6th February 2012
The Lion Awakes
Daily News, Culture & Current Affairs about China
See how China sees the world, see how the world sees China
Xiaosui Zhou is an editor of Kaixin
These are stories of her time growing up in China
during the Cultural Revolution
People's Daily
China halts 'one-sided' draft
Experts called for unified international efforts to promote peaceful negotiations as a way to stop the violence and settle disputes in Syria, after Russia and China jointly vetoed an Arab-European draft UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution concerning Syria on Saturday.
Proposed by European and Arab nations, the draft aimed to give strong backing to an Arab League plan to ask Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
Russia and China used their second ever double-veto to block the plan in the UNSC as the two countries believed that it was not the best way to promote peace in the Middle Eastern country, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Helping Europe is 'helping ourselves': Premier Wen
CHINA has a stake in helping eurozone countries get through their debt crisis, Premier Wen Jiabao said in comments published yesterday, pointing to Europe's importance as a market and hinting at more possible support for beleaguered exporters.
Wen's remarks built on comments he made during German Chancellor Angela Merkel's recent visit to China, when he said Beijing was considering increasing its participation in rescue funds to address the European debt crisis.
This time, Wen urged skeptical Chinese citizens to understand that supporting Europe was also in their own benefit.
"Now Europe is facing a debt crisis and we must consider relations with Europe strategically to protect our national interests," Wen said while visiting the export-dependent southern Chinese province of Guangdong.
Military blocs 'have no role in Asia'
BEIJING - Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun on Saturday rejected moves to deliberately strengthen military alliances in Asia as "going against the times and people's will" and reiterated China's policy of building friendship and partnership with its Asian neighbors.
Zhang made the remarks during a panel discussion entitled "America, Europe and the Rise of Asia" at the 48th Munich Security Conference.
China bans airlines into EU carbon scheme
BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's airlines are not allowed to pay a charge on carbon emissions imposed by the Europe Union(EU), and neither to hike freights nor to add other fees accordingly without government permission, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said Monday.
China's stance on Iranian nuclear issue is clear
Despite the delicate situation in Syria, the world's attention is now focused on the confrontation between Iran and the West.
Saber-rattling does not necessarily turn into an actual war. Iran is a major oil exporter, and the Persian Gulf is a strategic energy transportation hub. The complex situation and uncertain prospects for the region have caused instability in global energy markets, and cast a heavy shadow over the world economy. Once this hornets' nest is stirred up, the entire world will be affected.
The confrontation between Iran and the West is a threat to world peace and a challenge for China. With rising global clout, it is in China's interests to make its stance clear and to make practical efforts to resolve this major issue.
German chancellor starts China visit
BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Beijing on Thursday, starting a three-day official visit to China.
Merkel is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and top legislator Wu Bangguo in Beijing. She will hold talks with Premier Wen Jiabao.
New Year luxury spending overseas hits $7.2b
Chinese had the biggest share of overseas luxury market around the Chinese New Year, with total spending of $7.2 billion, according to a World Luxury Association report cited by the Beijing News on Thursday.
Chinese spent the record $7.2 billion overseas for luxuries around the New Year, up 28.57 percentage points from the previous year's $5.6 billion, triggering the most powerful engine of luxury purchasing, the report said, based on statistics collected from Jan 1 to Feb 1.
The report said Chinese buying takes up 62 percent of the European luxury market, one-third of the North American market and 69 percent of the luxury consumption in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, citing the tax-free policy and abundant goods as reasons.
Zero-sum mentality won’t raise US employment
The Obama administration has brought trade cases against China nearly twice that of the Bush administration, and is creating a trade enforcement unit to investigate “unfair trade practices” in China and other countries. At the same time, the White House vowed to do all it can to solve the severe unemployment problem. Will these trade protectionist measures really be an effective solution to unemployment?
Interconnectivity calls for more responsible national roles
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The world is growing increasingly interconnected and major problems in any single country or region can have huge repercussions across the globe.
This was a consensus among participants at the annual World Economic Forum, which featured discussions on the European debt crisis, efforts to sharpen leadership and new growth patterns.
The challenges are multi-faceted and the debt crisis in the eurozone might be the biggest influence on the world this year.
China issues 175 bln yuan in loans to support low-income housing in 2011
BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank said Monday that banks lent 175.1 billion yuan (27.77 billion U.S. dollars) to support the construction of low-income housing in 2011.
