Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games

VOL. XXVII No. 8 August 2015 Rs. 20.00

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Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng visits the Vivekananda International Foundation on August 6th

China Embassy celebrated the 88th anniversary of the founding of PLA on July 22nd, 2015.

Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng meets with Shashi Tharoor, chairman of the Indian Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee on August 3rd, 2015.

Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng visits the headquarter of The WEEK magazine on August 10th

Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng meets with ORF senior research fellow Dr. C. Raja Mohan on July 30th, 2015.

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CONTENTS3

BEIJING WINS BID TO HOST 2022 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES

1. Winter Olympics Brings Opportunities for Ancient City's Revival 62. 2022 Olympics Effect Emerging in China 73. Economic Impact of Beijing Winter Olympics 84. For Beijing Winter Olympics, Why the Sour Grapes? 14

CHINA-INDIA RELATIONS

1 New Dynamism in China-India Relations 15Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Le Yucheng at Vivekananda International Foundation

2. Ambassador Le Yucheng's Interview with The WEEK 193. Discovering Happiness in Bhutan 22

4. A Trip to the God's Own Country 25

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

1. Chinese Premier Hails BRICS Bank 282. BRICS Bank Hailed as Contributive to Building Fairer Global Governance 293. Yang Jiechi and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 31

Philip Hammond of the UK Co-chair China-UK Strategic Dialogue4. Wang Yi on the South China Sea Issue at the ASEAN Regional Forum 325. Link up China's "Belt and Road" Initiative with Development Strategies of 36

ASEAN Nations to Open up New Prospects for China-ASEAN Relations6. Chinese FM Calls for Closer Cooperation Among ASEAN, China, Japan, S. Korea 397. Grasping the Historical Opportunity to Promote ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation 41

CREATED IN CHINA

1. BYD 442. DAJIANG 453. SMARTISAN PHONE 47

CULTURE & LIFE

1. Images From China: The China Flicks 512. When the Internet Meets Agriculture 543. China's Box Office at Record High 554. China’s Growing Interest in Fitness Shapes up Industry 575. JET LI – King of Kungfu 59

TIBET TODAY

1 Ten Data Reflecting Tibet's Changes Over the Past 50 Years 612. Achievements of Tibet Autonomous Region in 50 Years 63

Book Review 66Flights Between China and India 67CCTV 69CRI72 70

6 Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games News From China August 2015

Winter Olympics Brings Opportunities for Ancient City’s Revival

S h i j i a z h u a n g , Au g . 7 ( X i n h u a ) —

Zhangjiakou was once a booming horse and fur

hub in ancient China, but with cars and textiles

replacing its economic lifeblood in modern

times the northwestern city has been reduced

to poverty.

Located 200 kilometers northwest of

Beijing, the city is home to 10 national-level

poverty-stricken counties, accounting for a

quarter in the province.

Hundreds of years ago, it played an

international role as a gateway to Russia for

China’s booming horse and fur trade. It also

boasts China’s first independently-built railway,

the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway built in 1909.

But it has lagged far behind its eastern peers

and moved slowly since the opening-up reform

in 1978. with a population of 4.6 million, its per

capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014

was 30,729 yuan (5,021 U.S. dollars), less than a

third of Beijing.

With a weak industrial foundation, it is now

facing a tough economic situation. Its annual

GDP growth dropped to 5.2 percent in 2014

from 14 percent in 2010.

The attention brought by the 2022 Winter

Olympics will translate into economic benefits

that will be a windfall for the city’s

development, said Chen Jian, deputy head of the

China Society of Economic Reform.

C o n s t r u c t i o n o f s p o r t s v e n u e s ,

infrastructure and rising tourism revenues will

contribute 7 percent to the annual GDP growth

in Zhangjiakou, lifting poor people out of

poverty in 2022, said Chen.

The number of tourists in Chongli County,

which will host the biathlon, Nordic combined,

ski jumping, snowboard, and freestyle skiing

events in the 2022 Winter Olympics, rose to 1.67

million in 2014, up more than 60 percent than

that of 2012, according to official statistics.

Property prices in the county rose from

4,000 yuan per square meter in 2012 to more

than 7,000 yuan per square meter in 2015,

according to a housing agent surnamed Hou.

SACRIFICE, INTEGRATION WITH BEIJINGA location of military importance for

centuries, Zhangjiakou opened to the outside

world in 1995, more than 10 years after China’s

introduction of economic reform and opening-

up policies.

The city has seen slow economic growth due

to its heavy responsibility as an ecological

protective screen for Beijing.

In order to shield sandstorms from Inner

Mongolia, Zhangjiakou constantly spent money

to plant trees. As it is on the upper reaches of the

Miyun Reservoir, the biggest source of water for

Beijing, it needs to provide abundant water flow

and ensure its quality.

Agriculture and industrial projects with

high water consumption and pollution risks are

banned in the city. Paddy rice was ordered to be

changed into less profitable corn crops in order

to save water since 2007.

Around 16,600 hectares of farmland in

Chicheng County, Zhangjiakou City, have been

transformed into forest since 1992, which

reduced the local government’s revenue by

about 260 million yuan annually.

Although Beijing has given massive

ecological compensation to Zhangjiakou over

the past decade, the investment did not

BEIJING WINS BID TO HOST 2022 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES

7Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter GamesNews From China August 2015

translate into new growth.

Without transferring industry, capital or

resources, Zhangjiakou cannot have substantial

development, said Liang Haoguang, head of the

economy research institute with the Beijing

Academy of Social Sciences.

Improving transportation infrastructure

will speed up the transfer process. A high-speed

railway is currently under construction and will

cut the travel time between Beijing and

Zhangjiakou from three hours to around 40

minutes once completed in 2017.

Zhongguancun Science and Technology

Park, a high-tech pioneer in the country, will

set up a branch in Zhangjiakou, which will

bring electronics and information industry as

well as advanced manufacturing to the city,

said Liang.

A guideline on coordinated development

for Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei was approved

by the Political Bureau of the Communist

Party of China Central Committee in April.

L iang suggested using Zhangj iakou’s

abundant tourism resources in the regional

framework.

“The joint bid for the Winter Olympics is a

milestone of the regional coordinated

development,” said Gu Shengzu, a Beijing-based

senior economist.

“Without the exceptional snow in Chongli

County and Beijing’s experience and reputation,

the bid would not have been successful.”

The State Council, or China’s cabinet, has

approved the establishment of a renewable

energy demonstration zone in Zhangjiakou,

which will bring unprecedented opportunities

to the city, said Guo Junfeng, deputy head of the

m u n i c i p a l d e v e l o p m e n t a n d r e f o r m

commission.

High-tech industry, new energy vehicles,

high-end equipment manufacturing, biological

m e d i c i n e a n d to u r i s m h ave b e c o m e

Zhangjiakou’s new development focus, said

Guo.

More than 200 programs with 20 million

U.S. dollars investment each were signed in

Zhangjiakou in 2014. More than 80 wind power

projects are under construction or planning, he

said.

The Winter Olympics will bring more than

200,000 jobs to the local residents and

drastically change lives in Zhangjiakou, said Hou

Liang, mayor of the city.

2022 Olympics Effect Emerging in China

Beijing, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) — Still roughly

seven years to go before the 2022 Winter

Olympics open in Beijing, the “Olympic Effect”

has begun to emerge.

For co-bidder Zhangjiakou, the successful

bid not only means holding snow events, but

also a catalyst for social and economic

development.

Changes have already taken place in

Chongli, a county in Zhangjiakou where cross

country, freestyle and other skiing events would

be held. Polluting mines are being closed, a

specific measure to clear smog.

And, Chongli has attracted more tourists

and skiing fans since Beijing launched the joint

bid with Zhangjiakou in November, 2013.

The 2022 Winter Games is expected to

further bolster local tourism and the skiing

industry. Zhangjiakou expects the 2022 event to

generate 350 billion yuan of investment and

create 200,000 jobs.

Preparations for the Winter Olympics will

accelerate the economic integration of this area

into Beijing and Tianjin, its two developed

8 News From China August 2015

neighboring municipalities.

A high-speed railway under construction

linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou will cut the

travel time from the capital to Chongli to around

50 minutes.

In Beijing, the authorities have vowed to

curb air pollution, cutting PM2.5 by 20 percent

by 2017, and by 45 percent in 2022. The

Olympics will push Beijing to clean its sky. In

another word, more blue skies might be the

most important legacy of the event.

Beijing beat Almaty by 44 votes to 40 to win

the hosting rights of the 2022 Winter Olympics

at the 128th IOC session on July 31.

Economic Impact of Beijing Winter Olympics

Beijing, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Clinching the

winter olympics will provide hefty economic

opportunities for Beijing and its surrounding

regions, analysts say.

Seven years after the capital successfully

hosted the summer olympics,Beijing’s

victorious winter olympic bid last Friday has

triggered a string of investment in venues,

transportation and environment.

According to Beijing’s bid committee, the

budget for the winter games is projected at 1.56

billion US dollars, with a further 1.51 billion

used on infrastructure renovation.

With a rich legacy left by the summer

olympics, China plans to re-use the existing 11

venues and only needs to build a new rink for

speed skating, effectively easing possible

problems of facilities being left idle after the

games.

On transportation, a high-speed railway

Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games

9News From China August 2015

linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou, where some of

the skiing events will be held, is expected to be

constructed around 2019 to cut travel time

between the two cities to 50 minutes.

As air quality and snow conditions are

regarded as two of the major challenges for

Beijing’s Winter Olympic Games, investments

will be made to address the issue.

Beijing began implementing a five-year plan

from 2013 that cost 130 billion US dollars to

upgrade heating systems, cut car emissions and

close heavy-polluting plants. Neighboring

metropolitan Tianjin and Hebei province have

adopted similar measures.

A second five-year plan to further improve

air quality is being studied, according to Beijing

Mayor Wang Anshun.

The policies are already producing notable

effects. Concentration of PM2.5, airborne

particles measuring less than 2.5 microns, has

been reduced by 15.2 percent year-on-year in

the first half of the year in Beijing, according to

statistics from the Beij ing Municipal

Environmental Protection Bureau.

According to an existing plan, the city aims

to cut PM2.5 density by 20 percent by 2017,

c o m p a r e d w i t h 2 0 1 2 . H o w e v e r, a n

environmental official of the city predicted the

reduction could reach 25 percent.

In the co-host city Zhangjiakou, the State

Council has approved a renewable energy

demonstration zone that aims to fully rely on

renewable energy to provide electricity and

heating for the Olympic center and venues.

Chen Jian, deputy head of the China Society

of Economic Reform, said Beijing’s successful

bid for the Winter Olympics will significantly

promote infrastructure and environment

development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei

region, as well as development of many other

industries.

SPORTS INDUSTRYOn the back of the Winter Olympics, the

Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games

10 News From China August 2015

Beijing municipal government is looking at

fostering sports-related industry as a new

growth driver to power its economy.

According to the government plan, Beijing

aims to bring the value of its sports industry to

300 billion yuan by 2025, and develop world-

class sports enterprises.

To encourage the industry, the city

government plans to set up an investment fund

to guide social capital into sports.

Chen forecast by 2025, China’s sports

industry will be valued at 800 billion U.S.

dollars, generating around 600,000 new jobs.

GROWTH TRANSFORMATIONApart from the massive opportunities for

Beijing, the 2022 Winter Olympics will also

offer unprecedented benefits to its less

developed neighbors and help them upgrade

growth models.

Chongli County under Zhangjiakou city,

where about 50 gold medals will be on offer for

snow events in 2022, has evolved from a small,

unknown place where residents relied on

mining for income into a hot tourist destination

for skiing fans.

Last year, the county received more than 2

million tourists that brought related revenue to

1.41 billion yuan.

The Winter Olympic Games are expected to

further bolster local tourism and the skiing

industry. Zhangjiakou expects the event to

generate 350 billion yuan of investment and

create 200,000 jobs for the city.

Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games

11News From China August 2015 Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games

14 News From China August 2015

Beijing, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) —

China’s national strength grows

amid skepticism. Beijing’s bid

for hosting the 2022 Winter

Olympic Games is a latest

example.

S k e p t i c i s m c o n t i n u e s

though the International

Olympic Committee (IOC) has

endorsed Beijing’s bid. While

some doubts deserve serious

consideration, those habitual

China skeptics should answer at

least one question: for the

Beijing event, why can’t you take

it as a sweet grape?

Their first doubt is that

Beijing and its co-host city

Zhangjiakou are short of snow.

It’s true that snow is the first

and foremost thing for a Winter Games, but

don’t forget artificial snow.

Beijing’s bidding committee has assured the

world that snow-making facilities can satisfy

the demand for the event. If critics don’t believe

in Beijing, they should wait and see if the IOC’s

choice lest them down.

A concern related to artificial snow is the

consumption of water, which Beijing is short of.

Artificial snow will consume only one percent of

the local water supply, far less than the so-called

“environmental disaster” claimed by some

critics.

It’s true that smog is a serious issue, but the

government is tackling the problem. Now with

the successful bid, Beijing has vowed to treat air

pollution, cutting PM2.5 by 20 percent by 2017,

and by 45 percent in 2022. The event will push

Beijing to clean its sky. In another word, more

blue skies might be the most important legacy of

the event.

Change is already taking place in Chongli, a

county in Zhangjiakou where some of the skiing

events will be held. Polluting mines are being

closed, a specific measure to clear smog.

The county is also embracing more tourists

and skiing fans. It is estimated that China has

about one million skiing fans. Chongli’s resorts

attract skiers from neighboring Beijing, Tianjin

and other areas in north China.

The Olympic Games is expected to further

bolster local tourism and the skiing industry.

Zhangjiakou expects the event to generate 350

billion yuan of investment and create 200,000

jobs.

Infrastructure investment and job

opportunities are believed to be able to drive

local economic development in Zhangjiakou

and its neighboring areas, part of a poverty belt

around Beijing.

Preparations for the Olympics will

accelerate the economic integration of this area

For Beijing Winter Olympics, Why the Sour Grapes?

President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach announces that Beijing won the bid to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games at the 128th International Olympic Committee session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 31, 2015.(Xinhua/Gong Lei)

Beijing Wins Bid to Host 2022 Olympic Winter Games

15China-India RelationsNews From China August 2015

into Beijing and Tianjin, its two developed

neighboring municipalities. A high-speed

railway under construction linking Beijing and

Zhangjiakou will cut the travel time from the

capital to Chongli to around 50 minutes.

It’s true that not all Beijingers or not all

Chinese back Beijing’s bid for the Winter

Games, but it’s at least equally true that many

Beijingers and many Chinese people support it.

