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CHINA DAILY Thursday, August 22, 2019 | 3Ethics: Standards to ensure
tech develops on right path
Ethical violations in scientific
research exposed by the media in
recent years have sparked calls for
greater regulation of the sector. A
recent case involved He Jiankui, a
Chinese scientist who announced he
had altered the genes of two babies to
make them immune to HIV. Follow-
ing the announcement, hundreds of
Chinese scientists condemned the
experiment and questioned the safe-
ty and effectiveness of the procedure.
In the wake of He’s case, four lead-
ing ethics scholars in China, includ-
ing Zhai, jointly published an article
in the journal Nature in May urging
government authorities to intensify
supervision of scientific research,
including issuing clearer rules and
regulations and handing down
severe punishment, to reduce the
chances of the unethical use of bio-
medical technologies involving gene
editing and stem cells.
Huang Song, vice-president of
the National Institute of Biological
Sciences in Beijing, said establish-
ing the committee could unify ethi-
cal standards in scientific research.
“It is important to specify the
responsibilities of all participants
involved in a project, so all culprits
get their due punishment,” he said.
Zhai said ethical issues in science
and technology were importantFrom page 1 because the development of highly
risky technologies such as brain sci-
ence and artificial intelligence could
affect the future of humanity.
“For example, the latest biological
technologies such as gene editing
can produce cross-generational
effects and unpredictable results for
our offspring,” she said. “We must
be cautious about giving a certain
scientist the right to make such
alterations at will in the name of
curing a serious disease.
“Ethical standards do not impede
the development of science and tech-
nology. Rather, they ensure the devel-
opment is on the right path for the
benefit of humankind.”
Qin Chuan, president of the Chi-
nese Association for Laboratory
Animal Sciences, said improved eth-
ical supervision was necessary to
ensure the welfare of laboratory ani-
mals used in research on new drugs.
“But it is important for the devel-
opment of science and technology
for the public good not to impose
unnecessarily stringent ethical
standards,” she said.
For example, scientists would, in
principle, use lower-level animals
for scientific experiments, but in
some research involving the study of
the brain, mice might not be suita-
ble and higher-level mammals
would been to be used for effective
research, she said.said before Hong Kong’s handover
from the UK — the days when for-
eign countries can order China
what to do are over. “They were
over when Deng said so; they were
over in 1997 and they are certainly
over in 2019,” he said.
Last week, Liu Xiaoming, the
Chinese ambassador to the UK,
said in a news conference in Lon-Outsiders should take fair stance on SAR
By MO JINGXI and
WANG QINGYUN
State Councilor and Foreign
Minister Wang Yi said on Wednes-
day that related parties should
adopt an objective and fair posi-
tion on the situation in Hong
Kong, and understand and sup-
port the special administrative
region government’s efforts to end
violence and chaos.
He made the comment during
the Ninth Trilateral Foreign Minis-
ters’ Meeting of China, the Repub-
lic of Korea and Japan.
In response to inquiries from
ROK Foreign Minister Kang
Kyung-wha and Japanese Foreign
Minister Taro Kono, Wang
explained the current situation in
Hong Kong and said that foreign
forces were playing a hand in the
unrest.
A small number of violent radi-
cals have challenged laws by
storming Hong Kong’s Legislative
Council and injuring police, tram-
pling on the bottom line of morali-
ty by blocking and beating
innocent people and restricting
the personal freedom of reporters
and passengers from the Chinese
mainland, Wang added.
They challenged the “one coun-
try, two systems” policy by swag-
gering through the streets with
foreign national flags and defacing
the Chinese national flag and
emblem, he said.
Wang said any responsible gov-
ernment and society ruled by law
will by no means tolerate such acts
and do nothing, noting that Hong
Kong’s affairs are China’s domestic
affairs and the intervention of for-
eign forces is not allowed.
The central government firmly
supports the SAR government to
administer Hong Kong, the HongKong police in strictly enforcing
law and the SAR judiciary in pun-
ishing violent criminals according
to the law, he said.
China understands that some
countries are concerned about the
safety of their companies and citi-
zens in Hong Kong due to the
extreme, violent behavior by some
radicals, Wang said, adding that
China believes that their legiti-
mate rights and interests will be
protected by the SAR government
in accordance with the law.