The lending accounted for 50.1 percent of the sector's total new loans, up 31.7 percentage points from the beginning of last year, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said in an annual financial report on its website.
Attack on China's RMB exchange rate unfair: PBOC adviser
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Attack on China's currency exchange rate is totally unfair, as the renminbi (RMB), also known as yuan, has been continuously appreciating, an adviser to China's central bank said here on Friday.
"RMB exchange rate has probably caused the biggest misunderstanding between China and the world," Li Daokui, a member of the monetary policy committee of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.
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China Daily
Veto boosts Syria peace initiatives, experts say
BEIJING / United Nations - The veto by China and Russia of a draft UN resolution to promote regime change in Syria will win more time for a political solution to the crisis, experts said.
But the diplomatic divide on the Syrian issue will remain and possibly worsen, they said.
Taleb Ibrahim, a Syrian political analyst, said in Damascus that the veto on Saturday by China and Russia would usher in a new balance of global power. "The UN will no longer be a tool in the hands of the US and its allies to pass their military schemes."
The veto will help restore peace and stability in the country and will also save Syrian lives, Ibrahim said
Ministry 'ready' to face rare earth push
WTO ruling is likely to unleash global calls to loosen export curbs
BEIJING - China is "ready" to deal with increasing pressure from developed nations to loosen export restrictions on rare earths after the failure of an appeal against a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling, a Ministry of Commerce official said on Tuesday.
"We are ready for it," Yu Fang, deputy director of the department of treaty and law under the ministry, told China Daily.
Kidnapped workers freed in Egypt
Second incident involving Chinese nationals within days in Africa
BEIJING - The 25 Chinese workers who were held as hostage by armed tribesmen in Egypt have been freed, Xinhua News Agency said on Wednesday.
The hostage incident is the second one in less than a week of Chinese nationals being taken hostage in Africa.
The incidents have prompted renewed calls to improve security for Chinese workers overseas.
Call to adjust interest rates
BEIJING - A former senior legislator has proposed that the authorities adjust interest rates to prevent inflation from eroding savings.
Cheng Siwei, former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, also said that the government must use legislation to resolve an increasing number of mass incidents, or protests, rather than trying to "stifle" them.
China willing to aid bailout: EU leaders
DAVOS, Switzerland - The leaders of Denmark and Finland said on Friday that China has showed a willingness to contribute to global efforts to bail out debt-ridden European countries. However, a senior Chinese policy adviser said there should be preconditions.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, prime minister of Denmark, and Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Tapani Katainen stressed the need for China and the European Union to cooperate to help struggling nations.
Both sides are "in the same boat", said Katainen. "China will suffer from the worsening economic situation in Europe, and vice versa, so it would be good for China to use part of its foreign reserves surplus through (the International Monetary Fund) to finance countries in trouble.
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XinHua News
Cultural activities held on 2nd day of Chinese Lunar New Year
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Global Times
Anxiety, paranoia lead to US shooting from the hip
The Munich Security Conference (MSC), known as the Davos of Defense, ended yesterday after three days of discussion on current and prospective security policy challenges.
On a panel themed "America, Europe and the Rise of Asia" on Saturday, US Senator John McCain created a stir by tearing into China's Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun on a wide range of topics from China's human rights record and "repression" of the Tibetans to China's democracy, warning "the Arab Spring is coming to China." McCain's remarks obviously strayed away from the subject of the panel.
The MSC witnessed an important moment last year when Russia and the US decided to ratify the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). It marked the most significant disarmament treaty since the end of the Cold War and contributed to global stability.
Wise diplomats should create a favorable atmosphere for countries to reach an understanding on how to deal with security challenges rather than stirring up tensions.
Time to reassess unfair WTO entry terms
A WTO appeals panel has upheld a ruling against China restricting exports of nine types of raw materials. The ruling, completely unreasonable to Chinese, will threaten China's resource preservation and environmental protection efforts.
China has generally been following WTO regulations and rulings. But it should find the best balance between applying WTO rules and protecting its national interests. Getting approval from the West is not our top concern.
Admittedly, joining the WTO has boosted China's rise. However, entry was granted at the cost of China accepting some unfair terms, from which the aftereffects have gradually emerged, including this ruling. They may become a hidden problem for China's economy.
