Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Hezbollah confirmed on Sunday that the group’s senior leader Ali Karaki, head of the southern front, was killed, along with top leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in the Israeli airstrikes targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
The budget surplus for last financial year has come in at $15.8 billion, well exceeding the $9.3 billion that was forecast in the May budget.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers, just back from talks in Beijing on China’s economic outlook, will announce the result on Monday.
The government says the better-than-forecast outcome has been driven entirely by lower spending. Revenue was also lower than the budget anticipated. Areas of savings included the National Disability Insurance Scheme, payments to the states, and various grant programs that don’t exist anymore.
This is the government’s second consecutive surplus. The May budget has predicted deficits for the coming years.
Across 2022-23 and 2023-24 the budget position has improved by a cumulative $172.3 billion, compared with what was forecast in the official Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Outlook, released immediately before the 2022 election.
The government says it has made $77.4 billion in savings, including $12.2 billion in 2023-24.
Payments were 25.2% of GDP in 2023-24. This compared to the PEFO forecast of 27.1%
Chalmers said this was the “first government to post back-to-back surpluses in nearly two decades”. The surpluses hadn’t come at the expense of cost-of-living relief, he said in a statement.
Speaking in Beijing on Friday Chalmers said it remained to be seen whether China’s just-announced stimulus measures would work.
“But we’ve seen on earlier occasions when the authorities here, the administration here, steps in to support activity in the economy that is typically a good thing for Australia – good for our businesses and workers, our industries, our investors, and good for the global economy as well.
“Like a lot of people around the world, we have been concerned about the softer conditions here in the Chinese economy. Subject to the details [of measures] that will be made public in good time, any efforts to boost growth and support activity here is a welcome one around the world and especially at home in Australia.”
Chalmers on Monday is likely to face further questions on the Treasury’s work on negative gearing, news of which leaked out last week.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Final budget outcome shows 2023-24 surplus of $15.8 billion – https://theconversation.com/final-budget-outcome-shows-2023-24-surplus-of-15-8-billion-240093
Source: People’s Republic of China Ministry of Health
The 13th Cross-Strait Hospital CEO Forum was held on Sept 6 in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province. Cao Xuetao, vice-minister of the National Health Commission (NHC), addressed the opening ceremony.
In his speech, Cao said that the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China further outlined a blueprint for further deepening reform comprehensively, opening up new horizons for cross-Strait integrated development in various fields.
It is necessary for medical professionals from the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to strengthen mutual learning and exchanges, share experiences of coordinated development and governance in medical care, medical insurance and pharmaceuticals, and explore effective measures to promote the expansion of high-quality medical resources at grassroots levels and ensure balanced distribution.
He also called for efforts to make sure that Taiwan compatriots can jointly share the new opportunities in Chinese modernization and the new achievements the mainland made in the development of the health industry in the process of deepening public welfare-oriented reform of public hospitals and improving policies of investment, staffing, pricing and salary distribution.
Co-sponsored by the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine and several social organizations in Taiwan, the Cross-Strait Hospital CEO Forum has been held for 13 sessions and has become an important platform for exchange and interaction among hospital managers across the Strait.
The 13th forum attracted more than 1,000 experts and scholars from both sides of the Strait, including more than 150 representatives from Taiwan.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Xi encourages industrial workers to contribute to full revitalization of northeast China
BEIJING, Sept. 29 — Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, recently sent a reply letter to representatives of industrial workers from China First Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (CFHI), expressing warm encouragement and earnest expectations for them.
Xi said he visited CFHI twice and was deeply impressed by the persistent pursuit of technological innovation and product quality by the workers there. In recent years, CFHI workers have focused on tackling core technological challenges in major equipment manufacturing and made many new breakthroughs, demonstrating patriotism and creativity of Chinese industrial workers in the new era.
Xi stressed that manufacturing is the foundation of a country and the basis of a strong nation, expressing his hope that on the new journey in the new era, the workers will adhere to the original aspiration of serving the country with skills, promote the spirit of model workers, the value of work and the spirit of workmanship, diligently hone skills, improve competence, and continue to contribute wisdom and strength to building a country that is strong in manufacturing and to promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. Centrally administered enterprises should boost reform and innovation, enhance their core functions and competitiveness, and strive to become stronger, better and bigger. They should contribute more to the endeavor to build a great country and realize national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.
CFHI is a leading equipment manufacturer headquartered in the city of Qiqihar, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Xi has inspected CFHI’s manufacturing bases twice and made instructions on its reform and innovation as well as operation and management. Representatives of the company’s industrial workers awarded the title of role model wrote a letter to Xi recently, highlighting their efforts to strengthen technological research and development following Xi’s instructions, and expressing their determination to contribute to the full revitalization of northeast China and the cause of building China into a great country.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Sept. 29 — A chronicle detailing major events of the Communist Party of China (CPC) during the New-Democratic Revolution period (1921-1949) has been published and is now available nationwide.
The 29-volume work was released ahead of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Oct. 1.
