BANGKOK, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) — Thailand will take steps to ensure safety and restore confidence among tourists, officials said on Wednesday, one day after a shooting at a renowned shopping mall in downtown Bangkok that killed two people and injured five others.

The Thai government has attached great importance to this matter and will implement measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said after joining a one-minute silence at the mall and expressing condolences to the deceased.

He added that the government will be working on the implementation of an alert system to notify the public about emergency situations.

In a press conference, Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said that government agencies would work harder to restore confidence among tourists.

The police have encouraged shopping malls and other public places to implement stricter security screening and be constantly prepared by providing training for security personnel, Samran Nualma, Assistant Commissioner-General of the Thai Police, told the news conference.

Investigators initially pressed five charges against the suspected gunman, including premeditated murder, attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, illegally carrying a weapon, and firing shots in a public place, Nakharin Sukhonthawit, commander of Metropolitan Police Division 6, told reporters.

Source(s): Xinhua

RIYADH, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) — The China-Arab States Publishing Cooperation and Exchange Forum was held on Sunday in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.

Under the theme of “Deepening China-Arab Publishing Cooperation and Exchanges, Promoting Mutual Learning between Chinese and Arab Civilizations,” publishers from China and Arab countries reviewed their cooperation in translation, publishing, copyright trade, book fair platforms and online publishing.

The summit also paved the way for a translation project of 100 Chinese and Arab classics, exploring the establishment of a China-Saudi Arabia online publishing exchange mechanism, jointly expanding the platform for international cooperation, and promoting mutual learning between Chinese and Arab civilizations.

The event was attended by a senior official with the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), representatives from the Arab Publishers Association and the Saudi Scientific Research and Knowledge Exchange Center, as well as more than 100 Chinese and Arab publishers, scholars, experts and writers.

Source(s): Xinhua

BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) — China on Tuesday issued a white paper on building a global community of shared future, a grand vision serving as a blueprint for a better world raised by President Xi Jinping in 2013.

By putting forward the creative idea at a pivotal moment in history, President Xi has shown the correct path for the world, building a strong consensus for international cooperation, said Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at a press conference in Beijing on the white paper’s release.

Over the past decade, Xi has systematically expounded on the vision on numerous international occasions, helping the international community deepen the understanding of the vision, Wang added.

The white paper, issued by the State Council Information Office, said the vision of building a global community of shared future rises above the exclusive rules of bloc politics, the notion of “might makes right,” and the “universal values” defined by a handful of Western countries.

It contributes to a more just and equitable international order, the white paper added.

The concept has been written into UN General Assembly resolutions for six consecutive years and incorporated in several multilateral mechanism resolutions and declarations, according to Wang.

He noted that a growing number of countries and their people have realized the importance of the vision for creating a better future for humanity.

So far, China has built communities of shared future with dozens of countries and regions, the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative it proposed have gained support from over 100 countries, and the Global Civilization Initiative has received positive feedback.

China has also proposed solutions to major global challenges in fields such as health, climate change, and cyber security, said Wang.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a vivid example of building a global community of shared future. The China-Laos Railway, for example, added 110,000 jobs in Laos.

China will continue to carry out BRI landmark projects and focus on “small but beautiful” programs to bring benefits to the people of all partner countries, said Cong Liang, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Zhao Fengtao, deputy head of China International Development Cooperation Agency, said China will invest more resources in global development cooperation, to accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and make new contributions to building a global community of shared future.

The white paper said that China has taken concrete actions to promote the building of a global community of shared future.

Officials said China aims to advance its development as part of the development of the global community while bringing the world new opportunities through its new development.

Guo Yezhou, deputy head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said that political parties have an indispensable role to play in the progress of human civilization and the building of a global community of shared future.

Calling strengthening cultural exchanges a crucial pathway towards building such a community, China’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Li Qun said that China has signed cooperation agreements in the fields of culture, cultural heritage, and tourism with 157 countries.

Over the past decade, China has collaborated with countries worldwide to organize more than 500 exhibitions showcasing cultural relics, said Li.

“Building a global community of shared future is the way forward for all the world’s peoples,” the white paper said, adding that, however, it is not a goal to be accomplished overnight and “there will be no plain sailing.”

“To realize this goal, a sense of responsibility and a will to act hold the key,” the white paper said. “Building a global community of shared future depends on the joint actions of all countries.”

Source(s): Xinhua