Towards peace in a multipolar world

[onebyone]

The Paris Agreement and China’s Climate Leadership

In the midst of its weeklong National Day holiday – also known as Golden Week – China has another reason to celebrate today. Seventy-two countries, accounting for nearly 57% of global GHG emissions, have now formally joined the Paris climate agreement, meaning it will enter into force in 30 days. As my colleague Jake Schmidt writes, this marks “a global turning point in meeting the central environmental challenge of our time.”

China played a key role in getting the Paris Agreement over the finish line. The series of bilateral climate agreements between China and the U.S. – the world’s two largest GHG emitters – set the stage for the Paris negotiations, and also contributed to the extraordinary speed with which the agreement will enter into force. In addition, China and the U.S. are working together to push for an ambitious global phase-down of the potent heat-trapping chemicals called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol. China is also playing an active role in negotiations on an agreement to work towards “carbon neutral growth” in aviation emissions post-2020.

Some members of the U.S. Congress continue to claim that China will not follow through on its Paris climate pledges, which include the following for 2030:

1. peak carbon dioxide emissions around 2030 and make best efforts to peak early,
2. lower carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 60 to 65 percent from 2005 level,
3. increase the share of non-fossil fuels in the energy mix to around 20 percent, and
4. increase forest stock volume by around 4.5 billion cubic meters from 2005 levels.

Yet China is already moving ahead with a comprehensive set of measures that have put it on a path to peak its CO2 emissions much earlier and at a lower level than anyone had anticipated. In fact, China’s coal consumption has fallen for the past two years and may already have peaked in 2013:

China’s Coal Consumption

In contrast, renewable energy in China is booming. China invested $102.9 billion in renewable energy in 2015, more than the U.S. and the European Union combined. Half of all wind power capacity and almost one-third of all solar PV capacity installed globally last year was in China. China is installing one wind turbine an hour, and is building the world’s largest solar farm, which will include 6 million panels and cover more than 7,000 U.S east coast city blocks.

Not all of this renewable energy is being used. In 2015, 15 percent of China’s wind energy and 9 percent of its solar energy was “curtailed,” meaning that, for a variety of reasons, wind and solar energy production had to shut down because the electricity grid was not able to absorb the power that would have been generated. Yet, despite these challenges, power generation from wind and solar increased more than China’s total electricity demand in 2015.

In addition, as NRDC President Rhea Suh noted, China has built the world’s largest high-speed rail system, investing more than $500 billion to build some 12,000 miles of high-speed railroad connecting nearly every city in the country with a population of half a million or more. It plans to put three million electric cars on the road by 2025. And with 100 million rural residents planning to move into cities in the next five years – part of the largest and fastest urban expansion in history – China has adopted a series of ambitious targets for low-carbon urbanization.

Despite today’s historic news, much more still needs to be done, and time is of the essence. The evidence continues to mount that China is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which is threatening the country’s food security, human health, even its infrastructure networks. We look forward to continued leadership from China on every front of the global battle against climate change.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-a-finamore/the-paris-agreement-and-c_b_12363114.html

 

[ahojunk]

This is the speech that matters most. Talking about harsh reality!

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Chinese President Xi's APEC speech puts China, Asia-Pacific in global 'vanguard'
2016-11-21 08:42 | Xinhua | Editor: Mo Hong'e

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) CEO Summit in Lima, Peru, Nov. 19, 2016. (Photo: Xinhua/Li Tao)​

Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit on Saturday in Lima, Peru, placed China and the region at the forefront of a joint effort to reactivate the global economy, APEC participants and scholars have said.

Mario Mongilardi, president of the Lima Chamber of Commerce, believed Xi sent an encouraging message to the business communities of the 21 APEC members.

"The president of China made an extraordinary speech today. He laid out the bases for the future growth of the world economy," Mongilardi told Xinhua in an interview following the summit.

It was made clear that China's program of reforms will allow the participation of foreign companies in the Chinese market, which would offer other APEC members potential access to over 1.3 billion consumers, said Mongilardi.

"He (Xi) also announced that China would reach out to the world with very important investments and open its market up to foreign investments. It fills us with optimism to see that China, one of the world powers, believes in the market, believes in competition ... as a mechanism for development," Mongilardi said.

