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President’s Report
Happy Year of the Sheep to all members!
There are so many activities celebrating Chinese New
Year that we decided to join some of them.
�We marveled at the Lanterns of the Terracotta
Warriors installed at Dawes Point, illuminated in glowing
bursts of colour with Sydney Harbour in the background.
�We enjoyed Lilian Lai's exhibition of beautiful ink brush
paintings 'Sydneyscapes - at home in Sydney' with a
special launch talk by Dr Richard Wu at Customs House
Library.
�Marilyn Dooley gave a most interesting and informative
talk on 'The Yin and Yang of the Sheep' at the Museum of
Sydney, with a special screening of Ken G Hall's The
Squatter's Daughter later that day.
�There was the Chinese New Year Concert by Hunan
Orchestra of Chinese Music at the Sydney City Recital
Hall. Some of our members joined other organizations
and participated in the legendary Chinese New
Year Twilight Parade.
�The Chinese New Year Festival extends to March, so
instead of speakers at our ACFS meetings, we are joining
the special functions as detailed in this Bulletin.
See some of you then!
Margaret Yung Kelly
President February 2015
ACFS Essence of North India Tour:
I arrived back in Sydney in the first week of February
with 16 other participants of this tour to Rajasthan. We
had a wonderful whirlwind tour of Delhi,
Amritsar, Varanasi, Agra, the pink city of Jaipur, the blue
city of Jodhpur, Udairpur with its
beautiful lakes, and Mumbai. Our
wonderful Indian guide Rajeev arranged
for us to go to Agra on an overnight train
that day, so we enjoyed a great train
experience. In our sleeper compartment
we met an Indian family of husband and
wife and their 7- year old son who spoke
perfect English and entertained us by
dancing. We exchanged addresses and
were invited to visit them on any
future trip to India.
India is certainly a unique experience -
the teeming population, the poverty, the
vibrant colours, the magnificence of the
palaces and forts, the beautiful Hindu,
Buddhist, Jainist and Sikh temples,
the friendliness and warmth of the
people. We stayed at luxurious 5
star hotels and 4 star heritage hotels and had delicious
Indian curries as well as some very tempting international
desserts to finish the meals. The heritage hotels were
luxurious and great because they were off the beaten
track and we were able to get a much better feel about
the districts and lives of Indian people. I was surprised at
the absence of beggars on the streets except for some
children and some women who gathered at our parked
coach and who were given our gathered free shampoos
and toiletries from the hotels and biscuits and fruit.
Rajeev was an excellent guide, not only for his wealth of
knowledge but for his compassionate and caring nature.
He took us to a Mother Theresa orphanage where we
donated rice, lentils, other foodstuff and household
necessities.
Highlights of the trip for me were Amritsar where we
enjoyed the daily theatrical flag-lowering ceremony at
the India/Pakistan border and the sparkling Golden
Temple, the most popular Sikh temple in India, where I
felt such spirituality, peace and serenity; the boat cruise
in Varanasi where we witnessed the 'Aarti' ceremony on
the banks of the Holy River Ganges, and where we lit our
candles on little floating leaf containers, made our
wishes, and floated them on the river, seeing their lights
on the water for a long time; visiting Sarnath
and realizing that Lord Buddha actually sat under one of
those banyan trees; the Taj Mahal was beautiful; in
Mumbai the rock cut Elephanta Caves with its Great
Cave Temple (an amazing feat achieved by four
generations of artisans) and where I had four strong men
carrying me in a wooden armchair up the 120 steps to
reach it!
And of course the shopping - there were some beautiful
bargains tempting us - jewelery, woven bedspreads,
scarves, elephant key rings, marble plates and bowls,
artwork, spices - some of us shopped till we dropped!
I had a most fascinating and enjoyable India experience.
My thanks to all on the tour for their company!
Margaret Yung Kelly, Tour Leader
3
Dates for your Diary:
ACFS Regular Activities
Qigong: Every Wednesday, 10am, Ultimo Community Centre, exercise class $10. Call Miranda Ho on 0402 918 383
Mandarin: Every Tuesday. Speaking/Listening class 9.15am-10.15am and General Language class 10.30am-12noon
in our ACFS Rooms. $12 for one class or $17 for both. Contact Mark Seeto, ph. 0417 691 988 or email:
Three weeks travelling India Roberta Wiseman
I have often heard it said “Everything moves slowly in India” for the first week many precious hours were spent in airports
waiting for planes. With security very high in airports, hotels etc. it seemed we would never get the time to actually see India.