The latest WTO ruling has highlighted the urgency of amending some of the unfair terms of The Protocol of China's Entry into the WTO. It is also necessary to express China's dissatisfaction and garner public support for the revision.
WTO regulations are the result of compromise reached through rounds of negotiations, dominated by the West's interests. The high-tech export embargo by the US against China has never been questioned. Trade barriers and abuse of WTO regulations are prevalent in Western countries.
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News and Current Affairs
Cultural activities held on 2nd day of Chinese Lunar New Year
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The Wall Street Journal
China Takes On Skeptics of Aid to Euro Zone
BEIJING —Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao offered a forceful justification for helping Europe out of its debt crisis, in remarks that appeared aimed in part at countering public skepticism about the wisdom of using Chinese money to support rich world countries.
Chinese Leader Backs Land Rights
BEIJING—Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called for better protection for the land rights of farmers during a visit to southern Guangdong province, where a reformist leader has grabbed national attention by defusing a violent land dispute with a groundbreaking experiment in local democracy.
Chinese Village Vote Tests Waters on Reform
Elections in Wukan Are Being Closely Watched to Gauge Beijing's Willingness to Address Failings of Local Governments
BEIJING—Villagers in southern China who rebelled against local leaders took a first step toward creating a new democratic local government, with potentially broad implications for the future of grass-roots democracy in China as well as the country's coming top leadership transition.
Imbalance Seen in Japan-China Deal
TOKYO—When Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao met in December, a deal by Tokyo to buy Chinese government bonds was hailed by the two as way to bring the major trading partners even closer together.
Heartland Return for Chinese Leader
MUSCATINE, Iowa—This small city on the Mississippi River has long boasted that Mark Twain briefly called it home in 1854. Now, residents realize they have a more unusual bragging point: Muscatine played a minor but memorable role in the ascent of Xi Jinping, the man expected to become China's top leader this fall.
Twenty-seven years ago, Mr. Xi, then an up-and-coming official in a pig-farming region in China, led an animal-feed delegation to Iowa. He toured farms, visited a Rotary Club and watched a baseball game. He spent two nights in the split-level home of a Muscatine couple, sleeping amid ...
Tide of Yuan Ebbs in Hong Kong
HONG KONG—More yuan deposits than in any previous month flowed out of Hong Kong in December as more importers paid their mainland suppliers in the currency, taking advantage of efforts by Beijing to make it easier to move funds back to China.
IMF Says Asia Has Room for Stimulus
SINGAPORE—Asia so far has proved resilient to the European debt crisis and slowing global growth, and countries in the region have room to take growth-boosting steps in case of a sharp downturn, the International Monetary Fund said.
China’s Slowing No Worries For Aussie Iron Ore Miners
The biggest consumer of Australia’s masses of iron ore may no longer be quite so hungry as it was, but that’s no reason to fear the billions of dollars BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals are throwing at boosting capacity to export the steelmaking commodity.
Or so argue Fitch’s pundits.
Politics to Limit Hong Kong Handouts
Hong Kong’s coffers are full again as the city’s government prepares to announce another hefty budget surplus Wednesday, with calls for sweeteners to support the slowing economy and the city’s low-income groups. But any budget plans are likely to be constrained by political reality: a change of government in a few months.
The Back Story on ‘Himalayan Viagra’ - VIDEO
China’s appetite for an obscure fungus found on caterpillars and foraged in remote regions of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan has pushed prices to levels usually reserved for precious metals. But the competition for retrieving them can sometimes prove fatal.
China Eyed as Next Educational Frontier
SHANGHAI—If there was ever a need for business schools in China, it's now.
Breakneck economic growth has far outstripped the supply of management talent. Meanwhile, Chinese companies in both the private and state sectors are responding to government incentives to "Go Out" and compete against the best companies in the world—while juggling fierce competition, rapidly changing technology and shifting macro-economic forces at home.
German Statesman the Inspiration Behind China’s State Control
Several panelists agreed emphatically. “What we need is reform-minded leaders and grassroots entrepreneurs, not a loose monetary policy and low interest rates,” said Zhang Weiying, a professor of economics at Peking University.
IMF Reviewing Whether Yuan Still 'Substantially Undervalued'
WASHINGTON -- The International Monetary Fund is reviewing whether China's currency should still be considered "substantially undervalued," as the yuan has appreciated more than 8% in the last year and the fund is developing a new method of assessing global currencies.
