Chinese envoy calls for concerted efforts to crack down gang violence in Haiti

A Chinese envoy on Monday called on all countries to work together to crack down on gang violence in Haiti at the source, noting a substantial flow of weapons to the Caribbean country from the U.S.

The United Nations Security Council held a meeting on Monday to discuss the situation in Haiti. Maria Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Haiti, said in a briefing that the situation in Haiti continues to deteriorate, forcing the United Nations and other international organizations and embassies of various countries to adjust their deployment in the country.

Catherine Russell, executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund, said that two-thirds of children in Haiti need humanitarian assistance. The insecurity in Port-au-Prince has made it impossible to transport nutritional supplies and cholera and malnutrition will continue to affect Haitian children.

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, stressed that to stop the crisis in Haiti from further deterioration, the international community needs to translate the existing consensus into practical actions.

Geng said that China supports the United Nations and regional partners in increasing support for Haiti in the humanitarian and development fields, and encourages various agencies and departments to strengthen coordination and form synergy to increase assistance to the Haitian people, especially vulnerable groups such as women and children. At the same time, the Chinese side calls for multiple measures to be taken to crack down on gangs at the source, he said.

"According to reports from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and media reports, a large number of weapons and ammunition are still flowing into Haiti unimpeded. The United States is one of the main sources. It is a common call from all parties for the Security Council to strengthen sanctions, especially to ensure the implementation of the arms embargo on Haiti. It is also a basic step in curbing gang violence in Haiti," said Geng.

Chinese envoy calls for concerted efforts to crack down gang violence in Haiti

Chinese envoy calls for concerted efforts to crack down gang violence in Haiti

Customers in Shanghai are flooding back to brick and mortar stores to upgrade their home appliances thanks to advances in energy efficiency and the availability of subsidies offered by local government, home appliance brands and retailers.

A store in Shanghai's downtown Changning District has welcomed an average of 2,800 customers on a daily basis in recent days.

Labels on some home appliances show that customers have access to a 10 percent subsidy as long as the products they buy are energy efficient.

"With this 10-percent subsidy, I decided to make offline purchase at this store. It's cheaper after all," said one customer.

This 10 percent subsidy is offered by the Shanghai government to boost consumption.

Retailers are also offering subsidies, further driving up consumption.

"If a customer is buying a product with grade one energy label, while at the same time has an old machine for replacement, the customer can enjoy a 10 percent subsidy from the government. And our platform and the manufacturer together offer a 10 percent subsidy for trade-in goods. And we are also offering an additional seven to eight percent subsidy for sets, and a five percent subsidy for single items. So the customer can generally get a 35 to 40 percent subsidy," said Yang Xu, procurement and sales manager with a Shanghai branch of China's e-commerce giant JD.com.

Noticeably, people are willing to buy more products, especially more high-end models.

"Things are now cheaper. So I have money left for high-end products. I've spent 20,000 yuan (about 2,764 U.S. dollars) here. In the past, I would not choose a refrigerator of more than 13,000 yuan (about 1796 U.S. dollars). I would only buy one with half its price. And I was not planning to buy a TV. But now, I've decided to buy one," said one customer.

Boosting consumption is just one upside of such trade-in programs. Replacing old machines with more energy efficient models also aligns with the country's carbon reduction goals.

China has pledged to achieve peak carbon emissions by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2060.

Home appliances trade-in programs boost consumption, protect environment