However under the leadership and good humour of our tour leader Margaret Kelly and the experienced Indian guide Rajeev
(who travelled with us for most of our stay) our group bonded and got through. Rajeev was the kindest, most thoughtful of
guides, caring for us like we were his family.
In Varanasi we boated on the Ganges in the evening to see a ceremony by young monks blessing the river. We travelled by
bus, horse and cart and finally by rickshaw to the river where thousands had gathered to see this very moving ceremony. Next
morning we were there again to see the sunrise, two young boys rowing us along. So many locals on the river bank so early
washing, bathing, meditating and the smoke from the burial fires all contributing to a memorable experience.
We travelled to the Indian/Pakistan Border to watch the ceremony of the “Lowering of the Flags”, security again was very
high, the ceremony wonderful, pure theatre with the soldiers from
either side high stepping and threatening in their gestural movements.
The gates were opened, the flags lowered to tremendous cheering from
the crowd, the gates closed and a long walk back to the bus along with
families chatting and laughing.
No need to describe the Taj Mahal, it was everything I had read,
although foggy it was beautiful in the morning light and although the
light was still poor in the evening, it was well worth the return visit. Lots
of photos and time to wander and enjoy the wonder of this beautiful
building.
The hotels were beautifully decorated with paintings, frescos, glass
mosaics. Mostly built of marble to keep the summer heat out, they were
all different and the experience of staying at a palace, restored
mansions, heritage buildings all made for comfortable interesting stays.
The hotel at Mumbai was the classiest, sadly only one night.
I would like to think that with any future trip to India the itinerary isn’t
as full and there is more time to enjoy these wonderful places at a more
leisurely pace.
The food was excellent, and plenty of it. Fresh and lots of variety, we ate
very well. Wine wasn’t Hunter Valley but the beer was excellent. One
delightful animal I have to mention was the squirrel. Tiny and fitted into
one’s hand, we saw them scurrying everywhere we went. They are just
the most adorable creature and do no damage, so not a pest.
We were shown Mosques, Temples, Forts, City Museum in Mumbai and
Gandhi Museum. There were many memorable places, all telling their own history through the architecture, religion and art.
The transport at times was frightening and at the same time great fun, the drivers were very skilled at being able to drive and
steer through the narrowest lanes through traffic and people, weaving in and out at full pace. We travelled by 3 wheelers,
rickshaws, horse and buggy, jeeps, elephant, an overnight train with sleepers and an air conditioned bus. There are no actual
rules on the roads but it all seems to work with skill and patience. We saw no accidents at all. Although plenty of scrapes and
dents.
Have come home with plenty of lovely memories, especially of the Indian people who I found warm and friendly.
A visit to a slum area in New Delhi
Mailis Wakeham 14 Feb 2015
After a very satisfying breakfast at the Jaypee Vasant Continenal Hotel, I was keen to go for a walk towards the nearby
slum area that we had, by bus, sped past several times. A handful of people joined Roberta and me, including Rajeev.
It took around ten minutes and we were there, facing entry points along a grey brick wall built off a footpath at the
curve of a major street. Rajeev said that he had never been
inside a slum, and he offered to check whether we would be
permitted to enter and take some photos.
Rather unexpectedly, we were welcomed inside by a young
woman and two children who took us on a guided tour. Here
we found a total contrast to the external image of the area.
Walls were painted in various bright colours of blue, green and
lilac, with prettily coloured flowers painted around doors, and at
one place, ducks were depicted on a brown “skirting board”. A
picture of Lord Ganesh’s crowned head (the elephant-headed
god) was central to a courtyard area.
We were taken to see a nearby shop situated within the slum
area, and we asked if we could take photos of the children and of
the shop. The woman herself happily agreed, and together with
her children posed for us. She called for others to come and join
us as well – all appeared happy to do so, and became quite
excited when they could see their own photos on our iPads.
As can be seen from the photo, these slum dwellers look well-
nourished, clean and tidy, also that mobile phones are owned by
at least some.
