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China urges U.S. to strictly observe one-China principle

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China on Wednesday urged the United States to draw lessons from history, honor the three China-U.S. joint communiques and strictly observe the one-China principle.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on the 40th anniversary of the August 17 Communique, one of the three China-U.S. joint communiques crucial to bilateral relations.

In the August 17 Communique issued in 1982, the U.S. government stated that it does not seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan, that its arms sales to Taiwan will not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, and that it intends to gradually reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution.

This communique, the Shanghai Communique and the China-U.S. Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations constitute the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and their core essence is the one-China principle, Wang said.

The United States recognized that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government of China. It also recognized China’s position that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China. And on this basis, the Unites States met the three preconditions put forward by China, namely severing so-called “diplomatic relations,” abrogating the “mutual defense treaty” with the Taiwan authorities, and withdrawing U.S. military forces from Taiwan, Wang said.

This made it possible for China and the United States, two countries with different social systems and ideologies and at different development stages, to have dialogue and cooperation, and achieve important outcomes that have benefited both sides and the world at large, according to Wang.

However, the United States has substantially eased restrictions on official relations with Taiwan and increased military contacts with the region, Wang said, adding that U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan violated the U.S. commitment that it would only develop unofficial ties with Taiwan.

Upholding the one-China principle is a safeguard for China-U.S. relations and cross-Strait stability, Wang said.

He said the United States’ deviation from the one-China principle will surely take a huge toll on the mutual trust between the two countries.

He said the United States reneged on the one-China principle, colludes with the “Taiwan independence” forces, connives at separatist activities, keeps changing the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, and shall bear all the responsibilities for the tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

The one-China principle, reaffirmed by UNGA Resolution 2758, is an integral part of the post-WWII international order, an established international consensus and a widely-accepted basic norm in international relations, Wang said.

By breaching the one-China principle, the United States is also challenging the post-war international order, which will surely be met with wide opposition from the international community,” he said.

China, US advised to refresh ties

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Le Yucheng, vice-minister of foreign affairs. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/chinadaily.com.cn]

 

Officials and experts have urged China and the United States to reshape their damaged relationship and called on the new US administration to employ positive policies to refresh ties with Beijing to benefit both nations and the world.

Addressing the virtual Vision China event organized by China Daily on Thursday, Le Yucheng, vice-minister of foreign affairs, expressed hope that the new year will bring a new start to China-US relations.

Le said he was impressed by US President Joe Biden’s repeated appeal to people in the US for unity over the division in his inauguration address. “I believe we need exactly the same spirit for China-US relations,” he added.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s historic visit to China as well as the famous “ping-pong diplomacy”. “As the story of ‘the tiny ball moved the big ball’ goes, it took those great men before us extraordinary wisdom and courage to break the ice in China-US relations,” Le said. “The challenges we face today call for the same vision and courage to break the ice again.”

Luo Jie/China Daily

Le called on the world’s two largest economies to shoulder their important responsibilities for world peace and development, and strive to expand their shared interests and cooperation. The joint fight against COVID-19, economic recovery, and climate change could be priority areas of cooperation for the near term, he said.

“Anything is possible when China and the United States choose to cooperate,” Le said, adding that the two countries can work together to avoid the so-called Thucydides Trap. The term describes the tendency toward conflict when an emerging power threatens to displace an existing power.

The Vision China event, with the theme “Moving Forward: The Future of China-US Relations”, was broadcast online to a global audience. It was the 17th edition since China Daily launched the series, in which influential political, business, and academic speakers are invited to tell China’s story from a global perspective and discuss major China-related topics of international interest.

Zhou Shuchun, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/chinadaily.com.cn]

In a speech at the event, Zhou Shuchun, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, called on both countries to “stand on the right side of history” in developing their relations.

Zhou said it is precisely because governments, politicians, and people from both sides chose to “stand on the right side of history” that the two countries broke the ice more than 40 years ago and developed a fruitful relationship.

