The Samoa Observer Newspaper Group’s Coordinator of Newspaper in Education (N.I.E), Marjorie Moore, is in China this week. She is part of a Pacific Islands joint Press Delegation to China for the Beijing Environment Exchange. She writes this piece from Beijing:
Ni hao from Beijing! What looked like a monotonous series of drab, grey, concrete blocks as our plane descended into Beijing Airport, was a far cry from the reality of driving to the Kuntai Royal Hotel where our press delegation assembled.
Beijing at this time of the year, has its own form and beauty in the muted Autumn colours of the leaves on the many trees and shrubs that soften the harshness of buildings of this city of over 13 million people.
During a free day on Tuesday, to recover from a 15+ hour flight from Auckland via Guangzhou, a walk around the district near the hotel was a great way to take a first close up look at this sprawling city.
Yes there were a few, very few, people wearing face masks but the light blue sky looked clear and the air was decidedly cool.
A column in the ‘English ‘China Daily’ newspaper quoted President Xi Jinping responding to a sarcastic comment from a journalist saying, “I hope the APEC blue will remain and I believe through the efforts we continue to make, it will.”
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Most Beijingers will be hoping and believing along with him.
Yesterday, (Thursday 13 November), the press delegation from the Pacific officially met and took part in a programme of briefings, meetings and visits.
Represented in this group are radio, and print media personnel from Fiji,
Vanuatu, Tonga and the Cook Islands.
The day’s programme included a briefing on the upcoming G20 Summit and the meetings in Nadi between the Chinese president and Pacific leaders, including our own Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi.
We also had a courtesy meeting with the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zheng Zeguang; and visits to the Beijing Carbon Trade
Centre and later the People’s Daily headquarters where the China Daily, along with other publications is printed.
Wednesday’s edition of the ‘China Daily’ newspaper, not surprisingly featured a photograph of the leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) meeting. In the line up presumably in order of power and influence, are the front row of U.S. President Barack Obama, China’s President Xi Jinping and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Standing behind them are Australia’s Tony Abbott, the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the New Zealand Prime Minister To’osavili John Key.
The huge banners around town were a very visible sign of the importance
China placed on this gathering of world powers with its “Shaping the future through Asia-Pacific partnership” statement.
According to the ‘China Daily’, the major items of consensus include:
• Endorsed a road map for promoting the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific process and approved important initiatives on global value chains, supply chains and capacity building.
• Decided to take economic reform, new economy, innovative growth, inclusive support and urbanization as five pillars.
• Adopted a blueprint to promote regional connectivity by 2025 and agreed to set up a cross border law enforcement network to strengthen trans-national anti-corruption cooperation.
While the reality of the political speak in the first two initiatives are so broad, anything, or nothing may happen, the third adoption of cooperation in the area of cross border law enforcement, will surely be of interest to our own government.
Away from the political speak of the outcomes of A.P.E.C. and on a lighter note, the newspaper also featured a front page article which looked at an obscure Chinese holiday on November 11 which has become the country’s biggest shopping event.
It’s a phenomenon called ‘Singles’ Day’ and as a twist on Valentine’s Day, was invented by students in the 1990’s. But what was originally a celebration of unmarried life has become a time of despair for people who are desperate to find love, according to the Editor’s note.
Mass blind dates, online forums are some of the private and public activities that took place organized by relatives, friends and even government departments. An enterprising young man reportedly offered his services (for a price) which included accompanying a young lady on a walk or going shopping with her!
Such are the quirks of life in a country with a large youth population and changing traditions.
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