XI URGES AIIB TO ENGAGE MORE PARTNERS

President Xi Jinping called on the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank on Tuesday to make itself a new platform promoting development among all members and facilitating the building of a community with a shared future for mankind in the context of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his opening address, via video link, at the fifth annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the AIIB, Xi urged the multilateral development bank to respond to adjustments and changes in the global economic landscape and engage more development partners in cooperation.

"It (the AIIB) needs to provide public goods for our region and beyond, push for regional economic integration and help make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all," he said. "Let us stay open and inclusive and make the AIIB a new paradigm of multilateral cooperation."

Xi applauded the bank for its prompt move to set up a COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Facility to support its members in containing the virus and reviving their economies.

The AIIB had approved 16 projects via the facility as of July 16, allocating $5.9 billion in funding to support 12 members.

"This is a typical example of the AIIB's power of action. The global response to COVID-19 has made it clear that mankind rises and falls together in a community with a shared future," Xi said.

He recalled his proposal to establish the bank in late 2013, noting that this initiative was to develop infrastructure and connectivity in Asia and deepen regional cooperation for shared development.

The bank has gotten off to a good start and has gone from strength to strength, he said, as it expanded from 57 member economies at its launch in January 2016 to the current membership of 102 across the globe.

The AIIB said in a statement that it had provided close to $20 billion in infrastructure investment for 87 projects in 24 economies as of July 16.

"With more good friends and partners getting on board for higher-quality cooperation, the AIIB has established itself in the world as a new type of professional, efficient and clean multilateral development bank," Xi said.

Going forward, he urged the bank to aim at development for all and build itself into a new type of multilateral development bank promoting growth across the globe.

The AIIB should commit itself to serving the development needs of all its members and providing more high-quality, low-cost and sustainable investment for traditional as well as new types of infrastructure, he said.

He expressed hope that the institution can help enhance connectivity, promote green development and boost technological advances by constantly updating its development philosophy, business model and institutional governance, and by providing flexible and diverse development financing products.

"While following international standards and respecting the general law of development, the AIIB should keep in mind the actual development needs of its members, thus creating best practices for international development cooperation," he said, adding that high standards and high quality must be ensured in the development of the bank.

Xi reiterated that China always supports and adheres to multilateralism and pursues development with the rest of the world in a spirit of openness and mutually beneficial cooperation.

He pledged the country's continuous support for the bank, so it can contribute more to the global response to risks and challenges and the pursuit of shared development.

PRESIDENT HAILS SCIENCE PROJECT'S SIGNIFICANCE FOR HUMANITY

President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that openness and exchanges are crucial in the further exploration of scientific frontiers in his congratulatory message to the ceremony for the start of the assembly of the ITER, the world's largest science project.

A virtual ceremony was held on Tuesday at the headquarters of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in southern France. The ITER is being assembled to replicate the fusion power of the sun, which provides light and warmth and enables life on Earth.

Noting that science has no borders and innovation has no end, Xi said in his message that international scientific and technological cooperation has great significance in addressing the global challenges faced by humanity.

Mankind wishes to see the peaceful use of fusion power, Xi said, adding that China has abided by its international commitments since the ITER project was launched.

Chinese companies and researchers have fulfilled their responsibilities and made joint efforts with their international counterparts, contributing their wisdom to ensure the smooth implementation of the project, he said.

The president noted that as the world faces severe challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more necessary than ever before for mankind to unite and overcome the current crisis.

China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation on scientific research with all parties, make joint efforts for major breakthroughs in science and technology, and promote global science and technology innovation in order to benefit people in all countries and make new contributions to the world's sustainable development, Xi said.

China, together with the six other ITER members−the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States−signed the ITER agreement in 2006, which established a legal international entity responsible for the construction, operation and decommissioning of the project.

HUAWEI MAKES FORBES' VALUABLE BRANDS LIST

Telecom giant Huawei became the only Chinese technology brand listed in this year's list of the world's most valuable brands, released by Forbes.

Ranked 93rd on the list, Huawei registered $8.5 billion in brand value and $188.6 billion in brand revenue.

Forbes' annual list looks at the top 100 companies from fiscal year 2019, valuing their revenue and earnings. Companies with substantial brand value gains in 2019 like Amazon, Netflix and PayPal also seem to be big winners during the pandemic, following overall upward trends for e-commerce, streaming and digital payments.

Apple once again topped the list as the most valuable brand with $241.2 billion in brand value, followed by Google ($207.5 billion), Microsoft ($162.9 billion), Amazon ($135.4 billion) and Facebook ($70.3 billion), the rankings showed.

The tech sector was the most common in the rankings with 20 companies, followed by 14 in financial services, 11 in auto and 8 in retail.

The top 100 most valuable brands in total this year were worth $2.54 trillion, up from $2.33 trillion last year. US-based companies made up more than 50 of the top 100, followed by Germany (10), France (9), Japan (6) and Switzerland (5).

US ITCHING TO TRIGGER A NEW 'COLD WAR'

After the US ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas, on July 21, China had to respond in equal measure, which it did by asking the US on Friday to close its consulate in Chengdu, Sichuan province. This is a rare diplomatic row in contemporary international relations.

The United States administration has not presented any evidence to support its claim of China stealing US intellectual property and personal information, which it said was the reason for ordering the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston.

