Northeast Asia Geostrategic Forum

[TaiShang]

China, Russia ink cooperation memorandum on insurance regulation

2015-11-16 17:200

BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia inked a memorandum to further cooperation on insurance regulations, according to a statement released by the country's top insurance watchdog on Monday.

China Insurance Regulatory Commission and Russia's central bank will facilitate information exchange and coordination on insurance regulation, the statement said.

The cooperation opportunities are abundant for the two countries in areas such as tourism insurance, major project construction financing and risk control, and reinsurance. They will help promote the development of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, the statement pointed out.

China's insurance market has been growing fast in recent years, with total premiums reaching over two trillion yuan (314.7 billion U.S. dollars) in 2014, growing 17.5 percent year on year, the fastest since the international financial crisis.

***

Russia's Rosneft in talks to allow China into offshore Arctic projects - RIA

MOSCOW

The logo of Russia's top crude producer Rosneft is seen on a price information board of a gasoline station, with the Ostankino television and radio tower seen in the background, in Moscow July 17, 2014.
REUTERS/SERGEI KARPUKHIN

Russia's Rosneft (ROSN.MM) is in talks with Chinese companies to allow them to take part in its offshore Arctic projects, the RIA news agency quoted Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky as saying on Monday.

Rosneft has suspended drilling in Arctic Kara Sea in 2014 after U.S. ExxonMobil (XOM.N) withdrew from the project because of Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.

 

[TaiShang]

China and Russia cooperate on liquefied natural gas project
2015-11-17 16:11

China and Russia are pressing ahead with the Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Russia's offshore Arctic area, according to senior officials.

China's Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli said that the strategic partnership between the two countries has continued at a high-level of development and he also pledged both parties to take an active part in the build-up of more flagship projects in energy cooperation.

Zhang made the remarks during the 12th Meeting of the China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee in Beijing in preparation for the upcoming 20th Regular China-Russia Prime Ministers' Meeting.

During the meeting, both countries agreed to deepen energy cooperation over the construction of an eastern natural gas pipeline as well as projects for western natural gas and Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to a report by Xinhua News Agency.

In addition, both parties will make sure that the construction of a China-Russia crude oil pipeline goes smoothly and at the same time expand cooperation in the sector of energy equipment.

Earlier reports said that China and Russia are expected to sign contracts for the Yamal LNG project in December.

In September, the $40 billion Chinese Silk Road Fund acquired a 9.9 percent stake in Yamal LNG without disclosing detailed information about the price.

 

[ahojunk]

I am not surprised at all.

The stupid policies of the Americans help to facilitate and quicken the embrace of the Russian bear with the Chinese Panda.

 

[TaiShang]

I am not surprised at all.

The stupid policies of the Americans help to facilitate and quicken the embrace of the Russian bear with the Chinese Panda.

China and Russia's strategic interests are very much aligned. First and foremost, both wish to see international relations to decouple from the archaic Western dominated model.Given that both nations are literally untouchable by external forces without a major payback, they have the liberty to incrementally shape the world to their own liking.

Regional or middle powers do not enjoy such liberty.

Besides, powerful allies are an asset while weak allies are liabilities.

 

[TaiShang]

China-Russia ties serious stabilising factor in global affairs: Putin
November 18, 2015, 5:49 am

Putin with Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission Xu Qiliang at the Kremlin on 17 November 2015 [Xinhua]

Russian President Vladimir Putin in a meeting with Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission Xu Qiliang has said Russia-China joint efforts are a stabilising factor in the world.


“We have noted on numerous occasions that the world is not becoming any calmer, and the joint efforts of China and Russia in all these areas, including the military one, are a serious stabilising factor in world affairs,” Putin told Xu in Moscow on Tuesday.

Xu will attend the 20th session of the Russian-Chinese Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation. He will also hold talks with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

“The main goal of my trip is to implement the important agreements you developed together with Chairman Xi Jinping on the basis of the principles of mutual benefit: to further promote military and military-technical cooperation between our countries to help these relations to enter a new stage in their development,” Xu told Putin.

The senior Chinese military official stressed that China is willing to work with Russia to promote defense cooperation in protection of mutual interests and regional as well as world stability.

China has recently purchased Russia’s most advanced air and missile defense system, becoming the first foreign buyer of the S-400.

China will receive its first batch of the long-range anti-aircraft missile systems within the next 12 to 18 months.

The two allies held joint celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, with Russian and Chinese Presidents attending the events in the two countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also recently became the first foreign leader who visited the Russian Defense Ministry’s operational control centre.

Xi Jinping has made a strong military a key plank of his plan for a revitalized China.

In Moscow in April this year, the Chinese Defense Minister said China needs a defense force matching its development needs and that a fair and just international order needs to be established.

