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Welcome 2020 With Food of Prosperity at Pagoda Chinese Restaurant, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park

As Chinese New Year draws near, “Pagoda Chinese Restaurant” at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park prepares special dishes that will not only satisfy your palate but are also believed to bring prosperity and good luck for everyone in the family. “Yusheng” or the Prosperity Raw Fish Salad and “Nian Gao” or Sticky Rice Cake as well as the Chinese New Year Lucky Menu are all set to bless customers from late December 2019 until early February 2020.

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Pagoda Chinese Restaurant, the authentic Cantonese restaurant, prepares many tasty dishes that symbolize prosperity and good luck. It offers two choices of Yusheng – Salmon Yusheng for 2 – 4 people at THB 1,288++ and the bigger set for 5 – 10 people at THB 2,388++, and Abalone Yusheng for 2 – 4 people at THB 1,688++ and the big set for 5-10 people at THB 2,888++. This special menu is served at both lunch and dinner from 1 January – 2 February 2020.

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While the Chinese New Year special a la cart and set menu 2020 will take customers into the Year of Rat with good luck, success and prosperity. The a la cart menu consists of Salmon Yusheng and Abalone Yusheng, Deep-fried Banana Prawn with Sweet and Sour Sauce which is believed to bring joy and happiness, Stir-fried Mud Crab with Salt and Chili in Hong Kong Style which symbolizes prosperity, Preserved Tomato and Plum which add good luck, Braised Whole Abalone with Fish Maw which means long life and Nian Gao for growth. Price starts from THB 220++. The whole family could enjoy Chinese set menu, including Yusheng, Peking Duck, Double-boiled Silkie Fowl and Fish Maw Soup with Korean Ginseng, Deep-fried Banana Prawn with Sweet and Sour Sauce, Stir-fried Lotus Root, Cashew Nut, Asparagus, Mushroom and Fluffy Sweet Purple Potato, Steamed Black Grouper with Soy Sauce in Hong Kong Style, Steamed Sticky Rice with Lobster in Bamboo Basket and and Nian Gao. (THB 2,888++ per person with a minimum of 8 people). All items are available at lunch (11:30 hrs. – 14:30 hrs.) and dinner (18:00 hrs. – 22:00 hrs.). For a limited period, from 23 January – 2 February 2020.

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From 26 December 2019 until 25 January 2020, at lunch and dinner, Pagoda Chinese Restaurant offers Nian Gao, the fish-shape sticky rice cake in 3 different flavors; Original, Black Jelly and Golden Pumpkin. Available for dine-in at THB 288++ for two pieces or choose to take away as a present in a nice gift box at THB 588++ per box (for two pieces, only original flavor).

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Great joy, happiness and prosperity will be served for both lunch and dinner times at Pagoda Chinese Restaurant, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park from 26 December 2019 until 2 February 2020. For information and reservations, please call +66 (0) 2 059 5999 or email [email protected].

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Welcome the Prosperous and Abundant Year With the Latest Release ‘Johnny Walker Blue Label Year of the Rat’ Gold Medal Whisky in a Limited-Edition Bottle Designed by World Renowned Artist

Johnnie Walker Blue Label, the world’s number one Scotch whisky (reference: IWSR 2018) and gold medal winner from Scotch Whisky Master 2018, celebrates the Chinese new Year and the occasion of abundance and prosperity of 2020 with Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of The Rat, presented in a limited edition bottle designed by renowned Chinese artist Shirley Gong – a perfect gift for the auspicious occasion.

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Only 1 in 10,000 casks in our unparalleled reserves of over 10 million maturing Scotch Whiskies from every corner of Scotland has the richness and depth of character required to intricately craft Johnnie Walker Blue Label. With the craftsmanship and unapparelled expertise of Johnnie Walker’s master blender, the 200-year-old history and heritage emerges to become the highly characteristic whisky.

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Tasting Johnnie Walker Blue Label is like experiencing a rolling wave of flavour. An initial swell delivers layers of dried fruits, citrus smoke, which then evolves into notes of honey, spice and vanilla. As the waves ease off, you are rewarded with chocolate and a smoky finish. A whisky like no other, Johnnie Walker Blue Label was awarded gold medal from Scotch Whisky Master 2018 where judges blind tasted whiskies from around the globe to search for the world’s best.

The limited-edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of The Rat rings in abundance and prosperity with captivating bottle design by Shirley Gong, renowned Chinese artist. The design captures the wit, entrepreneurship and adaptability of this intelligent creature, heralding the opportunity and good fortune the Rat’s arrival signifies. The luxurious blue and gold emblem also signifies opportunities and wealth, which makes it a meaningful gift you for those that you wish a year of unbridled happiness and prosperity.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of The Rat is now available in leading outlets and stores. For more information, visit www.johnniewalker.com.