The chronicle covers key activities across fields such as politics, military affairs, economy, culture, society, foreign relations, and party-building, documenting the CPC’s journey from its founding in 1921 to the establishment of the PRC in 1949.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Celebration events to mark 75th National Day
Celebration events to mark 75th National Day
********************************************
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, and senior government officials will attend a flag-raising ceremony and a National Day reception on October 1 (Tuesday) to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The flag-raising ceremony will be held at Golden Bauhinia Square outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wan Chai at 8am. Community leaders and members of uniformed groups will attend the ceremony. No public viewing area will be set up. The Police Band will perform at the ceremony and a choir from Belilios Public School and Queen’s College will sing the national anthem under the lead of two singers, Chen Yong and Phoebe Tam, followed by a fly-past and a sea parade by the disciplined services. The National Day reception, led by the Chief Executive, will be held at the Grand Hall on Level 3 of the HKCEC after the flag-raising ceremony. Motorists are reminded that the Police will implement special traffic arrangements at Golden Bauhinia Square and the nearby area during the celebration events.
Ends/Sunday, September 29, 2024Issued at HKT 16:00
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Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China holds ceremony awarding highest state honors
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SHANGHAI, Sept. 29 — Global incubators and start-up entrepreneurs have praised the opportunities bred by the vast Chinese market and incubation soil for technology start-ups at the World Top-Performing Incubator Conference 2024.
The conference, held in Shanghai Municipality from Sept. 26 to 28, attracted nearly 300 innovation projects in cutting-edge fields such biomedicine, integrated circuits and artificial intelligence. It saw the attendance of top incubators from more than 10 countries, including China, the United States, Canada and the Netherlands.
Sejun Oh, CEO of Huespine, a digital healthcare rehabilitation platform, brought their AI-based nursing equipment to China. He hopes to establish contact with Chinese hospitals, enterprises and consumers and is optimistic about the Chinese market.
Jorg Kop, managing director of UtrechtInc, a university-linked start-up incubator, said he hopes to further their cooperation network in China and help European start-ups enter the Chinese market.
Kop said China is crucial to the development of the world economy and Shanghai has economic vitality as well as fantastic ideas. He added that the Lin-gang special area of Pudong district in the municipality can be a convenient entrance for its start-ups to enter the Chinese market.
According to Zhai Jinguo, deputy director of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai will continue to establish an innovative incubation ecosystem, cultivate new quality productivity forces, and provide support and guarantee for scientific and technological innovation projects and teams in Shanghai.
China has more than 700,000 incubated enterprises and teams. The revenues of incubated enterprises have exceeded 1 trillion yuan (about 143 billion U.S. dollars).
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, delivers a speech at the general debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 28, 2024. [Photo/Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, delivered a speech at the general debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday.
Wang warned against any expansion of the Ukraine crisis. “The top priority is to commit to no expansion of the crisis, no escalation of the tension and no provocation by any party,” he said, urging efforts to push for the de-escalation of the situation at an early date.
He said China is committed to playing a constructive role, as well as engaging in shuttle mediation and promoting peace talks regarding the crisis.
On the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Wang said there must not be any delay in reaching a comprehensive ceasefire in the Middle East, and the fundamental way out lies in the two-state solution.
China always supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and supports Palestine’s full UN membership, he said.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
China’s railway network is expected to handle 175 million passenger trips during the upcoming 10-day National Day holiday travel rush, China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. said Sunday.
The peak is expected on Tuesday, with over 21 million trips projected, according to the company.
The railway travel rush from Sunday to Oct. 8 is expected to see a mix of tourists, family visits and student travels, the company said.
In response to the surge in passenger demand, measures will be taken to boost transportation capacity, enhance services, and ensure safe, orderly and enjoyable trips, it said.
Source: Peoples Bank of China
Announcement on Open Market Operations No.195 [2024]
(Open Market Operations Office, September 29, 2024)
In order to keep liquidity adequate at a reasonable level in the banking system at quarter-end, the People’s Bank of China conducted reverse repo operations in the amount of RMB182 billion through quantity bidding at a fixed interest rate on September 29, 2024.
Details of the Reverse Repo Operations
|
Maturity |
Volume |
Rate |
|
7 days |
RMB182 billion |
1.50% |
Date of last update Nov. 29 2018
2024年09月29日
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
This photo taken on Sept. 27, 2024 shows a scene at the 2024 World New Energy Vehicle Congress (WNEVC) in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Both Chinese and European electric vehicle (EV) makers and experts are calling for global cooperation and opposing trade protectionism at the ongoing 2024 World New Energy Vehicle Congress (WNEVC).
With the deep development of advanced technologies, collaborative research and global industrial chain cooperation have become more important to the automotive industry, Hildegard Mueller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), said Saturday on the congress.
“However, in 2024, we observe a rise in protectionist sentiments globally. An example is the EU’s anti-subsidy investigation into EVs imported from China,” Mueller said.
“For EU, imposing anti-subsidy tariffs is not yet an answer to the challenges facing the European automotive industry. Rather, it could easily escalate into a new trade conflict, sparking a spiral of protectionism,” Mueller said.
She believed that for any country and region, any market, any industry, what’s needed is simply an active industrial strategy, adding that Europe in particular must ensure that the conditions for business are improved.
She noted that the German automotive industry stands firm on the principles of free and fair trade. “We at the VDA will continue to advocate for open markets, globalization, international trade and investment and, above all, cooperation and continued dialogue,” she added.