Prior to this, the US had taken a number of steps pushing bilateral ties to the brink of a cliff. The White House report on the US' strategic approach to China concludes that its engagement-with-China policy has failed. It has therefore opened fire on almost all fronts against China, including human rights issues in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, trade and tariff war against Beijing, tech and financial war with Chinese entities, media and students war due to the so-called "Chinese agents", and challenging China's sovereignty rights in South China Sea, not to mention raising tensions across the Taiwan Straits.

Recently, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made his "iron curtain" speech, labeling China as an "abnormal country"−and claiming its root cause lies with the top echelon of the Communist Party of China. Most strikingly, he has openly called for a change in Chinese leadership.

The US seems intent on triggering a new "Cold War", this time with China. Which is against the momentum of international relations, building trust and engagement to attain common development and prosperity.

The US' attempt to reverse the post-Cold War trend of globalization is contrary to the principle of the UN Charter, which stresses equality and mutual respect among nations, and its order to close China's consulate in Houston without any presentable reason and proper diplomatic protocol is a violation of the UN Charter and Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Although China wants to avoid a new "Cold War", it should be prepared to respond to the US' attempt to start one. Given its political need to blame China to improve the president's chances of re-election, the US administration may make more dangerous moves, which would further deteriorate bilateral ties. In fact, the White House could ask more Chinese diplomatic missions in the US to close, bar more Chinese citizens from entering the US, and ignite flashpoints across the Straits and in the South China Sea.

Some expect Sino-US relations to improve after the US presidential election, scheduled for November. But given the high bipartisan consensus on the China policy in the US, even a Democrat president may not be able to dramatically change the direction of down-spiraling Sino-US ties.

AIIB MEMBER COUNT HITS 103

The number of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank members has reached 103 after the inclusion of West African country Liberia, The Paper reported on Tuesday.

Liberia was approved to join the AIIB at the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, held virtually on Tuesday. So far 19 African countries have become approved members of AIIB.

The increase in the number of African members demonstrates the AIIB's deep understanding of multilateralism and its ability to face challenges. "We can build a more sustainable future," said Jin Liqun, who has been re-elected to a second term as president of the AIIB by the bank's Board of Governors.

The Board of Governors also approved the United Arab Emirates to be the host country for the AIIB annual meeting in 2021, which will be held in Dubai from Oct 27 to 28.

Three African countries, including Benin, Djibouti and Rwanda, were approved to join AIIB at its Fourth Annual Meeting on July 13 last year, expanding AIIB's "Circle of Friends" to 100.

CHINA SUSPENDS 3 EXTRADITION TREATIES

China announced on Tuesday the suspension of Hong Kong's extradition treaties with Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom as a reciprocal move following similar decisions made by those countries.

"The wrong action of Canada, Australia and the UK to politicize judicial cooperation with Hong Kong has seriously undermined the basis of their judicial cooperation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular news conference.

"China has decided that the HKSAR government will suspend agreements for the surrender of fugitive offenders between Hong Kong and Canada, Australia and the UK, as well as agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters," Wang said.

He accused the three countries of having used the National Security Law for Hong Kong as an excuse to unilaterally suspend the agreements. Such a move constitutes gross interference in China's internal affairs and China firmly opposes that, he said.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government also expressed strong objections to the move on Tuesday, saying it smacks of political manipulation and double standards, according to a government news release.

The HKSAR government will, as always, uphold the principle of mutual assistance and reciprocity, and carry out law enforcement cooperation with other members of the international community in accordance with the law, it said.

On Tuesday, New Zealand announced it will suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, making it the latest member of the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing alliance to act on Hong Kong-related issues.

The "Five Eyes" alliance comprises Australia, the United States, the UK, Canada and New Zealand. The US had previously decided to revoke Hong Kong's special trading status.

Wang said that China opposes New Zealand's move and reserved the right to respond. Any plan to suppress China will never prevail, he said.

"China urges New Zealand to immediately correct its mistake and stop all forms of interference in Hong Kong affairs and other internal affairs of China, to avoid harming bilateral relations," he said.

IS METAL STRIP IN MEDICAL MASKS 5G ANTENNA?

A video posted on Facebook claiming that the metal strip in medical masks serves as a 5G antenna has drawn widespread attention. But it is now time for rumor spreaders to wake up.

"The antenna killer -- 5G antenna killer -- that's inside the masks that they are telling everybody to wear," said the video posted by Makedah Boyce on June 20.

"They tell you to put it on so that you can breathe right above your nostrils, so you can inhale and it can go straight to your brain and begin to destroy," said the narrator, who advised people to make their own masks. The video has been marked by Facebook as false information.

The fact is, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and health professionals, the only function of the metal strip is to enhance the protective effect of medical masks.

In a WHO video explaining how to wear medical masks, Dr. April Baller, a WHO infection control expert, said: "Verify which side is the top: this is usually where the metal strip is." Baller instructs users how to put on the mask and then adds, "Pinch the metal strip so that it moulds to the shape of your nose."

In a Bloomberg QuickTake News video, Seto Wing Hong, co-director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, pointed out the top of the mask and said: "Now you see this here? This tight, little, thick band here? It's to show you that you should put it on the top. Why? Because once you wear it, then you squeeze it so that it pinches the nose, and then you pull it down."

The metal strip in surgical masks allows it to "be shaped to form against the wearer's nose to help provide a better fit," Reuters quoted spokesperson for 3M, a company that makes personal protective equipment, as saying.

Concerning the health risks from 5G, the WHO said in February on its website that "after much research performed, no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies."

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Not being yourself is the worst form of self-disrespect. - Mokokoma Mokhonoana