KATHMANDU, June 24: Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli Sunday said that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Nepal soon.

PM Oli returned home on Sunday after concluding his six-day official state visit to China.

“The Chinese President will come to Nepal very soon. Xi, during one-to-one meeting with me in Beijing, has expressed willing to visit Nepal. We are eager to welcome him in Kathmandu,” Oli told journalists upon his return from China at Tribhuvan International Airport.

Oli further said that Nepal and China have already agreed bringing railway to Kathmandu. “Feasibility study and DPR on railway project will be conducted soon,” he added.

Oli during his visit signed 14 bilateral agreements with China—that included deals on energy energy co-operation, investment and co-operation on production capacity, economic and technical co-operation, reconstruction of friendship bridge and Rasuwa bridge, protocol on the utilization of highways in Tibet Autonomous Region by Nepal for cargo transport, human resource development co-operation, formation of Ministry of Foreign Affairs level mechanisms for facilitation on Nepal-China cooperation projects, 159-km long Kerung-Galchhi transmission line—and most significantly Kathmandu-Kerung railway.

“Agreement on railway is one of the most significant deals ever reached between Nepal and China,” Oli said.

However the modality of investment —in grant or loan or assistance– for building the project is yet to be finalized, he added.

“Whoever has money will invest in the railway construction project,” he added.

Special Correspondent Hari Lamichhane

BEIJING, June 20: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday handed over to the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping the invitation letter sent by President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
PM Oli, who is on a six-day official visit to China, handed over the invitation letter during a courtesy meeting with the Chinese President at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Receiving the invitation letter sent by President Bhandari, President Xi expressed his commitment to visit Nepal at an appropriate time.

President Xi and Prime Minister held one-on-one talks for half an hour. Similarly, the delegation level talks lasted for 45 minutes.

On the occasion, the Chinese President said that China would provide all type of support to Nepal while respecting its sovereignty and integrity.

Stating that cooperation would be forthcoming from China for Nepal’s development, he said they were ready to take forward the bilateral relations on a new basis.

President Xi said that China has always been respecting Nepal as a good neighbor.
Prime Minister Oli said that Nepal has been getting support and assistance from a good neighbor, China, and that Nepal would always work together with China for the economic development and prosperity of the country.

Noting that Nepal has consistently remained committed to the ‘one China’ policy and also been replicating that in practice, PM Oli said Nepal wanted to be benefited from the development achieved by China in the economic and technology sectors.
On the occasion, Prime Minister and Chairman of Nepal Communist Party Oli congratulated President Xi on his election as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China.

During the meeting, the two leaders held important discussions regarding taking the relations between the governments and the Communist Party of both countries to a new high.

The delegation level talks are underway now after the meeting between the two leaders.

Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Barshaman Pun, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghuveer Mahaseth, Prime Minister’s Chief Advisor Bishnu Rimal, Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi and Nepal’s ambassador to china Lilamani Poudyal were present in the delegation level talks.

President Xi, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other senior Chinese government officials participated in the talks.

Before meeting the Chinese President, PM Oli paid homage to the leader of the Chinese Revolution, the late Mao Tse-Tung at his statue. On the occasion a contingent of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army presented a guard of honor to PM Oli.

Prime Minister Oli had embarked on China visit on Tuesday at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Chinese State Council, Li Keqiang.

The Prime Minister Oli participated in important program and meetings since the morning today.

Also today, he delivered an address to the Nepal-China Business Forum and participated in the signing ceremony regarding operation of energy, cement and pashmina industries by the private sector of the two countries. RSS

Special Correspondent Hari Lamichhane
BEIJING, June 20: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is on a six-day official visit to China, has paid a courtesy call on Chinese President Xi Jinping Wednesday.

During the meeting, both the leaders held a discussion on key issues regarding taking the relations between the governments and Communist Parties of both the countries to a new height.

Delegation-level meeting has now begun following the meeting between the two top leaders. Earlier before visiting the Chinese President, Prime Minister Oli paid tribute to the statue of Chinese leader Mao Tes-Tung.

Prime Minister Oli had embarked on official visit to China on Tuesday at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. RSS

BEIJING, April 11: The brewing China-U.S. trade conflict features two leaders who’ve expressed friendship but are equally determined to pursue their nation’s interests and their own political agendas.

But while President Donald Trump faces continuing churn in his administration and a tough challenge in midterm congressional elections, China’s Xi Jinping leads an outwardly stable authoritarian regime. Xi recently succeeded in pushing through a constitutional reform allowing him to rule for as long as he wishes while facing no serious electoral challenge.

A look at some of the issues that could determine the outcome of the trade spat:

FRIENDLY TALK

Although Trump sounded tough on the campaign trail and has challenged Beijing over trade and Taiwan, he professes admiration for his Chinese counterpart and complimented him on his ability to remove term limits on his presidential rule.

