Voices
“Photovoltaics is critical for the future development of new energy industry. Chinas PV industry has been internationally competitive, but now finds itself in a tough situation brought about by a sluggish international market, insufficient domestic demand and other factors. We must back it up in order to climb out of this dilemma and achieve healthy progress,” said Premier Li Keqiang at a meeting of the State Council.
Li put forward his proposals to rejuvenate Chinas PV industry -- seeking a stronger footing in the international market, and meanwhile galvanizing domestic demands through reforms and technical upgrading and innovation. Several measures should be taken to achieve this objective. They include guiding the industry towards more balanced distribution, ensuring all PV power generation projects have access to the electrical grid, and providing subsidies to PV power pricing. Financial institutions must also be encouraged to extend financial support to PV companies, and bigger and stronger companies must be incited to curb blind expansion of production capacity.
“The liquidity demand from financial institutions is mainly from financing leveraged speculation in real estate and local governments debt. Increasing monetary supply can only boost speculation, rather than helping the real economy. If the central bank submits to short-term stress, it would cause long-term damage to the economy,” said independent economist Xie Guozhong. Xie believes that China is experiencing a bubble in real estate as well as credit. The bubble is so big that doubled demand for monetary supply is needed just to maintain the present situation. Short-term anxiety will ease over time, and the feasible solution is to reduce speculative financial products instead of the central bank injecting liquidity. The central bank should tolerate increases in short-term interest rates to a certain degree, which would force financial institutions, which have profited from the maturity mismatch of their financial products, to balance.
On Chinese Media
China Economic Weekly
Issue No. 24, published on June 24, 2013
PRISM and China
“Big Brother is Watching You,” wrote George Orwell in his best-selling novel 1984. Recent revelations by Edward Snowden show us that a society such as the one Orwell portrayed, in which the government records citizens every conversation and act, is not so far from reality.
The IT specialist and former employee of U.S. defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton told the media in June that the U.S. government had been collecting, storing and analyzing U.S. citizens phone call data and the Internet activity of millions of people from America and beyond.
Described as a focus zone of the NSA radar, China is naked under the overly watchful eye of U.S. intelligence programs such as PRISM.
The nine leading U.S. Internet companies involved in the program, and the eight American telecommunications giants -- Cisco Systems, IBM, Google, Intel, Qualcomm, Apple, Oracle and Microsoft -- dominate global computing. It is deeply concerning that these companies have gained access -- at least in theory -- to Chinese government offices, customs, postal services, transport systems, public health and financial facilities and even police networks. With their close ties to the U.S. government and military, China has ample reason to worry that U.S. intelligence agencies have ready access to Chinese state secrets through the companies hardware, software and networks in China.
PRISM has set off alarm bells in China. The country must strengthen its efforts to innovate in cybersecurity, and establish a state-level information security agency.
Economy and Nation Weekly
Issue No. 12, published on June 24, 2013
Hot Money Puts on“Invisibility Cloak”
In early May the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) issued a notice to banks and government departments on better management of in-bound foreign capital in order to ward off the risks associated with hot money. The notice was in response to a strong pickup in the quantity of Renminbi earmarked for foreign exchange since last December. New inflows amounted to RMB 1.5 trillion in the first four months of the year.
The rate of increase began to wane one month after the release of the SAFE notice. However, it is yet unclear as to what the end result of the notice will be. Will speculative money in China withdraw en masse and create instability? Will it stay and cause a bubble in Chinas capital market? Authorities need to follow the issue carefully: supervision should be stepped up a notch, and restrictions on hot money inflows should remain in place.
Globe
Issue No. 13, published on July 1, 2013
Discrimination and Violence Against Chinese Students
Many Chinese writers of the 1920s and 1930s wrote about the humiliating experiences of Chinese students abroad. Derogatory terms like “Shina pig” have faded into the distant memory, but discrimination against Chinese survives on in some places.
Last June three drunken Frenchmen assaulted six Chinese students in that countrys wine-producing Bordeaux region, yelling racist insults in the process. This blatant xenophobia highlighted the issue in China, and has many overseas students worrying about their security.
Its been over half a century since Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, but the specter of racism is still with us.
Outlook Weekly
Issue No. 25, published on June 24, 2013
Urban Development Calls for Wiser Land Use
One side effect of the Chinese economys growth model over the last few decades has been unscrupulous land use. Today the countrys land resources face depletion.
Nationwide arable land now totters around a new low of 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares), and yet city roads, central plazas and expansive industrial parks still keep popping up around the country at the cost of local farmland.
