The military chiefs from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) started arriving in Manila Sunday to attend conferences to strengthen cooperation among ASEAN militaries in addressing common security challenges facing the region. Col. Edgard Arevalo, chief of the public affairs office of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said in a statement that the military chiefs from the 10 ASEAN nations will attend the ASEAN Chief of Defense Forces Informal Meeting (ACDFIM) and related meetings that will run from May 15 to May 19. He said regional issues such as maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, counter-terrorism, infectious disease management and peacekeeping will stay high in the agenda of the meeting. He said Gen. Eduardo Ano, the AFP chief of staff, will chair the five-day meetings. The ACDFIM is an informal networking and confidence building platform among ASEAN chiefs of defense forces. It has since developed into an important avenue for ASEAN militaries to build capacity and strengthen practical cooperation. Before the ACDFIM, he said, ASEAN senior operations and intelligence officers will convene for this year's ASEAN Military Operations Informal Meeting (AMOIM) and ASEAN Military Intelligence Informal Meeting (AMIIM). He said the meetings "encourage common perspectives and understanding for promoting and fostering strong relationships and security cooperation in the region." The Philippines is the chairman of ASEAN this year. The bloc groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. tyvek wristbands londonsilicone fidget spinnerprinted braceletssilicone keychaincustom livestrong braceletscustom wrist sweatbands
Other members of the new Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee applaud General Secretary Xi Jinping as he prepares to address reporters at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday. WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY The Communist Party of China's newly elected top leadership pledged to resolutely maintain General Secretary Xi Jinping's position as the core of the whole Party, according to a statement released after the new Political Bureau's first meeting on Friday. The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee should play a leading role in strictly abiding by the Party's Constitution and the rules of the Party's political activities, comprehensively implement the requirements of strengthening the unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee made during the Party's 19th National Congress, and fulfill their duties under the unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi as the core, said the statement. The 25-member Political Bureau was elected on Wednesday at the First Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. Xi was re-elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee during the session. During the meeting on Friday, the Political Bureau members reviewed two documents. One was about strengthening the Party's unified leadership, while the other was about revisions to details of rules on implementing the Party's eight-point frugality code. According to the statement on Friday, the members of the Political Bureau should proactively report major issues to the CPC Central Committee for further deliberation; prudently carry forward the decisions of the CPC Central Committee and report major progress on the implementation in a timely way; recommend officials to the CPC Central Committee in a responsible manner; submit written reports about their work to the CPC Central Committee every year; and fight against words and activities that violate the Party's Constitution, break the Party's discipline or undermine the unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee. The Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Party organizations of the National People's Congress, the State Council and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the Party organizations of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate must report their work to the Political Bureau and the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, the statement said. The statement pointed out that the Party's 19th National Congress made new arrangements for keeping strict discipline, and the eight-point code made five years ago must strictly be followed to ensure that the Party has close links with the people. The revised details of the rules of the eight-point code have been made under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, with concrete regulations on such issues as the shortening of meetings, streamlining of documents and boosting of frugality. Members of the Political Bureau should act as role models on following the rules, said the statement. It will be the top political task for the whole Party and nation to study, publicize and implement the spirit of the Party's 19th National Congress. The study and publicity should focus on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and on the fact that Xi is a Party leader who is supported by the whole Party, loved by the people, and deserves all respect, said the statement.