“President Xi and I will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade,” Trump said in a tweet Sunday. “China’s great and Xi is a great gentleman,” he said in remarks at a Republican fundraiser last month obtained by CNN.

Xi has generally limited his comments to emphasizing the benefits of a close China-U.S. relationship and thanking Trump in a phone call on March 10 for congratulating him on his obtaining a second term as president. A pair of summits between the leaders in the U.S. and China over the past year were also hailed by China as successes.

FAMILY BACKGROUNDS

Both Trump and Xi come from privileged backgrounds, although their routes to political power were decidedly different. Both, however, have built their reputations on a robust form of nationalism, with Trump promoting “America First” and Xi identifying himself with the “Chinese Dream” of rising prosperity accompanied by muscular defense and foreign policies.

Trump was born the son of a New York City real estate mogul and rose to the presidency on a populist wave after a career as a property developer and reality TV star. Xi’s father was a colleague of Mao Zedong, whose influence is believed to have aided his rise through a series of military, government and Communist Party positions before he was named party leader in 2012.

Both also show an affection for strong-man leadership, and while American democracy is far removed from China’s one-party authoritarian system, Trump’s verbal attacks on the mainstream media and certain judges have drawn criticism. They both also place a strong emphasis on the military, including increased defense budgets and an appreciation for military parades, two of which Xi has led during his time in office.

DRIVING FORCES

Xi’s plan to create Chinese global competitors in fields including robotics, electric cars and pharmaceuticals is seen as precipitating the current crisis, while Trump appears motivated by a desire to shore up America’s manufacturing strength.

Neither wants to be seen as backing down, and though Xi’s usually soft-spoken manner contrasts Trump’s trademark bravado, both “are thin-skinned bullies who place a lot of value on portraying strength,” said Liz Economy, a leading academic on China and author of “The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State.”

“This makes it difficult to ramp down in this one-on-one tariff death match,” although both have the capacity via Twitter or state media to trumpet their success and ignore any failings once the dispute has concluded, Economy said.

LET’S MAKE A DEAL

While the current dispute has focused on trade, many other factors are in play, bringing out the bargaining qualities and transactional natures of the two leaders and their administrations. Opinions on who has the upper hand differ widely.

By pursuing the tariff threat and backing complaints about intellectual property theft, Trump has “successfully changed the fundamentals of … U.S.-China relations,” said Miles Yu Maochun, a China politics expert at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Yu also points to recent U.S. policy on North Korea, particularly Trump’s acceptance of an invitation to talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as early as next month that appeared to catch Beijing off guard.

Shortly afterward, Kim paid an unexpected debut visit to China as leader in what some saw as an attempt by Beijing to reassert its centrality in resolving tensions over the North’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.

CHINA’S CARDS

Yet, as North Korea’s most important trade partner and political ally, China wields considerable influence and its willingness to enforce United Nations sanctions has built up its credibility as a reliable international partner.

China also stands to bring additional pressure on Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy it claims, and which is closely linked to Washington despite technically unofficial ties.

While it responded mildly to Trump’s early outreach to the island’s independence-leaning government, recent moves such as the appointment of hawkish new National Security Adviser John Bolton, the passage of a U.S. law encouraging more intergovernmental exchanges and an agreement to pass Taiwan submarine manufacturing technology are hardening views among anti-American nationalists in China.

Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday warned against additional moves to strengthen relations with Taiwan, amid reports that Bolton could visit the island this year.

“Any attempt to play the ‘Taiwan card’ would only be futile,” spokesman Ma Xiaoguang said at a bi-weekly news conference. China, Ma said, would “not hesitate to protect our core interests.”

CHALLENGES AT HOME

While Yu cites domestic support for Trump’s trade approach to China, Xi can likely command even stronger backing at home for a muscular approach toward what Beijing portrays as a conflict resulting from U.S. unilateralism and hegemony.

Xi also faces no electoral challenge such as the one Trump’s Republican party will confront in midterm congressional elections later this year, when Trump’s handling of the U.S. economy and a host of other issues will be in the mix. Mindful of voters, especially in the agricultural and industrial sectors, Xi appears set to use such leverage for maximum gain.

“Xi will follow a tough but well directed path designed to hurt specific interests that will complain loudly,” said Joseph Fewsmith, a Boston University expert on Chinese foreign policy.

While Xi is broadly considered the most powerful leader since Mao, China “only appears to be united and confident in its approach,” said Economy, the academic, adding that the outside world has limited insight into policy debates within China. AP

BEIJING, March 18: Xi Jinping was reappointed Saturday as China’s president with no limit on the number of terms he can serve.

The National People’s Congress, China’s rubber-stamp legislature, also appointed close Xi ally Wang Qishan to the formerly ceremonial post of vice president.