Gan Jiayue, CEO of Geely Auto Group, also called on the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry to strengthen its collaboration to achieve mutual benefits.
Some countries and regions are trying to restrict the application of China’s NEVs by imposing additional tariffs and setting technical standards, Gan said on Saturday’s congress, adding that if imposing additional tariffs, the EU will not only hamper China’s economic development but also harm its own interests.
The automobile industry is an industry of global cooperation, and Geely always adheres to free trade and fair competition, Gan said.
Jochen Goller, member of the board of management of BMW AG, also addressed the conference, sharing insights on low-carbon transition and global cooperation, and expressing optimism about China’s NEV market.
“BMW Group strongly believes technology openness is the only sustainable path towards a carbon-neutral future, as we need to cater to the diverse needs of customers worldwide, and to advance individual mobility towards a green future,” Goller said in his speech.
BMW firmly believes that cooperation fosters prosperity and growth, he said, adding that to continue the unique automotive success story, key challenges have to be tackled and resolved jointly.
Themed with “Low Carbon Evolution and Global Cooperation,” the 2024 WNEVC is taking place in Haikou, capital of south China’s Hainan Province, running from Sept. 27 to 29.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
A view of the opening ceremony for the “Beautiful Crafts Workshop Blossoming in Paris” exhibition, featuring cultural and creative works by women with disabilities, in Paris, France, Sept. 3, 2024. [Xinhua]
An exhibition featuring cultural and creative works by women with disabilities opened in Paris on Sept. 3, coinciding with the atmosphere surrounding the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
The “Beautiful Crafts Workshop Blossoming in Paris” exhibition, displaying nearly 300 handcrafted items, aims to foster cultural exchange and showcase the talents of people with disabilities. Items on display include silk dolls, cloth tigers, fish skin paintings, wooden combs, wood carvings and ceramics.
Zhang Haidi, president of Rehabilitation International (RI) and former chairperson of China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF), expressed hope that the exhibition would gain global recognition and help improve the lives of women with disabilities.
During the opening ceremony, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for culture, Ernesto Ottone, noted that the exhibition embodies the concept of an inclusive society and sustainable development. He added that the exhibition’s timing, coinciding with the Paralympics, highlights the common features of accessibility, inclusion, and diversity shared by sports and culture.
The exhibited works originate from over 30 “Beautiful Crafts Workshops” across Chinese provinces, including Guangdong, Shandong, and Hebei. Launched in 2022 as a joint effort by the China Disabled Persons’ Federation and the All-China Women’s Federation, the initiative supports handicraft businesses and organizations that enable women with disabilities to work from home or nearby locations. To date, the program has provided employment for more than 10,000 women with disabilities nationwide.
Tang Zhanxin, a representative of the “Beautiful Crafts Workshop,” shared her personal experience with the initiative, highlighting how it has enabled many women with disabilities in China to access stable employment and improve their livelihoods.
China plans to establish 100 additional “Beautiful Crafts Workshops” over the next three years, aiming to provide employment opportunities for 10,000 more women with disabilities.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Amid rising global turbulence, unilateralism and protectionism, China and South Korea, as close neighbors and key partners, should collaborate to manage risks and strengthen bilateral ties, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in New York on Saturday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul.
Wang noted that since the beginning of this year, exchanges and cooperation between China and South Korea have become more active in various fields, and the bilateral relationship has shown a positive trend of improvement, demonstrating that the efforts of both sides are in the right direction with promising results.
He stressed that as long as both countries remain committed to the principles of their diplomatic ties, continue their focus on friendship, and pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, China-South Korea relations will continue to develop healthily and sustainably.
Noting that the close economic ties and intertwined interests between China and South Korea are market-driven and align with their common interests, Wang said China is willing to support South Korea in successfully hosting next year’s APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and advancing regional economic integration.
Emphasizing that the deployment of U.S. intermediate-range missiles in the region undermines regional peace and stability and is not in the interest of regional countries, Wang said that preventing war or chaos on the Korean Peninsula is in the common interest of all parties and that China will continue to contribute constructively to long-term peace and stability in the region.
For his part, Cho expressed congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, adding that South Korea-China relations show a good trend of resuming exchanges.
Cho expressed hope that both sides will maintain this positive momentum, strengthen high-level exchanges, and promote the stable development of bilateral relations.
South Korea is willing to enhance economic and trade cooperation with China and jointly promote regional economic integration, said Cho.
Regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea expects to maintain strategic communication with China, Cho said.
Source: China State Council Information Office
There is no “gray zone” or “room for ambiguity” when it comes to the People’s Republic of China representing the whole of China at the UN, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79).
Delivering a speech during the General Debate of UNGA 79, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told world leaders in the audience that Taiwan being “an inalienable part of China’s territory” is both “the history and the reality.”
Both the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation stated in explicit terms that all the territories Japan had stolen from the Chinese, such as Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, shall be restored to China, and this constitutes an important part of the post-war international order, Wang said.
“Right here in this august hall 53 years ago, the 26th session of the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority, deciding to restore all the rights of the People’s Republic of China at the UN, to recognize the representatives of the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate representatives of China to the UN, and to expel forthwith the representatives of the Taiwan region from the UN and all the organizations related to it,” he said, adding that “once and for all, the resolution resolved the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the UN.”
