What Does Xi's 'Sweet Potato Economy' Theory Tell Us About China's Private Sector Policies? - China Backs Denmark on Greenland Issue
Also in this edition, April's Economic Data - Ministry of Commerce's Criticism of US Chip Controls & Beijing's Reaction to Taiwan's Failed WHA Bid
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily’s edition on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Page 1: The lead report on the page talks about Xi Jinping’s instructions on the work of formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan.
He emphasised that “scientifically formulating and successively implementing five-year plans is an important experience of our Party’s governance of the country, and also an important political advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The formulation and implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan are of great significance for fully implementing the strategic deployment of the 20th Party Congress and advancing Chinese-style modernisation. It is necessary to adhere to scientific decision-making, democratic decision-making, and law-based decision-making, unify top-level design and consultation with the people, strengthen research and demonstration, build consensus widely, listen to the opinions and suggestions of the people and all sectors of society through various means, fully absorb the fresh experiences created by cadres and the masses in practice, pay attention to the systematic, holistic and coordinated nature of goals, tasks and policy measures, and complete the preparation of the plan with high quality.” 中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平近日对“十五五”规划编制工作作出重要指示强调，科学制定和接续实施五年规划，是我们党治国理政一条重要经验，也是中国特色社会主义一个重要政治优势。编制和实施“十五五”规划，对于全面落实党的二十大战略部署、推进中国式现代化意义重大。要坚持科学决策、民主决策、依法决策，把顶层设计和问计于民统一起来，加强调研论证，广泛凝聚共识，以多种方式听取人民群众和社会各界的意见建议，充分吸收干部群众在实践中创造的新鲜经验，注重目标任务和政策举措的系统性整体性协同性，高质量完成规划编制工作.
Next, there’s a report (English report) on the appointment of new ambassadors to several countries:
Lu Xu has been appointed ambassador to Malawi, replacing Long Zhou
Kong Xianhua has been appointed ambassador to the Maldives, replacing Wang Lixin
Huang Shifang has been appointed ambassador to Mauritius, replacing Zhu Liying
Li Zhigang has been appointed ambassador to Senegal, replacing Xiao Han
Lu Mei has been appointed ambassador to Azerbaijan, replacing Guo Min
Li Xinwei has been appointed ambassador to Armenia, replacing Fan Yong
Yang Yang has been appointed ambassador to Guyana, replacing Guo Haiyan
Sun Lei has been appointed deputy permanent representative and ambassador to the United Nations, replacing Dai Bing
Next, the Central Party Literature Press has published (English report) a new collection of articles on studying Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The new collection consists of five volumes of 29 articles published since November 2023. These articles focus on studying and implementing relevant discourses made by Xi Jinping, with the aim of advancing systematic research and theoretical interpretation of the Party's innovative theories for the new era. The articles were originally published in the People's Daily or the Qiushi Journal, both flagship publications of the CPC Central Committee. The first two collections on the same topic, each comprising five volumes, were released in 2020 and 2023.
Also on the page is a report on Zhao Leji meeting with President of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico Sergio Gutiérrez Luna. Xinhua reports:
Zhao said that China is willing to “jointly carry out the five programs to build a community with a shared future between China and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries, enrich the China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership and promote China-LAC solidarity and prosperity. The five programs, with their focus ranging from solidarity, development and civilization to peace and people-to-people connectivity, were announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum in Beijing last week. Zhao said the Chinese side highly appreciates the Chamber of Deputies’ long-term commitment to the one-China principle, and welcomes Mexico to participate in Belt and Road projects in a flexible manner. China welcomes Mexico to deepen cooperation in traditional fields such as infrastructure construction, expand cooperation in emerging fields such as electric vehicles, new energy, and agricultural machinery, strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and enhance cooperation in areas such as education, think tanks and news media. China’s NPC is willing to strengthen exchanges with Mexico’s parliament and maintain close coordination, Zhao said. As important members of the Global South, China and LAC countries should carry forward their glorious tradition of independence and autonomy, protect their right to development, safeguard international fairness and justice, and practice true multilateralism, Zhao said.”
