Official agrees to look into WTO protocol issues raised in talks China urged the European Union on Wednesday to fulfill the provisions of the protocol on China's accession to the World Trade Organization as soon as possible. State Councilor Yang Jiechi made the remark after talks with Federica Mogherini, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice-president of the European Commission. They led the seventh round of high-level strategic dialogues at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Under Article 15 of the protocol, WTO members were to end after Dec. 11, 2016, the organization's surrogate country approach regarding anti-dumping investigations of China. The date was exactly 15 years after China's admission. "About Article 15, the EU said it attaches importance to China's concern, will abide by the WTO rules and has started the process to amend laws," Yang said at a joint news conference after the talks. "China expects the EU to fulfill the provisions as soon as possible and send a positive signal of protecting a free and open trade system," Yang said. Yang said the EU will participate in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which will be convened in Beijing next month. China and the EU also will enhance cooperation in areas such as climate change and fighting terrorism. "China cherishes its ties with the EU. Regardless of how the European situation changes, China will as always firmly support the integration path that Europe chooses," Yang said. "We are willing to work with the EU to deepen the mutually beneficial, comprehensive strategic partnership. The policy will not change," he added. Yang and Mogherini said they also talked about hot spot regional and global issues, including Syria, the Korean Peninsula and Afghanistan. Mogherini, an Italian politician, said relations between the EU and China have become stronger than at any time in history. She said the two sides spent a long time discussing Syria. The top EU diplomat spoke highly of President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this year, saying it has provided new opportunities for Europe-China cooperation. Wang Yiwei, director of the EU Studies Center at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said conditions in Europe are bringing the EU and China closer, as both sides support multilateralism. "Now, the EU also attaches high importance to China's role on regional issues, aside from China's traditional efforts inside the UN Security Council," Wang said. cheap wristbands ukrubber wristbands in bulkballer bandsdebossed wristbandcustom made rubber braceletstrio spinners24hourwristbands
Construction workers remove a billboard from the roof of a building near Tiantan Park in Beijing on Nov 28. [Photo/Xinhua] The Beijing city management authority is limiting the number and placement of signs on buildings in order to create an urban skyline that is visually clear and bright, and strengthen urban management. The campaign was launched as part of the capital's urban planning for 2016 to 2035. According to a notice from the Beijing Commission of City Management, all signs and billboards attached to roofs must be removed. In addition, there can be only one sign with a building's name on the third or higher stories, and the name should be the same as the one registered with planning authorities. Each of the capital's 16 districts will launch an enforcement campaign, the notification said, and any failure by institutions and individuals to remove noncompliant signs will be noted on their credit record. According to Beijing Daily, nearly 9,000 signs and billboards had been removed by Thursday. There are more than 27,000 signs and billboards that are non-compliant across the capital, the newspaper quoted an unnamed official from Beijing Commission of City Management as saying. The official also said that the Shijingshan district removed 1,700 signs and billboards and was the first one to remove all non-compliant signage. Chaoyang district topped all districts, having removed almost 2,500 signs. Signage must be removed by the end of December and the municipal commission will inspect the capital road by road in January. The campaign has provoked heated discussion online. While some Beijing residents applauded the campaign, some worried that it will be difficult for them to find their destinations. Sometimes, when I am looking for friends I have made an appointment with, I can easily let them know my exact location by telling them what sign is over my head, said Zhang Zhenyu, a resident of Chaoyang district. A netizen named Cycy Lee didn't like the feeling of walking near buildings with signs over the roofs. Some of the signs or billboards have been there for years and they may fall down, the netizen commented on Weibo.