At the Great Hall of the People, Xi, Wang and other officials took turns stepping to the lectern to place their left hands on the constitution and raise their right fists as they delivered an oath swearing loyalty to the constitution, the motherland and the people.

Xi, 64, is considered the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong and last Sunday was given the right to continue in office indefinitely after the legislature scrapped term limits for the president and vice president.

Chinese officials defended the move saying it would bring the presidency in-line with Xi’s other two main positons of head of the ruling Communist Party and commander of the armed forces.

Critics say the move overturning a push to institutionalize China’s ruling practices dating from 1982 will likely lead to increased political repression and possible infighting among party factions seeking to promote their own candidates within the closed system.

Xi took office as president in 2013 and hasn’t said how many additional five-year terms he intends to serve. State media has said the removal of term limits will not alter conditions for retirement or create a president in perpetuity, but has offered no details.

Xi is expected to expand his yearslong campaign against corruption within the party to include all state employees through the creation of a new National Supervisory Commission, while continuing to pursue a muscular foreign policy and policies to upgrade the slowing economy.

Economic growth and social stability have allowed Xi to amend the constitution and carry out other moves that once seemed highly contentious, said Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese Studies and director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College, London.

“Really no one is going to shout and moan too much” because growth and stability are considered so important, Brown said Friday in a talk to foreign media in Beijing. AP

BEIJING, Oct 25: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday unveiled the new lineup of the ruling Communist Party highest body, whose members will rule alongside him as he embarks on a second five-year term as party leader with an agenda to spread prosperity and expand the global influence of the world’s second largest economy.

As expected, Xi was given a renewed mandate following the first meeting Wednesday of the new Central Committee that was elected at the party’s twice-a-decade national congress.

The party had already elevated Xi’s status on Tuesday at its closing session by inserting his name and dogma into the party’s constitution alongside past leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, cementing his status as the most powerful man to head the country in decades.

That move effectively makes any act of opposing him tantamount to an attack on the party itself, largely insulating him from competition among the party’s rival factions.

Xi said his return as general secretary constituted “not just approval of my work but also encouragement that will spur me on.”

“In this new context, we must get a new look and more importantly, make new accomplishments,” he said in comments to reporters at a brief ceremony at the Great Hall of the People to introduce the new seven-strong Politburo Standing Committee, five of whose members were newly appointed on Wednesday.

The only other returning member was Premier Li Keqiang, the party’s second-ranking official primarily responsible for overseeing the economy and leading the Cabinet. Li’s authority was widely viewed as having been undercut by Xi’s accumulation of power over all sectors of government, although his continuing presence on the committee appears to speak to the high-regard in which he is held within the party.

The makeup of the committee reflects Xi’s efforts to foster party unity by striking a balance between different interest groups in the 89-million member organization as he seeks to better position a reinvigorated party to dominate China’s affairs at home and abroad.

They will assume responsibility for running the rubber-stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress and its advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and assume a range of portfolios, including those responsible for propaganda, party discipline, ethnic and Taiwan affairs and science and technology.

The other members are, in order of seniority: Li Zhanshu, director of the party’s General Office who serves as Xi’s chief of staff; Vice Premier Wang Yang; Wang Huning, director of the party’s Central Policy Research Office; Zhao Leji, head of the Central Organization Department responsible for job assignments; and Shanghai party leader Han Zheng, a veteran manager of the country’s financial hub.

Zhao is expected to head the much-feared corruption watchdog body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Xi has made his wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign the hallmark of his first five years in office. While popular among ordinary Chinese, it is seen as part of a drive to purge his rivals and political opponents and boost supervision over the party at all levels.

Alongside the campaign, Xi has overseen one of the harshest crackdowns on civil society aimed at squelching dissent and activism among lawyers and rights advocates.

The new leaders will face challenges that include reining burgeoning levels of debt seen as the biggest threat to economic stability and managing trade tensions with Washington and Europe over China’s excess production of steel and other goods.

They will also have to tackle the risk of war over neighboring ally North Korea’s nuclear program, manage the crucial relationship with the U.S. and navigate delicate ties with Southeast Asian nations wary of Beijing’s expansion in the disputed South China Sea.

Xi has outlined his vision of strengthening the party’s role in Chinese life and shepherding China’s rise to prominence at a time when the United States and others in the West are seen to be in retreat.

Xi, the son of a Communist elder, has described his political ideology as central to setting China on the path to becoming a “great modern socialist country” by midcentury. This vision has at its core a ruling party that serves as the vanguard for everything from defending national security to providing moral guidance to ordinary Chinese.

“No one doubts Xi bestrides the landscape like a colossus. Organized or even unorganized resistance is inconceivable,” said Jeremy Paltiel, a China expert at Canada’s Carleton University.