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Siam Winery Continues for the 10th Year Our Social Responsibility Campaign “Journey of Love” to Carry on the Mission of Developing and Improving Communities in Rural Areas

With unwavering determination to give back and serve society, Siam Winery, the producer and distributor of Thai wines and beverages, continus with the “Journey of Love” social responsibility campaign for the 10th year running.

Siam Winery, along with volunteers from within the organization as well as volunteers from outside organizations, networks and universities in two community enhancement trips: Sob Mei School and other children centers in Sob Mei district of Mae Hongson between 15-17 November and Baan Saen Suk Learning Center for Sustainable Living in Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai between 13-15 December, to donate warm clothes and school supplies to the students and the underprivileged in areas affected by cold climate.

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Mr. Chayapol Sornsil, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager of Siam Winery, says, “We strongly believe that a good society needs good foundation to thrive. Therefore, Siam Winery takes on missions to improve, develop and enhance society with various social responsibility projects and volunteer works to sustainably improve quality of life of the people in rural areas of Thailand. We have travelled to many remote, barren and underdeveloped areas throughout Thailand to determine what the youths and students in the schools need the most. The findings from this research helped us start the “Journey of Love” campaign 9 years ago. Throughout these 9 years, Siam Winery has donated school supplies and living essentials to the community to improve people’s quality of life. This year, as the campaign turns 10, we hosted two trips to provide aid to students in remote areas and at the same time support the communities and their families. With these trips, we donated clothes, school supplies and sports gears to a school in need to provide aid to those affected by the severe cold. The trips also allowed us to exchange wisdom and knowledge with the locals, and closely observed their way of life. The learnings from these trips allow us to better understand the needs of these communities and how we might further do our part to contribute to their future development.”

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Sob Mei School is located in Mae Sam Lab sub-district, Sob Mei district in Mae Hongson, where most of the population are Karen people. Traditional in their way of life, they reside alongside Salawin River and sustain their living with agriculture, thanks to the natural abundance and decent weather that grant them diverse high-yield agricultural products.

The school offers primary education from Grade 1-6, including 205 students with 65 live-in students and 18 teachers. The district has three children centers; Baan Sob Mei with 30 children, Baan Pa La Ee with 20 children and Baan Go Ngo Kee with 22 children. Among the children are also ethnic minorities and orphans that lost their parents in the war.

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Meanwhile at Baan Saen Suk Learning Center for Sustainable Living in Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai, where Siam Winery visited between 13-15 December, volunteers from the firm and Baan Saen Suk Youth Home in Chiang Rai joined hands with locals to build check dam. The group also had the chance to observe the sustainable living project at Saen Suk Youth Home and donate warm clothes and blankets to the villagers.

Baan Saen Suk was founded in 2007 by Mr. Teerawat Pitakpraisri, founder of Mae Kham River Preservation Foundation. He took in underprivileged children from remote areas to nurture and give them education. The Learning Center for Sustainable Living is a livestock project supported by Siam Winery Trading Plus that improve and enhance life skills for children and youths during their stay at the home.

The project aims to inspire children to improve themselves and learn to adopt sustainable and self-sufficient ways of living the right way. Furthermore, these wisdoms and knowledge will then be passed on to their parents, equipping them with know-how of sufficiency economy that is an ideal solution to poverty. From this program the families have more sideline jobs and have become able to live sustainably and sufficiently within their traditions along with forest preservation practice – a model that can be passed on to the next generations.

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The “Journey of Love” campaign aims to increase the potential of the students in the area, equipping them with skills and knowledge that will help with their future occupations. The firm also hopes for this center to provide decent, nutritious meals to the adopted children. Part of the proceed also goes to support household expenses, while the center renders itself as a learning center with parents and villagers from remote areas to gain knowledge.

The center also donates livestock and crop seeds, promotes indigenous hilltribe traditions and natural resource preservation that will nurture and enhance their way of life and improve life quality, allowing the people to look after their families and give proper educations to their children.

With the genuine determination to give back to society, Siam Winery aspires to help communities grow sustainably. For more information and updates about “Journey of Love” and other social responsibility projects, visit www.siamwinery.com.

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Cops Dispute Woman’s Claim of Being Fined for Taking Tinder Date on Temple Trip

A photo of a tourist policeman taken during the arrest. Photo: callmepyper / Twitter
A photo of a tourist policeman taken during the arrest. Photo: callmepyper / Twitter

BANGKOK — Police on Tuesday denied a viral claim on social media which accused a policeman of falsely arresting a woman for taking a foreign man on a tour at a temple and extorting her for bribe.

