we process this?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  I didn’t just imply it; I stated it explicitly. 

    At various points along the way, Sinwar was more interested in causing mayhem and chaos and death than in actually trying to achieve a ceasefire and hostage deal.  And we repeatedly saw moments where it was him, in particular, who stood in the way of making progress towards a ceasefire and hostage deal.  Now, there were other obstacles too along the way, but he was certainly a critical one. 

    And, yes, I think his removal from the battlefield does present an opportunity to find a way forward that gets the hostages home, brings the war to an end, brings us to a day after.  That’s something we’re going to have to talk about with our Israeli counterparts.

    Of course, there are still other Hamas actors who need to be brought to justice, and there are hostages, including Americans, being held by terrorists.  We’re going to have to deal with all of that, but we believe there is a renewed opportunity right now that we would like to seize.

    Yeah.

    Q    Do you assess this as being the cutting off of the head of the Hydra, or what — what’s your assessment of Hamas’ capabilities from now on?  Is there going to be a mop up?  And what — what would you recommend the Israelis do?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  Sinwar was a critical figure operationally, militarily, and politically for Hamas.  He had, in fact, consolidated control of both the political and military wing under his singular leadership in — in recent weeks and months.  And so, this is a very significant event.

    But what exactly it means for the future of Hamas as an organization, it’s early days yet.  We will have to see.

    What we do know is that the broad military structure, the battalions of Hamas have been systematically dismantled.  We do know that Hamas does not pose the kind of threat to Israel that it posed on October 7th or anything close to it.  We also know that there are still Hamas terrorists wielding guns and holding hostages and harboring a desire to continue to attack Israel and attack others. 

    And so, we’re going to have to sort through all of that.  But this is an incredibly significant blow to Hamas.  It is the removal of someone who, as I said, was unique in the consolidation of the control of the Hamas apparatus under his command.  And now we will have to work to ensure that his death actually does deal the kind of long-term blow to Hamas that all of us would like to see.

    Q    Can you give —

    Q    Do you get the sense that Netanyahu is done now, that he’s — he’s reached his objectives?  You just laid out the decimation of Hamas — 

    MR. SULLIVAN:  No, his critical objective that — has not been reached.  That objective is the return of the hostages, including American hostages.  So, from the United States’ perspective, we now need to work with Israel, with Qatar and Egypt, with others — and this is something we’ll discuss with our European partners as well — to secure the release of those hostages.  We’d like to see that happen.

    Q    You referenced U.S. intel.  To what extent did that play a role in this particular operation? 

    MR. SULLIVAN:  This operation was an IDF operation.  I’m not here to overclaim or — or try to take credits for something where the credit belongs to them. 

    But the Americans — the special operations personnel, the intelligence professionals — they also deserve our thanks for the work that they did alongside the IDF over the course of many months to help create the kind of counterterrorism pressure in Gaza that put a lot of these guys on the run.  And Sinwar was plainly on the run (inaudible).

    Q    Earlier this — earlier this week, Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin sent letters to their counterparts threatening legal action if the humanitari- — humanitarian situation in Gaza doesn’t improve.  Can you give us a sense of what that legal option would be and if there are any deadlines or specific actions that the president will raise with Prime Minister Netanyahu about that today?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  The letter speaks for itself.  I think a lot of the headlines were breathless and overblown.  We have had an ongoing dialogue with Israel for months now about improving the humanitarian situation.  We have had previous communications that looked quite similar and that generated positive momentum towards opening crossings and getting more aid in.  We’ve had, actually, constructive back-and-forth with our Israeli counterparts over the last few days in response to our requests, and we expect that we’ll see progress on the ground. 

    One thing that has unfolded this week is — is the reopening of some of the crossings that had been closed in the north and trucks going in.  We need to see that sustained and expanded as we go forward, among the other requests in that letter. 

    But I’d — and I’d — just the other point I would make here is that it’s — it was a private diplomatic communication.  It was a serious, substantive laydown.  It’s part of our ongoing work and partnership with Israel.  And having it all out there in the open, leaked in the way that it was, I think, was highly unfortunate.  And I’ll leave it at that.

    Q    Can you give us a sense of what the president will say in this conversation with Netanyahu?  Will he push for an accelerated timeline for a ceasefire?  Will he say, you

    know, kind of, “Now you achieved the main direct- — main objective and we should move forward on — on other things,” or push for humanitarian aid?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  I’m going to let the president speak to the prime minister before I preview what he’s going to say in the press on the record, but we’ll try to give you a good sense of both what the president is thinking and what he’s communicating to the prime minister at the appropriate time.

    Q    To — to what extent do you think this success with Sinwar might embolden Netanyahu when it comes to retaliating against Iran?  Or do you see them as totally unrelated?  And what are your conversations right now with them in terms of restraint — or whatever you want to call it — when the president has thoughts about what the target should be when they hit back?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  We’ve had very constructive communications with the Israelis about how they’re thinking about responding to the attack on October 1st.  Those conversations will continue. 

    I can’t speculate as to the psychology of the prime minister based on what happened today.  What I can say is that the logic of deterrence, the logic of a response to a salvo of 200 ballistic missiles — nothing in the Middle East is unrelated, but that is a distinct logic from the killing of Sinwar today.

    Q    Jake, going back to the trip.  What message will President Biden give his fellow leaders about America’s place in the world, given the uncertainty around our upcoming election?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  Say that again.

    Q    What reassurance will President Biden give his fellow leaders about America’s place in the world, given the uncertainty about our upcoming presidential election?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  What President Biden can do is what he’s done for four years, which is lay out his vision of America’s place in the world and point the way forward based on what he thinks are in America’s national security interests and in the interests of our close allies. 

    Beyond that, he can’t speak for anyone else and doesn’t intend to.

    Q    Is there any —

    Q    Does this change your calculus on whether Israel can come to the table on a ceasefire by the end of the year?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  I’m sorry?

    Q    Your calculus on whether a ceasefire could be reached by the end of the year.

    MR. SULLIVAN:  I have long since given up on making predictions or drawing timelines.  All I can say is that we see an opportunity now that we want to seize to try to secure the release of the hostages, and we’re going to work at that as rapidly as we possibly can.

    Q    Give- — given the situation, would the president reconsider possibly holding a press conference during his time in Berlin?  It would be good to hear from him firsthand on how he thinks about this and the situation in Ukraine. 

    MR. SULLIVAN:  I will note for the record there are heads nodding.  (Laughter.)  I’ll also note for the record that that is a really fascinating way to bring the press into the middle of a world historical event.  So — (laughter) — and I’ll leave it at that.

    Q    I’ll follow up on that.  The president talks about democracy as being a key part of his administration, of his vision for America that you just referenced.  Why would he not take questions from the press at what was originally going to be a state visit to Germany?  I don’t understand.

    MR. SULLIVAN:  It’s fascinating how you guys can — (laughs) — make this the story.

    Q    It’s not the story.  It’s just a question. 

    MR. SULLVIAN:  I mean, honestly, I think invoking democracy and suggesting that President Biden is somehow insufficiently committed to it because of the structure of his press engagement on one day in Germany is a bit ludicrous. 

    Q    I can ask a Germany question.  So, a lot of the moves that President Biden has made both domestically and internationally have been characterized as “Trump-proofing” the — the, you know, U.S. government for a future Trump presidency. 

    How do you feel about that characterization?  I’m talking about moves like bringing NATO under — forgive me, it’s too complicated to explain, but you know what I’m talking about. 

    So, do you think he’s Trump-proofing?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  I — I don’t like characterizations like that because they’re inherently political.

    Q    So, what is he doing, then?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  What the president is trying to do is to make our commitment to Ukraine sustainable and institutionalized for the long term.  And every other ally agreed that that was the responsible thing to do. 

    The la- —

    Q    (Inaudible) necessarily reduced U.S. role, is that the idea?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  Not at all.  The basic logic was what the president laid out at the Washington Summit this summer, which is the communiqué said Ukraine’s place, Ukraine’s future, is in NATO.  There is work to do to get from here to there, including reforms and security conditions being met. 

    So, the question is, how do you build a bridge from where we are now to Ukraine’s eventual membership in NATO?  And the answer to that question was the set of deliverables in Washington, including the institutionalization of the security support apparatus for Ukraine.  That is what we were trying to accomplish, and that’s what we believe we did accomplish.

    Q    Jake, on Iran.  Can you confirm and elaborate on reporting that President Biden directed the NSC to warn Iran that any attempt on President Trump’s life would be seen as an act of war?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  I will tell you that President Biden has taken this issue with the utmost seriousness.  He asked to be updated on it regularly.  He gives us direction for how to respond to it regularly and in a very serious and consequential way.  We are following his directives and implementing them.  And I’m not going to get into specifics on what that looks like.

    Q    Jake, what about these reports that President Trump and President Putin have had seven conversations?  Are you worried about this?  Are you worried about any sort of backdoor conversations President Trump is having with leaders?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  I do not know if that’s true or not, but obviously that would raise red flags if it were true. 

    Q    Another one on — since you just said Putin.  There’s been reporting in Germany that Chancellor Scholz said he would be open to speaking with President Putin ahead of the G20 if asked — sort of various ways he said it.  Have you guys talked about this?  Has he told President Biden about this?  Do you think this would be a good idea to do a leader-level conversation with President Putin at this time?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  That has not come up between the chancellor and the president.  You know, I was just in Germany at the end of last week with my German counterpart.  That — the question of a call to Putin didn’t come up.  So, I think that’s a question better put to the chancellor. 

    Q    The official who briefed us yesterday about the Germany trip on the — on the phone mentioned that the Ramstein meeting would be rescheduled.  Does that mean the president will be going back to Ramstein at some point, or what — what did that mean?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  We will hold a leaders-level Ramstein meeting virtually in November.

