Africa recognizes vital assistance provided by China
To understand the strong Sino-African relationship, we must remember historical events in the last century.
Africa has long been considered a peripheral continent. It endured painful colonization by Western powers, and never recovered economically or politically from the post-World War II global order.
India has more in common with China than with US
Following tensions on the border between China and India, all eyes are now on the G20 Summit in Hamburg, which will be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other international leaders. China and India should engage with each other, and personally I believe the current trend of economic cooperation will not change direction even amid tension at the border, if Modi is a sensible politician.
South Africa ideal partner for trilateral development
With the expansion and upgrading of Sino-Africa cooperation, strengthening trilateral development cooperation with South Africa will not only help China improve its image in Africa and promote localization of aid projects, but will also facilitate the participation by BRICS countries in aid programs in the continent.
Can Chinese SOEs profit from foreign investments?
The Belt & Road (B&R) initiative has been widely lauded as a way to extend common development. However, one aspect is now coming up for increased discussion. China has pledged billions in development and investment in emerging economies in Asia, Africa and the Middle-East. Once these are rolled out, Chinese State-owned enterprises (SOEs) will be at the forefront of these efforts.
Government intervention should not be written off
Economic development has always relied on both the market and the government, and both should play their necessary roles. I think we should establish efficient markets and competent government at the same time. Thus, an organic system can be created.
Blocking Chinese investment is not a smart move
The US has increased its regulatory scrutiny of Chinese investments, placing prohibitive obstacles in an array of business areas, from energy, minerals and railways to telecommunications and artificial intelligence (AI).
HK reunification ‘breaks shackles’ of UK’s hypocritical colonialism
On Saturday, China celebrates a great victory – the return of Hong Kong to its rightful historical place as part of China. That victory is even greater because, as President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed, it was Hong Kong's peaceful return to China, a rare case in Chinese and foreign histories, where lost lands were mostly recovered by force.
Hong Kong should find ways to get past challenges
When I traveled to Vietnam a few months ago, I was surprised to find that I could pay the bill using Chinese currency, the yuan, at a local seafood street restaurant. Compared with other currencies in Southeast Asian countries, the yuan has rapidly gained recognition in local markets given its steady value. The internationalization of the yuan will also bring tremendous opportunities for Hong Kong, the largest offshore yuan business hub.
Chinese firms must be prepared for short-selling
At least six overseas-listed Chinese companies have been attacked by global short-sellers in recent days. These short-selling campaigns have gained pace, covering a wide range of industries and regions. What’s shocking is that these short-sellers always succeed in making fortunes. They even publicly reveal their targets in advance, highlighting the degree of confidence in such short-selling activities. As such, China should stay alert to the risk of short-selling attacks on overseas-listed Chinese companies that have investment projects in countries along the Belt and Road (B&R) route, so as to avoid any adverse impact.
Wider use of yuan would benefit Central Asia
Opening up the Central Asian market for the yuan would not only benefit China, but also Central Asian countries, in terms of their governments and people. In the international macroeconomic environment in the past decade, one of the biggest changes has been the increasing shortage of US dollar liquidity. If no suitable emerging international currency can be found as an alternative, liquidity in the global market will shrink, which will jeopardize economic development in many countries.
Yuan playing bigger role in global reserve system
Recently, one of the most powerful central banks in the world, the European Central Bank (ECB) invested 500 million euros ($558 million) of its foreign reserves in yuan-denominated assets, by selling a small portion of its US dollar holdings. It is part of the ECB’s diversification strategy to add the Chinese currency into its foreign exchange reserves.
Egypt trying hard to open up to foreign investment
Currently, Egypt faces challenges including terrorism and a decline in tourism revenues, as well as a significant decline in reserves of foreign currency and a large increase in the trade deficit. So the Egyptian government has had to take steps to overcome these chronic problems.
China could benefit from Trump-Modi summit
It will be interesting to see how Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US will influence the two countries’ bilateral economic ties. India-US economic relations have not always been seen as having the same order of magnitude as China’s economic ties with the US, and the main reason for this is that India lags behind China in terms of opening up its market to foreign investors. US President Donald Trump has put the world on notice that “America First” is not just campaign rhetoric but an actual policy position. If Trump fights for US firms’ interests and persuades India to promise wider opening-up during his summit with Modi, China, as a key economic partner of India, will also gain benefits. Therefore, China is paying close attention to Modi’s upcoming US visit.
Sino-Russian cooperation can counter impact of NK nuke program on Northeast China’s economy
North Korea’s nuclear program is likely to have a long-lasting effect on the economic landscape of Northeast Asia, which deserves attention even if tensions on the peninsula have abated.
China moving toward fully developed credit systems
Currently, in our society, the lack of credibility is still a very serious issue, which is an objective fact that we must face up to. At the same time, we should also recognize the progress and achievements in construction of credit systems. In fact, our country has already made some important and positive progress in credit building over the years.
West can no longer hold back Chinese strength
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s recent remarks about the EU obligations under Article 15 indicated her willingness to back China’s bid for market economy status. Prior to this, the UK had also expressed such support, but there is still a long way to go before China is recognized by the EU as a market economy.
Taiwan errors in Burkina Faso open door for mainland
Panama has recently cut ties with Taiwan in favor of the Chinese mainland. Will Burkina Faso be the next one to follow suit? Although Taiwan’s aid to the African country is extremely generous, the economic assistance, which is politically motivated, has proved to be insufficient.
India and Pakistan membership a challenge for SCO
China has taken over the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and is scheduled to host the next summit in June 2018 in China. Earlier this month, the addition of India and Pakistan as full members increased this organization’s reach to South Asia from Eurasia and Central Asia for the first time.