China, EU reiterate willingness to solve EV dispute through dialog

China and the European Union (EU) have reiterated willingness to solve through dialog the dispute over the EU's anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles.

The two sides have decided to continue to make price commitment as the solution to the case, according to a statement released by China's Ministry of Commerce, after video talks on Friday between Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

There are strong calls and high expectations from various sectors in China and Europe for the proper handling of the case, said Wang.

Since Sept. 20, China and the EU have been holding intensive negotiations regarding the price commitment, with some positive progress made in certain aspects, but big differences still exist on issues of core concern to the business communities in China and Europe, the minister said.

Wang noted that China will unswervingly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises. He also expressed the hope that both sides will continue to advance negotiations based on the previous stage of consultations and achieve substantive breakthroughs as soon as possible.

In the next stage of price commitment negotiations, consultations should be conducted based on mutual consideration of core concerns, and in accordance with the principles of pragmatism and balance, said Wang, adding that both the effectiveness of the agreement and the core interests of enterprises should be taken into account.

A bilateral communication mechanism should be established for the implementation and supervision of price commitment on the basis of mutual trust, he said.

The European side has put forward specific suggestions regarding the price commitment plan and proposed that technical teams from both sides engage in video consultations on this matter.

The Chinese side agreed to immediately start the next stage of negotiations and welcomed the European technical team to travel to China as soon as possible.

The two sides also exchanged views on the trade remedy investigations initiated by China against certain EU goods, such as brandy, pork and dairy products.

The Chinese side emphasized that these investigations were initiated at the request of domestic industries, in full compliance with the rules of the World Trade Organization, as well as Chinese laws and regulations.

China will continue to conduct the investigations in accordance with the law and regulations, and fully safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all parties involved, according to the ministry.

China, EU reiterate willingness to solve EV dispute through dialog

An excerpt of a China Media Group (CMG) documentary tells how three copper coins from the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong have become a powerful witness to the Red Army observing in a strict code of discipline and cherishing people.

Ninety years ago, the Red Army troops set out from Yudu in east China's Jiangxi Province to begin the epic Long March. They passed through 14 provinces and regions across the country over the years.

The Central Red Army spent their first Spring Festival during the Long March in Shixiangzi Yi ethnic town, Xuyong County of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Before the troops left the town after a short period of stay in the houses of local residents, Xiao Youen, a house owner, received three copper coins from an officer, who persisted in doing so for bothering him.

It was only after the War of Liberation that Xiao learned the officer was Chairman Mao Zedong, and the three copper coins were not found by Xiao's descendants until 2014.

"The three copper coins were hidden in the wall in fear of robbery by thieves. Then no one knew who exactly left the coins. After liberation, every household hung Chairman Mao's picture, and it was known that the three copper coins were left by the chairman," said Xiao Weiqin, a descendant.

From October 1934 to October 1936, the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army troops left their bases and marched through raging rivers, frigid mountains and arid grassland to break the siege of the Kuomintang forces and continued to fight the Japanese invaders.

The ten-episode documentary scheduled to be aired on the CMG military channel from Oct. 17 to 26 is in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the starting of the Chinese Red Army's Long March.

The CMG documentary follows the route of the Long March, with the crew dedicating three months to revisiting the 14 provinces and regions.

With aerial photography as a key component of the production, this is the first time that a drone has been used to record the entire journey.

Local resident retails story of three copper coins from late Chinese leader Mao Zedong: documentary