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The New York Times
China Weighs Helping a European Debt Rescue
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said China might be willing to help finance Europe’s stabilization by working with the International Monetary Fund.
Envisioning a Deal With Iran
President Obama can find lessons in Nixon’s diplomatic strategy with China as he tries to avoid conflict with Iran.
In Chinese Village of Wukan, Protesters Become Voters
Less than two months after staging a bold protest against official corruption, thousands of people in the village of Wukan cast their first ostensibly independent votes on Wednesday.
In Victory for the West, W.T.O. Orders China to Stop Export Taxes on Minerals
The appeals panel’s ruling, a victory for the United States, said that China distorted international trade through dozens of export policies on raw materials.
Weighing Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels
A preliminary finding by the Commerce Department suggests that if penalties are levied, they could be retroactive.
Trade Protest Is Planned on Eve of a Chinese Leader’s Visit
A coalition of union leaders and trade advocates accuse Beijing of unfairly subsidizing Chinese auto parts makers.
Jobs, Jobs and Cars
Gov. Mitch Daniels got so much wrong in his reply to the president State of the Union address. To really create jobs, it takes a cluster, not just heroes.
Apple, Electronics and Environmental Ills
Environmental groups say that while multinational corporations like Apple are trying to improve conditions, thousands -- or perhaps tens of thousands -- of smaller companies are cutting corners and dumping hazardous chemicals in rural areas and even near densely populated areas.
Daily Report: Chinese Factories and the iEconomy
The latest installment of the iEconomy series takes an inside look at the working conditions inside Chinese factories that make electronics. The authors say that inside Apple, the leader in the industry, there is an unresolved tension: executives want to improve conditions within factories, but that dedication falters when it conflicts with crucial supplier relationships or the fast delivery of new products.
How Obama's Tough Talk Plays in China
Chinese officials know that the president must address his opponents' claims that he has failed to stand up to Beijing, but that does not mean that they like it.
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Asia Times Online
A dragon dance in the Negev
Bedouins of the Negev will soon witness a Chinese-built railway line snake its way through the desert to the Mediterranean and Levant Basin oil and gas reserves. The "Med-Red" plan is symbolic of China's bold Middle East advance on three tracks: Iran, Gulf states and Israel. The geopolitical implications are profound and pose unsolvable riddles for other outside powers. - M K Bhadrakumar
SINOGRAPH
Dai talks the talk,
walks the line for Xi
China State Counselor Dai Bingguo's visit to India marks the beginning of a thaw that takes the neighbors off a dangerous war path over the longest contested border in the world. An agreement that could one day - though not now - lead to a Line of Actual Control and warm words set the compass as Beijing prepares for Xi Jinping, vice president and anointed future leader, to go west to Washington.
- Francesco Sisci
Will China help out the West in Sudan?
China is considered key to ending the 
crisis in the Horn of Africa as Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir in effect seeks US$15 billion for assuring the survival of his Western-backed, breakaway neighbor South Sudan. That is Bashir's price for keeping open the pipeline from the South that supplies 5% of China's oil imports. After doing the strategic math, Beijing will likely keep the book shut. - Peter Lee
European Union passes oil buck to China
By agreeing to close off Iran's second-biggest market, European foreign ministers have dramatically escalated the pressure on Iran to negotiate on its nuclear program. However, the immediate effect will be to pass the diplomatic initiative to Iran's largest trading partner, China, which will reluctantly become a powerful arbiter of the oil market and Iran's fate. - Phil Radford
China, Vietnam drift in South China Sea
Eight months after trading threats, China and Vietnam are now huddled in negotiations over claims to the South China Sea. With elements of a deal on the table, the full prestige of both politburos has been engaged, even though it's a high-stakes game for the countries' communist leaders. - David Brown
China's slowdown fears ease
Fears are easing that China's efforts to rein in inflation will drag down economic growth to dangerous levels, with expansion at the end of last year stronger than expectations. Further slowing is forecast, but a hard landing now looks unlikely. - Robert M Cutler
SINOGRAPH
Ma's re-election rings
loudest on the mainland
The re-election of President Ma Ying-jeou in Taiwan probably has more important consequences for Beijing than for the island. Political reunification is far in the future, but the political questions are on the agenda and de facto pressing Beijing's own political reforms schedule today.