The resolution, Wang continued, made clear that there is no such thing as “two Chinas,” or “one China, one Taiwan.”
“On this matter of principle, there is no gray zone or room for ambiguity,” Wang said.
“The complete reunification of China will be achieved. Taiwan will eventually return to the embrace of the motherland. This is the overwhelming trend of history that no one and no force can stop,” said Wang.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Renowned director Chen Kaige’s war epic sequel “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death,” the second installment of his ambitious trilogy about the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) army during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), is set for nationwide release on Sept. 30.
Cast and crew of “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death” pose for a group photo at the film’s premiere in Beijing, Sept. 27, 2024. [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]
Chen said during an earlier interview that the trilogy, which contains over 200 key characters and was shot over a period of 13 months, is the biggest film project of his career. Boasting an all-star cast, the latest installment pays more attention to the fate of individuals in the war, providing a multi-faceted view of the war’s brutality and the sacrifices made by the CPV soldiers.
At the film’s premiere in Beijing on Sept. 27, members of the cast and crew, including Zhu Yilong, Xin Baiqing, Zhang Zifeng, Zhu Yawen, Chen Feiyu and Wang Yanhui, shared their insights with the audience about their understandings and unforgettable experiences related to the film.
The film is centered on the battle in Cheorwon, where 25,000 CPV soldiers fought nearly 50,000 UNC forces for 12 days and nights. The battle, one of the fiercest during the Fifth Campaign of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, won precious time for the strategic transfer of the CPV army and shattered the enemies’ plot to destroy the CPV army’s rear base and eliminate their main force.
A poster of “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death” at the film’s premiere in Beijing, Sept. 27, 2024. [Photo by Wang Qian/China.org.cn]
Leading actor Zhu Yilong, who portrays Li Xiang, a commissar in the 63rd Unit of the 188th Division of the CPV army, said at the premiere, “This is the first time I have seen such a large crowd in a scene. One scene involved almost 1,500 people.” He recalled that the film’s high number of explosions demanded meticulous planning and countless rehearsals to achieve the perfect long shot.
Actress Zhang Zifeng, stars as Li Xiao, an English translator and younger sister of Li Xiang. She said that Li Xiao also went to the battlefield later where she experienced several brushes with death, and so began to understand why her father and brother wanted to fight in the battle. “As a translator, Li Xiao represented not only herself but also her motherland, which made her more courageous and stronger than ever,” Zhang said.
Actor Zhu Yawen plays military equipment expert Wu Benzheng, who returns to China to serve his country in its hour of need. At the premiere, Zhu spoke about his frustration and shock upon learning about the arduous close combat faced by the CPV soldiers due to their outdated weapons and equipment. “I felt like I’d been transported back in time when I watched the playback — It was like I was watching a documentary,” he said.
Chinese table tennis legend Ding Ning (front row, second left) and Paris Olympic table tennis champion Fan Zhendong (front row, second right) pose for a group photo with the cast and crew of “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death” at the film’s premiere in Beijing, Sept. 27, 2024. [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]
Paris Olympic table tennis champion Fan Zhendong also appeared at the premiere to show his support for the film. He said, “Although I’m just a layman when it comes to films, I can tell that the entire cast delivers outstanding performances, and each role is very impressive.” He mentioned that, as a former serviceman himself, the military rules significantly contributed to his personal growth. Watching the film also brought back memories of the vows he made during his service.
During the premiere, Zhu Yilong interacted with the audience and reflected on a past interview with director Chen Kaige. When asked why he felt compelled to make this film, Chen explained that he feared the CPV soldiers might be forgotten. “I believe this is also why we, as actors, chose to be part of this film,” Zhu said. “These soldiers will not be forgotten here. They will always be there on the screen, and we will always remember them.”
Source: China State Council Information Office
Robots perform dance at a booth during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
The third Global Digital Trade Expo, currently unfolding in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province, is offering a glimpse into avant-garde technologies that are unlocking the country’s burgeoning potential in foreign trade.
Over the span of five days, the exhibition is featuring 446 new products and technologies, ranging from robots performing remarkable tasks like opening bottles and sorting waste to AI-driven digital humans engaging in debate competitions.
“I was impressed most by medical AI displayed at the exhibition, such as robotic surgical arms and screening clinics,” said Kgaladi Melia Thema, a consultant for innovation and technology of Small Enterprise Development Agency, South Africa.
“Nurses can use chronic disease management screening products for patients, which can be applied both at home and in clinics. This reduces costs and enables remote patient monitoring, offering great potential,” she added.
Digital technologies such as big data, cloud computing and blockchain are taking center stage at the expo, underscoring how China is harnessing these innovations to propel its foreign trade.
At the booth of iFLYTEK Co., Ltd., a front-runner in China’s AI and speech technology industry, several African visitors were immersed in real-time conversations with staff through a state-of-the-art multilingual AI-powered translation screen. Despite the bustling environment, the screen, equipped with advanced voice recognition technologies, accurately captured and responded to human voices.
“Overseas business is poised to become a significant growth engine for us in the coming years. Our aspiration is for it to constitute one-third of our business segments in the future,” said Liu Qingfeng, chairman of iFLYTEK.