The inclusion of politicians from factions associated with Xi’s predecessors Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin in the Politburo Standing Committee pointed to the party’s efforts to assuage concerns that Xi has been centralizing too much authority under him alone, analysts said.

“It signals balance and offers some relief to those who thought Xi will seek to place just his own loyal followers in key positions,” said Dali Yang, a China politics expert at the University of Chicago. “Instead this suggests that the different factions are united in facing the future.”

Among the five new members, only Zhao and Li Zhanshu are seen to be Xi’s proteges.

“What this shows is that these are not all the president’s men,” said Cheng Li, an expert in elite Chinese politics at the Brookings Institution. “This group is more like a team of rivals.”

“It will be well-received by the political establishment because it’s a sign that the members come from various representations,” Li said.

At the same time, observers note, none of the new members of the top ruling body appeared to be suitable successors to Xi as party leader. In contrast, before Xi took power in 2012, he had been in the Standing Committee for five years and Xi’s predecessor Hu had a seat on the body for 10 years before becoming party leader.

Joseph Fewsmith, an expert on Chinese politics at Boston University, said the absence of an obvious successor pointed to Xi’s longer-term ambitions.

“It suggests that Xi will likely serve a third term, and that he is likely to name his own successor. We have not seen that for two decades,” Fewsmith said.

Under recent party precedent, party leaders have served just two five-year terms.

Some analysts speculated that Xi had successfully avoided being undermined by an anointed successor — and possibly paved the way for him to extend his rule as party leader beyond his second term.

“A successor in the shadow of a powerful leader can be a dangerous position to be in,” said Chicago’s Yang. “With the current setup, it doesn’t rule out Xi’s retirement in five years, though it does provide more room for him to continue.”

Others saw the absence of a successor as a compromise made by Xi, who has been seen as favoring Chongqing party secretary Chen Min’er — an official who would have had to break party norms on promotions in order to gain a place on the Standing Committee.

“Chen Min’er is such a clear protege of Xi Jinping,” said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute in London. “This shows that what remains of the resistance (to Xi) is still able to exercise some element of horse-trading constraint on Xi Jinping.”

And despite his unrivaled dominion over the party, Xi will likely struggle to continue making it relevant to a Chinese society that has grown “bigger, more diverse and more autonomous,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, an expert on Chinese politics at Hong Kong Baptist University.

“The civil society per se is under stricter control but so much is happening in China. Basically, the society, particularly the youth are turning their back from the party and politics. They enjoy life and don’t care about the congress or Xi,” Cabestan said. AP

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago: Chinese President Xi Jinping met for the first time with officials in Trinidad and Tobago Saturday on the first stop of a four-country regional tour.

In a news conference, Xi announced that China was awardingTrinidad a $250 million loan to build a children’s hospital. He also said he and Trinidadian Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on a range of issues.

“We both agree to actively advance cooperation in key areas of energy, minerals and infrastructure development and also to advance our cooperation in new energy, telecommunications and agriculture,” Xi told reporters after he and Persad-Bissessar met in her office.

Persad-Bissessar said Trinidad views China “as a very key business partner and a potential new market for our energy products and for alternative energy research.” She added that Xi agreed to send the Caribbean 100 volunteer medical professionals over the next three years.

Officials also announced Trinidad plans to open an embassy in Beijing later this year, and Persad-Bissessar will make an official visit to China in November. A Chinese waterproofing firm named Beijing Oriental Yuhong also signed an agreement with the Lake Asphalt company of Trinidad to build a plant to produce roofing and other waterproofing products.

Xi arrived in Port-of-Spain late Friday for his first state visit to the twin-island nation, a leading supplier of natural gas. It was also the first ever visit for a Chinese president.

During his stay, he’s also expected to meet with leaders from other Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the Bahamas, Suriname and Jamaica.

China and Trinidad have had diplomatic ties for almost 40 years, and Trinidad is a major trading partner in the Caribbean for China.

That trade has grown significantly, from $174 million in exports and imports in 2006 to $450 million last year, according to an International Monetary Fund database.

Xi is also traveling to Mexico, Costa Rica and the U.S. on this trip.

Before paying a state visit to Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of the Congo and attends the Fifth BRICS Leaders Meeting, President Xi Jinping gave a joint interview to ITAR-TASS and RTR of Russia, ETV of South Africa, Press Trust of India, Valor Economico of Brazil and Xinhua News Agency of China in the Great Hall of the People on 19 March. During the interview, he talked about China’s policies and positions on China’s bilateral relations with relevant countries, China-Africa relations, BRICS cooperation and China’s reform and opening-up. The following is a full text of the interview.

Xi Jinping: I will soon pay a state visit to Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of the Congo and attend the Fifth BRICS Leaders Meeting in South Africa.

I am delighted to give this joint interview to the media from BRICS countries before the trip. Let me take this opportunity to extend, through you, my sincere greetings to the people of your respective countries.

