KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Xinhua) — A dance drama featuring Chinese father and son who set sails on the ancient Maritime Silk Road centuries ago debuted in Southeast Asia on Tuesday with the expectations to boost the Belt and Road Initiative in the region.
Thousands of audience watched the dance drama “Dream of the Maritime Silk Road” at a performance hall in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, the first leg of the tour in members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Singapore and Indonesia.
The drama, through distinctively Chinese classical dance, tells a story in Quanzhou port, China’s southeastern Fujian province 800 years ago. The captain of a commercial fleet sets sail on the Maritime Silk Road under the invitation of a Persian prince but was killed in storm when trying to protect his crew, leaving behind his wife and a son in cradle. His son followed his step to become a sailor too after he grew up.
The two-hour drama highlights a prosperous Quanzhou port and friendship forged among people along the Maritime Silk Road when they seek common prosperity and happiness, with cultural elements from China and other Maritime Silk Road countries.
The drama was performed around the globe including at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Chen Qiuping, head of Department of Culture of Fujian province, said the drama was well received by the Malaysian audience.
“The performance is indeed enlightening,” said Bong Hon Liong, president of Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce. “It reminded us of the importance of openness and the friendship among people along the Maritime Silk Road.”
Xia Menglong, a university student who is on an exchange program in Malaysia, said he was surprised to find many Chinese traditions were well preserved and observed in Malaysia.
Huang Huikang, Chinese ambassador to Malaysia, expected the show to boost cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Meanwhile, officials believed such event would help promote the Belt and Road Initiative, namely the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in Southeast Asia.
The initiative, proposed by China in 2013, is aimed at reviving the ancient trade routes that span Asia, Africa and Europe.
Chen said the performance in Malaysia was of significance as it was an important country along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. He hoped the tour could help boost cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Enditem
Category Archives: Environment
China rolls out new policies to encourage innovation
BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) — China’s State Council on Wednesday announced a string of new policies to encourage innovation as the country seeks to foster new engines for growth.
China will set up three new “national innovation demonstration zones” in the provinces of Henan, Shandong and Liaoning, bringing the number of such areas to 14, according to a statement issued after a State Council meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.
The zones, including Beijing’s Zhongguancun, known as “China’s Silicon Valley,” and Shanghai’s Zhangjiang high tech zone, have been created to pilot new ideas and development models for use nationwide.
Expansion of the program is aimed at fostering trailblazers for China’s economic restructuring and transformation, according to the statement.
The State Council will test innovative reforms in China’s financial hub of Shanghai over three years, including exploring new financial service models and simplifying foreign investment rules.
Government intervention will be further reduced to create an amicable environment for business start-ups and innovation, the State Council pledged.
To boost employment and sustain growth, the Chinese government has stressed the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in its 13th five-year plan. A wide range of measures has been unveiled, including financial support, facility construction and administrative assistance, for start-ups.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the council also decided to foster city clusters centered around Chengdu and Chongqing to stimulate economic potential in western regions. Enditem
Central bank pumps more money into market
BEIJING, March 31 (Greenpost) — China’s central bank pumped more money into the market to ease a liquidity strain on Thursday. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) conducted 100 billion yuan (15.4 billion U.S. dollars) of seven-day reverse repurchase agreements (repo), a process in which central banks purchase securities from banks with an agreement to resell them in the future.
The reverse repo was priced to yield 2.25 percent, unchanged from Wednesday’s injection of 60 billion yuan, according to a PBOC statement. The injection has resulted in a net 40 billion yuan being pumped into the market Thursday, offset by 60 billion yuan in maturing reverse repos.
The move follows a week-long rise in money-market rates as maturing reverse repos continued to drain liquidity from the market while commercial lenders hoard cash to meet quarter-end regulatory reserves.