As we were leaving, we thanked everyone in English (though Rajeev, of course, spoke in Hindi) and started our walk back
to the Jaypee Hotel. We all felt pleased and privileged to have been invited inside, and glad to have learned that slum
dwellings are not necessarily dismal places.
Xi Jinping Visits Tasmania of Australia, Promoting Local-Level Cooperation and
Deepening People's Friendship
On November 18 2014, President Xi Jinping paid a
visit to Tasmania of Australia.
It was in late spring and early summer, Tasmania was
embraced by green grass, forming agreeable
scenery. When Xi Jinping's special plane arrived at
the Hobart International Airport in the capital of
Tasmania, Xi Jinping and his wife Mme. Peng Liyuan
were warmly received by Administrator of Tasmania
Alan Blow and his wife and Premier of Tasmania Will
Hodgman and his wife. The representative of the
indigenous people announced the welcoming
speech in the traditional manner. The local children
presented bouquets and the local specialty of
Tasmania Lavender Bear to Xi Jinping and his wife.
The students waved the national flags of China and
Australia in the cheering of "hello" in Chinese. Xi
Jinping and Mme. Peng Liyuan walked to the
children and waved to them kindly.
Xi Jinping met with Administrator Blow and Premier
Hodgman of Tasmania in the Government House. Xi
Jinping stressed that he personally witnessed the
friendly exchanges between China and Tasmania. In
2001, while governor of Fujian Province, he received
the visit of then-Premier Jim Bacon of Tasmania. The
sister state relationship between Tasmania and
Fujian has witnessed 33 years of development and is
getting better and better, which has boosted local-
local exchanges and cooperation between the two
countries. Tasmania enjoys distinctive features in
Australia and has great potential to cooperate with
China. “I hope that the two sides take advantage of
the establishment of the China-Australia
comprehensive strategic partnership as well as the
construction of the free trade zone to expand
cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture,
forestry, tourism and other fields.
On behalf of the Tasmanian people, Mr Blow and
Premier Hodgman warmly welcomed President Xi
Jinping's visit. They said that President Xi Jinping has
been an old friend of the Tasmanian people, and his
visit is of historic significance. China is Tasmania's
largest trading partner and the largest source of
investment, international students and tourists.
They have just signed new cooperation documents
with Fujian Province. They hope that President Xi
Jinping's visit could make more Chinese people know
Tasmania and thus enhance the bilateral exchanges
and cooperation.
Xi Jinping also visited the family of Mr Jim Bacon, the
late former Premier of Tasmania. Xi Jinping said that
“when Mr. Jim Bacon visited China in 2001, I signed
with him the joint statement on the 20th anniversary
of the establishment of the sister state relationship
between Fujian and Tasmania, and awarded him
honorary citizenship of Fujian Province. What
happened that year is still vivid in my mind. He liked
the song of Waves of Gulangyu, so I presented a
cassette of this song to him. He invited me that year
to visit Tasmania and I accepted. My current visit can
be described as fulfilling my promise to my friend.
Mr. Bacon was an old friend of the Chinese people,
making active contributions to promoting the China-
Australia friendship and pushing forward the
cooperation between China and Tasmania. We miss
him. I am pleased that you continue your dedication
to friendly exchanges and cooperation with China.
You are welcome to visit China often, especially
Fujian, making greater contributions to promoting
the friendship between China and Australia”.
Jim Bacon's widow Honey said that Jim Bacon had
profound and friendly feelings towards China,
particularly towards Fujian, during his lifetime and
always hoped to receive President Xi Jinping in his
hometown. She thanked President Xi Jinping for
specially taking time to visit them. Meeting with
President Xi Jinping in their hometown fulfilled a
long-cherished wish of Jim Bacon. All her family have
inherited the traditional friendship with China. She
herself is a member of the Australia-China
Friendship Society.
Mr Bacon's eldest son Mark is President of the
Tasmania Branch of the Australia-China Business
Council (ACBC). He said that he will actively promote
the economic and trade cooperation with China. Mr
Bacon's second son Scott is a Labor Party member of
the Tasmanian House of Assembly. He pointed at his
seven-month-old daughter in his wife's arms and
said that they will take her to China in the near
future.
