After enduring a bumpy 3.5-hour-long highway ride and a bout of traffic congestion, we finally arrived in Indonesian famous tourism city Bandung by car, which was only 130 kilometers from the capital Jakarta, during a fieldtrip to the Tegalluar Station, the last point on the Jakarta-Bandung HSR in July.
Locals told us that the same journey sometimes takes up to six or seven hours during peak commuting hours, and the rainy weather only makes matters worse.
Compared with the hustle and bustle of Jakarta, Bandung, nestled in the mountains, is calm, humid, and has an abundance of fresh air, making it a very popular weekend escape for Jakartans.
Taking a trial ride on the train to Bandung was fairly a pleasant experience. On the trial run, and at a speed of approximately 180km/h, one could effortlessly balance a coin on its edge on the windowsill of the carriage without it falling, thanks to its smooth operation, which is also almost entirely silent.
We learned that the train is equipped with intelligent sensor technology and a seismic monitoring and warning system. With over 2,500 detection points throughout the train, all critical systems can be monitored in real time.
Facilities for those living with disabilities and an SOS call button, braille guide signs, and vending machines are easily found in the train's carriages.
The train's design has also incorporated amenities that cater to local Indonesian customs such as a temporary prayer room. The train, both in its exterior and interior design, showcases a rich and distinctive representation of Indonesian local symbols and elements.
The HSR includes four stops - Halim, Karawang, Padalarang, and Tegalluar. Halim is the inaugural station located in the capital of Jakarta, and Tegalluar sits in Bandung. The other two stations are located near Indonesia's industrial bases, home to a number of foreign enterprises and industrial parks.
During a visit, we were captivated by the modern and grand atmosphere of the Tegalluar Station.
The overall design incorporates fluid curves to channel the elements of mountains and water, symbolizing Indonesia's emphasis on harmonizing development with nature.
The extensive glass curtain walls reflect the boundless green fields and mountains in the distance, creating a soothing and pleasant ambiance.
The waiting area at the station includes space for commercial shops and restaurants. The station is equipped with both manned ticket offices and unmanned ticket machines, mirroring the basic configuration of high-speed railway stations in China.
With a building area of 15,000 square meters, the Tegalluar Station features two platforms and 4-5 railway lines, accommodating up to 1,500 passengers simultaneously, with a peak hourly capacity of 3,200 people. Departing from the station, travelers can easily access the renowned attractions of Bandung, such as the Asian-African Conference Museum and the Bandung Zoo.
During the visit to Tegalluar Station, local residents and employees would occasionally greet us with enthusiastic smiles and thumbs-ups, seemingly expressing their expectations for the railway project and their dreams for a new transportation dawn.
"Cognitive Warfare" has become a new form of confrontation between states, and a new security threat. With new technological means, issues are planted and disinformation spread so as to change people's perceptions and thus alter their self-identity. Launching cognitive warfare against China is an important means through which Western anti-China forces attack and discredit the country. Under the manipulation of the US-led West, the "China threat theory" has continued to foment.
Certain politicians and media outlets have publicly smeared China's image by propagating the "China's economic collapse" theory and "forced labor in Xinjiang" fallacy in an attempt to incite and provoke anti-China reprisals among people in certain countries. These means all serve the evolution of the US' covert China containment strategy in a bid to maintain its hegemony.
The Global Times is publishing a series of articles to systematically reveal the intrigues of the US-led West's cognitive warfare targeting China, and expose its lies and vicious intentions, in an attempt to show international readers a true, multi-dimensional, and panoramic view of China.
This is the fourth installment in the series. In this installment, we invite Tuersun Aibai, an expert from the School of Journalism and Communication at Xinjiang University, to share his thoughts on and analysis of the long-term "forced labor" smear campaign by certain Western anti-China forces, with the aim of defaming the Xinjiang region through tens of thousands of groundless, biased news stories. In recent years, anti-China forces in the West have hyped up the so-called forced labor narrative, an accusation to systematically vilify China, as an attempt to tarnish the country's image on the international stage, weaken its international reputation, and alienate the nation by jeopardizing its friendly and cooperative relations with other countries.
In order to understand the political and economic motives behind their "forced labor" fallacy, as well as the exploration of the narrative's manipulation strategies, transmission paths, and methods of the fallacy, I conducted a statistical analysis of over 30,000 Xinjiang-related stories from 22 media outlets in 15 countries and regions.
From these, I selected 189 pieces published by 13 media outlets that spread the "forced labor" slander for further analysis and found out that the claim of "forced labor" concocted by anti-China forces in the West is a new discourse pattern and narrative framework, which has gradually evolved from the framework of early public opinion manipulation, into a comprehensive economic blockade and repression of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
How 'forced labor' smear grows
Based on the analysis of 189 stories published by 13 overseas media outlets, I found that the evolution process of the "forced labor" smear campaign can be divided into three phases.
The first phase is a "topic brewing period" that spanned from December 2018 to March 2020.
In December 2018, the Associated Press (AP) first claimed that a company in Xinjiang's Hotan city had cooperated with local education and training program institutions to sell clothes made by the program's trainees to the US. The story was later quoted by many overseas media outlets and caught the attention of the US government, which in turn required that certain clothing and outdoor recreation product brands such as Adidas inspect their industrial chains, and enforced a prohibition of the importation of so-called forced labor products.
