Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing is "unprecedentedly open" and that Russia has "great cooperation plans" with China. Speaking at a meeting of a think tank in the Russian city of Sochi, he said: "We are very closely following the CPC congress, which is unprecedentedly open. We see difficulties as well as possibilities." Putin called China a major driver of the global economy. Although China's GDP growth slowed slightly to 6.8 percent in the third quarter of this year, he believes the ongoing structural reform will lead to sustainable growth. "We have great cooperation plans with China in the areas of space, high-tech and energy. These are the basis of the future development of Russia-China relations," Putin said. The Russian president said he and President Xi Jinping call each other friends publicly as "this corresponds to the level of our personal relationship". "On each issue we are always able to find a consensus and come to an agreement, which turns out to be beneficial to both countries. We are moving forward," Putin said. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said this month that the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership has been operating at a high level and is at its best in history. President Xi chose Russia as the destination of his first trip abroad as head of state in March 2013. Over the past five years, Xi and Putin have had more than 20 meetings on various occasions, including four times this year. Their latest meeting was on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in eastern China's Xiamen in September. Bilateral trade between China and Russia in the first seven months of this year was $46.82 billion, up by 25.5 percent year-on-year, according to the Foreign Ministry. XINHUA - CHINA DAILY cheap wristbands ukblack rubber wristbandscustom fidget spinnerssilicone keychainjordan wristband
Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing presents an award to Huang Yanting, one of the most outstanding graduates at Shantou University this year, at the Guangdong-based university's graduation ceremony on Friday. [Photo by CHEN CHENGXIAO/FOR CHINA DAILY] When it comes to speeches during graduation season, few are quite as buzzworthy as the one by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing at Shantou University on Friday. At a commencement ceremony filled with laughs and tears, Li also announced he is stepping down as honorary chairman of the university, which he established 38 years ago, and his son Richard Li Tzar-kai will continue his mission. Li Ka-shing, who will turn 90 in July, recalled at the ceremony where we are now was a swamp 38 years ago. Many mocked me that this was but a fool's dream. I believe then, as I believe now, that only through education can we fulfill the promise we hope for the future. He has attended the university's commencement and delivered a speech for 17 consecutive years. It is also the latest position he has resigned since announcing his retirement from his companies, CK Hutchison and CK Asset, in May. His charity, Li Ka Shing Foundation, has invested almost HK$10 billion ($1.3 billion) in the university in Guangdong, where Li was born before he moved to Hong Kong. At the campus' 60,000-square-meter indoor gym, the billionaire gave a speech entitled Searching for Better to more than 2,600 graduates. The college has 22,000 students and 110,000 alumni. The modern milieu is very different. The world of new challenges calls for the need to find variables with values. The uninitiated like only to bask in the comfort zone, which leads them nowhere. Things won't be disrupted unless you ask how they could be done differently, remarked Li. The entrepreneur, affectionately dubbed superman by Hong Kong residents, advised students to be creative with their talents to make a change in the world, but also stressed a functioning conscience matters as much as having talent. After his speech, students sang the school anthem and many burst into tears. Jiang Hong, president of the university, said Li has been taking care of the school since the very beginning and devoted his deepest love. She also mentioned that a book with Li's remarks will be sent to graduating students as a gift this year.
