Threads about China By China

[china]

Peace, harmony, good-neighborliness -- goal of China's diplomacy


08:13, November 15, 2010

Email | Print | Subscribe | Comments | Forum

Increases the bookmark

twitter

facebook

digg

Google

Windowslive

Delicious

buzzfriendfeed

Linkedin

diigo

reddit

stumbleupon

QQ
Peace, harmony and good-neighborliness have always been and will continue to be the core elements and primary goal of China's good-neighbor foreign policy.

Chinese leaders have reiterated on many occasions China always seeks cooperation with other nations in promoting peace and development and achieve win-win results, stressing that China never poses a threat to any other nations.

In recent interviews with Xinhua, some world leaders, experts and media commentators have spoken highly of China's foreign policy of peace.

CHINA ADHERES TO A FOREIGN POLICY OF PEACE, FRIENDSHIP

Bambang Suryono, editor-in-chief of the Indonesian International Daily News, said that as a matter of fact, the Chinese nation has always advocated a foreign policy of peace and friendship since ancient times.

China has made tremendous contributions toward building a harmonious world by engaging itself in friendly exchanges and interactions with other countries, Suryono said, citing the seven epic voyages by China's great explorer Zheng He.

Zheng, an excellent navigator and diplomat in China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), led a royal fleet and sailed to many destinations in Asia, Africa and the Middle-East, offering generous assistance to local people in whatever countries and regions he reached, he noted.

History shows that China has never invaded and occupied other countries' territory nor terrorized other countries, and it did not do so even when it was one of the most powerful countries in the world.

Suryono added that in recent years, Chinese leaders have put forward a new initiative of "Harmonious Diplomacy" aimed at promoting a peaceful, harmonious and friendly diplomatic approach throughout the world.

Moreover, China has provided assistance with no strings attached to countries hit by natural disasters or facing other difficulties, benefiting many people in Asia, especially Indonesian people, said Suryono.

Chen Gang, a research fellow at the East Asia Institute of the National University of Singapore, said China's foreign policy of peace has made substantial achievements over the past two decades.

In general, China has succeeded in maintaining a peaceful security environment in neighboring regions around it, which is conducive to achieving its overall strategic objective of economic growth and opening-up, Chen said.

CHINA'S INCREASING CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL PEACE, STABILITY

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari described China as the best and most reliable friend of Pakistan, and expressed his appreciation for China's assistance for the flood-affected country.

He appealed for more investment from China and hoped Pakistan will be a destination for Chinese companies to put up industries, adding that he has seen the growth of China as a growth engine for the region.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said China has played an important role in promoting cooperation in East Asia and has contributed to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

The establishment of an economic corridor of the Greater Mekong Sub-region is an important regional cooperation project between China and ASEAN, and it will play a key role in promoting regional economic growth and ASEAN's integration process, said Abhisit.

Chheang Vannarith, executive director of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said Cambodia and China are "natural allies."

Cambodia sees China as an important, stabilizing force and the chief engine of economic growth in the region, Vannarith said, adding China is a country seeking peaceful development.

Vannarith said China has made positive contributions to regional stability and development, as evidenced by its signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and being the most important Dialogue-Partner of ASEAN.

China has offered valuable assistance to other countries in the region, in poverty reduction and humanitarian relief efforts, he said.

Vannarith also pointed out that China has made great contributions to promoting world and regional peace and development. However, Western media have only given scanty reporting on the country's achievements and contributions, in their attempt to tarnish China's image, he said.

 

[china]

Druggie' Chinese governor charged over 'corruption, opium fuelled lifestyle'
China National News (ANI) Friday 14th December, 2012
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A senior Chinese official is facing trial for corruption after being accused of illegally amassing an international property empire and smoking opium to keep up with late-night barbecue parties.
Yang Hongwei, the former governor of Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture in South-West China, was in the dock after being accused of taking some 10.11 million Yuan in bribes.
Yang, dubbed the 'druggie governor' by Chinese media, allegedly used the money to purchase 17 properties in Yunnan province and six in Melbourne, Australia, the Telegraph reports.
According to the paper, Yang was toppled in April 2011 following allegations of corruption and living an "indecent life".
Yang, 49, was also accused of having a penchant for 'Kaku', a potent mix of herbs and opium.
After he was ejected from office, Go Kunming, a local blog, attributed his downfall to the 'voracious consumption of alcohol, drugs, women and bribes' and claimed he was known for his 'superlative drinking abilities'.
"He was so energetic that he could have meetings in [the] daytime and barbecues late at night for several days in a row," China's National Business Daily had quoted a source, as saying.
According to the paper, Chinese media reports had portrayed Yang as a man whose ego was almost as big as his bank balance. (ANI)

