BEIJING, July 15 (Greenpost) — The number of newly registered enterprises in China continued to rise in the first half of 2015, official data showed Wednesday, indicating growing enthusiasm for innovation and entrepreneurship.
The number of new firms jumped 19.4 percent from a year ago to 2.1 million in the first six months, according to data released by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC).
“This growth shows that a creative, entrepreneurial spirit has been stoked by business reform,” said Yu Fachang, a SAIC spokesperson.
By the end of June, there were around 74.20 million business in China, up 7 percent from the end of 2014, data showed.
The number of new firms registered in the service sector accounted for 80.3 percent of the total, or 1.607 million during the first six months, the SAIC data showed. This is a 22.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Yu said this reflected improvement in China’s economic structure, with the service sector playing a bigger role in growth and job creation.
Amid an economic slowdown, China has been improving business registration processes since last year, removing the minimum capital requirements, replacing annual company inspections with a reporting system and loosening site requirements for businesses.
Easier market access and an improving environment for businesses also boosted employment at privately-owned enterprises.
A total of 264 million people were working in the private sector as at the end of June, an increase of 14.54 million from the end of 2014. Enditem
Monthly Archives: July 2015
好歌推荐：布仁巴雅尔演唱《带我去草原吧》
北欧绿色邮报报道（记者陈雪霏）－－在中国内蒙古东北角上有个叫国门的著名地方叫海拉尔，更大一点儿的范围叫呼伦贝尔盟。呼伦贝尔盟有270多万常住人口。
以下图片转自蒙古族歌唱家布仁巴雅尔的微信，反应的是他和乌日娜夫妇及其朋友为促进草原旅游，草原保护在家乡做很多活动。作为蒙草形象大使，他们经常亮相草原，或者歌唱，或者跳舞，或者是就在大草原上亮个相。充分展现大草原的美，展现草原上马的可爱以及蒙古族服装的美丽，当然自不必说他们个人的魅力和那坚守了27年的炉火纯青的爱情。
斯德哥尔摩瓦萨公园六月份的景色
