CHINA MIRROR WEEKLY NEWS Issue 27

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Association for Sri Lanka China Social and Cultural Co-operation

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Xi's people-centered economic thought steers China for 4 jour-5 ney ahead 2 4 U.S. "genocide" allegation is China urges parties to re4 10 lie of century: spokesperson 3 frain from hyping up 6

Together for a Spring of the World Economy: EightDimensional Analysis of the Chinese Economy 8 3 in 2021

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Ukraine crisis

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Premier meets with series of world leaders 5 11 4

8-14 Feb 2022

Xi Focus: Xi's peoplecentered economic thought steers China for journey ahead.

BEIJING, Feb. 14 (Xinhua)

Chinese people have seen a substan-

tial improvement in their wellbeing during the past decade, as President Xi Jinping has been championing a people -centered development philosophy to meet the people's ever-growing needs for a better life.

"Seeking happiness for Chinese people is the original aspiration for the Communist Party of China (CPC). We should never forget our original aspiration and always take the people's longing for a better life as our goal," Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, once said.

Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at its core, the country has taken concrete actions to fulfill this solemn commitment.

HAPPIER LIFE "We live in good times. Our life has become much better since the roads were built," said Li Yuhua, a farmer

from Dulong ethnic group.

new high in decades.

The Dulong people, residing in the mountains of southwest China's Yunnan Province, had long endured poverty and poor transportation to the outside world.

Guided by the people-centered philosophy, China has also been pushing for reforms in various areas of public concern, including housing, education, healthcare and social security.

The completion of a major tunnel on the Dulongjiang River highway in 2014 enabled the Dulong people to have much easier access to the outside world. They shook off poverty four years later and have been enjoying a better life by developing ecommerce and specialized industries.

Amid mounting global protectionism, China has been committed to widening opening-up and expanding imports, in a bid to meet people's growing needs for high-quality products and services.

LOFTIER GOALS

In addition to the Dulong people experiencing earth-shaking changes, about 100 million rural residents were lifted out of poverty in the past decade. The per capita disposable income of rural residents more than doubled to 18,931 yuan (about 2,976.6 U.S. dollars) in 2021, from the level in 2012.

Now that a complete victory over absolute poverty has been secured nationwide, the country starts a new mission of common prosperity.

China's job-first policy serves as another telling example of Xi's economic thought which lays great emphasis on people's wellbeing.

Rather than "robbing the rich to help the poor" or pursuing egalitarianism, the phrase refers to affluence shared by everyone -- physically and intellectually.

Although the unprecedented COVID -19 epidemic weighed down on the economy, the country intensified efforts to keep market entities afloat in a bid to maintain stable employment.

Local governments across the country have provided more incentives to stabilize and expand employment.

Multiple channels have been tapped to ensure employment for key groups, and startups and innovation were encouraged so as to create jobs.

A total of 12.69 million urban jobs were added in 2021, an increase of 830,000 compared with 2020. The year-end surveyed urban unemployment rate dropped to 5.1 percent.

More remarkably, China has kept overall consumer prices stable amid COVID-19, with the consumer price index posting a mild growth of 0.9 percent in 2021, whereas some countries saw inflation surge to a

"Common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism and an important feature of Chinese modernization," Xi said.

To achieve the goal, the country should first "make a bigger and better cake" through joint efforts of the people, and then divide and distribute the cake properly through rational institutional arrangements, said Han Wenxiu, a senior official with the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs.

Throughout the years, the country has not only been taking the happiness of Chinese people to heart but also devoted to the peace and development of the whole world by building a community with a shared future for humanity. China also envisioned a world of common prosperity built through win-win cooperation.

"We must take a people-centered approach and make global development more equitable, effective and inclusive so that no country will be left behind," Xi said.

8-14 Feb 2022

U.S. "genocide " allegation is lie of century: spokesperson Xinhua 9 Feb BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. "genocide" allegation is a lie of the century, which fully exposes its sinister intention of politicizing the Winter Olympics and maliciously smearing China

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian with Xinjiang-related issues, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a related query that White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday the U.S. administration could not allow it to be a distraction from the human rights abuses, the "genocide" it was seeing in parts of China, when she was asked that China used a young Uygur athlete to carry the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony of the Games in Beijing.

Zhao said that the selection of the final torchbearer at the opening ceremony is a normal arrangement made by China, and the United States is in no position to make wanton remarks.

The erroneous practice of the U.S. side is unpopular and is doomed to fail, which will only lead to its further isolation from the international

community, Zhao added.

