From road building to subsidies, the central government has spent large amounts of money on poverty relief in places like Liangshan

[Photo by Pan Zhongming/China Daily]Brazzaville, Congo - The Chinese Council for the Promotion of the South-South Cooperation has launched a new wave to explore the French-speaking western African markets in Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire and Congo (Brazzaville) by leading a 30-odd member delegation of entrepreneurs to visit the countriesAddressing the conference on investment and trade between China and Congo (Brazzaville) on Monday, Annick Patricia Mongo, director general of the Agency for the Promotion of Investment in Congo, said that she hoped Congo could be the country of priority for Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in central Africa

"And we will not allow the overseas projects invested in by Chinese investors to cause pollution"It was true during the first 30 years of China's opening-up while China was attracting foreign investment, pollution was an issue," he saidFirst, Congo has set up the Sino-Congolese Bank for Africa (BSCA), a joint venture between the Congolese government and the Agriculture Bank of China; Congo is a portal country to the Western African market, with a deep-water port on the west coast along the Atlantic Ocean; the political situation in Congo is quite stable; the government of Congo approved to promote investment in the country in 2015 and the Agency for the Promotion of Investment in Congo will provide detailed information on investment and opportunities to enter the country"Besides, the Congolese government can adopt the most strict standards on pollution for the Chinese companies and the Chinese investors will consciously follow the rules and regulations set by the Congolese government, he saidThe Special Economic Zone under construction in Pointe Noire is the flagship project of Chinese-Congolese cooperation, Lyu said

He said the visit was quite fruitful thanks to the enthusiasm for cooperation in the western African countries he has visited"We are glad that the council today meets with the Chinese entrepreneurs to discuss with Congolese counterparts on investment and business partnership," he said, "Congo is the third leg but the most important destination of the visitIt was the first primary school in the country to do so

"At the peak, I had 21 relatives living here, and there are still 12 of them now," Cho saidFor the last five years, the air has been clearing upWhat do you think China will be like in five years' time? How do you view China's longer-term future? Chinese people's incomes have increased significantly in recent years and they will become richer in the next five years" Cho and her husband have also donated hundreds of thousands of yuan to help prevent the children of poverty-stricken rural families in Anhui from dropping out of school

Cho said the number of the poverty-stricken students is declining, and they can now get more financial support from the government, rather than relying on occasional social donationsDo you believe that some of China's experiences or practices could be used to solve pressing global problems? If so, what are they? China has a very mature and comprehensive system to foster leadership

What are your expectations for the upcoming 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China? What are the key issues you care about most? I think China loves peace more than some of the developed countriesIn recent years, I have received numerous awards from the Chinese governmentAnd she has brought even more students from South Korea to ChinaBy comparing these figures, Pew seems to suggest that China and the US are engaging in a popularity contest in the Philippines

Meanwhile, two-thirds say having a strong economic relationship with China is more important for ties between the two nations, while only 28 percent say being tough with China on territorial disputes is more vitalFully 86 percent have a favorable view of Duterte himself; 78 percent support his handling of the illegal-drugs issue; and 62 percent say that the Philippines government is making progress in its anti-drug campaignThat was certainly not the policy under Obama when he launched the US pivot-to-Asia policy, trying to gang up US allies on ChinaAnd on global economic status, about half of Filipinos (49 percent) say that the US is still the leading economic power, but that is down from 66 percent who said so in 2015

But Filipinos also share positive views of China and its leader, President Xi JinpingSince becoming Philippines president in June 2016, Rodrigo Duterte has refused to be used by the US to advance its strategy

However, the Pew survey finds that Duterte and his policies are widely popular at home despite concerns expressed by some governments, in particular the US, over Duterte's clashes with drug cartels and alleged human rights violationsIn 2014, the Philippines was still led by Aquino III

This represents a dramatic shift since that question was last asked in 2015It clearly suggests that one's gain is another's lossThe Philippines under Duterte has tried to develop an independent foreign policy rather than being a US puppet most of the timeThe US government, lawmakers and pundits have generally expressed negative views of Duterte since he took office last JuneAnd overall, the perception gap between the US and China in the Philippines is narrowingAccording to the survey, 78 percent in the Philippines have a positive view of the US as of this spring, down from 92 percent who expressed positive sentiments in 2015

But the Philippines, and indeed all the countries in the region, should be encouraged to have good relations with both China and the US, a real win-win situation for not just the three countries involved, but for the region and the worldAt the same time, 78 percent believe the current economic situation is good, and 57 percent are satisfied with the direction of the country, a 21 percentage-point increase from 2014, the last time this question was asked in the Philippines

Some even believe that he would not able to serve the full six-year termA zero-sum mentality about China-US relations is reflected not only in the thinking of some US politicians, but also in a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center

The report finds that people in the Philippines still like the US and have confidence in its leader, President Donald TrumpThe survey released on Sept 21 bore a title saying people in the Philippines still favor the United States over China, but that the gap is narrowing

A quarter now name China as the world's leading economy, up from 14 percent the last time the Philippines was surveyedSuch an independent policy is dealing a heavy blow to those who still view the relationship between the three countries as zero-sumAnd despite the Philippines being the most pro-Trump nation in Pew's spring 37-country survey, confidence in Trump now is lower than it was in then-President Barack Obama in 2015The US was believed to be fully behind the scenes when the Philippines, under President Benigno Aquino III, filed the arbitration suit in 2013 against China in a tribunal in The Hague, a case in which China had refused to participate

His tough rhetoric on the US and softened rhetoric on China, especially compared with his predecessor Aquino III, has worried many in the USThe Obama administration had done everything it could to internationalize the South China Sea issue and had used the Philippines, a US ally, to advance the American strategy

The negotiations may take days or weeks before a deal is struck between the future governing partnersWinston Peters, the party chief of the New Zealand First Party, however, refused to say which party he would side with

AUCKLAND - New Zealand's parliamentary elections on Saturday yield no clear winner as tally ended in the wee hours of Sunday, leaving the third largest party with 7The New Zealand First Party has garnered nine seats, making it the indispensable coalition partner for both the National Party and the Labor Party to form the government

The ruling National Party has secured 46 percent of the party votes, which transfer to 58 seats in the 120 member Congress in an Mixed-Member Proportional voting system, with the opposition Labor Party lagging behind at 358 percent votes or seven seats in the congress would just make enough seats to form a government if they can successfully get the New Zealand First Party on boardAccording to the Ministry of Education of the Inner Mongolia, the exhibition attracted 39 universities from 16 countries, including Mongolia, Russia, the United States, Britain and South KoreaIt showcased the achievements of Chinese and foreign universities in education exchange, personnel training, and scientific research cooperation

Teachers and students of Inner Mongolia Normal University gave performances at the event, including Tai Chi, flute playing, and Mongolian songs and dances, which have won generous applauseThe China-Mongolia Education and Technology Exhibition was held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Sept 26, when nine cooperation agreements were signed by eighteen Chinese and foreign universities

The pandas were born at the Ya'an Bifengxia base, part of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in SichuanCaitao and Huchun will live in a 4,800-square-meter panda park at Taman Safari Indonesia for 10 years

The two seven-year-old pandas will be flown from Chengdu to Jakarta by Indonesian state airline Garuda Indonesia at 4:10 am ThursdayWorkers at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Southwest China's Sichuan province, help a panda named Huchun begin her journey to a zoo in Indonesia on Sept 27, 2017