北欧绿色邮报记者陈雪霏拍摄的斯德哥尔摩瓦萨公园六月份的美丽景色。
瑞典的夏天晴天较多，只要是晴天，天就是这样肆无忌惮地蓝，让人心情豁然开朗，万分舒畅，留连忘返。
在这里鸟都不怕人，而且喜欢在人周围转，因为孩子们有时会吃面包或薯条，会掉一些吃的给它们。
瑞典人养狗的很多，无论是老太太还是大姑娘，甚至是小伙子，都可以养狗，而且，经常在街道上或公园里能看到。大多数人都是出门带一个塑料袋儿。一旦狗拉屎了，她们会随后用塑料袋捡起来，然后，见到垃圾箱以后，再扔到垃圾箱里。有一次，笔者也看到一个披头士的帅哥拉着一条大黑狗，可是，这狗这回真不长脸，半路上忍不住就拉了一地，而且比较希。这下小伙子直耸肩，一直往前走。后面人忍不住大声说，你应该把狗屎捡起来！他又怂了怂肩，没办法，我没带塑料袋，没法拣。确实，不可能用手直接拣啊！真是一个大尴尬！只能等环卫人员来扫啦！
小鸟成双成对非常普遍，一个在前，另一个紧随其后，那种相亲相爱，还真是令人羡慕呢！
连狗广场都这么漂亮吗？你真别不信，这树里头就是一个全起来的狗活动的公共场所。所有狗的主人可以把狗放到这里，让它们和别的狗戏耍一下。因此，往往这里狗叫不断。
猜到这是什么了吗？这是进瓦萨公园之前首先看到的就是马路边的饮水龙头。压中间的把手，水就从顶尖喷出来，就可以对嘴喝了。每年6月份就开始供水。到10月份以后又没水了。年复一年就这样。
瑞典式过马路，旁若无人。因为只要是绿灯，就不用担心，车为你让路。
我只想让你看看这蓝天白云真是蓝的贼蓝，白的贼白呀！
这是瓦萨公园边上的马路。
左边是公共汽车站。
看到远处蓝色大巴了吗？那就是斯德哥尔摩的公共汽车，是烧生物燃气的，不释放二氧化碳等温室气体。还有瑞典大公主维多利亚结婚的时候，特意用环保的公共汽车拉亲戚朋友去参加她的婚礼和晚宴的。
瓦萨公园草坪的绿呀，咋让我想起朱自清了呢？
没有阴影还真显不出来阳光的灿烂。没有阴影也先不出绿草是那样令人心醉！
绿草茵茵，蓝天白云，我是醉了！
狗在右边的小路里边叫，我们照样可以在外面的草坪上休息。
这是林荫路，左右都有树，感觉很舒服。
一个大树在眼前，两个枝叉分两边。为人遮阴 又遮阳，尽显公园美如画。看树后那一对对人儿，哪有不爱这里的道理呢！这里夏天是这样，冬天下大雪的时候，就是玩儿滑雪板的好地方！
这条路的左边其实是个敬老院。右边才是儿童游乐的瓦萨公园！
看见右边的遮雨蓬了吗？那里其实是跳舞的小舞台。人们可以在那里搞舞会或者其他娱乐活动。孩子坐在那写生也挺好啊！
这里是儿童乐园。
瞧，这帮年轻人把这里当成跑步训练基地了。有坡度有难度，正合适啊！
这都是天然石头，天然的树。草是人工种植的。必要的时候，也用塑料网给圈上，等长好了再踩。可以随便踩，没关系是公家的！
这边跑步，那边玩游戏呢！看谁扔木头砸得准！
别看房子矮小，都是有雨水收集系统的。这里是学龄前儿童的活动场所。也是孩子们的厕所和喝水，吃饭的地方。婴儿换尿布，热板，喝水都可以在这里，在里边玩儿一会儿也行，妈妈陪着，有各种玩具。去幼儿园以前，可以先在这里练练唱歌。免费的！
大孩子当然喜欢荡秋千啦或者在石头上跑来跑去，那样才有挑战！
跑完了再压压腿！不然会抽筋的！
我回家啦！在窗前和爸爸歇一会儿。瓦萨公园是我最喜欢的地方！
瑞典NNP制药举行产品发布会
北欧绿色邮报报道（记者陈雪霏）——瑞典NNP制药首席财务官汤米.英格18日在斯德哥尔摩的瑞典皇家科技大学举行新产品发布会。
NNP的CFO英格在产品发布会上回答问题。 陈雪霏拍摄
英格说，他们的产品主要是成人或儿童欧密嘎OMEGA3胶囊和蓝莓维生素对大脑，心脏和眼睛都有好处。
他说，由于他们选择了世界上环境最干净的水域，挪威水域养殖鳕鱼，因此，OMEGA3的原材料是世界上最纯净的，加上严格的生产程序和技术，NNP获得了美国食品药品管理局FDA的质量认证，也获得了欧盟的GOEM的认证。因此，尽管价格昂贵，与那些从不那么纯净的水域生产出来的产品相比，也是物有所值。
他说，他们希望在中国市场上和瑞典药店市场上都能打开销路。
NNP中国合作伙伴何勇用中文介绍产品。 陈雪霏拍摄。
NNP中国合作伙伴何勇在发布会上介绍说，NNP生产的将康产品主要有两种：一种为Epax的深海鱼油系列，另一种为瑞典特产－野生蓝莓精华。前段时间在中国进行产品发布和试销，结果很受欢迎。
他说，NNP产品系列在瑞典也是健康产品中的贵族，不论是品质还 是其高纯含量比例都比瑞典市面销售的大众化同类产品优越。
