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CHINA

Hot dogs and beer on Thorning’s trip to China

Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt is in China for a three-day meeting aimed at boosting Danish business in the world's fastest-growing major economy.

PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt arrived in China on Tuesday for a visit designed to "strengthen the political and business relations between China and Denmark and open doors for Danish businesses", according to a press release from the Prime Minister's Office. 

Accompanied by the environment minister, Kirsten Brosbøl, and the climate minister, Rasmus Helveg Petersen, Thorning-Schmidt's first-day activities included an official meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, a visit to Tinamen Square and enjoyment of two of Denmark's prized exports: hot dogs and beer. 

"The Chinese are very interested in everything that we can offer in Denmark. Also hot dogs and beer," the prime minister wrote on Facebook. 

 

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Thorning is also due to meet with Premier Li Keqiang on her trip and will also participate in the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, speak to students at Tianjin University and open an exhibit on Hans Christian Andersen at The Chinese Museum of Women and Children.

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CHINA

China derides Copenhagen democracy meet as ‘political farce’

China on Tuesday blasted a democracy conference in Copenhagen attended by Taiwan's president and a Hong Kong activist alongside Danish government officials this week, qualifying it a "political farce".

China derides Copenhagen democracy meet as 'political farce'
Demonstrators gathered outside the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday. Photo: Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix

The Copenhagen Democracy Summit was held Monday and Tuesday in the Danish capital and organised by the Alliance of Democracies, an organisation targeted by Beijing sanctions in March and founded by former NATO boss Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

In addition to Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and Hong Kong democracy activist Nathan Law, Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod also participated in the forum by video link, which Beijing said violated “the one-China principle.”

“This summit is a political farce,” the Chinese embassy in Denmark wrote in a statement published on Tuesday. “Inviting those who advocate Taiwan and Hong Kong ‘independence’ to the meeting violates the one-China principle and interferes in China’s internal affairs,” it said.

“Some hypocritical western politicians are good at meddling in other countries’ internal affairs and creating divisions and confrontation in the name of ‘democracy’ and ‘freedom’. They are bound to fail,” it added.

At the conference on Monday, Kofod said it was “deplorable” that Beijing had imposed sanctions on 10 European individuals and organisations in response to EU sanctions on Xinjiang officials over their actions against the Uyghur Muslim minority.

Like most countries, Denmark applies the one-China principle — under which Beijing bars other countries from having simultaneous diplomatic relations with Taipei — though it does maintain relations with Taiwan.

Cut off politically from the rest of China since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the territory is self-governing but is not recognised by
the United Nations.

Beijing considers Taiwan a rebel province that will one day return under its control, by force if necessary.

China’s sabre-rattling has increased considerably over the past year, with fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers breaching Taiwan’s air defence zone on a near-daily basis.

“Our government is fully aware of the threats to regional security, and is actively enhancing our national defence capabilities to protect our
democracy,” Tsai told the conference in a video address on Monday. US President Joe Biden is expected to present his China strategy soon, as
calls mount for him to publicly commit to defending Taiwan militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.

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