“As a bridge linking China and the world, we at China Daily — and with this Vision China event today — are joining the aspiration to see China-US relations walk on the right side of history as history requires,” he added.

In his speech, Stephen S. Roach, a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and former chief economist at Morgan Stanley, said the US-China relationship remains the major risk factor in the global economic outlook for 2021.

He suggested the two countries rethink the nature of the dialogue between them and set up a full-time office that addresses all aspects of their relationship on a permanent basis.

In terms of the resolution of trade disputes between China and the US, Roach said Washington needs to look at its trade imbalances in the context that it has a major shortfall of domestic savings.

“So the savings solution needs to be thought of on a medium to the longer-term basis, not something immediately, but the commitment to saving more is the only effective macroeconomic strategy that we can employ to alleviate our enormous and destabilizing multilateral trade imbalance issue,” he added.

In resolving difficulties in the US-China relationship, Roach suggested shifting the focus of the economic and trade conflict away from bilateral trade to structural considerations.

“There’s no quick fix to defusing the conflict that has emerged, but I think if we take small steps and began to demonstrate a commitment to conflict resolution rather than conflict escalation, we have a real opportunity as America changes leadership to move from a climate of distrust to a climate that now takes us back to a more trusting relationship between us,” Roach said.

Da Wei, a senior fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, stressed the importance of “sustainable” and “effective” dialogues in improving China-US relations and said the two countries need to establish some kind of mechanism to stabilize their ties.

He said there are elements of competition in China-US ties, but he didn’t think “the old-style Soviet-US Cold War competition” remains in relations between Beijing and Washington. There are broad fields in which China and the US can cooperate with each other, he said.

David Firestein, president, and CEO of the George H.W. Bush Foundation for US-China Relations said that the notion that China is fundamentally a critically important competitor to the US will remain a core element of the US mindset toward China.

However, Firestein added that he thinks the new US administration will likely depart from Trump administration policy. There is the opportunity to “built back better” the US-China relationship under the new US administration, he said.

“The US-China relationship has always been immensely important. It has always been complex. It will remain complex and challenging as we go forward. … And I hope that this is an opportunity where we can take stock of the US-China relationship,” Firestein said.

John Ross, a senior fellow at Renmin University of China’s Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies and former director of economic and business policy for the mayor of London, said the inauguration of the new US administration should be “an opportunity to reset China-US relations after the rather negative period”.

Relations between China and the US are so important because they affect not only themselves but also the world, Ross said. He expressed hope that the new US administration will adopt a policy of win-win cooperation with China instead of a Cold War mentality.

Vision China

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[:en]Robots patrol city pipes to detect defects[:]

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A six-wheeled robot travels underground in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province, to detect warning signs of defects inside the pipeline network.

The pipeline robot, developed by Wuhan Easy-Sight Technology, is composed of four parts — crawler, camera, cable reel, and controller.

A full charge can enable the robot to work for four to five hours, covering a distance between 800 and 1,000 meters in the underground pipeline.

The robot made its debut last month in Shushan District. It will carry out inspections of the underground pipeline network stretching 150 kilometers.

The real-time data including video images of the pipe will be uploaded and displayed on a computer.

With the rapid development of cities, it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage underground pipelines. Among all the difficulties, detecting flaws in the sewage and rainwater pipelines come first.

Many other cities such as Wuhan, Nanjing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai are using the robots to patrol their pipelines, the robot’s developer said.

Equipped with environmental detection sensors, the robots can monitor temperature and humidity, noxious gases, oxygen levels and smoke density, while providing illumination in real time.

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[:en]Palace Museum begins restoration of Hall of Mental Cultivation[:]

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With the rising popularity of Chinese historical dramas The Story of Yanxi Palace and Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, learning more about palace life in ancient China has become extremely trendy among young people in China.

“Look at the visitors outside ‘The Hall of Mental Cultivation’ exhibition, we have to stand in two rows to line up,” netizen Lu Xi posted on Sina Weibo along with a picture of the long line of people waiting to see the Capital Museum’s exhibition about the famous hall in the Forbidden City that once acted as a work and living space for numerous emperors.

