The road shoulder along Jalan Paya Terubong that caved in after a downpour today
Another view of the collapsed section of the road connecting Air Itam and Relau.
Road users fear landslip that killed nine nearby may affect safety of route
GEORGE TOWN: The landslip along Jalan Paya Terubong near Majestic Heights apartments is causing worry among thousands of motorists using the route to work daily.
They are worried if the incident, which occurred after several hours of heavy rain, would pose a danger to them.
The motorists use this hillside road to get to Relau and Bayan Lepas from Ayer Itam and Paya Terubong.
The affected stretch goes past the Jalan Bukit Kukus highway construction site where a landslide on Oct 19 killed nine foreigners.
It is only a few hundred metres away from the tragic site.
State Works Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the state authorities would not close the road as the soil erosion did not pose any danger to road users.
“All motorists and motorcyclists can still use the road safely without concern.
“The hillside area where the soil erosion occurred was already undergoing repairs prior to the incident.
“The contractor in charge will continue to oversee and restore the affected hillside area,” he said.
Zairil said apart from the restoration project, Tenaga Nasional Bhd was also carrying out rewiring works nearby.
“For the time being, the rewiring works have been halted and all power supply has been cut,” he said.
State Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh advised Paya Terubong residents to avoid using the road if possible.
“Yes, we know how vital the road is especially for those who work in the Bayan Lepas factories,” he said.
Without this connection to Bayan Lepas, the residents of Paya Terubong and Ayer Itam will have to use Jalan Masjid Negeri to reach Bayan Lepas. This route takes longer and is time-consuming.
Jalan Masjid Negeri can see a bumper-to-bumper crawl during rush hour with motorists travelling from other parts of George Town to the island’s south.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Che Zaimani Che Awang said the police were keeping the road under close observation.
Meanwhile, police have finished their investigation on the Jalan Bukit Kukus landslide and the report will be referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s office.
Penang police chief Comm Datuk Seri A. Thaiveegan said they submitted the report yesterday.
It was reported that police had recorded statements from almost 70 witnesses in its investigation on the landslide for criminal negligence.
Apart from the nine foreigners who were killed, four others also sustained injuries in the incident.- The Star
Schoolchildren wave the national flags of the Philippines and China
along the route of Chinese President Xi Jinping's convoy at the
Malacanang palace grounds in Manila on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the Philippines from Tuesday to Wednesday has caught international attention.
China-Philippines relations have been one of the most vacillating connections among China and its neighboring countries. During the rule of Benigno Aquino III, bilateral relations were at a low ebb due to frictions over the South China Sea. Incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte changed the Philippines' diplomatic course and brought ties with China back to the right track.
Last year, China surpassed Japan and became the largest trading partner of the Philippines. The two are conducting negotiations over the possible joint exploration of oil and gas in the disputed waters. If they reach an agreement, it could serve as an exemplary model for South China Sea claimant countries.
However, not everybody is happy to see Beijing and Manila set aside disputes and develop friendly ties. Besides obstruction from pro-US factions within the Philippines, some US and Western forces do not want to see rapprochement between China and the Philippines and even pressure the Duterte government to cut relations.
Recently, some Western media claimed that most of the assistance and investment that China promised to the Philippines was never fulfilled. Such tone maliciously aims to drive a wedge between Beijing and Manila.
In recent years, China has been advancing its Belt and Road initiative in Southeast Asia and has no reason to skip the Philippines when seeking investment and cooperation. In fact, relevant departments of the two countries have been working to push forward the implementation of cooperation projects.
The West has been accusing China's Belt and Road initiative of locking some countries into a debt trap. However, when it comes to the Philippines, the West criticized China for not fulfilling its promises. Behind such hypocritical words lie the West's deep-seated prejudice and hostility against China.
When the US strategically targets China, it is difficult for the Philippines - geographically adjacent to China while closely watched by the US - to keep independent strategic thinking and remain firm-minded.
But independent thinking and strong political determination are essential for every country. When Duterte first thought about mending ties with Beijing, independent thinking prompted Manila to face the question: What advantages can the country gain from enmity with China, if any? Will the Philippines benefit from it or will it be exploited by external forces?
The whole region should keep alert to whom will benefit from confrontation among South China Sea stakeholders. As one of the US' allies in Southeast Asia, the Philippines will always be a tool of the West to instigate provocations in the waters. After twists and turns, Philippine society will form its own judgment.
Many Philippine elite might have thought that their country and the entirety of Southeast Asia could rely only on the US and the West before China's rise, yet most regional countries did not achieve modernization. China offers more options for the Philippines, and because of China's rise, the Philippines and Southeast Asia have gained more attention. Compared with the Aquino era, the Philippines under Duterte has acquired more strategic initiatives without becoming overly dependent on other countries.
China-Philippines friendly cooperation has changed the strategic position of the Philippines and brought about a new pattern for its development. It is expected that Xi's visit will accelerate bilateral cooperation.
