12th of March 2011 (Weekend Ed)

Saturday

Mar122011

The Lion Awakes

Daily News, Culture & Current Affairs about China

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People's Daily

China may expand two-child policy to urban areas

Based on the research of experts, family planning departments are currently considering lifting restrictions limiting the two-child policy to rural and minority areas, a CPPCC member said on March 6.

Wang Yuqing, CPPCC member and deputy director of the Committee of Population, Resources and Environment said he is personally in favor of the gradual opening of the two-child policy. Currently, in the rural and minority areas of China, if the first child of a family is a girl, the family is allowed to have a second child.

As the aging population problem has become increasingly prominent in China and the demographic dividend has reached a certain stage, this policy should also be gradually opened in urban areas, he said.

Wang revealed that currently, related family planning departments are also considering this problem based on the research of many experts. He personally believes restrictions on the two-child policy will be lifted in urban areas at the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan period.

NPC & CPPCC Sessions

2006 - 2010

China Daily

CPPCC opens in Beijing

The Fourth Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) opened at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing March 3, 2011.

Daybreak reveals huge devastation in tsunami-hit Japan

TOKYO - Japan confronted devastation along its northeastern coast on Saturday, with fires raging and parts of some cities under water after a massive earthquake and tsunami that likely killed at least 1,000 people.

Daybreak was expected to reveal the full extent of the death and damage from Friday's 8.8 magnitude earthquake and the 10-metre high tsunami it sent surging into cities and villages, sweeping away everything in its path.

SLIDESHOW

Chinese rescuers on standby for relief

China is well versed in disaster relief work, particularly with earthquakes. A massive 8-magnitude tremor hit the southwestern province of Sichuan in May 2008, leaving nearly 87,000 dead or missing.

Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday conveyed China's condolences to Japan over the tragedy and expressed willingness to offer help. In a phone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Wen said that on behalf of the Chinese government he extended deep condolences to the Japanese government and people.

China is ready to provide Japan with necessary assistance to deal with the aftermath of this devastating natural disaster, he said.

Currency breakthrough within 5 years

BEIJING - China will achieve a major breakthrough in full convertibility of the yuan over the next five years, Hu Xiaolian, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, said on Friday.

However, no detailed timetable has yet been set.

"Conditions for the yuan's convertibility under the capital account are improving and the fast development of yuan-based cross-border trade settlements will help push the process forward," Hu told a news briefing.

Xia Bin, an adviser to the central bank, recently said that China should aim to achieve full convertibility of the currency by 2020 given the country's rising economic power.

He also urged reform of the country's exchange-rate regime by integration with the floating exchange rates of the international system. Xia said China should aim to make the yuan account for about 3 to 4 percent of the total international reserves by 2020.

China is actively pushing the internationalization of its currency by allowing its companies to make overseas investments in yuan. The central bank is also considering giving foreign companies the green light to make yuan investments in China.

No timetable for yuan's full convertibility

BEIJING - China's currency, or yuan, will see major progress in its full convertibility in the next five years, but no timetable has been set to achieve this goal, said Hu Xiaolian, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, the central bank, on Friday.

Yuan's full convertibility is decided by many conditions. The pilot program of allowing yuan in settling cross-border trade will promote its convertibility under the capital account, Hu told a news conference on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), the nation's top legislature.

Although China has not loosened its control of the capital account, the demand for yuan is on the rise, as the currency is getting more and more popular in the cross-border transactions, Hu noted.

According to the government work report delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at NPC's annual session, China will continue to increase the use of its currency renminbi in cross-border trade and investment this year.

The country will "press ahead with making the RMB convertible under capital accounts" this year, says the report.

The central bank said earlier this month that it will expand the yuan settlement trial program to the entire country this year from the current 20 provincial regions as there is growing market demand for the business.

China to further reform exchange rate, interests rate

BEIJING - An official with China's central bank said Thursday that they would steadily promote exchange rate and interest rate reforms over the coming five years, as they are key to the nation's financial system reform.

Reforming the exchange rate formation mechanism of the Chinese currency renminbi (RMB), or the yuan, will help fight inflation and assets bubbles and is in line with China's long-term and basic interests, said Zhang Xiaohui, director of the Monetary Policy Department of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), in an article posted on the website of the bank.

See Kaixin's - YUAN REVALUATION & INTERNATIONALISATION

February inflation exceeded estimates

BEIJING - China's inflation index exceeded expectations in February because of high food prices. Economists expect it to continue climbing in the coming months.

Expectations for the month ranged from 4.6 percent to 4.8 percent.

The consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, rose 4.9 percent year-on-year in February, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Friday.

See Kaixin's - ECONOMIC CHINA

Banks told to handle mortgage loans 'properly'

BEIJING - The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) on Thursday ordered banks to "properly handle" problems related to housing loans and protect the rights of customers while improving risk management.

"All banks must strictly implement the country's macro control policies over the housing market and local branches should strengthen their inspection of home loans," the CBRC said in a statement on its website.

Steer clear of US debt, expert warns

BEIJING - China, the largest US creditor, should stop buying US Treasuries because the "cost" of lending to a nation that may face a default on its debt is too high, said former Chinese central bank adviser Yu Yongding.

