A Sino-American summit in Beijing has produced no breakthroughs, but vows of cooperation from the leaders of the two countries. U.S. President Barack Obama spent several hours Tuesday in closed-door talks with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao.
Posts Tagged ‘hu jintao’
China and Taiwan presidents swap telegrams
July 27th, 2009 |
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Hu Jintao and Ma Ying-jeou talk of peace in a sign of improved relations that could lead to historic summit
First came direct flights, then freight links, and now a single telegram. The presidents of Taiwan and China exchanged direct messages today for the first time in 60 years, in the latest sign of their thawing relations.
Hu Jintao wrote to Taiwan’s Ma Ying-jeou to mark the latter’s election as chairman of the Nationalist party.
Bacuse of the enduring mutual sensitivities, the message was sent simply to Mr Ma, while Ma’s reply was addressed to Hu as general secretary of the Communist party.
Beijing still claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which has been self-ruled since Chiang Kai-shek fled there following his defeat in the civil war in 1949. China has warned it could use force if Taipei pursued formal independence.
“I hope our two parties can continue to promote peaceful cross-strait development, deepen mutual trust, bring good news to compatriots on both sides and create a revival of the great Chinese race,” said Hu in his telegram.
“We should continue efforts to consolidate peace in the Taiwan Strait and rebuild regional stability,” Ma replied, adding that they should “put aside disputes”.
Ma was elected president in spring last year on a platform of improving relations with China and because of widespread dissatisfaction with the ruling Democratic People’s party.
But while he has signed landmark trade deals, he has avoided political issues, due in large part to powerful anti-Beijing sentiment on the island.
Lin Chong-pin, a strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taipei, told Reuters that the telegram suggested the Chinese leader wants to meet Ma eventually. “It’s sort of expected … It is in Hu Jintao’s benefit or advantage to meet,” Lin said. “It would be a personal feat.”
But analysts believe both sides may take years to weigh up the risks before proceeding.
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China, Taiwan in direct exchange
July 27th, 2009 |
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The leaders of China and Taiwan have exchanged direct messages for the first time in more than 60 years.
China’s President Hu Jintao sent his Taiwanese counterpart Ma Ying-jeou a telegram congratulating him on his election to head of the ruling party.
Mr Ma responded, suggesting that they "put aside disputes", a statement from Mr Ma’s KMT party said.
Mr Ma was elected president last year on pledges to improve ties. The two sides split in 1949 amid civil war. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Taiwan president wins party vote
July 26th, 2009 |
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By Cindy Sui
BBC News, Taipei
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou has been elected head of the island’s ruling party, the Kuomintang, in a vote by party members.
The move will make it easier for him to pass policies through parliament and to have more say in relations with China.
China considers Taiwan as one of its provinces, not a country, and does not recognise Mr Ma as Taiwan president.
But as chairman of the ruling party, Mr Ma will now be able to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Until now, negotiations between the two sides have been conducted largely between the Kuomintang (KMT) and China’s Communist Party, rather than between the two governments.
The past year has seen relations between the two countries improve dramatically, but a summit between the two presidents still may not be likely in the near future.
Local media has anticipated a summit between the two men, which would be the first between Taiwan and China since they separated in 1949 following a civil war.
But analysts say Mr Ma doesn’t want such a meeting to happen soon.
Sensitive issue
Meeting Mr Hu now would be too sensitive, as Mr Ma’s plans to bring the two sides economically closer – including the signing of a type of free-trade agreement – face opposition from those who fear he will sell out to China.
Mr Ma has indicated he is in no hurry to visit China.
Analysts say the main reason he sought the party chairmanship is to exert control over his party, which controls the legislature, so he can get his bills and appointments approved.
Being party chairman, however, will also give him more say over dealings with China.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
China firm in Namibia bribe claim
July 20th, 2009 |
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Namibia is investigating allegations of bribery over a government contract with a Chinese state-owned firm that has links to President Hu Jintao’s son.
Namibia’s anti-corruption commission said it would like to question Hu Haifeng, but that he was not a suspect.
Hu Haifeng was president of the firm, Nuctech, until last year.
Nuctech is suspected of bribing a Namibian consultancy in connection with a $56m (£34m) deal to supply scanners to Namibia’s ports and airports.