In Thursday’s interbank market, the benchmark overnight Shanghai Interbank Offered Rate (Shibor), which measures the cost at which Chinese banks lend to one another, climbed by 1.3 basis points to 2.017 percent, the highest level in a month. Shibor for two-week loans rose the most, by 5.8 basis points to 2.788 percent. Enditem
Premier Li draws a comprehensive blueprint, action plan for China
By Xuefei Chen Axelsson
Beijing, March.5(Greenpost)–China’s Premier Li Keqiang made a very comprehensive and down to earth blueprint and action plan to China for the next five years and this year.
This year marks the beginning of the 13th five year plan period for China. China has set up a goal of realising the comprehensive wealthy and healthy society by 2020.
“We shall eradicate poverty all over the country by 2020,” said Premier Li.
He stressed economic development again as the first important task, but he also emphasised the importance of environment and the balance of structure.
He said China must restructure its economy so that it can be sustainable.
Li said the important task in the following five years will be to treat the filthy air pollution and water pollution. In 2015 China has outdated 1.26 million vehicles and it plans to outdate three million in the following five years.
He also emphasised the equal treatment between the state-owned enterprises and private sectors. The government will further reduce tax for industries.
Modern agriculture is encouraged to help eradicate poverty.
Li stressed the completion of social security so that all the people in China can benefit from the social security.
He almost mentioned all the areas that need to be done in the country which draws a very promising picture for China.
Norway Ranks first in the Regional Potential Index
By Xuefei Chen Axelsson
STOCKHOLM, Feb. 16(Greenpost)–Norway ranks the first of the top ten cities in nordic region in the Regional Potential Index, according to a new report published on Tuesday.
“Norway has succeeded in keeping these regions’ economy boosting with very high GRP/capita. It is accompanied by important immigration flows, especially in Oslo and Akershus, and low demographic dependency rate”, the report said.
Norway’s most successful regions in the top five are there mostly due to their very high scores in economic potential. Oslo and Akershus have very high scores in demographic potential, whereas the three other Norwegian regions perform pretty well in labour market potential. Demographic potential consist of important immigration flows, high population density, low demographic dependency.
| 2015 rank
(2010 rank) |
Region | Territorial potential (total points) | Demographic potential | Labour market potential | Economic potential |
| 1 (3) | Oslo (NO) | 758 | 278 | 190 | 290 |
| 2 (1) | Hovedstaden (DK) | 756 | 286 | 170 | 300 |
| 3 (4) | Stockholm (SE) | 753 | 263 | 190 | 300 |
| 4 (2) | Akershus (NO) | 748 | 248 | 260 | 240 |
| 5 (5) | Helsinki-Uusimaa (FI) | 738 | 278 | 180 | 280 |
| 6 (6) | Rogaland (NO) | 728 | 188 | 270 | 270 |
| 7 (10) | Sør-Trøndelag (NO) | 703 | 173 | 260 | 270 |
| 8 (7) | Hordaland (NO) | 685 | 165 | 240 | 280 |
| 9 (9) | Uppsala (SE) | 618 | 218 | 180 | 220 |
| 10 (8) | Höfuðborgarsvæðið (IS) | 598 | 248 | 220 | 130 |
Norway’s strengths and weaknesses
The largest population increases for the period 2005-2015 were in the municipalities of Stockholm (+147.000 inhabitants), Oslo (+118.000) and Copenhagen (+78.000). Norway is one of the Nordic countries among Sweden and Denmark where migration has accounted for the majority of population growth over the past twenty-five years. Migration movement between Nordic countries (intra-Nordic migration) in 2014 shows, that Denmark and Norway have net Nordic immigration, whereas Finland, Iceland and Sweden have net emigration. The largest flows are between Norway and Sweden (about 7,5% of the total intra-Nordic migration, in each direction). Norway is the only country with net immigration from all the four other Nordic countries.
Norway has the highest share (36%) of international PhD graduates followed by Denmark (33%), Sweden (29%) and Iceland (26%). Surprisingly Norway also stands out together with Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland in the early school leaver rates, above 15%.