The US may reach its congressionally-mandated debt limit of $14.3 trillion in a few months, which could lead to a default, Yu said on Thursday. If the US were a euro-zone nation, a default or bailout would have happened long ago, said Yu, who is president of the China Society of World Economics and a former adviser to the People's Bank of China.

"China has kept on lending money to the US to keep its export machine going, and to prevent losses" on its holdings of Treasuries, said Yu. "Perhaps it is too late to do anything about the existing stock without causing a serious political and financial backlash. But at least China should stop continuing building up its holdings."

Experts including the current Chinese central bank adviser Li Daokui have urged diversification of the nation's foreign exchange reserves away from US debt after the country's holdings of Treasuries rose to a record $1.175 trillion in October. Pacific Investment Management Co dumped all Treasuries from its $237 billion Total Return Fund, the world's biggest bond fund, last month as the US projected record deficits.

China wants to diversify investments made with its $2.8 trillion of foreign exchange reserves to include equity in the world's largest companies and into non-traditional currencies including the Russian rouble, Indian rupee and Brazilian real, said Li, an academic member of the People's Bank of China's monetary policy board. Diversifying away from dollar assets too quickly may "disturb the market" and make China a "victim", Li said at a briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

Land ministry to control housing land prices

BEIJING - The Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR) released a notice on Thursday urging local authorities to control land auction prices in urban areas.

The notice required local authorities to take steps to enforce urban housing land regulation and control and resolutely guard against land auction prices from hitting new record high.

Further, land authorities on all levels are to guarantee that there would be enough land available for the construction of the 10 million affordable homes that the country aims to build this year.

See Kaixin's - CHINA REAL ESTATE

Prosecutors eye scales of justice

BEIJING - Judicial organs across the country have improved self-supervision and tightened procedural examination to prevent wrongdoing and ensure justice, the country's top prosecutor and judge said on Friday.

Prosecutors in the country last year ended police detention of 525 suspects who were held longer than allowed, said Cao Jianming, chief of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

China's chief justice vows to improve court work

BEIJING- China's chief justice on Friday pledged greater efforts to improve court work this year to ensure effective implementation of the Constitution and laws.

As the socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics has been established and laws are now in place to govern every sector of life, it is more important to guarantee the effective implementation of Constitution and laws, he said.

'Radical remarks no authority': Top political adviser

BEIJING - The Chinese government considers the radical remarks made by netizens to be prods toward the adoption of wise foreign policies, says a top political adviser.

"When learning about people's opinions, we should take a comprehensive view. The radical comments made by some netizens are just part of the whole," Zhao Qizheng, spokesman for the Fourth Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said in an exclusive interview with China Daily on the sidelines of the session.

Health action targets high intake of salt, oil

Guidelines aim to change habits of citizens, raise life expectancy

Beijingers are being urged to halve their daily intake of salt and oil as part of draft guidelines aimed at getting residents to live healthier lifestyles.

Statistics released by the capital's health bureau show the average citizen eats the equivalent of more than 54 grams of oil every day, roughly double the recommended level. Average daily salt consumption is 13.4 grams, compared to a suggested amount of just 6 grams.

Zhu Ling, a resident of Shaoyaoju residential community, plays table tennis at Heping Jie in Chaoyang district

Witness of Tibet Photography Contest and Exhibit

2011 marks the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet, and the magazine China's Tibet and Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Tibet Autonomous Region are jointly holding a "Witness of Tibet, 1950-2010" photography contest. In addition to prizes, all winning works will be exhibited in Beijing and Lhasa in May 2011.

See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET & Jambhala (Photographer)

CCTV

Learn Chinese Online

CCTV Exclusive interview with Laura Cha on financial innovation and oversight VIDEO

In the government work report delivered to this year's session of the National Peoples's Congress, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao talked about the importance of financial innovation. But he also stressed the importance of financial oversight. How to keep that delicate balance?

My colleague Tian Wei asked Laura Cha, Member of the Hong Kong Executive Council, and former Vice Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

CCTV Tian Wei Report: Improving China's legal system VIDEO

In the morning, top legislator Wu Bangguo delivered the work report of the NPC Standing Committee. For more on this, let's talk to Tian Wei.

Q1, Hello, Tian Wei. In your opinion, how can the top legislature supervise the implementation of its future goals?

Q2, In what way can the NPC mobilize resources to improve the legal system?

CCTV Exclusive interview with H.K. Chang on innovation in universities VIDEO

Earlier our reporter Tian Wei spoke to CPPCC member H.K. Chang, who is a former president of Hong Kong City University. He shared his view on encouraging innovation and creativity in Chinese universities.

CCTV Tian Wei reporting: Wealth gap between rich and poor VIDEO

Now let's go back to Tian Wei, who's standing by at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Topic 1: Billionaires at two sessions

Q1, Tian Wei, according to some foreign media reports... there are several billionaire deputies and members attending the two sessions this year... can you tell us more about that?

Topic 2: Wealth gap between rich and poor

Q2, Just how big is the gap between rich and poor in China, and how important an issue has it become for the country's development?

CCTV Tian Wei report: China's ambitions in foreign affairs VIDEO

For more analysis on Monday's NPC session, let's crossover to Tian Wei who's been following today's developments. Good evening, Tian Wei.

Q1: Can you tell us more about China's blueprint for foreign affairs during this 12th Five-Year Plan as outlined by Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi?

