BEIJING, April 27: Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed the various Heads of State and Governments attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation for a ‘Leaders’ Roundtable’ under the Forum on Saturday.

The Roundtable is taking place at the Yanqi Lake International Convention Center located in the outskirts of Beijing, some 35 kilometers from Beijing International Airport.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has also arrived at the Convention Centre to attend the Leaders’ Roundtable taking place as part of the BRF.

The roundtable is focused on different sessions including ‘Boosting Connectivity to Explore New Sources of Growth’, ‘Strengthening Policy Synergy and Building Closer Partnership’, and ‘Promoting Green and Sustainable Development to Implement the UN 2030 Agenda.

President Bhandari arrived in Beijing on Wednesday on a nine-day State visit, at the invitation of her Chinese Counterpart. RSS

KATHMANDU, April 22: Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali has said that President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s state visit to China strengthens the bilateral relation between Nepal and China.

President Bhandari is scheduled to pay a state visit to China on April 24 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, where Bhandari is scheduled to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in Beijing April 24 to 27.

“President Bhandari’s participation in the forum will be significant since it will deliver a message that Nepal is committed to Belt and Road Initiative,” said Foreign Minister Gyawali. President Bhandari is also scheduled to address the forum.

“We have already sent a list of agendas under the BRI to the Chinese side. A discussion is being held over the paperwork,” he added.

According to Gyawali Nepal and China are likely to sign more than half a dozen of agreements during the President Bhandari’s state visit.

“Kerung-Kathmandu Railway Project is also Nepal’s top priority,” he said.

“We are focusing on the expediting the Kerung-Kathmandu Railway Project by preparing its detailed project report during the delegation level talks,” he added.

President Bhandari, after the forum, will hold a meeting with her Chinese counterpart Jinping.

“Likewise, Koshi, Kaligandaki and Karnali corridors are also on the cards,” he added.

“Our agenda is also signing the Protocol on Transit and Transportation,” he said.

The landmark agreement was signed by the two countries during Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s first visit to China in 2016.  The protocol will allow Nepal Nepali traders to use Chinese sea and land ports for the third-country trade.

“And more agreements are on the cards. We will update about it soon,” he added.

BEIJING, June 22: Both Nepali and Chinese sides have agreed to intensify implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative to enhance connectivity.

The initiative encompasses vital components such as ports, roads, railways, aviation and communications within the overarching framework of trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network.

The two sides also agreed to take practical measures to promote cooperation in all fields contained in the MOU, reads the 14-point Nepal-China joint statement which was released after exchanging the letter of cooperation in course of six-day official visit of Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to China.
The Nepali side conveyed its readiness to facilitate more Chinese investment in infrastructure building and in other productive sectors.

In this regard, the Nepali side expressed its willingness to welcome further investment from Chinese enterprises create a favorable investment climate and business environment for Chinese enterprises, reads the joint statement.

“Both Nepal and China expressed satisfaction over remarkable achievements made in various areas of cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1955, and believed that the bilateral relationship maintained the momentum of healthy development on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which sets a model of harmonious coexistence between countries of different size and social system”.

During the visit, Prime Minister Oli called on Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, held official level talks with Premier Li Keqiang and met with Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China.

Leaders of the two countries reached broad understanding through in-depth exchange of views on further cementing traditional friendship and deepening cooperation for mutual benefit, the statement notes.

On the occasion, the Chinese side congratulated Nepal and her people on the historic and epoch-making political transformation and beginning of a new era of political stability and economic development.

It expressed happiness over the successful holding of elections to three tiers of the federal setup and the formation of governments at all three levels.
It also expressed confidence that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli would be able to realize the goal of “Samriddha Nepal, Sukhi Nepali” (‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’) and achieve political stability, social harmony and economic prosperity for the people of Nepal.
The Chinese side expressed its full commitment to assist Nepal in realizing its development goals within its capacity.

The two sides reiterated their firm commitment to respect each other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and respect and accommodate each other’s concerns and interests.

The Nepali side reiterated its firm commitment to the one-China policy with Tibet and Taiwan affairs as being China’s internal affairs, and the determination on not allowing any anti-China activities on its soil. The Chinese side reiterated its firm support to Nepal’s independent choice of its social system and development path, and the efforts made by Nepal in upholding its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, national unity and stability.

Both sides believed that high-level contacts are of special importance to the development of bilateral relations.