Nordkapp in Northern Norway received the most passengers in 2014 in the Nordic Arctic. Norrkapp received 122 000 passengers from 109 ports of call. In Northern Norway, cruise ship tourism is centred on a few ports, the largest, in terms of passenger numbers, also include Tromsø (112 000 passengers), followed by Leknes (60 000 passengers). In Norway a clear trend is that a large share of the international tourists are from other European countries. However, the largest numbers of overnight stays are comprised by visitors from Sweden and Denmark.
Since 2011, the increase in air passengers has been highest in Norway and Iceland. The air passenger development is expected to slow down to annual growth by year 2020 for Norway and Finland, with only 1-2%.
In all of the Nordic countries Housing price indexes have increased more than the EU average. As an example the housing prices in Norway have increased with 400 percent in the period 1992-2014. During the same period prices overall have increase with only 55%.
In sharp contrast with falling emissions in Finland, Denmark and Sweden, Norway’s emissions have actually increased since 1990. After decades of support at levels below its neighbours, Norway has emerged as the largest funder of low-carbon RD&D in recent years due especially to two very large demonstration projects in CCS and aluminium smelting.
Nordregio’s State of the Nordic Region 2016 is a unique collection of comparative data and maps on economy, migration, employment, education, energy and accessibility in the Nordic countries – at regional level. The report includes a new Regional Potential Index, highlighting climbers and slow movers among the 74 regions of the Nordic countries. State of the Nordic Region is released biannually by Nordregio – Nordic Centre for Spatial Development.
Winter in Sweden
By Xuefei Chen Axelsson
Stockholm, Jan. 27(Greenpost)–Hi, I’m a Chinese, but I came to Sweden ten years ago. Why? Because my name is Snow. Xue means snow. I was born in this month 49 years ago. It was snowing and cold.
So actually I feel like at home in Sweden. In winter, the snow makes it feel better. The worst time I tell you is november. But Swedes are used to this kind of weather. Those who cannot tolerate it choose to go to Thailand for a few months.
That is why in 2005 Christmas time, more than 400 Swedes died during the Trunami in Thailand. Many people go to Spain to have a winter house too. I mean over there it is always warm!
But Sweden is not bad. I mean in winter you can stay inside and the heating is very even. That temperature is better than anywhere else. It is neither too cold nor too warm.
People can go to the north to ski and live in the wooden house. You can go to skate outside and swim inside a swimming pool. There are a lot of gyms.
To deal with the dark winter, Stockholm city lighted brighter lights in the city center. It hosts international film festival in November.
Christmas makes everybody happy and be busy with presents and food, visiting relatives and friends.
The sun sometimes is too bright because it is low, just hanging above the buildings.
Snow makes it very beautiful and the trees look like paintings. A lot of exhibitions are held indoor.
But this winter has a lot of accidents that make people feel upset. The problem was that a 22 year old girl who worked in an immigration center was stabbed to death by a 15 year old boy who migrant to Sweden.
The boy belongs to those thousands of single boy who has no parents or relatives to accompany them to Swedish border. Do they really have no parents or relatives? No one knows.
But they came and stay together, sometimes they have problems. Now the police said they need more resources. They got more calls from immigration center and immigrants related issues.
Is this winter different from the previous one? Yes, it gets cold later than before and it gets warmer earlier. Just about lest than two weeks below zero, now it is above zero. The ice and snow all melt.
More people go to gym to exercise and many shops closed. I guess the gym will be a good business in the future. One can get everything on website but you can’t exercise on internet.
Swedish winter is not too cold, it is around zero, sometimes above and sometimes below.
2022 Beijing Winter Olympics plenty of business opportunities for Swedes
By Xuefei Chen Axelsson
STOCKHOLM, Jan. 21(Greenpost)—An event organized by EU-China Winter&Outdoor Sports Alliance on Thursday focusing on networking and finding opportunities for both Swedish and Chinese upon the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
With the presence of many CEOs and Executives of Sports&Outdoor industry guests in Sweden and Taishan Sports Industry Group delegation, delegates exchanged ideas in Winter and Outdoor Sports opportunities.