Q2: China faces existing diplomatic challenges in dealing with its Asian neighbors. How does the country plan to improve regional relations over the next five years?

CCTV Live cross: Top issues on the group discussion of NPC deputies and CPPCC members VIDEO

For the latest on today's developments at the NPC and CPPCC gatherings, let's crossover to my colleague Tian Wei.

Q1: Earlier today, you attended the group discussion of NPC deputies and CPPCC members. What issues topped the agenda at the talks and did participants reach consensus in the end?

Q2: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold a press conference on Monday. What are some of the announcements expected to be made?

CCTV Tian Wei reporting: How is public opinion reflected in govt's work report? VIDEO

For more on the news briefing for this year's NPC session, we are joined live by our reporter Tian Wei, who is at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Hello, Tian Wei.

Topic 1: Focus of media at press conference

Q1. What was the focus of the media at the press conference?

Topic 2: How is public opinion reflected in govt's work report?

Q2. What have the NPC deputies been doing to make sure public opinion is reflected in the government's work report?

CCTV Village democracy in Jiangmei VIDEO

While Beijing is entering its political season, a small village in southeast China's Fujian Province is also exercising its democratic politics. Two years ago, Miao Yougao was elected the head of the villagers' committee of Jiangmei in Fuding city.

Chair a villagers' representatives meeting is a challenge for Miao Yougao. They always have endless issues to argue.

A motion to raise funds for a village water facility has been passed. But that was the easy part.

Miao Yougao, Jiangmei Village Chief, Funding City, Fujian Province, said, "The villagers live scattered in several places. It's difficult to build a public facility to benefit every family. Being village head is really a tough job."

CCTV

Archive of Stories

Global Times

Learn Chinese Online

The UK taught the world how to produce in the 19th century, the US showed the world how to consume in the 20th century, and China needs to demonstrate how to develop in a sustainable way in the 21st century.

National Peoples Congress

NPC

2011

Information hegemony benefits no one

Cui Yongyuan, a famous CCTV host and a CPPCC member, recently cited the example of an annual phone package costing only $9.9 in Los Angeles to highlight "ridiculously expensive" mobile service charges in China. The example rapidly spread on the Internet. But later on, many netizens pointed out the figure was inaccurate. After verification, Cui apologized and admitted the mistake.

Cui conveyed false information but was corrected in time, showing that the public information system has enhanced its ability for rectification, a mark of progress that should be applauded.

It is quite common in contemporary Chinese society for incorrect information to be used to prove a preconceived opinion. The dizzying speeds at which short Internet messages can spread contribute to this culture of fast-food information.

While we can forgive Cui for this mistake, the public needs to reflect on this "incident."

The world produces vast amounts of information and in turn becomes a captive to it. The more information there is, the more difficult it seems to be for us to understand the world. It is arrogant to attempt to prove a "truth" through one report or hearsay, but the Internet is changing this recklessness into a fashion.

Many people cheat in their work and cut corners in their research, a trend that has spread to the mass media.

China needs to re-establish the scientific spirit of seeking the truth, and society should not put judgement above all else.

Cui made a rash mistake because criticisms of "high mobile phone charges in China" tally with the public interest, allowing the public to easily forgive his dissemination of false information.

If Cui had defended mobile operators, he would have paid a higher price. This difference encourages an unscientific attitude in public opinion. We advocate that the truth should be above all interests and values, and seeking the truth should always top the list of priorities in Chinese society.

Chinese society should encourage the full display of various pieces of information and let them fight to reach a balance. We oppose any one piece of information enjoying privileges. All information should be subject to questioning and examination.

Previously, the authorities attempted to monopolize information, and paid a heavy price through a drop in credibility. Now, some people abuse the right to information on the Internet and suppress differring voices. This kind of "new hegemony" in information will lose the trust of society sooner or later. But before that, the public has to suffer for its bigotry.

Cui quickly apologized after discovering the misuse of information, an act that should be respected. In Chinese society, it is difficult to insist on seeking the truth. No matter how difficult it is, we should march forward.

FM denies tensions at home

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi focused on the future of Beijing's relationships with Tokyo and Washington at a press briefing Monday, and flatly denied that the country was experiencing internal tension.

When asked whether China's domestic situation had been affected by revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa, Yang said he had not noticed any warning signs.

"What I have seen is that the Chinese people had a joyful Spring Festival. Now we are busy working, focusing our attention on pursuing domestic development," the foreign minister said on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC).

He dismissed reports of Chinese police officers harassing foreign journalists, saying China is a country under the rule of law, and that the authorities regulate journalists' behavior in line with this.

Some foreign reports have noted that an Internet campaign in February called for a "Jasmine Revolution" to take place in a number of Chinese cities, but that the move gained little traction.

Global Times reporters saw a crowd of onlookers gathering outside McDonald's in Wangfujing in Beijing on February 20, and police officers were deployed to maintain the peace while a person threw a bunch of jasmine flowers.

Some reports indicated that police had roughed up foreign journalists during Beijing gatherings, but Global Times reporters did not notice any violence during the Wangfujing event.

Stability desire sees off street politics

Maintaining stability has become a hot topic for Chinese society. It is of concern to all Chinese people whether China can maintain its national stability and ensure it remains sustainable at a time when various thoughts and opinions are emerging.