“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army is an active contributor to world peace, stability and development. China is a constructive member in international security. With its growing economy, China needs a national defense and military force that is commensurate with its development needs, not only to safeguard national interests, but to improve its fulfilment of its international obligations,” the Chinese Defense Minister said.

China will raise its defense budget by around 10 per cent this year, an announcement made during the annual session of the country’s top legislature in March said.

***

China and Russia are forming the strategic partnership of the future centered on the Eurasian landmass. While China is now busy with the Asia Pacific theater of US hegemonic control spasms, Russia has been dealing with the same forces on the Levant and Eastern European theaters.

We might be in the stage of make or break.

@yusheng

 

[beijingwalker]

Russia, China sign contract worth over $2 billion for Su-35 fighter jets

6 hours ago

MOSCOW (Reuters) - China is to buy a batch of 24 Sukhoi-35 fighter jets from Russia in a deal worth more than $2 billion (1.3 billion pounds), an industry source told Reuters on Thursday, in a move that may help the Kremlin's strained finances.

A spokeswoman for Russian state holding Rostec confirmed a deal between the two countries had been signed involving Su-35 fighter jets, but declined to provide details.

The deal makes China the first foreign buyer of the Su-35, one of Russia's most advanced military aircraft, and is one of the largest contracts for military jets to have ever been signed between the two countries.

Russia and China have been in talks for several years over the Su-35s, and in 2012 the two sides signed a preliminary agreement for Beijing to buy some of the jets, the Kommersant newspaper reported.

Arms sales are a rare bright spot in an otherwise gloomy economic picture for Russia, whose economy is suffering from weak oil prices and Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict.

Moscow has sought to deepen trade and financial ties with Beijing following the chill in relations with the West over Ukraine, but some analysts are sceptical as to whether the drive has yielded much in the way of early results.

It is not clear when China will pay Russia the more than $2 billion fee for the Su-35 jets.



(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Russia, China sign contract worth over $2 billion for Su-35 fighter jets - Yahoo Finance

 

[beijingwalker]

 

[beijingwalker]

Confirmed: Russia Just Sold 24 Lethal Su-35 Fighters to China

Russia has reached an agreement with the People’s Republic of China to supply the nascent Asian superpower with twenty-four Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E fighters. The two countries have been discussing the sale of the powerful Russian-built jet since at least 2011.

“Long negotiations for the supply of Su-35 in China are completed, we signed a contract,” Sergei Chemezov general director of Rostec—which is a Russian government entity that helps facilitate Moscow’s defense exports—told the Russian daily Kommersant.

Meanwhile, the Russians had initially insisted that the Chinese buy a minimum of forty-eight jets because of fears that Beijing simply wanted to harvest the Su-35 forits technology—particularly, the radar, electronic warfare systems and engines. If Kommersant’s sources are correct, the new deal does not allow for China to license build the Su-35, instead the PLAAF will receive jets manufactured in Russia. Of course, that won’t stop the Chinese from picking the Su-35 clean for technology—it’s just makes the process more difficult.

Ultimately, Russia ended up signing a deal to sell only twenty-four Su-35s to China. Moscow’s hand has been weakened by European sanctions and low oil prices, which means that Russia might have needed the money. The Su-35 deal comes on the heels of several other high-profile Chinese purchases including one last year for the powerful S-400 surface-to-air integrated air defense system worth about $1.9 billion. Once the S-400 is operational, the weapon would allow China toengage Taiwanese aircraft taking off from almost anywhere in on the island from across the strait.

The addition of the Su-35 to the PLAAF arsenal means that China will be about to learn more about its AL-41F1S engine, Ibris-E radar and electronic warfare suite. The Chinese have made huge technological advances, but Russian military technology—particularly for jet engines is light-years ahead. Once the Su-35 is delivered, the jets are almost certainly to be reverse engineered and copied. One can initially expect advanced derivatives of the J-11 Flanker clone, but an entirely new Su-35 clone might follow not long afterwards.

Confirmed: Russia Just Sold 24 Lethal Su-35 Fighters to China | The National Interest BlogConfirmed: Russia Just Sold 24 Lethal Su-35 Fighters to China | The National Interest Blog

 

[TaiShang]

I tell you. Unification is an organic process with minute details which is hard to undiscernible eye. This initiative is very important; a huge step to bridge the historical-political gap between Mainland and Taiwan island, which is the sole reason for today's de facto separation.

Given that two different people inside the same land cannot agree on common histories in most cases, what Mainland and Taiwan have achieved by producing a history of the most controversial era of the Chinese nation cannot be over-stated.


***

Mainland, Taiwan jointly compile 1st modern history book
Xinhua, June 21, 2016

Experts from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have jointly compiled a modern history book of China, the first since 1949.