The co-owners of consultancy Teko Trading, Teckla Lameck and Kongo Mokaxwa, and Nuctech’s Africa representative Yang Fan, were arrested last week and are still in custody.
Teko Trading is alleged to have received $13.2m from Nuctech.
The Chinese firm is a global leader in X-ray scanners and security devices.
Hu Haifeng, 38, was president of the firm until last year when he was promoted to a post with Tsinghua Holdings, the group that controls Nuctech and a number of other companies.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Chinese president’s son linked to multi-million pound African corruption probe
July 18th, 2009 |
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Hu Haifeng, a Chinese businessman and the eldest son of Chinese President Hu Jintao, has been linked to a multi-million pound African corruption probe and faces questioning in connection with the investigation.
Haifeng was the president of the state-owned Chinese company Nuctech until last year, from where three people have been arrested on charges of fraud, [...]
China issues alert in Algeria
July 15th, 2009 |
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China has urged its citizens in Algeria to take extra care, after reports that a militant group might take revenge for the recent deaths of Muslim Uighurs.
On Tuesday a UK-based security firm reported that an al-Qaeda-linked group had threatened to target Chinese workers in north Africa.
The Chinese foreign minister recently appealed for understanding within the Muslim world in the wake of the unrest.
Officials say 137 Han Chinese and 46 Uighurs died in the riots, in Urumqi.
Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province, is currently under heavy police and military control.
Safety precautions
On Tuesday the London-based risk firm Stirling Assynt reported that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb had threatened to target Chinese workers in north Africa.
In response to the report, the Chinese embassy in Algiers has urged all 50,000 Chinese who live and work in Algeria to be more aware of safety precautions.
It told residents to strengthen security measures "in consideration of the situation after the 5 July incident in Urumqi".
XINJIANG: ETHNIC UNREST- Main ethnic division: 45% Uighur, 40% Han Chinese
- 26 June: Mass factory brawl after dispute between Han Chinese and Uighurs in Guangdong, southern China, leaves two Uighurs dead
- 5 July: Uighur protest in Urumqi over the dispute turns violent, leaving 156 dead – most of them thought to be Han – and more than 1,000 hurt
- 7 July: Uighur women protest at arrests of menfolk. Han Chinese make armed counter-march
- 8 July: President Hu Jintao returns from G8 summit to tackle crisis
Exiled Uighur organisations have said they oppose all forms of violence and condemn the alleged al-Qaeda threat.
One nation which has seen a particularly strong anti-China reaction in the wake of the Urumqi violence is Turkey.
Demonstrations have been held across the country to protest against the Chinese government’s handling of the incident, and the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Chinese of "genocide".
Uighurs are Turkic-speaking people and share linguistic and cultural bonds with Turks.
Turkish news agency Anatolia reported on Wednesday that a Chinese diplomat, Song Aiguo, was in Ankara for talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Mr Song, a former ambassador to Ankara, said the Chinese government felt sorrow over the Xinjiang incidents, adding that he was in Ankara to avoid possible damage to Sino-Turkish ties.
Contentious film
Meanwhile Chinese diplomats in Australia are reportedly trying to block the screening of a film about exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.
The director of the Melbourne Film Festival, Richard Moore, said that when the programme for next month’s festival was published, a Chinese consular official contacted him and insisted he withdraw it.
Mr Moore said he had declined the request.
The film – The Ten Conditions of Love – explores the impact on the family of Ms Kadeer of her fight for the rights of China’s Uighur minority.
China blamed the Xinjiang riots of Ms Kadeer, a claim she vehemently denies.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The week ahead
July 12th, 2009 |
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The aftermath of riots in western China, and other stories
• VICIOUS riots in Urumqi, the capital of the autonomous province of Xinjiang, caused the deaths of over 150 people. It was the bloodiest known incident of unrest in China since the massacre that ended the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. The violence embarrassed China’s president, Hu Jintao, into skipping the G8 summit in Italy. The authorities responded by imposing a curfew on Urumqi, closing mosques, sending soldiers on to the streets and detaining hundreds of people. China’s leaders may fear that several smaller incidents that have occurred since the main rioting are the prelude to bigger confrontations caused by tension between Han migrants and (mostly) Muslim Uighurs.
For background, see article …