    Q    One more.  On the frozen assets deal — the Russian frozen assets.  What’s the progress on that there?  I assume this comes up in the conversations.  Is there a plan B if the EU doesn’t figure out a sanctions regime?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  I’m feeling very good about the progress that we’ve made on the G7 commitment to mobilize $50 billion from the proceeds of the Russian sovereign assets by the end of the year.  We intend to meet that commitment, and we intend to make a contribution — the United States.  The EU, obviously, has announced that it’s prepared to make a contribution.  So are other partners.  So, from my perspective, at this point, everything is on track. 

    Q    Is there any update on when the president might talk to President Xi?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  No.

    Thank you, guys. 

    Q    Thank you.

    Q    Who you — wait, who are you rooting for in the playoffs, World Series?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  I’m a Minnesota Twins fan, so I can’t root for the Guardians, but I definitely can’t root for the Yankees.

    I don’t know.

    Q    What about the Dodgers and Mets?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  Yeah, I’m watching, but actually I don’t — I’ve not clearly determined who I’d prefer to win.  But, yeah, Dodgers or Mets. 

    Q    Can you swing back and talk to us off the record later?

    MR. SULLIVAN:  Sure. 

    Q    Great.

    Q    Thanks.

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I don’t know.  Is there any real thing — anything else to discuss?  Let me t- —

    Q    The only thing I would say is we disagree with the suggestion that democracy and speaking — and taking questions from the press is “ludicrous.” 

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Noted.

    Q    I would argue that our stories allow the president to have a relationship with the world, not just with other leaders, and the ability to talk openly will help that. 

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Noted.  Noted. 

    Let’s move on.

    So, just want to talk about an announcement.  This is domestic, obviously, going to go to the — to that space.  I just wanted to touch on an announcement very quickly.

    And so, today, the Biden-Harris administration announced an additional $4.5 billion in student debt cancelation for over 60,000 public service workers, bringing the total number of public — of public service workers who have had their student debt canceled under the Biden-Harris administration to over 1 million people. 

    One such example is Kelly, a kindergarten teacher in Rhode Island, who had been paying off her student loans for a decade.  After the student let her know that her debt had been canceled, she tol- — after the president, pardon me — she told us that after 12 years of marriage, she might be able to take the honeymoon she never had.

    The president — the president’s administration made it a priority to fix the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.  Prior to our administration, only 7,000 public service workers had received relief since the program was established in 2007. 

    Thanks to the work of the Biden-Harris administration, as of today, 1 million teachers, nurses, firefighters, service members, first resp- — responders, and — and more who — who pursued careers in public service have gotten the relief they deserve. 

    The relief brings the total loan forgiveness approved by the Biden-Harris administration — administration to over $175 billion for nearly 5 million Americans.  And while — meanwhile, our Republicans elected officials have repeatedly attempted to block student debt relief. 

    President Biden and Vice President Harris remain committed to making education affordable for all Americans. 

    With that, what else do you guys have for me?

    Q    I have a question. 

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Sure.

    Q    Did President Biden talk to Vice President Harris ahead of this trip to see if she had any message for the world leaders or to get her input on what the situation should be going forward? 

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  As you know, the president and the vice president talk regularly.  I don’t have a specific call to — to read out, but I think you can see the last almost four years of the — what we’ve been able to do, what the president has been able to do on the world stage, certainly has been in partnership with the vice president.  I know that she supports his trip and everything that he’s — he’s trying to do tomorrow in the — in the short trip that we have in — in Germany.

    I just don’t have anything to read out as a call specifically on this trip.

    Q    Is the president or the administration facing pressure from allies to get something done after the election but before he is out of office?  There’s been some talks that Zelenskyy — you know, whether that’s accelerating a push for Ukraine into NATO or — or other funding things for Ukraine?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, you’re talking about the victory plan.  Certainly, I’m going to let the Ukr- — Ukrainians speak to their victory plan as it relates to that question about NATO. 

    Look, I think — I think what you have seen from this president, from this administration — obviously, including the vice president — is how much we have stand behind — next to, if you will — with Ukrainians and how they’re trying to beat back the aggression that we’ve seen from Russia.  And you have not just seen us standing there.  You’ve seen this president take action, and — which is why you see NATO much stronger than it was, and that’s why you see 50 countries have gotten behind Ukraine.  And you heard us — you heard us lay out yesterday an additional assistance package that we have provided to Ukrainians. 

    And so, we’re going to have to continue — we’re going to continue having conversations with the Ukrainians on what they need on the battlefield and how else we can be helpful to them. 

    As it relates to their victory plan — as it relates to what’s next, I’m certainly going to let the Ukrainians speak directly about that. 

    Obviously, the president has had a conversation with the president, President Zelenskyy, on that plan.  I just don’t have anything beyond that, and I’m not — certainly, I’m not going to get into hypotheticals from here. 

    Q    The president at the funeral yesterday had a — what looked like a spirited conversation with former President Obama.  Did you talk to him about what they discussed?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, it’s been kind of busy the last couple hours on the plane, as you can imagine. 

    Look, I’ll — I’ll say this.  The president really very much looked — appreciated being there at the — at the funeral of Ethel Kennedy, who he saw as someone who was incredible and had a — was an incredible force, obviously, in her life, during her — her years.  And what he wanted to do is — was to lift up — lift her up and speak to her accomplishment and what she meant to him — not just to him but to her family and to the country.  So, he appreciated doing that. 

    And we have said many times the president and — and president — and former President Biden [Obama] — they have a very close relationship.  They’ve had one for a long time, obviously, as he served as his vice president.

    I don’t have anything else to — to share on that.  I have not had this conversation with the president.  Obviously, we’ve been pretty busy these past couple of hours on the plane. 

    Q    Do you know if the president was able to watch any of the Fox News interview that Vice President Harris did?  And does —

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yes, he —

    Q    — did he talk to you about how — how she did? 

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah, he was able to — to catch that.  And he saw her performance, her interview as strong.  And I think what you saw and what — and this is what he believes — is that you saw why Americans and people want to see her continuing to fight for them.  And that’s what he saw last night.  That’s what we all saw — many of us saw.  So, I think she was strong and incredibly impressive in that interview. 

    Q    Karine, does the president believe that his vice president would be a markedly different leader?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, look, he talked about this on Tuesday when he was in Philly, and he — and I talked a little bit about this as well, just reit- — really reiterating what the president shared, which is that, look, she’s going to be essentially her own person, right?  She is going to have her own direction, her own view of how to move forward. 

    And he did that, right?  He was loyal to President Obama when he was vice president, but he cut his own path.  And so, that’s what he expects from the vice president to do. 

    So, nothing — nothing new.  That’s what he expects her to do — to have her own path, to have — to build on — certainly, to build on the economic successes that we have seen and continuing the — the work that we’ve been able to do. 

    But she’s going to cut her own path.  He was very clear about that a couple days ago.

    Q    Karine —

    Q    But on student loans — you talked about the PSLF 1 million, a huge achievement for those borrowers — what’s your message for the other 40 million-plus borrowers who’ve been caught up in a lot of legal limbo over the past three years?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Look, I’ll — I’ll say this.  You know, I’m not going to speak to the legal — the legal components of this.  There are legal matters that are happening, so they are ongoing.  So, I’m not going to speak to that. 

    But I think what you can take away from what this president has — trying to do, when Republicans have continued to block him, in promising to give Americans a little bit of breathing room, to make sure that Americans who have — borrows [borrowers] who have loans and — and are squeezed by those loans are not able to, you know, buy a home, start a family.

    The president was very attuned to that and very clear that he wanted to give them an opportunity — an opportunity to really, you know, be able to — to start that life that they wanted.  And so, he’s been trying to do that, even though he’s been blocked and — and Republicans have gotten in the way. 

    I think you can see over the past — certainly, the past six months, the president continuing to try to take actions to — to make sure he kept his commitment to Americans who, again, need a little bit of breathing room.

    So, I’m not going to speak to the legal matter, but I think this announcement today shows his commitment to public service workers, right?  I talked about firefighters, nurses.  I talked about police officers, who put so much on the line, who give so much for — for everybody, for folks who need their assistance and their help, and wanted to give them that opportunity to really be able to — to move on economically in what they want to accomplish for themselves and for their family.

    All right.  Anything else?

    Q    On the —

    Q    So —

    Q    Sorry.  Go ahead.

    Q    Sorry.

    Now going back to the funeral for a minute.  Did he speak with Speaker Emeritus Pelosi?  And also, she was not seen at the Italian American celebration, when she’s been front and center in the past.  Was she not invited?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I don’t have anything to share with you on that.  I didn’t talk to the president about that at all.  But what you saw — obviously, you saw the president and the former president, Pres- — President Obama, connect, have a moment together.  The president m- — very much looked forward to that.  I just don’t have anything on Nancy Pelosi.

    Q    Just —

    Q    I noticed he didn’t recognize her when he recognized the other two presidents at the funeral.

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, he wanted it — I can say this.  He wanted it to be, you know — to — to be very focused on the family.  He wanted it to be, you know, brief and — and very poignant.  And that’s what his focus was yesterday on his remarks.

    Q    On the trip.  Obviously, this is a abbreviated agenda from, you know, the Ramstein summit —

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

    Q    — and other things.

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

    Q    But can you explain to us, what’s the reason that it’s so short?  Why do we have to get out of Germany at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow?  Is there a reason on the German chancellor’s schedule why we have to —

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, I mean —

    Q    Regardless of the press conference, there was also talk about maybe doing a Holocaust memorial situation.  What’s —

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, I totally understand what — totally — as you — let’s step back for a second. 

    The reason that the president had to postpone his trip was because Hurricane Milton was coming, and it was — it was forecast to be a historical hurricane, and the president wanted to be in the States to deal with the response and what was needed, certainly, by the impacted region, for what folks on the ground really needed.

    And so, that’s why we postponed the trip.  We said that we wanted to certainly get that back on the books.  We were able to do it — to your point, a truncated version, but it is a robust schedule.  And we were able to work with the Germans and to be able to get done what we can on this trip.

    I mean, the president has a busy schedule.  He does.  There’s a lot going on in the next couple days, couple weeks.