“The two sides agreed to maintain the momentum of high-level mutual visits, and to have meetings between the leaders on bilateral and multilateral occasions to share views on issues of common interest”, the joint statement added.

The two sides agreed to make full use of existing mechanisms, including the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism and the Joint Economic and Trade Committee meeting, to expand exchanges and cooperation between government ministries, departments, legislatures and political parties at all levels.

Both sides agreed to reopen the Zhangmu/Khasa port at an early date; improve the operation of the Jilong/Keyrung port; ensure the sound operation of Araniko Highway; and carry out the repair,maintenance and improvement of Syaphrubesi-Rasuwagadhi Highway and push forward the construction of a bridge over Karnali river at Hilsa of Pulan/Yari port at an early date.

To ensure the inter-connectivity and smooth running of the infrastructures above, the Nepali side will complete the disaster treatment around the Tatopani Port and along the Arniko Highway, maintain Kathmandu-Syaphrubesi Highway in operational condition.

Both sides expressed happiness over the signing of the MOU on Cooperation for Railway Connectivity. They underscored it as the most significant initiative in the history of bilateral cooperation and believed that it would herald a new era of cross-border connectivity between the two countries.

Both sides agreed to make good use of the long-term communication mechanism on railway cooperation between government departments and promote railway cooperation. The Chinese side agreed to provide such support as in technology and personnel training.

The two sides agreed to encourage Chinese and Nepali airlines to launch/operate more direct flights between the two countries in accordance with provisions of the bilateral air service agreement between the two countries.

Both sides will coordinate closely to speed up the construction of the Pokhara International Airport so that it would start operation at an early date.
The two sides expressed satisfaction over the successful commercial operation of China-Nepal cross-border optical fiber cable and agreed to further strengthen cooperation on information and communications for mutual benefit.

Both sides expressed happiness over the conclusion of: Agreements on the Reconstruction of Friendship Bridge and Resuo (Rasuwa) Bridge; Protocol on the Utilization of Highways in Tibet Autonomous Region, China by Nepal for Cargo Transport; Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Investment and Cooperation on Production Capacity; the MOU on the Establishment of Mechanism for Facilitation on the Implementation of China-Nepal Cooperation Programmes and Projects in Nepal between the two Foreign Ministries; MOU on Strengthening Cooperation between the two Foreign Ministries; MOU on Energy Cooperation; Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation; and MOU on Human Resource Development Cooperation. The two sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in economy, trade, investment, industrial capacity, post-disaster reconstruction and other mutually beneficial areas.

“Both sides agreed to study through different ways on the possibility of building oil storage facilities in the sites identified by Nepal”, stated in the joint communiqué.
The two sides will continue cooperation in the reconstruction of heritages and schools and the Nepali side will positively study on how to fulfill such projects with localized method management.

The Nepali side expressed its willingness to speed up the development of the three North-South Economic Corridors in Nepal, namely Koshi Economic Corridor, Gandaki Economic Corridor and Karnali Economic Corridor in order to create jobs and improve local livelihood, and stimulate economic growth and development in those areas. Both sides agreed to further study on the possibility of cooperation on the above corridors.

The Chinese side agreed to take positive measures to facilitate Nepal’s export to China and consider providing technical and financial assistance for product development and post-harvest technology in agro-products.

The Chinese side will consider providing necessary technical support for the establishment of laboratory and quarantine facilities in Nepal in order to facilitate the export of Nepali agricultural products to China.

Both sides agreed to open additional trade routes between the two countries through mutual agreement and encourage financial transactions through banking channels.

Underlying the importance of generating a win-win situation for both countries, the two sides will constructively engage in finalizing the joint feasibility study on China-Nepal Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The two sides will strengthen cooperation both at central and local levels to promote establishing cross-border economic cooperation zones as per the MOU signed between the two countries.

The Chinese side agreed to complete the Post Disaster Recovery for Tatopani Frontier Inspection Station Project at Larcha and Frontier Inspection Station at Timure, Rasuwagadhi at an early date.

The Nepali side will provide its full support and comprehensive cooperation to the construction of the two frontier inspection station projects. Both sides agreed to develop other dry ports at mutually agreed Nepal-China border points.

Both sides attached importance to the cooperation on transit transport in line with the Agreement on Transit Transport signed between the two countries in 2016. The competent authorities of the two sides will expedite negotiations on the Protocol for an early implementation of the Agreement.

