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NPC National People’s Congress of China 《中国人大》对外版 VOL.58 ISSUE 3 · 2022 CHAIRMAN LI ZHANSHU HIGHLIGHTS LAW-BASED YELLOW RIVER PROTECTION 2 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 16.
Wang Yuguo 3 ISSUE 3 · 2022 目录 6 Ride on the trend of the times and enhance solidarity and cooperation to embrace a better future Contents Special Report 6 Ride on the trend of the times and enhance solidarity and coopera- tion to embrace a better future International Exchange 10 Chairman Li Zhanshu stresses China advocates multipolar world, Far East cooperation 12 Chairman Li Zhanshu visits Russia, Mongolia, Nepal, ROK 19 Senior Chinese legislator attends G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit 4 Opinion 20 NPC Standing Committee spokesperson condemns U.S. House speaker Pelosi’s provocative visit to China’s Taiwan region 22 Provocative visit draws condemnation Supervision 28 Chairman Li Zhanshu highlights law-based Yellow River protection 32 Chairman Li Zhanshu highlights ecological protection of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau 33 NPC holds joint inquiry on Environ- mental Protection Law enforcement NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA 1010 Chairman Li Zhanshu stresses China advocates Chairman Li Zhanshu stresses China advocates multipolar world, Far East cooperation multipolar world, Far East cooperation 3434 Law strengthens food quality Law strengthens food quality 4040 All roads lead to Tibet All roads lead to Tibet Legislation 34 Law strengthens food quality 36 Legislation gets tough with online, telecom scammers Whole-Process People’s Democracy 38 Grassroots stations to seek opinions 39 Top legislature better at collecting public opinion ISSUE 3 · 2022 Focus 40 All roads lead to Tibet VOL.58 ISSUE 3 September 2022 45 9
 Years on, Belt and Road cooperation builds connectivity for global prosperity Administrated by General Office of the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress Chief Editor: Wang Yang General Editorial Office Address: 23 Xijiaominxiang, Xicheng District, Beijing 100805, P.R.China (86-10)5560-4181 (86-10)6309-8540 zgrdnpc@npc.gov.cn Tel: E-mail: COVER: The Yellow River, China’s second-lon- gest river VCG ISSN 1674-3008 CN 11-5683/D Price: RMB 35 Edited by The People’s Congresses Journal Published by The People’s Congresses Journal Printed by Beijing Zhong Ke Printing Co., Ltd. in China 5 ISSUE 3 · 2022 SPECIAL REPORT Ride on the trend of the times and enhance solidarity and cooperation to embrace a better future Statement by H.E.
Xi Jinping President of the People’s Republic of China At the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Samarkand, September 16, 2022 6 Chinese President Xi Jinping Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the 22nd meeting of speaks at the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Orga- the Shanghai Cooperation Orga- nization in Samarkand, Uzbeki- nization in Samarkand, Uzbeki- Li Xueren stan on September 16.


NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA Your Excellency President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Colleagues, I am delighted to attend the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organiza- tion (SCO).

I would like to thank you, President Mirziyo- yev, for your warm hospitality and thoughtful arrangements.

I salute Uzbekistan for the great job it has done to promote SCO cooperation in various fields during its presidency over the past year.
Samarkand, renowned as the pearl on the Silk Road, wit- nessed the glory of the ancient Silk Road, a route that greatly boosted the flow of goods, spread of science and technology, interaction of ideas and integration of diverse cultures on the Eurasian continent.

Indeed, the ancient Silk Road has re- mained a historical source of inspiration for us SCO member states as we pursue peace and development.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the SCO Char- ter and the 15th anniversary of the SCO Treaty on Long- Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation.

Over the years, guided by these two founding documents, we have succeeded in exploring a new path for the development of international organizations, and there is much we can draw on from SCO’s rich practices.

— Political trust.
— Political trust.

Guided by the vision of forging endur- ing friendship and peace among SCO member states, we respect each other’s core interests and choice of development path, and support each other in achieving peace, stability, de- velopment and rejuvenation.

— Win-win cooperation.


We accommodate each other’s interests, stay true to the principle of consultation and coop- eration for shared benefits, enhance synergy between our re- spective development strategies and keep to the path of win- win cooperation toward common prosperity.

— Equality between nations.

We are committed to the principle of equality among all countries regardless of their size, consensus-based decision-making and address- ing issues through friendly consultations.
We reject the practice of the strong bullying the weak or the big bullying the small.

— Openness and inclusiveness.

We stand for harmonious coexistence and mutual learning among different countries, nations and cultures; dialogue among civilizations; and the seeking of common ground while shelving differences.

We are ready to establish partnerships and develop win-win coopera- tion with other countries and international organizations that share our vision.

— Equity and justice.


We are committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, we tackle major interna- tional and regional issues on the basis of their merits and op- pose the pursuit of one’s own agenda at the expense of other countries’ legitimate rights and interests.

These five points fully embody the Shanghai Spirit, namely, mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development.
It has been shown that this spirit is the source of strength for SCO development.

It is also the fundamental guide we must continue to follow in the years to come.

We owe SCO’s remarkable success to the Shanghai Spirit.

And we will continue to follow its guidance as we forge ahead.

Colleagues, Human society, like the natural world, has both sunny and rainy days in its development.
Our world today is under- going accelerated changes unseen in a century, and it has entered a new phase of uncertainty and transformation.

The once-in-a-century (COVID-19) pandemic has continued un- abated.

Regional conflicts keep flaring up.

Cold War mental- ity and group politics are resurfacing, so are unilateralism and protectionism.

Economic globalization has encoun- tered headwinds.

A deficit in peace, development, trust and governance has grown.
Human society has reached a cross- roads and faces unprecedented challenges.

Under these new conditions, the SCO, as an important constructive force in international and regional affairs, should keep itself well-positioned in the face of changing international dynamics, ride on the trend of the times, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and build a closer SCO community with a shared future.

First, we need to enhance mutual support.


We should strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communica- tion, deepen mutual understanding and political trust, and support each other in our efforts to uphold security and de- velopment interests.

We should guard against attempts by external forces to instigate “color revolutions,” jointly op- pose interference in other countries’ internal affairs under any pretext and hold our future firmly in our own hands.
The SCO should keep itself well-positioned in the face of changing international dynam- ics, ride on the trend of the times, strengthen solidarity and coopera- tion and build a closer SCO community with a shared future.

Second, we need to expand security cooperation.


A prov- erb in Uzbekistan goes to the effect that “With peace, a country enjoys prosperity, just as with rain, the land can flourish.” The Global Security Initiative put forward by China addresses the peace deficit and global security challenges.

It calls on all countries to stay true to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architec- ture.
We welcome all stakeholders to get involved in imple- menting this initiative.

We should continue to carry out joint anti-terrorism exer- cises, crack down hard on terrorism, separatism, extremism and drug trafficking, as well as cyber and transnational orga- nized crimes; and we should effectively meet the challenges in data security, biosecurity, outer space security and other non-traditional security domains.
China is ready to train 2,000 law enforcement personnel for SCO member states in the next five years and establish a China-SCO base for train- ing counter-terrorism personnel, so as to enhance capaci- ty-building for SCO law enforcement.
7 ISSUE 3 · 2022 SPECIAL REPORT We should ensure that the SCO-Afghanistan contact group and the mechanism of coordination and cooperation among Afghanistan’s neighbors continue to play their roles; and we should encourage Afghan authorities to establish a broad-based and inclusive political structure, and remove the ground that breeds terrorism.

Third, we need to deepen practical cooperation.

Our shared goal is to deliver a better life for people of all coun- tries in the region.
The Global Development Initiative launched by China aims to focus global attention on devel- opment, foster global development partnership, and achieve more robust, greener and more balanced global development.

China is ready to work with all other stakeholders to pursue this initiative in our region to support the sustainable devel- opment of regional countries.
We need to implement the two statements on safeguarding international energy and food security to be adopted by this summit, and better protect energy and food security.

China will provide developing countries in need with emergency hu- manitarian assistance of grain and other supplies worth RMB 1.5 billion.

We welcome the Comprehensive Plan for the Implementa- tion of the SCO Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation for 2023-2027 to be adopted at this summit.
We should fully implement cooperation docu- ments in such areas as trade and investment, infrastructure building, supply chain protection, scientific and technological innovation and artificial intelligence to be adopted within the framework of the summit.
It is important to continue our efforts to achieve Belt and Road Initiative complemen- tarity with national development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, expand sub-multilateral cooperation and sub-regional cooperation, and create more cooperation growth drivers.
We need to ensure implementation of the roadmap for SCO member states to expand shares of local curren- cy settlement, better develop the system for cross-border payment and settlement in local currencies and work for the establishment of an SCO development bank in order to speed up regional economic integration.
Next year, China will host an SCO ministers’ meeting on development coop- eration, and an industrial and supply chain forum, and will set up the China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Center to create new engines of common development.

China stands ready to carry out space cooperation with all other parties and provide satellite data service support in agricultural devel- opment, connectivity, and disaster mitigation and relief.

Fourth, we need to enhance people-to-people and cultur- al exchanges.
They promote integration among civilizations, which, in turn, enable civilizations to advance.
We should deepen cooperation in such areas as education, science and technology, culture, health, media, radio and televi- sion; ensure the continued success of signature programs such as the youth exchange camp, the women’s forum, the forum on people-to-people friendship and the forum on traditional medicine; and support the SCO Committee on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation and oth- er non-official organizations in playing their due roles.
Chi- na will build a China-SCO ice and snow sports demonstra- tion zone and host SCO forums on the poverty reduction and sustainable development, as well as the sister cities fo- 8 rum next year.

In the next t h r e e y e a r s , C h i n a w i l l perform 2,000 free cataract operations for SCO member states and provide 5,000 human resource training opportunities.

Fifth, we need to uphold multilateralism.


The obses- sion with forming a small circle can only push the world toward division and confrontation.

We should remain firm in safeguarding the UN-centered interna- tional system and the in- ternational order based on international law, practice common human values and reject zero-sum games and bloc politics.
We should ex- pand SCO exchanges with o t h e r i n t e r n a t i o n a l a n d regional organizations such as the UN, so as to jointly uphold true multilateralism, improve global governance and ensure that the interna- tional order is more just and equitable.

Colleagues, The Eurasian continent is home to us all.

Uphold- ing its peace and develop- ment is the shared goal of countries both in our region and the world at large, and the SCO shoulders an important responsibility in meeting this goal.
In recent years, an in- creasing number of countries have applied to join our SCO family.

This fully demonstrates the power of SCO’s vision and the widely shared confidence in its future.

By promoting the development and expansion of the SCO and giving full play to its positive impact, we will create strong momen- tum and new dynamism for ensuring durable peace and common prosperity of the Eurasian continent and the whole world.
China supports advancing SCO expansion in an ac- tive yet prudent manner, which includes going through the procedure to admit Iran as a member state, launching the procedure for Belarus’ accession, admitting Bahrain, the Maldives, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Myan- mar as dialogue partners, and granting relevant apply- ing countries the legal status due them.

We need to seize the opportunity to build consensus, deepen cooperation and jointly create a bright future for the Eurasian continent.
Here I wish to express China’s congratulations to India on assuming the next SCO presidency.

We will, together with other member states, support India during its presidency.
Colleagues, This year, amid a complex and challenging develop- ment environment both at home and abroad, China has stayed committed to the general principle of making ad- vances while maintaining stable performance, striving to NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA Chinese President Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with other leaders and guests ahead of the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 16.
Li Tao Upholding its peace and develop- ment is the shared goal of countries both in our region and the world at large, and the SCO shoulders an important responsi- bility in meeting this goal.

ensure both effective COVID-19 containment, economic stability and development security.

We have continued to respond to COVID-19 and promote economic and social development in a well-coordinated way.
Thus, to the great- est extent possible, we have both safeguarded the life and health of the people and ensured overall economic and social development.