The work, which covers the period from 1912 to 1949, has been published by the Social Sciences Academic Press, according to the Institute of Modern History under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, which organized the project.

Since October 2010, 57 historians, including 34 from the mainland, 21 from Taiwan and two from Hong Kong, have worked on the project.

The 1,268-page work elaborates on a series of major issues concerning politics, the military, foreign affairs, ideology and culture.

The work was composed of two books, one on the general history of that period and the other on various special subjects.

It is the first work on Chinese modern history to be jointly compiled by experts from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan since the Communist Party of China (CPC) established the People's Republic of China in 1949 after defeating the Kuomintang, which retreated to Taiwan.

During the 1912-1949 period, the CPC and Kuomintang came together twice to defeat the warlord government and the Japanese invasion, but went on to fight each other.

The work respects the different readings of history, and while there are some areas where both sides agree, the publication contains different readings of the same issues, according to Wang Jianlang, head of the Institute of Modern History under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Wang is one of the chief compilers of the book, another is Huang Ko-wu, a research fellow with the Institute of Modern History under Taipei-based Academia Sinica.

Another work of Chinese modern history about the late Qing Dynasty (1840-1911) will also be compiled by historians from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

@Chinese-Dragon , @cirr , @AndrewJin , @ahojunk , @ChineseTiger1986 , @hirobo2 , et al.

 

[ahojunk]

I tell you. Unification is an organic process with minute details which is hard to undiscernible eye. This initiative is very important; a huge step to bridge the historical-political gap between Mainland and Taiwan island, which is the sole reason for today's de facto separation.

Given that two different people inside the same land cannot agree on common histories in most cases, what Mainland and Taiwan have achieved by producing a history of the most controversial era of the Chinese nation cannot be over-stated.

.
I agree. Unification is already happening, slowly. China is a civilization state not a nation state.

Regardless, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao is just one very big country with different systems.

From whatever angle you look at it, the history for all of Greater China should be the same.

 

[TaiShang]

.
I agree. Unification is already happening, slowly. China is a civilization state not a nation state.

Regardless, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao is just one very big country with different systems.

From whatever angle you look at it, the history for all of Greater China should be the same.

A common, unified look at history, even with varying interpretations, is important in the sense of civilization-nation state, as China is one and in fact the most enduring.

Academic communities on both sides of the Straits are working on various joint projects; this is yet another step in organic unification. It started with business community in the 80s, then expanded across civil/political societies and the epistemic community. I guess our intention is not to blunt all the different interpretations, but to arrive at consensus at common interests and civilizational-psyche of the Greater China area.

 

[TaiShang]

China rescues three trapped in DPRK floods
September 02, 2016
(Xinhua)

CHANGCHUN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A group of Chinese rescuers saved three people from flooding caused by Typhoon Lionrock, in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Thursday.

The team rescued two men and a woman on the country's Onsong island, which neighbours northeast China's Jilin Province, at 4: 30 p.m. on Thursday, under the request of DPRK, according to the Jilin flood control office.

Shortly after noon, the rescuers arrived at the island on boats and used a drone to locate the trapped group who were later sent back to Namyang city.

The typhoon has brought heavy rain to the cross-border Tumen river, resulting in the relocation of more than 40,000 people in Jilin.

 

[TaiShang]

This thread is dedicated to the news and analyses on Northeast Asian development and geopolitics, which includes Greater China (Mainland and Taiwan), Russia, Japan and Koreas.

@AndrewJin , @ahojunk , @Chinese-Dragon , @Shotgunner51 , @Daniel808 , @CAPRICORN-88 , @Economic superpower , @xunzi , @Jlaw , @Sinopakfriend , @Gibbs , @bobsm , @Dungeness , @terranMarine , @grey boy 2 , @bbccdd1470 , @jkroo , @name , @Three_Kingdoms , @yusheng , @cirr , et al.

***

South Korea uses China's mobile payment apps

CRI, September 19, 2016

​

At Myeong-dong, a primary shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, WeChat Pay or Alipay, two of the most used mobile payment apps are available for Chinese customers. The apps are widely available in duty free shops in South Korea, thepaper.cn reports.

"We made a consuming environment similar to China," a director of Shinsegae Duty Free Shop at Myeong-dong said. "We introduced WeChat Pay when we opened this shop in May. Now about 20% of the total sales come through WeChat."

The use of such Chinese apps is convenient to Chinese customers. "I didn't expect I could pay with WeChat abroad, and I can also enjoy a 5% discount as I pay by China UnionPay Card," said a Chinese customer.

WeChat Pay is also accepted in restaurants, cafes and clothes shops.