On December 18 that year, Voice of America (VOA) published a story titled US Sportswear Traced to Factory in China's Internment Camps, in which it alleged that Chinese government was "forcing some detainees to work in manufacturing and food industries." Two days later, VOA published a second article titled US Reviews Report of Imports from Forced Labor in China Camp, quoting several infamous Xinjiang separatists as stating that there was "forced labor" at Xinjiang's vocational education and training centers. Other mainstream US media sources such as The New York Times (NYT) also published similar stories with incendiary claims that month.
During that period, claims of "forced labor" were introduced by US media outlets as fodder for a new anti-China topic of focus, and its transmission scope was mainly within the US and its media sources. The claim only served to attack the trainees working at the clothing industry in the region after receiving vocational education.
The second phase of the West's "forced labor" smear campaign, a "topic fomentation period," spanned from March 2020 to December 2021.
On March 1, 2020, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a think tank reliant on US defense funds and is keen to concoct and amplify various anti-China topics, released a "research report" titled Uygurs for sale 'Re-education,' forced labor, and surveillance beyond Xinjiang. The ridiculous report attacked China's efforts in accelerating Xinjiang's development, and slandered the employment placements of trainees from Xinjiang's vocational education and training program. Western media outlets later widely referenced and quoted the report.
By further fueling the "forced labor" narrative, some so-called "human rights groups" and media outlets called on governments in Western countries such as the US and the UK to investigate the industrial chains and asked local enterprises to cut ties with their Chinese counterparts that use Uygur labor.
In March 2020, Switzerland's Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) proposed that some major clothing brands ban the use of Xinjiang-sourced cotton using the groundless "forced labor" accusations as a pretext, claiming that the production cotton in Xinjiang "violated labor rights," and "violated human rights." Following this call to action, certain US congressmen introduced the so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)," which required companies to obtain certification from the US government that any product imported from Xinjiang into the US was not produced with the use of "forced labor." The bill also required the US president to "identify and designate" visa or financial sanctions against any foreign person who "knowingly engages" in the "forced labor" in the Xinjiang region.
The "forced labor" fallacy continued to grow in the European Union (EU). In December 2020, the European Parliament passed a resolution on Xinjiang, falsely alleging the use of "forced labor" in the region. It required EU member countries to impose sanctions on Xinjiang officials and boycott so-called "forced labor" products from Xinjiang.
During this period, the scope of the "forced labor" smear campaign had further expanded, and some Western governments introduced related bills to "legally" base their "forced labor" accusations. The smear campaign targeted not only the employment of surplus rural labor in Xinjiang, but also extended to more industries in this region such as tomato cultivation in the agricultural sector and the photovoltaic and solar energy product manufacturing industries.
Legislatures, judiciaries, border defense, and the commerce departments of some Western countries banded together to form a community of mutual interests in this smear campaign. Western media sources, NGOs, think tanks, and enterprises also followed suit, cooperating closely with governments from the public opinion and "academic" standpoints.
The third phase, which started from January 2022 and is currently ongoing, is the "instrumentalization and politicization period."
Sample analysis based on media coverage suggested that the focus of media outlets in most countries has shifted to the "force labor" fallacy, while the US and the UK conversely remain focused on actively hyping up the fallacy. Data showed that eight US- and UK-based media outlets published a total of 24 stories attacking Xinjiang between January and April in 2022.
In this phase, the "forced labor" smear campaign entered a new "practice stage," serving the West's goals of escalating the economic suppression of China by indiscriminately attacking all the products made in Xinjiang and all the enterprises in the region.
Worse still, with the Xinjiang-related "bills" coming into effect, anti-China forces in the West have completed the transition from public opinion attacks, to the introduction of legislative economic sanctions. Now the public opinion campaign has turned into an economic war waged against China. The "forced labor" fallacy has become an integral part of the Western anti-China forces' strategic containment of China. Tactics of public opinion manipulation
The "forced labor" fallacy did not emerge accidentally. Thanks to a long-term planned process and a clear manipulation strategy of public opinion by Western anti-China forces, who, prey on different countries' perceptions of the human rights concept to create and hype up lies under the guise of "protecting human rights," the fallacy gained momentum.
The concept of human rights is regarded as a value deeply influenced by the historical and cultural traditions of different countries. There are both commonalities and differences in the understanding of human rights among countries. Therefore, the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the European Declaration of Human Rights, do not specifically give a universal definition of the standards of human rights.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese government has regarded the rights to subsistence and development as fundamental human rights, fully protected the political, economic, social, and cultural rights of the people of all ethnic groups, and continuously promoted and elevated the development of human rights work in practice. China has written human rights protection into the country's Constitution and the Constitution of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), and further promoted the systematization and legalization of human rights protection. China has also held human rights forums and issued a white paper to comprehensively elaborate its concept of human rights.
However, the anti-China forces in the West, who ignore the differences in human rights concepts between China and the West and China's achievements in the protection and promotion of human rights, politicize, weaponize, and instrumentalize the concept of human rights by employing the "forced labor" fabrications and hype.
Some biased western media sources, by citing misleading quotes, wantonly attack the human rights situation in China, so as to promote the spread of the "forced labor" accusation by employing several tactics.
Tactic one: 'Criminalize' Chinese government
The "forced labor" accusation falsely alleges that the purpose of the transfer of the employment policy in Xinjiang region is to "strip" Uygurs of their cultural identity and "assimilate" them. Western anti-China forces have further fabricated lies claiming that China committed so-called "crimes against humanity" and "crimes of genocide" in the region.