    Q    But he has to get back to the States for something in particular —

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, we’ll —

    Q    — that we don’t know about?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’re certainly going to share with you what the — his — the next couple of days of his schedule is going to look like.  But he wanted to — and I said this yesterday in the briefing room.  He wanted to thank the chancellor for his partnership, for his leadership as well with Ukraine.  Outside of the U.S., U- — the U- — German is the second — have provided the second-most resources, assistance to Ukrainians.

    And so, he wanted to be, you know, thankful to him.  And so, that’s what you’re seeing on this trip.  He wanted to make this happen.  He asked his team to make this trip happen.

    And so, look, we have a busy schedule.  We got a lot going on in next couple of days, next couple of weeks.  And so, we tried to fit this in, and this is what we were able to do in working with the German government as well to make this happen.

    Q    Does the president, as the election hits its final two weeks, expect to get more aggressive in outreach and participation?  Is that maybe what you’re referencing, or what’s his thinking on that?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, you know I can’t speak to political trips or any- —

    Q    But if —

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  But wa- —

    Q    — you could speak on his schedule.

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, I — I’m just — want to get that out of there.  And so, look, the president is certainly looking at — looking forward to being out there and supporting the vice president.

    I just want to be super mindful.  But he will — you’ll see him — you’ll see him hit the road.  You’ll see him hit the road, for sure.

    That’s all I got. 

    All right.  Thanks, everybody.  Sorry my voice is a little hoarse.

    Q    Thanks, Karine.

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Thanks, everybody.

    2:45 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Grand Rapids,  MI

    Source: The White House

    Riverside Park
    Grand Rapids, Michigan

    2:38 P.M. EDT

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, Michigan!  Good afternoon.  Can we hear it for Brian?  (Applause.) 

    Good afternoon, Michigan.  It is good — (applause) — oh, it is good to be back.  It’s good to be back.  (Applause.)  Good afternoon.  Oh — (laughs) — oh, my god.  Okay.  (Applause.)  Okay.  Thank you. 

    Okay, let’s get to business.  Let’s get to business.  Thank you.  Thank you.  I am very touched.  (Applause.)  Thank you all.  Oh, it’s good to be back.  Thank you all very much.  Thank you.  Thank you. 

    Okay, let’s get to work.  Let’s get to work.  Let’s get to work.  Let’s get to work. 

    So, let me first thank all of you for taking time out of your very busy lives for us to all be here together this afternoon.  I thank you so very much for all you do, all you have done, and all you will do over these next 18 days.  Thank you all so very much.  (Applause.)  Thank you. 

    This is an incredible group of incredible leaders, and your voice matters so much right now.  And I think there is so much about our campaign that is about the spirit of reminding everyone that we’re all in this together.  We are all in this together.  (Applause.)  So, thank you. 

    And to all the governors who are here with us today — (applause) — I’m telling you, they’re riding thick.  They’re riding thick.  Oh, and they are all — each one of them — such incredible leaders, both for their state and our nation, and such dear friends.  And I thank you all, including, of course, Michigan’s own Governor Whitmer — (applause) — who we love as “Big Gretch.”  (Applause.)

    And to the governors, I want to say you’ve been traveling the country for our campaign, and I’m so deeply grateful for your support. 

    I also want to recognize Senator Stabenow — (applause) — a champion for Michigan; Representative Scholten, who we will reelect to the United States Congress.  (Applause.)  And while we’re at it, let’s send Representative Slotkin to the United States Senate.  (Applause.)

    All right, so we got work to do.  Eighteen day — eighteen days left in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime.  And as you know, everyone here knows, this election is truly about two very different visions for our nation: Ours that is focused on the future; Donald Trump’s that is focused on the past.  Ours, that is focused on bringing down the cost of living for working families, investing in small businesses, and entrepreneurs.  Ours, that is about protecting reproductive freedom.  (Applause.)  

    But none of that is what we hear from Donald Trump.  Instead, it is just the same old, tired playbook.  He has no plan for how he would address the needs of the American people, and he is, as we have seen, only focused on himself.

    And now he is ducking debates and canceling interviews.

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Come on. 

    Check this out.  His own campaign team recently said it is because of exhaustion.  (Laughter.)  Well, if you are exhausted on the campaign trail, it raises real questions about whether you are fit for the toughest job in the world.  (Applause.)  Come on.  Come on.

    So, for all these reasons and more, we are here because we know it is time to turn the page.  (Applause.)  It is time to turn the page because America is ready to chart a new way forward.  (Applause.)  America is ready for a new and optimistic generation of leadership that is all of us — (applause) — all of us, which is why Democrats, Republicans, and independents are supporting our campaign.  (Applause.) 

    In fact, earlier this week, over 100 Republican leaders from across the country joined me on the campaign trail, including some who even served in Donald Trump’s own administration — (applause) — the people who know him best, right? 

    And I believe all of this shows that the American people want a president who works for all the people.  (Applause.)  And that has been the story of my entire career.  In my career, I’ve only ever had one client: the people — the people.  (Applause.)

    As a young courtroom prosecutor, I protected women and children.  As attorney general of California, I fought for students and veterans.  As vice president, I have stood up for workers and seniors.  And as president, I will stand up for all Americans — all Americans.  (Applause.) 

    And together, we will build a brighter future for our nation.  Yes, we will.  (Applause.)  Because, by the way, we will win.  (Applause.)  We will win.  We will win.  Come on.

         AUDIENCE:  We will win!  We will win!  We will win! 

         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  (Laughs.)  Yes, we will.

         AUDIENCE:  We will win!  We will win!  We will win!

         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We will win.  We will win.  And we will win.

    And one of the reasons that we know we are working hard toward that win is because we believe together in building a future — in what we can do together as a nation — and a nation of people who see what we have in common more than what separates us. 

     We will w- — build towards a future where we have an economy that works for all Americans.  We will build what I call an “opportunity economy” so that every American has an opportunity to own a home, buy a car, build wealth, and start a business.  (Applause.) 

     In fact, do we have any small-business owners here?  (Applause.)  I love our small businesses.  I got a plan for you.  I love our small businesses.  Our small businesses are part of the backbone of America’s economy.  Bless you all for the work you are doing. 

     So, under my plan, we will also bring down the cost of housing — (applause) — and we will help entrepreneurs start and grow small businesses. 

     My plan will expand Medicare to cover the cost of home health care for our seniors — (applause) — so that more of our seniors can live with dignity. 

    And, you know, I’ll just give you a little background i- — in terms of a personal story.  So, I took care of my mother when she was sick.  And for any of you who have taken care of an elder relative, you know what that is, right?  It’s about trying to cook something that they can eat.  It’s about trying to find clothes that they can — they can handle on their skin.  It’s about trying, from time to time, to think about something that will put a smile on their face or maybe just make them laugh.  It’s about dignity. 

    But under the current system, and especially for those in the sandwich generation who are raising young kids while you’re taking care of your parents, it’s difficult.  And under the current system, to get help for taking care of your seniors, unless you got the extra money sitting around, you’d have to leave your job or pay down all your savings to qualify for Medicaid.  That’s not right.  That’s not right. 

     So, my plan is about saying, let’s have Medicare cover the cost of home health care for our seniors — (applause) — which is a matter of understanding how real people are living and understanding the importance of everyone being entitled to dignity.  (Applause.)

    Our plan, in terms of an opportunity economy, will lower costs on everything from health care to groceries.  I’ll take on corporate price gouging, because I’ve done it before and I will do it again.  (Applause.)

    My plan will also give middle-class tax cuts to 100 million Americans, including $6,000 tax credit for the first year of a child’s life so that our young parents — (applause) — can do what they naturally want to do, which is parent their children well, but they don’t always have the resources to be able to do it.  So, let’s help them out so that they can buy a car seat, so that they can buy a crib, so that they can take care of that baby’s needs during that critical phase of their development. 

         We all benefit from it.  We all benefit from it.  (Applause.)

         Dignity.

    My plan also invests in American manufacturing and innovation, because I will make sure America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century.  (Applause.) 

         AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  That’s right.  That’s right.

         AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And so, to that point and with pride, we all say: We must and we will invest in the industries that built America, like steel, iron, and the great American auto industry.  (Applause.)  And we will ensure that the next generation of breakthroughs, from advanced batteries to electric vehicles, are not just invented but built right here in America by American union workers.  (Applause.)

     And, Michigan, I know I’m going to tell you what you already know, but let us be clear for folks who are watching from different parts of the country.  Contrary to what my opponent is suggesting, I will never tell you what kind of car you have to drive, but here is what I will do.  I will invest in manufacturing communities like Kent County.  (Applause.) 

    Together, we will retool existing factories, hire locally, and work with unions to create good-paying jobs — (applause) — including jobs that do not require a college degree, because here’s where I come from.  I know a college degree is not the only measure of the skills and experience of a qualified worker.  (Applause.)

    And I intend to reexamine federal jobs, when you all elect me president — (applause) — to assess those jobs that should not have that requirement, and then I intend to challenge the private sector to do the same.  (Applause.)

     Now, all of this is to say Donald Trump has a different approach.  He makes big promises — (laughs) — and he always fails to deliver.

    So, remember he said he was the only one — you know how he talks.  (Laughter.)  He — the only one who could bring back America’s manufacturing jobs.

    Then, America lost almost 200,000 manufacturing jobs when he was president.

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Facts.  Including tens of thousands of jobs right here in Michigan.  And those losses started before the pandemic, making Donald Trump one of the biggest losers — (applause) — of manufacturing jobs in American history. 

    And his track record for the auto industry was a disaster.  He promised workers in Warren that the auto industry would, and I’m going to quote, “not lose one plant” during his presidency.  Those were his words, “not one plant.” 

    Then American automakers announced the closure of six auto plants when he was president, including General Motors in Warren and Stellantis in Detroit.  Thousands of Michigan autoworkers lost their jobs.  And Donald Trump’s running mate recently suggested that if they win, they would threaten the Grand River Assembly plant in Lansing.  Okay?