The fundamentals of China’s economy, char- acterized by strong resilience, enormous potential, ample room for policy adjustment and long-term sustainability, will remain sound.

This will greatly boost the stability and recovery of the world economy and provide more market opportunities for other countries.
Next month, the Communist Party of China (CPC) will convene its 20th National Congress.

It will be an import- ant meeting at a critical time, as China embarks on a new journey toward its second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects.

At this national congress, the CPC will fully review major achievements and valuable experience gained in China’s reform and de- velopment efforts.
It will also formulate action programs and overarching policies to meet China’s new develop- ment goals on the journey ahead in the new era and with the people’s new expectations.

We will continue to follow the Chinese path to modernization to achieve the rejuve- nation of the Chinese nation and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
By doing so, we will create new opportunities for the world with new advances in China’s development, and contribute our vision and strength to world peace and development, and human progress.

Colleagues, Long as the journey is, we will surely reach our desti- nation when we stay the course.

Let us act in the Shanghai Spirit, work for steady SCO development and jointly build our region into a peaceful, stable, prosperous and beautiful home!

Thank you.
Thank you.

(Xinhua) 9 ISSUE 3 · 2022 INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE Chairman Li Zhanshu stresses China advocates multipolar world, Far East cooperation Li Zhanshu, chairman of China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee, attends the plenary session of the 7th Eastern Economic Forum and delivers a speech titled Advance the Process of World Multipolarization and Open a New Chapter in Regional Cooperation in Russia’s far eastern city of Vladivostok on September 7.
Pang Xinglei 10 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA L i Zhanshu, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, voiced China’s support for a multipolar world and regional co- operation in the Far East at the plenary session of the 7th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) on September 7 in a speech titled, “Advance the Process of World Multi- polarization and Open a New Chapter in Regional Cooper- ation.” Russian President Vladimir Putin, Myanmar’s State Administration Council Chairman Min Aung Hlaing, Mon- golian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also addressed the event in person in the Russian city of Vladivostok.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh all delivered video mes- sages.
Li recalled that at the invitation of Putin, Chinese Pres- ident Xi Jinping has participated in the EEF twice and delivered significant speeches, expounding on China’s proposals and initiatives on developing China-Russia rela- tions, promoting mutually beneficial regional cooperation, and maintaining regional peace and stability, eliciting a warm response from the international community.
The EEF theme this year, “On the Path to a Multipolar World,” was right on time, Li noted, adding that a multi- polar world is the trend of history and the common expec- tation of the international community.

Since last year, he said, Xi has put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which have received support from inter- national organizations, such as the United Nations, and many countries such as Russia.
They have injected sta- bility and positive energy into the world and contributed Chinese wisdom and solutions to solving international problems.

China will continue to work with the international community and take sustained and strong measures to ensure that the two initiatives take root and bear fruit, so as to bring tangible benefits to people around the world, Li said.
In February, Xi and Putin reached many significant consensuses on expanding all-round practical cooperation between China and Russia, as well as practicing global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contri- bution and shared benefits, Li noted.

With China as an important Russian partner in devel- oping the Far East, bilateral cooperation is an important element initiated and promoted by the two heads of state, he said.
China will further strengthen all-round cooperation with Russia in trade, energy, agriculture, infrastructure construction, science and technology, education, medi- cal treatment and culture, Li said, adding that China will continue to support and participate in the development of Russia’s Far East, advance the deep docking between the full revitalization of northeast China and Russia’s national strategy of Far East development and promote fruitful co- operation between the two countries in the Far East.
Since Northeast Asia is one of the most dynamic re- gions in the world, intensifying Far Eastern development and cooperation will open up important opportunities for promoting regional security and development, he stressed.

The top Chinese legislator put forward a three-point proposal.

First, the GSI should be implemented to maintain re- gional peace and stability.

In order to build a harmonious and peaceful common home, all parties must work togeth- er.
They should uphold the vision of common, compre- hensive, cooperative and sustainable security; pursue di- alogue rather than confrontation; seek partnership rather than alliance; work for unity rather than division; adhere to the principle of the indivisibility of security; and inject positive energy into regional peace and stability.

Second, the GDI needs to be carried out to promote re- gional openness and integration.
Efforts should be made to boost partnerships; pool resources and platforms for cooperation; strengthen development policy connectivity; tap innovative growth potential; maintain secure and un- impeded industrial and supply chains; and foster a more stable, secure, and free trade and investment environ- ment in order to inject new impetus into economic global- ization.
China will continue to work with the international community and take sustained and strong mea- sures to ensure that the two initiatives take root and bear fruit, so as to bring tangible benefits to people around the world.

Third, development strategies should be synergized to enhance China-Russia cooperation in the Far East.
China will comprehensively implement the important consen- suses reached by Xi and Putin, work actively to synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, and enrich the content of Far Eastern cooperation.

To this end, the legislatures of the two countries should step up coordination to provide legislative guarantees.
China firmly supports and actively promotes a multi- polar world, Li said, adding that it stands ready to work with Russia and other countries in the region to deepen Belt and Road cooperation, write a magnificent chapter of regional cooperation in Northeast Asia and make un- remitting efforts to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
During the question and answer session, Li addressed questions about current China-Russia relations and the prospects of Far East bilateral cooperation.

In addition, Li met with Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of Russia’s Primorye Territory, on the morning of September 8, and visited an art and cultural complex in Vladivostok, which China helped construct.
(Xinhua) 11 ISSUE 3 · 2022 INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE Li Zhanshu, chairman of National Peo- ple’s Congress Standing Committee, meets with Russian President Vlad- imir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia on September 7.
Pang Xinglei Chairman Li Zhanshu visits Russia, Mongolia, Nepal, ROK 12 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA Li Zhanshu, chairman of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, paid official goodwill visits to Russia, Mongolia, Nepal and the Republic of Korea (ROK) from September 7 to 17 at the invitation of Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament) of Mongolia Gombojav Zandanshatar, Speaker of Nepal’s House of Representatives Agni Sapkota and ROK National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo.
Visit to Russia Li paid an official goodwill visit to Russia from Septem- ber 7 to 10, during which he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the country’s far eastern city of Vladivo- stok, held talks with Volodin and Russian Federation Coun- cil Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in Moscow, and met with leaders of the five State Duma factions.
Li conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes to Putin from President Xi Jinping and said that under the stra- tegic guidance and personal efforts of Xi and Putin, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of co- ordination for a new era maintains a strong development momentum.
Political mutual trust, strategic coordination and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries have reached an unprecedented level, setting a good example of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation be- tween major neighboring countries, Li said.

Both China and Russia are at a critical historical stage of development and revitalization, enjoying great potential and broad prospects for cooperation, he added.
China is willing to continue to work with Russia to firmly support each other on issues regarding their core interests and major concerns, implement the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and Global Security Initiative (GSI) put forward by Xi and turn high-level political mutual trust into more pragmatic cooperation results, Li said.
The top Chinese legislator said he firmly believes that under the leadership of Xi and Putin, the two sides will raise the bilateral ties to a new level, follow a development path in line with their national conditions and achieve the great goals for their respective development and national rejuve- nation.

Li also congratulated Russia on successfully hosting the 7th Eastern Economic Forum and briefed leaders on the up- coming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Putin asked Li to convey his best wishes to Xi, highlight- ing that the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partner- ship of coordination for a new era is special and important, and that the Russian side is currently satisfied with bilateral relations and cooperation with China in various fields.
Russia-China trade, especially against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, has shown a sound growth mo- mentum, Putin said, expressing his belief that the two sides will achieve greater cooperation goals in this area.

More exchanges between the Russian and Chinese leg- islatures will play a positive role in promoting the develop- ment of bilateral relations, Putin said and wished the 20th National Congress of the CPC success.
During his talks with Volodin and Matviyenko, Li said that the important task of cooperation between the two countries’ legislative bodies is to promote the implementa- tion of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and provide legal protection for the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.
The NPC will continue to deepen exchanges and cooper- ation with the Russian State Duma and Federation Council, tap the mechanism potential for regular exchanges, main- tain a good high-level exchange momentum and promote exchanges among friendship groups and special commit- tees, Li said.
The top legislator stated that the NPC is ready to work with the two institutions to create a favorable environment for practical cooperation through legislation, as well as trea- ty and agreement examination and approval.

He added that the two sides should strengthen expe- rience exchanges on national governance and legislation regarding the fight against external interference, sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, among other issues.
Li also thanked the Russian side for firmly supporting China on the Taiwan question.

Both China and Russia are at a critical historical stage of development and revitalization, enjoying great potential and broad prospects for cooperation.
Both Volodin and Matviyenko once again condemned Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s provocative visit to China’s Taiwan region, saying that Rus- sia firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to deepen cooperation with China on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.
Volodin said that the legislative bodies of Russia and China should further upgrade their cooperation, expand cooperation models and enrich cooperation content, so as to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and contribute to the development of bilateral relations.

Matviyenko congratulated China on the great achieve- ments made by the Chinese people under CPC leadership.
She said that the in-depth development of Russia-China relations has given the legislative bodies a new task of coop- eration, adding that both sides should actively promote co- operation in such areas as politics, economy, trade, finance and youth, and enhance sub-national, people-to-people ex- changes and cultural cooperation.
During his meeting with leaders of the five State Duma factions, Li said that all the groups have demonstrated their support of enhancing friendly cooperation with Chi- na, showing that it is the broad consensus of all parties and people from all walks of life in Russia to develop the Chi- na-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordina- 13 ISSUE 3 · 2022 INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE Li Zhanshu, chairman of National People’s Congress Standing Committee, meets with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh in Ulan Bator, Mongo- lia on September 12.
Zhang Ling tion for a new era.

China is ready to maintain close contact and exchanges with all parties in Russia to consolidate the foundation of the friendship and practical cooperation between the two countries, he said.
Leaders of the five State Duma factions expressed their willingness to play an active role in intensifying interparty exchanges between Russia and China, and make unremit- ting efforts to deepen the development of Russia-China re- lations so as to benefit the two countries and their people.

During his stay in Moscow, Li also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and visited Vladimir Lenin’s former residence.
Visit to Mongolia Li paid an official goodwill visit to Mongolia from Sep- tember 10 to 12, during which he met with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and Prime Minister Luvsan- namsrai Oyun-Erdene, and held talks with Gombojav Zan- danshatar, Mongolia’s parliamentary speaker.

During his meeting with the Mongolian president, Li conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from Xi, noting that China and Mongolia are good neighbors that cannot be moved apart or exchanged for gold.
He said that developing a good-neighborly friendship is in line with the fundamental 14 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA China has always upheld the neighborhood policy of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and has been ac- tively developing its friendly coop- erative relationship with Mongolia.

and long-term interests of the two countries.


Under the strategic guidance of Xi and Mongolian lead- ers, the China-Mongolia comprehensive strategic partner- ship has been continuously lifted to higher levels, Li added.

Since the onset of COVID-19, the two sides have joined hands to fight the epidemic and gifted one another with sheep and tea, which has become a much-told story attest- ing to their friendship, he said.
Li noted that China has always upheld a neighborly poli- cy of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, ac- tively developing its friendly cooperative relationship with Mongolia.
He expressed the hope that the two sides will further deepen political mutual trust, continue to firmly support each other on the issues related to their core interests and major concerns, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and push forward mul- tilateral and bilateral win-win cooperation.
Khurelsukh asked Li to convey his sincere greetings to Xi, stressing that Mongolia is sincerely happy about the historic achievements made in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of Xi and the CPC.
Noting that the Mongolia-China friendly cooperation is a model for the development of state-to-state relations, Khu- relsukh expressed the hope that the two sides will strength- en high-level exchanges, deepen political mutual trust, and expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields, so as to push bilateral relations to higher levels and jointly promote the development of the two countries, along with Asian prosperity and stability.
Khurelsukh added that the exchanges between the legis- lative bodies of the two countries are of great significance to deepening the good-neighborly friendship between Mongo- lia and China, and enriching their comprehensive strategic partnership.
During his meeting with Oyun-Erdene, Li said that it is the common goal of China and Mongolia to develop the economy, improve people’s livelihood, strengthen their countries and enrich the people, adding that the two coun- tries enjoy distinct economic complementarities and huge cooperation potential.
China is willing to strengthen development strategic alignment with Mongolia, along with policy communication and coordination, further promote infrastructure connectiv- ity and the process of regional integration, he said.