Newspaper headline: Xi, Duterte upgrade ties, Xi’s Philippine visit a ‘milestone’ event, Improved relations help keep stability in S.China Sea: expert
https://youtu.be/Nu0q5wraLGQ
As cooperation and political trust improve, China and the Philippines agreed on Tuesday to lift ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperation relations while stressing the need to manage disputes in the South China Sea through "friendly negotiations."
The decision was announced after visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday in Manila, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Chinese experts stressed that the visit is a milestone event in the development of bilateral relations and the two countries will pursue greater cooperation under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative (BRI) in the coming years.
As friendly neighbors across the sea, China and the Philippines enjoy geographic proximity and a strong bond that links the two peoples and cultures, Xi said, Xinhua reported on Tuesday.
Since Duterte took office, China and the Philippines have reopened the door of friendship and cooperation to each other, bringing real benefits to the two peoples and making important contributions to regional peace, stability and prosperity, Xi noted.
Xi's visit will largely promote bilateral relations as the visit shows that China values friendly relations with the Philippines, Gu Xiaosong, a research fellow on Southeast Asian studies at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
"It is a milestone event in the development of bilateral relations," Gu remarked.
Glenn Penaranda, commercial counselor of the Philippine Embassy in China, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "Xi's visit is vital in highlighting the significant relationship between our two countries, particularly in trade and investments. The visit will encourage more and deeper engagements."
Improved China-Philippines relations will also play an important role in maintaining the stability of the South China Sea, experts noted.
"If China and the Philippines can reach an agreement on the exploration and development of oil and gas resources in the South China Sea, it will be a breakthrough in economic cooperation in the region and will largely promote the safety of the Asia-Pacific," Gu said.
Growth prospects
The prospects for economic and trade relations between the two countries are very bright as Philippine priorities are aligned with the key directions for industrial capacity cooperation under BRI, in sectors such as infrastructure, construction and building materials, chemicals and manufacturing, Penaranda said.
Gu agrees, saying that bilateral economic and trade ties will be further enhanced to a higher level, and the two countries will pursue more cooperation under the BRI.
As a developing country with more than 100 million people, the Philippines needs to improve its infrastructure and enhance the growth of its industrial enterprises, Gu noted.
"We need to better understand the opportunities for bilateral cooperation through increased engagements by enterprises," Penaranda said, noting that it is important that the frequent reciprocal visits of officials and business delegations continue.
Experts said China is committed to advancing the development with other countries and the Belt and Road initiative will bring greater growth to other developing countries and promote the economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region.
The two countries have conducted broad cooperation in transportation infrastructure and industrial parks and energy, and China is the Philippines' largest trading partner.
Trade between China and the Philippines increased 8.5 percent year-on-year to $51.28 billion, according to information released by China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Thursday.
As of the end of September, China's investment in the Philippines was $1.25 billion and the Philippines' investment in the Chinese market reached $3.33 billion, according to the MOFCOM.
Experts said cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries also see a huge potential.
The hospitality toward Chinese people is easily felt among the Philippine public.
The Chinese and Philippine flags were placed along Roxas Boulevard in Manila a week ago. Many Chinese who live and study in Manila waited along the boulevard on Tuesday to welcome Xi.
"We're so excited that President Xi has come to Manila. We hope the two countries could strengthen cultural exchanges in the future," Kui Jiangong, a PhD candidate from China who studies at Adamson University in Manila, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
"I have met many locals who like to discuss Chinese culture with me as they want to know more about China," he said. - Global Times
According to media reports, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum held in Papua New Guinea (PNG) was concluded on Sunday without leaders issuing the traditional communiqué, and PNG will instead issue a formal "chairman's statement," for the first time ever. PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said talks broke down over language about the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The US is a strong advocate for WTO reform. While China has no objection for the necessity of reform, the two powers are widely divided over "what" to reform. The US thinks the WTO doesn't fit the current world economy and needs massive reform, but China hopes reform will focus on dispute settlement mechanisms.
China's view is echoed by most WTO members. But some developed countries have vacillated because they worry that the US, if objected, would exit the WTO and build another platform that it thinks enables fair competition. They also hope to benefit from US moves pressuring developing countries. As a major WTO founder, the US intends to overturn the system and start over again. This invites concerns that Washington would choose to support or abandon any international rule based on whether it serves US interest, bringing a fundamental tumult to international trade system.
"America First" has been deeply embedded in US foreign policy. Washington used to pursue its interest by building a US-led multilateral system, but now it just asks for benefits. Multilateral mechanisms are seeing their authority eroded. This will last for some time until Washington feels what repercussions of the collapse of the international system can bring to it.
Such impact will come sooner or later. Current international system carries Western values, endows a US leadership, supports the dollar as a major international currency and helps the US enhance its grip on international relations so that it can secure its interest easily. Destroying such a system will bring itself huge losses in the long run.