Throughout history, the United States committed genocide against Native Americans, the spokesperson said, adding it is also plagued by persistent systemic discrimination against ethnic minorities.

He noted the Native American population nosedived by 95 percent from five million at the end of the 15th century to 250,000 at the beginning of the 20th century.

"What is genocide? What the United States has done to the Native Americans was true genocide," Zhao said.

The United States shoul d reckon with its historical crimes of genocide against Native Americans and take effective measures to reduce racial discrimination against ethnic minorities including Native Americans and people of African and Asian descent, Zhao said.

8-14 Feb 2022

China's commerce ministry to promote services trade

development of the digital, technology and cultural trades, MOC spokesperson Gao Feng said at a press conference.

The ministry will continue to explore the opening-up of the services trade, and work on a national negative list for crossborder trade in services.

The ministry will select areas to be built into national demonstration zones for the innovative development of the services trade.

China will further develop the digital trade and build related demonstration zones in a bid to promote technological and institutional innovation.

In 2021, China's services trade grew 16.1 percent year on year to BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) nearly 5.3 trillion yuan (about 831.42 billion U.S. dollars).

China's Ministry of Commerce In contrast to trade in merchan(MOC) will continue to boost redise, trade in services is the sale forms of the services trade this year, and delivery of intangible proda spokesperson said on Thursday. ucts such as transportation, tourFollowing the 14th five-year plan ism, telecommunication, adverfor the development of the services tising, computing and accounttrade, the ministry will roll out more ing, among others, according to policies to facilitate the high-quality the World Trade Organization.

Beijing releases "Foreign Heads of States on the Great Wall" videos

BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) The 2022 Beijing Media Center (BMC) for the Beijing Winter Olympics held a launching ceremony for the micro-video series themed "Foreign Heads of States on the Great Wall" on Friday.

The videos selected 15 foreign leaders, telling their stories on the Great Wall with historical images and videos.

These micro-videos not only recall history but also help promote friendship, cooperation, and unity among countries, said Moin ul Haque, Pakistani ambassador to China, via a video speech to the ceremony.

"The Great Wall symbolizes the Chinese people's desire to reject war and pursue peace," said Xu Hejian, director of the Information Office of the Beijing municipal government and 2022 BMC. "We hope more people will understand and love Beijing, the 'dual Olympic city,' through the videos."

8-14 Feb 2022

bid for the hosting rights, Beijing 2022 has taken measures to reduce the emissions by using low carbon venues, renewable energy, low carbon transport and a low carbon office.

"We adopted carbon compensation methods such as forestry carbon sinks and donations of carbon credits from official partners to stage a carbon-neutral Games.

These you can find in the Beijing 2022 pre-Games Low Carbon Management Report," Li said. press conference on Wednesday, "Some of you may have visited adding that sustainability and clithe National Aquatics Center. It mate action is at the center of the is not far from the MMC and strategy for the future of the Olym- used to host the aquatic events at pic movement.

Beijing 2008. And now it has become the venue for curling and "On one hand we would like the wheelchair curling during the Games to be at the forefront of sus- Beijing 2022 Games. Now it's tainability. On the other hand, we called the Ice Cube, although it would like the Games to act as a was formally know as the Water catalyst for sustainability develop- Cube. It was used to reduce the ment in the host territory, which carbon emissions," Li continued. means the approach has evolved, and the Games have to adapt to the "A total of six Beijing 2008 Xinhua 10 Feb local context and adapt to the leads Games competition and nonof the host and not the other way competition venues are now servIOC official lauded Beijing around," said Sallois. ing the Beijing 2022 Games, set2022 for honoring the Olymting an example of low carbon Li Sen, director-general of the venues. The MMC we are in is pic commitment to sustainageneral planning department of also a low carbon facility. Like bility and pushing forward Beijing 2022 Organizing Commitall other Beijing 2022 venues it is sustainable development in tee also introduced the green and fully powered by electricity genhost cities through the sustainable commitment of Beijing erated from renewable energy Games.

2022 and added that low carbon sources or green electricity from BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- In the management and ecological conZhangjiakou," Li explained. time from Beijing 2008 to Beijing servation are the two key words.

2022, the Olympic commitment to "The second keyword is ecosustainability has evolved tremen"The concept of a green Games logical conservation. It includes dously, both in sport and in China and sustainability have been emresource saving and environmenand in Beijing in particular, said Ma- bedded in the entire process and tal friendly and implement interie Sallois, director of corporate and every aspect of our work to prepare grated plans for ecological consustainable development of the Inand deliver the Games as one of servation to protect the mountains ternational Olympic Committee. the four major concepts," Li said. and rivers," he added.