China stands ready to work with Mongolia on customs clearance at ports amid pandemic conditions, implement existing cooperation projects, carry out green energy coop- eration and expand trade exchanges to realize coordinated development and mutual benefit, he said.
In addition, the two sides should strengthen exchanges and cooperation between political parties and young people, and conduct cultural exchanges, Li noted.

F o r h i s p a r t , O y u n - E r d e n e s a i d t h a t d e v e l o p i n g good-neighborly friendship and mutually beneficial cooper- ation with China is one of the primary goals of Mongolia’s foreign policy, while China’s rapid development is a great opportunity for Mongolia’s development and revitalization.
Mongolia is willing to actively deepen cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, logistics, ports, resources and education; and promote the alignment between Mongolia’s New Revival Policy and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, he said.
During the talks with Zandanshatar, Li said that China and Mongolia should be good neighbors carrying out fre- quent visits, good friends conducting mutually-beneficial cooperation, and partners in multilateral cooperation, in order to better benefit the two countries and their peoples.
The legislative bodies of the two countries should actively implement the important consensus reached by their lead- ers, strengthen experience exchanges in state governance and legislative work, and provide legal safeguards for pro- moting bilateral cooperation in various fields, Li said.
In addition, the two countries should strengthen coor- dination on multilateral platforms, such as the Inter-Par- liamentary Union, and speak with one voice on upholding multilateralism and improving the global governance sys- tem from the perspective of legislative bodies, he empha- sized.

For his part, Zandanshatar said that friendly exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two countries are an important part of bilateral relations.
He expressed the hope that the two legislative bodies will deepen exchanges be- tween their special committees and friendship groups.

He also noted that the State Great Hural of Mongolia is ready to make positive efforts to enhance political mutual trust between Mongolia and China, promote practical coop- eration and deepen the friendship between the people of the two countries.
Li briefed the Mongolian side on the upcoming 20th National Congress of the CPC, while the Mongolian side wished the CPC 20th National Congress success.

The Mongolian side also noted that it will firmly adhere to the one-China principle, actively support the GDI and the GSI proposed by Xi, and is willing to make joint efforts with the Chinese side to push for new development of the Mon- golia-China comprehensive strategic partnership.
During his visit, Li also toured the Mongolian nomadism grassland and ecological areas.

Visit to Nepal Li paid an official goodwill visit to Nepal from September 12 to 15, during which he met with Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, and held talks with Sapkota and the Chairman of the Nepal National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina.
During his meeting with Bhandari, Li conveyed cordial 15 ISSUE 3 · 2022 INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE Li Zhanshu, chairman of National People’s Congress Standing Committee, meets with Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari in Kathmandu, Nepal on September 14.

Pang Xinglei greetings and best wishes from Xi and noted that China and Nepal are linked by mountains and rivers, while the two people have enjoyed friendly relations for generations.
Xi paid a historic state visit to Nepal in 2019, during which the two heads of state elevated the China-Nepal rela- tionship to a strategic partnership of cooperation featuring everlasting friendship for development and prosperity, of- fering strategic guidance for the long-term development of bilateral ties, Li said.
He thanked the Nepalese side for unswervingly adhering to the one-China principle, and supporting China’s position on the Taiwan question and issues concerning Tibet, Xinji- ang and human rights.

China will continue to firmly support Nepal’s efforts to safeguard its sovereign independence and territorial integ- rity, in order to achieve prosperity and strength, Li stressed.
He welcomed the Nepalese side to actively participate in the GDI and GSI, and congratulated Nepal for its upcoming National Day on September 20.

16 China and Nepal are linked by mountains and rivers, and the two peoples have been enjoying friendly relations for generations.

Bhandari asked Li to convey her sincere regards to Xi, adding that Xi’s visit to Nepal in 2019 was a milestone in the history of the two countries’ bilateral relations.
China has always been Nepal’s most reliable good friend and partner, she said, expressing gratitude to China for its selfless help regarding economic and social develop- ment, earthquake rescue and relief, and the fight against COVID-19.

With its rapid development, China has become a model NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA of global development and has played an important role in safeguarding world peace and stability, she noted.
Bhandari expressed hope that Nepal and China will strengthen practical cooperation in various fields and push forward the implementation of important projects.

During his meeting with Deuba, Li said China has always regarded Nepal as a priority in neighborhood diplomacy.

The two sides should continue to understand and support each other on issues concerning their core interests and ma- jor concerns, and jointly uphold true multilateralism.
Li called for advancing high-quality Belt and Road co- operation; strengthening exchanges and cooperation in trade and investment, infrastructure, customs clearance and other areas; and jointly building the Trans-Himalayan Multi-dimensional Connectivity Network to bring tangible benefits to the people of both countries.

For his part, Deuba said that both Nepal and China have upheld the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, while bilateral ties have enjoyed a solid political foundation.
Ne- pal’s development transformation needs China’s support and help, he added.

Nepal is ready to strengthen friendly exchanges with China at various levels and expand practical cooperation in areas such as the economy, people’s livelihood, education, tourism and culture, so as to realize common development and prosperity, Deuba said.
In his separate meetings with Sapkota and Timilsina, Li said China’s NPC is ready to work with Nepal’s parliament to implement the important consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries, promote closer exchanges between their special committees and friendship groups, strengthen exchanges on governance experience and pro- vide legal support for practical cooperation between the two countries.
Sapkota said China’s foreign policies have fully embod- ied the notion of win-win cooperation underlined by Xi, ex- pressing his hope that the legislatures of the two countries will further their close exchanges and promote the imple- mentation of projects in connectivity, livelihood improve- ment and other areas.
Timilsina said Nepal’s parliament actively supports Belt and Road construction and is willing to learn from China’s experience in economic and social development, as well as in poverty alleviation.

Li briefed the Nepalese side on the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress, while the Nepalese leaders said that as a friendly neighboring country, Nepal is happy with the great development achievements of the Chinese people un- der CPC leadership.
Under the leadership of Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, China will surely be able to successful- ly realize the second centenary goal, they said, adding that they wish the 20th CPC National Congress success.

The Nepalese leaders unanimously reiterated that Nepal has always firmly adhered to the one-China principle and will not allow any force to use Nepalese territory for an- ti-Chinese activities or harm China’s interests.
During his visit to Nepal, Li also met separately with KP Sharma Oli, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), and chairman of the Commu- nist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda).

Li also signed a memorandum of understanding with Sapkota on cooperation between the NPC of China and Nepal’s House of Representatives, met with Nepalese For- eign Minister Narayan Khadka and visited the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, which is undergoing post-quake recon- struction.
Visit to ROK Li paid an official goodwill visit to the ROK from Septem- ber 15 to 17, during which he met with President Yoon Suk- yeol and held talks with Kim in Seoul.

During his meeting with the ROK president, Li conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from Xi.
Noting that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the ROK, Li recalled that Xi and Yoon exchanged congratulatory messages, summing up the achievements and important experience in the devel- opment of China-ROK relations and jointly pointing out the direction for the development of bilateral ties.
China always places importance on its relations with the ROK, and is ready to step up communication with the coun- try, grasp the general trend, eliminate disturbances, focus on cooperation and consolidating friendship, so as to jointly push for the steady and sustained development of bilateral relations to better benefit the two countries and their peo- ple, Li said.
Stressing that economic and trade cooperation is an important highlight of bilateral relations, he urged the two sides to further deepen cooperation, enhance synergy be- tween their development strategies, conclude the second phase of China-ROK free trade agreement negotiations soon, ensure the security and stability of industrial and supply chains, and jointly uphold the rules-based free trade system.
The friendly feelings between the two people are the ba- sis for the development of bilateral ties, Li said, calling on the two sides to further strengthen exchanges between the people, media and think tanks to enhance mutual under- standing and friendship.
He also noted that properly handling sensitive issues is crucial to ensuring the healthy and steady development of China-ROK relations, adding that China is willing to work with the ROK to enhance communication and coordination on major regional and global issues, and jointly contribute to regional and world peace, stability, development and progress.
Yoon asked Li to convey his sincere regards to Xi and recounted that on the 30th anniversary of the establish- ment of diplomatic relations between the ROK and China, he exchanged congratulatory letters with Xi to review the development of bilateral ties and confirm the will to further develop bilateral relations over the next 30 years.
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, ROK-China relations have made great progress, with fruitful results from exchanges and cooperation in economy, trade, culture and other fields, Yoon said, expressing hope that both sides will strengthen high-level exchanges as well as dialogue and communication at all levels, adhere to mutual benefit, ex- pand common interests and promote bilateral relations to 17 ISSUE 3 · 2022 INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE response from the international community.
China’s NPC is willing to work with the ROK National Assembly to promote practical cooperation in various fields and push for the sustained, healthy and steady development of China-ROK rela- tions, Li said.

Both sides should make good use of this regular exchange mechanism, enhance its rele- vance and effectiveness, and provide legal safeguards for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, he added.
The two sides should learn from each other in developing the economy and improving people’s livelihood, encourage more young people to participate in China-ROK exchanges and create a good atmosphere for cementing the social foundation and public support for friend- ship between the two countries, he added.

Kim said that the legislative bodies of the two countries have maintained close contact and played an important role in pro- moting ROK-China relations.
Li Zhanshu, chairman of National People’s Congress Standing Committee, meets with South Korean Pres- ident Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul, Republic of Korea on September 16.
Zhang Ling The National Assembly is willing to strengthen exchanges with the NPC and make positive contributions as a legislative body to advancing bilateral eco- nomic and trade cooperation, maintaining the security of industrial and supply chains, protecting the environment and addressing climate change, maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, expanding cultural exchanges and enhancing friendship between the people of the two countries, he said.
After their meeting, Li and Kim attended a joint press conference.

During the visit, Li also met with former speaker of the National Assembly Park Byeong-seug and friendly person- nel from various sectors, and visited the LG Science Park, an LG Group research and development center in Seoul.

Li said China has always been an architect of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order.
Noting that China-ROK ties, which have enjoyed a solid foundation, have met the condition for higher-level devel- opment, Li said China is ready to make joint efforts with the ROK to promote amity and friendship among the two peo- ple by taking the opportunity of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties and the China-ROK Year of Cultural Exchanges.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues of common concern, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
(Xinhua) China is willing to work with South Korea to enhance communication and coordination on major regional and global issues and jointly contrib- ute to regional and world peace, sta- bility, development and progress.

achieve tangible results.


Yoon also expressed hope that the two sides will enhance the friendship between the two people, especially among the younger generation, and conduct cultural and sports ex- changes more frequently, as well as cooperate closely on in- ternational and regional affairs, so as to promote ROK-Chi- na relations to make greater progress in the next 30 years.
In his meeting with Kim, Li said China and the ROK are friendly neighbors and important cooperation partners, adding that the GDI and the GSI have received a positive 18 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA Senior Chinese legislator attends G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit Chen Zhu, vice chairman of National People’s Con- gress Standing Committee, led a delegation to the 8th Group of 20 (G20) Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit held in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on October 5-7.
In his keynote speech, Chen said that exchanges and deep- er cooperation among legislative bodies are a positive impe- tus for the G20 to play its role.

Parliaments should uphold multilateralism and safeguard international equity and justice, adhere to openness and in- clusiveness to jointly promote sustainable development of the world economy, and pursue green and low-carbon develop- ment to promote harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, Chen said.
During the summit, he also met with Indonesia’s House of Representatives speaker Puan Maharani, speaker of the Federal National Council of the United Arab Emirates Saqr Ghubash, Suriname’s National Assembly chairman Marinus Bee and president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Duarte Pacheco.