Western media critics should not neglect the

other half.

It’s needless to say that Beijing has many

problems to resolve before a successful winter

games, but has seven years to ready itself.

Critics also have the same time to wait and

see, long enough for them to look back at their

similar doubts, skepticism and even accusations

when Beijing bid and prepared for the 2008

Summer Games.

Beijing and China are quite different now

compared to the years when it bid for the 2008

event, but the critics seem to have remained

unchanged. One truth for them to learn: those

who get the grapes know quite well they are

sweet. Sour-grapes are for the disappointed

fox.

CHINA-INDIA RELATIONS

New Dynamism in China-India Relations

Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Le Yucheng at Vivekananda International Foundation

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning! It gives me great pleasure to

come to Vivekananda International Foundation

(VIF), a world renowned think tank, and see so

many heavy weight figures and familiar faces. I

am a loyal reader of your publications and find

them inspiring and thought-provoking. You

have extensive exchanges with Chinese think

tanks and scholars and have done a lot to

advance China-India relations. I wish to

commend your efforts and contribution, and

hope you will keep up the good work.

VIF is named after Swami Vivekananda, so I

would like to begin my remarks today by

q u o t i n g a l i n e f r o m V i v e k a n a n d a ,

“Relationships are more important than life, but

it is important for those relationships to have

life in them.” I can’t agree more and I think the

relationship between our two countries is now

full of life, dynamism and opportunities.

On my way here, it dawned upon me that I’ve

been Chinese Ambassador to India for nearly 11

months now. Well, 11 months is a short span in

the flow of history or in the context of

international relations. But thanks to joint

efforts from both sides, the past 11 months have

seen tremendous and tangible changes in

China-India relations, changes that would be

hard to envisage a year ago. Let me illustrate my

point by sharing with you a few milestone

events that happened in the past year.

1. President Xi and PM Modi met for five

times, including their mutual visit.

2. Two Chinese industrial parks in

Maharashtra and Gujarat are taking shape.

3. Peace and tranquility have been

maintained at the border areas.

4. Nathula pass was opened for Indian Yatris

to Kailash Manasarovar.

5. E-visa was launched for Chinese tourists.

6. The Local Leaders’ Forum was set up and

16 China-India Relations News From China August 2015

first meeting was held.

7. More sister city and State/Province

relationships were established.

8. Indian Yoga and Chinese Taichi met in

exchange.

The list can be much longer, not to mention

the growing mil-to-mil relations, people-to-

people exchanges, and contacts between media

and think tanks, etc. But it’s already clear that

the page has been turned, game changed, and a

new chapter opened. There are many new

defining features of the new chapter. I wish to

summarize the features with 4Ds:

First, breakthrough development. The

events I listed above are not small ones or

chance event, but real, significant and

unprecedented changes. They tell us how far

our relations have come from estrangement to

engagement, from divergence to convergence,

and from possible cooperation to irreversible

cooperation. The chemistry between our

leaders is a telling example. We still remember

how President Xi tried his hand on a legendary

Charkha and swung on the typical Gujarati

Jhoola with Prime Minister Modi during his visit

to India, how the two leaders walked together in

the Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, and how Prime

Minister Modi opened his Weibo account to

communicate with Chinese fans and took the

“super selfie” with Premier Li. Those pictures

suggest evident chemistry and amazing human

touch that were rarely seen before. Take Nathula

pass as another example, what used to be a point

of military face-off has now been opened up for

friendly exchanges and become a path for

Indian pilgrims to realize their dream of life,

Yatra to Kailash Manasarovar. I personally went

to Nathula Pass to welcome the yatris. The

opening of the new route is not only significant

in a religious sense, but will also promote trade,

tourism and personnel exchanges and

cooperation.

Second, clear direction. If China-India

relations can be likened to a train, the past

Ambassador meets with the Chairman of V.I.F.Le Yucheng

17News From China August 2015

narrative had an ambiguity as to where the train

is headed to. Over the past decades, we did have

moments when the relationship showed signs

of warming up, but each time we were too much

focused on disputes and sensitive issues,

neglecting or even curbing practical

cooperation and personnel exchanges. And

security issues seemed to have the veto power

over our relations. As a result, a warming

relationship inevitably cooled down and

opportunities lost. But now the direction is

clear and consensus reached to focus on

c o o p e r a t i o n a n d b u i l d i n g a c l o s e r

developmental partnership while properly

managing differences and preventing them

from affecting the overall relations. By making

the pie of cooperation bigger, we will gradually

build the reservoir of mutual trust and

accumulate necessary conditions for the

problems to be addressed. I participated the

boundary talks between China and Russia. In

the last century, the talks went on for decades

without much result, and it was only after the

normalization of relations and with growing

cooperation and exchanges that we finally

resolved the issue. The same spirit applies to

our boundary talks. Agreement cannot be

reached without basic trust and cooperation. If

we even don’t know each other well, how can we

make a deal? As I said, the border areas have

maintained overall peace and tranquility. This is

hard-won result, we have done a lot to make it

possible. Yes, we still have and will continue to

have differences, but as Foreign Secretary

Jaishankar said in his recent speech in

Singapore, the direction we are moving should

be clear even if much work remains to be done.

To build trust and advance cooperation, that’s

the direction where our train is headed to.

Third, all-round dynamism. Dynamic

participation by all society is crucial if the

relationship is to enjoy all-round growth. Unlike

the past when China-India relations were

mainly driven by government contacts and

China-India Relations

Ambassador Le Yucheng makes a speech at V.I.F.

18 News From China August 2015

l e a d e r s h i p - l e v e l

exchanges, now every

cell of the society is

mobilized to address the

familiarity gap and

promote cooperation:

businesses, localities,

media, academics and

the general public. There

is growing passion in

each other and the

business community is a

major driving force.

Business people from

both sides are eager to

explore the potential of

each other’s market.

M a n y C h i n e s e

companies, optimistic about the promises the

Indian market has to offer, have scaled up their

investment in India, among them such well-

known brands as Xiaomi, Alibaba and Huawei.

Chinese real estate giant Wanda plans to work

with Haryana government to build a township

in Kharkhoda. The first phase, a cultural and

entertainment park, involves US$10 billion

investment, and the second, an industrial park,

will soon follow. As for local relations, the Local

Leaders’ Forum is a good platform, and there is

also the mechanism of exchange visits between

Chinese governors and Indian Chief Ministers.

So a number of Indian Chief Ministers have

visited China and every week I receive local

delegations from China. People-to-people

exchanges have picked up remarkably. The

recent story of a Chinese volunteer donating

stem cells to an Indian boy suffering from

leukemia have moved many people. The recent

implementation of e-visa for Chinese tourists is

the best footnote of the amity between our

people and is warmly received in China. Here I

must say that credit should be given to PM Modi

for this popular move. In a couple of years, the

number of Chinese visitors traveling to India is

expected to soar from the current 100,000 and

may well exceed one million. With e-visa comes

not only more tourists, but also better mutual

understanding, greater affinity, more business

opportunities and expanding cooperation.

F o u r t h , d e e p e n i n g m u l t i l a t e r a l

coordination. As the largest developing

countries and emerging market economies,

China and India have many common language

and similar positions on regional and global

affairs such as climate change, counter-

terrorism and financial reform, and enjoy close

coordination on multilateral fora, including the

UN, G20, East Asia Summit, BRICS, etc. At the

just concluded Ufa Summit, the Shanghai

Cooperation Organization (SCO) ratified the

resolution on India’s membership process. I am

sure that India’s membership will boost the

influence of and inject positive energy to the

SCO and open a new platform for our unfolding

cooperation. China and India are both founding

members of AIIB, and its largest and second

largest shareholders. The well-know Indian

banker Mr. Kamath was appointed President of

the BRICS New Development Bank. When I met

with him shortly before he left Delhi for the new

post in Shanghai, Mr. Kamath voiced his

commitment to running the new Bank with new

China-India Relations

19News From China August 2015

ideas and in a different way so that it will better

serve the interests of member states and the

developing world. I believe our cooperation in

all these institutions and areas will go a long

way in shaping the global economic and

political order and promoting peace and

development in Asia and beyond.

I hope the above 4D features will give you a

sense of the all-dimensional and dynamic

growth of China-India relations.

History has witnessed the friendly

exchanges China and India have enjoyed over

the millennium and the mutual support we

rendered each other in our struggle for

independence and liberation in modern times.

During WWII, while fighting for independence,

India provided valuable and selfless support for

the Chinese people’s anti-Fascist war.

We will not forget the Indian medical team

who came to China in the most difficult days of

the struggle to care for the wounded and save

lives. Among them Dr. Kotnis, who came from an

affluent family yet chose to give up the comfort

of life for a just cause in a brotherly country. He

took root in China and made the ultimate

sacrifice. In return, he is respected by a grateful

nation and loved by a grateful people.

This year, China will join many other

countries in commemorating the 70th

anniversary of the end of the World Anti-Fascist

War. We hope to draw lessons, pool wisdom and

gain strength from the past, cherish peace, and

work with India and all countries to usher in a

better tomorrow.

Profound changes are taking place in the

global landscape, and a new order and

equilibrium are in the offing in Asia Pacific.

China-India relations, with growing breadth

and depth, have gone beyond the bilateral scope

and are acquiring increasing global significance.

As major players, we must take up our due

responsibility with a sense of purpose and

mission. As ancient civilizations, we can and

should leverage our potential and contribute

o u r w i s d o m t o re g i o n a l a n d g l o b a l

development. Together, we can make a

difference.

Thank you!

Ambassador Le Yucheng's Interview with The WEEK

On August 14, 2015, Indian English

Magazine The WEEK published the interview to

Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng. The

full text is as follows:

What do you think of India’s China policy

under Prime Minister Narendra Modi? Do

you have any suggestions about improving

people-to-people contacts between the two

countries?

Prime Minister Modi attaches great

importance to developing relations with China.

He paid a successful visit to China in May, and

the commercial agreements signed during the

visit were worth more than $20 billion. A few

days ago, he announced that India formally

extended e-visa to Chinese tourists. In June,

China and India agreed to open a new

China-India Relations

20 News From China August 2015

pilgrimage route through Nathu La to Kailash-

Manasarovar.

China and India have a combined

population of 2.5 billion, which is 40 per cent of

the world’s population, but our people know too

little about each other. I think much remains to

be done.

We will enhance tourism cooperation. We

will also improve local cooperation and

encourage more cooperation between young

people, because they are the future of a country.

We will step up cultural exchanges and enhance

the friendship between the general public. A

Chinese volunteer recently donated his stem

cells to an unknown Indian boy. Last year, a

group of Indian businessmen in Zhejiang

Province donated blood to a Chinese girl

suffering from leukaemia. The amity between

the peoples holds the key to sound relations

between states.

Although trade ties between India and

China are growing, so is the trade imbalance,

which is skewed in China’s favour.

The root of the imbalance lies in the

differences in the industrial structures of the

two countries. China has done a lot to increase

import from India. Since 2008, China has sent

six trade delegations to India to help boost

imports from India. China hopes that India will

make full use of a variety of trading platforms

offered by China to promote trade. We also hope

that India can ease export restrictions on

products like iron ore and reduce export duties,

encouraging Indian enterprises to expand

exports of agricultural produces.

We should not use trade in goods as the only

measure to scale the economic relations

between the two countries. Finally, we will

increase mutual investments to promote

balanced trade. To encourage more Chinese

companies to invest in India and contribute to

“Make in India”, the key is to relax the visa

restrictions for Chinese enterprises and provide

more investment facilitation. As more Chinese

China-India Relations

21China-India RelationsNews From China August 2015

business people come,

i n v e s t m e n t

o p p o r t u n i t i e s w i l l

increase. This is an

important way to tackle

trade imbalances.

A s C h i n a g o e s

forward with its “Belt

and Road” strategy,

India seems to be

w o r r i e d a b o u t a

possible China-Russia-

Pakistan axis.

China’s “Belt and

Road” initiative is in

response to the need of

the times, and the goal is

to strengthen economic

cooperation among neighbouring countries,

promote cultural exchanges and achieve

common development. It has nothing to do with

geopolitics. Russia and Pakistan are important

neighbours of China and important countries

along the Silk Road. They support the “Belt and

Road” initiative and take an active part in it. Our

cooperation with them is going on well. India,

with its unique geographic location, is an

important country along the ancient Silk Road

and the Spice road, and now in the intersection

of “Belt and Road”.

The Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi case has

caused serious disquiet in Delhi. What

prompted China to take such a position?

When it comes to counter-terrorism, China,

India and Pakistan are all victims of terrorism,

and are firmly opposed to terrorism. There is no

contradiction between China and India on this

issue as it involves our

common interests. The

issue related to Zakiur

Rahman Lakhvi is of

multilateral nature, and

a s s u c h r e q u i r e s

communication and

coordination among

parties. It is natural that

China and India do not

see eye to eye on every

issue. In fact, China and

India are strengthening

cooperation in the fight

against terrorism.

Does China refuse

to see the Indian Ocean

region as a sphere of

Ambassador meets with the managing editor of The WEEK magazine.Le Yucheng

22 China-India Relations News From China August 2015

influence for India?

I have read the cover story of The WEEK on

July 25, titled “Indian Ocean becomes Chinese

Ocean”. It has an attractive cover photo, but I

don¡¯t agree with the conclusion.

China cannot develop without the Indian

Ocean, while India will grow beyond the

Indian Ocean. The sea routes via the Indian

Ocean are very important to China’s maritime

trade and energy supply and China hopes

India will respect China’s legitimate interests

and position in this region. Last year, the

Chinese navy docked in some ports of

countries around the Indian Ocean for

replenishment. This is an internationally

common practice and the regularly scheduled

mission of Chinese naval escort fleet to Gulf of

Aden and Somali waters.

India is the largest country in south Asia and

the Indian Ocean Rim and no country can

contain India. What China does is not against

India and we have no hidden agenda. China does

not have the so-called “string of pearls” strategy

to contain India.

Are you satisfied with the progress on the

border issue?

Historically, the Sino-Indian border has

never been delimited. Indians and Chinese have

lived in peace without dispute for a long time.

But, unfortunately, when the western colonists

invaded Asia, they also brought the Sino-Indian

border dispute. The border, however, has seen

peace and stability in recent years and the two

countries are making constructive efforts to

address the issue through negotiation. Special

Representatives for the border question have

held 18 meetings and achieved initial results.

Both sides have agreed with the political

guiding principles for solving the border

question and are doing close consultations in

accordance with the “three-step” road map.