Finally, there’s a report on April economic data. The key numbers are:
In April, the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 6.1% year-on-year. Among them, the added value of equipment manufacturing increased by 9.8% year-on-year, and the added value of high-tech manufacturing increased by 10.0% year-on-year. In terms of products, the output of 3D printing equipment, industrial robots, and new energy vehicles increased by 60.7%, 51.5%, and 38.9% year-on-year, respectively.
In April, the total retail sales of consumer goods was 3.717 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.1%. The policy of trading in old consumer goods for new ones continues to show effectiveness, with above-quota units' retail sales of household appliances and audio-visual equipment, cultural and office supplies, and furniture categories increasing year-on-year by 38.8%, 33.5%, and 26.9% respectively.
In the first four months, the national fixed asset investment was 14.702 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.0%; excluding real estate development investment, the national fixed asset investment increased by 8.0%.
In April, the total import and export of goods was 3.839 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.6%. Among them, exports were 2.265 trillion yuan, an increase of 9.3%. In the first four months, the total import and export of goods was 14.139 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.4%.
Finally, there’s a Ren Ping article talking about the development of China’s economy. The emphasis is on the Private Economy Promotion Law, which comes into effect today. It says:
“As the country’s first basic law specifically concerning the development of the private economy, the Private Economy Promotion Law comes into effect starting May 20. This is of milestone significance in the history of the development of China’s private economy. The rule of law plays a safeguarding role in consolidating fundamentals, stabilizing expectations, and benefiting the long term. The Private Economy Promotion Law is not only the basic law of the private economy, but also a law to promote its development and ensure equal protection. Providing a solid legal guarantee for the sustained, healthy and high-quality development of the private economy is a vivid example of taking governing the country by law as the fundamental strategy of the Party in leading the people to govern the country, and taking the rule of law as the basic way for the Party to govern.” 作为我国第一部专门关于民营经济发展的基础性法律，民营经济促进法5月20日起施行。这在我国民营经济发展史上具有里程碑意义。法治具有固根本、稳预期、利长远的保障作用。民营经济促进法既是民营经济的基本法，也是民营经济的发展促进法和平等保护法。为民营经济持续、健康、高质量发展提供坚实法治保障，正是把依法治国作为党领导人民治理国家基本方略、把法治作为党治国理政基本方式的生动注脚。
Thereafter the article explains Xi Jinping’s “sweet potato economy’ theory, which he expounded during his time in Zhejiang.
“‘The vines of sweet potatoes extend in all directions, in order to absorb more sunlight, rain, and nutrients, but its tubers are always at the base of the roots. The extension and expansion of the vines ultimately serve to make the tubers grow thicker and larger’. More than 20 years ago, Comrade Xi Jinping, who was then the Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, scientifically expounded the theory of the ‘Sweet Potato Economy’, profoundly pointing out that ‘we must develop Zhejiang by going beyond Zhejiang, actively going to other provinces and abroad while introducing various elements, utilising external resources and external markets to achieve greater development’. This innovative theory not only guided Zhejiang to continuously break through bottlenecks and achieve the continuous growth of ‘provincial Zhejiang’, ‘China's Zhejiang’ and ‘global Zhejiang’, but also sublimates into an important part of the new development concept in the practice of the new era, leading China to solve the problem of internal and external linkage in open development and create new advantages of a higher level of open economy.” “地瓜的藤蔓向四面八方延伸，为的是汲取更多的阳光、雨露和养分，但它的块茎始终是在根基部，藤蔓的延伸扩张最终为的是块茎能长得更加粗壮硕大。”20多年前，时任浙江省委书记的习近平同志科学阐释“地瓜经济”理论，深刻指出“必须跳出浙江发展浙江，在大力引进各种要素的同时打到省外去、国外去，利用外部资源、外部市场实现更大的发展”。这一创新理论，不仅指引浙江不断突破瓶颈，实现“省域的浙江”“中国的浙江”“全球的浙江”持续壮大，更在新时代实践中升华为新发展理念的重要内容，引领中国在开放发展中解决内外联动问题，塑造更高水平开放型经济新优势.