This will be my first foreign visit as Chinese President. During the visit and the BRICS meeting, I will exchange views with leaders of the aforementioned countries and other BRICS countries on developing bilateral ties, international and regional issues of mutual interest and strengthening BRICS cooperation. I hope that this visit will contribute to the friendship between the Chinese people and people of these countries as well as the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and these countries and push the BRICS cooperation mechanism to a new level. I believe that with the joint efforts of all sides, my visit and the Fifth BRICS Leaders Meeting will be a success.

ITAR-TASS and RTR of Russia: Russia will be the first country that you visit in your capacity as Chinese President. What’s your consideration behind this decision? How would you characterize the level of development of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between Russia and China as well as the current state and future prospects of Russia-China cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and other fields? We know that you know a lot about Russia and have read many Russian literature works. How do you see Russia?

Xi Jinping: China and Russia are each other’s major and most important strategic partners of coordination, and both countries accord priority to their bilateral relationship in their overall diplomatic agenda and foreign policy. The fact that I will visit Russia, our friendly neighbor, shortly after assuming presidency is a testimony to the great importance China places on its relations with Russia and to the high level and special nature of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between the two countries.

With over 20 years of unremitting efforts from both sides, China-Russia relationship has grown into a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. The two sides have completely settled the boundary issue left from history, placed their political ties on a solid foundation, and supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests. Two-way trade between China and Russia surged by 14 times in 20 years and reached a record US$88.2 billion last year. Cooperation on major strategic projects in energy, investment, aviation and space and other fields is booming, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges are dynamic. The two sides have had closer strategic coordination on the world stage and promoted democracy in international relations.

China-Russia relations have entered a new phase in which the two countries provide major development opportunities to each other and see each other as priority cooperation partners. When it comes to developing bilateral ties and addressing major international and regional issues, our two countries have many things in common and face many opportunities for win-win cooperation. To grow China-Russia relations at the next stage, we should focus on the following priority areas: First, we should consolidate mutual strategic and political trust and reinforce mutual support on issues concerning each other’s core interests. Second, we should expand practical cooperation. We should work to reach ahead of schedule the US$100 billion bilateral trade target set for 2015, enter into strategic cooperation on energy, carry out cooperation on major strategic projects, and deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. Third, we should step up coordination and collaboration in international and regional affairs, firmly uphold the purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and the basic norms governing international relations, safeguard the outcomes of the Second World War and the post-war international order, and maintain peace, security and stability of the world. In short, China and Russia have the confidence and ability to translate the strength of their high-level political relationship into concrete results of practical cooperation that will benefit people of the two countries.

The people of China and Russia enjoy a long-standing traditional friendship and a solid foundation for people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Even when I was still young, I had read many works by Russian writers, such as Pushkin, Lermontov, Turgenev, Dostoyevsky, Nekrasov, Tolstoy, Chekhov and Sholokhov, whose works had a large impact on us. The Chinese people cherish profound goodwill toward the people of Russia.

I look forward to an in-depth exchange of views on further growing China-Russia relations with President Vladimir Putin and other Russian leaders. I have met with President Putin before. He attaches high importance to Russia’s ties with China. We found a lot in common during our talks, which I still remember vividly.

ETV of South Africa: You visited South Africa in 2010. It has been 15 years since China and South Africa established diplomatic relations. How would you assess the development of China-South Africa relations? What expectations do you have for future cooperation between the two countries?

Xi Jinping: I visited South Africa in November 2010. I had a very good meeting with President Jacob Zuma, and co-chaired with Deputy President Motlanthe the session of the China-South Africa Bi-National Commission. I was deeply impressed by the warm hospitality and friendship of the South African people.

The Chinese and South African people enjoy a profound friendship. The Chinese people stood firmly with the South African people in their struggle against apartheid. Over the past 15 years, relations between our two countries have achieved a historic leap from partnership to comprehensive strategic partnership. Bilateral cooperation in all fields has deepened and delivered fruitful results.

China and South Africa are both emerging markets and developing countries. We see each other as opportunities for development and pivotal partners in pursuing our diplomatic strategies. China-South Africa cooperation has been expanding and deepening and it has acquired growing strategic and global significance. South Africa is now the African co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and will soon assume the rotating presidency of the BRICS mechanism. This will bring about favorable conditions for our two countries to enhance cooperation in African and international affairs.

I look forward to an in-depth exchange of views with President Zuma on further growing our bilateral ties during my visit, and I wish the Fifth BRICS Leaders Meeting success.

ETV of South Africa: The Chinese and African people share a long traditional friendship. How do you see China’s role and influence in Africa? What role will China play in Africa’s peace and development process? Besides resources, what other areas in Africa is China interested in?