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  The same plant our administration protected earlier this year, saving 650 union jobs — (applause) — 650 union jobs.  His running mate called those “table scraps.” 

    So, we fought hard for those jobs, and we believe that you deserve a president who will protect them and not insult them.  (Applause.)

    And make no mistake, Donald Trump is no friend of labor.  Let’s be really clear about that.  No matter what the noise is out there, he is no friend of labor.  Just look at the record.  Instead of his rhetoric, look at the record.  And let’s not fall for the okey-doke.  (Laughter.) 

    Seriously.  He encouraged automakers to move their plants out of Michigan so he could pay — they could pay their workers less.  Understand what that was about: so they could pay their workers less. 

    And when the UAW went on strike to demand the higher wages they deserved, Donald Trump went to a nonunion shop —

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and attacked the UAW, and he said — he said, striking and collective bargaining don’t make, quote, “a damn bit of sense” — “a damn bit of difference” is what he said exactly.  That it doesn’t make a, quote — pardon my language — “a damn bit of difference,” is what he said. 

    AUDIENCE MEMBER:  He don’t make a damn bit of sense.  (Applause.) 

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  All right, brother.  (Laughs.)

    So, Michigan, you know better.  Strong unions mean higher wages — (applause) — better health care, and greater dignity for union members and for everyone, whether or not you are part of a union.  (Applause.)  Get that straight.  Get that straight.

    Which is why, when I am president, I will sign the PRO Act into law and make it easier for workers to join a union and negotiate for better pay and working conditions.  (Applause.)

    And now Donald Trump is making the same empty promises to the people of Michigan that he did before, hoping — hoping you will forget how he let you down the last time.  But we will not be fooled, because we know how to read Project 2025.  For those who haven’t seen it, just google it. 

    You know, I just have to keep repeating, I can’t believe they put that thing in writing.  I cannot beli- — they — they put it in — they put it in writing.  They bound it.  They — they published it, and they handed it out.  (Laughter.)  And now they’re trying to run from it.  Come on. 

    And so, we’ve read it.  It’s a detailed and dangerous blueprint for what Donald Trump intends to do if he were elected president.  So, that’s why we know — not only because it’s what he did before — that’s why we know Donald Trump will give billionaires and corporations massive tax cuts, attack unions, cut Social Security and Medicare —

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — get rid of that hard-fought, hard-won $35 cap on insulin for our seniors.

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Check out what’s in it.  It will make it easier for companies to deny overtime pay for workers —

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and impose what I call a “Trump sales tax,” which is basically — he’s talking about at least a 20 percent tax on everyday necessities, which economists have measured will cost the average family nearly $4,000 more a year.

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And on top of this, Donald Trump intends to end the Affordable Care Act — okay? — and has no plan to replace it. 

    AUDIENCE MEMBER:  “Concepts”! 

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  You watched the debate.  (Laughs.)  So, you remember, he has, quote, “concepts of a plan.” 

    AUDIENCE:  “Concepts of a plan!”

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  “Concepts of a plan.”

    So, he’s going to threaten — he’s going to threaten the health insurance of 45 —

    AUDIENCE MEMBERS:  (Inaudible.)

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We need a medic over here.  We need a medic over here.  Let’s — let’s clear a path so they can come through, please.

         AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Don’t forget he’s out on bail! 

    AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Espionage!  (Laughter.)

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we got jokes over here, grounded in reality.  (Laughter.)

         We okay?  Okay.  We’re okay.  Thank you all. 

         So — (applause) — we’re good.  Okay.

    So, you know, where I was going with that is many of you may have heard me say, I do believe that Donald Trump is an unserious man, and the consequences of him ever getting back into the White House are brutally serious — brutally serious. 

    So, on that point about “concepts of a plan,” it’s funny.  We thought it was ridiculously hilarious when we first heard it.  But here’s the thing about that.  He is basically going to threaten the health insurance of 45 million people based on a concept and take us back to when insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions.  You remember what that was like?

    Well, we are —

    AUDIENCE:  Not going back!

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — not going back.  We are not going back.  We’re not going back.

    AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We are not going back.  We’re not going back.

    AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we are not going back because we intend to move forward — (applause) — because ours is a fight for the future, and it is a fight for freedom — (applause) — like the fundamental freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do.  (Applause.)

    And we here remember how we got to this place, because then-President Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade, and they did as he intended. 

    And now, in America, one in three women lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban, many of these with no exception even for rape and incest, which means you’re telling a survivor of a violation to their body that they don’t have a right to make a decision about what happens to their body next? 

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  That’s immoral.  That’s immoral. 

    And I think we all know one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling her what to do — (applause) — not the government.  If she chooses, she will talk to her priest, her pastor, her rabbi, her imam but not the government — not some — some people up in a state capitol — not Donald Trump.

    AUDIENCE:  No!

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  No. 

    So, let me tell you, when Congress passes a bill to restore the reproductive freedoms nationwide, with your help, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.  (Applause.)  Proudly.  Proudly.  Proudly. 

    And across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on assault on other hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights — fundamental freedoms and rights.  I’m traveling our country.  I mean, attacks on the freedom to vote. 

    You know, in the state of Georgia, they passed a law that makes it illegal to give people food and water for standing in line to vote.  You know, the hypocrisy abounds.  What happened to “love thy neighbor”?  Right?

    Attacks on the freedom to join a union, attacks on the freedom to be safe from gun violence, attacks on the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride.  (Applause.)

    So much is on the line in this election, and you all are spending your precious time here together because we know this is not 2016 or 2020.  The stakes are even higher this time for many reasons, including because, just months ago, the United States Supreme Court basically told the former president he is effectively immune no matter what he does in the White House.

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Right.  Because we know — just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.  Just imagine.  He who has vowed he would be a dictator on day one.  He who calls Americans who disagree with him the “enemy from within.”  You know where that language comes from?  The “enemy from within,” talking about Americans.  He who says he would use the military to go after them — American citizens.  He who has called for the, quote, “termination” of the Constitution of the United States of America. 

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we are clear: Someone who suggests we should terminate the Constitution of the United States should never again have the privilege of standing behind the seal of the president of the United States.  (Applause.)  Never again.  Never again.  Never again.  Never again. 

    AUDIENCE:  Never again!  Never again!  Never again!

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Never again. 

    So, Michigan, it all comes down to this.  We know why we’re here together.  We know what’s at stake.  And we are here together for one of the most important of all the reasons: We are here together because we love our country.  (Applause.)  We love our country. 

    We love our country, and we know that it is one of the highest forms of an expression of love of our country, of patriotism, to then fight for our ideals, to fight to realize the promise of America.  That’s what our campaign is about. 

    And Election Day is in 18 short days.  Okay?  And here in Michigan, early voting starts on Saturday, October 26th, which is one week from tomorrow.  (Applause.) 

    So, now is the time to make your plan to vote.  Make a plan.  Make a plan.  And if you have received your ballot in the mail, please do not wait.  Fill it out and return it today. 

    Because, folks, the election is here.  The election is here right now.  And like I know everybody here knows to do, we’ve got to energize and organize and mobilize and remind our neighbors and our friends that their vote is their voice and your voice is your power. 

    In a democracy, while we can hold on to it, our vote is the power that each of us as an individual has.  It’s an extraordinary power, and we will not give it away, and we will not let anyone suppress or silence our power.  Don’t ever let anybody take your power from you.  (Applause.)

    So, Michigan, today I ask you, then, are you ready to make your voices heard?  (Applause.)

         Do we believe in freedom?  (Applause.)

         Do we believe in opportunity?  (Applause.)

         Do we believe in the promise of America?  (Applause.)

         And are we ready to fight for it?  (Applause.)

         And when we fight —

         AUDIENCE:  We win!

         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.

         God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

                                 END                3:07 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Installation of antenna system a milestone

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    The main reflector of a 40-meter-aperture radio telescope’s antenna system was hoisted on Oct. 7 in Shigatse city, Xizang autonomous region, marking a milestone in the construction of the device that will provide stronger support for the country’s lunar and deep-space probe missions as well as manned moon landing.
    The Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the institutions that developed the telescope, said that the device is part of the fourth phase of the nation’s lunar exploration project.
    Together with the radio telescope on the Changbai Mountains, Jilin province, which completed the hoisting of its main reflector of the antenna system in August, the Shigatse station, at an elevation of about 4,100 meters, will join China’s Very Long Baseline Interferometry network upon its completion.
    The VLBI measures the time difference between the arrival of signals at multiple Earth-based antennas, simulating a virtual telescope with a size equal to the maximum separation between the telescopes.
    The country’s VLBI network currently has observatories in Beijing, Shanghai, Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Kunming in Yunnan province. The inclusion of the two new telescopes is expected to strengthen the network’s observation capability.
    It will allow simultaneous observation of the moon in two celestial regions, and be able to determine the orbit of deep space probes, said the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory.
    Construction of the fully movable, high-precision and multipurpose radio telescope in Shigatse, which kicked off last September, is scheduled to be completed at the end of this year, and may be able to realize observations for the VLBI early next year.
    The construction of the telescope on the Changbai Mountains is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, Xinhua News Agency reported. These new big science installations are also expected to facilitate more scientific findings of supermassive black holes and the dynamics of the galaxy.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China launches Tianping-3 satellite

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A Long March-6 carrier rocket carrying the Tianping-3 blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China’s Shanxi Province, Oct. 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China on Tuesday sent a new satellite into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China’s Shanxi Province.
    The satellite, Tianping-3, was launched at 8:10 a.m. (Beijing Time) using a Long March-6 carrier rocket, and has successfully entered its preset orbit.
    It will provide services such as atmospheric space environment surveys and orbital prediction model corrections. 

    A Long March-6 carrier rocket carrying the Tianping-3 blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China’s Shanxi Province, Oct. 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: UN chief condemns ‘continued and widespread’ loss of life across Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Children injured in an Israeli attack are treated at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City, on Oct. 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “continued and widespread” loss of life across the Gaza Strip, including Israeli strikes on a residential block in Beit Lahiya on Saturday, a UN spokesman said on Monday.

