China ‘still set for healthy growth’
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Premier Li Keqiang talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday with
?representatives of the third summit of the Global CEO Council. [Photo by Wu Zhiyi / China Daily]
Premier Li meets heads of leading global companies
Premier Li Keqiang said China is confident of keeping its annual growth rate around 7 percent for a fair period of time by persisting with its reform and opening-up and tapping its huge potential.
While meeting with international business leaders on Tuesday, Li said conditions still exist for China to sustain its growth at a "medium-to-high level" despite the economy‘s current slowdown.
Li said he drew his confidence from the fact that large areas are yet to be developed in central and western China, reflecting the gap between the relatively industrialized coastal areas and those regions.
"If the Chinese economy could expand at around 7 percent this year, it would translate into an incremental volume of about $800 billion,” he said.
The premier made the remarks when meeting with members of the Global CEO Council in Beijing. The council, an organization set up in 2013 by the Chinese People‘s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, includes 14 global corporate leaders from the manufacturing, natural resources, energy, machinery, agriculture, finance, banking, pharmaceutical, aviation, engineering, logistics and information technology sectors.
Li admitted there will be "twists and turns" as foreign companies try to expand business in China, but he said China‘s opening-up into a better-integrated global economy will not be held back.
Foreign-invested companies in China should be one of the powers maintaining the medium-to-high growth of the Chinese economy, Li said. Additionally, in a bid to attract more foreign investors, the Chinese government will further open market access, provide better financial services and step up intellectual property rights protection, Li said.
"Sectors in high-end manufacturing and the service industry in particular will be opened wider to foreigners," he said.
Klaus Kleinfeld, chairman and chief executive of Alcoa, the largest US producer of aluminum, said he looked forward to China‘s push to upgrade its economy. He added that he believed there are tremendous opportunities for his company to cooperate with China in automotives and aerospace, which are seeing increasing demand for lightweight metal and materials.
"Premier Li is a very distinguished economist and he has very valid views … And I think it is decently well understood that the current administration wants to change the pattern in China to have a more consumption- and innovation-driven and more value-added economy," he said.
Lloyd Blankfein, chairman and chief executive of US investment bank Goldman Sachs Group, said he anticipated further liberalization of the Chinese economy.
"Every day I wake up to another announcement about another liberalizing move. I think it is important for China to do so," he said.
Blankfein said that the idea of economic cycles, which China is not immune to, should be taken into consideration.
"China has achieved a very high growth rate at some cost … so growth has to be absorbed, mistakes have to be corrected and bad investments have to be written off in order to have another stage of rapid growth," he said.
Celebration of 40th Anniversary of China-Philippines Diplomatic Relations Held in Beijing
Jointly sponsored by CPAFFC and Embassy of the Philippines in Beijing, reception in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and the Philippines was held in Beijing on June 9th, 2015. Vice President Lin Yi of CPAFFC, Ambassador Erlinda F. Basilio of the Philippines to China, together with around 300 guests from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Embassy of the Philippines, diplomatic corps and relevant institutions attended the celebration.
In her speech, Madame Lin Yi said that China and the Philippines are neighbors across the sea. Thousands of years of friendship exchanges are our great treasures.? On the same day 40 years ago, the then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and Philippine President Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos signed the communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines, opening a new page for the bilateral relationship. The past 40 years explicitly reflected the fact that if the two sides uphold sincerity, manage and control disputes in an active and appropriate way, the bilateral relations will further develop and move forward in a healthy way. We believe that the China-Philippines relations will come back to normal at an early date with our joint efforts.? This is not only in accord with the common interests of our two countries and peoples, but also conducive to the peace, stability and prosperity of the region.
Ambassador Erlinda F. Basilio expressed deep gratitude to CPAFFC for its unremitting efforts in furthering the bilateral relations in past decades. She also said that the Philippines and China will continue to pursue every avenue available to promote relations in the political, economic, social and cultural fields, and in various multilateral and regional undertakings, a sign of our integration in a world larger than the Philippines and China together, built on our common goals and shared aspirations for peace, development and the prosperity of our two nations, our region and the community of nations.
Chinese music traveling wide
The growing interest in China globally has led to a boom in culture exchanges, and now a new initiative aims to take the country’s traditional music to foreign audiences.Chen Nan reports.
Visitors to the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta last month were surprised to find more than a dozen Chinese, wearing traditional clothing playing bamboo flutes and Chinese stringed instruments like the erhu, guzheng and pipa.
On May 8, a crowd gathered on the roof terrace of leading investment firm Goldman Sachs in New York and listened to the same group play century-old traditional Chinese songs with ancient instruments.
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A group of young performers entertain audiences with a waist-drum dance show at US
?Disneyland in February. Photos Provided to China Daily
"Trees cannot grow into the sky, but music can," said one audience member after the show.