Recently, Chinese authorities have taken measures to stop a very small number of people defending "street politics" in several cities, an action supported by the majority of the public.

On the other hand, in view of its size and speed of evolution, Chinese society has enhanced its tolerance for these few trouble-makers, which is also important for the stability of the country.

"Absolute stability" should not be the target of stability maintenance. "Absolute peace" is as worrying as "chaos" because the former indicates that something is being hidden or suppressed and will one day break forth.

We do not mean to advocate "street politics," but that the prevention and control of "street politics" should become an element of social life outside popular concern.

Enough memory of chaos for China

The Beijing Daily in a commentary Saturday criticized a few people that "used the Internet to incite illegal rallies, trying to stir up chaos and 'street politics.'" The message delivered by the newspaper was clear and meaningful.

...

Unrest is still imprinted deeply into Chinese society. Revolution catalyzed a new China, but society also paid heavy costs for the revolution.

At the moment, China has to solve problems pragmatically, and evolve through gradual reform and growth.

China has been involved in this process for more than three decades. It's impossible for the nation to overhaul it in the name of another revolution.

China is not a social paradise. Wealth distribution and social equality are far from satisfactory. However, China is not a black hole either, as evidenced by its social progress grabbing global attention.

China is in an experimental mode where civil livelihoods can be raised further.

...

Indeed, Chinese people have many complaints. This does not mean they seek social uprising and subversive changes. Most Chinese still desire stability. This will be proven by history.

Dialogue

A 30 Minute Current Affairs Programme on CCTV - 9 (In English) where current issues are discussed by experts from China and Internationally:

Challenges to world's 2nd largest economy

China tackles CPI challenge

China's policies to avoid property bubbles

International News Sources

Learn Chinese Online

The Wall Street Journal

Economists React: Inflation Higher Than Expected

Despite government efforts to rein in inflation, China’s consumer price index in February rose 4.9% from a year earlier for the second straight month–well above the government’s target of 4%–the National Bureau of Statistics said Friday. China’s producer price index, a measure of inflation pressures in the pipeline, rose 7.2% from a year earlier, up from January’s 6.6% rise, while value-added industrial output grew 14.1% and fixed asset investment outside rural areas grew 24.9%. Analysts weigh in:

See Kaixin's - ECONOMIC CHINA

China Emphasizes Rates' Role in Inflation Fight

BEIJING—China's central bank governor emphasized the importance of interest rates in fighting inflation, fueling expectations for further tightening after the government said that consumer prices continued to rise at a rapid pace last month.

China Consumer-Price Index Rises 4.9%

BEIJING—China said inflation remained high last month, fueling further doubt about the government's ability to tackle what officials have called their main economic priority this year.

China Wins WTO Case Against U.S.

BRUSSELS—The World Trade Organization Friday handed an important victory to China, ruling that the U.S. illegally imposed both anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on some Chinese exports in 2007.

The trade body's decision sets a precedent in limiting the ability of China's trading partners to impose punitive duties on its exports.

Chinese Demand Fuels VW, BMW Net

Volkswagen AG and BMW AG reported record 2010 profits and signs of a strong first quarter on the back of surging Chinese auto sales, underscoring the outsized role China is playing in German car makers' bottom lines.

China Offers Japan Support for Quake Relief

China’s government, often at odds with Tokyo, offered support to Japan after Friday’s powerful earthquake, with Premier Wen Jiabao expressing “deep sympathy and solicitude to the Japanese government and the people” and telling his counterpart, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, that China is willing to offer whatever aid is necessary.

Competition for Brides Fuels High China Savings

One prescription for addressing China’s trade imbalance with the U.S. is to persuade the country’s tiger moms to loosen their purse strings.

Shang-Jin Wei, director of the Chazen Institute and a professor at Columbia Business School, said Wednesday that China’s demographic situation — 1.15 pre-marital-age men for every one woman — is the fundamental factor behind the nation’s high savings rate.

Too few brides may be contributing to China’s trade imbalance.

See Kaixin's - Marriage in China - Ancient & Modern

The New York Times

Inflation in China Stays Above Comfort Zone
By DAVID BARBOZA

SHANGHAI — China said Friday that consumer prices rose sharply in February, suggesting that the government may have a difficult time curbing inflation this year.

Carnegie Endowment

Rebalancing Growth in Asia - Economic Dimensions for China

As China becomes an even more important player in the international economy, there is a growing need for Beijing to rebalance its growth strategy, which will also have important implications for its regional neighbors.

Bloomberg Businessweek

China Surprise Trade Gap May Help It Parry U.S. Yuan Criticism

March 11 (Bloomberg) -- China’s efforts to parry U.S. criticism that its currency is undervalued got a boost from a report showing the world’s second-largest economy unexpectedly posted a $7.3 billion trade deficit.

See Kaixin's - YUAN REVALUATION & INTERNATIONALISATION

The Guardian UK

In China, to get rich is not always glorious
Isabel Hilton

China is wealthier – but its people are unhappier. Its new five-year plan will hope to cheer them up

Since Deng Xiaoping announced that "to get rich is glorious", a minority – most of them in the Communist party – have grown very rich indeed. Millions more are better off. However, for the last decade, average household incomes have flatlined as a percentage of GDP and the wealth gap has yawned. Across China, people have rediscovered the well-rehearsed truth that material satisfaction is relative.