产品发布吸引了人们对保健品的兴趣，并对产品的方方面面进行了问答交流。
预计，产品将在九月份在瑞典上市。
详情请看网站：www.nnpharma.se, epost: info@nnpharma.se
Tel: 00 46-8-44681002
浙江日报代表团访问北欧
北欧绿色邮报报道（记者陈雪霏）——由浙江省对外文化交流协会副会长龚吟怡率领的浙江日报报业集团代表团正在北欧进行访问。昨日在瑞典首都斯德哥尔摩的富都阁与《北欧时报》进行了亲切友好的交谈。
浙江日报报业集团总编辑李丹表示，此次访问的主要目的是要推广浙江日报在海外的传播，尤其是在北欧。
代表团图文介绍了浙江日报报业集团的新App平台，希望通过与华媒的合作来共同促进中瑞之间的友谊和共赢。人们只要通过手机网络就可以看到手机版的新闻时事，不管是在国内，还是在国外。
《北欧时报》常务副社长郑王平，北欧时报外文总编辑和北欧绿色邮报社长陈雪霏和副社长于昕博士参加了会见。
郑王平向客人们简单介绍了瑞典的生活和工作环境以及在瑞典创业的不同寻常的经历。同时他也肩负起了支持《北欧时报》的重担。
《北欧时报》创刊于2007年3月，是在前任中国驻瑞典大使陈明明的倡议下，在华人华侨的努力下，经过八年的努力，得到了大使馆的支持，也凝聚了许多华人华侨的辛勤汗水，尤其是社长何儒，一直在为报纸的生存和发展奔波。会见期间，他没能到场只因他在国内采访。
《北欧时报》从一开始的16开八版的小报，变成了现在比较专业的16版的大报，覆盖整个北欧五国，各大图书馆都有。尽管还有需要进一步完善的地方，但是，在这样艰苦的条件下能够发行3000份也是相当不错的。
据郑王平介绍，在瑞典大约有三万华人华侨，大部分人集中在斯德哥尔摩，哥德堡和马尔默，而首都斯德哥尔摩最多。
会谈期间，双方表示将进一步加强合作，可以互换稿件，互通有无。
代表团成员还包括浙江日报报业集团数字采编中心总编辑檀梅，报业集团图片中心主任徐斌，浙报编辑中心副主任，时事新闻编辑部主任冯晔和浙报杭州分社副社长吴雅茗。
中欧文化协会徒步组举办首次徒步
北欧绿色邮报报道（记者晨曦）－－总部在瑞典首都斯德哥尔摩的中欧文化协会6月21日在卡尔贝城堡公园举行首次徒步活动。
徒步从这里开始。蓝色是最长的路线4公里，然后是白色路线。
会长陈雪霏说，中欧文化协会自2014年5月成立以来，搞了文艺汇演活动，瑜伽和拉丁舞培训活动。协会里也有很多人喜欢徒步，希望能组织徒步活动。此前，忙于瑜伽和拉丁舞，就组织徒步。现在的快到暑假了，到树林里走步是最好的健身活动。因此，也算是正式启动徒步组活动。协会还会举行美食活动，画展活动和文艺汇演活动。
蓝天白云，绿草绿树，真是心旷神怡！
这不就是明信片吗？
卡尔贝城堡是16世纪就已经建起来了，17世纪瑞典国王卡尔12世买下来，并在这里开办过学校。如今这里是瑞典国防大学的所在地，也是瑞典联合国维和部队的培训基地。在这里可以看到战士们的艰苦而有趣的训练。这里有很多古老的树木，非常宝贵。
春夏秋冬，随着树叶颜色的变化，真是美不胜数，各有千秋。
参加本次活动的孙凯带着全家从乌普萨拉过来，还带了自己焉得咸鸡蛋，常林带了粽子，赵丽杰带着宝宝，也积极的和大家一起走。人们背着小背包，算是一场演练吧。
身为瑞典弗兰西斯坎朝圣组织的一员，陈雪霏还讲述了徒步的来历。原来，在12世纪十字军东征的时候，战火纷飞，基督徒和伊斯兰教徒圣战十分激烈。在这个战场上却来了一位徒步旅行的人，叫弗兰西斯坎。
走完步来点儿茶和小吃！
弗兰西斯坎.阿西西来自意大利。他出身贵族家庭，家里也算是个富商。然而，弗兰西斯坎却不善于经商。他甚至对经商反感。有一天，他突然感觉自己收到耶稣基督的使命，要摒弃一切物质的享受。于是，他走到麻风病人中间，去为他们治病，他帮助穷人。他崇尚和平。听说十字军在打仗，他徒步去充当和平使者。总之，他的精神在整个西欧传播开来，意大利，法国，德国，荷兰，瑞典，西班牙，葡萄牙和英国都有会员。
如今他们每年都要进行背包徒步，一走就是一个星期。吃简单食品，睡地板地铺。自己动手做饭。
当然，协会的活动目前就是一天或半天，选择大家都喜欢的地方。
参加本次徒步还有赵美淑，于杰，张红霞，邹珊等总共10多个人。大家倡议以后也可以多走几次。
美图欣赏
最喜欢第二张的意境。
今日头条－瑞典维多利亚公主庆祝38岁生日