Both countries have made significant progress

in controlling disputes and jointly maintaining

peace in the border region.

The Sino-Indian border question is a hassle

left by western colonialists. However, as ancient

civilisations, I am sure China and India will one

day resolve the problem with oriental wisdom.

Discovering Happiness in Bhutan

On July 25, 2015, the largest newspaper of

Bhutan “The Kuensel” published the article

“Discovering Happiness in Bhutan” of Chinese

Ambassador Le Yucheng. The full text is as

follows:

Known as the “Kingdom of happiness” and

the “last Shangri-la”, Bhutan has always had a

special appeal for me. Now that it is part of my

portfolio as Chinese ambassador to India, I am

excited to have the opportunity to visit the

Kingdom of Thunder Dragon and look for

Bhutanese answers to happiness.

From Paro to Thimpu, everywhere I went, I

feasted my eyes on the breathtaking landscape:

towering mountains, clear rivers, ancient

temples and colorful prayer flags. Even the

modern buildings, with a touch of the unique

architectural features, fit in well with the

pristine environment. Yes, Shangri-la would be

the right description, I thought to myself.

Bhutan is open as much as it is traditional.

Like people elsewhere, the Bhutanese people

watch TV, shop online, and use Twitter and

WeChat, yet at the same time, they still keep to

their tradition and live a simple life, wearing the

national dress Gho and Kira, enjoying the local

songs and dances, and playing the national sport

archery. Despite the hustle and bustle of the

outside world, Bhutan has found its own pace

and composure, and manged to strike a balance

between tradition and modernity, not

overwhelmed by greed or disturbed by material

23China-India RelationsNews From China August 2015

desires.

The successive kings are all visionary and

loved by the people. His Majesty the Fourth

Druk Gyalpo is no less than a legendary figure. It

was him that introduced democracy to Bhutan

and “invented” the world-renowned Gross

National Happiness (GNH). Thanks to this

people-oriented policy, Bhutanese people enjoy

free health care from cradle to grave and free

education from kindergarten to university.

Basic necessities are guaranteed and not a

single beggar or slum met our eyes.

My audience with His Majesty the Fifth King

is a particularly unforgettable experience.

Though only 35 years old, His Majesty has great

wisdom, strategic far-sight and a sense of

humor. He talked about his vision for Bhutan

that calls for not only good governance, but also

intelligent governance; a Bhutan with

democracy, but not the kind of democracy

blindly copied from other countries, and a

Bhutan with development strategies that look

beyond the short-term interests. He also spoke

of his admiration for China’s development and

his commitment to advance China-Bhutan

relations. I was profoundly moved by his wise

words and modesty.

In my extensive contacts with the Bhutanese

people, what struck me most was the

outpouring of friendship, not just towards us

foreigners, but also among themselves.

Whenever people meet, strangers and

acquaintances alike, smile was always on the

face. It seems that courtesy and politeness is in

their DNA, and quarrel or fight is simply not in

their dictionary.

For the Bhutanese people, religion is an

important part of life. The mountains and

valleys are dotted by temples. In Paro, I visited

the famous Taktsang Monastery. Some 3120

meters above the sea level in a dramatic cliff

setting, the Buddhist temple is majestic wonder.

As I watched countless believers making the Ambassador Le Yucheng meets with His Majesty the Fifth King of Bhutan

24 China-India Relations News From China August 2015

long pilgrim in the rugged terrain

up to the sacred temple, it dawned

upon me that the further away you

are from worldly desires, the

closer you are to real happiness.

I n d e e d , t h e p u r s u i t o f

happiness is a universal topic.

Through the short visit to the

Kingdom of Happiness, I’ve come

to realize that happiness is neither

unfathomable nor out of reach. It is

in the harmony of nature, the

preservation of tradition, the

kindness of people, the power of

faith and peace of mind. Happiness

is also a result of wise leadership

and good governance, and a result

of gratitude and contentment.

I wish the Bhutanese people

greater happiness!Taktshang Monastery, Bhutan

Thimphu, Bhutan

25China-India RelationsNews From China August 2015

In Hindu mythology,

Kerala was created by

Lord Parasurama, an

incarnation of Lord

Vishnu by throwing his

axe across the sea to

create a new land for his

people to live peacefully.

Hence it is called God’s

own country. With its

beautiful landscape,

charming coast and

pleasant weather, Kerala

truly lives up to this

name and was chosen by

National Geographic as

one of the “ten paradises

of the world” and “50

must see destinations of

a lifetime”.

I have been Chinese Ambassador to India for

nearly a year and heard a lot about this wonder

land. Recently at the invitation of the State

Government of Kerala as the Chief Guest of the

63rd Nehru Trophy Boat Race, I embarked on

the three-day trip to

God’s Own Country.

As an important

harbor along the ancient

maritime route, Kerala

h a d p l e n t y o f

interactions with other

parts of the world. In

1405, Admiral Zheng He,

a g r e a t C h i n e s e

navigator of the Ming

Dynasty, commanded

the largest fleet of the

time, sailed across the

Pacific towards Africa

and stopped at Colicut.

He exchanged gifts and

conducted fair trade

with the king of ancient

An Exciting Trip to God's Own Country

Le Yucheng

Ambassador Le Yucheng speaks at 63rd Nehru Trophy Boat Race, Kerala.

Ambassador Le Yucheng makes a speech at Cochin

26 China-India Relations News From China August 2015

Colicut, and forged a profound friendship with

local people. In his later voyages, Zheng He’s

fleet stopped at Colicut five more times. Sixty-

four years later, in 1469, the Portuguese

explorer Vasco da Gama, drawn by the wealth of

the Orient, traveled to this legendary place

across the Atlantic Ocean. He left with

considerable fortune for himself and a new

colony for his kingdom, and later returned as

the Governor to the colony. Perhaps it was

destiny that the two pioneers of exploration

both came here within one century and both

were laid to rest here. Standing in front of the

tomb of Vasco da Gama, I was lost in thought. It

were these brave hearts that opened the gate of

exchanges between the East and the West and

started the dialogue among civilizations. And

the land of Kerala, as part of history, has also

been recorded in the epoch of discovery.

The extensive exchanges Kerala had with

other countries contributed to its openness and

diversity. A narrow street in Kochin, a major city

in Kerala, is a telling example of this tradition.

Here a Jewish synagogue, a Christian church, a

Muslim mosque and a Hindu temple stand side

by side in incredible harmony. Touring around

the city, we saw imprints left by many countries,

Portuguese, Dutch, British, Arabs, Persian, etc.

In this sense, Kochi is a living museum of diverse

cultures and crystallization of the philosophy:

harmony with diversity.

Such open and inclusive tradition keeps

Kerala ahead of the times. In the 1960s, two

agricultural revolutions took place in India, the

“white revolution” drove India to the throne of

world’s No.1 milk producer while the “green

revolution” achieved significant increase in

food production. Dr. Verghese Kurien and Mr. M.

S. Swaminathan, the heralds of these two

revolutions, both have close links with Kerala.

And now this state of innovation begins to lead

India’s “ecological revolution”. Once out of Kochi

airport, I was impressed by a large area of solar

panels and the Light Rail Transit under

construction. The solar panels are providing

green energy for the airport, which is set to be

the world’s first fully solar-powered airport and

the LRT will become the basis for the low-

carbon high-efficient public transport system of

Kochi in the coming decades. In fact the concept

of eco-friendliness was everywhere in Kerala.

The villas in the resort we stayed in, Coconut

Lagoon, are reconstructed from antique

materials transported from other parts of the

state. The compound itself has a recycle and

filtration system to collect and reuse rain water.

And the manager told me that all hotels of their

group are environment-friendly and plastic bag

free—the garbage bags are made of non-woven

fabrics and the handbags are made of sterilized

used newspapers.

The open spirit and advanced development

approach help create a series of impressive

figures in Kerala: an average life expectancy of

72 years and a literacy rate of over 90 percent,

Ambassador Le Yucheng visits St. Francis Church

27China-India RelationsNews From China August 2015

both highest in India.

Three million among its

33 million citizens are

working abroad, and

remittance accounts for

nearly one-third of its

GDP. Kerala is also home

to quite a few media

giants in India, among

t h e m M a l a y a l a

M a n o r a m a G r o u p ,

whose influence is felt

not only in India but also

in the Middle East and

the Gulf region.

Kerala, famous for its

rich water resources, is

know as the “Venice of

t h e E a s t ” . W h e n

freshwater from its

rivers meets the seawater of the Arabian Sea,

“backwaters” are formed. Using coir and

thatches, local people turned old rice boats into

houseboats for sightseeing. And boating in the

backwater becomes a major tourist attraction.

The annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race is the most

celebrated festival here. A traditional snake

boat in the race is 39 meters long and can

accommodate a team of 110 people. As I

watched the rowers competing with passion

and heard tens of thousands of spectators

cheering in excitement along the 1.3 km

riverbank, I can’t help but think of the Chinese

dragon boat race. Though in different shape,

both call for teamwork and sportsmanship, and

both harvest happiness and hope.

During the dinner hosted by Chief Secretary,

JiJi Thomson, I had the pleasure of watching

Kalaripayattu performance, the traditional

Martial Arts of Kerala with a history of 3000

years. For a moment, I almost thought I was

watching Chinese Kungfu for there was such

striking similarity between the two. The local

traditional medicine, Ayurveda, is quite similar

to traditional Chinese medicine in terms of

harmony between man and nature and the use

of herbs. And I found the local cuisine closer to

Chinese food, fresh, delicate and delicious.

In addition to these intangible similarities, I

did find quite a few tangible Chinese elements

here. Along the Vembanad lake in Kochi Fort, we

visited the “Chinese Fishing Net”, brought here

by Chinese people 700 years ago and still in use

today. As I walked in and around the hotel, I

spotted jars, potteries and porcelains from

China, some 200 years old. In a private museum,

the curator showed me some ancient Chinese

coins dating back to centuries.

The boat race, martial arts, traditional

medicine, as well as Chinese fishing nets and

antiques, be they symbols of tangible or

intangible links, all speak volume about the

splendid ancient civilizations of our two

countries and their exchanges that inspired

each other to stimulate sparks of wisdom and

illuminate the history of mankind.

Today the two great nations of China and

India are at a new historical point. By joining

hands and aligning development strategies, we

can revive the glory of the ancient Silk Road and

Spice Route, achieve national renewal and

contribute more to the progress of mankind.

Ambassador Le Yucheng visits Kerala Folklore Museum.

28 External Affairs

Beijing, July 23 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier

Li Keqiang on Thursday hailed the opening of

the New Development Bank (NDB) as an

“important step forward” in cooperation among

BRICS countries.

“This is great progress in financial

cooperation among developing countries and

emerging economies, as well as a helpful

supplement to the global financial system,” Li

said while meeting NDB President K.V. Kamath

in Beijing.

The NDB opened in Shanghai on Tuesday to

finance infrastructure projects, mainly in BRICS

countries — the emerging economies of Brazil,

Russia, India, China and South Africa.

“We are ready to work with other partners

to improve governance structure, and build the

NDB as a professional, efficient, transparent and

green 21st-century multilateral development

bank,” Li said.

He expressed hope that the NDB can aid the

industrialization of developing countries, and

help with global connections.

The NDB will have an initial authorized

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Chinese Premier Hails BRICS Bank

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with President of the New Development Bank (NDB) K.V. Kamath in Beijing, capital of China, July 23, 2015. The NDB opened in Shanghai on Tuesday to finance infrastructure projects, mainly in BRICS countries — the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

News From China August 2015

29External AffairsNews From China August 2015

capital of 100 billion U.S. dollars, and initial

subscribed capital of 50 billion U.S. dollars

equally shared among the five founders.

Kamath told Li the NDB will exploit

potential for economic growth and industrial

cooperation among BRICS countries in an

i n n ova t ive way, to a c h i eve c o m m o n

development.

Li noted that China’s economy posted 7-

percent growth in the first half of 2015 in the

face of various challenges, and the country also

witnessed growth in employment and people’s

income.

He attributed these achievements to three

fa c to r s : a d e e p e n i n g o f re fo r m a n d

encouragement of entrepreneurship and mass

innovation, structural adjustment expanding

domestic demand, and attracting more foreign

investment.

The Chinese government is confident and

capable of properly handling risks and

challenges, to achieve medium-high growth and

push the Chinese manufacture to the medium-

high end of the value chain, the premier said.

BRICS Bank Hailed as Contributive to Building Fairer Global Governance

Beijing, July 22 (Xinhua) — The New

Development Bank (NDB) launched Tuesday by

the emerging-market bloc of BRICS has won

high praise from the international community,

particularly its role in helping establish a fairer

global governance system.

According to an agreement Brazil, Russia,

India, China and South Africa reached at the

sixth BRICS summit in Brazil a year ago, the

Shanghai-based bank aimed at financing

Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong (R), Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei (M) and K.V. Kamath, president of the New Development Bank(L), celebrate together as the New Development Bank, more commonly known as the BRICS Bank, was officially launched in Shanghai today. (Source:Shanghai Daily/Wang Rongjiang)

30 External Affairs News From China August 2015

infrastructure projects will start operations at

the end of this year or in early 2016.

“Without flowers or ribbon-cutting, the

opening ceremony of the NDB lasted no more

than 30 minutes,” a report from the website of

Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao said Wednesday,

describing Tuesday’s ceremony in Shanghai as

“low-key.”

“The establishment of the bank will help

solve the bottleneck of infrastructure

investment and financing facing emerging

markets and developing countries, promote

sustainable development and boost global

economic recovery and growth,” the report

quoted Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei as

saying.

A BBC report said Tuesday that the NDB will

lend money to developing countries to help

finance infrastructure projects, and noted that

“the group says it is not a rival” to the World

Bank and the International Monetary Fund

(IMF).

“Our objective is not to challenge the

existing system as it is, but to improve and

complement the system in our own way,” the

report quoted NDB President Kundapur Vaman

Kamath as saying.

The NDB will have an initial authorized

capital of 100 billion U.S. dollars, with the initial

subscribed capital of 50 billion dollars equally

shared by the founding members.

According to Jim O’Neill, a British economist

who coined the term “BRIC”, the BRICS’

influence is likely to rise as a group in terms of

global governance.

“What the bank will prioritize in terms of

lending and projects, we will have to wait and

see,” he said. “But one can think of many good

ideas including shared road and rail

infrastructure challenges, especially those with

some common borders.”

Reinaldo Goncalves, a professor of

international economics at the Federal

University of Rio de Janeiro, told the Brazilian

website Sputnik Brasil that the NDB and the

Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) are “an

interesting alternative” to the IMF.