For instance, on March 2, 2020, an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) article quoted an ASPI researcher as saying that the goal of the labor transfers was "political," with an aim toward the "stripping of their unique culture and identity." On November 25, The Global and Mail cited some infamous anti-China "human rights groups" that "Uygurs and other Turkic minorities have been subject to forced labor as part of China's plan to control the Uygur population in the region." On August 23, 2021, the Washington Post quoted an anti-China group's statement as saying that "no American corporation should be doing business in a region that is the focal point of a campaign of genocide targeting a religious and ethnic minority."
The reality is that, the Uygur population has increased from 3.61 million in 1953 to 11.62 million in 2020, an increase of over three-fold, while the Chinese national population growth rate over the same period only grew two-fold. The growth rate of the Uygur population has been higher than the national average.
For instance, on June 24, the Washington Post groundlessly claimed that a Chinese company "recruits and employs Uygurs and other minorities via state labor programs that aim to place them in factories." On March 7, CNN quoted a British scholar as saying that the job programs in Xinjiang "are often non-consensual, and people who refuse can be punished with internment."
Contrary to the lies and rumors they fabricated, the fact is that workers of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang region, including those who were transferred for employment and those who had completed their studies in learning institutions and training centers, have the agency to choose their preferred jobs and regions of placement. They sign labor contracts and receive remuneration in accordance with the law, and enjoy various social insurance benefits.
The total number of rural migrant workers in China reached 30.7 million in 2021, of which 3.2 million were from Xinjiang. With an increase in the number of stable employment, the economic income of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang has continued to increase, and the regional per capita gross domestic product (GDP) had increased from 45,476 yuan ($6,225.9) in 2017 to 53,593 yuan in 2020.
Tactic three: Stigmatizing assistance measures for transfer employment
The "forced labor" smear campaign claims that the Chinese government assigns staff to "monitor" Uygur employees, and even defames the existence of administrators of ethnic and religious affairs for Uygur employees at local companies, terming it as "monitoring."
On April 27, 2021, The Guardian quoted a member of an Australian anti-China group as saying that Uygurs were "held in secure compounds, working extremely long hours and under constant surveillance, and with political indoctrination as part of their daily routine." On March 9, 2020, a Washington Post article even ridiculously described the psychological counseling rooms as having been set for the purpose of thought policing Uygur employees.
Such psychological rooms, far from solely being found in Xinjiang, are part and parcel of many Chinese and foreign enterprises to help relieve psychological pressure experienced by employees. This is a common international practice. In November 2019, Chinese authorities issued the Specification of Healthy Enterprise Construction (trial), which requires employers to attach importance to their employees' physical and mental health, and encourages enterprises to set up mental health counseling rooms.
Tactic four: Distorting service work for labor transfer employment
On March 2, 2020, ABC quoted an ASPI researcher and separatist as saying that Uygur workers "are often transported across China in special segregated trains," and "authorities and factory bosses continue to closely monitor them." On April 27, 2021, The Guardian claimed that Uygurs employees "have limited or no communications with their families; mothers have been separated from their babies and families have been torn apart," citing the words of an anti-China separatist.
China fully protects the legitimate rights and interests of workers of all ethnic groups in law, policy, and practices, which advocate equal pay for equal work without discrimination against any ethnic groups. Chinese laws expressly stipulate that Uygur people enjoy the same rights as other ethnic groups, and Chinese enterprises have no right to and nor should they restrict their freedom.
Chinese citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief, and the state guarantees normal religious activities. Uygur employees participate in religious activities on the premise that they abide by China's laws and regulations, the enterprise's rules, and normal work routines.
Tactic five: Attacking China by citing misleading, tendentious claims
Based on my analysis of 189 stories from 13 media outlets, I found that when hyping up the "forced labor" smear, overseas anti-China media sources mainly cited "research report" published by the ASPI and anti-China scholar Laura Murphy, and the remarks of the separatist organization "World Uyghur Congress" along with its affiliated bodies.
A considerable number of their Xinjiang-related stories cited anti-China politicians and scholars to support their narratives, lack field research and first-hand information. The stories did not provide any reliable information, let alone contain actual interviews conducted with Uygur employees.
For example, in the article Canadian watchdog asked to probe allegations that imports made with forced labor in China published on April 11, 2022, The Globe and Mail quoted an "executive director" of a so-called "Uygur rights advocacy project" based in Ottawa as saying that he hopes a probe will drive Canada to take greater action against imports made using "forced labor."
Obviously, some Western media outlets achieve their goals of misleading their audiences and spreading fallacies by unilaterally quoting false statements made by some anonymous and anti-China sources, and using sensational and biased headlines. Their stories and quotes, without investigating the actual situation on the ground in Xinjiang region, lack verifiability. The information they convey in their stories is full of malicious speculation and lies.
Western anti-China forces concocted the "forced labor" fallacy as a means to serve their goal of suppressing China's economic development. To clarify the lies and show the world a real Xinjiang, China should make more efforts in several aspects, such as focusing on the international communication with the Arab world and developing countries, strengthen the public dissemination of accurate information, while also paying close attention to the slanderous tactics employed by anti-China forces to defame China.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on the sidelines of the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday, which has garnered extensive attention from both Chinese and South Korean public opinion, especially the latter. Li pointed out that China and South Korea should continuously make the pie of cooperation bigger and better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results while Yoon said the South Korean side is willing to work together with China to practice multilateralism and free trade, and promote the stable and healthy development of the South Korea-China relationship. The meeting itself and the content of the talks have both sent a positive signal. They have brought about a new opportunity, making it possible for China-South Korea ties to get out of the twists and turns caused by the South Korean government's participation in the US strategy of containing China and incorrect comments made about matters pertaining to China's primary national interests.