This is the very definition of unsustainable development. The coming peak in Chinas population, combined with everincreasing urbanization and industrialization, makes it imperative that land be used wisely and efficiently. That China has got to this stage symbolizes that socio-economic development has come a long way. Now the country needs to go about restructuring its economy to save on its precious land resources.
China Newsweek
Issue No. 20, published on June 10, 2013
Your Manners, Scholars
Bickering and acerbic one-upmanship are not rare in Chinas academic circles nowadays, and have overspilled onto the Internet and other public spaces for information exchanges. Discussions about public issues can easily degenerate into finger pointing and stone throwing. In many cases the people involved square up for a fight before they have fully understood the issues concerned. This trend is detrimental to efforts to build a diversified, inclusive society that pays due respect to dissenting opinions. Building such a society is by no means easy: it requires cool heads from academics and a rational, tolerant public.
Renowned historian and linguist Chen Yinke argued decades ago that a scholar must genuinely understand and feel for the people before he or she attempts to convince them of something. Chens insights remain relevant today.
Exchanges
President Xi Jinping Meets with ROK President Park Geun-hye
June 27 saw the meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping with visiting ROK President Park Geun-hye. Xi said that since the two countries established diplomatic relations 21 years ago, their bilateral relationship has achieved historical progress, bringing concrete benefits to the two countries and their peoples and making great contributions to peace and stability in the region and the world. As the two nations share important common interests, China is willing to make a long-term development plan with the ROK and comprehensively promote mutual benefit and cooperation. On the issue of the Korean Peninsula situation, Xi stressed that China is committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula but, having resolved to solve problems through dialogue and negotiations, is against any move that could undermine regional peace and stability. Xi welcomed Parks raising of the “trust-building process” on the peninsula. The two presidents agreed to reinforce communication and cooperation and comprehensively deepen Sino-ROK strategic cooperation partnership. The leaders witnessed the signing of several cooperation documents relating to economy and trade, finance, science and technology, energy-saving and marine science.
Air Show Celebrates Chinas Latest Aerospace Achievements
The 50th Paris Air Show, which opened on June 17 at the Le Bourget Exhibition Center, featured an exhibition in Hall 3 by the China Great Wall Industry Corporation of the latest achievements in Chinas aerospace science and technologies. This year marked the CGWICs 14th participation in the air show. In addition to the mature CZ rocket in active service, exhibits included replicas of the new generation of carriers and probes. They are non-toxic, non-pollutant, and have greater capacity and humanized design, according to Zhou Yuanying, deputy general manager of the CGWIC Launch Service Department. Ms Zhou added that Chinas rocket launching technol- ogy is competitive in the world market, and that the country has achieved considerable developments in new generation technology. Established in 1980, the CGWIC is the sole organization authorized by the Chinese government to provide satellite in-orbit delivery(IOD) services, commercial launch services and aerospace technology cooperation.
Chinese Foreign Minister + 10 ASEAN Ambassadors Visit China-ASEAN Center
Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited with ambassadors from 10 ASEAN countries a photo exhibition on the China-ASEAN relationship at the China-ASEAN Center on June 25. Wang noted in his speech that 2013 is the first year of the new Chinese government and also marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of a strategic partnership between China and the ASEAN. The Chinese government supports ASEANs development and community building and its key role in East Asian cooperation. China also gives top priority to the ASEAN in its neighboring diplomacy. Bent on deepening this strategic partnership, China is committed to friendly negotiation in the appropriate handling of differences with certain ASEAN countries. The ambassadors spoke highly of the fruitful results of the ChinaASEAN strategic partnership, saying they would promote development of bilateral relations, support the China-ASEAN Center, and foster friendly exchanges and cooperation in various fields. The ChinaASEAN Center is an intergovernmental organization whose aim is to promote cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, education and culture. Headquartered in Beijing, it was established in November 2011. Its membership includes China and 10 ASEAN countries.
Shanghai International Film Festival Features Classics
The nine-day 16th Shanghai International Film Festival ended on June 23. Laureates included Russian director Yuri Bykov, who won the Best Film, Best Director and Outstanding Artistic Achievement awards for The Major. Swedish film Reliance, directed by William Olsson, won the Jury Grand Prix and also the best screenplay and best cinematography awards. Chinese actor Nick Cheung received the Golden Goblet for best actor, and ten-year-old Malaysian child star Crystal Lee became the youngest-ever performer to win best actress. The Shanghai International Film Festival aims to provide a platform for international film exchanges and promote diversity in the Chinese film industry. This year it included 1,655 features from 112 countries and regions. More than 300,000 film aficionados went to see the 800 film showings in 26 Shanghai cinemas. The Film Trade Market received 819 organizations and companies, 42 percent of which were from overseas. One item of good news was that the film restoration project launched last year has made great progress. Local cinemas showed a cache of classic films first screened at international film festivals.
