The Nation Newspaper

Tag: President Xi Jinping

  • China commends Trump for ‘constructive relationship’ message

    China commends Trump for ‘constructive relationship’ message

    China has commended U.S. President Donald Trump for a letter he has sent President Xi Jinping anticipating a “constructive relationship” between the two countries, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday.

    The leaders of the two largest economies in the world haven’t spoken on phone since Trump’s inauguration, though the US president has spoken to several other world leaders since then.

    The White House announced Wednesday that Trump had sent Xi a letter thanking the Chinese president for his congratulations on Trump’s inauguration.

    Trump also belatedly wished the Chinese people a “happy Lantern Festival and a prosperous Year of the Rooster.”

    China has received Trump’s letter and commends him for it, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

    Lu said: “we attach great importance to close high-level interactions between China and the US,”

    “Since the inauguration of President Trump we have been having such kind of communication.”

    When asked about Trump failing to send Chinese New Year’s greetings, Lu said journalists should not read too much into that.

    He said the Lantern Festival is also important.

    Earlier this month, Chinese social media users and state media noticed that Trump did not offer timely official New Year’s greetings to the Chinese people, as was customary for his predecessors Barack Obama and George W Bush.

    The state-owned publication Global Times wrote that “Trump’s failure to send Lunar New Year greetings prompts worries about Sino-US ties.”

    “Some Chinese [internet] users felt Trump was being disrespectful by not sending a greeting,” the newspaper wrote.

    Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her daughter, Arabella Kushner, attended a Chinese New Year’s celebration at the Chinese embassy in Washington.

    Later, Ivanka posted online a video of Arabella singing New Year’s greetings, which was spread widely China.

    Trump has had a tense relationship with China since taking office in January.

    The U.S. president has accused China of trying to manipulate its currency and has threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese imports.

  • Lead corruption fight by example – Chinese president

    Lead corruption fight by example – Chinese president

    The top echelons of China’s ruling Communist Party must lead the fight against corruption by accepting supervision for all they do, state media on Tuesday quoted President Xi Jinping as saying.

    Since assuming office four years ago, Xi has waged war on deep-seated graft, warning like others before him that the problem is so bad, it could affect the party’s grip on power.

    Dozens of senior people have been jailed, including Zhou Yongkang, who was once China’s powerful domestic security chief, given a life sentence for corruption last year.

    Speaking at a meeting of the Politburo, the core of the ruling party, Xi said its members must set an example in lawful governance efforts and use of power, state television said on the evening news.

    “The higher the leadership position, the more important the post, the more they must candidly accept supervision.

    There are no forbidden areas in intra-party supervision, and no exceptions,” state television said of the meeting chaired by Xi.

    The strengthening of this supervision must start with members of the Politburo, and the Central Committee, it added, referring the largest of the party’s ruling elite bodies.

    Politburo and Central Committee members are beacons for the rest of the party to see when it comes to supervision, the report added.

    Top officials should also “educate and manage” family members and those who work with them, it added.

    Close relatives, especially wives and children, have been implicated in many recent corruption scandals.

    China does not have an independent anti-corruption body and insists the party and the government can police themselves, something some experts and Chinese activists say is not possible if the country really wants to tackle graft.

    The drive for a corruption-free-partyLL often referred to in official documents as “intra-party supervision”, was the focus of a four-day meeting of senior party officials in Beijing in October.

    The meeting concluded by anointing Xi as “core” leader of the party.

  • China ready for Buhari’s visit

    China ready for Buhari’s visit

    President Muhammadu Buhari will pay a state visit to China between Monday to Friday next week at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang announced on Wednesday.

    “China and Nigeria enjoy a traditional friendship. This year marks the 45th anniversary of China-Nigeria diplomatic ties,” Lu said at a daily press briefing.

    During the visit, President Xi Jinping will hold talks with Buhari, and Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang will have separate meetings with him, exchanging views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern, Lu said.

    The two sides will sign cooperation agreements and jointly hold a forum on production capacity cooperation as well as a reception marking the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties, said Lu.

    Calling Nigeria “a major strategic partner of China in Africa,” Lu said the two countries have maintained frequent high-level visits, cooperated for strong results and maintained positive communication and coordination in international affairs over the past 45 years.

    “We believe President Buhari’s visit will give new impetus to the all-round development of the China-Nigeria strategic partnership of cooperation,” Lu said.

    Buhari will also visit Shanghai, an economic hub in east China, and Guangzhou, capital of south China’s Guangdong Province.

  • Buhari: trial of NNPC looters to start soon

    Buhari: trial of NNPC looters to start soon

    Government will sanitise the oil industry and free it from corruption and shady deals, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Sunday in United States.

    He said those responsible for the corruption in the giant oli firm will soon be prosecuted.

    The president spoke in New York during a meeting with President Xi Jinping of China on the side lines of the 70th General Assembly of the United Nations.

    He said the first step in this direction had already been taken with the appointment of a new management for the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsequent reorganisation.

    He said that the prosecution of those who misappropriated NNPC’s revenue under past administrations will soon commence.

    Buhari commended President Xi for China’s assistance to Nigeria to curb the theft of crude oil.

    He applauded China’s interception of shipload of crude oil stolen from Nigeria which was to be sold and their proceeds paid into private accounts.

    “We know your stand on corruption and we are grateful. Your continued cooperation in curbing oil theft from Nigeria will be appreciated, ” he said.

    Buhari told his Chinese counterpart that under his leadership, the Nigerian military had been re-trained and re-equipped and was now making steady gains in the fight against Boko Haram.

    President Xi said China was involved in the development of Nigeria in diverse areas like construction of railways, airports, agriculture, Mambilla Hydro-power project, among others.

    He promised that China would increase its investment in Nigeria’s agriculture sector to boost food security.

    Xi also promised that his country would invest in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and assist in the development of human resources.