The atmosphere of the meeting was warm and
friendly. The Bacon family showed Xi Jinping the
photos of Mr Bacon's visits to China during his
lifetime. Xi Jinping recalled the past while looking at
the photos. Seeing the photos of Mr Jim Bacon with
him, Xi Jinping said emotionally, "I have also kept
these photos."
Honey presented Xi Jinping an oil painting she
herself painted, in which the blue sky and sea
exhibited tranquillity and harmony, displaying the
beautiful natural scenery of Tasmania.
This May, 16 primary-year students of Scotch
Oakburn College at Launceston of Tasmania wrote a
letter to Xi Jinping and Mme. Peng Liyuan,
introducing the unique animals, plants and natural
landscape in the local area, and expressing with
unskilled Chinese characters their wish to invite Xi
Jinping and Mme. Peng Liyuan to visit Tasmania.
Shortly afterwards, they received a reply from Xi
Jinping and his wife, expressing expectation to visit
their hometown and encouraging them to learn
Chinese well. Xi Jinping and Mme. Peng Liyuan, while
in Tasmania, specially arranged their time to visit
these children.
Xi Jinping and Mme. Peng Liyuan came to the lawn
of the Government House, and were welcomed by
the children in Chinese. Xi Jinping and Mme. Peng
Liyuan smilingly greeted the children. Xi Jinping said
that one of our main purposes of coming here is to
meet with you, as you stand for hope and future. I
know that you and a lot of your fellow students are
learning Chinese, and I hope that you learn more
about the Chinese history and culture.
Xi Jinping and Administrator Blow planted together
a magnolia sapling, and the children watered the
sapling. Xi Jinping told the children that “we should
sow the seeds of the China-Australia friendship and
make them take root, germinate and flourish. The
youngsters of the two countries are the seeds of
friendship. I hope that you will come to China to
study and travel in the future. You may continue to
write letters to me, and I am willing to share your
good news”.
Xi Jinping and Mme. Peng Liyuan waved good-bye to
the children, and the children said good-bye in
Chinese.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's address at World Economic Forum annual meeting
Uphold Peace and Stability, Advance Structural
Reform and Generate New Momentum for
Development
At World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Davos, 21
Jan 2015
“Professor Klaus Schwab, President Simonetta
Sommaruga, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and
Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
It gives me great pleasure to come to Davos again
after five years to attend the World Economic Forum
Annual Meeting 2015. Davos is a town of peace and
serenity, yet the world outside is not tranquil. We
need to work together to shape the world in a new
global context. I was told that Davos used to be a
resort for recuperation from lung diseases, and the
later discovery of Penicillin changed that. Now it is a
place for people to gather and pool their wisdom for
"brain-storm". Personally, I find this more than
relevant, because our world also needs new forms of
"Penicillin" to tackle new challenges that have
emerged.
Admittedly, the world today is by no means trouble-
free. Regional hotspots, local conflicts and terrorist
attacks continue to flare up, posing immediate threats
to humanity. Global economic recovery lacks speed
and momentum. Major economies are performing
unevenly. Commodity prices are going through
frequent fluctuations. And signs of deflation have
made the situation even worse. In fact, many people
are quite pessimistic about the future of the world.
They believe the guarantee of peace is weak and the
prospect of development is elusive.
A philosopher once observed that we cannot solve
problems by using the same kind of thinking we used
when we created them. Indeed, old problems can no
longer be solved by clinging to the outdated mindset
of confrontation, hatred and isolation. Dialogue,
consultation and cooperation must be explored to
find solutions to new problems. It is important that
we draw lessons from history, and pool our collective
wisdom to maximize the convergence of interests
among countries. Fortunately, in time of hardship and
trial, mankind have always been able to find the
courage to get out of the predicament and move
ahead through change and innovation.
In a world facing complex international situation, we
should all work together to uphold peace and
stability. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the
victory of the world's anti-Fascist war. To uphold
peace and stability serves the interests of all people in
the world. The world order established after World
War II as well as generally recognized norms
governing international relations must be maintained,
not overturned. Otherwise, prosperity and
development could be jeopardized. The Cold War and
zero-sum mentalities must be abandoned. The
"winner takes all" approach will not work. Regional
hotspots and geopolitical conflicts must be resolved
peacefully through political means. Terrorism, in all its
manifestations, must be opposed. China remains
committed to peaceful development and regional
stability. And China has no intention to compete with
other countries for supremacy. Peace in the world
must be cherished the same as we cherish our eyes,
so that the achievements and benefits of civilization,
including reason and justice, will prevail.