The Chinese side would encourage local governments, Chinese enterprises and social groups to tap the potentials with the Nepali side on production capacity cooperation, building economic and trade cooperation zones and strengthening cooperation in areas that Nepal has resources and advantages, such as construction materials, water conservation and hydropower and organic agriculture and herbs.

In order to facilitate and promote trade, tourism and investment between the two countries, the Chinese side agreed to support the Chinese funded banks to open branches in Nepal in accordance with relevant policies and regulations.

In this context, the Nepali side agreed to provide necessary policy and regulatory support for such banks to enter into Nepali markets.

The Chinese government will continue to provide assistance to Nepal’s economic and social development within its capacity and wishes to see that grant assistance to Nepal and mutually agreed projects for post-disaster reconstruction will be delivered on time.

The Nepali side will provide full support and cooperation to the implementation of all China Aid projects as specified in the Exchange Letters.
Both sides agreed to study on the possibility to establish the Madan Bhandari Institute of Science and Technology. Both sides agreed to negotiate the financing modalities of the projects on road connectivity, railway connectivity, hydropower and transmission lines, among others, proposed by Nepal.

The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation between the law enforcement agencies on information exchanges, capacity building and training. Both sides agreed to negotiate the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters and Treaty on Extradition, in order to strengthen cooperation on the administration of border areas and fight against illegal border crossing and transnational crimes. Both sides will increase exchange of visits of civilian and security personnel for training, disaster relief and mitigation as well as capacity building.

Both sides also agreed to enhance cooperation on border security and management, and negotiate the Agreement on Boundary Management System.

The Chinese side agreed to give serious study on the proposal of the Government of Nepal to establish a Consulate General in Chengdu. The two sides agreed to promote exchanges and cooperation in education, culture, tourism, media, think tanks, youth, and people-to-people relations. Both sides agreed to encourage the establishment of sister city relationship between different cities of the two countries.

The Chinese side agreed to encourage the Tibet Autonomous Region as well as Sichuan, Yunnan and Qinghai and other provinces to enhance cooperation in the areas of trade, tourism and investment, among others.

The Chinese side welcomed Nepal’s participation in the China International Travel Mart (CITM) this year, and would continue to help arrange Chinese media and travel agency delegations to visit Nepal and encourage relevant Chinese agencies to further promote Nepal in China in view of upcoming Visit Nepal Year 2020.

The Chinese side agreed to continue providing Chinese language training in Nepal for Nepali tourism professionals to help promote Nepal’s tourism industry. The Chinese side also agreed to provide around 400 training opportunities in human resources development and more government scholarships every year to Nepal.

The Nepali side reaffirmed its full commitment as specified in the MOU in 2014 between the Ministry of Education of Nepal and the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, for facilitating the teaching program of volunteer Chinese language teachers in Nepal.

The Chinese side appreciated that two pairs of Ek Singhe Gaida (Unicorn Rhino) as gift from the Government and people of Nepal to the Government and people of China will symbolize a lasting and irreversible friendship.
“The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in the United Nations and other multilateral forums and to safeguard common interests of developing, least developed and landlocked developing countries in particular”, the joint statement adds.

The Chinese side attaches importance to the aspiration of Nepal’s obtaining the Observer Status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and will consider it on the basis of consensus with other Member States.

The two sides positively view and support each other’s participation in the regional cooperation process, and agreed to enhance coordination and cooperation within SCO, SAARC and other regional cooperation mechanisms within the agreed frameworks and guidelines.

The two sides expressed firm commitment to the rules-based multilateral trading regime under WTO and work for a more open, inclusive and balanced economic globalization with special preference to the LDCs and LLDCs so that its benefits are shared by all.

The two sides expressed their satisfaction over the outcomes of Prime Minister Oli’s visit, and agreed that the visit was of great importance in promoting the China-Nepal comprehensive cooperative partnership featuring ever-lasting friendship.
Prime Minister Oli appreciated the warm hospitality accorded by the Chinese government and people, and extended invitation to the Chinese leaders to visit Nepal within this year. The Chinese leaders expressed thanks for the invitation and agreed to visit Nepal at mutually convenient date which will be communicated through the diplomatic channels.

