Local media hail Myanmar's hosting of 4th GMS summit
Myanmar's successful hosting of the 4th Summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation (GMS) helped elevate the country's international image, local media said Wednesday.
New Light of Myanmar, a daily newspaper in Yangon, hailed the country's performance during the summit as internationally eye-catching.
"As the international community has acknowledged the recent reforms of Myanmar, heads of global countries have praised Myanmar for successfully hosting international-level summits," it said.
"At a time when Myanmar is preparing to deepen its relations with the international community, its experiences in organizing this summit are bound to contribute a great deal to further hosting international-level summits," the newspaper said.
However, it also warned of challenges ahead and called for turning the challenges into opportunities.
Myanmar will host the 27th Southeast Asian Games in 2013 and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in 2014.
The GMS summit, which ended Tuesday in Nay Pyi Taw, produced several significant agreements, including a new 10-year strategic framework and three memoranda of understanding on reducing HIV vulnerability, information superhighway construction, and freight transport.
The GMS was founded in 1992 by the six countries sharing the Mekong River: Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 16:40:54
YANGON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Rescuers find 51 bodies of migrants after ship sank in Indonesia
Rescuers find 51 bodies of migrants after ship sank in Indonesia
Rescuers found 51 bodies of illegal migrants on Wednesday after their ship carrying about 250 migrants sank in waters off East Java of Indonesia on Saturday, as 48 of them have been rescued safely, rescuer said here. "Today (Wednesday) the rescuers have found more dead bodies, 21 of them are being carried out by an Indonesian war ship and 30 other bodies have been arrived onshore," said Gagah Prakoso, spokesman of National Search and Rescue Office Gagah Prakoso told Xinhua by phone.
The spokesman said that all the bodies were found still in the East Java territory. The finding on Wednesday had left about 151 feared dead.
Prakoso has said that all the economic migrants, many of them from the Middle East such as Iran, Afghanistan, and Turkey, had entered Indonesia illegally and aimed at Christmas island of Australia to seek asylum for a better life.
The searching of the victims had involved small planes, helicopters, Indonesian navy warships and sailor ships, said head of East Java Search and Rescue Office Sutrisnod.
Australian rescuers had also taken parts in the rescue operation along with hundreds of Indonesian rescuers, he told Xinhua over phone.
The rescue operation was to be conducted by the 7th day of the accident as it was in line with Indonesian law, nevertheless, the operation could be extended when the rescuers keep finding more victims.
The wooden ship sank at about 40 nautical miles from TPI Prigi beach of Trenggalek district of East Java at about 9 a.m. Jakarta time (0200 GMT) on Saturday. The ship was found by Indonesian sailors in East Java on Tuesday after it was hit by huge waves.
Indonesia has been a favorable transit points for illegal immigrants from the Middle East heading to Australia. But, they have frequently weathered sea accidents, as they took the journey with lacking of safety standard, and the huge waves in the ocean used to hit and collapse their small ship or boat, leaving dozens fatalities.
Indonesia has set up a cooperation with Australia to address the illegal immigrants.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 16:32:45
JAKARTA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Rescuers found 51 bodies of illegal migrants on Wednesday after their ship carrying about 250 migrants sank in waters off East Java of Indonesia on Saturday, as 48 of them have been rescued safely, rescuer said here. "Today (Wednesday) the rescuers have found more dead bodies, 21 of them are being carried out by an Indonesian war ship and 30 other bodies have been arrived onshore," said Gagah Prakoso, spokesman of National Search and Rescue Office Gagah Prakoso told Xinhua by phone.
The spokesman said that all the bodies were found still in the East Java territory. The finding on Wednesday had left about 151 feared dead.
Prakoso has said that all the economic migrants, many of them from the Middle East such as Iran, Afghanistan, and Turkey, had entered Indonesia illegally and aimed at Christmas island of Australia to seek asylum for a better life.
The searching of the victims had involved small planes, helicopters, Indonesian navy warships and sailor ships, said head of East Java Search and Rescue Office Sutrisnod.
Australian rescuers had also taken parts in the rescue operation along with hundreds of Indonesian rescuers, he told Xinhua over phone.
The rescue operation was to be conducted by the 7th day of the accident as it was in line with Indonesian law, nevertheless, the operation could be extended when the rescuers keep finding more victims.
The wooden ship sank at about 40 nautical miles from TPI Prigi beach of Trenggalek district of East Java at about 9 a.m. Jakarta time (0200 GMT) on Saturday. The ship was found by Indonesian sailors in East Java on Tuesday after it was hit by huge waves.
Indonesia has been a favorable transit points for illegal immigrants from the Middle East heading to Australia. But, they have frequently weathered sea accidents, as they took the journey with lacking of safety standard, and the huge waves in the ocean used to hit and collapse their small ship or boat, leaving dozens fatalities.
Indonesia has set up a cooperation with Australia to address the illegal immigrants.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 16:32:45
JAKARTA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
S Korea's Lee to meet with party leaders over DPRK leader's death
S Korea's Lee to meet with party leaders over DPRK leader's death
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will hold a rare meeting with ruling and opposition leaders to encourage bipartisan responses to the death of Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), local media reported Wednesday.
Lee is expected to meet Thursday with interim ruling party leader Park Geun-hye, opposition co-representative Won He-young and Shim Dae-pyung, chairman of the right-wing minority Liberty Forward Party, according to YTN television.
Both the conservative ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Unified Democratic Party have called for bipartisan unity during times of uncertainty following the announcement of Kim's death on Monday.
The two parties, however, clashed Wednesday over whether to send a parliamentary delegation to attend Kim's funeral ceremony.
In their meeting earlier in the day, Park rejected Won's proposal to form a parliamentary delegation to visit Pyongyang, citing the government policy of not sending an official condolence delegation.
Seoul allows civic groups and individuals to send messages of condolences to the DPRK, but does not plan to send a government-led delegation to Pyongyang to honor Kim, who the DPRK's state media say died of a heart failure.
Pyongyang said it will not accept foreign delegations for the funeral ceremony scheduled on Dec. 28.
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 16:30:59
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will hold a rare meeting with ruling and opposition leaders to encourage bipartisan responses to the death of Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), local media reported Wednesday.
Lee is expected to meet Thursday with interim ruling party leader Park Geun-hye, opposition co-representative Won He-young and Shim Dae-pyung, chairman of the right-wing minority Liberty Forward Party, according to YTN television.
Both the conservative ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Unified Democratic Party have called for bipartisan unity during times of uncertainty following the announcement of Kim's death on Monday.
The two parties, however, clashed Wednesday over whether to send a parliamentary delegation to attend Kim's funeral ceremony.
In their meeting earlier in the day, Park rejected Won's proposal to form a parliamentary delegation to visit Pyongyang, citing the government policy of not sending an official condolence delegation.
Seoul allows civic groups and individuals to send messages of condolences to the DPRK, but does not plan to send a government-led delegation to Pyongyang to honor Kim, who the DPRK's state media say died of a heart failure.
Pyongyang said it will not accept foreign delegations for the funeral ceremony scheduled on Dec. 28.
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 16:30:59
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
50 insurgents killed, 364 detained in month: Afghan official
50 insurgents killed, 364 detained in month: Afghan official
Afghan army during joint and independent operations have eliminated at least 50 suspected insurgents and detained some 364 others over the past one month, a spokesman of country's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"Afghan National Army (ANA), during independent and joint operations with coalition forces, have killed 50 enemies and detained 364 other insurgents over the last month," General Zahir Azimi told reporters in a weekly press conference here.
Azimi also said that the ANA forces injured over a dozen more insurgents besides uncovering and defusing 380 mine and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the same period of time, counted from Nov. 22 to Dec. 20.
"Forces with ANA in collaboration with Afghan police and coalition troops also found and seized 117 kilograms of explosive materials in different parts of the country," Azimi said, adding currently 27 military operations were going on around the country.
However, he asserted that as many as 54 soldiers and officers with the ANA were also killed in insurgent attacks, military operations and IED blasts over the same period of time.
"The strength of ANA currently has reached to over 180,000 and it is projected to reach to 195,000 by October 2012," Azimi said.
The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since the militant group announced to launch a rebel offensive from May 1 against Afghan and around 130,000 NATO-led troops stationed in Afghanistan.
The Taliban insurgent group has yet to make comments.
Special Report: Afghanistan Situation
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 16:19:42
KABUL, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Afghan army during joint and independent operations have eliminated at least 50 suspected insurgents and detained some 364 others over the past one month, a spokesman of country's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"Afghan National Army (ANA), during independent and joint operations with coalition forces, have killed 50 enemies and detained 364 other insurgents over the last month," General Zahir Azimi told reporters in a weekly press conference here.
Azimi also said that the ANA forces injured over a dozen more insurgents besides uncovering and defusing 380 mine and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the same period of time, counted from Nov. 22 to Dec. 20.
"Forces with ANA in collaboration with Afghan police and coalition troops also found and seized 117 kilograms of explosive materials in different parts of the country," Azimi said, adding currently 27 military operations were going on around the country.
However, he asserted that as many as 54 soldiers and officers with the ANA were also killed in insurgent attacks, military operations and IED blasts over the same period of time.
"The strength of ANA currently has reached to over 180,000 and it is projected to reach to 195,000 by October 2012," Azimi said.
The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since the militant group announced to launch a rebel offensive from May 1 against Afghan and around 130,000 NATO-led troops stationed in Afghanistan.
The Taliban insurgent group has yet to make comments.
Special Report: Afghanistan Situation
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 16:19:42
KABUL, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Afghan police gun down suspected suicide bomber
Afghan police gun down suspected suicide bomber
Afghan police gunned down a suspected suicide bomber in Khost province 150 km southeast of Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday, a press release of Interior Ministry issued here said.
"A suicide bomber attempting to enter the branch of Kabul bank in Khost city the capital of Khost province this morning was identified and gunned down by police at 10:00 a.m. today," the press release added.
One of the guards of the Kabul bank received injuries in the incident, it added said.
Previously, few militants including suicide bombers entered a branch of the private Kabul bank in eastern Jalalabad city in February leaving 38 people dead and injuring 71 others.
Special Report: Afghanistan Situation
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 15:52:05
Afghan police gunned down a suspected suicide bomber in Khost province 150 km southeast of Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday, a press release of Interior Ministry issued here said.
"A suicide bomber attempting to enter the branch of Kabul bank in Khost city the capital of Khost province this morning was identified and gunned down by police at 10:00 a.m. today," the press release added.
One of the guards of the Kabul bank received injuries in the incident, it added said.
Previously, few militants including suicide bombers entered a branch of the private Kabul bank in eastern Jalalabad city in February leaving 38 people dead and injuring 71 others.
Special Report: Afghanistan Situation
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 15:52:05
Indonesia calls for multilateral efforts in combating human trafficking
Indonesia calls for multilateral efforts in combating human trafficking
Following the recent capsizal of a boat loaded with hundreds of asylum seekers off the East Java coast, Indonesia renewed calls for multilateral efforts to combat people smuggling that was set in a framework called the Bali Process.
"The incident underlines the importance of the continuation of partnerships among countries in the region through what is known as the Bali Process to handle the irregular movement of people," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said recently in response to the incident that made hundreds of asylum seekers missing in the Indian ocean between Indonesian and Australian territory.
The Bali Process framework was set up in February 2002 to address human trafficking and transnational crime problems, signed by over 50 countries and international agencies. It was co-founded and co-chaired by Indonesia and Australia.
The Bali Process is a regional, multilateral process designed to boost bilateral and regional cooperative efforts against people smuggling and trafficking in persons through technical workshops and increased cooperation among interested countries, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Overall direction and coordination of the Bali Process is provided through an officials' level Steering Group comprising Indonesia and Australia as the two co-chairs, New Zealand, Thailand, the UNHCR and IOM.
Efforts to rescue asylum seekers boarding on the ill-fated boat conducted by the Indonesian rescuer team are underway at the moment. Police said that the team has rescued 47 people from the boat that capsized on Saturday in waters 74 kilometers off the Prigi coast in the city of Trenggalek, East Java.
Reports said the ill-fated boat that was bound for Australia was loaded with asylum seekers from the Middle East and Afghanistan intending to seek jobs and better life in Australia.
Police said that the 25 meter-long boat with a capacity of 150 passengers was loaded with 250 people including women and children when the mishap happened.
"The ship sailed for two days and two nights before capsizing," National Police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said on Tuesday.
He said that police are now investigating the origin of the boat that capsized on Saturday causing hundreds of asylum seekers to die or remain missing at sea.
From the preliminary results of police's questioning against the survivors, the ill-fated boat departed from Ujung Kulon in Banten province.
The place has been identified as among the embarking points of illegal boats, carrying illegal migrants sailing to Australia. Indonesia has been a stopover point for illegal migrants before they made risky sea trips to Australia. Most of those illegal migrants came from conflicting countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Bangladesh.
The Indonesian apparatus had frequently intercepted illegal boats carrying illegal migrants bound for Australia when they sailed on Indonesian waters.
Cooperating with countries joining the Bali Process framework and related international agencies, Indonesia detained those illegal migrants, underwent examinations against them to seek their reasons to leave their countries, and placed them in third countries that were willing to accept them.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 15:50:03
by Abu Hanifah
JAKARTA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Following the recent capsizal of a boat loaded with hundreds of asylum seekers off the East Java coast, Indonesia renewed calls for multilateral efforts to combat people smuggling that was set in a framework called the Bali Process.
"The incident underlines the importance of the continuation of partnerships among countries in the region through what is known as the Bali Process to handle the irregular movement of people," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said recently in response to the incident that made hundreds of asylum seekers missing in the Indian ocean between Indonesian and Australian territory.
The Bali Process framework was set up in February 2002 to address human trafficking and transnational crime problems, signed by over 50 countries and international agencies. It was co-founded and co-chaired by Indonesia and Australia.
The Bali Process is a regional, multilateral process designed to boost bilateral and regional cooperative efforts against people smuggling and trafficking in persons through technical workshops and increased cooperation among interested countries, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Overall direction and coordination of the Bali Process is provided through an officials' level Steering Group comprising Indonesia and Australia as the two co-chairs, New Zealand, Thailand, the UNHCR and IOM.
Efforts to rescue asylum seekers boarding on the ill-fated boat conducted by the Indonesian rescuer team are underway at the moment. Police said that the team has rescued 47 people from the boat that capsized on Saturday in waters 74 kilometers off the Prigi coast in the city of Trenggalek, East Java.
Reports said the ill-fated boat that was bound for Australia was loaded with asylum seekers from the Middle East and Afghanistan intending to seek jobs and better life in Australia.
Police said that the 25 meter-long boat with a capacity of 150 passengers was loaded with 250 people including women and children when the mishap happened.
"The ship sailed for two days and two nights before capsizing," National Police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said on Tuesday.
He said that police are now investigating the origin of the boat that capsized on Saturday causing hundreds of asylum seekers to die or remain missing at sea.
From the preliminary results of police's questioning against the survivors, the ill-fated boat departed from Ujung Kulon in Banten province.
The place has been identified as among the embarking points of illegal boats, carrying illegal migrants sailing to Australia. Indonesia has been a stopover point for illegal migrants before they made risky sea trips to Australia. Most of those illegal migrants came from conflicting countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Bangladesh.
The Indonesian apparatus had frequently intercepted illegal boats carrying illegal migrants bound for Australia when they sailed on Indonesian waters.
Cooperating with countries joining the Bali Process framework and related international agencies, Indonesia detained those illegal migrants, underwent examinations against them to seek their reasons to leave their countries, and placed them in third countries that were willing to accept them.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 15:50:03
by Abu Hanifah
JAKARTA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Philippines declares state of national calamity
Philippines declares state of national calamity
Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino has issued Wednesday a proclamation declaring a state of national calamity to hasten the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of areas damaged by tropical storm Washi (local name: Sendong).
"All departments and other government agencies concerned are hereby directed to implement and execute medical assistance, relief and rehabilitation work in accordance with existing operational plans and directives and orders issued in connection with the occurrence of calamities," Aquino said.
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said that Proclamation No. 303 also effectively control the prices of basic goods and commodities for the affected areas.
"The devastating rains and floods caused by typhoon Washi have brought death, destruction, and incalculable damage to the lives and properties of Filipinos," Ochoa said.
He said the declaration will allow the local government units to use their calamity fund for the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of their constituents.
The National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Council said that the death toll due to Washi breached 1,000 level already.
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 15:39:57
Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino has issued Wednesday a proclamation declaring a state of national calamity to hasten the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of areas damaged by tropical storm Washi (local name: Sendong).
"All departments and other government agencies concerned are hereby directed to implement and execute medical assistance, relief and rehabilitation work in accordance with existing operational plans and directives and orders issued in connection with the occurrence of calamities," Aquino said.
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said that Proclamation No. 303 also effectively control the prices of basic goods and commodities for the affected areas.
"The devastating rains and floods caused by typhoon Washi have brought death, destruction, and incalculable damage to the lives and properties of Filipinos," Ochoa said.
He said the declaration will allow the local government units to use their calamity fund for the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of their constituents.
The National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Council said that the death toll due to Washi breached 1,000 level already.
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 15:39:57
Indian gov't clears landmark anti-graft Lokpal Bill
Indian gov't clears landmark anti-graft Lokpal Bill
The Indian government late Tuesday night approved a landmark anti-graft Lokpal (Ombudsman) Bill, keeping the prime minister within its purview but the premier probe agency outside its ambit, local media reported Wednesday.
The bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) on Thursday and before the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) on Friday for passing in Parliament, according to the Indian Constitution.
According to the bill, approved by the Cabinet, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will act as the Lokpal's investigating tool, but the controls will remain with the government.
However, anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare, who has threatened to go on a three-day fast against the bill, and the country's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party have slammed the government's decision to exclude the CBI from its ambit.
"Let the government go its way, we will go our way," Hazare told media, announcing he would go on fast from Dec. 27 in Mumbai for three days and start a "prison fill-up movement" across the country on Jan. 1, 2012.
However, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi defended the bill, saying that the "government will do what it thinks appropriate and dissenters can do what they think appropriate".
