2nd of March 2011
The Lion Awakes
Daily News, Culture & Current Affairs about China
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China Daily
Insecurity about social security biggest concern
BEIJING - Social security tops the concerns of Chinese people ahead of the coming annual sessions of the country's top legislature and political advisory body.
Their concerns over social security topped hot topics such as inflation and housing prices, according to a survey conducted by people.com.cn.
A review of the 11th Five-Year Plan
This year marks the beginning of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015). The blueprint is expected to be discussed at the annual session of the National People's Congress on Saturday.
China Daily takes a look back at the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) and how it was implemented.
'Smart' Mars probe will boldly go on trek
Mission plan being drafted as nation sets eyes on 'Red Planet'
BEIJING - China will update and modify its lunar probes to develop a Mars probe, Ye Peijian, chief scientist of deep space exploration at the China Academy of Space Technology, told China Daily.
Modifications, to enable the Mars probe to reach deep space and become "smarter", will be carried out, said Ye, who is in charge of drafting a technical plan for exploration of the "Red Planet", which has yet to get government approval.
China to conduct over 20 space missions in 2011
BEIJING - China plans to carry out more than 20 space missions this year, an acceleration of efforts to improve its space technologies, an expert said Tuesday.
The figure would see a big increase from the 15 space missions China conducted in 2010, Qi Faren, former chief designer for Shenzhou spaceships said.
Majority in survey aspire to be an official
About 66.6% of respondents say they want become an official, in a survey of 5,440, China Youth Daily reported on Tuesday.
The majority (80.2%) were driven by the belief that being an official would bring power and privilege. A post after the survey said civil servants were thought to be the only group who want to be officials, but people from many other fields also share this desire.
Jiang Wei, a high school teacher, said: "Being a leader of course will have more privileges, I just know it. The new dean in our office always orders us to do some trivial things, such as moving boxes and then moving them back. If we complain, someone would get punished, such as being scolded publicly."
Nearly 77.6% of the respondents complained that people with high professional skills don't get the respect or economic reward they deserve.
Chinese illiteracy a subject of world's concern
BEIJING - International concern has grown over the illiteracy and education inequality found in China, said a senior official of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Tuesday.
"Although China has maintained strong progress toward universal adult literacy, its illiterate population is still one of the biggest in the world," Tang Qian, assistant director-general for the education sector under the UNESCO, told China Daily during a forum in Beijing on Tuesday.
Kaixin OpEd – In Kaixin’s opinion illiteracy and democracy do not mix.
It is too early for democracy in China. The over-all standard of education has to be lifted.
This issue is being addressed in China, but it will take time.
In the meanwhile, grass roots democracy is taking place. While not anywhere near perfect (then again, what is??) the average person in China now has much more say in how he or she is governed.
The people’s voice in China has been magnified by Tech-Democracy.
China is not the barren wasteland many people in the ‘west’ still seem to imagine. China is full of people voicing their concerns and letting their opinions be known.
This will grow in the 21st century and join with a rising education standard to give full voice to the Chinese people.
Whether this is translated into a democratic system as recognised by the ‘west’ is another matter entirely, and of no relevance to China.
As Kaixin has often opined, democracy must grow out of the soil of a nation. The label is irrelevant, as long as government hears the people’s voice.
Food safety will occupy higher place on agenda
Beijing - The Chinese government's capacity to secure food safety will be improved by constant efforts to solve problems in the field, especially in supervision, said a key official of the central government.
Zhang Yong, who heads the office of the State Council Food Safety Commission, told Xinhua News Agency that China's food safety situation is generally stable and improving.
China takes over UN Security Council presidency
UNITED NATIONS - China on Tuesday took over the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of March.
UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon (R) meets with Li Baodong, permanent representative of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations, at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States.
Innovative university enrolls first class
BEIJING - The long-awaited South University of Science and Technology of China started its first semester on Tuesday.
The university finished its maiden enrollment period on Monday, after registering 45 Chinese students at its campus in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province.
China's farm produce prices up: report
BEIJING - In the week ending Feb 27, farm produce prices in China rose slightly compared to the previous week, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said in a report released on Tuesday.