At the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, K P Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal is on an official visit to China from June 19 to 24, 2018. Besides Beijing, Prime Minister Oli is set to visit Lhasa, the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region. RSS

(Special Correspondent Hari Lamichhane)
BEIJING, June 21: Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli called on Chinese President, Xi Jinping, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the PM extended his heartfelt congratulations to President Xi for the successful conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2017 as well as of the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in 2018.

He also congratulated the Chinese President for successfully holding the 18th Summit of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO) last week and for assuming chairmanship of the Organization.

The two leaders discussed various matters pertaining to bilateral relations and on ways and means to further expanding bilateral cooperation in various fields including through cross border railway connectivity.

President Xi congratulated the Government of Nepal for achieving political stability and outlining economic development priorities and assured China’s full support and cooperation in realizing Nepal’s development goals.

Earlier, PM Oli laid a wreath at the Monument to the People’s Heroes at the Tian’anmen Square in Beijing.

At a function organized at the Embassy of Nepal in the morning, the PM met with the Nepali diaspora living in China. Addressing the gathering, he highlighted the priorities of the government, and urged all Nepali nationals living abroad, including those living in China, to support the Government in its efforts towards the socio-economic transformation of the country.

AGREEMENT FOR COOPERATION SIGNED

He witnessed the signing of an Agreement for Co-operation between Nepal Electricity Authority and State Grid Corporation of China for Feasibility Study of Nepal-China Cross-border Power Grid Interconnection Project. As per the agreement, the two sides will carry out the feasibility study of 400 kV Kerung-Rasuwagadhi-Galchhi-Ratmate transmission line.

Also witnessed by the PM was the signing of a total of eight MoUs between Nepali agencies and enterprises and their Chinese partners, in the areas of hydropower generation, manufacturing, river training, and agriculture, at a separate function organized at the Embassy of Nepal.

Following the program at the Embassy, the PM inaugurated the ‘2018 Nepal-China Business Forum’ jointly organized by the Embassy of Nepal and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

NEPAL ON PATH OF PEACE, POLITICAL STABILITY
Inaugurating the Forum, PM Oli said that Nepal had embarked on a path of peace and political stability following the three tiers of elections under federal set-up last year, and expressed his confidence that Chinese entrepreneurs would take advantage of the conducive atmosphere and investment-friendly policies of the Government of Nepal for investments in Nepal.

The Prime Minister also gave an interview to China Global Television Network. The PM is scheduled to hold delegation level talks with his Chinese counterpart on Thursday. RSS

BEIJING, June 19: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is making a two-day visit to Beijing, Chinese state media reported Tuesday, a week after his unprecedented summit with US President Donald Trump.

The outing comes as China has sought to strengthen its role as a mediator between the US and North Korea, where Beijing claims compelling security and economic interests.

Dozens of security vans, police cars and armored vehicles lined streets around Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on Tuesday afternoon, where Kim had stayed in his previous visit.

The leader, who is believed to have landed in the Chinese capital Tuesday morning, was expected to head to the Great Hall of the People to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the North Korean autocrat would be in Beijing through Wednesday.

The trip is Kim’s third to China since March, when he made his inaugural foreign trip as leader.

In addition to discussing last week’s summit, Kim is expected to ask China to help him in efforts to seek relief from economic sanctions in return for his pledge to denuclearize, Japan’s Nikkei business daily said in a dispatch from Beijing.

Following the historic US-North Korea summit in Singapore a week ago, China suggested the UN Security Council could consider easing the economic punishment of its Cold War-era ally.

China may not have been at the table for the historic summit in Singapore but it retains strong influence behind the scenes.

‘DIFFERENCES AHEAD’

In a joint statement following the Singapore summit, Kim pledged to “work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

Trump hailed this as a concession but critics said the stock phrase long used by Pyongyang stopped short of longstanding US demands for North Korea to give up its atomic arsenal in a “verifiable” and “irreversible” way.

It is now urgent for Xi and Kim to discuss how North Korea will work towards meeting US demands, said Beijing-based international relations commentator Hua Po.

“There may be differences ahead between the DPRK and the US in regards to denuclearisation, because the US wants irreversible and verifiable denuclearisation. It may be difficult for Kim Jong Un to accept,” Hua said.

“Therefore, both China and the DPRK want to strengthen communication and form an overall strategy to deal with the United States going forward,” Hua added.

