3rd of August 2011

Wednesday

Aug032011

The Lion Awakes

Daily News, Culture & Current Affairs about China

Graeme has been using ChinesePod since 2007

"I highly recommend ChinesePod, I haven't found any Online teaching programmes that come close."

People's Daily

People’s Daily: Focus on growth; follow 'China Road'

As President Hu Jintao’s keynote speech celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is being widely studied among Chinese people, the People’s Daily has written a series of front-page commentaries which provides important guidelines for the public reading and assimilation.

Chinese political analysts have looked into the commentaries, and summarized five key lines of policy that should reflect the mainstream thoughts of China’s leadership.

The foremost idea among the People’s Daily commentaries is: China must concentrate on economic development to provide all possible solutions to the problems the country is facing. Though China has attained a lot already, but the ruling Party and the people must not feel complacent. The Party should unswervingly follow the policy of achieving economic prosperity for the vast majority of the people, through vigorously and scientifically growing economy.

Secondly, the CPC must keep learning to be an advanced governing party, which knows to the heart the global trends, particularly the place where China stands among nations, and tries its utmost to be clean, efficient and competitive. It must always be responsive to the people, and win their trust by delivering what the people aspire.

Thirdly, the Party leaders and the Chinese people should keep modest and humble, not content with the huge economic gains China has realized in the past 30 years since late leader Deng Xiaoping initiated the epoch-making reform and opening. There remains a huge distance before China reaches the top of the mountain.

Fourthly, China should stick to Deng’s policy of reform and building a modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics – the so-called “China Road”.

The last policy guideline is that the ruling CPC and the country must cater to young people, as they will hold the flag of China’s hope and future. The youth are asked to learn the knowledge, sharpen their capability, and willing to contribute their efforts to China’s continuous modernization and strengthening.

Why does speculation grow in South China Sea

The convergence a number of factors — the U.S. strategic shift and its interference in Asia as well as China's rapid development and the conflicting interests of some countries — is complicating the issue of the South China Sea

Three key pieces of background information can help us better observe the issue. First, there are economic factors. Soaring oil prices, the advancement of techniques to explore marine petroleum and the demand for energy-producing resources in South China Sea are becoming more and more prominent.

China tones down family planning enforcement

Driving through China's countryside a decade ago, it was not uncommon to see harsh-sounding family planning slogans painted on the sides of buildings.

Frightening phrases like "one more baby means one more tomb" and "first baby delivered, litigation imposed after the second, and the third and fourth killed!" were used to deter parents from having additional children after the adoption of China's one-child policy.

However, these slogans are about to go the way of the buffalo, as the government is working to replace the phrases with kinder, gentler suggestions.

Former inmate reveals existence of 'black jail'

"Black jails" run by security companies to intercept or confine "deviant petitioners" have not yet been swept out of the capital, according to Beijing police who said they recently dismantled one such jail in Changping district.

Wang Wenjie, a publicity official with the municipal public security bureau, told China Daily on Tuesday that police in Changping caught several suspects who were running the illegal detention house after a released petitioner gave them information.

U.S. a 'parasite' on global finance: Putin

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States on Monday of living beyond its means “like a parasite” on the global economy and said US dollar dominance was a threat to global finance.

“They are living beyond their means and shifting a part of the weight of their problems to the world economy,” Putin told the pro-Kremlin youth group Nashi while touring the lakeside summer camp about five hours drive north of Moscow.

“They are living like parasites off the global economy and their monopoly of the dollar,” Putin said at the open-air meeting with admiring young Russians in what looked like early campaigning before parliamentary and presidential polls.

Power runs short in South China

The Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is seeing its most serious electricity shortage in the past two decades, leaving nearly 30 percent of the region's demand for electricity unmet, local power authorities say.

See Kaixin's - Green China

China Mobile cuts international roaming fees

China Mobile Ltd cut international roaming fees charged for 38 countries and regions by as much as 80 percent on Monday in the hope of maintaining high-end users' loyalty amid the increasingly intense domestic competition.