In a world of diverse civilizations, we should all seek to
live in harmony. Cultural diversity, like biodiversity, is
a most precious treasure endowed to us on this
planet. And human society is like a garden where all
human civilizations blossom. Different cultures and
religions need to respect and live in harmony with
each other. While maintaining the natural close ties
among those with whom we see eye to eye, we also
need to respect those with whom we disagree. Like
the vast ocean admitting all rivers that run into it,
members of the international community need to
work together to expand common ground while
accepting differences, and seek win-win progress
through inclusive cooperation and mutual learning.
In a world facing volatile economic situation, we
should all work to promote opening-up and
innovation. What has happened since the outbreak of
the international financial crisis seven years ago
proves that to work in unity is the surest way for
countries to get over the difficulties. We are all
interdependent in this world. While we each have the
right to adopt economic policies in line with national
conditions, we need to strengthen macro-policy
coordination to expand the convergence of interests
and achieve common development. A European
proverb says, "when the wind of change blows, some
build walls, while others build windmills." We need to
act along the trend of our time, firmly advance free
trade, resolutely reject protectionism, and actively
expand regional economic cooperation. We need to
build global value chains, and seize the opportunity of
a new technological revolution. While the
international community agree on the importance of
macro-policies to the economy, they also recognize
the urgency to go ahead with structural reform.
Structural reform must be carried through no matter
how difficult it is, as it is an effective way to foster
conditions conducive to global innovation and bring
about new momentum for global development.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I know you are all interested in the outlook of the
Chinese economy. Some of you may even worry about
the possible potential impact of China's economic
slowdown and transition. To ease your concerns, let
me spend more time today on what is really
happening in China.
The Chinese economy has entered a state of new
normal. The gear of growth is shifting from high speed
to medium-to-high speed, and development needs to
move from low-to-medium level to medium-to-high
level. This has made it all the more necessary for us to
press ahead with structural reform.
It must be noted that the moderation of growth speed
in China reflects both profound adjustments in the
world economy as well as the law of economics. The
Chinese economy is now the second largest in the
world. With a larger base figure, a growth even at 7
percent will produce an annual increase of more than
800 billion US dollars at current price, larger than a 10
percent growth five years ago. With the economy
performing within the reasonable range and the
speed of growth no longer taken as the sole yardstick,
the strained supply-demand relationship will be
eased, the pressure on resources and the
environment will be lowered, and more time and
energy will be devoted to push forward structural
reform. That means, the economy will enter a more
advanced stage of development, with more
sophisticated division of labor and a more optimized
structure. If I could compare the Chinese economy to
a running train. What I want you to know is that this
train will not lose speed or momentum. It will only be
powered by stronger dynamo and run with greater
steadiness, bringing along new opportunities and new
momentum of growth.
In 2014, we followed exactly the afore-mentioned
approach. In the face of downward pressure, we did
not resort to strong stimulus; instead, we vigorously
pursued reforms, and the government in fact led
these reforms by streamlining administration and
delegating power. This has motivated both the market
and the business sector. GDP grew by 7.4% for the
whole year, the best among major economies in the
world. Over 13 million new jobs were created in cities,
with both registered and surveyed unemployment
rates lower than the previous year. That is, we
achieved growth in employment despite the
economic slowdown. CPI was kept at 2%, lower than
the target set at the beginning of the year. These
outcomes prove that the host of macro-regulation
measures China adopted have been right and
effective. More importantly, new progress has been
made in advancing structural reform.
Needless to say, the Chinese economy will continue to
face substantial downward pressure in 2015. What
shall we choose to do under such circumstances?
Shall we go for even higher growth for the short term,
or for medium-to-high growth and higher quality of
development over the long run? The answer is
definitely the latter. We will maintain our strategic
focus and continue to pursue a proactive fiscal policy
and a prudent monetary policy. We will avoid
adopting indiscriminate policies. Instead, we will put
more emphasis on anticipatory adjustment and fine-
tuning, do an even better job with targeted macro-
regulation to keep the economy operating within the
reasonable range, and raise the quality and
performance of the economy.