‘PROVOCATIVE’ JOINT EXERCISES HALTED

In return for the denuclearization pledge, Trump made the shock announcement that he would stop joint military drills with South Korea, long seen as a provocation by Pyongyang and Beijing.

Analysts saw this as a clear sign of Beijing’s influence.

Beijing has repeatedly called for a “dual-track and suspension for suspension” approach where the North would stop its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for the US and South Korea halting military exercises.

But Washington had previously rebuffed the proposal.

On Tuesday, the US and South Korean militaries confirmed they have called off scheduled joint exercises following Trump’s order.

Trump had raised eyebrows by describing the exercises as “provocative” — a term used by the North. AFP

WASHINGTON , May 20: The United States and China said Saturday they had reached consensus on measures to “substantially” reduce the US trade deficit with Beijing by “significantly” increasing its purchases of US goods, but offered few details.

The joint statement, coming at a time of high tensions over trade, followed high-level talks in Washington between delegations led by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and China’s State Council Vice Premier Liu He. The sides had met two weeks ago in Beijing.

“There was a consensus on taking effective measures to substantially reduce the United States trade deficit in goods with China,” the statement said.

“To meet the growing consumption needs of the Chinese people and the need for high-quality economic development, China will significantly increase purchases of United States goods and services.”

Last year the United States had a $375.2 billion trade deficit with China, a source of frequent and bitter complaint by President Donald Trump.

The statement Saturday said some details would be worked out in further talks in Beijing. But it offered no specifics to indicate the magnitude or exact nature of the accord, and it listed no numeric targets.

It said both sides had agreed on “meaningful increases” in US agriculture and energy exports.

They also agreed to strengthen cooperation on protecting intellectual property — a long-standing source of complaint from the US side.

The two countries, their economies enormously interlinked by trade and finances, opened the delicate negotiations a few weeks ago in an attempt to resolve months of trade tensions.

Trump has threatened China with tariffs on up to $150 billion of imports — “we have been ripped off by China,” he said recently — prompting Beijing to threaten US agricultural exports.

The White House is wary of hurting largely Republican-voting farm states or damaging the economy before legislative elections this November. But Trump is also keen to appear tough on trade.

The talks are further complicated by the impending summit meeting in Singapore between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has consulted with Chinese leader Xi Jinping ahead of the meeting. AFP

WUHAN, Apr 29: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have decided to issue “strategic guidance” to their militaries to strengthen communications and to build trust and understanding, a top Indian diplomat said on Saturday, a move aimed at avoiding a Dokalam-like situation in the future.

Modi said his talks with President Xi focused on diverse areas of India-China cooperation. “We discussed ways to give impetus to our economic ties as well as people-to-people relations. Other areas we spoke about include agriculture, technology, energy and tourism,” he said.

Briefing reporters at the end of the two-day informal summit between the two leaders in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Saturday, Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said the two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in all areas of the India-China border region.

“To this end, they issued strategic guidance to their respective militaries to strengthen communication in order to build trust and mutual understanding and enhance predictability and effectiveness in the management of border affairs,” Gokhale said.

He said the two leaders further directed their militaries to earnestly implement various confidence building measures agreed upon between the two sides, including the principle of mutual and equal security, and strengthen existing institutional arrangements and information sharing mechanisms to prevent incidents in border regions.

They also endorsed the work of the special representatives to find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement on the boundary issue.

The two countries have so far held 20 rounds of talks to resolve the boundary dispute and worked out different mechanisms to keep peace along the 3,488-km long Line of Actual Control.

His remarks assumes significance as the ‘heart-to-heart’ summit between Modi and Xi is being seen as an effort by India and China to rebuild trust and improve ties that were hit by the 73-day-long Dokalam standoff last year.

“The two leaders were of the view that the two countries have the maturity and wisdom to handle all our differences through peaceful discussions within the context of the overall relationships and bearing in mind, we would respect each other’s sensitivities, concerns and aspirations,” Gokhale said.

Modi and Xi underlined that as two major countries India and China have wider and overlapping regional and global interests. They agreed on the need to strengthen strategic communication through greater consultation on all matters of common interest. “They believe that such strategic communication will have a positive influence on enhancing mutual understanding and will contribute to regional and global stability,” Gokhale said.

The two leaders recognized the common threat posed by terrorism and committed to cooperate further on counter-terrorism, he said.

When asked whether the issue of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar was raised, he said the two leaders “did not go into specifics”. China has repeatedly blocked India’s bid to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN.