Chinese cultural exports are also stealing the show at the exhibition. In the digital entertainment zone, innovative exhibits such as an AI-powered representation of Su Dongpo, a celebrated poet from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), a virtual museum of traditional Chinese music, as well as a 3D display of the four bronze animal heads from the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan), are offering visitors a fascinating glimpse into the richness of Chinese culture.
“The fusion of digital technology with the splendor of traditional Chinese culture has not only expanded our export opportunities, but also invigorated the growth of China’s culture industry,” said Wu Shuang, a staff member of Zhejiang Kayou Animation Co., Ltd., a domestic card game creator.
Visitors are also being treated to futuristic transportation solutions, including autonomous boat taxis and the electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles, all being showcased for the first time at this year’s expo.
“China is rightly regarded as a global leader in digital technologies and innovations,” said Zhaslan Madiyev, minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, adding that China’s advancement in digital trade is not only creating new avenues for cooperation, but also enhancing global trade infrastructure, fostering sustainable development worldwide.
“Chinese technologies and innovations are enhancing supply chains, making them faster and more efficient, while also improving access to goods and services,” Madiyev noted.
According to the Global Digital Trade Development Report 2024 released during the event, global digital trade soared to around 7.13 trillion U.S. dollars (about 1.02 trillion yuan) in 2023, up from 6.02 trillion U.S. dollars in 2021, marking an average annual growth rate of 8.8 percent.
The report also highlighted that the import and export scale of China’s cross-border e-commerce reached 2.37 trillion yuan last year, up 15.3 percent year on year.
Mercado Libre, a leading Latin American e-commerce platform, witnessed a 70-percent increase in online Chinese sellers and a 75-percent surge in their sales on its platform in 2023.
The company has opened its cross-border e-commerce services to Chinese sellers in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Colombia, according to its representative at the expo, who also emphasized the escalating significance of the Chinese market.
As China’s sole national-level event focusing on the theme of digital trade, the expo has drawn over 1,500 enterprises, including more than 300 international companies, and over 30,000 purchasers this year.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Sept. 29 — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday said great times call for heroes and foster heroes.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a ceremony conferring the country’s highest state honors ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.
A galaxy of heroes emerging generation after generation will ensure the lasting prosperity of the Party and the people’s cause, Xi said.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Sept. 29 — President Xi Jinping said on Sunday the Chinese people will never forget international friends who have made prominent contributions to China’s development and the friendship between Chinese and foreign peoples.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a ceremony awarding the country’s highest state honors ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.
Xi lauded Dilma Rousseff, recipient of the Friendship Medal, as an outstanding representative of China’s old friends and good friends who have shared the same aspirations and stood together with the Chinese people over the past 75 years.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Sept. 29 — China will hold a high-profile ceremony on Sunday morning to award the highest state honors ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.
Escorted by a motorcade, the recipients of national medals and national honorary titles are en route to the Great Hall of the People, where the ceremony will be held.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Sept. 29 — China’s central bank conducted 182 billion yuan (about 25.96 billion U.S. dollars) of seven-day reverse repos at an interest rate of 1.5 percent Sunday.
The move aims to keep liquidity in the banking system reasonable and ample at the end of the quarter, the central bank said.
A reverse repo is a process in which the central bank purchases securities from commercial banks through bidding, with an agreement to sell them back in the future.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Sept. 29 — Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday that over the past 75 years the Communist Party of China (CPC) has led the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in creating the twin miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability.
Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a ceremony awarding the country’s highest state honors ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.
Xi hailed the earthshaking changes that have taken place in China and said national rejuvenation is now on an irreversible historical course.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Celebration held ahead of 75th founding anniversary of PRC in Sichuan
Source: Federation University
Federation University Australia researchers are upskilling regional and rural healthcare workers to manage and prevent chronic diseases with behavioural change techniques.
Backed by funding from the Department of Education and Training, Federation’s “The Healthy Regions Intervention” (THRIVE) program is training doctors, nurses and health practitioners in a method called Motivational Interviewing (MI), to help people at risk of chronic illness, and those already diagnosed, to adopt healthier lifestyles.
In the past 18 months, the THRIVE program has trained 127 Victorian practitioners and clinical researchers and plans to double this number in the next 18 months.
Healthcare workers participating in the program are equipped with advanced behaviour change expertise to assist sufferers of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, metabolic disorders, respiratory disorders, mental health disorders and cancers, with the aim to change risk behaviours including poor diet, lack of exercise, illicit drug use, and smoking, which can greatly exacerbate the impact of these conditions.
Participating agencies include Silverchain, Ballarat Community Health, East Grampians Health Service, Goulburn Valley Community Health, Rural City of Ararat, Western Alliance: Academic Health Science Centre, as well as independent practitioners. Federation physiotherapy students now also receive advanced MI training, preparing them to help their future patients and communities.
The THRIVE MI training is based on the Happy Life Club initiative which also been delivered in partnership with regional and national governments in Beijing, Nanjing, and Shenzhen, China, where it has won a China National Health Innovation Award.
THRIVE is led by Distinguished Professors Colette Browning and Shane Thomas and Professors Fadi Charchar and Britt Klein and was established in 2022 to support rural and regional Victorian communities. THRIVE not only provides training but also conducts important research and has contributed to global guidelines on managing hypertension and published over 70 scientific papers.