We are taking effective measures to fend off debt,
financial and other potential risks. China's high savings
rate, which now stands at 50 percent, generates
sufficient funds for sustaining economic growth.
Besides, China's local debt, over 70 percent of which
was incurred for infrastructure development, is
backed by assets. And reform of the financial system
is making progress. What I want to emphasize is that
regional or systemic financial crisis will not happen in
China, and the Chinese economy will not head for a
hard landing.
It must be pointed out that China is still a developing
country and still has a long way to go before achieving
modernization. While peace is the basic condition for
China's development, reform and opening-up along
with our people's desire for a happy life constitute the
strongest impetus propelling development. The space
of development in China's rural and urban areas and
various regions is enormous, and the country's
domestic demand will simply generate great potential
of growth. Development at medium-to-high speed for
another ten to twenty years will bring even bigger
changes to China and create more development
opportunities for the world.
For the Chinese economy to withstand downward
pressure, and to maintain medium-to-high speed of
growth and achieve medium-to-high level of
development, we need to say "no" to traditional
mindset. We must encourage innovative institutions,
and press ahead with structural reform. We need to
adopt more innovative macro-regulation policies and
develop a more vigorous micro economy. We need to
promote more balanced development of industries,
between rural and urban areas and among regions.
We need to ensure relatively high employment rate,
especially sufficient employment for the young
people. And we need to optimize income distribution
and raise the people's welfare. All this certainly calls
for tremendous efforts. Yet we will stay undaunted in
the face of difficulties. We will unswervingly press
ahead with reform and restructuring to ensure that
our economy maintains medium-to-high speed of
growth and achieves medium-to-high level of
development.
To ensure long-term and steady growth of the
Chinese economy, we need to comprehensively
deepen reforms. We need to properly use both the
hand of the government and the hand of the market,
and rely on both the traditional and new engines of
growth. We will let the market play a decisive role in
resource allocation to foster a new engine of growth.
At the same time, we will give better scope to the role
of the government to transform and upgrade the
traditional engine of growth.
To foster a new engine of growth, we will encourage
mass entrepreneurship and innovation. China has 1.3
billion people, a 900-million workforce, and over 70
million enterprises and self-employed businesses. Our
people are hard-working and talented. If we could
activate every cell in society, the economy of China as
a whole will brim with more vigor and gather stronger
power for growth. Mass entrepreneurship and
innovation, in our eyes, is a "gold mine" that provides
constant source of creativity and wealth.
Speaking of this, I think of China's rural reform
conducted more than 30 years ago. The reform
brought farmers' initiatives into full play and allowed
them to decide for themselves matters related to
rural production and management. Consequently, the
problem of hunger that previously haunted China was
solved in just a couple of years. In short, a structural
innovation that unleashed the creativity of the people
changed the lot of hundreds of millions in China. I also
think of a small village I visited two months ago in
eastern China. In the village were some 700
households and over 2,800 registered online stores.
Each day, more than 30 million items of various sorts
were sold to different parts of the world. The story of
the village speaks vividly of the hard-working Chinese
people actively engaged in entrepreneurship.
Going forward, China needs new sources of dynamism
to carry development forward. Dynamism comes from
diversity, which sparks wisdom and fosters
innovation. Mass entrepreneurship and innovation
serves to unleash people's ingenuity and power. It will
result in greater demand and residents' consumption,
greater social wealth, and greater welfare for the
people. More importantly, it will bring opportunity for
many and give people the stage to reach life's full
potential. It will also bring about greater social
mobility, equity and justice.
Excessive regulation discourages innovation, and
healthy competition is the way to prosperity. We will
deepen reform of the administrative system. This
means we will continue to abolish or delegate to
lower-level governments’ items previously subject to
State Council review and approval. We will
comprehensively sort out items requiring non-
governmental review and approval, and put in place a
negative-list approach for market access. This will
incentivize market players, and help reduce the
possibility of rent-seeking and corruption. We will
protect intellectual property rights in accordance with
the law, and do our best to foster an environment
that encourages entrepreneurship and tolerates
failure. Moreover, we will give protection to all sorts
of legal property rights.