The Capital Museum is not the only place to feature an exhibition about the hall, museums elsewhere in Beijing and other cities such as Nanjing and Hong Kong are also holding exhibitions introducing The Hall of Mental Cultivation, or Yangxin Dian in Chinese, which is currently undergoing renovation.[:]

[:en]2018 Summer tourism season with over 3 million visitors from all over the world[:]

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During 2018 summer tourist season in Georgia visitors overal number showed 3,061,338 international visitors. The visitors number has increased 10.9% compared to last years summer tourism season announces Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA).

From January to August 2018 a total of 5,895,914 international visitors visited Georgia of which 3,235,800 were tourists.

The majority of foreign travellers were from neighbour countries Azerbaijan (+11%), Armenia (+0.3%) Turkey (+21.1%) etc.

The visitors from the European Union:

  • Estonia (+98%)
  • The Netherlands (+55%)
  • Romania (+55%)
  • Belgium (+53%)
  • Germany (+50%)

The countries with the most significant increase:

  • Korea (+139%)
  • China (+92%)
  • Belarus (+44%)
  • Kuwait (+44%)
  • Israel (+35%)

A total of $1.36 billion was generated from international tourism in Georgia in January-June 2018.

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[:en]Huawei overtakes Apple as world No. 2 smartphone seller[:]

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[canalys]

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China’s Huawei Technologies overtook Apple Inc (AAPL.O) to become the world’s second-biggest smartphone seller in the June quarter, data from market research firms showed, as it gained ground in Europe and expanded its lead back home.

The International Data Corporation (IDC) published the business success of the first half of 2018, according to which Huawei’s global supply of smartphones has grown significantly to more than 95 million.

According to IDC data, Huawei has overtaken Apple in the number of smartphones sold in the second quarter and has achieved the second position. In the past three months, Huawei has sold 54.2 million smartphones, which accounts for 15.8% of the company’s market share. As for Apple’s April-June period, the smartphones sold amounted to 41.3 million.

According to the report, Samsung takes first place with an amount of 71.5 million smartphones sold, taking up 20.9% of the market share. “The growth of Huawei’s market share is impressive and highlights its desire to make a place for itself in the markets where the brand is not so well known,” said IDC Program Vice President Ryan Reight. “Samsung, Huawei and Apple are considered to be competitors, which in my opinion, will not change.”

“The last six months have been successful for HUAWEI CBG, with the growth of business observed in every market. The main reason for our success is the company’s dedication to innovation and most importantly, the loyalty of our consumers. Huawei’s focus is on improving the products,” said Richard Yoo, Executive Director of Huawei’s consumer business group.

Huawei products and services are available in more than 170 countries and are used by a third of the world’s population. According to 2015 data, the smartphone market is the third largest in the world. 16 Research and Development Centers operate in the US, Germany, Sweden, Russia, India, and China. Huawei Consumer BG is one of the three business units of Huawei, one of the main destinations for smartphones, personal computers, tablets and smart services. Huawei’s global network is based on 20 years’ experience in telecommunications and produces innovative technologies for consumers worldwide.

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Nikoloz Basilashvili praised by Nadal after US Open tennis match

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[ATP Premie]

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Georgia’s leading tennis player Nikoloz Basilashvili has been praised for his performance in the US Open round of Last 16 by the World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, following their three hours, 20-minute match in New York on Sunday.

The 26-year old, Tbilisi-born athlete reached the fourth round in a major competition for the first time to face the famed Spaniard on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Their encounter ran for four sets, with the first two going in favor of the Mallorca-born 17 Grand Slam title-winner 6-3, 6-3.

But the Georgian displayed his unwillingness to concede the match after winning a tiebreak to take the third set 6-7.

Nadal then came back in the fourth set to win 6-4 and claim the encounter, before noting it was a “very tough” test.