The party is worried.

Kaixin OpEd – This article started with a lot of promise.

However, it soon descended into the standard sound bites of the un-informed, which is the hallmark of journalists from the ‘west’ when commenting on China.

The article dangles a few ‘facts’ and makes shallow copy out of them.

Yes, indeed, people in China are questioning the benefits of rapid economic growth.

Yes, indeed, the distribution of that wealth has been uneven.

Around 99% of Chinese are better off, economically, than they were 30 years ago. They are substantially better off, economically, than they were in 1949, particularly if they live in rural China. Rural China is infinitely better off that at any other time in history, economically.

A major problem in the rich, developed ‘west’ is depression and suicide.

So, whence does happiness come?

The Chinese are learning, as the ‘west’ has learned, that it does not come from money.

However, before the concept of happiness can take root, people usually need the economic means to feed, clothe and house themselves.

For many, in rural China particularly, they did not have that basic economic security.

Happiness was something to eat that day.

Kaixin once asked a retired Red Army general who had been on the Great March what had attracted him to Mao.

He just smiled, and replied “food”.

Political awareness and all the rest came later.

He was from a poor rural family and had not even been given a name. If had stayed with the family there was the very real prospect that he would have died as a teenager.

In the first half of the 20th century there were very few oppressed factory workers, but there were millions of rural workers who were oppressed. Mao offered them some hope.

That is why they were prepared to die for Mao and the cause of communism. It gave them hope, but more importantly, it gave hope for their children and future generations.

If they stayed, they possibly died, but nothing would change. If they fought for Mao and communism they possibly died, but if they won then communism promised a far better life. If not for them, then for their children.

Most parents would lay down their life for their children. Soldiers usually fight and are prepared to die for future generations. That is a little fraught and off topic, so please accept the general idea.

Mao won because he was able to show that Communism offered a better life.

This is what inspired the enthusiasm and sacrifices of the 1950’s when the Chinese people worked selflessly for a New China.

Unfortunately, while Mao was the right person to forge a New China, he was the wrong person to lead it.

The ideals and hope of the Chinese people were crushed under the political ambitions of first Mao, then the Gang of Four who highjacked his power in the 1960’s and inflicted the worst excesses of the Cultural Revolution onto China.

Deng Xiaoping took over a dispirited and economically poor China.

As Xiaosui points out, the idealism and spirit that Mao had inspired in 1949, had been squandered in the 1950’s then crushed in the 1960’s.

Yet, there were nearly a billion people in China when Deng Xiaoping took over effective power in 1979. A billion people who could forge a New China if given the right incentive.

Deng Xiaoping used Capitalism to give the people an incentive to once again come together and work for China.

Mao had inspired them with a selfless sense of community, but squandered it.

Deng Xiaoping inspired them with money, a selfish incentive to provide for self first.

The rest is history.

However, money is a shallow philosophy for a great country.

China needs more.

As the Chinese are discovering, all the wealth of China does, indeed, not generate ‘happiness’, however you want to define it.

Indeed, defining happiness is not possible, as it is different for each person.

Before bothering with concepts such as happiness, a country needs a basic level of economic prosperity to provide for its people and take its place in the world.

China has achieved the first stage of that economic prosperity and will continue to build on it through the 21st century.

Now, the media in China often questions the value of money without a strong inner philosophy, happiness if you will …

The people Kaixin speaks to are also thinking about what this newfound prosperity really means to them.

They do not want to go back to the grey days, but the do look forward and want to provide more than just money for their children.

A statue of Confucius has just been erected in Tiananmen Square opposite Mao’s mausoleum. Mao had banished Confucius as representing the Old China.

Yet, Confucius also offers strong guidance in matters of principle.

So perhaps the government in China now trying to build on the money that has been generated in the last thirty years and turn it into true wealth.

Indeed the government in China is openly talking about such issues, including the disparity of wealth, living standards, rural development and the like.

This can either be views cynically, or with acknowledgment that for whatever reason, the government is truly interested in the welfare of its citizens.

Oh, and happiness …

Kaixin believes that happiness can only come from within, it certainly cannot be purchased with money.

To be happy with what you have, now, at this moment, is perhaps the key.

The past we accept and learn from.

The future we plan for and strive to achieve our dreams.

But, we live in the now.

If we cannot be happy in the now, why should the future be any different?

So when looking for happiness, look within, not without.

See Kaixin's - Corruption v 'li shang wang lai' 礼尚往来

Also, from a previous OpEd:

Asia Times Online 21/1/2011

SINOGRAPH
Confucius takes a stand
By Francesco Sisci

Chinese authorities last week placed a statue of Confucius in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, near the portrait of former paramount leader Mao Zedong. The move to give such a public face to the great philosopher is in line with Beijing's decision to cut down on Maoist paraphernalia in the political heart of China. Maoists are up in arms.

See Kaixin's - Confucius, Traditional Chinese Medicine ... best represent Chinese culture

See Kaixin's - Confucius - Video Documentary

See Kaixin's - Mao’s Last Swimmer - Chairman Mao's swim anniversary Nanning China

Kaixin OpEd – Xiaosui recalls the Cultural Revolution (which she lived through) and how Mao wanted to wipe Confucius from Chinese history.