 

[china]

interfering in Tibet, says China
China National News (IANS) Monday 17th December, 2012
The Chinese foreign ministry Monday criticised statements issued by foreign officials on Tibet, and urged those countries to stop interfering in China's internal affairs.
"Tibetan affairs are totally China's domestic affairs," Xinhua quoted ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying as saying.
Hua said that recently, politicians from the US, the European Union and Canada had disregarded facts, confused right and wrong and groundlessly accused China on Tibet-related issues.
She said the comments were "rude interferences" in China's internal affairs and Beijing was strongly dissatisfied with them and resolutely opposed those acts.
The spokesperson said Tibet has made great progress in politics, economy, culture and other fields since 1951, and that the region is widely recognized by the international community.
She urged relevant sides to respect China's sovereignty and no longer do anything to interfere in the country's internal affairs.
**********************
In return China should tell Canada to let Quebec "be free" .hahahaha

 

[china]

Chinese defense minister meets Polish navy commander
(Xinhua)
15:43, December 18, 2012
BEIJING, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie on Tuesday met with visiting Polish Navy Commander Tomasz Mathea, and both sides expressed the hope to promote closer military-to-military cooperation between the two countries.

Hailing the political mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, Liang said the Chinese side holds a "positive attitude" on the development of its relationship with Poland and is willing to further advance the bilateral ties in a healthy way.

China and Poland, whose diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level began on Oct. 7, 1949, established a friendly cooperative partnership in 2004 and a strategic partnership in 2011.

Mathea said the Polish side also looks forward to more exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese armed forces in various areas.

His trip marked the first time that the Polish navy has visited China.

 

[china]

mongers, 96 held
China National News (IANS) Saturday 22nd December, 2012
As many as 96 people were arrested in central China Saturday after police targetted the cult that spreads doomsday rumours in the country.
The suspected "Almighty God" cult members were arrested in Henan province where the sect was founded in 1990, Xinhua reported.
The cult, promising salvation for followers before an impending apocalypse, extorted money from believers and warned of lightening strike for those who do not obey, police said.
But crime experts said the cult would not disappear even after the so-called apocalypse, or destruction of the world which was feared to occur Dec 21.
Their guiding principle is to battle the "Great Red Dragon", a euphemism for the Communist Party of China, and set up a country run by the "Almighty God", say experts.

___________________________________________________________________________
China approves $9-bn wind projects | China National News

Edition 5107/10China National News http://www.chinanationalnews.com10:04 AM Saturday 22 December 2012
China National News Global News Business News Entertainment News Science News
Technology News Internet News Lifestyle News Travel News Offbeat News
China approves $9-bn wind projects
China National News (IANS) Friday 21st December, 2012
China has approved four major wind power projects worth over $57 billion (about $9 billion) as part of efforts to boost the renewable energy sector.
The projects, approved in August-September period, include a project in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia region, and another in Hami, Xinjiang region, the Shanghai Daily reported.
The National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planning agency, also gave the go-ahead for wind projects in Jiuquan and Baotou.
Analysts believe the Chinese wind power market is now entering a more steady development stage, the daily said Saturday.
In 2011, over 10 billion kilowatt hours of wind power were lost because the grid had no capacity to absorb it, according to the Global Wind Energy Council

_______________________________________________________________________



More than 600 parents in China were left furious after receiving a text message from their children's school calling their wards "a piece of st", a media report said.
The parents in Wenzhou city received a text message from Xin Ou primary school that said: "This student is basically a stupid piece of st, how was he (she) ever born?".
Angry parents asked school officials for an explanation, the South China Morning Post reported. A school spokesperson said the message was the result of a software glitch.
The school had been using a software platform named "Education Baby" that allowed teachers to text parents about students' performances.
The system collapsed Tuesday. Someone could have hacked into the system to send the malicious message, said the spokesperson.

 

[china]

China National News (ANI) Friday 28th December, 2012
A man from China was left with a burnt hole in his stomach lining after he consumed a notoriously spicy bowl of soup.
The 26-year-old unnamed male ate a mala soup, meaning 'numbing hot,' a traditional Chinese dish.
After choosing the spiciest version of the dish from the menu, he started experiencing a piercing pain in his stomach.
He started vomiting blood before being rushed to a local hospital in Wuhan.
Despite having no medical history of ulcers or other gastrointestinal disorders, doctors concluded that the spicy soup had burned a hole through his stomach wall, the Daily Mail reported.
The traditional Chinese dish is cooked using Sichuan pepper, a local spice, and chilli pepper.
The combination is known to cause a numbing sensation when eaten. (ANI)

 

[china]