At the summit, Xi said that China must energize trade and investment to drive growth, and will make free trade arrangements more open and inclusive.

Martin Monteverde, president of the National Confederation of Private Entrepreneurial Institutions, said after the summit that Xi's speech showed China's willingness to work with others to develop the economy.

Xi said it is estimated that in the next five years China will import eight trillion U.S. dollars of goods, and introduce 600 billion dollars of foreign investment. This will provide great opportunities for Latin American companies, said Monteverde.

Xi said that in the first three quarters this year, China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 6.7 percent. This rapid economic growth will benefit Latin America, especially in areas such as mineral and energy resources, said another APEC participant, Alvaro Barrenechea, corporate affairs manager for Chinalco in Peru.

More than 30 percent of all foreign investments in Peruvian minerals came from China so far. Xi said that in the next five years China will invest 750 billion dollars overseas. This means that all Latin American countries will benefit from China's opening its market up to foreign investments, Barrenechea said.

Jose Picasso, chairman of Peruvian mining company Volcan, regarded Xi's speech as the best at the summit.

Xi's speech showed that China is willing to open up its market and narrow down the polarization of wealth. China's development will be an impetus for the development of the Asia-Pacific region, Picasso said.

At a time when much of the rest of the world is suffering from economic slowdowns, the Asia-Pacific region is enjoying steady growth, said Xi, and as such it must lead the way and take strong and coordinated actions to energize the world economy and create new opportunities for global growth.

Luis Delgado, a professor of social studies at the state University of Carabobo in northern Venezuela, said "the speech marks the route the Chinese government is proposing to reactivate the world economy," and indicates "how the Asia-Pacific region can be the vanguard in the reactivation of the world economy."

Xi's message also places China at the forefront of that effort, because it "revindicates the free market, but it does so from a comprehensive perspective," which calls for "growth that must be accompanied by human development schemes," said Delgado.

In addition, the Asian giant has already taken the lead to do so in different parts of the world, such as Latin America, where "China has committed to the development" of the region in the coming years, said Delgado.

"With Latin America's potential and the support of the Chinese government, I think it is possible for the region to overcome difficulties," such as lack of development, infrastructure and investment, and "to reactivate the world economy," he said.

"I believe China wants to create all of the conditions for the free movement of capital, and in that way strengthen the dynamism of the world economy," he added.

In that sense, the 2016 APEC meetings in Lima may mark a turning point in the global economic balance, he said.

"The historic context and historic significance of this process mark a relocation of the world's geo-economic center, which was in the Atlantic, to the Pacific, and in the midst of this, China plays a leading role," said Delgado.

Venezuelan economist and political analyst Vladimir Adrianza, who teaches at the Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela in Caracas, agreed that Xi's speech is evidence of "the transfer of the geo-economic center towards the Pacific."

It also signals an awareness of the disadvantages that have afflicted smaller economies in the traditional global economic order, Adrianza said.

Xi's speech "gives us an idea of the willingness on the part of China's current leadership to pursue an understanding with economies that are much smaller than China's," he said.

Established in 1989 as a forum to promote free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region, the 21-member APEC is becoming an increasingly important mechanism to address economic issues not only within the region, but also around the world.

APEC has played an important role in advancing trade liberalization and facilitation, promoting economic integration and boosting connectivity.

The Asia-Pacific region, which is vital to global peace and development, accounts for 40 percent of the world population, around half of world trade, and 57 percent of the global GDP.

 

[TaiShang]

Perhaps thanks to "lack of US leadership," this year's APEC has created a stronger momentum than previous summits I followed.

 

[ahojunk]

Xi says China stays committed to upholding world peace
2017-01-19 08:38 | Xinhua | Editor: Gu Liping

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China remains unchanged in its commitment to upholding world peace.

He made the remarks while delivering an address at the UN Office at Geneva.

"For several millennia, peace has been in the blood of us Chinese and a part of our DNA," said Xi.

"Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you," he quoted from Confucius, a great ancient Chinese sage.