Why?

Mao came from a village in rural China. He had seen how lofty ideas such as Confucianism had not benefited the rural population and peasants of China one jot.

He wanted to leave all that behind and forge a new China.

Yes, his ideals were corrupted by power, but the Cultural Revolution was actually founded on a sound idea, to rid China of the old ways that had contributed to grinding the average rural worker/farmer into the dust.

However, an idea, a philosophy, as strong as Confucianism cannot be wiped from the face of history.

It is re-emerging in China as China is taking its place in the world as a leading power. A place it held for most of recorded history.

The leaders of China know that the Chinese people, in particular the youth, need a powerful philosophy to guide them.

The influences and temptations of China’s re-gained wealth are great, and distracting.

Communism is a strong philosophy, but it is mainly political and economic. Also, China has let it evolve to benefit the needs of China, rather than wear it as a straightjacket.

Confucianism has 1,000’s of years of history in moral guidance.

Communism may provide the physical sustenance to the people of China, however Confucianism will provide the philosophical sustenance.

The Age

Yujiapu - China builds its Wall Street

Yujiapu does not roll off the tongue like Wall Street, but planners in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin hope it soon will.

Round-the-clock construction is transforming muddy ground into what officials boast will be the world's largest financial zone a decade from now, a monument to the ambitions driving China's dizzying economic growth and to the sort of risks leaders in Beijing see piling up alongside the country's new skyscrapers.

Caixin Online

Rebalancing Cannot Wait
By Andy Xie

When a white collar worker who is successful by any standard cannot afford a home after ten years of working, something is very wrong with the market and the economy

Debt will keep consumption weak in the developed economies, and the aftereffects of the Middle Eastern revolutions will keep oil prices very high for the next decade. China's need for rebalancing has been exacerbated by a combination of weak export demand and production costs. Unless the economy becomes less dependent on exports and, by extension, investment, China could face stagflation.

As China Builds Subsidized Flats, Who Pays?

Bankers, local governments and Beijing are locked in credit and cost debates over an enormous housing initiative

Subsidized housing was one of the hottest Internet chat topics during this year's sessions of the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

CNPC Braces for Change in Sudan's Oil Fields

Southern Sudan's impending split from the north is raising questions about CNPC investments in the region

A recent referendum in Southern Sudan laid the foundation for a new nation and officially ended a 50-year civil war. But it also left major oil companies with assets in the region, including China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), in a state of uncertainty.

Asia Times Online

Unstringing China's strategic pearls
By Billy Tea

Oft-repeated thinking that China is trying to build military bases along its crucial sea lines from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean is more a product of speculation than fact. Examine China's involvement in Indian Ocean ports, and the "String of Pearls" theory breaks, while all evidence points to countries making an effort to balance Chinese, Indian and American strategic influences.

Libya puts China in world stage spotlight
By M K Bhadrakumar

Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar was a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service. His assignments included the Soviet Union, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kuwait and Turkey.

The parallel with the Iraq War of Western proposals for intervention in Libya is striking, with the crucial difference that things are in fast-forward mode as Russia and China clear the diplomatic path. Whether this is a one-off or China's defining moment as a United States collaborator in global common interests will come to light if the US presses the United Nations for a no-fly zone in Libya.

... A precedent of immense significance for international security is taking shape, and China has every reason to introspect. As Launcelot Gobbo posed to his blind father, "Do I look like a cudgel or a hovel-post, a staff or a prop? Do you know me, father?"

Fear of death by eating
By Mitch Moxley

Nearly 70% of all Chinese do not believe the food they consume is safe, little surprise given the continual reports of deaths from food poisoning and adulteration despite government efforts to improve matters. Organic farming is a growing trend, but not strong enough yet to persuade the public that farmers have morals.

Kaixin OpEd – Yes, the people Kaixin speak to in China are concerned about the safety of the food they are eating, and the water.

This is putting pressure on government, which in turn is starting to seriously address the issue.

China is a big country with a huge population and a tendency to flexible enforcement of central government initiatives at the lower levels of government, particular in the outer areas.

Also, the farmers have to make a living, so they do whatever they can to maximise their income. The more unscrupulous farmers push the envelope at times.

As the economic benefits of the new China flow out into the rural areas, the incentive for farmers to tamper with the food chain will diminish. As their incomes rise, so will their need/desire to use unsafe farming methods.

Also, the risk/reward will shift, so that the risk of being caught will not outweigh any rewards. Particularly as enforcement is strengthened in regional areas.

It will take time, but it has started and is moving in the right direction.

China Daily - China's imports of NZ milk jump five-fold

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - China's milk imports from New Zealand have surged more than fivefold since 2008 as rising incomes stoked demand, sending prices to a record and bolstering the economy as it recovers from the deadliest earthquake in 80 years.

China, the biggest importer of New Zealand dairy products by value, purchased about 353 million kilograms of the country's milk products in 2010, up from 69 million kilograms in 2008, according to government data supplied by Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd, the world's largest exporter. Fonterra processes 95 percent of the country's milk and earns a fifth of its export revenues, the company said.

The Wall Street Journal

The Commercial that Made Taiwan Cry

It’s the video that brought throngs of Taiwanese viewers to tears in just three minutes. In one month, it’s been viewed more than a million times on YouTube.