Last July, the BRICS countries also agreed to

establish the CRA. China will contribute 41

billion dollars to the capital stock; India, Brazil

and Russia will each pay in 18 billion dollars;

and South Africa’s share will be 5 billion dollars.

Goncalves said he agreed with the Brazilian

government’s viewpoint that the NDB will play a

Shanghai, China

31External AffairsNews From China August 2015

decisive role in BRICS cooperation, promote

investment in infrastructure and sustainable

development, and benefit not only BRICS

nations but also other developing countries.

An article published recently on the website

of the Indian Express highlighted the

importance of the BRICS bank at a time when

the current Western-dominated international

financial system has been underperforming.

“Despite the best intentions of many

working at the World Bank and IMF, existing

international financial institutions have

consistently fallen short of their aim to provide

development assistance to the most

marginalized,” it said.

“With their often-problematic loan

conditions, they have at times impeded rather

than promoted equitable development. The

NDB could change this,” the article added.

Indian paper Business Standard said the

creation of newer multilateral development

banks such as the NDB and the Asian

Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

“demonstrate the aspirations of the developing

world for greater infrastructure and economic

development.”

Yang Jiechi and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond of the

UK Co-chair China-UK Strategic Dialogue

On August 13, 2015, State Councilor Yang

Jiechi and Secretary of State for Foreign and

Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond of the

UK co-chaired in Beijing the China-UK Strategic

Dialogue. They agreed to take the opportunity

of President Xi Jinping¡¯s visit to the UK to open

up a new chapter in China-UK relations

together.

Yang Jiechi expressed that at the invitation

of Queen Elizabeth II, President Xi Jinping will

pay a state visit to the UK. The visit will play an

important guiding role in the long-term

development of bilateral relations and be of

historic significance. China will enhance

coordination with the UK to earnestly prepare

for the visit and accumulate the results, and take

the opportunity of President Xi Jinping¡¯s visit

to the UK to re-orient and blueprint bilateral

relations, usher in a new prospect for bilateral

practical cooperation and set a new model for

international cooperation.

Yang Jiechi noted that as this year marks the

beginning of the second decade of China-UK

comprehensive strategic partnership, it is

32 External Affairs News From China August 2015

hoped that the UK will apply a China policy that

is more active and open and join hands with

China to construct bilateral comprehensive

strategic partnership. On the occasion of the

70th anniversary of the World Anti-Fascist War

and the founding of the UN, China will work

with the international community including the

UK to commit to safeguarding the victorious

outcome of the World War II, and to promote the

new type of international relations with win-

win cooperation at the core in line with the

purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

Philip Hammond stressed that President Xi

Jinping¡¯s state visit to the UK will make 2015 an

important year in UK-China relations. The UK

government is speeding up various preparation

work and will enhance cooperation with China

to ensure a complete success of and positive

results from the visit thus elevate bilateral

relations to a new level.

Both sides also exchanged views on

international and regional topics of common

interest.

Wang Yi on the South China Sea Issue at the ASEAN Regional Forum

On 6 August local time, during the Foreign

Ministers’ Meetings of the East Asia Summit

(EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the

Philippine Foreign Minister attacked China on

its South China Sea policy and trumpeted the

arbitration case against China. The Japanese

Foreign Minister supported the Philippines and

claimed that artificial land features do not

generate legal rights and interests. Foreign

Minister Wang Yi made an impromptu response

by comprehensively elaborating China’s

position and refuting the groundless

accusations from the Philippines and Japan.

The following are Wang Yi’s remarks: At

both the EAS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in the

morning and the ARF Foreign Ministers’

Meeting, the South China Sea issue has been

raised by some countries. Therefore, it is

necessary for China to get the facts out and set

the record straight so as to win the

understanding and support from various

parties.

First, the situation in the South China Sea is

stable on the whole, and there is no possibility

of major conflicts. China therefore objects to any

non-constructive words or deeds that attempt

to exaggerate the disagreements, hype up

confrontation and heat up tensions, which do

not conform to reality.

China also has a stake in the freedom of

navigation in the South China Sea. The majority

of Chinese cargo are shipped through the South

China Sea, so freedom of navigation in the South

China Sea is equally important to China. China

33External AffairsNews From China August 2015

always maintains that countries enjoy freedom

of navigation and overflight in the South China

Sea in accordance with the international law. Up

to now, there has not been a single case in which

freedom of navigation in the South China Sea is

impeded. China stands ready to work with other

parties to continue to ensure freedom of

navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.

As for the disputes on Nansha islands and

reefs, this is a long-standing issue. The South

China Sea Islands are China’s territory. There is

a history of two thousand years since China

discovered and named the islands in the South

China Sea. This year marks the 70th anniversary

of the victory of the Second World War. Seventy

years ago, pursuant to the Cairo Declaration and

the Potsdam Proclamation, China lawfully

recovered the Nansha and Xisha Islands which

were illegally occupied by Japan and resumed

exercise of sovereignty. As a matter of fact, the

military vessels China used in recovering the

islands were provided by the United States, an

Allied Nation. This historical fact must have

been recorded in the archives of the countries

you represent. It was not until the 1970s when

there were reports about oil under the South

China Sea that some countries began to invade

and occupy Nansha islands and reefs,

undermining China’s lawful rights and interests.

According to international law, China has the

right to defend its sovereignty, rights and

interests, and China has the right to prevent the

repeat of such illegal moves as encroaching

upon China’s lawful rights and interests.

The delegate of the Philippines mentioned

the South China Sea issue, but he fell short of

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi makes an address during EAS & ARF.

34 External Affairs News From China August 2015

speaking out the truth. For instance, the

Philippines claimed that the Huangyan Island

and the relevant islands and reefs of Nansha

belong to it. But that is not true. The fact is,

according to the Treaty of Paris in 1898, the

Treaty of Washington in 1900 and the

Convention Between the United States and

Great Britain of 1930 which defined the

territory of the Philippines, the western

boundary of the Philippines is delimited by 118

degrees east longitude. The Huangyan Island

and Nansha Islands are completely to the west

of 118 degrees east longitude. They are not the

Philippines’ territory. After the Philippines

gained independence, the domestic law of the

Philippines, and the relevant treaties concluded

by the Philippines all accepted the legal force of

the three treaties mentioned above, and

confirmed the scope of its territory to be limited

by 118 degrees east longitude. Nevertheless,

after the 1970s, the Philippines staged four

military operations and illegally invaded and

occupied eight islands and reefs of China’s

Nansha Islands. This is what is at the bottom of

the territorial dispute between China and the

Philippines.

Another example is that in 1999, the

Philippines illegally “stranded” an old warship

on the Ren’ai Reef, which is part of China’s

N a n s h a I s l a n d s . W h e n C h i n a m a d e

representations, the Philippines claimed that it

could not tow the warship away due to “the lack

of spare parts”. Later, the Philippine side

indicated to the Chinese side that it would not be

the first country to violate the Declaration on

the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea

(DOC). Now 15 years have passed and the old

warship has already become extremely rusty.

The Philippines, instead of keeping its promise

of removing the warship, has publicly stated

that it had stealthily transported cement and

other building materials to the warship in order

to reinforce the installation. On 14 March, the

Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines

admitted that the very purpose of grounding the

warship on the Ren’ai Reef was to occupy it. The

Philippines has exposed its own lie of 15 years

and failed to fulfill its own commitment. What

international credibility is there in the conduct

of the Philippines?

35External AffairsNews From China August 2015

Just now, the delegate of Japan also

mentioned the South China Sea issue and

claimed that all artificial land features cannot

generate any legal rights. But let’s first have a

look at what Japan has done. Over the past

years, Japan spent 10 billion yen building the

Rock of Okinotori, turning this tiny rock on the

sea into a man-made island with steel bars and

cement. And on that basis, Japan submitted its

claim to the United Nations over the continental

shelf beyond the 200-nautical-mile exclusive

economic zone. The majority members of the

international community found Japan’s claim

inconceivable and did not accept it. So before

making comments on others, Japan had better

first reflect on what itself has said or done.

China is different from Japan. Our claim over

rights in the South China Sea has long been in

existence. We don’t need to strengthen our

position through land reclamation.

In fact, China is a victim on the South China

Sea issue. Yet, with a view to upholding peace

and stability in the South China Sea, we have

exercised utmost restraint. Here is China’s basic

proposition: we seek to peacefully resolve

disputes through negotiation and consultation

on the basis of respecting historical facts and in

accordance with international law, including

the United Nations Convention on the Law of the

Sea (UNCLOS). This position will not change.

Through friendly consultations, China and

ASEAN countries have developed a full set of

mechanisms to properly handle the South China

Sea issue. First, the issue shall be resolved

through a dual-track approach, which means

specific disputes should be addressed

peacefully by parties directly concerned

through consultation and negotiation. This is

stipulated in Article 4 of the DOC, and it is also a

joint commitment by China and the 10 ASEAN

countries. The dual-track approach also means

that peace and stability in the South China Sea

shall be jointly upheld by China and ASEAN

countries. I would like everyone to know that

China and ASEAN are fully capable of

maintaining peace in this body of water. Second,

the parties shall implement the DOC in good

faith and work toward a Code of Conduct (COC)

through consultation. Now, smooth progress

has been made in implementing the DOC, and

COC consultation is also moving forward. In less

than two years since the beginning of the

consultation, we have already adopted two lists

of commonalities, started consultation on

“crucial and complex issues”, and agreed to

establish two hotline platforms which will be up

and running soon. Third, China has taken the

initiative to propose the formulation of

“preventive measures on managing perils at

sea”. On this new platform, various parties may

put forward proposals and ideas for discussion.

If consensus is reached, action may follow.

Speaking of proposals, the US side recently

proposed “three stops”. But in our view, the US

proposal is not feasible. For instance, what is to

be stopped? As parties have different positions,

what are the criteria for stopping? Who will set

the specific criteria? There is no answer to these

questions. That said, China still welcomes

constructive suggestions from all countries on

maintaining peace and stability in the South

China Sea. But such suggestions must be

feasible and, more importantly, should not

impose double standards.

As for the land reclamation in the South

China Sea which is of interest to some countries,

it is nothing new and does not start with China.

In other words, people have been bringing

changes to the “status quo” all these years. It was

only recently that China, for the first time,

carried out certain construction on some

stationed islands and reefs in the Nansha

Islands in order to improve the working and

living conditions of personnel there. In the

process, we have enforced strict environmental

standards. At the end of June, China announced

the completion of land reclamation. Next, we

will build facilities mainly for public good

purposes , inc luding mult i - funct ional

lighthouse, search and rescue facilities for

36 External Affairs News From China August 2015

maritime emergencies, meteorological

observatory station, maritime scientific and

research center, as well as medical and first aid

facilities. China stands ready to open these

facilities to other countries upon completion. As

the largest littoral state in the South China Sea,

China has the capability and obligation to

provide regional countries with these much

needed public goods at sea.

At the EAS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and

the ARF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the

Philippines twice mentioned the South China

Sea arbitration case in an attempt to smear

China. I wish to make a rebuttal by facts. First, to

settle disputes through direct negotiation and

consultation by countries directly concerned is

what the UN Charter encourages and a common

international practice. More importantly, it is

also the explicit provision of the DOC. That is

why China always proposes bilateral dialogue

with the Philippines, which is still valid today.

However, up till the present moment, the

Philippines has stubbornly rejected our

proposal. The Philippine response is very

unusual. Normally, before international

arbitration proceedings are initiated,

consensus would have been reached among

countries concerned. However, in this case, the

Philippines neither informed China beforehand

nor sought China’s consent. Instead, it chose to

unilaterally go ahead with the arbitration. China

finds such an action hard to understand except

that the Philippines is pursuing a hidden

agenda. The Philippines should have known

that as early as in 2006, China made a

declaration in accordance with Article 298 of

the UNCLOS to exclude such disputes from

arbitration, which is a lawful and legitimate

right of China. The Philippines knew only too

well that China would never accept arbitration

on this matter, yet it insisted on pursuing the so-

called arbitration with no regard to Article 4 of

the DOC and its earlier agreement with China to

settle dispute through bilateral channels. So

why did it do this? There can be only one

explanation, that is, it wants to provoke

confrontation with China. But, will such practice

by the Philippines solve the problem once and

for all? Does it serve the fundamental interests

of the Philippines and its people? I think the

answer is “No”. People of the Philippines

deserve the truth, and the future of the

Philippines should not be held hostage by a tiny

number of individuals. China advises the

Philippines not to go further down the dead

alley. China’s door is still open for the

Philippines to have dialogue with us. After all,

our two countries are inseparable neighbors.

We advise you to return to the right track. I

believe that as long as both sides get down to

serious talk, we will eventually find a solution.

Link up China's "Belt and Road" Initiative with Development Strategies of ASEAN Nations to Open up

New Prospects for China-ASEAN Relations

On August 5 local time, Foreign Minister

Wang Yi attended the ASEAN-China Ministerial

Meeting (10+1) held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Wang Yi noted that China and the ASEAN,

which are close in geography and friendly in

relations between the peoples, help each other

in hard times and share weal and woe. Both

sides are special dialogue partners and

backbone forces in safeguarding regional peace,

stability and development. The China-ASEAN

cooperation serves as the main platform for

China to participate in regional cooperation.

37External AffairsNews From China August 2015

With joint efforts of both

sides, the China-ASEAN

relations have been

advanced constantly

with the preparation

work for the Asian

I n f r a s t r u c t u r e

Investment Bank (AIIB)

achieving substantial

progress, a series of

initiatives including

upgrading the free trade

area scoring positive

results and the maritime

c o o p e r a t i o n y e a r

between China and the

A S E A N s m o o t h l y

progressing.

Wang Yi expressed

that China regards the ASEAN as a priority in its

diplomatic relations with neighboring nations,

a key region in the construction of the 21st

Century Maritime Silk Road as well as an

important partner in building a new type of

international relations with win-win results

and cooperation as the core. The most

important common interest, common demands

and common aspiration for us are to accelerate

development, maintain stability and deepen

cooperation respectively. China always firmly

supports the construction of the ASEAN

community, the leading role played by the

ASEAN in regional cooperation and the positive

role played by the ASEAN in international and

regional affairs. China is willing to link up the

“Belt and Road” initiative with the development

strategies of the ASEAN members and the

blueprint of the building of the ASEAN

community so as to provide new impetus and

open up new prospects for the solidarity,

cooperation, development and revitalization of

China and the ASEAN.