Overseas market needs five million Chinese teachers

As is shown by statistics, the number of people who are learning Chinese in major countries worldwide in recent years has grown by about 50 percent annually. Chinese has become the fastest-growing language in terms of number of learners. By the end of 2010, the number of overseas Chinese learners has risen to 100 million. Some experts predicted that the number will reach 150 million at the end of 2013.

See Kaixin's - Introduction to Chinese

Should we cater to the US "special interest" in Asia ?

By Li Hongmei

In recent days, Sino-US interaction in the Asia-Pacific region has witnessed an upturn both in cooperation and contest. The tendency is, on the surface, determined by interests and policies, but the profound reason lies in the fact that both are influenced, perhaps subtly, by the self-perception and the perception of each other. Only on the basis of knowing about themselves and knowing about each other, can a sound interaction set in.

From the perspective of security, China should recognize the dual roles played by the U.S. in the regional security, and reach out to cooperate with it, when it plays the constructive role in promoting the regional peace and stability. But China should also raise alert on the destructive role the super power acts at times, and should castigate, boycott it in this regard, and lead it on the right track if possible. Meanwhile, China should also enhance its awareness of the U.S. with the change of time and situation. With its shrinking strength, the U.S. foreign policies and the corresponding activities will be more and more defined by the outside influence.

On this basis, there seems no point for China overstating the US-preached "containment" on China or the defensive measures the U.S. cherishes to counterbalance China.

Americans' right move to cut spending

By Li Hong

It always makes economic sense to reduce deficit spending when a country’s national revenue has been exhausted during dire times. The gap between expenditure and income should be carefully watched by the budgeters, so that it won’t place a country’s health in peril.

China Daily

Japan wary over PLA's modernization

BEIJING - Japan expressed concern on Tuesday over the Chinese military's recent maritime activities in its annual defense report, a week after Beijing officially announced its aircraft carrier program.

"Given the modernization of China's naval and air forces in recent years, its sphere of influence is likely to grow beyond its neighboring waters," the annual white paper said.

"It is expected that China will try to keep expanding the area of activities, and to make its naval activities a routine practice in waters surrounding Japan including the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, as well as in the South China Sea," it said.

Weak dollar may lift China inflation

BEIJING - Though there appears to be a light at the end of the US debt crisis tunnel, the agreement reached over the weekend in Washington won't remove concerns over a weaker dollar, which will push up commodity prices and increase imported inflation in China over the long term, analysts said.

China's Dagong downgrades US credit rating

BEIJING - Chinese rating agency Dagong Global Credit Rating Co said Wednesday it has cut the credit rating of the United States from A+ to A with a negative outlook after the US federal government announced that the country's debt limit would be increased.

The decision to lift the debt ceiling will not change the fact that the US national debt growth has outpaced that of its overall economy and fiscal revenue, which will lead to a decline in its debt-paying ability, said Dagong Global in a statement.

China's foreign reserves dilemma

BEIJING / WASHINGTON - The agreement reached by US lawmakers to raise the debt ceiling may have eased investor concern, but China, the largest foreign holder of US debt, is still faced with the challenge of diversifying a massive foreign exchange portfolio endangered by a weakening dollar, economists said on Monday.

Micro blogs find their time is now

"Our train bumped into something.Our carriage has fallen onto its side. Children are screaming . . . Come to help us please! Come fast!"

The words tweeted by a passenger on high-speed train D301 on July 23 were clearly a cry for help. But they also initiated a wave of unprecedented "citizen journalism" on China's Twitter-like micro blogs.

A university sophomore writing under the name Yangjuan Quanyang posted the message on Sina Weibo at 8:47 pm. The train she was on had just crashed into bullet train D3115 outside Wenzhou. Of her fellow passengers, 40 were killed and 190 injured. She survived.