The two leaders agreed that India and China are major powers, with strategic and decisional autonomy and they will pursue peaceful, stable and balanced relations and such a relationship will be a positive factor for stability amidst the current global uncertainties, he said, amidst increasing protectionist moves by countries like the US.

“The developments were reviewed from the strategic and long-term perspective. They agreed to significantly enhance efforts to build on the convergences through the established mechanisms in order to create the broadest possible platform for the future relationship,” Gokhale said.

The two leaders underlined that trade should be balanced, it should be sustainable, and that the two sides should take advantage of the complementarities between the two economies.

Modi also mentioned the importance of balancing the trade, and the scope of the possibilities of agricultural exports and pharmaceutical exports to China.

The two sides also discussed climate change, sustainable development and food security.

Xi shared his experience in terms of the preservation of the Yangtze – China’s longest river – and Modi shared his own experience on the question of the cleaning of the Ganga – India’s longest river.

They also discussed how to promote sports between the two countries and how to strengthen tourism on the Buddhist circuit.

“They reiterated the importance of building an open, multi-polar, pluralist and participatory global economic order which will enable all countries to pursue their development and contribute to the elimination of poverty and inequality in all regions of the world. They spoke of their respective efforts to contribute to the regional and global economic development,” Gokhale said.

They also underscored the importance of reform of multilateral financial and political institutions to make them representative and responsive to the needs of developing countries.

The forward-looking dialogue helped them in forging a common understanding of the future direction of India-China relations built upon mutual respect for each other’s developmental aspirations and prudent management of differences with mutual sensitivity,” he added. AGENCIES

DANANG, Nov 11: President Donald Trump stood before a summit of Asian leaders keen on regional trade pacts and delivered a roaring “America first” message Friday, denouncing China for unfair trade practices just a day after he had heaped praise on President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

“We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore,” Trump told CEOs on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. “I am always going to put America first, the same way that I expect all of you in this room to put your countries first.”

The president — who pulled the United States out of the Pacific Rim trade pact known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership — said the US would no longer join “large agreements that tie our hands, surrender our sovereignty and make meaningful enforcement practically impossible.”

Instead, he said, the US will pursue one-on-one trade deals with other nations that pledge fair and reciprocal trade. The message stood in sharp contrast to the behind-the-scenes negotiations taking place among other countries at the summit on a successor to TPP.

As for China, Trump said he’d spoken “openly and directly” with Xi about the nation’s abusive trade practices and “the enormous trade deficits they have produced with the United States.”

It was a stark change in tone from the day before, when Trump was Xi’s guest of honor during a state visit in Beijing. There, Trump opted for flattering Xi and blaming past US presidents for the trade deficit.

Trump said China’s trade surplus, which stood at $223 billion for the first 10 months of the year, was unacceptable. He repeated his language from Thursday, when he said he did “not blame China” or any other country “for taking advantage of the United States on trade.”

But Trump added forceful complaints about “the audacious theft of intellectual property,” ″massive subsidizing of industries through colossal state-owned enterprises,” and American companies being targeted by “state-affiliated actors for economic gain” — without singling China out by name.

US officials have raised similar concerns in the past about China, especially with regard to intellectual property.

On Saturday, Trump attended meetings with leaders of the 21-member APEC countries. Later in the day, he was to fly to Hanoi, the capital, to attend a state banquet before formal meetings Sunday with Vietnam’s president and prime minister.

In a major breakthrough, trade ministers from 11 nations remaining in the Trans-Pacific Partnership — representing roughly 13.5 percent of the global economy — said Saturday they had reached a deal to proceed with the free-trade pact after it was thrown into doubt when Trump abandoned it.

Behind the scenes, White House officials quietly negotiated with the Kremlin over whether Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin would hold a formal meeting on the sidelines in Danang, with the Russians raising expectations for such a session.

As speculation built, the two sides tried to craft the framework of a deal that Trump and Putin could announce in a formal bilateral meeting, according to two administration officials not authorized to speak publicly about private discussions.

Though North Korea and the Ukraine had been discussed, the two sides focused on trying to strike an agreement about a path to resolve Syria’s civil war once the Islamic State group is defeated, according to officials. But the talks stalled and, just minutes before Air Force One touched down in Vietnam, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that the meeting was off.