The wholesale prices of 18 staple vegetables were up 0.5 percent during the week on average, with prices of cucumbers rising the most, by 8.1 percent.
Pork prices were up 1.3 percent. Prices of mutton went up 0.5 percent. Beef prices rose 0.3 percent.
Prices of rice and flour both rose 0.6 percent, while peanut oil and soybean oil prices were up 0.2 percent.
HSBC plans to expand more in Chinese mainland
BEIJING - HSBC, Europe's biggest lender, is set to continue its expansion on Chinese mainland and will set up 15 new outlets in cities and three rural outlets this year, a senior executive said on Tuesday.
"As the central bank continues to raise interest rates, we expect revenue from the net-interest margin to continue rising as we have already altered our borrowing rates in accordance with the changes," said Peter Wong, chief executive of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp Ltd.
Nursing homes close doors to many
BEIJING - Nearly half of China's nursing homes are refusing to accept elderly people if they have physical or mental impairments, mainly because of severe shortages of nursing staff and healthcare facilities, according to a report released on Tuesday by the country's leading authorities on senior citizens.
CCTV
CCTV Top political advisors arrive in Beijing VIDEO
China's top political advisory session will be opened in Beijing in two days' time. The first group of the nation's top advisors from Jilin province has just arrived in the capital.
6 AM, a train from Jilin province arrived in Beijing's train station.
The train brought with it members who are taking part in this year's plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference or CPPCC.
One member addressed the group of waiting journalists.
CCTV China's ten years in the WTO VIDEO
2011 marks ten years since China joined the World Trade Organisation. To mark the occasion, Chinese officials and business executives gathered at a forum in Beijing. They say the last decade has been a success, but Chinese companies could do more to succeed overseas.
China's international trade has expanded rapidly over the past decade. But an increasing number of trade disputes have posed a challenge to Chinese exporters, seeking to expand overseas.
Long Yongtu, China's former trade representative, labels it protectionism. But he says those issues should ease as economies emerge from the global financial crisis. And that's good news for Chinese companies.
Long Yongtu, China's former trade representative, said, "It's impossible for trade protectionism to cause substantial damage to China's international trade and economic power. China's economic strength relies more on the domestic market. Trade protectionism is basically a political show in response to domestic political pressure. I believe that as the worst of the global economic crisis passes, so will the worst of international trade protectionism."
CCTV Migrant workers choose to work in home towns VIDEO
Now the Spring Festival is over, many migrant workers have returned to the cities where they work. However,a new trend is taking hold, where some are choosing to find employment in their hometowns.
Meet Mr Liu. He used to work in Shenzhen City, in southern China.
After returning home last year, he found a job at a plastic pipe production plant.
Compared to his previous job in the city, Liu says his new job is less demanding, so he has more free time.
Liu Yongjian, Former Migrant Worker, said, "I work eight hours a day, that's much less than I did in Shenzhen. Now, I can earn at least 15-hundred yuan a month."
Despite the 2,000 yuan he used to earn in Shenzhen, Liu couldn't save much money because it was more expensive to live there than in his home town.
While working at the local factory, he has saved more than before, and can even enjoy a delicious lunch, with his employers splitting the bill.
But what really makes Liu happy is that he'll be spared the pain of leaving his loved ones behind, like he had to in the past, as his workplace is now only ten minutes away.
For him, playing with his daughter is no longer a rare occasion.
Kaixin OpEd – This was the foundation for the cheap widgets from China that the 'west' gorged on.
Where were all the human rights protesters from the ‘west’?
I doubt any of them would have stopped to question why the widgets they were buying from WalMart were suddenly so cheap.
Yes, where are the strident voices of those human rights yuppies.
After all, they benefited from the tears of Chinese parents forced to leave their children to make a basic living.
Free this, Free that ….. what about Free you minds!
CCTV Studio interview: China's stance on South Korea and US joint military exercises VIDEO
For more insight on the joint military exercises between South Korea and the US, and Japan and US, we are now joined by our current affairs commentator, Mr Raymond Zhou, from the China Daily.