(Xinhua) Chen Zhu, vice chairman of National People’s Congress Standing Committee, delivers a keynote speech at the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Sum- mit in Jakarta, Indonesia on October 6.
Courtesy of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the General Office of the NPC Standing Committee 19 ISSUE 3 · 2022 OPINION A view of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Du Yang NPC Standing Committee spokesperson condemns U.S. House speaker Pelosi’s provocative visit to China’s Taiwan region 20 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA On behalf of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, a spokesperson for the NPC Standing Committee condemned the visit to China’s Taiwan region by Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on August 2.
The fol- lowing is the full text of the remarks: On August 2, in disregard of China’s solemn representa- tions and firm opposition, U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi went ahead with her visit to China’s Taiwan region.
The move gravely violated the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, impacted the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and sent a seri- ously wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forc- es.

China’s NPC firmly opposes and strongly condemns the move.

There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.
The government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

The one-China principle is the premise for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and the political foun- dation of China-U.S. relations.

The United States has made a solemn commitment to China on the Taiwan question.
But in real action, it has constantly upgraded substantive relations and official exchanges with Taiwan, emboldened and sup- ported “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, attempted There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.

to use Taiwan to contain China and severely undermined the peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.
The Chinese government and the Chinese people have taken and will continue to take resolute and forceful measures to firmly safeguard China’s sovereignty, security and development in- terests.

The Taiwan question bears on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

For China, there is zero room for com- promise and not an inch to give.
The Anti-Secession Law made clear stipulations on major issues, including upholding the one-China principle, deterring separatist moves toward “Taiwan independence” and opposing interference in the Taiwan question by external forces.

The stance of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent.

It is the firm will of over 1.4 billion Chinese peo- ple to resolutely safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Any attempt to obstruct China’s complete reunification and great national rejuvenation is doomed to fail.

(Xinhua) Taiwan-US Collusion What did US say in the three China-US joint communiques?

The Taiwan question is the core issue of China-US relations.

The one-China principle is the political bedrock of Chi- na-US ties.
41 years of history after China and US established diplomatic relations has shown China-US relations can develop in a healthy and stable way only when the Taiwan question is handled well.

The US has made solemn commitments to China on the Taiwan question in three China-US joint communiques.

Joint Communique in 1972 “The United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China.
The United States Government does not challenge that position.” Joint Communique in 1978 “The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Gov- ernment of China.
The Government of the United States of America acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China.” Joint Communique in 1982 “The United States Government states that it does not seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan, that its arms sales to Taiwan will not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, and that it intends gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution.” An honest country deserves respect.
It’s the US’ responsibility to keep its word.

21 ISSUE 3 · 2022 OPINION Provocative visit Provocative visit draws condemnation draws condemnation In disregard of China’s stern opposition, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representa- tives, went to China’s Taiwan region on August 2-3.
The move was a serious infringement upon China’s sovereignty and it sent a wrong signal to the sepa- ratist forces seeking “Taiwan independence.” In response, the Chinese Government has un- veiled a series of countermeasures.

These include staging military drills near Taiwan, punishing organi- zations related to die-hard “Taiwan independence” elements, suspending the sale of natural sand, a vital construction material, to Taiwan, as well as sus- pending the purchase of some farm produce from the island.
Edited excerpts of official statements follow: Wang Yi State Councilor and Foreign Minister Pelosi’s visit seriously violated the one-China principle, maliciously infringed on China’s sovereignty and blatantly engaged in political provocations, which has aroused strong indignation among the Chinese people and widespread oppo- sition from the international community.
It proves once again that some U.S. politicians have be- come troublemakers in China-U.S. relations, and that the United States has become the biggest destroyer of peace across the Taiwan Straits and of regional stability.

The United States should not dream of obstructing China’s reunification.

Taiwan is a part of China.

The complete reuni- fication of China is the trend of the times and an inevitability of history.

We will leave no room for “Taiwan independence” forces and external interference.
No matter how the United States supports or connives at the “Taiwan independence” forces, it will be all in vain.

The United States will only leave more ugly records of gross med- dling in other countries’ internal affairs in history.

The Tai- wan question arose when the country was weak and chaotic, and will surely end with national rejuvenation.

The United States should not fantasize about undermining China’s development and revitalization.
China has found a correct development path in line with its own national condi- 22 tions.

Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), 1.4 billion Chinese people are striding toward Chi- nese-style modernization.

We develop our country and nation on the basis of our own strength, and are willing to coexist peacefully and devel- op together with other countries.

But we will never allow any country to undermine China’s stability and development.
Provoking trouble on the Taiwan question in an attempt to delay China’s development and undermine China’s peaceful rise will be totally futile and will surely lead to total failure.

The United States should not fantasize about manipulat- ing geopolitical games.

Seeking peace, stability, development and win-win cooperation is the common aspiration of region- al countries.
The introduction of the Taiwan question into the regional strategy by the United States, which inflates tensions and stokes confrontation, is against the trend of regional devel- opment and goes against the expectations of people in the Asia-Pacific.

This is dangerous and stupid.

The one-China principle has become a basic norm govern- ing international relations and an integral part of the post- World War II international order.
What the United States should do is immediately stop vio- lating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and stop playing the “Taiwan card” to disrupt the Asia-Pacific region.

The United States should not fantasize about distorting facts at will.

The U.S. side claimed China is escalating the sit- uation, but the basic facts are that the United States first pro- voked China on the Taiwan question and blatantly violated China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The U.S. side claimed there was a precedent of the U.S. House speaker visiting Taiwan.

Yet the basic truth is past mistakes cannot be used as an excuse to repeat them today.

The U.S. side claimed it cannot restrain the Congress due to the separation of powers.

But the basic norm of interna- tional law is that the United States must fulfill its internation- al obligations, and key politicians should not misbehave.
It also claimed that China’s pursuit of reunification is a “threat” to Taiwan, but the basic logic is that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China.

It is lawful and justified that China upholds territorial integrity and opposes seces- sion.
I want to stress that the one-China principle is the key stabilizing force for peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués (the 1972 Shanghai Communiqué, the 1979 Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and the 1982 Com- NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA A six-volume book on Taiwan’s history, jointly compiled by scholars on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, is shown after being released by the Fujian People’s Publishing House in Beijing on July 17, 2021.
Zhang Chenlin muniqué) are the real guardrails for peaceful coexistence be- tween China and the United States.

Clinging to the United States to seek “independence” is a dead end, and attempts to use the Taiwan question to contain China are doomed to failure.
In the face of the great cause of national reunification, the Chinese people have the guts not to be misled by falla- cies or scared by evils, the ambition to never be intimidated or crushed, the determination to unite as one and the ability to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and national dignity.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalien- able part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government rep- resenting the whole of China.

This has been clearly recog- nized by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971.

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China princi- ple.
The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations.

In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the China-U.S. Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Dip- lomatic Relations—”The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China.
Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial and oth- er unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.” Congress, as a part of the U.S. Government, is inherently obliged to strictly observe the one-China policy of the U.S. Government and refrain from having any official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region.

China is all along opposed to the visit to Taiwan by U.S. congressional members, and the U.S. executive branch has the responsibility to stop such visits.
Since Speaker Pelosi is the incumbent leader of the U.S. Congress, her visit to and activities in Taiwan, in what- ever form and for whatever reason, are a major political provocation to upgrade U.S. official exchanges with Taiwan.

China absolutely does not accept this, and the Chinese peo- 23 ISSUE 3 · 2022 OPINION An aerial photo of the city of Keelung, southeast China’s Taiwan VCG ple absolutely reject this.
The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-U.S. relations.

The Taiwan Straits are facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is the repeated moves by the Taiwan authorities and the United States to change the status quo.
The Taiwan authorities have kept seeking U.S. support for their “independence agenda.” They refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus (the consensus reached in 1992 by the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation; they agreed to state that “the two sides of the Taiwan Straits both stick to the one-China principle”), go all out to push for- ward “de-sinicization,” and promote “incremental indepen- dence.” The United States, for its part, has been attempting to use Taiwan to contain China.
It constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, steps up its official ex- changes with Taiwan, and emboldens “Taiwan independence” separatist activities.

These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous.

Those who play with fire will perish by it.

The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent.
It is the firm com- mitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to res- olutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realize the complete reuni- fication of the motherland.

The will of the people is not to be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed.
No country, no forces and no individual should ever misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chi- nese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation.

China will definitely take all necessary mea- sures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the U.S. House speaker’s visit.
All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the U.S. side and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.

China and the United States are two major countries.

The right way for them to deal with each other lies only in mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, no-confrontation and win-win cooperation.

The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China, and no other country is entitled to act as a judge on the Taiwan question.
China strongly urges the United States to stop playing the “Taiwan card” and using Taiwan to contain China.

It should stop meddling on Taiwan and inter- fering in China’s internal affairs.

It should stop supporting and conniving at “Taiwan independence” separatist forces in any form.

It should stop its acts of saying one thing but doing the opposite on the Taiwan question.

It should stop distort- 24 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA ing, obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle.
It must take credible actions to observe strictly the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, deliver on the “five noes” commitment made by the U.S. leadership (not seeking a new cold war; not seeking to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not supporting “Taiwan inde- pendence”; not looking for conflict with China), and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path.
Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee The separatist attempt seeking “Taiwan independence” is the biggest obstacle to the reunification of the motherland, and poses a serious potential danger to China’s national re- juvenation.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) author- ities have entrenched themselves in the erroneous position of “Taiwan independence,” served as a tool for anti-China forces in the United States to contain China, and become even more utterly brazen in the provocative attempt to seek “independence.” This is a total misjudgment and miscalcula- tion of the situation.
Out of selfish motives, the DPP authorities have been headstrong in challenging the one-China principle, refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus, ignited cross-Straits con- frontation, and clung to U.S. support to seek “independence.” The DPP authorities’ separatist actions and collusion with the United States, which betrays China’s national interests, will only plunge Taiwan into the abyss of disaster, and bring great suffering to Taiwan compatriots.
The reunification of the motherland and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation have become a historical inevitabili- ty.

China must be and will surely be reunified.

This will not change regardless of the will of some die-hard anti-China forces from the U.S. side or the illusion of separatist forc- es seeking “Taiwan independence.” The time and tide of achieving the reunification of the motherland have always been held firmly in our hands.
The fact that Taiwan is part of China will not be changed no matter what actions are taken by the anti-China forces in the United States and by the DPP authorities.
The historical process of China’s reunification will not be stopped no matter how Pelosi and her likes at- tempt to “contain China by supporting Taiwan.” We urge the U.S. side to stay clear-eyed about the his- torical ins and outs of the Taiwan question, recognize the fact and the status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one and the same China, strictly abide by the one-China principle with concrete actions, implement the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, and refrain from slid- ing further down the wrong path.
We urge the DPP authorities to completely give up the separatist schemes seeking “Taiwan independence,” and stop going further down on the doomed path of “Taiwan indepen- dence” to the point of no return.

Any activity seeking “Taiwan independence” will be smashed by the mighty anti-secession and pro-reunification forces of the Chinese people.
Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People’s Politi- cal Consultative Conference National Committee Regarding the Taiwan question, the current U.S. admin- istration has on multiple occasions made the commitment to adhere to the one-China policy and not support “Taiwan independence.” However, some recent remarks and actions from the U.S. side are in stark contrast to said commitment.
We urge the U.S. side to honor its words, cease any kind of of- ficial exchanges with China’s Taiwan region, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, stop sending any wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, and not to go fur- ther down this dangerous path.