With carbon-neutral Games being Sallois made the remarks during a one of the commitments as China

Commitment to sustainability has evolved tremendously in China: IOC official

8-14 Feb 2022

China's first selfrun deepsea field Shenhai-1 produces 1 billion m³ of gas CTGN 14 Feb Shenhai-1, the first deep-sea gas field fully operated by a Chinese company, has produced over 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas,

operator China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) announced Sunday.

Located 150 kilometers from south China's Hainan Island, the deepsea well has been the most difficult to exploit. It is an important source of clean energy for the Hainan Free Trade Port and the GuangdongHong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Since the start of its operation on June 25, 2021, the daily output of the gas field has risen from 400,000 cubic meters to the present 10 million cubic meters.

Yuan Yuan, director-general of the gas field, said the cumulative output of over 1 billion cubic meters has proved the capability and reliability of China's self-made systems for exploration, exploitation, production and operation of deep-sea gas and oil reserves.

Featuring world's first 100,000tonne semi-submersible oil production and storage platform, the energy station will be able to supply 3

billion cubic meters of gas to south China's Guangdong Province, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Hainan Province on an annual basis, meeting a quarter of the total gas demand of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Closely following the changes in upstream and downstream production of gas fields, the operation team overcame a series of obstacles, such as ensuring safety amid strong deep-sea currents and self-debugging of the ethylene glycol recycling system, said Pei Jianxiang, manager of the Department of Exploration and Exploitation of the Hainan branch of the CNOOC.

In the future, the team is looking forward to applying its experiences to more gas fields as it is actively promoting the exploitation of gas fields including Shenhai-2, also known as Lingshii 25-1, Pei added.

8-14 Feb 2022

China urges parties to refrain from hyping up Ukraine crisis CTGN 14 Feb

China calls on all parties to be rational and refrain from inflam-

China to build more eco-farms by 2025 BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua)

China plans to build more ecological farms in the coming years to advance modernization and green development in the agricultural sector, said a guideline published Wednesday by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

China aims to build 1,000 national ecological farms and 10,000 local ones nationwide by 2025. They will be agriculture production and operation entities, targeting maximum sustainable output while seeking to match the resources, be environmentally friendly, and ensure food safety, it said.

The country also hopes to foster modern and efficient market entities, promote specific technical patterns, and explore and establish supportive .

ing tensions and hyping up the Ukraine crisis, said Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Monday during a regular press conference.

Wang made the remarks while reaffirming China's stance on the Ukraine issue, stressing that all relevant parties should push for a comprehensive settlement of the crisis through dialogue and negotiation.

Highlighting the importance of the 2015 Minsk agreements, he said that the agreements endorsed by the UN Security Council is a universally recognized basic political document and should be implemented in earnest.

The new Minsk agreements are a series of measures to implement the 2014 Minsk agreements signed policies related to ecological agriculture, noted the document.

The move would increase the supply of green and quality agricultural products while boosting the quality, efficiency, and competitiveness of the agricultural sector.

According to a five-year plan on farming published last month, China will have made significant progress in the farming industry by 2025, boosting the capability of providing key farming produce and achieving green production.

4,000-yr-old relic site discovered in north China's Inner Mongolia HOHHOT, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists have unearthed a relic site dating back 4,000 years in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The site, which contains relics from

by representatives of Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia in 2015 in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, to achieve a military ceasefire, political reform and national reconciliation in eastern Ukraine.

The Minsk agreements made in September 2014 and February 2015, respectively, outline the steps needed to end the conflict between government troops and armed groups in Donbas.

He also confirmed that China's embassy in Ukraine remains in normal operation and will provide consular protection and assistance with the Chinese Foreign Ministry to Chinese citizens still in the country.

the ancient Zhukaigou culture, is located in the city of Ordos and covers an area of 500,000 square meters, according to the regional institute of cultural relics and archaeology.

In 2021, the institute carried out a rescue excavation at the site, discovering eight housing sites, 30 pits and ditches, 31 tombs, as well as over 150 items of pottery, stone tools and jade, among other articles.

Experts noted that a large number of the jade articles and shellfish ornaments were not local products, but came from distant locations, indicating that people who lived here had close cultural and trading exchanges with those in other areas.