This diplomatic setback between China and South Korea could have been avoided and was unnecessary from the perspective of the Chinese side. It doesn't serve the interests of both China and South Korea. The fault definitely lies with the South Korean administration, as China's policy toward South Korea has been consistent and stable, playing with open cards. However, the South Korean government's perspective is quite different from China's and has shown certain biases, which has been actively echoed by external third-party factors, resulting in adverse effects on the China-South Korea relationship and the situation in Northeast Asia.
Given such a situation, it is objectively necessary for China and South Korea to strengthen high-level communication, resolve or manage differences as much as possible, eliminate misunderstandings, and avoid damaging existing cooperation. There are no irreconcilable contradictions between China and South Korea, and most of the current problems are artificially created. This has made people feel regrettable toward the current diplomatic setback between China and South Korea. Fortunately, both China and South Korea still have the willingness to improve relations and meet each other halfway. The scope of cooperation between the two countries is extensive and solid, and regional issues and common challenges also drive China and South Korea to coordinate and cooperate. If such China-South Korea relations are ruined by the South Korean side, then Seoul really needs to reflect on it.
Yoon called for the early realization of a "South Korea-Japan-China summit" in Jakarta on Wednesday. He emphasized that South Korea is currently facing complex crises such as geopolitical competition and climate change and the reactivation of cooperation among South Korea, Japan and China will become a stepping stone for a new leap in ASEAN Plus Three cooperation. These remarks are highly consistent with the position frequently expressed by China. However, South Korean media noticed that Yoon changed the order of the commonly used "South Korea-China-Japan" expression in South Korea to "South Korea-Japan-China." Many South Koreans find it strange, with some netizens sarcastically saying the correct order should be "Japan-South Korea-China."
It's evident that the Yoon government has made great effort to express a friendly attitude toward Japan. However, Seoul should observe and consider the concerns, worries, and opposition that have already emerged in South Korea and its surrounding areas. The South Korean government's willingness to promote "reconciliation" with Japan by compromising its historical dignity is on one hand a result of the Yoon government's adjustment of its foreign strategy, as well as the content of a script already written by Washington on the other.
After the US-Japan-South Korea Camp David Summit, Seoul, which felt highly valued, clearly gained a great sense of satisfaction in the "friendship" among the three countries, even though this satisfaction came at the expense of South Korea's own interests and the promotion of confrontation in Northeast Asia. There is a huge gap between Seoul's self-perception and the views of the outside world, including South Korean society, which needs to be corrected. Seoul needs to truly devote its efforts to dwelling on how to truly integrate South Korea into the general trend of regional peace and stability, rather than prioritizing how to rank China, Japan and South Korea and making itself appear more and more like an "uncertain factor."
At least for now, we have many reasons to doubt that South Korea is transforming from a relatively independent and balanced role within the US alliance system to an outpost for the US to contain China in Northeast Asia. In this situation, particularly when South Korea emphasizes its "close relationship" with Japan, the balance among China, Japan, and South Korea may be disrupted, which should be taken seriously by the South Korean side. This time, Yoon said, "a new chapter in South Korea-US-Japan cooperation was opened through the recent improvement in South Korea-Japan relations." This so-called "new chapter" has completely different meanings for different countries.
South Korea is the chair country for China-Japan-South Korea trilateral cooperation, and China has always supported South Korea in playing an active role in promoting trilateral cooperation. Yoon said South Korea plans to work closely with Japan and China to revive trilateral cooperation mechanisms in the near future. If cooperation between the three countries is revitalized, greater momentum will be injected into the cooperation between ASEAN and China, Japan, and South Korea (10+3). We hope that South Korea can truly implement these words and respond to everyone's concerns.
China's plan to make Fujian Province a demonstration zone for the integrated development across the Taiwan Straits, jointly issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council on Tuesday, is an important measure to promote cross-Straits integrated development and the process of peaceful reunification, and a major policy boon for the people of Taiwan.
This circular of more than 4,000-words, with 6 major items and 21 specific measures, presents a panoramic view and visualization of the future scenarios of cross-Straits integration and development, especially for Taiwan compatriots who will develop on the mainland, and it stipulates specific provisions to ensure the effect of the policy on the ground. For the people of the mainland and Taiwan, this means not only personal opportunities and development, but also genuine and lasting peace. It is obviously a policy of great strength and breadth to benefit Taiwan, but its significance is not limited to the economic, social and cross-Straits exchanges. More importantly, it is the fruit of the Chinese government's comprehensive thinking on cross-Straits integration and development, and it also reflects the CPC Central Committee's utmost sincerity for peaceful reunification and utmost goodwill toward the compatriots in Taiwan. Anyone who hopes for peace and stability as well as for the shared well-being of people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits will not reject such goodwill.
On the same day, defense authority of Taiwan region released its latest defense report, claiming that "reservists may have to attend urban warfare." The two documents, one is talking about peace and the other about war; one focuses on development and the other on destruction, outlining two diametrically opposed destinies for Taiwan island. The move of the DPP authorities in Taiwan is not only deliberately opposed to the mainland, but also opposed to the interests and wishes of people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.
The DPP authorities have always been afraid that the people on the island will feel sincerity and goodwill from the mainland. This time, they have deliberately ignored the impact of the circular through self-deception by burying their head in the sand. On the other hand, they have distorted and discredited the circular and made every effort to mislead the people on the island. A DPP legislator said that the circular was "digging a hole for the Taiwanese to jump into", which is one of the typically vicious and distorted remarks.