]Robots cook and serve food at Chinese restaurant[/B]

China National News (ANI) Monday 14th January, 2013
A restaurant in China's northern Heilongjiang province has 20 robots working for it, as waiters, cooks and busboys.
According to the South China Morning Post, the mechanical staff at Robot Restaurant in Harbin can work continuously for five hours after charging for two hours and can also display more than 10 expressions on their faces.
When a diner walks in, an usher robot extends their mechanic arm to the side and says 'Earth person hello. Welcome to the Robot Restaurant.'
After diners have ordered, robots in the kitchen set to work cooking their meals.
Once the dish is prepared, a robot waiter, which runs along tracks on the floor, carries it from kitchen to table, the Daily Mail reported.
A singing robot entertains diners as they eat.
The restaurant has gained international fame and continues to grow in popularity since it opened in June last year.

'Sexist' offer by Chinese bank sparks outrage | China National News

Edition 0304/11China National News http://www.chinanationalnews.com5:42 PM Wednesday 16 January 2013
China National News Global News Business News Entertainment News Science News
Technology News Internet News Lifestyle News Travel News Offbeat News
'Sexist' offer by Chinese bank sparks outrage
China National News (ANI) Monday 14th January, 2013
A new offer made by a Chinese bank to automatically transfer most of a husband's income to his wife's account has provoked fury, with some calling it "the most atrocious banking service against men in history".
China Merchants Bank (CMB), a major financial institution, has described its "capital accumulation" service as a "time and energy-efficient" way for a couple to save money, reports the Herald Sun.
The CMB service enables instant transfers between accounts and is not limited to family finance management, the official Beijing Daily said.
Traditionally women have taken charge of household finances in China, but as the country modernises, attitudes have changed, especially among the young, and the advertisement set off a firestorm of controversy.
There were more than 170,000 posts on the subject on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo.
A woman with the username 'gossip girl in finance' has called the CMB service "atrocious", adding that it is a boon for the ladies and a deadly blow for men. (ANI)

 

[darkbeaver]

I wish Canada had better trade with china a land of very fine manufactured goods like bearings engines chain actuators pumps and motors, look for the label Made in China especially for your small engine needs, they look exactly like hondas and work just as well but they are a different colour and a lot cheaper. Beware of western engineered and ordered Chinese manufactured knockoffs of Chinese original knockoffs of Japanese originals. Under no circumstances buy anything English built.

 

[china]

I wish Canada had better trade with china a land of ........

______________________


I wish that Canada had a its own banking system and didn't have to pay an interest of 160 million dollars a day to the bustards of the corrupted private banking cartel ....yeap ....that's what I wish darkbeaver .

 

[darkbeaver]

______________________


I wish that Canada had a its own banking system and didn't have to pay an interest of 160 million dollars a day to the bustards of the corrupted private banking cartel ....yeap ....that's what I wish darkbeaver .

Shsssss not to loud, I assume you are broadcasting from Communist China and therefore feel perfectly free to spout your horrible hatefilled diatribe in condemnation of the democratic illustrious private central banking system. Take heart brother we still do have our very own banking system and some of the buildings and I have every confidence that once the democratic illustrious central world private banking system has finally brought democrazy to ever corner of the globe they will allow us to operate independently and without exoteric influence ,with whatever is left. If we were paying them with dollars it would be funny they are the last to be fooled with paper. Land, libraries, bridges, highways, gold, slaves or all of your chickens and all of their eggs, I think that's what they like best..

160 million is on the books I wonder how much it really is. We don't really have much gold on hand in Oughtawa I don't think there's enough to open the bank as soon as we had hoped. Maybe our gold will be returned with interest. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahh

 

[china]

I assume you are broadcasting from Communist China and therefore feel perfectly free to spout your horrible hatefilled

Nope , you assume wrong .

 

[china]

d for trading personal data
China National News (IANS) Saturday 19th January, 2013
As many as 1,152 people have been arrested in China for their alleged involvement in telecom scams and for illegally disclosing and trading in people's personal data, the government said.
Police busted 346 groups of people allegedly engaged in the scams and for kidnapping, blackmail and other related crimes, Xinhua reported citing the ministry of public security.
The gangs were busted in 21 regions, including Beijing.
Police said crimes involving illegal sale of personal data have increased rapidly in recent years.

_____________________________************************________________________



College graduates pursue 'China dream'Updated: 2013-01-19 13:18 ( Xinhua)
Comments(0)PrintMailLarge Medium Small

YINCHUAN - While most Chinese college graduates were vying for posts in the civil service, four young men chose to build their "China dream" by starting a business, a source of encouragement for many of the country's netizens.

