October 25:
Sudan’s Minister of Industry, Awad Al-Jaz, and executives from Sudan’s sugar, skin, textile and shoes industries are in China to diversify bilateral economic relations. In a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Li Yizhong, to discuss a partnership to improve the quality of Sudan’s products, Al-Jaz called for a close cooperation between Sudan and China’s technological and information industries, state-owned Republic of Sudan Radio reports. In another meeting between Al-Jaz and Zhang Dong, deputy manager of computer manufacturer Inspire, Al-Jaz said the company is considering establishing a computer factory in Sudan to meet the needs of Sudanese and other African consumers, the private Sudanese newspaper Al-Ra'y al-Amm reports.
October 27:
The People’s Liberation Army has conducted its first-ever live military exercises involving air force, artillery and electronic warfare divisions on the Tibetan plateau near the Indian border. The exercises were aimed at testing the effects of cold and oxygen deficits on the physical and mental endurance of soldiers at altitudes over 15,000 feet. The training exercises are part of the PLA’s effort to improve its soldiers combat capabilities amid the peaks of the Tibetan plateau. Infrastructure is also being built throughout Tibet to allow the PLA to move troops and military materials to the Indian border. Xigaze, in south-central Tibet, for instance, is in the process of being linked to Lhasa via a new railroad extension, a highway system, and the new Xigaze Peace Airport, which opens next month, the Press Trust of India reports.
October 29:
There are conflicting reports coming out of Tajikistan regarding whether or not a declaration on construction of a railway from China to Europe via Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran was signed by the transport ministers of the five countries in Dushanbe. Tajik Television First Channel reports that a “meeting of the transport ministers of the five countries was held in a government residence to discuss the construction of a railway route from China to Europe through Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran. They agreed to carry out a feasibility study of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan stretch in the next eight months and discussed how to implement and learn the project's financing in the future.”
By contrast, the Tajik English language Asia-Plus News reports that such a meeting, although expected, did not take place. It reports that only experts from the transport ministries of China, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Iran arrived in Dushanbe, not the ministers themselves, and cites a source at the Iran’s Embassy who said Iran's Minister of Roads and Transport Hamid Behbahani, was expected, but never arrived in Tajikistan.
October 30:
An investment company in Dandong, Liaoning claiming to represent North Korea has told Hong Kong’s Apple Daily that Pyongyang plans to lease two islands to Chinese investors to build tourism, entertainment facilities, golf courses and catering halls. Professor Zhang Liangui from the Central Party School's Institute of International Strategic Studies commented that the primary goal of the plan is to gain foreign currency to save the North Korean domestic economy, not true reform and opening up.
November 2:
During a courtesy call on the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra “to acquaint himself with the operations of the wire service” China’s Ambassador to Ghana, Gong Jianzhong, announced that China is rolling out a training package for Ghanaian journalists. Gong also expressed his appreciation to journalists and media in the West African country for portraying China positively. Nana Apau Duah, General Manager of GNA, expressed his appreciation to China for its assistance and said he hoped it would continue. Boakye-Danquah Boadi, Supervising Chief Editor, pledged the commitment of GNA to report on issues of interest to China, GNA reports.