Although the anonymous Twitter user said the Tourist Police officer demanded her friend 2,000 baht in exchange for dropping a charge of unlicensed tour guide against her, the commander of the police unit in question said the allegations are unfounded.

“The arrest took place on Jan. 13, but the post didn’t tell the whole story,” Tourist Police chief Chettha Komolwantana said in an interview. “We conducted an investigation and found that the officers involved did not receive any payment, since they only gave warnings and let her go without charges.”

The story unfolded after user @callmepyper said on Saturday that her friend, whom she did not name, was arrested while she was taking a “foreign friend” she met through online dating application Tinder to visit Wat Pho.

“Tourist police arrested my friend and demanded her 2,000 baht because they said that a Thai giving information about the temple to a foreigner can be considered as guiding and thus illegal,” she wrote in the post, which has been retweeted more than 62,000 times.

Although the user maintained that the friend had no intention to act as a tour guide as she was just hanging out with her foreign friend, the Tourist Police commander refuted the claim and said the woman was paid for her actions.

“Our officers found that she was paid by the foreigner 600 baht per hour to bring him around and take photos,” Lt. Gen. Chettha said. “The woman received payment for her actions, so it could be considered as an act of guiding, which she didn’t hold a license to do so.”

The Twitter user also wrote that a “commander” in the Tourist Police division phoned her and threatened her to take down the tweet, but Chettha said he never made such a move.

Under the law, any person who performs duties as a tour guide without license faces up to a year in prison or a fine of 10,000 baht, or both. Chettha said it wouldn’t be illegal for a Thai to hang out with a foreigner as long as there’s no compensation involved.

“If the foreigner is really your friend, then it’s perfectly fine,” Chetta said.

Neither the Twitter user or her “friend” have identified themselves publicly.

Lt. Col. Kampanat Kaeyia, an investigator at Phrarachawang Police Station whose jurisdiction covers Wat Pho, said the woman has yet to file any complaint with him, even though he already sent a message to her urging her to come forward.

Tourist Police commander Chettha also said the pair should file a formal complaint so that an investigation can move forward.

Related stories:

Cops Arrest Chinese Guide Posing as Thai National

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Gov Defends Ordering Schoolchildren to Sing Royal Anthem Everyday

A message asking moviegoers to stand up for the Royal Anthem. Image: SF Cinema.

BANGKOK — Starting on Tuesday, students at public schools operated by the City Hall must line up and sing the Royal Anthem in unison every morning per order from Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang.

Though there were backlashes to the instruction, Gov. Aswin took to his official Facebook to defend his decision, saying he wanted to promote loyalty to the monarchy and stressing that students would not be exposed to the ongoing PM2.5 pollution contrary to concerns of some parents.

“Singing the Royal Anthem is just an idea to promote … love and faith in the nation, religions, and the monarch, who are the crucial foundations of Thainess,” Aswin wrote. “However, as of this moment, we still refrain from all outdoor activities, out of consideration for the children’s health.”

On Tuesday afternoon, the Governor also ordered all schools operated by the Bangkok authorities to shut down tomorrow for a day as the smog crisis fails to improve.

Thai schools typically require students to sing the National Anthem every morning, though the Royal Anthem, which extols the virtues of the reigning monarch, is played less frequently. In many schools, the Royal Anthem is sung only once a week, at the end of class on Friday.

Aswin discussed the new policy earlier on Monday in a meeting with city officials, in which he said the decline of Royal Anthem should be reversed. Under his order, the Royal Anthem must be sung right after the National Anthem.

Inspired by the British “God Save the King,” the Thai royal court came up with the Royal Anthem about 150 years ago, during the reign of King Rama V, though the current version of the song was formalized much later.

It also served as the national anthem until a coup ended the king’s direct rule in 1932 and the revolutionaries opted for the current national anthem, which was stripped of any reference to the monarchy.

Related stories:

Royal Anthem Fever Flies Sky High, Hits Sour Note

Woman Says Threatened For Sitting Through Royal Anthem

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Energy Ministry Urges Motorists to Use Biodisel to Reduce Smog

Smog-blanketed sky in Bangkok on Jan. 20, 2020.

BANGKOK (Xinhua) — Thailand’s Ministry of Energy on Tuesday suggested motorists to use biodiesel B10 and B20 to curb aggravating smog that is currently gripping the country.

“By using biodiesel B10 and B20, we all can help reduce smog by 3.5 to 25 percent,” said the ministry’s Department of Energy Business.