Tan Longchao, Ma Nan, Chen Zhe and Tang Ming opened a shop that sells native products at the end of 2011, after graduating from Beifang University of Nationalities in northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The sales volume of their store, "Dream Sweet", reached 1 million yuan ($160,000) last year. As a shop and a distributor they have signed contracts with more than 20 other companies, and become the general agent for nearby provinces.

The success story has led to wide discussions on the Internet.

During the college graduation and recruitment period, some young Chinese have been inspired to pursue their dreams.

This is in contrast to the news that up to 2,900 undergraduates and 29 postgraduates applied to be sanitation workers in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.

"After hearing about the Harbin story, I felt disappointed for the younger generation of our country. The four young men from Ningxia offer hope and I believe many youngsters will be inspired." said a netizen named "Xiaobudian".

On his blog, "Xiaodong" said, "I was hesitating about starting my own business but I know I will be halfway to success if I am brave enough to follow my dream."

Just like other college graduates, Tan and his business partners were expected, by family and friends, to become public servants, which could have ensured them a stable life.

"My family was confused and disagreed with me when I first wanted to start the business," said Tan, "they said I was wasting my time and tried to persuade me to apply for village official roles."

 

[china]

President-designate Xi Jinping vows to remove China's corrupt 'tigers' and 'flies'
China National News (ANI) Wednesday 23rd January, 2013
Chinese President-designate Xi Jinping has vowed to flush out both corrupt 'tigers' and 'flies' in the country.
President-designate Jinping made the comment in reference to political leaders and junior bureaucrats.
He also adopted a series of sober measures like banning costly and elaborate flower arrangements and red-carpet ceremonies during high-profile parties, The Guardian reports.
Jinping said that not removing an unhealthy situation would be like putting up a wall between the party and the people, and thus, it is necessary for all officials to follow orders.
Corruption expert Deng Xiaogang said that although the Communist Party has realised the impact of power abuse on their strengths, powerful interest groups could block the changes needed.
Describing the campaign against corruption as a populist policy, Wu Qiang, a scholar at Beijing's Tsinghua University, said such campaigns were used to conceal political struggles inside the ruling Communist Party.
Qiang further said reports of party clashes were released to the public as anti-corruption campaigns and would last until the central government finds other policies to implement. (ANI)

__________________________________________________________________________

China,s moving the right direction and has bin moving that way since I have arrived there for the first time in 2003 .

 

[china]

Pollution in China Goes 'Off the Charts'

VoA - Americas Tuesday 29th January, 2013
The stifling pollution currently plaguing much of northern China has reached levels so high it is beyond the measurements used in the U.S. to chart air quality.
"What Beijing is experiencingndash;and even worse in the provincesndash;is off the charts from anything we experience in the United States, and likely more than anything we've experienced in our country's history,rdquo; said John Walke, the director of the Climate amp; Clean Air Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a Washington, D.C.-based environmental group.
The U.S. measures air quality using a six-color scale indexed from 0-500. The higher the number, the greater and more dangerous the pollution. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 50 would represent goodndash;or "code green"ndash;air quality, while anything over 300 represents hazardousndash;or "code maroon"ndash;air quality.
The Environmental Protection Agency's air quality guide. x The Environmental Protection Agency's air quality guide. In the summer in Washington, D.C., for example, there may be several days during which pollution reaches 101-150. These are called "code orangerdquo; days, meaning the air is deemed unsafe for children and the elderly.
The next level, "code red,rdquo; goes from 151-200. Washington may experience a couple of these days in a summer, while a city notorious for poor quality air such as Los Angeles may have a dozen or so, according to Walke.
"The scale above 200 is so rare that we virtually never experience it,rdquo; said Walke. "It is deemed very unhealthy.rdquo;
Above 200 would be "code purple,rdquo; with pollution measuring 201-300; from 301-500 is called "code maroon.rdquo; These levels are only seen in the vicinity of large forest fires, Walke said.
On Tuesday, pollution in Beijing reached 517, a number that is considered "beyond index.rdquo;
This is according to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, which is considered the most reliable measurement of air pollution in the city. The embassy has reported pollution as high as 755 earlier this month.
Higher air quality numbers indicate the presence of more small particles in the air, and Walke explained it's the smallest particles, the 2.5 micrometer-sized pollution particles, that present the most danger.
"The particles are so small that they can penetrate into the heart, lungs and bloodstream,rdquo; he said. "They bypass the body's natural defense systems and are linked to health ailments like heart attacks, strokes, bronchitis and asthma, chiefly among the elderly.rdquo;
According to Dominic Meagher, an economist with the China Policy Institute in Beijing, the air quality levels have been hovering around 490 over the past two weeks.
"490 is very hazardous,rdquo; he said. "Children are kept indoors, elderly are kept indoors, and healthy people are recommended not to do any physical exercise. It's not very pleasant.rdquo;
The smog was so bad in Zheijiang province that when a furniture factory caught fire earlier this month, the blaze burned for three hours before anyone noticed the smoke.
Indiana University professor Scott Kennedy reported from downtown Beijing that the smog was so bad he could not see the top of the tallest building in the city, the 300-meter World Trade Center Tower III. He added that he could only see about a block and a half down the street.
The Chinese government has shut down over 100 polluting factories and taken a third of all government vehicles off the road, but pollution in Beijing has remained at dangerous levels. According to Meagher, these kinds of temporary, "heavy-fistedrdquo; regulations are not a sustainable solution. He said the government is going to have to consider longer and perhaps mandatory regulations to deal with a problem that is very much in the public eye.
"What they're going to need to do is have a very frank debate about what their options are,rdquo; he said. "I imagine it's going to include strict enforcement of standards on vehicles and factories.rdquo;
Meagher also said it would be crucial to get energy companies to increase efficiency standards, something he said they have been reluctant to do.