Investment adviser and Executive Director of the Alliance Vanessa Folkesson made a presentation about the vision and mission of the alliance and the 300 billion RMB cross-border business opportunities to engage 300 million Chinese people to participate in winter sports and outdoor travel in EU and mainland China prior to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
“How can we bring in the brands and products the Chinese have never seen and never know, how do we bring those products to China and how can we help, those are our ambition and goals to achieve, and we see a lot of opportunities in winter&outdoor sports activities, ” said Folkesson.
Executive Chairman of EU-China Culture & Economy Commission William Zhang Yi also said that there is great opportunity in bilateral cooperation in economic, cultural fields.
Four time Olympics official equipment provider Taishan Sports Industry Group’s vice Chairman Bian Qingfeng gave an introduction about his group.
“Established in 1978, Taishan is one of the largest sport products producer and supplier,” said Bian. “We are very proud that we provide equipment and products for 40 percent of the Beijing Summer Olympics Gold medals. We are very good in producing summer sport equipment , but we are still new in producing winter sport equipment, so the main purpose for us to come is to learn from you and find cooperation partners,” said Bian.
Bian said Taishan sincerely look for working partners in developing winter Olympics products.
Per-Erik Holmström made a presentation about Nordic Viking, Ice Hockey and Bandy playing team.
“Nordic Viking is still the best players I believe China’s lady Bandy team will win the 2022 Winter Olympics, but there will be a lot to do. I have great confidence in them,”
During the event, many Swedish sports & outdoor industries CEOs presented their products.
Ingemar Holmberg, Director of International Sales for CRAFT presented various kinds of clothes for the skier or skaters.
World famous Swedish telecommunication giant Ericsson also presented how they can cooperate with Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
With the past experience, Ericsson can provide the network for people all over the world to choose to see whatever part of the Olympic Games just by clicking on the internet.
Folkesson said this was a kicking off event and they will organise another event in Beijing next month for similar purposes.
About 50 CEO and Chairpersons of Winter&Outdoor Sports related industries attended the meeting.
Bolife takes part in Stockholm Formex Exhibition
By Xuefei Chen Axelsson
STOCKHOLM, Jan. 21(Greenpost)—Bolife, a newly established 100 percent natural dyeing technology user and brand has shown up at the Nordic largest interior design exhibition Formex Spring 2016 in Stockholm.
Bolife is the only brand developed by a Chinese company to display its product and present its technology here at the Formex exhibition.
As a new immigrant to Sweden, CEO Zhang Yu told Green Post that his purpose to take part in the exhibition is to let Swedish and the Europeans to recognise this brand and the Chinese green technology.
”We know that Swedish people pay great attention to sustainability and green technology. Since we now live in Sweden, we like to find a product or a technology that can fit for the Swedes. We have looked for it in Japan and South Korea, but in the end we found it in China,” said Zhang.
”This technology has 13 patents protected in China and no one has really made any products out of it. So we talked with the owner and developed this product for the first time within six months, and now we made it here to the last minute,” said Zhang.
Zhang explained that the technology they used is to use dyeing material from herbs and plants without adding any chemicals. Plus supersonic vibrations. There will be no need to use chemicals to make the form or soften the clothes.
”The natural dyeing method makes the fabric look a bit rough, but if you see the fabric is shining or too soft, it must contain some chemicals to make it like that,” said Zhang.
The natural dyeing method is very traditional Chinese method plus supersonic technology so that people can mass produce the fabric.
This will avoid the problems of being irritated in the skin or allergic for the chemicals in certain material. So it is pure organic and natural material.
Zhang Yu stressed that they like to develop this in Sweden and Europe first and once it is recognised with the European quality standards for green product, then they can consider to have more sales in China too. They will use the Chinese dyeing technology with Swedish design and European suppliers to make 100 percent natural product for the customers.