In 10 hours, Yangjuan's plea was reposted 100,000 times. In the following week, there were 10 million messages about the crash on Sina Weibo and 20 million on QQ Weibo, the other major Chinese micro blog.

"Everyone could have been there on the train," bloggers said tens of thousands of times.

In the aftermath of the crash in East China's Zhejiang province, China's more than 20 million micro-bloggers demonstrated unfamiliar power: They broke the news, joined the rescue work, helped survivors and families of victims, and monitored the authorities who were investigating the accident.

Comments were highly emotional early on, and rumors abounded. But then some observers who communicate through micro blogs took on the mantle of the fourth estate and its tenet of monitoring the holders of power.

In this way, sociologists say, micro blogs provide a platform for Chinese to develop a mature citizenship, which is a prerequisite for China to steer toward a civil society.

Share your China stories!

The China Daily website is inviting foreign readers to share their China stories with our worldwide audience. Please send your story with your contact information to mychinastory@chinadaily.com.cn. Photos of the author or the story are also welcome.

XinHua News

Pakistan calls for closer energy cooperation with China

BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Pakistani official called for closer cooperation between China and Pakistan in the energy industry on Tuesday.

Syed Naveed Qamar, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Water and Power, made the remarks at a press conference held at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing.

Noting Pakistan's current lack of power, Qamar said the two countries should have more cooperation in areas such as hydroelectric power, nuclear energy, oil and gas.

China calls for UN to play bigger role in resolving Libyan crisis

BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday called for the United Nations (UN) to play a bigger role in easing tensions in Libya, as the UN secretary-general's special envoy to Libya, Abdul Ilah Al Khatib, concluded a visit to China on Tuesday.

"As the international community continues to voice a stronger desire for a political solution to the Libyan crisis, the UN should play a bigger part," Wu Hailong, China's assistant foreign minister, said during talks with Khatib on Tuesday.

China gains approval to explore 10,000-sq-km int'l seabed sulphide ore deposit

BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- China has gained approval to explore a 10,000-square-km polymetallic sulphide ore deposit in an international seabed region of the southwest Indian Ocean, the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association said.

China to boost military development under new "strategic thinking" model

BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The official website of China's Ministry of National Defense (www.mod.gov.cn) went into full operation on Monday, marking the 84th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) after two years of trial operation.

A statement from the ministry hailed the move as "a significant step in promoting transparency" and "an important move in the modernization of China's national defense and armed forces."

China to enhance modernization of military forces: defense minister

BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- China will steadily reform national defense and the army and constantly modernize the military forces, said China's Minister of National Defense.

Defense minister Liang Guanglie made the remarks at a reception here Sunday celebrating the 84th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

August 1 every year is China's Army Day.

Global Times

Crash victim families accept new deal

Nineteen of 31 families bereaved by a deadly bullet train crash in Zhejiang Province have accepted compensation of 915,000 yuan ($143,000) per deceased family member as of on Sunday.

The compensatory payment was adjusted Friday from the original offer of 500,000 yuan ($77,399).

Jiang Zheng, brother of victim Jiang Zhengtong, told the Global Times on Sunday that he has accepted the compensation.

"I signed the deal on Sunday… I hope to end the matter as soon as possible, leaving my brother in a peaceful world," he said.

Despite the raise in compensation, the relatives of victims from 16 families still refused to accept the offer, demanding higher compensation or the results of an investigation before any deal was struck.

'We will punish those responsible'

Initial investigations into Saturday's train crash in Zhejiang Province found that signal failure and human error were the likely causes, authorities said on Thursday, on the same day that Premier Wen Jiabao promised the probe result would "stand the test of history."

"The signal system at Wenzhou South Railway Station has serious design flaws. After being hit by lightning, it failed to turn one of its lights from green to red, which then failed to prevent the collision," An Lusheng, head of the Shanghai Railway Bureau, said at an investigation meeting held by the State Council in Wenzhou on Thursday.