____________________________________________________________________________

Chinese team likely to visit North Korea to stop third nuclear test | China National News



Edition 0504/11China National News http://www.chinanationalnews.com12:02 PM Wednesday 30 January 2013
China News Breaking International News Breaking Business News Macau News Beijing News Hong Kong News
Shanghai News Breaking Health News Engineering News Property News China News Asia Editorials News
Chinese team likely to visit North Korea to stop third nuclear test
China National News Tuesday 29th January, 2013


BEIJING - China is considering sending officials to North Korea to stop the reclusive nation from conducting its third nuclear test, amid reports that the feared atomic test will be done "in a few weeks or less".
"China is looking into a wide range of measures to stop North Korea from conducting a nuclear test," South Korean daily, the Chosun Ilbo, quoted a diplomatic source in Beijing as saying.
"Those measures include sending a delegation to North Korea," the unnamed source told Chosun Ilbo, one of the major newspaper published from Seoul.
Chosun.com is ranked as the No.1 Korean news website by the Internet survey company Rankey.com.
The newspaper said that Beijing was also mulling its response if North Korea goes ahead with a nuclear test.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters on Monday that Beijing "opposes any actions that could heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula or adversely affect denuclearization".
According to US' 38 North, a website devoted to the analysis of North Korean military activities, satellite images of the country's Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility show the site "appears to be at a continued state of readiness".
"Snowfall and subsequent clearing operations as well as tracks in the snow reveal ongoing activity at buildings and on roadways near the possible test tunnel.
"A photo from 4 January identifies a group of personnel, possibly troops or security guards, in formation in the yard of the administrative area near the test tunnel entrance, perhaps to greet visiting officials or for some other more routine purpose," the 38 North said in its assessment report.
38 North is a programme of the US-Korea Institute managed by a former US State Department official Joel S. Wit.
Analysing a Jan 23 satellite imagery, the website said that a pile of material previously seen in the yard of the facility has shrunk. "If this material is intended for stemming, one possible explanation is that operations have begun to seal the test tunnel."
North Korea, whose main ally is China, has issued a number of threats since last week after United Nations extended sanctions which followed an alleged disguised inter-continental ballistic missile test in December.
The 15-member UN Security Council approved a resolution expanding sanctions against the Communist ruled nation. The earlier sanctions were imposed after the North's missile and two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009.
North Korea has also warned of taking "strong physical counter-measures" against South Korea if it "takes a direct part" in the UN sanctions.
China's official Global Times said earlier that Beijing would cut aid for North Korea if Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test or test-fires a long-range missile.
China has been giving North Korea 100,000 to 200,000 tonnes of food aid and 500,000 tonnes of oil every year to help the impoverished state.
Share

 

[china]

(MENAFN - Qatar News Agency) Shanghai's GDP grew 7.5% year-on-year to exceed 2 trillion yuan (US321 billion) in 2012, official figures showed.

The data, released by the Shanghai Bureau of Statistics, placed the city on top of all major Chinese cities in terms of economic activity, said Yan Jun, the bureau's chief economist.

The city's GDP reached 1 trillion yuan (US160 billion) in 2006 and 1.5 trillion yuan (US241 billion) in 2009.

The city's rate of economic growth also rebounded earlier than the national average, Yan said.

According to Yan, the service industry contributed 82.7%, to Shanghai's GDP growth in 2012, indicating a breakthrough in the transformation of the city's economic structure.

