Kazakh ophthalmologist dedicates 25 years to promoting eye health in China

Saulebek Kabilbekov, a Kazakh ophthalmologist working for 25 years in northeast China's Daqing Eye Hospital, has brought cure and hope to tens of thousands of patients with his superb skills, and has contributed significantly to bilateral friendship.

As one of the 2023 Chinese Government Friendship Award winners, Kabilbekov's bond with China dated back to the 1990s, when he was invited to offer his expertise to the treatment of eye disorders in Daqing, Heilongjiang Province.

"In 1998, I got a call from former hospital director Yu Yaoguang to invite me to work here. I have been working in ophthalmology in China for 25 years. During this period, I have successfully treated over 200,000 patients and performed more than 20,000 surgeries personally," he said.

Kabilbekov said he believes being a doctor is a noble profession that requires dedication and a strong sense of responsibilities.

The group of international experts led by Kabilbekov is also committed to training young doctors and sharing experiences at the hospital.

Kabilbekov said some new technologies introduced by his team have proven effective in optical correction and myopia control.

"The past few years have seen the emergence of many new surgical methods. Surgeries would mean large incisions and sutures in the past. Now thanks to the development of surgical equipment, incisions become very small, and sutures are no longer needed. And the recovery from eye surgery is very fast," said the ophthalmologist.

The hospital also has an ophthalmology museum to popularize eye health education and offers free lectures on eye care to kids.

China-Kazakhstan relations are put under the spotlight as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Astana on Tuesday for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and a state visit to Kazakhstan. In a written statement upon his arrival, Xi said that China and Kazakhstan have established a unique permanent comprehensive strategic partnership.

Having been living in China for over two decades, Kabilbekov is also a witness to the development of bilateral relations.

"There is no doubt that China has developed rapidly in recent years, which has made a positive impact on the global economy and has significantly strengthened the China-Kazakhstan partnership," said the ophthalmologist, adding that he's optimistic about sustained development of China-Kazakhstan friendship and more fruitful bilateral cooperation.

In the signed article published ahead of his state visit to Kazakhstan in September 2022, Xi mentioned the story of Kabilbekov as an example of China-Kazakhstan friendship. Kabilbekov said it gives him great pleasure to be recognized by the Chinese government.

"On top of that, this year I was honored with the 2023 Chinese Government Friendship Award. This is a big deal for me, and I am deeply grateful to the Chinese government for its recognition and support. I plan to continue working as long as my health allows and do my best to make contributions. Winning the award is a privilege but also a responsibility. I will use it to motivate myself and and live up to this honor with practical actions," he said.

Kazakh ophthalmologist dedicates 25 years to promoting eye health in China

The universal "reciprocal tariffs" imposed by the United States signals a decline in the U.S. economic dominance and dollar hegemony, as the country is attempting to extract excessive financial benefits from its trading partners, according to economists, who warn the Trump administration is playing a "dangerous game".

U.S. President Donald Trump last week signed an executive order on the so-called "reciprocal tariffs," imposing a 10-percent "minimum baseline tariff" before unveiling higher rates on certain trading partners. The policy sent shockwaves throughout the global economy and triggered panic on financial markets, with analysts warning of significant risks and dire economic consequences.

In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), Hong Hao, chief economist of the GROW Investment Group, a Shanghai-based hedge fund, said the tariffs reflect Trump's strategy to extract economic benefits from trading partners, particularly viewing China as a significant competitor. "Trump really believes that the trade terms with the trading partners have been unfair to the U.S., and as a result, the U.S. manufacturing sector has been hollowed out. Therefore, the U.S. is paying an excessive price for globalization, and now, it's time to pay back. I think, from this angle, he is trying to extract economic rent from its trading partners, and also he is trying to see China as one of the major U.S. rivals at this juncture. So, I think, as a result, he is playing a very dangerous game. And, as you can see, it's political theater in the sense that he is trying to dramatize the extreme pressure, so that he can get excessive rent from the opponent," he said

Trump's unilateral imposition of tariffs has eroded global confidence in the U.S. and its dollar's status, leading many to state that the American hegemony may not persist, according to Josef Gregory Mahoney, a professor of politics and international relations at East China Normal University.

"The U.S. economy is at an inflection point. There is a moment where the previous strategies being used to sustain American hegemony were no longer working. And, it's only a matter of time before the U.S. position erodes, given the fact that it's been a house of cards built on the dollar supremacy. And a lot of people don't see that as having a brighter future. This has moved past the theater stage and has moved really directly into one in which no one really has confidence in the U.S. anymore. No one has confidence in the dollar. No one has confidence in the U.S. being committed to the multilateral system, to global trade and so forth and so on," he said.

Trump playing "dangerous game" as tariff measures signal decline in U.S. dollar hegemony: economists