Quote attributable to Federation University Australia Executive Dean, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research, Professor Remco Polman
“Behaviour change is a key tool in reducing global rates and burden of chronic diseases and many healthcare workers lack advanced training. Well-implemented behaviour change programs delivered by skilled practitioners, such as THRIVE provides, offer substantial health benefits to the community. Motivational Interviewing has proven to be very effective and cost-efficient in significantly improving patient outcomes.”
Source: Australian Treasurer
STEVE CANNANE:
With interest rates not budging and the Reserve Bank Governor remaining cautious about the sticky inflation figures, the federal government has been eager to find some good economic news, and today, no doubt, they’ll be talking up the Final Budget Outcome for last financial year, which confirms the government has delivered the first back‑to‑back budget surpluses in almost 2 decades, with a surplus of $15.8 billion, which is higher than expected.
The latest update comes as the federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has returned from Beijing where he co‑chaired the Australia‑China Strategic Economic Dialogue, and he joins us now. Treasurer, thanks for coming on.
JIM CHALMERS:
Thanks for the opportunity, Steve. How are you?
CANNANE:
I’m very well, thanks. We’ll come to the economy and your trip to China in a moment. But, first, we have seen an escalation over the weekend in the Middle East with attacks from Israel on targets in Lebanon and now Yemen. How concerned are you and the government about a broader regional conflict breaking out in the Middle East?
CHALMERS:
Very concerned. We don’t for one second mourn the death of a leader of a terrorist organisation, but we do mourn the deaths of innocent victims, and too many innocent lives have been lost already. That’s why we need a ceasefire so that the senseless killing of families stops.
Our primary concern here is the human cost, but obviously a broader regional war, the escalation of this very troubling regional conflict, will have economic consequences as well.
CANNANE:
You are just back from China, and China has a series of economic challenges – the housing market is slumping, property developers have been going bust. It seems like the country may not meet its economic growth targets of 5 per cent. Did you see any evidence while you were there that they have got a sensible plan on how to deal with those problems?
CHALMERS:
Yes, I did. There couldn’t have been a more important time for us to restart our Strategic Economic Dialogue with China. It’s a really important part of stabilising the relationship, which is full of complexity and full of economic opportunity.
While I was there the Chinese authorities announced some quite substantial steps when it comes to supporting growth in the Chinese economy. We’ve made it really clear that weakness in the Chinese economy has been a big concern for us. It’s a big part of the global economic uncertainty that we’re dealing with. The government’s efforts to support more economic activity in the Chinese economy, they are good for Australia and they’re very welcome.
CANNANE:
Steelmakers have been struggling in China. What impact will that continue to have on iron ore prices and the budget bottom line in Australia?
CHALMERS:
Already in the course of last week there were 2 key days – Tuesday and Thursday – and through the course of the week the iron ore price recovered a little bit, not a lot, but it recovered a little bit. That is a sign of the very positive response to the announcements made by the Chinese government, the Chinese authorities.
They’ve got issues in the property sector which they are trying to address and trying to deal with. There are obviously issues with consumption, and so these efforts that they’re putting in to boost their economy, to support more activity in the economy, it’s a good thing for Australia.
If you look at our Treasury forecasts in the Budget, we’re anticipating the weakest few years of Chinese growth really since that economy opened up in the late 1970s. That’s been a big concern for us. We’ve been upfront about that. Any efforts to try to turn that around in China is a good thing for us.
CANNANE:
We haven’t heard any announcements on the lifting of trade restrictions on Australian lobsters. Why is China being so stubborn around that export market?
CHALMERS:
A little bit more work to do, but we shouldn’t forget that of the $21 billion in trade restrictions, about $20 billion of those have been lifted because of the good work of the PM, Trade Minister Farrell and Foreign Minister Wong. Most of those trade restrictions have been lifted. That’s a good thing. We’ve got a bit more work to do on lobster, but I was able to convey directly to Chinese leaders that we want to see the speedy resolution of those issues.
CANNANE:
So why are they being stubborn on that particular market?
CHALMERS:
I wouldn’t necessarily describe it in that way. They’ve said –
CANNANE:
Except that you believe in free trade, so –
CHALMERS:
That’s why I welcome the fact that 20 of the $21 billion in restrictions have been lifted already. I want to see these trade restrictions lifted on lobster, no question about it. I conveyed that very directly to the Chinese leaders that I met with. There’s a little bit more work that our agencies are doing, our agriculture and trade authorities on both sides of the equation are working to try to get those last remaining restrictions lifted.
CANNANE:
Let’s move on to the Final Budget Outcome. In May you were predicting a budget surplus of $9.3 billion. The Final Budget Outcome for ’23–4 turned out to be a larger surplus of $15.8 billion. Why the difference?
CHALMERS:
The difference was explained entirely by less spending, not more revenue. We actually collected less revenue than we were anticipating at budget time, but spending was substantially down, and that’s what explains the bigger surplus that Katy Gallagher and I are releasing today.
