自由Chen Weihua/China DailyHaving lived in Washington DC for almost five years, I have seen the city growing, with new construction and renovation projects happening in many streets and neighborhoods

職業8 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 board自由The 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

職業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 35自由BEIJING - China on Friday urged all relevant parties to avoid any action that may increase tension on the Korean Peninsula after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said it might test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean職業"Only if all sides bear their due responsibilities, can the peninsula nuclear issue be truly resolved and peace and stability restored to the region自由"The DPRK knows well that China opposes its development of nuclear weapons and nuclear tests, Lu said職業"What parties concerned should do now is to strictly and comprehensively implement UN Security Council resolutions and make positive efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue

自由"The current situation on the peninsula is severe and complicated," Foreign Minister spokesperson Lu Kang said at a daily press briefing職業The minister said that if there is any change needed, it is the denuclearization of the peninsula, and that would be more comprehensive, thorough and irreversible自由She was recently on the stage making the pledge to the Party on behalf of all the students who were receiving honglingjin (the red scarves worn by Chinese Young Pioneers)

職業But all that is changing for the better due to efforts from the Shanghai government自由People moving together as one and with a vision is a great strength to have indeed職業When we arrived from Sydney a few weeks ago and got into a taxi, the driver was talking to us for an hour and a half自由What do you feel has been China's biggest achievement in recent years? I read a report that about 95 million people were taken out of poverty in China over the past decade, and that's a really significant achievement that reflects 40 years of amazing achievements in China

China needs to teach other countries how to do thisThe document was struck by China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan during the fourth round of the six-party talks

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks at a routine press briefing, saying China is open to all efforts that are conducive to solving the issue peacefully via political and diplomatic meansIn return, the United States promised not to use nuclear weapons or conventional weapons to attack or invade the DPRKIn the statement, the DPRK reaffirmed its commitment to abandoning nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs"We believe if the parties concerned can adhere to those consensus, abide by the spirit of the joint statement and seek ways to address the reasonable concerns of concerned parties, we will find a way out," said the spokesperson

Lu said the parties concerned should learn from experience in reaching the agreement, which includes holding that the core of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is over security issues, the key lies with the United States and the DPRK, and concerns of all parties should be resolved in a balanced wayBEIJING -- China said Tuesday that the six-party talks are still an efficient platform to address the Korean Peninsula nuclear issueLaunched in 2003, the six-party talks were suspended in December 2008Lu said the joint statement, signed on Sept 19, 2005, is the most important progress in addressing the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through negotiations, and is of milestone significance

China also proposed a dual-track approach to denuclearization on the peninsula on the one hand and establishing a peace mechanism on the otherChina has put forward the "double suspension" proposal, which requires the DPRK to suspend its missile and nuclear activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale US-ROK military drills

The DPRK walked out of the talks in April 2009 in protest against UN sanctionsAbe, who also heads the LDP, is set to provisionally dissolve the lower chamber of Japan's bicameral system of parliament on Sept 28, as this is when the extraordinary Diet session will be convened, according to LDP sources close to the matter

However, the prime minister has the authority to dissolve the lower chamber and call a general election at willThis scenario would see official campaigning for the national poll kick off on Oct 10, with voters thereafter casting their ballots on Oct 22A lower house election must be held by December 2018 as this is when the four-year terms of current lower house lawmakers expireIf Abe goes ahead with his plan to call a snap election, then three by-elections that have been slated to take place on Oct 22 would be replaced by the general electionThe opposition camp, however, has criticized Abe's move to call a snap election, with some accusing him of merely trying to escape from the influence-peddling scandals he is currently implicated in and engineering his stay in power"Nikai on Tuesday, during a meeting of ruling LDP executives reportedly conveyed Abe's intentions and relayed the party's determination to get all of its candidates fielded in the race

Prior to Abe's departure Monday for a five-day trip to New York to attend the UN General Assembly, Abe told Nikai during a meeting that he "will decide on the timing of the snap election after returning from the UN General Assembly on FridayAbe last dissolved the lower house of parliament in November 2014 and thereafter led the ruling coalition to a sweeping victory in the following election in December

In addition, the fact that new opposition parties in the process of being formed will not have time to organize themselves and mount a serious challenge to Abe and the LDP in such a short space of time, has made many political watchers question Abe's regard for democracy and the will of the peopleTOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is gearing up to dissolve the lower house of parliament and call a snap general election, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai confirmed on Tuesday

The support rate for Abe's cabinet has improved moderately recently, and the opposition camp has accused the prime minister of taking advantage of this and have slammed the possible general election as being unnecessary and serving Abe's personal, not political objectivesThe application for UNESCO heritage status submitted by more than 10 groups from China, the Republic of Korea and other countries and regions will "allow the world to fully understand the brutality of the war of agrression, remember history, cherish peace and defend human dignity," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a regular news briefing

BEIJING -- Japan should act correctly towards an application for records of comfort women to be listed as UNESCO heritage, instead of threatening not to pay its UNESCO membership fees, a Chinese spokesperson said MondayIf the submitted documents are approved for the UNESCO Memory of the World Register next month, domestic pressure for Japan to cancel payment of its UNESCO membership fees will grow, according to Japanese media"The members of international organizations are obliged to pay their membership fees on time and in fullChina demands Japan reflect on its history of aggression, and take a correct attitude towards and do not smear or meddle with the application," Lu said

The move serves the purposes of the UNESCO, he saidForceful recruitment of comfort women, or sex slaves, was a grave crime committed by the Japanese militarism during WWII

There is solid evidence and no room for denying that, Lu saidHe said that Japan should handle the issue properly and in a responsible way to gain trust from its Asian neighbors and the international community

People from the DPRK and the ROK belong to the same ethnic group, and China has always supported the two countries in strengthening exchanges, improving ties and promoting reconciliation, he saidLu's comment came after ROK President Moon Jae-in suggested that his country could go ahead with humanitarian aid to the DPRK "regardless of political situations," despite Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's request for consideration of the timing of the proposed aid

BEIJING -- China hopes that concerned parities can understand and respect the emotions of the people and support normal exchanges between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said Monday"All the UN Security Council resolutions that imposed sanctions on the DPRK, including the newly adopted Resolution 2375, have stated clearly that they are not intended to have a negative effect on the livelihoods and humanitarian needs of the people there," Lu said at a daily press briefing"I think this is not only good for China, but will also be a positive influence to the whole international system," he saidFor example, Singapore can become a launchpad for Chinese companies to march into international markets, and they can make the best of Singapore's trade and service facilities as a financial center and transport hub

Singapore's cooperation with China concerning the Belt and Road Initiative, Lee said, is focused on infrastructure inter-connectivity, financial projects and third-country programs such as personnel training, which Singapore believes can combine advantages of both sidesThe two sides are expected to exchange views on bilateral ties and issues of common concern, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Friday

In the interview, Lee said the Initiative-related cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure investments, trade and tourism can help further "integrate China into regional and international economic systems while greatly boosting the prosperity and development in other countriesThe Belt and Road Initiative, put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, is aimed at building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road through concerted efforts of all related countries to benefit all participants by promoting unimpeded trade, financial integration, infrastructure inter-connectivity and closer people-to-people exchanges

The Singaporean leader will pay an official visit to China on Sept 19-21 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang"The Initiative will help foster closer cooperation among China and its neighboring countries as well as its trade partners in Europe, Asia and even Africa," he added