This is followed by throwing some shade on cadres:
“In March of this year, the first volume of Selected Works on Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought was published and distributed. This important work scientifically summarizes the valuable practical experience of promoting economic development in the new era and systematically reflects the rich connotations, scientific system, and original contributions of Xi Jinping Economic Thought. In actual work, some leading cadres make inaccurate judgments about the situation, are not proactive in responding to risks, and are unable to deal with complex contradictions and problems. This is often closely related to not grasping the essence of the Party’s innovative theory. From Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought to Xi Jinping’s Thought on Rule of Law, we must grasp the source, spiritual connotation, and core essence of the Party’s innovative theory, and understand the Party’s leadership methods, ideological methods, and working methods for promoting economic governance. Only in this way can we accurately grasp the times and trends and dangers and opportunities, and scientifically resolve various contradictions and problems in economic and social development, firmly grasp the initiative, and fight a good battle.” 今年3月，《习近平经济文选》第一卷出版发行。这一重要著作，科学总结了新时代推动经济发展的宝贵实践经验，系统反映了习近平经济思想的丰富内涵、科学体系和原创性贡献。“在实际工作中，一些领导干部判断形势不准确，应对风险不主动，处理复杂矛盾问题顾此失彼、进退失据，往往都同没有把握好党的创新理论的精髓要义密切相关。”从习近平经济思想到习近平法治思想，把握好党的创新理论的源头脉络、精神实质、核心要义，领会党推进经济治理的领导方法、思想方法和工作方法，才能精准洞察时与势、危与机，科学解决经济社会发展中的各种矛盾和问题，牢牢掌握主动权、打好主动仗.
The second section informs that under the sweet potato economy theory a large number of private enterprises from Zhejiang achieved greater development. The examples cited are the Chint Group, which works in the solar energy sector, and the Zhejiang Chuanhua Group, which cuts across several sectors.
“Today, more than 6 million Zhejiang businessmen are spread across China, and more than 2 million Zhejiang businessmen are spread across the world. On the list of ‘Top 500 Chinese Private Enterprises’, the number of Zhejiang enterprises shortlisted has ranked first in the country for 26 consecutive years. The private economy has become the greatest characteristic, greatest resource, and greatest advantage of Zhejiang’s economy. The reason why the ‘sweet potato economy’ theory demonstrates strong ideological power lies in adhering to a problem-oriented approach, focusing on new problems encountered in practice, and proposing new concepts, new ideas, and new methods that truly solve problems. With a small land area and relatively scarce natural resources, how to break through the bottleneck of resource elements and market space faced in local development? ‘Develop Zhejiang by stepping out of Zhejiang’…the ‘sweet potato economy’ theory opened up an entirely new way of thinking for the development of provincial-level economies and even the whole country, establishing an overall thinking on development, an open vision, and a global perspective; making forward-looking plans based on a larger space; better absorbing external resources and elements for our own use; and continuously improving one’s own quality and efficiency, only then can greater development be achieved. From adhering to problem orientation, to adhering to the concept of system, and then to adhering to the world, the ‘sweet potato economy’ theory vividly reflects the position, viewpoint and method of the Party’s innovative theory, and has become an important source of new development concepts. In Jinjiang, Fujian, running shoes bravely enter the global market and ‘grow’ a large industry with an annual output value of over 300 billion yuan. The ‘Jinjiang experience’ of innovative development has fully stimulated the investment and entrepreneurial vitality of the whole society. In Shenzhen, Guangdong, drone company DJI has established R&D centers and sales networks in many places around the world, making full use of global talents, technology and market resources to continuously improve product competitiveness.” 今天，600多万浙商遍布国内，200多万浙商遍及世界，“中国民营企业500强”榜单上，浙江入围企业数连续26年居全国首位，民营经济成为浙江经济的最大特色、最大资源、最大优势。“地瓜经济”理论之所以展现出强大的思想力量，关键就在于坚持问题导向，聚焦实践遇到的新问题，提出真正解决问题的新理念新思路新办法。土地面积小、自然资源相对贫乏，如何突破地方发展所面临的资源要素与市场空间瓶颈？“跳出浙江发展浙江”，“地瓜经济”理论为省域经济乃至全国发展开启了全新思路——树立发展的全局思维、开放视野、世界眼光，立足更大空间进行前瞻性谋划，更好汲取外部资源要素为我所用，不断提升自身质量和效益，才能实现更大发展。从坚持问题导向，到坚持系统观念，再到坚持胸怀天下，“地瓜经济”理论生动体现了党的创新理论的立场观点方法，成为新发展理念的一个重要活水源头。福建晋江，小跑鞋勇闯全球大市场，“长”出年产值超3000亿元的大产业，创新发展的“晋江经验”，充分激发全社会投资创业活力。广东深圳，无人机企业大疆在全球多地设立研发中心和销售网络，充分利用全球的人才、技术和市场资源，不断提升产品竞争力.