    “Civilians must be respected and protected at all times,” said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN chief, at a daily briefing.

    Eighty-seven Palestinians were killed and more than 40 others injured on Saturday after Israeli jet fighters raided a residential area in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, according to the Gaza-based health authorities.

    The UN chief “remains deeply alarmed by the rapidly deteriorating situation for civilians in northern Gaza, including mass displacement and the lack of essentials for survival,” Haq said.

    Guterres called for immediate and unhindered access for humanitarian and rescue teams to allow them to continue their lifesaving work.

    “The recent attacks that have hit hospitals in North Gaza are exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis and placing the lives of tens of thousands at grave risk,” Haq continued, calling for combatants to protect patients and medical staff.

    “The violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza by all parties to this conflict are unacceptable. Accountability for any international crimes that have been committed by any party is essential,” the spokesman said, adding that the secretary-general reiterated his calls for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in Gaza.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: At least 4 killed, 24 injured in Israeli airstrike in Beirut

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    At least four people, including a child, were killed and 27 others injured in an Israeli airstrike Monday night near Lebanon’s largest public hospital close to Beirut’s southern suburbs, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

    The Israeli strike targeted the vicinity of Rafik Hariri University Hospital in the Jnah area, located on the outskirts of southern Beirut.

    The al-Jadeed local TV channel said that over 25 ambulances for the Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense teams rushed to the area. The search for victims trapped under the rubble near the hospital is still ongoing.

    The airstrike had forced residents in the area to leave their houses, seeking safer shelters elsewhere.

    Israeli warplanes also launched an airstrike on Ouzai, a densely populated area located on the outskirts of Beirut’s southern suburbs, near the Beirut airport.

    On Monday night, Israeli warplanes launched over 12 violent airstrikes on several areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs, including Haret Hreik, Burj Barajneh, al Hadath, Jamous, and Saint Therese.

    The Israeli army has been waging intensive attacks on Lebanon since late September in a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Wang Yi holds phone talk with Japanese national security official

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, held a phone call on Monday with Takeo Akiba, secretary general of Japan’s National Security Secretariat and the Japanese lead person of the China-Japan high-level political dialogue.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said since its formation, the Shigeru Ishiba’s government has confirmed that the government will comprehensively promote the strategic and mutually beneficial relationship between China and Japan, has no intention of decoupling or severing industrial and supply chains with China, and adhere to the bilateral consensus on the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean.

    The Japanese government also confirmed its willingness to carry out high-level exchanges as well as dialogue and cooperation in various fields with China, Wang said, noting the China-Japan relations have achieved a steady start.

    He stressed that China maintains continuity and stability in its policy toward Japan and is willing to continue to promote the sound and stable development of China-Japan relations in accordance with the principles and directions set out in the four political documents between China and Japan.

    Wang expressed hope that Japan will respect China’s core interests, adhere to the one-China principle, work with China in the same direction, uphold the political consensus that China and Japan are cooperative partners and not threats to each other, support each other’s peaceful development, maintain and consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations, inject new vitality into bilateral cooperation in various fields, and jointly contribute to regional peace and stability.

    It is hoped that the new Japanese cabinet would bring new momentum and foster fresh development in China-Japan relations, Wang said.

    For his part, Akiba said that Japan remains committed to promoting a strategic and mutually beneficial bilateral relationship in an all-round way and building a constructive and stable Japan-China relationship.

    Japan stands ready to work with China to focus on the broader picture of the development of bilateral relations, maintain the current momentum in the development of bilateral ties, engage in strategic and forward-looking dialogues, and send more positive signals to the world, he added.

    Both sides agreed to continue making use of the China-Japan high-level political dialogue mechanism and maintain regular communication.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese VP attends inauguration of Indonesian president, visits Indonesia

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Indonesia’s new President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, Indonesia, Oct. 20, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    At the invitation of the Indonesian government, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, as President Xi Jinping’s special representative, attended the inauguration of Indonesia’s new President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday, visited Indonesia from Saturday to Monday, and met with President Prabowo, then President Joko Widodo and newly inaugurated Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka respectively.

    In the meeting with Prabowo, Han noted that President Prabowo’s visit to China right after his election victory demonstrated his deep affection and profound friendship toward China and his commitment to advancing China-Indonesia relations.

    Han pointed out that President Prabowo emphasized key priorities such as food security and poverty reduction in his inaugural address, aligning closely with the people-centered development approach proposed by President Xi.

    Han affirmed China’s support for President Prabowo and the new government, expressing confidence that Indonesia, under Prabowo’s leadership, will achieve further progress in national development.

    China is willing to work with Indonesia to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, push the building of the China-Indonesia community with a shared future to a new level, and contribute to maintaining regional peace and stability while promoting world development and prosperity, Han said.

    Han also put forward three proposals for the next phase of China-Indonesia relations. First, to strengthen high-level strategic mutual trust and continue supporting each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns. Second, to deepen comprehensive, mutually beneficial cooperation to benefit more people of the two countries. Third, to enhance international collaboration to promote the development of global governance in a more just and reasonable direction.

    Prabowo said that China, as a major country in the world, is a key partner for Indonesia. He said the new Indonesian government attaches great importance to developing relations with China and will continue Joko Widodo’s friendly policy toward China.

    Indonesia is willing to further deepen mutual support and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides, strengthen coordination on international and regional affairs, and promote greater development of bilateral relations, he said.

    Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta, Indonesia, Oct. 19, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    While meeting with Joko, Han pointed out that the past 10 years have witnessed high-level development of China-Indonesia relations, and the two heads of state have jointly led the upgrading of China-Indonesia relations into a new era of building a community with a shared future.

    Han said China is willing to work with Indonesia to carry forward the fine tradition of friendship and cooperation, deepen all-round strategic coordination, jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, ensure smooth operation of major cooperation projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, continuing to write a new chapter of solidarity, cooperation and mutual benefit.

    Joko said that in recent years, bilateral cooperation has achieved fruitful results.

    Noting the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is a landmark cooperation project between the two countries and a symbol of their friendship, Joko said under the leadership of the new Indonesian government, bilateral relations will reach new levels.

    Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, also special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, meets with Indonesia’s newly inaugurated Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka in Jakarta, Indonesia, Oct. 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    In the meeting with Gibran, Han said that China and Indonesia are good neighbors and good partners, adding that cooperation between the two sides is highly complementary and mutually beneficial, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples.

    China is willing to strengthen the synergy of development strategies of the two countries in light of the policy priorities of the new Indonesian government, and continue to deepen practical cooperation in various fields, ensuring mutual benefit in a better way, Han said.

    For his part, Gibran said that the new Indonesian government is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state.

    He said that Indonesia will continue to consolidate the good momentum in developing bilateral relations, and unswervingly deepen bilateral cooperation to better benefit the two countries and peoples.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Greater BRICS spearheads Global South cooperation as leaders meet in Kazan

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    This photo shows a view of the Kazan Kremlin in Kazan, Russia, Oct. 20, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 16th BRICS Summit on Oct. 22-24 in the Russian city of Kazan at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, five major emerging markets with considerable economic potential. It has now evolved into an influential international cooperation mechanism with an expanded membership.

    Over the past 18 years, China has upheld the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation and helped drive the BRICS cooperation mechanism to a new level, serving as a constructive force for safeguarding world peace, promoting common development, improving global governance and facilitating democratization of international relations.

    This year marks the beginning of greater BRICS cooperation. During the upcoming summit, the first such gathering to be held after the BRICS expansion, Xi and leaders of other BRICS countries are expected to draw a blueprint for the development of its mechanism, inject new impetus into a multipolar world, facilitate economic globalization and democratization of international relations, and open up a new chapter for the solidarity and development of the Global South.

    New starting point

    “BRICS is an important force in shaping the international landscape. We choose our development paths independently, jointly defend our right to development, and march in tandem toward modernization. This represents the direction of the advancement of human society, and will profoundly impact the development process of the world,” said Xi during the 15th BRICS Summit in August 2023.

    Other than the countries that officially joined the BRICS family on Jan. 1, 2024, over 30 countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Türkiye and Azerbaijan have either formally applied for or expressed interest in its membership.

    After the expansion, the BRICS countries account for about 30 percent of the global GDP, nearly half of the global population and one-fifth of global trade.

    China has been committed to deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with its BRICS partners. In the first quarter of this year, China’s imports and exports to BRICS countries increased by more than 11 percent year on year.

    Ahmed Al-Ali, a researcher based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said that the BRICS has become an important engine to drive global economic recovery and maintain world peace and stability thanks to its steady economic growth, and equal and extensive cooperation opportunities.

    “Ethiopia’s BRICS membership could significantly boost the country’s socio-economic development through various economic opportunities, including increased investment, expanded South-South cooperation and trade partnerships,” said Balew Demissie, a researcher at the Policy Studies Institute of Ethiopia.

    China’s cooperation with other BRICS members has strongly defended multilateralism and promoted the democratization of international relations, said Evandro Carvalho, a Brazilian professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, an economic think tank.

    The appeal of the BRICS cooperation mechanism comes from its spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation. “BRICS countries gather not in a closed club or an exclusive circle, but a big family of mutual support and a partnership for win-win cooperation,” Xi said during the 14th BRICS Summit in June 2022.

    From the “BRICS Plus” cooperation approach proposed in 2017 to the historic expansion of BRICS membership, the mechanism is widely welcomed, with growing influence and appeal.

    The BRICS cooperation mechanism respects the interests of all parties involved and is an “attractive platform for cooperation and mutual benefit,” said Elshad Mammadov, an Azerbaijani economics expert.

    The BRICS Media Summit is held in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 14, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Fruitful achievements

    At present, the mechanism is at a crucial stage of building on past achievements and ushering in a new era of cooperation. China is working with other BRICS partners, embarking on a new journey of greater BRICS cooperation.

