Time for closer partnership and greater cooperation

On January 22, the Second Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum will be held in Santiago, Chile. As an important practice of the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics following the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the meeting will set the stage for greater progress in the relations between China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries in the new era.
                                                   

Established in 2014 at the initiative of President Xi Jinping, the China-CELAC Forum is an important milestone of China's distinct foreign policy approach, signifying a new stage of mutually reinforcing progress of bilateral ties and regional cooperation in China-LAC relations.

It has extended China's regional cooperation frameworks to cover all developing countries, contributed to a full-fledged structure of China's foreign policy, added another platform for South-South cooperation and provided strong support to building a community with a shared future for China and LAC countries.

Over the past three years, the China-CELAC Forum has made solid steps and delivered tangible results. Seventeen subforum sessions have been held to promote cooperation in over 10 areas. The dialogue and exchange mechanisms between the two sides have strengthened and expanded. China's financing measures towards LAC countries have been steadily implemented, supporting more than 80 projects concerning people's livelihood in over 20 LAC countries.

China and LAC countries are both developing countries, and we both have our dreams and visions. Across the vast ocean, we look forward to joining hands with our LAC colleagues. It is my belief that with firm determination and persistent efforts, China-LAC cooperation will continue to score new progress in the new era.

Let's unite our efforts and build toward a new form of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation and a community with a shared future for mankind. Together, we will contribute to an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

Taiwan, Japan hold maritime cooperation talks

Representatives from Taiwan and Japan yesterday met in Taipei for the second time to discuss maritime cooperation, expressing confidence that robust ties would allow them to overcome even the most formidable challenge through dialogue.
                                                 

The two-day closed-door meeting opened at the Grand Hotel, where Taiwan-Japan Relations Association President Chiou I-jen and his Japanese counterpart, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Mitsuo Ohashi, raised the curtain for the event with a hug, a handshake and a brief speech.

Chiou said the challenges serve as a test for both sides, but given the firm friendship between Taipei and Tokyo, and their shared strategic viewpoints, he believes the problems could be resolved step-by-step through dialogue.

Ohashi said he hoped that the two sides could boost cooperation on maritime affairs to spur Taiwan-Japan relations, which have entered a new phase with increased trade, culture and tourism exchanges.

Ohashi said that the 2013 inking of a Taipei-Tokyo bilateral fisheries agreement after years of uneasy negotiations shows that faced with a complex problem, both sides are able to look at the big picture and meet public expectations.

The agreement aims to end disputes over fishing in waters surrounding the contested Diaoyutai Islands, also known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan.

Taiwan’s delegation is headed by association Secretary-General Chang Shu-ling and includes officials from the Fisheries Agency, the Coast Guard Administration, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The first round of the meeting, held under the Taiwan-Japan Maritime Affairs Cooperation Dialogue Mechanism, took place in Tokyo in October last year. During the meeting, the two sides failed to reach a consensus on the Okinotori Atoll issue, but agreed to set up a task force on scientific ocean surveys and fishery cooperation.

PH, Russia sign cooperation agreement on education

A historic cooperation agreement on education was signed by the Philippines and Russia after more than a decade of negotiations, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced on Friday.
                                           

The PH-Russia cooperation on education was forged on the sidelines of the 31st ASEAN Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City, CHED Commissioner and Spokesman J. Prospero De Vera III, said in a statement.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Russian Federation Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev witness the exchange of signed agreements between Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Lydmila Ogorodova and Commission on Higher Education Commissioner J. Prospero de Vera during the bilateral meeting at the Coconut Palace in Pasay City on November 13, 2017.

The cooperation agreement was made official with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Higher Education between the CHED of the Philippines and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev witnessed the signing of the agreement by De Vera and Deputy Minister Lydmila Ogorodova.

Duterte’s visit to Russia, De Vera said, “cemented good relations between the two states especially in higher education.” He added that since that visit, “communication between Russia and the Philippines on possible higher education cooperation became constant and robust and concluded with the signing of this vital agreement.”

Both countries will also facilitate discussion on a possible agreement on mutual recognition of education, qualifications and academic degrees; exchange of methodological literature, teaching aids, information on cooperation opportunities for research in higher education; and exchange of training programs; and promotion of participation in educational congresses, conferences, seminars, symposiums, training courses and exhibitions.”