To transform the traditional engine of growth, we will
focus on increasing the supply of public goods and
services. China has made remarkable economic
achievements, but inadequate supply of public goods
and services remains a weak link in development.
China's capital stock on public infrastructure, in per
capita terms, is only 38 percent that of Western
Europe and 23 percent that of North America. The
development of its service sector is 10 percentage
points lower than other developing countries at
similar development stages. And its rate of
urbanization is more than 20 percentage points lower
than developed countries. This means a massive space
for increasing public goods and services. To deliver
such public goods and services to improve people's
lives is the government's responsibility. They are also
important ways to boost domestic demand.
This year, we have identified some key areas for
investment, including building railways in central and
western provinces, constructing water conservancy
projects, rebuilding rundown urban areas and old
houses in cities and villages, and preventing and
controlling pollutions. The government will increase
investment in these areas, and it will not act alone.
Efforts will be made to break monopoly and reform
the investment and financing systems to encourage
the participation of private and foreign capitals. The
model of public-private partnership (PPP), Sino-
foreign cooperatives and government purchase of
services will be adopted to better leverage various
investment sources. I have an example here to cite. A
few years ago, the plan was made to build a sewage
treatment plant in a province in western China, and a
total of 335 million RMB yuan was needed. The
project later attracted investment from a German
water company, with the German side controlling 70%
of the total shares.
Moving forward, we will deepen fiscal and taxation
reform, reduce the tax and fees charged to
businesses, particularly those in the service sector,
and take new steps to support SMEs. We will deepen
reform of the financial system, continue to promote
liberalization of interest and exchange rates, and
accelerate the development of small- and medium-
sized financial institutions, private banks in particular,
with a view to developing a multi-tiered capital
market. We will speed up reform of the pricing
system, substantially reduce the types and items for
which the government sets the prices, and liberate
price regulation to the maximum extent possible.
More emphasis will be given to the government's role
in creating a favorable "soft environment". That
means better market regulation, a world-class
business environment established on market
principles and the rule of law. In this way, we will be
able to provide efficient and quality public services to
all market players.
China's reform and development will bring more
business opportunities to the world. We will provide
easier market access for inbound foreign investment,
and explore the possibility of management based on a
pre-establishment national treatment and negative-
list approach. Chinese and foreign companies will be
treated as equals. We will further open the financial,
education, cultural, medical care, pension and other
service sectors in an orderly way, and bring the
experience of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade
Zone to other parts of China. Our aim is to help
investors from across countries find "rich mines" and
reap steady returns from their investment.
What is more, China will explore new approaches to
investment cooperation with other countries. China's
high-speed railway, nuclear power, aviation,
telecommunications and other sophisticated
manufacturing capacities are gradually being
introduced to other countries. They could meet
market demand of the recipient country, and stand
the test of competition on the international market.
Their export will also help open up third-country
markets, as many of such products are made by joint
ventures between China and a foreign country. China
has put forward the initiatives to build the Silk Road
Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk
Road. China hopes to work with other countries to
advance these initiatives and ensure that they are
brought forward in ways that meet the actual needs
of countries concerned.
Davos of Switzerland is a world-famous ski resort. As
we understand, to be a good skier, one needs to do
three things: go at the right speed, keep balance and
be courageous. I believe this also holds true for the
Chinese economy. What is important now for China is
to adapt to the new normal. China will maintain
medium-to-high speed of growth, keep a proper
balance between steady growth and structural
adjustment, and push forward reform with great
courage and determination. China will stay firm in its
commitment to reform and opening-up. It will focus
on structural reform, encourage mass
entrepreneurship and innovation, increase supply of
public goods and services, and use the twin engines to
ensure that the economy maintains medium-to-high
speed of growth and achieves medium-to-high level of
development. As long as we succeed in doing so, the
Chinese economy will successfully overcome the
"middle-income trap" and move ahead along the path
of sustainable and sound development. This will in
turn bring greater opportunities to the world
economy.
