The Lion Awakes
News at a Glance
今天的中国新闻
A compilation of Headlines + Brief Summary from Chinese & International Publications relating to China.
Just 5 Minutes each day to be up-to-date on the News of China
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China News Archive
From 2008
China Daily
China pledges new efforts to boost rural development
BEIJING: China will put more investment, subsidies, fiscal and policy supports into vast rural areas this year with aims to better coordinate urban and rural development, the central government said on Sunday.
The government will continue to enhance financial support to agriculture and farmers, improve agricultural subsidy systems and maintain a good order in farm produce market, said the first document of the year issued jointly by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, China's Cabinet.
From the Chinese Governments’ Official Website
China pledges new efforts to boost rural development
China will put more investment, subsidies, fiscal and policy supports into rural areas this year so as to better coordinate urban and rural development, the central government said Sunday in its first policy document of the year.
"Working for coordinated development between urban and rural areas is the fundamental requirement of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way," said the document.
The document, jointly issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, or the Cabinet, promised to improve the livelihood of rural residents, which it said is one of the main tasks in China's efforts to adjust resident income distribution system.
Expanding rural demand should be the key measure in boosting domestic demand, it said, while developing modern agriculture should be considered as a major task in transforming China's economic growth pattern.
It called for more efforts to maintain grain production, increase of farmers' income and good development momentum in rural areas.
'Expanding rural demand should be the key measure in boosting domestic demand'
Kaixin - This has to be the most important step China has taken since it began its rise and rise. It is using its newfound wealth to improve the standard of living for the majority of the population, those who live in the west of China in country areas. While this has been going on for some time the focus has been the major cities and the coastal areas. There have now been seven No1 Documents issued addressing the conerns of rural China. However the first six did not focus the government on the issue.
The 2010 No 1 Document heralds a clear change of emphasis by the government. The wealth that is accumulating along the coast and in the urban areas will now wash out to the west.
This follows the hopes of Mao Zedong who wanted to lift the living standard of all Chinese and the strategy of Deng Xiaoping. Deng saw clearly that China had first to create wealth before it could socialise it. This is certainly a major step in that strategy.
The added benefit to China will be to make a billion or so Chinese richer. With the social programmes of health (a CCTV report noted that 90% of people in the country now have health insurance) and retirement insurance those people will feel confident enough to reduce the amount they save and spend a little more.
The importance for China is a squillion or so consumers of Chinese products. The importance to the world is that they, like the middle class in China now, will be happy to spend their money on products and services made in the 'west' if those products meet their needs. Thus going some way to addressing the trade imbalance. The ball is clearly in the 'west's court on that one.
China urges US to stop arms sales to Taiwan
NICOSIA: Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi expressed his solemn position on the US arms sales to Taiwan here Saturday, urging the US to stop selling weapons to the Chinese province.
Yang, who is paying an official visit to Cyprus, said in disregard of strong opposition and repeated protest from China, the US administration flagrantly announced its plan to sell the weapons to Taiwan worth about 6.4 billion dollars.
Such a move is gravely against the three joint communiques between China and the United States, especially the "August 17" communique, Yang said, adding that it constitutes crude interference in China's internal affairs, and harms China's national security and peaceful reunification efforts.
Wall Street Journal – China RealTime Report
Daniel H. Rosen: Will China’s Booming Imports Ease U.S. Trade Tensions?
The latest data on U.S.-China trade might help temper tensions for a change, rather than aggravating them.
According to U.S. trade figures, U.S. exports to China hit an all-time high of $7.3 billion for the month of November. That helped narrow the U.S. trade deficit with China, even while the overall U.S. trade gap started growing again. From early indications it appears as though December US exports to China will far surpass this new record.
The New York Times
U.S. Deal With Taiwan Has China Retaliating
HONG KONG — The Chinese government announced late Saturday an unusually broad series of retaliatory measures in response to the latest United States arms sales to Taiwan, including sanctions against American companies that supply the weapon systems for the arms sales.
“We regret that the Chinese side has curtailed military-to-military and other exchanges” Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, said, according to Reuters. “We also regret Chinese action against U.S. firms transferring defensive articles to Taiwan.”
Kaixin - Uncle Sam just don't understand why y'all are so upset. We're just out there making a desperately needed buck. Don't you sweat y'hear, we'z just got super friendly intentions towards y'all.
U.S. Starts to Push Back Against China in Growing Rift
WASHINGTON — For the past year, China has struck an increasingly muscular position with the United States, berating American officials for the global economic crisis, stage-managing President Obama’s visit to China last November, refusing to back a tougher climate change agreement in Copenhagen and standing fast against American demands for tough new Security Council sanctions against Iran.
Now, the Obama administration has started to push back. In announcing an arms sales package to Taiwan worth $6 billion on Friday, the United States leveled a direct strike at the heart of the most sensitive diplomatic issue that has existed between the two countries since America affirmed the one-China policy in 1972.
Kaixin - Precisely, this does go to the heart of China - U.S relations. It is a belligerent move by the U.S
China Leading Global Race to Make Clean Energy
China has also leapfrogged the West in the last two years to emerge as the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels. And the country is pushing equally hard to build nuclear reactors and the most efficient types of coal power plants.
These efforts to dominate renewable energy technologies raise the prospect that the West may someday trade its dependence on oil from the Mideast for a reliance on solar panels, wind turbines and other gear manufactured in China.
The Australian
China raises hopes on revaluation
CHINA will look at revaluing its currency when global partners begin to withdraw their stimulus packages, a top Chinese central banker said.
However, Zhu Min, deputy governor of China's central bank, said revaluation would not fix world trade imbalances. He told the World Economic Forum in Davos that China was trying to raise domestic consumption, but warned it would take time to get thrifty Chinese to spend more.
China is cracking down on foreign offices
CHINA is cracking down on international companies' "representative offices" and limiting the number of foreigners to four per office.
This is triggering a rush of companies seeking advice from lawyers and other consultants.
International companies usually set up representative offices when they enter China. They are simpler and cheap, with no need for capital.
The Age
Signs from Shanghai
John Garnaut
JUST as the world is adjusting to a harsher, more assertive and frankly scary China, there are reminders that the country could swing back the other way. President Hu Jintao didn't just surprise Australian diplomats by turning up with four hours' notice to the Australian pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 10 days ago.
Yes, the visit confirmed that last year's diplomatic rancour between China and Australia had been buried and China wants to be friends again.
But close Chinese observers saw something more significant: "It's now safe for Hu Jintao to go to Shanghai."
The Sydney Morning Herald
Staring down the dragon: BHP's battles in China
BHP has stood up to China like no other corporation, but the world's biggest miner is playing a dangerous game, John Garnaut reports from Shanghai.
When BHP Billiton's chief executive, Marius Kloppers, flew to China last week, he was expected to reach out and try to placate officials who are overseeing iron ore negotiations and administering the country's new anti-monopoly laws.
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Reader Comments (2)
Communist government invests in villages because they fear rebellion...this is the real reason for the investment
Thank you for commenting. We naturally think it is more benign than that. There is an unwritten understanding between the Communist Party and the people now. Gone are the days of autocratic rule by Mao. The rule is that the Communist Party delivers a strong, safe and prosperous China and the people are content to leave them to govern.
So, in a sense, they are doing it to preserve their hold on power. However, most Chinese are happy with the arrangement and do not want to change it for now.
The move now is more evenly distribute the economic benefits that have accrued over the last 30 years. That has the added benefit that it gives a basis for strong internal consumption in China. Hence reducing China's reliance on exports.