He noted that China has grown from a poor and weak country to the world's second largest economy not by committing military expansion or colonial plunder, but through the hard work of its people and their efforts to uphold peace.

"China will never waver in its pursuit of peaceful development. No matter how strong its economy grows, China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence. History has borne this out and will continue to do so," he vowed.

The Chinese leader also pledged that China will remain unchanged in its commitment to pursue common development.

"China's development has been possible because of the world, and China has contributed to the world's development. We will continue to pursue a win-win strategy of opening-up, share our development opportunities with other countries and welcome them aboard the fast train of China's development," said Xi.

According to Xi, China has provided foreign countries with over 400 billion yuan (about 58.4 billion U.S. dollars) of aid between 1950 and 2016, while since the outbreak of the international financial crisis, China has contributed to over 30 percent of global growth each year on average.

He went on by saying that in the coming five years, China will import eight trillion dollars of goods, attract 600 billion dollars of foreign investment, make 750 billion dollars of outbound investment, adding that Chinese tourists will make 700 million outbound visits.

"China remains unchanged in its commitment to foster partnerships," he said in the speech.

He also said that China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, and is ready to enhance friendship and cooperation with all other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

China has formed partnerships of various forms with over 90 countries and regional organizations, and will build a circle of friends across the world, he said.

The Chinese president said China will strive to build a new model of major country relations with the United States, a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with Russia, partnership for peace, growth, reform and among different civilizations with Europe, and a partnership of unity and cooperation with BRICS countries.

China is also going to remain unchanged in its commitment to multilateralism, said the president.

He hailed multilateralism as an effective way to preserve peace and promote development, saying that for decades, the UN and other international bodies have made a universally recognized contribution to maintaining global peace and sustaining development.

China will firmly uphold the international system with the UN as its core, the basic norms governing international relations embodied in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, the authority and stature of the UN, and its core role in international affairs, he added.


********

"China has grown from a poor and weak country to the world's second largest economy not by committing military expansion or colonial plunder, but through the hard work of its people and their efforts to uphold peace".

This statement is very telling indeed.
China benefits via construction while other do it through destruction.
Remember WMD, regime change,removal of dictators and support for "human rights". No benefit to the targeted countries but only sufferings and miseries.
China doesn't interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Just don't provoke the dragon.
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[ahojunk]

G20 FMs wrap up meeting, affirm multilateralism
2017-02-18 08:30 | Xinhua | Editor: Wang Fan

The foreign ministers meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) concluded here Friday with participants affirming support for multilateralism after two days of intensive interactions.

German Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said at a press conference shortly after the meeting ended that the participants agreed countries should work together to deal with the various challenges facing the world today.

"The meeting was very fruitful, indeed," Gabriel said.

Gabriel said the G20 played an increasingly important role in tackling global issues such as climate change and water scarcity, and such issues could only be tackled by working together, not by working in isolation.

The German minister also called for the establishment of an early warning mechanism so that the world would be better prepared to deal with global issues.

The meeting of foreign ministers, one of the serial ministerial-level meetings leading to the G20 Hamburg Summit in July, was held at the World Conference Center in Bonn.

The participants met on Thursday for the first working session focused on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted in September 2016 at the Hangzhou Summit.

They met for the second session on Friday to discuss issues about conflict prevention, post-conflict peace building, and how to strengthen cooperation with Africa.

The G20 is comprised of 19 countries plus the European Union (EU). The countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, Britain, and the United States.

 

[TaiShang]

Does China plan an East Asian security structure?
By Tim Collard
China.org.cn, February 23, 2017

The advent of a new and unpredictable American administration presents a clear new security challenge to China in a region not lacking in security challenges. On the one hand, President Trump is casting doubt on the U.S.'s future commitment to financing the alliance structure built up in the region during the Cold War; on the other, he sees fit to express quite aggressive opposition to the Chinese position on the South China Sea issue.

It is, of course, likely that the new President's bark will be proved to be nowhere near as bad as his bite; he knows as yet little of China, and - once better informed by his advisers - he has hurried to reassure the Chinese government that he was mistaken in casting doubt on the U.S.'s commitment to the one-China principle.