- Francesco Sisci
China weighs 'right side of history' in Gulf
While a tour by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was solidifying political and energy ties with Sunni Gulf countries, Beijing was at the same time standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Shi'ite Iran over United States sanctions. That the Saudis invited Wen despite tensions with Tehran shows China's diplomatic hedging is paying off. Meanwhile, Washington's attempt to sanction a Chinese oil firm smacks of desperation.
- M K Bhadrakumar
Taiwan vote may trip up US and China
The United States and China share many reasons to hope Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou is re-elected in Sunday's elections. All the same, victory for the anti-unification Democratic Progressive Party's Tsai Ing-wen in the close race is unlikely to spur major policy shifts in Washington or Beijing. While Tsai is reluctant to roll back cross-strait relations, China has little incentive to punish the island.
- Jens Kastner
South China Sea: Call for US build-up
A think-tank with close ties to 
the administration of President Barack Obama has called for Washington to pursue a policy of "cooperative primacy" in the South China Sea to both avoid future conflict with Beijing and preserve freedom of navigation and the independence of smaller countries in the region. First though, the US needs to bolster its navy, the report suggests.
- Jim Lobe
SUN WUKONG
Hu warns successors
over 'peaceful evolution'
President Hu Jintao's call for China to resist ideological infiltration by "hostile forces" was widely seen as a declaration of war against Western culture, similar to spiritual pollution campaigns in the 1980s. However, Hu was actually warning those who will take power at this year's 18th Communist Party congress to stay awake to the greatest threat to communist rule - "peaceful evolution".
- Wu Zhong
Grim future for Wukan model
Optimism that China's land seizures, inequality and corruption could be solved by simply listening to activists rather than through suppression, as apparently happened in Guangdong's Wukan village, is undermined by pressures on local governments to contribute to the national growth rate. With land transactions accounting for at least half of revenues, regional administrations are unlikely to soon stop cracking heads. - Willy Lam
China's new role in the making of Europe
If China opts to support the eurozone it will become a significant investor in European integration, while helping to create a world where the United States dollar loses absolute pre-eminence. The level of Sino-European interdependence achieved during China's renaissance will likely accelerate as Europe better understands China's governance and as Beijing greater appreciates the complexities of the continent. - David Gosset (
Guangdong boss bets on velvet glove
Villagers from Guangdong's Wukan have welcomed the provincial authorities' decision to investigate land seizures that spurred attention-grabbing protests there. While local party chief Wang Yang hopes his handling of the case secures a Politburo Standing Committee seat at this year's leadership shuffle, his softer line is up against Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai's more "ruthless" approach to crime and corruption.
- Kent Ewing
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
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Caixin Online
- China's Fiscal Revenues Up in 2011
- China saw its fiscal revenues jump by 25 percent year-on-year, largely on land VAT revenue
- Emissions Get Set for a Speed Cleaning
- New emissions standards will require power plants to install nitrogen oxide scrubbers within two years but some experts argue results will hinge on technology requirements
- China's Labor Force Decreased in 2011
- China's share of working-age people has decreased for the first time since 2002, prompting some experts to suggest abolishing the one-child policy
- Shanghai to Spend 1.2 Bln Yuan on Airport Renovation
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport's terminal one will undergo refurbishment to increase passenger capacity from 20 million to 36.8 million people per year
- Liu Mingkang: Responding to the Challenges of 2012
- Interview with Liu Mingkang, former chairman of the China Banking Regulation Commission
- China Premier: Protect Farmers' Land Rights
- The Chinese government for the first time emphasized that urbanization and industrialization cannot come at the cost of farmers'land rights, a state expert said
- Forced Demolitions Getting Creative
- New rules last year set out to end forced demolitions, but local officials have instead resorted to legal loopholes to continue the controversial practice.
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How Britain and China will Rise or Fall Together
- As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, Sino-British engagement i
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- To take the next step in its development, China must commit to a broad range of structural reforms this year
- Gao Hua, Controversial Historian, Dies at 57
- The historian's major work the 1940s is still banned in the mainland for exposing the Communist Party's power struggles at the time.
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Soft Power and Hard Choices
- What tools do Chinese policymakers have on hand to counter the influence of U.S. cultural exports?
Strategize, Adapt, Reform
In an interview, the influential governor of China's central bank retraces 2011 economic policy steps and forecasts the 2012 pace
- Water Diversion Blues
- Rapidly growing cities need more water, and plenty of it – but experts say China faces a sobering outlook on the impacts of water diversion projects
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