Q1: Hello, Mr Zhou, we know South Korea and the US have kicked off their annual joint military exercises. On the same day, Japan and the US also started joint military drills. What impact could the exercises have on the stability of the Korean Peninsula?
Q2: As neighbors of both South Korea and Japan, what's China's stance on the joint military drills?
CCTV Live cross: Purpose and impact of Japan- US joint drill VIDEO
For further analysis on the drill between Japan and the US, we turn to professor Takesato Watanabe, from Doshisha University. Hello professor.
Q1. What is the purpose of Japan holding this military drill?
Q2. What impact do you think it will bring to the region?
CCTV Chinese Premier Wen chats online with netizens VIDEO
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has chatted online with netizens, which was jointly hosted by the central government website (www.gov.cn) and Xinhua News Agency website (www.news.cn).
Wen Jiabao said China's development blueprint for the coming five years will emphasize efforts on the improvement of people's livelihoods. Wen told netizens he wouldn't allow consumer prices to surge unchecked in the country, saying maintaining the stability of prices has always been the priority of China's economic development. To reduce the wealth gap, Wen Jiabao told Internet users that the State Council would discuss a plan to raise the threshold of personal income tax.
CCTV Studio interview: From public voices to public policies VIDEO
On Sunday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao took part in an online chat with Chinese netizens. Thousands of questions were asked, expressing interests and concerns over property prices, inflation, the wealth gap and other social issues.
To talk more on Premier Wen Jiabao's online communication with Chinese netizens, our current affairs commentator Raymond Zhou joins us in the studio.
Q1. The online discussion has been a tradition since 2009, with more and more netizens voicing their opinions on public affairs. How helpful is the online discussion in transferring the public's voice into policies and actions?
Q2. The chat's taken place just before the annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Do you think it's possible to have such significant online communications more often and possibly with more officials involved?
Global Times
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.
China's success attributed to socialism model
The country's economic and political achievements since the late 1970s owe to a unique socialism-featured development model, a government think tank said in a report Tuesday.
The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' annual Yellow Paper of World Socialism says China's development path lies in implementing necessary structural reforms and in learning from others' success, while, at the same time, refusing any form of foreign intervention.
"China's success in the past 60 years, especially after the opening-up, has surpassed the achievements of Britain during the Industrial Revolution and the US' progress in the 19th century," the report said, adding that Beijing will not force others to accept the Chinese model.
It said the current global financial depression, ignited by a US credit crisis in 2008, provides opportunities for the development of socialism around the world.
"As long as we stick to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we can avoid catastrophic financial crises and economic downturns and help the world economy as a whole," the report added.
It quoted several foreign experts to support its theory that Western democracy is not ideal for every country. One of them being Joseph Eugene Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize–winning economist and a professor at Columbia University.
"In the developing world, people look at Washington and see a system of government that allowed Wall Street to write self-serving rules that put at risk the entire global economy," Stiglitz wrote in 2009 in an article called "Wall Street's Toxic Message."
"They see continued re-distributions of wealth to the top of the pyramid, transparently at the expense of ordinary citizens. They see, in short, a fundamental problem of political accountability in the US system of democracy," Stiglitz added.
Francis Fukuyama, a professor with the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, told the Financial Times in January that the US system has now become polarized and ideologically rigid.
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's policies to avoid property bubbles
Wider impact of food price hikes
Controversy over fireworks in China
International News Sources
EastSouthWestNorth
Fake Western Media Coverage Of Jasmine Revolution In China
The website anti-CNN came into being because of the western media reporting about the Lhasa riots. Here is a post from the anti-CNN BBS about some western media coverage of the so-called Jasmine Revolution in China. It is actually not difficult to find these fake photos. You being with a suspicious-looking photo (e.g. people marching down on a major thoroughfare when it is known that the Jasmine Revolution demonstrations were sparsely attended gatherings in front of McDonald's or Starbucks), you use a photo-identification site such as TinEye and you've scored again!
Kaixin OpEd - We rest out case!