The musicians who surprised and delighted people throughout the United States, are members of the China National Orchestra. Their performances in the US were part of a project run by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
Called Qin Tai, which literally means "the table of Chinese traditional stringed instruments", the project aims to connect China to the world by introducing traditional Chinese music to foreign audiences.
Li Xiaolin, president of the association, says the name of the project came from three historic sites named after Qin Tai in Sichuan, Hubei and Shandong provinces. Each place embodies the spirituality and elegance of traditional Chinese music.
The phrase Qin Tai is also the name of the place in an old Chinese legend. It is where Yu Boya played his instrument, a zither, with his friend Zhong Zhiqi, a woodcutter. Zhong was the only one who understood Yu’s music. After Zhong died, Yu broke his zither and never played it again.
"In that legend, Yu calls Zhong his zhi yin, or soul mate. We hope to share the beautiful ancient Chinese sounds with people, who are our zhi yin, around the world," Li says.
"Chinese language is well promoted by the Confucius Institutes globally. We want to make learning about traditional Chinese music a delightful and pleasant experience as well," Li says.
Li notes that when Chinese musicians playing traditional instruments travel abroad, they usually find themselves performing in concert halls or at big galas. With the Qin Tai project, shows and workshops will be held in public places, such as squares, parks and schools, which will enable the culture of Chinese instruments and music to move closer to the people.
In February this year, more than 20 children from Yan''''an city, Shaanxi province, performed a yangko dance and a waist-drum dance for five days in Disneyland, Los Angeles, to celebrate Chinese New Year.
"It’s quite challenging because those ancient instruments are being threatened by contemporary music. Foreign audiences rarely have the opportunity to enjoy traditional Chinese music. But we''''ve been seeking various approaches to promote traditional Chinese music not just domestically but also internationally," says Xi Qiang, president of the China National Orchestra.
In 1997, the orchestra performed with the renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma at Carnegie Hall in the US.
In 2014, when US pop singer Katy Perry performed in China and visited the orchestra, more than 90 musicians performed the singer’s hit, Roar, with traditional Chinese instruments.
"Those crossover performances enable traditional Chinese music to connect with today’s audiences," Xi says.
"With the Qin Tai project, I believe the world will get to know more about our musical heritage."
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Chinese musicians tour the United States with performances of
Chinese traditional music, as part of a culture exchange program.
The Third Round-Table Summit of “Global CEO Council” Convened Successfully
On June 6, 2015, the Third Round-Table Summit of “Global CEO Council” initiated by the CPAFFC was held successfully at Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Premier Li Keqiang met with 14 CEOs attending the summit and had an in-depth communication with them. President Li Xiaolin and Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang attended the summit.
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Premier Li Keqiang said, under the background of economic globalization and trade liberalization, China’s economy and global economy are deeply integrated. A new-round high-level opening up is taken place in China. China will be further opened to the world. We welcome foreign companies to participate in China''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s Modernization. We will continue to build a fair competition environment for Chinese and foreign enterprises by taking more mutual beneficial measures on market access, financial service and intellectual property protection etc.
CEOs appreciated for Premier’s insight into China’s economy, and further reform and opening-up policy. Focus on the theme of “Enhance China’s Overall Competitiveness in the New World Pattern”, CEOs had an open dialogue with Premier on the topic of? “Made in China 2025”, “streamline administration and institute decentralization”, “Popular entrepreneurship and innovation” and “Investment environment and related policy in China”. Both sides fully exchanged views in a relaxed atmosphere.??
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President Li Xiaolin met with CEOs before the summit. She appreciated for multinational companies’ participation in the people-to-people exchange project initiated by CPAFFC, such as “Rainbow Bridge” project, “Golden Key” project and “Qin Tai” Program. She believed that through these project, CEOs could have better understanding of China’s development pattern and learn about the trend of China’s economy development, which could help them take opportunities and realize win-win cooperation.
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In order to enrich the content, CPAFFC added “China Track” into the summit for the first time. Dr. Pan Wei, Professor of School of International Studies, Peking University, was invited to give a one-hour lecture on “Institutional Civilization in China”. By this mini class, these CEOs who have significant influence in the world economy would have better understanding of Chinese culture, thinking method, ways of act, as well as political system, social system and China’s economic development.
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And CPAFFC also made an exhibition to highlight the achievements of “Rainbow Bridge” project, “Golden Key” project and “Qin Tai” Program. It helped CEOs learn about their company’s involvement in these projects and encourage them to have more practical cooperation with us in the future.
Media Coverage:
CCTV News:
http://news.cntv.cn/2015/06/09/VIDE1433848881963932.shtml
Morning News:
http://news.cntv.cn/2015/06/10/VIDE1433896942379364.shtml
China Daily:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-06/10/content_20954893.htm
People’s Daily:
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2015-06/10/nw.D110000renmrb_20150610_1-03.htm?ADUIN=358574688&ADSESSION=1434078499&ADTAG=CLIENT.QQ.5353_.0&ADPUBNO=26381
Vice President Song Jingwu Meets with Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Northern Ireland, UK
On June 5th, Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC, met with Ms.Michelle O’Neil, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Northern Ireland,UK and her delegation.