China confirms first aircraft carrier

China announced it is refitting its first aircraft carrier in the official confirmation of what is viewed as a symbolic breakthrough for the country's naval force.

As the date of its first trial at sea is unknown, strategists said the operational significance and implications of China's first aircraft carrier will not be seen in the short term.

"China is using an old aircraft carrier platform for scientific research, experiment and training," Geng Yansheng, a Ministry of National Defense spokesman, said at a press conference on Wednesday.

China needs to acquire an aircraft carrier due to the country's long coastline and large area of territorial waters, he said, adding that the vessel will help to keep the peace.

CCTV - 9

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Dialogue (30 Minute Current Affairs Program)

Bullet train collision

Dialogue (30 Minute Current Affairs Program) - Water crisis looming larger

As the world’s population increases, so too does its need for food and water-the two resources which are absolutely necessary to sustain life. Chinese experts warn that by 2030 when China''s population reaches 1.6 billion, per capita water resources will drop to 1760 cubic meters -- perilously close to 1700 cubic meters, the internationally recognized benchmark for water shortages. The China water crisis threatens the stability and prosperity not only in China but globally too. The government must adopt a new policy to reduce water consumption.

Dialogue (30 Minute Current Affairs Program) - China's economy strong but challenges remain

The momentum of China''s economic growth remains strong as the country rolls out policies to develop strategic emerging industries, accelerate the construction of low-income homes and encourage private investment. However, the country also faces resource and environmental constraints in the domestic market, as well as pressure to transform its economic growth pattern and create sustainable economic growth.

The Wall Street Journal

Big Questions About China’s Urban Legend

Urbanization is a cornerstone of China’s development strategy. But the relationship between a growing urban population and a sustainable growth path isn’t as straightforward as many investors believe.

Kaixin Oped - I think these journalists have missed the new focus for China, the development of China's rural regions. All the growth to date has been focused on the three major cities and their regions: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou.

In the whole history of China the economic potential, both human and natural, of the rural regions of China have never been explored or exploited.

The economic growth of china over the last 30 years has just been the starter motor turning over.

The twenty first century will see the engine start again after it was broken by colonialism.

China will be a powerful force in the twenty first century, but as part of BRICS it will redefine economics.

Which is good. After all, America has only carried the baton for a mere 60 years or so, and what a cock-up it has made of it.

China Revs Up BMW’s Sales

For luxury carmakers, China’s in the driver’s seat.

BMW said Tuesday that it more than doubled its quarterly profit to a whopping €1.8 billion ($2.57 billion), up from €831 million a year ago. And a big reason why the German carmaker is doing so well: China’s buying.

Drilling Plans Raise Stakes in Disputed Seas

After appearing to make progress in cooling tensions over the South China Sea in recent weeks, Southeast Asia and China face the potential for more trouble ahead as oil and gas companies expand their exploration work in the contested waters.

China Plan Aimed at Debt Fears

SHANGHAI—China has ordered state-owned companies planning to restructure assets to seek approval from bondholders, in an apparent bid to ease concerns over possible defaults on local-government debt.

Japan Sharpens Rhetoric on China, Calling It 'Assertive' for First Time

Japan intensified its rhetoric against China's military, accusing Beijing for the first time of "assertiveness" and saying it needs to keep a closer watch on how China views the contested waters between the two countries.

Kaixin Oped – Japan has no right ….. EVER to comment on such matters. It debased its moral standing when it committed such barbarous acts of atrocity on China and through-out SE Asia.

It should bow its head in shame, not stand up and bleat like a frightened lamb. After all, it was not long ago that the lamb’s fleece covered a savage wolf (with apologies to all wolves).

See Kaixin’s – Nanking, Nanking

A Letter to Yiyi: Chinese Newspaper’s Defiant Commentary on Train Collision

China’s Economic Observer decided this weekend to publish a hard-hitting special report on the previous week’s high-speed train collision near the city of Wenzhou, defying strict orders from propaganda authorities in Beijing to play down coverage of the accident.