They added that the bronzes collected at ground level and the smelting sintered blocks indicate the likelihood that bronze was smelted, cast and used at the site.

8-14 Feb 2022

Together for a Spring of the World Economy: Eight-Dimensional Analysis of the Chinese Economy in 2021

traordinary resilience and vitality

necessities increased. The Consumer

and injecting much-needed impetus

Price Index (CPI) went up moderately

into global economic recovery,

by 0.9%.

which was highlighted by eight dimensions: First,

Fourth, foreign trade and foreign investment utilization grew rapidly. The annual tr ade value of

world’s leading economic growth

goods surpassed the USD 6 trillion

was sustained. The gr oss domes-

mark for the first time (USD 6.05 tril-

tic product (GDP) reached 114.367

lion, up by 30%), ranking first world-

trillion yuan (about USD 17.7 tril-

wide for the fifth year running. Foreign

lion), registering a year-on-year

investment in actual use hit a record

growth of 8.1%, still at the fore-

high of 1.15 trillion yuan (USD 173.48

front of major economies. Equilib-

billion, up by 20.2% ).

rium in the balance of payments was basically realized, and foreign exchange reserves maintained above USD 3.2 trillion for eight

consecutive months, with a balance of USD 3.25 trillion at the end of the year, ranking first in the world steadily.

Second, new jobs in urban

Qi Zhenhong Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka

areas continued to expand. The

harvest was secured. The total out-

newly increased employed in urban

put of grain was 682.85 million tons, a

areas totaled 12.69 million and the

new high. It has maintained above 600

surveyed unemployment rate aver-

million tons for seven consecutive

aged 5.1%, 0.5% lower than that of

years, laying a solid foundation for

the previous year.

ensuring market supply and stabilizing prices.

Sixth, new industries and new

The year 2021 marked the 100th

forms of business thrived. The val-

anniversary of the founding of the Com-

ue added of high-tech manufacturing

munist Party of China (CPC). The

went up by 18.2% year on year. The

COVID-19 pandemic continued to

new generation of information tech-

spread worldwide and the global eco-

nology accelerated its penetration and

nomic growth lacked momentum.

Against this backdrop, the CPC has rallied and led the Chinese people to fight their way; the Chinese economy has been on a steady recovery and development path and handed over a dazzling ‘transcript’, fully demonstrating its ex-

Fifth, another bumper grain

integration into new consumption Third, consumer price was

areas such as online shopping, mobile

kept within a reasonable range.

payment, and online-to-offline com-

Efforts to ensure supply and stabi-

merce.

lize prices continued to be intensified and the supply of basic living

9

8-14 Feb 2022

tries along the routes of the Belt and Road Initiative. So far, China has signed 19 free trade agreements with 26 countries and regions. In particular, the Regional Comprehensive Economic

Seventh, people’s livelihood was Partnership (RCEP) Agreement enstrongly and effectively safeguarded. tered into force on 1 January 2022, The growth of residents’ income was ba-

paving the way for the creation of

sically in line with national economic

the world’s largest free trade area, in

growth and poverty alleviation outcomes

terms of population, GDP and trade

have been consolidated and expanded.

value, with the greatest development

Investment to improve people’s liveli-

potential. Meanwhile, China is posi-

hood has continued to increase, with that

tively engaged in multilateral eco-

in the education and health sector up by

nomic cooperation mechanisms such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), IMF, Asia-Pacific Economic

been disrupted; commodities prices continue to rise; energy supply remains tight. These risks compound one another and heighten the uncertainty about economic recovery. The Chinese economy is also faced with various challenges, but its fundamentals characterized by strong resilience, enormous potential and long-term

sustainability,

remain

unchanged.

China is striving to build a new development pattern with the domestic

11.7% and 24.5% respectively over the

previous year.

Eighth, China’s contribution to the world economy expanded. Accor ding to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China is expected to account for about 18% of the global economy in 2021, representing a steady increase in successive years. China has become the

world’s second largest consumer market, with imports of goods and services worth USD 2,687.5 billion and USD 427 billion respectively in 2021. The annual outward foreign direct investment was 936.69 billion yuan (USD 145.2 billion, up by 9.2%), 14.8% of which flowed into coun-

Cooperation (APEC), Shanghai Co-

operation Organization (SCO), G20, etc., contributing a lot to improving global economic governance and promoting economic globalization.

The world economy is recovering from the troughs, but the global industrial and supply chains have

market as the mainstay and the domestic and international markets (dual circulation) reinforcing each other, indicating brighter prospects for the Chinese economy, which will continue to serve as a strong engine for global economic recovery.