These 2 surpluses are an important demonstration of the responsible economic management which is a defining feature of our Albanese Labor government. These will be the first consecutive surpluses in almost 2 decades. In dollar terms we’re talking about the biggest budget improvement ever in a parliamentary term, and that’s because we’ve turned 2 very big Liberal deficits into 2 big Labor surpluses, and that’s a good thing.
CANNANE:
You said less spending. So what decisions have you made since May that have reduced spending?
CHALMERS:
There are a whole range of contributors to that lower spending figure. A large amount of it is demand‑driven programs. But what we’ve also shown over the course of our two‑and‑a‑bit years in government is we found almost $80 billion in savings.
The key to these 2 surpluses is the fact that when we’ve got upward revisions to revenue because the labour market has been a bit stronger or our exports have been performing well, we’ve banked almost all of those upward revisions to revenue. If we hadn’t shown that spending restraint we wouldn’t be anywhere near these 2 consecutive surpluses for the first time in almost 2 decades.
CANNANE:
So, is it just underspending by certain government departments, or is it actual decisions that you’ve made since May to reduce spending?
CHALMERS:
The $80 billion in savings are decisions. The spending restraint is a decision. A substantial amount of the improvement since May is in demand‑driven programs. There is some underspending, and we detail that when we release all of the figures today.
CANNANE:
And to what degree is it as a result of higher than expected commodity prices? Because in that May Budget you did low ball the commodity prices estimates, didn’t you?
CHALMERS:
We always take a deliberately conservative approach to commodity prices, and that’s been warranted. In fact, in the last few months our commodity prices have been quite low. Sometimes they’ve actually been below the assumptions that we’ve put in the Budget.
The improvement from our expectations of a surplus in May to the Final Budget Outcome that we’re reporting today is not about more revenue, it’s not about higher commodity prices, it’s not about more taxes. It’s about less spending. Our revenue has actually gone down from what we expected in May.
CANNANE:
So when you talk about these demand‑driven savings, are you talking about, for example, fewer welfare payments because employment is so strong? The unemployment rate is very low at the moment?
CHALMERS:
The unemployment rate has ticked up a bit since the middle of last year, but broadly, as we’ve expected, the economy is creating a lot of jobs.
That’s a good prompt to remember that these 2 surpluses today are really important. They mean that there’s less debt and less interest to repay on that debt. But it’s part of a bigger story of progress that Australia has made in the last couple of years.
We’ve created in this parliamentary term around a million jobs, inflation has halved, real wages are growing again, we’ve got tax cuts flowing to every taxpayer. These are all good developments, and we know that people are still doing it tough but the fact that we’re making progress, cleaning up the budget, providing cost‑of‑living relief, investing in housing and skills and energy and a Future Made in Australia, all of this together justifies the responsible approach that we are taking to the budget and to the economy.
CANNANE:
Okay. Let’s talk about the forecast for next year. There’s a forecast for a deficit of $28.3 billion. Is there any readjustment, and will you be trying to make that closer to a surplus to put more downward pressure on inflation and interest rates?
CHALMERS:
The numbers we’re releasing today are for the last year, not for the year that we’re in right now. We’ll update this year’s figure in the mid‑year budget update toward the end of the year in the usual way.
But already this $28 billion deficit we’ve got currently for this year, that’s about $19 billion better than what it was expected to be when we came to office. It was a $47 billion deficit when we came to office. It’s now a $28 billion deficit, so even where –
CANNANE:
But those figures were based on coming out of a pandemic. So is that the kind of baseline you should be measuring yourself against?
CHALMERS:
Every government measures itself compared to what it inherited from its predecessors. We’ve made really quite extraordinary progress on the budget when it comes to cleaning up –
CANNANE:
But a pandemic is a once‑in‑a‑lifetime event. It’s not necessarily the fault of a previous government.
CHALMERS:
No, but for the year that we’re talking about, Steve, they’re talking about the forecasts for the post‑pandemic period. The year that we’re in now was not anticipated by our predecessors or by us to be impacted by the pandemic, which was at its worst a few years ago.
We are talking here about a $172 billion improvement in just 2 years in the budget. That’s because we’ve shown spending restraint. We’ve banked upward revisions to revenue. We’ve found $80 billion in savings. We’ve taken the right economic decisions for the right economic reasons. Today’s Final Budget Outcome is a demonstration of that.
CANNANE:
Treasurer, can you just clear it up who asked for the Treasury advice on changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax and the policy implications of that?
CHALMERS:
As I made clear last week in Brisbane and then later in the week in Beijing, it’s not unusual for people in my job as treasurer to get advice on contentious issues. And I think –
CANNANE:
So you asked for it?
CHALMERS:
I get advice all the time on all the various issues in the economy, including negative gearing. That’s not especially unusual. I’ve said that already. I said that on Wednesday in Brisbane, said it on Friday in Beijing, saying it to you on Radio National Breakfast.
CANNANE:
But you’re not answering the question about whether you asked for that advice.
CHALMERS:
Sometimes the advice comes unprompted. Sometimes it’s sought by me.
On this occasion, when there’s a contentious issue in the public domain and we’ve got a severe shortage of housing, of course treasurers get advice from their department on these sorts of issues. That’s what’s happened here. But as we’ve made very clear, Steve –
CANNANE:
So should we all assume that you did ask for it, then?