    “We should navigate the trend of our times and stay in the forefront. We should always bear in mind our founding purpose of strengthening ourselves through unity, enhance cooperation across the board, and build a high-quality partnership. We should help reform global governance to make it more just and equitable, and bring to the world more certainty, stability and positive energy,” Xi has said.

    Applauding more participants and exploring new ways of cooperation within the mechanism, the BRICS countries will also have more opportunities and their roles in the global arena will continue to expand, said Ivan Melnikov, first vice-chairman of the Russian State Duma and chairman of the Russia-China Friendship Association.

    China and its BRICS partners have worked together to advance practical cooperation and deepen mutual benefit, setting up projects such as the China-BRICS Science and Innovation Incubation Park for the New Era and the China-BRICS AI Development and Cooperation Center, as well as hosting the BRICS Forum on Partnership on New Industrial Revolution and BRICS Industrial Innovation Contest.

    Set up by the BRICS and opened in 2015, the New Development Bank (NDB) aims to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging market economies and developing countries.

    Meanwhile, people-to-people and cultural exchanges among BRICS countries are in full swing with popular events such as film festivals, sports games, and co-productions of films and documentaries.

    The first special session for BRICS countries of the International Youth Poetry Festival kicked off in the Southeastern Chinese city of Hangzhou in July, attracting 72 poets from BRICS countries.

    In mid-September, over 60 media leaders from more than 40 countries joined the BRICS Media Summit in Moscow, discussing the role of BRICS media in promoting a multipolar world.

    People-to-people exchanges have deepened among BRICS countries, and BRICS member states have worked towards a closer friendship, providing a “BRICS model” for promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, said Ahmed Hamadi, a political commentator of the Aletihad News Center of the UAE.

    A model of E190-E2 aircraft is on display at the exhibition of BRICS New Industrial Revolution 2024 in Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian Province, Sept. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Bright future

    Thanks to the concerted efforts of all parties, the BRICS has increasingly become an important force in shaping the international landscape and safeguarding global stability.

    The BRICS cooperation mechanism is now a key venue for emerging markets and developing countries to strengthen solidarity and cooperation and safeguard common interests, thereby serving as the most pivotal mechanism representing the Global South.

    China is a significant promoter of BRICS cooperation and a natural member of the Global South. Beijing has all along stood with other developing countries through thick and thin. While pursuing its own development, China has continuously provided new opportunities for the rest of the world by sharing its development dividends.

    “China’s role in promoting the continuous development of BRICS is significant,” said Zukiswa Roboji, a researcher at Walter Sisulu University in South Africa.

    The BRICS mechanism effectively promotes solidarity and cooperation among countries of the Global South, and enhances the representation of developing countries in global governance, and China has made positive contributions to raising the global influence of BRICS cooperation, Roboji said.

    The genuine multilateralism advocated by China and its efforts in promoting the modernization of the Global South have brought confidence and important strength to the world, said Bunn Nagara, director and senior fellow at Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia-Pacific.

    “Today, China is exactly what the countries of the Global South want to be,” said Dilma Rousseff, former Brazilian president and president of the NDB, adding that China’s advocacy of more just and effective global governance is helping the world build a bright shared future.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese researchers trace spirit distillation technology back to Western Han Dynasty

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Chinese researchers have uncovered evidence that spirit distillation technology in China dates back to the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD), much earlier than the previously believed Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

    A research team from Zhengzhou University’s historical and cultural heritage conservation research center conducted simulation experiments using a replica of the distiller unearthed from the tomb of the Marquis of Haihun. The experiments confirmed the distiller’s functionality for producing distilled spirits.

    The tomb, located in Nanchang, capital of east China’s Jiangxi Province, is a significant archaeological site from the Western Han Dynasty.

    The findings correct the traditional belief that spirit distillation technology emerged during the Yuan Dynasty, as recorded in the ancient Chinese medical classic Ben Cao Gang Mu, according to Han Guohe, director of the research center.

    The experiments revealed that the ancient distiller achieved a distillation efficiency of over 70 percent, while also preserving spirits’ flavor and alcohol content.

    The study was published in the journal Cultural Relics of Central China. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Documentary gives clout to Chinese filmmakers

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Fang Li with Lisbon Maru survivor Dennis Morley during an interview. Morley, the last survivor in the U.K., died in 2021 at age 101. [Image courtesy of Laurel Films]

    Since early September, filmmaker Fang Li has traveled to many cities to host nearly 100 promotional events for one of his most challenging works, The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru.

    The documentary, which has consumed eight years and 80 million yuan ($11.2 million), chronicles his investigations into a titular incident during World War II — a Japanese ship that carried 1,816 British prisoners of war from Hong Kong to Japan in October 1942.

    Tragically, the cargo liner was torpedoed by the USS Grouper submarine. Japanese forces confined the POWs and abandoned them to their fate, even assigning a team of soldiers to shoot any prisoners attempting to escape after the main troops evacuated. Some of the POWs managed to escape, with 384 British prisoners rescued by over 200 Chinese fishermen in the sea near Dongji Island in Zhoushan, East China’s Zhejiang province. Most survivors were recaptured by Japanese troops the next day, but three were hidden by villagers.

    Fang and his team did their best to find core parties and descendants in the United Kingdom, United States, Japan and China, getting close to the truth about the tragic sinking.

    Narrated in a restrained and objective perspective with profound materials, the documentary has won high acclaim, obtaining 9.3 out of 10 points on the popular review aggregator Douban, making it the highest-rated documentary on the platform this year.

    Currently, the film, which debuted domestically on Sept 6, has grossed over 43 million yuan at the box office, far exceeding the producers’ original estimation.

    Its high acclaim and box-office success have drawn attention from industry insiders and critics, especially after it was selected as China’s submission in a bid for the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category in late September.

    During a recent symposium held in Beijing, Xie Li, a Party committee member of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, listed the popularity of The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru as the latest example showcasing the rise of Chinese documentaries. Previous excellent works include Snow Leopards and Friends, Remembering 1950 and Like the Dyer’s Hand, added Xie.

    Xie expressed hope that Chinese filmmakers will produce more quality documentaries that can resonate with international audiences.

    Jiao Hongfen, chairman of the China Film Producers’ Association, said that The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru has brought pride to domestic filmmakers and will encourage more excellent documentaries to be screened in theaters.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Dance drama on overseas Chinese business pioneer premieres in capital

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Half of the Sea, a Chinese dance drama, centering on the life story of Tan Kah Kee, a patriotic overseas Chinese business pioneer and philanthropist, premiered in Beijing on Sunday.

    The production uses dance as an artistic medium to showcase his spirit of perseverance, patriotism, and dedication to education, paying tribute to the patriotic overseas Chinese who remained devoted to his homeland despite adversity.

    Tan Kah Kee was born in Jimei village in Tong An district, Fujian province, on Oct 21, 1874. At age 16, he arrived in Singapore and joined his father in the family’s rice trading business as an apprentice and bookkeeper. Tan proved himself to be an exceptional worker, and by 1892, he was put in charge of Chop Soon Ann company after his uncle fell ill and retired. In 1893, Tan returned to his home village Jimei, and set about establishing a business of his own.

    The eminent entrepreneur donated money, and directed efforts to improve the lives of people in Chinese mainland through the turbulent wartime. In Singapore, he helped to establish five primary and secondary Chinese schools. In 1918, he established a normal school to train teachers in Fujian. When he founded Xiamen University in 1921, he ensured that the department of education had the best possible faculty. In Singapore, for a decade he campaigned for a Nanyang Chinese Normal School to train teachers for Chinese schools and it was established in 1941.

    His love for China is reflected in his own memoirs, Nanqiao Huiyilu, which has been described as undoubtedly one of the best documented autobiographies ever written by an overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia.

    On stage, the dancers’ fluid and dynamic movements, combined with artistic elements like harbors, fishing boats, and villages, create a vivid depiction of Minnan (southern Fujian) and Southeast Asian scenery. The stage incorporates 16 suspended panels that reflect ever-changing scenes — from the glow of the hometown sunset to minimalist paper-folded fishing boats and a 10-meter-long rotating conference table. The modern stage design creates an immersive viewing experience, transporting the audience to a historical period filled with dramatic changes.

    In terms of choreography, the dance drama seamlessly blends modern dance with traditional Minnan elements and the style of the early 20th century. It showcases the robust, rhythmic movements typical of Minnan dance while incorporating the fluidity and versatility of modern dance.

    Director Lin Chen explained that the title, Half of the Sea, represents both the physical separation of the overseas Chinese from their homeland and their deep emotional connection and strong sense of national identity.

    Following its Beijing debut, Half of the Sea will embark on a nationwide tour.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Art collector’s legacy puts generosity in the frame

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    In 1856, 24-year-old Moscow merchant Pavel Tretyakov (1832-98) acquired the oil works of two Russian painters — Skirmish with Finnish Smugglers by V.G. Khudyakov and Temptation by N.G. Schilder.

    It was his first purchase of “serious” works of art.

    Before that, Tretyakov, who had been long fascinated by music, literature and art, bought books and drawings at the market.

    The possession of the two oil paintings led to buying a large number of paintings in the years before his death, with a focus on “work that would reflect the face of Russian painting”.

    That year marked the beginning of a fine collection, with the painstaking process costing Tretyakov a great deal of time and money.

    He built a gallery to house and display the paintings, and turned it into a public museum. Before he died, he donated the collection and gallery to the Moscow city government to benefit as many people as possible.

    Now, 56 paintings from Tretyakov’s legacy of the State Tretyakov Gallery — some added to the gallery collection after he passed — have arrived in Beijing.

    The Soul of Russia exhibition at the Capital Museum on Chang’an Avenue is the first stop on its China tour and runs until Dec 8. It introduces audiences to Tretyakov’s decades-long commitment to popularizing Russian art and unfolding the many aspects of the country and its people.

    The show celebrates the 75th anniversary of Sino-Russian diplomatic relations and the China-Russia Years of Culture (2024-25).

