China is succeeding in innovation and new technologies, maintaining strong economic development despite facing headwinds, said renowned U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Sachs, a professor and the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, rejected the "China collapse theory" propped up by some Western critics, pointing in particular to China's advancements in future-oriented technologies.
"My take is very different and that is that China is extremely successful at innovation and increasingly in fact dominating the new technologies, especially zero carbon energy systems, whether it's renewables or fourth generation nuclear, fast rail," he said.
Sachs stressed that China’s growth continues despite clear external efforts aimed at stalling the country's development.
"We should really emphasize a basic point that the United States is trying actually to stall the Chinese economy. In other words, China is facing headwinds, not mainly internally, but deliberate attempts by the United States to slow or stop China's growth. Of course, the most notable of these measures is the tariff increases and also the bans on exports of technology, notably advanced microchips to China. But these are overtly so-called containment policies. They're internationally illegal as far as I'm concerned. They violate WTO codes and they are designed to stifle China's growth. Nonetheless, China is growing," he said.
This growth, he added, is built on the firm foundations of the Chinese economy.
"The most fundamental picture of an economy is, is it is innovating? Are young people learning well? Are new technologies emerging? And is there a high saving rate? China checks all those boxes. In other words, the fundamentals are strong, the education system is strong, the saving rate is high, innovation is rapid, and China is the low-cost producer of high quality advanced technologies in many, many crucial areas. So this is not a weak economy, this is a strong economy," he said.
China "extremely successful" at innovation, showcasing robust economy: US scholar
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
