The Cross-Straits Entrepreneurs Summit opens in Xiamen, Fujian province, Dec 4, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua] Cross-Straits economic cooperation has a solid foundation and strong driving force, China's top political adviser, Wang Yang, said on Tuesday, calling for closer cooperation among companies across the Taiwan Straits to achieve mutual benefits. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, addressed the opening ceremony of the Cross-Straits Entrepreneurs Summit in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Tuesday. He said the world situation has been complex and uncertain this year, with protectionism and unilateralism on the rise, but trade volume across the Taiwan Straits has stood the test and increased. The mainland and the island have their respective strengths in funding, markets, technology and human resources, he added, and the trend of economic complementarity of the two sides remains unchanged. Wang said the mainland's economy has shifted from a stage of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development, and there is a growing demand for quality products and services from Taiwan. The mainland's policy orientation of providing good services to Taiwan businesses is consistent, he said, adding that, The door of opening up to Taiwan will get wider and the policies and services will get better. Wang stressed that a peaceful and stable environment is the prerequisite for development and cooperation. He reiterated that compatriots on both sides should join hands, adhere to the 1992 Consensus on the one-China principle, and resolutely oppose Taiwan independence. Wu Chia-ying, president of the Taiwan Businessmen Association in Xiamen, said the summit has a meaningful historical background, because this year marks the 40th anniversary of the mainland's reform and openingup, to which Taiwan businessmen contributed a lot. He said Wang's speech showed that both the trend of cross-Straits business cooperation and the mainland's stance of giving favorable policies for Taiwan companies remain unchanged, reflecting Taiwan businesses' expectations. Businessmen on both sides should complement each other in industrial advantages to promote the prosperity of the country's economy, he added. Su Shih-chung, secretary-general of Taiwan Angel Club, an investment association based in Taipei, said Wang's speech showed that technical cooperation by companies on both sides will become a trend as the mainland promotes indigenous innovation. Taiwan's industrial scale is relatively small, but it has some technological strengths that can be shared with the mainland, and the summit provides a platform for companies to form deeper cooperation, he said. The annual summit was launched in 2013 as a grassroots platform for business communication and exchange across the Straits. About 1,000 business executives and heads of business organizations participated in the event. upcycle silicone braceletssilicone wristbands vancouverpersonalized rubber braceletscustom rolex braceletsilicone wristband supplier malaysia
A file photo of the People's Liberation Army Navy honor guard. [Photo/VCG] More than 60 countries will send naval delegations to participate in the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy in late April, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday. The celebration will showcase the progress of the PLA Navy and its growing capability in safeguarding China's overseas interests as well as regional and world peace, an expert said. The multinational naval event will take place in Qingdao, Shandong province, in late April, said ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian. April 23 is the 70th anniversary of the PLA Navy's founding. The naval event will include high-level dialogues, an international fleet review, military band performances, cultural and sports exchanges as well as other activities, Wu said. Some nations will send military ships to participate in the fleet review, though details are still in the works and will be announced at a later date, he added. Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, director of the Center for Security Cooperation at the ministry's Office for International Military Cooperation, said that compared with other branches of the military, the PLA Navy plays a relatively larger role in protecting China's overseas interests and maintaining security in key sea lanes such as the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. The PLA Navy is at the forefront of proving that the Chinese military is an open, cooperative and competent force for peace, he said, adding that the PLA Navy has frequently participated in humanitarian rescue missions, naval escorts, joint exercises and exchanges in past years. Through these non-war military operations, the Chinese Navy has also improved its capability and operability in distant waters, Zhou said. Many security issues around the world require global efforts, and as its capability improves, the PLA Navy can play a bigger part and contribute more to global maritime security. When asked about the United States' recent rhetoric about China threats and US military actions near the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea, Wu said that Sino-US military relations are generally stable, but he asked the US to work with China to conduct practical cooperation, properly manage differences, and allow military-to-military relations to become stabilizing factors for bilateral ties. On Sunday, the US sent the Navy's guided-missile destroyer Curtis Wilbur and Coast Guard's cutter Bertholf through the Taiwan Straits. On March 13, two US B-52H bombers flew near Chinese islands in the South China Sea for the second time this month. Wu said China resolutely opposes the provocative actions by the US warplanes, and will continue to take necessary actions to safeguard national security. The facts have shown that the US is the one militarizing the South China Sea, he said. Regarding the US military's recent interactions with its Taiwan counterpart, Wu said China resolutely opposes any military interaction between the two sides, whether it involves arms sales to Taiwan or official military exchanges. The Taiwan question is a domestic matter for China, and it is related to China's core interests and the feelings of the Chinese people. It cannot be interfered with by outside forces, Wu said, adding that the one-China policy is a recognized consensus in international relations, and the political basis for Sino-US relations. Any attempt to undermine this principle is no different than trying to shake the foundation of Sino-US ties. This does not fit with the basic interests of either nation, and it is very dangerous, he said.