The New York Times

China Warns Neighbors on South China Sea

BEIJING — China’s main Communist Party newspaper sharply warned neighboring nations against asserting their claims to territory in the South China Sea in a front-page commentary on Tuesday.

Pearls, Finer but Still Cheap, Flow From China

ZHUJI, China — One of the most feared men in the worldwide pearl industry these days is a muscular, Ferrari-driving 40-year-old who is doing the improbable: growing pearls that are nearing the highest quality and may be affordable for middle-class Americans.

Roaming Fees as Low as China's Won't Be Matched Soon

While Europeans and Americans traveling abroad still face steep roaming charges, travelers from mainland China can call home for as little as it costs to make a local call in that market.

In China, a More Western Approach to Elder Care

Nursing homes are popping up all over China, a researcher finds, signaling a sea change in attitudes toward the elder care.

Caixin Online

More Investors Ask, Why Not Short the Yuan?

Crisis theorists and others are wagering that the Chinese currency will veer from its long appreciation path against the dollar

Plenty of smart money is betting on the rise of the yuan, but some overseas foreign exchange investors are looking the other way.

See Kaixin's - Yuan Revaluation & Internationalisation

Psyching Out Inflation

By Andy Xie

Plenty can be done to stabilize prices, from raising interest rates and privatizing state companies to dumping the dollar

A cost-price spiral psychology has become a powerful multiplier influencing China's inflation dynamic. Will it spiral out of control?

See Kaixin's - Economic China

Geopolitics at a Mongolian Mine

The Mongolian government is trying to divide a coking coal mine among Chinese, Russian and American interests

A coalition led by China's largest coal company Shenhua Group was granted a leading 40 percent share of a massive Mongolian mining project in July, leaving a Russian-Mongolian concern with 36 percent and U.S.-based Peabody Energy with 24 percent.

Southeastern China's Labor Shortages

Labor shortages in southeastern China are growing more acute, on factors which include less competitive wages and the ongoing movement of industry to inland provinces

(Beijing) -- Labor shortages in China's southeastern coastal areas continue to aggravate the woes of small- and medium-sized business owners, already facing a challenging business environment including decreased access to credit, rising costs of raw materials and the appreciation of the yuan.

Asia Times Online

China's sea dragon and humankind undersea
By Raja Murthy

The manned Chinese submersible Jiaolong dived 5,000-meters last week in preparation for a record-breaking seven-kilometer mission, bringing humankind's future life underwater into sharper focus. With undersea hotels already existing and plans for a complete underwater habitat afoot, "aquanauts" set on reviving Atlantis say technology will soon see humans regret the time wasted on dry land.

Dragon, eagle, elephant and a black swan
By Dinesh Sharma

Hype over China's and India's rise is too easily undermined by hard facts, with innovation keeping the United States in its lead role. The race between the flying dragon, lumbering elephant and swooping eagle is still on for the 21st century, but the "rugged individualism" that defined America's success may - like a lonesome cowboy - soon ride into an Asian sunset.

China drives up yen
By Hussain Khan

Surging Chinese demand for Japanese government bonds and equities, up US$173 billion last year alone, account for about 60% of Japan's current balance of payments surplus, and to a large extent is behind the strong appreciation of the Japanese currency.

China hand seen behind
vast buy-up of Japanese shares
By Hussain Khan

China's five-year plan requires development of several "strategic", technologically demanding industries. An Australia-based fund that has become a leading shareholder in many top Japanese companies appears to be helping Beijing towards that goal. Why the fund is a top-three stakeholder in Japan's three biggest banks is more mystifying.

THE ROVING EYE

An extreme traveler, Pepe's nose for news has taken him to all parts of the Pepe Escobar globe. He was in Afghanistan and interviewed the military leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, Ahmad Shah Masoud, a couple of weeks before his assassination