But the new administration's lack of clarity regarding the region's security issues, coupled with the decision already made to withdraw the U.S. from the proposed regional trading structure in the form of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, will no doubt have encouraged the Chinese leadership that China had better make her own arrangements for ensuring regional security, rather than relying on the uncertainties of U.S. policy.

It cannot, of course, be expected that China would aim at formal security structures, on the pattern of that established by the Soviet Union in the Cold War days. In effect, the Soviet Union established the "Warsaw Pact" a belt of buffer states as an extra reinforcement to its security. Its importance was in keeping NATO forces a long way from the core Soviet territory, and also to ensure that a number of ostensibly independent states could be relied upon to support the USSR in international disputes. There is no prospect of this pattern being repeated in East Asia.

China has always eschewed all formal alliances, and will see no reason to change that policy. But a network of bilateral and multilateral security arrangements, with a network of sympathetic states who will be supportive of China in international disputes, may well provide a degree of reassurance against sudden eruptions of disorder.

The U.S. has alliances with Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines, and a formal though ill-defined commitment to Taiwan. China would probably like to have some kind of regular arrangement to set against that. China's relations with ASEAN have provided a degree of stability and common interest, and the Belt and Road project will serve to provide economic underpinning to these important relationships.

A year ago it looked as though dissensions between neighbors over territorial issues in the South China Sea might render it difficult to achieve a regional meeting of minds on security issues. But China has been able to turn the situation to her own advantage.

The turning point here was the election of Rodrigo Duterte as President of the Philippines in May 2016. There were fears that the unpredictable Duterte might take a confrontational approach to China. However, due to a disagreement with former U.S. President Obama, Duterte decided to embrace China, and expresses a wish to align his country's interests with those of China and Russia, in a clear snub to the West.

What this might mean in practice for regional security is as yet unclear, but the immediate result has been a speedy replacement of tension with cooperation in the South China Sea. Now that they are no longer confronting China on the sovereignty issues, the Chinese are now allowing Filipino fishermen access to fishing grounds around the formerly disputed islands and reefs. And it is likely that funds will soon start flowing from the AIIB for much-needed infrastructural projects in the Philippines.

The Philippine volte-face might have remained a unique peculiarity, were it not for other regional developments in the second half of 2016. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's visit to China in early November suggested a degree of rapprochement which went beyond purely economic cooperation.

Malaysia is set to enjoy the benefits of a funding package as part of the Belt and Road programme, which also contains a strategic element - Chinese investment in a joint venture to build a new deep-water port at Melaka. This will serve as a safeguard for Chinese shipping traffic through the strategically vital Malacca Straits, indicating that guarding vital sea lanes will no longer be seen primarily as a U.S. responsibility.

This should not be seen as an attempt to establish hegemony: security of trade routes is an obvious complement to the strategic Belt and Road programme, especially as questions are now being raised over continuing U.S. commitment to the region. China is demonstrating the will to take up a share of responsibility commensurate with her growing global prominence.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

 

[ahojunk]

China plays key role in maintaining multilateral world order: People’s Daily
(People's Daily) 10:33, February 22, 2017

The world should maintain the current international order and system which was established after the World War II, said People’s Daily in a commentary published on Monday, playing down the concerns that the world is facing an era shaped by disorder and illiberal actors.

The article under the byline of Zhong Sheng was published after a special report entitled "Post-truth, post-West, post-order?" which was submitted for discussion at the 53rd Munich Security Conference (MSC) held in Germany from February 17 to 19.

It warned that the world order could be on the verge of collapse due to the rise of populism and anti-globalization tide in the West as well as the divided relations between Western countries.

The article pointed out that two points narrated by the Western media, namely their descriptions about history and status quo of world, must be corrected.

First of all, the history after the World War II, in the eyes of quite a number of Westerners, is their glorious journey to establish global order that benefits the whole mankind, therefore they believed that the world will be out of order as the West falls into chaos. But such West-centered argument is mischievous and false.

After the Word War II, a multilateral international framework and mechanism was established thanks to the joint efforts of all countries. Multilateral organizations represented by the United Nations have, by pooling the efforts of the international community, made historical achievements to maintain world peace and promote development.