Figures
RMB 4.7 Trillion
The State Council recently approved the National Highway Network Plan 2013-2030, a program estimated at RMB 4.7 trillion. It aims to expand the road mileage in China to 401,000 kilometers. All administrative areas of county level and above will be connected by national highways, while prefecture-level cities, medium-sized cities and metropolises with populations above 200,000 will all be connected by the expressways.
1 Meter
Cao Chong, director of the Advisory Center of China Association for Global Navigation Satellite Systems, predicted that the output value of Chinas independently developed navigation satellite system, Beidou, would likely reach RMB 150 billion in 2015. Young Beidou can now provide almost every GPS service as well as short message services. Its 10-meter location-tracking accuracy is well behind the five meters of GPS. But this figure is expected to fall to one meter in key regions by 2020 since the system is still in an early stage of development and affords plenty of room for improvement.
RMB 500 Million
The central government recently allocated RMB 500 million to emergency medical aid for critical patients who cannot afford their medical bills or whose identities have not been confirmed. The measure is a follow-up to a March proposal by the State Council to set up contingency medical aid funds at provincial and municipal levels for people who plunge into such circumstances within China. According to the proposal, the funds originate from both government appropriation and public donations.
< 1 Percent
July 1 marks the first anniversary of enforcement of Chinas first national standard for child car safety restraints. Surveys show that in China, the country which tops the world in baby car seat production, the use of baby safety seats in automobile remains at less than 1 percent among those with junior passengers. This startling figure is partially blamed on the fact that one in every ten Chinese people killed in traffic accidents is a child. The survey found that almost a fourth of parents were not even aware of the concept of child car seats.
Society
Rice Terrace and Tianshan Named World Heritage
UNESCOs World Heritage Committee added Chinas Xinjiang Tianshan and the cultural landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces to the prestigious World Heritage List in June, bringing Chinas total World Heritage Sites to 45, second globally only to Italy.
Xinjiang Tianshan includes unique physical geographic features and visually stunning areas characterized by spectacular snow and glaciercapped peaks, untouched forests and meadows, crystal clear rivers and lakes and brick-red canyons. These landscapes contrast with adjacent vast desert landscapes, creating striking juxtapositions between hot and cold, dry and wet, and desolate and lush.
The rice terraces are found in the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture of southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. “Its terraced landscape exceptionally reflects a singular human relationship with the environment characterized by integrated farming and water-management systems, underpinned by socioeconomic-religious systems which embody the dualistic relationships between people and gods, and between individuals and a community – a system which has persisted for at least a millennium, as evidenced by extensive archival sources,” noted the International Council on Monuments and Sites. China joined the World Heritage Convention in 1985 and began applying for World Heritage recognition a year later.
Young Smokers on the Rise
A study by the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control found that 14 million juvenile and young Chinese, or 11.5 percent of the total demographic, smoke regularly, and as many as 40 million have tried cigarettes at least once. Xu Guihua, vice chairperson of the organization, blames the spread of the dangerous habit across younger groups on the proliferation of advertisements and increasing sponsorship of tobacco companies. Compared with the first four months of 2009, events sponsored by tobacco companies increased from 79 to 149 this year, up 88.6 percent. Moreover, the most remarkable growth was related to charitable projects. The association urged the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which drafted the Charity Law, to add a clause in the statute to block charitable donations from tobacco companies. It also advocates stronger law enforcement and supervision of tobacco advertisements and promotions.
Ten Best Employers
A 2013 poll for selecting Chinas best employers, organized by the human resource consulting firm Aon Hewitt, recognized 10 companies – FedEx, McDonalds, Novartis, Wanhua Chemical Group, Vanke, Starbucks, EMC, Intel, China Telecom Shanghai and Metlife. According to Aon Hewitt Greater China CEO Liu Yuan, extensive data and case studies confirmed that these exceptional employers reported profit growth rates double the national average, and that their employees show stronger allegiance – lower turnover rates and higher rates of internal promotion.