    In 2015, the State Tretyakov Gallery brought its collection to the National Museum of China, also located on Chang’an Avenue. The exhibition displayed the works of Peredvizhniki, or “The Wanderers”, a group of like-minded artists who emerged in the second half of the 19th century to establish the Society for Traveling Exhibitions and a new style that depicts the contemporary life of ordinary Russian people.

    This time, at the Capital Museum, the gallery presents an even more extensive picture of Russia, its art and its people, since the 16th century through to today, of which the core idea may be summarized in the words of Russian painter Ivan Shishkin (1832-98): “Expanse, space, land. Rye. God’s grace. Russian wealth”.

    Shishkin, one of the most celebrated landscape artists of the Peredvizhniki movement, is recognized as the “tsar of the woods” for his fine presentations of trees and forests. His piece In the Park is on display at The Soul of Russia.

    The exhibited paintings are broken down into sections not in chronological order but under four themes — the expansive and diverse landscapes of Russia, the representative faces of the country that reflect its soul, life scenes of animation and their traditions, and historic narratives.

    Chen Jingjing, the exhibition’s curator, says the arrangement directs audiences to “a broad view of the country and its people as a whole, epitomized by the vivid depictions from different angles by artists from different periods”.

    “Not only does it show the tradition of art in Russia, but also the images of Russia — natural environments, a crisscross of Eastern and Western cultures and daily scenarios — have been presented by its artists over time,” Chen adds.

    “These works are on show in Beijing, which allows people in China to form their own perspectives of the country,” she says.

    Works on show include a 17th century replica of The Virgin of Vladimir, by Ivan Mikhailov, the earliest painting featured at the exhibition according to Elena Pronicheva, the general director of the State Tretyakov Gallery; Nasty Sea, a convincing example of Ivan Aivazovsky’s ability to reenact nature’s eternal beauty and dignity on canvas. The display also has Head of Boyarynya Morozova, a preparatory study work that Vasily Surikov, a historical painter and also a Peredvizhniki member, made for his iconic piece Boyarynya Morozova, which is included in the State Tretyakov Gallery’s collection.

    Some of the artists on show were frequent guests at the house of Tretyakov.

    Pronicheva says Tretyakov “set a good example of how to show the soul of Russia, as he viewed preserving Russian art in the means of building a collection and a gallery, now one of the richest in Russia, and gifting it to the public — a most important commitment”.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ​Universal Music, iQiyi to promote Chinese rap globally

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Universal Music Greater China (UMGC) announced a deal on Oct. 18 to distribute music globally from contestants on the popular Chinese rap competition show “The Rap of China 2024.”

    The agreement with iQiyi, China’s leading online entertainment platform, gives Universal exclusive rights to release new music from the show’s contestants worldwide. Universal will also provide support services to the artists.

    A poster for Universal Music’s deal with “The Rap of China 2024,” showcasing outstanding contestants. [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Greater China]

    “The Rap of China,” produced by iQiyi, is the first Chinese reality show with a narrative-driven episodic format, showcasing young Chinese rap talent. Since its debut in 2018, the show has sparked a nationwide rap craze and become a cultural phenomenon in China. As one of the country’s most successful youth culture brands in recent years, “The Rap of China” has launched the careers of numerous rap artists.

    “This collaboration not only reaffirms our commitment to nurturing Chinese rap talent but also extends their global reach, bridging cultural gaps and enriching the international music landscape with the dynamic culture of Chinese rap,” said Timothy Xu, chairman and CEO of UMGC. “We eagerly anticipate this partnership will facilitate collaborations between Chinese rap artists and top international talents, creating groundbreaking musical works that carry their unique cultural signatures and expressions.”

    The latest season, which ran from early May to late July, showcased notable contestants, including ALAMEI, C2C, DANNY K, ErWan and Oliver Jiang. Universal Music Group (UMG) will distribute all future releases from these artists globally. To support this partnership, UMGC has formed a specialized team offering comprehensive assistance in talent development, artist management, marketing and merchandise development.

    Zuo Jin, chief director of “The Rap of China,” said this season has displayed exceptional talent and creativity. He called the new partnership with UMG a strong indication of the show’s influence and broad appeal.

    “Embracing an international vision from the start, we set up global auditions that attracted over 500 young artists from around the world,” Zuo said. “With UMG’s deep local expertise and expansive global infrastructure, I am confident that this collaboration will further enhance our international presence and deliver fruitful outcomes.”

    UMG will invite the top three finalists from “The Rap of China 2024” — JinJiBeWater_Falcon, XinXiu and HuiZi — to visit its leading global record labels. The tour will include stops at iconic recording studios and meetings with international artists and producers. The experience aims to broaden the finalists’ artistic perspectives and foster cross-cultural collaborations.

    JinJiBeWater_Falcon, who won “The Rap of China 2024,” said he started from scratch, just like many other rappers on the show. “Winning ‘The Rap of China’ really threw me onto a bigger stage, giving me the opportunity to work with a world-leading music label like UMG,” he said. “I look forward to sparking fresh ideas and inspiration with fellow artists, and I hope my journey can open up more possibilities for Chinese rap.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Re-elected Tunisian president takes oath of office

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Tunisia’s re-elected President Kais Saied (Front) speaks at the Tunisian Parliament in Tunis, Tunisia, on Oct. 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Tunisia’s re-elected President Kais Saied took an oath on Monday at the Assembly of People’s Representatives’ headquarters, the Tunisian Parliament, in the capital Tunis.

    The plenary parliamentary session, broadcast on the state television channel Watanya 1, was attended by parliament deputies, members of the National Council of Regions and Districts, and senior government officials.

    In his speech, Saied pledged to safeguard the independence of the homeland and the integrity of its territory, respect the Constitution of the country and its legislation, and watch over its interests and owe it allegiance.

    He emphasized that combating terrorism and fighting corruption are critical challenges that must be addressed.

    Saied also rejected any form of foreign interference in Tunisia’s internal affairs, saying that “the sovereignty of Tunisia is a red line that must not be crossed.”

    According to Article 92 of the Tunisian Constitution, the elected president takes an oath for a five-year term before assuming office.

    Saied has been re-elected for a second term, after winning 90.69 percent of the vote in the presidential election held on Oct. 6.

    Tunisia holds presidential elections every five years, and the 66-year-old Saied has been in office since his election in 2019.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Israel, US implement 5.2B USD air defense aid package

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Israeli and U.S. officials have begun implementing a 5.2-billion-U.S. dollar emergency aid package to bolster Israel’s air defense system, the Israeli Defense Ministry said Monday.

    The Israeli and U.S. sides completed an exchange of letters to initiate the package, which will enhance Israel’s Iron Dome anti-rocket system, David’s Sling missile defense system, and the Iron Beam laser defense system, the ministry said in a statement.

    The package is part of an 8.7-billion-dollar military aid Israel said in late September it had secured from the United States, in which 3.5 billion dollars have already been transferred to Israel for “urgent wartime procurement.”

    The United States has been supporting Israel since the beginning of the conflict with Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, sending a few hundred cargo planes and ships with weapons, bombs, and ammunition, according to official Israeli sources.

    The U.S. military aid has drawn widespread criticism as ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip are claiming more and more lives. According to the latest data from the Gaza-based health authorities, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the enclave has topped 42,600.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Ukrainian president, US defense secretary meet

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discussed defense issues during their meeting on Monday, according to the presidential press service.

    The talks touched upon Ukraine’s request to use long-range weapons to attack military targets inside Russia.

    Zelensky and Austin also addressed increasing the production of attack drones, cruise missiles, artillery shells and air defense equipment.

    Austin announced a new U.S. military assistance package for Ukraine worth 400 million U.S. dollars, which includes ammunition, military equipment and weapons.

    Since February 2022, the United States has provided 64.1 billion dollars in military aid to Ukraine, according to the fact sheet release by the U.S. Department of State in October this year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Israel claims major blow to Hezbollah’s rocket capabilities

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    This photo taken on Oct. 20, 2024 shows smoke caused by Israeli airstrike in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Israel’s military said on Monday that it had destroyed about 70 percent of Hezbollah’s rocket capabilities, dismantled parts of its financial network, and killed a senior Hezbollah official in Syria who oversaw the group’s money transfers.

    In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had killed seven Hezbollah brigade commanders, 21 battalion commanders, and 24 company commanders.

    The IDF added that since the beginning of its ground offensive in Lebanon in early October, it had struck more than 3,200 sites in the country, including hundreds of weapons storage facilities, rocket launchers, anti-tank positions, and command and control centers.

    Roughly 300 of those targets were hit in the last 24 hours alone, according to the military.

    Citing senior security officials, Israel’s Channel 13 TV news reported that Hezbollah retains about 30 percent of its rocket capabilities, a significant reduction from the beginning of the conflict in October.

    Later in a press briefing, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israeli warplanes had bombed around 20 Hezbollah sites linked with financial network overnight from Sunday to Monday, with most of the strikes focused on Beirut. The strikes, Hagari said, are expected to resume tonight.

    Among the targets was an underground warehouse belonging to the Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association, a Hezbollah-affiliated financial organization operating primarily in Lebanon with headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburb, where Hezbollah’s headquarters are located.

    According to Hagari, Hezbollah had stockpiled cash and gold worth “tens of millions of dollars, intended for living expenses and post-war reconstruction” in this underground warehouse.

    Hagari also said that under Al-Sahel Hospital, in Beirut’s southern suburb, Hezbollah had built an underground bunker storing “at least half a billion dollars in cash and gold.”

    The bunker, described as a central financial hub, was not struck, but Hagari warned that Israeli aircraft were monitoring the site closely. “We will continue to track it,” he added.

    According to the spokesman, Hezbollah has established a financial network involving Yemen, Lebanon, Türkiye, and Syria. The network was managed by Mohammad Jaafar Qasir and Sheikh Salah, the head of Unit 4400, which is responsible for financial transfers and the financial management of Hezbollah.

    Qasir was killed by Israel in Beirut in early October, and according to Hagari, his successor was also killed in an Israeli airstrike in Syria on Monday.