We must admit that the DPP has a skillful approach to deceiving the people on the island. If we want more compatriots in Taiwan to receive and accurately understand the decisions and deployments of this circular, there is still much work to be done. Fujian, as a demonstration zone for exploring cross-Straits integrated development, as long as the central government's policies are implemented well, will undoubtedly create a demonstration effect, win the reputation among Taiwan compatriots and enterprises, and fundamentally establish immunity against the DPP's manipulation of public opinion.
According to data released on September 11 by the executive authority in Taiwan, since Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016, investment from Taiwan in the mainland has sharply declined by 44 percent, while investment in other countries and regions have surged by 96 percent. This data, which the DPP touts as an achievement, is actually a consequence of the DPP's various measures to sever economic and trade ties across the Taiwan Straits. The DPP has intensified political opposition and hostility towards the mainland, promoted economic "decoupling" from the mainland, made deliberate efforts in "de-Sinicization" in terms of culture and history, and increased military preparations and external collusion. These manipulations have created a very grim situation in cross-Straits relations.
The circular, issued in this context, has gone through a gradual deepening process. From the heartfelt call that "the two sides of the Taiwan Straits are one family," to the establishment of a demonstration zone for cross-Straits integrated development, the central government's policy on Taiwan has continuously advanced based on the actual development needs of Taiwan people in the mainland. This is conducive to further improving the business environment related to Taiwan, deepening cross-Straits industrial cooperation, and at the same time, it serves as a countermeasure to block the DPP's attempts to reverse the situation.
Economic and trade relationships are resilient; even in challenging times, they can find their way. However, when constrained by the political hostilities, progress can be extremely difficult. Both sides of the Taiwan Straits share a common language and origin, and blood runs thicker than water. In the face of political tension and economic and trade exchanges being obstructed, strengthening social connections between the two sides becomes particularly important. The establishment and practice of the Fujian demonstration zone will elevate both the depth and breadth of people-to-people exchanges across the Straits to a new level.
We must be fully prepared both psychologically and in our actions to counter the interference and disruption by the DPP as well as external forces. Based on the experiences of recent years, it's not difficult to discern that whatever the DPP vigorously promotes and celebrates with fanfare is typically detrimental to Taiwan's interests, undermining the foundation of peace across the Taiwan Straits. Conversely, what they deliberately avoid or protest against is often in the true interest of people on both sides of the Straits and conducive to cross-Straits peace and stability. The DPP's persistent "pro-independence" agenda, coupled with provocations from countries like the US and Japan, has been intensifying, which push us to continually strengthen our capacity to counteract separatist activities while advocating for peaceful reunification.
Editor's Note: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Through the lens of foreign pundits, we take a look at 10 years of the BRI - how it achieves win-win cooperation between China and participating countries of the BRI and how it has given the people of these countries a sense of fulfillment.
The Mexican Chamber of Commerce in China (MexCham) vice president Victor Cadena (Cadena) shared his views in an interview with Global Times (GT) reporter Qian Jiayin. He believes that the core values of the BRI, which embody inclusiveness and win-win development, provide a prosperous foundation for long-term cooperation between Chinese and Mexican enterprises.
This is the 14th piece of the series.
GT: How do you evaluate the achievements and impact of the BRI? The circle of friends who are jointly building the BRI has expanded to 21 countries in Latin America. In your opinion, why is this initiative becoming increasingly popular in Latin America?
Cadena: The BRI has been successful because its core values are inclusiveness and win-win development. Solid institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) have been created to finance cross-border infrastructure and multiple projects while fostering multilateral trade not just between China and the corresponding country but globally. MexCham actively participates in forums and exhibitions related to some BRI, and the BRI has provided convenience for Mexican companies to come to China.
GT: MexCham has been established for 16 years, and you have witnessed the development of China-Mexico economic and trade relations after the implementation of the BRI. What changes has the BRI brought to the MexCham?
Cadena: Mexico and China are old partners and friends. This year, we celebrate the 51st anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 16th anniversary of MexCham. Bilateral trade has been growing year on year, and last year our bilateral trade was around $130 billion, the highest record ever, compared to $86.6 billion in 2021. Hence, China is Mexico's second largest trading partner globally, just behind the US, and Mexico is China's second largest trading partner in Latin America, with Brazil being its largest in the region.
GT: What advantages does the BRI provide for Mexican companies to develop in China?
Cadena: The Mexican government has not formally endorsed the BRI, and Mexico is not a member of the AIIB. The reasons are mainly related to geopolitics; however, as I mentioned, Mexico and China have very close political and economic relations. Proof of that is our bilateral trade, which has been growing year on year and last year was $130 billion, the highest ever. This amount is much larger than the bilateral trade between China and other Latin American countries with whom China has Free trade agreements (FTA).
Mexico and China do not have an FTA with each other, but we do have different bilateral instruments that provide legal certainty for bilateral trade and investments, such as a bilateral treaty for avoiding double taxation and a bilateral treaty for protecting bilateral investments, just to mention a few. In addition, Mexico and China have elevated their relations to the level of "comprehensive strategic partnership," which is a special category given by the governments of both countries.
GT: The US has always concocted various arguments to smear China's economic activities in Latin America, such as "debt traps," China's so-called expanding influence in Latin America and plans to build military facility. How much do you think these arguments can affect China-Latin America's economic cooperation? Will countries in Latin America buy into these arguments?