Then the bit is really important to note:
“Answering and guiding the resolution of problems is the fundamental task of theory. When prominent issues arise in government-business relations due to being too ‘close’ or too ‘distant’, the concept of building a new type of government-business relationship was proposed, intimate but measured, clean but effective, where changes in government-business relations lead changes in the development ecosystem; when erroneous theories such as ‘private economy exit theory’ and ‘new public-private partnership theory’ resulted in interference, it was emphasized that ‘China’s private economy can only grow stronger, not weaken, and not only cannot “exit”, but also must move to a broader stage’, so that the majority of private enterprises can take a reassurance and seek development with peace of mind; when some enterprises believed that ‘running physical businesses yields low profits’ and ‘capital operations make money faster’, becoming unwilling to persist in ‘grinding an iron rod into a needle’, they were advised that ‘in doing the real economy, one must focus earnestly and single-mindedly on one main business’, guiding the private economy to consciously follow the path of high-quality development; when the private economy faced difficulties and challenges, it was pointed out that ‘overall, these are appearing in the process of reform, development, and industrial transformation and upgrading, are partial rather than overall, temporary rather than long-term, and can be overcome rather than being unsolvable’, guiding private enterprises to maintain development determination and enhance development confidence…” 回答并指导解决问题，是理论的根本任务。当政商关系因过“近”或过“远”滋生突出问题时，提出构建新型政商关系，亲而有度、清而有为，政商关系之变引领发展生态之变；当“民营经济离场论”“新公私合营论”等错误言论形成干扰时，强调“我国民营经济只能壮大、不能弱化，不仅不能‘离场’，而且要走向更加广阔的舞台”，让广大民营企业吃下定心丸、安心谋发展；当一些企业认为“办实体利润低”“资本运作来钱快”，不肯再埋头“铁杵磨成针”时，叮嘱“做实体经济，要实实在在、心无旁骛地做一个主业”，引领民营经济自觉走高质量发展之路；当民营经济发展面临困难和挑战时，指出“总体上是在改革发展、产业转型升级过程中出现的，是局部的而不是整体的，是暂时的而不是长期的，是能够克服的而不是无解的”，引导民营企业保持发展定力、增强发展信心；
“‘I have always supported private enterprises, and I have worked in places where the private economy is relatively developed’. General Secretary Xi Jinping has always attached great importance to the private economy and private enterprises, and has creatively put forward a series of new concepts, new ideas and new strategies to lead the private economy to continue to grow and develop in solving development problems. With continuous deepening of understanding, continuous improvement of strategy and continuous enrichment of practice, Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought is a systematic theory formed on the basis of economic development practice in the new era, opening up a new realm of political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Being good at summarizing the regular understandings that arise in the course of practical development, daring to advance theoretical innovation based on practice, answering practical problems, and leading practical development, we will certainly be able to firmly grasp the destiny of China’s development and progress in our own hands.” “我是一贯支持民营企业的，也是在民营经济比较发达的地方干过来的。”对民营经济、民营企业，习近平总书记始终高度重视，创造性提出了一系列新理念新思想新战略，引领民营经济在破解发展难题中不断发展壮大。认识上不断深化、战略上不断完善、实践上不断丰富，习近平经济思想是在新时代经济发展实践的基础上形成的系统理论，开拓了中国特色社会主义政治经济学新境界。善于总结实践发展中的规律性认识，勇于推进实践基础上的理论创新，回答实践问题、引领实践发展，定能把我国发展进步的命运牢牢掌握在自己手中.