Xi Jinping: China and Africa are as close as one family. People of my age in China grew up in the warm atmosphere of China-Africa friendship. We all have a strong interest in Africa. We know by heart the names of the older generation of leaders of some African countries, and we are all familiar with the memorable stories of China-Africa friendship, such as the construction of the Tanzara Railway.

Both being members of the developing world, China and Africa share extensive common interests. In recent years, China and African countries have built on their traditional friendship and made notable progress in advancing their relations. While pursuing its own development, China has consistently supported Africa’s peace and development to the best of its ability and spoken up for African countries in the international arena. China-Africa cooperation has contributed to Africa’s growing international standing and attracted greater international attention to and input in Africa. No matter how the international landscape may change, China will continue to support and promote Africa’s efforts to achieve peace, stability, prosperity and development, seek strength through unity, and participate in international affairs on the basis of equality.

China sincerely appreciates and will always remember the goodwill of the African friends toward the Chinese people, especially their firm support and valuable assistance on issues involving China’s core interests and major concerns. When the torch of the 2008 Beijing Olympics arrived in Dar es Salaam, the City of Peace, the people of Tanzania welcomed it with dancing and singing like celebrating their own festival. In 2010, after a strong earthquake hit Yushu in China’s Qinghai Province, the Republic of the Congo helped build a primary school in the disaster-affected area, and President Denis Sassou-Nguesso personally named it the Chinese-Congolese Friendship School. This is a vivid example of the deep friendship of the people of the Republic of the Congo toward the Chinese people. There are many more such touching stories.

As the saying goes, “Numerous grains of earth make a mountain, numerous drops of water form an ocean.” As long as we keep advancing China-Africa cooperation, we will make even bigger achievements. I want to point out that China-Africa cooperation is all-around cooperation. China attaches importance to growing friendly relations with all countries in Africa irrespective of their size, strength or wealth. And China treats all African countries as equals and actively develops win-win practical cooperation with them regardless of their resource endowment. We will speed up the implementation of the outcomes of the Fifth FOCAC Ministerial Conference and strive for the comprehensive and balanced growth of our relations with Africa to the benefit of the people of both sides.

Press Trust of India: China and India have had long-standing exchanges. What policy will the new Chinese leadership pursue towards India? Will there be any change in China’s position on the China-India boundary question? How will China and India enhance cooperation both bilaterally and in international affairs?

Xi Jinping: China and India enjoy a traditional friendship. They are the two largest developing countries in the world, and their combined population exceeds 2.5 billion. To jointly follow a path of peaceful development and development through cooperation meets the common interests of the two countries. It will also do a great service to Asia and the world at large.

In May 2010, I had a very good meeting with President Patil during her visit to China. We agreed that we need to fully tap the huge potential of China-India cooperation and raise China-India relations to a higher level. In recent years, with concerted efforts of the two sides, China-India relations have made important headway. We have strengthened our friendly interactions by properly handling differences and seeking common development. China sees its relations with India as one of the most important bilateral relationships, and is committed to pushing forward the China-India strategic and cooperative partnership.

At present, both China and India are pursuing development at a faster pace. This has offered more opportunities for the two countries to boost mutually beneficial cooperation. We should seize these opportunities and take solid steps to bolster cooperation and exchanges in all fields and take China-India relations to a new height. First, we should maintain strategic communication and keep our bilateral relations on the right track. Second, we should harness each other’s comparative strengths and expand win-win cooperation in infrastructure, mutual investment and other areas. Third, we should strengthen cultural ties and increase the mutual understanding and friendship between our peoples. Fourth, we should expand coordination and collaboration in multilateral affairs to jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries and tackle global challenges. Fifth, we should accommodate each other’s core concerns and properly handle problems and differences existing between the two countries.

The boundary question is a complex issue left from history, and solving the issue won’t be easy. However, as long as we keep up our friendly consultations, we can eventually arrive at a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement. Pending the final settlement of the boundary question, the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquility in border areas and prevent the boundary question from affecting the overall development of bilateral relations.

Valor Economico of Brazil: How would you assess the current state of China-Brazil relations? How will China increase its economic cooperation and trade with Brazil? Will China import more high value-added products from Brazil?

Xi Jinping: My last visit to Brazil was in February 2009, during which I had very good talks with President Lula da Silva. He later paid a visit to China and we met again during that visit. I care deeply about President Lula’s health and wish him well.

China and Brazil are the biggest developing countries in the eastern and western hemispheres respectively, and both are emerging markets. China values its friendship and cooperation with Brazil. Twenty years ago, Brazil became the first developing country to establish strategic partnership with China. Since then, China-Brazil relations have come a long way, bringing huge benefits to the two countries and peoples, creating opportunities for each other’s development and contributing to the building of a more just and equitable international order and international system.