Cadena: Mexico is an independent, sovereign, autonomous country, and a member of international organizations such as the UN and WTO. Mexico has solid and mature economic and political relations with all countries worldwide, including China and the US. There are no foreign troops from any country in Mexico. A clear evidence of Mexico's peaceful and solid relations with both the US and China is the fact that the US and China are Mexico's largest trading partners.
The main trading partner of Latin America is China; in most countries in Latin America, China ranks as the largest or second-largest trading partner and source of foreign direct investment. These facts show the relevance of China in Latin America. This trend is more likely to continue in the short and medium term.
GT: What are the differences between China and the US in the approaches of conducting economic and trade cooperation with Latin America?
Cadena: According to the US official figures, in the first six months of 2023, the US' largest trading partner was Mexico. Before Mexico, this position was held by China. This position is probably temporary and will likely change somewhere in the future. The so called US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, formerly called the North American Free Trade Agreement, has been in force for almost 30 years and provides a mature platform for companies manufacturing, assembling, and trading goods and services in the North American region.
In fact, thousands of Chinese companies have been settled in Mexico over the last three decades, and in particular, over the last 3 years, there has been a new wave of Chinese companies arriving and eager to establish their offices and plants in Mexico as a consequence of the so called near-shoring effect. In a similar way, more and more Mexican companies and businesses are coming to China. In this sense, Mexico provides a mature and competitive platform for Chinese and foreign companies to manufacture or assemble their products and later export them to the US with zero tariffs due to the FTA. This is a win-win situation, as I consider Mexico and China to be complementary economies. In terms of exports, Mexico is different than most Latin American countries in the sense that a large amount of its exports are manufactured rather than primary, non-processed goods.
GT: In your opinion, in which areas do you think there is still potential for future economic and trade cooperation between Chinese and Mexican companies?
Cadena: Beyond the growing and huge bilateral trade between Mexico and China, I believe there is still more room for development in terms of communication between China and Mexico in several aspects. Cultural and academic exchanges are also important. Like China, Mexico is also a millennial civilization with a rich history and culture and is also the largest Spanish-speaking country worldwide. Before COVID, Mexico was the first country in Latin America with direct passenger flights to China. These flights haven't resumed, but we hope they will soon, as people's connectivity is very important. Mexico was also the most visited country in Latin America by Chinese tourists. Mexico ranks among the top 10 most visited countries, and the tourism industry is very well developed. Political exchanges are permanent and fluent. I trust our trade, political and cultural exchanges will continue growing in the years to come.
MexCham participates actively in trade and investment exhibitions and summits all over China. As an example, over the last few weeks, we headed a 30-member Mexican business delegation to Changsha, Hunan Province. In September, with Mexican companies we participated in the China International Fair for Trade in Services (Beijing) and China International Fair for Investment and Trade (Xiamen) with a Mexican pavilion, and business conferences in Anhui and Shandong. In August, in Mexico we received a delegation from Chongqing, and in October we will receive another from Shandong. I am very confident and positive about the Mexico-China relationship; we are old friends and good partners. We look forward to more Mexican companies in China and more Chinese companies in Mexico. Win-win long-term cooperation is the foundation for mutual sustainable growth and prosperity.
Editor's Note: The US and Ukraine have agreed to launch joint weapons production in a step that will enable Kiev to start producing air defense systems. However, the sluggish economic recovery in the US has only increased the sense of war fatigue across American society. As the Ukraine crisis drags on, the impending US elections are in the shadow. Meanwhile, the White House and some lawmakers are growing increasingly alarmed about the future of US military aid to Ukraine. How will the anti-war sentiment impact voting at the ballot box? How will the Russia-Ukraine conflict end? Global Times (GT) reporters Wang Wenwen and Yu Jincui interviewed three anti-war activists in the US – Sara Flounders (Flounders), a political writer and activist for 50 years in the US, Julie Tang (Tang), a retired judge from the San Francisco Superior Court and co-founder of Pivot to Peace, and Danny Haiphong (Haiphong), an independent journalist in the US and co-editor of Friends of Socialist China as well as a founding member of the No Cold War international campaign – to get their insights on how to address these issues.
GT: Is the anti-war sentiment in the US rising? Do the Republicans tend to attack the Biden administration by using this sentiment? What anti-war activities have been held recently?
Flounders: There are locally coordinated actions planned for the first week of October on US/NATO war in Ukraine. The goal is to organize actions in at least 50 US cities and to reach out to anti-war activists in other NATO countries. Many of the actions are still small or symbolic. But they will have the participation of community organizations, union activists and student groups. The biggest problem is that regardless of where they are held, they receive no media coverage.
Republicans now sound "anti-war" on Russia, because Biden, a Democrat, is in the White House, but in their messaging the Republicans are even more anti-China than the Democrats.
Both parties vote for endlessly expanding the military budget and for new rounds of sanctions. They bait each other on who can outdo the other in war threats and attacks. The messaging just depends on which of the two political parties is in the White House.
Tang: Americans are getting weary of the billions of dollars sent to Ukraine while the war has no end. They wanted politicians to turn their concerns toward domestic issues.
According to the recent labor market, 187,000 jobs have been added, but unemployment numbers have increased from 3.5 percent to 3.8 percent. This means there are still many more unemployed than there are jobs.
Inflation, the rising default rate in credit card debts, rising interest rates, national deficit at $32.8 trillion, and low personal savings are causing anxiety among American workers. They are much more concerned about their own livelihood and the failed US financial policies than supporting Ukraine or engaging in a war in the Taiwan Straits. As Americans turn more inward to worry about their own livelihood, pro-war fervor is waning.