Ministry of National Defense Taiwan’s DPP authorities have solicited foreign support, colluded with external forces to stir up trouble and been bent on inviting Pelosi to visit Taiwan.
Such acts are very dan- gerous and will inevitably lead to serious consequences.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army is on high alert and will undertake a series of targeted military operations in response to resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolutely thwart the interference by external forces and separatist schemes for “Taiwan independence.” INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE “The policy of the United Nations on this issue is that we are guided by the General Assembly Resolution 2758 from 1971 on [the] one-China [principle].” —Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary General António Guterres “The Shanghai Cooperation Organization adheres to the one-China principle, firmly opposes interference in the internal affairs of its member states by any external force, supports all member states in safeguarding national unity and defending their own sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will continue to promote further cooperation among member states in this regard to ensure peace, security and stability in the region.” —Zhang Ming, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization “Pakistan reaffirms its strong commitment to the one-China pol- icy and firmly supports China’s sovereignty and territorial integ- rity… Pakistan strongly believes that interstate relations should be based on mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and a peaceful resolution of issues by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, international law and bilateral agreements.” —Foreign Ministry of Pakistan “We believe relations between both sides of the Taiwan Straits are exclusively China’s domestic affair.
The Chinese side is en- titled to take any measures necessary to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.” —Foreign Ministry of Russia (Beijing Review) 25 ISSUE 3 · 2022 OPINION China issues new white paper on Taiwan question China released a new white paper on August 10 to ex- pound on the position and policies of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government to achieve national reunification in the new era, including the envi- sioning of a new special administrative region (SAR) for Taiwan.
The white paper, titled “The Taiwan Question and Chi- na’s Reunification in the New Era,” was the third on the Taiwan question in the history of the People’s Republic of China.

The first two were issued in August 1993 and Feb- ruary 2000.
Provided that China’s sovereignty, security and develop- ment interests are guaranteed, Taiwan will enjoy a high de- gree of autonomy as an SAR after reunification, according to the white paper released by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the State Council Information Office.

The white paper is a powerful countermeasure against “Taiwan independence” separatists and external inter- ference, said Lau Siu-kai, vice president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.
“It helps debunk the slanders by ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces, the United States and other Western countries, and fully demonstrates our strong will and deter- mination to safeguard national sovereignty, territorial integ- rity and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation,” Lau said.

Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times.


This statement has a sound basis in history and jurisprudence, the white paper said, adding that the one-China principle represents the universal consensus of the international community.

“We are one China, and Taiwan is part of China.

This is an indisputable fact supported by history and the law.

Taiwan has never been a state; its status as part of China is unalterable,” the white paper stressed.
“Never before have we been so close to, confident in and capable of achieving the goal of national rejuvenation.

The same is true when it comes to our goal of complete national reunification,” the white paper continued.
A spokesperson for the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee said the white paper demonstrated “our strong confidence toward complete national reunification, our resolute determination in fighting against separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and external interfer- ence, as well as our original aspiration in safeguarding the wellbeing of people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.” Wang Yang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, addresses a meeting marking the 30th anniversary of the 1992 Consensus at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 26.
Rao Aimin 26 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA Obstacles must be removed Blasting the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the white paper stated that the actions by DPP authorities have resulted in tension in cross-Straits relations, en- dangering peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, and undermining the prospects and restricting the space for peaceful reunification.

“These are obstacles that must be removed in advanc- ing the process of peaceful reunification,” it said.
External forces have encouraged and instigated provocative actions by separatist forces; these have intensified cross-Straits tension and confrontation, and undermined peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, the white paper asserted.

Relying on external forces will achieve nothing for Tai- wan’s separatists, while using Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail.

The wheel of history rolls on toward nation- al reunification and will not be stopped by any individual or any force, it emphasized.
Under the current complex international and cross- Straits situation, the release of the white paper is condu- cive to exposing the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces’ collusion with external forces in making provo- cations, as well as their vicious words and deeds that attempt to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity or stand in the way of its reunification, the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee spokesperson said.
The release of the white paper is timely and targeted at “Taiwan independence” separatist activities and the in- terference of external forces, said Zou Zhenqiu, a national lawmaker and head of the Jiangsu provincial federation of Taiwan compatriots.

“No matter what the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external anti-China forces may do, the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one and the same China will never change,” he said.
Peaceful reunification Peaceful reunification and “one country, two systems” are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question and the best approach to realizing national reunification, the white paper reiterated.

“We are ready to create vast space for peaceful reunifi- cation, but we will leave no room for separatist activities in any form,” it warned.

“We will work with the greatest sincerity and exert our utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification.
But we will not renounce the use of force and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures.

This is to guard against external interference and all separatist activities and in no way does it target our fellow Chinese in Taiwan.

The use of force would be the last resort under compelling circum- stances,” it explained.

“The future of Taiwan lies in China’s reunification, and the wellbeing of the people in Taiwan hinges on the reju- venation of the Chinese nation.
This is becoming a con- sensus among Taiwan compatriots,” said Cheng Kuang Yi, a young entrepreneur from Taiwan.

Cheng, who has lived on the mainland for 15 years, said more young people from Taiwan are coming to the mainland for study and work as the motherland provides great opportunities for their personal development.

At the same time, these Taiwan compatriots have also taken an active part in the economic and social development of the mainland.
“We hope Taiwan compatriots will stand on the right side of history, be proud of their Chinese identity and fully consider the position and role of Taiwan in China’s rejuve- nation,” the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Com- mittee spokesperson said.

Taiwan envisioned as new SAR “To realize peaceful reunification, we must acknowl- edge that the mainland and Taiwan have their own distinct social systems and ideologies,” the white paper said.
“The ‘one country, two systems’ principle is the most inclusive solution to this problem.” It added that after peaceful reunification, Taiwan may continue its current social system and enjoy a high degree of autonomy in accordance with the law.

Taiwan’s social system and its way of life will be fully respected, while the private property, religious beliefs, and lawful rights and interests of the people in Taiwan will be fully protected.
All Taiwan compatriots who support reunifi- cation of the country and rejuvenation of the nation will be the masters of the region, the white paper said.

With a powerful, supportive motherland, the people of Taiwan will enjoy greater security and dignity, and stand upright and rock-solid in the international community, the white paper added.

After reunification, foreign countries may continue to develop economic and cultural relations with Taiwan.
With the approval of China’s Central Government, they may set up consulates or other official and quasi-official institutions in Taiwan, while international organizations and agencies may establish offices, relevant international conventions can be applied and relevant international conferences can be held there, according to the white paper.
Peaceful cross-Straits reunification is of benefit not only to the Chinese nation, but to all peoples and the interna- tional community as a whole, the white paper concluded.

(Xinhua) 27 ISSUE 3 · 2022 SUPERVISION Chairman Li Zhanshu highlights law-based Yellow River protection 28 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA Aerial photo shows a section along the Yellow River in Laoniuwan Village of Pianguan Coun- ty in north China’s Shanxi Province.
VCG 29 ISSUE 3 · 2022 SUPERVISION Li Zhanshu, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, visits Lanzhou during an inspection tour of northwest China’s Gansu Province to learn about the province’s eco- logical environment improvements, wetland protection work, water resource utilization, and cultural inheritance and protection of the Yellow River on Au- gust 27.
Pang Xinglei Li Zhanshu, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, visits Houguanzhai Town in Xifeng District of Qingyang during his inspection tour of northwest China’s Gansu Province on August 26.
Pang Xinglei 30 Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee and member of the Standing Committee of the Po- litical Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed the need to protect the Yellow River in accordance to law and use the river to benefit the people during an inspection tour of north- west China’s Gansu Province on August 26-28.
Li visited the cities of Qingyang and Lanzhou to learn about the province’s ecological environment improve- ments, wetland protection, water resource utilization, cultural inheritance and Yellow River protection.

He convened a symposium on legislation related to the protection of the Yellow River and listened to opin- ions and suggestions from relevant officials, people’s congresses deputies, experts, scholars and the public.
Yellow River legislation is an important task that has been promoted by the NPC Standing Committee in re- cent years, Li said, highlighting the basin-wide ecological protection of the Yellow River and its high-quality devel- opment.

Li stressed the importance of water and soil conser- vation, ecosystem protection and restoration, prevention and control of water pollution and water resource utiliza- tion.
He also visited a revolutionary memorial hall and an equipment manufacturing base during his inspection tour.

(Xinhua) NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA Ensuring the Yellow River benefits the people With the onset of frequent rain, north China’s Yellow River has entered its summer high-water season, and areas along its course are guarding against possible floods.

The Yellow River and the Yangtze River are regarded as the “mother rivers” of the Chinese nation.
The Yellow River basin had been the political, economic, and cultural centers of the country for as long as 3,000 years in the 5,000-year history of the Chinese civilization.

Today, the 5,464-km-long waterway feeds 12 percent of China’s population, irrigates 17 percent of its arable land, and supplies water to more than 50 large and medium-sized cities.

However, throughout its history, the Yellow River used to suffer from frequent dike breaks and course changes.
Due to its incomparable historical, cultural and economic significance, together with the environmental impact it brings, the river and its basin must be protected and managed with the utmost effort.

ment of the Chinese nation, calling it a major national strategy.

Regarding the river basin’s ecological protection, Xi said that the upper, middle and lower reaches of the river need to be considered as a whole.
He also stressed better use of water resources, with coordinated planning of the population and ur- ban and industrial development to resolutely curb unreasonable demand for water.

Following Xi’s inspection, in October 2021, central authorities issued a comprehensive guideline on the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin through 2030 and beyond.

Later in the same month, Xi inspected the estuary of the Yellow River in Shandong Province.
He commended the local efforts to improve the river’s environment, encouraging those involved to keep up the good work.

However, according to Xi, there is still much to do to further improve the river’s environment.

This point was made clear on multiple occasions by Presi- dent Xi Jinping, who attaches great importance to the ecological protection of the Yellow River.
Over the past few years, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has visited all nine provinces or autonomous regions along the Yellow River.

“We must not rest on our laurels,” he said during the inspec- tion.
“We ought to focus on solving problems, strive with re- newed efforts and resolve, and push forward work on all fronts.” To Xi, who has underscored the notion that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” the Yellow River’s environmental protection must follow a holistic approach.
Mountain, river, forest, farmland, lake, grassland, and desert Along the way, he was briefed on the status and challeng- es in the river basin’s protection and management and made detailed instructions on the matter.

Zhang Xiaolei, an explainer at the Yellow River Museum in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, who accompanied Xi during a tour of the museum in September 2019, recalled that Xi was very knowledgeable of the history of the Chinese nation’s efforts to harness the Yellow River since ancient times.
Xi was particularly interested in the history of flood preven- tion, Zhang recalled.
“He spent a long time in the hall dedicat- ed to the ancient efforts to harness the Yellow River, slowing down before a map of river harnessing work from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and commenting, ‘This is really extraor- dinary.’” The next day, Xi noted at a meeting that the protection of the river is critical to the great rejuvenation and sustainable develop- ecosystems must be conserved, and industry must develop in harmony with the natural environment.
In implementing the national strategy on the Yellow River, both farsighted vision and down-to-earth work are needed, Xi once said.

The purpose of all these efforts is simple: to make the Yellow River benefit the people.

The Yellow River basin has seen great improvement in the ecological environment after continuous conservation efforts.

The area of soil erosion in the Yellow River basin decreased by 48 percent in 2020, compared with 1990, and that of intense soil erosion was reduced by 83 percent.
Many places, which used to be suffering from sandstorms, saline and alkali soils, and flooding as a result of the river’s dike break or course change, have shaken off poverty thanks to con- tinuous development efforts and improvements to the environ- ment.

(Xinhua) Aerial photo shows birds flying over the Yellow River Delta National Nature Re- serve in east China’s Shandong Prov- ince on December 25, 2021.
Yang Bin 31 ISSUE 3 · 2022 SUPERVISION Chairman Li Zhanshu highlights ecological protection of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Li Zhanshu, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Na- tional People’s Congress Standing Committee, visits Xigaze in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on July 13 during a research tour related to legislation on the ecological protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Zhai Jianlan Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed the need for a systematic, coordinated and special protection approach in drafting a new law on the ecological protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during a research tour in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on July 12-15.
Noting the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau’s special ecological status and its value to national and global ecological security, Li said the new law should embody the idea that ecological protection is the basic premise and the rigid constraint of the region’s development.
It should also implement the new development philosophy, adhere to a systematic, science-based and problem-solving approach to strengthen the protection, conservation, resto- ration, and risk prevention and control of key ecological sys- tems, he added.