In another development, Beijing
confirmed on Wednesday that an
employee of the British Consulate
in Hong Kong was detained for
violating the law.
Police in Shenzhen, Guangdong
province, imposed a 15-day admin-
istrative detention on the employ-
ee for violating China’s Public
Security Administration Punish-
ment Law, Foreign Ministryspokesman Geng Shuang quoted
sources as saying.
Regarding Britain’s concern over
the detention, Geng said the inci-
dent is purely China’s domestic
affairs since the man is not a British
citizen but a Hong Kong resident.
On Wednesday, the All-China
Journalists Association made a
statement on the random block-
ade and malicious obstruction of
Chen Xiaoqian by a small number
of Hong Kong reporters on Tues-
day afternoon. Chen, who works
for Guangdong Radio and Televi-
sion Station, was conducting an
on-site interview at the Hong
Kong Police Headquarters’ news
conference.
The association condemned the
Hong Kong reporters’ interference
in Chen’s professional duties.Contact the writers at
[email protected]Establishing
enterprises to
become easier
New rules cutting down on paperwork,
speeding up registrations to begin Dec 1
By ZHANG YUE
[email protected]China will roll out its reform of
decoupling business licenses from
operating permits on all 523 items
concerning business operations
subject to central government
approval starting Dec 1 in pilot
free trade zones nationwide.
The decision was made on
Wednesday at the State Council’s
executive meeting chaired by Pre-
mier Li Keqiang.
“The reform of decoupling busi-
ness licenses and operating per-
mits is an important step in
transforming government func-
tions and improving the business
environment. This ever-deepening
reform in recent years has played a
crucial role in energizing the mar-
ket, unlocking creativity and tack-
ling the downward economic
pressure in a shifting external
environment,” Li said.
It was announced at the meeting
that the decoupling will reduce
permit requirements and simplify
the review process. New measures
will be introduced under all 523
items that are subject to central
government approval.
Review requirements for 13
items, including record filing for
foreign trade operators, will beabolished. Review requirements of
eight other items, including the
review of customs declaration
enterprises, will be replaced by
record filing.
For the remaining items, servi-
ces will mainly be improved by cut-
ting documentation requirements,
providing faster online processing
and abolishing on-site verification.
“Our market entry threshold is
still quite high. Companies with
business licenses that lack
required permits cannot actually
operate. This is why firms may
already be set up but not yet actu-
ally running,” Li said.
“This round of reform in the
pilot free trade zones is only the
first step. Going forward, we will
pursue the reform at a faster pace
and expand its coverage. The goal
is to level the playing field and cre-
ate a world-class, market-oriented
business environment governed
by a sound legal framework where
all types of market actors are treat-
ed as equals. The delegation of
government powers must help
ensure fairness,” Li added.
It was also decided at the meet-
ing that the implementation of
related administrative regulations
and State Council decisions in the
free trade zones will be temporari-
ly adjusted.Proposed US fighter jet sale to Taiwan criticized
By WANG QINGYUN
[email protected]
China will impose sanctions on
companies involved in the pro-
posed sale by the United States of
advanced F-16 fighter jets to Tai-
wan, the Foreign Ministry said on
Wednesday, after Washington
pushed ahead with the deal against
Beijing’s protestations.
The US State Department
approved the $8 billion sale of F-
fighter jets and related equipment
and support, and the Defense Secu-
rity Cooperation Agency notified
Congress of the possible sale on
Tuesday, the agency said in a state-
ment.
Reiterating China’s firm opposi-
tion in a daily news conference, For-
eign Ministry spokesman Geng
Shuang said China has protested to
the US over the deal. “China will
take all necessary measures to safe-
guard its interests, including impos-
ing sanctions on US companies
participating in this sale,” he said.
The announcement came two
days after Geng said China would
respond according to the develop-
ment of the deal.
US arms sales to Taiwan are a
grave violation of international law,basic norms of international rela-
tions, the one-China principle and
the three China-US joint communi-
ques, Geng said, adding that such
moves represent serious interfer-
ence in China’s domestic affairs
and undermine China’s sovereignty
and security interests.
