China's Navy aircraft carrier formation sails in the South China Sea, on April 18, 2018. [Photo/VCG] The situation in the South China Sea has stabilized and will remain stable as long as countries outside the region refrain from making troubles, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday. China and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will speed up consultation on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea on the basis of comprehensive and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Wang said during a meeting with ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi. China believes that a new round of senior officials meetings, which will be held in China at the end of this month, will achieve new progress, Wang said. He emphasized that as long as outside forces stop making waves, consultations on the COC will push forward smoothly. The state councilor noted that China and ASEAN will work out the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030 to make medium-and long-term plan for future cooperation. That 2018 is China-ASEAN Innovation Year will provide new driving forces for bilateral relations and their respective development, Wang said. China and ASEAN will also strengthen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and ASEAN's development plan like the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 to explore new areas for bilateral cooperation, he added. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. In 2003, China became the first country to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and establish a strategic partnership with ASEAN. It was also the first country, in 2002, to sign a free trade agreement with ASEAN and has led other major countries to pay more attention to and accelerate their relations with ASEAN, according to Wang. The ASEAN secretary-general said that China is the most dynamic strategic partner of ASEAN, and the ASEAN Secretariat will play a positive role in deepening the cooperation between both sides in areas like politics, economy and people-to-people exchanges. According to the Commerce Ministry, bilateral trade volume between China and ASEAN reached $514.8 billion last year. China is ASEAN's largest trade partner and ASEAN is China's third-largest trade partner. motivational wristbands for athletesfabric wristbands ebaybat fidget spinnercustom rubber bands
Cities in Fujian province, which borders the Taiwan Straits, have considered detailed measures to put into practice the country's newly unveiled 31-article policy offering equal treatment to residents on both sides of the straits.The measures discussed include encouraging local institutions that offer guarantees to small and medium-sized enterprises to include Taiwan businesses in their financing services, supporting professors and teachers from Taiwan in applying for research projects and inspiring technical talent from Taiwan to join local professional associations, city officials said during the recent national legislative session.Altogether, 22 of 31 measures have already been implemented in Fujian, which has long been a window of exchange and cooperation between people on the two sides of the straits, according to Zhong Zhigang, deputy director of the Fujian Provincial Taiwan Affairs Office.Other measures will be taken soon as part of a maximum effort to include Taiwan residents in the local public services system, including education, employment and residency, and generally in the tide of economic and social development sweeping the Chinese mainland, he said.Lin Wenyao, a deputy to the National People's Congress and director of the administrative committee of the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Area in Fujian, said the area-the closest to Taiwan geographically-aims to become a demonstration zone in this respect."We're mulling plans to build the area into a second living space for Taiwan residents by introducing high-end services" Lin said.Lin said some measures in the 31-article policy, which took effect at the end of February, were already implemented in the area, such as recognizing Taiwan residents' professional qualifications in the fields of medicine, architecture, design and education."Nearly 300 Taiwan residents have benefited from the policy," he said.Moreover, in Pingtan, Taiwan residents have been able to qualify for five-year visas since September 2015.Chen Zixuan, an NPC deputy from Xiamen, the city that first introduced regulations embracing Taiwan residents for employment and investment in 1994, suggested further detailed measures to eliminate inconvenience for Taiwan residents.One of her suggestions is to unify the eight-digit mainland travel permit for Taiwan residents with an 18-digit mainland resident-style ID so that those coming from Taiwan can simply swipe their permits when checking in for flights or when taking trains. They could also more easily register for shared bikes and other services.