北欧绿色邮报报道（记者陈雪霏）－－瑞典维多利亚公主日前在瑞典东南部的国王夏宫厄兰岛隆重庆祝38岁生日。公主和王子韦斯特林的小公主爱斯特拉首次在公共场合露面。
瑞典王室向来以亲民著称。
公主平易近人地接受小朋友的鲜花礼物。
瑞典国王卡尔16世古斯塔法自己亲自打伞。
瑞典国王与公众握手。
左 韦斯特林王子（维多利亚公主的丈夫），右，瑞典国王。
公主和王子韦斯特林的小公主爱斯特拉首次在公共场合露面。
此前有报道说，小公主第一次面对公众要看是否高兴而定。看来，天时地利人和，小公主非常高兴，表现尤佳。
瑞典厄兰岛王室夏宫建于1906年。周围没有高墙或电网。夏季王室一般都会到这里度假。而皇后岛的王宫则对公众开放。
（全部组图 庞其铭拍摄）
斯德哥尔摩小区的玫瑰花 Roses in Stockholm
北欧绿色邮报报道（记者陈雪霏）－－斯德哥尔摩小区的玫瑰花不多，但是非常香甜。比买的玫瑰花要更大，更香，更甜，更鲜艳。
呼伦贝尔蒙古包的夕阳！
斯德哥尔摩夏日的美景
北欧绿色邮报报道（记者陈雪霏）－－夏天的斯德哥尔摩真是太美了，随处都可以看到非常美丽的景色。
玛丽亚广场的雕塑。
斯德哥尔摩玛利亚广场的雕塑。
从Slussen附近看斯德哥尔摩市政厅。 陈雪霏 图文。
2015-07-16 陈雪霏拍摄
歌曲欣赏：天上西藏
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3IQ4G4JSIU
瑞典青年画家丹尼尔乔治的画展
北欧绿色邮报报道（记者陈雪霏）－－因为想帮助画家陆大有找一个合作伙伴搞一个画展，我采取了一个比较笨的办法，就是到几个有可能的老城区和富人区去看画廊。先看了东城，又看了南城。最后来到老城。
老城可真是个迷。尽管我在这里呆了八年，但我没有经常去逛街，所以很多地方对我来说依然很新鲜，很好玩。我走了好几家咖啡画廊。就是咖啡厅，但也展示画。但我看的显然和陆大师的风格不一样。但有一个画廊老板很好，他说他自己有太多画家，但有个地方可以出租。
于是，我沿路走到那里。老城的小拳头大的石头路真的和苏州老街上的路是一样的，古色古香。我进门一看，一个年轻的瑞典小伙子坐在那里。墙上都是烫画。他告诉我他是用很结实的白桦树木板烫画的。
我问他是否从小就开始喜欢画画。于是，他滔滔不绝地和我聊了起来。原来，他是在中部银雪平的穆塔拉市出生的，在那里上完中学，有人说你应该到大城市斯德歌尔摩去，那里有更多的工作机会。于是他高中毕业就选择学习两年的教师资格。然后，在索尔纳市小学找到了工作，那就是教小学生画画和手工课。
业余时间，他和弟弟妹妹三人一起租了一个画室。在画室里他可以自己作画，也可以集中教课。例如每天6小时，每次两天的课程，他可以一次收费4000克朗。
因此，他在这里展出并没有卖出多少作品，但是，他发现如果把他的作品做成明信片，便宜点儿卖，他还卖了一些。但是，3000-5000克朗的作品在一周内几乎没有卖出去。他这是第二次自己展售。
丹尼尔. 乔治在画廊。 陈雪霏拍摄。
“其实，我这也是自我宣传。来这里看我作品的人可以拿一个名片，然后，他们可以看我的网站，对我的作品点赞，日久天长，我知道他们喜欢我的什么作品，然后，我可以通过其他方式赚钱。当然，我本来就有工作嘛。”
甲壳虫乐队主唱约翰赖侬。不幸被一个疯子歌迷谋杀。
猫王。
迈克尔杰克逊。
功夫大师李小龙。
他说他的一个朋友就是在朋友圈卖作品，结果还真卖出去不少。“我没有那么多朋友，所以，我还需要努力”。
他说，目前他还是自己掏成本费，增值税部分可以从税务局那反回来，如果他不赚钱的话。
他是用电笔在木板上烫画动物，飞鸟，他也画飞鸟。他还画著名歌星的肖像，例如约翰.莱浓，猫王，迈克尔.杰克逊和李连杰等明星。
他说，他就是喜欢画，也希望更多人喜欢他的作品。
图文 陈雪霏
China Voice: BRICS a stabilizer of global economy
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) — A BRICS group with deepened cooperation will not only serve its five member countries and other developing nations, but also stabilize and even boost the world economy.