It is interesting to see how the Republican presidential candidates are running on a platform of getting out of Ukraine. But some of their reasons are befuddling and do nothing to promote peace. They openly discussed shifting the focus from Russia to war with China. To me, it is not anti-war, but jumping from one war to another. There is no commitment to real peace. And the crack in this country on ending the war is more rhetorical to gain votes than to seek global peace.
Haiphong: War fatigue has been increasing since the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, with bloated military budgets and economic instability causing domestic unease. However, rampant misinformation in US mainstream media means that it is difficult for people to coherently oppose war.
This means that partisanship indeed interferes on the issue of war fatigue. With each election cycle, one side of the two-party system accuses the other of being pro-war. The GOP under Trump's leadership has feigned anti-interventionism despite supporting increased military budgets, sanctions and other forms of aggression. The opposition is based on political opportunism, as the Democrats led by Obama derided "dumb wars" prior to coming into office only to expand the number of wars the US was engaged in from two to seven once in office.
GT: Compared today with more than a year ago when the Russia-Ukraine conflict just started, has there been any change in anti-war sentiment across the US public?
Flounders: Support is sinking dramatically from one year ago. Support for the war will continue to erode. While it is not yet reflected in open opposition in the streets, it will be. There is no money for any of the promised social programs or infrastructure needs. War and militarism are guaranteed profits.
Tang: Definitely. The anti-war sentiment is much strengthened as we see Ukraine's military incompetence and the failure of US sanctions against Russia. Some American leaders refused to admit Ukraine is losing. The press tweaked the news in Ukraine's favor creating a false impression that Ukraine is doing better than it actually is. That is why the majority of Americans polled believe that currently no one is winning the war. But the truth is Ukraine has been decimated, destroyed and will never be the same again.
GT: Will the protracted Ukraine crisis and the intensified anti-war sentiment caused by the US government's long-term involvement in Ukraine intensify the domestic confrontation in the US, and what impact will this have on next year's US elections?
Flounders: The impact on the US elections is not yet known. The problem in US electoral politics is that both major political parties in the US receive many millions of dollars in donations from the major military corporations and defense contractors. This ensures that regardless of who is in the White House and who is elected to the US Congress there is still firm support for US wars.
Tang: I think the Russia-Ukraine war can potentially exacerbate the domestic strife in the US. The rhetoric used by Republican candidates is clearly to attack the war as it is Biden's war. They waste no time pointing out Biden is wrong to take the war as far as it has gone. Therefore, to peace activists, it is in itself a good thing. And if the Ukraine war becomes an issue in contention in the presidential race, it could be the decisive factor for who wins the US presidency, because the anti-war movement is a solid bloc of votes and that could steer the campaign in the direction of the anti-war candidate.
Haiphong: At the moment, anti-war forces are not strong enough to have a major impact on establishment politics. However, the Ukraine crisis is causing economic and political instability which could very well influence politics in the US as more and more become unhappy with endless expenditures worth tens of billions going to Ukraine while standard of living declines.
How this will alter the course of politics in the US remains to be seen. Trump, if allowed to run, may be able to take advantage of Biden's self-inflicted quagmire in Ukraine and promote an isolationist position on economic grounds that may find more support than in 2020 when Trump reigned over a contracting US economy. A lot can change in a short period of time, but the fact is the Ukraine crisis is not going in the US' favor and Biden now has a track record of failure on this as well as many other issues that could make it difficult for him to win in 2024.
GT: How to you view China's efforts in promoting peace talks and resolve the Ukraine crisis?
Flounders: China's 12-point plan to negotiate peace and for a ceasefire and have received no serious media coverage or discussion in the US corporate media. At this time China's proposals, in the major corporate media, have received only warning to not be "fooled" by the proposals and to "dismiss" them as not serious.
The major corporate media functions as the public relations arm of the military corporations. They work hand in hand. They are interlocked, even sharing board members. The media is used to promote militarism and war as the only option. This is a relentless message.
Tang: China's efforts to promote peace between Russia and Ukraine bring hope for peace. As a friend of both countries, China is uniquely positioned to help forge peace agreements for both countries. But the response from the current US administration was negative. It did not want China to score more points or wield more power on international issues.
China has also demonstrated its diplomatic prowess by bringing Iran and Saudi Arabia together. Except for a few skirmishes with Vietnam and India, China has managed to maintain peace with its neighbors for the last 50 years. China has entered into hundreds of diplomatic agreements with Vietnam, the Philippines and other neighboring islands in the South China Sea. China is uniquely situated to help create a peaceful and prosperous multilateral world.
Haiphong: China should be commended for its efforts given the unique position it currently holds in the growing multipolar world. China has a responsibility to uphold the UN Charter, but it also has the right to sovereign development and an independent position on world affairs. China has been clear that peaceful settlement is the only path forward and has maintained neutrality on the Ukraine conflict. However, it has pointed out NATO's role in instigating and prolonging the conflict and at the same time strengthened its ties to all sides. China has made real efforts to facilitate dialogue as well. China has demonstrated that sovereignty and independence does not need to be sacrificed in matters of global stability. In fact, they go hand in hand, and China is the only major power in the world in the position to set this example at this time. It is a big responsibility, but it's one that China has shown time and time again that it is prepared to undertake.
GT: How do you predict the Russia-Ukraine conflict will end?
Flounders: This war will end as every US war in three generations has ended - Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and etc. in a setback for the great plans and imperialist promises, in trillions spent, enormous super-profits for the military corporations, massive destruction, millions of deaths, then on to the next enemy, the next war. There is no accountability, no evaluation.