Wang Yi said that in

building a more closely-knit

China-ASEAN community of

c o m m o n d e s t i n y a n d

p r o m o t i n g t h e “ 2 + 7 ”

cooperation framework, the

Chinese side is ready to

further deepen China-ASEAN

cooperation by putting

forward a new ten-point

proposal. First, plans shall be

m a d e f o r a c t i v i t i e s

commemorating the 25th

a n n i v e r s a r y o f t h e

establishment of China-

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting

38 External Affairs News From China August 2015

A S E A N d i a l o g u e

relationship in the next

year. 2016 shall be

designated as the year of

C h i n a - A S E A N

educational exchanges.

Second, the formulation

of the Plan of Action to

Implement the Joint

D e c l a ra t i o n o n t h e

ASEAN-China Strategic

Partnership for Peace

and Prosperity (2016-

2020) shall be finished.

Third, a working group

shal l be formed to

discuss the signing of a

China-ASEAN treaty on good-neighborliness,

f r i e n d s h i p a n d c o o p e ra t i o n . Fo u r t h ,

international production capacity cooperation

shall be carried out to drive forward the

complementary economic growth of China and

ASEAN as well as their common renewal. Fifth,

connectivity shall be advanced. The Chinese

side would like to consult with ASEAN on the

formulation of an overall plan about

connectivity. Sixth, efforts shall be made to

ensure the year of China-ASEAN maritime

cooperation a success, creating new highlights

for maritime cooperation. Seventh, joint efforts

shall be made to promote Lancang-Mekong

cooperation and render more support to the

building of ASEAN community. Eighth, the

Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia

Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone shall be signed as

soon as possible. Ninth, defense and security

cooperation shall be strengthened. The first

informal China-ASEAN defense ministers’

meeting will be held in China. Tenth, peace and

stability of the South China Sea shall be jointly

upheld.

Wang Yi noted that the hard-won peace in

the South China Sea attributes to the joint

efforts of China and the ASEAN nations. China

and the ASEAN members have the willingness

and wisdom to manage and control differences,

accumulate consensus, safeguard stability and

keep peace. All parties both in and outside the

region have the responsibility and obligations to

support the efforts made by China and the

ASEAN. Wang Yi put forward a three-point

initiative to uphold peace and stability in the

South China Sea. First, States in the South China

Sea region undertake to fully and effectively

implement the Declaration on the Conduct of

Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its

entirety, accelerate the consultation on the

“Code of Conduct in the South China Sea” (COC),

and actively explore “preventive measures on

managing risks at sea”. Second, states outside

the region undertake to support the above-

mentioned efforts made by states in the region

and refrain from taking moves that could raise

tension and complicate the situation in the

South China Sea. Third, all states undertake to

follow the international law in exercising and

upholding the freedom of navigation and over-

flight in the South China Sea.

Foreign Ministers from ASEAN nations

present at the meeting expressed that the

ASEAN-China partnership serves as the most

active and fruitful relations among the

relationship between the ASEAN and its

partners. The ASEAN highly appreciates the

39External AffairsNews From China August 2015

great contributions made by China to the

development of ASEAN-China relations and

positively evaluates the new ten-point proposal

in deepening bilateral relations put forward by

China. ASEAN attaches great importance to the

ASEAN-China strategic cooperative partnership

and stands ready to make joint efforts with

China to jointly build the 21st Century Maritime

Silk Road, enhance connectivity, upgrade the

construction of the China-ASEAN free trade

area, deepen cooperation in all fields including

investment, production capacity, education,

science and technology and public health and

boost people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

The ASEAN nations positively evaluate the

three-point initiative to uphold peace and

stability in the South China Sea put forward by

Wang Yi and the positive progress achieved in

Senior Officials’ Meeting on implementing the

Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the

South China Sea (DOC) and the joint working

group meeting on the “Code of Conduct in the

South China Sea” (COC) held in Tianjin recently.

ASEAN nations are willing to work with China to

earnestly implement the Declaration on the

Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC),

speed up the pace in the consultation on the

“Code of Conduct in the South China Sea” (COC)

and build the South China Sea a sea featured

with peace, friendship and cooperation.

Chinese FM Calls for Closer Cooperation Among ASEAN, China, Japan, S. Korea

Kuala Lumpur, Aug. 6

(Xinhua) — Chinese

Foreign Minister Wang

Yi said on Thursday that

the building of ASEAN

Community, East Asian

economic community

and Asian community of

common destiny should

be prioritized among the

Association of Southeast

Asian Nations (ASEAN),

China, Japan and South

Korea.

S p e a k i n g a t t h e

ASEAN+3 (China, Japan

a n d S o u t h K o r e a )

meeting, Wang said

significant progress has

been made under the ASEAN+3 pragmatic

cooperation with more that 230 projects having

been launched and the Chiang Mai Initiative

Multilateralization being implemented.

Wang said as a leading platform of East Asia

cooperation, the ASEAN+3 countries are facing

a rare historical opportunity. They, in their next

development stage, should strive to build the

three communities.

In order to support the ASEAN Community,

the countries should help the 10-nation bloc to

narrow development gaps among its members,

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi

40 External Affairs News From China August 2015

reduce poverty and improve

livelihood.

On the East Asian economic

community, they should make full

use of the 10+3 mechanism and

the existing cooperation in finance

and food for further cooperation in

various areas.

As for the Asian community of

common destiny, Wang said China

encourages countries to dovetail

their development strategies with

China’s “Belt and Road” initiative,

so as to boost integration in Asia

and realize complementarity and common

development.

Noting that China has been an active

participant and promoter of East Asia

cooperation, Wang said China has put forward a

six- point proposal for the peace, security and

stability in the region.

On the free trade zone, the Chinese minister

proposed effective implementation of free trade

agreement (FTA) between China and South

Korea, and completion of negotiation on the

upgraded China- ASEAN Free Trade Zone in

2015.

He also called for negotiation on the FTA

between China, Japan and South Korea and the

completion of substantive talks on the Regional

Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

this year.

On financial cooperation, the countries

should push forward the Chiang Mai Initiative

Multilateralization, explore possibilities on

platform-building of communication and

cooperation in Asian financial institutions,

while improving the fund-raising for regional

infrastructure by actively making use of the

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

and the Silk Road Fund.

On agricultural cooperation, Wang

suggested implementation of the agreement on

poverty reduction and the building of model

bases of modern agricultural cooperation as

well as the trading platform for livestock

products in Asia.

On closer cooperation in infrastructure

construction and production capability, he said

China is willing to provide Southeast Asian

countries with the most-needed infrastructure

on the basis of voluntariness, equality and

mutual benefit.

The 10+3 countries should increase

cooperation in key industries and areas of iron

and steel, non-ferrous metals, construction

material, telecommunication for the synergy

between development strategy and the

advantage of resources, in order to achieve the

region’s sustainable development.

On maritime cooperation, Wang said ASEAN

and China should work for a success of “the Year

of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation,” and

cooperate in maritime connectivity, technology

and environment protection, disaster

prevention and reduction, maritime economy,

among others, while expediting the building of

East Asia maritime cooperation platform.

On cultural cooperation, the countries

should actively promote ministerial level

discussion mechanism on tourism, education,

culture and press, strengthen social-cultural

exchanges and cooperation in the region, and

give full play to East Asia Forum and other

institutions.

Logo of ASEAN

41External AffairsNews From China August 2015

Foreign ministers of other 10+3 countries

spoke highly of the significant role of the

cooperation among ASEAN and China, Japan

and South Korea in promoting peace, stability

and prosperity.

They agreed on further cooperation in

finance, connectivity, production capacity,

trade, agriculture, technology, public heath

while jointly confronting non-traditional

threats. They also hailed China-proposed AIIB,

believing the bank will play an important role in

improving regional infrastructure.

Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei,

Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,

the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and

Vietnam.

Grasping the Historical Opportunity to Promote ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation

On August 6 local time, the ASEAN Plus

Three (10+3) Foreign Ministers Meeting among

the ASEAN countries and China, Japan and the

Republic of Korea (ROK) was held in Kuala

Lumpur, Malaysia, and Foreign Minister Wang

Yi attended the meeting.

Wang Yi expressed that since last year, all

parties have joined hands to make progress and

blaze new trails in a pioneering spirit,

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

42 External Affairs News From China August 2015

promoting the 10+3 practical cooperation for

positive progress. Parties have confirmed over

230 cooperative projects, and the course of

Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization

(CMIM) has developed towards the direction of

actual running. Positive progress has also been

achieved in practical cooperation in

connectivity, economy and trade, energy,

maritime affairs, social and cultural exchanges

and other fields.

Wang Yi expressed that currently East Asian

cooperation is on the rise, and various

proposals for development are constantly

springing up, which together make East Asia

gradually become an indivisible community of

interests. As the main channel of East Asian

cooperation, the 10+3 mechanism is facing a

rare historical opportunity.

Wang Yi emphasized that the 10+3

mechanism, in its next development stage,

should focus on supporting the building of three

communities.

First, support the building of the ASEAN

Community. The mechanism should help the

ASEAN further narrow development gaps

among its members, reduce poverty and

improve people’s livelihood. It should grasp the

momentum that at present the China-Japan-

ROK cooperation is getting back on track to

increase input to the ASEAN, so as to join efforts

of parties concerned to inject impetus to the

building of the ASEAN Community.

Second, support the building of the East

Asian Economic Community (EAEC). The

countries should make full use of the role of the

10+3 mechanism as main channel, energetically

expanding cooperation in various fields based

on the existing cooperation in finance, food and

other areas.

Third, support the construction of the Asian

Community of Shared Destiny. The Chinese side

welcomes other 10+3 countries to dovetail their

5th East Asia Summit, Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

43External AffairsNews From China August 2015

development strategies

with the “Belt and Road”

initiative, so as to boost

regional integration in

A s i a a n d r e a l i z e

c o m p l e m e n t a r i t y o f

advantages and common

development.

Wang Yi expressed

that the Chinese side is the

active participant and

propellant for East Asian

cooperation. To make

greater contributions to

the maintenance of the

regional peace, stability

and development, the

Chinese side puts forward

six suggestions:

The first is the construction of free trade

areas (FTAs). The countries should promote the

effective implementation of China-ROK free

trade agreement, strive to conclude the

negotiation on the upgrading version of the

China-ASEAN FTA within this year, continue to

propel the negotiation on the China-Japan-ROK

FTA and complete the substantial negotiation

progress for the “regional comprehensive

economic partnership (RECP)” within this year.

The second is financial cooperation. The

countries should continue to facilitate the

progress of CMIM, discuss on the construction

of the communication and cooperation

platform for Asian financial institutions, and

give active play to the Asian Infrastructure

Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Silk Road Fund,

so as to jointly raise the financing level of

regional infrastructure.

The third is agricultural cooperation. The

countries should earnestly implement “the

initiative on poverty reduction cooperation in

East Asia”, facilitating the construction of

demonstration bases for modern agricultural

cooperation and trading platform of livestock

products in East Asia.

The fourth is strengthening cooperation in

infrastructure and industrial production

capacity. The Chinese side stands ready to, on

the basis of free will, equality and mutual

benefit, provide the most-needed infrastructure

for economic and social development to

Southeast Asian nations. Cooperation in steels,

nonferrous metals, building materials,

electricity, telecommunication and other key

industries and fields will be enhanced to achieve

the connection of development strategies and

advantageous resources, so as to jointly

improve the sustainable development of the

region.

The fifth is maritime cooperation. To hold

successful the activities of China-ASEAN

Maritime Cooperation Year, launch cooperation

in maritime connectivity, environment

protection with science and technology,

disaster prevention and reduction, maritime

economy, maritime humanity and other areas,

and speed up the building of East Asian

maritime cooperation platform.

The sixth is people-to-people and cultural

cooperation. The countries should actively

advance the development of ministers’ meeting

44 Created in China News From China August 2015

mechanisms on tourism, education, culture,

journalism and others, enhance social, people-

to-people and cultural exchanges and

cooperation in the region, and give full play to

the East Asia Forum, the Network of East Asian

Think-tanks (NEAT) and other think tanks.

Foreign ministers present at the meeting

spoke highly of the significant role played by the

cooperation between ASEAN and China, Japan

and the ROK in boosting the East Asian

integration and the regional peace, stability and

prosperity. They agreed to further enhance

cooperation in finance, connectivity, production

capacity, trade, agriculture, science and

technology, public health and other fields, and

jointly deal with non-traditional security

threats. The parties gave a high appraisal to

China’s proposal to set up the AIIB, believing

that the AIIB will make significant contributions

to the enhancement of regional infrastructure

construction.

CREATED IN CHINA

BYD

e6 IntroductionThe e6 is a long-range, pure-electric utility

vehicle. It is a cross between a sedan and an SUV

with superior interior space (over 88.3 cu-ft or

2.5 m^3). With over 800 operating as public

eTaxis, the e6 fleets have an accumulated range

of over 45 million miles . The nominal range of

the BYD e6 on a single charge (in an eTaxi duty-

cycle) is about 186 miles (300 km) and it

operates two shifts for nearly 24 hours with one

mid-day supplemental charge.

Power and PerformanceThe e6 will be equipped with a 75kW motor

and the BYD-developed Fe battery, powering

the e6 to a range of 186 miles on a single charge

in urban conditions. This makes it one of the

longest-range, pure EVs in the world. The

projected top speed is 87mph. These

characteristics make the e6 ideal for daily

commutes, city driving and even long distance

travel. In addition, during braking, deceleration

and downhill coasting, the vehicle's kinetic

energy is converted into electrical energy and

stored in battery packs through regenerative-

braking functions, further improving energy

utilization to increase the e6's range.

Electric Bus introductionThe BYD Electric Bus is the first of its kind in

service worldwide.Utilizing BYD's proprietary

45News From China August 2015

Iron- Phosphate battery, it meets roughtly 80%

of urban transit needs with typical range of

155+ miles.

Communities around the world love BYD's

electric bus as it quietly crusies past its noisy

polluting competitors.

Feature and PerformanceEnvironmentally-friendly, non-toxic,BYD

Iron-Phosphate ("Fe" Battery) powered

High-efficiency, in-wheel traction motors

allow for ultra-low floor loading options and

simplified maintenance

Energy recovery and battery recharging

through optimal Regenerative braking reduces

brake component wear

Bi-directional AC Charging allows full

charging from 0-100% SOC within 5 hours, the

bus can be used as a mobile generator

Definite SafetyResistant to high temperatures, high

pressures and severe impacts, BYD's internally

developed Fe battery boasts excellent reliability

and a 10-year warranty. The system can

automatically detect leakage currents in the

high voltage power supply system and damage

to the battery housings. An emergency

maintenance switch disconnects the high-

voltage battery pack to ensure the safety of the

driver and passengers in case of system failures

or when the car needs to be repaired. The

parking gear motor controller receives the lock/

unlock order sent by the driving motor and

performs the relevant operations to ensure

maximum safety while parking or starting.