Top KSA-Iraq meet to explore areas of cooperation today

A meeting of the Saudi-Iraq Coordinating Council is set to begin at the headquarters of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) here on Saturday.
                                           

Presentations on the KAPSARC and the Export Development Authority will be made during the maiden meeting ,which will be followed by cultural events and dinner.
On Sunday, the council will hold a meeting at Al-Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh, where officials from the two countries will explore areas of cooperation in the presence of ministers from the two countries and senior government officials.
A series of presentations highlighting the investment opportunities, will be made by organizations such as the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, SABIC and the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization.
The Saudi side will be led by Commerce and Investment Minister Majid Al-Qassabi, while the Iraqi team will be led by Sulaiman Al-Jumaili. Six other Iraqi ministers will also be part of the visiting delegation.
According to a statement to Arab News, the meeting aims to enhance communication between the two countries at the strategic level, deepen mutual political trust and open new horizons of cooperation in various fields including economic development, security, investment, tourism, culture and media.
In addition, important international and regional affairs, protection of common interests, development of partnerships between the private sectors of the two countries, cooperation in scientific research, exchange of visits, and participation in training programs will also be up for discussion during the meeting.
In a statement to our sister paper, Asharq Al-Awsat, Abdul Aziz Al-Shammari, charge d’affaires of the Saudi Embassy in Baghdad, said that the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council will cover all vital and important areas between the two countries — political, economic, commercial, security, cultural and others.
Al-Shammari stressed that this step is vital in boosting bilateral ties between Riyadh and Baghdad.

How Singapore-China ties have kept up with the times

For past China-Singapore economic and trade cooperation, not only was it strong from a wide point of view, there were many pragmatic projects. There are several industrial parks at the national and provincial levels. When we talk about China-Singapore cooperation, the cooperation in industrial parks is very conspicuous, such as the Suzhou Industrial Park, the flagship project between both nations. In today's economic and trade relations, there are changes in the regional economies, and there are also changes in the industrial economy. What do you think are the new ways and formats to further promote the trade and economic cooperation between China and Singapore?
                                             

Country to country, the first important project between China and Singapore was the Suzhou Industrial Park which began in the early 1990s. At that time, China was developing different development zones, attracting investment and wooing foreign investments, so we developed the Suzhou Industrial Park. It was (mainly) the transfer of software - transferring the software of some industrial park management and attracting investments. The industrial park can now be said to be mature, successful, and may even have a chance to be listed one day. This can be said to be the first flagship project.

The second flagship project was the Tianjin Eco-City which we did 10 years ago. At that time, China was concerned about sustainable development and environmental protection, so the eco-city focused on these two themes. (However) the eco-city was not limited to these two themes in the last 10 years. We are now talking about some issues of the smart cities, and have also held some projects on healthcare training. This is also related to issues of social management and social policy.

Journalists, public cooperation key to fighting fake news

While not new, disinformation and fake news continue to be a problem as it can be very persuasive and look real. However, is it something that journalists and the public can work together to fight?
                                             

Speakers during the Asia Journalism Forum in Singapore said on Friday that while difficult it can be done, but with the cooperation of media and the audiences that they serve.
However, it is not an easy task, particularly in the Philippines, where many get their stories from Facebook, which can be accessed for free on mobile phones.

While traditional media such as TV, radio, and newspapers continue to be widely watched, listened to, and read by Filipinos, digital news has become a go-to for the young and old, particularly due to the boon of free mobile access.
One problem, said former Agence France-Presse editor-in-chief Eric Wishart, is that this free access has led to a phenomenon where many Filipinos consider Facebook their primary source of information.

“Retractions can backfire,” he said, as there is a danger that people will remember the myth more than the fact — thus, the burden is also on journalists to ensure that they put the facts first, so as not to reinforce false information in the minds of their audiences.
However, for historian Farish Ahmad-Noor, during this new “industrial revolution”, the advent of digital technology, social networks render meaningful contact difficult.

This, especially because technological advances seem to make spreading fake news easy, despite also opening up the world to new opportunities and benefits of easily accessible information.
Facebook is continuously adding features such as tweaking the site so users can see less ads for low-quality pages, downgrading clickbait, and adding recommendations for related news on certain issues.

Commodities Futures Trading Commission Launches Cooperation Initiative

When investigating potential wrongdoing, government investigators have  powerful tools that they can use to obtain information. As the U.S. Attorneys’ Manual explains, one such tool is the ability to enter into non-prosecution agreements (NPAs) in exchange for cooperation from companies and individuals.
                                         

For example, if a corporate executive has valuable information to offer in a criminal investigation of his employer or other employees, the DOJ can enter into an NPA with that exec, agreeing not to prosecute him or her in order to secure the information.

The use of NPAs has spread beyond the DOJ to other enforcement agencies, most recently the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, which oversees trading in derivatives markets, such as the markets for gasoline, gold, and foreign currency.

In a recent blog post, my colleague Aitan Goelman (the former Enforcement Director of the CFTC) described how, for the “first time in recorded history,” the CFTC granted NPAs to former traders at Citibank Global Markets, Inc. The traders, who were relatively junior, provided information that the CFTC used to secure settlements and fines against other Citi traders and their employer. In exchange for this information, the CFTC agreed not to take action against them based on their own wrongdoing.

The rise of NPAs in investigations of corporate wrongdoing may not be unchecked, however. While a Senator, Attorney General Jeff Sessions questioned the use of NPAs and DPAs, as detailed in this blog post from FCPA Professor. It remains to be seen whether the Sessions-led DOJ will deemphasize NPAs in favor of foregoing more corporate prosecutions entirely or seeking more indictments and guilty pleas.