But this war has another ending. A growing number of countries have lost all confidence in the US and are now seeking a path of cooperation rather than confrontation. This is a new juncture.
The number of China-Europe Chang'an freight train, connecting Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with Moscow, Russia, has exceeded 20,000 trips since entering service on November 11, 2013, Xi'an International Trade & Logistics Park, the operator of the train service told the Global Times on Saturday.
The 20,000th Chang'an freight train carrying 165 vehicles departed from Xi'an on September 28, which was also the 3,947th freight train departing from the city in 2023. As of September 28 this year, the number of departures by Chang'an train saw a 29.7 percent increase year-on-year. The freight volume hit 3.5 million tons, up by 34.7 percent year-on-year.
2023 marked the 10th anniversary of the Chang'an freight train's launch as well as the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In the past decade, the number of the transport routes has grown from one to 17, as the China-Europe freight train service covers the entire Eurasia continent.
In addition, the category of the Chang'an train service has increased from merely drilling equipment in the beginning to now include textile products, machinery equipment, electronic products, rubber products, auto vehicles and other products. Grain, wood and minerals from the countries joining the Belt and Road Initiative are among the goods being imported to China.
The maximum capacity of the Xi'an International Trade & Logistics Park can reach 5.4 million standard containers and 66 million tons of freight per year, and can facilitate 15 trains each day. A representative from the park pledged to further improve cargo transport facilities, attract investment and build domestic currencies settlement system, in order to facilitate the development of the BRI.
Nature, one of the most pioneering scientific journals, published a list of the most anticipated science events around the world in 2023, which included the China-developed world's largest steerable telescope in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory in southern China.
According to the list published on Monday, one of the key developments to watch for in the coming year in the field of advanced stargazing is the Xinjiang Qitai Radio Telescope (QTT) which will be switched on for the first time.
The QTT will become the world's most powerful steerable radio telescope spanning 110 meters by 2028, capable of observing radio waves from meter-level to millimeter with a high degree of precision, and can also observe 75 percent of the stars in the sky at any given time, the Global Times learned from the project builder and future operator, the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in an exclusive interview in September.
According to the mission plan, the construction of QTT will be completed in six years. Upon completion, it is expected to become the world's largest and most accurate omnidirectional radio telescope, which can carry out scientific research in the frontier fields of Nanohertz gravitational waves, fast radio bursts, black holes, dark matter, celestial bodies and the origin of life, providing strong technical support for future space activities in China.
It is believed the installation will represent another major breakthrough in the country's development in astronomy following the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), Science and Technology Daily reported.
Another science event to look for next year in search for physics beyond the limits of current understanding is the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory in southern China, using a detector located 700 meters underground to precisely measure the oscillation of neutrinos — electrically neutral subatomic particles.
Neutrinos are the "hermits" in the world of elementary particles, known as "ghost particles." With small masses and no electricity, they pass through the human body and the Earth and hardly interact with any matter.
The mass order of neutrinos is the basis for the study of neutrino and the evolution of the universe, and is also the core issue in international neutrino research, according to media reports.
Other fields including Moon landings, mRNA vaccines and climate finance are among the developments set to shape research in the coming year, according to Nature's list.
"Venezuela is going to the Moon!" Gabriela Jimenez, Venezuela's vice president and minister of science and technology, wrote with great excitement in a twitter post on Tuesday after she signed a joint statement on the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) with Zhang Kejian, administrator of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Monday via video link.
According to Jimenez, Venezuela has become the first country in Latin America to join the project.
According to the CNSA official release, the joint statement says the two sides will engage in extensive and in-depth cooperation in the areas of ILRS demonstration, engineering implementation, operation and application, including jointly demonstrating scientific goals, joint design, instrument development, scientific instrument deployment, scientific and technological experiments, data sharing and analysis, education and training.
China and Venezuela have a long history of cooperation in the aerospace field and have achieved remarkable results. The signing of this joint statement marks a new step in the cooperation between the two countries and has significant implications for promoting scientific and technological progress as well as economic and social development, read the statement.
Monday marks the 11th International Memorial Day for the "Comfort Women," which refers to victims forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during World War II. More than 200,000 Chinese women were tortured between 1931 and 1945 with fewer than 20 survivors still alive today in the Chinese mainland.
The "comfort women" system was an organized and planned action directly orchestrated by the then Japanese militarist government during World War II and was executed by the Japanese troops.
The victims of the "comfort women" system were not limited by race or borders. About 400,000 Asian women from China, the Korean Peninsula, Southeast Asia and the European and American countries were forcibly conscripted as "comfort women."
In a video released by the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders on its Sina Weibo, a Chinese "comfort women" survivor recalled her experience and fear of being imprisoned by the Japanese invaders.
Many netizens left messages online to call on the public not to forget the suffering of "comfort women."
One netizen said that history will not fade with the passage of time, and facts will not disappear due to eloquent denials, noting that revisiting history is not about indulging in suffering and hatred, but about ensuring that peace endures and justice prevails. Another netizen said that war is like a mirror that allows people to better understand the preciousness of peace.
In South Korea, there left only nine surviving "comfort women" after one survivor passed away in May this year. All the South Korean survivors are now in their 90s.
On August 14, 2022, which was designated the International Memorial Day for "Comfort Women" in 2012 by the 11th Asian Alliance Conference for "Comfort Women," South Korean people held a protest rally in Seoul with portraits of "comfort women" and their testimonies.