32 The new law should embody the idea that ecological protec- tion is the basic premise and the rigid constraint of the region’s development.
During his stay in Tibet, Li also visited residential commu- nities, Potala Palace and temples, and held talks with local lawmakers.

He also called for efforts to further implement the Party’s ethnic and religious work policies, focus on safeguarding national unification and strengthening ethnic unity, and ensure enduring social stability and long-term security and high-quality development.
(Xinhua) NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA NPC holds joint inquiry on Environmental Protection Law enforcement The National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee held a joint inquiry into a report on the enforcement of the Environmental Protection Law on September 1.
During the inquiry, lawmakers asked questions focused on issues such as the protection of the ecological environment in accordance with law, the acceleration of environmental in- frastructure construction and the enhancement of ecological preservation and restoration.

State Councilor Wang Yong and officials from Central Government agencies and ministries, as well as top court and procuratorate officials, attended the meeting to hear sugges- tions and answer questions.
Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, noted in his speech that a review of the law enforcement showed that the country has made a series of significant achievements in environmental protection.

He urged further efforts to uphold and improve law enforcement inspections related to environmental protection.
He also called for efforts to step up the formulation and revision of laws, as well as efforts to improve the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, with an eye on the full and effective implementation of laws.

Leading officials at all levels should develop and improve their ability to address issues and advance their work with a better understanding of the law, Li said.
During the meeting, Wang said that since the 18th Nation- al Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, China’s environmental protection efforts have seen sweeping, historic and transformative changes.

More importantly, the positive momentum should be consolidated, he said, adding that the State Council and relevant departments will continue to fulfill their duties, promote green, low-carbon and circular development, and ramp up the efficiency of their regulatory work and law en- forcement.
(Xinhua) Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, speaks at a joint inquiry into a report on the enforcement of the Envi- ronmental Protection Law at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 1.

Ma Zengke 33 ISSUE 3 · 2022 LEGISLATION Law strengthens food quality By Zhao Yimeng and Lu Yan By Zhao Yimeng and Lu Yan Consumers check out the produce at a supermarket in Taizhou in China’s Jiangsu Province on September 9.
Tang Dehong China ensures all the links related to food safety are effectively supervised and regulated The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) passed the newly revised Law on Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products on September 2.

The revised law strengthens the responsibilities of local authorities and business operators in ensuring the quality and safety of agricultural products during the entire process from production to consumption.
Enacted in 2006, the Law on Quality and Safety of Agri- cultural Products has played an important role in ensuring the food safety and boosting the rural economy.

The revised law will take effect on January 1, 2023.
To the detail Yue Zhongming, an official with the NPC Standing Com- mittee’s Legislative Affairs Commission, said the revised law included farmers in the scope of supervision, stipulating that enterprises and cooperatives of agricultural production should be responsible for the quality and safety of agricultur- al products.

Food producers should check certifications and qualifica- tions according to the Food Safety Law when they purchase agricultural products as food materials, the law said.
34 Given the emerging new marketing forms of agricultural product, the law also stipulated the responsibilities of online platform operators, and of people involved in the cold chain logistics, Yue said.

In the definition of the safety and quality of agricultural products, the law added that the agricultural products in the market should meet the quality and safety standards, which should be strictly implemented.
The law also stipulated the scientific use of agricultural in- puts such as fertilizers and pesticides, and the control of the quality and safety from the production base.

It added safety requirements for the storage and trans- portation of the agricultural products, preventing secondary pollution of the products, Yue said.
The risk evaluation results of agricultural products’ quality and safety should be reported not only to market supervision and health departments, but also local bureaus of agriculture and rural affairs, according to the law.

County-level authorities of agriculture and rural affairs should improve the supervision and management of agricul- tural products’ quality and safety during the entire process.
The random inspection of the quality and safety of agricul- tural products should be improved, while samples collected should be paid for at market price, Yue said.

Wang Tiehan, chief inspector of food safety at the State Administration for Market Regulation, said that random in- spections in the first half of this year showed 2.51 percent of the 2.37 million batches of food products contained substan- dard samples, a year-on-year increase of 0.17 percent.
“The unqualified rates in six categories including agricul- NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA tural products and catering food increased year-on-year,” he said at an event on August 29 to kick off China Food Safety Publicity Week.

The excessive pesticide and veterinary medicine residues on vegetables, fruits and aquatic products are among major problems found during the inspection, he added.

The revised law strengthened the punishment of illegal actions.
Considering the real condition of farmers, the rela- tively light punishment on farmers will both deter them from wrongdoing and guide them to regulate their farming activi- ties, Yue said.
Voices from the people Despite strengthened regulation and supervision, there is still room for improvement, as people are increasingly concerned about the quality of the food they purchase, some believing that they might consume too much pesticide resi- due, or the vegetables and fruits are tasteless or don’t taste as good as before.

Some industry practitioners may also sacri- fice quality for short-term profit.
The upgrading of the law has been made step by step, based on changing national and industrial conditions.

In 2018, some articles of law were amended.

In the same year, after the NPC Standing Committee inspected several cities and regions on the enforcement of the law, it recommended that the revision of this law be made as fast as possible.

Dep- uties to the NPC started to make targeted proposals on the revision, based on their extensive research and studies.
The revision work was included in the legislative work plan for 2021.

From October 2021 to August this year, the revised drafts went under deliberation three times.
Members of the NPC Standing Committee, some local governments and the pub- lic made a number of suggestions, such as ensuring stricter enforcement standards, strengthening the responsibilities of local governments and producers, as well as realizing whole-process supervision ensuring food safety from the place they were raised to the dining table of the people.

They were all taken into careful consideration and some were in- cluded in the revision.
The Constitution and Law Committee conducted related research and investigation in several regions across the coun- try in order to have a better understanding of the current situation.

During these occasions, they heard local officials’ report on their work concerning agricultural products, in which the good practices they adopted and challenges they faced were all included.
In addition to on-site visits to places such as farmlands, companies and factories, they also attend- ed discussions where primary-level agricultural product safe- ty workers and representatives from enterprises shared their views.

During a research tour in Huachuan County, Heilongjiang Province, the local practice of utilizing databases and other hi-technology means to ensure the monitoring of the entire process of agricultural production received recognition.
For instance, sensors were installed for real-time monitoring of seedlings, weeding, fertilization, storage, processing and lo- gistics.

With mobile apps, people can get synchronous intel- ligent analysis of soil moisture, crop growth, disease and pest prevention, all ensuring the high quality of products.

Villagers sort out chili peppers in Donglang Township of Congjiang Coun- ty, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, on September 15.
Wu Dejun The revised law strengthens the responsibilities of local authorities and business operators in ensuring the quality and safety of agricultural products during the entire process from production to consumption.

“The quality and safety of agricultural products is a major issue concerning national and social interest, and it is also a complex system, which especially requires systematic gov- ernance, making all produce traceable,” said Chen Guomin, a member of the 13th NPC Standing Committee.
In recent years, procuratorial organs have handled a series of cases involving the quality and safety of agricultural products in the fields of food safety, ecological environment and resource protection, protected the production areas of agricultural products, and standardized the production of agricultural products, rectified illegal acts in the packaging, labeling and sales of these products, all achieving positive results.
“What kind of methods can be used to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products?

Based on a large number of investigations and studies, I believe it is necessary to focus on three main points,” said Ji Bingxuan, vice chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee.

Ji said these points are production, storage and transpor- tation, as well as sales.

During production, pollution, pesti- cide residue, pests and mildew should be prevented and con- trolled.
In terms of storage and transportation, how to retain freshness and prevent food from becoming putrid, growing mildew or getting bitten by insects are major concerns.

When the products go into the market, details concerning preservation, shelf life and packaging, among many others, should also be taken seriously, Ji believed.

“All these prominent problems affect the quality and safety of agricultural products, and we need to pay attention to solv- ing problems in the implementation of the law,” Ji said.
35 ISSUE 3 · 2022 LEGISLATION Legislation gets tough with online, telecom scammers By Cao Yin and Lu Yan An exhibitor demonstrates anti-fraud virtual reality devices as 2022 China Cybersecurity Week kicks off in Hefei in east China’s Anhui Province on September 4.
Liu Junxi China took a major step against telecom and online fraud on September 2 by adopting widely antici- pated legislation that will significantly crack down on these crimes, which have long disturbed the public and led to people’s financial losses after being de- ceived by spam messages and crank calls.
The law on telecom and online fraud, which has 50 ar- ticles, was passed after being reviewed three times by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), aiming to offer strong protection of people’s legitimate rights and harshly punish scammers.
The law will also build a joint force by improving the gov- ernance of telecommunication, finance and Internet sectors to make the fight against fraud more effective, according to Wang Aili, an official from the NPC Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commission.
“What we are doing now is to use the law to coordinate government agencies, judicial departments and enterprises in the anti-fraud fight to eliminate behaviors that will harm people’s sense of security, happiness and fulfillment as quick- ly as we can,” Wang added.

The law takes effect on December 1.

Shared responsibilities Under the new law on telecom and online fraud, compa- nies in the sectors are required, for example, to remind cli- ents and consumers to be on alert for new types of fraud.
“Enterprises in these sectors, as well as banks and payment institutions, should shoulder responsibilities of preventing fraud risks, optimizing their internal security systems and implementing real-name registration of their users, so as to deter swindlers from the very beginning,” Wang said.
Financial institutions and non-bank payment service pro- viders should put in place a customer due diligence system 36 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA when opening bank and payment accounts and providing payment and settlement services, and should also identify the beneficial owners in accordance with the law and take risk management measures to prevent bank and payment ac- counts from being used in fraud, according to the law.
Telecom service providers should not issue new SIM cards to those who have already reached their limit in terms of the number of registered cards, and should double-check appli- cants if they spot abnormal activities.

Financial institutions and non-bank payment service pro- viders also have the right to verify the identity of customers or reject opening service accounts for them under similar conditions, according to the law.
Defining respective responsibilities of departments, busi- nesses and local governments in preventing and fighting tele- com and online fraud, the newly passed law stipulates that departments and organizations should act in concert with each other and facilitate fast cross-sectoral and cross-region- al coordination and cooperation so as to effectively curb such offenses.
It also stipulates that anti-fraud knowledge and tips should be increasingly promoted and shared in communities, schools, villages and families to further help improve aware- ness among the elderly and the youth, who are often easy victims.

Additionally, the new law increases penalties to scammers, clarifying that those who have engaged in such fraud and who have been criminally punished for the offense will be restrict- ed from leaving the country.
Planning ahead Since October 2021 to late August, the NPC Standing Com- mittee deliberated the drafts of the law three times.

During the process, multiple improvements were made.

For example, the second draft added accountabilities of financial institu- tions, telecom service providers, Internet-based companies and the media in publicizing the anti-fraud information and tips to the public.
Non-traditional payment tools and services such as digital RMB, as well as barcodes and QR codes, are also subjected to fraud detection.

After the two deliberations, the standing committee solic- ited opinions on the NPC official website, receiving 28,406 suggestions from more than 12,300 people.
Based on opinions from the public and all relevant parties, revisions were made in the third deliberated draft, including punitive measures for those engaged in telecommunications network fraud crimes and related crimes—their criminal re- cord will affect their credit report, resulting in further restric- tions and punishments in future activities.
Sustained efforts As of December 2021, the number of Chinese Internet users had exceeded 1.03 billion, and the digital economy is becoming an ever more important engine driving China’s economic growth.