    The crackdown on Hezbollah’s financial network, Hagari added, aims to “deal a blow to its primary financial centers, making it difficult for the group to restore its capabilities.”

    Also on Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signed an order designating the Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association as a terrorist organization. The decision, Gallant said in a statement, was due to “the financing of terrorism through the purchase of weapons, payment of salaries to terrorists, and the storage of Hezbollah funds within the association’s facilities.”

    The confrontation between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, since its onset on Oct. 8, 2023, has killed more than 2,300 people, injured over 11,000 others, and displaced about 1.2 million residents in Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: High-tech goods prove popular at Canton Fair

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    A wide range of high-tech and high value-added products displayed at the first phase of the 136th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, proved increasingly popular among overseas buyers, the event’s organizers said on Monday.

    The event’s first phase, which focused on China’s advanced manufacturing, concluded on Saturday in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, with digitalized, intelligent and green products emerging as major highlights of the exhibits.

    Among the 11,165 participating companies in the first phase, approximately 3,600 are related to digital technology and intelligent manufacturing, according to the organizers. Of these, 57.8 percent are enhancing their industrial chains through technology transformations involving big data, artificial intelligence and the industrial internet.

    Chinese exhibitors have showcased a plethora of new products, technologies, materials and processes, with 390,000 digital products on display, marking a 300 percent increase compared with the last session.

    High-end products including smart home appliances, new energy vehicles, industrial automation equipment, humanoid robots, intelligent bionic hands and hydrogen-powered bikes are increasingly popular, the organizers said.

    They also said the trend indicates that Chinese manufacturing is accelerating its pace toward the high end of the industrial and value chains, while the independent innovation capabilities of Chinese enterprises and the core competitiveness of Chinese products are continuing to strengthen.

    Xu Jiadong, sales manager of Skymen Technology Corp, said, “We have seen an increased number of buyers, especially those from emerging markets such as the Middle East and Southeast Asia, visiting our exhibition booth during the fair, showing interest in buying advanced ultrasonic cleaning products.”

    The Shenzhen, Guangdong province-based company’s overseas sales of ultrasonic cleaning products steadily increased in the first nine months of this year, reaching more than 60 million yuan ($8.4 million), Xu said.

    To meet the increased demand for advanced and intelligent ultrasonic cleaning products in overseas markets, the company launched operation of its manufacturing base in Shaoguan, Guangdong, in late 2023.

    More than 130,000 overseas buyers, an increase of 4.6 percent compared with the previous session, visited the fair’s first phase. Of these, 69.7 percent were from countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and around 20,000 buyers were from the Middle East, an increase of 44.2 percent compared with the previous session, according to the organizers.

    In addition, advanced products with high added value, such as industrial machines manufactured in China, have become increasingly popular in the overseas market, according to Yusuf Kandemir, CEO of Alshamela Group Trading Co.

    “The fair provides me with very valuable information, as we are looking for high-end industrial machinery suppliers from China,” said Kandemir, adding that such products are very much in demand, especially in the Middle East.

    The second phase of the fair will be held from Wednesday to Sunday, with 10,040 Chinese exhibitors showcasing household items, gifts and decorations, building materials and furniture.

    Spanning three phases, with both online and on-site exhibitions, the fair, which will run until Nov 4, aims to serve high-quality development and promote greater opening-up.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Erhai forum offers insights into promoting eco-friendly modernization

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Erhai forum offers insights into promoting eco-friendly modernization

    Updated: October 22, 2024 10:09 Xinhua

    “China is taking very important steps to make the Chinese nation a more ecological nation.” Foreign guests have gathered in China’s Dali for a forum on promoting eco-friendly modernization.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: BMW Brilliance kicks off geothermal energy project in Shenyang

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    German carmaker BMW Group’s joint venture in China on Monday kicked off a geothermal energy project aimed at realizing 100 percent non-fossil energy heating for its factories in Shenyang, capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province.

    Under the project, BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) will drill 28 medium-deep geothermal wells, which will be completed and provide a total heating area of approximately 580,000 square meters by the 2025 heating season.

    “We believe that investing in sustainable development is investing in the future. Starting today, our exploration of geothermal energy has entered a new chapter,” said Dai Hexuan, president and CEO of BBA.

    Geothermal energy is a stable and low-carbon form of renewable energy with large reserves and widespread distribution in China.

    In the geothermal energy project, BBA is expected to adopt a number of industry-leading technologies to collect the energy at a depth of approximately 2,900 meters underground in a pollution-free and zero-emission manner.

    The energy exploration will be carried in an enclosed process. The project is expected to achieve an annual carbon emission reduction of 18,000 tonnes, the company said.

    BMW has been increasing its investment in Shenyang in recent years. In November 2023, BBA completed the construction of the main building of a new battery production plant, with a total investment of 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars). The geothermal energy will be mainly used to supply winter heating in the factory and the company’s assembly plant.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing’s GDP grows 5.1%

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Foreign tourists take a tour on Wangfujing Street in Beijing, capital of China, June 27, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The gross domestic product (GDP) of Beijing increased 5.1 percent year on year in the first three quarters of 2024, the city’s statistics authorities said Monday.

    The Chinese capital’s GDP reached 3.3 trillion yuan (about 465 billion U.S. dollars) from January to September, according to the municipal bureau of statistics.

    Key industries in Beijing showed robust growth in the first nine months of the year. The manufacturing of computers, communication and other electronic equipment saw an increase of 19.5 percent year on year, while the automotive manufacturing industry surged by 18.4 percent compared with the same period last year.

    In the tertiary sector, the information transmission, software and information technology services industry saw rapid growth, achieving added value of 710.5 billion yuan, up 11.9 percent year on year. The added value of the financial industry increased by 6.6 percent to 672 billion yuan.

    In terms of employment, the urban surveyed unemployment rate in Beijing for the first three quarters stood at 4.1 percent on average, 0.4 percentage points lower than the same period last year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Qualcomm unveils mobile platform featuring fastest mobile CPU

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon introduces the mobile platform, named Snapdragon 8 Elite, at Qualcomm’s annual tech summit in Maui, Hawaii, the United States, on Oct. 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    U.S. leading chip manufacturer Qualcomm on Monday unveiled its first Snapdragon Mobile Platform featuring the world’s fastest mobile CPU.

    The platform, named Snapdragon 8 Elite, was launched at Qualcomm’s annual tech summit in Maui, U.S. state of Hawaii.

    The platform powers a new era of on-device generative AI, built to handle the complexities of multi-modal AI seamlessly while prioritizing privacy.

    Snapdragon 8 Elite, featuring Qualcomm’s next generation custom-built Oryon CPU, is the most powerful and world’s fastest mobile system-on-a-chip ever, according to Qualcomm.

    The platform delivers improved performance and power efficiency across the board and transforms on-device experiences with support for multimodal generative AI, redefined AI photography, gaming and studio-quality audio — all backed by AI-enhanced connectivity.

    Earlier this year, Qualcomm debuted Oryon CPU in personal computers (PC).

    “We are so excited to bring the power of Qualcomm Oryon to our Snapdragon mobile platforms for the first time,” said Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

    “It’s a major leap forward and we expect consumers to be thrilled with the new experiences enabled by our CPU technology,” he said.

    The first-in-mobile Qualcomm Oryon CPU delivers a 45 percent performance boost, 44 percent greater power efficiency, and the mobile industry’s largest shared data cache, according to Qualcomm.

    The tech summit, named Snapdragon Summit, runs from Monday to Wednesday, during which the company launches its next-generation platforms and showcases innovative technologies that will power consumer devices and automobiles.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Revitalizing property, shares high on agenda

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s monetary policymakers are likely to continue next year to prioritize revitalizing market expectations for the ailing property sector and an undervalued capital market to help bring about a steady economic recovery, economists and market mavens said.

    Such a policy stance was clearly signaled by the larger-than-expected lending rate reduction on Monday and the country’s first monetary policy tools that channel funds to the capital market, which will substantively alleviate homebuyer burdens while repairing the valuation of Chinese equities.

    “Shoring up the real estate sector and stabilizing the capital market have become the critical premise for China to expand domestic demand,” said Liu Yuanchun, president of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

    On Monday, China cut its market-based benchmark lending rates, with the one-year loan prime rate down to 3.1 percent and the over-five-year LPR, on which lenders base their mortgage rates, to 3.6 percent, both 25 basis points below September levels.

    The cut was slightly larger than expected and marked the biggest cut since 2019 when LPRs became benchmarks.

    Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International, said the considerable LPR reduction reflects that the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, is putting into place the “impactful interest rate cuts” outlined by the country’s top leadership, a move that will effectively ease homebuyers’ and enterprises’ financing costs.

    “To ensure that the real estate market stops falling, boosts economic momentum and drives price levels to recover moderately, there remains some room for LPR reductions in 2025,” Wang said.

    China’s A-share market ended higher following the cut, led by smaller-cap stocks, with Shanghai’s tech-heavy STAR 50 index up 2.22 percent to close at 1000.37 points. The market was also lifted by the implementation of a special central bank lending program to buy back shares and boost share holdings.

    The program, starting Friday, offers 300 billion yuan ($42.18 billion) in loans at a rate of 1.75 percent to 21 eligible banks, which will then lend to qualified companies and shareholders at a rate no higher than 2.25 percent.

    As of Sunday, 23 listed companies had applied for over 10 billion yuan of the loans, and more are expected to follow suit.

    Liu, the SUFE president, said the program signals a “significant paradigm shift” that the PBOC is now striving to correct a systemic stock pricing distortion.

    “This will help establish a floor for China’s capital market, addressing the widespread, persistent issue of stock market values falling below book values.”

    Addressing Sibos 2024, a financial services event organized by Swift on Monday, Lu Lei, deputy governor of the PBOC, said the country’s financial sector will continue to embrace opening-up and cooperation, vowing to encourage Chinese sovereign wealth funds and financial institutions to invest abroad.

    MIL OSI China News –