Jun202017

CPC official urges sci-tech innovation in public security organs

East Asia

A senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Tuesday called on public security organs to speed up sci-tech innovation.

Meng Jianzhu, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks at a work conference on sci-tech and informationization in the country’s public security organs.

Meng asked public security organs to accelerate the use of sci-tech achievements and prepare for the 19th CPC National Congress scheduled for later this year.

He also asked them to remain loyal to the CPC, serve the people and carry out law enforcement fairly.

Public security minister Guo Shengkun also attended the meeting.

Jun202017

Press release: Government supports high-flying British Aerospace industry

HM Government

The Department for International Trade has helped GE Aviation win a multi-million dollar contract by guaranteeing a loan through the government’s export credit agency, UK Export Finance (UKEF).

Worth $18.7 million, the contract sees GE upgrade engines for cargo and charter airline Atlas Air. With the work carried out in GE’s Prestwick workshop in Scotland they will supply and install energy efficient Performance Improvement Program (PIP) kits to 3 engines in the Atlas Air fleet.

This initial contract has led to a second multi-million dollar agreement for UKEF to finance upgrades of 3 more engines in the coming months.

The announcement comes as International Trade Minister, Mark Garnier, attends the Paris Air Show where the Department for International Trade is exhibiting.

International Trade Minister, Mark Garnier, said:

Our civil aerospace industry is world leading and the Department for International Trade is committed to doing all it can to boost exports and support UK businesses in this sector – including through UKEF where this deal will help do just that, as well as protecting jobs in Scotland.

I’m pleased to be flying the flag for the UK at the world’s oldest and largest Air Show. It’s a real opportunity to meet with potential investors and promote the strengths of the UK aerospace industry.

While at the Paris Air Show, Mark Garnier met with a range of businesses and discussed positioning the UK aerospace sector for the next generation of technology driven growth.

The UK leads the way in whole aircraft capability, particularly in:

  • wing design and manufacture
  • propulsion
  • land gear
  • major systems
  • airline interiors

It is also well placed to provide access to:

  • skilled talent
  • excellent academia
  • research and development
  • world-class manufacturing processes
  • competitive suppliers

UKEF, Atlas Air and GE may extend the programme, which could see further support worth millions of dollars for the future supply and installation of PIP kits to 33 more of Atlas Air’s engines over the next 4 years.

Last year (2016) the UK aerospace industry generated revenues of £32 billion with £28 billion of production exported.

Highlighting the strengths of this important sector, the Department for International Trade’s investment showcase is in the design of an aircraft cabin. There are 8 windows highlighting some of the international aerospace businesses located in the UK including:

  • Boeing
  • Thales
  • Airbus
  • Bombardier
  • Rolls-Royce
  • GE Aviation

Jun202017

Xi urges efforts to boost integrated military and civilian development

East Asia

Chinese President Xi Jinping Tuesday underscored centralized and unified leadership to boost integrated military and civilian development.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the first plenary meeting of the central commission for integrated military and civilian development, which he heads.

Upgraded as a national strategy, integrated military and civilian development is a major achievement of China’s long-term exploration of coordinated development of economic and national defense construction, Xi said.

It is also a major decision concerning national development and overall security, and a major measure to deal with complicated security threats and gain national strategic advantages, Xi said.

Li Keqiang, Liu Yunshan and Zhang Gaoli, who are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and also deputy heads of the commission, also attended the meeting.

Working rules and recent tasks of the commission, as well as a guideline on setting up local leading and working organs for integrated military and civilian development, were adopted at the meeting.

The military and civilian integration must be based on the situation of the country, Xi said, noting the integration process must bear distinctive Chinese characteristics.

“The ideas, decisions and plans of military and civilian integration must be fully implemented in all fields of national economic and defense construction and in the whole processes,” Xi said.

The integration should value national socialist advantage of pooling resources to solve major problems and raising working efficiency, Xi said.

The integration must combine state guidance with the market’s role, and comprehensively employ institutional innovation, policy support and legal guarantee to give full play to military and civilian integration, he said.

Xi also noted that the ultimate approach to deepening military and civilian integration lies in reform and innovation, calling for pilot schemes and exemplary models to explore new ways, and expand new space for military and civilian integration.

He also highlighted the proper use of the law in guiding and protecting the integrating procedure and called for improvement in market entry to encourage a larger number of competent enterprises, staff, technology and capital to play a role.

On deepening integrated military and civilian development, Xi called for focusing on key areas such as infrastructure, national defense-related sci-tech industry, weapon and equipment procurement, talent cultivation, socialization of the support system for the military, as well as the mobilization for national defense.

Ideas and requirements of integrated military and civilian development should be implemented in the fields of sea, outer space, cyber space, biology and new energy, Xi said.