Hans Krylander, consultant of Bolife explained the uniqueness of the Bolife technology.
”This is a new method to use supersonic viberation, they only dye for 30 degrees and before they use 60 degrees, so you save a lot of energy. But the main purpose and the best thing is that you don’t need to have chemical fixation material, you can use tree material. The supersonic technology has existed for many years, but it is the first time to use it this way. This is the first time in the world history that you can have an ecological dyeing in organic cotton, and it stays with organic fixation material as well, so it is a unique Chinese product,” Krylander said.
During the exhibition, they also cooperate with Swedish Handcraft Friends to present the dyeing method. The presentation also attracted a lot of attention from the visitors. They even practice dyeing themselves during the presentation.
Janne Liang and Lotta Ahlvar, President of Handcraft Friends presents the natural dyeing method. Photo by Xuefei Chen Axelsson.
Zhang Yu created a home product brand Day & Me and had opened more than 40 shops in China within a year. He felt this was not challenging enough. So now he likes to develop a completely green brand. The brand has been recognised by American SGS certification, the next step is to get the European eco product certification.
Formex is the largest interior design exhibition in Nordic region. It opens twice a year in Stockholm in January and August. Almost all the interior design companies come to participate in the exhibition.
During the exhibition, designer Lotta said the Nordic style is not just simple, it is a combination of both beautiful and useful.
China begins environmental inspection in northern province
SHIJIAZHUANG, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) — A one-month environmental protection inspection of north China’s Hebei Province began on Monday, at the behest of central authorities.
The inspection will continue till Feb. 4, examining implementation of Party and state environment policy by the provincial Communist Party of China (CPC) committee and local government, including their handling of environmental problems and what they are doing to improve the situation.
The inspection team has set up a hotline and a mail box for public consultation.
Inspectors nationwide are focused on how provincial-level Party committees and governments carry out their environmental duties, according to the Ministry of Environment. Teams report major problems to the central authority and inspection results are passed to the organization department of the CPC Central Committee as part of official appraisals.
Central authorities plan to inspect each of the provincial regions in China every two years, “China Environment News” reported last month. Enditem
China’s railway construction robust despite investment slowdown
BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) — Investment in China’s railways in 2015 is still growing despite an economic slowdown.
China spent 820 billion yuan (126 billion U.S. dollars) on rail projects in 2015 and put more than 9,000 kilometers of new track into operation, meeting its annual targets of 800 billion yuan investment and 8,000 kilometers of new lines, according to China Railway Corporation.
With a newly completed high-speed railway track in the southern Hainan Province, China now has 19,000 kilometers of high-speed rail.
The fast growth of railway construction projects came at a time when the country is enduring continuous deceleration in the growth of fixed-asset investment. In the first 11 months of 2015, fixed-asset investment grew 10.2 percent year on year, slowing from 13.9 percent of growth seen at the beginning of this year. Enditem
China’s foreign debt at RMB9.7318 trln by end Sept., SAFE
BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Greenpost) — China’s foreign debt totaled 9.7318 trillion yuan or 1.5298 trillion U.S. dollars by the end of September, 2015, according to statistics released by State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) Wednesday.
The total comprised 33 percent or 3.2207 trillion yuan (506.3 billion U.S. dollars) of mid- and long-term debt and 67 percent or 6.5111 trillion yuan (1.0235 trillion US dollars) of short term debt, of which 49 percent was trade-related lending.
Categorized by debtors, seven percent of the total foreign debt or 666.5 billion yuan, equal to 104.8 billion U.S. dollars, was borrowed by the public sector; three percent or 259.9 billion yuan was borrowed by the central bank; 46 percent or 4.4758 trillion yuan was borrowed by banks; 31 percent or 3.0239 trillion yuan was borrowed by other departments; the remaining 13 percent or 1.3057 trillion yuan was direct investment or inter-company loans.