The next section basically makes the point that “transforming the Party’s principles and policies into law, and promoting the implementation of the Party’s principles and policies according to law” is “both a necessity for developing the socialist market economy and a necessity for achieving the modernisation of the national governance system and governance capacity.” 从政策引领到法治护航——把党的方针政策法治化，又依法推进党的方针政策落实。实施政策促进和立法促进，既是发展社会主义市场经济的需要，也是实现国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的需要.
Then the piece points to specific measures, reducing the domains covered in the negative list for market access, construction of a unified national market, standardising law enforcement, breaking down local protectionism and market segmentation, rectifying ‘involution-style’ competition, etc.
The final section makes the case for standardised government behaviour, which helps engender predictability for the private sector. “A service-oriented government must necessarily be a law-based government. The stronger the legality and standardization of government actions, the lower the governance cost, and the higher the market efficiency. An effective government is precisely about properly addressing the problems of absence and overreach—we should do what we should do, focus on correcting market failures, standardise the competition order, and make the unified national market a big stage for fair competition among all kinds of business entities; we should also not do what we should not do, respect and leverage the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, and prevent improper interference in the activities of micro-entities.” 服务型政府必然是法治政府。政府行为的合法性和规范性越强，治理成本越低，市场效率越高. 有为政府，正是要解决好缺位、越位问题——做到既有所为，着力矫正市场失灵，规范竞争秩序，使全国统一大市场成为各类经营主体公平竞争的大舞台；又有所不为，尊重和发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用，防止对微观主体活动的不当干预.
Page 3: There’s a report informing that the WHA has rejected the move by some members to have Taiwan attend as an observer. China’s ambassador Chen Xu said:
“Taiwan’s return to China is an important part of the victory of the Second World War and the post-war international order. UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and World Health Assembly Resolution 25.1 have long resolved the issue of representation rights for all of China, including Taiwan. The World Health Assembly has rejected so-called Taiwan-related proposals for many years in a row, defending the authority of the United Nations and the post-war international order. Facts have proved that the evil path of ‘Taiwan independence’ is simply untenable.”
China’s foreign ministry also addressed (English text) the issue. It said:
China’s position on the Taiwan region’s participation in the activities of international organizations, including the WHO, is consistent and clear. That is, it must be handled in line with the one-China principle, which is also a fundamental principle as demonstrated by the UNGA Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1. China’s Taiwan region, unless given approval by the central government, has no basis, reason or right to participate in the WHA. Due to the DPP authorities’ persistent separatist stance, the political foundation for the Taiwan region to participate in the WHA no longer exists. The Chinese central government attaches great importance to the health and well-being of our compatriots in Taiwan. Under the prerequisite that the one-China principle is upheld, the Chinese central government has made proper arrangement for the Taiwan region’s participation in global health affairs, and the Taiwan region’s medical and health experts can participate in WHO technical meetings…
“For quite some time, the DPP authorities and certain countries have been blatantly turning back the wheel of history by deliberately distorting and challenging UNGA Resolution 2758 to challenge the one-China principle. They are essentially trying to challenge not only China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also international justice and prevailing consensus as well as the post-war international order. China’s decision of not approving the Taiwan region’s participation in this year’s WHA has wide support and understanding from the international community. The overwhelming majority of countries in the international community have reaffirmed to the Chinese side that they uphold UNGA Resolution 2758, firmly support the one-China principle, and oppose Taiwan’s participation in the WHA. They expressed their support for China’s position through various means, such as writing to the WHO Director-General. It shows that commitment to the one-China principle is where global opinion trends and the arc of history bends, and what the greater national interests entail. The international community’s commitment to the one-China principle is not to be challenged or shaken. No matter what the DPP authorities say or do, it does not change the fact that the two sides of the Strait belong to one and the same China and Taiwan is part of China, nor can it stop the trend towards China’s ultimate and inevitable reunification. ‘Taiwan independence’ leads nowhere and provocations for that are doomed to failure.”
Another report in the paper carries comments by Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. He too lashed out at the DPP, talked about the one-China principle and criticised external actors for challenging the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of China, “international justice and universal consensus” and “the post-World War II international order.”
Moving on, there are three reports of conversations that Wang Yi has had.