 

[china]

Chinese policeman sacked for concealing son's crime
China National News (IANS) Sunday 3rd February, 2013
The police chief of a Chinese city has been dismissed from his post over his involvement in covering up his son's drunk driving offence.
Li Yali, police chief of Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi province, was on probation within the Communist Party of China for a year over the accusations, the China Daily reported.
Li also held the post of deputy police chief of Shanxi.
The Taiyuan municipal people's congress, the local legislature, appointed Liu Suiji replacing Li as the city police chief.
A video showing Li's son, Li Zhengyuan, beating up a police officer went viral after it was posted on Chinese social media websites in October 2012.
Li Zhengyuan assaulted the officer after being stopped for a traffic violation.
Officers at the scene forced him to take a blood alcohol test, the results of which revealed he was drunk.
Instead of taking him into custody, some other officers walked him home, the report said.
The party discipline authority found that Li Yali had abused his power while handling his son's offence.
He was suspended from his police posts, as well as removed from his post as party secretary of the Taiyuan public security bureau.

 

[china]

hinese police officer who owns 192 houses sacked
China National News (IANS) Wednesday 6th February, 2013
Authorities in south China's Guangdong province have sacked a senior policeman who allegedly owns a staggering 192 houses.
Zhao Haibin, member of the the Communist Party of China (CPC) committee of Lufeng City's Public Security Bureau, was dismissed Tuesday, an official told Xinhua.
An investigation team was established to carry out a thorough probe, said the official.
Zhao has denied he had 192 houses as reported by whistle-blowers.
He said these properties had been jointly developed by his brother and others, and all had later been sold out. Zhao claimed he was just a "supervisor" of the properties.
A string of officials have been targeted with the exposure of their scandals by whistle-blowers since last year as the ruling party vows to continue fighting corruption

 

[china]

Top leader urges Chinese party to accept criticism | China National News


Edition 0606/11China National News http://www.chinanationalnews.com7:20 PM Friday 08 February 2013
China News Breaking International News Breaking Business News Macau News Beijing News Hong Kong News
Shanghai News Breaking Health News Engineering News Property News China News Asia Editorials News
Top leader urges Chinese party to accept criticism
China National News (IANS) Thursday 7th February, 2013
Next Chinese president Xi Jinping has urged his Communist Party of China (CPC) to be more tolerant of criticism and receptive to the views of non-communists.
"The CPC should be able to put up with sharp criticism, correct mistakes if it has committed them and avoid them if it has not," Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.
"Non-CPC personages should have the courage to tell the truth, speak words jarring on the ear, and truthfully reflect public aspirations," he said.
Xi, also the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks at a meeting convened to extend Lunar New Year greetings to people from non-communist parties.
Criticism could help the CPC identify, analyse and solve problems, he said.
Xi asked CPC committees at all levels to readily accept and welcome supervision from non-communist parties to improve their work style and quality.
Xi urged people to offer more wise and practical suggestions to push forward the country's development.
China has eight non-communist political parties that participate in state affairs under the leadership of the CPC.

 

[china]

Signs of rebound as China foreign trade surges
China National News Friday 8th February, 2013