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 31: Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball during his men’s singles third round match against Karen Khachanov of Russia on Day Five of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)

“[Basilashvili] was hitting the ball very strong. Seems like I was not in control of the point even when I was hitting good shots”, the top-ranked Spaniard told reporters after the game.

The fixture marked a major improvement against Nadal for the Georgian player, who lost 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 to the fearsome opponent at the 2017 French Open.

It is also another highlight of a career year for Basilashvili, who marked his all-time highest career ranking of World No. 33 earlier this year.

He also became the first Georgian to win an ATP World Tour title in July, taking the silverware of a competition in Hamburg.

The combination of a jolted Nadal and an empowered underdog added much spice to the start of the fourth set. And even though Nadal broke Basilashvili’s serve in the opening game, the atmosphere by that stage was vastly different. Basilashvili had found the groove, transformed from mouse to dragon. Having hit only 19 winners in the first two sets, he cracked 23 in the third, 14 in the fourth. Even as Nadal methodically continued to hold serve, the threat remained that Basilashvili could catch blow smoke.

Even when serving at 3-5, 30-30, Basilashvili struck a 112-M.P.H. ace down the T and a backhand winner, forcing Nadal to serve out the match at 5-4.

“He was always able to come back,” said Nadal.

Unable to finish at this exact stage versus Khachanov on Friday, today Nadal reached 40-love and then went with Lefty Play 101: a wide slice, which turned out to be a 106-M.P.H. ace.

Said Nadal, “I found a way, but it was a tough one.”

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[:en]Voices of tech entrepreneurs from the two sessions[:]

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Tencent CEO Pony Ma Huateng, a deputy to the 13th National People’s Congress, prepares to face the media before the opening of the 13th NPC on March 5, 2018. [Photo/VCG]
1. Pony Ma Huateng, chairman and CEO of Tencent, and a deputy to the 13th National People’s Congress

Keywords: Digital China, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

This year, Ma brings eight suggestions to the top legislature, covering Digital China, industrial internet, digital culture, financial security, medical healthcare, teenager innovation talent training, the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and ecological environmental protection.

“China’s Internet Plus strategy is an approach while the digital economy is the result, both of which serve the goal of ‘building the country into a Digital China’ and an internet power,” he said.

Daily lives will become more efficient if the likes of big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence are better incorporated into industrial, medical, financial, cultural and educational endeavors, he noted.

Baidu CEO Robin Li Yanhong (center) leaves after the opening session of the CPPCC held in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, March 3, 2018. [Photo/Agencies]
2. Robin Li Yanhong, chairman, and CEO of leading Chinese search engine Baidu Inc and a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

Keywords: artificial intelligence, self-driving, tax reduction

In his proposal, Li called for preferential funding and tax policies, encouraging enterprises to open their artificial intelligence platforms and technologies, as well as fostering a batch of national AI open platforms with strong competitiveness and great influence.

In addition, Li said the eligibility criteria for self-driving vehicles’ operation should be clarified as soon as possible, and the authorities should issue licenses to suitable enterprises. Moreover, companies that meet certain requirements should be encouraged to take a lead in carrying out self-driving operational services, he said.

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun talks to journalists in front of the Great Hall of People on March 5, 2018, in Beijing. [Photo/VCG]
3. Lei Jun, CEO of tech giant Xiaomi and a deputy to the 13th National People’s Congress

Keywords: Belt and Road Initiative, China’s design industry

In his suggestions to the top legislature this year, Lei said a Belt and Road integrated service platform should be established to support private enterprises going out. In addition, a Made in China brand ambassador should be set up to help private enterprises realize brand globalization.

Moreover, regarding how to develop China’s design industry and improve the design level, he said, the country should set up national design promotion institutions and give priority to the development of an industrial design. Professional design parks should be built in cities where the manufacturing industry developed rapidly.