First, Wang had a call with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. Xinhua says:
Wang “urged China and Germany to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism… (Wang said) that China-Germany relations carry significance beyond the bilateral scope and exert an important influence on global economic development and strategic stability. Noting that China and Germany share a comprehensive strategic partnership, Wang expressed his hope that the new German government will maintain this position and pursue a rational and pragmatic policy towards China. Emphasizing that the Taiwan question concerns China's core interests, Wang said he believes that the German side will firmly adhere to the one-China principle, just as China has supported Germany's reunification. For China and Germany, whose economies are highly complementary, industries deeply intertwined and interests closely integrated, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation is a natural choice, said Wang, stressing that both sides should prevent the undermining of normal bilateral cooperation in the name of so-called ‘de-risking’. This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union (EU), which is an important juncture bridging the past and the future, said Wang, expressing his hope that Germany will play an active role as a core major country of the EU, and inject fresh momentum into the development of China-EU relations through high-quality China-Germany cooperation. China expects that the EU will work with the Chinese side in the same direction, properly resolve the anti-subsidy case involving Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) at an early date, and promote the upgrading of China-EU cooperation in both quality and scale, he said. China and Germany should shoulder their responsibilities as major countries, jointly advocate and uphold free trade, jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism, safeguard the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, practice true multilateralism and uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, he added.”
On Ukraine, “Wang said that China has been committed to promoting peace talks and supports reaching a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement through direct dialogues. Wadephul said he hopes that China will exert its influence to push for a ceasefire and bring the Ukraine crisis to an early end”.
Second, Wang spoke to Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. Poland also currently holds the rotating EU presidency. Xinhua reports:
“Poland is an important strategic partner of China in Europe, Wang said, adding that China stands ready to maintain high-level exchanges with Poland and expand practical cooperation across various fields. Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, Wang said that China is willing to work with Poland to uphold the post-World War II international order, safeguard the central role of the United Nations, and defend the international law and the basic norms governing international relations. The return of Taiwan to China is an integral part of the victory in World War II and the postwar international order, he said, voicing his hope that Poland will uphold the international consensus, continue to adhere to the one-China policy, and oppose any form of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist attempts. Sikorski said that Poland attaches great importance to its relations with China, will adhere to the one-China policy, and is committed to strengthening exchanges at all levels with China, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, jointly maintaining the post-World War II international order, so as to promote the continuous development of Poland-China and EU-China relations.”
“The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Wang said that the development of the situation in Ukraine has proved that the four-point proposal by Chinese President Xi Jinping have taken into account the concerns of all parties and is an important guiding principle for promoting the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. China has always been committed to promoting peace talks and has never given up its peace efforts, including jointly establishing the ‘Friends of Peace’ group with other countries in the Global South, Wang said. Russia and Ukraine have recently resumed direct negotiations, taking the first step towards peace despite their different positions, Wang said, adding that China expects all parties to further demonstrate their willingness to resolve the crisis politically, and eventually reach a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement through continued dialogue. Sikorski said that he expects China to continue to play an active role in promoting lasting peace in Europe.”
Third, Wang met with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Beijing. Xinhua reports:
Wang said that “Denmark was one of the first Western countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. The two sides have always respected and treated each other as equals, developed a comprehensive strategic partnership, and created a high-level mutually beneficial cooperation led by green development, he added. The most important experience of developing healthy and stable China-Denmark relations over the past 75 years is to adhere to the principle that all countries, big or small, are equal, and accommodate each other’s core interests, Wang said. He noted that China fully respects Denmark's sovereignty and territorial integrity on the Greenland issue and hopes that Denmark will continue to support China's legitimate position on issues related to its own sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“China is willing to work with Denmark to adhere to two-way opening up, take green development as the key point to give new impetus to practical cooperation, and continue to deepen cooperation in economy and trade, scientific research and innovation, green economy and other fields, he said. China is committed to expanding high-level opening up, which will create broader development space for foreign-funded enterprises, and Danish enterprises are welcome to invest and start businesses in China, Wang said. ‘We also hope Denmark can provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises’.”
“Wang noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, and China-EU relations have shown stable and positive momentum since the beginning of this year. China is willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with the European side to jointly promote the sound development of China-EU relations and hopes that Denmark will play an active role in this regard, Wang said. China stands ready to enhance coordination and cooperation with European countries including Denmark to jointly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, Wang noted.”