• China's foreign trade surged 26.7 per cent year-on-year to 2.17 trillion yuan ($345.59 billion) in January
• After adjustments for seasonal factors, January data remained bullish, with foreign trade up 8.1 per cent year-on-year, exports up 12.4 per cent and imports up 3.4 per cent.
• Last year, China's annual foreign trade growth slowed to 6.2 per cent missing the government's 10-per cent target set for 2012.
BEIJING -- In an encouraging signs of continuing economic rebound, China's foreign trade surged 26.7 per cent year-on-year to 2.17 trillion yuan (345.59 billion U.S. dollars) in January, according to data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC).
Exports increased 25 per cent compared to January 2012, the highest growth since April 2011 and up 14.1-per cent up compared to the rise in December 2012.
Imports rose 28.8 per cent, a jump of 6-per cent over growth in December.
In January, the foreign trade surplus widened 7.7 per cent to 183.21 billion yuan, data showed.
"A lower comparative base last year caused by fewer working days has helped push up the growth rate this year," said Li Jian, a foreign trade expert from a research institute at the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), reported Xinhua.
There were 22 working days in January, 5 days more than last year when the seven-day Spring Festival holiday fell in the first month.
After adjustments for seasonal factors, January data remained bullish, with foreign trade up 8.1 per cent year on year, exports up 12.4 per cent and imports up 3.4 per cent.
The rise was bigger than the 10.2-per cent growth seen in December.
Last year, China's annual foreign trade growth slowed to 6.2 per cent missing the government's 10-per cent target set for 2012.
Many economists have projected higher economic growth for the country this year. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, a government think-tank, forecast 8.4-per cent growth for 2013, higher than 7.8 per cent realized in 2012.
"I think the Chinese New Year effect only explains part of the story," said Zhang Zhiwei, chief China economist at Nomura in Hong Kong, reported Reuters. "After controlling for the Chinese New Year, the numbers are still very strong and show the economic recovery is on track."
Other figures showed that inflationary pressures were subdued. Consumer prices rose 2.0 per cent in January from a year earlier, but down from a seven-month high of 2.5 per cent in December. Food prices rose 2.9 per cent in January from a year earlier.
Analyst held that the economic recovery that kicked off in the last few months of 2012 was intact.
Global markets have risen in anticipation of a surge in China's export growth as a signal of recovering demand in the giant economies of the United States and the European Union, the main markets for Chinese goods.
China's year-on-year exports growth to the United States of 14.5 per cent was the strongest in 10 months, while the rise in exports to the European Union were the highest in 13 months at 5.2 per cent.
Exports to neighbouring economies in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) leapt 48.6 per cent compared to January 2012, worth $20.1 billion.
To adjust for annual shift in the Lunar New Year holidays when many factories shut for at least a week, China publishes the bulk of its economic data for January and February together with March report. Last year the holiday break happened in January but this year it will be in February.
"It seems to me that imports were particularly strong," said Tao Wang, China economist at UBS in Hong Kong.
"It reflects two things: one is that the domestic demand, in particular investment demand, is very strong. The second is that companies are restocking ahead of the Chinese New Year and the peak season in March and April,"
Imports from the United States soared 49.7 per cent, while those from ASEAN jumped 36.5 per cent and from the European Union 20.7 per cent. Imports from Taiwan rocketed 74.8 per cent, overshadowing 12.9 per cent rise in imports from Australia.
Analysts in general, however, are wary of reading too much into data coming just one month after the world's second-biggest economy posted its slowest full-year expansion since 1999 at 7.8 per cent.
Ting Lu, head of Greater China economics at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, was particularly cautious in his reading of the trade data, noting that import prices were rising in tandem with China's recovery.
Iron ore, for example, has surged 79 per cent from September 2012 - the bottom of China's 2012 growth cycle.
Lu forecasts 2013 export growth unchanged from the 7.9 per cent pace in 2012, but thinks import growth could rise to 11.5 per cent from 4.3 per cent in 2012 as prices rebound.
As overseas demand cannot be fundamentally improved in the short run and domestic costs keep rising, Chinese exporters need to quickly change their profit models and market choices, said Zhao Xijun, a finance professor at Renmin University, who warned of trade difficulties for 2013.
The government aims to boost foreign trade in tandem with the country's economic expansion in 2013, as external demand is expected to remain slack despite positive domestic factors, MOC spokesman Sheng Laiyun said last month.

 

[china]

China: Greatest breakthrough or greatest failure?
05.02.2013


Half a century ago, China, along with the Soviet Union, was included in the "axis of evil" by the "civilized world." Thirty years ago, the world learned that business was possible in a communist system. Today, the "civilized world" looks at China holding its breath, seeing it as a new locomotive of the world economy. Does China intend to meet these expectations?

Before we start the conversation about the prospects of the Chinese economy, let's think back to the origins of its fantastic success in the last decade. It would be wrong to believe that the "Chinese miracle" happened suddenly, as if by magic, or rather, by a pledge of the wise Deng Xiaoping, who proposed to lift the "iron curtain" for foreign capitalists and investors. Investors are not attracted by empty prospects, regardless of the level of attractiveness of the offer. After World War II Communist China pursued an active policy of industrialization, and in the 1980s, when it declared a shift towards a policy of reforms and openness, the country developed a very strong industry.


Print version
Font Size
Send to friend
The policy of reforms and openness gave many public enterprises unprecedented rights. They were able to not only greatly expand their autonomy, but were also allowed to trade on foreign markets and attract foreign investors. When the latter appeared, the demand for labor dramatically increased and was immediately satisfied with a huge army of rural residents. A formal registration system, hukou, still existing in China, officially divides citizens into peasants and city dwellers. Peasants are not allowed into the city, and, consequently, a more comfortable life, through any means other than through employment, albeit temporary. Not surprisingly, starving peasants were willing to work in the worst conditions for a minimal fee.

Foreign investors were familiar with the situation as something similar happened after World War II throughout Asia, but has never reached such proportions as in China. Of course, this is an overly simplistic explanation, but it would require a volume of solid scientific monograph to examine the origins of the Chinese economic miracle in detail. In any case, even in a simplified interpretation it is clear that these factors became the drivers of rapid economic growth of the country in late 20th and early 21st century.

