Xi calls for building more promising home of SCO

China

Xi calls for building more promising home of SCO

2024-07-04 21:56 Last Updated At：07-05 14:57

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for combined efforts to build a more promising home of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), where people can live a peaceful, successful and happy life.

Xi made the call when delivering a speech at the "SCO Plus" meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan.

"No mountains nor oceans can distance people who have shared aspirations. This is the first summit we hold in the form of 'SCO Plus' meeting. With good friends and new partners gathering in the same room to have important discussions, it shows that under the new circumstances of the new era, the vision of our organization is extensively popular and that the organization's member states have friends all over the world. At present, our world, our time, and history are changing in ways like never before. The international landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, and a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is advancing in a great momentum. As human civilization advances in big strides, factors of insecurity, instability, and uncertainty are evidently increasing. To cope with this major transformation, the key is to have the wisdom to make real changes, the way to deal with changes and the courage to pursue changes. We need to solidly cultivate the consciousness that we live in a community with a shared future and always uphold the Shanghai Spirit, stay firmly committed to embarking on the development path that suits our respective national conditions and the regional realities, and jointly build a more promising home of the SCO, so that our people can live a peaceful, successful and happy life," Xi said.

The SCO held its first "Plus" format meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan on Thursday after the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO was concluded.

The "SCO Plus" format included SCO member states, SCO observers and dialogue partner states. Participants also include the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, other heads of international organizations, as well as some guests of Kazakhstan's presidency.

Shanghai FTZ streamlines art imports, expanding access for Chinese consumers

2024-07-07 17:42 Last Updated At：18:07

Global auction houses are increasingly offering more expensive art pieces to Chinese consumers, thanks to the streamlined process facilitated by preferential policies in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.

Previously, bringing art pieces into China involved a complex and lengthy clearance process. However, since the establishment of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone in 2013, this procedure has become significantly faster and more straightforward.

Before 2013, art and cultural objects destined for China had to undergo extensive clearance procedures that could often stretch for months or even years. Now, these formalities are efficiently managed within Shanghai.

"The Shanghai customs bureau allows art pieces to come first and then be declared for clearance. And the local officials also help to shorten the examination period. All these have helped art pieces to come via the Shanghai Free Trade Zone for display and sale in China," said Wang Jiaming, deputy general manager of Shanghai Free Trade Zone International Culture Investment and Development.