Editor: An
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 15:03:17
NEW DELHI, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
The Indian government late Tuesday night approved a landmark anti-graft Lokpal (Ombudsman) Bill, keeping the prime minister within its purview but the premier probe agency outside its ambit, local media reported Wednesday.
The bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) on Thursday and before the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) on Friday for passing in Parliament, according to the Indian Constitution.
According to the bill, approved by the Cabinet, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will act as the Lokpal's investigating tool, but the controls will remain with the government.
However, anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare, who has threatened to go on a three-day fast against the bill, and the country's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party have slammed the government's decision to exclude the CBI from its ambit.
"Let the government go its way, we will go our way," Hazare told media, announcing he would go on fast from Dec. 27 in Mumbai for three days and start a "prison fill-up movement" across the country on Jan. 1, 2012.
However, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi defended the bill, saying that the "government will do what it thinks appropriate and dissenters can do what they think appropriate".
Editor: An
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 15:03:17
NEW DELHI, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
S. Korea allows civic groups to send condolences over DPRK leader's death
S. Korea allows civic groups to send condolences over DPRK leader's death
South Korea will allow civic groups and civilians to send messages of condolences to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over its leader's recent death, the unification ministry said here Wednesday.
The unification ministry, which oversees inter-Korean affairs, will grant approvals to groups and individuals wishing to send such messages via fax or mail, spokesman Choi Boh-seon said in a briefing.
"The unification ministry plans to accept such requests unless there's a special reason not to," Choi added.
As of Wednesday, a few private organizations including Hyundai Asan, an operator of suspended cross-border tours, have asked the ministry to extend their condolences to the DPRK.
The move comes a day after South Korea expressed its sympathy to people of the DPRK over top leader Kim Jong Il's reported death on Saturday.
The country decided not to send an official delegation to attend Kim's funeral, as the DPRK said it will not accept foreign delegations for the funeral ceremony scheduled on Dec. 28.
The government said Tuesday it will allow Pyongyang visits by the families of late former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and former Hyundai Group chairman Chung Mong-hun, in appreciation of Pyongyang's previous decisions to send delegates to honor the two men at their funerals.
Former first lady Lee Hee-ho, whose late husband had forged friendly ties with the DPRK that culminated in a historic joint summit in 2000, has voiced hope for a Pyongyang visit even before Kim's death.
Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun, who remains committed to the troubled cross-border tour projects since her husband Chung Mong-hun killed himself in 2003, offered condolences over Kim's death in a press release Monday.
The DPRK announced a 13-day mourning period through Dec. 29.
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 14:52:30
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
South Korea will allow civic groups and civilians to send messages of condolences to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over its leader's recent death, the unification ministry said here Wednesday.
The unification ministry, which oversees inter-Korean affairs, will grant approvals to groups and individuals wishing to send such messages via fax or mail, spokesman Choi Boh-seon said in a briefing.
"The unification ministry plans to accept such requests unless there's a special reason not to," Choi added.
As of Wednesday, a few private organizations including Hyundai Asan, an operator of suspended cross-border tours, have asked the ministry to extend their condolences to the DPRK.
The move comes a day after South Korea expressed its sympathy to people of the DPRK over top leader Kim Jong Il's reported death on Saturday.
The country decided not to send an official delegation to attend Kim's funeral, as the DPRK said it will not accept foreign delegations for the funeral ceremony scheduled on Dec. 28.
The government said Tuesday it will allow Pyongyang visits by the families of late former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and former Hyundai Group chairman Chung Mong-hun, in appreciation of Pyongyang's previous decisions to send delegates to honor the two men at their funerals.
Former first lady Lee Hee-ho, whose late husband had forged friendly ties with the DPRK that culminated in a historic joint summit in 2000, has voiced hope for a Pyongyang visit even before Kim's death.
Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun, who remains committed to the troubled cross-border tour projects since her husband Chung Mong-hun killed himself in 2003, offered condolences over Kim's death in a press release Monday.
The DPRK announced a 13-day mourning period through Dec. 29.
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 14:52:30
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Red Shirts threaten to rally for release of key leader
Red Shirts threaten to rally for release of key leader
Members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), dubbed Red Shirt movement, will travel from their villages in the North and Northeast on Wednesday evening to visit their detained key leader Arisman Pongruangrong and demand his release on Thursday.
"Some 5,000 reds in the North and other 5,000 in the Northeast are planning to rally for Arisman," said Anont Saennan, leader of the group in Udon Thani, Red Shirts' stronghold. Spearheaded by Anont, thousands of Red Shirts' villages have been set up throughout the northern and northeastern provinces.
Arisman was among other 19 Red Shirt leaders, charged with terrorism for their alleged roles in instigating the crowd to stage violent protests against the then Abhisit Vejjajiva government during March-May, 2010. Arisman had fled the rally site before it was called off on May 19 when the government eventually resorted to the military forces for the forceful dispersal which resulted in 91 deaths and some 1,900 injuries.
He finally turned himself in to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) early December after over one and a half years ' on the run, but the Criminal Court turned down his bail bids twice in a row.
Editor: Fang Yang
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 13:21:20
BANGKOK, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), dubbed Red Shirt movement, will travel from their villages in the North and Northeast on Wednesday evening to visit their detained key leader Arisman Pongruangrong and demand his release on Thursday.
"Some 5,000 reds in the North and other 5,000 in the Northeast are planning to rally for Arisman," said Anont Saennan, leader of the group in Udon Thani, Red Shirts' stronghold. Spearheaded by Anont, thousands of Red Shirts' villages have been set up throughout the northern and northeastern provinces.
Arisman was among other 19 Red Shirt leaders, charged with terrorism for their alleged roles in instigating the crowd to stage violent protests against the then Abhisit Vejjajiva government during March-May, 2010. Arisman had fled the rally site before it was called off on May 19 when the government eventually resorted to the military forces for the forceful dispersal which resulted in 91 deaths and some 1,900 injuries.
He finally turned himself in to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) early December after over one and a half years ' on the run, but the Criminal Court turned down his bail bids twice in a row.
Editor: Fang Yang
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 13:21:20
BANGKOK, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Nepali gov't okays consumer court, guilty to face up to 14 yrs jail
Nepali gov't okays consumer court, guilty to face up to 14 yrs jail
Nepali government on Tuesday finally endorsed a plan to set up consumer courts in 14 zones, to make market inspections effective, promote hygienic food products and ensure legal action against the wrongdoers.
Following hours-long discussions at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM), the bills committee of the cabinet endorsed a draft amendment to the existing Consumer Protection Act.
The consumer courts will come into effect after parliament endorses the amended Consumer Protection Act. "The consumer courts will try cases involving all disputes and claims relating to consumption of goods and services," reads the provisions enshrined in the draft.
Once the consumer courts are established, as per Clause 18 of the Consumer Protection Act, they can slap jail terms of up to 14 years and fines of up to 500,000 Nepali rupees (about 6,000 U.S. dollars) or both on those found guilty of producing, selling or supplying sub-standard, adulterated goods and commodities or services.
OPMCM Secretary Trilochan Uprety told Wednesday's Republica daily that the courts will be similar to a tribunal and will comprise three members.
A district court judge or someone eligible to be a district court judge will head the court while a gazetted second class officer who has five years experience in the consumer protection field and a consumer expert with 10 years experience in the same field will share the bench.
The government two months ago aggressively inspected the market and seized tainted foods, sweets, dairy products, substandard medicines and sealed a number of factories, shops and cooking gas bottling plants.
As per the draft provisions, those failing to produce price lists during inspections will be fined up to 5,000 rupees. On top of this, every company producing goods and suppliers delivering such products are required to formulate and issue a code of conduct concerning its business. The government will also set up a Consumer Information Center to receive complaints and take necessary measures to ensure a healthy market.
Editor: Fang Yang
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 12:41:06
KATHMANDU, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Nepali government on Tuesday finally endorsed a plan to set up consumer courts in 14 zones, to make market inspections effective, promote hygienic food products and ensure legal action against the wrongdoers.
Following hours-long discussions at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM), the bills committee of the cabinet endorsed a draft amendment to the existing Consumer Protection Act.
The consumer courts will come into effect after parliament endorses the amended Consumer Protection Act. "The consumer courts will try cases involving all disputes and claims relating to consumption of goods and services," reads the provisions enshrined in the draft.
Once the consumer courts are established, as per Clause 18 of the Consumer Protection Act, they can slap jail terms of up to 14 years and fines of up to 500,000 Nepali rupees (about 6,000 U.S. dollars) or both on those found guilty of producing, selling or supplying sub-standard, adulterated goods and commodities or services.
OPMCM Secretary Trilochan Uprety told Wednesday's Republica daily that the courts will be similar to a tribunal and will comprise three members.
A district court judge or someone eligible to be a district court judge will head the court while a gazetted second class officer who has five years experience in the consumer protection field and a consumer expert with 10 years experience in the same field will share the bench.
The government two months ago aggressively inspected the market and seized tainted foods, sweets, dairy products, substandard medicines and sealed a number of factories, shops and cooking gas bottling plants.
As per the draft provisions, those failing to produce price lists during inspections will be fined up to 5,000 rupees. On top of this, every company producing goods and suppliers delivering such products are required to formulate and issue a code of conduct concerning its business. The government will also set up a Consumer Information Center to receive complaints and take necessary measures to ensure a healthy market.
Editor: Fang Yang
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 12:41:06
KATHMANDU, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
S. Korea allows private condolences on Kim Jong Il's death
S. Korea allows private condolences on Kim Jong Il's death
South Korea has decided to allow civilians and private organizations to send their condolences on the death of Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Seoul's Unification Ministry said Wednesday.
"The government decided to allow civilians to send messages of condolences to North Korea via fax or mail," said an official at the Unification Ministry in charge of North Korean affairs. Any private contact with North Korea must be approved by the ministry.
On Tuesday, Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik said the government has decided not to send an official delegation to attend Kim Jong Il's funeral as the DPRK said it would not accept foreign delegations for the funeral ceremony scheduled on Dec. 28.
Still, the government will allow Pyongyang visits by the families of late former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and former Hyundai Group chairman Chung Mong-hun, in appreciation of Pyongyang's previous decisions to send delegates to honor the two men at their funerals, Yu said.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday that Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA), died from great mental and physical strain at 8:30 a.m. Saturday (2330 GMT Friday), on a train during a field guidance tour.
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 11:59:33
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
South Korea has decided to allow civilians and private organizations to send their condolences on the death of Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Seoul's Unification Ministry said Wednesday.
"The government decided to allow civilians to send messages of condolences to North Korea via fax or mail," said an official at the Unification Ministry in charge of North Korean affairs. Any private contact with North Korea must be approved by the ministry.
On Tuesday, Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik said the government has decided not to send an official delegation to attend Kim Jong Il's funeral as the DPRK said it would not accept foreign delegations for the funeral ceremony scheduled on Dec. 28.
Still, the government will allow Pyongyang visits by the families of late former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and former Hyundai Group chairman Chung Mong-hun, in appreciation of Pyongyang's previous decisions to send delegates to honor the two men at their funerals, Yu said.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday that Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA), died from great mental and physical strain at 8:30 a.m. Saturday (2330 GMT Friday), on a train during a field guidance tour.
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 11:59:33
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Nepali gov't okays Trans-Asia railway network pact
Nepali gov't okays Trans-Asia railway network pact
The government has endorsed the Inter-governmental Agreement on Trans-Asia Railway Network - a pact that will enable Nepal to connect the railway lines, which it is planning to develop, with railway networks of Asia and Europe, facilitating uninterrupted movement of people and goods.
According to Wednesday's Republica daily, the cabinet meeting held last week approved the crucial agreement proposed by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works after seeking consent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Finance.
"Approval of the agreement is the demonstration of the government commitment to enter into the Trans-Asia Railway Network. This will greatly facilitate movement of people and goods via Nepal to other Asian and European countries," Ram Kumar Lamsal, director general of Department of Railway, told Republica. "We will immediately send the ratification paper to UN once the parliament ratifies it."
If ratified, the agreement will not only pave the way for increasing trade with partner countries in the region, but also facilitate the development of internal network of railway.
The agreement was signed in Busan, South Korea under the initiation of United Nations Economic and Social Commission Asia and the Pacific. Along with Nepal, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, South Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Vietnam are also signatories to the agreement.
So far, one and half a dozen countries in the region including China, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Russia and South Korea - have ratified the agreement. The pact would be effective once at least eight of the member countries ratify it, reported the daily.
Editor: Yang Lina
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 11:48:14
KATHMANDU, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
The government has endorsed the Inter-governmental Agreement on Trans-Asia Railway Network - a pact that will enable Nepal to connect the railway lines, which it is planning to develop, with railway networks of Asia and Europe, facilitating uninterrupted movement of people and goods.
According to Wednesday's Republica daily, the cabinet meeting held last week approved the crucial agreement proposed by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works after seeking consent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Finance.
"Approval of the agreement is the demonstration of the government commitment to enter into the Trans-Asia Railway Network. This will greatly facilitate movement of people and goods via Nepal to other Asian and European countries," Ram Kumar Lamsal, director general of Department of Railway, told Republica. "We will immediately send the ratification paper to UN once the parliament ratifies it."
If ratified, the agreement will not only pave the way for increasing trade with partner countries in the region, but also facilitate the development of internal network of railway.
The agreement was signed in Busan, South Korea under the initiation of United Nations Economic and Social Commission Asia and the Pacific. Along with Nepal, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, South Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Vietnam are also signatories to the agreement.
So far, one and half a dozen countries in the region including China, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Russia and South Korea - have ratified the agreement. The pact would be effective once at least eight of the member countries ratify it, reported the daily.
Editor: Yang Lina
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 11:48:14
KATHMANDU, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Thai defense chief arrives in Cambodia for troop pullout talks
Thai defense chief arrives in Cambodia for troop pullout talks
Thai Defense Minister Gen. Yuthasak Sasiprapha, accompanied by the Army Chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha and other Thai senior defense officials, arrived here on Wednesday morning for the 8th meeting of Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC).
The delegation arrived here by a special aircraft of Royal Thai Air Force. At the Phnom Penh International Airport, the minister was welcomed by Cambodian four-star Gen. Neang Phat, secretary of state of the Ministry of Defense and other high-ranking military officials.
The visiting Yuthasak and his Cambodian counterpart Gen. Tea Banh will chair the 8th GBC meeting, said Neang Phat.
The meeting will focus on general security cooperation along the border and will discuss a time frame for both sides'troop redeployment from the newly defined demilitarized zone near Preah Vihear temple to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), he added.
Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflict over territorial dispute near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple.
On July 18, the ICJ ordered Cambodia and Thailand to immediately withdraw their military personnel from the provisional demilitarized zone covering about 17 square kilometers on the disputed border near Preah Vihear temple and to allow ASEAN observers access to the zone to monitor ceasefire.
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 10:36:28
Thai Defense Minister Gen. Yuthasak Sasiprapha, accompanied by the Army Chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha and other Thai senior defense officials, arrived here on Wednesday morning for the 8th meeting of Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC).
The delegation arrived here by a special aircraft of Royal Thai Air Force. At the Phnom Penh International Airport, the minister was welcomed by Cambodian four-star Gen. Neang Phat, secretary of state of the Ministry of Defense and other high-ranking military officials.
The visiting Yuthasak and his Cambodian counterpart Gen. Tea Banh will chair the 8th GBC meeting, said Neang Phat.
The meeting will focus on general security cooperation along the border and will discuss a time frame for both sides'troop redeployment from the newly defined demilitarized zone near Preah Vihear temple to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), he added.
Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflict over territorial dispute near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple.
On July 18, the ICJ ordered Cambodia and Thailand to immediately withdraw their military personnel from the provisional demilitarized zone covering about 17 square kilometers on the disputed border near Preah Vihear temple and to allow ASEAN observers access to the zone to monitor ceasefire.
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 10:36:28
600 families take refuge from flood in Indonesia's Bengkulu
600 families take refuge from flood in Indonesia's Bengkulu
At least 600 families have taken refuge from flood that hit Indonesia's Bengkulu province, according to a press statement issued by the National Agency for Disaster Management on Wednesday.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of Center of Data Information and Public Relation at the National Agency for Disaster Management ( BNPB), said in the statement that the flood occurred at 17:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday in Kepahian regency did not claim any fatality but it inundated hundreds of house.
"It also caused total interruption on road connecting provinces of Bengkulu and South Sumatra," said Nugroho.
He said that continuing heavy rainfall has caused Musi and Semplang rivers overflowing. "Water height is 1.5 meters and residents are evacuated to safer places for now," he said.
Nugroho added that local BNPB has coordinated with police and related institutions for emergency response.
Editor: Chen Zhi
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 07:56:25
JAKARTA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
At least 600 families have taken refuge from flood that hit Indonesia's Bengkulu province, according to a press statement issued by the National Agency for Disaster Management on Wednesday.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of Center of Data Information and Public Relation at the National Agency for Disaster Management ( BNPB), said in the statement that the flood occurred at 17:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday in Kepahian regency did not claim any fatality but it inundated hundreds of house.
"It also caused total interruption on road connecting provinces of Bengkulu and South Sumatra," said Nugroho.
He said that continuing heavy rainfall has caused Musi and Semplang rivers overflowing. "Water height is 1.5 meters and residents are evacuated to safer places for now," he said.
Nugroho added that local BNPB has coordinated with police and related institutions for emergency response.
Editor: Chen Zhi
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 07:56:25
JAKARTA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
Moderate quake hits Timor-Leste
Moderate quake hits Timor-Leste
A moderate earthquake measuring 5. 3 on the Richter scale hit Timor-Leste at 03:45 local time on Wednesday (1845 GMT on Tuesday), Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said.
The tremor was centered at 270 kilometers northeast Dili and at depth of 282 kilometers under seabed, the agency said.
The agency did not release a tsunami warning.
Editor: Chen Zhi
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 07:52:52
JAKARTA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
A moderate earthquake measuring 5. 3 on the Richter scale hit Timor-Leste at 03:45 local time on Wednesday (1845 GMT on Tuesday), Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said.
The tremor was centered at 270 kilometers northeast Dili and at depth of 282 kilometers under seabed, the agency said.
The agency did not release a tsunami warning.
Editor: Chen Zhi
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 07:52:52
JAKARTA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)
David Cameron visits British troops in Afghanistan
Cameron visits British troops in Afghanistan
British Prime Minister David Cameron paid a surprise visit to remaining British troops in Afghanistan on Tuesday, according to a government statement.
Cameron said a main purpose of his trip was to say "a big thank you" to British service personnel and their family and wish them a merry Christmas.
Speaking to reporters in Kandahar, Cameron repeated his commitment that the British troops will be pulled out from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but rejected any early withdrawal plan in 2013.
The trip came as the government said it was creating a cabinet committee with responsibility for the armed forces. Cameron also discussed the role the committee would play in a new cross-government effort to improve the welfare of British troops.
The Prime Minister originally planned to land in Camp Bastion - the main British base in Helmand Province, but was diverted to the NATO base in Kandahar due to a sandstorm.
Cameron met British Tornado pilots at the NATO base. This is his fourth visit to Afghanistan as British Prime Minister.
There are 9,500 British troops currently serving in the Asian country. The withdrawal of the British soldiers is due to start next year, while the NATO mission in the country is scheduled to complete at the end of 2014.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 00:10:19
LONDON, Dec. 20 (Xinhua)
British Prime Minister David Cameron paid a surprise visit to remaining British troops in Afghanistan on Tuesday, according to a government statement.
Cameron said a main purpose of his trip was to say "a big thank you" to British service personnel and their family and wish them a merry Christmas.
Speaking to reporters in Kandahar, Cameron repeated his commitment that the British troops will be pulled out from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but rejected any early withdrawal plan in 2013.
The trip came as the government said it was creating a cabinet committee with responsibility for the armed forces. Cameron also discussed the role the committee would play in a new cross-government effort to improve the welfare of British troops.
The Prime Minister originally planned to land in Camp Bastion - the main British base in Helmand Province, but was diverted to the NATO base in Kandahar due to a sandstorm.
Cameron met British Tornado pilots at the NATO base. This is his fourth visit to Afghanistan as British Prime Minister.
There are 9,500 British troops currently serving in the Asian country. The withdrawal of the British soldiers is due to start next year, while the NATO mission in the country is scheduled to complete at the end of 2014.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-12-21 00:10:19
LONDON, Dec. 20 (Xinhua)
7 Pakistani journalists among 43 killed in 2011
7 Pakistani journalists among 43 killed in 2011
Seven Pakistani journalists were among at least 43 journalists killed worldwide in direct relation to their work this year, an international media group said Tuesday.
"Seven deaths occurred in Pakistan, where 29 journalists have been killed in the past five years," according to the Committee to Protect Journalists' (CPJ) year-end survey of journalists killed in the line of duty.
Political conflict and unrest proved deadly for journalists in 2011, while governments failed to prosecute those who targeted reporters for their work, according to the CPJ in a statement, received here.
"Of the seven journalists killed in Pakistan this year, five were murdered," CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said in a statement.
"Mexico -- increasingly a global leader, which will assume the G20 presidency in 2012 -- holds a similarly atrocious record," Simon said. " Despite many promises, authorities in Pakistan and Mexico have made no progress in solving these crimes, and their failure to do so perpetuates this climate of violence."
The global tally is consistent with the 2010 toll, when 44 journalists died in connection with their work. CPJ is investigating another 35 deaths in 2011 to determine whether they were work-related; 20 of these cases are in Latin America, where the web of crime, official corruption, and weak law enforcement often obscures the motive.
More than 80 percent of those killed were local journalists. Photographers and camera operators suffered steep losses in 2011, constituting about 40 percent of the overall death toll -- approximately double the proportion since CPJ began documentation in 1992. Internet journalists registered eight fatalities this year, including a murder in Mexico which was the first worldwide directly linked to journalism on social media. The number of freelancers killed on the job has also increased steadily over the years, constituting nearly a third of the 2011 poll. Five media support workers were also killed this year.
Libya and Iraq, each with five fatalities, and Mexico, with three deaths, also ranked high worldwide for journalism-related fatalities. Regionally, most deaths occurred in the Middle East, where 18 journalists perished this year, many while covering the uprisings that swept the Arab world.
"The combination of dangerous assignments turned deadly and targeted murders that remain unsolved is a double challenge to free expression," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. " Combatants must recognize the right of journalists to cover conflict, while governments must be held accountable for investigating and prosecuting those who carry out crimes against the press."
Fatalities on dangerous assignments such as street protests reached the highest rate since 1992, CPJ's survey shows, while the proportion of murders has declined over the years, accounting for less than half the deaths in 2011. Nonetheless, assassinations continued in places where governments have failed to prosecute previous crimes. CPJ research shows that about 90 percent of journalist murders go unsolved even though most victims-70 percent in 2011-reported receiving threats prior to their deaths.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-12-20 23:50:54
ISLAMABAD, Dec. 20 (Xinhua)
Seven Pakistani journalists were among at least 43 journalists killed worldwide in direct relation to their work this year, an international media group said Tuesday.
"Seven deaths occurred in Pakistan, where 29 journalists have been killed in the past five years," according to the Committee to Protect Journalists' (CPJ) year-end survey of journalists killed in the line of duty.
Political conflict and unrest proved deadly for journalists in 2011, while governments failed to prosecute those who targeted reporters for their work, according to the CPJ in a statement, received here.
"Of the seven journalists killed in Pakistan this year, five were murdered," CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said in a statement.
"Mexico -- increasingly a global leader, which will assume the G20 presidency in 2012 -- holds a similarly atrocious record," Simon said. " Despite many promises, authorities in Pakistan and Mexico have made no progress in solving these crimes, and their failure to do so perpetuates this climate of violence."
The global tally is consistent with the 2010 toll, when 44 journalists died in connection with their work. CPJ is investigating another 35 deaths in 2011 to determine whether they were work-related; 20 of these cases are in Latin America, where the web of crime, official corruption, and weak law enforcement often obscures the motive.
More than 80 percent of those killed were local journalists. Photographers and camera operators suffered steep losses in 2011, constituting about 40 percent of the overall death toll -- approximately double the proportion since CPJ began documentation in 1992. Internet journalists registered eight fatalities this year, including a murder in Mexico which was the first worldwide directly linked to journalism on social media. The number of freelancers killed on the job has also increased steadily over the years, constituting nearly a third of the 2011 poll. Five media support workers were also killed this year.
Libya and Iraq, each with five fatalities, and Mexico, with three deaths, also ranked high worldwide for journalism-related fatalities. Regionally, most deaths occurred in the Middle East, where 18 journalists perished this year, many while covering the uprisings that swept the Arab world.
"The combination of dangerous assignments turned deadly and targeted murders that remain unsolved is a double challenge to free expression," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. " Combatants must recognize the right of journalists to cover conflict, while governments must be held accountable for investigating and prosecuting those who carry out crimes against the press."
Fatalities on dangerous assignments such as street protests reached the highest rate since 1992, CPJ's survey shows, while the proportion of murders has declined over the years, accounting for less than half the deaths in 2011. Nonetheless, assassinations continued in places where governments have failed to prosecute previous crimes. CPJ research shows that about 90 percent of journalist murders go unsolved even though most victims-70 percent in 2011-reported receiving threats prior to their deaths.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-12-20 23:50:54
ISLAMABAD, Dec. 20 (Xinhua)
Japan picks F-35 stealth jets to replace aging fleet
Japan picks F-35 stealth jets to replace aging fleet
Japanese Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa announced Tuesday that Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II, fifth generation multi-role fighter jet will become the Air Self-Defense Force's (ASDF) mainstay fighter.
Ichikawa said that Japan plans to acquire 42 of the jets to replace its aging fleet of F-4 Phantoms and said that based on a series of stringent evaluations the F-35 trumped potential competition from Boeing's F/A-18 Superhornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
The defense ministry studied the F-35 and two other candidates and gave the F-35 the "highest score based on four criteria -- the aircraft's performance, cost, participation of domestic firms, and logistics support," Ichikawa said.
"Over the future, we want our aircraft to be equipped with qualities that can deal properly with the various changes facing our security environment," the defense minister added.
"The security environment surrounding future fighter jets is transforming. The F-35 has capabilities that can firmly respond to the changes," Ichikawa told reporters on Tuesday after the official announcement was made.
The defense ministry's choice was swayed by the F-35 Lightning' s superior stealth capabilities, which is second only to that of the U.S. F-22 Raptor.
In spite of being smaller than the F-22, the F-35 has a larger radar cross section, although according to reports is still only roughly equal to the size of a metal golf ball rather than the F- 22's signature, which is comparable to that of a metal marble, according to experts.
The plane is also equipped with a data link system that can share information with the latest radar, the defense ministry also noted as being an additional benefit separating the F-35 from its competitors.
The defense ministry said that the initial contract with Lockheed will be for four jets in the fiscal year beginning April 1, with the cost expected to be in the region of 8.9 billion yen ( 114 million U.S. dollars) for each jet.
Critics in the country are concerned about the potential increase of costs as the jet, which is priced about 104 million U. S. dollars per plane, is still under development.
Masaki Fukasawa, director of aircraft division at the defense ministry, said that the total cost of the 42 fighters, including maintenance and operation expenditures, however, could total in excess of 1.6 trillion yen over the next 20 years.
The ministry also added that Japan may look to increase its fleet of fifth generation stealth fighters as its current primary fighter, the F-15, is scheduled to be retired in 2020.
Ichikawa said the decision to select the F-35 was also influenced by the fact that Japanese companies can be involved in the production of the jet on home soil and provide superlative technical and logistical support as Japan's aviation industry is widely regarded as being in a technical league of its own.
For Lockheed Martin's part, senior officials from the U.S. company said that Japan could feasibly become "global suppliers to the F-35 stealth fighter program," noting however that for this to happen the Japanese government would have to rescind its decades- old ban on military exports.
In theory, if the Japanese government decided to ease its ban on exports of military equipment, Japanese contractors could bid for a myriad of lucrative defense contracts in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Japan would also, potentially, be in a position to utilize its domestic manufacturers to tap into foreign markets and make cost- effective purchases of military hardware, including ships, aircraft carriers, jets, helicopters, missiles and next-generation electronic and laser-based weapons, through wholesale purchases and production-affiliated subsidies.
The Pentagon heralded Japan's plans to bolster its air force with the U.S.-made fighter and said that the new affiliation will further aid Japan and the U.S. with joint security-related endeavors in the Asia Pacific region.
"The F-35 Program Office looks forward to strengthening partnerships with Japan, and contributing to enhanced security throughout the Asia Pacific region," the Pentagon said in an official statement, following the decision made earlier Monday by Japan's defense ministry.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-12-20 22:49:06
TOKYO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua)
Japanese Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa announced Tuesday that Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II, fifth generation multi-role fighter jet will become the Air Self-Defense Force's (ASDF) mainstay fighter.
Ichikawa said that Japan plans to acquire 42 of the jets to replace its aging fleet of F-4 Phantoms and said that based on a series of stringent evaluations the F-35 trumped potential competition from Boeing's F/A-18 Superhornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
The defense ministry studied the F-35 and two other candidates and gave the F-35 the "highest score based on four criteria -- the aircraft's performance, cost, participation of domestic firms, and logistics support," Ichikawa said.
"Over the future, we want our aircraft to be equipped with qualities that can deal properly with the various changes facing our security environment," the defense minister added.
"The security environment surrounding future fighter jets is transforming. The F-35 has capabilities that can firmly respond to the changes," Ichikawa told reporters on Tuesday after the official announcement was made.
The defense ministry's choice was swayed by the F-35 Lightning' s superior stealth capabilities, which is second only to that of the U.S. F-22 Raptor.
In spite of being smaller than the F-22, the F-35 has a larger radar cross section, although according to reports is still only roughly equal to the size of a metal golf ball rather than the F- 22's signature, which is comparable to that of a metal marble, according to experts.
The plane is also equipped with a data link system that can share information with the latest radar, the defense ministry also noted as being an additional benefit separating the F-35 from its competitors.
The defense ministry said that the initial contract with Lockheed will be for four jets in the fiscal year beginning April 1, with the cost expected to be in the region of 8.9 billion yen ( 114 million U.S. dollars) for each jet.
Critics in the country are concerned about the potential increase of costs as the jet, which is priced about 104 million U. S. dollars per plane, is still under development.
Masaki Fukasawa, director of aircraft division at the defense ministry, said that the total cost of the 42 fighters, including maintenance and operation expenditures, however, could total in excess of 1.6 trillion yen over the next 20 years.
The ministry also added that Japan may look to increase its fleet of fifth generation stealth fighters as its current primary fighter, the F-15, is scheduled to be retired in 2020.
Ichikawa said the decision to select the F-35 was also influenced by the fact that Japanese companies can be involved in the production of the jet on home soil and provide superlative technical and logistical support as Japan's aviation industry is widely regarded as being in a technical league of its own.
For Lockheed Martin's part, senior officials from the U.S. company said that Japan could feasibly become "global suppliers to the F-35 stealth fighter program," noting however that for this to happen the Japanese government would have to rescind its decades- old ban on military exports.
In theory, if the Japanese government decided to ease its ban on exports of military equipment, Japanese contractors could bid for a myriad of lucrative defense contracts in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Japan would also, potentially, be in a position to utilize its domestic manufacturers to tap into foreign markets and make cost- effective purchases of military hardware, including ships, aircraft carriers, jets, helicopters, missiles and next-generation electronic and laser-based weapons, through wholesale purchases and production-affiliated subsidies.
The Pentagon heralded Japan's plans to bolster its air force with the U.S.-made fighter and said that the new affiliation will further aid Japan and the U.S. with joint security-related endeavors in the Asia Pacific region.
"The F-35 Program Office looks forward to strengthening partnerships with Japan, and contributing to enhanced security throughout the Asia Pacific region," the Pentagon said in an official statement, following the decision made earlier Monday by Japan's defense ministry.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-12-20 22:49:06
TOKYO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua)
Thai PM meets Myanmar opposition leader in Yangon
Thai PM meets Myanmar opposition leader in Yangon
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra met with Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), at the Thai Embassy here Tuesday evening, the Thai embassy sources confirmed.
The state-run Myanmar Radio and Television also reported the pair's meeting in a night broadcast.
Coming over from Nay Pyi Taw as part of her official trip to Myanmar following the end of the 4th Summit of the six-country Greater Mekong Subregion-Economic Cooperation (GMS), Yingluck is the first prime minister of Thailand meeting with Suu Kyi.
The sources did not disclose the details about their meeting.
During her brief visit in Yangon, she paid homage to Myanmar's sacred Shwedagon Pagoda before departure for home.
Yingluck arrived Nay Pyi Taw Monday on an official visit to Myanmar and attended the six-country 4th GMS summit held in the capital earlier on Tuesday, during the sideline of which Myanmar President U Thein Sein had a bilateral meeting with Yingluck and matters relating to energy cooperation, construction of Myawaddy- Kawkareik motor road and Dawei deep-sea port were discussed according to the radio report.
She was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na- Ranong, five ministers , six deputy ministers and 37 delegates.
Yingluck once paid a short visit to Myanmar on Oct. 5.
Thailand represented the second in Myanmar's foreign investment line-up with 9.568 billion dollars in 61 projects.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-12-20 22:45:33
YANGON, Dec. 20 (Xinhua)
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra met with Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), at the Thai Embassy here Tuesday evening, the Thai embassy sources confirmed.
The state-run Myanmar Radio and Television also reported the pair's meeting in a night broadcast.
Coming over from Nay Pyi Taw as part of her official trip to Myanmar following the end of the 4th Summit of the six-country Greater Mekong Subregion-Economic Cooperation (GMS), Yingluck is the first prime minister of Thailand meeting with Suu Kyi.
The sources did not disclose the details about their meeting.
During her brief visit in Yangon, she paid homage to Myanmar's sacred Shwedagon Pagoda before departure for home.
Yingluck arrived Nay Pyi Taw Monday on an official visit to Myanmar and attended the six-country 4th GMS summit held in the capital earlier on Tuesday, during the sideline of which Myanmar President U Thein Sein had a bilateral meeting with Yingluck and matters relating to energy cooperation, construction of Myawaddy- Kawkareik motor road and Dawei deep-sea port were discussed according to the radio report.
She was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na- Ranong, five ministers , six deputy ministers and 37 delegates.
Yingluck once paid a short visit to Myanmar on Oct. 5.
Thailand represented the second in Myanmar's foreign investment line-up with 9.568 billion dollars in 61 projects.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-12-20 22:45:33
YANGON, Dec. 20 (Xinhua)
Afghanistan soldiers killing Australians linked to insurgency: Defense Force
Afghanistan soldiers killing Australians linked to insurgency: Defense Force
Australian troop commander in Afghanistan on Tuesday said Afghan soldiers who killed four Australian troops in separate attacks have been all linked to the insurgency.
Australia commanding officer of the Mentoring Task Force (MTF-3) in Uruzgan Province Lieutenant Colonel Chris Smith, said there was no connection between the three attacks, in which 10 other Australian soldiers were wounded.
"We don't fully understand the motives of all of those individuals but we have some hints," he was quoted by ABC News on Tuesday.
"It would appear that all three are unrelated and it would appear that they are insurgent related ... either directly or indirectly."
Smith reported that one of the individuals was found to have Taliban propaganda.
"We believe that plus some other indicators would suggest that he has come to dislike foreign intervention in Afghanistan. But we are not sure of what the reason is," he said.
He said insurgents helped another make his getaway, and the most important aspects they have learned from this incident was focusing intelligence resources on the Afghan National Army (ANA) to try and identify, through some indicators, individuals who might be likely to do something like this.
Earlier on May 30, an Afghan soldier shot dead Lance Corporal Andrew Jones, an army cook. He fled but was tracked to his home district and killed by US troops when he resisted arrest.
After the incident, on October 29, three Australian troops, Corporal Ashley Birt, 22, Lance Corporal Luke Gavin, 27, and Captain Bryce Duffy, 26, were killed and wounding seven others by an Afghan soldier who opened fire on a group of Australian soldiers at a patrol base in northern Kandahar province. He was immediately shot dead.
In the latest incident on November 8, an Afghan soldier shot and wounded three Australians troops and remained unfound. Defence force was therefore conducting investigations of these attacks.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-12-20 21:12:14
CANBERRA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua)
Australian troop commander in Afghanistan on Tuesday said Afghan soldiers who killed four Australian troops in separate attacks have been all linked to the insurgency.
Australia commanding officer of the Mentoring Task Force (MTF-3) in Uruzgan Province Lieutenant Colonel Chris Smith, said there was no connection between the three attacks, in which 10 other Australian soldiers were wounded.
"We don't fully understand the motives of all of those individuals but we have some hints," he was quoted by ABC News on Tuesday.
"It would appear that all three are unrelated and it would appear that they are insurgent related ... either directly or indirectly."
Smith reported that one of the individuals was found to have Taliban propaganda.
"We believe that plus some other indicators would suggest that he has come to dislike foreign intervention in Afghanistan. But we are not sure of what the reason is," he said.
He said insurgents helped another make his getaway, and the most important aspects they have learned from this incident was focusing intelligence resources on the Afghan National Army (ANA) to try and identify, through some indicators, individuals who might be likely to do something like this.
Earlier on May 30, an Afghan soldier shot dead Lance Corporal Andrew Jones, an army cook. He fled but was tracked to his home district and killed by US troops when he resisted arrest.
After the incident, on October 29, three Australian troops, Corporal Ashley Birt, 22, Lance Corporal Luke Gavin, 27, and Captain Bryce Duffy, 26, were killed and wounding seven others by an Afghan soldier who opened fire on a group of Australian soldiers at a patrol base in northern Kandahar province. He was immediately shot dead.
In the latest incident on November 8, an Afghan soldier shot and wounded three Australians troops and remained unfound. Defence force was therefore conducting investigations of these attacks.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-12-20 21:12:14
CANBERRA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua)
Full Text: Country Report on China's Participation in Greater Mekong Subregion Cooperation
Full Text: Country Report on China's Participation in Greater Mekong Subregion Cooperation
China's National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Science and Technology on Friday released a document on the country's participation in Greater Mekong Subregion Cooperation.
Following is the full text:
Country Report on China' s Participation in Greater Mekong Subregion Cooperation
I. Executive Summary
The Mekong River, which originates from the Tanggula Mountain Range on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China and runs 4880 kilometers southward through six countries, namely, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, is an important transnational river in Asia and even the world. The section in China is called the Lancang River. Since the 1990s, the international cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong subregion has received wide attention from the international community. Related countries and international organizations have carried out extensive cooperation, which has produced good results and forcefully facilitated economic and social development of the subregion.
In 1992, the Asian Development Bank (hereafter referred to as the "ADB" ) held the first ministerial meeting of the six countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)in Manila, the Philippines, where the ABD is based, marking the official launch of the GMS economic cooperation mechanism. At present, GMS cooperation covers China (Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, with a total area of 2,568,600 square kilometers and a combined population of about 326 million. Rich in water, biological and mineral resources, the Greater Mekong Subregion has enormous economic potential and development prospects. The countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion all enjoy time-honored histories, beautiful landscapes and colorful ethnic cultures. Over the long years, however, they had suffered backwardness in economic and social development due to a variety of factors. Since the beginning of the new century, GMS countries have been working for economic reforms, industrial restructuring and greater openness to the outside world. Accelerated economic and social development has become their shared objective.
In November 2002, the first GMS summit was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The meeting adopted the Strategic Framework for the Next Ten Years of the GMS Program (2002-2012) and determined that the GMS summit should be held once every three years with the member countries taking turns to host the meeting. GMS cooperation was thus upgraded to the summit level and entered a new stage of comprehensive and rapid development. In July 2005, the second GMS summit was held in Kunming, China. The meeting identified the guiding principles for GMS cooperation, namely "Mutual respect, consultation on an equal footing, emphasis on practical results and gradual progress". It adopted and signed a number of cooperation initiatives and documents concerning transport and trade facilitation, protection of biodiversity and construction of information highways. GMS cooperation was thus taken to a new high. In March 2008, the third GMS summit was held in Vientiane, the Lao PDR. The meeting adopted the Vientiane Plan of Action for GMS Development 2008-2012, and signed a number of cooperation documents concerning the road map for power trade and the balanced and sustainable development of the economic corridors, bringing the cooperation to greater width and depth.
In the course of promoting GMS cooperation, the triennial GMS summit has played a crucial role in setting the targets, providing the direction, and introducing major measures for cooperation.
In nearly 20 years, thanks to the joint efforts of the ADB and all GMS members, the GMS cooperation has moved forward steadily, borne rich fruits, and played an active role in eliminating poverty and promoting the economic and social development of GMS countries. The project-oriented GMS cooperation has identified nine priority areas, namely transportation, energy, telecommunications, the environment, agriculture, human resources development, tourism, trade facilitation and investment, and actively provided financial support and technical assistance to the member countries. By the end of 2010, GMS loans (grants) had financed 55 projects with a total investment of 13.8 billion dollars, of which 5 billion dollars was ADB loans, 4.3 billion dollars was the investment by GMS countries to match the loans, and 4.5 billion dollars was raised through co-financing. Altogether 172 technical assistance projects had received a total investment of 230 million dollars, of which 100 million dollars was ADB loans, 20 million dollars was the investment by GMS countries and 110 million dollars was raised through co-financing.
In December 2012, the fourth GMS summit will be held in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. An important agenda of the meeting is to discuss and formulate the strategic framework for GMS cooperation in the next 10 years. China stands ready to work with the other GMS countries to ensure the implementation of the various cooperation initiatives so as to take the GMS cooperation in all fields to greater width and depth, and contribute to the common development and prosperity of GMS countries.
II. Economic and Trade Relations Between China and the Other GMS Countries
Since the third GMS summit in 2008 and especially since the establishment of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, bilateral trade between China and the other GMS countries has demonstrated a momentum of greater development with a further improved trade structure and fast increase in bilateral investment. China has also participated, in the form of joint ventures or wholly Chinese-invested enterprises, in the development and construction of economic and trade cooperation zones in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, and has thus boosted local economic development.
1. Bilateral Trade and Investment with Cambodia
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Cambodia reached 1.44 billion dollars, up by 27.4 percent over 2008. China's export to and import from Cambodia were 1.35 billion dollars and 90 million dollars respectively, up by 23.9 percent and 125.0 percent over 2008. In terms of commodity categories, China's main exports to Cambodia were textiles, electromechanical products, hi-tech products, garments, steel and agricultural products and its main imports from the country included natural rubber, garments, sawn timber, log and agricultural products. By the end of 2010, Cambodia had accumulatively invested 120 million dollars in China, while China accumulatively had made direct investment of 1.13 billion dollars in Cambodia.
Besides, the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone in Cambodia, a joint venture of Chinese and Cambodian companies, covers a planned area of 11.08 square kilometers and houses such industries as light industry, textiles, garments, machinery, electronics and hi-tech industries. The first phase of the zone, with a planned area of one square kilometer, was completed by the end of 2008; the second phase has a planned area of 5.28 square kilometers. By August 2011, 15 enterprises had set up operations in the zone, investing 32.70 million dollars and hiring 3,535 people.
2. Bilateral Trade and Investment with the Lao PDR
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Laos reached 1.05 billion dollars, up by 150.0 percent over 2008. China's export to and import from Laos were 480 million dollars and 570 million dollars respectively, up by 77.8 percent and 280.0 percent over 2008. In terms of commodity categories, China' s main exports to Laos were electromechanical products, textiles, garments, hi-tech products, automobiles and motorcycles, and its main imports from the country were copper ore, rolled copper, farm produce, sawn timber and natural rubber. By the end of 2010, Laos had accumulatively invested 37.61 million dollars in China, and China's direct investment in Laos had accumulatively reached 850 million dollars.
3. Bilateral Trade and Investment with Myanmar
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Myanmar reached 4.44 billion dollars, up by 68.8 percent over 2008. China's export to and import from Myanmar were 3.48 billion dollars and 9.6 million dollars respectively, up by 75.8 percent and 47.7 percent over 2008. In terms of commodity categories, China' s main exports to Myanmar were textiles, hi-tech products, rolled steel, motorcycles and automobiles, and its main imports from the country included agricultural products and log. By the end of 2010, Myanmar had accumulatively invested 89.72 million dollars in China, and China's direct investment in Myanmar had amounted to 1.95 billion dollars.
4. Bilateral Trade and Investment with Thailand
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Thailand reached 52.95 billion dollars, up by 28.4 percent over 2008. China's export to and import from Thailand were 19.75 billion dollars and 33.20 billion dollars respectively, up by 26.5 percent and 29.5 percent over 2008. In terms of commodity categories, China' s main exports to Thailand were electromechanical products, hi-tech products, textiles and farm produce and its main imports from Thailand included electromechanical products, hi-tech products, natural rubber and farm produce. By the end of 2010, Thailand had accumulatively invested 3.29 billion dollars in China, and China's direct investment in Thailand had amounted to 1.08 billion dollars.
The Rayong Industrial Park jointly invested by Chinese and Thai companies covers a planned area of 3.5 square kilometers, including a general industrial zone, a bonded zone, a logistics zone and a commercial and residential zone. Major industries include automotive components, machinery and home appliances. By August 2011, 34 enterprises had landed in the park, with a total investment of 315 million dollars and 1,991 local employees.
5. Bilateral Trade and Investment with Vietnam
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Vietnam reached 30.09 billion dollars, up by 54.6 percent over 2008. China's export to and import from Vietnam were 23.11 billion dollars and 6.98 billion dollars respectively, up by 52.8 percent and 60.8 percent over 2008. In terms of commodity categories, China's main exports to Vietnam were electromechanical products, textiles, hi-tech products, rolled steel and agricultural products, and its main imports from Vietnam included electromechanical products, coal, hi-tech products, agricultural products, textiles, crude oil and natural rubber. By the end of 2010, Vietnam had accumulatively invested 120 million dollars in China, and China's direct investment in Vietnam had amounted to 990 million dollars.
The Longjiang Industrial Park in Vietnam developed by Chinese enterprises covers a planned area of 6 square kilometers, and consists of an industrial area of 5.4 square kilometers and a residential and service area of 0.6 square kilometers. Its main industries include textiles, light industry, machinery, electronics, building materials and chemical industry. By the end of August 2011, 11 enterprises had landed in the park, with a total investment of 68.6 million dollars and 529 local employees.
III. New Progresses in Chinese Participation in GMS Cooperation
Since the third GMS summit in 2008, the Chinese government has continued to provide financial support to GMS cooperation as its capability permits. It has taken an active part in GMS cooperation in transportation, electricity, telecommunications, environmental protection, agriculture, human resources development, health, tourism, trade facilitation and investment and drug control and achieved fruitful results.
1. Transportation
The western line (the Kunming-Laos-Bangkok Road) of the North-South Economic Corridor was officially put in operation in 2008. The construction of the Chiang Khong-Houayxay Mekong Bridge on the road connecting Laos and Thailand, the third bridge spanning over the Mekong River, will be built with the cost equally shared by the Chinese and Thai governments. The construction started in February 2010, and is expected to be completed for operation in September 2012. Of the central line of the North-South Economic Corridor (Kunming-Hanoi-Haiphong), the 407-kilometer-long section within the Chinese borders has been upgraded into an expressway, and the Vietnamese section is currently being renovated. The border bridge across the Red River, jointly financed by the governments of China and Vietnam, was completed on 1 September 2009. The eastern line of the North-South Economic Corridor (Kunming-Nanning-Hanoi) is 1,208 kilometers in length. The Chinese section of the road has basically been upgraded into an expressway. The Vietnamese section, currently of Grade II, has been scheduled to be renovated into an expressway, and the preparatory work is already underway. The Northern Corridor (Kunming-Dali-Ruili-Myanmar) is about 820 kilometers. Since September 2010, China and Myanmar have organized a joint working team for this project and started drawing a master plan.
Through close cooperation with the other GMS countries, China acceded to The Agreement on Cross-Border Transportation of People and Goods in the GMS (CBTA for short), and completed the negotiation for and the signing of all the 17 annexes and 3 protocols of the CBTA. China and Vietnam have signed the Memorandum of Understanding Between China and Vietnam on Implementing CBTA at the Hekou-Lao Cai Border and the Memorandum of Understanding Between China and Vietnam on Including the Friendship Pass/ Huu Nghi (Vietnam) Entry-Exit Stations and the Kunming-Baise-Nanning-Friendship Pass/Huu Nghi-Lang Son-Hanoi Passage in CBTA Protocols. China and Laos have signed the Memorandum of Understanding Between China and Laos on Implementing CBTA at Mohan/Boten, and opened 13 international transportation routes between the two countries. China has reached consensus with Laos and Thailand on their transportation rights and interests on the Kunming-Bangkok road. At present, the three countries are going through their domestic legal procedures in order to realize transportation facilitation of the Kunming-Bangkok road at an early date. As for the transportation agreement between China and Myanmar, the two sides decided to hold further talks this year in China in an effort to reach consensus and sign the agreement at an early date, so as to provide institutional guarantee and convenience to the trans-border transportation between the two countries.
China has taken an active part in the cooperation on the Pan-Asia Railway. The sections of the proposed eastern, central and western lines of the Pan-Asia Railway inside China have all been incorporated into the Mid- and Long-term Plan for Railway Networks of China, and their construction is well underway. On the eastern line, the construction of the Yuxi-Mengzi Railway started in 2005 and is expected to be completed in 2012, and that of the Mengzi-Hekou Railway started in 2009, and is scheduled to be finished in 2013. On the central line, the capacity expansion project of the Kunming-Yuxi Railway kicked off in 2010, and is estimated to be completed in 2014. Feasibility study on the Yuxi-Mohan Railway is currently underway. On the western line, the capacity expansion project of the Kunming-Guangtong Railway was launched in 2007, and is scheduled to be completed in 2013. Pre-construction preparation for the expansion of the Guangtong-Dali Railway is in full swing, and the construction of the Dali-Ruili Railway started in 2008. While energetically building the various sections of the Pan-Asia Railway within its borders, China has committed itself to supporting the construction of the eastern, central and western lines of the railway in other countries. China has all along taken an active part in GMS conferences on railway cooperation to explore the plan for the Pan-Asia Railway, and urge GMS countries to speed up the construction of the missing sections of the railway so as to realize railway connectivity among GMS countries at an early date. Responding to the wishes of the other GMS countries, China has provided various forms of assistance to the construction of the railway in other countries. At its own expense, China completed the feasibility study on the missing section between Bat Deung and Snuol in Cambodia in 2010 and on the missing section between Vientiane and Mohan in Laos and the missing section between Muse and Lashio in Myanmar in 2011.
2. Power
China had been dedicated to its cooperation with the other GMS countries in the field of electric power. Firstly, China has actively engaged in the various undertakings of the GMS Power Trade Coordination Committee to promote power cooperation among GMS countries. The first edition of the GMS General Plan for Power Development, which China has been advocating, was drawn up in 2008, and then revised in 2010. In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding on the Road Map for Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregional Cross-border Power Trading signed by the governments of the six countries at the third GMS summit, China actively coordinated with the ADB in conducting the research on "Promotion of the Greater Mekong Subregional Power Trading and the Environmental Sustainable Development of GMS Power Infrastructure". China also provided active coordination to the ADB in making preparations for the Regional Coordination Center (RCC) for GMS Power Trading. Secondly, China has actively pursued power grid connectivity and power trading with neighboring countries and regions. In September 2004, via a 110kv power line from Hekou, Yunnan Province to Lao Cai in Vietnam, China officially began to export electricity to Vietnam. Today, China Southern Power Grid is transmitting electricity to the eight provinces in northern Vietnam via three 220kv power lines and four 110kv power lines. The grid delivered 5.53 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2010, up 24.9 percent over the previous year. By the end of August 2011, China had accumulatively supplied 20.9 billion kilowatt-hours of power to Vietnam. To solve the increasingly serious power shortage in northern Laos, China and Laos launched a cooperation project, under which China Southern Power Grid shall supply power to Laos through 115kv power lines. The project was put into operation in December 2009, and China Southern Power Grid has thence been supplying power to the four provinces in northern Laos. By the end of August 2011, China had accumulatively supplied 136 million kilowatt-hours of electricity to the north of Laos. In October 2008, the six 100MW generation units of Shweli River Hydropower Station, currently the largest BOT hydropower project in Myanmar, were officially connected to China Southern Power Grid and began to supply power to China. In 2010, China Southern Power Grid bought a total of 1.72 billion kilowatt-hours of power from the Shweli River and the Dapein hydropower stations in Myanmar. By the end of August 2011, China had imported a total of 4.868 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from Myanmar. In GMS power trade, China is no longer a pure electricity exporter. It has gradually become both a power exporter and a power importer. Through active promotion of optimal allocation of GMS power resources, it has effectively eased power shortage in some GMS countries and served the development of the power industry as well as economic and social progress in these countries. Thirdly, China has actively engaged in GMS cooperation in the development of power projects. As to grid projects, in June 2010, China Southern Power Grid and the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Laos signed the Memorandum of Understanding on China Southern Power Grid Company Limited' s Investing in the National Power Grid of Laos. Now, the Chinese side has completed the compilation of the needed research reports for the project, including the feasibility study report, the concession pattern research report, and the project development agreement, and has officially submitted these documents to the relevant departments of the Laotian government. Upon approval of the Laotian government, China will start the development and construction of the project as soon as possible. In terms of the development of power source, a number of Chinese power companies, including China Power Investment Corporation, China Huaneng Group, China Datang Corporation, China Huadian Corporation, China Guodian Corporation, and Chongqing Three Gorges Water Conservancy and Electric Power Company, have developed some power generation projects in the other GMS countries, including the Mong Ton Project and the staged hydropower stations on the upper Irrawaddy River in Myanmar.
3. Information and Communications
The GMS Information Highway (GMS IS) Phase I project was successfully completed in March 2008, and its completion ceremony was held during the third GMS summit. Afterwards, China attended three meetings of the implementation group and the guidance group for GMS IS held in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia, and fully exchanged views with the other GMS members on such topics as the operation and maintenance of the GMS IS, the charges for the use of cross-border sections, the construction of the second phase, and application services, thus laying a foundation for greater efficiency and operational coordination of the GMS IS.
In September 2010, China hosted a meeting of GMS senior officials in charge of information and communications in Shanghai. In June 2011, China hosted the first GMS information and communications ministerial meeting in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. The meeting reached consensus on the text of the new memorandum of understanding on GMS IS and adopted the GMS Strategy for Information and Communications Development and the GMS Joint Ministerial Statement on Information and Communications. During the meeting, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China and the Department of Post and Telecommunication of Laos signed a memorandum of understanding on continuing with demonstration projects of applicable communications technology for rural areas.
4. Agriculture
China has played an active role in advancing GMS cooperation on food security, cross-border prevention and control of animal and plant epidemics and diseases, rural renewable energy, application of agricultural information, and exchange of agricultural technologies. Since 2008, under the China-initiated framework of "the Action Plan for Improving Comprehensive Grain Productivity", China has cooperated with the other GMS countries in developing demonstration fields for high-quality and high-yield crops, and provided training in practical agricultural technologies to local farmers. In the past 3 years, with a total investment of over 9.5 million RMB yuan, China has held 27 training sessions on various agricultural technologies for over 220 technicians. China has continued to implement the separate cooperation projects for cross-border prevention and control of animal and plant epidemics and diseases with Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos, thus strengthening GMS coordination in this regard. China invited the other GMS countries to participate in the China-ASEAN Week for Rural Renewable Energy Technology and Equipment Exhibition. It has further intensified exchanges with the other GMS countries and improved the hardware and software of the GMS Agriculture Information Network Service and enhanced its role as a platform for agricultural information exchange. China has held training courses on such topics as rural biomass energy, sustainable agricultural development, and high-yield crop-cultivating technologies. Besides, China has encouraged the relevant Chinese provinces and autonomous regions to deepen their agricultural exchange and cooperation with the other GMS countries.
5. Environment
Environmental cooperation is an important component of GMS cooperation, and China highly values its environmental exchange and cooperation with the other GMS countries. First, it has actively participated in and promoted the first phase of the Core Environmental Program "GMS Biodiversity Corridor Initiative (CEP-BCI) (2006-2011)". The initiative mainly aims to establish corridors for biodiversity protection in selected pilot regions and restore or preserve the connections between the existing national parks and the wildlife preserves. China has actively pushed the institutionalization of this project and the related cooperation, and designated Xishuangbanna and the Shangri-la-Deqin region in Yunnan Province as well as Jingxi in Guangxi Autonomous Region as key areas for the project. In April 2011, China successfully held the "Exhibition of GMS CEP-BCI Phase I Achievements in China" in Yunnan Province, which expanded the positive influence of the Chinese participation in the GMS environmental cooperation and the CEP-BCI effort. Second, China has taken an active part in the consideration and formulation of the framework and action plan for the second phase of CEP-BCI (2012-2016).Thanks to their joint efforts, GMS members and the ADB have basically reached consensus on the framework and action plan.
6. Health
Between 2008 and 2010, China continued to implement the pilot projects of cooperative AIDS and malaria prevention and control in the China-Myanmar, China-Laos, and China-Vietnam border regions, and steadily enriched and expanded the coverage of the projects. Between September 2007 and September 2009, the project of cooperative tuberculosis prevention and control in the China-Vietnam border region was successfully carried out. In 2010, China began to implement the project of cooperative prevention and control of dengue fever in the China-Myanmar, China-Laos, and China-Vietnam border regions. The above-mentioned health cooperation projects raised public awareness of the said communicable diseases, led to the establishment of the cooperation mechanisms among the related countries for the prevention and control of infectious diseases, epidemic information sharing, and personnel training, enhanced the links among the health departments of different countries, improved the capabilities of the health staff in the border regions, and lessened the pressure brought by the cross-border transmission of epidemics.
In the past three years, China has held a number of training sessions for the other five GMS countries. Trainees include officials and experts whose duty or expertise was related to the prevention and control of malaria, the monitoring of human infection of highly pathogenic bird flu and Type A H1N1 flu, and professional project management for cross-border health cooperation. In February 2009, China hosted the second GMS public health forum in Guangxi, where the discussion centered on food and drug safety and cross-border prevention and control of infectious diseases.
7. Tourism
In recent years, China has actively implemented the GMS Tourism Sector Strategy, and made dedicated efforts to develop and promote the subregion as an integrated tourism destination, with a focus on tourism training sessions, tourism planning and research, infrastructure enhancement, and GMS tourism projects. Such efforts have enjoyed remarkable progress.
China has further promoted border tourism and tourism facilitation measures. For instance, it conducted the trial of allowing tourists to apply at another place for a permit for the border tour in Chongzuo (Pingxiang) of Guangxi, and continuously standardized the issuance and administration of permits for border entry and exit. In 2008, the four-day tourist route between Tengchong, Yunnan and Myitkyina, Myanmar and the four-day tourist route between Jingxi, Guangxi and Cao Bang, Vietnam were introduced. China has held many rounds of talks with Vietnam about the cooperative development of the Detian Fall, and made some initial progress. China has tightened regulation over the market of overseas travel services, and urged relevant travel agencies to run their business according to regulations and provide sincere and honest services. China has also launched a campaign of sincere and honest tourist services in cooperation with the tourism departments of other GMS countries including Thailand.
8. Human Resources Development
The Chinese government attaches great importance to the cooperation on human resources development under the GMS framework. Responding to the needs of the other member countries, China has conducted cooperation and periodic exchanges with them by holding high-level seminars and training sessions for officials, and through other friendly interactions. Since 2008, China has organized three high-level seminars on human resources and social security to share experience and practices in improving the social security system and boosting human resources development and creating more jobs in the course of economic restructuring. In 2008 and 2009, through the China-ASEAN Women Training Center in Nanning, Guangxi, China trained more than 40 senior female leaders respectively for Laos and Myanmar. China provided 2.7 million RMB yuan worth of materials to women' s agencies and organizations in the other GMS countries for disaster relief and women' s development, and established the China-Laos and China-Thai women training centers in Laos and Thailand to provide training on applicable technologies to local women. From 2008 to 2010, China hosted an annual training program for young officials from the other GMS countries. To date, China has trained 418 young officials from Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand. China has worked with Thailand to organize three versions of the "Lancang/Mekong Youth Friendship Exchange" program, involving 199 young participants. China has enhanced cooperation and exchanges with the immigration administration agencies of the other GMS countries. It has followed to the mechanism of holding regular meetings and event-based discussions with border inspection agencies of Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, and held consultations with them on relevant issues, including the facilitation of inspection procedures, expedited customs clearance, and joint crackdown on illegal and criminal activities. China and these neighboring countries have taken proactive and effective measures to reinforce the inspection of and administration over people and means of transportation entering and exiting the border and carry out joint operations against illegal and criminal activities. Meanwhile, China has actively participated in the "Phnom Penh Plan for Development Management" , and provided financial support.
9. Trade and Investment
China has actively participated in and forcefully promoted the development of the GMS economic corridors, worked hard to raise the trade facilitation level in this subregion, and encouraged the active participation of the business community. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao put forward the proposal on a "GMS Economic Corridor Forum" at the third GMS summit in March 2008, which has won the support of all the parties. In the same year, China successfully hosted the first round of the forum in Yunnan, which issued a joint ministerial statement entitled the Kunming Consensus and adopted such outcome documents as the Scope of the Functions of the GMS Economic Corridor Forum and the Strategic Plan of Action for the North-South Economic Corridor. The forum has provided an institutional guarantee to the gradual expansion of the focus of such cooperation from transportation to trade and investment to achieve real economic corridor. At the same time, it has tried to meet the needs of local governments and enterprises to take part in GMS cooperation. In June 2009, China held the GMS Economic Corridor Week in Yunnan for the purpose of promoting the logistics in the economic corridor and increasing subregional trade flow. In June 2010, China held the GMS Investment and Project Promotion Conference in Yunnan and organized interactions between Chinese enterprises and enterprises of the other GMS countries for project cooperation.
In addition, the Chinese government has earnestly implemented the Action Framework for the GMS Strategy of Facilitation of Trade and Investment. It has set up port information platforms and taken six facilitation measures including 24-hour customs clearance appointment services at all ports to increase customs clearance efficiency. It has improved the visa policy, simplified the visa procedures, and set up visa offices at the border ports in Yunnan and Guangxi, so as to provide facilitation to businessmen from the other GMS countries. In order to implement the CBTA at the designated China-Vietnam, China-Laos, and China-Laos-Thailand border ports, the General Administration of Customs of China has actively participated in the negotiations on transit customs supervision and law enforcement, thus laying a legal foundation for transportation and trade facilitation at these ports.
10. Drug Prohibition and Crop Substitution
Over the years, under the GMS Narcotic Drug Control Mechanism (MOU) and bilateral memorandums of understanding and agreements on narcotic drug control, China has engaged in multilateral and bilateral drug prohibition cooperation with the other GMS countries. Through mutual visits, annual meetings on bilateral cooperation on drug prohibition, joint law enforcement, provision of training for drug control personnel (accumulatively holding 24 sessions and training 740 persons from Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia) and assistance in kind, China has intensified cooperation with the other GMS countries in drug prohibition and made positive contribution to improving the drug abuse situation, maintaining social stability, and improving people' s lives in GMS countries.
In recent years, China has vigorously pursued the strategy of "Eliminating Drug Sources from Outside the Borders" , and by allowing the import of the products of crop substitution and providing special funding, encouraged and supported domestic enterprises to undertake poppy crop substitution and develop substitute industries in Myanmar and Laos. By 2010, more than 180 Chinese enterprises had engaged in poppy crop substitution in Myanmar and Laos, with an accumulative farming area of 210,000 hectares (120,000 hectares in Myanmar and 90,000 hectares in Laos) and involving 47 substitute crops, including rubber, sugar cane, rice, corn, and fruits. The crop substitution projects have created jobs for local residents, encouraged a lot of opium farmers to abandon poppy planting, and effectively elevated the living standards of local people. Chinese enterprises engaging in crop substitution have also built roads, bridges and canals in northern Myanmar and Laos, and thus contributed to the improvement of local infrastructure.
11. Science and Technology
The Chinese government has attached much importance to science and technology exchanges and cooperation under the GMS framework. For many years, in line with the multilateral and bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding between GMS countries on science and technology cooperation, and in light of the needs of various GMS countries, China has further advanced and enhanced bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the other GMS countries in this field, by jointly conducting science and technology exchange projects, holding training programs, hosting academic seminars, and donating research equipment. Since 2008, under bilateral cooperation frameworks, the Chinese science and technology authority has cooperated with its Thai and Vietnamese counterparts to support and implement 37 short-term exchange projects and 36 long-term cooperative research programs. From 2008 to 2010, China held annual science and technology training programs for the other GMS countries. A total of 368 trainees participated in 81 courses on such subjects as agriculture, resources and the environment, information technology, biomedicine, engineering and machinery manufacturing. Besides, China' s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has provided annual training for the science and technology administrative officials of its Vietnamese counterpart. Between 2008 and 2011, a total of 113 science and technology officials from the local and central governments of Vietnam received such training. In the past three years, the MOST has held three annual science and technology seminars of GMS countries to exchange experience in technology transfer and the formulation of science and technology polices and strategies. In 2009, China donated 500,000 RMB yuan worth of research equipment to Myanmar to support local scientific and technological development.
IV. Participation of China's Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in GMS Cooperation
Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi for short), located in the southwest frontier of China and bordering on Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, are important gateways to Southeast Asia and South Asia, and are at the front line of China' s participation in GMS cooperation. They cover an area of 637,070 square kilometers and have a combined population of 97.55 million. In 2010, Yunnan and Guangxi together realized a GDP of 1.67225 trillion RMB yuan, of which Yunnan accounted for 722.01 billion RMB yuan, up by 26.8% over 2008, and Guangxi 950.24 billion RMB yuan, up by 35.3% over 2008. In the same year, the two provinces registered a total export and import volume of 31.08 US billion dollars, up by 36.1% over 2008, of which 8.83 billion dollars were with the other GMS countries, up by 60% over 2008.
Yunnan Province has 15 ethnic minority groups who live across the border between Yunnan and the neighboring countries, and Guangxi is the autonomous region with the largest ethnic minority population in China. The two provinces enjoy ethnic harmony, amicable ties with the neighboring countries and close trade, economic and cultural ties with the other GMS countries. The other GMS countries are the key markets for Yunnan enterprises to explore and take part in international cooperation in sectors where they have competitive advantages, including hydropower, minerals, agriculture and tourism. They are also important partners for Guangxi in a series of key cooperation projects in such sectors as transportation, energy, tourism, and agriculture. The cooperation and exchanges between the two provinces and the other GMS countries in the fields of environmental protection, health, human resources development, and culture and arts have been dynamic. With a view of realizing common prosperity and affluence with its neighbors, China has always placed emphasis on the development and opening-up of its frontier regions. The 12th Five-Year Plan states clearly that Guangxi will be turned into a higher platform for China' s cooperation with ASEAN, Yunnan will serve as a gateway for China' s effort to open up toward the southwestern , and central Yunnan and the Beibu Bay Region of Guangxi have been listed as economic regions for priority development. These major policy measures will inject fresh vigor and vitality into the Greater Mekong Subregion, the two provinces included, and at the same time help deepen the two provinces' participation in GMS cooperation.
Thanks to the support and guidance of China' s central government, the cooperative relations between the two provinces and the related regions of the other GMS countries have been deepened since the third GMS summit. The cooperation mechanisms, including "the Yunnan-Northern Laos Working Team" , "the Yunnan-Northern Thai Working Team" , "the Economic Consultative Conference between Yunnan and the Four Provinces and Cities of Vietnam" , "the Joint Working Team of Yunnan and the Four Border Provinces of Vietnam" , and "the Joint Working Committee of Guangxi and the Four Border Provinces of Vietnam" , have functioned well, and cooperation in all fields has made steady progress.
Remarkable Achievement in Infrastructure Cooperation. As for roads, the two provinces have actively promoted the construction of the road network connecting GMS countries. The sections within Yunnan of the China-Laos-Thailand Road running from Kunming via Mohan and Vientiane to Bangkok, the China-Myanmar Road running from Kunming via Ruili to Rangoon, the China-Vietnam Road running from Kunming via Hekou to Hanoi, and the China-Myanmar-India Road running from Kunming via Tengchong and Myitkyina in Myanmar to Ledo in India, have all been renovated into higher-grade roads. By the end of 2010, all the roads in Guangxi leading to the Class I ports on the China-Vietnam border had been renovated into higher-grade roads. As for railways, the two provinces have been energetically pushing forward the projects of the construction of the Yuxi-Mengzi-Hekou Railway and the Dali-Ruili Railway and the expansion of the Kunming-Yuxi Railway and the Kunming-GuangTong Railway. As for shipping, the five-tier shipping lane system of the Lancang River has been built for transnational navigation along the Lancang/Mekong River, and the navigable period has been extended from previously half a year to basically the whole year. As for civil aviation, since 2008, Guangxi has opened air routes from Nanning to Ho Chi Minh City, Vientiane, Rangoon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok, realizing full connectivity between the Nanning Airport and GMS countries. The New Kunming International Airport of Yunnan, to be put in use at the end of 2011, has a designed capacity of transporting 65 million person-times and 2.3 million tons of cargo a year. With this airport, the fourth national-level gateway airport after the airports of Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, the capacity to reach the other GMS countries by air transportation has been enhanced. As for telecommunications, the Yunnan and Guangxi branches of the China Telecom have engaged in active cooperation with Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam in the deployment of international optical fiber cables, international voice services, Internet services, and cross-border call transfer services. Their services have covered all GMS countries.
Remarkable Progress in Industrial Cooperation. As for the cooperation on agriculture technology, on the basis of the two on-going projects of China-Vietnam demonstration parks for agricultural science and technology, Yunnan established similar parks in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar in 2010 to apply research findings concerning rice, dry rice, soybean and potato. All the projects have shown notable effect of yield increase. Guangxi conducted a series of agricultural cooperation projects with Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, and achieved sound results in sugar cane planting and processing, sisal hemp planting, new varieties of vegetables and fruits, and trial planting of hybrid maize. Meanwhile, following the instructions of the Ministry of Agriculture, Guangxi has carried out projects to demonstrate and promote the biogas technology for rural households in Cambodia. As for tourism cooperation, Yunnan has signed with Vietnam, Laos and other neighboring countries 14 agreements or memorandums of understanding on tourism cooperation, and compiled the Plan of Transnational Tourist Lines in the Golden Square Tourism Region and the Plan of Transnational Tourist Lines in the Shangri-la-Tengchong-Myitkyina Tourism Region. The province has worked with these countries to open several tourist routes, launch border tours, hold tourism festivals, invest in tourism projects, and train tourism managers. These cooperation endeavors have greatly boosted border tourism and cross-border tourism. Guangxi and three provinces of Vietnam, namely, Hanoi, Guangning and Lang Son, have signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Cooperative Administration of the China-Vietnam Border Tourism, and joined hands in developing the market for tourism between northern Vietnam and southern Guangxi. In March 2011, Guangxi officially implemented the regulation by which the processing of the application by Vietnam-bound tourist groups for Chinese citizens' border passes shall be started instantly upon filing, and completed on the same day of the application.
Steady Progress in Educational Cooperation. The universities and colleges in Yunnan have established long-term stable partnerships with the neighboring countries, and continued to expand the enrolment of foreign students. By 2010, the number of the students from the other GMS countries studying in Yunnan had reached about 8,000. In cooperation with their counterparts in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, the institutions of higher learning in Yunnan and Guangxi have set up a number of Confucius institutes to step up training of Chinese-speaking talents for these neighboring countries. Since 2008, Guangxi has been sending over 100 volunteers to Thailand each year to teach Chinese. The Guangxi University for Nationalities and the Guangxi Normal University have organized a number of training courses for teachers and trained over 100 Chinese language teachers from the other GMS countries.
V. Visions for Next Stage of Chinese Participation in GMS Cooperation
1. Transportation
China will further its cooperation with the other GMS members on road, water transportation, railway, and civil aviation. It will actively promote the construction of transportation passages and the related infrastructure in the GMS. It will speed up the renovation and improvement of the various domestic sections of the north-south passages as well as the related port facilities so as to form a road network covering all GMS countries as soon as possible. China will energetically engage in international shipping cooperation including that on the Lancang-Mekong River. It will promote the comprehensive and effective implementation of the CBTA as well as its annexes and protocols to realize convenient flow of personnel and goods among the six GMS members at an early date and boost the development of people-to-people exchange, trade and tourism in the subregion. It will speed up the construction of the domestic section of the Pan-Asia Railway, and meanwhile, take an active part in the international cooperation concerning this project to make joint efforts with the other GMS members for the project. On the basis of the Framework Agreement on China-ASEAN Aviation Cooperation, China will actively explore a framework for multilateral aviation cooperation. It will also work to strengthen cooperation in human resources development and capability building in the transportation field.
2. Power
In the new stage of dynamic development of power grid connectivity and power trade in the subregion, China will work with the other GMS countries to push forward the development and construction of power projects, to realize connectivity of the Chinese power grid with the power grids of the other GMS countries, and set up a GMS power trade coordination center, so as to further facilitate optimized allocation of GMS energy and resources, improve energy efficiency, and promote more efficient, low carbon, and sustainable use of energy. Such efforts will follow the strategic goals and tasks for energy cooperation defined in the Strategic Framework for the Next Ten Years of the GMS Program (2012-2022), and be based on full attention to ecological balance and environmental sustainability of the mainstream of the Mekong River. China will use its relative strength in power technology, capital and human resources as well as relatively rich experience in power planning, construction, operation and management to provide extensive support and services to the other GMS countries and make contribution to the power and economic development of GMS countries.
3. Information and Communications
China will actively facilitate the ICT development in the GMS, and continue to deepen its cooperation with the other GMS members in accordance with the agreed GMS Strategy for Information and Telecommunication Development. On the basis of the first stage of the GMS IS program, China will work with the other GMS members to carry out extensive cooperation in such fields as network operation and maintenance, pricing of the use of cross-border sections, and ICT application projects, and push forward the development of the GMS IS program. China will also conduct in-depth cooperation with the other GMS countries in such fields as rural communications development, deployment of broadband networks, new ICT cooperation, and ICT human resources development, so as to raise the overall development level of the information and communications sector in GMS countries.
4. Agriculture
China values and stands ready to deepen cooperation with the other GMS countries in such fields as food security, agricultural infrastructure, agricultural investment and trade, agricultural technological innovation, agricultural consultancy services, cross-border monitoring of animal and plant epidemics and diseases, protection of natural resources, and rural sustainable development, so as to promote the overall development of agriculture and the rural economy.
In the coming three years, China will work for the convening of the second GMS Meeting of Agricultural Ministers so that GMS countries can discuss the key areas and projects for future agricultural cooperation, reinforce international and inter-agency policy coordination, speed up the harmonization of inspection and quarantine standards for agricultural products, and further eliminate the barriers to agricultural investment and trade. It will cooperate closely with the other GMS countries to actively explore the development of an agricultural industrial belt with unique features along the economic corridor. China will encourage its major agricultural provinces to conduct agricultural cooperation with the other GMS countries, and bring into play the advantages of small- and medium-sized enterprises so as to expand the scope and lift the level of the cooperation.
Meanwhile, China will cooperate with the other GMS countries to set up cross-border monitoring stations and laboratories for the prevention and control of animal and plant epidemics and diseases, and experimental stations for high-quality crop varieties. It will step up the experiment and demonstration on high-yield crops, and raise the level of food security. It will promote the cooperation on the development and utilization of renewable energy in rural areas, encourage product and technological innovation, and push forward the implementation of a batch of key cooperation projects. China will continue to improve the agricultural information website, and bring into full play its role in facilitating agricultural trade and knowledge sharing.
In the coming three years, China will train another 300 agricultural professionals for the other GMS countries in China, and send 100 agricultural experts and technicians to these countries to provide field guidance.
5. Environment
Enhanced environmental cooperation is an important prerequisite for the protection of the ecological environment and the common development of GMS countries. As an active advocate and mover of GMS environmental cooperation, China will continue to pursue environmental cooperation and advance the protection of the GMS ecological environment. In light of different developmental stages of GMS countries, China will work with the other GMS members under the principle of "working together to protect Mother Earth through mutual help and coordination" to set a shining example of south-south cooperation on the environment and development. China will take an active part in the second stage of the CEP-BCI program, and seek to enrich the GMS framework for environmental cooperation. With the deepening of the GMS cooperation, China will, centering on the CEP-BCI program, carry out cooperation on ecological restoration and poverty relief, the protection of forest ecological system and biodiversity and implementation of international environmental conventions, and advance the organizational development and capability building of environmental administration agencies to promote the sustainable development of the Greater Mekong Subregion.
6. Human Resources Development
In multiple forms, at multiple levels, and through multiple channels, the Chinese government will, as always, use the existing platforms and channels to enhance cooperation and exchanges with the other GMS countries to boost human resources capability building. China will strengthen cooperation with the other GMS countries in the fields of women development and gender equality, and continue to provide training to women organizations and agencies on gender equality, women' s participation in economic and social development, and capability building for women leaders. It will continue to hold training courses at Guangxi International Youth Exchange College in China for young leaders from ASEAN countries, and train about 150 young leaders for the other five GMS countries every year. It will continue to cooperate with Thailand on the "Lancang/Mekong Youth Friendship Exchange" program. The Chinese government will hold high-level seminars to discuss experience and practices of gradually raising the level of social insurance actively and prudently pursuing coordinated urban-rural development and social and economic development, and explore the model of human resources capability building under the new circumstances. China will also further intensify exchanges and cooperation with law enforcement agencies of the other GMS countries at border ports, and improve the competence of the border inspection staff in foreign language proficiency, policy familiarity, law enforcement, and inspection and administration capabilities.
7. Health
China will continue to enhance health cooperation with the other GMS countries under the current cooperation mechanisms and strive to enrich such cooperation. It will continue to conduct pilot cooperation projects on AIDS and malaria prevention and control at the China-Myanmar, China-Laos, and China-Vietnam border areas, and gradually increase the geographic coverage and deepen such cooperation. China will strive for the continuous development of the projects of Dengue fever prevention and control at the China-Myanmar, China-Laos and China-Vietnam border areas. It will continue to step up its cooperation with the other GMS countries on setting up a mechanism for epidemic information exchange and sharing, and expand the cooperation to such fields as maternity and child health and chronic non-infectious diseases. China will actively participate in the work of the health subgroup of the human resources working team, step up inter-departmental and inter-regional coordination and cooperation at home, and comprehensively promote the level of health cooperation with the other GMS countries.
8. Tourism
The Chinese government will continue to support and promote GMS cooperation on tourism on the national level, and beef up communication and coordination. It will further improve cooperation mechanisms and raise efficiency. China will step up the development of tourism infrastructure and human resources, push forward the execution of the projects led by China, actively promote GMS tourism development, cultivate an integrated GMS tourism destination, and advance GMS tourism facilitation by actively studying the possibility of a single GMS tourism visa system. The Chinese government will support and give guidance to the participation of Yunnan and Guangxi in GMS tourism cooperation and development. Yunnan will seek to do a good job in tourism cooperation with the north of Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand and the whole of Myanmar. Guangxi will accelerate the development and construction of the Pan-Beibu Bay tourism region and the China-Vietnam cooperation on the "two tourism corridors and one tourism region" , and push forward the implementation of the development plan for the Weizhou Island Tourism District of Beihai City.
9. Trade and Investment
While implementing the Strategic Framework for the Next Ten Years of the GMS Program (2012-2022) and the Plan of Action for Trade and Transportation Facilitation, China will do its best to advance the development of the economic corridor together with the other GMS countries and the ADB. The Chinese government will strengthen policy coordination with the other GMS countries to promote mutual investment, and strive for practical outcomes in such key areas as port administration coordination, improvement of inspection and quarantine mechanisms, formulation of a subregional trade and logistics strategy, and enhancement of trade facilitation mechanisms of the subregion and its member countries. China will push forward the full and effective implementation of the CBTA, actively promote the development of cross-border economic cooperation areas, so as to further raise the level of trade facilitation and the ability to attract investment along the GMS economic corridor and comprehensively uplift trade and investment level of the subregion. Meanwhile, China will step up capability building by providing more training opportunities to government officials, especially law enforcement officers at border ports, sharing experience and practices in the various fields of trade facilitation with the other GMS countries, and encouraging the business community to participate in the GMS cooperation in greater depth through organizing various business exchange activities.
10. Drug Control and Crop Substitution
China will further enhance cooperation with the other GMS countries in the field of drug prohibition, crop substitution and alternative development, further improve the cooperation mechanisms, and steadily increase its support to these countries in the form of personnel training and assistance in kind. China will increase its financial and policy support for crop substitution, and press ahead with the development of the demonstration projects, so as to play a positive role in ensuring sustained, healthy and all-round development of crop substitution and reducing illegal opium planting in the subregion.
11. Science and Technology
Science and technology is an important field of the GMS cooperation. China will continue to use the existing mechanisms and channels to further enhance its science and technology exchanges and cooperation with the other GMS countries through, among other channels, science and technology cooperation projects ,training sessions and seminars. The Chinese government will support the effort of Yunnan in establishing an international technology transfer center and enhancing ability to transfer technology to the other GMS countries in such fields as clean energy, energy efficiency, health and agriculture.
The "China-ASEAN Science and Technology Partnership Program" to be started at the end of 2011 will take science and technology cooperation between China and the other GMS countries as a priority to promote and support.
English.news.cn 2011-12-16 21:33:36
BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua)
China's National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Science and Technology on Friday released a document on the country's participation in Greater Mekong Subregion Cooperation.
Following is the full text:
Country Report on China' s Participation in Greater Mekong Subregion Cooperation
I. Executive Summary
The Mekong River, which originates from the Tanggula Mountain Range on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China and runs 4880 kilometers southward through six countries, namely, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, is an important transnational river in Asia and even the world. The section in China is called the Lancang River. Since the 1990s, the international cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong subregion has received wide attention from the international community. Related countries and international organizations have carried out extensive cooperation, which has produced good results and forcefully facilitated economic and social development of the subregion.
In 1992, the Asian Development Bank (hereafter referred to as the "ADB" ) held the first ministerial meeting of the six countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)in Manila, the Philippines, where the ABD is based, marking the official launch of the GMS economic cooperation mechanism. At present, GMS cooperation covers China (Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, with a total area of 2,568,600 square kilometers and a combined population of about 326 million. Rich in water, biological and mineral resources, the Greater Mekong Subregion has enormous economic potential and development prospects. The countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion all enjoy time-honored histories, beautiful landscapes and colorful ethnic cultures. Over the long years, however, they had suffered backwardness in economic and social development due to a variety of factors. Since the beginning of the new century, GMS countries have been working for economic reforms, industrial restructuring and greater openness to the outside world. Accelerated economic and social development has become their shared objective.
In November 2002, the first GMS summit was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The meeting adopted the Strategic Framework for the Next Ten Years of the GMS Program (2002-2012) and determined that the GMS summit should be held once every three years with the member countries taking turns to host the meeting. GMS cooperation was thus upgraded to the summit level and entered a new stage of comprehensive and rapid development. In July 2005, the second GMS summit was held in Kunming, China. The meeting identified the guiding principles for GMS cooperation, namely "Mutual respect, consultation on an equal footing, emphasis on practical results and gradual progress". It adopted and signed a number of cooperation initiatives and documents concerning transport and trade facilitation, protection of biodiversity and construction of information highways. GMS cooperation was thus taken to a new high. In March 2008, the third GMS summit was held in Vientiane, the Lao PDR. The meeting adopted the Vientiane Plan of Action for GMS Development 2008-2012, and signed a number of cooperation documents concerning the road map for power trade and the balanced and sustainable development of the economic corridors, bringing the cooperation to greater width and depth.
In the course of promoting GMS cooperation, the triennial GMS summit has played a crucial role in setting the targets, providing the direction, and introducing major measures for cooperation.
In nearly 20 years, thanks to the joint efforts of the ADB and all GMS members, the GMS cooperation has moved forward steadily, borne rich fruits, and played an active role in eliminating poverty and promoting the economic and social development of GMS countries. The project-oriented GMS cooperation has identified nine priority areas, namely transportation, energy, telecommunications, the environment, agriculture, human resources development, tourism, trade facilitation and investment, and actively provided financial support and technical assistance to the member countries. By the end of 2010, GMS loans (grants) had financed 55 projects with a total investment of 13.8 billion dollars, of which 5 billion dollars was ADB loans, 4.3 billion dollars was the investment by GMS countries to match the loans, and 4.5 billion dollars was raised through co-financing. Altogether 172 technical assistance projects had received a total investment of 230 million dollars, of which 100 million dollars was ADB loans, 20 million dollars was the investment by GMS countries and 110 million dollars was raised through co-financing.
In December 2012, the fourth GMS summit will be held in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. An important agenda of the meeting is to discuss and formulate the strategic framework for GMS cooperation in the next 10 years. China stands ready to work with the other GMS countries to ensure the implementation of the various cooperation initiatives so as to take the GMS cooperation in all fields to greater width and depth, and contribute to the common development and prosperity of GMS countries.
II. Economic and Trade Relations Between China and the Other GMS Countries
Since the third GMS summit in 2008 and especially since the establishment of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, bilateral trade between China and the other GMS countries has demonstrated a momentum of greater development with a further improved trade structure and fast increase in bilateral investment. China has also participated, in the form of joint ventures or wholly Chinese-invested enterprises, in the development and construction of economic and trade cooperation zones in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, and has thus boosted local economic development.
1. Bilateral Trade and Investment with Cambodia
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Cambodia reached 1.44 billion dollars, up by 27.4 percent over 2008. China's export to and import from Cambodia were 1.35 billion dollars and 90 million dollars respectively, up by 23.9 percent and 125.0 percent over 2008. In terms of commodity categories, China's main exports to Cambodia were textiles, electromechanical products, hi-tech products, garments, steel and agricultural products and its main imports from the country included natural rubber, garments, sawn timber, log and agricultural products. By the end of 2010, Cambodia had accumulatively invested 120 million dollars in China, while China accumulatively had made direct investment of 1.13 billion dollars in Cambodia.
Besides, the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone in Cambodia, a joint venture of Chinese and Cambodian companies, covers a planned area of 11.08 square kilometers and houses such industries as light industry, textiles, garments, machinery, electronics and hi-tech industries. The first phase of the zone, with a planned area of one square kilometer, was completed by the end of 2008; the second phase has a planned area of 5.28 square kilometers. By August 2011, 15 enterprises had set up operations in the zone, investing 32.70 million dollars and hiring 3,535 people.
2. Bilateral Trade and Investment with the Lao PDR
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Laos reached 1.05 billion dollars, up by 150.0 percent over 2008. China's export to and import from Laos were 480 million dollars and 570 million dollars respectively, up by 77.8 percent and 280.0 percent over 2008. In terms of commodity categories, China' s main exports to Laos were electromechanical products, textiles, garments, hi-tech products, automobiles and motorcycles, and its main imports from the country were copper ore, rolled copper, farm produce, sawn timber and natural rubber. By the end of 2010, Laos had accumulatively invested 37.61 million dollars in China, and China's direct investment in Laos had accumulatively reached 850 million dollars.
3. Bilateral Trade and Investment with Myanmar
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Myanmar reached 4.44 billion dollars, up by 68.8 percent over 2008. China's export to and import from Myanmar were 3.48 billion dollars and 9.6 million dollars respectively, up by 75.8 percent and 47.7 percent over 2008. In terms of commodity categories, China' s main exports to Myanmar were textiles, hi-tech products, rolled steel, motorcycles and automobiles, and its main imports from the country included agricultural products and log. By the end of 2010, Myanmar had accumulatively invested 89.72 million dollars in China, and China's direct investment in Myanmar had amounted to 1.95 billion dollars.
4. Bilateral Trade and Investment with Thailand
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Thailand reached 52.95 billion dollars, up by 28.4 percent over 2008. China's export to and import from Thailand were 19.75 billion dollars and 33.20 billion dollars respectively, up by 26.5 percent and 29.5 percent over 2008. In terms of commodity categories, China' s main exports to Thailand were electromechanical products, hi-tech products, textiles and farm produce and its main imports from Thailand included electromechanical products, hi-tech products, natural rubber and farm produce. By the end of 2010, Thailand had accumulatively invested 3.29 billion dollars in China, and China's direct investment in Thailand had amounted to 1.08 billion dollars.
The Rayong Industrial Park jointly invested by Chinese and Thai companies covers a planned area of 3.5 square kilometers, including a general industrial zone, a bonded zone, a logistics zone and a commercial and residential zone. Major industries include automotive components, machinery and home appliances. By August 2011, 34 enterprises had landed in the park, with a total investment of 315 million dollars and 1,991 local employees.
5. Bilateral Trade and Investment with Vietnam
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Vietnam reached 30.09 billion dollars, up by 54.6 percent over 2008. China's export to and import from Vietnam were 23.11 billion dollars and 6.98 billion dollars respectively, up by 52.8 percent and 60.8 percent over 2008. In terms of commodity categories, China's main exports to Vietnam were electromechanical products, textiles, hi-tech products, rolled steel and agricultural products, and its main imports from Vietnam included electromechanical products, coal, hi-tech products, agricultural products, textiles, crude oil and natural rubber. By the end of 2010, Vietnam had accumulatively invested 120 million dollars in China, and China's direct investment in Vietnam had amounted to 990 million dollars.
The Longjiang Industrial Park in Vietnam developed by Chinese enterprises covers a planned area of 6 square kilometers, and consists of an industrial area of 5.4 square kilometers and a residential and service area of 0.6 square kilometers. Its main industries include textiles, light industry, machinery, electronics, building materials and chemical industry. By the end of August 2011, 11 enterprises had landed in the park, with a total investment of 68.6 million dollars and 529 local employees.
III. New Progresses in Chinese Participation in GMS Cooperation
Since the third GMS summit in 2008, the Chinese government has continued to provide financial support to GMS cooperation as its capability permits. It has taken an active part in GMS cooperation in transportation, electricity, telecommunications, environmental protection, agriculture, human resources development, health, tourism, trade facilitation and investment and drug control and achieved fruitful results.
1. Transportation
The western line (the Kunming-Laos-Bangkok Road) of the North-South Economic Corridor was officially put in operation in 2008. The construction of the Chiang Khong-Houayxay Mekong Bridge on the road connecting Laos and Thailand, the third bridge spanning over the Mekong River, will be built with the cost equally shared by the Chinese and Thai governments. The construction started in February 2010, and is expected to be completed for operation in September 2012. Of the central line of the North-South Economic Corridor (Kunming-Hanoi-Haiphong), the 407-kilometer-long section within the Chinese borders has been upgraded into an expressway, and the Vietnamese section is currently being renovated. The border bridge across the Red River, jointly financed by the governments of China and Vietnam, was completed on 1 September 2009. The eastern line of the North-South Economic Corridor (Kunming-Nanning-Hanoi) is 1,208 kilometers in length. The Chinese section of the road has basically been upgraded into an expressway. The Vietnamese section, currently of Grade II, has been scheduled to be renovated into an expressway, and the preparatory work is already underway. The Northern Corridor (Kunming-Dali-Ruili-Myanmar) is about 820 kilometers. Since September 2010, China and Myanmar have organized a joint working team for this project and started drawing a master plan.
Through close cooperation with the other GMS countries, China acceded to The Agreement on Cross-Border Transportation of People and Goods in the GMS (CBTA for short), and completed the negotiation for and the signing of all the 17 annexes and 3 protocols of the CBTA. China and Vietnam have signed the Memorandum of Understanding Between China and Vietnam on Implementing CBTA at the Hekou-Lao Cai Border and the Memorandum of Understanding Between China and Vietnam on Including the Friendship Pass/ Huu Nghi (Vietnam) Entry-Exit Stations and the Kunming-Baise-Nanning-Friendship Pass/Huu Nghi-Lang Son-Hanoi Passage in CBTA Protocols. China and Laos have signed the Memorandum of Understanding Between China and Laos on Implementing CBTA at Mohan/Boten, and opened 13 international transportation routes between the two countries. China has reached consensus with Laos and Thailand on their transportation rights and interests on the Kunming-Bangkok road. At present, the three countries are going through their domestic legal procedures in order to realize transportation facilitation of the Kunming-Bangkok road at an early date. As for the transportation agreement between China and Myanmar, the two sides decided to hold further talks this year in China in an effort to reach consensus and sign the agreement at an early date, so as to provide institutional guarantee and convenience to the trans-border transportation between the two countries.
China has taken an active part in the cooperation on the Pan-Asia Railway. The sections of the proposed eastern, central and western lines of the Pan-Asia Railway inside China have all been incorporated into the Mid- and Long-term Plan for Railway Networks of China, and their construction is well underway. On the eastern line, the construction of the Yuxi-Mengzi Railway started in 2005 and is expected to be completed in 2012, and that of the Mengzi-Hekou Railway started in 2009, and is scheduled to be finished in 2013. On the central line, the capacity expansion project of the Kunming-Yuxi Railway kicked off in 2010, and is estimated to be completed in 2014. Feasibility study on the Yuxi-Mohan Railway is currently underway. On the western line, the capacity expansion project of the Kunming-Guangtong Railway was launched in 2007, and is scheduled to be completed in 2013. Pre-construction preparation for the expansion of the Guangtong-Dali Railway is in full swing, and the construction of the Dali-Ruili Railway started in 2008. While energetically building the various sections of the Pan-Asia Railway within its borders, China has committed itself to supporting the construction of the eastern, central and western lines of the railway in other countries. China has all along taken an active part in GMS conferences on railway cooperation to explore the plan for the Pan-Asia Railway, and urge GMS countries to speed up the construction of the missing sections of the railway so as to realize railway connectivity among GMS countries at an early date. Responding to the wishes of the other GMS countries, China has provided various forms of assistance to the construction of the railway in other countries. At its own expense, China completed the feasibility study on the missing section between Bat Deung and Snuol in Cambodia in 2010 and on the missing section between Vientiane and Mohan in Laos and the missing section between Muse and Lashio in Myanmar in 2011.
2. Power
China had been dedicated to its cooperation with the other GMS countries in the field of electric power. Firstly, China has actively engaged in the various undertakings of the GMS Power Trade Coordination Committee to promote power cooperation among GMS countries. The first edition of the GMS General Plan for Power Development, which China has been advocating, was drawn up in 2008, and then revised in 2010. In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding on the Road Map for Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregional Cross-border Power Trading signed by the governments of the six countries at the third GMS summit, China actively coordinated with the ADB in conducting the research on "Promotion of the Greater Mekong Subregional Power Trading and the Environmental Sustainable Development of GMS Power Infrastructure". China also provided active coordination to the ADB in making preparations for the Regional Coordination Center (RCC) for GMS Power Trading. Secondly, China has actively pursued power grid connectivity and power trading with neighboring countries and regions. In September 2004, via a 110kv power line from Hekou, Yunnan Province to Lao Cai in Vietnam, China officially began to export electricity to Vietnam. Today, China Southern Power Grid is transmitting electricity to the eight provinces in northern Vietnam via three 220kv power lines and four 110kv power lines. The grid delivered 5.53 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2010, up 24.9 percent over the previous year. By the end of August 2011, China had accumulatively supplied 20.9 billion kilowatt-hours of power to Vietnam. To solve the increasingly serious power shortage in northern Laos, China and Laos launched a cooperation project, under which China Southern Power Grid shall supply power to Laos through 115kv power lines. The project was put into operation in December 2009, and China Southern Power Grid has thence been supplying power to the four provinces in northern Laos. By the end of August 2011, China had accumulatively supplied 136 million kilowatt-hours of electricity to the north of Laos. In October 2008, the six 100MW generation units of Shweli River Hydropower Station, currently the largest BOT hydropower project in Myanmar, were officially connected to China Southern Power Grid and began to supply power to China. In 2010, China Southern Power Grid bought a total of 1.72 billion kilowatt-hours of power from the Shweli River and the Dapein hydropower stations in Myanmar. By the end of August 2011, China had imported a total of 4.868 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from Myanmar. In GMS power trade, China is no longer a pure electricity exporter. It has gradually become both a power exporter and a power importer. Through active promotion of optimal allocation of GMS power resources, it has effectively eased power shortage in some GMS countries and served the development of the power industry as well as economic and social progress in these countries. Thirdly, China has actively engaged in GMS cooperation in the development of power projects. As to grid projects, in June 2010, China Southern Power Grid and the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Laos signed the Memorandum of Understanding on China Southern Power Grid Company Limited' s Investing in the National Power Grid of Laos. Now, the Chinese side has completed the compilation of the needed research reports for the project, including the feasibility study report, the concession pattern research report, and the project development agreement, and has officially submitted these documents to the relevant departments of the Laotian government. Upon approval of the Laotian government, China will start the development and construction of the project as soon as possible. In terms of the development of power source, a number of Chinese power companies, including China Power Investment Corporation, China Huaneng Group, China Datang Corporation, China Huadian Corporation, China Guodian Corporation, and Chongqing Three Gorges Water Conservancy and Electric Power Company, have developed some power generation projects in the other GMS countries, including the Mong Ton Project and the staged hydropower stations on the upper Irrawaddy River in Myanmar.
3. Information and Communications
The GMS Information Highway (GMS IS) Phase I project was successfully completed in March 2008, and its completion ceremony was held during the third GMS summit. Afterwards, China attended three meetings of the implementation group and the guidance group for GMS IS held in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia, and fully exchanged views with the other GMS members on such topics as the operation and maintenance of the GMS IS, the charges for the use of cross-border sections, the construction of the second phase, and application services, thus laying a foundation for greater efficiency and operational coordination of the GMS IS.
In September 2010, China hosted a meeting of GMS senior officials in charge of information and communications in Shanghai. In June 2011, China hosted the first GMS information and communications ministerial meeting in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. The meeting reached consensus on the text of the new memorandum of understanding on GMS IS and adopted the GMS Strategy for Information and Communications Development and the GMS Joint Ministerial Statement on Information and Communications. During the meeting, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China and the Department of Post and Telecommunication of Laos signed a memorandum of understanding on continuing with demonstration projects of applicable communications technology for rural areas.
4. Agriculture
China has played an active role in advancing GMS cooperation on food security, cross-border prevention and control of animal and plant epidemics and diseases, rural renewable energy, application of agricultural information, and exchange of agricultural technologies. Since 2008, under the China-initiated framework of "the Action Plan for Improving Comprehensive Grain Productivity", China has cooperated with the other GMS countries in developing demonstration fields for high-quality and high-yield crops, and provided training in practical agricultural technologies to local farmers. In the past 3 years, with a total investment of over 9.5 million RMB yuan, China has held 27 training sessions on various agricultural technologies for over 220 technicians. China has continued to implement the separate cooperation projects for cross-border prevention and control of animal and plant epidemics and diseases with Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos, thus strengthening GMS coordination in this regard. China invited the other GMS countries to participate in the China-ASEAN Week for Rural Renewable Energy Technology and Equipment Exhibition. It has further intensified exchanges with the other GMS countries and improved the hardware and software of the GMS Agriculture Information Network Service and enhanced its role as a platform for agricultural information exchange. China has held training courses on such topics as rural biomass energy, sustainable agricultural development, and high-yield crop-cultivating technologies. Besides, China has encouraged the relevant Chinese provinces and autonomous regions to deepen their agricultural exchange and cooperation with the other GMS countries.
5. Environment
Environmental cooperation is an important component of GMS cooperation, and China highly values its environmental exchange and cooperation with the other GMS countries. First, it has actively participated in and promoted the first phase of the Core Environmental Program "GMS Biodiversity Corridor Initiative (CEP-BCI) (2006-2011)". The initiative mainly aims to establish corridors for biodiversity protection in selected pilot regions and restore or preserve the connections between the existing national parks and the wildlife preserves. China has actively pushed the institutionalization of this project and the related cooperation, and designated Xishuangbanna and the Shangri-la-Deqin region in Yunnan Province as well as Jingxi in Guangxi Autonomous Region as key areas for the project. In April 2011, China successfully held the "Exhibition of GMS CEP-BCI Phase I Achievements in China" in Yunnan Province, which expanded the positive influence of the Chinese participation in the GMS environmental cooperation and the CEP-BCI effort. Second, China has taken an active part in the consideration and formulation of the framework and action plan for the second phase of CEP-BCI (2012-2016).Thanks to their joint efforts, GMS members and the ADB have basically reached consensus on the framework and action plan.
6. Health
Between 2008 and 2010, China continued to implement the pilot projects of cooperative AIDS and malaria prevention and control in the China-Myanmar, China-Laos, and China-Vietnam border regions, and steadily enriched and expanded the coverage of the projects. Between September 2007 and September 2009, the project of cooperative tuberculosis prevention and control in the China-Vietnam border region was successfully carried out. In 2010, China began to implement the project of cooperative prevention and control of dengue fever in the China-Myanmar, China-Laos, and China-Vietnam border regions. The above-mentioned health cooperation projects raised public awareness of the said communicable diseases, led to the establishment of the cooperation mechanisms among the related countries for the prevention and control of infectious diseases, epidemic information sharing, and personnel training, enhanced the links among the health departments of different countries, improved the capabilities of the health staff in the border regions, and lessened the pressure brought by the cross-border transmission of epidemics.
In the past three years, China has held a number of training sessions for the other five GMS countries. Trainees include officials and experts whose duty or expertise was related to the prevention and control of malaria, the monitoring of human infection of highly pathogenic bird flu and Type A H1N1 flu, and professional project management for cross-border health cooperation. In February 2009, China hosted the second GMS public health forum in Guangxi, where the discussion centered on food and drug safety and cross-border prevention and control of infectious diseases.
7. Tourism
In recent years, China has actively implemented the GMS Tourism Sector Strategy, and made dedicated efforts to develop and promote the subregion as an integrated tourism destination, with a focus on tourism training sessions, tourism planning and research, infrastructure enhancement, and GMS tourism projects. Such efforts have enjoyed remarkable progress.
China has further promoted border tourism and tourism facilitation measures. For instance, it conducted the trial of allowing tourists to apply at another place for a permit for the border tour in Chongzuo (Pingxiang) of Guangxi, and continuously standardized the issuance and administration of permits for border entry and exit. In 2008, the four-day tourist route between Tengchong, Yunnan and Myitkyina, Myanmar and the four-day tourist route between Jingxi, Guangxi and Cao Bang, Vietnam were introduced. China has held many rounds of talks with Vietnam about the cooperative development of the Detian Fall, and made some initial progress. China has tightened regulation over the market of overseas travel services, and urged relevant travel agencies to run their business according to regulations and provide sincere and honest services. China has also launched a campaign of sincere and honest tourist services in cooperation with the tourism departments of other GMS countries including Thailand.
8. Human Resources Development
The Chinese government attaches great importance to the cooperation on human resources development under the GMS framework. Responding to the needs of the other member countries, China has conducted cooperation and periodic exchanges with them by holding high-level seminars and training sessions for officials, and through other friendly interactions. Since 2008, China has organized three high-level seminars on human resources and social security to share experience and practices in improving the social security system and boosting human resources development and creating more jobs in the course of economic restructuring. In 2008 and 2009, through the China-ASEAN Women Training Center in Nanning, Guangxi, China trained more than 40 senior female leaders respectively for Laos and Myanmar. China provided 2.7 million RMB yuan worth of materials to women' s agencies and organizations in the other GMS countries for disaster relief and women' s development, and established the China-Laos and China-Thai women training centers in Laos and Thailand to provide training on applicable technologies to local women. From 2008 to 2010, China hosted an annual training program for young officials from the other GMS countries. To date, China has trained 418 young officials from Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand. China has worked with Thailand to organize three versions of the "Lancang/Mekong Youth Friendship Exchange" program, involving 199 young participants. China has enhanced cooperation and exchanges with the immigration administration agencies of the other GMS countries. It has followed to the mechanism of holding regular meetings and event-based discussions with border inspection agencies of Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, and held consultations with them on relevant issues, including the facilitation of inspection procedures, expedited customs clearance, and joint crackdown on illegal and criminal activities. China and these neighboring countries have taken proactive and effective measures to reinforce the inspection of and administration over people and means of transportation entering and exiting the border and carry out joint operations against illegal and criminal activities. Meanwhile, China has actively participated in the "Phnom Penh Plan for Development Management" , and provided financial support.
9. Trade and Investment
China has actively participated in and forcefully promoted the development of the GMS economic corridors, worked hard to raise the trade facilitation level in this subregion, and encouraged the active participation of the business community. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao put forward the proposal on a "GMS Economic Corridor Forum" at the third GMS summit in March 2008, which has won the support of all the parties. In the same year, China successfully hosted the first round of the forum in Yunnan, which issued a joint ministerial statement entitled the Kunming Consensus and adopted such outcome documents as the Scope of the Functions of the GMS Economic Corridor Forum and the Strategic Plan of Action for the North-South Economic Corridor. The forum has provided an institutional guarantee to the gradual expansion of the focus of such cooperation from transportation to trade and investment to achieve real economic corridor. At the same time, it has tried to meet the needs of local governments and enterprises to take part in GMS cooperation. In June 2009, China held the GMS Economic Corridor Week in Yunnan for the purpose of promoting the logistics in the economic corridor and increasing subregional trade flow. In June 2010, China held the GMS Investment and Project Promotion Conference in Yunnan and organized interactions between Chinese enterprises and enterprises of the other GMS countries for project cooperation.
In addition, the Chinese government has earnestly implemented the Action Framework for the GMS Strategy of Facilitation of Trade and Investment. It has set up port information platforms and taken six facilitation measures including 24-hour customs clearance appointment services at all ports to increase customs clearance efficiency. It has improved the visa policy, simplified the visa procedures, and set up visa offices at the border ports in Yunnan and Guangxi, so as to provide facilitation to businessmen from the other GMS countries. In order to implement the CBTA at the designated China-Vietnam, China-Laos, and China-Laos-Thailand border ports, the General Administration of Customs of China has actively participated in the negotiations on transit customs supervision and law enforcement, thus laying a legal foundation for transportation and trade facilitation at these ports.
10. Drug Prohibition and Crop Substitution
Over the years, under the GMS Narcotic Drug Control Mechanism (MOU) and bilateral memorandums of understanding and agreements on narcotic drug control, China has engaged in multilateral and bilateral drug prohibition cooperation with the other GMS countries. Through mutual visits, annual meetings on bilateral cooperation on drug prohibition, joint law enforcement, provision of training for drug control personnel (accumulatively holding 24 sessions and training 740 persons from Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia) and assistance in kind, China has intensified cooperation with the other GMS countries in drug prohibition and made positive contribution to improving the drug abuse situation, maintaining social stability, and improving people' s lives in GMS countries.
In recent years, China has vigorously pursued the strategy of "Eliminating Drug Sources from Outside the Borders" , and by allowing the import of the products of crop substitution and providing special funding, encouraged and supported domestic enterprises to undertake poppy crop substitution and develop substitute industries in Myanmar and Laos. By 2010, more than 180 Chinese enterprises had engaged in poppy crop substitution in Myanmar and Laos, with an accumulative farming area of 210,000 hectares (120,000 hectares in Myanmar and 90,000 hectares in Laos) and involving 47 substitute crops, including rubber, sugar cane, rice, corn, and fruits. The crop substitution projects have created jobs for local residents, encouraged a lot of opium farmers to abandon poppy planting, and effectively elevated the living standards of local people. Chinese enterprises engaging in crop substitution have also built roads, bridges and canals in northern Myanmar and Laos, and thus contributed to the improvement of local infrastructure.