Convenient ChargingCharging the e6 is convenient and fast. It

only takes 40 minutes to fully charge the e6

using the 100kW fast charging cabinet; it takes 6

hours with a standard 10kW standard charging

pole (like a residential garage over-charging

scenario).

DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations Science and

Technology Co., Ltd) is a Chinese technology

company founded in 2006 by Frank Wangand

headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong

province, China. It manufactures commercial

and recreational unmanned aerial vehicles

(UAV) for aerial photography and videography.

According to The Economist, the company is

at the forefront of the civilian-drone industry.

Company products.DJI manufactures a range of products like

flying cameras (ex. Inspire and Phantom series),

flying platforms, flight controllers for multi

rotors, accessories for helicopters, camera

gimballs (aerial, handheld) and ground

stations. These products are for industrial,

professional and amateur use. Recently, the

American Federal Aviation Administration

(FAA) proposed some regulations and

guidelines to ensure proper operation of these

vehicles.

Flight ControllersDJI makes professional and amateur flight

control lers intended for mult i -rotor

stabilization control of various platforms or

heavy payloads in aerial photography. In

addition to the main A2 main controller model

(intelligent orientation, landing, home return),

there are the IMU (damper module), the GPS-

Compass Pro Plus (high end antenna, satellite

receiver), the PMU (voltage alarm) and the LED

b l u e t o o t h i n d i c a t o r ( s m a r t p h o n e

connectivity).

DAJIANG

Created in China

46 News From China August 2015

The Ronin platformThe DJI Ronin is the company's first

stand alone ground based camera

stabilization platform developed for

everyday cinematography and aerial

f i l m m a k i n g i n p r o f e s s i o n a l

environments. It is built for professional

videography and photography and

targets the movie-making industry. By

using the 3 individual motors to balance

the system the DJI Ronin has the ability

to stabilize the camera when moving

vigorously.

The DJI ModulesDJI offers several add-on modules for their

base products such as power management and

video modules.

The Flame Wheel seriesDJI has developed a series of multirotors

flying platforms called Flame Wheel (Feng-Huo-

Lun or Fenghuolun, for aerial photography in

entertainment. In 2013, there was a total of

three electrically powered Flame Wheels: the

h exa c o p te r F l a m e W h e e l F 5 5 0 , a n d

quadcopters Flame Wheel F330 and Flame

Wheel F450. The most recent one is the Flame

Wheel ARF KIT

The Phantom series

A DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ V3.0DJI has also developed a series of

quadcopters called the Phantoms that have

evolved into an integrated flying system with

aircraft, camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, a controller

and the pilot’s mobile device. These

quadcopters are mainly intended for aerial

cinematography and photography applications.

The Phantom 2 Vision+ features a camera and a

gimbal system manufactured by DJI. It is capable

of taking 14 MegaPixel still shots and recording

high definition (1080p) video. In comparison,

the DJI Phantom 3 Professional, the latest

Phantom model to be released can shoot 4K

resolution video and take 12MegaPixel still

photos.

The Spreading Wings series

DJI S800 hexacopterDJI has also developed a series of

hexacopters called Spreading Wings (Gen-Dou-

Yun or Gendouyun, for carrying heavy cameras

in aerial photography, search and rescue, and

surveillance. In 2013, two models have been

released as Spreading Wings S800 and

Spreading Wings S800 EVO.

The unmanned helicopterDJI unmanned helicopter is a

small unmanned helicopter jointly

developed by Harbin Institute of

Technology (HIT) and Hong Kong

University of Science and Technology

(HKUST) with DJI. This small

unmanned helicopter is intended for

high elevation missions and can

operate with wind scale of 6. The

Created in China

47News From China August 2015

general designer is Professor Li Ze-Xiang, and

the chief designer for software is associate

Professor Zhu Xiao-Rui. The unmanned

helicopter is completely indigenously

developed in China and Hong Kong, without

using any foreign technology, except the

constellation of GPS satellites developed by

other nations on which its navigation relies.

Applications and usageDJI products have a wide range of

applications in industry and in everyday life

with models for professionals and amateurs.

Although initially known for military and

intelligence applications, drones have many

surprising civilian uses. For example, they can

be used for hurricane hunting, 3-D mapping of

landscape, nature protection, farming, and

search and rescue.[26] DJI drones have made

dramatic appearances at the Consumer

Electronics Show (CES) of Las Vegas, Nevada,

U.S. for several years

SMARTISAN PHONE

Created in China

Simplicity is hidden complexitySmartisan draws on nuanced thinking and precision artisanship to create the perfection of simplicity and beauty. Whether in software or hardware, we allow insightful design to speak for itself.

Right is right. Left is also right.Symmetry is beauty. No matter which hand you are accustomed to using with your phone, it should be equally comfortable. Thus, Smartisan T1 uses symmetrical left and right side keys, strengthening its overall form symmetry, thus thoughtfully removing any difference for left- or right-handed use, while so unexpectedly offering matchless new features.

Supple, yet robust.Smart isan T1 ’s f rame uses a combination of glass fiber reinforced polycarbonate resin and stainless steel. Countless flexible glass fibers are wrapped in resin and ingeniously structured to ultimately form a highly durable body while still maintaining a light weight.

The essence of flat is super curved.With a 3D camber effect ground into the Corning Gorilla Glass, the edges of the back of Smartisan T1 have a subtle

48 News From China August 2015 Created in China

curved transition. This minute transformation not only enriches the aesthetics of the phone, but also creates an iridescent effect through the elegant curvature.

Uncomfortable is the new comfortable.Smartisan T1’s USB plug has one convex side and one concave side, allowing you to know which side goes up the instant you touch it. It becomes an intuitive guide, so that you can plug it in correctly every time without a second thought.

All wrapped up with a bow.We have arranged the phone and its accessories in a clean, orderly layout, simply to crystallize our pride and pursuit of perfection for that one, quiet moment when you first open the box and discover an irrepressible joy.

Smartisan OSbased on Android™With its exquisite interface, entrancing animations, near-perfect Chinese typography, and hundreds of thoughtfully designed features, Smartisan OS is a joy to use, every minute of every day.

LauncherSmartisan OS’s launcher reconstructs the classic 9- or 16-grid design, while its unique mode of operation gives it unprecedented efficiency. With a two-finger pinch or press on the Menu key you can switch to a multi-screen view, as well as move apps en masse or easily hide and password-protect them under the edit mode. Smartisan OS’s launcher also supports a variety of elegant themes.

PhoneWe completely re-designed the keypad layout, making it easy to dial one-handedly. The contacts list supports sorting numbers not just by name, but also by call frequency, date added, location, and more.

With just a slide on a contact’s picture you can quickly make calls and send texts. The i n c o m i n g c a l l s screen can display i m p o r t a n t reminders about a caller, as well as r e c o g n i z e annoying calls and more than 60,000 public numbers.

49News From China August 2015

MusicSmartisan OS’s built-in music player is designed in honor of classic vinyl, with moving turntable and record needle, just like on a real record player. You can search by artist, album, track, and directory, and it supports album cover displays. We also partnered with Xiami Music, providing 5 million licensed music for you to stream and download.

MessagesThe messages app contains many thoughtful touches, such as a four-second delay before sending messages, verification codes that automatically reside in the status bar, and more. When receiving texts, a pop-up lets you read, respond to, or delete messages in the same window, without having to turn away from what you’re doing.

BrowserWith the high-speed Chromium core, page-loading is fluid. Optimized Chinese character display makes for an excellent reading experience, and you can switch search engines within the address bar to quickly get more results

MarketEvery app has been carefully selected and rigorously checked. We strive to create the most trustworthy app market for the Android™ platform.

CalendarThe calendar app lets you view tasks by day, week, or month, and tag tasks with icons so you can find them at a glance. You can change a task’s date simply by drag-and-drop, and mark a task as done with just a swipe to the side. You can also sync your calendar with Google or Smartisan’s Smiling Cloud accounts.

MailThe mail app is impressively efficient. With a swipe to the right you can quickly mark, reply to, forward, move, and delete emails. You can also quickly add content from an email to a task on your calendar.

RecorderThe recorder supports .wav format and multiple levels of sound quality. When recording you can add time markers, making it easy to quickly find key parts on replay. The recorder lockscreen plugin also lets you pause, resume, or stop recording right from the lockscreen.

Created in China

50 News From China August 2015

CalculatorOwning a Smartisan T1 also means you have one full-featured and visually beautiful calculator. In landscape mode or with a two-finger rotation gesture you can conveniently switch to scientific mode.

NotesIt might just be the most beautiful notetaking app ever, and you may find yourself falling in love with taking notes all over again. You can also share what you write on Twitter, Facebook or Sina Weibo at any time. The elegant notepaper and finely crafted typography and layout make notetaking a pleasure.

WeatherThe elegantly simple weather app shows all important information at a glance. With an algorithm for accurate apparent temperature, thoughtful notices of the temperature difference between the current and previous day, and being able to understand weather conditions with one look, you will come to feel Smartisan OS’s care and consideration for the user.

ClockThe skeuomorphic interface and animations make the flow of time all the more vivid. The world clock has settings for more than six hundred cities and support for regional time and current weather information. The world clock’s appearance shifts from light to dark depending on local sunrise and sunset times.

Camera

The camera uses leading-edge automatic scene recognition technology, allowing it to automatically recognize multiple scene modes and optimize the image accordingly. The camera is also equipped with 180º to 360º panoramic shooting, QR code scanning, and more.

Gallery

The gallery app offers ten different styles of photo filters for your use. You can share photos on all types of social media platforms, and you can hide your albums in a list to keep them neat and orderly.

Created in China

51Culture & LifeNews From China August 2015

Images From China/ The China Flicks

"Overwater highway" seen in Hubei：a highway linking Gufu Township and Zhaojun Bridge in Yichang City, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 9, 2015. The highway, which is 10.9 kilometers long, is built overwater on a river. (Xinhua/Zou Yuanjing)

CULTURE & LIFE

52 Culture & Life News From China August 2015

Air-dried crops: Wuyuan people's traditional custom on "Liqiu" ：A local dries hot peppers in Huangling Village of Wuyuan County, east China's Jiangxi Province, Aug. 8, 2015. Saturday marks "Liqiu", the first day of autumn on Chinese lunar calendar. As a traditional custom, villagers in Huangling village dry crops on bamboo baskets outside houses. (Xinhua/Hu Dunhuang)

People enjoy fun games at goat fair in Xinjiang, China ：People compete as they run carrying goats during a goat fair in Hami, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 8, 2015. (Xinhua/Li Hua)

53News From China August 2015

Taizhou police help to evacuate Soudelor-affected residents ： Typhoon Soudelor dumped heavy rain and winds in Huangyan

District of Taizhou, leaving many areas waterlogged and people suffering. Taizhou Armed Police Detachment help to evacuate about 160 residents there, and the rescue is still in progress. (Xinhua/Li Jialin)

Torch Festival marked in Guangxi ：People of Yi ethnic group dance to celebrate the Torch Festival at De'e Township of Longlin Autonomous Prefecture in Baise City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Aug. 8, 2015. (Xinhua/Wei Wanzhong)

Culture & Life

54 News From China August 2015

Being a farmer in

China no longer means

eking out a living in a

backward industry.

Farmers nationwide are

adopting new business

practices made possible

by the Internet, boosting

their earnings and

modernizing the sector.

For Zhang Guoqin,

g r o w i n g c r o p s

s o m e t i m e s s i m p l y

needs a few clicks of the

mouse.

In northeast China’s

Heilongjiang Province,

he monitors his rice fields on computer screens.

He uses a system of sensors and automatization

which takes a lot of the toil and inefficiency out

of his business. For example, his fields are

irrigated automatically if sensors detect that

they need it.

“Thanks to the data, we are able to track the

conditions of crops, assess nutrient levels and

forecast disasters,” Zhang said.

Such innovation is a new trend in Chinese

farming, a welcome change of direction for a

rural economy that has long been seeking

modernization.

China’s cabinet unveiled an “Internet Plus”

action plan at the beginning of July targeted at

integration of the Internet with traditional

sectors to make them smarter and more

efficient. Along with manufacturing, agriculture

was on the top of the list.

Farming in China has been booming for over

three decades. The summer grain output

reached a record high of 141.07 million tonnes

in 2015 after 11 consecutive years of increases.

Though harvests were good, inefficient

sales channels, a shrinking labor population

and lack of access to loans have been squeezing

farmers’ earnings and dragging down the rural

economy.

In 2014, the per capita disposable income of

rural residents rose 9.2 percent year on year to

10,489 yuan (1,720 U.S. dollars), less than half

of that of urbanites, and 70.17 million rural

Chinese earned an annual sum less than 2,300

yuan, the official poverty line.

However, the Internet, especially mobile

networks, have provided agriculture with a new

vision. By the end of 2014, nearly 30 percent of

China’s rural population were online.

E-commerce enables farmers to sell goods

quickly, conveniently shop around for materials

and obtain small loans more easily. The Internet

has made intensive mechanized production

achievable, boosted yields with fewer laborers

and made agriculture greener and food safer.

Given the bright outlook, Internet

companies and e-commerce giants are

thronging to take a bigger share of the

agricultural pie.

Taobao.com, China’s largest online

shopping platform, has launched an agricultural

When the Internet Meets Agriculture

Monitoring fields through computers

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55News From China August 2015

channel.

Its Internet conglomerate owner, Alibaba,

also ambitiously plans to invest 10 billion yuan

into 100,000 new service centers in Chinese

villages in the next three to five years to help

train farmers in Internet use.

“Following the new generation of farmers,

online stores selling farm produce have

witnessed explosive growth and e-commerce is

reshaping the whole industry,” said Chi Fulin,

director of the China (Hainan) Institute for

Reform and Development.

Internet firms don’t need the might of

Alibaba to get involved. Beijing Tianchen Cloud

Farm Co., developed Cloud Farm, an app

designed as a one-stop shop for farming

business.

It has amassed over a million registered

users as it requires no more than a mobile

phone and a SIM card, simplicity which is crucial

in the Chinese countryside, where Internet

infrastructure lags behind the situation in cities.

Han Guiyin, a farm owner in east China’s

Shandong Province, turns to Cloud Farm

whenever he needs to source fertilizer or

logistics services, apply for loans or even

technological support.