Mr. Song Jingwu welcomed the delegation and expressed CPAFFC’s willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Northern Ireland in fields including agriculture for win-win results. Ms. Michelle O''''Neil thanked CPAFFC for receiving the delegation and made an introduction of the development of agriculture in Northern Ireland and noted that Northern Ireland will further agricultural cooperation with China through CPAFFC.
Vice President Lin Yi Meets with Vice President of Jewish World Congress
Lin Yi, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, met with Mr. Maram Stern, Vice President of Jewish World Congress on June 2nd. They recalled their exchanges more than 20 years ago, and held discussion on the future cooperation, especially the activities commemorating 70 Anniversary of the Victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.?
CPAFFC Delegation Visits Ireland and UK
On invitation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland and Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU) in UK, CPAFFC delegation visited Ireland and UK from May 27 to June 2. During the stay in UK, Vice President Song Jingwu delivered a speech in the celebration conference marking the 50th anniversary of SACU, and presented a commemorative plate on behalf of CPAFFC to SACU. The delegation met with Mr. Stephen Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group Club, and Lord Michael Dobbs, Member of the House of Lords and author of House of Cards. While visiting Ireland, the delegation met with Ms. Ann Phelan, Minister of State at Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr. Chrity Burke, Lord Mayor of Dublin, and officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The two sides have exchanged views on carrying out cooperation in the framework of MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON A FRAMEWORK FOR JOINTLY ENHANCING PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGE AND COOPERATION BETWEEN THE CHINESE PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION FOR FRIENDSHIP WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE OF IRELAND.
Vice President Song Jingwu delivering a speech at the Conference Marking the 50th Anniversary of SACU
Presenting a?Gift to Chairwoman of SACU
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming and Vice President Song Jingwu at the Conference Marking the 50th Anniversary of SACU
CPAFFC Delegation meeting with officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Meeting with Lord Michael Dobbs, Member of the House of Lords and author of House of Cards
Meeting with Mr. Stephen Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group Club
Vice President Song Jingwu Meets and Signs Cooperation Agreement with Chairman of MCFA
On June 2nd, Vice President Song Jingwu met with Mr. Samir Hadzic, Chairman of Montenegro-China Friendship Association (MCFA), and Ms. Dijiana Dukaj, Vice Chairwoman of MCFA at Friendship Pavilion in the CPAFFC. The both sides signed Agreement of Cooperation between CPAFFC and MCFA. At the banquet, Friendship Art Exchange Association of the CPAFFC presented art works to the MCFA. The both sides expressed wishes of strengthening friendly contact between the artists of the two countries.
The delegation of MCFA will visit Beijing and Shanghai, then attend the China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo at Ningbo at the invitation of The People’s Government of Ningbo City.
Vice President Hu Sishe Meets with U.S. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Delegation
On June 1st, Vice President Hu Sishe met with the 8 presidents and senior executives of the U.S. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Delegation.
Vice President Hu Sishe said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, the official educational exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have been developing steadily with the joint efforts of both sides. Up to now, the number of Chinese students studying in the U.S. has reached to 490,000, making China the largest source of international students in America. The number of American students studying in China is about 24,000, and China is also American students’ most favored destination to study abroad in Asia. Hu also said that the educational exchanges and cooperation between the two countries are helpful to advance economic, scientific and technological development, to enhance understanding and friendship between their people, and to develop bilateral relations between China and the U.S. CPAFFC will continue to contribute to the development of the educational exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.
David Wilson, the president of Morgan State University in Maryland, also the head of the delegation, introduced the development of the HBCUs, current situation of the development of Morgan State University and its advanced subjects. He pointed out that the HBCUs have made great efforts to provide more education opportunities to African students, with an emphasis on cultural differences and the degree of internationalization, etc. In addition, other members of the delegation introduced their schools respectively, including school size, research progress, education ideas, etc,. They said that the exchanges between HBCUs and Chinese colleges and universities have become more and more frequent in recent years, and that cooperation projects also gradually increased. They hope to further enhance mutual exchanges and cooperations with their Chinese counterparts through this visit.
Deputy Director General Level Counsel Ms. Hu Chunmei Meets with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Mr. Manassarian
?On May 29, Ms. Hu Chunmei, Deputy Director General Level Counsel of Department of European and Asian Affairs of the CPAFFC met with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Manassarian.
?The two sides had in-depth exchange of views on promoting people-to-people friendship relations, and cooperation of local governments.
?Ms. Tian Erlong,Chinese Ambassador to Armenia attended the meeting.