CHALMERS:
I get advised on it all the time. Sometimes it’s sought by me. Sometimes it’s provided in the course of things like the Tax Expenditure Statement that we release every year. But what I’m trying to convey to your listeners, Steve, is that this is not an unusual thing. This is a treasurer doing his job.
We’ve made it really clear that we’ve got a housing policy already, and this isn’t part of it.
CANNANE:
So why is it a state secret about whether you asked for that advice or not?
CHALMERS:
It’s not. I’ve made it clear on a number of occasions now in the course of the best part of a week that I got this advice because it was a contentious issue, it was in the public domain and it was a big part of the parliamentary debate as well.
CANNANE:
Okay. Treasurer, we thank you for your time this morning.
CHALMERS:
Thanks for your time, Steve. All the best.
CANNANE:
Thanks a lot. Jim Chalmers, the Treasurer, talking to us there on Radio National Breakfast.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
Most parts of China are expected to enjoy sunny weather during the upcoming week-long National Day holiday, beginning on Oct. 1, according to forecasts.
Apart from rainy and snowy conditions in the eastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and western Yunnan Province, most regions will experience sunny weather during the holiday, said Jia Xiaolong, deputy head of the National Climate Center, at a press conference on Sunday.
The official noted that due to the impact of Typhoon Krathon, coastal areas in east China’s Fujian and Zhejiang provinces are expected to experience heavy rains and rainstorms, while China’s Taiwan Island is also bracing for heavy rainstorms.
Jia said that frequent cold fronts in the first three days of the holiday will lower temperatures in some areas, with parts of northwestern, northern and northeastern China expected to drop to zero degrees Celsius or below.
Cold fronts are also expected to hit northern China around Oct. 6. Holidaymakers have been advised to stay informed about weather forecasts and warnings and to take appropriate precautions when planning their travels.
China’s annual National Day holiday is marked by mass family reunions and a surge in travel. This year, the country’s transport sector is expected to handle over 1.9 billion passenger trips nationwide during the holiday, according to Vice Minister of Transport Li Yang.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China refines pricing mechanism for interest rates of individuals’ commercial housing mortgages
BEIJING, Sept. 29 — China’s central bank on Sunday adjusted the pricing mechanism for interest rates of individuals’ commercial housing mortgages as the country aims to lower financial burdens on property owners.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China to cut interest rates for existing home loans by Oct. 31
BEIJING, Sept. 29 — China’s central bank on Sunday requested commercial banks to lower interest rates for existing home loans as the country aims to lower financial burdens on property owners.
The mortgage rates for first homes, second homes and more are required to be reduced no lower than 30 basis points below the loan prime rate (LPR) by Oct. 31, 2024.
In principle, 18 national commercial banks need to release their plans for adjustments before Oct. 12.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows the rubble of buildings damaged in Israeli airstrikes in Saksakiyeh, South Lebanon. [Photo/Xinhua]
At least 105 people were killed and 359 others injured on Sunday in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Giant panda Ri Ri is loaded into a special container at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 29, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Beloved giant pandas Ri Ri and Shin Shin left Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo in the early hours of Sunday to fly back to their home country China due to age-related health concerns.
Despite the pre-dawn hour, panda enthusiasts gathered outside the zoo to bid them farewell, with many shedding tears.
The two pandas were scheduled to fly from Narita Airport to China, where they will be housed at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.
In the days leading up to their departure, Ueno Zoo saw an influx of visitors. On Saturday, the final public viewing day for the panda pair, more than 2,000 fans lined up before opening to say their goodbyes.
Ri Ri and Shin Shin have brought warmth and joy to the Japanese during their stay in Tokyo, like a ray of light in the time of hardships, says Yasumasa Tomita, deputy director of Ueno zoo.
Some fans, like Sumida from Aichi Prefecture, even camped overnight to catch a final glimpse of the pandas. “I fell in love with them at first sight and discovered how lively pandas really are,” Sumida said, expressing her gratitude for the fond memories.
Giant panda Shin Shin is loaded into a special container at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 29, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
The two pandas arrived in Japan in February 2011, shortly before the 9.0-magnitude earthquake. Their public appearances provided comfort and joy to the Japanese people during a difficult time.
“It has been 13 years since the earthquake, and I’m grateful for the healing they’ve brought us,” said Tokyo resident Yoshihara Mutsuko, who missed the chance to see the pandas but planned to visit them in China in the future.
Giant panda Ri Ri, a male, and female giant panda Shin Shin, both from southwest China’s Sichuan Province, arrived at Ueno Zoo in 2011 under a leasing agreement.
They gave birth to the celebrity giant panda Xiang Xiang in 2017, which was returned to China last year, as well as twin cubs Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei in 2021. All the three pandas, born and raised at the zoo, attracted crowds of panda lovers from both home and abroad.
According to Ueno Zoo, both pandas, now 19 years old, have developed health issues such as high blood pressure due to their advanced age.
Visitors take photos of giant pandas Ri Ri (L) and Shin Shin at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Japanese and Chinese experts have maintained close communication and conducted joint consultations to provide appropriate medical treatments. Upon discussions between the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, it was decided they should be sent back to China for better care and treatment.
Following their departure, Ueno Zoo will be home to two pandas, the twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei.