Xi in SF for APEC Meeting - Cross-strait Entrepreneurs Forum - Peace and Friendship-2023 anti-terror Drills - Shen Yiqin to visit Maldives & Sri Lanka
Today’s paper is also rather light on news. But this will change tomorrow, with a focus on Xi Jinping’s visit to the US. My colleague Amit and I have a piece today discussing the Biden-Xi meeting. You can read that here.
Also today, NYT reports:
“The United States and China, the world’s two largest climate polluters, have agreed to jointly tackle global warming by ramping up wind, solar and other renewable energy with the goal of displacing fossil fuels, the State Department said Tuesday. The announcement comes as President Biden prepares to meet Wednesday with President Xi Jinping of China for their first face-to-face discussion in a year. The climate agreement could emerge as a bright spot in talks that are likely to focus on sensitive topics including Taiwan, the war in Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas. The statements of cooperation released separately by the United States and China do not include a promise by China to phase out its heavy use of coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, or to stop permitting and building new coal plants. That has been a sticking point for the United States in months of discussions with Beijing on climate change. But both countries agreed to “pursue efforts to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2030.” That growth should reach levels high enough “so as to accelerate the substitution for coal, oil and gas generation,” the agreement says. Both countries anticipate “meaningful absolute power sector emission reduction” in this decade, it says. That appears to be the first time China has agreed to cut emissions in any part of its economy. The agreement comes two weeks before representatives from nearly 200 countries converge in Dubai as part of the United Nations climate talks known as COP28. The United States and China have an outsize role to play there as nations debate whether to phase out fossil fuels. Earlier this month, John Kerry, Mr. Biden’s climate envoy, met with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, at the Sunnylands estate in California to lay the groundwork for the agreement announced Tuesday.”
Anyway, now on to today’s paper.
Page 1: The top story in the paper today is about Xi Jinping leaving for San Francisco for the APEC meeting and talks with President Biden. He was received by California Governor Gavin Newsom, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other US representatives at San Francisco International Airport.
The other top story is on Xi’s letter to the 2023 annual conference of the summit for entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Strait. This is happening in Nanjing. Xi’s letter said:
“The economies on both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to the Chinese national economy, and the compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to a community with a shared future…It is hoped that this summit will broadly unite the business communities on both sides of the Strait and make new contributions to strengthening the Chinese nation’s economy, improving the well-being of our compatriots, and promoting the great cause of reunification of the motherland. Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will open up broad space for cross-Strait economic cooperation and requires the joint efforts of compatriots on both sides of the Strait. We will continue to work hard to promote cross-strait economic exchanges and cooperation, deepen cross-Strait integrated development in all fields, improve systems and policies that enhance the well-being of Taiwan compatriots, and help Taiwan compatriots and Taiwanese enterprises integrate into the new development pattern and achieve high-quality development. It is hoped that entrepreneurs on both sides of the Strait will uphold the interests of the nation, grasp the trend of history, and shoulder the responsibilities of the times to jointly promote the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Strait relations, and jointly create a great historical cause of the reunification of the motherland and national rejuvenation!” 两岸经济同属中华民族经济，两岸同胞是命运共同体。两岸企业家峰会是两岸企业及工商界人士交流合作的重要平台，为促进两岸经济合作、深化两岸融合发展发挥了重要作用。希望峰会广泛团结两岸企业界、工商界，为壮大中华民族经济、增进同胞福祉、推进祖国统一大业作出新的贡献。实现中华民族伟大复兴为两岸经济合作开辟广阔空间，实现中华民族伟大复兴需要两岸同胞共同奋斗。我们将继续致力于促进两岸经济交流合作，深化两岸各领域融合发展，完善增进台湾同胞福祉的制度和政策，助力台胞台企融入新发展格局、实现高质量发展。希望两岸企业家秉持民族大义，把握历史大势，勇担时代责任，共同推动两岸关系和平发展、融合发展，共同创造祖国统一、民族复兴的历史伟业!
Also on the page is a story about Wang Huning’s comments (English report) at the summit.
“Wang Huning said that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter clarified the consensus and truth that the economies on both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to the Chinese nation’s economy and that the compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are a community with a shared future. It declared the principled stance of promoting cross-strait economic exchanges and cooperation, deepening cross-Strait integrated development in all fields, and helping Taiwan compatriots and enterprises integrate into the new development pattern and achieve high-quality development. It fully reflects concern and care for the business circles, industrial circles, and the vast number of Taiwanese individuals and businesses on both sides of the strait.” 王沪宁表示，习近平总书记的贺信，阐明了两岸经济同属中华民族经济、两岸同胞是命运共同体的共识和道理，宣示了致力于促进两岸经济交流合作、深化两岸各领域融合发展、助力台胞台企融入新发展格局、实现高质量发展的原则立场，充分体现了对两岸企业界、工商界和广大台胞台企的关心关怀.
“Wang Huning said that comprehensively building a modern socialist country and comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization provide great opportunities and broad space for Taiwan compatriots and Taiwanese enterprises to develop on the mainland. The mainland was, is, and will remain the best option for Taiwan compatriots and businesses to invest and do business in. We will always conform to the common aspiration of compatriots on both sides of the strait for peace, development, exchanges and cooperation, always uphold the concept of ‘one family on both sides of the strait’, always respect, care for and benefit Taiwan compatriots, strengthen cross-strait economic cooperation, deepen integrated cross-strait development, and contribute to the growth of the Chinese nation’s economy.” 王沪宁表示，全面建设社会主义现代化国家、以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴，为台胞台企在大陆发展提供了大好机遇和广阔空间。大陆过去是、现在是、将来也必然是台胞台企投资兴业的最佳选择。我们积极顺应两岸同胞要和平、要发展、要交流、要合作的共同心声，始终秉持“两岸一家亲”理念，始终尊重、关爱、造福台湾同胞，加强两岸经济合作，深化两岸融合发展，为壮大中华民族经济贡献力量.
“Wang Huning said that the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations is most in line with the vital interests and common aspirations of compatriots on both sides of the Strait, and is most in line with the development trend of the times. It is hoped that compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will join hands, firmly stand on the right side of history, shoulder the common national interests and responsibilities of the times, firmly hold the future and destiny of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits in our own hands, and seek peace across the Taiwan Straits, national reunification, and national rejuvenation.” 王沪宁表示，两岸关系和平发展最符合两岸同胞切身利益和共同心愿、最符合时代发展潮流。希望两岸同胞携手同心，坚定站在历史正确的一边，共担民族大义和时代责任，把两岸前途命运牢牢掌握在我们中国人自己手中，为台海谋和平、为国家谋统一、为民族谋复兴.
Liu Chao-shiuan, co-president of the Cross-Strait CEO Summit, said in his speech that over the past 10 years, the summit has established platforms for cross-Strait industrial cooperation and contributed to the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations based on the 1992 Consensus, expressing the hope that both the mainland and Taiwan will actively advance the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Strait relations.
Finally, there is a report with data from SAMR informing that in the first three quarters, 7.065 million new private enterprises were established across the country, a year-on-year increase of 15.3%. As of the end of September, the number of registered private enterprises nationwide exceeded 52 million, and private enterprises accounted for 92.3% of the total number of enterprises.