Divorce Rate Jumps
A bulletin from the Ministry of Civil Affairs revealed that last year 3.104 million Chinese couple split legally, raising the divorce rate to 2.3 percent, up 0.2 percent over the previous year. A total of 13.236 million couples tied the knot, lifting the marriage rate 0.1percent higher than 2011. A chart in the bulletin illustrates the steady growth rate of divorce outpacing marriage. Also, more Chinese prefer to wed later in life, with greater numbers marrying after the age of 25, according to statistics recently issued by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Chinese newlyweds between the ages of 20 and 24 still make up the largest proportion, accounting for 35.5 percent of last years total marriage registrations. The figure is decreasing by about 1.1 percentage points annually.
Activity
NCPA Production The Marriage of Figaro
Date: August 15-18
Place: National Center for Performance Art
Price: VIP/RMB 580/500/420/300/180
The Marriage of Figaro, based on the play of the same title by Pierre Beaumarchais, a distinguished playwright of the French enlightenment era, is one of Mozarts most famous operas. The premiere took place on May 1, 1786 in Vienna. Owing to its politically subversive content, Mozart had been forced to revise the play. The Marriage of Figaro is brisk and humorous with a vivid plot. It shaped public events in Beaumarchais native France that culminated in the French Revolution. Many arias are household classics. The NCPA production debuts on August 15, 2013. Director Jose Luis Castro grew up in Siviglia, where the plot unfolds, and has a deep understanding of the local history and culture. He rid the play of all its connotations of power and politics and chose love as the sole theme.
Mamma Mia! Chinese Version
Date: August 2 - 29
Place: Shanghai Culture Square
Price: VIP/RMB 880/680/480/280/180/80
A mother and a daughter living on a Greek island run a taverna. The daughter Sophie is about to marry her fiancé and wants her father to walk her down the aisle, but she doesnt know who he is. After finding her mothers old diary Sophie finds entries describing intimate dates with three men. She covertly sends each old flame an invitation to her wedding in the name of her mother Donna. The arrival of the three men on the island cause dramatic scenarios themed on the three strands of family, friendship and love. Since its debut in 2011, the Broadway level Mamma Mia! Chinese version has performed 292 times in 19 Chinese cities. As the first stop of the third season, Shanghai will see the 300th performance of the Chinese version to audiences that will reach 500,000.
Chinese Entrepreneurs on PR Trip to Europe
A delegation of 40 renowned private entrepreneurs visited Belgium and France at the end of June to foster cooperation and express authentic opinions from within Chinas business circle. During the visit, the delegation met French President Francois Hollande and European Commission President José Manuel Dur?o Barroso, who both stressed that trade friction between Europe and China should be tackled through dialogues. They also expressed support for cooperation and investment between European and Chinese enterprises.
According to Jean-Francois Dufour, head of DCA Chine-Analyse, a French consulting company, Chinese enterprises are seeking technology and market access while Europe, especially the UK, France and Germany, are competing for capital from China, which is truly a complementary situation.
Developing Countries Passing Developed in FDI Inflow
The World Investment Report 2013 released in Geneva by the UNCTAD shows that the global FDI dropped to US $1.35 trillion, 18 percent lower than 2012. However, the inflow of capital to developing countries surpassed that of their developed counterparts for the first time, accounting for 52 percent of global FDI. China is the top FDI destination among developing countries and the worlds third largest source of international investment. UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi remarked that in 2012, the inflow of FDI to developed countries declined 32 percent to US $561 billion, close to where it was 10 years ago. The outflow of FDI from these countries measured at levels close to that of 2009. Meanwhile the flows of FDI to African countries increased five percent to US $50 billion. Lower-income countries in Southeast Asia are also seeing a strong pickup in foreign capital going their way.
HD Photos from Earth Observation Satellite Publicized
China on June 6 publicized the first batch of photos captured by Gaofen-1, its recently launched high-definition Earth observation satellite. Released by the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND), the 13 photos feature images of four cities – Beijing, Shanghai, Yinchuan and Datong.
These images are in line with top international standards in terms of width of observation, said Hu Yafeng, an official with the SASTIND, adding that Gaofen-1 has significantly raised the efficiency of Earth observation compared to other remote-sensing satellites.
Gaofen-1 was launched on April 26 atop a Long March-2D carrier rocket from northwestern Chinas Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, Gaofen-1 is the first of five or six satellites to be launched between 2011 and 2016. Together the satellites will form a high-definition Earth observation system (HDEOS).
Report Reveals Future Trends in Chinas Science& Technology
In late June, the Chinese Academy of Sciences released Vision 2020: The Emerging Trends in Science and Technology and Strategic Options for China, a report composed by 200-plus experts after more than a year of research into trends in the international scientific community and in China. The report predicts 22 major events that may substantially influence world science by 2020, including solving the puzzle of antimatter, revealing the minds circuit diagram and finding evidence of extraterrestrial life. In addition, within five to 10 years, Chinese scientists are likely to gain a grasp on the worlds leading technology for creating synthetic life with stem cell technology. The report also points out sci-tech problems that require more investment in China, such as the causes of dusty haze, quantum information technology, stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.
