Beijing submits its second report to UN Military Budget Transparency Mechanism; Chinese Foreign Minister visiting India September 7-10; Guangdong province and ASEAN sign an MoU
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    • The Chinese government submitted the second report of its 2007 military expenditure to the UN, the second time that China did so since it joined the UN Military Budget Transparency Mechanism last year. The report included basic data of the country’s military spending for the latest fiscal year1.

    Beijing once again expressed the hope that the international community could “create favourable conditions” to promote a peaceful resolution of Russian-Georgian conflict2.

    On the eve of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi’s visit to India on September 7, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman noted that bilateral relations between China and India were on a sound footing, due to cooperative partnership and the “Ten-Item Strategy3.”

    Members of the Berlin-Taiwan Parliamentary Circle of Friends (FRG), on a visit to Taiwan, expressed support for Taiwan’s latest bid to join the UN. The group appreciated Taiwan’s “one step at a time, gradual method” as a very positive approach4.

    Chinese President Hu Jintao met with German President Horst Koehler on the sidelines of the Beijing Paralympic games. Both the leaders agreed to expand their bilateral relationship, with the German President stating that his country attached great importance to the cooperative relationship between the two countries5.

    In other developments, China’s Guangdong province and ASEAN signed an agreement aimed at deepening the trade and economic partnership through a joint mechanism. The MOU was signed by ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Nicholas Tandi Dammen and Vice-Governor of Guangdong Province Wan Qingliang in Jakarta. The two sides would explore opportunities for cooperation in various areas, including in agriculture, information and communication technology, trade and investment, tourism promotion, energy and environment, education and public health. ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan pointed out that Guangdong was “the southern gateway of China” and that links between Guangdong and ASEAN were growing6.

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