“Rasmussen said the Danish government and parliament are firmly committed to upholding the one-China principle, willing to strengthen high-level exchanges, enhance dialogue and mutual understanding in various fields, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in investment and green transition, and intensify people-to-people and cultural exchanges to promote the robust development of bilateral relations. ‘The Danish side holds an open attitude towards Chinese enterprises’ investment in Denmark, and Danish enterprises are also willing to make long-term investments in the Chinese market,’ he added. Denmark firmly upholds free trade and opposes decoupling, and looks forward to working with China to jointly safeguard the multilateral system and international order, and to maintain the momentum of globalization, Rasmussen said. The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and other international and regional issues.”
Finally, a brief report informs that Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will be visiting China from May 19 to 21. No prizes for guessing why Dar is visiting Beijing at the moment.
Page 17: There’s a report with the statement from the Ministry of Commerce criticising the US “for abusing export control measures targeting Chinese chip products” and urging it to “immediately correct its wrongdoings and cease discriminatory measures against China.”
The Ministry said:
“the US is abusing export control measures, imposing stricter controls on Chinese chip products based on fabricated charges, and even interfering with Chinese companies using Chinese-made chips within China's borders. The US is overreaching, which is a typical act of unilateral bullying, and China firmly opposes this. China urges the US to immediately correct its erroneous practices and stop discriminatory measures against China.”
The report adds: The US Department of Commerce website adjusted the relevant statement in its May 12 press release on artificial intelligence chip export control guidelines, changing ‘using Huawei Ascend chips anywhere in the world violates US export control regulations’ to ‘warning the industry about the risks of using Chinese advanced computer chips, including specific Huawei Ascend chips’. The spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce stated that after the US issued the relevant guidelines, China communicated with the US at various levels through the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism, pointing out that the US’ actions seriously undermine the consensus reached at the China-US high-level talks in Geneva, and demanding that the US correct its errors. China has noted that the US has recently adjusted the relevant statements in the guidelines’ press release, but the discriminatory measures and market-distorting nature of the guidelines themselves have not changed.” 美国商务部网站调整了其5月12日发布的人工智能芯片出口管制指南新闻稿相关表述，将“在世界任何地方使用华为昇腾芯片均违反美国出口管制法规”调整为“警告业界使用中国先进计算机芯片，包括特定华为昇腾芯片的风险”。中国商务部新闻发言人就此表示，美方发布有关指南后，中方通过中美经贸磋商机制，在各层级与美方进行交涉沟通，指出美方行为严重破坏中美日内瓦高层会谈共识，要求美方纠偏纠错。中方注意到，近日美方对指南新闻稿相关表述进行了调整，但指南本身的歧视性措施和扭曲市场本质并没有改变.
“The spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce stated that the US’ actions seriously harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, severely threaten the security and stability of the global semiconductor supply chain, and seriously impact global technological innovation. ‘Tripping others’ will not make oneself run faster. This approach of using unilateral protectionist measures in an attempt to contain and isolate other countries will ultimately damage the US’ industrial competitiveness, resulting only in lifting a rock to drop on one’s own feet. Both sides should jointly uphold the consensus reached at the China-US high-level talks in Geneva, strengthen communication of positions through mechanisms such as China-US economic and trade consultations, effectively manage differences, negotiate solutions to each other's concerns, and promote the construction of a sustainable, long-term, and mutually beneficial bilateral economic and trade relationship. If the US persists in its own way and continues to substantially harm China's interests, China will take resolute measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests.” 中国商务部新闻发言人表示，美方行为严重损害中国企业正当权益，严重威胁全球半导体产供链安全稳定，严重冲击全球科技创新。给别人“下绊子”，不会让自己跑得更快。这种以单边保护主义手段，妄图围堵、孤立其他国家的做法，终将损害美自身产业竞争力，其结果只能是搬起石头砸自己的脚。双方应共同维护中美日内瓦高层会谈共识，通过中美经贸磋商等机制，加强立场沟通，有效管控分歧，协商解决各自关切，推动构建可持续的、长期的、互利的双边经贸关系。倘若美方一意孤行，继续实质性损害中方利益，中方必将采取坚决措施，维护自身正当权益.