By debt forms, the total foreign debt consisted of 25 percent or 2.4367 trillion yuan in loans, 19 percent or 1.8111 trillion yuan in trade credits and advance balances, 25 percent or 2.4687 trillion yuan in currency and deposits, 16 percent or 1.5474 trillion yuan in debt securities, 1 percent or 62.4 billion yuan in SDR, 13 percent or 1.3057 trillion yuan in direct investment or inter-company loans and 1 percent or 99.8 billion yuan in other debts.
By currencies, 47 percent or 4.6161 trillion yuan of the debt was Renminbi-denominated and 53 percent or 5.1157 trillion yuan was foreign-currency-denominated, of which 80 percent was U.S. dollar-denominated, four percent Japanese yen-denominated, and seven percent Euro-denominated. (Edited by Duan Jing, duanjing@xinhua.org)
Source Xinhua, Editor Xuefei Chen Axelsson
China to set up third-generation nuclear power company
BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Greenpost) — Two Chinese nuclear power giants on Wednesday concluded a deal on a joint venture to promote China’s third-generation nuclear reactor design, Hualong One, in overseas markets technologies.
The Hualong international nuclear power technology company in Chinese, has a registered capital of 500 million yuan (77 million U.S. dollars), with China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) each holding 50 percent of shares.
The Hualong One design is the country’s third generation of nuclear reactor design for safer and more efficient operations that will be widely adopted in domestic nuclear power projects.
The two companies began R&D for Hualong One in 2013. In May 2015, construction on a pilot project using Hualong One started in Fuqing, southeast China’s Fujian Province.
An agreement with Argentina was reached in November, guaranteeing the use of it in the fifth nuclear plant in Argentina, a key emerging market for Chinese companies.
In October, CGN and Electricite de France (EDF) signed a strategic investment agreement to build a nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in the southwestern part of Britain. Enditem
Source Xinhua Editor Xuefei Chen Axelsson
President Xi’s greetings in the New Year 2016
By Xuefei Chen Axelsson
Stockholm, Dec. 31(Greenpost)–As a tradition since 2001, Chinese President sends New Year’s greetings to Chinese people home and abroad and friends all over the world through China Radio International, China National Radio and China Central Television Station.
The following is the whole text translated by Xuefei Chen Axelsson, Chief editor of Green Post:
After a couple of hours, the New Year’s bell will toll. We shall say goodbye to 2015 and welcome the first ray of sunshine of 2016. At this moment, I would like to say New Year blessings to you, people of all ethnic groups in the whole nation, to compatriots in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao SAR, to Taiwan compatriots and compatriots overseas, to all friends from all countries and regions in the world! Happy New Year!
No pains, no gains. In 2015, Chinese people made great efforts and harvested a lot. China’s economic growth continutes to rank the first in the world, reforms have begun in almost all fields, reform in judicial system continues to be deepened, the “three stricts and three solids” thematic education has improved the political ecology, the anti-corruption struggle continues to deepen. Through the joint efforts of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, the 12th five-year plan has successfully ended with a sense of fulfillment in some sense for the vast masses.
This year we held a grand celebration on the 70th anniversary of victory in Chinese people’s anti-Janpanese War and the World’s anti-Fascist war. We held a grand military parade showing the truth that justice shall win, peace shall win and the people will win. We have implemented a comprehensive reform strategy to consolidate our military strength and announced that we shall cut our military personnel by 300 thousand. I have met Mr. Ma Yingjiu in Singapore and shaken hands with him after 66 years, showing that the peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait is the common will of our compatriots on both sides of the strait.
This year Beijing won the rights of hosting the 24th Winter Olympics and the RMB was included in the SDR basket of IMF. The assembling line of C919 airplane developed by Chinese has been in operation. China’s super computer broke the world record and won its sixth consecutive championship. Dark matter exploring Satellite developed by the Chinese scientists has been launched into the universe. Tu Youou became the first Chinese scientist who won the Nobel Prize…these all prove that as long as we are persistent, our dreams will be realised sooner or later.