However, there are still bottlenecks that

have to be addressed to facilitate the national

ambition of upgrading agriculture.

Analysts agree the government needs to

improve infrastructure and logistics in

mountainous regions, cultivate IT professionals

and provide more information services to help

farmers access the web.

China's Box Office at Record High

Chinese cinemas’

box office hit a record

high of 5.49 billion yuan

(897.5 mi l l ion U.S .

dollars) in July, official

figures show.

An office in charge of

film funds under the

State Administration of

P r e s s , P u b l i c a t i o n ,

R a d i o , F i l m a n d

Television (SAPPRFT)

said on Saturday that a

total of 159 million

people went to cinemas

last month and box office

revenue this year has totaled 25.85 billion yuan.

The office said the new monthly record

owes much the success to Chinese films, which

raked in more than 5.2 billion yuan, about 95.6

percent of the overall figure.

The three biggest earners — live-action

animation “Monster Hunt,” animated feature

“Monkey King: Hero is Back,” and comedy “Jian

Bing Man” — took up more than 60 percent of

the ticket sales.

The SAPPRFT last week announced that

“Monster Hunt” has overtaken 2012 low-budget

A poster of “Monkey King: Hero is Back”

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56 News From China August 2015

comedy “Lost in Thailand” to become the most

successful domestic film of all time in box office

income.

According to a U.S. box office count,

“Monster Hunt” has also outperformed

Hollywood productions “Minions” and “Ant-

Man” in total box office gains.

It is estimated that the film earnings in

China last month exceeded the yearly numbers

from 2002 to 2005 combined.

As with national holidays like Lunar New

Year and National Day, the month of July has

long been a busy time for cinemas as most

Chinese schools and universities start their

summer holidays in the month.

Over the last five years, the summer holiday

period has contributed about a quarter of the

annual box office takings.

PROTECTION AND COMPETITION

There has been much discussion about the

role of Chinese movies in the July figures, as they

had little foreign competition last month.

“It is true that domestic films lacked an

international competitor in July,” said a Chinese

movie critic who insists on going by the name

“Tubingenmujiang.”

“However, the need to go to the cinema is not

a rigid demand for people, and if the films being

shown are not good enough, audiences may

simply choose not to see them,” he said. “In fact,

China has experienced fallow seasons when

fewer foreign movies were on screen and

domestic films failed to attract movie-goers.”

China started to import American movies in

1994 and competition between domestic and

overseas titles has grown even more intense

since 2012, when China announced a significant

increase in its quota for overseas movies.

In 2014, about 70 percent of the top 30 films

in North American were screened in China.

“ P r o p e r p r o t e c t i o n f o r d o m e s t i c

productions is needed so Chinese films are not

stifled as they bud,” said Tubingenmujiang, “but

protectionism should be limited so Chinese

movies don’t become hothouse flowers.”

Observers also attributed the success of

domestic films to the country’s “Internet Plus”

A poster of 'Monster Hunt'

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57News From China August 2015

strategy, which is encouraging Internet firms to

integrate with other industries.

Most of the best-performing films in July

fe a t u re d i nve s t m e n t s f ro m I n te r n e t

enterprises, and the novel Internet finance

mode of crowdfunding also weighed in.

The credits of “Monkey King: Hero is Back”

listed as producers 109 children, whose

parents pooled money to aid the movie’s

marketing.

“The Internet is no longer a simple technical

assistant in China’s film industry. With vigorous

moves through financing, mergers and

cooperation, it is reshaping the industry,” said

Rao Shuguang, secretary-general of the China

Film Association.

GLOBAL AMBITION

Despite the huge success in China, experts

noted that the Chinese film industry still has a

long way to go if it is to reach a global market.

Shi Chuan, a professor with the Shanghai

Theatre Academy, said Chinese movies need to

be better if they are to compete with Hollywood

and other overseas productions.

However, considering the enthusiastic

consumers, most observers expressed

confidence in domestic films.

“The July record should be regarded as a

milestone in China’s film industry,” said Zhang

Hongsen, head of the SAPPRFT film bureau. “Also,

Chinese filmmakers should keep in mind what is

really driving the success — the audience.”

China’s Growing Interest in Fitness

Shapes up Industry

BeijingG, July 28 (Xinhua) — As grannies

“cut a rug” square dancing in public parks,

young Chinese prefer

breaking a sweat in the

gym or with online

w o r k o u t s t o b u r n

calories.

Zhang Jianming, a

29-year-old research

fellow at East China’s

Suzhou Industrial Park,

is active at the gym. He

works out five to six

days a week, and focuses

on hitting different body

parts each day. For him,

t y p i c a l t r a i n i n g

programs include an

h o u r o f l i f t i n g o r

bodyweight exercises,

and half an hour of

cardio session.‘ After

beginning the workout

regimen in September, 2013, Zhang’s body fat

percentage dropped to 17 percent from 23

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58 News From China August 2015

percent. He is noticeably bulkier, and feels more

confident.

Fitness fanatics like Zhang have been

springing up in China over the past two years.

An industry report shows that the total number

of gym attendees in 70 major Chinese cities has

increased by four to five million each year since

2011.

Behind the exercise trend is growing

enthusiasm for fitness and health. As wealth

accumulates, the country’s increasingly

sophisticated middle class increasingly have

the urge to disengage from work, relax and

move around.

Jogging has taken off in big cities, despite the

notorious smog problem. More urbanites wear

fitness tracking bracelets or other wearables as

a manifesto for healthier lifestyle. Celebrities

also actively jump on the fitness bandwagon.

They post gym selfies to show off their abs and

more importantly, win fans.

Public awareness of fitness generally begins

when a nation’s GDP per capita hits 5,000 U.S.

dollars. Should it surpass 8,000 U.S. dollars, the

fitness industry will become a pillar in the

national economy, said Liu Qing, deputy

secretary-general at Chinese Association of

Sport Industry.

China’s GDP per capita exceeded 5,000 U.S.

dollars in 2011 and reached 7,575 U.S. dollars

last year, according to official data.

The fitness fanaticism sweeping the world’s

second largest economy coincides with the

growth of mobile Internet and the boom of

social media. Unlike the older generation of

gymrats, younger fitness enthusiasts like Zhang

are more apt to explore online resources to

work out smarter.

Under his WeChat account, China’s biggest

social messaging service, Zhang follows a dozen

of fitness blogs. Every day he sift through the

news feeds to learn about new workout

programs or dietary instructions.

Wang Yin, 30, is one of Zhang’s favorite

bloggers. In September, 2013, almost the same

time when Zhang begun hitting the gym, Wang,

a financial professional-turned-fitness guru,

started blogging with his wife on WeChat and

microblog Weibo.

“I felt like a new man after finishing a two-

month workout regimen,” recalled Wang. He

was also startled to find how little those who

crave a thinner life know about health and

fitness.

“Most of them, especially the girls, will hit

the dead end circle of ‘diet, give up, get fat’. They

simply don’t know how to chisel away body fat

through exercise,” he said.

The Shanghai-native then decided to share

health, nutrition and fitness knowledge he has

learnt with others. His blogs became an instant

success. He has garnered about one million

followers on Weibo, and nearly 400,000 on

WeChat over the past two years.

As the Chinese government has been

looking to entrepreneurship and innovation

among the bright spots in a slowing economy,

Wang also felt he has found a sweet spot to cash

in on the booming demand for keeping fit.

He resigned from his post at a private equity

firm to launch a startup company called Fit-

start in September, 2014, which happened to

coincide with the one year anniversary of his

blogs.

“The market has immense potential,” said

Wang, with over five years of investment

experience.

On June 19 this year, Fit-start introduced

apps offering custom online workout and

dietary plans on the iOS and Android app stores.

Wang said there have already been more than

100,000 downloads by now.

However, Wang’s rivals have also been

looming large. RJFitTime, another influential

blog operated by two twenty-somethings, has

attracted two million followers combined

across all social media platforms. RJFitTime

launched apps earlier this year, streaming a

variety of exercise programs to its subscribers.

An estimated 50 health and fitness apps

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59Culture & LifeNews From China August 2015

came online in the first half of this year. Most of

them eye the same niche market as Fit-start and

RJFitTime - the beginners.

“When we start our business, the fitness

industry was still a ‘blue ocean’, where the

market space is vastly uncontested,’ Wang said,

“but now, it’s fairly crowded.”

For users like Zhang, the swarm of fitness

apps allows them to get a lot of services for

nothing. Zhang said he will not consider trying

paid options of those apps, because he thought

the free content is already enough.

That mentality is certainly not pleasing to

Wang, who has been working hard to bind users

with online paid trainers. But the former

investment banker is still optimistic about the

future of China’s fitness market.

“After all, this is a budding industry. The

market is huge, and there is no dominant player

at the moment, which means everything is

possible, “ Wang said.

JET LI – King of Kungfu

F r o m S h a o l i n Temple, to the series ofOnce Upon a Time in China, to the recent Danny the Dog and Fearless, Jet Li is a name closely connected with action movie, kung fu, and wushu (or martial arts).

Jet Li has achieved s p l e n d i d s u c c e s s , whether as a wushu practitioner or as an a c t i o n s t a r . H i s handsome appearance, fortitude, and resoluteness, as well as brilliant martial arts movements, have attracted a large audience for him. Known as the “Gene Kelly of the action film,” Jet Li is part of the wave of new Asian stars taking Hollywood by storm. Jet Li has kicked and punched his way out of the cult-film underground and into global mainstream superstardom, making the world crazy for him.

The Legend of a Wushu Genius Jet Li was born in Beijing , China on April 26,

1963. As a child, he was a quiet and meek boy who was not allowed to do any risky activities such as swimming, skating, or even riding a

bicycle. It was quite a haphazard that Jet Li took up wushu training when he was eight years old. At that time he had no idea what wushu was. Yet Jet was selected out from more t h a n 1 , 0 0 0 c h i l d r e n b y coach Wu Bin, who believed Jet was born with limitless talents in wushu. At the beginning, the

60 Culture & Life News From China August 2015

t r a i n i n g w a s l i k e extracurricular activity; soon it became more and more rigorous. Half a year later, Jet had to attend the full time training, and wushu became everything and the only thing in his life. He even performed for VIPs including Premier Zhou Enlai at the Great Hall of the People.

Wushu training was always painstaking. In order to have a thorough mastery of basic skills, Jet Li and his fellow students had to practice the same movements day after day. When wintertime came, they had no choice but to practice outside, for there were no indoor facilities.Beijing’s winters were extremely cold, and the children’s hands hurt constantly. Doing hand-slaps was a no-win proposition: if one didn’t slap hard enough to make a sound, he’d get scolded. If he did make a sound, it stung like mad! The tough training also taught Jet Li not to complain about injuries, which also formed a tenacious personality in him.

What Jet received was not only the traditional martial arts training; moreover, he was trained as a modern wushu athlete, so he also had to go through the strict physical training. Besides, his coach Wu Bin also encouraged him to study dancing to make his movements more exquisite.

The year 1974 saw Jet Li’s perfect debut in the national wushu competition, on which he was the all-round youth champion. After winning the national championship, Jet Li was selected as a member of China Wushu Team. As part of a world tour the same year, he also had the honor of performing a two-man fight for President Nixon on the White House lawn. In all, in the following years, Jet Li would travel to

more than 40 countries with the team doing demonstrations of wushu.

In the following year China staged its Third National Games. The National Games were like a domestic version of the Olympics; they included all competitive sports: swimming, gymnastics, track and field, and so on. The 1975 National Games were only the third since Liberation (the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949), and the first since the early part of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). For the government as well as the entire nation, it was an extremely important and greatly symbolic event.

Jet started to notice a shift in his training. The pressure began to increase. People had higher expectations of him because he’d just won the youth championship. Personally, he didn’t think too much of it. He knew that there were plenty of other athletes who trained a lot harder than he did, especially the adults. But winning the youth championships had allowed him to “skip a grade,” making him eligible to compete in the 18-and-over category. There he was, a 12-year old competing against people in their 20s and 30s.

Once again, his perfect performance caused

61Tibet TodayNews From China August 2015

a sensation in martial arts field in China, as afterward, Jet Li won a total of five gold medals in the national championships for five consecutive years, from 1974 to 1979. In 1979, Jet received his highest achievement in martial arts when he was crowned Gold Champion at the Chinese National Martial Arts Competition. No person has ever broken this record to this day.

Traveling abroad at a very young age opened up Jet Li’s minds, he learned to think independently from an early age. After winning five all-round championships in China, Jet Li decided that he would rather do something else now that he had already achieved a considerable height. His consummate skills in martial arts also won him a lot of opportunities.

(To be continued)

Ten Data Reflecting Tibet's Changes Over the Past 50 Years

On the occasion of

the 50th anniversary of

the founding of the Tibet

Autonomous Region,ten

major data were sorted,

involving economy, key

p r o j e c t s , f i n a n c i a l

r e v e n u e , h o u s i n g ,

transportation, ecology,

tourism, etc., to show

Tibet’s great changes in

various economic and

social aspects over the

past 50 years.

Datum one: an

increase of 68.5 times

in Tibet's GDPTibet's GDP skyrocketed to 92.083 billion

yuan in 2014 from 327 million yuan in 1965. In

particular since the Third WorkConference on

Tibet, its GDP has maintained a double-digit

growth for 21 consecutive years

.

Datum two: an investment of nearly 600

billion yuan in key construction projectsAccording to the demand of Tibet's

economic and social development,China has

arranged construction of a large number of key

projects with great significance and far-

reaching influence in succession, remarkably

improving the infrastructure of Tibet. From

1965 to 2014, total investment in Tibet's fixed

assets amounted to nearly 600 billion yuan. In

particular, since the Third Work Conference on

Tibet, the accumulated investment in Tibet's

fixed assets has reached 594 billion yuan, with

an average annual increase of 22 percent.

TIBET TODAY

Tibet Today62 News From China August 2015

Datum three: local

financial revenue

accounting for 13.5

percent of the GDPSince the founding of

the Tibet Autonomous

Region, the central

f i n a n c i a l t r a n s f e r

payment to Tibet has

kept growing. From 1965

to 2014, the Central

Government’s financial

subsidies to Tibet added

up to about 600 billion

y u a n . T i b e t ' s l o c a l

financial revenue was in

a state of negative

growth before 1989, but

began to realize positive growth from 1989

onwards and hit 12.4 billion yuan in 2014. Its

proportion in the GDP rose from 0.6 percent in

1989 to 13.5 percent in 2014.