In upcoming days, leaders of the BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — will meet in Ufa of Russia for the seventh BRICS leaders meeting.
They met for the first time in 2009, launching the bloc’s cooperation mechanism. Since then, the BRICS have shown vitality and innovation through cooperation, with deepened participation in global governance.
Now these countries will set up the New Development Bank (NDB). The institution’s board of governors will hold its first meeting in Moscow to appoint members of the board of directors and the management.
The NDB shows that the BRICS bloc has transformed from a political concept to a real force for reform in the international community.
With the bank’s funding, developing countries, especially the African states, can improve their infrastructure, rather than struggling with the limited funds the current international agencies provide them.
The new development bank will cover the shortcomings of the global financial system. It is not intended to overturn the current system, but to encourage investment from developed countries and other developing countries with an open and inclusive mind.
The BRICS has become an importance platform for exchanges and cooperation among the world’s major emerging economies. It has brought real benefits for the member states, and also earned a good reputation among the international community.
This new cooperation mechanism pointed to an important trend: emerging economies are playing bigger roles in global issues.
Global economic recovery remains slow. While trade globalization agreements are still being negotiated, the Western countries and Russia are introducing sanctions against each other, and the developed and developing countries have not yet reached agreement on how to balance economic development and climate change.
Under such circumstances, the BRICS leaders’ meeting in Ufa has critical significance as cooperation among them will not benefit not only themselves but also the world economy.
Although the five countries are at very different stages of their development, they will still become new growth poles for the world economy.The five have contributed half the world’s economic growth in the past 10 years.
They have complementary industrial structures. Sufficient labor, abundant resources and large markets give them great opportunities for development.
The five countries are also important players in both their continents and international affairs. In multilateral platforms such as the UN and the G20, they are playing bigger roles than ever before, thus their booming economies can drive the whole global economy through their deepened cooperation with other countries and international organizations. Enditem
Source Xinhua
Editor Xuefei Chen Axelsson
AIIB agreement signed, China-led bank takes key step forward
BEIJING, June 29 (Xinhua) — A China-initiated multilateral bank that has dominated media headlines for months took a key step forward on Monday, with the signing of an agreement that outlines the framework and management structure for the institution.
Representatives of the 57 prospective founding countries of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) gathered in Beijing for the signing ceremony in the Great Hall of the People. Australia was the first country to sign the document.
The 60-article agreement specified each member’s share as well as the governance structure and policy-making mechanism of the bank, which is designed to finance infrastructure in Asia.
Seventy-five percent of the bank’s share is distributed among Asian and Oceanian countries while the remaining 25 percent is assigned to countries outside the region. As the bank expands its membership, countries outside of the region can expand their stake, but the portion cannot exceed 30 percent. Each member will be allocated a share of the quota based on the size of their economy.
China, India and Russia are the three largest shareholders, taking a 30.34 percent, 8.52 percent, 6.66 percent stake, respectively. Their voting shares are calculated at 26.06 percent, 7.5 percent and 5.92 percent.
China’s stake and voting share in the initial stage are a “natural outcome” of current rules, and may be diluted as more members join, China’s Vice Finance Minister Shi Yaobin said in an interview with Xinhua.
“China is not deliberately seeking a veto power,” Shi stressed.
Being the largest shareholder does not mean China will have veto power over major issues. Instead, China will closely watch and balance other members’ interests, said Tang Min, with Counselors’ Office of the State Council, who previously worked for the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Speaking at Monday’s ceremony, Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said the new bank will uphold high standards and follow international rules in its operation, policies and management to ensure efficiency and transparency.
The bank, headquartered in Beijing, will possibly set up regional offices in other countries. It will be led by a president with a five-year term that can be extended once.
The articles do not say who will be the president, but said the president will be chosen from Asian member countries using an “open, transparent and excellent” selection process.
Jin Liqun, former vice finance minister of China, is secretary-general of the interim multilateral secretariat for establishing the AIIB.
After signing the agreement, representatives from prospective founding countries will return home with the document for legal adoption.