The video? A commercial for TC Bank that tells the story of five elderly men, averaging age 83, who decide to go on a 13-day motorcycle ride through Taiwan. The hook? It’s based on a real story.

Kaixin OpEd - Yes, Kaixin also ...

It has a powerful message.

See Kaixin's - CHINA & TAIWAN

See Over for the 11th of March 2011

CULTURAL CHINA

Articles of interest from the week's news

Insights into China's Society & Cutlure

A village's fight for environment

HEFEI - Zhang Gongli was delighted to see blue skies and white clouds again in his hometown, a small village in east China's Anhui province.

He and his village, Qiugang in Bengbu City, became famous because of a 39-minute short documentary named "the Warriors of Qiugang," which was nominated for the 83rd Academy Awards for best Documentary Short Subject in Hollywood.

The film followed villagers like Zhang for three years as they fought pollution from nearby chemical factories.

"I am so happy to see the beautiful sky again as it used to be, " said Zhang, the main character in the film and the leader of more than 1,000 villagers in the battle.

He said he appreciated the film's director because he believed the shooting had helped with their battle.

Zhang Gongli attends a forum on water crisis and public policy in Beijing

See Kaixin's - GREEN CHINA

The vanishing village - VIDEO

Sky high，clouds pale, grass green, children are running happily in the fields. Those are our impressions of the village. However, when you enter the village by yourself, you will find, behind the prosperity, there are hundreds of scars.

A cup of tea is a cup of profit

Xinchang county, in East China's Zhejiang province, has more than 1,500 years of tea making history. In 1998, the county government initiated a unified management, purchasing and processing system. A consolidated brand – Dafo Longjing – was also established under the local government's guidance. The previous separated tea makers were pooled into a single company. Tea making is Xinchang's No 1 agricultural industry at present. A total of 5,510 tons of tea were produced in the county, worth more than 540 million yuan. About 18% of the farmers' income comes from the tea.

A customer observes the color of the water with Longjing tea in it in Xinchang county

See Kaixin's - Chinese green tea -Tie Guan Yin’s story 铁观音

See Kaixin's - The story of the Pu'er Tea 普洱茶 the famous red tea of China.

See Kaixin's - Magic Tibetan Tea - Po Cha 'Tibetan Butter Tea'

“No one named van Gogh in my village”

Chang Xiufeng came to art late in life. After spending 70 years in a small village in the countryside, she moved to Guangzhou in 2003, to live with her son. She began painting after making a pen and ink sketch of her a small village to explain to her granddaughter what one looked like.

After her son posted pictures of some of her work online, she was quickly dubbed the “van Gogh grandmother” by impressed internet users. Chang, however, doesn’t believe that her blog is so widely read. "I think only 40 people maximum read my blog,” she says firmly.

Nevertheless, she was soon invited to hold an exhibition for charity in Hong Kong; more than 100 of her paintings were displayed. Last month, China Citic Press came out with a book of her paintings accompanied by accounts of her daily life written by her son.

Most of her art depicts memories of her old village. "I still vividly remember what my village looks like. I don't need to think about what color should be used," she said.

Sweet home on the plateau

BEIJING - On the window of Phuntsog's house hang photos of smiling faces from across the country.

Although the 63-year-old Tibetan has rarely stepped out of his hometown, he has met people from everywhere in his small home inn in Nyingchi county, in the southeastern part of the Tibet autonomous region.

Nyingchi lies on one of the major routes tourists choose to enter Tibet, especially for hikers, as its lower 3,000-meter elevation serves as a warm-up for visitors to get used to the high altitude on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Phuntsog, 63, stands in front of the inn he runs in his hometown Nyingchi, the Tibet autonomous region, in this file photo. He has earned a good name among backpackers throughout the country because of his hospitality and thoughtfulness toward others.

See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET

Rare Chinese rock art remains obscure

A technical worker arranges pretreated chrysanthemum rocks in Xuan'en county, Hubei province on March 9. The gray rocks, which contain chrysanthemum-shaped crystals inside, are found only in China, but the art is not widely known. The rocks are then carved around the petals. The carvers make a meager profit from their difficult work under rough conditions.

A teacher guides a student to make a paper-cut with figure of Lei Feng, who is honored on March 5 annually, at Bozhou Special Educational School, Central China's An'hui province on March 2. Day of Lei Feng (1940 to 1962) is in honor of the soldier of the People's Liberation Army in China, who is seen as a cultural icon symbolizing unselfishness, modesty, and dedication to the country.

See Kaixin's - The Lei Feng Story - 雷锋 (Léi Fēng) plus English Translation of the Lei Feng Song

Entertainers show some traditional performances for visitors from across the whole country at the famous temple fair in Daokou, Central China's Henan province

A new year begins in Tibet

Song, dance, and fireworks as Tibetans celebrate Losar. Wang Yan reports.

Their homes smelling of fresh paint, Tibetan families dressed in their newest best, welcomed their New Year, or Losar, with food, wine, dancing, singing - and fireworks. The biggest festival of the year for Tibetans, which began on Saturday, will last for about two weeks.

Like most of his fellow Tibetans in Lhasa, Tenzin Dawa and his family are up at the crack of dawn on the first day of the new year.