In the past 30 years, the Chinese economy demonstrated incredible growth, up to an average of 10 percent a year. The country is forcefully pushing itself into the ranks of global leaders, pushing other candidates aside. This was emphasized during the crisis of 2008-2009. Analysts began a dispute as to when - in 2016 or 2020 - China will push the USA from the pedestal, taking the first place. Against the backdrop of these disputes, first reports of a slowing of China's economic growth came out of the blue. When in later 2012 it was reported that China's economy showed growth of 7.8 percent - the minimum value in the last 13 years - the analysts started talking about the decline of the era of the Chinese miracle.

It was obvious long time ago that one day this rapid growth would stop. Everyone wanted it to happen as late as possible - and certainly not in the midst of the global crisis. No one wanted to listen to experts warning that the economic growth rates of China were misleading because they did not account for inflation, environmental damage associated with industrial development (based on outdated technology) and other factors. In particular, Dr. Frank Tian Xie from the School of Business at the University of South Carolina at Aiken argued that China's economy was growing only by 5-6 percent a year. His colleague Larry Lang from Hong Kong first stated that the real growth of China's economy in 2011 would not exceed 2.9 percent, but at the year-end adjusted his numbers and found a reduction of China's GDP by 10 percent.

Of course, we can assume that Tian Xie tried to belittle the achievements of China's economy for some personal reasons - it is quite possible, but then there are also objective reasons not related to the statistical balancing act. For example, a known factor that the economic success of China is based on cheap labor (which, contrary to popular belief, is not the decisive one), still plays an important role. In the last ten years it is increasingly losing its appeal, which is understandable. The more corporations move production to China, the larger is competition for labor, in the first place, qualified labor. Socio-economic demands are also growing, and Chinese peasants are no longer willing to work for a bowl of rice and a bunk bed in a dormitory. All this leads to an increase in average wages.

As a result, today the Chinese salary is almost equal to that in Mexica, and monsters of Silicon Valley are thinking about moving their plants to the neighbors. All else being equal, this would make delivery of gadgets into U.S. Walmart cheaper. It is not discussed very often, but today Mexico has become the world's largest exporter of plasma TVs, smartphones, Blackberry and refrigerators. China's Asian neighbors like Vietnam increasingly take away China's share of investors and producers.

However, despite the steady growth of income in China, the social stratification in the country is still significant. This is precisely the reason why China, a recognized "World Factory," cannot re-orient towards domestic demand. The goods produced must be sold, and they can only be sold in foreign markets. The country's economy is strongly tied to exports. The demand in the U.S. and Europe is going down, and China's economy is shrinking.

There are many other factors that allow analysts to predict stagnation of the Chinese economy. They include, for example, an increase in the social burden on the budget caused by the aging population, the decline in foreign investment due to the crisis, etc. In the end, experts have seen it all. This has already happened in Japan, the first of the "Asian tigers" that showed the world economic miracles and that is now dealing with the resulting hangover.

Is the Chinese economic miracle over? Some economists have questioned whether it existed in the first place and whether there were reasons to expect that China would become the leading world economy. China has not been able to catch up with the U.S. it its prime in terms of contribution to global GDP. In addition, the country has not even made it to the list of medium wealthy countries, which makes all speculations about its leadership mute.

Other experts, for example, Goldman Sachs group, that once revealed to the world the four BRIC countries, have already written off the former leaders, and are now awaiting miracles from the new favorites. It is assumed that there will be a new four, MIST (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, and Turkey). Others argue that China will show itself, suggesting that its economy is about to gets its second wind.

However, why don't we ask the Chinese? They spoke quite clearly and definitely when at the 18th Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) a transition towards the concept of "effective development" was declared. It implies double growth of GDP, focus on innovative development, and increasing openness of China's economy. But the main thing is a "strategic adjustment of the economic structure," which means increasing urbanization, increasing incomes and domestic demand.

Simply put, China is going to take care of itself. As for the global economy, the country's leaders have eloquently demonstrated their attitude by ignoring the last year's World Economic Forum in Davos. This then shocked and puzzled many analysts, because China attended every such meeting since 1979. It turns out, the explanation was quite simple: Beijing got everything it wanted from the world.

Of course, another change of the course does not mean that China is once again going to isolate itself from the world with the iron curtain, quite the contrary. China's business is focused on expansion abroad, actively manifesting itself not only in under-developed countries in Africa, but also in distressed Europe.

The country's achievements in the area of innovation are quite impressive as it is planning to build manned bases on the Moon and explore Mars. It is well known that the development of such advanced areas as space exploration directly affects the advances in science and industrial innovation, and this is one of the few things that China lacked to become a confident global leader. The leadership of the CPC is wise in setting such ambitious goals for the country. As evidenced by the last 30 years, these plans should be taken seriously as the Chinese showed that they know how to implement them.