News digest

China aims to elevate ties with Zimbabwe

China is willing to work with Zimbabwe to lift bilateral relations to a higher level, Vice-President Li Yuanchao has said.

Li made the remarks in his congratulatory messages sent on Dec 15 to Zimbabwe's newly appointed vice-presidents, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 34 years ago, the two countries have deepened political mutual trust and conducted fruitful cooperation in trade and people-to-people exchanges, Li said.

With both sides supporting each other's interests and jointly coordinating on international affairs, bilateral relations have a great deal of potential for further development, said the Chinese vice-president.

Mnangagwa and Mphoko took office as Zimbabwe's vice-presidents on Dec 12.

Somali official calls for stronger ties with China

Somali Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari and Chinese ambassador to Somalia Wei Hongtian hailed their meeting on Dec 29 as a great leap in building cordial relations between the two countries, noting that Somalia and China have enjoyed close diplomatic ties since Somalia gained its independence in 1961.

"We shared good ideas on how to build the relationship between both parliaments and work together toward a mutual and beneficial relationship," said Jawari.

The Chinese ambassador also expressed optimism that restoration of diplomatic ties between China and Somalia will deepen relations between the people of the two countries.

"I am very happy to meet with the Speaker of the Somali Parliament Mohamed Osman Jawari. We talked about the relationship between China and Somalia and future cooperation," Wei said.

In July, China reopened its embassy in Somalia and accredited a new ambassador 23 years after Somalia collapsed into a civil war.

Morocco's bank starts trading in yuan

One of Morocco's biggest lenders, Attijariwafa Bank, recently announced it has begun trading in the yuan to help national businesses with their growing commercial partnerships with China.

The bank launched yuan trading to develop its business ventures with China, said Attijariwafa Bank President Mohamed Kettani at a news conference in Morocco's economic hub, Casablanca.

Attijariwafa Bank is the largest private bank in Morocco and has subsidiaries that cater mainly to Moroccans in many African, European and Middle Eastern countries.

It has the largest branch network in Morocco and Africa with 3,265 branches, up from 3,197 in 2013.

China is Morocco's third-largest trading partner.

Chinese expats detained in Luanda released

Most of the Chinese expatriates detained in Luanda, capital of Angola, on Dec 19 by the authorities because they didn't have any identification have since been released, the charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy to Luanda, Li Chong, said on Dec 21.

Angola police rounded up some 1,000 foreigners in the capital, including citizens from Portugal, the Democratic Republic of Congo and over 300 Chinese expatriates, to clamp down on illegal workers in the African country.

Li made solemn representations to the Angolan foreign ministry, ministry of interior and Luanda police headquarters over the police action to detain Chinese expatriates without proper identification.

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce lodged a protest to the Angolan Ministry of Interior and to Luanda police headquarters for detaining the Chinese citizens. It alleged that police used brutality during the arrests.

Many Chinese citizens and companies work legally in Angola and have made significant contributions to the African country's post-war reconstruction, said Zhao Hongbing, secretary general of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.

105 births in Siberian tiger park this year

This year, 105 Siberian tiger cubs, one of the world's most endangered animals, were born at a tiger park in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, park officials said on Dec 28.

Over the past decade, the Siberian Tiger Park, the world's largest Siberian tiger breeding and training center, began planned breeding of tigers.

"The number of artificially bred Siberian tigers in the park is not 'the more the better'," said Liu Dan, chief engineer at the park. "We have been strictly controlling their population to ensure the quality of the species."

More than 1,000 Siberian tigers live at the park. They have all undergone DNA tests to prevent "intermarriage" among them and training has made them efficient predators, Liu said.

Siberian tigers are among the world's 10 most endangered species and mostly live in northeast China and eastern Russia. China established the Siberian Tiger Park in 1986 with only eight Siberian tigers.

Embassy calls for action after alleged rape

The Chinese embassy in Indonesia urged local authorities on Dec 28 to thoroughly investigate a recent high-profile rape case involving a Chinese woman and two Indonesian airport security officers.

The head of the consular section of the Chinese embassy in Indonesia said they are deeply concerned and expressed strong indignation over the case.

"The Chinese embassy has been paying a lot of attention to the case, and has lodged solemn representations with the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the police and the airport authority. The Chinese embassy has demanded that the Indonesian side fully investigate this case, bring the criminals to justice and take effective measures to ensure the safety and security of Chinese citizens in Indonesia," the statement said.

A 26-year-old Chinese woman has accused two security officers from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport of drugging and raping her in a nearby hotel.

Local media reported that the woman was found weeping at the airport's Terminal 1 on Dec 23.

Xi gives full backing to Hong Kong system

President Xi Jinping threw his support behind the development of Hong Kong's political system on Dec 26, shortly after the end of a monthslong illegal protest calling for universal suffrage.

During a meeting with Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, Xi called for people in the city to unite for the interests of the nation and Hong Kong, to preserve stability and economic development.

The development of Hong Kong's political system should start from "local reality" and be conducted in an orderly manner based on the law, Xi said in Beijing, adding that it should also help to safeguard the nation's sovereignty, security and development.

The central government firmly supports the local government in pushing forward its development of the political system based on the Basic Law and decisions made by the country's top legislature, Xi said.

Car-hailing apps encounter roadblocks

Upgraded versions of car-hailing apps are facing problems in China, with transportation departments in many cities considering these services illegal.

The Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission has started to crack down on unlicensed car-hailing services provided via the Internet.

China Daily

(China Daily Africa Weekly 01/02/2015 page3)