In closing, I would like to call upon the international
community to forge ahead and work in unison to
uphold peace and stability, embrace harmonious
coexistence, and boost the impetus for openness and
innovation. By doing so, I am confident we will be able
to overcome whatever difficulty or obstacle that stand
in our way, and bring about a better future for the
world that we all call home.
Thank you very much.
11
Australia China Friendship Society
澳 中 友 好 協 会 NSW INC.
Invites you to join our Myanmar, The Golden Land Tour to experience the amazing Myanmar on the 20
night 21 day tour to
Yangon, Bahmo, Princess Royal Cruise (Chartered), Mandalay, Monywa, Pakokku, Bagan, Yangon, Golden
Rock, Hpa An, Mawlamyine, Bago, Yangon
We have been able to obtain for members and friends this specially priced tour, organised by
CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE (AUST.) PTY. LTD. (Licence No. 2TA001849)
The tour will depart Sydney on 01 December 2015 and arrive back in Sydney on 21 December 2015. Please complete the booking
form (available on our website or from Ms Amy Rae, China Travel Service (Aust) Pty. Ltd Sydney Office, Level 1, Suite 3 -
7, 650 George Street, Sydney 2000 Phone 02 9372 0081) as soon as possible to secure your place on this fabulous tour.
Please arrange payment of $1000 deposit to CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE by 1 APRIL 2015
The balance of the tour costs is payable by 10 October 2015 and a meeting of tour members will be held about two weeks prior
to departure. Travel Insurance is essential. CTS (Amy Rae Tel: 02 9372 0081) can arrange it at special minimal cost or you can
make your own arrangement.
Book as soon as possible
MAXIMUM 14 PEOPLE DON’T MISS OUT!! Tour Leader is Dr. Lesley Heath, NSW Sec. Mob: 0434338083 E:[email protected]
Under the booking conditions of the Princess Royal Cruise, a 30% non-refundable deposit needs to be paid by 01 April in order to secure the booking, so we would like all participants to book and send deposit prior to the cut-off date. The
passenger capacity of the cruise is 14 people; a minimum of 12 people guarantees departure.**
Tour price: $7770 per person twin share
Single Supplement: $1680 per person
Price includes
• International flights with Thai Airways & domestic flights with Asian Wings within Myanmar • Airport taxes and fuel surcharges • Domestic flights and domestic airport tax • 3 & 4 star accommodation and all meals • Transport by road in private air-conditioned vehicles , cruise & ferry travel • English speaking guide throughout • Myanmar visa - single entry
• Tips for guide & driver
• Porterage at all Myanmar airports
• Daily refreshment tissues and bottled water Price excludes
Travel Insurance Personal expenses incl. camera fees
ULL ITINERARY ON OUR WEBSITE: www.acfsnsw.org.au
If undeliverable return to: ACFS NSW Inc. Suite 524 368 Sussex Street SYDNEY NSW 2000
PP No 235387/00014
The Australia-China Friendship Society is a non-profit organisation, run completely by volunteers. It was founded in the early 1950s to promote friendship and understanding between the peoples of Australia and China.
In keeping with that objective we engage in the following activities:
� We hold regular meetings each month at which we hear speakers who have expert knowledge about China. � We organise tours to China and other countries, at the lowest possible cost. � We host delegations from China. � We conduct classes in the Chinese language and organise language, painting, cultural and other specialist tours
in China. � We organise excursions and social occasions for members and friends. � We raise money to support the education of disadvantaged children in China’s poorer areas.
Membership is open to anyone who supports our aim of promoting friendship and understanding between Australians and Chinese.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in articles published in the Bulletin are not necessarily those of the ACFS.
Australia-China Friendship Society NSW Membership Application Form
To renew your membership or to join, please complete this slip and send it in with your cheque or postal order. Donations welcome!
$30 Individual member
$35 Family
$25 Concession (pension/student)
Donation $________________
Post to the Secretary, ACFS, Suite 524, 5th floor, Pacific Trade Centre, 368 Sussex Street, SYDNEY, NSW 2000 Direct Deposit: Commonwealth Bank BSB number 062 099; Account Number 1021 3918 – Please make sure you indicate your name!
(Please PRINT!) Mr/Mrs/Ms…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Address …………………………………………………………………………………………..……....Postcode…………… Telephone……………………..……..………Email………………………….………………..….……Date……………….…
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