The manager of a famous Korean barbeque restaurant said that the Chinese make up about 80% of their customers, and 80% of them pay by WeChat.

In China, payment apps are well developed, and the shopping demands of Chinese customers overseas build an opportunity for the apps to explore the market abroad.

The overseas use of WeChat Pay is still in the hands of Chinese customers, said WeChat Pay operation director Huang Li. "We promote our services to where the market is, this means finding the favorite shopping places for Chinese customers."

​

Signs for the Chinese payment apps WeChat Pay and Alipay in primary shopping districts in South Korea. Photo undated. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

​

The WeChat Pay sign at a peddler's stall in South Korea. Photo undated [Photo: thepaper.cn]

A Chinese customer uses WeChat Pay in South Korea and receives the bill in Chinese currency (RMB). Photo undated. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

 

[TaiShang]

***

Mainland investors take a fancy to Japanese realty
China Daily, September 19, 2016

Chinese youth learn how to cook local food in Takatsuo in Japan. They get to experience the Japanese culture by staying in local bed-and-breakfast facilities. [China Daily]

The global economic growth has been sluggish, but not the Chinese investors' shopping spree for assets worldwide. They are now eyeing the Japanese property market, especially bed-and-breakfast facilities.

In a sense, it marks the evolution of Chinese shopping in Japan. For long, the Chinese have been loading up on the Japanese consumer goods ranging from electronic toilet seats to rice cookers and cosmetics.

Now, it's Japanese property. Prices surged nearly 30 percent in the last couple of years on the back of demand for hospitality-related realty, particularly B&B units, from Chinese investors.

Property agencies in Japan think Chinese investors are convinced millions of Chinese tourists visiting the Land of the Rising Sun every year present great investment opportunities.

They are pumping in big money into the Japanese property market.

In July alone, a record 2.29 million travelers visited Japan, bulk of them from the Chinese mainland, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

In the first half of 2016, 11.7 million foreigners visited Japan, up 28 percent year-on-year. Of them, a little over 3 million were from the Chinese mainland.

Every year, about 20 million foreigners visit Japan. The Japanese government is aiming to receive 40 million visitors by 2020, the Tokyo Olympics year. By 2030, it is targeting to receive 60 million visitors.

In some bustling tourist attractions like Tokyo and Osaka, there is a serious shortage of hotels. Last year, the occupancy rate of hotels reached 82.3 percent in Tokyo, and 85.2 percent in Osaka, according to the JTA.

A 21st Century Business Herald report quoted UBS Securities in Japan as saying that if "the occupancy rate of a hotel reaches 80 percent, the hotel is regarded as operating with full load. If visitor numbers rise by 5 million a year, the hotels in Tokyo and Osaka won't be enough".

Inadequate number of hotels have made bed-and-breakfast guesthouses popular. Private family homes offer overnight accommodation and breakfast for travelers, particularly the younger, lot among them who prefer having good experiences on a tight budget.

B&B units allow them to stay in downtown areas among local communities and experience local culture. If such units have Chinese hosts, so much the better for Chinese visitors.

Xin Xin, a young office worker in Beijing, said she stayed at one such unit in Osaka last September as it was the peak travel season, and hotel rooms were expensive and hard to find.

"My friend recommended this option. It was cheaper. I booked one through Airbnb. It is located in downtown Osaka and about 500 meters away from the hotel I intended to book. The room charged about 600 yuan ($90) per night, which is only half of the hotel room rate," she said.

"It was a one-bedroom apartment, very clean and close to the subway station. I always stayed at hotels on my previous trips, and had to check out before noon, which used to inconvenience me as I couldn't store my luggage until my departure time."

It is millions of travelers such as Xin that are creating investment and business opportunities.

For instance, demand, and online searches for B&B accommodation has made the US-based lodging website Airbnb popular among tourists, particularly Chinese, visiting Japan. The app is also hot in the Chinese mainland, its fastest growing market.

Real estate agencies said more than half of Chinese investors interested in Japanese properties mainly focus on private home accommodation.

This trend has become particularly pronounced ever since the stock market rout of mid-2015, which made realty the alternative investment option.

So much so that in the Japanese realty market, mainland investors are now next only to those from the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore, according to data from Real Capital Analytics, a New York-based research firm that tracks commercial real estate pricing.

The trend could deepen going forward as the business of proving private home accommodation to travelers is likely to be made legal by the Japanese government in the near future.

Besides, Tokyo is set to hold the Olympic Games in 2020. The four-year run-up is expected to prove a tonic for the Japanese real estate sector, according to a report by Nikkei Business Daily.

In general, the rate of return on property rentals in major Chinese cities like Shanghai is 3 percent. In Tokyo, it could be up to 5 to 8 percent.

 

[AndrewJin]

Great thread again! @TaiShang