This year we had joy, but we also had sorrow. The accidents such as the capsized Oriental Star passenger ship in the Yangtze River, the most serious explosion at the Tianjin Port and the landslide in Shenzhen have deprived many compatriots’ lives, let alone the dreadful incident that quite a few compatriots were cruelly killed by terrorists. We missed them, may them rest in peace and may the alive healthy.There are still some difficulties and irritations in the lives of the masses. The party and government are determined to continue to make efforts to guarantee the safety of people’s lives and property, improve people’s living standards and health.
2016 is the first year of the decisive period China enters to build comprehensive wealthy and healthy society. The 5th session of the 18th plenary session of the Communist Party of China has set up clear directions for the development in the following five years. The prospect is encouraging and inspiring, but the happiness doesn’t come from the sky. We should be confident and continue to make efforts in implementing the development concept of being innovative, harmonious, green, open and sharing, pushing forward the structural reform, pushing forward reform and opening up, and doing our best to promote equity and justice and create clean and transparent political environment to make a good start for the decisive period of building comprehensive wealthy healthy society.
To build comprehensive wealth and healthy society, it needs the joint efforts of the 1.3 billion people. It is my great concern to improve the living standards of the hundreds of thousands of poor people in the rural areas.
We have blown up the trumpet to win the campaign of poverty alleviation. All the party members and the people of all ethnic groups should join hands in the battle to ensure that all the poor people should alleviate their poverty as scheduled. We should take care of all the people who have difficulties so that they can feel the warmth from their inner heart.
We only have one earth, and it is the common home of all the people in all nations. This year, Chinese leaders participated in many international conferences, conducted many diplomatic activities, pushed forward some tangible progress in the construction of “one belt and one road”, participated in the United Nations 2030 sustainable development agenda and the Paris Climate Change Conference. The world is large and problems are many. The international community anticipated to hear China’s voice, see China’s solutions and China cannot be absent. We should not only have empathy and be sympathised with those who are suffering from difficulties and war fires, but also take responsibility and action. China will forever open its heart to the world and stretch her hands to those who are in difficulty so that our “friends circle” will be larger and larger.
We sincerely hope that the international community will make joint efforts to have more peace and cooperation, change the antagonism into cooperation, replace the spears with the silk, jointly build a human community jointly owned and shared by the people of all nations.
Thank you all.
新华社12月31日电：国家主席习近平通过中国国际广播电台、中央人民广播电台、中央电视台，发表了二○一六年新年贺词。全文如下：
再过几个小时，新年的钟声就要敲响了。我们即将告别2015年，迎来2016年的第一缕阳光。在这辞旧迎新的时刻，我向全国各族人民，向香港特别行政区同胞和澳门特别行政区同胞，向台湾同胞和海外侨胞，向世界各国和各地区的朋友们，致以新年的祝福！
有付出，就会有收获。2015年，中国人民付出了很多，也收获了很多。我国经济增长继续居于世界前列，改革全面发力，司法体制改革继续深化，“三严三实”专题教育推动了政治生态改善，反腐败斗争深入进行。经过全国各族人民共同努力，“十二五”规划圆满收官，广大人民群众有了更多获得感。