8-14 Feb 2022

CMCA Cultural Jamboree (July 09th to 14th, 2022), CMCA Model Youth BRI Summit, CMCA TV Quiz Competitions, etc.

He said, “CMCA in partnership with ALSCSSC will initiate dialogue with China State Enterprise and potential Chinese private investors to promote Free-Trade Investments in Sri Lanka

optimizing the human capital and other nonfinancial resources in both countries and availing the benefits of SARAAC Preferential Trade Agreement.”

“CMCA will cooperate with ALSCSSC to develop a sustainable strategy to promote Sri LankaMaldives joint tour packages to Chinese market. In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Maldivian Tourism, CMCA is planning to hold a Cultural and Eco -Tourism Symposia in November 2022 at Fuvamulak City in the southern region of Maldives.

CMCA will share the details of event, to make it CMCA – ASLCSCC joint event” he further said.

Mr.Indrananda Abey-

The Association for Sri Lanka

The discussion has focused on Cooperation

sekera ,President of ASLCSCC said

-China Social and Cultural

in Cultural Exchanges, Cultural and Eco-

that his association will facilitate

Tourism and Trade and Investment Cooper-

CMCA Operational Researchers in BRI

ation.

and Geo-Economics access to Sri

At the discussion HE Mohomed Rasheed ,

Lankan Think-Tanks and Academia, to

Founder and the President of CMCA said

promote evidence based benefits from

sociation (CMCA) had a very

that CMCA will support in the strengthen-

BRI Projects in our two countries.

successful zoom meeting, last

ing Sri Lanka China Friendship Wushu

He said that the ASLCSCC will strong-

week to initiate fruitful year

Academy in Kandy. Based on the offer giv-

ly support cultural, economic, tourism

en for Training-of-Trainers in TaiChi,

and education and academic projects

CMCA will offer scholarships for Maldivi-

which promote all kind of relations

an candidates for training at the Wushu

between Sri Lanka , Maldives and Chi-

Academy in Kandy. CMCA will invite Sri

na.

Cooperation (ASLCSCC) and China Maldivian Cultural As-

plan on promoting friendship between Sri Lanka-ChinaMaldives.

Lankan youth for joint activities such

8-14 Feb 2022

China approves more cross -border ecommerce pilot zones

seeks to stabilize foreign trade and

China's cross-border e-commerce

foreign investments.

has been expanding much faster

BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua)

quality development of trade, the

Official data shows that China's

cabinet also stresses efforts to en-

total trade in goods moved up an-

than overall foreign trade, and its The new pilot zones, including

share in overall foreign trade has

those in Erdos in Inner Mongolia

gone up significantly.

and the city of Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province, will replicate and advance Since 2015, China's State Council the experience learned from the pre- has established 105 cross-border evious five batches of pilot zones,

commerce pilot zones in five

according to a statement released by batches. The new business model has become a vibrant force driving the State Council.

China's foreign trade growth.

While trying to promote the high-

other notch in 2021, exceeding 6 China's State Council has approved sure national security, internet secutrillion U.S. dollars for the first rity, data security, and biological setting up more cross-border esecurity to foster an amicable busi- time, despite the pandemic contincommerce pilot zones in 27 cities uing to weigh on global trade. ness environment for market entiand regions as the government ties.

8-14 Feb 2022 door Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 7, 2022

Ren Ziwei of China celebrates after the men's 1000m final of short track speed skating at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 7, 2022. (Xinhua/ Xiong Qi)

China's Ren Ziwei attends the flower ceremony after the men's 1000m final of short track speed skating at Capital In-

CEIndex In 2022, Chongqing's transportation investment is expected to reach 100 billion yuan as a historic breakthrough, accelerating the construction of a modern comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network and building an international transportation hub city.

Amazing China Recently, Beijing ushered in snow weather. The Mutianyu Great Wall after snow is like a dragon lying on a ridge wrapped in silver. Spectacular!

NEWS CONTRIBUTION Embassy of China in Sri Lanka, CPAFFC, CAFIU, and other Chinese Media PUBLISHER

D30, Matha Road, Manning Town Colombo 8 Sri Lanka

Executive Editor Indrananda Abeysekera

Phone: +94 112695772 +94 710885588

714925151

E-mail: chinamirrorsl@gmail.com chinamirrorsl@yahoo.com

Editor in Chief Madushan Kularathne

14.02.2022