When asked about the outcome, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later snapped at reporters: “Why are you asking me? Ask the Americans.”

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that even without a formal meeting, “Both presidents are in town, and their paths will cross one way or another.”

That they did Friday night during the summit’s welcome gala: The two men, each wearing traditional Vietnamese shifts, shook hands and greeted one another as they stood side-by-side for the group photo of world leaders.

The two men shook hands and spoke briefly again during Saturday’s meeting, according to a Fox News videographer who was the only American journalist allowed into the room. Journalists traveling with Trump were not permitted to observe any of the APEC events he participated in.

Trump and Putin were also seen chatting as all leaders walked to an outdoor location for their traditional group photo. AP

BEIJING, Nov 10: President Donald Trump set aside his blistering rhetoric in favor of friendly overtures to China on Thursday, trying to flatter his hosts into establishing a more balanced trade relationship and doing more to blunt North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

Winding down his two days in Beijing, Trump suggested that if the US and China jointly took on the world’s problems, “I believe we can solve almost all of them, and probably all of them.”

In the name of furthering that relationship, Trump largely shelved his campaign complaints about China, at least in public. He focused on exhorting Beijing to help with North Korea, an effort expected again to take center stage at an international summit in Vietnam on Friday.

The Chinese rolled out a lavish welcome for the American president. Trump returned the kindness, heaping praise on China’s Xi Jinping and predicting the two powers would work around entrenched differences. On Twitter later, Trump called his meetings with Xi “very productive on both trade and the subject of North Korea.”

On trade, Trump criticized the “very one-sided and unfair” relationship between the US and China. But unlike his approach during the campaign, when he castigated China for what he contended were inappropriate trade practices, Trump said Thursday that he didn’t blame the Chinese for having taken advantage of the US in the past.

Trump said China “must immediately address the unfair trade practices” that drive a “shockingly” large trade deficit, along with barriers to market access, forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft.

“But I don’t blame China,” he said. “After all, who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country for the benefit of its citizens?”

To applause, Trump said, “I give China great credit.”

Reacting from afar, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said Trump’s comments “make the United States look weak and as if we are bowing to China’s whim. … Instead of giving China credit for stealing American jobs, the president should be holding China accountable.” Menendez, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is on trial for bribery.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered a blunt assessment of China’s trade surplus with the United States, which in October widened by 12.2 percent from a year earlier to $26.6 billion. The total surplus with the United States for the first 10 months of the year was $223 billion.

“I think the best way to characterize it is that while we appreciate the long hours and the effort that our Chinese counterparts have put into those trade discussions, quite frankly in the grand scheme of a $300- to $500-billion trade deficit, the things that have been achieved are pretty small,” Tillerson told reporters in Beijing.

Tillerson also acknowledged there were differences in “tactics and the timing and how far to go with pressure” on North Korea. But he insisted that the two countries shared common objectives.

“There is no disagreement on North Korea,” he said.

The comments by Trump and his top diplomat came after lengthy meetings with Xi. The day included announcements that the US and China had signed agreements valued at more than $250 billion for products including US-made jet engines, auto parts, liquefied natural gas and beef.

Such contract signings, a fixture of foreign leaders’ visits to Beijing, are intended to defuse complaints about China’s trade policies.

Xi promised a more open business environment for foreign companies in China and said his country was committed to further opening its economy to outside investment.

“China will not close its doors” and will open them “even wider,” he said, pledging that foreign companies in China, including American ones, would find the market “more open, more transparent and more orderly.”

It is unclear how far China will go to fulfill its pledges. Previous U.S. administrations have hailed market-opening promises only to be left disappointed.

Before arriving in China, Trump had delivered a stern message to Beijing, using an address in South Korea to call on China, North Korea’s biggest trade partner, to do more to confront and isolate the North.

Trump on Thursday appeared far more conciliatory, thanking China for its efforts and saying he’d been encouraged by his conversations.

“China can fix this problem easily. And quickly. And I am calling on China and your great president to hopefully work on it very hard,” Trump said. “If he works on it hard it will happen.”

Trump also was feted at a state dinner that featured a video montage of the president’s visit, as well as footage of his granddaughter, Arabella, the daughter of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, singing a traditional Chinese song in Mandarin.

On Friday, Trump was scheduled to stop in Da Nang, Vietnam, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference — the first of multiple summits he’ll attend on his first trip to Asia as president.