In roughly two decades, China’s online industry has devel- oped at supersonic speed, leading the issue of cybersecurity to become an increasingly hot topic of social debate over the past 10 years.
the government is committed to protecting the nline Frau d La w m an d O nti-Teleco T he A Telecom and online fraud crimes Zhu Huiqing legitimate rights and interests of people in the digital sphere and has made sustained efforts in data security management and personal information protection by, for example, tight- ening the rules on mobile phone applications’ collection and use of personal information, and cracking down on telecom fraud.
Its “cyberspace is not beyond the scope of justice” promise has been delivered, effectively guaranteeing the se- curity of netizens’ personal information.

In a campaign not long ago, police officers in 30 provincial regions, including Guangdong, Henan and Hunan, captured more than 1,100 suspects who allegedly cheated people out of money by promoting fake online services, with over 3,000 mobile phones and computers seized at the same time, the Ministry of Public Security reported in August.
The ministry said the country saw fewer cases involving telecom and Internet fraud.

Over the past year, a total of 394,000 criminal cases in- volving telecom fraud have been investigated nationwide and 634,000 criminal suspects have been arrested, marking a year- on-year increase of 28.5 percent and 76.6 percent, respectively, said Du Hangwei, deputy minister of public security.
In the first 11 months of 2021, police across the country managed to intercept a total of 326.5 billion yuan ($51billion) of funds, as well as 1.55 billion scam phone calls and 1.76 bil- lion scam text messages during the same period, preventing 23.37 million people from falling victim to such fraud.

China vows severe punishment for trans-border telecom fraud.
Authorities are committed to capturing and cracking down on key financiers of such criminal groups and relevant backbone criminals, and to the capture, extradition and re- patriation of fraud scheme fugitives now on the run overseas.

In a solemn warning, the authorities urged criminals staying abroad to return and turn themselves in as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, judicial departments nationwide have been showing the public-via livestreaming, short-video apps and other readily available means-how to avoid such scams.

As some people, particularly teenagers, were defrauded by being lured to buy online game equipment, the Cyberspace Administration of China has worked with the ministry in the fight against scammers since the beginning of this year.
So far, they have resolved more than 12,000 such cases and urged Internet operators to improve the channels for report- ing fraud-related clues.

37 ISSUE 3 · 2022 WHOLE-PROCESS PEOPLE'S DEMOCRACY Villagers, Communist Party of China members and cadres discuss village management in Longxi village of Huzhou in east China’s Zhejiang Province on July 21.
Xu Yu Grassroots stations to seek opinions Initiative to cover all provincial regions to resolve problems through legislation By Cao Yin Ten more stations for soliciting legislative opinions from grassroots-level areas will soon be set up to further implement China’s “whole-process people’s democracy” and overall law-based governance, said an official with China’s top legislature.
The new “grassroots legislation opinion collection sta- tions” will be mainly built in northeastern and western areas of China, as well as regions inhabited by ethnic groups, such as in Liaoning Province and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yang Heqing, spokesman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commis- sion, told a news conference on August 26.

“Once those are built, there will be a station in every pro- vincial region across the country,” he said.
The establishment of such stations was part of an initiative launched by the commission in July 2015 to gather sugges- tions from residents and then resolve their problems through legislation.

The first stations were set up in Shanghai’s Hongqiao sub- district and in standing committees of local legislative bodies in Xiangyang, Hubei Province; Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province; and Lintao County, Gansu Province.

The success of these stations led the commission to build more in 2020 and 2021.
Such stations have played a key role in the implementation of “whole-process people’s democracy,” “as they provide a 38 channel for people at the grassroots level to share their ideas on legislative issues and have a greater opportunity to get their voices heard by national lawmakers,” Yang said.

The concept of “whole-process people’s democracy” was first advanced by President Xi Jinping during a visit to Hongqiao in November 2019.
“With the stations, we’ll increase exchanges between res- idents and lawmakers to improve the quality of legislation, contributing more to carrying out the ‘whole-process people’s democracy’ and promoting governance by the rule of law in the new era,” Yang added.

Recalling legislative efforts over the past decade, he said that they have always upheld the Constitution, with more fo- cus on making and revising laws on national security, health- care, environment, education and technology.
Meanwhile, a few laws regarding new industries, including those on Internet data and biosecurity, and the legislation involving foreign affairs, have also been unveiled, “which means remarkable progress has been made in improving the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics,” he said.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the NPC and its standing committee have made 69 laws and 237 amendments, he said.
The country has seen achievements in legislation in the past 10 years, and its optimization of the legal system has never stopped.

NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA Top legislature better at collecting public opinion By Cao Yin China’s top legislature has estab- lished more channels for the public to participate in national governance over the past de- cade, guaranteeing that the people are the masters of the country, officials said.
The National People’s Congress (NPC) and its standing committee have set up a system for regularly soliciting public opin- ion, and have collected more than 3.8 mil- lion suggestions on draft laws from people from all walks of life in the past 10 years, Song Rui, director of the research depart- ment with the NPC Standing Committee’s General Office, told a news conference on June 29.
He said they also designated 22 sites, including colleges and subdistricts, as grassroots stations to collect people’s ideas and suggestions on legislation, “which is like a nonstop train that can take residents’ advice directly to the top legislature.” Additionally, the NPC Standing Com- mittee has built information platforms and legal databases to increase the means of collecting public opinion, and allowing people to take part in legislation, Song said.
Deputy secretary general of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Wang Tiemin (C) and director general of the Research Office of the General Office of the NPC Stand- ing Committee Song Rui (R) attend a Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Publicity Department press conference on progress in upholding and improving the people’s congress system in the new era in Beijing on June 29.
Li Xin “Enabling people to be broadly involved in democratic activities and giving them ways to fully share ideas play a big role in guaranteeing the people are the masters of the coun- try and implementing whole-process people’s democracy,” he said.

The top legislature has also forged closer ties with NPC deputies, inviting them to attend NPC Standing Committee sessions as well as arranging for them to participate in legis- lative surveys and inspections of law enforcement, he said.
He added that in the past five years, 4,648 motions and 84,028 suggestions provided by deputies were read and handled, helping solve a series of problems of concern to the public.

Wang Tiemin, deputy secretary-general of the NPC Stand- ing Committee, told the media on June 29 that the top leg- islature has passed 69 new laws and amended 237 since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, with the adoption of 99 major legal decisions.
“Those laws were made to meet people’s increasing and urgent legal demands, and also to contribute to the country’s The NPC Standing Committee has built information platforms and legal databases to increase the means of collecting public opinion, and allow- ing people to take part in legislation.

development and major reforms,” he said.


In the past decade, for example, the top legislature passed the nation’s first Civil Code, with intensified efforts in making and revising laws involving national security and environ- mental protection, he added.
The top legislature safeguarded the authority and dignity of the Constitution, strengthening reviews of normative doc- uments, such as judicial interpretations and administrative regulations, to make sure they did not contradict the funda- mental law, according to Wang.

39 ISSUE 3 · 2022 FOCUS By Yuan Yuan All roads lead to Tibet By Yuan YuanMoving to Tibet Autonomous Region for the long haul is quite unlike enjoying the place through pictures or traveling there as a tourist.
It is not for the faint of heart.

Under the glittering blue sky and fluttering prayer flags, oxygen scarcity, altitude sickness, potential sunburn and inconvenient transportation are just some factors that would de- ter many from making the move, or even just visiting.

Soccer players celebrate a victory in the Mass Cultural and Sports Center of Lhasa in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Re- gion on May 11, 2018.
Jigme Dorje 40 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA Since 1994, roughly 10,000 people have left behind their families in other parts of China to work in Tibet under a na- tional pairing-up program, supporting the overall develop- ment of the autonomous region.
Since the Third National Symposium on Work in Tibet held that year, the Chinese Government has implemented the policy of pairing-up support for Tibet, whereby central state organs, 17 provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and some centrally managed state- owned enterprises have paired up with various areas of Tibet to provide assistance.

For example, Beijing and Jiangsu Province have been providing pairing-up assistance to Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet.
Shanghai, along with Shandong, Jilin and Heilong- jiang provinces, China Baowu Steel Group and chemical firm Sinochem Group have been pairing up with Xigaze, the second-largest city in Tibet.

Under the policy of pairing-up assistance for Tibet, 52.7 billion yuan (7.77 billion) was in- jected into Tibet through 6,330 projects between 1994 and 2020.
These people, mostly experienced officials, doctors, teach- ers and experts from various fields, work in almost every cor- ner of Tibet—even the remotest of villages—for at least three years.

They brought along their skills, technologies, ideas and anything that can spark positive change with one common Since 1994, roughly 10,000 people have left behind their families in other parts of China to work in Tibet under a national pairing-up program.

goal—to make Tibet a better place.


Most of these “pioneers” have to part with family and friends and adapt to life in Tibet both physically and men- tally.

Some went to Tibet and returned, some stayed put and some passed away whilst working there.

The policy’s imple- mentation has generated the fastest development of Tibet in history.

Paving the way Foshan, a city in economically developed Guangdong Province, sent its ninth team to assist Tibet about three years ago.
Last year, the team helped Medog County create its first standard football pitch.

They are going to help the county set up a football training base.

On June 12, the bus carrying the team was blocked by a landslide on the way from downtown Nyingchi to Medog, a county under its jurisdiction.

The bus came to a halt on a nar- row road with high cliffs on one side and the roaring Yarlung Zangbo River on the other.
The scene that thrilled the ac- companying journalist on the bus was nothing but a common sight for team members.

Foshan has been paired with Medog since 1995.

At an alti- tude of 1,100 meters, Medog is in a much lower location than 41 ISSUE 3 · 2022 FOCUS Nine children with congenital heart disease from Qamdo in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region are discharged from Fujian Children’s Hospi- tal in east China’s Fujian Province after free surgery on December 1, 2021.
Jiang Kehong many other places in Tibet, but its geological features made it a hard nut to crack.

Earthquakes, landslides and flows of de- bris are common in this area, often disrupting power and wa- ter supplies.

It was the last county in China to have a paved road.

It took some 40 years, from 1975 to 2013, to complete the county’s first road, due to frequent natural disasters.
The team eventually turned around and headed back to Nyingchi where they spent 22 days waiting for the rocks blocking the road to be cleared.

Even though Medog locals hardly ventured out of the mountains to see the outside world before, its relatively low altitude has always made it an ideal place for playing sports in Tibet.

“All the boys in my school love football but we never got the chance to play on a real pitch,” Wangchen Norbu, a 17-year-old from a village in Medog, said.
“It is hard to find a large level field in my hometown and when we did find a small space to play, we always had to be careful not to kick the ball too hard or far as it would disappear into the moun- tains.

“Among the 40 villages in Medog, there are 22 men’s foot- ball teams and four women’s teams that all spontaneously formed,” Xiao Zhiwei, a member of the ninth team from Fos- han, said.
The team contacted Evergrande Football School in 42 By late 2021, average life expectancy in Tibet had risen from 68.2 years in 2015 to 72.19 years.

Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, which is China’s largest school dedicated to nurturing young players.

“We told them how the kids in Medog love football and invited them to come and visit,” Xiao added.

And so they did.

In the end, several children, including Wangchen Norbu, were selected to attend the school and went to Guangzhou.
The team initiated a plan to create a standard football pitch in the county, a real luxury given the local conditions.

They applied for a subsidy of more than 30 million yuan ($4.38 million), drafted an outline and worked hard to over- come all obstacles during its construction.

Finally, the pitch was completed in early 2021.

The school went on to host its first game in the lead-up to Spring Festi- val, or Chinese New Year.

Wangchen Norbu returned home for the game and was blown away.
“I never expected Medog to ever have such a beautiful pitch.

This is the best Spring NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA Festival gift ever.” Shortly after, the Evergrande Football School announced it would be establishing a training base in Medog.

Education, education, education Education has always been of high priority in the pair- ing-up practice.
After the road connected Medog with the outside world in 2013, the county now has its own kindergar- tens, primary and secondary schools and has also brought in more volunteer teachers.

Today, there are eight primary schools and one secondary school and all are paired up with quality schools in Foshan.

