Innehållsförteckning för Vol.68/No.21 från Beijing Review

China and the United States held a high-level meeting on economic and trade affairs in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 10-11. The meeting was candid, in-depth and constructive, achieved substantial progress and reached important consensuses. The two sides agreed to substantially reduce bilateral tariff levels and establish a consultation mechanism for economic and trade relations. The economic and trade relations between China and the U.S., respectively the world’s largest developing economy and the world’s largest developed economy, are inherently complementary. Bilateral trade has created numerous jobs in both countries, abundant business opportunities and huge profits for their businesses. The outcomes of the Geneva meeting indicate that although Washington is still talking tough on economic and trade issues, it has realized that decoupling from China is unrealistic and that economic and trade…

In an interview with Beijing Review, Einar Tangen, a senior fellow at the Taihe Institute, a Beijing-based think tank, and a seasoned independent economic commentator, shared his views on what the recent tariff pause between China and U.S. reveals about both sides’ trade strategies, why U.S. tariffs fail to fix trade gaps and whether the 90-day reprieve can lead to lasting solutions. Edited excerpts of their conversation follow: Beijing Review: During their recent high-level meeting on economic and trade affairs in Geneva, Switzerland, China and the U.S. agreed to de-escalate trade tensions by drastically rolling back tariffs on each other’s goods for an initial 90-day period. What is your take on this move? Einar Tangen: President Donald Trump’s administration tried a very big bluff. Just think of international trade as…

A special on-site meeting was held on May 9 in Shenzhen of Guangdong Province to combat the smuggling of strategic minerals. The meeting was convened by the national export control work coordination office and joined by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of State Security. According to information from MOFCOM, the special campaign aims to prevent the illegal outflow of strategic minerals, crack down on the smuggling of these critical resources and thereby safeguard national security. Minerals such as gallium, germanium, antimony and graphite are listed as national strategic mineral resources for their indispensable and important position in the application of modern technologies. China is a major supplier of these rare metal minerals. For example, China’s gallium ore reserves are 190,000 tons, accounting…

Located on China’s eastern coast, Jiangsu Province is one of China’s most socially, technologically and economically developed provinces. Though it makes up just 1 percent of China’s land area and is home to 6 percent of the population, Jiangsu contributes more than 10 percent of the country’s total GDP. For decades, this coastal powerhouse has reached out across seas and mountains to build meaningful ties with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In 2024, trade between the two sides reached $54.77 billion, accounting for 10.6 percent of China’s total trade with the LAC region. On May 13, the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (China-CELAC Forum) was held in Beijing. Moreover, subnational cooperation continues to thrive through growing sister-city partnerships…

VETERAN NURSE AWARDED FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MEDAL Feng Ling is one of seven nurses from China to be awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal, one of the highest international distinctions for nursing professionals, in recognition of their contributions to health and care. The announcement was made as the world marked International Nurses Day on May 12. Feng works at the AIDS Clinical Guidance and Training Center of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Hubei Province. Dedicating 35 years to the prevention and care of infectious diseases, she has pioneered a multidisciplinary collaboration model for HIV/AIDS care and promoted organ transplantation for people living with HIV/AIDS. Thirty-five nurses from 17 countries were honored this year, with China leading in the number of recipients. Since China first participated in the selection of the Florence…

From May 10 to 14, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited China for the sixth time. During his stay, Chinese leaders held meetings with Lula to discuss consolidating the China-Brazil Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and aligning their development strategies. The leaders also exchanged views on addressing external challenges brought about by the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. Additionally, President Lula attended the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (China-CELAC Forum) and participated in a series of bilateral economic and trade activities. Political and economic context Brazil is currently facing economic pressures from fiscal capacity, interest rates and foreign trade. The Brazilian Government’s fiscal stress has made it difficult for Lula’s administration to implement further economic stimulus measures.…

China’s State Council Information Office issued a white paper titled China’s National Security in the New Era on May 12. The move aims to provide a comprehensive explanation of the innovative concepts, practices and achievements in China’s national security efforts, and enhance the global community’s understanding of China’s national security. An abstract follows: In the new era, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core creatively proposed a holistic approach to national security, established a national security commission under the CPC Central Committee, comprehensively deepened the reform of the system and mechanisms for national security, and accelerated the modernization of the national security system and capabilities. China’s national security in the new era is one that takes the people’s security as its ultimate…

In September 2021, I traveled to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for the second time, the first being in 2014, in the midst of turmoil due to separatists. I was able to talk to people and we didn’t talk to the people that the local government wanted us to talk to. We talked to people straight off the street. We even followed somebody home from the maternity hospital. The proud parents had two sons but longed for a daughter. Both were only intermittently employed and lived with the husband’s family. They had paid 320 yuan ($50) for the entire delivery process at a newly opened hospital. The smile on the proud grandfather’s face and the looks of his shy but inquisitive grandsons as they greeted the newest addition to the family,…

Just as a ship is powered by its sails, people are inspired by their hearts. On November 15, 2024, President Xi Jinping quoted this Latin American proverb in his written speech delivered at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit. He called on all nations to enhance solidarity and cooperation, jointly stand up to global challenges and form a mighty force for the common prosperity of the world and a brighter future for humanity. The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. The Global South, or the nations of the world considered to have a relatively low level of economic and industrial development and typically located to the south of more industrialized nations, including China and countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), is rising with growing…

Kunlun Tech, a Beijing-based Internet company, displayed its AI-powered music generator Mureka at the 27th China Beijing International Hi-tech Expo running from May 8 to 11, attracting crowds of visitors. After entering a prompt describing the desired genre and selecting a preferred model, users are able to create music. Starting from 2020, Kunlun Tech, founded in 2008, has been focusing on AI-related research and development (R&D). According to the company, the Mureka portal has been visited by users from over 100 countries and regions, and the AI model can respond to prompts in 10 languages. The expo this year showcased more than 1,000 scientific and technological innovations like Mureka. Themed Science and Technology for a Better Future, it gathered over 800 technology companies and institutions from around the world. AI…