Liu Qiangdong, chairman of e-commerce retailer JD, speaks with reporters on the sidelines of the annual two sessions. JIANG DONG/CHINA DAILY
4. Liu Qiangdong, chairman of e-commerce retailer JD and a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

Keywords: e-commerce, poverty reduction

In his proposal, Liu called for building a new e-commerce road to help rural people out of poverty and get rich. However, he also expressed concern that some agricultural products cannot meet the national standard and have a lack of brand development, as well as a less developed rural logistics infrastructure.

Liu said the country should promote the mass production of agricultural products, actively implement the “poverty reduction brands” cultivation action, unveil incentive policies to speed up the construction of logistics infrastructure, and promote the “consumption poverty reduction”.

Yang Yuanqing, chairman and chief executive officer of Lenovo Group Ltd., speaks during a news conference in Hong Kong, China, on Thursday, May 25, 2017. Lenovo’s quarterly profit fell less than expected after the global personal computer market eked out growth for the first time since 2012. Photographer: Anthony Kwan/Bloomberg
5. Yang Yuanqing, CEO, and chairman of Lenovo

Keywords: artificial intelligence, industrial intelligence

Artificial intelligence must be combined with industries to create an effective industrial intelligence, helping the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and promoting a rapid integration of artificial intelligence and the real economy, Yang said.

In addition, to promote industrial intelligence, the country should strengthen basic research, enhance innovation capability, and make breakthroughs in core technology. The government should put efforts to cultivate leading enterprises and spread in key sectors. Moreover, a national industrial intelligence service platform should be established to support the intelligence reconstruction of small and medium-sized enterprises.

NetEase CEO Ding Lei leaves the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, March 3, 2018. [Photo/VCG]
6. Ding Lei, CEO of NetEase Inc and a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

Keywords: education, elderly services, healthcare

This year, Ding prepared three proposals covering children’s and teenagers’ education, elderly services and medical healthcare.

Education is among the top concerns. Currently, China’s high-quality educational resources are concentrated in first and second-tier cities, while in third and fourth-tier cities and rural areas, people face a shortage of educational resources. Ding said he hoped the internet and artificial intelligence could help spread high-quality educational resources to every corner of China.

Wang Xiaochuan (middle), communicates with other attendees during a panel discussion on March 5 in Beijing. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY
7. Wang Xiaochuan, CEO of Chinese search engine Sogou Inc and a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

Keywords: healthcare reform, digital family doctor

For Wang, medical care reform is the top priority for people’s livelihoods. China began its latest round of healthcare reform in 2009, with a core objective of offering healthcare services to all people. The government’s achievements in expanding health care reform have been remarkable. However, people still face difficulty and high medical costs when seeing a doctor.

Wang said healthcare reform could be combined with the internet, connecting patients and high-quality medical resources and enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of medical services.

He called for a new medical treatment partnership that includes top-tier hospitals, primary-level medical and healthcare institutions and virtual family doctors based on digital technology. Wang said he hoped that each family will have its own digital family doctor in next 5-10 years.

Zhou Hongyi (right), chairman of 360 Security Technology, speaks at a panel discussion on March 4, 2018. [Photo/China News Service]
8. Zhou Hongyi, chairman of 360 Security Technology, and a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

Keywords: cybersecurity

This year, Zhou’s proposals all related to cybersecurity, including strengthening the management of network security vulnerability, promoting the integration innovation of industrial internet security and improving the talent training system of cybersecurity.

The country is in urgent need of cybersecurity talent, and the cybersecurity workforce gap will surge to 1.4 million by 2020, based on estimates from experts and organizations. In his proposal, Zhou called for more cooperation between internet security companies and universities in cybersecurity talent cultivation and construction of related disciplines.

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[:en]NPC passes Constitution update[:]

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The third plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 11, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

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Amendment, first since 2004, includes provisions reinforcing country’s goals

The National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, adopted a landmark amendment to the country’s Constitution by secret ballot on Sunday, enshrining Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the fundamental law.

The adoption of the first amendment to the Constitution in 14 years won the almost unanimous support of lawmakers, with 2,958 in favor, two against and three abstentions.