He may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the conference. Tillerson said Thursday the two sides were still discussing whether they had “sufficient substance” to talk about in such a meeting. AP

BEIJING, Nov 9: President Donald Trump on Thursday criticized the “very one-sided and unfair” trade relationship between the US and China, but stopped short of castigating Chinese President Xi Jinping by saying he doesn’t blame the country for having taken advantage of the US.

Speaking after the announcement of new business deals between US and Chinese companies, Trump said China “must immediately address the unfair trade practices that drive” what he said is “shockingly” large trade deficit, along with barriers to market access, forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft.

“But I don’t blame China,” he said. “After all, who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country for the benefit of its citizens?”

To applause, Trump said: “I give China great credit.”

Trump’s comments came during his second day in China and after lengthy meetings with Xi. The day included announcements that the US and China had signed agreements valued at more than $250 billion for products including US-made jet engines, auto parts, liquefied natural gas and beef.

Such contract signings are a fixture of foreign leader visits to Beijing and are intended to defuse foreign complaints about China’s trade policies.

Many of the contracts signed Thursday appeared to represent purchases that Chinese mobile phone makers, airlines and other customers would have made anyway, but were saved to be announced during Trump’s visit. It was unclear if the pledges extend beyond a US-China trade agreement announced in May that featured LNG and beef exports to China.

The deals are “a way of distracting from the fact that there’s been no progress in China on structural reform, market access or the big issues that the president has tried to make progress on with regard to China,” said Elizabeth Economy, the Asia studies director at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Trump had made narrowing the multibillion-dollar US trade deficit with China a priority for his administration. During the presidential campaign, he accused China of “raping our country” on trade and pledged to minimize the countries’ trade imbalance.

China’s trade surplus with the United States in October widened by 12.2 percent from a year earlier, to $26.6 billion, according to Chinese customs data released Wednesday. The total surplus with the United States for the first 10 months of the year rose to $223 billion.

For his part, Xi promised a more open business environment for foreign companies in China and said his country was committed to further opening its economy to foreign investment.

“China will not close its doors” and will open them “even wider,” he said, pledging that foreign companies in China, including American ones, would find the market “more open, more transparent and more orderly.”

The United States and other trading partners have been pressing Beijing to give their companies more access to its state-dominated economy. But it remains unclear how far China will go to fulfill its pledges. Previous US administrations have hailed market-opening promises only to be left disappointed.

Xi also described US-China relations as standing at a “new historic starting point,” and declared: “The Pacific Ocean is big enough to accommodate both China and the United States.”

Before arriving in China, Trump had delivered a stern message to Beijing, using an address to the National Assembly in South Korea to call on China, North Korea’s biggest trade partner, to do more to confront and isolate the antagonistic nation. That included calling on China to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions aimed at depriving the North’s government of revenue for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs

“You cannot support, you cannot supply, you cannot accept,” he said.

Trump on Thursday appeared far more conciliatory, thanking China for its efforts and saying he’d been encouraged by his conversations.

“China can fix this problem easily. And quickly. And I am calling on China and your great president to hopefully work on it very hard,” Trump said. “If he works on it hard it will happen. There’s no doubt about it.”

It was an optimistic tone that Trump stuck throughout the day. Earlier, he’d said he looked “forward to many years of success and friendship working together to solve not only our problems, but world problems, and problems of great danger and security.”

“I believe we can solve almost all of them, and probably all of them,” he said.

China is increasingly disenchanted with North Korea’s nuclear weapons development, but remains wary of using its full economic leverage over its traditional ally. It fears triggering a collapse of the North’s totalitarian regime that could cause an influx of refugees into northeastern China and culminate in a US-allied unified Korea on its border.

Before the meetings, China rolled out the red carpet for Trump, treating him to an elaborate welcome ceremony on the plaza outside the Great Hall of the People before the leaders turned to their private talks.

Trump looked on approvingly as a Chinese honor guard played the national anthems of both countries, cannons boomed and soldiers marched. He clapped and smiled as children waving US and Chinese flags and flowers screamed and jumped wildly.

The day before, Trump and first lady Melania Trump spent the first hours of their visit on a private tour of the Forbidden City, Beijing’s ancient imperial palace. It’s usually teeming with tourists but was closed to the public for the presidential visit.

Trump said Thursday the welcome “was truly memorable and impressive and something I will never forget.” AP