Page 3: There’s a commentary previewing the APEC summit. It argues that China is working to build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future. It says that:
At present, the situation in the Asia-Pacific region is generally stable, regional cooperation is making continuous progress, and peaceful development and win-win cooperation are the mainstream. At the same time, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, with geopolitical tensions and the evolution of the economic landscape overlapping, impacting the development environment and cooperation structure in the Asia-Pacific region. All parties hope that the Asia-Pacific will continue to follow the path of peaceful development, openness and inclusiveness, and work together to meet the challenges of The Times, advance regional economic integration, open up new prospects for development, and lead world economic growth. 当前，亚太地区局势总体稳定，区域合作不断取得进展，和平发展、合作共赢是主流。同时，世界进入新的动荡变革期，地缘政治紧张与经济格局演变叠加，冲击亚太地区发展环境和合作架构。各方期待亚太继续走和平发展之路、开放包容之路、和衷共济之路，因应时代挑战，推进区域经济一体化，开拓发展新局面，引领世界经济增长.
“China is one of the most important economies in the Asia-Pacific region, with huge potential for economic growth, and has made important contributions to regional economic growth. The ‘Asian Economic Integration Report 2023’ released by the Asian Development Bank shows that China contributed 64.2% to the economic growth of the Asia-Pacific region, and contributed 37.6% of the growth of trade in goods and 44.6% of the growth of trade in services in the Asia-Pacific region. China is committed to deepening the Asia-Pacific partnership based on mutual trust, inclusiveness, cooperation and mutual benefit, and building an Asia-Pacific that is peaceful, stable, prosperous, clean, beautiful and mutually supportive, bringing new opportunities and adding new impetus to the development and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific and the world.” 中国是亚太地区最重要的经济体之一，经济增长潜能巨大，为促进地区经济增长作出重要贡献。亚洲开发银行发布的《2023年亚洲经济一体化报告》显示，中国对亚太地区的经济增长贡献率达64.2%，并且贡献了亚太地区37.6%的货物贸易增长和44.6%的服务贸易增长。中方坚定推动深化互信、包容、合作、共赢的亚太伙伴关系，建设和平稳定、共同富裕、清洁美丽、守望相助的亚太，为亚太和全球发展繁荣带来新机遇、增添新动力.
Later it adds that “China’s development benefits from the Asia-Pacific region, and it also uses its own development to give back to and benefit the Asia-Pacific region.” 中国的发展受益于亚太，也用自身发展回馈亚太、造福亚太. “The international community universally believes that a prosperous and powerful China not only serves the fundamental interests of the Chinese people, but will also bring more benefits to the Asia-Pacific and the world.” 国际社会普遍认为，一个繁荣富强的中国，不仅符合中国人民的根本利益，也将给亚太和世界带来更多福祉.
That’s all that I thought was worth noting in the paper today. But there are a few other stories that I would like to highlight.
Xinhua reports that BRI countries are expected to announce the establishment of an international cooperation framework for disaster risk reduction and emergency management at a forum to be held this week in Beijing. Liu Weimin, head of the department of international cooperation and response of the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM), made the remarks at a press conference on Tuesday. Liu said that the BRI ministerial forum on disaster risk reduction and emergency management cooperation will be held on Thursday, with nearly 80 institutions of about 70 countries, regions, and international organizations participating online, and representatives of some 30 countries and international organizations attending on the site. China will announce measures to support the building of the cooperation mechanism in various fields such as skills training, rescue, publicity, and bilateral and multilateral cooperation, he said. The MEM will officially publish a BRI countries disaster evaluation report at the forum, according to Liu.
Another report says: “A joint military exercise featuring Chinese, Cambodian, Lao, Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese forces kicked off Monday morning in Zhanjiang, south China's Guangdong Province. Code-named ‘Peace and Friendship-2023,’ the exercise focuses on joint anti-terrorist efforts and safeguarding maritime security. It also aims to enhance the urban anti-terrorist, maritime anti-terrorist and anti-piracy capabilities of the participating forces, as well as further deepen military mutual trust and cooperation to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. This is the first time an exercise with this code name is held in China, marking the participation of a record-high number of countries.”
Finally, State Councilor Shen Yiqin will be visiting the Maldives from November 15 to 18 and attend the inauguration ceremony of the new president Mohamed Muizzu in Male. She will then visit Sri Lanka from November 18 to 21.