“Biodiesel could effectively relieve the air pollution because emission from vehicles cause 70 percent of (particulate matter) PM2.5,” said Nantika Thangsuphanich, director-general of the department. “B10 could cut PM2.5 by 3.5 to 13.5 percent and B20 could cut PM2.5 by 20 to 25 percent.”

The consumption of B10 and B20 helps reduce PM2.5 and supports palm growers. In 2020 it will consume about 2 to 2.2 million tons of crude palm oil; that is two-thirds of all yields and help increase the price of raw palm nuts by at least 4 baht per kilogram, Nantika said.

Nantika also said that six Thai oil refineries will invest 50 billion baht (1.64 billion U.S. dollars) to improve the quality standard of their products from Euro 4 to Euro 5.

The improvement is required to be completed before Jan 1, 2024 to reduce smog.

Nantika also said that oil consumption this year would increase by 2 percent from last year to 132 million liters a day.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration reported Monday that smog levels have worsened in Bangkok with high pollution readings in 34 out of Bangkok’s 50 districts, ranging from 50 to 89 micrograms per cubic meter of air.

The Thai government set a safe threshold is 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air.

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Celeb Anchorman Goes to Jail Over 138-Million Baht Embezzlement

Former news anchorman Sorayuth Suthassanachinda arrives at the Supreme Court on Jan. 21, 2020.

BANGKOK — One of Thailand’s most familiar faces on TVs was sent to prison for eight years on Tuesday after a court rejected his appeal on embezzlement charges.

The verdict against former news anchorman Sorayuth Suthassanachinda, 53, was upheld by the Supreme Court today, though the judges lowered the jail term given by the lower courts from 13 years to six years and 24 months. He was immediately escorted to prison, ending a legal fight that lasted for nearly five years.

Under Thai laws, each month of jail sentence consists of 30 days, while a year of prison term counts as 365 days. Sorayuth did not speak to reporters at the court.

According to the prosecutors, Sorayuth embezzled 138 million baht from state enterprise MCOT by selling more commercial airtime than allowed over a 14-month period on its flagship TV channel, Channel 9.

The case dates back to 2005, when Sorayuth’s company Rai Som hid the extra revenues by paying MCOT employee Pichapa Iamsa-ard more than 600,000 baht to conceal it, prosecutors said.

Top: Sorayuth, right, during his popular news show in 2006.

Although Sorayuth’s firm Rai Som eventually paid 152 million baht in compensation to the channel, that didn’t get investigators to drop the case, and he was found guilty by a court in 2016. The appeal court affirmed the ruling in 2017, though in both cases he was granted a bail release to contest the charges.

In his appeal filed to the Supreme Court, Sorayuth argued that he had done “good deeds for society,” but the judges today rejected it on the grounds that prominent individuals in the society must set example by following the laws.

The former journalist shot to national fame in 2005 when he started a daily show Khui Kui Khao (“Talking and Digging Into the News”). In the show, he went over the top news of the day in a more casual, human format that gave his national audience more clarity.

He later left MCOT for Channel 3, where he continued to host news shows in similar format. At its peak, Sorayuth’s popularity was so immense that the phrase “this story is going on Sorayuth’s show,” was frequently used on social media to describe potentially controversial issues.

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Court Acquits Future Forward of Anti-Monarchy Allegation

File photo of party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and sec-gen Piyabutr Saengkanokkul.
File photo of party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and sec-gen Piyabutr Saengkanokkul.

BANGKOK — The court on Tuesday acquitted a key opposition party of allegations that it attempted to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.

In a highly anticipated ruling, the Constitutional Court found the Future Forward Party is not guilty of the charge brought by a lawyer, who argued that the party sought to destroy the monarchy and had ties to the Illuminati cult. However, another pending court case could still see the party disbanded.

After a relatively short verdict reading, the tribunal said there was no sufficient evidence of the alleged crime.

Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit said the party will continue to serve the public by holding the government accountable and pushing for reforms, such as the abolition of military draft.

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Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and sec-gen Piyabutr Saengkanokkul on Jan. 21, 2020.

“The Future Forward Party is moving forward,” Thanathorn said. “We promise to keep up our works in the parliament and scrutinize the government as our electorates have placed their trust on us to do so.” 

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and other party executives did not attend the verdict in person, as they gathered at the party headquarters to watch the live broadcast of the session instead.

“Our journey has just begun,” Thanathorn said. “There’s still a lot to push forward. We will continue to work and fulfill people’s dream to see Thailand forward.”

The complaint was brought forward by lawyer and a former chief advisor to the chief ombudsman Natthaporn Toprayoon, who accused party leaders of having ill intent toward the monarchy since before the party was founded.