As we said before, it was only the hamburgers that were revolting.
The Wall Street Journal
China Owns a Lot More U.S. Debt Than Previously Thought
A major upward revision of the U.S. Treasury Department’s assessment of China’s holdings of U.S. securities last year shows the U.S. is far more indebted to the emerging power than originally thought.
Can the Yuan Replace the Dollar?
SHANGHAI—It's practically a given that China will overtake the U.S. as the world's largest economy, probably within the next two decades.
The yuan, however, may never kick the dollar off its pedestal.
China SAFEly Diversifies Reserves
The worst-case scenario of China's abandoning the dollar and leaving the U.S. to its fate has not come to pass. But neither has it been business as usual for those in charge of China's massive foreign-exchange reserves.
Data published by the U.S. Treasury on Monday showed that China bought more U.S. government debt last year than was first revealed. The annual survey of foreign holdings of U.S. securities showed that China's Treasury holdings reached $1.108 trillion at the end of June 2010, $260 billion more than the level suggested by ...
China Vies for its Own Hollywood
The Chinese government recently announced an ambitious plan to more than double the size of its entertainment and other cultural industries in the next five years — see the story here by the WSJ’s Laurie Burkitt – adding more weight to the fight between Hollywood and China for the country’s entertainment dollars.
China Tightens Leash on Journalists
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Tuesday said regulations on foreign reporters' interviews haven't changed, citing a government order that says only that the consent of the subject individual or company is required. But she also said local governments can implement "specific operating details" of the rules to ensure an "unhindered interview environment."
The New York Times
China Issues Warning on Climate and Growth
BEIJING — China’s environment minister on Monday issued an unusually stark warning about the effects of unbridled development on the country’s air, water and soil, saying the nation’s current path could stifle long-term economic growth and feed social instability.
Caixin Online
Restore the Dignity of Farming
It's not a food fad – a look at how the diminished stature of Chinese farmers in the modern body politic debased the country's food system for years to come
Mr. Zhong, a retired professor living in a village in Shunyi some 20 miles north of Beijing, was worried that the bumper crops and rising yields over the previous years had lulled people into believing that food shortages were a thing of the past. He dug a storage cellar in his backyard to stockpile cabbage and potato. While chuckling at his own feelings of anachronism, Mr. Zhong said in an interview that the storage cellar gave him a sense of security. He was one of the "educated youth" sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution. The experience taught him not only farming skills but also the wisdom and goodness from working the land.
National Plan Targeting Heavy Metal Hot Spots
The environment ministry has identified more than 4,400 companies for a battle against heavy metal pollution
(Beijing) – The Chinese government is showing fresh determination to address heavy metal pollution.
Asia Times Online
A Jasmine tea transformation
By David Gosset
The prosperity and prestige China has nurtured since Deng Xiaoping's "reform and opening up" contrasts sharply with the brewing frustration and despair that boiled over in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. After gradual modernization lifted a population larger than the entire Arab world out of poverty, Beijing is more likely to export a Jasmine tea transformation than import Arab-style revolt.
Unrest rattles China's Africa policy
By Kent Ewing
China is cracking down on relatively small protests emulating the "Jasmine" revolutions, but the impact from the unrest could be greater abroad, particularly on China's massive investments in Africa. State-run enterprises have pumped billions into oil and infrastructure projects across the continent, including in Libya and other nations facing chaos, and China's history of commercial aggression may be re-evaluated in the revolutionary dawn.
See Over for the 1st of March 2011
CULTURAL CHINA
Articles of interest from the week's news
Insights into China's Society & Cutlure
Making musical instruments in Suzhou
Suzhou, a city located in the south of Jiangsu province, has a long history of making musical instruments. Its techniques and the local characteristics of the instruments have made them famous at home and abroad. In 2008, the making of musical instruments in Suzhou was selected as one of China’s national intangible cultural heritages.
The manufacture of musical instruments in Suzhou dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), when bronze melting techniques in Wu State progressed. This led to production of bronze musical instruments. In 1964, nine chime-bells were excavated from Chenqiao Western Zhou Tomb in Jiangsu province. They are the earliest musical instruments in Wu discovered so far.