China-Brazil relationship is now at its best in history and has assumed greater strategic and overarching significance. During the upcoming Fifth BRICS Leaders Meeting, President Dilma Rousseff and I will hold a bilateral meeting. I look forward to a sincere exchange of views with her on ways to broaden and deepen China-Brazil relations.

Business cooperation provides the material foundation of China-Brazil relations. China is now Brazil’s top trading partner while Brazil is China’s tenth biggest trading partner. As the two countries’ development interests are more closely interconnected than ever before, business cooperation is playing an increasingly important role in growing our economies and improving the wellbeing of our peoples. China will work with Brazil to further tap the potential of economic complementarities, improve trade mix and expand cooperation areas. The two sides may also harness respective strengths, boost mutually complementary industrial cooperation, and develop new cooperation models so as to elevate our business ties to a new high.

I am confident that with efforts of the two sides, bilateral business cooperation will make new breakthroughs in terms of both scale and quality, thus enabling our two countries to better achieve sustained development, adapt to new developments in the ever-deepening economic globalization and fend off international economic risks.

Press Trust of India: How do you see the impact of rising emerging markets and developing countries represented by the BRICS countries on the existing world architecture and global governance system?

Xi Jinping: A great number of emerging markets and developing countries, including the BRICS countries, have enjoyed fast economic growth. They have become an important force for world peace and common development, and played an important role in tackling the international financial crisis and boosting global economic growth. This is in keeping with the trend of our time towards peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit.

The global economic governance system must reflect the profound changes in the global economic landscape, and the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries should be increased. In recent years, the G20 summits have played a prominent role and the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have carried out quota reforms. These are important steps in moving forward reform of the global economic governance system in the right direction. Emerging markets and developing countries hope to see an improved global economic governance system that better meets the needs of global productivity growth and facilitates common development of all countries.

Xinhua News Agency: How do you evaluate cooperation among the BRICS countries? What expectation do you have on the BRICS Leaders Meeting in Durban?

Xi Jinping: BRICS cooperation will help make the global economy more balanced, improve global economic governance and promote democracy in international relations.

China hopes that through the Durban meeting, the BRICS countries will deepen partnership, improve cooperation mechanism, strengthen dialogue and cooperation in various areas, tap the potential of practical cooperation, and send to the international community a positive message of unity, cooperation and win-win results.

China supports the South African Presidency in prioritizing the establishment of a BRICS development bank, contingent reserve arrangement, business council and think tank council in preparations for the meeting. We hope that the meeting will produce positive results in these areas.

During the Durban meeting, a BRICS Leaders – Africa Dialogue Forum will be held. China supports BRICS countries in increasing dialogue and exchanges with Africa to foster partnership, safeguard common interests and realize common development.

ITAR-TASS and RTR of Russia: Looking ahead, what role will the Communist Party of China (CPC) play in the historical process of China’s development? Will it take new steps to push forward reform? Will there be new development in socialism with Chinese characteristics?

Xi Jinping: The mission of the CPC as China’s governing party is to lead the Chinese people in achieving greater national development and make lives better for the people. I have said, “To be turned into iron, the material itself must be strong.” In order to fulfill its mission, the CPC must strengthen its party-building and keep its advanced nature and purity. It must maintain close ties with the people, steadily improve the Party’s performance in leadership and governance, and increase its ability to resist corruption, prevent degeneration and ward off risks. It must continue to enhance its capacity in scientific, democratic and law-based governance and better serve the people.

Reform and opening-up is the defining feature and source of vitality of today’s China. It is crucial for our effort to build socialism with Chinese characteristics. Without reform and opening-up, China would not have come this far, and nor will we have a brighter future. I have stressed many times that reform and opening-up is an on-going process that must never stop. Issues that emerge in the course of reform and opening-up can only be resolved by pressing ahead with reform and opening-up. Under the new historical conditions, we must make new breakthroughs in reform in order to open up new prospects for development. We will enhance top-level design and overall planning, and advance structural reforms in economic, political, cultural, social and ecological fields in a balanced way. We should meet challenges head on and boldly sail through uncharted waters. We should resolutely remove all systemic and institutional barriers that impede our effort to pursue development in a scientific way, stimulate the whole society’s creativity and forge ahead with our undertakings on all fronts.

Just like one won’t find two identical leaves on one tree, we do not think there is “one-size-fits-all” experience in the world. Nor do we believe that a development model will stay the same forever. We will continue to develop and improve socialism with Chinese characteristics. The world is changing and so is China. Socialism with Chinese characteristics must also move forward in keeping with the changing circumstances and conditions. Only by keeping abreast of the times can China remain a dynamic country. We will draw on the fine achievements of all civilizations, but we will not copy the development model of any other country. China’s reform is about the self-improvement and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The only path that will take us far and bring us success is the one that is chosen by the Chinese people and suited to China’s reality.