He also said that the party’s triangular logo signifies association with the the fictitious New World Order cult, making the party a threat to the monarchy and earning the court case a nickname of “Illuminati Case.”

However, the fate of the Future Forward Party is hanging on yet another court case; the party stands accused of violating election laws by taking a loan from its party leader.

The case was already accepted by the same court and the result could still dissolve the party and force its lawmakers out of Parliament.

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Man Behind ‘Illuminati Complaint’ Against Future Forward Speaks Out

Natthaporn Toprayoon speaks to reporters on Jan. 21, 2020.

BANGKOK — A lawyer responsible for a legal complaint that could result in a dissolution of a key opposition party said Tuesday he had no bias toward the accused.

Natthaporn Toprayoon, a lawyer by trade, said he was merely following his duty to protect the monarchy from the Future Forward Party, whom he accused of republicanism and resemblance to the fictitious Illuminati cult in his complaint. The court is due to rule on the case later today.

“I love the monarchy like I love my parents,” Natthaporn told reporters as he arrived at the Constitutional Court. “If anyone hurt them, I must protect them.”

The lawyer also said he only filed complaints against the Future Forward Party because it’s the only party in the Parliament who has a track record of campaigning against the monarchy. His lawsuit asked the court to dissolve the party on charges of abusing liberty granted under the charter to sabotage the Constitutional Monarchy regime.

His reference to the Illuminati society, which has been debunked by historians as a fabricated conspiracy theory, in the court case gained much attention from the social media, even dwarving Natthaporn’s main allegation of disloyalty to the monarchy.

In his court filing, Natthaporn argued the party clearly had ties to the Illuminati, who purportedly sought to overthrow political institutions worldwide, because the two share similarity in their triangular logos.

Speaking today, Natthaporn said he never meant the two organizations are the same.

“The Illuminati society is not connected to the Future Forward Party,” he said. “But their actions are similar. Their plans and actions are similar … and it’s up to the court to decide on it.”

Related stories:

Future Forward Strikes Back Against Anti-Monarchy Claim

Abandoned by Allies, Future Forward Votes Against Royal Transfer Decree

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World Economic Forum President Praises China’s Poverty Reduction Efforts

Borge Brende, the president of the World Economic Forum (WEF), delivers a speech during the closing plenary session in the Congress Hall at the 49th annual meeting of WEF in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 25, 2019. Image: Xinhua

DAVOS (Xinhua) — China’s progress toward eradicating poverty is unprecedented and its effort to promote multilateralism should be embraced by all members of the global community for the sake of common development, the president of the World Economic Forum (WEF) has said.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the WEF, also known as the Davos Forum, which has brought together politicians, business people and representatives from social and cultural circles to find solutions to the world’s problems.

At the heart of the ongoing WEF gathering are Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

“The goals are very ambitious. The overall aim then is to eradicate all extreme poverty by 2030,” on which China has an impressive record, Borge Brende, an experienced Norwegian politician and diplomat, told Xinhua in an interview.

In decades, “we have seen more people lifted out of extreme poverty in China, maybe 800 million people. We have never seen that number of people lifted out of extreme poverty ever before in the history of mankind,” so this is “a great achievement of China,” Brende said.

Brende said although China has been developing very fast, there are still some poor regions in the country, which makes the country’s economic growth more complex. “So China has to continue to grow … the growth now needs to take more care of clean water, clean air. It also has to create jobs further up in the value chain,” Brende said.

“It will be very interesting to follow China moving forward, how it will continue to prosper its population but balancing it with nature and inclusiveness,” he added.

To ensure the world meets the Sustainable Development Goals, Brende said he agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s remarks in Davos three years ago that in face of common challenges, multilateralism and collaboration are the way to go.

“The prerequisite for economic growth, also strongly underlined by President Xi in Davos in 2017, is that we have to continue to trade with each other,” Brende said, adding that “beggar thy neighbor” doesn’t work.

Brende noted “what works is you should prosper thy neighbor, and this is what we have done through globalization, through trading with each other.”

The multilateral system has to renew itself because the world has changed. This year will be the first year ever where Asia accounts for more than 50 percent of the global GDP, he said.

According to the WEF, in 2020, Asia’s GDP will overtake the GDP of the rest of the world combined. By 2030, the region is expected to contribute roughly 60 percent of global growth.

The way forward for the world should be multilateralism and working together, not the so-called “de-coupling” between China and the United States, he stressed.

“Here we hope for no de-coupling … I hope that China and the U.S. can be inspired by the trade deal that was signed in Washington DC last week, and continue to work together. Competing a bit is fine, but also like in sports, you have to collaborate with those that you are competing with in a nice sports spirit.

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