It's delusional of some US elites to think that China is the largest beneficiary of the international system since they mistakenly blame China for the US' own problems. China has realized its development through hard work, not by taking advantage of the international system. Though China's economy has rapidly expanded, it is due to China taking up a lot of work that US society doesn't want to do. A large share of China's foreign exchange that the country earned through toils has been borrowed by the US.
"American First" cannot become "America takes all." The US should give other economies room for further development and take care of its relationship with developing countries. All Western countries need to rethink the meaning of fairness. They can't take their vested interests for granted while hoping the developing countries stay at disadvantaged position forever.
Modifying WTO rules must aim at win-for-all, instead of interest redistribution for a few specific countries. It's impossible for the US to be the only winner. If it blocks the development path of other countries, the US itself will go nowhere either.
The APEC summit this year concluded without issuing a communiqué, but it is not a big deal. The summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump during the G20 meeting later this month will carry much more weight. It is hoped Washington makes serious preparations for the summit and not pin its hopes on exerting pressure.- Global Times.
Pence's APEC speech offers nothing new
Illustration: Liu Rui/GT
US Vice President Mike Pence aimed bluntly-worded criticism toward China while delivering a speech at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Papua New Guinea on Saturday. He repeated the US' hardline approach in its trade conflicts with China, reiterated the US' determination of freedom of navigation and criticized China's foreign aid and cooperation with other countries.
Pence is considered the spokesperson for the US' tough position on China. Apparently, he shoulders the responsibility of piling pressure on China before the summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump during the G20 meeting later this month.
But a few hours before Pence said that the US will not back down from its trade disputes with China unless Beijing bows to US demands, Trump told a number of journalists in the White House that he may not impose more tariffs.
Washington has made quite a lot of noise recently, and Pence's speech at APEC barely offers anything new. Pence said that China's assistance drowns recipient countries in a sea of debt and makes them compromise sovereignty, and that the US offers a "better option."
"We don't coerce, corrupt, or compromise your independence. The United States deals openly and fairly," Pence said. In reality, however, the country that does as Pence described is China and the one that jeopardizes the sovereignty of recipient countries is in truth the US.
The most prominent feature of China's international assistance and cooperation is that it comes with no political strings attached. Is there a better way than this to show respect for others' sovereignty? A big problem in the US' relations with developing countries is that Washington often interferes in their internal affairs. In fact, many Western countries have preconditions, mostly political, attached to their assistance, which touches upon the social governance system of developing countries and hence puts them in difficult positions.
Just look at how many times the US has found political fault with China when it comes to economic cooperation, with human rights issues often brought up during trade negotiations with China. The US also wants to intervene in the business of China's State-owned enterprises. With the US treating the strongest country among its cooperative partners this way, it's easy to imagine what a difficult time it gives to less powerful and underdeveloped countries in trade relations.
If the US can truly behave as Pence claims and make economic cooperation separate from others' sovereignty and based on an equal footing, there would be no major divergence in principles between China and the US. It's a blessing for the world in the 21st century that China emphasizes both sovereignty and equality when it comes to international economic cooperation.
We especially welcome the US to adopt this attitude toward China-US relations and make comprehensive China-US cooperation a role model for the world.
The core consideration of US diplomacy is geopolitics rather than global development. Washington cares about the neighboring regions of major powers and offers its assistance to these regions so as to weaken the influence of regional major powers. Meanwhile, distant countries are forgotten by the US and other Western countries. The South Pacific is one such region. It is China's mutually beneficial cooperation in the region that has drawn the attention of the US and other Western countries back there. The same goes for Africa. A number of African countries used to be ignored by the West in its geopolitical map. However, China's cooperation with Africa has reshaped the attitude of Washington and other Western countries toward Africa.
The China-proposed Belt and Road initiative has been warmly received by a large number of countries because it's not a geopolitical strategy, but a development plan guided by the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. It meets the pressing needs of developing countries and hence has ignited their passion for the initiative. When meeting with Xi on Friday, leaders and government representatives of eight South Pacific countries expressed their gratitude for China's longtime assistance and loans that have had no political requirements attached. This is the epitome of how welcome the Belt and Road initiative is.
It is hoped that Pence's words concerning sovereignty, respect and equality can become real action taken as part of US foreign policy. As long as the US has goodwill and real action, it will no longer need to criticize China and other countries will sense this and support it. Belittling a third party is not a noble act on the international stage.- Global Times
The Chinese public has the enthusiasm and creativity in
executing public diplomacy. They can, and will, find their own way of
fighting against foreign provocation. Chinese government shouldn't
always be the target and Western countries should also be confronted
with China's strong non-governmental voices.
Beijing needs to remain calm while Washington is
impulsive. It has become a trend in the US to expand technological
export restrictions against China, but it's uncertain to what extent
Washington will enforce the restrictions. China shouldn't be swayed from
the course of opening-up because of Washington's restrictions.