The AIIB was proposed by President Xi Jinping in October 2013. A year later, 21 Asian nations, including China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Singapore, signed an agreement to establish the bank.
After the new bank garnered support from countries like Britain and Germany, much focus has been trained on whether the U.S. and Japan, the world’s largest and third largest economies, will join.
While stating that the U.S. will not join the AIIB at present, U.S. President Barack Obama said the country looked forward to collaborating with the new development bank “just like we do with the Asia Development Bank and with the World Bank”in April.
Despite outside worries that a new investment bank will challenge the established order of multilateral lenders, the IMF, World Bank and other leading global lenders have welcomed collaboration with the new bank to fill Asia’s infrastructure gap.
Statistics from the ADB show that between 2010 and 2020, around 8 trillion U.S. dollars in investment will be needed in the Asia-Pacific region to improve infrastructure.
“We view the AIIB as an important new partner that shares a common goal: ending extreme poverty. With strong environment, labor and procurement standards, the AIIB will join us and other development banks in addressing the huge infrastructure needs that are critical to ending poverty, reducing inequalities, and boosting shared prosperity,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said in a statement after the signing ceremony.
Chinese officials have reiterated that rather than being a competitor, the new bank will complement the current international economic order and enable China to take more global responsibility.
The bank will start operation at the end of the year under two preconditions: At least 10 prospective members sign the agreement and the initial subscribed capital is no less than 50 percent of the authorized capital.
“We are confident of working with related parties to accelerate legal procedures and push for the official set up of the AIIB before the year end,” Lou said.
TIMELINE
October 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the bank.
October 2014, 21 Asian nations, including China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Singapore signed an agreement to establish the bank.
March 12, 2015, Britain applied to join the AIIB as a prospective founding member, the first major western country to do so. France, Italy and Germany quickly followed suit.
March 31, 2015, China announced that 57 countries joined or applied to join the AIIB as prospective founding members before the deadline.
Until May, five rounds of talks were held and consensus was reached on all key elements, such as the bank’s purpose, membership, capital subscription, voting powers and decision-making structures.
June 29, 2015, delegates of the 57 prospective founding countries of the AIIB gathered in Beijing for the signing ceremony of an agreement to lay the legal framework and management structure for the bank. Enditem
Source Xinhua
Editor Xuefei Chen Axelsson
Interview: Europe should recognize China as market economy to further bilateral relationship: former Italian PM
by Matt Burgess
SYDNEY, July 9 (Xinhua) — Maybe it is time for Europe to change policy and officially recognize China as a market economy to further the China-EU trade relationship, said former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta.
The key issue to creating links in the China-EU relationship is China’s market economy status, Letta told Xinhua in an exclusive interview here.
Analysts believe this status could be approved in 2016, a year Letta predicts will be a major turning point for the China-EU relationship.
“It could be recognizing by the EU of the market economy status, it could be the year we can launch the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations,” Letta said.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang made a strong appeal for the early conclusion of a bilateral trade agreement with the EU at the recent China-EU summit in Brussels at the end of June.
However, establishing a China-EU FTA will be a very complicated process, Letta said.
“There are many fields from agriculture to protection of intellectual property and so on and we need to solve all together, ” Letta said.
Engagements in the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as well as the “Belt and Road” strategy are important steps in strengthening Europe’s economic ties with Asia, Letta said.
The Silk Road Economic Belt, together with the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, commonly known as the “Belt and Road” initiatives, were proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.
“I think (the AIIB) was an important and decisive step on behalf of the Chinese leadership,” Letta said. “It was important
for EU countries to follow this step, to react in a positive mode. This is why Italy as well as the main EU countries decided to apply for the membership.”
Letta, who is a visiting scholar at the University of Technology, Sydney, said Europe is too focused on domestic political issues, such as the Greek debt crisis, which is taking up too much of the member states’ energy.
“I think the EU must focus the great opportunities we have around the world,” Letta said.
In an on-stage conversation with former Australian Foreign Affairs minister and Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) Bob Carr at the University of Technology, Sydney on Tuesday night, Letta said “I exactly think that the future of the world will be Asian-driven,” noting that was why he is in Australia.
Letta said Australia was not susceptible to the “virus,” the global financial crisis, because of the links with the Asian region.
“We need, as all western countries, change our mind, change our way to do business and to try to create permanent links,” Letta said. Enditem
Source Xinhua
Editor Xuefei Chen Axelsson