这一年，我们隆重纪念了中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利70周年，举行了盛大阅兵，昭示了正义必胜、和平必胜、人民必胜的真理。我们全面实施改革强军战略，宣布裁军30万。我和马英九先生在新加坡会面，实现了跨越66年时空的握手，表明两岸关系和平发展是两岸同胞的共同心愿。
这一年，北京获得第24届冬奥会举办权，人民币纳入国际货币基金组织特别提款权货币篮子，我国自主研制的C919大型客机总装下线，中国超级计算机破世界纪录蝉联“六连冠”，我国科学家研制的暗物质探测卫星发射升空，屠呦呦成为我国首位获得诺贝尔奖的科学家……这说明，只要坚持，梦想总是可以实现的。
这一年，我们有欣喜，也有悲伤。“东方之星”号客轮翻沉、天津港特别重大火灾爆炸、深圳滑坡等事故造成不少同胞失去了生命，还有我们的同胞被恐怖分子残忍杀害，令人深感痛心。我们怀念他们，愿逝者安息、生者安康！群众的生活中还有一些困难和烦恼。党和政府一定会继续努力，切实保障人民生命财产安全、保障人民生活改善、保障人民身体健康。
2016年是我国进入全面建成小康社会决胜阶段的开局之年。中共十八届五中全会明确了未来5年我国发展的方向。前景令人鼓舞、催人奋进，但幸福不会从天降。我们要树立必胜信念、继续埋头苦干，贯彻创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享的发展理念，着力推进结构性改革，着力推进改革开放，着力促进社会公平正义，着力营造政治上的绿水青山，为全面建成小康社会决胜阶段开好局、起好步。
全面建成小康社会，13亿人要携手前进。让几千万农村贫困人口生活好起来，是我心中的牵挂。我们吹响了打赢扶贫攻坚战的号角，全党全国要勠力同心，着力补齐这块短板，确保农村所有贫困人口如期摆脱贫困。对所有困难群众，我们都要关爱，让他们从内心感受到温暖。
我们只有一个地球，这是各国人民共同的家园。这一年，我国领导人参加了不少国际会议，开展了不少外交活动，推动“一带一路”建设取得实质性进展，参与了联合国2030年可持续发展议程、应对全球气候变化等国际事务。世界那么大，问题那么多，国际社会期待听到中国声音、看到中国方案，中国不能缺席。面对身陷苦难和战火的人们，我们要有悲悯和同情，更要有责任和行动。中国将永远向世界敞开怀抱，也将尽己所能向面临困境的人们伸出援手，让我们的“朋友圈”越来越大。
我衷心希望，国际社会共同努力，多一份平和，多一份合作，变对抗为合作，化干戈为玉帛，共同构建各国人民共有共享的人类命运共同体。
谢谢大家。
Happy New Year ! from Chinese friends
Happy New Year 2016!
Photo / Xinhua Editor Xuefei Chen Axlesson
China Focus: China likely to introduce new coal-power link regime after cutting thermal power price
BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) — China will cut the on-grid price of electricity generated by coal-fired power plants and sold to the country’s power grid operators in a bid to cut emissions and reduce the burden on industrial enterprises.
In addition, the country is mulling over a new mechanism that will better link the fluctuation of coal prices with power prices. The new mechanism is expected to be rolled out soon, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
China will lower the on-grid thermal power price by an average of 0.03 yuan per kilowatt-hour (kWh) starting from Jan. 1, 2016, according to a statement released on Thursday after a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.
The government will continue to impose punitive power prices on sectors that consume a lot of energy on a tier basis, the statement said.
The price cut is expected to hurt performance of coal-fired power companies in 2016, said Deng Shun, a coal industry analyst with ICIS.
Prior to the announcement, the government has pledged to lower electricity prices, push forward the marketization reform of the power industry, and improve the mechanism that links prices of coal and thermal power.
The move is hailed by industry experts as a step forward in a reform that aims to let the market play a bigger role in deciding power prices.
The cut in the on-grid price of coal-fired power signals that there will be big changes in the coal-electricity link regime, according to Lin Xiaotao, a coal industry analyst with market research firm ICIS.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planner, launched a coal price index in September, which reflects the prices of coal with a fuel value of 5,000 kilocalories per kilogram.
The index, seen by many as preparation for the new coal-power link mechanism, will enable the market to see the direction of future power price adjustments, according to Lin.
Coal prices in China are largely decided by the market after years of reform. The market will play an increasingly bigger role in power prices, according to Deng. (Edited by Huang Xiaolan, huangxiaolan@xinhua.org)
Editor Xuefei Chen Axelsson