Datum four: the total industrial output

value reaching 15 billion yuanThere was almost no modern industry in old

Tibet. Since the founding of the Tibet

Autonomous Region, it has seen a growing

modern industry under the premise of strict

ecological protection. So far, a characteristic

industrial system has taken shape in the region,

with advantaged mining industry, aquaculture,

ethnic handicraft industry and Tibetan

medicine industry as pillars. The total

industrial output value skyrocketed from 9

million yuan in 1965 to 15 billion yuan in 2014,

with an average annual increase of 16 percent.

Datum five: 75,000 kilometers of highway

mileage open to trafficIn the old days, Tibet had no roads in the

modern sense. After 50 years of construction,

highway mileage open to traffic in Tibet reached

75,000 kilometers: linking Tibet with Sichuan

and Yunnan in the east, with Xinjiang in the

west, with Qinghai in the north and India and

Nepal in the south; and also leading to every city,

county and township within the region. In

addition, the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet

Railway, Lhasa-Shigatse Railway and 58

international and domestic air routes has

greatly shortened the distance between Tibet

and the inland and other parts of the world.

Datum six: per-capita disposable income

of residents getting to 10,730 yuanThe past 50 years has witnessed historic

growth in incomes of urban residents and

farmers and herdsmen of Tibet. In 2014, the per-

capita disposable income of urban residents of

Tibet reached 22,016 yuan, an increase of 39

times from 1978; and the per-capita disposable

income of rural residents in the region was

7,359 yuan, an increase of 42 times from 1978.

The per-capita disposable income of all the

residents in Tibet got to 10,730 yuan.

Datum seven: dream of 2.3 million farmers

and herders for new houses realizedOver 90 percent of people in old Tibet didn’t

have their own housing. The housing project for

Qinghai - Tibet Railway

63News From China August 2015

Tibetan farmers and herdsmen was launched in

2006. By the end of 2013, the total investment in

the project amounted to 27.8 billion yuan,

realizing the dream of 2.3 million farmers and

herdsmen for new houses.

Datum eight: the average life expectancy

increasing to 68.2 years oldDue to high altitude, cold and oxygen deficit,

Tibet was once considered the world’s most

unsuitable region for human habitation. Thanks

to the improvement in living standards and

medical conditions in the past 50 years,

Tibetans’ average life expectancy has constantly

increased. It has risen to 68.2 years old now

from 35.5 years old in the past. The total

population of Tibet has also increased from 1.14

million in the past to 3.17 million now.

Datum nine: the protected areas accounting

for 34.5 percent of Tibet’s land area

In the development process, Tibet has

always put environmental protection as a

baseline. Currently, the region has set up 22

ecological function protected areas, eight

national forest parks, five national wetland

parks, four geological parks, three national-

level scenic spots and 47 nature reserves, with a

total protected area of 412,200 square

kilometers, accounting for 34.5 percent of the

area of Tibet.

Datum ten: over 15 million domestic and

foreign tourists received in the whole

year

With unique natural and cultural

landscape, Tibet attracts large numbers of

domestic and foreign tourists. The number of

tourists to Tibet increased from 8,624 in 1981

to 15.53 million in 2014, a rise of nearly 1,800

times. Tourism has become an important

window for the world to understand the new

Tibet.

Achievements of Tibet Autonomous Region in 50 years

When the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR)

was established in 1965, its GDP stood only at

327 million yuan. In 2014, the figure rose by

nearly 300-fold to 92.08 billion yuan.

Particularly since the Third Tibet Work

Conference convened in 1994, Tibet’s GDP

maintained double digit growth ¨C averaging

12.4 percent year on year ¨C for 20 consecutive

years. This was unprecedented in the history of

Tibet.

Over the past five decades, investment from

the central government in Tibet has been on the

rise year by year. In response to Tibet’s social,

economic development needs under different

circumstances and in different periods, the

central government rolled out a large number

of major projects that had far-reaching and

important impact. The total fixed investments

added up to nearly 700 billion yuan,

representing an average 16.5 percent increase

year on year.

Over the past five decades, local finances

grew steadily. Since its establishment, Tibet has

gained full support from the central

government: socialist systematic and

institutional advantages have been played to the

full and nationwide efforts have been mobilized.

The central government offered Tibet up to 600

billion yuan in financial assistance of various

forms in the years between 1965 and 2014.

Local fiscal revenue remained a negative growth

till the year of 1989 in which a reversal was seen.

In 2014, Tibet’s fiscal income reached 12.4

billion yuan.

Over the past five decades, Tibet’s aggregate

industrial volume kept increasing. A Tibet-

Tibet Today

64 News From China August 2015

specific industrial system, comprising

competitive mining, construction and building

materials, nationality handicraft and Tibetan

medicine industries, whether developed from

scratch or on the basis of existing industries, has

begun to take shape. The gross industrial

output value increased from 1965’s 9 million

yuan to 2014’s 15 billion yuan.

Over the past five decades, both internal and

external trade grew with tremendous

momentum in Tibet. In 2014, the total retail

sales of consumer goods reached 32.43 billion

yuan, up by 132.4-fold from 245 million yuan in

1978; in 2012, the total import and export

volume stood at 3.42 billion US Dollars, up by

1,424-fold from 2.4 million US Dollars of 1965.

Building infrastructure for a new lookA landmark project symbolizing Tibet's

leapfrog development in transportation, Lhasa-

Nyingchi Highway is looking to be open to traffic

in late July, 2015. Saving at least 2 hours from

Lhasa to Nyingchi, the highway will further

break the local traffic bottleneck and improve

the backbone of the main road network in

central Tibet.

There was not a single highway in Tibet

before it officially became an autonomous

region. However, the state of isolation and

underdevelopment was completely changed

with heavy investment from the central

government in such infrastructure sectors as

transportation, energy, communications and

urban construction.

By far, a network of highways has been built.

The network takes Lhasa as its centre and from

there extends to Sichuan and Yunnan in the east,

Xinjiang in the west, Qinghai in the north, and

India and Nepal in the south. The network also

includes road connections among cities,

counties, towns and villages. The total length of

highways open to traffic in Tibet reached 75,000

km by the end of 2014.

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway put an end to

Tibet’s zero-railroad history. The Lhasa-

Shigatse Railway, an extension line of Qinghai-

Tibet Today

Qinghai - Tibet Railway

65News From China August 2015

Tibet Railway was put into use in 2014. Now the

construction of the Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway is

also in full swing.

In terms of the aviation industry, today

there are five airports in Tibet where eight

airline companies are running a total of 48

domestic or international routes to 33

destinations in and outside China. By far, a

m u l t i - d i m e n s i o n a l t ra n s p o r t s ys te m

dominated by highways and supplemented by

air, railways and tunnels has taken shape.

In terms of energy system building, the

completion and operation of the Lhasa Loop

G r i d P r o j e c t , t h e Q i n g h a i - T i b e t D C

Interconnection Project (the world’s highest,

longest, and most difficult power transmission

and substation project), and the Sichuan-Tibet

Grid Interconnection Project in succession

ended the history of isolated operation of

Tibet’s power grid. Moreover, the Lhasa Heat

Supply Project enabled the historical shift from

traditional heating methods to modern urban

heat supply from clean energy. Therefore,

today’s Tibet has a new energy system

dominated by hydroelectric power and

complemented by geothermal energy, wind

energy and solar energy.

As for communications, Tibet is building a

modern communication network system that is

complete with fiber-optic cables, satellites and

Internet. So far, mobile phone signals cover

basically all administrative villages across TAR,

of which 670 or 98 percent have access to fiber-

optic cables.

In terms of urban construction, an urban

space layout that features Lhasa as the center

and six other prefectures or cities and county

seats (either city or town) as regional centers is

rapidly taking shape. The urbanization rate in

Tibet rose from 19.8 percent in 2005 to the

current level of 25.8 percent.

Improving people’s livelihood and

enjoying fruits of developmentLhasa is listed as the "happiest city" in China

for seven consecutive years and tops 38 major

Chinese cities for three consecutive years in

terms of satisfaction degree for basic urban

public services. In 2014, the city also continued

to lead the 38 major Chinese cities in terms of

public sense of security.

More than 95 percent of the population in

old Tibet was either serfs or slaves who led a

miserable life of no fixed residence, few clothes

and little food, let alone the basic rights of

education, medical care and democracy. Yet the

past 50 years have seen Tibet make leapfrog

development not only in economy, but also in

the whole range of social undertakings.

Tibet's drive to build a new socialist

countryside, which took housing projects for

low-income families as the breakthrough point,

has benefited the broad masses of farmers and

herdsmen. For example, 2.3 million farmers or

herdsmen from 460,300 households moved

into safe, spacious and affordable new homes in

2 0 1 3 . C o m p r e h e n s i v e s u p p o r t i n g

infrastructure¨C water/electricity/gas supply,

roads, communications, radio & TV, postal

service, and so forth ̈ C is also improving step by

step.

Tibet's per capita disposable income

reached 10,730 yuan in 2014. The per capita net

income of rural residents rose by 12.3 percent

year on year to 7,359 yuan, achieving double-

digit growth for 12 consecutive years, while the

per capita net income of urban residents

reached 22,016 yuan. Furthermore, Tibet’s per

capita consumption expenditure amounted to

7,317 yuan in 2014 as consumer goods such as

refrigerators, TVs, computers, washing

machines, motorbikes and mobile phones

entered homes of ordinary people.

Tibet's urban and rural medical and

healthcare system gradually improved over the

past five decades. A medical and healthcare

network has been put in place that spread out

from Lhasa to across urban and rural areas in

Tibet. A free healthcare system was built to

cover all farmers and herdsmen in farming and

Tibet Today

66 Book Review News From China August 2015

pastoral areas. In addition, Tibet is the first in

the nation to achieve urban and rural

integration and whole-society coverage in

terms of medical and healthcare provision.

The strategy of giving priority to the

development of educat ion was ful ly

implemented in Tibet in the past five decades. A

relatively complete education system that

covers general education, preschool education,

adult education, vocational education and

special education has been built. Tibet is also

the first in China to provide 15-year free

education from pre-school to high school.

As history and practice have repeatedly

proven, the central government¡¯s policies and

guidelines on the construction of Tibet have

been right, practical and wise. Looking forward,

we have reasons to believe that the people of all

ethnic groups in Tibet will continue to

unswervingly follow the path of development

with Chinese and Tibetan characteristics and

work with the rest of the nation to achieve the

goal of building a moderately prosperous

society by 2020 and realize the great

rejuvenation of the Chinese nation ¨C the

Chinese dream.

BOOK REVIEW

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products may not be at the cutting edge of technology, they have sticking power and broad applicability.

Starting as a developer of messaging software, in ten short years Ma Huateng steered Tencent into all phases needed for a dominant presence on the Chinese internet: from value-added wireless operations, games, portal

and search operations to e-commerce, and third-party payments. With ease

and aplomb, Ma made Tencent the pattern-setter of China's whole internet industry.

Here we'd like to present you a book of “Leaders of Business Community in

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You can come to get the book for FREE, or ask for a VPP service as you need. Please email us first to reserve the book providing the serial No. Hope to hear from you in the

coming future. Your comments and suggestions on NFC are also greatly welcome.

Editor News From ChinaE-mail: newsfromchinadelhi@gmail.comAddress: 50-D, Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110021Tel: 0091-11-26116683

CORRIGENDUM

Please note that the Issue No. 7 of “News From China”, i.e. July edition, on page no. 25, under the heading “A Ground Paving Mission for Yatris” in the 3rd paragraph of the beginning has inadvertently been misprinted by the printer which should read as “I flew to Bagdogra of West Bengal from New Delhi”, instead of “I flew to Baddogra of West Bangladesh from New Delhi”

The inconvenience is regretted - Ed.

Flights Between China and India

ROUTING

New Delhi-Guangzhou

Guangzhou - NewDelhi

New Delhi-Guangzhou

Guangzhou - NewDelhi

FLIGHT NO.

CZ3028

CZ3027

CZ360

CZ359

DEPARTURE TIME

12:45

7:30

23:40

18:50

ARRIVAL TIME

19:50

11:30

6:50+1

22:30

FLIGHT DATES

Daily

Daily

Daily

Daily

ROUTING

New Delhi-Guangzhou

Guangzhou - NewDelhi

New Delhi-Guangzhou

Guangzhou - NewDelhi

FLIGHT NO.

CZ

CZ3027

CZ360

CZ359

3028

DEPARTURE TIME

11:50

7:30

23:10

18:50

ARRIVAL TIME

19:30

11:50

6:50+1

22:10

FLIGHT DATES

Daily

Daily

Daily

Daily

Schedule of China Southern Airlines Flights (Summer Season)

China Eastern Time Table

Remarks

Shanghai Pudong: Terminal-1

Delhi IGI: Terminal-3

Kolkata NSCBI: Terminal-2

Delhi-Shanghai(Pudong)

1APR,2015-31OCT, 2015

Shanghai(Pudong)-Delhi

31MAR,2015-31OCT, 2015

Kolkata-Kunming

1APR,2015-31OCT, 2015

Kunming-Kolkata

1APR,2015-31OCT, 2015

Flight Number

MU564

Flight Number

MU563

Flight Number

MU556

Flight Number

MU555

Dep\

0230

Dep

2110

Dep

0035

Dep

2355

Arr

1100

Arr

0125+1

Arr

0510

Arr

2345

Frequency

Daily

Frequency

Daily

Frequency

Daily

Frequency

Daily

Aircraft

Airbus 330-200

Aircraft

Airbus330-200

Aircraft

Boeing 737

Aircraft

Boeing 737

67News From China August 2015

Flights Between China and India

Address and Contact Numbers of Chinese Airlines

68

CA 429

News From China August 2015

CCTV News 69News From China August 2015

CRI CIBN70 News From China August 2015

71

PDF Version of this Issue is available at http://in.china-embassy.org

Postal Regd. No. DL-SW-16/4034/15-17R.N.I. No. 47440/88

August 2015

Chinese Embassy Website: http://in.china-embassy.orgWebsite of Foreign Ministry of China: www.mfa.gov.cn

www.fmprc.gov.cn

E-mail: newsfromchinadelhi@gmail.comE-mail:webmaster@mfa.gov.cn

Published, Printed and Edited by Mme. Xie Liyan on behalf of the Press Office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, 50-D, Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110021. Tel: 26881249, Fax: 26882024

Printed at A.K. Printers, S-217, Bank Street, Munirka, New Delhi-110067, Ph: 9818114996Date of Publishing: 24th of every month Posted at Chanakyapuri P.O. on 27th & 28th of every month

72