The developing countries, with a rising international strength, have played a role that cannot be ignored. All in all, it is unfair to label the current international order as “created by West”.

In terms of the status quo, the commentary noted that the world is confronted with numerous challenges, including a sluggish economy, deteriorated geopolitical conflicts, intensified refugee crisis, frustrated economic globalization and regional integration and repeated terrorist attacks.

However, the world is definitely not out of order. The multilateral framework and mechanism built after the World War II still play a key and irreplaceable part in maintaining world peace and development. As long as every country abides by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, disputes and conflicts can be resolved and a win-win situation based on peaceful coexistence will be attained.

Taking the real demands into account, what the world now needs is persistence in multi-lateralism, strengthened international cooperation, improvement in global governance as well as accelerated process in regional cooperation, the paper continued, adding these China-advocated ideas were echoed by the international community as “voice of reason.”

The more chaotic the world becomes, the more it needs countries like China to maintain world peace, contribute to global development, defend multi-lateralism, and make contributions to human peace via its own development, it concluded.

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[ahojunk]

Voice of China: To build bridges or walls, that’s the problem
By Curtis Stone, Chengliang Wu (People's Daily Online) 09:25, March 01, 2017

Isms, such as nationalism, protectionism, populism, and isolationism, are spreading like wildfire across the Western world, creating uncertainty about the future of free trade and international economic cooperation. U.S. President Donald Trump and far-right leaders across Europe have emerged as influential voices against globalization, blaming it for the world’s problems. Amidst growing doubts about the future of the globalized international order, China has emerged as a voice of reason.

West: Build walls, not bridges.

In response to the wave of populism that is sweeping through the West, more and more countries in the Western world are adopting an explosive strategy of isolation and protectionism. Last year, Britain decided to exit from the European Union, essentially undoing about four decades of treaties and agreements. The success of Brexit helped usher in the rise of Trump, and has brought far-right politicians across Europe to the forefront of world politics.

In the U.S., Trump has vowed to take America back like Britain took back control of their nation. “They will soon be calling me MR. BREXIT,” he once tweeted. In his inaugural speech, Trump asserted: “We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs.” “Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength,” he added. After Trump took office, he took steps to roll back globalization. Trump ordered the U.S. to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and agreement; called for the construction of a physical wall on the southern border; stepped up enforcement of immigration laws; and closed America’s doors to immigrants from seven majority-Muslim countries.

In Europe, a similar phenomenon is taking place right now in France. National Front leader Marine Le Pen, a front-runner in the French presidential elections, has vowed to take France back if she wins the election. The populist leader is urging her supporters to follow in the footsteps of Brexit and Trump, claiming that France is under the threat of two “totalitarianisms” – economic globalization and Islamic fundamentalism. If elected, Le Pen has promised to withdraw France from NATO’s Integrated Military Command; leave the European Union; contain immigration, especially immigration by Muslims; and expel thousands of foreigners. “The divide is not between the left and right anymore, but between patriots and globalists,” she said in a speech.

China: Build bridges, not walls.

Despite turmoil, China continues to signal its willingness to promote opening up and common development. For example, China is making a huge contribution to world peace and prosperity with its massive Belt and Road project. Since 2013, China has advanced the game-changing economic and diplomatic initiative as a way to connect the world. In 2016 alone, China invested $14.5 billion in countries along the Belt and Road. Not only is the initiative bridging the region, it offers new opportunity for major-country relations. The initiative is poised to forever reshape global trade and demonstrates China’s steadfast commitment to an open global economy.

The new political divide comes at a time when the world stands at a major crossroads as a global community: build bridges or build walls. China has chosen to build bridges with the global community, and hopes that all countries will come together to build a community of common destiny for mankind. In his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the world to keep to the goal of building a community with a shared future. Xi also urged the international community to view their own interests in a broader context and to refrain from pursuing them at the expense of others. “Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. While wind and rain may be kept outside, that dark room will also block light and air,” Xi said in his speech.

What the world needs now is more globalization, not less. Countries that stand by globalization, such as China, play a key role in maintaining the international economic order. Rather than blame economic globalization for the world’s problems, the international community should step up to the plate and make the global economy work for all people.