Apart from teaching students, teachers from Foshan have also helped train local teachers and set up online classes, enabling Medog students to attend the same classes as their Foshan peers.
The number of volunteer teachers from Foshan has increased over the past three years, from fewer 10 to over 40.

“As the state plans to construct a hydroelectric station on the Yarlung Zangbo River in the coming years, over 100,000 people will move into Medog for the project,” Xiao said, add- ing some of the construction staff will bring their kids to Me- dog so they need to make sure the school’s capacity can meet demand.

The Medog-Foshan story is just one example of the suc- cessful pairing-up model.
More schools have budded across Tibet over the past two decades and exchanges between teachers and students from Tibet and other Chinese areas have greatly enhanced.

Medical services The pairing-up model received several upgrades over re- cent years.

In 2015, a new scheme was introduced to encour- age the pairing of teachers and doctors and motivate more resources to lift the level of education and medical services in Tibet.
Wang Keming, a doctor from a leading plastic surgery hospital in Beijing, was the first plastic surgeon to go to Tibet under the pairing-up assistance policy.

Due to hypoxia caused by high altitude, dietary habits during pregnancy, and insufficient obstetric examinations, some Tibetan infants suffer congenital malformations that need to be treated with plastic surgery.

Within one year, Wang performed more than 200 surgeries on patients with harelip and cleft-palate deformities.
Operations aside, Wang applied for the establishment of plastic surgery departments in Tibetan hospitals as well as trained local doctors.

Today, the People’s Hospital of Tibet is capable of carrying out such plastic surgeries.
Sun Shuxue, head of Beijing’s seventh medical team to Tibet and a doctor at Beijing Friendship Hospital, has spent the past three years to bring high-quality medical resources in Beijing to Tibet, increasing the number of assisted depart- ments in Lhasa People’s Hospital from four to nine.

Thanks to more medical personnel and resources, the hos- pital has been able to introduce many new physical therapies such as the correction of hip deformities in children.
A large number of local doctors, with the help of assisting experts, have carried out complex operations such as stent implantation for treating acute myocardial infarction.

Nima Tsering, a doctor in the emergency department of Purang County People’s Hospital in Ngari Prefecture, has mastered appendectomy, breast benign tumor resection, closed thoracic drainage, and other common surgical proce- dures by learning from doctors from Shaanxi Province.
By the end of June, seven groups of more than 1,300 medi- cal professionals assisting Tibet had trained more than 2,400 doctors in the region.

At the same time, hospitals in Tibet dispatched 1,800 local medical professionals to their paired provinces and municipalities for further studies.
By late 2021, more than 400 serious diseases could be treated without patients leaving Tibet, and more than 2,400 Aerial photo shows trucks carrying furniture departing from Doima town- ship of Tsonyi County in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on July 13.

Jigme Dorje People row boats at Longwangtan Park in Lhasa of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on March 20.

Chogo 43 ISSUE 3 · 2022 FOCUS moderate diseases could be treated without patients having to leave their city.
Moreover, average life expectancy in Tibet had risen from 68.2 years in 2015 to 72.19 years.

Oasis of vegetables Along with Tibet’s medical and educational improvements, average living standards, too, have been lifted.

Nowadays, it’s common to see tropical fruits and various vegetables at local supermarkets.

Zhang Jiming, a 59-year-old man from Shandong Prov- ince who has been living in Bainang County of Xigaze City for 22 years, has witnessed how Tibet has evolved from a barren land to a green haven.
Different from those who had to part with family and friends to go there, Zhang has been able to have his wife with him ever since he first came to Tibet in 2000 at the age of 37.

His primary task then was to help villagers plant vegetables.

“I never thought my life would be linked with Tibet,” he said.

Transportation was pretty bad in 2000.

There were no trains to Tibet and the couple, traveling by bus, had to make several transfers.
“When I finally set foot in Tibet, the conditions were much worse than I had expected,” he said.

“The roads leading to the From 2012 to 2021, the annual regional GDP increased from 71 billion yuan to 208 billion yuan.

village were unsurfaced.

Most villagers never ate any vegeta- bles, and had never even seen cucumbers or tomatoes.” His greenhouse plantation project didn’t exactly get off to a good start.
Locals would throw stones at him and broke down his greenhouse—as they’d only eat mutton, beef and highland grain.

Any green leaves they’d get from the farm, they’d use to feed their cattle.

With financial aid coming in from Shandong Province, Zhang set up greenhouses for the villagers to use for free and offered free training.

And his efforts paid off.


Bainang has since become a major vegetable producing area in Tibet and with more roads and railways built across the region over the past decade, the county’s produce now travels far and wide.

Many other products from Tibet, including medicinal herbs, paintings and handicrafts, have all been shipped to many other areas.
At a conference about pairing-up support for Tibet on August 18 in Beijing, Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, who heads a central coordi- nating group for Tibet work, used the word “unprecedented” to describe the efforts and achievements that the pairing-up support work has exerted and made since the 18th CPC Na- tional Congress in 2012.
After the 18th CPC National Congress of the CPC, the Par- ty convened each year a conference dedicated to anti-poverty efforts in Tibet for five successive years.

More measures were rolled out, including a campaign under which more central- ly-administered state-owned enterprises were asked to assist Tibet in achieving prosperity.
Figures from the Tibet Autonomous Regional Government show that from 2012 to 2021, the annual regional GDP in- creased from 71 billion yuan ($10.37 billion) to 208 billion yuan ($30.37 billion).

People are seeing fatter wallets, with rural residents’ per capita disposable income maintain- ing double-digit growth for 19 con- secutive years.

The roads stretched from 65,200 km to 120,700 km.

Average life expectancy in Tibet has increased from a mere 35.5 years in 1951 to 72.19 years in 2021.
Tibet is the first provincial-lev- el region in China to provide 15 years of publicly funded education, from kindergartens to senior high schools.

Xiao has returned to Foshan and passed the baton to the next team.

Wang Keming travels to Ngari Pre- fecture, the highest prefecture in Ti- bet, from time to time to offer locals free medical treatment including surgery.

Zhang still runs his green- houses.

“I’ll stay in Tibet till I’m too old to work,” he said.
As the old Tibetan wisdom goes, “When he took time to help the man up the mountain, lo, he had scaled it himself.” (Beijing Review) Cai Chunting (C), a teacher from Xiangyang in central China’s Hubei Province and Cering Choden (back R), a local teacher, help students with a chemical experiment in Shannan No.1 Senior High School in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on May 7, 2019.
Zhang Rufeng 44 NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA 9 Years on, Belt and Road cooperation builds connectivity for global prosperity Chinese experts help locals with mechanized harvesting of rice in a demonstration area in Nariou Village in Burkina Faso on October 8, 2021.

Xinhua Nine years ago, President Xi Jinping proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in Kazakhstan and Indone- sia, respectively.
That is how the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to build a trade, investment and infrastructure network con- necting different regions along the ancient trade routes, took shape.

Nine years on, the BRI has achieved more than connectiv- ity.
Belt and Road cooperation, following the guiding princi- ples of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, has grown into a global platform where countries along the routes work together to promote people’s wellbeing and give a further boost to global development amid daunt- ing challenges.
Greater connectivity After years of Belt and Road cooperation, a general con- nectivity framework consisting of six corridors, six connec- tivity routes and multiple countries and ports has been put in place.

Landmark accomplishments include the Momba- sa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Africa, the China-Laos Railway in Asia, the new Haifa Port in Israel and the Chi- na-Pakistan Economic Corridor, among others.
In addition to infrastructure projects, a new logistics chan- nel between Asia and Europe has been established through China-Europe freight train services.

With 82 routes, the trains now reach 200 cities in 24 European countries, form- ing a transport network covering a large part of Europe.
45 ISSUE 3 · 2022 FOCUS The 7th Colorful World - Cultural Exhibition of Countries along the Belt and Road themed Cultural Integration, Civilization Co-existence and Happiness along the Silk Road is unveiled at the 2022 China Internation- al Fair for Trade in Services in Shougang Park in Beijing on September 1.

Ju Huanzong Connectivity means fewer barriers, whether in terms of policy coordination, road travel, trade, financial flows or peo- ple-to-people exchanges.
It also entails more resilience to un- certainties.

The China-Europe freight train service has acted as a “passage of life” after sea and air transportation was hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With such connectivity, Belt and Road cooperation has grown despite global economic recessions.
From 2013 to 2021, the total volume of trade of goods between China and countries along BRI routes totaled nearly 11 trillion U.S. dollars, while two-way investment exceeded 230 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

In Central Asia, with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan International Highway and the China-Tajikistan expressway, road transport has largely improved.
And the Central Asian countries are expected to unlock greater transit potential with the upcoming China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project.

The BRI gives the Central Asian region an opportunity to fulfill the strategic task of direct access to seaports and turn the region into a transportation hub of transcontinental high- ways from east to west, and north to south, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov commented.
Poverty reduction In the eyes of Lewis M. Ndichu, a researcher at the Nairo- bi-based think tank Africa Policy Institute, one of the BRI’s contributions to the African continent has been poverty alle- viation and agricultural development.

China set up poverty reduction projects, sent agricultural experts to Africa and facilitated modern agro-technology ex- changes between the two sides, which has been significant to regional development, he pointed out.
Burkina Faso is among the countries that have seen the changes brought by the BRI.

Chinese experts have helped increase its rice production, which in the past could barely meet the population’s needs.

46 Now, rice production in the demonstration area of Nariou village is double or triple the output of previous years, and the rice quality is also significantly improved.

This is just a microcosm of how Belt and Road cooperation has improved people’s wellbeing around the globe.
By the end of 2021, China had built 79 zones for economic and trade cooperation in 24 countries along BRI routes, investing 43 billion U.S. dollars and creating 346,000 local jobs, accord- ing to the Commerce Ministry.

In addition, more projects focused on the basic needs of people in developing countries have been prioritized under the BRI framework.
In Senegal, a rural well-drilling project, consisting of 251 wells and 1,800-km water pipelines that China pledged to fund, has brought clean water to one-sev- enth of Senegal’s population.

Meanwhile in Argentina, the photovoltaic plant in the country’s northern province of Ju- juy powers some 160,000 homes.

A World Bank report predicted that BRI transportation projects could help lift 7.6 million people out of extreme pov- erty and 32 million people out of moderate poverty globally by 2030.
Closing development divide The world today is undergoing a sea change amid a lin- gering COVID-19 pandemic, sluggish global growth, climate change and escalating tensions.

Great strides have been made toward global prosperity, but the gap between the richest and the poorest countries continues to widen.

However, reducing destitution is not enough.

To improve equity and social justice, countries need to be equally entitled to development opportunities.
Upholding that spirit, the BRI offers an open platform and a win-win mechanism.

By the end of July 2022, China had signed more than 200 BRI cooperation agreements with 149 countries and 32 international organizations, according to China’s National Development and Reform Commission.
“Through the Belt and Road Initiative, it (China) has brought new thinking about development from being mere loan recipients to actual projects on the ground that bring development through trade and enterprises,” said James M. Njihia, dean of the Faculty of Business and Management Sci- ences at the University of Nairobi.

“This will have great multiplier effects in the future by increasing local, regional and international integration,” he added.
Echoing the same view, Khairy Tourk, professor of eco- nomics at the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Insti- tute of Technology in Chicago, said the BRI puts developing nations on the right track to achieve their long-term develop- ment goals.
Since infrastructure has not been the main focus of post- 1945 multilateral institutions, Tourk said, “The BRI has drawn world attention to the importance of infrastructure as an essential pillar of economic development.” For decades, these countries couldn’t modernize their antiquated infrastructure, he said.

“Now China is providing funds and the construction expertise to build modern infra- structure.
This is the basis for sustained development and bodes well for the economic future of developing nations.” (Xinhua) NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS OF CHINA A view of the Yellow River’s Hukou Waterfall on the border between north China’s Shanxi and northwest China’s Shaanxi provinces.

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