The amendment lists supervisory commissions as new State organs.

China’s commitment to the path of peace and development, mutual benefits, win-win cooperation, opening-up and building a community with a shared future for mankind were written into the Constitution.

The national legislature wrote into the Constitution that “the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics”.

That new sentence reflects the fundamental, comprehensive and contemporary nature of the Party’s leadership, said Shen Chunyao, chairman of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee.

The Party’s leadership was included in the first article of the Constitution, as the Party exercises overall leadership in all areas of endeavor in every part of the country, Shen said at a news conference on the revisions.

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to a Chinese context and encapsulates the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people, Shen said.

The inclusion of Xi Jinping Thought and the Scientific Outlook on Development ensures that the country’s guiding theories will advance with the times, Shen added.

Zheng Shuna, the vice-chairwoman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said the amendment, for the first time elaborating on the supervisory commissions, is part of the top-level design as the country deepens the reform of its supervisory system.

The reform’s goal is to integrate resources and manpower for anti-corruption, boost the Party’s leadership in the fight against graft and establish a unified, efficient supervisory system for the country, Zheng told the media.

Also adopted was a change in the tenure of the president and vice-president.

Lawmakers at the ongoing annual session agreed that the constitutional revision accords with the aspirations of the Communist Party of China and the people and has won approval both inside and outside the Party.

The revision is of historic significance for ensuring the prosperity and lasting security of both the Party and the country, according to the lawmakers.

The draft amendment was submitted to the first session of the 13th NPC for deliberation on March 5.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said during a panel discussion with a group of NPC deputies on Wednesday that revising parts of the Constitution represent a major decision by the Central Committee from the overall strategic height of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

While the reform and opening-up drive, which began 40 years ago, has made amazing progress, it brought major changes to the country’s Constitution.

The People’s Republic of China adopted its first Constitution in 1954. The current Constitution was adopted in 1982 and then amended in 1988, 1993, 1999 and 2004.

From 1988 to 1999, amendments included the reform of land-use rights, legal status for the private economy, the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, replacing the phrase “planned economy” with “socialist market economy”, and incorporation of Deng Xiaoping Theory.

The most recent previous amendment, in 2004, protected private property and human rights and gave the Theory of Three Represents constitutional authority.

A constitutional revision can be proposed either by the NPC Standing Committee or by more than one-fifth of all NPC deputies. Approval of at least two-thirds of NPC deputies during the annual session is required for adoption.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

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[:en]HK, Macao urged to actively join Bay Area devt[:]

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Wang Guoqing, spokesman for the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, at a news conference in Beijing, March 2, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

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HK and Macao special administrative regions are urged to timely grasp opportunities provided by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and actively integrate themselves into the country’s overall development, said Wang Guoqing, spokesman of the country’s top political advisory body, on Friday.

Wang revealed that the development plan for the Bay Area has already been submitted for approval and will be made public soon.

Wang made the appeal during the first news conference of the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which will commence March 3.

He said Hong Kong should take full advantage of the great opportunities to further consolidate and promote its international status in finance, shipping, trade, and aviation.

The city should also strengthen its position as a global hub for cross-border renminbi business, international asset management, and risk management, Wang said.

Besides, Hong Kong needs to fully promote its innovation and technology industry and nurture emerging industries, Wang said. He also called on the city to build an international law and dispute resolution service center in the Asia-Pacific region to promote itself into an international metropolis with greater competitiveness, he added.

Meanwhile, Wang also urged the Macao SAR to also make full use of the opportunities provided by the Bay Area, concentrating on upgrading itself to a global tourism and recreation center, as well as a key platform for business cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

In addition, the Macao SAR government should also make efforts to moderately diversify its own economy, and build itself as a base for global cultural cooperation and exchange, Wang said.

Wang believed topics related to the Bay Area would be of big interest to CPPCC members from the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, and they would put forward a series of suggestions over the plan.

The first session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), and the first session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC will open March 5 and March 3, respectively.

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