China is firmly determined to
safeguard its sovereignty, unity and
security, Geng added, calling again
for the US to cancel the plan, stop
selling arms to Taiwan and cut mili-
tary ties with it.
Beijing has been voicing strong
opposition to the sale which comes
27 years after the US last sold F-fighter jets to Taiwan, and said
Washington must accept “all con-
sequences” if it doesn’t drop the
deal.
The Taiwan question is about
China’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity, and involves its core
interests, Geng said.
This is the second time since July
that Beijing has announced plans
to impose sanctions. On July 12 it
said it would resort to sanctions on
US companies involved in a US
planned arms sale to Taiwan worth
about $2.2 billion for missiles,
tanks and other military equip-
ment.Members of the Defend Hong Kong Campaign protest in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, on Wednesday against the Hong Kong Professional
Teachers’ Union call for a student strike. CHINA DAILY
Tourists ride camels near Mingsha Mountain in Dunhuang, Gansu
province, in the Gobi Desert, on Tuesday. YANG YANMIN / CHINA NEWS SERVICENot feeling deserted
Former lawmaker says HK no business of UK
George Galloway, an outspoken
former member of the United King-
dom’s Parliament, said how the
central and Hong Kong govern-
ment officials handle the situation
in the former British colony is none
of the UK’s business.
“Hong Kong is no more Britain’s
business than is the business of Slo-
vakia or Romania. We are just
another foreign country. For the
British state, they have never
accepted in their heart that their
empire has gone and Hong Kong is
(part of ) China,” Galloway said in
an interview with China Daily in
Hong Kong.
“They had to make the diplomat-
ic withdrawal that they did in 1997
because they ran out of the ransom
in New Territories, and they have
tried ever since to keep an as large
(a) foothold on the people, the soci-
ety and the economy in Hong Kong
as they possibly could,” he added.
Galloway drew international
attention for his combative per-
formance when facing a committee
of senior United States politicians
as part of the Senate’s investigation
into the Iraq oil-for-food scandal in
2005.
Galloway recalled what Deng
Xiaoping, the late Chinese leader,
don that no foreign country should
interfere in Hong Kong affairs.
But Tom Tugendhat, chairman of
the Foreign Affairs Committee in
the British House of Commons,
expressed his view that Britain has
a role to play in calming increasing-
ly violent clashes between protest-
ers and police, even suggesting the
UK extend British nationality to
Hong Kong residents.
Galloway said, “This is like
events happening in a part of our
empire even though that empire
has largely long gone and certainly
has gone in China,” and he accused
the British government of practic-
ing double standards.
“Indeed the very same Tom
Tugendhat argued, I heard him, I
saw his lips move, that the internal
affairs of Saudi Arabia are a matter
for Saudi Arabia, but the internal
affairs of China are apparently not
a matter for China,” he added.
In the same news conference, Liu
said Western media outlets are
inescapably responsible for the cur-
rent situation in Hong Kong, as
their selective reporting and distor-
tions have resulted in the preva-
lence of wrong information that
misled the public.
Galloway echoed Liu’s view,adding, “This is part of a spectrum
of attacks which are designed to
slow China’s advance and weaken
China’s internal cohesion with the
view to stopping China becoming
the most important economy and
country in the world.”
On Aug 12, protesters occupied
Hong Kong International Airport
and brought the facility to a stand-
still. The Hong Kong police’s han-
dling of the situation was widely
criticized in the West, but Galloway
argued that it was not honestly
dealt with by Western media.
“What in fact is an example of
light-handed police is portrayed in
the Western media as tyrannical
dictatorial policing. And that’s sim-
ply objectively not true.
“Because by any objective test,
the Hong Kong police have handled
these events with less aggression,
less violence than any police force
anywhere else in the world would
do,” he said. “If this was England,
still more if it was in France, if
Charles de Gaulle Airport was
seized by protesters and had to be
closed ... they would be cleared vio-
lently within the first hours of such
a protest,” he added.CHINA DAILYThis is part of a
spectrum of attacks
which are designed
to slow China’s
advance and weaken
China’s internal
cohesion with the
view to stopping
China becoming the
most important
economy and
country in the world.”
George Galloway, a former
member of the UK Parliament