EU & U.S. Commence Free Trade Negotiations
The EU and U.S. have announced negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP). It would be the worlds largest bilateral trade agreement ever, and is expected to go into effect by the end of 2014. Coming to such an agreement is a painstaking process, with the EU attempting to balance all of its members interests while the U.S. President lobbies Congress and seeks to protect American industries concerned.
Some analysts have pointed out that this endeavor by the EU and the U.S. may overstep the WTO and damage some economic entities. Bai Ming, deputy of the International Market Research Department of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, noted that if the agreement is signed, trade barriers would be lowered between the EU and U.S., but everyone else around the globe would face even higher barriers. Chinese exports may be confronted with dual obstacles in European and American markets.
China Regains Top Spot on Fastest Supercomputer List
A supercomputer developed by Chinese researchers was ranked on June 17 as the worlds fastest computing system, usurping the title from Titan, a supercomputer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, the U.S.
According to TOP 500, a project ranking the 500 most powerful computer systems in the world, Tianhe-2, developed by Chinas National University of Defense Technology, is capable of operating as fast as 33.86 petaflops per second. The Titan of Tennessee manages 17.59 petaflops per second.
Tianhe-2 marks Chinas return to the No. 1 position on the TOP 500. The country previously held top spot when Tianhe-1A snatched the title away from another Tenessee-based supercomputer in November 2010. Tianhe-1A now sits at No. 10 on the list.
TOP 500 editor Horst Simon described Tianhe-2 as “a great accomplishment” for China.
Multinational Companies Vie for Chinas NW Market
The 19th China Lanzhou Investment & Trade Fair, June 19-24, in Gansu Province attracted 19 of the worlds top 500 companies including Microsoft, GE, and Siemens, whose representatives vigoroulsy promoted the enterprises to the local government in hopes of capitalizing on the emerging market in Chinas northwestern region, including Gansu.
Each company had made extensive research of these provinces and had a good understanding of their respective 12th Fiveyear Plans. Their focus has been largely on local resources and feature industries. Many believe that the regions huge labor force can enhance local investment through lower labor costs.
Wang Xiaoping, vice president of AmCham China, remarked that with the influx of foreign investment in the region, northwestern China would become the most contested market in the country.
Manned Sub Jiaolong Starts Trial Mission
Chinas manned submersible Jiaolong left the port of Jiangyin in eastern Chinas Jiangsu Province aboard support ship Xiangyanghong-9 on June 10. During its 103-day mission, the submersible will conduct its first suite of scientific experiments in the South China Sea, the northeastern Pacific Ocean and the western Pacific. For the first time scientists are on board.
During the first period of the mission, Jiaolong will test its positioning system, as well as conduct deep-sea ecological and geological surveys in the South China Sea.
The second phase of the mission will see it carry out a number of tasks, including a biological survey, geological sampling and deep-sea photography in the Pacific Ocean.
During the third period of the mission, Jiaolong will conduct research on cobalt-rich crusts in the northwestern Pacific.
Cool Gadgets
Wall-Mounted Organizer
Arriving home from a busy day at the office, most people empty their pockets before shedding the day clothes and slipping into something a little more comfortable. These days, however, emptying ones pockets isnt so easy. There are keys, sunglasses, wallets, cell phones, USB devices... the list goes on. So what do you do with all that stuff? If you cant afford to hire an Englishman or a monkey, this Butler Organizer may be for you. It can hold all the items listed above and more. Its also got a handy concealable iPhone dock, behind which is a hollowed out space for routing a charger.
Heart-shaped USB Hub
This heart-shaped USB hub features four embedded USB 2.0 ports. It is compatible with both Windows and Mac. Its powered directly from your computer so no AC adaptor is needed. Available in 3 colors – pink, red and gold. Be sure not to leave your heart lying around just anywhere; someone might steal it.
uturistic Ring Clock
Made from stainless steel, this mechanical ring displays the time. Three embedded rings rotate separately, displaying hours, minutes and seconds. Once youve slid the ring on firmly, the current time is shown by a row of illuminated numbers facing upwards. Not only is this little gadget functional, but its also quite stylish. The ring clock makes a great present for fathers, husbands and boyfriends. Guys, take note: if you get this for your girlfriend as an engagement ring, shell probably dump you.