11. Science and Technology
The Chinese government has attached much importance to science and technology exchanges and cooperation under the GMS framework. For many years, in line with the multilateral and bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding between GMS countries on science and technology cooperation, and in light of the needs of various GMS countries, China has further advanced and enhanced bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the other GMS countries in this field, by jointly conducting science and technology exchange projects, holding training programs, hosting academic seminars, and donating research equipment. Since 2008, under bilateral cooperation frameworks, the Chinese science and technology authority has cooperated with its Thai and Vietnamese counterparts to support and implement 37 short-term exchange projects and 36 long-term cooperative research programs. From 2008 to 2010, China held annual science and technology training programs for the other GMS countries. A total of 368 trainees participated in 81 courses on such subjects as agriculture, resources and the environment, information technology, biomedicine, engineering and machinery manufacturing. Besides, China' s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has provided annual training for the science and technology administrative officials of its Vietnamese counterpart. Between 2008 and 2011, a total of 113 science and technology officials from the local and central governments of Vietnam received such training. In the past three years, the MOST has held three annual science and technology seminars of GMS countries to exchange experience in technology transfer and the formulation of science and technology polices and strategies. In 2009, China donated 500,000 RMB yuan worth of research equipment to Myanmar to support local scientific and technological development.
IV. Participation of China's Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in GMS Cooperation
Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi for short), located in the southwest frontier of China and bordering on Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, are important gateways to Southeast Asia and South Asia, and are at the front line of China' s participation in GMS cooperation. They cover an area of 637,070 square kilometers and have a combined population of 97.55 million. In 2010, Yunnan and Guangxi together realized a GDP of 1.67225 trillion RMB yuan, of which Yunnan accounted for 722.01 billion RMB yuan, up by 26.8% over 2008, and Guangxi 950.24 billion RMB yuan, up by 35.3% over 2008. In the same year, the two provinces registered a total export and import volume of 31.08 US billion dollars, up by 36.1% over 2008, of which 8.83 billion dollars were with the other GMS countries, up by 60% over 2008.
Yunnan Province has 15 ethnic minority groups who live across the border between Yunnan and the neighboring countries, and Guangxi is the autonomous region with the largest ethnic minority population in China. The two provinces enjoy ethnic harmony, amicable ties with the neighboring countries and close trade, economic and cultural ties with the other GMS countries. The other GMS countries are the key markets for Yunnan enterprises to explore and take part in international cooperation in sectors where they have competitive advantages, including hydropower, minerals, agriculture and tourism. They are also important partners for Guangxi in a series of key cooperation projects in such sectors as transportation, energy, tourism, and agriculture. The cooperation and exchanges between the two provinces and the other GMS countries in the fields of environmental protection, health, human resources development, and culture and arts have been dynamic. With a view of realizing common prosperity and affluence with its neighbors, China has always placed emphasis on the development and opening-up of its frontier regions. The 12th Five-Year Plan states clearly that Guangxi will be turned into a higher platform for China' s cooperation with ASEAN, Yunnan will serve as a gateway for China' s effort to open up toward the southwestern , and central Yunnan and the Beibu Bay Region of Guangxi have been listed as economic regions for priority development. These major policy measures will inject fresh vigor and vitality into the Greater Mekong Subregion, the two provinces included, and at the same time help deepen the two provinces' participation in GMS cooperation.
Thanks to the support and guidance of China' s central government, the cooperative relations between the two provinces and the related regions of the other GMS countries have been deepened since the third GMS summit. The cooperation mechanisms, including "the Yunnan-Northern Laos Working Team" , "the Yunnan-Northern Thai Working Team" , "the Economic Consultative Conference between Yunnan and the Four Provinces and Cities of Vietnam" , "the Joint Working Team of Yunnan and the Four Border Provinces of Vietnam" , and "the Joint Working Committee of Guangxi and the Four Border Provinces of Vietnam" , have functioned well, and cooperation in all fields has made steady progress.
Remarkable Achievement in Infrastructure Cooperation. As for roads, the two provinces have actively promoted the construction of the road network connecting GMS countries. The sections within Yunnan of the China-Laos-Thailand Road running from Kunming via Mohan and Vientiane to Bangkok, the China-Myanmar Road running from Kunming via Ruili to Rangoon, the China-Vietnam Road running from Kunming via Hekou to Hanoi, and the China-Myanmar-India Road running from Kunming via Tengchong and Myitkyina in Myanmar to Ledo in India, have all been renovated into higher-grade roads. By the end of 2010, all the roads in Guangxi leading to the Class I ports on the China-Vietnam border had been renovated into higher-grade roads. As for railways, the two provinces have been energetically pushing forward the projects of the construction of the Yuxi-Mengzi-Hekou Railway and the Dali-Ruili Railway and the expansion of the Kunming-Yuxi Railway and the Kunming-GuangTong Railway. As for shipping, the five-tier shipping lane system of the Lancang River has been built for transnational navigation along the Lancang/Mekong River, and the navigable period has been extended from previously half a year to basically the whole year. As for civil aviation, since 2008, Guangxi has opened air routes from Nanning to Ho Chi Minh City, Vientiane, Rangoon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok, realizing full connectivity between the Nanning Airport and GMS countries. The New Kunming International Airport of Yunnan, to be put in use at the end of 2011, has a designed capacity of transporting 65 million person-times and 2.3 million tons of cargo a year. With this airport, the fourth national-level gateway airport after the airports of Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, the capacity to reach the other GMS countries by air transportation has been enhanced. As for telecommunications, the Yunnan and Guangxi branches of the China Telecom have engaged in active cooperation with Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam in the deployment of international optical fiber cables, international voice services, Internet services, and cross-border call transfer services. Their services have covered all GMS countries.
Remarkable Progress in Industrial Cooperation. As for the cooperation on agriculture technology, on the basis of the two on-going projects of China-Vietnam demonstration parks for agricultural science and technology, Yunnan established similar parks in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar in 2010 to apply research findings concerning rice, dry rice, soybean and potato. All the projects have shown notable effect of yield increase. Guangxi conducted a series of agricultural cooperation projects with Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, and achieved sound results in sugar cane planting and processing, sisal hemp planting, new varieties of vegetables and fruits, and trial planting of hybrid maize. Meanwhile, following the instructions of the Ministry of Agriculture, Guangxi has carried out projects to demonstrate and promote the biogas technology for rural households in Cambodia. As for tourism cooperation, Yunnan has signed with Vietnam, Laos and other neighboring countries 14 agreements or memorandums of understanding on tourism cooperation, and compiled the Plan of Transnational Tourist Lines in the Golden Square Tourism Region and the Plan of Transnational Tourist Lines in the Shangri-la-Tengchong-Myitkyina Tourism Region. The province has worked with these countries to open several tourist routes, launch border tours, hold tourism festivals, invest in tourism projects, and train tourism managers. These cooperation endeavors have greatly boosted border tourism and cross-border tourism. Guangxi and three provinces of Vietnam, namely, Hanoi, Guangning and Lang Son, have signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Cooperative Administration of the China-Vietnam Border Tourism, and joined hands in developing the market for tourism between northern Vietnam and southern Guangxi. In March 2011, Guangxi officially implemented the regulation by which the processing of the application by Vietnam-bound tourist groups for Chinese citizens' border passes shall be started instantly upon filing, and completed on the same day of the application.
Steady Progress in Educational Cooperation. The universities and colleges in Yunnan have established long-term stable partnerships with the neighboring countries, and continued to expand the enrolment of foreign students. By 2010, the number of the students from the other GMS countries studying in Yunnan had reached about 8,000. In cooperation with their counterparts in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, the institutions of higher learning in Yunnan and Guangxi have set up a number of Confucius institutes to step up training of Chinese-speaking talents for these neighboring countries. Since 2008, Guangxi has been sending over 100 volunteers to Thailand each year to teach Chinese. The Guangxi University for Nationalities and the Guangxi Normal University have organized a number of training courses for teachers and trained over 100 Chinese language teachers from the other GMS countries.
V. Visions for Next Stage of Chinese Participation in GMS Cooperation
1. Transportation
China will further its cooperation with the other GMS members on road, water transportation, railway, and civil aviation. It will actively promote the construction of transportation passages and the related infrastructure in the GMS. It will speed up the renovation and improvement of the various domestic sections of the north-south passages as well as the related port facilities so as to form a road network covering all GMS countries as soon as possible. China will energetically engage in international shipping cooperation including that on the Lancang-Mekong River. It will promote the comprehensive and effective implementation of the CBTA as well as its annexes and protocols to realize convenient flow of personnel and goods among the six GMS members at an early date and boost the development of people-to-people exchange, trade and tourism in the subregion. It will speed up the construction of the domestic section of the Pan-Asia Railway, and meanwhile, take an active part in the international cooperation concerning this project to make joint efforts with the other GMS members for the project. On the basis of the Framework Agreement on China-ASEAN Aviation Cooperation, China will actively explore a framework for multilateral aviation cooperation. It will also work to strengthen cooperation in human resources development and capability building in the transportation field.
2. Power
In the new stage of dynamic development of power grid connectivity and power trade in the subregion, China will work with the other GMS countries to push forward the development and construction of power projects, to realize connectivity of the Chinese power grid with the power grids of the other GMS countries, and set up a GMS power trade coordination center, so as to further facilitate optimized allocation of GMS energy and resources, improve energy efficiency, and promote more efficient, low carbon, and sustainable use of energy. Such efforts will follow the strategic goals and tasks for energy cooperation defined in the Strategic Framework for the Next Ten Years of the GMS Program (2012-2022), and be based on full attention to ecological balance and environmental sustainability of the mainstream of the Mekong River. China will use its relative strength in power technology, capital and human resources as well as relatively rich experience in power planning, construction, operation and management to provide extensive support and services to the other GMS countries and make contribution to the power and economic development of GMS countries.
3. Information and Communications
China will actively facilitate the ICT development in the GMS, and continue to deepen its cooperation with the other GMS members in accordance with the agreed GMS Strategy for Information and Telecommunication Development. On the basis of the first stage of the GMS IS program, China will work with the other GMS members to carry out extensive cooperation in such fields as network operation and maintenance, pricing of the use of cross-border sections, and ICT application projects, and push forward the development of the GMS IS program. China will also conduct in-depth cooperation with the other GMS countries in such fields as rural communications development, deployment of broadband networks, new ICT cooperation, and ICT human resources development, so as to raise the overall development level of the information and communications sector in GMS countries.
4. Agriculture
China values and stands ready to deepen cooperation with the other GMS countries in such fields as food security, agricultural infrastructure, agricultural investment and trade, agricultural technological innovation, agricultural consultancy services, cross-border monitoring of animal and plant epidemics and diseases, protection of natural resources, and rural sustainable development, so as to promote the overall development of agriculture and the rural economy.
In the coming three years, China will work for the convening of the second GMS Meeting of Agricultural Ministers so that GMS countries can discuss the key areas and projects for future agricultural cooperation, reinforce international and inter-agency policy coordination, speed up the harmonization of inspection and quarantine standards for agricultural products, and further eliminate the barriers to agricultural investment and trade. It will cooperate closely with the other GMS countries to actively explore the development of an agricultural industrial belt with unique features along the economic corridor. China will encourage its major agricultural provinces to conduct agricultural cooperation with the other GMS countries, and bring into play the advantages of small- and medium-sized enterprises so as to expand the scope and lift the level of the cooperation.
Meanwhile, China will cooperate with the other GMS countries to set up cross-border monitoring stations and laboratories for the prevention and control of animal and plant epidemics and diseases, and experimental stations for high-quality crop varieties. It will step up the experiment and demonstration on high-yield crops, and raise the level of food security. It will promote the cooperation on the development and utilization of renewable energy in rural areas, encourage product and technological innovation, and push forward the implementation of a batch of key cooperation projects. China will continue to improve the agricultural information website, and bring into full play its role in facilitating agricultural trade and knowledge sharing.
In the coming three years, China will train another 300 agricultural professionals for the other GMS countries in China, and send 100 agricultural experts and technicians to these countries to provide field guidance.
5. Environment
Enhanced environmental cooperation is an important prerequisite for the protection of the ecological environment and the common development of GMS countries. As an active advocate and mover of GMS environmental cooperation, China will continue to pursue environmental cooperation and advance the protection of the GMS ecological environment. In light of different developmental stages of GMS countries, China will work with the other GMS members under the principle of "working together to protect Mother Earth through mutual help and coordination" to set a shining example of south-south cooperation on the environment and development. China will take an active part in the second stage of the CEP-BCI program, and seek to enrich the GMS framework for environmental cooperation. With the deepening of the GMS cooperation, China will, centering on the CEP-BCI program, carry out cooperation on ecological restoration and poverty relief, the protection of forest ecological system and biodiversity and implementation of international environmental conventions, and advance the organizational development and capability building of environmental administration agencies to promote the sustainable development of the Greater Mekong Subregion.
6. Human Resources Development
In multiple forms, at multiple levels, and through multiple channels, the Chinese government will, as always, use the existing platforms and channels to enhance cooperation and exchanges with the other GMS countries to boost human resources capability building. China will strengthen cooperation with the other GMS countries in the fields of women development and gender equality, and continue to provide training to women organizations and agencies on gender equality, women' s participation in economic and social development, and capability building for women leaders. It will continue to hold training courses at Guangxi International Youth Exchange College in China for young leaders from ASEAN countries, and train about 150 young leaders for the other five GMS countries every year. It will continue to cooperate with Thailand on the "Lancang/Mekong Youth Friendship Exchange" program. The Chinese government will hold high-level seminars to discuss experience and practices of gradually raising the level of social insurance actively and prudently pursuing coordinated urban-rural development and social and economic development, and explore the model of human resources capability building under the new circumstances. China will also further intensify exchanges and cooperation with law enforcement agencies of the other GMS countries at border ports, and improve the competence of the border inspection staff in foreign language proficiency, policy familiarity, law enforcement, and inspection and administration capabilities.
7. Health
China will continue to enhance health cooperation with the other GMS countries under the current cooperation mechanisms and strive to enrich such cooperation. It will continue to conduct pilot cooperation projects on AIDS and malaria prevention and control at the China-Myanmar, China-Laos, and China-Vietnam border areas, and gradually increase the geographic coverage and deepen such cooperation. China will strive for the continuous development of the projects of Dengue fever prevention and control at the China-Myanmar, China-Laos and China-Vietnam border areas. It will continue to step up its cooperation with the other GMS countries on setting up a mechanism for epidemic information exchange and sharing, and expand the cooperation to such fields as maternity and child health and chronic non-infectious diseases. China will actively participate in the work of the health subgroup of the human resources working team, step up inter-departmental and inter-regional coordination and cooperation at home, and comprehensively promote the level of health cooperation with the other GMS countries.
8. Tourism
The Chinese government will continue to support and promote GMS cooperation on tourism on the national level, and beef up communication and coordination. It will further improve cooperation mechanisms and raise efficiency. China will step up the development of tourism infrastructure and human resources, push forward the execution of the projects led by China, actively promote GMS tourism development, cultivate an integrated GMS tourism destination, and advance GMS tourism facilitation by actively studying the possibility of a single GMS tourism visa system. The Chinese government will support and give guidance to the participation of Yunnan and Guangxi in GMS tourism cooperation and development. Yunnan will seek to do a good job in tourism cooperation with the north of Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand and the whole of Myanmar. Guangxi will accelerate the development and construction of the Pan-Beibu Bay tourism region and the China-Vietnam cooperation on the "two tourism corridors and one tourism region" , and push forward the implementation of the development plan for the Weizhou Island Tourism District of Beihai City.
9. Trade and Investment
While implementing the Strategic Framework for the Next Ten Years of the GMS Program (2012-2022) and the Plan of Action for Trade and Transportation Facilitation, China will do its best to advance the development of the economic corridor together with the other GMS countries and the ADB. The Chinese government will strengthen policy coordination with the other GMS countries to promote mutual investment, and strive for practical outcomes in such key areas as port administration coordination, improvement of inspection and quarantine mechanisms, formulation of a subregional trade and logistics strategy, and enhancement of trade facilitation mechanisms of the subregion and its member countries. China will push forward the full and effective implementation of the CBTA, actively promote the development of cross-border economic cooperation areas, so as to further raise the level of trade facilitation and the ability to attract investment along the GMS economic corridor and comprehensively uplift trade and investment level of the subregion. Meanwhile, China will step up capability building by providing more training opportunities to government officials, especially law enforcement officers at border ports, sharing experience and practices in the various fields of trade facilitation with the other GMS countries, and encouraging the business community to participate in the GMS cooperation in greater depth through organizing various business exchange activities.
10. Drug Control and Crop Substitution
China will further enhance cooperation with the other GMS countries in the field of drug prohibition, crop substitution and alternative development, further improve the cooperation mechanisms, and steadily increase its support to these countries in the form of personnel training and assistance in kind. China will increase its financial and policy support for crop substitution, and press ahead with the development of the demonstration projects, so as to play a positive role in ensuring sustained, healthy and all-round development of crop substitution and reducing illegal opium planting in the subregion.
11. Science and Technology
Science and technology is an important field of the GMS cooperation. China will continue to use the existing mechanisms and channels to further enhance its science and technology exchanges and cooperation with the other GMS countries through, among other channels, science and technology cooperation projects ,training sessions and seminars. The Chinese government will support the effort of Yunnan in establishing an international technology transfer center and enhancing ability to transfer technology to the other GMS countries in such fields as clean energy, energy efficiency, health and agriculture.
The "China-ASEAN Science and Technology Partnership Program" to be started at the end of 2011 will take science and technology cooperation between China and the other GMS countries as a priority to promote and support.
English.news.cn 2011-12-16 21:33:36
BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua)
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