The making of musical instruments in Suzhou combines unique skills of several traditional handicrafts.
Exquisite and lovely painted egg-shells
Painted egg-shell is a folk custom craftwork to paint pictures on the shells of chicken and goose eggs. The pictures look fresh, concise, exquisite and lovely. The eggshells are erected downside, showing stereoscopic feeling on the sides. The painted egg-shells are covered with exquisite glass frames, with unique styles. They are processed in Wenzhou, Lucheng, Rui’an, Pingyang and Cangnan of Zhejiang province, largely for exports.
Whenever they construct a house, the Bai ethnic group living in Heqing county, Yunnan province, would hang a treasure jar on the girder in time of erecting poles and girders. The treasure jar contains “five nuts” (lotus, laurels, pine nuts, melon seeds, and sunflower seeds), “five treasures” (silver, rice, salt, brown sugar and tea), and “five dragon water” (water from five ponds). The jar will also contain a painted goose eggshell, known as “precious gallbladder”.
Making the cut for dragon's day
Hair salons get ready for peak in customers
As the legendary dragon prepares to raise its head, Beijing hair salons are being bombarded with bookings by citizens searching for good luck.
Thousands will hit the barbers' chair next Sunday to celebrate Longtaitou - the second day of the second lunar month - as it is a traditional day for Chinese to get haircuts.
A visitor holds a snowball at the snow-covered Temple of Heaven park in Beijing
See Kaixin's - Contemporary China in Photoghraphs
CCTV Studio interview: Encouraging youth to learn traditional culture VIDEO
For more on the protection of intangible cultural heritage, we are joined by our current affairs commentator, RAYMOND ZHOU in the studio.
Q1: Hello, RAYMOND, it seems that there are less young people wanting to learn traditional cultures, what do you think can be done to reverse this trend?
Q2: A new law comes into effect this June, what do you think is the significance of this?
CCTV Can flower-drum song passed to the next generation? VIDEO
It's not only palace lanterns that are losing their vitality but many other Chinese intangible cultural heritages are as well. Folk arts are silently becoming "old arts".
Lyrics Meaning: A girl is sewing flowers in her room. Suddenly she hears someone playing music outside her door.
The song is precious. The 93 year old man is the only person in China who can sing a complete flower-drum song. Yes, that's what you are hearing.
He's definitely a unique artist of the country. But can he pass his art to the next generation? That's what he's really worried about.
He said, "There's no one left but me. If I die, flower-drum songs will be lost."
CCTV Palace lantern craftsmen in search of successors VIDEO
The protection of intangible cultural heritage faces one common obstacle. That is the lack of successors. The Beijing palace lantern, a typical form of traditional Chinese culture, has enjoyed a sought-after reputation in the world throughout history. But now it is in desperate need of successors.
Palace lanterns can be found in many parts of Beijing, such as theatrical stages, tea houses and traditional taverns. The glamorous lanterns themselves are the stories of their past glories.
The beautiful pieces are made by the Beijing Art Red Lantern Factory. Zhai Yuliang is a third generation craftsman. As the sales manager of this lantern factory, he points out the difficulties this cultural industry faces.
Zhai said, "The staff here are not young. Most of us are more than 50 years old. We are not able to recruit youngsters."
The traditional Chinese palace lantern experienced its hey-day after 1915, when it was given the golden award at the Panama World Exposition. After that it became a major export product.
Xiaolin believes in truth through a lens
Walking through city alleys and field ridges in rural areas carrying his cameras, Xiaolin enjoys his time recording every element in life that most easily ignore.
"Going to different places to experience people's life makes me keep tranquil and rich in mind," Xiaolin says of the reward he gets from photography.
Starting from a love for Chinese painting as a child and as a requirement for his job after graduation as a graphic designer, Xiaolin decided to express the beauty frozen in a single frame through photography starting in 2003.
Xiaolin said he cherishes honesty and truth in every photo and considers it necessary for every photographer who wants his works unique.
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