Mistress event ends in uproar (Can be a very slow download)

AN online event intended to let China's mistresses celebrate their status and air grievances quickly descended into a slanging match yesterday.

Things got off to a bad start when, in her introduction, an invited wife proclaimed her loyalty to her husband.

"They are shameless," said Bai Wanqing, a grassroots lawmaker and TV show mediator, who said she had reported the website to the police.

Kaixin OpEd – A good friend of Kaixin’s who is a very attractive, intelligent lady with a good career is mistress to a senior police officer in China.

So Kaixin expects that is would depend on which police officer you reported the site to.

So, why is our friend a mistress?

Wouldn’t she have preferred to be in the comfort and security of a good marriage?

The answer to the first question is that she also has a son. Women who cannot produce a child are not in high demand in China as wives.

Yes, she would prefer to be in a good marriage, the tricky bit is finding one.

It is all very complicated and it is not so easy to point the finger at any one person or reason.

The circumstances for each person differ.

They range from the husband walking out on a young wife with a baby to young women looking for an easy life. And pinching a rich husband from a middle-age wife is an easy way of achieving that. However, the subsequent marriage is often not what either party had in mind, in Kaixin’s observation.

Mao got rid of polygamous marriages and mistresses. Well, he made it illegal and generally unacceptable, but it was still a perk of the powerful.

In 1979 Deng Xiaoping threw open the universities to anyone who could pass the entrance exam.

People from rural China were encouraged to study hard and change their lives by going to university.

Young people from the city and the country were thrown together for the first time in China. The differences of education overcome by everyone being at the same level, for the first time in China.

Young people being young people and hormones being hormones, many marriages resulted.

However, while the differences in education had been eliminated for these young people, the differences in social background had not.

To understand China, you need to understand the vast gulf between city and country, between the well-educated urban elite and the un-educated village farmers.

When you marry in China, you marry the family, not just the person.

Families from the country were very traditional and a young wife was supposed to know her place.

Try telling that to an urbane young university educated woman in a China that was talking its place in the world.

There was much misunderstanding and many divorces.

This generally left the young woman on her own with a child.

The ex husband and family felt no need to support the wife, so she was left to struggle on.

She had next to no chance of marrying in a China with the new one-child policy.

Many were left with little alternative than to become mistresses.

Many did it to give their child a better life.

So, judging them is perhaps a little harsh.

Many of the men from that generation went on to become quite wealthy in China. This new wealth bought its temptations.

Men being men, the temptation of a bright young thing proved to be too much.

Thus, the second wave of women were left on their own.

The divorce laws had improved, but not that much.

However, the competition for becoming a mistress had become quite fierce. These women were now competing with a wave of young woman from the country who wanted to snare a man with money.

Preferably in marriage, but as a mistress was not such a bad alternative.

Kaixin now talks to men who fell into the honey trap and married a young woman from the country.

They soon found that being middle-aged and married to an ill-educated young person from the country was not all they had imagined.

Many pined for the comfort and security of their established marriage with someone they could talk to.

One friend of ours, rather than break her marriage, told her husband to live with the young thing for a while and see how it all went. It was a brave move and she was devastated, however she did reserve the right to take a young man if she wanted.

Her husband’s eyebrows still haven’t returned to normal.
The husband went off to connubial bliss with his twenty something girlfriend. A few weeks later he returned, apologised and asked to be returned to the fold.

Our friend let him back into the home, but on the condition that this was his one and only chance.

He readily agreed.

In today’s modern China an established perk for the rich is a mistress.

It is a consequence of the profound changes taking place in China and will sort itself out over time.

For the moment, forums mixing the three parties are perhaps best avoided.

CCTV Foreigner views Confucianism’s rise in China VIDEO

For some foreign scholars in China, Confucianism is much more than ancient wisdom, it could even be integrated into the democratic processes.

Daniel Bell is the first foreigner hired since the Cultural Revolution to teach humanities at Tsinghua University, one of the most prestigious places of higher learning in Beijing. In his books, he talks about how western-style liberal democracy is far from perfect.

Prof. Daniel A. Bell, School of Humanities, Tsinghua University, said, “Cause one of the problems with western style democracy is even when it's working well, it does a good job of representing the interests of voters, who are affected by the polices of the government. But nobody represents the interests of non-voters, who are affected as well. And that refers to future generations, or people living outside of the country. Like, think of global warming, whatever China does, or the US does, doesn't just influence voters. It influences non-voters, too.”

Professor Bell says the Confucian way of selecting government officials is based on one's merits and ability to make moral judgments. He says it may pave the way for a political system to shoulder global responsibilities.

SINOGRAPH - 21/1/2011
Confucius takes a stand
By Francesco Sisci

Chinese authorities last week placed a statue of Confucius in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, near the portrait of former paramount leader Mao Zedong. The move to give such a public face to the great philosopher is in line with Beijing's decision to cut down on Maoist paraphernalia in the political heart of China. Maoists are up in arms.

See Kaixin's - Confucius, Traditional Chinese Medicine ... best represent Chinese culture

See Kaixin's - Confucius - Video Documentary

See Kaixin's - Mao’s Last Swimmer - Chairman Mao's swim anniversary Nanning China

See Kaixin's - Lei Feng (Scroll Down to Graeme Ed) ‘Think of other people first, help others who are in need’