Xinhua News Agency: China is now the world’s second largest economy. What change will this bring to the way China handles its relations with the rest of the world? You recently talked about achieving the Chinese Dream of the great renewal of the Chinese nation. What is China’s dream for the world?

Xi Jinping: Thanks to over thirty years of reform and opening-up, China has achieved substantial progress in economic and social development and the Chinese people’s lives have markedly improved. This is good for both China and the world. The Chinese people are patriotic. Yet we are also a people with a global vision and an international perspective. As its strength grows, China will assume more international responsibilities and obligations within the scope of its capabilities and make greater contribution to the noble cause of world peace and development.

It is true that China is now the world’s second largest economy, but its per capita GDP remains much lower than the world average and there is still a long way to go before China can become rich and strong. Some people in the world worry that China will seek hegemony and bully others once it becomes strong. Such concerns are unnecessary. China has reaffirmed its solemn commitment to the international community many times that it will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development and will never seek hegemony or expansion. To use a Chinese idiom, “A gentleman never goes back on his word.” We mean what we say and what has happened shows that China has kept its word. In the meantime, we hope that all countries in the world will pursue peaceful development and work together to advance world peace and development.

The Chinese dream of realizing the great national renewal has been the long cherished dream of the Chinese people since modern times. After the Opium War in 1840, our nation was subjected to a century of foreign invasion and internal conflicts and our people endured untold sufferings and pain. The modern history of China is written with trials and tribulations. The Chinese people support the Chinese dream from the bottom of their hearts, because this dream is, first and foremost, a dream shared by the 1.3 billion people of China.

The Chinese people have valued the concept of harmony without sameness since ancient times. We hope that countries and civilizations will carry out exchanges on an equal footing, learn from each other and achieve common progress. We hope that people of all countries in the world can share the fruits of global advances in economy, science and technology and have their wishes respected, and all countries can make united efforts to build a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity.

Valor Economico of Brazil: You are the leader of China. The world is eager to know more about you. For example, how do you feel being the leader of a big country with 1.3 billion people? What is your daily work and life like? How much time do you get to spend with your family? Could you share with us your personal experiences and hobbies? Brazil will host the football World Cup next year. Which team do you think will win the cup?

Xi Jinping: During my meetings with some foreign leaders, they asked me in amazement: How to govern such a big country as China? Indeed, it is not easy to govern a country with 1.3 billion people. To get to know the situation is already a difficult task. I often say, it takes much effort to know China and it is not enough to just visit one or two places. China has 9.6 million square kilometers of land, 56 ethnic groups and 1.3 billion people. Thus, to get to know China, one needs to avoid the mistake of drawing conclusions based on partial information.

As an ancient Chinese proverb goes, “Prime ministers used to be lowly officials; great generals rise from the ranks.” The system for selecting officials in China requires local work experience. For instance, I have worked in the rural areas as the Party branch secretary of a production team. I have also served in county, municipal, provincial and central governments. Extensive experience gained form working at the community-level enables an official to develop a people’s perspective and know what the country is truly like and what the people need. To accumulate experience and professional knowledge and enhance skills and capabilities in the course of practice is essential to doing one’s job well.

Much work needs to be done to meet people’s daily necessities, ensure smooth running of the society and normal functioning of state organs, and build and manage the governing party. As the people have put me in this position, I must always put the people first and keep in mind the deep trust they have placed in me and my heavy responsibilities. To govern such a big country with so many people and so complex national conditions, we, the leaders of China need to be fully aware of China’s reality and aspirations of the people, and treat our responsibilities with utmost care as if we are walking on thin ice or standing on the edge of an abyss. To quote a Chinese adage, “Governing a big country is as delicate as frying a small fish”. We must never slacken our efforts or be negligent in the slightest way, and we must fully devote ourselves to our work. People are the source of our strength. As long as we stand with the people through thick and thin and work with them with one heart and one mind, there is nothing we can’t conquer or accomplish.

As for my workload, you can imagine that being in a position like mine, one hardly has time to himself. There are so many things that I need to address. Naturally, I prioritize my tasks. Many hands make light work. Within the central leadership, we have an effective set of work mechanisms. We each have our own responsibilities and at the same time, we work together in concert to ensure that the job gets done and done well.

Although I am very busy, I try to find some leisure time. Whenever there is time, I would get together with my family.

I have many hobbies. I love reading most. Reading has become a way of life for me. I am also a sports fan. I like swimming and mountain climbing. I liked football and volleyball when I was young. I wish to congratulate Brazil on hosting the World Cup again. Unpredictability is what makes a sport match, especially a football match exciting. During the last World Cup, we had Paul the Octopus. I wonder if next year, there will be another octopus who can predict match results. The Brazilian team has the home-court advantage and I wish them good luck.